Journeyman. Adventures in the Mundane & Faerie Realms

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1 Journeyman Adventures in the Mundane & Faerie Realms

2 This game is the creation and obsession of Dakin Burdick Please do not reproduce any of this work without permission. Thank you. Copyright: Revised: 1995, 2009, 2012 For more information, contact: Dakin Burdick 7 Poplar St. Ipswich, MA dakinburdick@yahoo.com This system has been a long time in the making, and I had a lot of encouragement and inspiration along the way. My brother Matt ran several games and was responsible for much of the original space rules. Our father, James Alan Burdick, also played in our games and ran some of his own as well, and now my kids and their cousins play as well. I'd like to thank all of the players and referees who have helped make this game and the world of the Last Empire. John Alcorn, Mario Arias, Kyle Arvin, Mark Arvin, J.C. Bell, Jim Bennett, Mike Basinger, Scott Beauregard, Chris and Ginger Bohrs, Craig Bonney, Mike Brewington, Matt Brown, Dana Burdick, Corwin Burdick, Jake Burdick, Jennifer Burdick, Jim Burdick, Lorna Burdick, Matt Burdick, Mesa Burdick, Mark Bryant, Tom Charles, Paul Colbert, Byron Collier, Brigitte Corbett, Joe Costello, Ken Cummings, Chris Daywalt, Dan and David Deerwester, Bob Doom, Terry Doberstein, Bill Dorell, Robert Gill, Carol and David Griggs, Jane Gurthet, Rainer Gustin, Kate Hammer, David Haney, Bern Hughes, John and Melissa Hughes, Todd Hughes, Garner Johnson, Tom and Michelle Johnson, Doug Kern, Martin Knudsen, Gabe Kramer, Alex Lentz, Robert Lesh, Kevin McCorkel, Reuben McFarlane, Bill Mericot, Dan Mikesell, Jay & Michelle Miller, Vince Morton, Mike Muchinsky, Jeff Oswalt, Jeff Patrick, Randy Pardue, Mooley and Tzippi Peleg, Dave Pillar, Sean Priser, Rob Quinn, Scott Rappold, Charles Rhee, Scott Sands, Kurt Seiffert, Cubby Smith, Dan Stach, Doug Stang, Chris States, Bryan Stephenson, Darrell Swope, Tim Taylor, Mark Tesky, Sam Timbers, Larry Varner, Amy Wagner, Sam Wojtczak, Laura Wright, Jill Yarger, Scott Yarger, Chris York, and Chris Ziegler. Hail & Well-Met!

3 An Introduction to Roleplaying 3 Introduction to the Last Empire 4 Creating a Character 8 Race and Sex 8 Stats 8 Rolling Your Stats 8 Gender Differences: 9 Imagining a Character for the Last Empire Campaign 9 Warrior 10 Mage 11 Scout 12 Priest 13 Mass (MASS) 14 Hit Points 15 How Tall is My Character? 16 Children 16 Blood Points 16 Strength (STR) 17 Damage Bonus 17 Endurance (END) 17 Fatigue 17 Base Speed (in Hexes) 18 Encumbrance (ENC) 18 Intelligence (INT) 18 Language Skills 18 Languages of the Last Empire 18 Willpower (WILL) 20 Appearance (APP) 20 Social Status (SOC) 20 Starting Money 21 Charisma (CHA) 22 Handedness 23 Base Skill Points 23 Age 23 Cumulative Modifiers for Age 24 Additional Skill Points 24 Faery Godmother Points 24 Fleshing Out the Character 24 0

4 Where are you from? 25 What is your religion, if any? 25 Why you are adventuring in the first place? 25 How honest are you? 25 Are you a thief? 25 Are you willing to steal from the party? 26 Are you just plain evil? 26 Advice from Other Adventurers 26 Improving the Character 28 Training 28 Raising Characteristics 29 Reputation 30 Reputation Table 31 Followers 32 NPC Traits 33 The Long-term Campaign 34 Background Information on the Last Empire 35 Chronology 35 Flora and Fauna 39 Trogs 41 Spirits of the Otherworld 42 Gods 42 Grom, the One True God 43 The Tale of Vlek 43 Church Hierarchy 44 Other Church-related Positions 45 Heresy 45 Divine Intervention 45 The Seyvas of Grom 45 Attitudes of the Gromites 46 The Other Gods 46 Sacrifice Schedules 46 Attributes of the Gods 47 Northern Imperial Pantheon 47 AER: God of Air and Storms. 47 AERD: The Lords of the Eight Winds. 47 AQUAE: Mistress of the Waters. 48 ARCURIUS: The Strongbow. 49 ARTURIO: God of War. 49 DETH: The Death God. 49 FAEDIR: Creator, the Father of All, the King of the Gods. 50 1

5 FLEOGAN: God of Birds and Flight. 50 FYR: God of Fire. 50 FYRSUNU: God of Light. 50 GEMYND: God of Knowledge. 51 LAGU: The Peacebringer. 51 MODOR: Mother Earth. 52 OKEANOS: God of the Seas. 52 SLAEP: God of Sleep and Dreams. 52 THEOFIAN: God of Night and Thieves. 53 THIGGJA: God of Luck, Gamblers and Beggars. 53 WANDRIAN: The Traveler. 53 WEYGAN: The Titan. 54 Southern Imperial Pantheon 54 ABILLIYA: Guardian of the Dead. 54 ARAKHA: The God of Light, King of the Gods. 55 BAYYASH: Goddess of the Sea & Birth. 55 INNŪ: Goddess of the Flowing Waters. 55 ITHRAK: The War God. 56 KARRA: The Creator and Father of All. 56 QWAB: The Earth God. 57 RADĪRŪS: Goddess of the Night. 57 SHŪRI: The Avenging God. 57 SHŪS: God of Death and Nature. 58 SHŪTŪ: The Sky Goddess. 58 THŪDA: God of Knowledge. 59 YATTA: The Goddess of Light. 59 ZEB: The God of Luck. 60 Price List of Standard and Magical Items 61 Stronghold Construction 71 Inspirational Reading 1 Fantasy 1 Modern Adventure 2 Science Fiction 2 2

6 An Introduction to Roleplaying Role-playing games require at least two people, a referee and a player. There may be several players (six players is a reasonable limit) but there will be only one referee. The players create and portray personas for themselves using the rules below, the referee creates and controls the rest of the world the players live in -- animals, geography, equipment, and every person on the world except for the players. Needless to say, the most important person in the game is the referee -- he does most of the work and if he is not skillful, the game will be boring at best, irritating and frustrating at worst. New players should remember that it sometimes takes a long time to become a good referee. It is a good idea for a new group to take turns being the referee; some people actually like all the work involved, and the other players should give all the encouragement they can, otherwise they might have to do it themselves! The referee should read all the rules through at least once before attempting to play. This will at least give him a chance to learn where all of the information is and how the system works. A new referee should pay particular attention to the examples found through-out the rules. These are the easiest way to learn and are pretty easy to remember as well. It is a good idea to start by running pre-written adventures for this system, as they will help give you a feel for how an adventure should run. I generally prefer to run an adventure once every five to ten years of the characters' lives. Adventuring on a constant, day-to-day basis is unrealistic, as well as a good way to 3 kill characters before they acquire a personality, and destroy the balance of the world. There can only be so many dreaded monsters or invasions of evil, or the general populace would not survive! Remember that you are playing a roleplaying game: so play a role! Try to think what your character would do in such a situation; what would a hero do in such a situation? Then do it. But remember to have fun. Don't maximize your character's potential at the expense of his personality, or he will quickly become a flat and colorless money-grubber. Remember that you are playing a game to have fun, not to "win" every time. Some of the most enjoyable adventures we had been involved in have come with players who sacrificed their lives for the rest of the party (of course taking some of their foes with them) or helped someone who would never be able to repay them. This kind of altruism also makes you very popular with the other players, and they will probably reciprocate when your favorite character is trapped by certain death. When playing the game, be the person you always wished you could be: bold and heroic, sneaky and conniving, or flamboyant and dashing. The things you do are only limited by your imagination (and your referee's). Stay in character. If you need to say something out of character, preface it with "Out of character, I'd like to ask a question..." All rolls need to be on the table and have to lay flat. Anything else will have to be re-rolled. Don't roll any dice until the referee says to. And remember, somebody in the party needs to map. Without a map, it is easy to get lost. Pick someone who draws well and pays attention.

7 Introduction to the Last Empire It is the end of time for humanity. Humanity has spread itself far throughout the stars but now that interstellar civilization has collapsed. Technology has failed, although why and how no one can now say. Humanity barely remembers a time when it flew among the stars, and only a few relics remain of those days. It is known that this world was not mankind's homeworld, but no-one knows where that might be. Some body armor has survived, but the most wonderful items are rods, sceptres and staves. Common folk know to turn such ancient technologies over to the Emperor, as their use is both dangerous and outlawed. It is an age of Belief. As technology faded, belief became more powerful than knowledge. Mankind worships many gods, and those gods give powers to their priests and even sometimes manifest in the Worlde in the form of their Avatars. In Anthavar, the worship of the Old Gods has been largely replaced by the worship of Grom, the One True God, but at the borderlands of the Empire, other gods are still worshipped. It is an age of Myth. As technology faded, humanity grew closer to the soil and belief became more powerful than knowledge. In certain wild areas, the mortal world is connected to the Otherworld, the realm of Faerie. Elves, dwarves, goblins, unicorns and other creatures roam those regions, although they are not found in civilized lands. Some adventurers have travelled to Faerie, and their stories have only strengthened the hold of Myth on humanity. 4 It is an age of Magic. The mental skills of the Ancients have been augmented by the return of belief, and magicians of various types (Sorcerors, Seers, Necromancers, Shapechangers, Spiritologists, etc.) roam the Worlde. Some mages belong the Magician's Guild and serve the Emperor. Some practice Black Magic through sacrifice of various beasts, including humans. It is a sword age. Two great empires struggle for domination of the Worlde. The struggle has been going on for centuries, and seems to be an ideological struggle which can only end with the elimination of one nation or the other. The older of the two civilizations is the Anthavarn Empire, ruled by Emperor Cornelius, the Lion of the City of Lions. The people of Anthavar worship Grom, the one True God, in his three aspects of Law, Life, and Truth. The Church of Grom is headed

8 by the Triad, a group of three head Priests (called Primaries), each representing one Aspect. The Emperor sponsors the Magician's Guild and retains some ancient technologies. The Church of Grom and the Magician's Guild struggle for power, and away from the capitol, the Church is winning. The common folk fear Black Magic, and the Law Priests are often eager to burn mages, whom they believe to be servants of Vlek the Flameking. Anthavar was greatly weakened by a long war with Nazilth, the last Lord of Darkness from the East. Nazilth was aided by hordes of Trogs, the pale underground night raiders from the Darkrealms. Garst and some of the other lesser kingdoms have asserted their independence from the Holy Empire. The older Imperial pantheon is worshipped in Garst, although some citizens now lean towards the worship of Grom. Therrea itself is beginning to rise again, as a few wilderness duchies have been recolonized. Taybor is the best example of this. Far to the north are the Arilynian Plains, better known as the Plain of the Ten Tribes. The plains are inhabited by primitive nomads who hunt and battle both each other and the Giants of the Frozen North that lies beyond the plains. To the northwest of Anthavar is the second empire, the younger empire of the Gurakali. The Gurakal Empire began on the island of Kallaimor. The island was settled by Anthavarn colonists hundreds of years ago. They founded the Sea-Empire of the Jeday, which remained friendly to Anthavar. The Sea-Empire was eventually overthrown by Lord Kaleb of Tarn (a central province of Kallaimor) in 482. Kaleb resented the Anthavarns and the growing influence of Grom, but Anthavar had the advantage of wealth and size, and was able to suppress its rival easily. When the Wars against Darkness weakened Anthavar, the Gurakali saw their chance. Lady Gida of Tarn was a powerful Spiritologist and sought demonic aid against Anthavar. To that end, she sacrificed her husband Kaleb and their four children and summoned five elder demons (Tarkus the Grim; Bleobardis, Lord of Fools; Kishta, Lord of Flames; Rygil the Music-Bringer; and Laasa the Wind-dweller) in 487. Unfortunately, these demons proved very difficult to control, and Gurakal became a place of horror and anarchy. The demons named themselves as gods and demanded worship in exchange for power. The Gurakali gave it to them. Fortune and fame are given only to those Gurakali who Prove themselves to the demons. To do so, they must immerse themselves in the Red Pool, where the demons were summoned. Those that emerge are Proven, but they are always changed, and the changes can never be predicted. The Red Pool attracts pilgrims by the lure of easy power. Like any gamble, it usually takes more than it gives. The lands of the Gurakali are slowly being turned into the realms of monsters. Lucky pilgrims gain great powers and take positions of command. The unlucky ones are transformed into loathsome monsters and sent to the borders of the Empire to subdue the enemies of the Gurakali. The Gurakali borders expanded until they reached the client states of Anthavar, and Gurakal is now at war with Anthavar. The Gurakali launched a number of surprise raids on northern colonies and on shipping, 5

9 and then invaded the north in earnest. The war escalated until it covered the continent, with armies of Helmers and Gelmers and other Gurakali noble families in full force. A decisive sea battle was fought in the Middle Sea, where the premature detonation of ancient weapons destroyed both the Gurakali fleet and much of the Anthavarn fleet as well. Gurakal retreated, but continues its intrigues. Anthavar continues to build an ever-stronger military, with the knowledge that it will eventually have to take the war to Kallaimor. become disgruntled and now wander the countryside as Healers, branded as heretics by the Church. Some scholars who would have become Truth priests now join the Magician s Guild instead. Without the traditional internal balance of the three Aspects, the Church has become more cruel, and now uses its holy warriors, the Glayvs, to enforce its views. The Gurakali have great powers but they face the revitalized Anthavar Empire under Emperor Cornelius, as well as the resistance of some Gurakali who oppose the chaos taint. Many Gurakali want rid of the unearthly beings which rule them so they can begin living normal lives again. Still, Gurakali provocateurs are continually being discovered and exposed on the mainland. Anthavarns fight against all Gurakali, considering them worshippers of Demons, and fighting them for the cause of Law and the word of Grom. Because of the overwhelming public opinion against the demon worshippers, the Law priests currently have a political edge over the Life priests and Truth priests in the religious power struggles. Some Life priests have 6 Beyond these great struggles, there are always the eternal political struggles between the smaller states. For those tired of the wars, the ruined land of Therrea beckons. Laying to the northeast of Anthavar, it was burnt and plundered in the Wars against Darkness. It is now eagerly being colonized by the younger sons of Anthavarn nobles and the descendants of Therrean lords. The forest has regained mastery of that realm and Therrea has grown very close to Faerie. Elves, dwarves, griffons and even dragons have been seen there. It is a time of uncertainty and opportunity.

10 A Description of the Worlde by Glimatus, Scholar of Grom, 847 AE he Worlde is shaped as unto a ball and hangs in the aether with a thousand other balls, all created by Grom in his wisdom. Mankind once ventured into the Aether, but such travels were not meet with Groms wishes, and he wisely chose this world for his most beloved. All those of the surface of this world, including civiliz d men and barbarians alike, are creatures of Grom. Grom blesses the Holy Empire of the citie of Anthavar and its provinces, includ ng Therrea, Sarrask, Deybadan, Vlore, Tayna, Tlos, Garst, Munu, Seleutioch, Dria, Gemena, Shad, Khaysh, and the Trigathan isles. conquer d territories, Sargon, Jebba, Asoot, Sedoba, and oft times Deyos. That land has turned its face from Grom and has succumbed to the lies of Vlek and for this shall perish utterly. It is more vigorous thank Lokoja and daily strives to expand its realm. For that it is doubly foul, and all true Glayvs and servants of the One True God are called to battle against it and its creatures most urgently. Beneath the surface of the Worlde, in the varied Caves and Cavernes of the Darkrealmes, dwell certaine creatures which can not abide the cleansing Light of Colwyn, Seyva of Grom, in his dayly travells thru' the heavens. These Trogs nightly bedevil and harass the beloved of Grom, and shall surely perish beneath the righteous blades of our most holy Glayvs. Beyonde these civiliz d and pagan realms lie the domains of Barbarians and Heathens, including the Plain of Ten Tribes, the Withering Plains, and the Aykrian Deserte. Grom blesses also the inhabitants of these lands, for they are still Groms children and can still be saved by the Holy Church in due time. Two Unholie realms have turned their faces from Grom, the One True God, and these are are the enemies of all mankind. To the east lays the ancient and Unholie land of Lokoja, realm of unliving and the Undead. All who dwell in this realm will be freed by the purging fires of Grom and his faithful worshippers. To the west lays the ungrateful and Unholie Isle, Kallaimor, Namely, and its 7

11 Creating a Character Create a Character by reading through the following section. Rianna of Blackpool Farm will serve as an example. Race and Sex All adventurers will be human, unless the referee allows otherwise. Beginning characters almost always play humans until they get the hang of the campaign. Experienced players may be allowed to play whatever they work out with the referee. After their character dies, players have played the resulting Haunt or Faerie to good effect. Occasionally players have found themselves playing a monster, because their character was secretly killed and replaced. In general though, players will play a human and their subsequent characters will be human also, often an inheriting relative of the dead character. Playing an inheriting relative allows the player to start with more money than usual, as well as allowing him to maintain a similar personality and social connections. Stats Each player's abilities will be influenced by his basic physical and mental characteristics. These "stats" are: Mass, Strength, Endurance, Intelligence, Willpower, and Appearance. Rolled Stats: Mass Endurance Intelligence Willpower Appearance Social Status 8 Derived Stats: Strength Charisma Let's go through a quick introduction to what the statistics mean. MASS: The size of the character, and also its strength. Bigger characters can take more hits; smaller characters can fit through smaller holes. Put a lot of points here for a warrior. ENDURANCE: The conditioning level of the character; how long it takes for him/her to become fatigued. Sets the upper limit for physical skills like combat. INTELLIGENCE: How fast the character learns, as well as setting the upper limits for skills (how good they can get). WILLPOWER: Very important for magical use or resisting magic. Put a lot of points here for magic. APPEARANCE: How handsome the character is. While superficial, it also affects how well strangers treat you. SOCIAL STATUS: Determines father's social status as well as starting money. A 9 or a 10 may indicate nobility. Armor is expensive. Rolling Your Stats Mass Endurance Intelligence Willpower Appearance Social Status Roll 1d10 Roll 1d10 Roll 1d10 Roll 1d10 Roll 1d10 Roll 1d10

12 All these stats will be determined by rolling dice, then modifying these numbers by moving points around. There are three ways to roll characters: 1. Roll six characters rolling 1d10 for each stat. Pick the character you wish to play. If no character has over 36 points, roll again until you get a satisfactory one. 2. Roll one character rolling 1d10 six times. Assign the rolls to whatever stat you like. If your total roll is less than 36, use method #3 instead. 3. Distribute 36 points (an average of 6) between MASS, END, INT, WILL, APP, & SOC. EXAMPLE: Rianna Blackpool is a beginning female character in the Last Empire campaign. Using System #1 for rolling characters, she comes up with the following stats: MASS 6 STR 6 END 7 INT 8 WILL 6 APP 9 Since she is female, she would normally subtract a point or two from her MASS, but since she is from the Last Empire campaign, her MASS stays at 6. She decides her character will rely on brains more than brawn, and decides to become a magician. She decides to move two points of APP into WILL, giving her a W:8 & A:7. Gender Differences: Women are usually smaller than men. In other campaigns, women would have a MASS penalty because of this. In the Last Empire campaign, they do not, unless your referee rules otherwise. Change the stats of female characters as follows: Modern campaign Last Empire campaign -1 MASS -0 MASS 9 Imagining a Character for the Last Empire Campaign Before you come to the game, decide what kind of character you would like to be, as well as a name and a possible character background. Most characters begin in Garst (a bucolic northern kingdom of earthy but doughty men) and were born either there or in Sarrask (whose men pride themselves on an elegant appearance and personal honor), Therrea (a ruined realm with isolated settlements) or the Plain of Ten Tribes (a northern wilderness occupied by sturdy nomadic barbarians). A few characters may come from the more civilized areas of Anthavar, including the Magician s Island of Trigathos. Very rarely, someone will take a character from the Ligan Desert (strange nomadic people with ancient gods) or from Deybadon (the Dragon City, the capitol of Eastern Anthavar). Most campaigns are land-based, so few adventurers come from naval powers like Deyos. The character's

13 background will be fine-tuned when we finish the character just before the game. First, you should select your basic character type. There are a number of classic character archetypes in role-playing games, including warriors, mages, thieves and priests. In this game, there are no set character types. It is up to you to shape your character, but since this can be difficult for beginning players, we include here descriptions of four archetypes you can use as patterns for your first characters. There is not thief archetype here, because any character can operate illegally at times. Instead, there is a scout character who has both stealth and fighting skills. In a typical beginning adventuring party, there will be 2-3 warriors, 1-2 mages, 1 scout and perhaps 1 priest. As play continues, all of these characters may learn other skills. One of the features of this system is that players can learn whichever skills they like, as long as they find someone to teach them. This means that most characters will not be simply a warrior, a mage, a scout, or a priest, but some combination of those four basic types. The most common type of beginning character is a warrior with some thieving skills. Mages are more difficult to play, because you will have to learn the magic rules. Priests are less complex than Mages, but have certain responsibilities to their church that beginning players may find onerous. 10 Warrior The warrior is the most powerful of beginning characters. A warrior really only needs a few skills to be effective, so warriors can start the game with as much as 10 in Melee Weapons, making them the most effective members of a beginning party. They generally take a more active role in the game during their early years than do scouts, mages, or priests, and consequently take a greater number of injuries. Don t begrudge this, because as the mages get more powerful, you will need their help more and more often. Get the best armor you can -- you ll need it. Diversify your skills if you can by training in Body Control to heal yourself and Sneak, Run or Ride to escape foes that are too powerful to be attacked directly. Warriors who survive their initial years of adventuring usually learn some magic from the mages in the party, in return for teaching weapons skills.

14 Some warriors have dedicated themselves to the service of Grom as Glayvs, and gain extra support from the Church. Glayvs were once considered holy knights and warriors, but they are not as popular as they once were, because of the growing cruelty of the Law Priests who rule the church. Glayvs are also subject to the instructions of Gromite priests they may meet in their travels. Glayvs will also not put up with mages unless the mages are in the Emperor s employ, so unless your party members are all servants of the Emperor, don t take a Glayv. BASIC STATS: Warriors need to have a high STR and MASS, and hopefully a high WILL and END as well. STR gives them their damage bonuses, MASS gives them their hit points, END allows them to fight longer, and WILL allows them to ignore pain and resist magical spells. BASIC SKILLS: Warriors should take Melee Weapons, Marksmanship, Sense, and First Aid. Secondary skills can include Body Control, Climb, Run, Swim, Boxing, Wrestling, and Sneak. Mage The mage is a very powerful character, but not at the start of the game. A young mage finds life very difficult. He must learn a great number of magical talents, not to mention book-learning like Folklore and Alchemy, and often he is not very good at any of them at the start of his career. He can easily be defeated by any journeyman warrior fighter, or even a local tough for that matter. A mage must therefore be circumspect in his actions and imaginative in the use of his skills. Remember that in civilized lands, mages are constantly in danger of being burnt alive by villagers who fear black magic. A mage should either stick to the hinterlands, or obtain royal or imperial patronage. 11 After twenty years of experience, however, there is little that can stop the mage, but survival to that point is often dependent upon the warriors with whom he travels. Most mage players take skill in Spiritology,

15 since the mage is the only character that can adequate dispel or control some of the more powerful spirits like a Bogadeth or a Slarg. Body Control is a very important talent, and has kept more than one novice mage alive in his early years. If the mage is interested in pure personal power, he should specialize in either Shaping or Transformations. Shaping allows the mage to change the basic structure of everyday items but it requires time and is more suited to the building of fortresses than to tactical application in combat. Transformations allow mages to take animal forms, and then Shapeshifting expands that to a myriad of ways. Transformations can be enormously useful for beginning adventurers (such taking the shape of a hawk for reconnaissance or of a bear for combat), especially if they are cunning, but human weapons and armor are ultimately more than a match for any beast and experienced mages often avoid Transformations in favor of Spiritology. Some mages play a supportive role in their party by specializing in Sorcery, which allows the healing of other players and eventually leads to Restoration, the only way to bring dead characters back to life. On the average, a beginning party is well-advised to have one or two mages for every three fighters. The mages will often need protection in combat. Remember that everyone can train in any skill, so eventually most characters can both use magic and weapons. BASIC STATS: A mage needs to have a high WILL and INT, and hopefully a high END. WILL allows them to cast spells more effectively, INT allows them to learn more quickly and to develop their talents more completely, while END allows them to perform long ceremonies. A mage who wants to 12 Transform into ferocious creatures should have a high MASS, while one that likes to fly should have a low MASS. BASIC SKILLS: A mage needs to concentrate his skill points in magical talents. The talents he learns will depend on what his magical college teaches. Ask your referee. Secondary skills may include Sense, Folklore, Languages, Sneak, Alchemy, Botany, and First Aid. Scout A scout is a fighter with stealth skills like Mechanics or Sneak. In wartime, scouts are used for covert operations and special service, including sniping, ambush, rear guard, and of course advance guard. In peacetime, scouts may ply their trade as rangers, hunters, con men, and second story men. On an adventure, scouts are often on point, in front of the party. They gather intelligence on upcoming perils, including traps. This

16 also gives them unique access to potential treasures that lay ahead of the party. Scouts rely on their wits, so it takes a clever player to run one well. Because of their role as point men, they often make important decisions that have repercussions for the party as a whole. BASIC STATS: Scouts should have a high INT and END, with hopefully a high APP and STR as well. INT allows them to think their way out of sticky problems, END allows them to climb high cliffs without falling from fatigue. A high APP helps scouts to con the locals, and a high STR is helpful in a lot of situations. A scout is one of the few characters who is actually aided by a low MASS, since it allows him to sneak into tight spots. BASIC SKILLS: Scouts should take Sneak, Sense, Sleight of Hand, Climb, Lockpicking, Marksmanship, and Run. Secondary skills may include Melee Weapons, Swim, First Aid, and Body Control. Priest The priest also takes a special kind of person to play, often someone patient and willing to stand quietly in the background while other players hog most of the glory. A priest is a strong support character, but rarely has any individual glory, depending on the god he or she worships. A priest of Grom wields more secular than magical power, and is often most comfortable when addressing a congregation. He has the backing of the empire and can order the holy knights called Glayvs to do his bidding, but he can also be recalled or ordered to perform a task at any time by his superiors. The Gromite priest is able to help the party out of legal difficulties the scout got them into, but the scout himself may be left to rot. His adventuring spoils are tithed to the church, and all glory goes to Grom, not his servant. 13 A priest of one of the old Imperial pantheon

17 or one of the barbarian gods of the Northern Wastes wields more magical power, although it is still less than a mage. These priests serve as minor avatars of their gods, and therefore have magical powers that reflect in a minor way the powers of their god. Fire gods allow their priests to generate fire, and bird gods allow their priests to fly. The amount of magical power wielded by a priest depends on the size of his congregation, and his ability to use it on others depends upon their belief in his god. Priests may cross train in other magical arts, as long as they do not stray from the path of their god (a priestess of Mother Earth will not specialize in fire magic!). Priests tend to get into religious arguments easily, so one priest is plenty for most adventuring parties. For example, some heretical priests of Grom travel the countryside as "Healers," and reject the current dominance of the Law Priests, insisting that Life is a gift for all people. Placing a Healer and a Law Priest in the same party would be disastrous. The best situation for a priest is if all the party members agree to be his religion. Melee Weapons, Marksmanship, Climb, and Swim are also important skills, but should only be taken if they do not conflict with the priest's religion. Mass (MASS) A higher MASS is good for warriors, because it means a higher base Strength (STR) and therefore both a higher damage bonus when hitting something, and a higher chance to break down doors and the like. A lower MASS is good for a mage who wants to be able to fly, because it is easier to lift his body. A lower MASS is also good for a scout, because he can squeeze through smaller places. A party with a mage skilled in Shaping will usually not need a small scout. A higher STR also gives a character a higher base in some physical skills. BASIC STATS: Priests should have a high INT and WILL, and hopefully a high STR and APP as well. INT allows them to learn skills, WILL allows them to control a congregation, as does a high APP. STR allows them to wield weapons in the service of their god. A high SOC is often helpful for a priest attempting to land a high-ranking position in the church. BASIC SKILLS: Priests should take Theology, Sense, and First Aid. Other skills should be based upon the requirements of their religion. Sneak, 14

18 Hit Points Hit points (HP) are a measure of the total amount of damage the body can withstand, which is determined by his MASS. (See: COMBAT, Taking Damage). HP = 40 x square root of MASS MASS Hit Points Head Arm Chest Abdomen Upper Leg Lower Leg Hit Points are allocated to each hit location as follows: Hit Location Humanoid Quadruped Bird Insect Snake Head 8% 10% 8% 10% 9% Chest 16% 25% 18% 25% Abdomen 10% 15% 8% 15% 15% Arm 8% 8% Wing 8% 5% Tentacle Leg 10% 8% Lower Leg 9% Upper Leg 16% Tail 2% 15% NOTE: Percentages allocated to hit locations will not always add up to 100%. For example, Snakes will have a total below 100 (because they have fewer hit locations than people). 15

19 How Tall is My Character? Each MASS point is equivalent to 10 kg., and the following table details heights for both men and women. Note that female characters are taller than male characters of the same weight. MASS Males (cm) Females (cm) EXAMPLE: Rianna has M:6, and is thus cm. tall and weighs 60 kg. Cultural Differences: These figures are based on the average weight for males between the age of 17 and 19 years in Average height and weight may vary according to culture and time period. If you can get the estimated average height for males from the desired era, you can calculate the average MASS for the period by using the following formula: Children Referees may want adventures to take place when the adventurers were children or where 16 children play a role (young pickpockets for example). The relative masses for younger characters can be found on the table below: Age Male Multiplier Female Multiplier Fat Characters: This game assumes that all characters are of average build. They may be more or less muscular (STR and END are two ways to train one's body). Fat characters will generally be NPCs, and will carry their fat as added ENC will fatigue less quickly. Fat characters may be assumed to be carrying from 10% to 40% of their body weight in additional fat. Over 40% the character should be considered obese, and will have trouble walking. Blood Points Each character has a certain number of Blood Points that will be used to calculate blood loss and its results in combat. Each character has MASS+4 blood points. When blood points = 0, the character is unconscious. When he reaches negative blood points = (END+4)/2, he is dead.

20 # of BPs left Stage 1 (MASS+4)/2-2 STR, thirsty, fatigues 2x as fast (MASS+4)/3 Confusion, Aggression 0 Unconscious -(MASS+4)/2 Death Strength (STR) STR starts out equal to the rolled MASS. It can be raised later (see "Improving the Character") but it cannot go over MASS x 1.5 or under MASS x.75. The character can emphasize either strength training (STR) or aerobic training (END). These two types of training are mutually incompatible, so END is limited to a maximum of 10 - (STR-MASS). Use the chart below: MASS Maximum STR Max. END if at Max. STR Damage Bonus Players may receive damage bonuses or penalties according to their STR. Use the following chart: 17 Damage STR Bonus No Bonus Endurance (END) END is a proxy for the character's aerobic fitness. If the enemy is beatable, the character can fight longer without taking negative modifiers. If the enemy is unbeatable, the character can run longer and faster than the other party members. END also determines the character's Fatigue points (below) and determines the maximum level of skill a character can have in physical skills. Fatigue Each character has a number of fatigue points equal to his ENDurance. These fatigue points will be reduced for certain strenuous actions. See the fatigue rules under "Rules Mechanics" for more detail.

21 Base Speed (in Hexes) Encumbrance (ENC) Each hex is 2 m. across. Base speed (walking) is determined by MASSxEND/10. Look in the table below for the results. ENDURANCE MASS Now look at the next table, which gives you the actual speed in hexes (2 m.) per round. Base Speed Walk Run Sprint Fast Sprint Dash EXAMPLE: Rianna's MASS is 6 and her END is 7, which gives a base movement speed of 4 (first table), which means she walks at 2 hexes per round (second chart). 18 Each person is allowed to carry 10% of his own Body Weight (in Kg.) before becoming encumbered. Remember that overweight characters must carry their fat as part of this encumbrance. Encumbering characters will become fatigued more easily. EXAMPLE: Rianna's damage bonus is +1, her Fatigue is 14, and her maximum ENC is 6 kg. (10% of 60 kg.) Intelligence (INT) A higher INT is good for a mage or anyone who will take a lot of skills. It gives a higher base in many skills, including languages, and allows characters to learn new skills faster. It also sometimes allows characters to have an idea when their player is stumped. Language Skills A character's native language is known at INT; the second language at INT/2, and the third language at INT/4. Reading skills are normally 1/2 of speaking skills in medieval campaigns, but modern reading skills are the same as speaking and Barbarians usually cannot read at all. EXAMPLE: Rianna has I:8, so she knows her native language at 8, her second language at 4, and her third language at 2. She can, of course, raise these skills using her skill points. Languages of the Last Empire Barbarian Tongues: The Weltscharr, Grefftarr, and the other tribes of the northern plains all have their own tribal languages.

22 Nevertheless, all of the barbarian tongues are related and since almost all tribes are nomads and frequently intermarry, they remain that way. When one tribe talks to another, just divide both of their language skills in half. Elvish: The language of all who dwell in Faerie: Elves, Dragons, Dwarves, Giants, Hagges, etc. Because Faeries have great longevity, Elvish is a very ancient language, and one can detect similarities between it and Wizard's Tongue. Gurakali: The language of Kallaimor, it shares about 33% of its words with Imperial. To communicate between the two, divide both peoples language skill by three. Old Imperial: An ancient version of Imperial used for court purposes and official records. Because this language stays constant through the years, Anthavarn records can be traced back more than 2,000 years. Trog: A harsh, gutteral language used by the Trogs only. Some humans use the language to trade with the Trogs. Wizard's Tongue: From the same roots as Elvish and Ancient Imperial, Wizard's Tongue is used exclusively by magicians. Thieves Tongue: An urban cant developed by the underworld to conduct business and recognize fellow thieves in other nations. Imperial: The language of most of the civilized world, at least the part the players are in. It is used primarily for speech, and is used for writing only by those without a formal education. 19

23 Willpower (WILL) A higher WILL is good for mages who want to control others and also for those who want to resist magic. WILL is good for improving a character through diet or hard training, and also for continuing to fight after one is badly wounded. Appearance (APP) A higher APP means that NPCs will usually react better to the character. It may help a character lead his troops or sway a crowd. Social Status (SOC) SOC is the character's social standing at birth. A higher SOC gives higher starting money and equipment, but SOC can change quickly in the game and all players can improve their SOC later. The following table shows the various levels of social status. Low is poor, high is royalty. After determining the character's social class, the player should pick his parent's occupation from the applicable list for that class. After rolling 1d10 for SOC on the table below, roll 1d10 again. If the result is a "1", the character is a bastard child (born out of wedlock). Then roll 1d10 again for the number of children in the family and decide which child you wish to be (first daughter, seventh son, etc.; note that in cases of high SOC, the referee may decide on the order of birth). Remember that for any character, SOC may rise or fall during the game depending on the character's actions; a commoner may become knighted or even become King, a King may be overthrown and reduced to beggary. 20

24 Starting Money The starting money listed for each character represents 10% of their annual earnings. When calculating the amount of money that a character saves from year to year, just assume that the character saves 10% of their wages each year. NOTE: For modern characters, just change pence to dollars. Medieval Savings in pence Added for each year after age 16 SOC Status Medieval Title Barbarian Title 1 Orphan Orphan/Outcast Serf Thrall Yeoman Herdsman Townsman Hunter 1, Craftsman Master Hunter 2, Guild member Shaman 4, Knight Elder 8, Duke Skald/Chief 16, King 32,000 1, Emperor 64,000 3,200 Yeoman: Yeomen are freemen who either work their own property or serve a local noble and wear his livery. Possible Occupations: Blacksmith, Carpenter, Cartwright, Farmer, Fisherman, Forester, Innkeeper, Mason, Miller, or Stockman. Yeomen in Livery may also be: Armorer, Entertainer, Falconer, or a Man-at-arms. Townsman: 20% of Townsmen are masters of their trade; the rest are employed by such a master. Possible Occupations: Baker, Barber, Blacksmith, Brewer, Brothelkeeper, Butcher, Cobbler, Greengrocer, Innkeeper, Miller, Miner, Moneylender, Ostler, Servant, Tinker. Craftsman: Craftsmen belong to Craft or Trade Guilds. As such, they are listed by Guild: 21 Banker's Guild. Builder's Guild: Architect, Bricklayer, Carpenter, Stonemason. Clothier's Guild: Dyer, Tailor, Tanner, Weaver. Glassblower's Guild. Merchant's Guild. Perfumer's Guild. Shipbuilder's Guild: Architect, Cordage Maker, Sailmaker, Shipwright. Guild member: Guildsmen are professional men and are also organized into guilds. 80% of these are just masters of their art while the other 20% are also Syndics or Guild Councilors. The guilds are: Armorer's Guild. Artist's and Entertainer's Guild:

25 Acrobat, Artist, Dancer, Jongleur, Musician, Poet, Sculptor, Troubadour. Barrister's Guild. Cabinetmaker's Guild: Cabinetmaker, Jointer, Millwright. Chef's Guild. Foundrymen's Guild. Mercenaries Guild. Physician's Guild: Apothecary, Physician, Surgeon. Scholar's Guild: Astrologer, Astronomer, Botanist, Interpreter, Mathematician, Paper & Ink maker, Sage, Scholar, Scribe, Zoologist. Shipman's Guild: Captain, Navigator. Wizard's Guild. EXAMPLE: Rianna rolls a 3, which makes her father a serf. She thens rolls a 6 (legitimate child), followed by a 1 (they only had one child). She gives her birthplace as Riverbend, in Garst, and names her parents as Thorstal & Anya. Thorstall is a serf, bound to the land in service of the local lord, and all he can give Rianna is 8 shillings & 4 pence. She will begin her adventures poorly equipped and unable to pay the 1,000 s. fee to apprentice herself to a mage. Charisma (CHA) CHA stands for Charisma, a derived stat that determines how much other humans will like a person. The referee should modify a character's CHA for other races. Charisma is computed by the following formula (Best Skill includes Languages): APP + SOC/2 + LANGUAGE/2 + BEST SKILL/2 = CHARISMA EXAMPLE: Rianna's current CHA is 14, calculated by adding: 22 7 (APP) +1.5 (SOC/2) +4 (language/2) +2 (best skill/2)

26 Her CHA will increase as she becomes more successful (higher SOC), learns to speak more effectively (higher language skills), & becomes more skilled at her profession (best skill). Handedness Roll 1d10 to determine which hand the character uses most, and check the following table: 1-7 Right handed 8-9 Left handed 10 Ambidextrous An ambidextrous character does not have to train with melee weapons for both hands, but instead learns to use the weapon in both hands as easily as the normal person learns to use it in one. Learned 1 INTx3 Magical 0 INTx3 These skill points represent those accumulated by the time the character is 10 years old. Since beginning characters start adventuring between the ages of 17 and 34, the character receives more skill points (below) for this added 11 to 28 years of experience. EXAMPLE: Rianna has a base of 2 for Physical skills (maximum skill of 28), 2 for Career skills (maximum of 32), 1 for Learned skills (maximum of 24), & 0 for Magical skills (maximum of 24). Age Use the following dice, depending on the type of character, to roll age on the table that follows: EXAMPLE: Rianna rolls a 6, so she is right-handed. 1d4 1d6 1d10 Player characters Experienced characters Non-player Characters Base Skill Points Everyone starts with the same base chance in each skill, but their full potential in that skill (skills can be raised by TRAINING) is determined by their stats. The base skill and highest possible skill are listed below for the four basic skill types. All of the skills within those types share the same base and limit. Skill Type Base Skill Maximum Skill Physical 2 ENDx4 Career 2 INTx4 Medical 2 INTx4 23 ROLL AGE d d d d d d d d d d10 EXAMPLE: Rianna rolls a 2 on 1d4 and then rolls a 4 on 1d4, giving her an age of 22.

27 As a character becomes older, its basic stats change. The character becomes weaker, wrinkled, and eventually senile. None of these reductions can be avoided. Additional Skill Points These skill points represent further training from education and experience. Use the formulae below to calculate the number of points for each character: Exp. pts = (Age - 10) x 4 A beginning character should be limited to a maximum of 7 in any one skill. Characters that are assumed to have adventured for at least 4 years previous to the adventure may be allowed to have up to 10 in some skills. Cumulative Modifiers for Age Age STR END INT -1 WILL -1-1 APP -1-1 Sense -1-1 EXAMPLE: If Rianna survives until she was 51, her stats will be reduced from: MASS 6 STR 6 END 7 INT 8 WILL 8 APP 7 to: MASS 6 STR 4 END 6 INT 8 WILL 7 APP 6 24 EXAMPLE: Rianna is 22 years old, so she has 48 skill points to distribute. She decides to concentrate on fighting (Marksmanship, Melee Weapons, etc.) and thieving skills (Sneak, Sense, Climb, Sleight of Hand, Languages, etc.) in order to survive long enough to learn magic. Faery Godmother Points Each new player gets three Faery Godmother points to be used throughout the character's life. You can turn in a card to change one roll that you have rolled for your character. You must turn in the point right after the roll is made. The roll becomes a critical success in favor of the character. This may save your character or it may not, but at least the character will go out heroically. Fleshing Out the Character Once you have decided upon the character type, think about your answers to these questions.

28 Where are you from? Most beginning games take place in Garst or in Sarrask on the borders of Therrea. If you are local resident, you will be a member of a civilized country with a King and nobles, and you will speak the Imperial tongue. You will have a basic knowledge of life in the region where you are from. If you are close to where you were born, your family is close enough to support you, and their enemies are close enough to hurt you. Alternatively, you could be a barbarian from the northern Plain of Ten Tribes, where shamans and tribal law maintain control over bold hunters. Or you could be a refugee from Gurukal, or even a far-travelling soul from Eastern Anthavar or beyond, the choice is up to you. What is your religion, if any? Do you worship the One True God called Grom, or the old Imperial pantheon, or the gods of the Northern Wastes, or perhaps an even more ancient and diminished deity? Gromites rule the Anthavarn Empire and worshippers of other gods are regarded as pagans and receive little aid from the Church of Grom. Worshippers of any religion receive a +3 WILL resistance against the magic of gods, and atheists receive it against the magic of all gods, but atheists also do not receive the aid of the church. Why you are adventuring in the first place? This is one of the most important questions you can ask yourself; it will help you shape an intriguing character. Are you on a quest for a lost artifact? Are you escaping from assassins hired by a rival merchant family? Are you hoping to make a large enough fortune to restore your familial barony? Do you yearn to rescue princes and princesses from a variety of fates worse than death? Or are you just looking for a way to make an 25 easy buck? Having a goal in mind will help your character take on a life of his own. Be sure to approve your backstory with your referee so he can develop unique encounters and challenges to support it. How honest are you? What is your character willing to put up in terms of other character types? Will you tolerate stealing, murder, and the like? Are you a thief? Any character can steal and murder against the law. There is a formal Thieves' Guild in most towns and cities, and they will not allow strangers to horn in on their territory. Most will allow new members to join for a fee, and that can connect the new thief with a variety of valuable underground connections. You might be able to serve as a fence for the party, smuggle goods in and out of walled cities, and gain information about criminal activities. You could also get your hands chopped off by the guards!

29 Are you willing to steal from the party? Often characters find themselves in positions that test their honesty. It can be a great temptation to take more than one's share of the treasure, particularly the magic items. If done secretly, you might not get caught, but be assured that if you are caught, the party won't pull any punches! Are you just plain evil? Every campaign is different, but definitely ask the referee what is allowed in his campaign, and what the other players might tolerate. Dakin's Comments on Evil: I enjoy running games for parties that are mostly heroic and do good deeds. I don't mind theft and justifiable murder, but good generally wins in my world so don't be surprised if the city guard finds out about your crimes and pursues you in force. Playing the game is supposed to be fun, so I don't want players killing each other, and I don't want the players committing mass murder against the other residents of the world. I don't allow whole parties to be evil but occasionally I will allow the rare evil character. Such characters must be well-delineated, have disguised identities, and should not prey off the party, if possible. There is a lot of notepassing in my games, so a clever evil character should have no trouble surviving, as long as he is not obvious. If you're just looking for an edge, don't take an evil character. I reward cleverness more than brutality. Advice from Other Adventurers Here's some advice from adventurers who have played in the Last Empire campaign before you. Learn Body Control as soon as possible, and recruit a Healer or Sorcerer to travel with you. Train in Weapons and Marksmanship, even if you are a mage. The best defense is a good offense, but if you are a mage, use spells first. Get silver tracing on your weapons; it is the best thing to do against werewolves. In Therrea, always scout out a town before entering it. Always set watches when you go to bed. Always sleep in the same room if you can. Buy lots of trail rations and be sure to have lanterns, rope, and Witchwood Teas, if you can find them. If you are a mage, take great care drawing your pentacles, and remember that elementals are easy to summon and very useful for a beginning adventurer. - Gorno the Lucky It is important to be polite to one's companions, as it gives one the edge when they have to die. Nobody likes an unpleasant assassin, but many heroes reward their faithful lackeys handsomely. There are a variety of natural poisons that may be obtained at little or no cost during one's travels. When travelling long distances, steal a few horses along the way; they are easily sold in the next town. No-one likes a coward, but if they're all dead, you can take their treasures after the monster leaves. And when an unpleasant but powerful woman takes a liking to you, say yes. - Stric Evilknife Death comes frequently, so don't get upset by it. Only Gorno the Lucky survived in our party. If the sword you just picked up starts talking to you, try to drop it. If you can drop it, pick it up again -- it's probably safe. If you see a warhammer flying under its own power, run the other way. When a Roc flies overhead, find a sheltering tree. Roc dung burns. Specialize in a few skills, but take 26

30 some magic even if you re a warrior. Always train in First Aid and Body Control, and Demonology or Folklore (Monsters) can help you identify some monsters and their weaknesses. The realm of Faerie is a fun place to visit. - Valerian s Ghost improve the party's odds before the battle. Shape traps, pits or walls. Set elementals on guard. Use Farsight to scout the area. - Chandra Flamesword Stay on the right side of the law. If you don't, don't get caught. Gems are more portable than gold or silver. A good cavalry horse will outrun ponies, pack horses, and war horses. Dragons will get the hindmost. Make sure you have a good mapper in the party. If you're not the mapper, make sure you keep an extra copy of the treasure maps -- you never know when the mapper will get eaten. Always wear the best armor you can. If you think a tomb is trapped, take a Shaper with you. If there's monsters, take a Spiritologist. If you take a Spiritologist, stay a good distance away from him. If he summons something by mistake, it will go for him first. - Celiwenello i Maldolen Always keep an eye on your comrades. Your reputation depends in part on theirs. Treat the people you meet right, and you'll often be rewarded from the most unlikely folks. Sword, Archery, Sense, Body Control and Riding are the most important skills to train, and in that order. Wolf traps made with silver jaws are worth the extra cost. The best Applejack can be found at Brundell's in Sarrask. Be sure to pack extra! And if you visit Faerie, take your own food or drink. - Orstanvar the Bold If you meet giant rats, run, at least until you know how giant they are. Some monsters cannot be beaten. Be cautious but be heroes. If you are a warrior, protect the mage. If you are a thief, don't cheat the party too much. If you are a mage, use your spells to 27

31 Improving the Character During the course of the game, a character may be improved, both in stats and in skills. experience point per season, which he can use to raise any skill, raise his STR, END, or WILL (remembering the limits established in the section on character generation), or to learn a new true name (see the section on Spiritology). If a character has been very lazy and let the rest of the party do all the work, he will only receive 1 point every six months (ambitious) or even only 1 point every year (unambitious). In addition, the number of points received may be increased by either studying in a library or with a tutor (see below). Training Each player is assumed to be able to train (productively) for four hours per day. This means that characters can actually train in their skills while they are adventuring (around the campfire, at lunch, etc.). Every six months (game time, not real time), the adventurers will receive the rewards of their training from the referee (usually one point of experience). The table below shows the number of points given to various types of characters for the entire year. Adventurers fall into the "ambitious" category. Character type Skill Points per year Skill Points per year with Tutor unambitious 1 2 ambitious 2 4 heroic 4 8 Each "heroic" character will usually get one 28 Library Study: If a character is a scholar, he may study in a library or workshop for eight hours per day, doubling his skill rewards for that period, but only in Learned or Magic skills. See also LIBRARY RESEARCH. Hiring a Tutor: A player may hire an instructor for 240 s. ($30 in modern campaigns) for three months. This instructor will travel with the adventurer (unless danger is involved). After the season, the player will receive 1 experience points (double his normal amount). A player may hire another player as an instructor as long as the trainer has at least a skill level of 10 in the skills desired. If the tutor does not have a 10 or higher in the skills, the trainee will receive only his normal amount of points. EXAMPLE: Bernard Brightstar studies in his library for three months with his tutor, Mandor Greycloak, whom he pays by performing tasks for him (quests to recover lost artifacts, etc.). Bernard receives 2 experience points for that season, and places the first point into SENSE. He puts the second point into

32 FOLKLORE/Demonology and it is doubled because it is a Learned skill and he is studying in a library. Thus, he gets +1 Sense, +2 Folklore for that season of study. down). Remember that END & STR training are incompatible, and refer to the STR & END table under Character Generation above. Library Research: Members of the Magician s Guild may do library research on questions of Folklore. Use the following chart: Chance of relevant texts Skill Modifier for answering questions Size of Town village 1/10 +2 town 2/10 +2 city 4/10 +3 major city 6/10 +5 Raising Characteristics Raising END & STR: END can be increased to 10 in humans while STR can be increased to 1.5 x its original value (rounded 29 END can be increased to 10 in humans while STR can be increased to 1.5 x its original value (rounded down). Remember that END & STR training are incompatible, and refer to the STR & END table under Character Generation above. Raising WILL: For every skill that is at 10 or above, add +1 for every multiple of 10 in the skill. Use the following chart to calculate the resulting effective WILL. Multiples of 10 Addition to Effective WILL NOTE: This is calculated by counting the multiples of 10, taking the square root, and multiplying by 2 (roughly).

33 Raising APP: Raising APP is not a form of training but rather consists of spending money. APP can be raised two ways: buying expensive clothes or Cosmetic Surgery. The first method is the simplest. The character simply spends $800 or 400 p. and raises his APP by a point. The character must also spend $2000 or 1000 p. for yearly upkeep of his wardrobe. Cosmetic Surgery can raise APP up to 1.5 x its original value (rounded down) but it may only be accomplished in a modern adventure or by a magician skilled in the healing arts. The surgery costs $10,000 or 5,000 p. for each point of APP raised. It takes one month for the scars to heal, with upkeep surgery needed every 5 years. This upkeep surgery costs 10% of the original cost. If it is not done, the character's APP will drop by 1 every 10 years. his honor. A villain will have a negative honor, but how he is treated may change in enemy territories. Because the enemy of one's enemy is often a friend, an infamous murderer in one nation might be praised as a bold and honorable warrior in another. Mages may be heroes in one realm, but when they enter an area that outlaws magic, they may find themselves suddenly villains. The following chart shows how characters might be described through their honor points. Reputation As characters adventure, they build reputations. After every adventure, each character is awarded reputation points. One point is received for a successful adventure. The party also votes on the most valued player for that adventure and the MVP receives an extra reputation point. Occasionally the referee may distribute up to two extra reputation points for adventures that will be sung of for years to come. See the table on the next page. Honor points: Reputation points are also used to determine one's honor points. If he has behaved humanely and with honor, he will add the reputation points as honor points. If he has behaved basely or cruelly, he will subtract those reputation points from 30

34 Reputation Table Reputation Honorable Dishonorable 1 You are recognized. Minimum SOC =4 Good for an occasional free drink People avert their glance and talk about you behind their backs 2 Teenagers are impressed. Minimum SOC=5 The mayor and other officials often say hi. The Sheriff tries to pin things on you. Few people look happy when you are around, unless forced. 4 Innkeepers provide their very best goods. Potential lovers are impressed. Minimum SOC=6 8 Merchants offer bargains on their goods. You begin to attract apprentices. Minimum SOC=7 12 You begin to gather companions. Works of art and music may be dedicated to you. Groupies begin to follow you. Minimum SOC=8 24 You begin to gather zealots. Important works of art, music, and writing are dedicated to you. Groupies chase you wherever you go. You have become a cultural icon. Minimum SOC=9 Knights offer free room and board during travels. May be knighted or given a royal commission. Nobles may supply free equipment in exchange for support. Invited to dine at the royal court. Your liege ensures you have the best supplies. You may be called upon to serve your country at will. Royalty seeks your presence. Gifts from patrons are a frequent occurrence. People you don't remember pick fights with you. A price may be put on your head. Outlawed unless you buy influence from local rulers. Merchants can be frightened into giving free items and/or services. Assassination attempts occasionally made. Local thugs make sure you have any supplies you need. Very likely you are banished or jailed, unless your influence at court is exceptional. Small armies are sent to root you out. Magicians are hired to assassinate you. The local criminal organizations automatically pay you tribute. You are publicly outlawed and banished, even if you are secretly the power behind the throne. 31

35 Followers As the reputation of the character grows, he will attract various types of followers. Students and apprentices are the least useful. Companions are very useful. Zealots are the most devoted kind of companions. Hirelings: These are people you hired for one reason or another. They take a set wage, and usually are of limited loyalty. Students: These are people who hire a tutor for a specific time period. Usually, the character accompanies the student rather than the other way around, but there are exceptions. The student owes nothing but cash & respect to the tutor. Apprentice: This is a person who wishes to learn the skills of the master. Their apprenticeship may be purely a monetary relationship (such as the 1,000 s. fee for the Magical Colleges) or the student may swear fealty/loyalty to the master in return for his teachings. During their apprenticeship, all apprentices do the dirty work for the master (cook, fetch water, etc.). Afterwards, the monetary students owe little to their instructor except respect. The vassal students must aid their master (if they roll over GREED/2) when he wishes it. Some may also wish to become companions. Companions: These are persons of all classes who admire the character and wish to accompany him on his adventures. According to their personalities, some companions are more useful than others, but that is not possible to learn until they are in the thick of things. If a player is interested in recruiting a new companion, and the referee 32

36 determines that the person in question might be interested, the character must have a higher CHA than the potential companion. Then the player must roll: Character's CHA x 3 or less on 1d10. Companion's CHA Most companions require a share of any treasure, although not an equal share. They can either be assigned a half-share automatically, or calculated as follows: CO's CHA CO's share = CH's CHA Zealot: A zealot is a person who follows the character around whether he likes it or not. Some of them are useful but most are simply irritating. They help the character in any way they can, with no thought of payment or reward. They also tend to fawn over the character and get in their way. Typically, a zealot has a CHA that is less than 1/5 of the character's. If a character wants to get rid of a zealot, they will usually have to assault them physically (and in rare cases even this does not work). NPC Traits The following are Traits, a type of characteristic used by Supplemental Personalities. The Referee may assign values to each or just roll 1d10 for them. There are four basic Traits (Faith, Love, Modesty, and Temperance) and one derived Trait (Courage). The traits are as follows: personalities. Generally, Courage is calculated in two ways: Bravado and True Courage: Bravado = WILL/2 - Modesty + 5 True Courage = WILL/2 + Faith/2 Faith [elemental trait]: Faith is a measure of a personality's trust in other people. It is a belief in the basic goodness of humanity. Those with little Faith will be hopelessly suspicious, easily alienating those around them. Love [elemental trait]: Love involves an understanding of the weaknesses of the human condition and tends to be merciful with those who are unable to change. Those with a low score in Love will tend to be cruel or vindictive and will try to get even no matter what. Modesty [elemental trait]: Modesty is rather self- explanatory. A modest servant will let others take the credit for an action. Immodest personalities will ignore the advice of others and be puffed with pride at their own actions. Immodesty is also linked with nationalism, so personalities who are very patriotic will tend to have a low Modesty score. Temperance [elemental trait]: Temperance is a measure of a personality's ability to turn away from excessive pleasures of the flesh. Those with a low Temperance will have trouble refusing a romantic encounter or "one last drink" at the tavern. Modern characters with drug addictions also generally have a low Temperance score. Courage [derived trait]: Courage is often an important trait for supplemental 33

37 The Long-term Campaign The first years of adventuring are usually the most active. There are a number of challenges, and great gains to be made in skills and equipment. After the first few years of adventuring though, adventures of worthy proportion are harder to find. A challenging adventure may come along only once every 3-5 years. In the meantime, the characters may raise families, establish strongholds, conduct research, or build a small empire. Raising a family is a great way to ensure better characters in the future. A marriage to a powerful family can improve one's reputation and power. A son or daughter can take up the magic weapons of the parents and head out for adventure. They can start with more money and hopefully a higher SOC than most characters. And there is a joy watching one's old characters grow old and live happily ever after. Building a stronghold gives the character a safe place to return to, and one's followers can be used to protect it. It can take many years to complete its construction, but they can give a character a big advantage in coming difficulties. For magicians, extra time can be spent researching magical variations. One could even begin one's own magical college, with enough powers and followers. Once the stronghold is started, the lands around it become ripe for consolidation. Having a small empire provides a great deal of extra funds that can be used to purchase equipment, servants, and information. 34

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