Song of Swords
Song of Swords
4/14/2015, K09.4: Added Elbow to all shields AV protection except the Buckler, Wicker Targe, and
Wooden Targe.
4/14/2015, K06.0:Changed An example may be gaining the Bane of Wanted to :gaining the Wanted
Bane:
4/14/2015, K06.0: In progress of adding *s to boons&banes that can be taken multiple separate times
4/14/2015, K06.0: Removed extra spaces at the end of Boon & Bane names; about half of them had one
4/14/2015, K13.0: Added the following line to the last bullet point of Stun and also bolded all instances of
Stun in that section on Stun. The Character sustaining the Stun chooses which maneuvers to subtract
from.
4/14/2015 K06.0: Added the following line to the Bloodthirsty boon: (and only Red/Red
4/14/2015 K06.0 Under the Natural Leader Boon, I removed the word Social from you gain +2 to your
Social score.
4/14/2015 K06.0 Added a clause to Prodigious boons clarifying that they only have an effect during
character creation.
4/14/2015 K06.0 Added a clause to Prodigious Strength clarifying that it does cost 15 and not 10.
4/14/2015 K06.0 Clarified Tall 2s effects on initiative
4/14/2015 K06.0 Capitalized the Iron, Steel, and Stone under True Grit
4/14/2015 K06.0 Under Bad Reputation Bane, changed For example, while intimidating some yokels. to
While intimidating some yokels, for example.
4/14/2015 K06.0 Made changes to the Blind bane. Blind characters can no longer take the Good Eyes
Boon; Blind characters treat all light levels as Evenly Lit; and Blind characters roll for MP as well as CP.
Standardized all its wording to say Blind Characters rather than Blind individual and capitalized the C in
Character in the Boon.
4/14/2015 K06.0 Reduced Braggart WIL RS from 3 to 2.
4/14/2015 K06.0: Changes to Brain Damage Bane:
Renamed the Head Trauma table to Brain Damage
Capitalized all instances of Int to INT under Brain Damage
Added The result is the effect of the Bane.to the level 2 Brain Damage bane
Changed a great amount of the Banes wording
Altered the Brain Damage tables results for 4 - 7
Wrote an Example for Brain Damage in use
4/14/2015 K13.0: Corrected the spelling of character under Knockout: [Optional]: If a character is
knocked out.
4/14/2015 K13.0: Also in the Knockout section, corrected etc to etc. and capitalized the M and B in
Brain Damage (Minor) Bane
4/14/2015 K13.0: Changed the Knockout title to be underlined, and removed its colon and an extra blank
space
4/14/2015 K13.0: Changed Stability to be underlined
4/14/2015 K13.0: Changed Falling Onto Slopes to be un-bolded and italicized, to be consistent with
Septic Infections as a sub-section of sorts
4/14/2015 K13.0: Changed Electricity Damage to be underlined and renamed it Electrical Damage to be
consistent with its text, which calls it Electrical Damage
4/14/2015 K13.0: Removed the commas after table 8.7 and table 8.8 before listing the tables titles. They
were out of place and inconsistent with other table names, like table 8.6.
4/14/2015 K13.0: Changed Cold Damage to be underlined
4/14/2015 K13.0: Changed Infection to be underlined
4/14/2015 K13.0: Added to Blood Loss that a Brain Damage check made after passing out from bloodloss
is done with the reduced TOU score: Note that when the character passes out, the TOU vs. 2 RS to avoid
Brain Damage is done with their newly-modified TOU. (See Knockout, below.)
Changed HLT reaches 1 to HLT reaches 1 or lower
Changed HLT reaches 0 to HLT reaches 0 or below
Changed table 8.1 Blood Loss to be un-italicized, bolded, and on the left side of the table,
consistent with tables seen in the Boons & Banes chapter.
Changed table 8.1 to be more precise in its rows & columns and added spaces at the end to fill
out the page
4/15/2015 K08.0: Replaced the abnormal Social Class and Wealth calculations with: Combine the two
costs, and divide the result by 2, rounding up. Note that this is how it was in 1.9.3. Further added the line
For their potentially unbalancing nature, all abnormal Social Class and Wealth combinations are subject
to GM approval. Changed the Abnormal Social Class and Wealth Combinations table appropriately.
Moved the spacing between the table and the large word Wealth to keep all the Wealth parts on
the same page.
4/15/2015 K13.0: Changed the word make to pass in they must make a TOU vs 2 RS test:
Whenever a character is knocked out, they must pass a TOU vs. 2 RS test, or gain the Brain Damage
(Minor) Bane
4/15/2015 K06.0: Finished heavy changes to the Brain Damage boon.
4/15/2015 K06.0: Changed theoretically to in theory under Broken Limb/Appendage
4/15/2015 K06.0: Replaced all instances of Sincerity with Subterfuge.
4/15/2015 K06.0: Changed Cravens costs to -7/-15 and their effects to RS 2 and RS 4.
4/15/2015 K06.0: Changed each instance of is determined with to counts in the Debt bane.
4/15/2015 K06.0: Corrected Fat to say it affects HLT, not END
4/15/2015 K06.0: Reduced Hothead RSes to 2 and 1
4/15/2015 K06.0: Fixed the wording in Lasting Pain from Target Zone Area to Hit Location.
4/16/2015 K10.1: Changed Wording on Arm Parrys Special.
4/24/2015/K9.6: Added Weak Points to Burdinadin Armor
4/29/2015/K10.1: Removed Trip Maneuver both from section and table.
4/29/2015/K10: Removed Superior Trip references in Proficiencies.
4/29/2015/K6: Added Tireless Lobster to Boons & Banes both in section and table.
5/31/2015/K09: Mirror Plates now protect Chest and Belly both.
6/9/2015/K06: Changed Retinue and Follower rules and Costs
6/9/2015/K09: Changed Weapon Guard values, added descriptions
6/11/2015K05: Changes to Zells, Paladins and Ohanedin. References to Prodigious removed.
6/11/2015K02: Modifications to Character Creation Chart
6/11/2015K04: Attributes changed to a scaling Point Buy system
6/24/2015: Black Bill added Moonspear
6/24/2015: Khyber Knife added to Daggers, Curved Dagger removed.
7/7/2015: Shields Reworked, both stats and Durability section.
7/7/2015: Minor changes to Fatigue penalty in Void, Closing Void, and Flee.
7/7/2015: BLANKET changes to Polearms.
7/7/2015: Defensive Disarm removed.
7/7/2015: Disarm 2+BS difficulty changed to BS.
7/8/2015: Yataghan Change
7/22/2015: In the Talent Grapple: Use Weapon and Trip no longer exist, other references to them in
Talents have been removed.
7/22/2015: Good Form and Special Move now use same terminology.
7/25/2015: Missile Penalty Table added under Shoot Maneuver.
7/31/2015: Yet more changes to weapons. Just supplant all the old tables with these.
7/31/2015: Burdinadin Prosthetic section now mentions that Prosthetics are Hard.
7/31/2015: Section added saying that weapons mounted in Prosthetics now have to be drawn before they
can be used.
7/31/2015: Bow proficiency now has Superior Shoot at Tier 1 instead of Tier 2.
7/31/2015: Strength Caps now offer diminishing Returns (Melee Weapons section.)
7/31/2015: Slowpoke is now only usable when literally using a Spear or Polearm.
7/31/2015: Shield AV counts as Hard.
7/31/2015: Guard AV for Weapons counts as Hard.
7/31/2015: Burgonet and Great Helm changed. Weight and Perception Penalty reduced.
7/31/2015: Whirlwind Defense now restores 2 CP after successful Parry.\
7/31/2015: Modifications to Rideby Attack (Lanyard/chain rules added)
7/31/2015: Feint now imposes a TN penalty to defender unless he pays 2 CP.
7/31/2015: Gun damage changed (ammo types do more AP, guns do less damage)
7/31/2015: can now hide behind your own horse (you coward)
7/31/2015: Unarmed Wounds now heal in Days instead of Months.
7/31/2015: Shot gets -3 Load
7/31/2015: Hilt Push now has a Tie clause.
7/31/2015: Arm Parry moved to Tier 1 in Dagger, Superior Clinch added to Tier 2 in Dagger.
7/31/2015: Lanyard added to misc. equipment
7/31/2015: Shield-Breaker Talent buffed
7/31/2015: It was on purpose! Talent requirements changed to WIT 6.
7/31/2015: TZMs re-added to Combat Section.
7/31/2015: Noble School now has a Missile Weapon option.
7/31/2015: War Cleaver got Heavy Weapon.
7/31/2015: Several New Talents Added
7/31/2015: Anima and Laminar Weight Values decreased.
7/31/2015: Armored Skirts Re-Added.
8/1/2015: Shield Bind now has a Superior version, added to Maneuvers and Proficiencies.
Song of Swords Beta 1.9.9
(MICRO UPDATE)
from
Opaque Industries
All contents copyright 2012-2015 by Zachary T. Irwin, James T. Lacombe. All rights reserved.
Special thanks to our families, friends, teachers, Bret Sweet, Sherri Paris, Kenneth Solis, Charlie Krank, Nicholas
Nacario, and our fans met on /tg/ and other places, everyone else, everyone elses grandmother, the moon, God, any
other deities you might care to name except Moloch because hes a tool, Thomas Sowell, Zeljko Raznatovics pet
tiger, Lu Bu, Mr. Rogers, Margaret Thatcher, G.K. Chesterton, Thomas Aquinas, Hidetaka Suehiro and Andrew
Jackson.
If you can think of anyone else we didnt name, write it in. We even left a space.
opaquegames.com
facebook.com/OpaqueIndustries
opaque.freeforums.net
Chapter 1: Introduction
Its been a long time, now, since that first appearance back in 2012. Weve gone through three names, a
dozen updates, two hundred threads, and hundreds of thousands of posts. Oceans of blood have been
spilled in the countless fechts fought in this games testing. Our little reservation on the internet should be
marked forever by a mountain of human skulls.
To put it simply, its been a long road and weve come a long way.
And now we are here. This, the release of a new version. This will mark our first (nearly) complete
version of Song of Swords to be released in many months. There have been many great and significant
additions to the game, and numerous systems have been added to the core rules, which hitherto have been
separate documents. This is, at least for now, the definitive Song of Swords.
So here it is--enjoy it. God knows youve been waiting long enough. This page is looking a bit empty, so
Im going to stick some Kipling in here.
And that after this is accomplished, and the brave new world begins
When all men are paid for existing and no man must pay for his sins,
As surely as Water will wet us, as surely as Fire will burn,
The Gods of the Copybook Headings with terror and slaughter return!
Mago brought his sword down, cleaving a pleading nomads head down through to the teeth. He wrenched his
sword free and flung his arms wide. There were no more left to kill. The Fighting Volkodavs howled in triumph on a
mountain of corpses. A gunshot rang out. Mago heard someone scream. The voice sounded familiar.
Then he hit the ground. White-hot pain erupted from his upper thigh, where the bullet had struck him in the back. He
realized that he was screaming, and all at once it hit him. The cold mud in his hair, on his face. The clawing agony
in his leg. He knew that he would live, somehow. Limping for life, but alive. He forced open his eyes, through the
tears of pain, and scanned the perimeter for the source. Who? He tried to breathe through gritted teeth, pain and
fury foaming in his mouth. Who shot me? I must know. He felt a tooth crack as his eyes settled on the source of his
ruin.
The one-armed man, pale from loss of blood and fading fast, grinned over the smoking barrel of his arquebus.
Song of Swords is a historical and fantasy tabletop role-playing game that puts its emphasis on realism.
It's a game about intense life and death conflicts, adventure with peril around every corner, deep stories,
involved characters, and no holds barred combat.
Song of Swords isn't a game with hit points or ablative health. Here, injuries are devastating, debilitating,
and dead-serious affairs. Even blows that don't kill immediately can kill with blood loss or infection from
sloppy treatment. Survivors may suffer limps, lameness and even crippling disability. You will need sharp
wits, thick armor, quick feet, great martial skill, or a combination of several of them, to survive.
You decide your characters' goals, and through the Arc Points system, your character grows by
progressing toward these goals, in addition to those chosen by the Gamemaster to give structure to the
game's narrative. Violence may be a means to an end, but its danger means that you must pick your
battles wisely, instead of charging headfirst into every combat situation.
These elements combine to create a game in which the heroism of the characters is genuinely heroic.
When even one slip-up can mean dismemberment or death, it takes real courage to face danger, and
courage is what heroes are made of. This isn't a game for the faint of heart.
Whether you fancy a campaign as 15th century Englishmen fighting in France under Henry V, or a
desperate last stand against the Mongols in Hungary, Song of Swords can provide your historical role-
playing experience. Perhaps youre more interested in fighting Grues in the hideous depths of the
Kaselreich, or fighting Goblins in the brutal tunnels of Cross Way beneath the iron hills of Dace. Again,
weve got you covered. Welcome to Song of Swords.
To add tension and fun to the game, dice are rolled to decide the outcome of certain events like combat,
dangerous acrobatics, stealth, and so on. As characters survive their adventures and overcome obstacles,
they grow, becoming more capable and skilled.
The rules in this book are here to help make sure everyone has a fun role-playing experience, the Song of
Swords way. Remember, the goal here is to have fun!
Most rolls will have Required Successes, or RS, meaning the number of Successes necessary for the
rolling character to win or succeed the test. And thats it--its as simple as that. This kind of roll is called a
Check.
Basic Check
A basic Check is where a character rolls a Pool, decided by one of their Attributes or Skills or some other
factor, against an RS. The TN for these checks is always 7. The RS is decided by the GM, who analyzes
the situation and the rules, and decides the appropriate RS according to the rules or his own judgement.
Attribute Checks usually use a single Attribute as the Pool. So, a Strength Check at RS 3 would involve a
character rolling a number of dice equal to their Strength at TN 7. If they got 3 or more Successes they
would succeed the Check.
Skill Checks use a characters Attribute plus the appropriate Skills Skill Level to determine the Pool.
Skills are detailed in their own Chapter, but the principle for rolling them is exactly the same as with
Attribute Checks. Determine the RS, roll at TN 7, count the successes. Skill Checks and Attribute Checks
are two kinds of basic Checks that follow these rules.
Soot Macross, one of the infamous Macross Sisters, is trying to climb a 30-foot tall fortress wall escape
capture. The GM tells her player to roll a Climbing check. Soots Pool for the check is her Mobility
(which is 10) plus her Climbing Skill (which is 4). She rolls 14 dice, of which 5 roll equal to or over 7,
meaning she got 5 Successes.
The GM decides that since the inside of the wall is rough and covered in possible handholds, the RS is
only 1 per 10 feet. Since the walls are 30 feet high, Soots roll of 5 was more than sufficient to get her to
the top.
Opposed Rolls
An Opposed Roll is when two characters roll against each other. In Opposed Rolls, there is usually not an
RS. Instead, the character who gets more successes is victorious in whatever sort of contest they are
engaging in.
So if two characters are arm-wrestling, and the GM decides this is best represented as an Opposed
Strength Roll, they would both roll their Strength at TN 7, and whichever of them got more successes
would win.
In the event of a tie in successes in an Opposed Roll, either the two characters are evenly matched (if such
a thing is plausible in the situation) or they must roll again to break the tie. The GM must decide which is
more appropriate given the situation.
Richard and Dutch are having a drinking contest. The GM decides that this should be an Opposed Health
Roll. The two characters roll Health at TN 7. Richard gets more successes, so the GM rules that he out-
drinks his friend and wins the contest.
Non-Standard TNs
For most of the game, TNs are always 7. However, in a few instances, particularly in combat, there are
different TNs for things like weapons and certain combat maneuvers.
As a result, this book will always list what the TN for a test is. However, if in any event you see a Check
without a listed TN, assume that that TN is 7.
Rounding
In any situation in which a number would be divided, such as determining Compound Attributes or the
weight of a characters equipment, always round down unless specifically told not to, such as when using
the Abnormal Class/Wealth Combinations special rule, or when calculating asymmetrical armor weights.
Otherwise, always round down!
Song of Swords is a game about characters; those controlled by the players are called Player Characters
(PCs), while the rest are controlled by the Gamemaster (GM), and are called Non-Player Characters
(NPCs). In order to ensure a fun and balanced game for everyone, all characters are created using a
system called Character Creation. That is, all PCs and NPCs are created using the steps in this chapter.
In Character Creation, the GM establishes whether the campaign will be a fantasy or historical campaign,
and sets the power level of the campaign (Campaign Power), which allows players to balance their
characters relative to one another.
Characters are built using Player Creation Points (PCP) which are spent on different aspects of characters,
called Categories, which includes their Attributes, Skills, Proficiencies, and so on. The amount of PCP a
character has to spend at Character Creation is based on the Campaign Power.
Race: Your characters birth race. Different races have dramatically different abilities.
Attributes: Your characters base physical and mental ability scores. Having strong Attributes
makes a character more capable in general.
Skills: Your characters level of aptitude in various disciplines. Skills are very important for
being able to do things both inside and outside of combat.
Proficiencies: Your characters proficiency in fighting.
Social Class and Wealth: Your characters standing in the world, and also the amount of money
your character starts with. For good reference, a knights full kit of plate armor, a good helmet, a
middle of the road warhorse, a sword, a dagger and a lance would cost over 14 gp. By contrast, a
regular footmans kit, including a padded jack, jack chains, a skullcap, and a spear, shield and
dagger would cost less than 1 gp.
Magic: Not included in Beta.
Boons and Banes: Your characters various traits, quirks and flaws.
Campaign Power
As explained above, the Campaign Power determines the type of campaign you will play, as well as the
general potency of characters. In a campaign set at Gritty Power, players are limited in the amount of
PCP they have available to spend. This means that characters tend to be more specialized and realistic, as
they have less PCP to play with than, say, a Legendary Power campaign. The following table explains
the amount of PCP available for different levels of Campaign Power.
Table XX below explains what your PCP investment will mean for your character. Each of the vertical
columns represent a Category in Character Creation. The horizontal rows represent PCP investment. So,
if you put 4 PCP into Race, you get Tier 3 Race options. If you put 3 PCP into Social Class and Wealth,
your character is a Poor Freeman and starts with 3 gp. If you put 10 PCP into Attributes, you get 48
Attribute Points to spend on various Attributes.
As Table XX explains, no Category can have more PCP devoted to it than the maximum allowed for the
set Campaign Power. For example, if your Campaign Power is set at Gritty Power, you may not spend
more than 6 PCP in any Category.
The advancement system in Song of Swords is called Arc, which represents your characters goals,
drives and beliefs. By working towards these goals, following their drives, and adhering to their beliefs,
your character will improve their Attributes, Skills, Proficiencies and other qualities, as well as progress
their own storyline
Advancement is made through the expenditure of Arc Points, which is explained below.
What is Arc
The Arc system is a mechanic within the game that tracks your characters goals, beliefs and motivations,
and allows the GM to reward the character with Arc Points for acting according to those motivations. Arc
Points can be spent to improve a characters Attributes, Skills, and Proficiencies and other qualities.
Characters do not become stronger merely by killing enemies or winning fights, they become stronger by
pursuing their goals, fighting for what they believe in, and for moving along their part in the story through
action.
Generally, whenever a character accomplishes or indulges in one of their Arcs, they gain one or more Arc
Points. For example, if a characters Glory Arc is glory in battle, and he acts gloriously in battle, then
he should gain Arc Points. The number of Arc Points gained is at the GMs discretion, however Table
XX, below, provides suggestions for the amount that should be rewarded.
For a several-hour session, the GM should aim to award about 4-6 Arc Points per character, so long as the
players have been properly engaged.
There are five Arc Categories, each detailed below, along with how Arc Points are gained in them. Arc
Points are recorded on the Character Sheet.
Arc Categories
Saga Arc
The Saga Arc is one shared by the entire group of PCs. It is either decided by the GM, or by the group as
a whole, at the GMs discretion. It can also be shared by any group or organization, such as an entire
Crusade sharing the Take Damascus Saga Arc, however it is best used with a group of PCs unless that
organization is integral to the plot or premise of the campaign.
The reward for pursuing a Saga is gradual, with a large payoff. Taking a significant step towards
completing a Saga Arc, such as winning a major battle, defeating a major enemy, or overcoming a
significant obstacle, should grant each character several Arc Points. Fulfilling the Saga Arc should gain
the characters a large number of Arc Points, up to as many as 18.
Examples:
Slay the dragon that destroyed our ancestors kingdom and reclaim our legacy
Win Swiss independence from Austrian rule
Fight Prince Johns tyranny until the return of the True King
Epic Arc
An Epic Arc is much like a Saga Arc in that it covers a wide-ranging, profoundly important goal, save for
the fact that it applies only to the character taking it. Epic Arcs should be deeply personal to the character
and be one of their driving forces in life.
Rewards for the Epic should be more frequently staged than Saga rewards, but the number of rewarded
Arc Points should be fewer for their frequency.
Examples:
Save my wife from slavers
Avenge my fathers murder
Obtain enlightenment
Belief Arc
The Belief Arc does not cover a specific storyline, but instead focuses on a core belief, concept, maxim,
faith, oath, value, virtue or code that a character believes in, even if they dont actively live it. When
acting in accordance with the Belief Arc, especially in the face of adversity, or when it causes a story or
encounter to happen, the character is rewarded.
Many cultures have embraced very rigid codes of honor, not just on the field of battle, but in all areas of
life. All characters, in both historical and fantasy campaigns, can make good use of this Arc by picking
their cultures code of honor, or one of their own devising.
Belief Arcs differ from other Arcs in that they can cover a broad variety of concepts, principles and
motivations. In essence, any concept that a character would be willing to fight for, not for direct gain, but
simply out of principle, may be a Belief Arc.
Examples:
Islam
Christianity
The gods and glory of Rome
The honor of my family
The pursuit of knowledge
Glory Arc
The Glory Arc has no strict storyline or goal save for the acquisition of glory, defined here as praise,
renown, honor or fame by common consent for accomplishing daring and dangerous deeds. Arc Points
are typically rewarded for doing anything wildly impressive, such as surviving perilous situations like
deadly combat or outrunning a massive boulder any feat of success when the odds are stacked against
the character.
In considering Glory, Arc Points may be awarded in a number of situations, such as winning a fight
against someone objectively better, winning against multiple people, accomplishing a difficult skill test,
or rolling particularly well on any pool roll or test. The character is also encouraged to define what their
own version of Glory is, such as behaving honorably, earning adoration and fame, or triumphing over
their peers, for which the GM should offer more Arc Points.
Examples:
Gaining glory in battle
Protecting the weak
Helping the poor and the sick
Performing surgical miracles
Making great discoveries
Earning fame
Flaw Arc
Only Humans have access to the Flaw Arc, because of their racial characteristic, The Human Condition.
A Flaw Arc represents a characters impulses that lead them contrary to their goals. Heroic characters
often have great flaws or weaknesses of character, and these weaknesses provide part of the characters
narrative that is indispensable to their growth. Flaw Arcs are chosen at Character Creation, and may be
altered in the event of the Flaw being resolved, or being rendered somehow superfluous to the character.
A Flaw is indulged when it actively complicates a characters larger endeavors.
Examples:
Debilitating vices (alcoholism, etc)
Prejudices that lead characters to trouble (racism, religious radicalism, nationalism, etc)
Conflicting character motivations (divided loyalties between two kingdoms, conflicting oaths,
religious loyalties contrary to goals, etc)
So, a characters list of Arc Categories and their descriptions might read something like this, if the
character were a brave Tigurnian freedom fighter, trying to free his homeland from the clutches of the
Kaselreich.
Awarding the correct amount of Arc Points can be tricky. Table XX provides guidelines to a fair amount
of Arc Points to distribute per character, per session, however there may be reasons to award more or less
than this suggestion. Some characters will focus on Arcs that they enjoy, or otherwise want to see through
to completion, warranting extra Arc Points. GMs may want to give more Arc Points to players who go the
extra mile and through active participation, help progress and enrich the experience of the session. On the
other hand, GMs may wish to refrain from rewarding players who mess around the entire session and do
not play the game at all. These are simply guidelines, however; each group is truly different.
It can be helpful to compare Arc Points to an action movie. Each different Arc represents a motivation for
a character, whether they know it or not at the beginning. Each Arc can be an important scene in the
session, with Belief reflecting the characters convictions, Glory representing the action scenes that drive
the narrative forward, and Saga being progress for the over-arching plot, with Epic being what drove them
into the plot in the first place.
Saga 0-6
18 (upon completion of Arc)
Epic 0-6
18 (upon completion of Arc)
Belief 0-4
Glory 0-4
Flaw 0-2
The amount of Arc characters have spent is a direct correlation to how powerful they are, and players
should keep track of the amount of Arc they spend on their Character Sheet. It is important for the GM to
consider how much Arc characters have spent when planning future encounters with increasingly more
powerful opponents.
Saga and Epic Arcs have higher caps as they are representative of greater plot points and should be
rewarded more substantially, albeit obtaining the goals of these Arcs should be more difficult as well.
Generally, any great advancement towards the goals of the Saga and Epic Arcs should be worthy of being
rewarded, though the amount should be tempered with the effort put in, level of roleplaying, success in
rolls, and finally just how much was done in obtaining the goals. Final completion of a Saga or Epic Arc
should award the character with as many as 18 Arc Points.
Character Advancement
At any time, including during combat, characters can spend Arc Points to upgrade elements of their
character. Arc Points spent this way are removed from the characters total, and the upgrades (unless
otherwise specified by the GM or the rules) take effect immediately.
Refer to the chapters on Attributes (Chapter XX), Skills (Chapter XX), Proficiencies (Chapter XX), and
Boons and Banes (Chapter XX) for more information on how to advance these by spending Arc Points.
Chapter 4: Attributes
Attributes refer to your characters raw physical and mental abilities, which affect all learned Skills,
Proficiencies, as well as movement and general adventuring. These are the base components of a
characters makeup: their strength, their perceptiveness, their agility of body and mind.
There are eight core Attributes, being Strength, Agility, Health, Endurance, Willpower, Wit, Intelligence
and Perception. Characters also have six Compound Attributes, which are made using combinations of
core Attributes, as they are used for tasks that would logically require the use of more than one core
Attribute. The Compound Attributes are Adroitness, Mobility, Carry, Toughness, Charisma and Grit.
Attributes can be affected by Race, Skills, Proficiencies, as well as Boons and Banes. It is a good idea to
understand what Attributes will be useful to your character, and factor in how your Attributes can be
modified during play.
That sounds like a lot of attributes to worry about! Well don't worry, follow along and it'll be simpler than
you know. Not all characters will need to worry about all of these Attributes. Some may focus on
Strength, where others may focus on Agility. Attributes are the core tools of your characters body and
mind, so don't be afraid to start sculpting!
Character Creation
When creating a character, all Attributes start at 1. You receive a number of Temporary Arc Points
indicated on the Character Creation Table X.X in Chapter X, and may spend them to upgrade your
Attributes as-per Advancing with Arc. The higher an Attribute is at the start, the more Arc it costs. To
simplify this, here is a table with the total cost of upgrading an Attribute from 1 at Character Creation.
1 -
2 4
3 8
4 (Human Average) 12
5 16
6 20
7 24
8 28
9 34
10 (Human Maximum) 40
11 46
12 52
13 (Mortal Maximum) 58
When determining starting Attributes, remember that no character can have an Attribute lower than 1 at
Character Creation. This includes racial modifiers; you may not build a character whose Attributes would
be lowered below 1 by racial modifiers or any other factors.
The normal limit for any Attribute at Character Creation is 8. Races that have a bonus or penalty to an
Attribute also change their limit for that Attribute by an amount equal to their bonus or penalty, positive
or negative.
Zells have a +2 bonus to PER. Therefore, the PER limit for Zells is 10 at Character Creation.
Goblins have a -2 penalty to STR. Therefore, a Goblins maximum STR is 6 at Character Creation.
Each Attribute must be at least 1 at Character Creation. Every level gained thereafter requires a certain
amount of Arc Points.
Each level must be gained sequentially. To have your characters PER increase from level 7 to level 10,
you must pay a total of 16 Arc Points (4 for level 8 + 6 for level 9 + 6 for level 10).
Note that only core Attributes can be advanced using Arc, as Compound Attributes will increase naturally
as core Attributes increase. The Compound Attribute of Grit advances separately, however, and is further
detailed under its description.
Table XX Arc Cost of Attributes
Attribute Level Arc Cost
1 -
2 4
3 4
4 (Human Average) 4
5 4
6 4
7 4
8 4
9 6
10 (Human Maximum) 6
11 6
12 6
13 (Mortal Maximum) 6
Core Attributes
Strength (STR)
Strength is a character's ability to apply force, whether that be lifting a cart off a trapped child or
smashing someone's head in with a warhammer. This covers your characters full body strength, not just
how many phone books he can rip in half. Strength influences many physical activities that are based on
force and strength, but also determines the base damage inflicted by melee weapons in combat.
Endurance (END)
Endurance determines your characters stamina and ability to cope with physical strain and exertion.
Endurance is a combination of qualities, including cardiovascular development, which contributes to your
character being able to continue strenuous activity for extended time frames. Endurance also factors into
how well your character can handle Blood Loss and governs certain Skills.
Health (HLT)
Health represents your character's raw constitution, physical robustness, resistance to disease and
infection, and general state of well-being. When injuries are sustained, having higher Health makes
wounds easier to recover from.
Willpower (WIL)
Willpower governs your characters force of will, determination, and strength of personality.
It allows your character the ability to focus through distraction, control their emotions, and resist pain,
intoxication, and other (sometimes magical) influences. It is also a core component in a strong personality
and thus factors heavily into human interactions. Plus, Willpower reduces the sum total of Pain from all
Wounds.
Willpower contributes to the Charisma Compound Attribute, and is also used in the Magic system.
Wit (WIT)
Wit is the speed and flexibility of the mind. The Attribute determines your characters skill in
improvisation, and ability to cope with rapid bursts of information and activity without being
overwhelmed. From telling jokes to dueling with swords, Wit is important for many activities, especially
certain Skills, and is one of the Attributes that no hero should be without.
Intelligence (INT)
Intelligence references your character's ability to collate, process, recall and connect information in a
logical manner. It doesnt speak to how 'smart' your character sounds or acts, but rather how good he is at
truly understanding concepts and analyzing facts. Intelligence is required primarily in engineering,
architecture, linguistics, and sciences, where thinking fast isn't as important as thinking clearly and
meticulously. Intelligence also aids in analyzing ideas for contradictions or inconsistencies. The Attribute
determines your characters ability to examine and retain information, and also to apply logical processes
to facts.
Perception (PER)
Perception determines your character's awareness of their surroundings, which includes visual, audible,
and even olfactory (smell) awareness. Perception is important, as it allows your character to spot
ambushes and gauge distances. It is the basis of many Skills, and also plays a major role when using
ranged weapons. In addition, Perception allows characters to read the expressions of others, spotting
miniscule movements and cues, which allows greater control over social interactions with other people.
Compound Attributes
Compound Attributes are made from an average or aggregate of multiple core Attributes. These
Attributes are determined after Character Creation is completed, and factor in your characters core
Attributes as well as any penalties or bonuses related to Race or Boons and Banes.
Adroitness (ADR)
(AGI+WIT)/2
Adroitness measures your characters physical articulation, speed, and mental alacrity. It represents their
reflexes and their coordination between mind and body. Adroitness is obviously very important in
fighting, as it contributes directly to your characters CP, but it also helps them avoid being tripped,
knocked over, thrown from rocking horses, flung over the sides of ships, and other things that can be
avoided with a combination of quick thinking and action.
Mobility (MOB)
(STR+AGI+END)/2
Running, jumping, climbing: these are all determined by Mobility. Your character can move a number of
yards equal to his Mobility each Round during combat, or run twice that number, or faster with certain
Skills and armor enhancements.
Carry (CAR)
(ENDx2)
Carry determines how much weight in armor, equipment, and other inventory your character can lug
around before being encumbered. See Chapter XX for more details.
Toughness (TOU)
(STR+END+HLT)/3
Toughness refers to how resilient your character is to harm. It represents thickness of skin, hardness of
bone, and layers of callous and scar tissue. Toughness reduces the amount of damage your character takes
when they are attacked.
Charisma (CHA)
(WIL+PER+WIT)/2
Charisma determines how well your character interacts with other characters. Its their animal magnetism,
their ability to read people and appeal to others emotions, or get them. Charisma also influences your
characters ability to hide their own emotions, or to express themselves in an impassioned manner; it is
used in social interactions of all sorts. Charisma is an important Attribute in the Magic system.
Grit
(WIL)/2
Grit is a characters accumulated resistance to pain, fear, and the shock of injury. Grit reduces the total
Pain a character has accumulated. (see Chapter XX). Characters with high Grit can continue fighting
through terrible injuries, and keep calm in the face of unspeakable horror. Many people acquire high Grit
by surviving combat, slaying foes, and enduring injuries.
Your characters starting Grit is determined by their WIL score, but unlike the other Compound
Attributes, it is not tied to WIL afterwards. Increasing WIL after Character Creation has no effect on Grit,
nor can it be purchased with Arc Points. Instead, as detailed below, Grit increases through experience. As
your character is confronted with violence, injury, bloodshed and terror, they have the chance to increase
their Grit scores.
1 Sensitive, sheltered, still learning about the basics of social Physically hurting someone else
interaction. Average young person. (even accidentally), being hurt
oneself.
2 Mature person with an understanding of the way the world works. Being confronted with death.
Average adult.
3 Worldly person with experience in the darker elements of society. Witnessing violent death.
4 Tough person, fully aware of the grim nature of life, no longer fazed Killing somebody.
by the unrelenting wickedness of the world they live in.
5 Hardened person, now capable of facing the harshness of life head- Killing several people.
on.
6 Jaded individual, increasingly callous to both enduring and Witnessing violence and death in a
witnessing pain. large scale.
7 Callous and unfeeling, this persons empathy is buried deep down to Killing or facilitating the killing of
shield them from the pain of enduring hardship and witnessing it in large numbers of people.
others.
8 Empty inside, this person has locked away their feelings so long Perpetrating genocide, mass torture,
theyve almost completely lost touch with them. or surviving the same.
9 At this point this person is no longer technically sane. This level of Witnessing everything you have ever
indifference to pain and suffering, both of the self and others, is a cared for be destroyed.
mental illness.
10 Almost completely inured to fear and pain. Totally fearless. Destroying everything you have ever
cared for with your own hands.
Chapter 5: Races
"In the beginning, there was nothing. Then came He Who Came First, and The Twelve Great Old Ones. They created the cosmos,
and then departed. As Steward of this world they left Genosus, God of Light, Life, and Justice, to illuminate all, and transform it
according to His will.
Genosian Creation Myth, The Solar Scriptures
"In the beginning, there was no light. Then came He Who Came First, and The Twelve Great Old Ones. They illuminated the
cosmos, and saw it empty. They departed, but to bring beauty to this barren world, they left Bocanadessia, Goddess of Love, Life,
and Beauty, to preside over all in her majesty."
Dessian Creation Myth, The Moonsong
Character Creation
The fantasy setting of Song of Swords has a number of playable races, however historical campaigns may
use only Humans. Not all races are created equal, and some possess powers, abilities, weaknesses or
qualities that set them apart from (and thus worth more or less than) Humans.
The amount of PCP devoted to a characters Race score determines which races are available. As abilities
and traits made available by choosing a Race are Boons and Banes of a kind, they can be recorded in the
Boons and Banes section of the Character Sheet, however racial modifiers do not affect the purchasing of
Boons and Banes at Character Creation.
The number of PCP placed into the Race section determines what tier of races are available for the
character, as shown in Table XX below.
6 Tier 4 Orredin
8 Tier 5 Star Vampire, Sarturi Chosen, Genosian Paladin, Dessian Silver Guard, Paleolithic Elf
Humans
"Humans pursue death with zeal because they know their mortality.
Deep down, they do not want to live long enough to die."
Nikephoros, Helian Philosopher
Overview
Human beings, also called the Race of Men, the Hostoadin, and a host of other names and monikers, are
the most populous and widespread race in the Tattered Realms, rivaled only by the Zells, and potentially
the Goblins.
Humanity is a flexible race, and one that builds communities naturally. Humans form nomadic tribes and
pastoral communities as easily as they form city-states and great empires. There does not seem to be an
environment which they favor over any other; from burning deserts to frozen tundras, lush valleys to
desolate wastelands -- anywhere men can live, men do live.
The Human tendency to build communities brings with it a sense of tribalism that often turns them
against one another, and thus war is the one constant of Human civilization. Yet, so too have they
contributed universally to art, philosophy, science and religious wisdom. The Human race is one of
infinite potential, both for civilization and debauchery.
Appearance
Human height varies depending on climate, diet and social conditions, but at this time the average man is
about 5'6" and 160 lbs, while the average woman is 5'4", weighing about 120 lbs. Human beings come in
many pigments and colorations, though all are descended from common ancestors and are ultimately
similar.
Human beings are young adults by 16 years of age, middle-aged by 40 and elderly by 60, give or take a
few years depending on constitution and lifestyle. Infant mortality is high, but in most societies, if a child
can survive his first six years, he is likely to live until a ripe age.
Willing to Learn
Humans are flexible creatures by nature, and learning is something most can do very quickly,
particularly when instructed. Many of the other races, having the mindset of immortality, or
simply lacking this flexibility of mind, take to structured teaching less well, and require more
practice to reach the same level of competence. This particularly shines in the arts of battle, which
the Human mind adopts easy. When purchasing Schools, Human characters reduce the cost of
each Proficiency Core added to the School by 1.
Ecology
XXX
Goblins
"Do you see those wretched creatures, slinking in the dark? Once upon a time, they too had hopes and dreams, and built great
empires to challenge the gods. From mud and grime they came, to mud and grime we returned them. Take this lesson to heart.
Human."
Petraclius Volkanius, Helian Dux
Overview
The Goblins are a crafty, slight, subterranean race, driven into the deep places of the world in eras long
past by other races invading their homelands and defeating them in battle. Now the Goblins live brutish
and violent lives in the deep places, struggling for survival against the terrors of the dark, and
occasionally slipping away to the surface, to seek better lives among their historic enemies.
Appearance
Goblins are physically slight, and have thin, downy hair on their heads. They can have alarmingly large
eyes due to their environment, and can see in the dark with great precision. The average Goblin stands at
3'5", and weighs 50 lbs. Their eyes are large and lack whites and irises, being entirely pupillary. Their
hair is usually white or pale yellow, but is sometimes red or a ruddy brown. Their skin tends to range
from a fishbelly-white to a darker green tinge. Exposure to the sun darkens them as it tans Humans,
turning them a darker green. It is rumored that if Goblins are well-fed and long-lived, some may begin to
grow horns.
Regeneration
Goblins can recover from any injury that is not fatal. Lost limbs, eyes, and so on, regrow after
twice the Healing Time of the wound has elapsed. As such, Goblins cannot take Banes that they
would heal from, like Severed Limb, at Character Creation.
Small
-2 Reach, -1 MOB
Sneaky
Goblins are naturally cautious and swift creatures. They gain +1 bonus dice to the Stealth Skill,
and are always considered trained in that skill.
Scarce Environment
Goblins only have to eat half as much as other races in order to survive.
Tight Spot
Goblins are very short, but also highly flexible and double-jointed. They can fit through any
space large enough for their small heads to pass through.
See in Darkness
Goblins can see in Pitch Black, Poorly Lit and Dimly Lit as though it were Evenly Lit.
Photophobia
When in Brightly Lit, Goblins count as being in Poorly Lit. When in Evenly Lit, Goblins count as
being in Dimly Lit. Blinding is still Blinding.
The males live in the outer cordon of war-camps and outposts, protecting the inner villages from the
predation of hostile subterranean beasts, while females and the young dwell in the inner lands, scraping a
living from the stones, and crafting weapons, armor, food, and supplies for their beleaguered defenders.
Goblin leadership tends to be split between the inner (female) and the outer (male) halves of each tribe,
and traditionally only the greatest warriors of each generation are allowed to breed, producing new
generations to waste their lives in defense of the nest.
Goblins are suicidally courageous, but fear sunlight more than death. Only the bravest and most
determined of raiders will venture above ground to seek supplies, loot, or even allies on the surface world.
Goblin religion is simple and practical. They have no concept of gods, an afterlife (the thought is
horrifying to them, as life is grotesque enough without the added dread of being unable to die), or
divinity. They do understand sacredness, however, and hold sacred the idea of continuation through
transformation of the body into other forms. Thus, even the beasts which consume the Goblins are, in a
way, sacred, because they are composed of Goblins. Even dirt can be sacred as it may someday be a
Goblin.
However, taking the place of evil, hell, and dark gods in the Goblin religion are very real demons called
'the Horned Ones,' depicted as terrible lanky figures with sharp protrusions jutting from their heads in
artwork and myth. They are known to hunt and kill Goblins, however not as part of the natural cycle of
death and rebirth, but instead as part of something profane, terminal, and unnatural. Some of the Horned
Ones are infamous, and have elaborate mythos attached to them, with fanciful names like Sharphorror,
Paindeath, Killsfast, Toothcutter, and Circlebreaker.
Ecology
The Goblins have spent millennia struggling to survive in one of the most hostile and barren
environments conceivable. Their diet largely consists of algae, roots, insects, and the flesh of beasts
hideous beyond imagining. They have no particular aversion to cannibalism, and often ritually eat their
own dead, both as celebration of their fallen comrades, and to take their nutrients back into the
community.
Due to this harsh diet, Goblins can digest truly foul substances and still glean nutrition from them.
Famously, on the surface, they can actually sustain themselves largely on the nutrient-rich earth of
farmland, simply shoveling it into their mouths as a Human would pottage.
Goblins reach maturity within three years, but rarely live longer than 10, due to their extreme
environment and consequent malnutrition. Legends state that a Goblin with ample food and free of the
threat of predation can live as long, or longer, than Humans.
Dwarves
"The stone has called us for an eternity,
It rings unceasingly behind the ears,
It calls in a voice that can be ignored,
But only just, and not forever."
Kordi Sticcor, Dwarvish Engineer-Poet
"Dwarvish social behavior is more consistent with that of carpenter ants than of
men or Din. Their appearance is a trick. The smiling face on a cobra's hood."
Igone Zorezai, Burdinadin Writer & Researcher
Encyclopedia Subterrania, Dwarves & Star-Nosed Moles, Library of Glade Lagu
Overview
The Dwarves, or Fedarshin (as they are called by the Din), are a race of short, sturdily-built folk who live
primarily underground in isolated strongholds typically called forts, or holds. The Dwarves do not fit in
on Mundus. They have a compulsive urge to dig, to scrape away dirt and to strike the earth, and seek out
something in the deep. They combat these urges with obligation. Dwarves value anything that can keep
them focused on life, even if the call of the depths are never far from their mind.
Dwarves also know, instinctively, when the moment of their death by age will be, down to the second.
They do not know how, or where, but they know when. Many Dwarves, upon reaching an old age and
knowing their time has come, will finally indulge in one final dig, heading down to die in the deep, as so
many have done before.
Appearance
Dwarves stand about 4'10" tall, with black or brown hair, often braided with metals and stone insignias
woven in. Their compact, stocky frames weigh about as much as Humans who stand a foot or more taller.
Females are almost exactly the same height, however lack beards and have softer (if still very sturdy)
facial features. Dwarves can see in the dark. They are hardy, and very resistant to injury, toxin, and
hardship, and are famous for their capacity for drink. They are also long-lived, although not immortal, and
after reaching adulthood at about 20 years, many live to the very old age of 200. Interestingly, Dwarves
never become decrepit, they simply persist in a sort of middle age until dropping dead.
Robust Immunities
-1 to Infection Chance against all wounds, +2 to Blood Loss rolls.
See in Shadow
When in low-light conditions, Dwarves treat each stage of Lighting as one step less severe on the
table, because of their excellent eyesight in the dark (i.e. Pitch Black becomes Poorly Lit, Poorly
Lit becomes Dimly Lit, and Dimly Lit becomes Evenly Lit). However, they cannot see colors
when in the dark.
Prodigious Livers
Dwarves gain a +6 to their effective HLT when rolling to resist toxins (poisons, alcohol, general
toxins) that are ingested, and a +2 to their effective HLT against poisoned arrows, weapons or
other toxins that enter the body through injury.
Hammer of Industry
Dwarves always get one extra die in each step of crafting the roll in. (Not in Beta)
It is not uncommon for three generations of merchants to deal with a clan of Dwarves before being
granted trust (usually in the form of a tattoo by the Hold's inkweaver that grants access to the inner
bazaar). Dwarven goods are of obscenely high quality, but increasingly, their exquisite craftsmanship has
begun to meet competition, both from the Burdinadin's precision engineering, and the raw mass
production power of Human production houses.
The Dwarvish system of writing, which is written as dots in three columns going downwards, was born of
their primary means of identification in the dark tunnels, where facial features are hard to discern. Thick
beards (or necklaces, for women) with elaborate braids studded with beads, clever knots and medals,
allowed individuals to recognize each other by reading them. Many Dwarves of status take great pride
in their elaborate, dignified beards, while those who leave the Holds typically cease the practice, after
realizing that nobody can read their beards except Dwarves, or else increase the practice and flatter
themselves by braiding their beards ostentatiously, perhaps for that very same reason.
Internally, each Hold is ruled by an anonymous King, who sits upon a stone throne in the deepest heart of
the Hold, and wears the Hold's ancestral mask. The King chooses his own successor through merit, and
the death of the King is never announced officially, most Dwarf Holds have only ever had one King.
Instead, each new King is called a Mood, such that King Ulric may have had the Mood of Economic
Reform, the Mood of Innovation, the Mood of the Rat War, and the Mood of Decadent Feasting over the
course of several centuries.
Dwarves have a deep, overriding urge to dig. Those who tear themselves away from the underground
eventually lose this urge, but for most Dwarves it is a constant presence in their minds. If they begin to
dig, Dwarves find that it is difficult to stop, and if left to their own devices, most would simply dig until
they died of thirst in the deep, hammering ever downwards in an ecstasy of picking.
The Dwarves know this as The Call, and they consider it a natural thing. Most of them combat it with
alcohol, as a drunk Dwarf becomes temporarily deaf to The Call. A common strategy for ambitious
miners is to carry two canteens, one with water, and one with strong turnip-wine or dark ale. After the
water runs out, the Dwarf will quickly become intoxicated enough to realize that he's out of supplies, and
return to the surface.
Of course, this is a dangerous technique, given Dwarven alcohol resistance, and also given the
carelessness of drunken miners, so the foreman and overseers of Dwarvish dig operations usually drink
enough to keep the edge off at all times, so that they can spot anyone who has spilled his drink, or
watered down their ale too much to pull themselves away from the pick.
Ecology
The Dwarvish diet is very similar to that of Humans, with a few exceptions. Dwarves can ingest
extremely toxic substances without fear, and their diet includes many things that would be outright
poisonous to Humans or Din. Dwarves are also highly resistant to the effects of alcohol, and have had to
develop singularly strong mixes to achieve the same effect as Humans get from softer drinks. Because the
Dwarvish eye is much more optimized for tracking the outline of shapes than it is for discerning fine
details within those shapes, Dwarves have trouble identifying people by their facial features.
Dwarves mate for life, and rarely seek a second mate if separated from the first by death or misfortune.
Din
The Din, or Elves, are a category of humanoids characterized by their possession of The Focus. The
Focus is a sort of practice, aversion, taboo or belief that grants the Din immortality so long as it is held to,
as well as certain other powers or abilities, based on the sub-race of Din.
The Din themselves often quarrel over what precisely constitutes a Din. The Ohanedin, for example,
maintain that Humans are also Din (they call them the Hostoadin) because of their ability to Ascend,
which they consider a form of Focus. The Burdinadin, by contrast, do not believe that the Zells or the
Ohanedin are Din at all, because both receive their immortality from higher powers, rather than from
within. The Orredin believe that the Goblins are a degenerate and fallen form of Din that has forgotten its
Focus (and thus, justify by precedent that the Orredin themselves are an ascended superior race, while the
rest are merely average).
Whatever the truth of the matter, for the purposes of Races, any race with a Focus can be considered Din,
and remain ageless so long as they practice their Focus. They are also susceptible to any effects, magic,
and so on that specifies an effect against Din.
In terms of appearance, the Din as a whole are generally similar to Humans, but are usually marked by
slightly tapered ears (though this varies between the modest and delicate ears of the Orredin, and the
grand, some would say obnoxiously large ears of Zells). The features of Humans (for those Din who hold
that the Humans can be counted among them) are simply a logical continuation down from the Orredin.
Focus
Din are ageless beings and hold a kind of immortality as long as their Focus is maintained. Each Din has a
different Focus, which provides them with certain attributes and skills.
Zells
The Zellish Focus is called The Dream, which grants them immortality so long as they are part of The
Dream. A seafaring race, the Zells need to be members of a crew to be part of The Dream. Zells have a
strong bond with one another, and have telepathic links with their crew members.
Burdinadin
The Focus for Burdinadin is rather unclear. The Iron Elves, as they are also called, only know that while
they are within the sanctuary of their Iron Glade, or otherwise shielded when venturing outside the Glade,
they are protected from spiritual contamination, and maintain their Focus.
Ohanedin
The Ohanedin are feared, yet honorable race. Their Focus has three main principles, which ensures their
immortality and agelessness. First, they must never clothe themselves in metal, they must never betray an
oath freely given, and never eat meat from animals that cannot speak.
Orredin
[Not Released]
Paleolithic Elf
XXX
Zells
Quatschte blde an die Zelle, kriegste schnell ne Maulschelle
<If you talk tough to a Zell, you should expect your face to swell>
-Sessonian Folk Saying (Rhyming Translation)
Overview
The Zells, or Zellish Elves, or Sugaardin, are a race of humanoids who favor a maritime existence, and
are telepathically bonded to their crews, as well as to the living ships on which they sail, called Zellislava.
They are immortal, so long as they are on the sea and part of a crew, and so most Zells avoid land when
possible. Zells also have a strange attunement to the supernatural, drawing the attention of powerful
spirits and even deities more easily than other races.
The Zells have ruled the seas of Mundus for countless eons, and can be found in every maritime role,
from mercenary to merchant. Though at heart they are not as warlike a people as Humans are, the Zells
have proven that on the high seas they have no equals, and certain groups of them are highly militant.
Appearance
Zells resemble Humans, but it would be difficult to mistake the two. Their ears are long and tapered, and
grow longer with age; truly ancient Zells having ears in excess of a foot in length.
The average Zell of both genders stands at about 5'10". Males tend to weigh about 150 lbs, and females
slightly less.
The classic Zell, the stock from which most of them derive, is fair skinned, with straight black hair,
black eyes, and an aquiline nose. However, most Zells have some Human ancestry, and so show diverse
traits much as Humans do. Zellish men can grow full beards, something that most Din cannot do, and
some of the Zellish ethnic groups place great importance in the growing of mustaches and beards.
Elvish Agelessness
Elves reach physical maturity by the age of 20, much like Humans do. However, after that, their
bodies' aging process halts, so long as they retain their Focus. Each breed of Din has a different
Focus.
Focus
Like all members of the Din, the Zells have a focus that allows them to remain Ageless. The
focus for Zells is The Dream. As long as a Zell is a member of a Dream, the Zell does not age
significantly past physical maturity. This effect does not stop the Zell's ears from growing longer
over time. Zells who leave their Dream begin to age normally.
Zells lose Focus when they set foot on land, but they can stave off the effects of aging by drinking
salt walter from the sea. As long as they have a steady supply of sea water and are still part of a
Dream, they can retain their immortality indefinitely.
Zellish Dream
The Dream is a sort of psychic connection that occurs between Zells. It is a form of semi-
voluntary communal bonding, the trigger for which is a kind of vessel on open water. When it
takes root, the Zells begin to share thoughts, become aware of each others' well-being and
feelings, and perhaps more importantly, begin to hear the thoughts of the ship itself, which is
naturally drawn into the bond. The Dream allows Zells to communicate nonverbally over a
distance of about a mile, and to communicate instructions to their ship (assuming it is a
Zellislava). Being a member of a Dream is the requirement for their Focus.
Becoming part of a Dream requires that two or more Zells spend about a week as the sole
occupants of a vessel or ship. Even a rowboat will do. Importantly, these Zells must at least agree
on which of The Seven Gods of Chaos has primacy. They do not need to be of the same tribe or
hold the same beliefs. Even Zells who were raised on land with no contact with other Zells can
form crews by fulfilling these requirements. Additionally, Zells that are not part of a Dream may
be incorporated into a Dream by spending a similar amount of time on the ship with its crew.
Zellislava
Any ship that serves as the founding vessel for a Zellish Dream (i.e. the rowboat that Zells
spend a week on to merge their consciousnesses) becomes a Zellislava immediately.
Alternatively, if a pre-established Dream of Zells make up the primary crew of a vessel of any
size for about a year, that ship will gradually become a Zellislava over that period. The Zellislava
itself will be aligned to the member of The Seven Gods of Chaos that the Zellish crew worship. A
Zellislava is a living ship that gradually grows and expands from the framework of its original
body, increasing evermore in sophistication and complexity, and eventually gaining moving
components.
Additionally, anything that a Zell personally drops into the ocean, intentionally or
unintentionally, can be recovered during the Zell's time in the deep, but this requires a WIL roll
with an RS of at least 3, and possibly more if the item is very heavy. Objects too large or heavy to
be carried by one person cannot be recovered.
If a Zell is somehow prevented from sinking while attempting to use this ability, they do not
vanish and reappear, but they also do not reawaken until either released into the deep, at which
point the ability takes effect as normal, or until they are pulled up to the surface, at which time
they awaken, confused and disoriented. Regardless of the status of their Focus, a Zell does not
age while in this state, and fish and other animals will not eat or even touch a Zell who is in this
sort of stasis. Theoretically a Zell could spend centuries submerged in this manner
Echolocation
A Zell's ears are much more sensitive than that of a Human, and because they do not speak often
in their native environment, they are less likely to filter out echoes that would otherwise prove
highly confusing in regular speech. The result is that they have the ability to echolocate, that is,
by making small noises that reverberate off of far surfaces, they have a sense of where objects
are, even in complete darkness.
So long as conditions are relatively quiet, a Zell can treat even Pitch Dark Lighting as Poorly Lit
for the purposes of movement, and even shooting. If the target of such a missile attack has made a
loud or audible noise (even a bow or crossbow shooting is sufficient) then this improves to Dimly
Lit. Poorly Lit reduces MP by 75%, Dimply Lit reduces MP by 50%.
The range of this ability is generally 10 yards per point of PER the Zell has.
Racial Glossophobia
Zells have very keen senses of hearing, and this actually proves a disadvantage when
communicating verbally, because the echoes of both their own and other voices makes it very
difficult to pick out small details like words and inflections. As such, Zells often seem awkward,
are prone to pausing in conversation to sift through the words they have just heard, and also
tend to prefer talking either very softly, or very loudly, with little room in between. Zells suffer a
-4 pool penalty to CHA related tests involving communicating with others verbally. This does not
apply for Intimidation checks.
Race of Sailors
Zells gain a +2 racial pool bonus to Sailing tests. This bonus increases to +4 if the boat being
operated is a Zellislava. This bonus decreases to -2 if the boat being operated is a Zellislava of a
Chaos God hostile to the Zell in question.
Resistance to Disease
Zells cannot contract some diseases, including any transmitted by insects or rats, and some
vitamin deficiencies, like scurvy. They are also curiously immune to botulism, though it does
upset their stomachs.
Strange Tastes
Zells suffer a -2 penalty to PER to detect poison (or anything else) in food or drink, because they
have a dulled sense of taste. However, they may survive drinking seawater, and cannot suffer
nausea from smells or tastes, no matter how vile.
The actual culture and values of the Zells vary dramatically along tribal lines, but a constant is the
worship of The Seven, who are believed to be the source of The Dream, and who are venerated almost
universally by seabound Zells. Each tribe has a primarch, or a member of The Seven whom they believe
is first among equals, and whom they believe to share a special relationship. Another constant in Zellish
culture are wheels. Particularly wheels that spin or turn seem to hold great significance to Zells, even if
they cannot articulate why exactly they do. Their religious services always involve wheels or rings of
some sort, and The Seven are even portrayed as being spokes on a great wheel, in some tribes. Even
weaponry is often made involving rings or wheels: throwing disks with razor edges, bows with the strings
threaded through multiple wheels, and the occasional sword with rings attached to the spine. Thus far, the
Zells haven't figured out how to make a sword that looks like a ring, preferring to use their Zellish Sabers,
although it's only a matter of time.
.
Many Zells have simply been assimilated into Human culture (usually because their ancestors couldn't
afford a ship). These people are not generally much different from regular Humans, though they tend to
be taciturn, as the natural aversion to words stays with them. The fixation with circles also seems to be
somewhat deeper than merely cultural, as Zells, regardless of their background or upbringing, tend to
favor rings, wheels, and other circular designs in art and craft. It is unclear if this fixation with rings is
due to the Seven's association with the Brass Wheel, or if The Seven's association with rings is due to
the Zells' worship of them.
Zells are stereotyped by humans as being highly promiscuous and uninhibited. This is mostly because the
ones humans meet tend to be sailors getting drunk before heading back out to sea, but it is generally true
that Zells think less of romance and relationships than humans do. Children are usually kept by (or left
with) the mother. This is considered the normal state of affairs among Zells--it is very unusual for a Zell
to actually know his fathers name, those who do will often adopt it and the suffix -vic as their surname.
So a Zell named Boris whose fathers name was Mark would be called Boris Markovic. Having such a
name is as close to nobility as it gets in Zellish society.
Ecology
Zells are social animals. In their natural state, they exist in tight-knit groups that live, travel, fight, eat, and
generally act together as one. The Zellish diet does not differ much from that of Humankind, though their
sense of taste is far less acute, and Zells are poor at discerning tastes unless they are very strong. This has
led to most of their food being extremely pungent. They also drink (mostly) salt water, which would be
fatal for most other races. Zells treasure the taste of fresh water, and believe it helps with the digestion.
Most Elves are resistant to disease, but Zells in particular have adapted immunities to a few conditions
that are commonly the bane of sailors. They cannot contract scurvy, and their skin, blood, and bodily oils
are highly toxic to insects of all sorts, making infections from mosquitoes, lice or fleas unlikely.
Zells do not mate for life, and in fact have great difficulty feeling attraction for those that inhabit a Dream
with them. They are prone to short relationships in passing, either with their own kind, other Din, or
Humans, and the offspring are almost always Zells, regardless of the mate.
Burdinadin
"I've been inside of an Iron Glade. The construction is admirable, though lacking in aesthetics. They bathe in rooms full of steam.
Their halls are lit by panels of glowing glass, and the great towers stretch as far underground as above, but there is no personal
element. It was not a home, it was an emergency shelter. A bolthole. A temporary solution become terribly permanent."
Zoph Escher, Lord of Kar-Ischil
On Elves, Report to The Hurtsickle Society
"If we thought death was a way out, we would have built gibbets, not Glades."
Skillithingtorix Amljatijakove, Burdinadin Radical
No Way Out, Master Thesis, Lagu University of Natural Philosophy
Overview
The Burdinadin, or Iron Elves, are a race of intellectuals and shut-ins who have sealed themselves away
from the outer world within the great Iron Glades, huge metallic fortresses that shield them from the
impurities of the outside. They are gifted scientists, in large part because the same quasi-magical senses
that made the outside world so intimidating to them can also be turned inwards, to analyze the subtle
mechanics of natural law around them.
Appearance
The Burdinadin range from chestnut-skinned to fair, and tend to have pale hair and green or red eyes.
They rarely stand over 5'6", and tend to hover between 100 and 140 lbs. Females are not noticeably
shorter than males, but tend to be slighter of figure.
Elvish Agelessness
Elves reach physical maturity by the age of 20, much like Humans do. However, after that, their
bodies' aging process halts, so long as they retain their Focus. Each breed of Din has a different
Focus.
Focus
The Burdinadin do not currently know what their Focus is, but so long as they are within the Iron
Glades or properly shielded while outside, they retain their Elvish Agelessness.
Natural Philosophy
So long as the Burdinadin is not suffering Pain from spirit contamination (see Sterile Soul below)
a Burdinadin may make a special Education test to discern the function, purpose, composition,
and/or mechanics of any object, device or technology. For this test, the Burdinadin adds PER to
INT. This kind of check is omni-sensory, utilizing sight, smell, touch, hearing, and even taste.
If the Burdinadin is allowed to disassemble and play with the subject manually, a +4 bonus is
gained to the Education test.
When used in this way, Natural Philosophy requires time to study the object determined by the
RS of the test. See the table below.
After a successful use of this ability to analyze something, any Craft rolls made to improve,
redesign, copy, forge, disable or otherwise take advantage of this knowledge gain a bonus equal
to the Bonus Successes from the Natural Philosophy roll. The same object can be analyzed
multiple times, but the Craft bonus does not stack, only the highest number of BS is used.
There is a cost to using this power. Every hour that is spent using Natural Philosophy, the
Burdinadin must make a WIL test at RS 1, +1 per hour they have already been using the ability. If
they fail, they attract the attention of That Which Stares Back, and begin suffering spirit
contamination, as when the Burdinadin is outside and unshielded. Once this begins, the
Burdinadin cannot break free of the trance, and thus the spirit contamination, until they make a
WIL test at RS 1, +1 per hour since That Which Stares Back has fixed its gaze upon them.
2 10 Seconds Lever
3 1 minute Mousetrap
4 10 minutes Crossbow
5 1 hour Matchlock
So long as a Burdinadin is not suffering from spirit contamination (see Sterile Soul below) and is
not suffering more than Light Encumbrance, the TN of all Void and Parry maneuvers is reduced
by 1.
Additionally, The Stains of Time allows Burdinadin to Void or Parry missile attacks from
firearms.
Sterile Soul
The Burdinadin cannot handle contact with the outside world, and all of its spirit contamination,
without proper shielding. If a Burdinadin is ever forced to leave the Iron Glade without a
protective suit or other means of protection, he will suffer 1 Pain per hour from spirit
contamination. If the Pain suffered exceeds the Burdinadin's combined HLT and WIL score, he
must pass an RS 3 WIL check each hour or die, as his nervous system is systematically
dismantled by aggressive spirits.
If the Burdinadin finds shelter in a sterile location, or is moved to a safe place after suffering Pain
in this way, the Pain will fade at a rate of 1 Pain per 1 week spent in the sterile location.
For faster contamination cleansing methods, and for protective suits and items, see Chapter XX.
Burdinadin Armory
Special access to Burdinadin equipment. More information can be found in Chapter XX.
The Burdinadin cannot perform meaningful agriculture inside the Iron Glades, and so they trade for food
and materials with the outside world, often trading back cheap steel, mass-produced goods, and wondrous
inventions for bored kings.
Burdinadin are known for their introversion and being slow to befriend and slower still to trust. Romantic
relationships are rare amongst them (too much time, too much money, more interesting things to do--like
researching beetle phenotypes!) to the point that many Glades institute a severe bachelors tax to extort
their citizens into producing offspring. Despite that, once theyve got them, Burdinadin are very dedicated
parents.
Ecology
The Burdinadin have relatively tame dietary quirks compared to Humans. They do have difficulties
digesting milk (having almost no evolutionary history of domesticated cattle), and are especially
susceptible to food poisoning from meat near spoiling. Most Burdinadin eat a largely vegetarian diet, with
meat being eaten fresh, or not at all.
Burdinadin dont usually mate for life, though many have reoccuring relationships with the same
individual over a long period of time. Pregnancies last about 12 months. They can breed with Humans
and other Din, though the offspring are generally of the mother's race, except for Zells, with whom they
almost invariably produce Zells.
Ohanedin
"The Ohanedin hate bows, did you know that? We all think of those feisty wood-elves with their bows, but they hate 'em. It's Zells
what like bows. The stick-eaters don't like bows, 'cause you've got to be far away to use 'em. Can't enjoy it that way."
Sir Roger Westridge, Knight of the Green Brotherhood
"This isn't your land, infidel."
Zoga Ganix, Ohanedin Ranger
The Slaughter at Occi (Attributed)
Overview
The Ohanedin are an Elvish race of fiercely individualistic and independent tribesmen from the northern
hills, cliffs and forests of Iber. They treasure their freedom and their way of life, and fight ruthlessly and
without restraint to defend their ancestral homes. They are rightly feared by all who neighbor them, and
are often (rightly) accused of the cannibalism, Human sacrifice, and depraved tortures that befall those
who trespass into their lands without license.
Conversely, they are also known for their nobility, iron-bound senses of honor, and undying loyalty to
those who win their friendship, and many leave their hilly homelands to seek employment in the retinues
of noble families. Some Ohanedin have acted as retainers, bodyguards and teachers for ten generations of
the same noble Human family. Their word is their bond more literally than any Human could hope to
understand.
Appearance
Ohanedin are usually fair-skinned, with eyes ranging from brown to bright blue, and black, brown, or
greenish-blonde hair. They are taller than their Burdinadin cousins, standing between 5'8" and 6'0" on
average, and weighing about 140 lbs. Females are not much smaller than males, but the difference is
noticeable.
Elvish Agelessness
Elves reach physical maturity by the age of 20, much like Humans do. However, after that, their
bodies' aging process halts, so long as they retain their Focus. Each breed of Din has a different
Focus.
Focus
To preserve their immortality, Ohanedin must obey the mandates of their patron spirits. Never
clothing themselves in metal (metal weapons are acceptable, as long as the Ohanedin doesn't
actually have to touch the metal part), never betraying an oath freely given, and never eating meat
from animals that cannot speak are the three basic prerequisites, however many have significantly
more. Due to the complexity of the Ohanedin Focus, it is broken down into its individual qualities
below.
An Ohanedin that breaks the laws of consumption (eating the flesh of an animal that cannot
speak) will violently regurgitate its meal, and will lose access to Natural Awareness and Rules of
Nature for the next 24 hours.
Metallophobia
Ohanedin have a particularly rigid Focus, particularly when it comes to metal. Wearing metal
covering the torso inflicts 8 Pain on an Ohanedin for as long as it is worn. Wearing it on the head
inflicts 10, whereas the limbs only inflict 4 each. Wielding a weapon made of metal inflicts no
pain, unless that metal is part of the grip that must be touched. A wood grip can insulate an
Ohanedin from this effect, but cloth, leather or similar materials do not.
Of course, the Ohanedin also age so long as metal is in contact with their flesh, as its Focus is
being denied, and the Ohanedin cannot use his Natural Awareness or Rules of Nature powers
either.
Injuries inflicted by metal weapons do not inflict additional pain, but any missile made of metal
that has a Stuck chance inflicts 2 additional Pain on a successful Wound if the missile becomes
Stuck.
Focus Oaths
An Ohanedin who gives his word freely is compelled to keep it, until such a time as he fulfils his
promise, or the compact is broken by the other party. An Ohanedin who breaks his oath loses
Focus for a year and a day, and is no longer immortal, and does not benefit from Natural
Awareness or Rules of Nature. The Ohanedin does retain access to his Murderous Speed ability,
and is also still vulnerable to Metallophobia. This period can be cut short if the individual to
whom he made the broken oath names a penance for him that is deemed acceptable by the spirits
(this is a fine art, and the rules are not clear to anyone, even the highest wisemen of the
Ohanedin) which the guilty party then fulfils. A common penance is for the Ohanedin to cut off
one of their own fingers, another is to serve the offended party for ten years.
Natural Awareness
An Ohanedin is automatically aware of any wounded or frightened life forms within 100 yards of
it in any natural (non-urban) environment. This awareness is accurate to an area of about 10
yards, at which point it cannot pinpoint it any further. This ability does not work on other
Ohanedin, or creatures with the Soulless descriptor. Ohanedin lose this ability if their Focus is
lost.
Murderous Speed
Ohanedin have nearly perfect control of their bodies' movements. There are no nervous tics, no
tells, and no involuntary flinches. They move like spiders, from perfect stillness to rapid
deliberate motion with no transition in between.
In the Orientation Declaration stage of Combat, Ohanedin do not have to declare which
Orientation they are not throwing.
As long as an Ohanedin currently has Focus, the TN of all Void and Parry maneuvers is reduced
by 1.
Additionally, The Feeling Disappears allows an Ohanedin to Void or Parry missile attacks from
firearms.
Rules of Nature
The Ohanedin have a delicate relationship with their patron spirits, and it is possible to offer up
their own life-force for consumption in return for victory. This often results in blood forcing its
way out of the eyes, ears, mouth and other orifices, but the sheer power granted in return is worth
any sacrifice. An Ohanedin may choose, when declaring an attack that inflicts damage, to add
their WIL score to the amount of damage dealt. If they do so, they suffer 1d10x2 Bleed as the
attack resolves, whether or not the attack is successful at hitting and inflicting damage.
As these arrangements are sealed by oaths to the spirits, which an Ohanedin cannot break without
sacrificing his Focus, the arrangement is highly functional, as the power structures are simply incapable
of betraying and plotting against themselves. This results in extremely bloody battles, where the Zaldunak
(knights, or cavaliers) can be ordered to attack by their lords, and are unable to retreat until ordered to, or
until their masters are killed. Ohanedin culture holds a certain reverence for these sort of oaths, and it is
commonly believed that one can become a living god by holding to an oath long enough, and
unconditionally enough. The Ohanedin religion venerates several of these entities, some of whom are
very much alive and active, still acting to fulfil their oaths.
The Ohanedin have a very sophisticated and ironclad family unit that is the basis of their society. Men are
less numerous than women in Ohanedin society (mostly because of violence) and as such, polygamy is
considered normal among the upper classes, though the average Ohanedin will live a monogamous life.
The Ohanedin take this sort of thing very seriously, and are utterly dedicated to their spouses. The oaths
of marriage are the second strongest out of all of the many oaths, surpassed only by the
Ecology
The Ohanedin cannot consume the flesh of beasts that cannot speak; this is not just a religious conviction,
but a biological one imposed upon them by the spirits, and they become violently ill if they consume
animal flesh.
As such, they have complex dietary requirements, which they must supplement (when possible) with meat
that they are allowed to eat generally Human, or that of slain rivals or fallen friends of their own race.
Certain mimicking birds are considered fair game as well, though these are generally scrawny and make
for poor meals.
Blood, however, is considered perfectly fair game wherever it comes from. Thus, the most important
component of the Ohanedin diet is a mixture of milk and cow blood, which they carefully extract from
their cows without killing them.
Ohanedin pregnancies are similar to those of the Burdinadin, lasting 12 months and being relatively
painless. Most interracial pairings follow the race of the mother, with the exception of Zells, who always
produce Zells.
Orredin
Overview
The Orredin are a powerful and ancient race of Din, often called Helians, or High Elves. From their
floating city above the Broken Sea, they have ruled empires forgotten to man for eons. When humankind
was still knapping spears from flint, the Orredin had already developed public sanitation, double-entry
accounting, and several varieties of espresso. Their traditions of intellectualism, philosophy, engineering,
medicine and sorcery are all ages-long, and there is surely no race of men or din more educated and
sophisticated than they.
Of course, these great powers make them very arrogant, and given that few Orredin have ever stepped
down from their ivory towers, most of them are in fact rather inexperienced in temporal affairs, and their
extensive knowledge is not (as many of them believe) an actual substitute for experience and practice.
Though beings of terrible power and intellect, Orredin who venture forth on adventures and expeditions
often find themselves rudely awakened to the hardships of everyday life--and those who survive are
greatly strengthened by the revelation.
Appearance
The Orredin are otherworldly and dignified creatures. Humanoid, with short but delicately pointed ears
and refined features. They are not very tall compared to the other Dinnic races. The men stand at about
56, the women several inches shorter. Most have fair skin and hair. Their eyes are distinct for their
uniformly purple hue--a product of their connection to the Warrens, the primal source of Sorcerous
Energy. Orredin cannot grow full beards, though some can muster goatees or thin mustaches.
Focus: Like all Din, the Orredin have a Focus which allows them to remain ageless and immortal. The
Orredin focus is to simply be in a Warren with 50 or more Sorcerous Flow. The Flow can be utilized by
devices or spells, so long as it is there, any Orredin in that Warren has Focus. Alternatively, consuming
(usually drinking a solution of) about a teaspoon of powdered magestone (typically costing 10 gp) will
satisfy an Orredin's Focus for a year.
Apotheosis: Orredin have a special pool of points called Gnosis. Each point of Gnosis is a point of extra
Flow that an Orredin has available to him regardless of what Warren they are in. Gnosis moves with the
Orredin, and can be used, occupied etc. just like normal Flow, except that it can only be used by the
Orredin himself.
Gnosis can also be spent to activate Bloodline Abilities. Doing this temporarily spends the Gnosis
points, which cannot be used for Flow or other purposes until they return. Gnosis regenerates (up to the
Orredins Gnosis Cap) at a rate of 1 Gnosis per [30-Willpower] minutes.
An Orredin starts with 1 Gnosis, and can increase their Gnosis cap in the following ways:
-An Orredin may spend 15 Arc Points to increase his Gnosis Cap by 1. Only 5 Gnosis can be gained in
this manner.
-Consuming (usually drinking a solution of) two and a half tablespoons (about 100 gp worth) of
Magestone will increase an Orredin's Maximum Gnosis by 1. Only 5 Gnosis can be gained in this manner.
-Absorbing energy from certain ancient relics, powerful artifacts and rare devices will increase an
Orredin's Maximum Gnosis by 1. Only 10 Gnosis can be gained in this manner.
-The last way to increase Gnosis is to keep calm and Sieg Dion.
The Godhead is a Spring: Every Orredin is at least a Minor Sorcerer, and is considered to have X points
in the Magic Category devoted to Sorcery. The level can be increased with additional expenditure in the
Magic Category at Character Creation.
From it flows Everything: Each Orredin in a Sorcerous Warren increases the Flow value of that Warren
by 2, and of all adjacent Warrens by 1.
And then returns once more, and so is like a Spring: All Orredin have a Bloodline Power that can be
selected from the list below. Additional powers can be purchased in the Magic category at Character
Creation. These are just examples. Confer with your GM about personalized Bloodline Powers that may
fit your character better.
Bloodline Powers
When Activated, the Orredin may shoot lasers out of their eyes. These lasers are treated as a Shooting
Missile Weapon capable of Rapid Fire (with no limit except MP) with the following Profile:
There is no Eye Lasers Proficiency. For the purposes of Missile Pool, Killing Glare uses Perception
instead of Proficiency. Aiming is possible, and adds Perception a second time. Bracing is not possible
with Killing Glare.
Other Orredin may simply deflect the ability harmlessly by spending Gnosis equal to X.
Sometimes, Killing Glare will manifest itself as a beam emitted from the mouth or a hand.
Kneel! [X]
When activating this ability, the Orredin may issue a command, generally no longer than two or three
words, directed at a living being. That being must make a Willpower test at RS equal to 2+(X/2) or do its
best to obey the command. If the command is dangerous or potentially suicidal, the target gains a bonus
of +3 to its Willpower test. If the command is overtly suicidal (Die is a valid command, causing the
targets heart to stop) the target doubles its Willpower for the purposes of the test. Kneel! is only binding
for about ten seconds (5 Rounds in combat) after which the effects wear off. Multiple targets may be
selected for Kneel! At a cost of +2 Gnosis per target. This ability does not work on other Orredin.
Majesty [X]
The Orredin may produce light, an aura of majesty and power, and create unearthly music, noises or
whispers around them at will. It become very difficult to argue with, contradict, or even disagree with an
Orredin in this state, much less to attack one. When activating this ability, the Orredin's Charisma doubles
for a number of minutes equal to X. Any attempt to attack the Orredin suffers a reduction in CP/MP for
the Maneuver equal to the Orredin's doubled Charisma score.
If the Orredin makes any attack himself, or runs away (quickly, slowly backing away is fine) panics, is
hurt, etc., the effect is immediately shattered.
This ability does not work on other Orredin.
The Orredin themselves are a fastidious, tasteful and clean people. Their cities are magnificent triumphs
of exquisite city-planning, peerless architectural genius, and almost utopian excess. What sorcery and
good administration cannot accomplish, the endless legions of slaves who toil beneath the city can.
Helion, the mighty capital, is the largest and most glorious city in the world, and it is itself only a
hundredth of what it used to be, the rest having fallen into the sea below during the cataclysm that
destroyed the old Empire.
Orredin society is complex, revolving around public offices, familial politics, favors and obligations, and
an ironclad yet unspoken set of social conventions that dominate every interaction. For the Orredin, status
and advantage is all there is. The lower ranking ones, those who either could not or would not play The
Great Game, often spend their days plying artisinal trades or other noble activities. Those who climb the
ladder are often involved in labyrinthine plots spanning hundreds of years and dozens of kingdoms,
manipulating events across the mortal realm to bring them some small advantage at home. Others are
involved in the Purple Guards machinations, taking a personal interest in the potential future of the
Orredin race.
A few--very few--reject all of this, and leave Helion. Exiles either by choice or by law are very rare, and
such individuals are often assumed to be involved in some scheme so important that it necessitated
leaving Helion, something most Orredin have difficulty imagining in the first place. Sometimes this
stereotype is true. Other times the exiles mystique is the entire reason they enter exile. Still other times it
is neither. Orredin too can feel the pull of curiosity, and the lust for adventure. The world as it looks from
Helion is small and trivial, like a game board with kingdoms and nations for pieces, but every so often an
Orredin starts to wonder if it is not worth investigating the realm of ants and pawns for themselves.
Ecology
Orredin have very delicate constitutions, and their stomachs cannot tolerate any sort of turbulence without
making them unpleasantly ill. The Orredin diet favors honey, olives, fruits, nuts, wine, pure white bread
made of good wheat, vinegar, and sometimes fish. When meat is eaten, birds and fowl are preferred, with
red meat only being served in small portions, often carefully prepared and seasoned for digestive
purposes. Like most Din, the Orredin have a very high tolerance for alcohol, and they prefer drinking
wine instead of water, for the purposes of sanitation. They are lactose intolerant, and cannot drink milk or
eat cheese. However, they are very fond of coffee, which they prepare with almond-milk and drink
constantly. Many believe that the Orredin do not require sleep, like Zells--this is not true, most of them
are simply too caffeinated to close their eyes more than once or twice a week. The withdrawal symptoms
of centuries of caffeine addiction do not bear thinking about, and as such the Orredin are very particular
about maintaining a steady supply of coffee beans from Kedoua and Karthack. Wars that have killed
millions of people have been fought over the coffee supply.
Orredin women can birth a child once every twelve years, with a gestation period of thirty six months. As
a result, replenishment of their population is extremely slow, and every child is an enormous investment
of time and resources, made more complicated by the fact that most Orredin alive today are related to one
another, and fear of inbreeding has made most of them bachelors.
Interracial pairings always produce a non-Orredin, but it has been found that after four or five generations
of controlled breeding, the Orredin characteristics can be made to present themselves once again. A
program exists to select humans of sufficiently excellent stock to be inducted and married into Orredin
society. Though their lifespans are short, their offspring make up the vanguard of a new generation of
Orredin, each the product of hundreds of years of controlled breeding.
Star Vampire
Overview
XXX
Appearance
XXX
XXX
XXX
Ecology
XXX
Paleolithic Elf
Overview
XXX
Appearance
XXX
Racial Abilities and Characteristics
Attribute Modifiers: XXX
XXX
XXX
Ecology
XXX
Ascended Humans
Ascended Humans, or Ascendants are Human beings who have returned from death changed. Their
faith, dedication and willpower in life was such that they were able to achieve a sort of reincarnation,
returned to the mortal realm through the patronage of a deity. Ascendants are the immortal servants of
their patrons, returned to see the will of their god done. No other race besides Humans can Ascend, and
this has been the subject of many serious inquiries as to the nature of Humankind relative to the other
races. The Orredin, for example, resolutely believe that the Ascendants are proof that Humans are actually
Din, and that their Focus is dying. Whatever the case, the Ascendants exist. They are proof that there is
something in the Human spirit more powerful than death.
There are several varieties of Ascendant, each will be described in detail below, but they also all share
some basic traits.
Bonuses
All Attribute caps are fixed at 10.
Sarturi Chosen
After a number of years equal to 1,000 minus one year for every Human that the Sarturi Chosen killed in
his most recent life, the Sarturi Chosen will return. If a great battle or massacre occurs that sheds great
quantities of Human blood, the Chosen will emerge from one such pool, as though it were of much
greater depth, and strike once more into the world of the living.
Genosian Paladin
After a number of years equal to 1,000 minus one year for every point of Divinity that the Genosian
Paladin either had in reserve, or had spent within 24 hours of his death, the Paladin will return through the
Solar Gate on Mt. Genosus.
Divine Power
Ascendants power their abilities using Divinity, a sort of mystical energy they gain by performing their
duties. Each type of Ascendant has different means to acquire Divinity.
If an Ascendant's Divinity is exhausted (i.e. they run out of Divinity, depleting to 0 or below) the
Ascendant Falls. A Fallen Ascendant immediately disintegrates from the mortal realm, as their bodies
are sustained by Divinity. If an Ascendant's Fall occurs for reasons that their patron deity would approve
of, they will return as normal. However, if the Fall was incurred through misbehavior, sheer stupidity, or
incompetence, they may neglect to reincarnate the Ascendant.
All Ascended Humans have Divinity equal to their WIL score at Character Creation, or when returning
from death.
Genosian Paladin
"God is Justice."
Mirza Kovac, Genosian Paladin
Overview
The Paladins are the agents of the Indefatigable Sun, the deity called Genosus. Genosus is a god of labor,
industry, dignity, and order, and his churches are well-integrated into the societies of countries where they
have large followings. The Genosian Paladins are the direct servants of Genosus. It is said that the
afterlife given to Genosus' followers is an eternity on the Solar Ziggurat, a mighty spiritual construction
that is always being expanded so as to house the souls of more and more followers. The Paladins are those
whose willpower, industry, and commitment to good works are so great that they are able to scale the
Ziggurat and reach the Solar Gatea stable portal between Genosus' sacred realm and the mortal world
and then cross over. There they are given new flesh, and act as Genosus' living agents on Mundus.
Paladins have tremendous powers both to destroy and to heal; they are terrible foes to face in war, and
mighty allies to have in peace. They are most commonly used to hunt witches, heretics, abominations and
infidels who threaten the Genosian way of life, but occasionally they offer counsel to rulers, heal the sick
or wounded, and even provide direction for great labor projects.
Appearance
Paladins generally look more or less the way they did in life, although their time on the Solar Ziggurat
tends to bronze those who had lighter skin, and they retain that tan indefinitely. Even albinos who become
Paladins find that they can no longer suffer sunburns. In direct sunlight, a Paladin's head always seems to
have a glow to it, like a corona of light, which marks them clearly as agents of Genosus. Aside from this,
Paladins can look more or less like any other person, though it has been noticed that no Paladin has ever
been returned to life with any sort of physical defect that would threaten their effectiveness. In Genosus'
mercy he repairs such flaws by hand before delivering them back to life.
Genosian Ideal
Paladins cannot have begin play with any sort of Bane that would physically cripple them such as
scars, missing limbs, old wounds, lasting pain, lost eyes, brain damage, and so on (though being
tall or short, fat or skinny is acceptable). These Banes can be gained during play, but cannot
normally occur at Character Creation. At the GM's discretion, a Paladin may have acquired an
injury during his career after emerging from the gate, and so may have one or more of these
Banes, but the cost of the Bane is halved for the purposes of B&B points, but for the purposes of
Healing (Paladin ability, explained below) or other requirements, the cost of the Bane counts as
normal.
Paladins cannot be Complete Monsters, because they must have a Faith Arc in order for them to
become Ascendants.
Glory, Amen
Paladins gain Divinity in the following ways:
Successfully using Judgement to destroy something evil gains the Paladin between 1 and
10 Divinity depending on seriousness of a threat, with 1 being a petty arsonist, and 10
being an Elder Dragon that was bent on consuming the world.
Spending a full day engaging in honest labor gains the Paladin 1 Divinity.
Organizing the honest labor of good Genosians (or potential converts) for a full day gains
the Paladin between 1 and 3 Divinity.
If an infidel genuinely converts to Genosism because of the Paladin's words or actions, he
gains 1 Divinity.
Killing any sort of infidel, heretic or apostate whose has deliberately set themselves
against Mighty Genosus, his people, or his church(es) gains the Paladin between 1 and 5
Divinity depending on the severity of their crimes (1 being a peasant who abandoned the
faith out of frustration, 5 being a prominent priest who defected to Chaos Worship or
worse).
Judgement
A Paladin can channel the power of Genosus through any weaponeven his own handsto
strike the enemies of his God with terrible vengeance. When a Paladin performs a melee
maneuver that inflicts damage (such as Swing and Thrust, though Shoot and Melee Shoot do not
count) he may also declare that he is performing Judgement.
If the attack hits, in addition to any damage from the attack itself, Judgement inflicts a Fire
Damage state not just on the Hit Location, but on all Hit Locations in the Target Zone. So, if a
Paladin uses Judgement and strikes an opponent, aiming for the Lower Arm (Target Zone), and
hits the victim on the Hand (Hit Location), the victim's Elbow, Forearm and Hand all erupt into
flames.
However, Judgement will not work on just any target. The target must be one who is an enemy of
Genosus and Genosism, who has somehow threatened, wronged, or attacked Genosians... or
someone who has mocked Genosus, Genosian teachings, or the divine works of Genosus. In
short, it must be someone Genosus would want dead. How they feel about or view themselves, or
how they justify their actions, has no bearing on the effect of Judgement.
If Judgement is performed on an innocent person, not only does the attack not inflict Fire
Damage, but the Paladin loses 3 Divinity immediately.
If a target struck by Judgement perishes as a result of the attack (either the fire or the raw
damage) the Paladin gains an amount of Divinity based on how great of a threat the victim was
(see Glory, Amen for more details). This is generally between 1 and 10, with 1 being a common
criminal, and 10 being a threat to the entirety of Genosism.
Shield of Dawn
Paladins are protected by the will of Genosus, the Indefatigable Sun. This extends to the point
that missiles flung at them seem to be slowed by the very light itself.
Paladins gain AV versus Missiles and Explosions (this counts as Cover AV) of all varieties so
long as they are in contact with light. The amount of AV they gain depends on the intensity of the
light they are exposed to.
If there is no light to be had, the Paladin can spend 1 Divinity to produce radiance of their own
for a span of about ten seconds. If this is used in conjunction with existing light worth 10 or more
AV, it improves the AV granted by Shield of Dawn by 2.
Light Intensity AV vs Missiles
Faint luminescence (certain mushrooms, fireflies, the barest light of dying coals) 1
Moonlight or Firelight 2
Direct sunlight 4
Blinding XXXX
Healing
A Paladin can use Divinity to work the miracle of healing on the wounded or the sick. They can
even, in extreme cases, restore destroyed limbs, cure blindness, and even madness.
Spending 1 Divinity per level of the Wound will heal, over the course of a few seconds (in
combat, one Round per one level of the Wound) and halt the bleeding until it is healed. The
Paladin must remain in contact with the wounded party for this entire time. The Wound is not
reduced over time, but is entirely removed when the healing process is complete.
A Paladin can heal himself at double this speed (one Round per two levels of the Wound) and can
continue taking other actions as he does so. A Paladin's Healing Touch is doubly effective against
Burn Wounds, with each point of Divinity curing two Wound levels.
A Paladin can cure most diseases with 1 to 3 Divinity (1 being a cold or flu, and 3 being The Red
Death) by praying for several moments, and then slapping the subject on the side of the head. If it
doesn't hurt, it doesn't count.
Injuries that involve a Bane (a lost eye, a severed limb, a crippled limb, brain damage, and so on)
are more difficult to repair. The Paladin must spend several moments collecting himself (as long
as a minute in some cases) and then strike the subject with his hand, and shout. At this point, both
the Paladin AND the subject need to buy off the injury Bane. The Paladin must spend an
amount of Divinity equal to the cost of the Bane, whereas the subject must spend Arc Points (hey,
miracles don't work themselvesyou need faith!). If either party doesn't have enough points to
do it, the Paladin will be able to tell before actually performing the ritual.
If successful, limbs regrow instantly (the new flesh tends to have a golden hue to it, and is numb
and difficult to use for about an hour) eyes regrow, bones reset themselves, scarred lungs become
pink and new, madness fades, and brains restore themselves from damage.
Wrath of God
Judgement isn't a power fueled by Divinity. It is a fountain of Divinity. Performing their duty to
judge the wicked and the depraved is one of the chief sources of a Paladin's power. But it is one
thing to merely punish the wicked, and quite another to bring their sinfulness to Genosus
attention, and to let him deal with it in his own way.
Wrath of God creates an explosion centered on the Paladin. This explosion will not harm the
Paladin himself, or individuals that he explicitly doesn't want to injure, but it will harm
everything else around him, animate or inanimate. Wrath of God automatically consumes all of a
Paladin's Divinity except for one point.
The explosion caused by Wrath of God has a Radius of 1 yard and a Power of 1 per point of
Divinity spent in this way. This is Bludgeoning Damage, and also inflicts Fire Damage of 3/TN 5
that burns for 3 rounds to any Hit Location that suffers damage from the explosion. The Fire
Damage can be avoided if a character benefits from enough cover that a Hit Location's damage
from the explosion itself is reduced to 0, in which case that Hit Location suffers no Fire Damage
either.
Individuals killed or enemies destroyed by Wrath of God can never give a Paladin Divinity.
Essentially, it doesn't count as the Paladin killing them. It's Genosus doing the heavy lifting for
once.
A Paladin with 12 Divinity uses Wrath of God. He creates an explosion 22 yards in diameter, centered on him, with 11
Power. One poor man is within 11 feet of him, and so suffers 11 damage, minus his TOU and AV, for a total of 7,
scattered across him on the Random Missile Hit Table. He suffers several Level 1 and 2 Wounds, and one serious Level
3 Wound on the chest. However, each of these locations is also lit on fire, suffering additional Fire damage for 3
Rounds.
I See You
Paladins do not have any special ability to tell if someone is an infidel or a heretic just by looking
at them. However, a Paladin can Mark any living thing that he would be able to use Judgement
on as an enemy of Genosus. This involves touching the target in any wayeven just a light brush
in passing will doand willing it to be so.
When this is done, the Paladin must spend 1 Divinity, and assign a name to the target. It doesn't
have to be the thing's real name, but as long as the Paladin associates that name with it, it is
enough. From then on, whenever ANY Paladin thinks of the name assigned to this marked target
while concentrating, they will feel a pulling sensation in the direction that the target is, varying in
strength depending on distance.
Two targets cannot share a name. If a Paladin attempts to use a name that is already taken, it
doesn't stick. Of course, once a target has been destroyed, its name is up for grabs again.
The marked subject may not be initially aware of this effect, but just as the Paladin feels a
tugging sensation towards his target, the target will itself become aware of the Paladin.
Sometimes this manifests in the same way it does for the Paladina tugging sensation on the ear
or tongueother times it manifests as phantasmal sounds.
Generally this effect is disturbing, and even if they don't realize that it signifies a Paladin's
coming, the marked individual will generally be aware that something bad is on its way.
Examples include:
The creaking of chains that grows louder and more frantic as the Paladin approaches.
The beating of drums and chanting, growing more furious as the Paladin approaches.
A tugging sensation on the tongue, and whispers that intensify as the Paladin approaches.
A pleasant tune in the distance that grows more distorted and ominous as the Paladin
approaches.
Ecology
XXX
Overview
The Silver Guard are Ascendants born of the living god Bocanadessia, the reincarnated souls of her finest
servants, changed by the unearthly moonlit path they traveled in death to rejoin the living. The Silver
Guard have very personal relationships with their mother goddess, and take orders from her directly
through the Lunar Song. They are the living will of Bocanadessia, and when they leave the great fortress
that is their home, it is often to travel for years enacting the will of the divine. To this end they have
powerful abilities both to protect themselves from harm, and also to benefit those who commit themselves
to the worship of Bocanadessia.
Each Silver Guard is a sort of miniature deity in Dessian culture, demigods that deserve worship in their
own right. Most Dessians are Adherents of a Silver Guard, and pray to Bocanadessia through the
conduit that is the Silver Guard. This is, in fact, the source of the Silver Guards' powereach follower
they mark as their own allots them a greater share of the Divinity supplied to them from above each
month. Some of the Silver Guard act as warriors, generals, and even assassins. Others act as spymasters,
administrators, and coordinators. All are feared and respected, even by those who pay no homage to
Bocanadessia.
Appearance
Silver Guards look much like the people they were in life. Their flesh and eyes are usually the same color
(occasionally they are born albinoid, with an ivory white complexion), but their hair is always straight and
bleached of all pigment, with rare exceptions. They are often beautiful and fine to look upon. The Silver
Guard share a kind of family resemblance, that is undoubtedly the result of their divine heritage; each
have minor differences from their original looks, and seem to share physical traits.
Perfect
Silver Guards cannot begin play with any sort of Bane that would physically cripple them, such
as scars, missing limbs, old wounds, lasting pain, lost eyes, brain damage, and so on. These Banes
may be gained during play, but cannot normally occur at Character Creation. At the GM's
discretion, a Silver Guard may have acquired an injury during his career after emerging into this
world, and so may have one or more of these Banes, but the cost of the Bane is halved for the
purposes of B&B Points, although for the purpose of buying off Banes, they are counted at the
standard cost.
Silver Guards, like Paladins, cannot be Complete Monsters, because they must have a Faith Arc
in order for them to become Ascendants.
Additionally, unlike Paladins, Silver Guards cannot take any sort of Bane that would render them
unattractive. They are chosen specifically for their looks. They cannot take the Skinny, Fat, or
Ugly Banes.
Moonstrike
When a Silver Guard performs a melee maneuver that inflicts damage (such as Swing and Thrust,
though Shoot and Melee Shoot do not count) he can declare that attack to be a Moonstrike.
If the Moonstrike inflicts a Wound of any sort, the attack also inflicts Cold Damage (equal to the
Silver Guard's WIL score) to the attacks Hit Location.
In addition, the Silver Guard may spend any amount of Divinity. Each point of Divinity spent has
the following effects:
The victim suffers 1 point of Cold Damage randomly allocated on the body.
The victim loses the ability to benefit from one of his Arcs for one month, or until any
Silver Guard grants him Succor. This can stack.
The Silver Guard regains 1 CP.
If the target of this ability is another Ascendant, they can negate (or reduce the effects of)
Moonstrike by spending Divinity of their own, on a 1-for-1 basis.
Additionally, any Fire Damage inflicted in the White Fog has its duration reduced by 1 per
overlapping field of White Fog, to a minimum of 1 round of burning.
Any missile attack or explosion that would effect a Silver Guard in the White Fog treats the
White Fog as cover with an AV value equal to the Silver Guard's WIL, +1 per overlapping White
Fog from other Silver Guards.
The size of the White Fog field depends on the current climate and time of day. By default, the
area has a radius of 50 yards.
Moonlit Twostep
The Silver Guard is not constrained by physical laws in the same way men are. They move with
an unearthly grace, sometimes seeming to glide rather than walk, and in battle, they can briefly
gain altitude and launch themselves like birds of prey down upon their enemies.
Silver Guards gain a +4 bonus to their MOB for the purposes of movement and for mobility
maneuvers, as well as a +2 bonus to Skill and Attribute tests made to jump, climb, maneuver, or
otherwise move. A Silver Guard may spend one Divinity to perform the Soaring Charge
Maneuver in the first Action of combat if his Orientation is Red.
Soaring Charge
[2+Encumbrance Penalty]
Special: Silver Guard, Instant.
Requirements: Be a Silver Guard. Use this Maneuver only if you threw Red.
Maneuver: Declare an Attack as normal. However, you gain a +2 bonus to Initiative rolls made
during this Action (this includes Red/Red tests) and a +2 bonus to any damage you inflict with
Attack Maneuvers (except Melee Shoot) during this Action.
Special: For the rest of the Round, your Defenses gain the following rule: "Failure: Enemy
attack is not reduced by Successes from this maneuver, and hits with all Successes as BS."
Marked Adherents gain a spectral imprint of a handprint and a moon (in the phase that it was in at
the time the Adherent was Marked) that can only be seen by Ascended Humans. Paladins and
Sarturi Chosen can see it as well.
Marked Adherents gain the following benefits so long as they remain true to their faith:
They have a +2 bonus to their HLT for the purpose of resisting disease, poison, or blood
loss.
They can hear the Song of the Moon more clearly.
They can be granted Succor by any Silver Guard.
They gain double the normal amount of Arc Points for following their Faith.
Marking can be removed by other Ascendants without triggering the death of the Adherent. The
Adherent doesn't need to be willing, but the Ascendant must spend 15 Divinity, and put their
hand over the Mark. Then, a WIL contest is made between the other Ascendant and the Silver
Guard who marked the Adherent. If the Ascendant is successful, the Adherent's Mark is removed.
If their Faith was changed by the Marking, it is now changed back to what it originally was.
Forcible Marking
It is actually possible to forcibly turn someone into an Adherent, but this is a secret that most
Silver Guards would rather not be revealed, and not many of them are capable of it to begin with;
only the most powerful can do it.
This ability is not available to regular Silver Guards, but can be purchased for 50 Arc Points.
Performing it requires the expenditure of Divinity equal to the WIL of the victim, and an
additional expenditure of X. The Silver Guard must successfully grasp the victim's face (trapping
the head in a grapple would work) before doing this.
The Victim must make a WIL test at RS equal to X, or become an Adherent against his will,
complete with faith in Bocanadessia. While generally the new Adherent will still remember, and
be confused by the fact that they weren't an Adherent until a few moments ago, the use of Succor
to drain away their negativity can keep them under control.
This ability cannot be used on characters with the Complete Monster Bane.
Succor
Silver Guards have the ability to grant healing to their Adherents (or the Adherents of other Silver
Guards) through the use of Divinity. This is not as powerful as Paladin healing--the Silver Guard
cannot instantly close wounds, nor can they regrow lost limbs, and it cannot be used on the Silver
Guard himself, but it is much easier for the Silver Guard to do.
A Silver Guard can cure most diseases by praying over the kneeling or prostrate Adherent, and
then laying a hand on the spectral brand they are marked with. This costs 0 Divinity if the disease
is something non-fatal but merely unpleasant, and 1 Divinity if the disease is potentially or
actively lethal.
Mental illnesses of all kinds (including hereditary ones that have no actual cure or treatment) can
be removed with a touch. The Silver Guard only needs to spend 1 Divinity, but the Adherent must
spend Arc Points equal to the cost of the Mental Illness Bane, buying it off.
A Silver Guard may cause a physical injury to heal at double the normal speed by spending 1
Divinity per 2 levels of the Wound. Frostbite and other cold-related injuries can be cured
immediately at no Divinity cost. The Infection Chance of such a Wound is reduced by 4.
Finally, for no Divinity cost, a Silver Guard can take away all negative thoughts, emotions, or
painful memories away from an Adherent, by holding their head and willing it to be so. An
ethereal white mist emerges from the Adherent's mouth and nose, and enters the Silver Guard.
The Adherent will forget all of his negativity, while the Silver Guard will have to bear it himself.
Silver Guards live with some of the most soul-crushingly horrific knowledge to begin with, the
petty problems of a Human being, even a thousand Human beings, are so trivial that most Silver
Guards wouldn't notice.
After about a month, the memories taken away will start to return, but can be relieved again
through another Succor.
Each point of Divinity spent has the following effects. The effect lasts for 1 hour, at which time
the Silver Guard must pay the cost again to sustain the effect.
Increase one attribute by 1 point per point of Divinity spent. The Silver Guard may
choose how these points are distributed.
Increase Pain resistance by 1 per point of Divinity spent.
Ignore 1 point of total Blood Loss per point of Divinity spent.
Complete immunity to cold or cold-related damage for the full duration.
Sarturi Chosen
Raiders, pirates, reavers, thieves. These things are not natural. The are the result of inequality. An unnatural state, where the
humors of the land are out of balance. The poor take from the wealthy because they have no choice. They have no choice because
the world is broken. We can fix it. All we need to do is adjust the balance. Balance the scales. Return to Sartur that which is His,
and He will redistribute it fairly. And what is Sarturs, my brothers?
Coavva the Black, Sarturi Chosen
The Battle of the Red River
Overview
The Sarturi Chosen are the chosen servants of the Blood God, Sartur. Sartur is a little-understood deity in
Vosca, and his followers are seen by most as little more than a depraved cult of demon-worshippers. The
Chosen exemplify both this stereotype, and also the truth of their religion. Sartur is the God of Blood, and
his religious tenets are essentially simple: if things are bad, it is because there is either too little, or too
much blood in the land. Too much blood can be solved by shedding it into the ground, which is Sartur's
domain. Too little blood can be solved by shedding it elsewhere, thus allowing Sartur to redistribute the
blood to those more needy. The Sarturi believe that Vosca is suffering from a terrible imbalance of blood,
hence the horrible conditions of the frozen north, and the decadence and wealth of the south. They believe
that by killing enough people and animals in the south, they will be able to cure both the decadence and
pettiness of the southern peoples, and the starvation and poverty of the northerners.
From their perspective, they are perfect altruists. They just happen to go about their philanthropic duty by
murdering hundreds or thousands of people with axes.
Appearance
The Chosen are not changed in any way from their original forms before death. They look exactly like
normal Humans. Of course, the huge majority of Sarturi Chosen were great warriors in life, and so tend to
be robust and powerful stock.
By spending Divinity, the Sarturi can cause a larger area to burst into health and life. Any crops
planted in this land will grow to their potential no matter what else happens, no animals raised
and grazed on this land will grow sick or die except through external influence. Even the weather
will be milder and better for crops and pastoralism here, even if it is horrible all around the area.
The effect of this ability lasts for 1 month per Divinity spent--so a 1 Divinity expenditure
improves 1 square yard for 1 month. A 5 Divinity expenditure improves 10,000 square yards for 5
months. Past 5 Divinity, the size of the area no longer increases, but the duration does. So 300
Divinity will improve a 10,000 square yard area for 300 months, or about 25 years.
Every time a member of a Sarturi Chosen's Band (see below) is killed, the Sarturi may activate
this ability, centered on his dead companion, rather than himself, as though it had been activated
with 1 Divinity. This has no cost.
1 1 square yard
2 10 square yards
A River of Blood
A Chosen may spend 4 Divinity to increase his STR and HLT by 1 each for a span of 10 Turns
(or about 1 minute) at will. Repeated uses of this ability can increase the Chosen's STR and HLT
by an amount up to his WIL score.
If inside an area under the effects of From the Depths to the Soil, the amount of STR and HLT
gained through the use of this ability, and the maximum amount that can be gained, are both
doubled.
Not Today!
Sarturi Chosen are held together by more than muscle and sinew. When they sustain injuries,
their flesh can be made to close immediately upon being sustained, and blood will visibly contract
back into the body before the wound closes. The process is not even truly painful to them.
Any time a Chosen would sustain a Wound, they may instead spend 2 Divinity per level of the
Wound to negate it immediately. They still suffer half the Stun, but none of the Pain of the
Wound, and of course no Blood Loss.
If inside an area under the effects of From the Depths to the Soil, this ability costs 1 Divinity per
level of the Wound instead of 2.
Band of Blood
Before a battle, any companion of the Chosen may don a bandana stained with the Chosen's
blood. If they do so, they are considered part of that Chosen's Band until the next time they
remove the bandana.
Whenever a member of a Sarturi Chosen's Band is killed, all remaining members of the Band
gain 1 CP, up to a maximum of their WIL for 24 hours. The Chosen gains 2 CP up to a maximum
of 2x his WIL for 24 hours, and 1 Divinity.
If the Chosen is killed, every member of the Band will suffer 5 Blood Loss per Turn until they
take off the bandanas.
Sartur Hungers!
Wounds just seem to want to bleed more when a Chosen is on the battlefield. To increase the
Blood Loss of every Wound by 1, which every living thing within 10 yards of a Chosen suffers,
the Chosen may spend 1 Divinity. This effect does not increase the Blood Loss of the Sarturi
himself, and it cannot affect a specific Wound more than once.
No Hard Feelings
If a Sarturi Chosen is killed in battle, whoever struck the finishing blow gains a number of Faith
Arc Points equal to the total Divinity the Sarturi has, plus the amount spent in the last 24 hours.
Ecology
XXX
Boons and Banes are predominantly chosen at Character Creation, but during play characters can buy new
Boons, buy off Banes or encounter situations that cause a character to gain one!
Character Creation
Every character must invest at least 1 PCP in Boons and Banes. There are advantages to spending more
than this amount, however. Generally speaking, the more PCP you invest in Boons and Banes, the more
Boons you are able to take.
The follow Table XX details the number of B&B Points your PCP investment will provide you.
1 -15
2 -10
3 -5
4 0
5 5
6 10
7 15
8 20
9 25
10 30
Characters must start play at or above a zero (0) B&B Point score, and cannot start play with a negative
B&B Point score. As an investment of 1 PCP means you have -15 B&B Points, this clearly poses a
problem.
Taking Banes positively impacts your character's B&B Point score, with limited effect. After investing
PCP into Boons and Banes, characters at a deficit of B&B Points must take Banes in order to buy off the
debt. Once you have reached an even zero, the deficit is gone and there is no need to take more Banes.
Taking Boons negatively impacts your character's B&B Point score, and so it is necessary to have a
surplus of B&B Points to take Boons. If you have invested enough PCP into Boons and Banes such that
you have a surplus of B&B Points, then you may take as many Boons as you wish, so long as your B&B
Points remain at or above zero.
Regardless of your PCP investment, however, you may take only up to 15 additional B&B Points worth
of Banes, after at least breaking even with zero B&B Points. With these additional points, you are allowed
to purchase a proportionate amount of Boons, if desired. You may continue to take Banes after these
additional 15 B&B Points, however these Banes do not continue to positively impact your Characters
B&B Point score.
It is typically difficult to lose Boons, however at the GMs discretion, certain events and situations may
render Boons ineffective. An example may be when a character has the Boon Beautiful, but during play,
becomes severely disfigured and scarred. There is no cost involved in losing a Boon.
Most Banes are able to be removed by spending Arc Points (except those marked as Cannot be
removed, which are permanent).
Banes may be acquired during the course of play, through battle and other game developments. There is
no cost involved in gaining a Bane, except those suffered through Wounds and unfortunate circumstance.
An example may be gaining the Wanted Bane by committing deeds that offend those in power.
A single Boon or Bane may typically be taken once, and many have multiple levels of purchase. Those
marked with a * can be taken multiple times. For example, you can take Languages (1) multiple times to
represent knowing multiple native languages, or you could take Old Wound multiple times to have Old
Wounds on different parts of your body. Boons and Banes cannot stack on themselves: you cannot take
Old Wound multiple times on the exact same part of your body, or take Prodigious Strength twice to raise
your character creation attribute caps by 4.
Unless specified otherwise, a higher level of a Boon or Bane replaces the effects of its lower levels.
Boons
Table XX Boons
Boon Description B&B Point / Arc Point Cost
Allies* 1/5/10
Beautiful 3/6
Berserker 6/12
Bloodthirsty 4
Brave 3
Contacts* 1/4/6/8
Direction Sense 3
Favor* 1-3
Famous 2-4
Follower* 15
Good Ears 3
Good Eyes 3
Good Nose 3
Impressive Voice* 2
Languages* 1/2/3
Literate* 1
Natural Leader 3
Retinue 5/10/15
Banes
Table XX Banes
Bane Description B&B Point / Arc Point Cost
Arrow Magnet 3
Braggart 3
Complete Monster 10
Craven 7/15
Debt 2/4/8
Enemies 3/10/15
Fat 5
Hothead 3
Honor 15
Oath 2 to 10
Sheltered 2/4/6
Short 8/15
Skinny 3
Technologically Impaired 5
Virtuous 10
Wanted 5/10/15
Boons
Allies (1/5/10)
The Allies Boon represents a character's positive relationship with a powerful figure, organization, or
group. At its lowest level, it could simply represent someone important or competent around town. At its
highest, it should represent the attention and favor of kings. This Boon can be taken multiple times to gain
multiple allies, and can be gained (or lost) in the course of play through player actions.
A character can appeal to one of their Allies for aid, but that is no guarantee that help will come, or that it
will be sufficient for the task at hand. More often, Allies will be able to tie up loose ends, or swoop in to
save a character's bacon when things get too hairy.
1: Minor local power. Crime boss, mayor, town sheriff, and so on.
5: Moderate regional power. Baron, trade tycoon, colonel in the army, and so on.
10: Major international power. King, powerful cardinal, the Pope, and so on.
Ambidextrous (3)
Character Creation only.
Ambidextrous characters are equally capable of using either hand well, and are not affected negatively by
using a weapon or tool in their off hand. Ambidextrous characters gain certain benefits when using two
weapons, as detailed in the relevant Maneuvers and Proficiencies. In addition, if a character's arm is
injured and they are forced to use their weapon in their off hand, an Ambidextrous character suffers no
penalties.
2: Gain a +2 bonus to CHA when interacting with animals, and to Ride checks.
4: As above, and may select one type of domestic animal (i.e. dogs, cats, horses). These animals will
always cooperate with you, within reason.
6: As above, and you may select one type of wild animal (i.e. wolves, cougars, bears). These animals will
never attack you unprovoked, and may even come to your aid in certain situations.
Beautiful (3/6)
You're pretty. Really pretty. A character with this Boon is easy on the eyes. This can take many forms,
and while different cultures have greatly different standards of beauty, for the most part, this is a universal
Boon. Beautiful people are generally treated better, as they make a good first impression.
2: You gain a +2 bonus to CHA when dealing with everyone, if your beauty is apparent. You gain a +4
bonus to CHA when dealing with characters who would find you sexually attractive.
4: You cause carriage crashes. You gain a +3 bonus to CHA when dealing with everyone, if your beauty
is apparent. You gain a +6 bonus to CHA when dealing with characters who would find you sexually
attractive. Beauty of this caliber often comes with unwanted attention.
Berserker (6/12)
You are prone to flying into uncontrollable spells of bloodthirsty, shield-gnawing lunacy, during which
you cannot be prevented from cleaving every head within arm's reach from its shoulders.
Berserk rages last for 3d10 Rounds. To come down from a berserk rage early, you must initiate a WIL
test at RS 5. Success ends the Berserk Rage. This can be attempted once per Round.
How you enter a berserk rage varies depending on the level of this Boon, but the effects of going berserk
are generally the same.
You reduce all Pain by half.
You ignore ALL Stun inflicted by Wounds, but not those inflicted by weapon effects.
You ignore all effects of Exhaustion.
You reduce the RS of Bleed tests by 2.
You may not take any sort of Parrying or Blocking Action (you may still Void).
You must attack the nearest active enemy, or, barring the presence of enemies, the nearest living
creature.
After a character comes down from a berserk rage, all effects end, and they are immediately Exhausted,
regardless of their END or current Encumbrance. If a Berserker's Blood Loss total is above 25 at this
point, they must make a HLT check at RS 5 or drop dead instantly.
Characters that go into a berserk rage often may develop mental derangements over time, including
depression, alcoholism, and schizophrenia.
6: Any frustration or irritation, physical pain, insult, or vexation requires that the character make a WIL
check at RS 4 or fly into a berserk rage. He can voluntarily fly into such a rage at will, though only when
not Exhausted, by taking a few seconds (one Round) to roar, gnaw upon their shield, and generally work
themselves into a fury.
12: As above, however involuntarily entering a berserk rage requires a WIL check at RS 2. The character
can voluntarily enter a berserk rage at will, though only when not Exhausted. In the case that a character
enters a berserk rage as a result of an attack, any effects the Wound causes happen before the rage is
entered.
Bloodthirsty (4)
Your eagerness to join battle has stripped from you any form of hesitation or restraint when moving in for
the kill. Whenever you take an Initiative test brought on by going Red/Red (and only Red/Red tests
forced by maneuvers do NOT count) you gain +2 dice for that test. There is no limit to the number of
times this can occur in combat.
Any character who faces you in combat will immediately become aware that you have this Boon unless
you pass a Subterfuge vs PER contest.
Brave (3)
You're courageous and firm of heart. Whenever you would need to make a WIL test vs Fear, you may
choose instead to automatically pass the test. This does not apply to any Fear tests involving magic,
however you gain +2 dice to your roll.
Contacts (1/4/6/8)
You have access to a network of informants, friends of friends, cousins, and entire flocks of talkative little
birds that you can call upon for information.
You can use Contacts to gain insight and intelligence on any subject you please. Usually this requires the
expenditure of a few coins (rarely more than 2-3 sp per RS of the roll, see below), and may take anywhere
from ten minutes to a week or so.
Roll your CHA at the TN decided by your level in this Boon, and if you meet the RS, you gain the
information you need, with more BS supplying more information. The GM can set the RS from 1
(effortless) to 8 (world-shatteringly obscure). If there is absolutely no way that information can be gained
through Contacts, it should be evident after the first roll.
Estate (10)
Character Creation only.
You own lands, businesses, or other static wealth that provides you with a steady stream of income.
Taking this Boon grants you an Asset worth 2 Wealth (see the Assets section of Chapter 5 for more
details). This Boon can be taken multiple times, either to gain multiple Assets (each valued at 2 Wealth),
or to combine them into a bigger, badder Asset.
You cannot acquire Assets with a Wealth value greater than the amount your Social Class granted you.
That is, if you are a Lesser Noble, and start the game with 6 Wealth, you could take Estate a maximum of
three times for 6 additional Wealth, for a total of 12, but no more.
Favor (1/3)
Someone owes you a favor. You may take this Boon multiple times, and for each time you do, you gain
an additional favor that you can call in to get something done. Confer with the GM to see who could
potentially owe your character one. Once a Favor is called in, the debt is settled. However, if things are
still amicable, there's no reason why another exchange of favors couldn't be arranged.
1: Minor Favor. A serious favor from a regular man, or a trifling favor from someone of power (let me
hide in your house from the Baron's men, or get me off of this larceny charge).
3: Major Favor. A serious favor from a powerful individual (vouch for my innocence, your majesty).
Famous (2/4)
People know you. Maybe you killed the Manticore of Marienburg, or saved a princess or something.
Whatever the reason, you gain a bonus to CHA when dealing with people overawed by your star-power.
This Boon has its drawbacks thoughbeing recognizable makes it hard to hide, and harder still to get
away with mischief.
Follower (10)
You've got a sidekick, a buddy, a comrade, a henchman, or a right-hand-man. Followers can be anything
from unusually loyal mercenaries, to childhood friends, and spouses who aren't about to stand by while
your character fights heretics, bandits and shoggoths without them.
A Follower is distinguished from Allies or a Retinue member in that the Follower is an actual character.
Either you, or your GM, can write up the stats for the Follower (at the GM's discretion), usually of a
power level the same as or lower than their PC leader. In some situations, an existing NPC can be drafted
as a Follower, at the GM's discretion.
Followers aren't directly under the player's control, in that they are still technically NPCs under the GM's
purview, but there's nothing wrong with a player controlling a Follower while his character is injured or
tied to an interrogator's chair somewhere.
If the current PC of the Follower dies, the Follower ceases to be a Follower. At the GM's discretion, the
Follower may stay of their own volition, leave, or even become a PC under the control of the player
whose character died.
Some guidelines for this Boon: it is not advised to let Followers take Follower, Retinue, or Contacts. It
just makes things confusing. As well as this, don't let this Boon get out of control, and swell the group to
double its original number. It is acceptable to limit characters taking this Boon, or of obtaining Followers
altogether, see Optional Rules for more details. See the Followers and Retinue section in Optional
Rules for more details.
A character cannot have Good Eyes at the same time as the Bad Eyes Bane.
2: You reduce the Infection Chance of injuries you suffer by 1. Your HLT for the purposes of resisting
poison, disease and other ill effects (not Infection) is increased by 2.
4: You reduce the Infection Chance of injuries you suffer by 2. Your HLT for the purposes of resisting
poison, disease and other ill effects (not Infection) is increased by 4.
Powerful: Your voice is strong, commanding, and intimidating. You gain a +2 bonus to Leadership and
Intimidation.
Grating: You have a sneering honk of a voice that can peel the skin straight from someone's bones with a
single insult. You gain a +2 bonus to Ridicule rolls, and a +2 bonus to resisting them as well.
Soothing: You have a pleasant voice, that can calm the heart and soothe the soul. You gain a +2 bonus to
Diplomacy rolls with the intent to sooth, calm, or convince. You also gain a +4 bonus to any Perform
tests that involve the voice (song, drama, and so on).
If you ever gravely dishonor yourself or otherwise compromise your perceived moral high ground, you
may lose this Boon, at the GM's discretion. For particularly egregious acts, you may even gain the Bad
Reputation Bane.
Languages (1/2/3)
You know how to speak languages other than your native tongue.
1: You know another native language. You may purchase this Boon multiple times during Character
Creation, each time learning a new language.
2: You have a knack for languages. You know another native language, and you may purchase additional
languages after Character Creation for 1 Arc Point each, assuming you have a month or so to practice.
3: You're a proper polyglot. You know a number of new languages equal to your INT+2. In addition, you
automatically learn any language you are exposed to for more than a week by spending 1 Arc Point.
Literate (1)
You know how to write using your own language. If you can speak another language, and it has the same
alphabet or writing system, then you are likely able to understand and write in that language as well. This
Boon can be taken multiple times to learn unfamiliar writing systems.
Retinue (5/10/15)
(Note: You may only take this boon if your campaign is using the optional Followers and Retinue rules)
You're a leader of men, and have a group of loyal followers who aid you in your endeavors. When you
take this Boon, you gain a group of NPCs who act as your personal bodyguards, aids, or crew. The size of
this group varies on the version of this Boon you buy. See the Followers and Retinue section in
Optional Rules for more details.
Tall (8/12)
Character Creation only.
You're a pretty big guy. For you, this means that you have an advantage in reach and stature over most
people, which is especially useful in combat.
A character cannot have Tall at the same time as the Short Bane.
8: Youre noticeably taller than most other people, around a head or so.
You gain +1 to Initiative as you have a slightly longer reach and better vantage over your peers. You gain
a +1 bonus to Charisma for the purposes of persuasion, intimidation and leadership.
12: You dwarf your peers, to the point you have to squeeze yourself through normal doorways. You gain
+1 to the effective Reach of all weapons and unarmed Maneuvers you perform, and you gain a +2 bonus
to Charisma for the purposes of persuasion, intimidation and leadership.
A character cannot have True Grit at the same time as the Sheltered Bane.
Rich (1/3/5)
Character Creation only.
Money, dinero, shekels, cash, bank, the sinews of war, the wealth of nations! You've got an unusual
amount of money for someone of your Social Class. This is cold cash, not Assets, and once you've spent
it, it's gone.
1: Extra 10% of your base money
3: Extra 50% of your base money.
5: Extra 100% of your base money.
Banes
Arrow Magnet (3)
You've got a way with arrows. They just can't stay away from you. In any situation where someone would
be targeted at random by missiles, you will be targeted first, and anyone making missile attacks gain a +1
dice bonus against you.
A character cannot have the Bad Eyes Bane at the same time as the Good Eyes Boon.
In certain situations, the GM may choose to waive your penalty, or even turn it into a bonus. While
intimidating some yokels, for example.
3: You're unpopular. You suffer a -2 to all social rolls made with people who disapprove of your
reputation.
6: You're generally disliked. You suffer a -4 to all social rolls made with people who disapprove of your
reputation.
9: You're nearly universally despised. You suffer a -6 to all social rolls made with people who disapprove
of your reputation.
Barren/Sterility (1/3)
Cannot be removed.
You are incapable of producing offspring. Perhaps it is genetic, or perhaps you are a eunuch or perhaps
you had an unfortunate encounter with a low-flying halberd. This Bane is not unique to either gender.
1: Barren/Sterile. Youre simply sterile. No children for you (or no more children, if you already have
them). You may still feel sexual urges, depending on the nature of your condition.
3: Eunuch. You were made a eunuch before puberty (male only). This is a different situation from the
above, as this has a serious effect on the development of young men. In addition to all of the obvious
effects of the process and the sterility associated with it, you must also pay 2 additional Arc to level up
STR or HLT. However, as a side effect, you gain a +2 bonus against all manner of Social rolls made with
the intent to deceive, and a +2 bonus against Intimidation and Taunt attempts.
Blind (20)
Cannot be removed.
You're stone fucking blind. This brings with it certain problems. While blind men have been known to
fight before, it is by no means easy, and few would recommend it.
Blind Characters cannot make sight-based PER checks, nor can they do anything that strictly requires the
use of their eyes. However, they do gain a +2 bonus to PER checks involving sound, touch, and other
senses to which they are naturally better attuned, due to their lack of sight. In combat, a Blind Character
must make a PER check as part of declaring a Maneuver. The number of Successes on that check is the
maximum number of CP or MP he can dedicate to that Maneuver. (This does not include Activation
Costs, which are paid normally.)
This check uses the other four senses, and benefits from the +2 bonus to PER checks mentioned above.
Blind Characters treat all light levels as if they were Evenly Lit. Pages 202-203
A character cannot have Blind at the same time as the Good Eyes Boon or One-Eyed Bane.
Braggart (3)
You've got a big mouth. You can't help but boast of your strength, intelligence, or achievements, and you
also can't stand the notion of being shown up. Maybe your claims are baseless... maybe they aren't. Either
way, you get yourself in trouble a lot, and you're incredibly easy to rile up.
You suffer a -2 WIL penalty to resist Ridicule rolls, and you must regularly relate your greatness to
anyone who will listen. You can suppress your boastful urges for a few minutes when it's important by
making a WIL test at RS 2.
Brain Damage
Cannot be removed.
You've suffered an injury that has significantly damaged your brain. You suffer from decreased mental
faculties, and possibly some neurological failures (tics, partial paralysis of limbs, and so on). As stated in
Chapter 13, whenever you are knocked out or pass out from Blood Loss or excessive Pain, you must pass
a TOU vs. 2 RS test or you gain this Bane. Certain wounds may also give you this Bane.
When you gain Brain Damage, roll 1d10 on the Brain Damage table and immediately suffer its effects.
Old Wounds typically develop on the head, neck or around the spine but its possible that they may affect
hands or joints (GMs choice). If you would gain a Bane you already have, instead increase the severity of
that Bane, if you can. Otherwise ignore that particular effect.
For each instance of Brain Damage you currently suffer from, add +1 RS to all INT-based rolls. You no
think so good after getting struck on the head too much.
4 Gain Bad Eyes (or lose Good Eyes if you have it)
5 Gain Bad Ears (or lose Good Ears if you have it)
6 Gain Old Wound and Bad Ears (or lose Good Ears if you have it)
Broken Limb/Appendage
Cannot be removed.
A broken limb is a serious injury, but with some time and rest, itll be as good as new. Right?
Well, in theory anyway. If a limb is used while broken, it may not heal properly, and repeated injuries to a
wounded limb can permanently cripple it. A broken limb cannot be used for anything (wielding a sword,
walking, and so on), until the Wound that caused it heals (a treated broken leg can be walked on with the
aid of crutches, but at 1/4th of normal MOB, and no intense movement is possible).
You may not choose this Bane at Character Creation, and it cannot be bought off. The Wound must heal
normally.
Not you. You may have excuses, but they're not legitimate. You are wolf to man. Maybe you're crazy, or
maybe you're just too sane. You view human social concessions as an idiotic charade, proof that the
people around you are just machines, automatons with no real agency in their own behavior. You're the
only real person. They're just puppets made out of meat. You can play the game, but your definition of
winning and losing is much more practical. You win if you get what you want, you lose if you don't, and
everyone else is just an tool to be used or an obstacle to be overcome in the pursuit of your desires.
You also have an uncontrollable urge to kick puppies and steal pies.
You gain a +2 bonus to Persuasion rolls, because of your superficial charm, and this remains as long as
the true depth of your soulless evil remains unknown. It is possible to retain a good reputation with this
Bane, if you're very clever, but anyone who realizes your true nature sees the depths of your monstrosity,
and you gain a permanent -4 penalty to Social rolls against them, as well as losing your normal bonus to
Persuasion against them. Characters may glimpse your true nature whenever you fail a Persuasion roll
against them (context is everything, GM's discretion), but are much more likely to realize it if they
witness you actually behave like a Complete Monster.
You also do not have a Belief Arc, and you cannot gain one unless this Bane is bought off. This Bane can
be bought off, but only at double its purchasing cost ,A total of 20 Arc Points, and requires some sort of
serious soul-searching epiphany.
A character cannot have Complete Monster at the same time as the Honorable and/or Virtuous Banes.
Craven (7/15)
You're a coward. There's a difference between feeling fear, and being incapable of overcoming it. A
coward cannot bring himself to confront any sort of danger head-on, and will often try to hide, avoid, or
simply flee from any possible injury or harm to himself.
7: You suffer a -2 penalty to CP in any combat situation in which you do not have a decisive and obvious
advantage. You must make a WIL test at RS 2 to bring yourself to confront any sort of danger. If you are
injured by violence, you must make a WIL test at RS 4 or panic and try to escape.
15: You suffer a -4 penalty to CP in any combat situation in which you do not have a decisive and
obvious advantage. You must make a WIL test at RS 4 to bring yourself to confront any sort of danger. If
you are injured by violence, you must make a WIL test at RS 6 or panic and try to escape.
The Crippled Limb can be used, but at severe penalties. Any Skill tests made that require the limb suffer a
+4 to their RS. Attack or Defense Maneuvers made with the limb suffer a +3 to their TN. If the crippled
limb is being used for locomotion (like a leg when walking, or an arm while climbing) MOB is reduced
by half.
Dead (100)
Cannot be removed.
You are dead. You may take no Actions except the Decompose Maneuver.
Debt (2/4/8)
You owe people money. The amount is significant, but you have some time to pay it off before bad things
start happening.
In many cases, nobody can actually force you to repay your debts (particularly if you're an armed man
with few, if any, solid assets and a horse), but moneylenders have long arms and longer memories, and a
great incentive to either make you pay in gold, or in pounds of flesh, as an example to others. Characters
that start with no money cannot take this Bane.
2: Minor. You owe an amount of money equal to the Wealth you have at the time of Character Creation,
not including Assets. This is determined with Boons and Banes that modify Wealth and Assets.
4: Moderate. You owe an amount of money equal to half again your starting Wealth. This is determined
with Boons and Banes that modify Wealth and Assets.
8: Major. You owe an amount of money equal to twice your starting Wealth, and starting Assets. This is
determined with Boons and Banes that modify Wealth and Assets.
Dependent (6/12)
Someone relies on you. Someone you cant leave behind. And if anything were to happen to them
Your Dependant is an NPC created by you and the GM (confer with your GM during creation) who tags
along with your character. The Dependant cant just be sent off--maybe you just cant bear to part with
them, or they wouldnt be safe anywhere else, or youre protecting them from something nobody else can
even be allowed to know about. Whatever the reason, the Dependant is a chink in your armor that must be
defended at all costs.
6: Create a Follower with 4 less PCP than the PCs. They may not spend more than 4 PCP on Boons &
Banes, may not be a Tier 5 Race, and should be of a PCP 4 Social Class or lower (Same or lower than the
Player). The Dependant may gain Arc Points through their own Arcs, or however else the GM sees fit.
Should the Dependant be in danger, you must roll a simple WIL test with RS of 2, or immediately rush to
their defence. If the Dependant is injured, you have a -1 to all actions that does not involve saving,
rescuing or healing your dependant. If your Dependant dies, and it is not your fault, you could have done
nothing to intervene, or the Dependant themselves tried to save someone, then you must pay back your
next 6 Arc Points as you slip into a depressed state. If you COULD have saved them, but failed due to
being overwhelmed by enemies, failing a skill roll, or whatever other reason, then the next 12 Arc Points
must be paid as a cost, and you could be in danger of receiving an Insanity.
12: Create a Follower with 8 less PCP than the PCs. They may not spend more than 2 PCP on Social
Class, and may only put 1 PCP into Boons & Banes. They are restricted to half of the Bane holders
Proficiency PCP. The Dependant gains Arc Points at half the rate they normally would. Should the
Dependant be in danger, you must make a WIL test with an RS of 4, or immediately rush to their aid.
You cannot leave your Dependant behind anywhere, unless you make arrangements for their safety (A
castle, with owner and guards friendly to the players counts, likewise does a tavern with lockable doors),
even if this means you bring them into battle with you. If you must leave them behind anywhere that you
cannot be sure is safe, or if you know they are in danger, you take a -2 to all actions that do not lead
towards their rescue. If the Dependant should die for any reason, you must pay the next 10 Arc Points
you gain as your world shatters around you. You have lost a very important part of your world, and you
may never recover. If, however, they die due to you a failure on your part, in a combat you are also taking
part in, or because you failed a Skill roll that would have saved them, the next 20 Arc Points must be
paid in cost, the GM is HIGHLY encouraged to provide you with an Insanity, or two, and you lose the
ability to gain Arc Points from one of your Arcs for a period determined by your GM.
Special: If the GM allows it, you may, instead of taking the Arc Point hit, take a number of Banes that
would represent your characters inability to process or cope with what has happened. The GM may
decide these for you, or you may put forward a suggestion. This is a serious event in your characters
life, and thus the Banes you take should represent this.
Write or explain a brief backstory for your character to the GM. He will choose (or design) several Banes
for you, to represent the scars and looming shadows of your dark past (you are not awarded B&B Points
for these Banes directly).
As you have survived your Dire Past, however, you gain 10 additional B&B Points to spend on Boons.
These B&B Points do NOT count towards your maximum points from Banes.
GMs should not be lenient when choosing Banes to suit a characters Dire Past. Be vicious. Old Wounds,
One-Eyed, Enemies, Bad Reputation... even things like Hothead, Honorable and Virtuous are appropriate
to apply for this Bane. The character isnt just awarded 10 B&B Points, thats 10 Points in addition to
what they can earn by taking Banes, make them work for it!
Enemies (3/10/15)
You have some powerful enemies who mean to do you serious harm. They may just want to ruin you and
crush your name, or perhaps they want to cut your head off and put it on a pike. Either way, they're
willing to go out of their waypotentially FAR out of their wayto do it. The level of this Bane
indicates just how serious an enemy you've made. Enemies can either be individuals of significant power,
or entire organizations or countries.
3: Single, dangerous individual, small group or minor organization (rival merchant, local guild).
10: Single, powerful individual, large group or organization, regional authorities (Sheriff of Nottingham,
the City Guard).
15: Incredibly powerful enemies with long arms, continent-spanning organizations (the Holy Roman
Emperor, the Church, the Teutonic Order).
2: You have a distinctive (though not particularly disfiguring) mark on your face. You suffer a -2 to
checks to disguise yourself or lie about your identity, and people will have an easy time describing you.
The mark is not significant enough to disturb people. Examples include Otto Skorzeny and Ernst Blofeld.
4: Your face has suffered serious injury or disfigurement. You suffer a -4 to checks to disguise yourself or
lie about your identity, and people will have a very easy time describing you. In addition, you also suffer
a -2 to the first Social checks you make with any person, as your first impressions are poor. Intimidation
rolls are exempt from this penalty, and may (situationally) be enhanced. Examples include Sandor
Clegane and Tycho Brahe (without prosthetic).
8: Your face is a horrific ruin, and people may have difficulty realizing that you are human, if they see
you without warning. You suffer -6 to checks to disguise yourself or lie about your identity, and people
will have an incredibly easy time describing you. In addition, you suffer a -4 to the first Social checks you
make with any person, as your first impressions are poor, and continue to suffer -2 afterwards, as you
simply make people uncomfortable (long-time friends and the particularly understanding might be exempt
from these penalties). Intimidation rolls are exempt from this penalty, and may (situationally) be
enhanced. Examples include Baldwin IV of Jerusalem and Joe Bonham.
Fat (5)
You are rotund! A lot of folks have a bit of extra meat on them, but you look like you just caused a
famine in England. Put the fork down, fatty!
You suffer a -2 to your HLT for the purposes of determining Fatigue, and a -2 to MOB.
On the upside, you gain a +1 to Stability rolls.
Haemophilia (8)
Cannot be removed.
Haemophilia is a genetic disorder that impairs the bodys ability to control blood clotting or coagulation,
and the characters body has trouble stopping bleeding when any vessel is broken. This is an absolutely
terrible condition to have.
Whenever you suffer any sort of Blood Loss, increase the amount of Bleed points you gain by 3. The RS
for medical tests made to stop the bleeding are always increased by 2.
Hothead (3)
Someone get this hothead outta here! You get angry easily, and you're prone to overreacting to
perceived threats or insults. Whenever you feel threatened, insulted, or aggravated by somebody, or
generally frustrated with a situation, you must make a WIL check at RS 2 or begin either a serious verbal
or physical confrontation immediately.
If you are in a situation in which starting such a confrontation would clearly not solve anything (not even
by venting your anger by smashing something), or would very obviously result in your own death, the
WIL check is reduced to RS 1.
Honorable (15)
You're genuinely honorable. You might not be a nice guy, you might not be a philanthropist, but you have
a real sense of honor. Honor can't be bought, nor can it be awarded. Honor is fought for, acquired, and
maintained with diligence. To never break one's word, freely given, to never violate certain rules, to treat
others, and oneself, with respect. You've got this, and it is representative of real strength of character.
However, those bound by honor can also be dragged down by it. Honorable behavior is not always smart
behavior, and those who break their own codes of honor are lessened by it, as an essential part of
themselves dies in the act.
Honorable characters gain a +2 bonus to resist subterfuge, intimidation, torture, and other means of
prying information from them. Additionally, he gains a +1 bonus to all social checks made to persuade,
reason with, or debate those who know the character to be honorable (this could be everyone, if the
character is famous, or just those who know him well or have been impressed with his conduct).
However, a character with this Bane must always conduct himself in an honorable manner (discuss with
your GM what honor means for your character, establish the principles, and stick to them) or else suffer
serious consequences.
A character who goes against his own principles loses this Bane, and must pay the next 10 Arc Points
earned as a penalty, as his character works through the crisis of conscience brought on by the collapse of
his worldview. At his discretion, the GM can waive this penalty if the character's collapse was not due to
moral weakness so much as extreme circumstance. Honorable can also be purchased again (at the GM's
discretion) after being lost, to represent the character regaining his principles for 2 Arc Points.
A character cannot have the Honorable Bane at the same time as the Complete Monster Bane.
Choose a Hit Location, such as hand, thigh, face, belly, and so on, which will be the location of the injury
or defect that causes the Lasting Pain. If you acquire this Bane through an injury as detailed in Chapter
XX: Injury and Recovery, you do not get to choose the area.
4: Minor. It hurts, but not too much. Each day, roll 1d10. On a 1-8, you suffer 2 Pain throughout the day.
Any injury to the area awakens this pain until the injury is fully healed.
8: Major. The pain can be crippling. Each day, roll 1d10. On a 1-9, you suffer 4 Pain throughout the day.
Any injury to the area awakens this pain until the injury is fully healed.
Mute (5/8)
Cannot be removed.
You can't talk. Perhaps you've suffered a throat injury or had your tongue cut out. Perhaps you've been
that way since birth, or maybe a disease ravaged your vocal chords. Either way, you cannot communicate
verbally in a meaningful fashion.
5: You cannot form words, but you can cry out, shout, or otherwise make vocal sounds to, say, alert your
sleeping friends that you are surrounded by giant spiders.
8: You can neither speak nor make any other vocal sounds, and must communicate entirely by writing or
using sign language.
Oath (2 to 10)
You've sworn a solemn oath, in good conscience and of your own accord. An Oath is a vow or obligation
that a character has made, to himself, to others, or to God. This Bane assumes that the Oath in question
was made honestlysimply taking an Oath and then breaking it casually when out of sight doesn't count.
If you ever break the Oath (setting aside mitigating circumstances, for example, breaking a Vow of
Silence to warn a child of danger, or to inform the Pope of the assassin drawing up behind him) you must
pay Arc Points as you earn them equal to twice the value of the Bane, as you struggle emotionally with
your failure. You may choose to retain your Oath after these Arc Points have been paid, or to abandon it
and lose this Bane at no further cost.
Oaths can be worth between 2 and 10 depending on the severity of the Oath being taken. An Oath of
Fealty for a knight might be worth 2, since it's not something that would be hard for him to keep, whereas
a Vow of Silence could be worth more, and a Vow of Pacifism could be worth as much as 10, depending
on the character's background and premise. Consult with your GM to decide what an Oath should be
worth. Generally, the harder it would be to keep, the more it should be worth.
Choose a Hit Location (such as hand, thigh, face, belly, and so on), which will be the location of the Old
Wound. If you acquire this Bane through an injury as detailed in Chapter XX: Injury and Recovery, you
do not get to choose the area.
Any attack that hits this location automatically inflicts Stun equal to a level 1 Wound to that area,
ignoring all reductions, even if the attack inflicts no Wound.
If this Bane is bought off, its cost to remove it is 5, instead of the 1 suggested by its cost.
One-Eyed (10)
Cannot be removed.
You've lost an eye! Perhaps it was an accident, or through injury in combat, or maybe you were born with
only one functional eye. Stuff happens. Either way, having one eye can be a disadvantage in combat and
in daily life. One-Eyed people can learn to compensate for their lack of depth perception with simple
tricks, however it is still difficult to gauge distances.
PER tests to spot things, gauge distances, and so on, suffer a +1 RS. You also suffer a -1 to your CP in
combat, and a -2 to your MP when making ranged attacks, (though not for using missile weapons in
melee, those use the CP penalty listed earlier).
If you buy off this Bane, you don't grow a new eye, but become so accustomed to only having one that
you no longer suffer the penalties. You cannot remove the Bane, however the penalties don't apply
anymore.
If somehow you acquire two One-Eyed Banes, then you regrettably lose both One-Eyed Banes, and gain
the Blind Bane, unless you have more than two eyes (i.e. if you are a giant goliath spider possessed by the
ghost of Black Hand Lee).
At Character Creation, you may take this Bane as a -2 Facial Deformity to represent the One-Eyed Bane
you have bought off before Character Creation. Do not apply penalties from One-Eyed, but other rules
still take effect.
A character cannot have One-Eyed at the same time as the Blind Bane.
Poor (4/6/8)
You're unusually poor for your class in society. You lack funds, perhaps because you or your ancestors
made poor investments, without falling too far in social status. Either way, it's likely that you're still
trying to claw your way back into relative affluence. Maybe it's even what motivates you.
4: You start with half (50%) the Wealth of a normal character of your Social Class and Wealth level. You
may only take this level of the Bane if your character is of Wealth level 2 or higher, or with GM's
permission.
6: You start with a quarter (25%) the Wealth of a normal character of your Social Class and Wealth
level.You may only take this level of the Bane if your character is of Wealth level 3 or higher, or with
GM's permission.
8: You start with no money.You may only take this level of the Bane if your character is of Wealth level
4 or higher, or with GM's permission.
A character cannot have the Poor Bane at the same time as the Rich Boon.
If you choose this Bane at Character Creation, choose a limb affected by this Bane, and how much of the
limb is missing. If you suffer this Bane because of an injury, then of course you have no say in where the
limb has been lost.
Hand
You cannot perform any task that requires both hands, or use any two-handed weapon. Gripped
shields cannot be used (strapped shields can, at the GMs discretion, with minor modification).
When Grappling, making a Slip attempt to prevent this arm from being Trapped or Pinned has a -
1 TN, unless you have a prosthetic, and Force attempts to untrap the limb are made at a -1 TN as
well. Your Punches inflict -2 damage without a prosthetic.
Missing both hands or arms prevents you from using any held weapons. It is still possible to
Grapple unless you are missing both arms to the elbow or more, but the penalties are cumulative.
Lower Leg (from the upper Shin to Knee) and Full Leg (from the Thigh to Hip)
You cannot walk except to possibly hop at a quarter of normal MOB. You must make a Stability
test every turn you move like this at RS 3, or fall and be prone. All Stability rolls forced upon you
by other sources have their RS increased by 2. You suffer a CP penalty of 4 in combat in addition
to these other penalties, and all Dodge Maneuvers have a +2 Activation Cost, and their TNs
increased by 2. A Crutch can allow you to move at half the normal MOB without a chance of
falling, and reduce the CP penalty to 2, but you cannot run, and a crutch precludes using a
weapon on the lost-leg-side hand, and the use of 2H weapons. You cannot perform Knee or Kick
maneuvers with your lost leg, and may only perform kicks with your remaining leg (if you have
one) while prone, or with a crutch at +1 TN and +1 Activation Cost.
If both legs are lost, movement is extremely difficult. MOB is reduced to an effective 1, running
is not possible. Combat is unthinkable. You are permanently Prone, and can perform no Dodge
Maneuvers.
If a severed limb is used without giving it time to heal, the user immediately gains 4 Shock and 1
Pain.
Prosthetics are available in Chapter 5.4 and will mitigate some of the issues with missing limbs.
Sheltered (2/4/6)
For some reason, you arent quite as used to the world as you should be. Youre less hardened against the
harshness of the world, and things tend to affect you more than your fellows. You start with less Grit than
you normally would. You cannot reduce your Grit beyond 0.
2: Softy. -1 Grit.
4: Seriously Sheltered. -2 Grit.
6: You dont even know what color blood is. -3 Grit.
A character cannot have the Sheltered Bane at the same time as the True Grit Boon.
Short (8/15)
You're much shorter than normal for your race. This negatively affects your Reach and your MOB, but
you also tire less easily, and you're a harder target for archers and other attackers with missiles.
8: You're about 20% shorter than the average person. You suffer -1 to both Reach and MOB, but you
reduce your Exhaustion Rate by 1x (to a minimum of 1x) for the purposes of acquiring Fatigue. Missile
Attacks reduce their MP against you by 1 (or their CP by 1, if they are made as Melee Maneuvers in close
combat).
15: You're about 30% shorter than the average person, and quite possibly have some form of dwarfism.
You suffer a -2 to both Reach and MOB, but you reduce your Exhaustion gain by 1x (to a minimum of
1x) for the purposes of acquiring Fatigue. Missile Attacks reduce their MP against you by 1 (or their CP
by 1, if they are made as Melee Maneuvers in close combat). This is not cumulative with the minor
version of Short.
A character can not have the Short Bane at the same time as the Tall Boon. Duh.
Skinny (3)
Youre thin as a rail, a regular beanpole, and unwholesomely thin! Italian grandmothers everywhere
actively seek you out and attempt to feed you delicious pasta.
You suffer a -1 to your Stability rolls, and your effective CAR for determining Encumbrance is reduced
by 1. However, your Exhaustion Rate is reduced by 1x (to a minimum of 1x) for the purposes of
acquiring Fatigue.
A character cannot have the Skinny Bane at the same time as the Fat Bane.
If you want to acquire a new Proficiency involving a modern weapon, or to acquire Skills pertaining to
modern technology, the first point or rank you buy in any of these Proficiencies or Skills costs double the
normal amount of Arc Points, if you are learning it as part of a School.
If youre trying to acquire a new Proficiency without instruction, you must first spend twice the normal
amount of Arc Points to begin a Proficiency, and then make an INT check at an RS determined by the
complexity of the device (a hand-spanned crossbow being RS 2, a cranequin-spanned crossbow being RS
4, a wheellock musket being RS 5, and a Puckle gun being RS 6. The GM has the final say on what the
RS for figuring out a weapon is. Some may be impossible without instruction). Success means that you
manage to figure out the weapon sufficiently to take Proficiency in it. Failure means you still spend the
Arc Points, but do not gain Proficiency in it. However, you may try again, this time with a cumulative -1
to the RS.
1: The spouse only makes a minor fuss, whether treating guests badly and bringing disgrace to your name
or spreading rumors about you while youre out adventuring.
2: The spouse actively tries to disrupt your life in some way. The gravity of this torment depends on the
Social Class and Wealth of the spousea disgruntled peasant wife might intentionally undercook your
lunch, but your treacherous husband the Duke might humiliate you in court.
3: The spouse really has it out for you, and they have your in-laws to back them up. A poorer family
might just regularly harangue you or work to make your life miserable. In noble courts, this sort of
bitterness results in assassins with ropes hiding in your bedroom, and having to drink out of a hip flask at
every meal.
Virtuous (10)
You possess that greatest of weaknesses, the one flaw that has been the bane of more otherwise perfectly
competent and ambitious heroes than any other: you are a genuinely moral, honest, and righteous person.
Perhaps it's just in your nature, or perhaps you were just raised well. You've got a conscience, a desire to
help people, and while you may not be a pacifist, you're no murderer, and you despise senseless violence,
drawing the sword only when necessary. This isn't an easy way to live. Historically, paragons of morality
were few and far between, and it has often been said that the good die young.
If you ever act in an immoral, unnecessarily cruel or ruthless fashion, you must pay the next 10 Arc
Points you earn, as you are wracked by your conscience. However, if you immediately act to try and
make up for your moral transgression, by making amends with the wronged or through atonement to
society or God, this loss is reduced to 5 Arc Points.
A character cannot have the Virtuous Bane at the same time as the Complete Monster Bane.
Wanted (5/10/15)
You're wanted by the law, either in your own country, or others. Believe it or not, even in the medieval
era, people often acknowledged the criminals of other kingdoms. Often, but not always. Whomever
you've committed a crime against, they're willing to go to lengths to retrieve you.
5: Alive.
10: Dead.
15: Alive, and to be kept alive. For a long, long time.
Chapter 7: Skills
Skills
Skills represent a characters acquired knowledge and expertise in a wide variety of activities, from
translating ancient scripture, to carving stone, and rigging the sails on a ship. The full list of Skills can be
found in Chapter 3: Skills.
At Character Creation, the number of Skill Points a character receives is determined by the PCP placed in
the section, as well as a number of points equal to the characters INT. Buying Skills with these points
works identically to buying them with Arc. These points can be spent freely on any Skill within the
section, barring those the GM excludes from the campaign, and up to the maximum starting skill level.
The maximum skill level attainable at Character Creation is equal to your Intelligence (INT) score.
Skills represent a character's acquired knowledge and abilities, including things like historical knowledge,
surgical skill, and tracking. There are dozens of such skills, each detailed in the Skills section. Skills are
leveled up by spending Skill Points on them.
Skills
The Skills chapter is one that represent most of a characters knowledge, expertise and abilities, especially
in non-combat areas.
Skills are a system within the game that cover things like how well and far a character can jump or a
characters knowledge of the history of a neighboring kingdom. Each skill comes into play in the form of
a skill test, which uses a characters attributes and skill level to generate a pool against a static difficulty
provided further in the book. Skills are used in skill tests where a character uses their skill pool to roll
against the situations difficulty (measured in required successes or RS) at a static Target Number (TN).
Skills are different from Proficiencies and other systems in that they typically do not often directly affect
combat, but they are still very useful both in and out of combat. A knight has to know how to ride his
horse, an assassin has to know how to blend into a crowd, and a hunter had better know how to live off
the land.
Skills List:
Athletics
Chymistry (Not in Beta)
Climbing
Cooking
Crafting
Drill (Not in Beta)
Engineering
Gather Information
History
Hunting
Intimidate
Navigation
Observation
Orate
Perform
Persuasion
Politics
Research
Riding
Sailing
Stealth
Strategy (Not in Beta)
Subterfuge
Surgery
Swimming
Tactics (Not in Beta)
1 +1 Trained 1
2 +2 1
3 +3 1
4 +4 Teacher 1
5 +5 2
6 +6 2
7 +7 2
8 +8 3
9 +9 3
10 +10 Mastery 3
Mastery: Once per session, you may automatically succeed with 1/2 dice rolled for one Skill roll.
Skill Level: Each skill has a level (ranged from 1 to 10) decided by the characters investment of Skill
Points (at character creation) or Arc (later game). The skill level gives the character dice equal to their
skill level for skill tests, as well as other bonuses at various skill levels. Skills cost Arc to increase. Upon
obtaining a level with a listed Skill Bonus, the character receives the stated bonus.
Skill Pool (SP): A skill pool is a pool of dice used during a skill test. The pool is generated from the
relevant Attribute at one die per Attribute value, added with dice equal to the characters skill level in the
relevant skill. Only one attribute can be referenced per skill test; if the situation ever calls upon a different
attribute, it becomes a second test. For instance, when using the Climb skill, the character might be called
on to make both STR and END based tests.
TN: The Target Number (TN) for skill tests is 7. It is always 7. No force can change it from 7 to
anything else. Anything that suggests that it is possible to change the Target Number for skill tests
to a number other than 7 is a lie. Ignore those anythings.
Skill Tests: There are many situations in the game in which a characters skills will be tested, such as
trying to negotiate a hostile deal or simply leaping from one roof to another during a chase. Every test of a
skill will state a required number of successes (RS) for the skill test to be successful. The character must
roll their pool and get equal to or above the skills target number (TN), and get equal to or more than the
number of required successes (RS) for the test to be passed. Skills tests have modifiers to the situation
that affect the skill checks RS, such as trying to climb a wall slanted against the character or knowing the
history of a foreign kingdom. If the number of RS is ever raised above the characters dice pool plus
automatic successes the character might get from other factors, then the skill attempt immediately
becomes impossible. Situational modifiers can lower RS as well, though it can never be lowered beneath
1. If there is a situation that a skill doesnt seem to cover, the GM should use their best judgement to
create a test based on similar difficulties to the situation.
Untrained: If a character has no levels in a skill they are attempting to use, then they are considered
unstrained in it. Some skills cannot be used if the character is untrained in them:
Chymistry
Crafting
Engineering
History
Navigation
Leveling up Skills: Skills have a leveling system based on the amount of points spent in any given skill
to increase it to the next level. Skill levels are bought simply by paying the Arc price.
Retrying Skill Attempts: For physical skills, they can be retried any amount of times, unless injuries or
situation stops the character from doing so. For mental ones, such as History and Politics, a single check
is allowed, any retries have to be done through the Research skill. For social skills, its best to wait
before trying again, as if tried again too soon, the target may not react positively, at the GMs discretion.
Encumberance: The amount of gear worn can affect certain skills. There are five levels of
Encumberance: Unencumbered, Light, Medium, Heavy, and Overloaded.
Unencumbered 0 0
Light -2 +1 RS
Medium -4 +2 RS
Heavy -6 +3 RS
Overloaded -8 +4 RS
Character Creation
At Character Creation, Skills can be purchased by spending Skill Points, given at an amount depending
on the invested PCP plus an amount equal to the characters INT, by purchasing individual skills.
Athletics (Various)
Athletics is the skill for moving, jumping, and performing other feats of physical prowess. Gymnastics,
sprinting, jumping, and other classic physical activities fall within its purview. Different attributes may be
used with Athletics depending on what the character is doing. Someone lifting weights, for example, will
probably use STR, while a sprinter would use MOB. A long-distance or marathon runner would use
END. Terrain will apply for running. Walking generally doesnt require an Athletics test, no matter the
rigor.
Note: The fastest a mortal person can run is their MOB x4 in yards.
Lifting
Lifting more than 10xSTR in lbs. above your head +1 RS per 10xSTR (to maximum of 50x)
Holding that same weight for more than 1 second +1 RS per second held.
Sprinting
Sprinting more than 2x your MOB (for up to 5 seconds) +1 RS per 1x more (to maximum of 4)
Jumping
Running
Climbing (END)
Climbing is the skill that lets characters scale mountains, cliffs, walls, and ropes. In some cases, climbing
is easy: climbing a stable ladder thats at 90 degrees or less, or any dry, sticking, or bogged surface thats
less than 40 degrees up is a simple climbing test. However, even a 10 degree surface will need at least be
tough if its covered in ice. Terrain can also be a huge factor when rolling Climbing tests. Failing by more
than your characters Climbing skill requires a Stability test against an RS equal to the initial check, with
failing resulting in a fall.
To properly roll a climb test, set the RS at the total distance that is to be climbed, (1 RS per 10 feet) then
apply the modifiers. Failure without falling can still get the person up the amount of successes, at the
GMs discretion.
Climbing with many hand-holds (rockwall, rigging, stable ladder, knotted END vs. 1 RS per 10 feet
rope)
Climbing with some hand-holds and support (swaying rigging, an END vs. 2 RS per 10 feet
unsecured ladder, or a knotless rope against a wall)
Climbing rigging flailing in the wind, a shaky, unstable ladder, or a free- END vs. 3 RS per 10 feet
hanging, knotless rope
Modifiers Effects
Cooking (INT)
Cooking is an important skill in a world where most vegetables are grown in unsanitary conditions, and
most water is unsafe to drink without boiling. The rise of urban civilization made this doubly important,
as the water and ground pollution that comes along with large masses of people make the preparation of
food essential.
Some foods cannot be eaten at all without preparation--rice consumed without boiling, for example,
cannot be properly digested. So in a way, cooking allows for inedible substances to be made edible,
making it even more important in an environment where food may be scarce.
Cooks require ingredients to make meals. For abstraction purposes, each meal takes about 1 lb of
ingredients total per person fed (so 4 lbs for a basic 4 person meal) and needs at least 2 ingredients per
level (a fine meal, for example, requires 6 different ingredients). For every ingredient needed that is
missing, the RS increases by 1. If the chef is missing more than 3 ingredients, they cannot make a meal of
that level and must make a lower-quality meal. The chef may opt to have up to 2 spices act as ingredients,
but loses the bonus they would normally give. The meal requires at least one non-spice ingredient. Meals
also require 30 minutes of prep time per level, with a lack of time or extra time giving penalties or
bonuses accordingly. If the prep time is too short for the maximum RS, the meal cannot be made.
A Meal is here assumed to be enough foor for 3-4 people at base.
Make a poisonous food safe to INT vs. 5 to 10 per lb, depending the food
eat
Modifiers Effects
Sidebar:
Both making the meal and adding the poison to it are two separate checks.
Number of assistants that can be used is at the GMs discretion. Too many chefs spoils soup!
Crafting (INT)
Crafting is a general skill umbrella that covers hundreds of potential artisan disciplines. Upon taking the
Crafting skill, a character should choose what exact sort of crafting the skill covers. A Shoemakers skill
is definitely different from a Clockmakers. A character can have multiple Crafting skills, each in
different disciplines, which are leveled separately.
The examples in this list are mostly a general guide. GMs are encouraged to decide just how hard a
particular test should be and what attribute to use, especially if it doesnt quite fit the examples given.
Make a simple item (dagger, mace, staff or pole, INT vs. 2 per item
lumber, chain, vest, horseshoes, wooden doll, sketch)
Make a basic item (spear, shortbow, hand axe, gun INT vs. 3 per item
barrel, maille vest, munitions cuirass, breeches, basic
landscape, bottle)
Make a complex item (longsword, greataxe, maille INT vs. 6 per item
hauberk, light crossbow, cuirass, layered dress,
jointed doll, decent portrait, cheap glass lens)
Make an advanced item (greatsword, fitted suit, INT vs. 10 per item
gauntlets, high-quality painting, anatomical drawings,
bulletproof cuirass, large glass pane)
Make a great item (advanced weapon or armor with INT vs. 15 per item
modifications, papal vestments, famous artwork, fine
glass lens, precision watch gears)
Modifiers Effects
Engineering (INT)
Engineering is similar to Crafting, but with a more specific focus: Engineers plan and implement large
works, like bridges, siege weapons, buildings, ships, etc. Essentially any construction task that would be
physically impossible to do alone will fall under an Engineering Skill rather than a Crafting one.
Even mediocre laborers can accomplish great things with a skilled engineer at their head, so the
Engineering skill of the extra hands employed is not absolutely important (though it cant hurt).
Many of the parts an Engineer will want to work with are on the market, but many more will need to be
custom-made by the appropriate crafter, especially for more complex projects. Engineers would be smart
to make friends with crafters or learn to craft for themselves lest they end up unable to make what they
want or need.
Like with crafting, the examples in this list are only a guide. The GM is free to use their own
interpretation. The time it would take to construct these devices is also negotiable--in some cases, it could
take years even with sufficient manpower.
Make a simple item (hut, beam bridge, raft, dugout, roasting jack) INT vs. 2 per item
Make a basic item (log cabin, sailboat, arch bridge, palisade) INT vs. 3 per item
Make a complex item (two-story house, galley, rope bridge) INT vs. 6 per item
Make an advanced item (mansion, castle wall, ship of the line) INT vs. 8 per item
Make a great item (ironclad steamship, suspension bridge, INT vs. 12 per item
skyscraper)
Modifiers Effects
History (INT)
History is the record of events both human and natural as chronicled throughout the ages. History is a
patchwork quilt of stories, accounts, perspectives and guesswork that makes up the understanding that the
present has of the past. How closely history coincides with reality is always uncertain, but it provides the
foundation, the context for understanding current events and is thus indispensable, even with its flaws.
The History skill allows a character to have or gain knowledge of a past event, people, place, culture, etc.
When a character encounters something which they mightve heard about at some point in the past, or
upon which an understanding of history might shed some light or special understanding, the GM may
prompt them to make a History roll at an RS determined by the obscurity of the event and the resources
available to the character.
Action Base
Attribute vs
RS
Modifiers Effects
Location (Home at -3, Local at -2, Nation at -1, Foreign at +2, Far Away Land at +4, -3 RS to +6
Literally a different world at +6) RS
Hunting (Varies)
In Song of Swords, hunting has less to do with killing game and more to do with getting near it in the first
place. Obviously, this includes tracking, but it also includes knowing how to hide your scent, how to
control and entrap animals, and how to make and disguise simple traps to capture or kill game.
Obviously, these skills arent useful just for hunting animals. People have been referred to as the most
dangerous game for a reason, after all.
In most cases, a Hunting test will take only a few moments, with the exception of making Traps. Traps
require ten minutes of uninterrupted work per RS on the skill test to make them.
Tracking
Flock size (0 being singular, 5 being a pack of wolves, 10 being army ants) 0 RS to -10 RS
Age of tracks (0 being a few minutes old, 1 being a few hours, 5 being a 0 RS to +5 RS
day or more)
Trapping
Constructing an intermediate trap (Punji Pit, tripwire and cage, Spiked INT vs. 4 RS
branch traps)
Constructing a complex trap (Tripwire triggered crossbow, falling cage, INT vs. 6 RS
collapsing floor)
Intimidate (CHA)
The key skill of some bodyguards, a lot of bouncers, and pretty much every good gang enforcer or
commissar, Intimidate is used to control people through fear. Naturally, any actions taken with Intimidate
are going to be contested actions, usually against WIL.
The effects of successfully intimidation can vary greatly upon the situation, but the basic result is the
target is much more likely to do what the intimidator wants.
Modifiers can affect either the Intimidator or the Intimidated, depending on who has the benefit. Its
important to note that the table below is an example of how the particular situation can modify the
Intimidate roll. Ultimately, it is up to the GM to confer bonuses and penalties based on the nature of the
characters involved.
For Combat purposes, successfully Intimidating a character who doesnt have the Brave Boon removes
their ability to declare Offensive either as what they are not going to Declare, or as what they are
actually going to Declare, in the first round of Combat with the party that Intimidated them. In combat
using the Intimidate skill counts as an action.
Example: Gizka intimidates Goofus, overcoming her short height with the double-barreled dragon pistol
she has on the table. She beats Goofuss score, and immediately attacks. Goofus cannot declare that he
isnt going Offensive, but he also cant go Offensive. So, he must declare that he is not going Cautious,
leaving him only with Defensive. Gizka declares Offensive, and gives him both barrels.
Modifier Effect
Opponent is in a situation where they cant defend -3 RS (does not stack with Injury)
themselves
Navigation (PER)
Knowing how to get around is really important. Its easy enough to find your way around your own
home, but unfamiliar streets can be a nightmare, especially if you cant read the street signs. Trekking
through the wilderness is even worse, but at least the wilderness often has landmarks. The open seas
rarely give you obvious clues as to where you are, and often, only the sun and the stars guide you. Clouds
and fog can take everything away from you.
Finding a notable location (a visible mountain, town hall, a major business on No test required
the main street or a port, a city connected by marked roads, a large river, etc.)
Travelling through a new area, using the stars and sun to guide you PER vs. 6
Sailing in the right direction on the open sea under an overcast night sky with a PER vs. 20
new moon
Wake up from minor disturbance (slightly creaky floorboard, whistling wind, PER vs. 3
distant thunder)
Wake up from moderate disturbance (loudly squeaky door, nearby battle, far PER vs. 5
off shouting)
Modifier Effect
Hear through Barrier (Minor Disturbance at +1, Thick Wall at +2, Battle at +1 RS to +4 RS
+4)
Orate (CHA)
Talking to a sea of people tends to be pretty intimidating. More-so if that sea of people are really angry.
Orators, however, have a few tricks up their sleeve to make their message not just heard, but received
well. A good Orator knows how to make a crowd sympathetic, whether by using propaganda, starting a
chant to keep people from thinking, or in some cases just being sincere.
Action Base Attribute vs. RS or
other effects
Convince hungry desperate angry peasants that that guy! is responsible CHA vs. 1
for their woes...
Convince previously convinced hungry desperate angry peasants that you CHA vs. 6
ARENT responsible for their woes.
Modifier Effect
Foreigner/Outsider +2 RS
Perform (Varies)
Singing, dancing, acting, storytelling, and playing instruments are all ways Performers have entertained
people, likely since before recorded history. The Perform skill is used for many reasons: for some,
personal accomplishment is all that matters, while others use it to entertain friends and family or to keep
spirits up in rough situations. Still more seek fame, glory, money, or the eyes of powerful people.
Perform is separated into different specialties, like Crafting is. Singing, dancing, acting, and storytelling
are all individual specialties, while most musicians specialize in a particular instrument. They may, of
course, try to play an instrument they are unfamiliar with if it is similar enough to their specialty (at the
GMs discretion), but they will suffer a 1 or 2 die penalty as its not quite what theyre familiar with.
Perform uses CHA unless a particular performance would do better with another attribute: for example,
an extended solo for a brass or woodwind instrument might use END as the character cannot run out of
breath, or a fast-paced or complicated dance might use AGI. Ad-libbing something is usually WIT.
Performs RS is generally related to the audiences expectations. A family watching a childs recital
might only expect a bare success, while an actor performing for a theater full of nobles might be expected
to get 6 or even more successes.
Modifier Effect
Persuasion (Varies)
Where intimidation uses fear to control people, Persuasion uses trust. A good Persuader either uses their
own inherent trustworthiness to convince people of something, or they find someone or something else
that the person is willing to trust. Obviously, most of the time the Persuader will be using CHA, although
sometimes INT will come into play, or even WIT if the Persuader truly needs to think fast. They will be
opposed by the Targets own INT, WIT, or even an Observation or Research roll if the character is
inclined to trust their own work over someone elses.
Modifier Effect
Politics (INT)
Politics is a characters knowledge of current events, from the local level to the national to all of the
known world. It covers things from what nations are at war with each other, what nobles are courting
others, and other, similar topics. If it makes sense for the characters background, it can also apply to
knowledge in the criminal realm.
Modifier Effect
Location (Home at -3, Local at -2, Nation at -1, Foreign at +2, Far Away Land -3 RS to +6 RS
at +4, Literally a different world at +6)
Research
Research is all about knowing how to find something out. Someone with low-level Research skill might
know how to find an alphabetically filed document or how to use a table of contents. A talented
Researcher can scan through a few dozen peer-reviewed journals in a few minutes to find that one
obscure article someone wrote about a really rare bone condition.
Modifiers RS Change
Familiar Subject -1 RS
Riding
Sitting on the back of another creature can be surprisingly hard. Riding is how good a character is at
staying on top of his mount and leading or driving it accurately. It is a very important skill for cavalrymen
and knights.
Ridings uses are, for the most part, detailed in the Maneuvers section, or alongside information on
different mounts.
Modifiers RS Change
Untrained +4 RS
Sailing
Ships are more than just weighing the anchor and hoisting the sails. Sailors are expected to know a variety
of knots, which sails are used for what kinds of wind, how to sail upwind, and how to prepare a ship to
weather the weather. Sailing is the skill used to operate all kinds of watercraft, from a rowboat to a ship of
the line. This handles the physical acts of handling heavy rigging, moving cargo, steering from the helm,
and rowing. This is a sailors primary skill. The officers and captain of a ship usually have this skill to use
in emergencies, so that they understand their own vessel, and because most of them were probably sailors
before they were captains or officers, but most of their work is done with Navigation, Tactics, and
Engineering, while their crew takes care of actually sailing the ship.
Modifiers RS Change
Stealth
Sneaking around is a good way to deal with ones problems, as long as ones problems have eyes and
ears. Camouflage, a soft step, and an eye for shadowed areas help characters avoid detection. It is also
used for hiding things.
Stealth is made using AGI as an opposed check versus Observation or Hunting.
Applying camouflage 2 RS
Modifiers RS Change
Running +4 RS
Distraction -2 RS
Modifier Effect
Modifiers RS Change
Rehearsed -1 RS
Surgery
Doctors are well-respected members of society for good reason. Cleaning and bandaging a small cut is
one thing, but precisely breaking the skull so that the brain doesnt get crushed by the blood filling it from
a broken aneurysm without causing further damage is another.
Perform Surgery: A lengthy process generally requiring tools, the character can attempt to at the least
patch up a wound. In order to stop a wound from Bleeding, and to reduce the Pain it causes, the Surgery
skill must come into play. A Surgery check made at appropriate difficulty for wound level Treats the
wound. Treated wounds have their Bloodloss reduced to 0 (unless reopened somehow), and their Pain
reduced by half. Treated wounds begin healing immediately. Healing time depends on the characters
maximum normal HLT, and the level of the wound.
Once a Wound has fully healed, the Wound, and any remaining pain, are removed from the character.
Perform Surgery AGI vs. Wound Level, Stops (Removes) Bloodloss and half of Pain.
Test done per wound.
Modifier Effect
Unsuitable environment +2 RS
Assistants Assistants take test at RS, they give + Successes, to a total of the
assistants skill level in the chosen skill, or 1 if Unskilled.
Swimming
Most characters will be from land-bound races. Swimming is not an instinct: a character must learn to
move through the water as easily as they move on land. Zells are naturally pretty good at this, but for
most other people it can be difficult, especially with harsh waters or heavy equipment.
Modifier Effect
When failed:
Drowning
If the character is in danger of drowning, they must immediately make a swim check using their STR at
an increasing difficulty. For each round they fail the strength check, their HLT is decreased by one until
zero, where the character has drowned. The HLT lost from drowning is temporary and returns to the
character once they are revived. All modifiers for swim tests apply. If a character makes a successful
strength check, they can then make another normal swim check to make it the rest of the way. If they fail
again, repeat the process. For Drowning, losing all of ones HLT represents the character passing out and
not their immediate death; if the character is pulled from the water within 5 minutes, they can be revived
by a Medical test at RS 3; revival attempts can be made up to the drowned characters total HLT score. If
a character cannot be revived, they die. If the character is pulled out within 5 minutes plus half their
normal HLT score, they can still be revived, but they must make a HLT check at RS 3 or gain the bane
Brain Damage (major).
Check Modifier
+* +*
*Continue on in like fashion until the character makes a successful strength check, or until the character
reaches 0 HLT.
Your characters need to be outfitted if theyre going to survive an adventure. Outfitting costs money.
This chapter explains how the currency system of Song of Swords works, how your characters acquire
Wealth and Assets to purchase equipment, and what their Social Class means for them.
Character Creation
A characters Social Class represents their standing in society, which determines the amount of Wealth
available to them at base (this can be modified by the GM, as well as Boons and Banes), and what their
privileges and obligations are within society.
At Character Creation, you need to invest at least 1 PCP in Social Class and Wealth. Your investment is
very important to your character, as it will impact the amount of equipment and influence they may have
at the start of play.
The Social Classes listed in Table XX are generic; every culture will have different names for these
rankings, often multiple for each one. Confer with your GM to decide what your characters Social Class
means.
1 Slave Nothing
2 Peasant 1 gp
3 Poor Freeman 3 gp
The benefits presented here are examples, and your GM may decide that some of these are inappropriate
for your campaign, or that others should be added to the list. Confer with your GM about Social Class and
its effects.
Peasant Pick 1: Hale and Hearty (2), Folks Back Home (3)
Poor Pick 1: Hale and Hearty (2), Folks Back Home (3), Literate (1)
Freeman
Freeman Pick 2: Hale and Hearty (2), Folks Back Home (3), Literate (1),
High Pick 2: Folks Back Home (6), Literate (1), Languages (1), Contacts (1)
Freeman
Minor Noble Pick 2: Allies (5), Famous (2), Hale and Hearty (2), Literate (1), Languages (1), Contacts (1), Folks
Back Home (6)
Landed Pick 2: Allies (5), Famous (3), Hale and Hearty (2), Literate (2), Languages (2), Contacts (1), Folks
Noble Back Home (6)
High Noble Pick 2: Allies (5), Famous (4), Hale and Hearty (2), Literate (2), Languages (2), Contacts (4), Folks
Back Home (6)
Royalty Pick 2: Allies (10), Famous (4), Hale and Hearty (2), Literate (2), Languages (2), Contacts (4),
Folks Back Home (6)
High Pick 3: Allies (10), Famous (4), Hale and Hearty (2), Literate (3), Languages (3), Contacts (6),
Royalty Folks Back Home (6)
First, decide on the Social Class and Wealth you would like your character to have, and their individual
PCP cost (for example, a Landed Noble Social Class [7] and the Wealth of a Peasant [2]).
Combine the two costs, and divide the result by 2, rounding up. [This is the only time in the game in
which you round up.]
This is the total PCP cost for your characters Social Class and Wealth. You gain all of the benefits of
your Social Class, and all of the benefits of your Wealth. Examples are provided in the following table.
For their potentially unbalancing nature, all abnormal Social Class and Wealth combinations are subject
to GM approval.
Wealth
In reality, currency is a tricky business, particularly when you're talking about multiple eras, kingdoms,
languages and trade routes.
To keep things from becoming too labyrinthine, Song of Swords uses a generic wealth system, with each
item assigned a value in a currency system based on the Carolingian Pound, a system developed by
Charlemagne that was used in Europe for nearly 1,000 years in one form or another. This system is
divided into three denominations of currency: Copper, Silver and Gold, representing (in English terms)
the Denarius, the Shilling, and the Pound, the lattermost of which was worth (theoretically) a pound of
silver.
This system may be familiar to players of other RPGs, which have drawn upon similar inspiration. We
adopt it because of that familiarity, and because the bulk of materials priced in historical documents from
Medieval Europe are either already in, or can be easily translated to the Carolignian system.
If you prefer a local currency for your campaign, fear not! Conversion tables for older, newer, or foreign
currencies will be provided in upcoming Song of Swords Culture Expansions.
Assets
Assets represent less tangible sources of wealth than simple piles of money. Most people, particularly the
wealthy, keep most of their wealth in the form of lands, cattle, business and debt, rather than cold hard
cash.
Assets come in three levels: Minor, Moderate and Major. You can buy Assets with money for 150% of
their Liquidated Value, at Character Creation, or through the events of a campaign.
Table XX Assets
Asset Withdraw Liquidated Example
Level Amount Value
Minor 20 sp 6gp (120sp) Small Farm, Small Business, Small Cattle Herd
Moderate 40 sp 12gp (240sp) Large Farm, Respectable Business, Large Cattle Herd
Major 60 sp 18gp (360sp) Huge Farm, Powerful Guild, Large Coaching House, Massive
Cattle Herd, Bank
Once per session (or month, whichever comes first), a character can withdraw Wealth from his assets,
essentially picking up the profits for his personal use. This has no consequences, and assumes that enough
of the funds have been cycled back into the Asset to keep it running.
A character can also liquify an asset in order to convert it directly into Wealth, permanently exhausting it,
but extracting a large sum of cash from it. This removes the Asset from the characters controlor at
least renders it null until it is revitalized through re-investment (the same as purchasing a new asset of the
same value).
The act of withdrawing Wealth from an Asset generally takes from several hours to a month, depending
on the distance from the place and the ease of having the money (or letters of credit) sent over.
Liquefaction can take a longer or shorter period of time, at the GMs discretion.
In the above Table XX, the number in brackets is a characters Wealth, which can be used either to
acquire additional money or assets, as detailed in Table XX, below. These can be purchased multiple
times, and Wealth must be spent at Character Creation.
1 Minor Asset 6 gp
2 Moderate Asset 12 gp
3 Major Asset 18 gp
Chapter 9: Equipment
Imagine walking five hundred miles over the course of two weeks, carrying an arquebus, a bardiche, a stone of grain, another
stone of water, ten pounds of shot, your own armor, your tent, whatever amenities you want for yourself, and your lords favorite
dog. In the rain. In winter. With dysentery. Alright, are you imagining that? Now imagine that as soon as youre done with that,
you need to actually fight the enemy. You have a horse, but a senators nephew is riding it. Youre knee-deep in mud, and youve
just been assigned a new recruit to train. He speaks four languages, none of which are yours, and has something to prove. Now
hes drunk and arguing with your superiors, you havent slept in thirty hours, youve just discovered that the fop nephew has
broken your horses leg in a gopher hole, and your guns wheellock is broken. At that moment, the beating of war-drums echoes
from the darkness. Someone screams, and a cannonball lands in your cooking fire, where you were drying your boots.
Welcome to war. Enjoy your stay.
Mago Straddock, Dacian Volkodav
Your character may be the most feared swordsman in the lands, but without his weapon, he is just and
only a manand probably a soon-to-be-dead man, at that.
Equipping your character is very important. Not only will they need a weapon (or five!), but they may
also need armor, food and drink, transport, medical supplies, tools for survival, and even slaves. This
chapter outlines all that you need to know about weaponry, armor, goods and services.
If you need to learn more about gold and Wealth, refer to Chapter XX. Information on carrying your
equipment and what that means for your characters Fatigue is explained in Chapter XX.
Melee weapons are those intended for close-range and in hand-to-hand combat. Any character who
expects to enter combat should carry a melee weapon.
Below you will find a full list of these weapons, as well as information on each of their qualities.
You may be thinking: So how am I supposed to pick a weapon? Well, dont worry. Thats what this
little section is for.
First, remember that youre not limited to just one. A well-equipped warrior may carry a spear, a shield, a
sword and a dagger, and expect to use any or all of them in combat. Its good to have options, and its
handy to have weapons of varying Reach, so that you never end up trying to fight at knife-range with a
pike.
Attack TN
Weapons with low Attack TNs (displayed in this chapter as Swing TN and Thrust TN) are easier to hit
with, and weapons with higher Attack TNs are harder to hit with. Remember, a TN of 8 means that
statistically, youll succeed with 3 out of every 10 dice you roll (8, 9, and 10) whereas a TN of 7 means
youll have an average of 4 Successes, a TN of 6 means 5 average Successes, and so on. Plan
accordingly! BS carry directly into damage with most attacks.
Attack Damage
One of the counterpoints to TN is attack damage. Most weapons with good TNs do not inflict huge
amounts of damage; typically, large and clunky weapons are harder to land hits with. Weapons with high
damage modifiers can be more useful in some situations, particularly on the battlefield, so you can crack
open enemy armor.
Defense TN / Guard
If you have a shield, your weapons Defense TN isnt a huge priority, but if youre fighting with just the
weapon, consider picking a weapon with a good Defense TN in order to parry attacks. Also remember
that shields can be beaten away or even destroyed by the enemy; you dont want to be left out in the cold.
The Guard value of the weapon is also important for protecting your weapon-hand, which is a popular
target when left undefended.
Reach
Reach dictates the terms of engagement more than most other factors. Generally speaking, if two fighters
of similar skill have mismatched Reach, the one with the longer Reach will win. This is not universally
true, but its a fair enough guideline that you should account for it. However, some weapons are so long
that they become very clumsy when used in close combat, like pikes. Additionally, the longer your
weapon, the more penalties you suffer if the enemy closes within your Reach. Consider keeping a sidearm
of shorter Range alongside a weapon with longer Reach, or be prepared to close past an enemys longer
weapon with a short one of your own.
Special
The special rules of a weapon can completely change its uses. Always pay close attention to the special
section of the weapon, as Draw, Multi-Hit, Hook, and other special considerations can give you an edge
over your enemies.
How Many Weapons?
You can carry multiple weapons! Dont think you have to limit yourself to just one. Also, be very careful
to read the Proficiencies that each weapon uses, as some Proficiencies give access to good Maneuvers
earlier than others!
Weapon Type
The type of the weapon, and thus the Proficiency that it can be used with.
Hands
This specifies the number of hands required to use the weapon, either one (1H) or two (2H).
Reach
The weapons Reach, as Table XX describes. Reach has important effects in combat, which are further
explained in Chapter 7.
Table XX Reach
Number Stages of Reach Example
2 Hand H Dagger
5 Long L Poleaxe
Swing
Swing represents the weapons use for swinging attacks. The first number is the Swing TN, the number in
parenthesis is the weapons base damage modifier, and the type of damage (either cutting, piercing or
bludgeoning) is represented by a letter (c, p or b, respectively).
Thrust
Thrust represents the weapons use for thrusting attacks. The first number is the Thrust TN, the number in
parenthesis is the weapons base damage modifier, and the type of damage (either cutting, piercing or
bludgeoning) is represented by a letter (c, p or b, respectively).
Defense / Guard
The first number represents the weapons Defense TN, against which defenses that use the Parry TN are
rolled. The number in parenthesis is the weapons Guard value. The Guard value is applied as Hard AV
against any attacks that hit the weapon-hand of the wielder while the weapon is being held normally. This
AV layers with any actual armor worn on the weapon-hand. The kind of Guard it represents depends on
the Guard value
0: No Guard (Shaska, khyber knife)
1: Small Guard (Katana, Smallsword)
2: Crossguard (Arming Sword, Messer, Falchion, Longsword)
3: Complex Guard (Rapier, Sidesword)
4: Basket Hilt (Schiavona, Heavy Backsword)
Note that only swords with Guard Value 2 (neither lower nor higher) can use the Murder-Strike
Maneuver.
Special
The weapons special qualities, which are further described in Table XX.
There is no STR cap for Unarmed Attacks, because they use a unique damage table. The STR cap of
Shields is always 5. If an improvised or similar weapon has no listed STR cap, assume one based on
weapon type:
Dagger: 4
Sword: 5
Blunt: 6
Polearm: 7
Weight
The weight of the weapon added to Encumbrance when sheathed, holstered or stored. When being held, a
weapon has no Weight value.
Cost
The weapons cost. May vary regionally.
Melee Weapons
Daggers
Table X.X Daggers
Weapon Name Weapon Hands Reach Swing Thrust Defense/ Special Max Wt Cost
Type Guard STR
S/T
Ballock Dagger Dagger 1H H 7(-1c) 6(+1p) 8(1) Fluid Thrusts, Light 4/4 0 5 cp
Blade
Khyber Knife Dagger, 1H S 7(+0c) 7(+1p) 7(0) Draw 2, Thin Blade 5/5 0 10
Sword cp
Knife (Large) Dagger 1H S 6(-1c) 6(+0p) 9(0) Draw 1, Light Blade 5/5 0 7 cp
Knife (Small) Dagger 1H H 6(-2c) 6(-1p) 9(0) Draw 1, Light Blade, 4/4 0 6 cp
Thin Blade
Rondel Dagger Dagger 1H S 7(-1c) 6(+1p) 7(1) Fluid Thrusts, Light 4/5 0 6 cp
Blade, Thin Blade
Short Katzbalger Dagger, 1H S 7(+0c) 7(+0p) 7(1) Spatulate Tip 2 5/5 0 6 sp
Sword
Swords
Table X.X Swords
Weapon Name Weapon Hands Reach Swing Thrust Defense/ Special Max Wt Cost
Type Guard STR S/T
Arming Sword Sword 1H M 7(+1c) 7(+0p) 7(1) Draw 2, Spatulate Tip 2 6/6 0.5 1 gp
(Early)
Claymore (Basket Sword 1H M 7(+1c) 7(+0p) 7(4) Tight Grip 2 6/6 0.5 1 gp
Hilted)
Dussack Sword 1H S 7(+1c) 7(-1p) 7(3) Draw 2, Tight Grip 1 6/6 0.5 1 sp
Grosses Messer Sword 2H L 7(+2c) 8(+0p) 8(1) Draw 3, Heavy Weapon 7/7 2 1 gp
Karthacki Dueling Sword 1H M 6(-1b) 6(+0p) 7(0) Fluid Thrusts, Light 4/4 0.5 10
Sword Blade, Thin Blade sp
Katzbalger (Large) Sword 2H L 7(+2c) 8(+0p) 7(2) Spatulate Tip 2, Heavy 7/7 1 2 gp
Weapon
Kilij Sword 1H M 7(+1c) 8(+0p) 7(2) Draw 2, Cavalry Sword 6/6 0.5 30
sp
Khopesh Sword, 1H S 6(+1c) 9(-1p) 8(0) Forward Swept, Hook 7/6 0.5 1 sp
Blunt
Rapier Sword 1H L 6(-1c) 6(+0p) 7(3) Fluid Thrusts, Thin 3/5 0.5 30
Blade sp
Saber (Early) Sword 1H M 7(+0c) 7(+0p) 8(1) Draw 2, Cavalry Sword 5/5 0.5 10
sp
Saber (Hussar) Sword 1H M 7(+1c) 7(-1p) 7(3) Draw 3, Cavalry Sword 6/5 0.5 25
sp
Saber (Karabela) Sword 1H M 7(+0c) 8(-1p) 7(3) Draw 4, Cavalry Sword 6/5 0.5 30
sp
Saber (Zellish) Sword 1H M 7(+1c) 8(+0p) 8(3) Draw 2, Forward Swept 6/5 0.5 15
sp
Schiavona Sword 1H L 7(+0c) 7(+0p) 7(3) Tight Grip 2 6/6 0.5 1 gp
Scythe-Sword Sword 1H S 7(+1c) 9(-1p) 8(1) Draw 2, Forward Swept 4/4 0.5 16
cp
Shaska Sword 1H M 7(+0c) 7(+0p) 7(0) Draw 2, Cavalry Sword 4/4 0.5 15
sp
Smallsword Sword 1H M 6(-2c) 6(+0p) 7(3) Fluid Thrusts, Light 3/4 0.5 30
Blade, Thin Blade sp
Spadroon Sword 1H M 6(-1c) 6(+0p) 7(3) Fluid Thrusts, Light 4/4 0.5 30
Blade sp
Swiss Saber Sword 2H L 7(+1c) 7(+0p) 7(3) Draw 3, Heavy Weapon 7/7 1 45
(Schnepf) sp
Tulwar Sword 1H S 7(+0c) 7(-2p) 8(3) Draw 4, Tight Grip 2, 5/4 0.5 25
Cavalry Sword sp
War Cleaver Sword 1H M 8(+2c) 8(-1p) 8(0) Heavy Weapon 6/4 0.5 6 cp
Yataghan Sword 1H S 7(+1c) 8(+0p) 7(0) Forward Swept, Draw 1 5/4 0.5 10
sp
Blunt
Table X.X Blunt
Weapon Name Weapon Hands Reach Swing Thrust Defense/Guard Special Max Wt Cost
Type STR
S/T
Special Qualities
Table X.X Melee Weapon Special Qualities
Quality Effect
AP Swing [X] Armor Piercing Swing [X]. When making a Swinging attack against a Hit Location with Hard
armor protection, this weapon Inflicts X additional damage against any Armor, up to the AV of the
Armor.
AP Thrust Armor Piercing Thrust [X]. When making a Thrusting attack against a Hit Location with Hard
[X] armor protection, this weapon Inflicts X additional damage against any Armor, up to the AV of the
Armor.
Bleed [X] Any Swinging attack from this weapon that either inflicts a Wound, or fails to inflict a Wound by 2
or fewer damage, inflicts X Blood Loss.
Brace When using this weapon, you gain 2 automatic bonus successes on Initiative Tests made as a result
of Red/Red results, in addition to normal dice.
Cavalry When making a Swing with Ride-By attack, this weapons Draw value is increased by 1.
Sword
Chain [X] Any attack made at Swing TN with this weapon ignores the first X successes of an enemys Parry
or Block defense, including Parrying and Blocking Maneuvers like Counter or Arm Parry.
Additionally, this weapon can neither engage in, nor be engaged in a Hilt Push of any sort.
Companion When this weapon is used to make any sort of defensive Maneuver, one of the dice devoted
Weapon automatically succeeds before rolling.
Couched When making a Lance Charge attack with this weapon, reduce its Thrusting TN by 2, and use the
Charge Horses STR as the base for damage instead of your own. This weapon has no Max STR limit for
this attack. However, your Reach is not increased by the Tall Boon. In addition, if a Lance Charge
attack made by this weapon is Blocked, it carries through on the intended Target Zone anyway, as
though it hit with 0 BS, and is reduced by the Shields AV regardless of where it hit. If the total
damage inflicted by an attack that takes advantage of Lance Charge exceeds the Break Threshold
of the weapon by 5 or more, then the weapon breaks immediately after the attack is made.
Crushing [X] When this weapon successfully hits with a Swing attack on a Hit Location with any sort of Hard
armor protection, reduce all AVs of the armor on that Hit Location by X. This is done after damage
is resolved for this attack, and only affects future attacks. Only the highest AV armor on that
location is reduced by Crushing. If that armor is reduced to AV 0 in all areas, then Crushing begins
to affect lesser Hard armors beneath it.
Draw [X] When making a Swinging attack that would inflict cutting damage with this weapon, inflict X
additional cutting damage if you roll 3 or more BS. This special rule does not come into play if the
target benefits from any sort of Hard armor on the Hit Location being hit.
Forward- When this weapon is used in a Swing attack against which the target would receive an AV bonus,
Swept use the lower value between the armors AVC and AVP. The Swing still inflicts cutting damage
regardless of which AV is used.
Freakishly This weapon is so massive that unless the character using it has either at least 9 STR or the
Large greater Tall Boon, the TNs for the weapon are all increased by 1.
Hand-Off This weapon can be wielded with one hand in addition to wielding with both hands. If used in this
fashion, you may continue using it with its normal Proficiency, or with a 1H version of either Blunt
or Sword proficiency (depending on the base type of the weapon). However, instead of using the
normal profile of the weapon, use the 1H version of the weapon with an * next to it. Switching
from 1H to 2H versions of a weapon can be done at the beginning of any Action (or in response to
an injury) and requires no CP expenditure.
Heavy When weapons with the Light Blade quality Parry Swinging attacks from this weapon, the Defense
Weapon TN of the Light Blade is increased by 2, instead of 1.
Light Blade When Parrying Swinging attacks from any weapon that does not have this quality, this weapons
Defense TN is increased by 1. Against Heavy Weapons, this penalty increases to 2.
Multi-Hit [Y] When this weapon is used in a Y type (Swing or Thrust) attack that targets Hit Locations that
[X] successfully hits the target, instead of resolving one attack, X identical attacks of equal strength hit
instead. Roll on the the same Hit Location table to see where these additional attacks land.
Shock [X] Any hit from this weapon inflicts additional Stun equal to the listed number.
Spatulate Tip When making a Thrusting attack that would inflict Piercing damage with this weapon, inflict X
[X] additional cutting damage if you roll 3 or more BS. This special rule does not come into play if the
target benefits from any sort of Hard armor on the Hit Location being hit.
Swinging Slot This weapon can have a Swinging Weapon Attachment added to its Swing profile. This does not
replace the current Swing profile, but can be used instead of it when declaring a Maneuver.
Thin Blade When making a Coup de Grace or Joint Thrust attack, this weapons Thrust TN is decreased by 1.
In addition, against mail armor this weapon gains AP Thrust 3. If the weapon has an AP Thrust
quality, this replaces that value, it does not add to it.
Thrusting This weapon can have its Thrust profile replaced with a Thrusting Weapon Attachment.
Slot
Tight Grip When using the Power Attack option on a Swing attack, inflict 1 additional damage, and increase
[X] the Max STR (Swing) of your weapon by 1, up to a maximum of X. When testing against Weapon
Loss because of a Disarm Maneuver or similar event, you may roll 2 additional dice.
Weapon This attachment can be attached to any weapon of the type listed. Use its attack TN and Damage
Attachment instead of the original where listed, use the original where no new number is listed.
Materials
Bronze
-2 Durability
+25% Cost
Iron
-2 Durability
-1 Damage of all types
-25% Cost
Steel
No change
Orichalcum
Cannot break
+1 Damage of all types
+5,000% Cost+5 gp
Limited Supply (1)
Silversteel
-2 Weight
+2 Durability
+1 Damage of all types
+1,000% Cost+1 gp
Limited Supply (3)
Limited Supply
This material is in very limited supply. It is so rare that most characters, even the exceedingly wealthy
cannot find enough to produce much equipment for themselves. At Character Creation, you may not take
more individual items with the Limited Supply quality than the number listed in parenthesis without
suffering an increase in cost. If you do take more items of that type, than all of them double in cost. You
must also retroactively pay for those you have already taken.
Customization Options
Ridiculously Sharp (+50% Cost)
This only applies to weapons that inflict cutting damage on hit. It can be applied to the Reverse Blades of
weapons.
Ridiculously Sharp weapons improve their Draw value by 1 (or gain Draw 1 if they do not already have
Draw) the first time they inflict damage in a fight with a Swinging attack. Afterwards, they must be
resharpened to regain this benefit.
Resharpening generally costs a copper piece, but can be done in about an hour with a wheel or stone.
Orichalcum weapons never require resharpening, and Silversteel weapons can be used twice before they
must be resharpened.
Bizarre Gimmick (+100% Cost)
This customisation allows you to add hidden quirks to your weapon. Think hidden parrying hooks, a
hollow blade containing an extendable point, a hollow grip filled with blinding dust, or a blade coated in a
magnesium solution that can explode into blazing light for an instant.
Bizarre Gimmick worsens the weapons best TN by 1 (if its TNs are all the same, worsen the attack TN
that inflicts the most damage. If those are the same, reduce the Defense TN), but in return, the Maneuver
for which the Gimmick was designed (which must be chosen at creation, with GM approval) gets a
special bonus. Once per fight when performing the chosen Maneuver, you may increase your opponents
Defense TN against it by 2. It can also, optionally, give a weapon the special quality Hook if that is the
Maneuver chosen.
An additional downside is that professionals and experts tend to look down on this sort of tomfoolery.
This customization can be taken multiple times to represent a revolver-type weapon, allowing the weapon
to be fired multiple times before needing to be reloaded. Additional purchases do not worsen the
weapons Attack TNs further.
You may purchase a Firing Mechanism for the Integrated Pistol, if you are so inclined, otherwise it is
assumed to use a flintlock.
The idea of designing a sword with a pistol built into it may sound like fantasy, but if so, its the sort of
fantasy that appealed to the medieval mind enough for them to give it a shot. Integrated pistols usually
fire in-line with the blade, but a few are built into the crossguard, and fire forward from the hand like
regular pistols. Either way, theyre not very accurate and they tend to make the weapon more
cumbersome. However, they can be a huge advantage at close range, or when closing with longer-ranged
adversaries.
Weapon Type
The type of the weapon, and thus the Proficiency that it can be used with.
Range
This is the distance in yards that a missile weapon can be used, and considered to be at Short range.
Every multiple of this distance the weapon is used at past the first decreases the Missile Pool for Shoot or
Fling by 1. See Missile Weapons in Combat in the Combat section for more details.
Missile TN
This is the TN used when making a missile attack with this weapon.
Damage
This is the power (before modification by arrowheads or Maneuvers/Talents) of an attack made by a
missile weapon, as well as the damage type of the attack. The damage type of missile weapons is
invariably piercing (p) damage.
Special
The weapons special qualities, which are further described in Table XX.
Weight
This is the Weight of the weapon when it is being stored. When in use, a weapons Weight is 0.
Cost
This is the cost of the weapon.
Required STR
Bow
If a character does not have the Required STR of a bow, he cannot string it. If already strung, the bow can
be used with inferior STR, but the Missile TN increases by 1, and damage dealt decreases by 1, per point
of the characters STR beneath the Required STR.
Span
Bows and throwing weapons can be drawn and fired in the same Action. However, crossbows need to be
spanned, and firearms need to be loaded prior to firing (see Span - Crossbow, and Load - Firearm,
respectively).
Crossbow
This number determines how many Successes are required before the crossbow is spanned and ready to
be fired. Reference this number with the Spanning Tool of the weapon, which determines the TN of these
Successes, as well as whether they can be accumulated over Rounds, or only in one Round. The Reload
Maneuver is used to Span crossbows.
Spanning Tool
Crossbow
This refers to the Spanning Tool that is used to span the crossbow. The Span TN is the minimum number
required for Span Successes (see Span - Crossbow). Store Span refers to whether the Span Successes can
be accumulated over Rounds, or only in one Round (yes for accumulating Successes, no when all
Successes must be gained in one Round).
Load
Firearm
This number determines how many Successes are required before the firearm is loaded and ready to be
fired. Reference this number with the weapons Loading Mechanism, which determines the TN of these
Successes. Firearms universally accumulate Load Successes over Rounds, whereas crossbows may or
may not allow that. The Reload Maneuver is used to Load firearms.
Loading Mechanism
Firearm
This refers to the Loading Mechanism that is used to load the firearm, and details the type of cartridge
used, which greatly affects the ease of loading. The Load TN is the minimum number required for Load
Successes (see Load - Firearm). The Ammunition Cost Modifier determines how much this Loading
Mechanism affects the cost of ammunition. Brass cartridges would be more expensive than paper
cartridges, for example.
Firing Mechanism
Firearm
The Firing Mechanism determines the types of Loading Mechanisms available for firearms. Firing
Mechanisms may have Special qualities that greatly affect how your firearm operates.
Ammunition
Bow, Crossbow and Firearm
This outlines the type of ammunition that can be fired from the weapon. Ammunition must first be loaded
before it can be fired. Ammunition may have Special qualities, which may make it more or less effective
in certain circumstances.
Some missile weapons, and their projectiles, have a significant chance of becoming stuck in their victims.
If a missile with a Catch Chance inflicts a Wound on a character, roll 1d10. If the result is equal to or
under the Catch Chance, then the head of the missile becomes stuck in the Wound. This adds +4 Pain to
the Wound, and increases its Infection Chance by 2 until it is removed.
If the stuck missile is not removed (Surgery Check RS 3), and the Wound heals with the missile (or its
head, in the case of arrows) still stuck inside, then the character immediately gains either the minor or
major Lasting Pain Bane in that area. The GM can decide on the level of Lasting Pain, or you can roll for
it: 1-6 minor, 7-10 major).
Ammunition Capacity
Firearm
This specifies how many shots your firearm holds before it requires reloading. Ammunition Capacities
have Special qualities which affects whether firearms can be fired with simultaneous Shots, and how
firearms are reloaded.
Missile Weapons
Bows
Explain how weapons are used/what is required for it.
Ammunition
Crossbows
Explain how weapons are used/what is required for it.
Ammunition
Bows and Crossbows use the same ammunition. Refer to Table XX under Bow - Ammunition.
Spanning Tools
Hand TN 6 No 0 -
Lever TN 5 No 0 5 cp
Screw TN 8 Yes 0 1 sp
Stirrup TN 4 No 1 5 cp
Windlass TN 6 Yes 1 2 sp
Winch TN 5 Yes 2 3 sp
Firearms
Explain how weapons are used/what is required for it.
Deck Gun/Abus Gun Firearm 25 10(7)* 18p 50 Ball, Heavy Shot, Spike 10 100 sp
Ammunition
Ammunition Capacity
Double 2 Can be fired twice before reloading, or both barrels can be fired simultaneously. - +50%
Declare a single Shot normally, resolve the second Shot with the same amount of
dice as the first. Each attack hits and is resolved separately. Each chamber must be
reloaded separately.
This weapon can now use Rapid Shot.
Magazine X+1 This weapon now has an internal magazine that chambers X rounds (plus the one 1 +2,000%
(X) loaded into the chamber already), and loads them into the weapon one at a time as base, +50%
they are fired. per X.
After firing a round, the next round can be fired without Reloading until all the
rounds in the magazine have been fired. Each purchase of this Capacity increases X
by 1, to a maximum of 15.
When performing the Reload Maneuver, it is possible to reload more than 1 round
into the magazine. If the successes rolled on the Reload are higher than the Load
value of the weapon, then for each time the successes multiply the Load value, an
additional round is loaded. (Example: A Dragon Pistol with a Magazine has a Load
value of 10. If a highly capable shooter were to roll 20 successes on a Reload
Action, then he could reload 2 rounds into the gun at once!)
This weapon can now Rapid Fire.
This weapon can only load Brass or Paper Mache cartridges.
Multishot X+1 This weapon now has X additional rounds that fire simultaneously. Declare a single 0.5 +50%
(X) Shot normally, then resolve the other X with the same amount of dice as the first.
Each attack hits and is resolved separately. However, any attack made with this
weapon suffers an MP reduction equal to X due to increased recoil. Each chamber
must be reloaded separately. Each purchase of this Capacity increases X by 1, to a
maximum of 10.
This weapon cannot use Rapid Shot, as the barrels do not fire sequentially.
Revolver X+1 Can be fired X additional times before reloading. Each chamber must be reloaded 0.5 +100% per
(X) separately. Each purchase of this Capacity increases X by 1, to a maximum of 10. X
After the first purchase, additional purchases do not further increase the weapons
Weight.
This weapon can now use Rapid Shot.
High - This modification changes the size and power of the weapons ammunition instead of 0 +25%
Caliber the weapons capacity. This can be applied to any weapon, and if combined with
(X) other Ammunition Capacity options, affects all loads in the weapon.
Weapon Damage is increased by X. Missile TN is increased by X.
Firing Mechanism
Caplock# -5 Load, -1 Missile TN, Requires a Percussion Cap for each Shot (Percussion Manual, Paper 1 gp
Caps cost 1 cp each). Cartridge
Firelock Must be touched off by hand to fire (+10 Load), Firearm Explodes on Critical Manual -
Failure (as Light Hand Grenade)
Flintlock Flint must be changed every 20 Shots, Flint Breaks on Critical Failure, Manual, Paper 3 sp
Changing flint requires Load 5 Reload Action Cartridge
Matchlock Fuse must be lit before being fired (+20 Load for the first Shot only), it wont Manual, Paper 6 cp
work if wet, and burns 1 foot of match per hour if kept lit. Match is Cartridge
extinguished on Critical Failure (Matchcord costs 1 cp per foot)
Snaplock Flint must be changed every 10 Shots, Flint Breaks on Critical Failure, Manual, Paper 2 sp
Changing flint requires Load 5 Reload Action Cartridge
Loading Mechanism
Manual TN 8 100%
Throwing Weapons
Explain how weapons are used/what is required for it.
Special Qualities
Table X.X Missile Weapon Special Qualities
Quality Effect
AP [X] Armor Piercing [X]. Inflicts X additional damage against any Armor, up to the AV of the Armor. Has
no effect on Armor with the Bulletproof quality.
Bleed [X] Any Wounds inflicted by this missile cause X additional Bleeding damage.
Cavalry This bow is easier to use while riding horseback. The penalty for shooting from horseback while
Bow [X] moving (4 CP normally) is reduced by X for this weapon.
Narrow This weapon gains AP 4 against armor with the Mail special quality.
Scatter In addition to the primary Shot, which resolves normally, you automatically hit with a number of
[X/Y] additional attacks equal to X (roll for Hit Location on the Random Missile Hit Table with each for a
Shoot Maneuver, roll for Hit Location on appropriate Thrust Table for Melee Shot Maneuver) at
Damage Y. Attacks that hit the same Hit Location combine their Damage before subtracting AV and
TOU.
Hard Armor without the Mail quality halves Scatter damage.
No special rules apply to these additional attacks unless they are listed after X/Y. Scattered attacks do
not gain BS as damage.
Weapons with Scatter do not suffer the normal penalties for Range. Instead, each Range increment
past the first reduces X by 1. Once X is 0, the next Range increment renders the weapon totally
ineffective. It may be possible (GMs discretion) to hit multiple opponents with Scatter (see
Scatterfire in the Combat chapter)
Voids made against attacks with Scatter (if they can be made at all, i.e. with Stains of Time) have an
additional Activation Cost equal to X.
Shield If a Fling attempt made by this missile is blocked, or if it hits an area protected by a shields passive
Stick AV, it becomes stuck in the shield. The shields Block TN is increased by 2, and its Weight is
increased by 2 as well. Removing the missile is very difficult, requiring several minutes of work that
cannot be done in combat.
Winged When this weapon hits, it inflicts 1 bonus damage per X BS scored. This damage is not inflicted if the
[X] missile hits Hard armor. The Textile quality of armor is negated by a Winged missile.
Prosthetics are artificial replacement limbs designed to restore some functionality to amputees. At their
most basic, a prosthetic can be a simple stick, like the idiosyncratic peg leg that everyone imagines
pirates as sporting. At their most complex, they can be jointed mechanical replicas of the lost limb that
can actually provide surprising functionality, even in combat.
If you are missing more than one part of a limb, you must take prosthetics for the pieces closer to the
remaining arm before you take prosthetics for the extremities. That is, if you are missing your arm below
the elbow, and you want to take a Clamp, you must first take an Extender.
Some notes with the following tables:
Armor may not be worn over prosthetics unless otherwise specified.
Damage does not stack between attacks.
Location refers to the area the prosthetic is replacing.
Prosthetics count as Hard armor for all purposes, including Draw, Armor Piercing effects, etc.
Stick Any 8 cp The limb can punch or arm-parry as normal, but will break upon
receiving 4 or more damage. May be armored.
Extender Forearm 2 cp A hand prosthetic may be attached to this. 5 damage breaks the
prosthetic.
Hook Hand 5 sp Grappling suffers no penalties, but a Hook cannot hold a weapon,
including a 1H or 2H weapon. Punch becomes a swing and does
piercing damage. 6 damage breaks the prosthetic.
Clamp Hand 10 sp Grappling suffers no penalties. A Clamp can hold either a 1H weapon,
or be used in combination with a real hand to hold a 2H weapon. CP
is reduced by 2 when using a Clamp in combat.
Because of the locked design of the Clamp, Disarming or Beating a
weapon held by a Clamp has a +2 Activation Cost.
A successful disarm breaks the clamp, rendering it useless. 6 damage
breaks the prosthetic.
Weapon Hand/Forearm Weapon A 1H melee weapon, or a hand crossbow, pistol, or dragon, may be
+10 sp attached to the stump, and functions as the weapon would. If attached
at the Forearm, decrease Range and Damage by 1 unless ranged.
Ranged weapons must be fired using the other hand, or by the lost
limb using a special mechanism costing 5 sp.
Articulated Hand 25 gp The hand functions as normal except for a +1 Activation Cost to
Hand Weapon Maneuvers when using it to hold a 1H weapon by itself.
Wielding a 2H weapon with an Articulated Hand and a real hand
incurs no penalty. Wielding a 2H weapon with two Articulated Hands
incurs a +1 Activation Cost for all maneuvers. 3 damage breaks the
prosthetic.
Armored Hand 75 gp The hand functions as normal except for a +1 Activation Cost on all
Articulated maneuvers involving it. 8 damage breaks the prosthetic.
Hand
Burdinadin Hand 30 gp Functions like an Armored Hand until activated. While active, the
Prosthetic limb reduces your END by 1 temporarily, but suffers NO penalties
Hand whatsoever, and the hand can do anything (such as write, manipulate
fine objects, and press buttons) that a normal hand can do. Burdinadin
Prosthetics can sustain 15 damage before being destroyed.
Burdinadin Hand/Forearm 50 gp Functions like an Armored Hand until activated. While active, the
Prosthetic limb reduces your END by 1 temporarily, but suffers NO penalties
Forearm whatsoever, and the hand can do anything (such as write, manipulate
fine objects, and press buttons) that a normal hand can do. Burdinadin
Prosthetics can sustain 15 damage before being destroyed.
Burdinadin Full Arm 80 gp Does not function unless activated. While Active, the limb reduces
Prosthetic Full your END by 1 temporarily, but suffers NO penalties whatsoever, and
Arm the hand can do anything (such as write, manipulate fine objects, and
press buttons) that a normal hand can do. Burdinadin Prosthetics can
sustain 15 damage before being destroyed.
Wood Foot Foot 10 Allows you to move with -2 MOB. 5 damage breaks the prosthetic.
cp May be armored.
Pegleg Shin 1 sp Allows you to move with - MOB. 4 damage breaks the prosthetic.
May be armored.
Long Pegleg Thigh/Shin 1 sp Allows you to move with - MOB. 4 damage breaks the prosthetic.
May be armored.
Cane Any 10 Allows you to move with - MOB. Requires a free hand to use. May
cp include a weapon of medium length or shorter (add the cost of the
weapon). 5 damage breaks the cane.
Crutch Any 10 Allows you to move with MOB, or normal MOB if two are used.
cp Each requires a free arm to use. May be used as a Large Club with +1 to
Range and all TNs. 5 damage breaks the crutch.
Burdinadin Foot/Lower 25 Functions like a Pegleg unless activated. While active, the limb reduces
Prosthetic Leg gp your END by 1 temporarily, but suffers NO penalties whatsoever, and
Lower Leg/Foot can do anything that a real leg can do (such as wiggle toes, tap dance,
and C-walk). Burdinadin Prosthetics can sustain 15 damage before
being destroyed.
Burdinadin Foot/Lower 50 Functions like a Long Pegleg unless activated. While active, the limb
Prosthetic Full Leg/Upper gp reduces your END by 1 temporarily, but suffers NO penalties
Leg Leg whatsoever, and can do anything that a real leg can do (such as wiggle
toes, tap dance, and C-walk) Burdinadin Prosthetics can sustain 15
damage before being destroyed.
Burdinadin Prosthetics
Do these sound like weird cybernetics?
Thats because they are. The Burdinadin in the Tattered Realms have access to technologies that even we
today have not quite matched because of their Natural Philosophy powers. Burdinadin limbs range from
appearing smooth and realistic, to rugged and boxish. They are typically attached to sockets grafted to the
flesh of the wearer, so that they can be removed and replaced in the event of catastrophic damage, or for
maintenance.
These limbs are powered by human body heat, and the sockets contain devices that essentially siphon
caloric energy from the body to burn and use to power the limb. Much as a regular limb does, but far, far
less efficiently. Wearers of these prosthetics are advised not to keep them active for long periods of time,
as the siphoning of energy causes fatigue and hunger, and can eventually lead to malnutrition, and even
death.
Any Burdinadin limb can have a weapon installed in it, to jut out from some angle and be used in
violence, at an additional cost of 5 gp plus the cost of the weapon. Obviously the weapon would have to
fit inside the limb. Inside a half limb you may fit the Pistol, Dragon, Hand Crossbow, any Melee weapon
of Short or lower Reach, or a Buckler. You may additionally mount a Blunderbuss, Light Crossbow, or
Melee Weapon of Medium Reach or shorter inside a full limb. This weapon must be Drawn like any other
weapon before it can be used, but counts as readily available for the purposes of Quickdraw.
There are also Enhancements that can be attached to limbs to increase their performance, also detailed in
the Burdinadin Armory.
Shields have a long history, and come in a huge variety of shapes and compositions.
Shield Characteristics
Shield Name
The variety of shield. Some of these are generalizations, as dozens of different cultures may have had
very minor permutations on the same shield design, but each called it something different.
Block TN
This number determines how effectively a shield can be used to block, deflect, or otherwise thwart
opponents. The Block TN is used in Block, and similar Maneuvers.
AV
This determines the amount of passive AV applied to any body part covered by the shield when it is
attacked. Certain effects can ignore shield AV or remove it temporarily from the body part. The AV
stated is the same for all damage types.
Shield AV counts as Hard.
Durability
Durability refers to the shields resistance to physical damage. If a shield suffers damage (from a Hew
Maneuver, or similar source) equal to its Durability, it is destroyed. Each time a shield sustains a Hew
attempt that does not destroy it, its Durability is permanently reduced by 2. Each time an attack of any
sort that lands on a Shields protected areas inflicts damage higher than the shields Durability, Durability
is permanently reduced by 1.
Coverage
Coverage represents the Hit Locations that are covered by the shield. Much like armor, when a shield is
carried on the arm, it provides AV equal to the amount listed in its AV column to the Hit Locations listed.
All shield AV stacks with regular armor AV.
Weight
This is the weight added to encumbrance as long as the shield is carried on the arm. When a shield is held
on the back or belt, it does not add to effective weight.
Cost
The cost of the shield.
Shields
Table X.X Shields
Shield Name Bash Block AV Dur. Coverage Wt. Cost
TN TN
Bulletproof Rodela / 8(+1b) 7 10 20 Hand, Forearm, Elbow, Upper Arm, Chest, Side 2 30
Round Shield sp
Heater Shield 8(+0b) 7 6 10 Hand, Forearm, Elbow, Upper Arm, Shoulder, Chest, 1 1 sp
Side, Belly, Hip, Groin, Thigh
Kite Shield 9(+0b) 7 6 10 Hand, Forearm, Elbow, Upper Arm, Shoulder, Chest, 2 2 sp
Side, Belly, Hip, Groin, Thigh, Knee
Large Round Shield 8(+0b) 7 6 10 Hands, Forearm, Elbow, Upper Arm, Shoulders, Neck, 1 1 sp
Chest, Sides, Belly, Hips, Groin, Thighs
Hand Pavise 9(+0b) 7 6 12 Hands, Forearm, Elbow, Upper Arm, Shoulders, Neck, 1 5 sp
Chest, Sides, Belly, Hips, Groin, Thighs, Knees, Shins
*As long as this shields AV is in effect, it applies its AV to both hands and forearms.
Dont hyperventilate. Remain calm. If sifting through ~150 armor pieces to custom-build your own outfit
doesnt appeal to you, weve got your back. Before this chapter details the many armor components
available to you, there are Pre-made Armor Sets that you can choose from. These are full suits of armor
(not including helmets) complete with references for the total weight of the armor, how much it costs,
what it protects and how well it protects it, as well as a description of the armor set.
Youll still have to pick a helmet, but thats just one list.
Armor Value
The Armor Value, or AV of a piece of armor, has three entries: against cutting damage (AVC), against
piercing damage (AVP) and against bludgeoning damage (AVB).
When a character is attacked with a weapon and suffers damage, the armor adds its AV to his TOU for
the purpose of resisting that damage. The AV used is obviously of the category of damage that is being
suffered (either cutting, piercing or bludgeoning). So if an armor component has an AVC of 8, AVP 7 and
AVB 6, and a character suffers a piercing attack to the area protected by this armor, then he benefits from
7 AV.
However, with the exception of rare events such as these, cleaving through helmets was simply not
something that happened, and so encountering it regularly in Song of Swords may leave a bad taste in
your mouth. If that is so, this optional rule is here to save the day!
Whenever a cutting weapon inflicts damage to an area protected by armor, change it to bludgeoning
damage, and reduce its Damage Bonus by 2. At the GMs discretion, if the damage inflicted exceeds
TOU+AV by 4 or more, it may cleave through the armor and inflict a cutting wound.
Armor Characteristics
Component Name
The name of the armor component.
Underarmor
Realistically, no armor is worn on its own. Plate armor was usually worn with clothes specifically
designed to pad the wearer from blows, and sometimes had loops to attach elements of the armor to it,
with the intention of better distributing the armors weight. Mail was often worn with cloth backing to
cushion impacts and to snag missiles with thin tips that penetrate through them.
The components presented in this chapter assume the bare minimum amount of underarmor in order for
the armor to function. Realistically, you will want to purchase quilt armor to accompany a great many
armors in this section.
Coverage
The Coverage of an armor component details what Hit Locations the piece covers and provides AV to.
Armor of the same and differing types can be layered, however unless they have the Layers Special
Quality, multiple helmets cannot be worn simultaneously.
If an armor components Coverage lists Full X, with X being a limb (Arm, Leg), the Torso, or the Head,
then every Hit Location on that section of the body is covered by the armor.
Full Leg refers to the Thigh, Knee, Shin and Foot.
Full Arm refers to the Shoulder, Upper Arm, Elbow, Forearm and Hand.
Full Torso refers to the Chest, Side, Hip, and Belly.
Full Head refers to the Upper Head, Lower Head, and Face.
The Neck and Groin are never included in Full X armor listings, and are not covered unless they
are listed separately.
Half AV Coverage
Some Hit Locations will be listed with an asterisk (*). This means that the armor provides only half AV
Coverage to that Hit Location. For example, an Open Sallet protects the Lower Head with AVC 4, AVP 3
and AVB 3. If the armor would gain a bonus to its AVs, add this bonus after any halving.
Weak Spots
Some Hit Locations will be listed with this symbol: . This indicates a weak spot in the armor. Weak
spots can be targeted using the Joint-Thrust Maneuver.
Special
The Special Qualities of an armor component note unusual and special effects of that armor, such as it
layering with other armor in a unique way, providing unique armor bonuses against certain types of
attacks, and influencing Encumbrance/Exhaustion differently than normal, and so on. These Special
Qualities are detailed at the end of the chapter.
Weight
Armor Weight measures the amount of subjective weight that wearing the armor imposes on the
character, not its literal weight in pounds. Much as modern backpacks endeavor to distribute weight
evenly between shoulders and hips, armor worn on the torso is much less encumbering than armor worn
on limbs and extremities.
Armor Weight across the character is added together, and used for determining their current
Encumbrance. Dont forget that backpacks and other non-armor loads are also used in determining
Encumbrance.
Perception Penalty
Only helmets and other headgear have a penalty to PER (noted in the tables as PP). It is a penalty applied
to PER so long as the helmet is being worn. This represents the helmet obscuring vision and limiting
breathing. This penalty can sometimes be alleviated by raising or lowering the helmets visor, as detailed
in the helmets Special Quality section, or the section of its visor if the visor is attached.
Cost
This is the cost of the piece of armor. At the GMs discretion, this number can vary greatly depending on
availability and the local economic climate. If a gigantic battle was fought in the fields outside of the city,
and the markets are now flooded with the looted swords, armor and other goods of the dead, then it is
quite reasonable for the cost of second-hand gear to have gone down significantly.
Pre-made Armor Sets
The following are pre-made sets of armor consisting of individual armor components from the options
below. Each armor set specifies the components included, which details their individual AV values,
Coverage, Special, Weight and Cost. A description of the set, including who would have worn it, when
and where it is from, is also detailed.
You can easily modify these sets by removing or adding a component here and there. Be sure to factor in
the new components values, when you do. None of these pre-made armor sets come with helmets; you
can choose your own from the lists below.
Besagews 8 7 6 Shoulders (Thrust only), Hard, When layered with Spaulders use 0.5 8 sp
Upper Arm* (Thrust only) Besagews value against Thrusts.
Fauld 8 7 6 Groin, Hip, Thighs Hard, Layers 2 (Groin, Hip, Thighs) 1.5 10
sp
Mail Coat 6 4 3 Full Torso, Groin, Hip, Hard, Layer 1, Mail 2.5 2 gp
Knees, Shoulders, Thighs
Spaulders 8 7 6 Shoulder, Upper Arm* Hard, Provides half AV against Thrust 0.5 6 sp
attacks to the Shoulder and Upper Arm
TOTAL 21.5 6 gp
19
sp
8 cp
Half-Plate Armor
Half-Plate Armor is that which covers about half of one's body in plate. This is the sort of armor popular
amongst infantry (such as pikemen, rodeleros, and various mercenaries), and also that of mercenaries and
noblemen who dislike the weight of heavier armor. Helmet not included.
Fauld 8 7 6 Groin, Hip, Thighs Hard, Layers 2 (Groin, Hip, Thighs) 1.5 10
sp
Reinforced 4 3 3 Hand - 0 2 sp
Leather Gloves
TOTAL 5 3 gp
2 sp
11
cp
Mail Coat 6 4 3 Full Torso, Groin, Hip, Knees, Shoulders, Hard, Layer 1, 2.5 2 gp
Thighs Mail
Mail Long Sleeves 6 4 3 Elbow, Forearm, Shoulder, Upper Arm Hard, Layer 1, 1.5 1 gp
Mail
Quilted Coat 2 3 4 Full Torso, Groin, Hip, Knees, Shoulders, Textile 0.5 17 cp
Thighs
TOTAL 12.5 6 gp
5 sp
11
cp
Leather Outfit
Leather wasn't generally worn as armor. While leather clothing was common enough, and plenty of
warriors wore gloves, jerkins and so forth, it wasn't really expected to protect the wearer from swords or
spears. Rawhide, or thick leather like that used in buffcoats, however, could definitely thwart a sword-
blow, and for a time, leather coats were issued to infantry and cavalrymen alike to wear as armor. This
suit takes it a bit further, it's just a full suit of leather. It weighs virtually nothing, isnt that expensive, and
it provides comprehensive, if minimal, protection to the whole body. Helmet not included, but why would
you bother? Just buy a hat.
TOTAL 0 - gp
11 sp
8 cp
Lamellar Outfit
This armor is a full suit of lamellar, though it could pass just as easily for a full suit of scale. Lamellar is
tough, and provides good protection against all damage types. The suit is actually very heavy, as one
might expect a suit that uniformly covers and protects every inch of one's body beneath the neck. It
provides excellent protection and does not require particularly advanced technology to produce. This
general sort of armor, with small scales or squares of metal attached either to each other with lacing or to
a backing (which is the chief difference between lamellar and scale) goes way back. Bronze Age warriors
wore this sort of armor, as did certain Roman and Persian cavalrymen, as well as Medieval Chinese,
Japanese and Korean warriors. The ubiquity of lamellar and scale armor even exceeds that of mail.
Helmet not included.
Lamellar Coat 5 5 5 Full Torso, Groin, Hip, Knees, Shoulders, Thighs Hard 3 3 gp
TOTAL 12.5 5 gp
5 sp
- cp
Winged Hussar Armor
This is an example of the highly-varied armor worn by the Winged Hussars of Poland. In the Tattered
Realms, a very similar armor might be worn by the Husaria of the Lendian Commonwealth, and also by
the Pontifatrix Guard, who defend the Empress of Illegon. This is by no means a uniform; every Hussar
was self-equipped, though there was a dominant fashion among them. This armor provides good
protection against missiles, swords, and even lances and bullets, while not impeding movement too much.
TOTAL 15.5 7 gp
14
sp
11
cp
The military of Krajina are known for being professional, disciplined, and fabulously dressed. These
outfits are produced by the Guild of Tailors, Armorers and Hatmakers, and are magnificently decorated.
The armor provides excellent protection against all sorts of attacks, but primarily focuses on defending
the core of the body with layered brigandine and quilt armor. The limbs are protected with hidden jack
chains on the inside of the surcoat, and the neck is protected with a thick and high collar of leather that
also gives the wearer an imposing figure. This armor does not include the standard-issue kettle helm, but
you can buy one for yourself for 3 sp, a bargain at any price!
The officer's version of this armor doesn't have any protective improvements, but it costs twice as much
and is obscenely fashionable.
TOTAL 5 3 gp
13
sp
7 cp
Quilted Coat 2 3 4 Full Torso, Groin, Hip, Knees, Shoulders, Textile 0.5 17 cp
Thighs
TOTAL 2 1 gp
5 sp
2 cp
Heavy Quilted Coat 3 4 5 Full Torso, Groin, Hip, Knees, Shoulders, Textile 1 5 sp
Thighs
Mail Coat 6 4 3 Full Torso, Groin, Hip, Knees, Shoulders, Hard, Layer 1, 2.5 2 gp
Thighs Mail
Mail Long Sleeves 6 4 3 Elbow, Forearm, Shoulder, Upper Arm Hard, Layer 1, 1.5 1 gp
Mail
TOTAL 9.5 4 gp
17
sp
8 cp
Armor Components
Head and Neck Armor
Table X.X Helmets
Component AVC AVP AVB Coverage Special Wt PP Cost
Name
Optional Visors
Any Helmet that does not cover the Face can be equipped with a visor, which can be chosen from the list
below. The visor then becomes part of the helmet, applying AV and Coverage as normal. If a visor type
covers more than the Face, it cannot be attached to any helmet that already covers any of those additional
areas.
Movable Visors
A visor can be opened or closed at will (in combat this requires an ADR test at RS 1, and 3 CP). When
open, a visor ceases to provide any AV for the Hit Location, but also removes all PP and Weight penalties
from the visor for as long as it is open. Closing a visor is much easier than opening one, and can be done
with a sharp nod of the head (no ADR test, and only 1 CP while in combat). There is a darker side to this
as well. Opening an enemys visor during a grapple is easier than trying to pull off his helmet (see that
section).
Identifying Large and visible crest or plume (like that of a Roman Centurion), which aids in troop 0 1 gp
identification. You gain a +1 bonus to Tactics or Strategy rolls made in combat.
Intimidating Intimidating crests could be war-crests, horns, depict demonic imagery, have a heightening 0 1 gp
effect, and so on. Opponents in Bout who have WIL lower than yours suffer a -1 penalty to their
CP for the first Round of combat they fight with you unless they have the Brave Boon. If they
are Craven, the -1 penalty will remain throughout combat, so long as the helmet is worn.
Ruthlessly These are magnificent paper mach or wooden crests, and may even have mechanical 1 3 gp
Fashionable movements. You gain a +1 bonus to Leadership rolls made in combat.
Torso Armor
Table X.X Plate Torso Armor
Component Name AVC AVP AVB Coverage Special Wt Cost
Bulletproof Cuirass 10 9 8 Belly, Chest, Lower Back, Side, Bulletproof, Hard 4.5 4 gp
Upper Back
Munitions Fauld 7 6 5 Groin, Hip, Thighs Hard, Layers 1 (Groin, Hip, 2.5 10
Thighs) sp
Mail Coat 6 4 3 Full Torso, Groin, Hip, Knees, Shoulders, Hard, Layer 1, 2.5 2 gp
Thighs Mail
Mail Shirt 6 4 3 Full Torso, Groin, Hip, Thighs Hard, Layer 1, 1.5 1 gp
Mail
Cloth Coat 1 0 1 Full Torso, Groin, Hip, Knees, Shoulders, Thighs Textile 0 2 cp
Heavy Quilted Shirt 3 4 5 Full Torso, Groin, Hip, Thighs Textile 0.5 3 sp
Quilted Coat 2 3 4 Full Torso, Groin, Hip, Knees, Shoulders, Thighs Textile 0.5 17 cp
Hardened Leather Cuirass 4 3 3 Belly, Chest, Lower Back, Side, Upper Back - 1 8 sp
Shagreen Greatcoat 4 3 3 Full Torso, Full Arms, Groin, Hip, Knees, Shins, - 0 1 gp
Thighs
Arm Armor
Table X.X Plate Arm Armor
Component AVC AVP AVB Coverage Special Wt Cost
Name
Besagews 8 7 6 Shoulders (Thrust only), Hard, When layered with Spaulders use 0.5 8 sp
Upper Arm* (Thrust only) Besagews value against Thrusts.
Jack Chains 6 0 3 Elbow, Forearm, Upper Hard, No AV against Thrust attacks of 0.5 1 sp
Arm any damage type
Munitions 8 7 6 Shoulder, Upper Arm Hard 4 8 sp
Pauldrons
Spaulders 8 7 6 Shoulder, Upper Arm* Hard, Provides half AV against Thrust 0.5 6 sp
attacks to the Shoulder and Upper Arm
Anima Spaulders 7 7 7 Shoulder, Upper Hard, Provides half AV against Thrust attacks .5 1 gp
Arm* to the Shoulder and Upper Arm
Mail Long Sleeves 6 4 3 Elbow, Forearm, Shoulder, Upper Hard, Layer 1, 1.5 1 gp
Arm Mail
Mail Leggings 6 4 3 Groin, Hip, Knees, Shins, Thighs Hard, Layer 1, Mail 2.5 8 sp
Horse Armor
Table X.X Horse Armor
Component Name AVC AVP AVB Coverage Special Wt Cost
Special Qualities
Table X.X Armor Special Qualities
Quality Effect
Hard Armor with this quality is more resistant to certain weapon Special Qualities (such as Draw), and
triggers certain effects with others. Otherwise, it has no effect.
Mail Armor with this quality consists of interlocking ringlets of metal, and triggers certain effects with
other Special Qualities. Otherwise, it has no effect.
Layer [X] If worn on the same Hit Location as another armor component with equal to or higher AVC, AVP,
and/or AVB, this armor increases the appropriate AV on that area (or multiple, if multiple are
higher) by X. Multiple instances of Layer do not combine. Armor that benefits from the Textile
Special Quality does benefit from Layer if its new AV is higher than the AV of the armor with
Layer.
Textile This armor has double AVP against missile attacks that are non-firearm, and non-Winged. Double
the AVP before adding in other bonuses like Layer.
Constricts As long as this helmet is on, or the visor is down, add X to the multiplier for your current Fatigue
Breathing [X] Gain Modifier.
Materials
Bronze
-2 AV from all sources
+25% Cost
Iron
-2 AV from all sources
-25% Cost
Steel
No change
Orichalcum
Converts all cutting/piercing damage to bludgeoning, ignores crushing damage
Halves Shock effect from weapons
+4 Bludgeoning AV
Ignores AP Swing/Thrust X for Melee Weapons and AP X for Missile Weapons
Does not ignore the AP Thrust bonus from weapons with Thin Blade if armor is mail
Negates all unarmed damage
+5,000% Cost
Silversteel
+2 AV from all sources
Armor has half normal Weight
+1,000% Cost
Early experiments showed a suppressive effect on enemy personnel merely by activating the device, as the high and sustained
rate of fire is a strong psychological challenge to the advancing enemy to commit to an assault. We have found that a sweeping
field of fire is superior to a penetrating deep firing pattern, as it causes the full front ranks to hesitate, thus slowing the overall
alacrity of the unit and allowing for longer sustained fire. At an estimated 200 rounds per minute with a range of nearly 500
yards thanks to the longer barrels and heavier platform, we speculate that two firing teams could repel a force of a thousand men
with relative ease, and given terrain and proper defensive position, possibly as many as four or five times that number.
Considerations include a lack of mobility and an inability to fire and advance, making the weapons most useful in a defensive
capacity or as fire support for advancing troops. Additional research is required, pending another opportunity for field testing.
Boye Lagetsu, Head of Glade Itsu Artillery Design Bureau
Through a complex process involving rock salt, brimstone, purified alcohol and other chemicals, one can create a yellowish
liquid that, once released from pressure, rapidly evaporates into a gas. It is inexpensive, easy to transport, and because it
remains in liquid form for a time, could be used more creatively than the gas dispensers previously developed by the Lagu Design
Bureau. For instance, flooding tunnels, or with the use of bonding agents controlling the evaporation process, ensuring that the
targets do not detect and flee from the agent before it has time to take effect. The actual effects of this gas have a short onset time.
Here we have several silversalt imprints of various stages of the compounds effect on an exposed subject.
...I would remind the ethics committee that this weapon would probably never be used against actual people. It would be
employed primarily against vermin, aggressive animals, and humans.
Xabi Beloki, Zorezai Zaibatsu Senior Designer
Brimstone Gas Development Grant Request, Glade Lagu Records
The Burdinadins Natural Philosophy allows them the ability to produce many wondrous things;
technology so far ahead of its time that most simply assume it to be magic. The closed nature of the Iron
Glades guarantees that most of these devices never see the light of day, and thats how the Burdinadin
like it. They rightly fear what would happen if humans reverse-engineered their equipment.
Burdinadin hardware isnt normally available to humans. They dont usually sell it, and they are very
wary about even letting their trusted human allies use it. Most equipment is designed to destroy itself
quickly without regular micro-maintenance, the sort of thing that only Burdinadin could perform. This
way, if the hardware falls into non-Burdinadin hands, it will quickly become unusable.
Burdinadin Armor
Burdinadin armor differs from the armors of other races and cultures in that it is not intended merely for
protection from violence, but also as a proof against spirit contamination. They wear it to insulate
themselves from the outside world, and to protect their vulnerable flesh from the predations of monsters
from the Otherworld.
As such, Burdinadin armor has an Insulation factor. As long as the Insulation is above a certain
threshold, the Burdinadin is protected from contamination. The Burdinadins HLT also factors into this.
Insulation is removed from armor by Crushing attacks. Each point of Crushing damage removes 1 point
of Insulation.
Burdinadin Armor
Words around creating your own armor set by mixing and matching components.
Myrmidon Armor
Myrmidon armor is a marvel of modern Burdinadin engineering, and far outclasses any other form of
armor yet developed.
Myrmidons are heavy mechanized armor suits that are ridden in, rather than worn. The pilot primarily
controls the armor with their mind, as well as levers and switches that connect directly to their spinal
cords and skulls.
The armor suits themselves are bipedal monstrosities of steel and machine, often laden with weaponry
and other equipment. Some are elaborately painted and decorated by their pilots with murals representing
their deeds.
The Myrmidons are rare. Most Glades have only two or three of them, but each is a war machine capable
of tearing dozens of armed men to pieces, and challenging all but the largest of monsters at range or in
hand to hand combat.
[Myrmidon armor is beyond the scope of this Release]
Armor Augmentations
Burdinadin armor often have Augmentation slots listed in their special qualities section, which specifies
the number of Augmentations that the armor can be fitted with. These Augmentations are listed below,
along with the details of their function and their additional costs.
---
Illumination [0]
A magitek (or sometimes just tech) lighting device mounted to some part of the armor. It illuminates a
roughly 60 degree arc (one sixth of an arc) in the direction the light is pointed, making it Evenly Lit for
about 5 yards, and dimly lit for another 10 yards.
Cost: 10 sp
Fitted To: Any
Quick-Release [0]
A system by which the entire armor (or components of it, specify which at time of installation) can be
completely ejected from the wearers person instantly. This can be done as a generic action in combat,
and takes less than one second. Only the wearer can activate this system. The armor can be placed back
on without issue. This device is useful for Burdinadin who fear they might need to quickly ditch their
armor in some situation--say, falling into the ocean, or needing to flee across a bridge with a low weight
threshold.
Cost: 8 cp
Fitted To: Any
Note: You can mix and match Enhanced Strength, and Enhanced Endurance, treating the total number of
enhancement levels cumulatively for the purposes of cost.
Note: You can mix and match Enhanced Strength, and Enhanced Endurance, treating the total number of
enhancement levels cumulatively for the purposes of cost.
Hardened [1]
Additional armoring and technology to seal up potential gaps in the armor through which attacks might
penetrate. All Weak Points on this piece of Armor are removed, preventing Joint Thrust and Coup de
Grace Maneuvers from functioning against them.
Cost: 1 gp
Fitted to: Any
Integrated Weapon [1 per weapon or 2 if melee weapon has greater Reach than Long]
Choose one melee or missile weapon. It is now built into the suit, and can be drawn and utilized as though
quickly and readily available (for the purposes of Quickdraw). The weapons Weight is reduced by half if
it is not currently being used.
Cost: 1 gp plus the cost of the weapon
Fitted To: Arms, Torso, Legs
Self-Sealing [1]
This collection of additional armor plating and reinforcement systems allows the user to retain the suits
properties of Insulation even if damaged by a Crushing attack.
Cost: 2 sp
Fitted To: Any
Helian Fire Caster [X]
Named not because of its inventor, but due to the intense blue and purple flame that the Fire Caster burns.
A small, cylindrical weapon is attached to the armors left or right vambrace, either as a standalone unit,
or connected to a tank somewhere on the person. It takes one Action to prepare the weapon to fire, but
after that initial step, it can then be fired instead of a regular attack. It has a range of L, with no range
penalties for shooting closer than L, and for each BS you have, you gain 1 Burn damage to a random Hit
Location on your target. You may instead sweep the Fire Caster, using triple fuel, however you set the
ground in front of you on fire at a range of M. Anyone that wishes to pass through it must pass an ADR
test or immediately catch on fire.
Cost: X gp/sp/cp
Fitted To: Suit/Helmet/Any
Burdinadin Weapons
Most Burdinadin weapons are eminently similar to human ones--if somewhat more advanced or refined in
design. This can be adequately represented by applying Burdinadin Craftsmanship, as listed below, to
regular weapons. However, there are certain weapons which are totally unique to the Burdinadin, which
will be listed below.
Burdinadin Ukabilla
The Ukabilla is a steel tube in which a complex system exists to ignore the fuse of a chemical rocket and
shoot it out of one side towards the enemy. The Burdinadin developed these weapons to fill a gap in their
weapons capabilities between stationary artillery pieces and personal firearms. The Ukabilla can fire a
variety of rockets, each designed for a different purpose.
Weapon Name Weapon Type Range Missile TN Damage Load Ammunition Wt Cost
Burdinadin Lanzalamas
The Lanzalamas is not actually that complex of a weapon, it has merely been refined from its earlier
designs (used by the Helians, mostly) using Burdinadin expertise. The weapon projects a jet of flammable
liquid at the target, and sets it ablaze after it has left the hose. The momentum of the burning fluid
prevents it from following the stream back to the weapon and potentially causing an explosion, and the
sophisticated pressure mechanism makes sure that that momentum is maintained until the weapon is out
of fuel.
The Lanzalamas is a unique weapon in that it does not inflict damage through force or impact, but rather
by setting the target on fire. When using a Lanzalamas, do not inflict damage for Bonus Successes. Any
target hit using the Lanzalamas is instead set on fire. The fire damage is Full Body (in certain situations
the GM may decide otherwise) and is 5/TN5. The flame burns for 10 rounds, and even water will not
extinguish it. Sand, mud, and clay can extinguish it.
A Lanzalamas cannot be reloaded normally--the tank of fuel that accompanies must be refilled using
special tools. It can be fired 10 separate times (Multi-Shots and similar things only count as a single
firing) before it must be refilled.
Taking Cover does not reduce the effect of this attack in any way, unless the cover is some sort of solid
barrier with no permeation that would actually halt a jet of burning fuel.
Weapon Name Weapon Type Range Missile TN Damage Load Ammunition Wt Cost
Burdinadin Craftsmanship is required before any other Burdinadin weapon enhancements can be added.
Everyday Items
Table XX Animals
Item Notes Cost
Chicken Annoying 5 cp
Ox Stubborn 12 sp
Pig Disgusting 3 sp
Sheep Fluffy 6 sp
Table XX Clothing
Item Notes Cost
Table XX Drink
Item Unit Cost
Brandy Flask 2 cp
Cider Gallon 1 cp
Mead Gallon 2 cp
Rakia Flask 1 cp
Table XX Food
Item Unit Cost
Traveling bread Brick 1 cp/10
Cheese Pound 1 cp
Fruit Pound 1 cp
Vegetables Pound 1 cp
Torch 10 items 3 cp
Oil Pint 1 sp
Surgeons tools Needles, blades, splints, tongs, pliers, tweezers, mirrors, prongs, clamps 15 sp
Surgeons kit (5 uses) Bandages, plasters, ointments, oils, select herbs. Enough to treat ~5 serious 5 sp
injuries
Surgeons kit (1 use) Bandages, plasters, ointments, oils, select herbs. Enough to treat 1 serious 6 cp
injury
Poultice Single use. Made from honey, bread, mercury, and the gods know what else 1 gp
Cannot be stored for long!
Poultice (ingredients) All ingredients required to make a Poultice (See Skill [Insert Skill]) 10 sp
Table XX Miscellanea
Item Unit Cost
Services
Table XX Services
Item Duration Cost
Trade Goods
Table XX Textiles
Item Unit Cost
Canvas Yard 2 cp
Linen Yard 6 cp
Kersey Yard 3 cp
Broadcloth Yard 20 cp
Table XX Spices
Item Unit Cost
Cyrv Pound 1 cp
Pepper Pound 18 cp
Ginger Pound 12 cp
Cinnamon Pound 24 cp
Cloves Pound 35 cp
Salt Pound 12 cp
Sugar Pound 16 cp
Karspice Pound 150 cp
Table XX Metals
Item Unit Cost
Orichalcum Ingot: 7x3x2 inches, 11 lbs Ingot: 5500 gp, Pound: 500 gp
Table XX Goods
Item Unit Cost
Cotton Ton 30 gp
Coffee Pound 1 sp
Cocoa Pound 10 cp
Labor slave Oh, anyone with all their limbs will do. 1 gp
House slave A house slave must be made of sharper, gentler stuff than a worker. 3 gp
Educated slave A marsupial attendant, always carrying around his notes in a pouch on 10 gp
his apron.
Pit fighter/gladiator Why is it easier to train a vicious man than a vicious dog? 20 gp
Especially beautiful Beauty isnt just about features, its about habit, too. Cost x 2
(feature)
Especially intelligent Any idiot can learn to scribble on a tablet. True intelligence is rare. Cost x 2
(feature)
Especially strong (feature) Ever move a piano up a staircase? Dont worry, youll never have to. Cost x
2.5
The Proficiency system allows characters to track their combat capabilities. An individual Proficiency
determines skill in a broad classification of weapon (for example, 1H Sword, a 2H Sword, and so on), not
simply how effective a character is at wielding certain instruments (such as a rapier, broadsword or
mace). Proficiency levels directly affect a characters CP, allowing them to perform more deadly
maneuvers, and also providing characters with Talents, which offer special bonuses to certain actions in
combat.
Characters can take and level Proficiencies at Character Creation or during regular play.
Character Creation
When purchasing Proficiencies with PCP, you receive a number of Proficiency Points as indicated in
Table XX in Chapter XX, and may then use those points to purchase and advance one or more
Proficiencies.
Characters unlock Maneuver Tiers and Talents as they level their Proficiency. Maneuvers are certain
techniques and moves that a character employs in combat (and are further detailed in Chapter XX), and
Talents are small bonuses which may be universal, or specific to a Proficiency (refer to Chapter XX).
Table XX below indicates how many Proficiency Points are required to gain different Proficiency levels.
As an example, a character whose Proficiency level is 2 will have unlocked Core Maneuvers for their
chosen Proficiency and have access to a Novice Talent, and a character with a Proficiency level 10 can
use Tier 2 Maneuvers and has access to up to three Journeyman Talents and two Novice Talents. A
character has access to every Maneuver in his Tier, as well as in the Tiers below.
1 Core Maneuvers - 1
2 - Novice Talent 1
3 - - 1
4 - Novice Talent 1
5 Tier 1 Maneuvers - 2
6 - Journeyman Talent 2
7 - - 2
8 - Journeyman Talent 2
9 - - 3
11 - - 3
12 - Master Talent 3
13 - - 3
14 - Master Talent 6
15 Mastery Maneuvers - 6
16 - - 6
17 - - 6
18 - - 8
19 - - 10
20 ??? ??? 10
When you take a new Proficiency that you didnt purchase at Character Creation, simply pay the level 1
Arc Point cost (detailed in Table XX) and then note it on your Character Sheet.
To level a Proficiency from level 1 to level 5, you must purchase levels 2, 3, 4 and 5. Proficiency levels
must be bought in order (you cannot buy only level 5 if you are currently level 1, but need to first buy
levels 2, 3 and 4). Once you have spent the required Arc Points to level your Proficiency, note it on your
Character Sheet.
Using Proficiencies
When in combat, a character determines their CP by combining their Proficiency level with their ADR.
The question then is, which Proficiency should the character use?
A character must use a Proficiency of the type of weapon that they are holding.
If a character is holding a sword in their dominant hand, then they must use the 1H Sword Proficiency. If
the sword is double-handed, then the Proficiency being used will almost always be 2H Sword. If the
character is wielding a spear, then they must use the Spear Proficiency. There are a few exceptions to this,
such as the Hand-Off rule for some 2H weapons that allows them to be wielded one-handed while still
using the 2H Proficiency of their type.
When Dual Wielding, a character must use the Proficiency for the weapon held in their dominant
hand.
If Ambidextrous and Dual Wielding, the character must decide which hand is being treated as
dominant at the beginning of each Round.
When unarmed, a character must either use Pugilism or Wrestling as their Proficiency.
If a character is forced to use a different Proficiency, either by Grappling, Disarming, or other
circumstances, they immediately gain or lose CP equal to the difference between their current
Proficiency and the one being switched to. If theyre the same level, then nothing is lost. This can
result in a character being forced to use a Default from their current Proficiency, often to
disastrous results. A character with CP reduced to 0 in this way is not subject to Overshock.
If a character is eligible to use multiple Proficiencies (i.e. while wielding a 2H Sword in one hand
using Hand-Off) they may not change between them except at the beginning of the Round.
If a character draws a new weapon mid-action, say with Quickdraw, the new Proficiency is
immediately applied.
Proficiency Defaults
If a character ends up wielding a weapon they are not familiar with, and has no appropriate Proficiency to
use it with, they can instead Default to one of their other Proficiencies at a slight penalty. When
Defaulting, the character effectively gains a temporary Proficiency, which is a number of levels lower
than the Proficiency being Defaulted from as illustrated in Table XX. When Defaulting, a character does
not enjoys the benefits of any School bonuses. They can only use the CP and Maneuvers appropriate to
the level of the Proficiency they are Defaulting to.
Bale has been disarmed of his sword (1H Sword), and must defend himself with only a hatchet (1H
Blunt). He was never trained in the weapons use, but he has an alright idea of how it works, and only
suffers a -1 penalty with it (using a 1H Blunt weapon when Defaulting from 1H Sword). His 1H Sword
level is 5, which allows him access to Tier 1 Maneuvers, but with the -1, his level in 1H Blunt is only 4,
meaning he can only use Core Maneuvers. Bad luck Bale!
Grappling 0 -1 -1 -3 -3 -4 -4 -5 -5
Pugilism -1 0 -1 -3 -3 -4 -4 -5 -5
Dagger -1 -1 0 -1 -1 -3 -3 -4 -4
1H Sword -3 -3 -1 0 -1 -3 -2 -4 -4
1H Blunt -3 -3 -1 -1 0 -1 -3 -3 -3
2H Blunt -4 -4 -3 -3 -1 0 -2 -3 -3
2H Sword -4 -4 -3 -2 -3 -2 0 -3 -3
Spear -5 -5 -4 -4 -3 -3 -3 0 -1
Polearm -5 -5 -4 -4 -3 -3 -3 -1 0
Dual Wielding
Dual Wielding involves using a weapon in each hand. This has come up many times throughout history
and legend, and is often associated with exceptional skill or prodigious talent. In reality, two-weapon
fighting was not merely the province of legendary swordsmen like Miyamoto Musashi, or Pal Kiniszi.
Though fighting with two swords was very unusual, fighting with a sword and a smaller companion
weapon, like a dagger, was not at all unusual at many points in history. References to double-rapier styles
(the infamous Case of Rapiers) abound, though it was never taken as seriously as the more formal styles
of dueling.
The chief advantage of using two weapons instead of a single weapon, or a weapon and a shield, is that
the secondary weapon can be used to parry, trap, or bind the opponents weapon, or make a counter-attack
on its own. The disadvantages range from not having a shield to the awkwardness of using a large weapon
in ones off-hand, or the inability to quickly grasp something with the free hand.
When Dual Wielding, always use the Proficiency of the weapon in your primary hand (if you are
Ambidextrous, you may choose which Proficiency you use) for terms of CP and available
Maneuvers.
Dual Wielding with a dagger or other weapon with Short Reach or less in the off-hand and a
another weapon in the primary hand incurs no penalty.
Dual Wielding with two larger weapons in each hand incurs a -2 penalty to CP, unless the
character is Ambidextrous, in which case no penalty is suffered.
Hand-Off Weapons
Certain weapons, while designed primarily to be used with two hands, could be wielded in one when the
situation demanded it, most often as cavalry swords while mounted, where one hand is needed to control
the reins.
To represent this, certain 2H weapons (generally swords) have an Hand-Off rule, and a second profile
that is 1H instead of 2H. Use the stats appropriate to the number of hands being used to hold the weapon.
Switching from the 2H grip of a sword to a 1H grip has no cost, and can be done at the beginning of any
Action. Switching back, assuming the other hand is still free (and attached to the body), can be done the
same way.
Schools
A School in Song of Swords is a group of Proficiencies that are all leveled up at once for a discounted
cost. Schools cost more Arc Points for a character to take, but theyre much cheaper to level up, thus
allowing a character to have multiple high-level Proficiencies at a lower cost.
There are several different kinds of Schools, each with a different structure and unique benefits, as well as
their own costs for buying in (either at Character Creation or afterwards) and leveling.
Buying into a School in order to gain its benefits is easy. The base cost in Arc of a School is listed in
brackets in its Cost section. After this is paid, a number of Proficiencies can be selected and purchased at
level 1 as part of the School. Each Proficiency added to a School must be paid for normally, though
Humans, because of their racial characteristic Willing to Learn, purchase Proficiencies for 1 point instead
of 2. Some Schools have an additional cost per Proficiency that must be paid to add one to the School. In
the case of Primary and Secondary Proficiencies in Schools, these sometimes have different costs.
Once Proficiencies are chosen and paid for, the School is complete. All Proficiencies within the School
are at level 1. Some Schools have bonuses or penalties for Primary or Secondary Proficiencies, listed in
brackets (i.e. 1 Primary [0]) that alter the CP of the Proficiencies in question.
Tosca is part of a Self-Taught School, and he has the School at level 1. His Primary Proficiency is 1H
Sword. His Secondary Proficiency is Wrestling.
Self-Taught Schools have Primary at 0, so his 1H Sword Proficiencys CP is 1 (1+0). Self-Taught Schools
have Secondary at -1, so his Wrestling Proficiencys CP is actually 0 (1-1), meaning that while he has the
School and access to Core Maneuvers, he does not get any CP from the Proficiency when he fights with
it.
Leveling a School
Once youve bought into a School, it levels just like any other proficiency, using the same number of
points as individual proficiencies. The level of the School is tracked independently. The individual
proficiencies in the School are listed as -1, 0, or +1, this being their level relative to the Schools
level, and representing the different focus that the School places on different weapons.
Gallant is part of a Self-Taught School that has 2H Sword at 0, Dagger at -1 and 1H Sword at 1. His
School Level is 8, which means that he effectively has 2H Sword at 8 (8+0), Dagger at 7 (8-1) and 1H
Sword at 9 (8+1).
School Types
Self-Taught
You taught yourself--or learned through hard knocks--that its better to have a few Jacks up your sleeve
than one Ace. Self-Taught Schools tend to contain few weapons, and practitioners tend to develop bad
habits, but at the same time they are also uniquely well-suited for picking up dirty tricks and thinking
outside of the box.
Noble
Noble Schools exist to teach wealthy aristocrats and other interested, affluent parties how to conduct
themselves in battle. Noble schools are expensive, and this means they can afford the best tutors to school
their charges in how to properly murder their fellow men. The primary advantage of Noble Schools is the
exquisite form and speed that comes from constant repetition, constant correction, and no shortage of
training equipment. These assets come together to produce excellently practiced fighters with a great
technical understanding of combat.
Entry Requirements: 5 gp upon entry. Additionally, each Tier costs 5 gp to unlock, as a member of a
Noble School must pay exorbitant dues to his school in order to gain access to their secrets (this also
serves to keep poor people out on the street, where they belong).
Who Uses it: Young aristocrats, the sons of very wealthy merchants, prodigious peasants allowed access
because of natural talent.
What Weapons: Noble Schools tend to include civilized upper-class weapons, like long swords, sabers,
lances, rapiers, and perhaps some missile weapons like bows or crossbows. Pugilism and wrestling are
generally beneath the dignity of these men, but sometimes are included if dueling in armor is in vogue.
Proficiencies: 1-2 Primary [+2], 1-5 Secondary [+0]
Bonuses: You automatically gain a Novice Talent for your Primary Proficiency at School level 1, a
Journeyman Talent at level 5, and a Master Talent at level 10. You may also choose whether the Noble
School you attended teaches Armored, Unarmored, or Missile fighting:
Armored: Your END counts as being 2 higher for the purposes of Carry.
Unarmored: For each Primary Proficiency you have in the Noble School, you may choose an individual
weapon or shield that is compatible with that Proficiency. When using that weapon or shield with that
Proficiency, you reduce the Parry/Block TN of the weapon/shield by 1.
Missile: When taking this School, Choose either Rapid Shot or Power Draw. You gain +2 MP whenever
performing that Maneuver.
Penalties: None. Youre just superior.
Cost: [2]+2 per Primary, +1 per Secondary
Soldier
Soldier Schools emphasize quantity and practicality. These schools are intended to instruct large numbers
of men on how to use a large variety of weapons, and to confront whatever situation they may be forced
into on the battlefield. The methods used are often rough, with less focus on sparring and more on the use
of pells, training posts and courses to build strength and skill.
Entry Requirements: 10 sp upon entry, or 5 sp if the character served in an army, town guard, or militia.
Who Uses it: Soldiers, mercenaries, civilian militia with training.
What Weapons: Soldier Schools can include a broad array of weapons, including swords, daggers,
spears, maces, axes, bows, crossbows, javelins and slings, and as well as these, almost certainly including
wrestling in their regimen.
Proficiencies: 3-9 Primary [+0]
Bonuses: Tier 1 Maneuvers and Tier 2 Maneuvers cost 1 less for this School.
Penalties: Mastery Maneuvers Tier costs 1 more for this School.
Cost: [1]+1 per Proficiency at adoption.
Officer
Officer Schools can be considered as more refined than a Soldier School, but lacking the finesse and
prestige of a Noble School. Officers may not necessarily be of noble birth, but they have standards of
dignity and decorum to uphold, while also expecting to get their hands dirty from time to time. Officer
Schools teach the weapons of a gentleman as well as the weapons of war.
Entry Requirements: 1 gp upon entry. Additionally, each Tier costs 1 gp to unlock. The officers corps
will generally try to dissuade the unmonied classes from advancing anywhere, but particularly in martial
skill.
Who Uses it: Officers, the sons of officers, martially-minded aristocrats, the sons of martially-minded
aristocrats, janissaries.
What Weapons: Officer Schools teach a mix of weapons of both martial and civilian bent, including
missile and melee weapons. Many officers will expect to do their fighting mounted even if they command
infantry units, and schools that cater to cavalry officers may focus on weapons like sabers, lances,
horsebows, carbines, and so on.
Proficiencies: 1-3 Primary [+1], 1-6 Secondary [+0]
Bonuses: You automatically gain a Novice Talent for your Primary Proficiency at School level 1, a
Journeyman Talent at level 5, and a Master Talent at level 10.
Penalties: None.
Cost: [1]+2 per Primary at adoption, +1 per Secondary
Esoteric
Esoteric Schools are those in which the chief aim is some intellectual or spiritual goal, where martial
prowess and skill at arms is considered a contributor. Martial skill as a pathway to enlightenment, or some
deeper understanding of the self, was not a new concept when the first words clawed their way from a
human throat. The existential dread brought on by violence and the fear of death have been motivators for
introspection since the first spear was knapped from flint.
Esoteric Schools tend to be minimalistic with how they deal with actual violence, even brutish. The
fighter himself must vanish into the technique, because it is the act of performing the technique perfectly
that is relevant--not the fighter, not the enemy, not even the fight. A certain fearlessness, born of fatalism
and discipline, is born of this sort of style, and it creates unnerving and skilled warriors who are difficult
to read, and even more difficult to counter. Archery traditions in Esoteric Schools often involved
controlled breathing and a holistic approach to aiming rather than a technical one, and are frequently
practiced in conjunction with shouts or chants.
Entry Requirements: 1/10th of starting Wealth at Character Creation. Esoteric Schools cannot be entered
during regular play without the GMs approval.
Who Uses It: Mystics, sword-sages, wandering duelists, Illuminati, and certain religious men.
What Weapons: Esoteric Schools tend to focus on civilian weapons, simply because warfare is not
usually their element. Swords are most common, but some may practice the quarterstaff, truncheon, spear,
or even unarmed combat and wrestling if the culture is right. Bows and sometimes throwing weapons are
common in Esoteric Schools, but it is EXTREMELY rare for to see crossbows or firearms included (+2
cost when adding to School)
Proficiencies: 1-2 Primary [+1], 0-3 Secondary [+0]
Bonuses: Any Advanced offensive or defensive maneuver made against you has a +2 Activation Cost.
Missile Attacks made while benefiting from Aim may adjust the Hit Location by 1 automatically.
Penalties: All Advanced offensive or defensive maneuvers you perform have +2 Activation Cost.
Cost: [2]+2 per Primary, +1 per Secondary
Proficiency List
These are the Proficiencies available to be taken either individually or as part of Schools. Each weapon
may be able to be used with more than one Proficiency (e.g. certain pole weapons can be used with both
the spear and polearm Proficiencies), so be sure to check which Proficiencies your characters favored
weapons use.
Melee Proficiencies
Wrestling
Grappling, wrestling, and throwing, both in unarmed and armed situations. Very useful in and out of
armor, wrestling is one of the few ways to defeat a foe in armor without a heavy armor penetrating
weapon.
Core Maneuvers
Clinch [Superior]
Upgrade one Clinch Maneuver to Superior
Tier 1 Maneuvers
Upgrade one Clinch Maneuver to Superior
Disarm [Superior]
Tier 2 Maneuvers
All remaining Clinch Maneuvers gain Superior
Pugilism
Fighting with fists, feet, knees, elbows, and so on. Pugilism is the striking component of unarmed combat,
and focuses less on wrestling and grappling, and more on striking the opponent.
Core Maneuvers
Upgrade an Unarmed Maneuver to Superior (choose three: Kick, Straight Punch, Hook Punch,
Elbow, Knee, Shoulder Charge)
One-Two Punch
Tier 1 Maneuvers
Upgrade an Unarmed Maneuver to Superior (choose one: Kick, Straight Punch, Hook Punch,
Elbow, Knee, Shoulder Charge)
Disarm [Superior]
Arm Parry [Superior]
Tier 2 Maneuvers
Upgrade an Unarmed Maneuver to Superior (choose one: Kick, Straight Punch, Hook Punch,
Elbow, Knee, Shoulder Charge)
Clinch [Superior]
Dagger
Fighting with knives, daggers, and other short cutting and stabbing weapons. Certain daggers may tread
the line between dagger and sword. Dagger fighting is useful both in a civilian and military setting--the
dagger is often the last line of defense a fighter has, as well as being useful for finishing off grounded
opponents. The weapon also has darker applications for assassins and murderers, as its size lends well to
easy concealment. Stilettos, Rondel Daggers, Cinquedeas, and Misericordes are all useful daggers for
various situations.
Using a dagger allows access to a combination of both armed and unarmed Maneuvers, making it highly
versatile.
Core Maneuvers
Deep Draw Cut
Pommel Strike
Tier 1 Maneuvers
Dacian Rush
Arm Parry [Superior]
Pommel Strike [Superior]
Disarm [Superior]
Tier 2 Maneuvers
Clinch [Superior]
1H Sword
The single-handed sword has always held a special place in warfare as the companion weapon of the
professional soldier. As such, practice with the sword has always been associated with martial virtue and
professionalism, from the ascendancy of the Roman Legion to the collapse of Napoleons Empire. The
Gladius, the Arming Sword, the Rapier, Saber and Backsword, all carry a respectable legacy of violence.
1H Sword has access to many highly technical Maneuvers, as well as early access to many advanced
Maneuvers, including Shield Maneuvers.
Core Maneuvers
Pommel Strike
Tier 1 Maneuvers
Shield Bind
Deep Draw Cut
Riposte
Murder-Strike
Half-Sword
Quickdraw
Shield Bash [Superior]
Shield Beat [Superior]
Pommel Strike [Superior]
Simultaneous Parry/Attack
Tier 2 Maneuvers
Beat [Superior]
Simultaneous Parry/Attack [Superior]
Disarm [Superior]
Hilt Push [Superior]
Push Cut [Superior]
Riposte [Superior]
Shield Bind [Superior]
2H Sword: Two handed swords, though less common than their single-handed cousins throughout
history, were frequently weapons of war intended for use in the thick of battle by elite troops. The
Landsknechts with their Zweihanders were the defenders of battle standards and were also the bodyguards
of generals. Spanish Montante manuals contain detailed plays for the fighting of many foes at once. The
more modest Longsword, Bastard Sword and other similar weapons dominated the dueling scene in
Europe for centuries as well.
2H Sword has access to many highly technical Maneuvers, as well as early access to many advanced
Maneuvers.
Core Maneuvers
Pommel Strike
Simultaneous Parry/Attack
Half-Sword
Murder-Strike
Tier 1 Maneuvers
Quickdraw
Riposte
Deep Draw Cut
Hilt Push [Superior]
Disarm [Superior]
Pommel Strike [Superior]
Simultaneous Parry/Attack [Superior]
Shield Bash [Superior]
Shield Beat [Superior]
Tier 2 Maneuvers
Beat [Superior]
Riposte [Superior]
Break [Superior]
Push Cut [Superior]
1H Blunt: Swords are all well and good, but sometimes youve just got to hit someone with an axe. Blunt
weapons werent always blunt--axes meant for war were actually thinner than wood-splitting axes, and
were lighter and sharper. The end-heavy weighting of the weapons does lend them a similar technique.
Warhammers, Maces, Battleaxes and Truncheons are more effective against armor than slashing weapons
like swords, and were useful tools against plate-armored adversaries.
1H Blunt has access to fewer Maneuvers than the Sword Proficiencies, but makes up for this with
powerful versions of Maneuvers meant to destroy enemy armor, shields, and weapons, as well as Shield
Maneuvers.
Core Maneuvers
Universal Maneuvers only
Tier 1 Maneuvers
Shield Bind
Beat [Superior]
Hook [Superior]
Break [Superior]
Hew [Superior]
Shield Bash [Superior]
Tier 2 Maneuvers
Riposte
Disarm [Superior]
Shield Beat [Superior]
Shield Bind [Superior]
2H Blunt: Heavy blunt weapons hold a particular place in history, as both the tools of elite warriors and
peasants alike. The Dane Axe was used by the Huscarl elite of Scandinavia and England, whereas the
Pole-Flail was reportedly used by the peasant armies of the Hussites and the Belgians during their various
revolts. The Morningstar and Heavy Mace were often used by professional soldiers as late as the 16th
Century. Cheaper than swords, but more effective against heavy armor, these were often the weapons of
choice in the age of high chivalry.
2H Blunt has access to fewer Maneuvers than the Sword Proficiencies, but makes up for this with
powerful versions of Maneuvers meant to destroy enemy armor, shields, and weapons.
Core Maneuvers
Universal Maneuvers only
Tier 1 Maneuvers
Beat [Superior]
Shield Bind
Hook [Superior]
Break [Superior]
Hew [Superior]
Tier 2 Maneuvers
Riposte
Disarm [Superior]
Spear: Spears have always been ubiquitous weapons. Cheap, easy to make, and easy to train with, they
were useful for every kind of soldier from the conscript to the professional, and remained the most
common weapon for most of history, with only various swords coming anywhere close in terms of
deployment. The Spear came in various lengths, from the handy Arming Spear to the extremely long Pike.
Certain specialized versions, such as the Ahlspiess, were designed for duties for which the regular spear
was unsuited, like penetrating plate.
Spear has access to many highly technical Maneuvers, just like Sword, but it lacks some of the destructive
Maneuvers of the Polearm and Blunt.
Core Maneuvers
Universal Maneuvers only
Tier 1 Maneuvers
Riposte
Simultaneous Parry/Attack
Shield Bind
Shield Bash [Superior]
Shield Beat [Superior]
Push Cut [Superior]
Tier 2 Maneuvers
Simultaneous Parry/Attack [Superior]
Riposte [Superior]
Shield Bind [Superior]
Polearm: Fighting with Polearms is the most important skill for most soldiers. Polearms were present on
battlefields the world over, but especially in the Medieval world. Polearms can thrust, smash through
armor, hook foes off horses, and otherwise ruin anyones day. The Halberd is the best known polearm,
but the Bill, the Voulge, the Glaive and the Lucerne Hammer were equally common.
Polearm has access to a variety of useful Maneuvers, including a mixture of destructive and technical
Maneuvers. It lacks Shield Maneuvers since most polearms were meant to be used two-handed.
Core Maneuvers
Universal Maneuvers only
Tier 1 Maneuvers
Riposte
Hook [Superior]
Disarm [Superior]
Hew [Superior]
Break [Superior]
Tier 2 Maneuvers
Simultaneous Parry/Attack
Missile Proficiencies
Missile Proficiencies work very similarly to Melee Proficiencies, but with a few small differences.
Notably, Missile Proficiencies have no Defaults (see below, in Alternate Weapon Usage) or Talents
available to them.
Bow
Core Maneuvers
Universal Maneuvers only
Tier 1 Maneuvers
Power Draw
Shoot [Superior]
Tier 2 Maneuvers
Rapid Shot [Superior] OR Power Draw [Superior]
Crossbow
Core Maneuvers
Universal Maneuvers only
Tier 1 Maneuvers
Aim [Superior]
Shoot [Superior]
Tier 2 Maneuvers
Firearms
Core Maneuvers
Universal Maneuvers only
Tier 1 Maneuvers
Aim [Superior]
Shoot [Superior]
Throwing Weapons
Core Maneuvers
Universal Maneuvers only
Tier 1 Maneuvers
Fling [Superior]
Maneuvers are divided into simple categories based on what they do, and when they can be used. For
example, Parry is a Defense Weapon Maneuver, because it involves parrying an attack with a weapon. A
Lance Charge is an Attack Mounted Weapon Maneuver, since it involves a kind of attack that can only be
performed when mounted with a weapon. Most Maneuvers will require the character be wielding an
appropriate weapon, which is listed in the Requirements section of each Maneuver.
Gaining Maneuvers
Some Maneuvers are automatically gained at Character Creation, and are able to be used by all characters
with any Proficiency. These Maneuvers are identified as Universal.
Other Maneuvers, identified as Advanced must be earned through levelling Proficiencies and unlocking
Maneuver Tiers (refer to Chapter XX for more information). Advanced Maneuvers can only be used
when a character is currently using a Proficiency with the Advanced Maneuver unlocked. That means, if
your character is using a Bow, they cannot utilize the Advanced Maneuvers available to a 2H Blunt
weapon, even if that Maneuver is unlocked.
Using Maneuvers
The Superior versions of Maneuvers are considered Advanced for all purposes.
Some Maneuvers, such as Grappling and Hilt Push, result in a special state in which additional
Maneuvers become available. These are indicated by having the parent Maneuvers name before theirs
(i.e. Hilt Push: Grapple, or Hilt Push: Lever-Down).
Maneuvers List
All Maneuvers follow this format:
Maneuver List
The table below lists all Maneuvers by their Primary and Secondary roles (a Swing is an Attack using a
Weapon). It also shows whether a Maneuver is Universal or Advanced (noted as U and A), as well as
if the Maneuver has a Superior version (S). The cost of the Maneuver is shown, however it is always a
good idea to read the full text of a Maneuver to understand how it is used and how much it will cost you
to activate. Some Maneuvers are categorized by type, and certain types of Maneuvers may be affected by
others, or Boons, Banes and Talents.
Attack Maneuvers
Attack Maneuvers are generally (though not always) declared with Initiative (see Chapter XX). These all
involve some sort of attack aimed at an Opponent. Attack Maneuvers are divided into sub-categories,
which when referenced should be denoted with Attack (i.e. an Unarmed Maneuver in this category is an
Unarmed Attack, a Weapon Maneuver in this category is a Weapon Attack, etc.)
BEAT [X]
Type: Universal, Swinging
Requirements: Have a weapon with a Swing TN. It must be the Round immediately after Orientation
Declaration, and you must have declared Aggressive.
Maneuver: Swinging Weapon Attack at Swing TN of weapon, targeting Opponent weapon or shield with
X dice. Halve all Reach costs for this Maneuver. For the purpose of Initiative tests involving this
Maneuver, Reach costs are not factored into the Initiative roll.
Success: Opponent cannot use targeted weapon or shield to perform any action until Refresh. Opponent
suffers [BS] Stun. This attack does not change the Reach of combat.
Superior: You may now declare this Maneuver in any Action immediately after Refresh if you have
Initiative.
Vladock is having trouble getting past his opponents spear. He declares a Beat with 8 dice. His opponent
declares a Void with 7. Vladock gets 3 BS to his opponents 2, and so beats aside his opponents weapon
and costs him 1 Stun. Vladock can now make an attack in the next Action without fear of being counter-
attacked by the spear, since it cannot be used for anything. Hell still have to pay Range costs, but at least
its a safe bet instead of a dangerous move.
BREAK [X+2]
Type: Universal, Swinging
Requirements: Have a weapon with a Swing TN. Opponent has a weapon.
Maneuver: Swinging Weapon Attack at Weapon Reach at Swing TN, targeting Opponents weapon with
X dice.
Success: Opponents weapon sustains damage equal to [STR+Weapon Swing Damage+BS]. If the
amount of damage dealt equals or exceeds the damage threshold (listed below) for the targeted weapon, it
breaks, and becomes useless except as a potential improvised weapon. At the GMs discretion, a spear or
polearm may effectively become a quarterstaff after being broken, a wood-hafted blunt weapon might
become a truncheon, and so on.
Special: This Maneuver ignores Reach modifiers. The user does not move to their weapons Reach on a
successful attack, but may if the Opponents weapon is broken.
Superior: Break inflicts +2 additional damage.
Dagger 12
Regular Sword 20
Wood-Hafted Blunt 10
Metal-Hafted Blunt 15
Spear/Polearm 10
Langetted/Reinforced Spear/Polearm 12
Hector is charging a pikeman with his zweihander. Rather than try to close the distance immediately to
attack the man, Hector declares a Break against the mans weapon with 10 dice, paying 2 for activation.
His opponent attempts a Void with 8 dice. Hector succeeds with 3 dice to 2, and inflicts 7+3+1
(strength+weapon+bonus successes) damage for a total of 11, breaking the pike, whose durability was
10. The Pikeman now has only a broken stick, and Hector can deal with him on more even terms.
BUTT-STRIKE [X]
Type: Universal, Attack, Swinging
Requirements: Have a Polearm or Spear weapon, or a Sword being held Half-Swording.
Maneuver: Swinging Weapon Attack at Short Reach at Weapon Swing TN, aimed on Swing Table.
Success: Inflicts Bludgeoning damage equal to [STR+0+BS] to Hit Location.
Special: If this weapon has a metal cap of some sort on the weapons reverse end (or if it is a sword being
used) this attack inflicts +1 Bludgeoning damage.
If Half-Swording the weapon being used for Butt-Strike, the weapon does not suffer the penalty to
Swinging damage normally associated with Half-Swording.
Vlatko rushes out of concealment to assassinate a Marju Khan, who has just left the bathhouse in a robe. He has a Pishkan
Toothpick as his weapon, and declares a Dacian Rush.
Vlatko has 15 CP. The Khan has 20 normally, but this Action he is surprised, and has only 10. Vlatko declares a Dacian Rush
with 2+6+7 dice. The Khan tries to Quickdraw his saber by spending 1 CP, so that he can Parry the Dacian's knife with 8 dice.
First the Khan must roll his PER (5) versus Vlatko's 6 dice, both at TN 7.
Vlatko succeeds by 1 BS, and in doing so inflicts 1 Stun, cancels the Khan's Quickdraw, and also his Parry, returning half of the
dice spent (0 from Quickdraw, 4 from the Parry) to his pool. Stun reduces this to 3, meaning the Khan only has 4 CP left. Vlatko
now resolves his Thrust with 7 dice, the Khan tries to use Quick Defense with an Arm Parry by spending 2 and then defending
with his remaining 2 dice. However, this Arm Parry is made at +2 TN (TN 9 for Arm Parry) meaning the Khan is less than likely
to succeed.
Vlatko gets 4 successes, the Khan gets 0. Vlatko inflicts STR+Weapon Damage+BS for 5+1+4 piercing damage to the Khans
TOU of 5 and the AV of his clothing (ruled to be 1) inflicting a level 4 piercing Wound to the Belly through the Khan's robe. The
Khan takes more damage than he can handle, and fails his Overshock test, becoming prone. Both parties have 0 CP left.
If Vlatko had a few more dice, he could declare a Rapid Thrust to stab the man again, but instead he'll just wait for the Refresh to
finish the injured warlord off.
Jerzy, who is fighting with brigands, and has been stabbed in the side, has just stolen Initiative, but he only has 4 remaining dice.
His Hussar Saber has Draw 3, and he means to take advantage of it. He declares a Deep Draw Cut, moving his weapon to S
Reach (convenient, as the fight is now at S Reach because of his stabbing) putting 4 dice on a Strike to the neck. He gets 2
successes, and thanks to Deep Draw Cut, thats enough to activate the Draw damage of his Hussar Saber. His Strength of 4, plus
1 for the weapon, plus 3 for the Draw, plus 2 for the BS equals 10 total damage. Jerzy scores a Level 5 Wound, and decapitates
his foe. If he hadnt used Deep Draw Cut, he wouldve only inflicted 7 damage, which wouldve only been a level 2 Wound, and
his opponents attack mightve gone through..
.
DISARM [X+1]
Type: Universal, Attack, Swinging or Punching
Requirements: None
Maneuver: Swinging Weapon Attack at Weapon Reach at Parry TN, OR Punching Unarmed Attack at
Hand Reach at Punch TN 6, targeting Opponent weapon.
Success: Opponent must make an AGI test with RS equal to BS. If this test is failed, the targeted weapon
is removed from the Opponent's grasp, and either retained by you, dropped at your feet, or thrown several
yards away at your discretion.
Special: If an Opponents weapon is a 2H weapon, the Opponent gains a +1 bonus to his AGI test.
If the weapon is connected to your character by some means (a lanyard or a chain, etc) the weapon is
dropped, but can be retrieved as though Drawing the weapon, or Quickdraw.
Superior: When disarming an Opponent with a 2H weapon, they do not gain the normal +1 bonus to the
stability test.
Dusan and Mirza are practicing their swordsmanship. Dusan has declared a Disarm with 6 dice, and Mirza has declared a
Parry with 5. Dusan scores 3 successes to Mirzas 2. Mirza must now make an AGI test at RS 3 (2 base +1 for BS). He has 5
AGI, but only rolls 2 successes. He is disarmed, and his weapon is tossed some distance away. Mirza grins bitterly as he goes to
retrieve his sword.
FEINT [2+Variable]
Type: Universal, Attack, Instant
Requirements: Activate after having declared a Swinging or Thrusting Maneuver, and after any other
Maneuvers have been declared, but before any are resolved. You may only activate this Maneuver from a
Thrusting Maneuver if the weapon being used has the Fluid Thrusts quality.
Maneuver: When activated, change either the type of the attack (to either a Swinging or Thrusting
Maneuver) or (if the Maneuver targets an area) the Hit Location of the attack (Face to Chest, Chest to
Upper Arm, etc.). You may elect to change both if applicable, but you must choose at least one. You may
pay 2 dice to add 1 dice to this attack, as many times as you can afford.
Additionally, your opponent suffers a +1 TN to any Defense made against this Attack unless he plays 2
CP.
HALF-SWORD [1]
Type: Advanced, Instant
Requirements: Have any Sword without the Light Blade special rule.
Maneuver: This weapon is now Half-Swording. Reduce the Reach of your weapon by 1 stage, and
reduce Swing damage by 2. If the weapon being used was 1H with Hand-Off, it is now 2H. If it was 2H,
it remains 2H. When performing a Joint Thrust Maneuver while Half-Swording, your weapon counts as
having the Thin Blade rule, if it did not previously, and the damage of the Joint Thrust is made at
[Weapon Damage+STR+BS] instead of [Weapon Damage+Half STR+BS]. Additionally, Pommel Strike
Maneuvers performed while Half-Swording inflict +1 damage.
You may deactivate this Maneuver instantly and at no cost before an Action. The weapon immediately
regains its original characteristics and loses all bonuses.
This Maneuver can be activated instantly before declaring another Maneuver.
This Maneuver cannot be activated and deactivated in the same Action.
Special: If the weapon being Half-Sworded has the Hand-Off quality, determine its Half-Sword attributes
based on its 2H version, regardless of whether the Maneuver was activated from 1H or 2H mode.
HEW [0]
Type: Universal, Attack, Swinging
Requirements: Have a weapon with a Swing TN.
Maneuver: Swinging Weapon Attack at Weapon Reach, at Weapon Swing TN targeting Opponent
shield.
Success: Opponent takes [half BS] Stun. Opponents shield then sustains damage equal to [STR+Weapon
Damage+BS] against its Durability. If the damage equals or exceeds its Durability, the shield is
destroyed. If it does not, the shield remains intact but permanently loses 2 Durability, weakening it to
further Hews attempts.
Special: Blocking Maneuvers made to defend against this Maneuver are made at +1 TN.
Superior: If this Hew fails to destroy a shield it hits, it reduces that shields Durability by an additional 1.
HOOK [1]
Type: Universal, Attack, Swinging OR Thrusting
Requirements: Have a weapon with the Hook quality.
Maneuver: Swinging Weapon Attack at Weapon Reach at Weapon Swing TN, OR Thrusting Weapon
Attack at Weapon Reach at Thrust TN, targeting Opponent shield or the Opponent.
Success: If targeting Opponent, Opponent takes [BS] Stun, and Opponent must make a stability roll at
[2+BS] RS or be rendered Prone.
If targeting Shield, Opponent cannot use his shield in the following Action, and must make an AGI roll at
[2+BS] RS or lose shield altogether as it is dragged away.
Special: You cannot use Hook against a mounted Opponent unless the weapon being used is of L Reach
or longer.
Superior: If targeting an Opponent on a mount, add BS to the number of feet that the character
effectively falls after being pulled from saddle.
MURDER-STRIKE [2]
Type: Advanced, Instant
Requirements: Have a 1H or 2H Sword with base Guard Value 2 (custom modification bonuses dont
count). Have two hands available to hold the weapon. This Maneuver can only be activated if you have
used no other Maneuvers first.
Maneuver: When activated, roll ADR at 3 RS. This is instant, and does not resolve in Initiative. If
successful, this Maneuver takes effect immediately, and you may declare another Maneuver this Action.
If unsuccessful, this Maneuver takes effect at the end of the Action, and the weapon cannot be used for
any other Maneuvers until then.
Success: This weapon is now Murder-Striking. Change the Swing damage to +1b if the weapon is 1H and
+2b if the weapon is 2H. Change the Thrust damage to -2b. The weapon loses all special qualities and
gains Shock 2 and Heavy Weapon instead. If the weapon was 1H, it is now 2H. If the weapon was Half-
Swording, or if it was a 2H Sword held 1H through Hand-Off, revert it to its regular form before applying
these changes.
Special: You may deactivate this Maneuver in an identical manner to activating it, returning the weapon
to its normal stats.
QUICKDRAW [1]
Type: Universal, Instant
Requirements: Have a weapon that you want drawn, and have the capacity to draw it. This Maneuver
can only be activated if no other Maneuvers have been used first.
Maneuver: When activated, roll ADR at 1 RS per Reach level of the weapon past H Reach. This is
instant, and does not resolve in Initiative. H Reach weapons automatically succeed. Weapon with greater
than L Reach cannot be Quickdrawn.
The RS for Quickdrawing missile weapons of various sorts is listed in the table below. (If the missile
weapon cannot be
Success: You immediately draw the weapon, and may declare a Swing, Thrust or Parry Maneuver in this
same Action. These Maneuvers must be made with the Quickdrawn weapon.
Special: If the weapon being Quickdrawn has the Draw special quality, reduces the RS to successfully
Quickdraw it by 2.
Pistol 1
Dragon Pistol 2
Blunderbuss 3
Musket 4
Light Crossbow 3
Heavy Crossbow 4
Small Bow 4
Large Bow 6
SWING [X]
Type: Universal, Swinging
Requirements: Wielding a weapon with a Swing TN.
Maneuver: Weapon Attack at Weapon Reach with X dice rolled at Swing TN, aimed on the Swinging
Attack Table.
Success: Inflicts damage equal to [STR+Weapon Swing Damage+BS] to Hit Location. Damage is of
weapons Swing damage type.
Power Attack (1-2): When declaring a Swing, you may spend up to 2 CP to increase Swing damage by
an amount equal to the number of CP spent.
THRUST [X]
Type: Universal, Thrusting
Requirements: Wielding a weapon with a Thrust value.
Maneuver: Weapon Attack at Weapon Reach with X dice, rolled at Thrust TN, aimed on the Thrusting
Attack Table.
Success: Inflicts damage equal to [STR+Weapon Thrust Damage+BS] to Hit Location. Damage is of
weapons Thrust damage type.
Special: When rolling an Initiative test to determine attack order while making a Thrust, you may roll 1
additional die in the test.
Rapid Thrust: This may be used by weapons of S Reach or shorter only. If Thrust is successful, you may
pay X+2 additional CP to make another Thrust with X dice as part of the same Action. Resolve Thrust as
normal. The Opponent may only use Quick Defense against this Maneuver.
Duke rushes into battle with a warhammer in either hand. He is faced by a foe with a spear who outreaches him by two yards.
Duke declares Offensive, as do his opponent, meaning it is now do-or-die time. Rather than try to defend against his opponents
attack and strike at the same time, or win an Initiative test using only his S Reach, Duke declares a Weapon Throw with 8 dice.
This lets him make the attack at the EL Reach of his Opponents weapon so that he doesnt suffer any penalties, and he gains the
+1 bonus to Initiative for the Maneuvers special quality.
He rolls more successes than his Opponent, so he makes his attack with 8 dice, using the Missile TN of Hammers (7) and scores 3
successes. The hammer slams into the spearmans face, and he collapses into a heap.
ELBOW [X]
Type: Universal, Attack, Unarmed
Requirements: An arm with which to strike. This can be done while holding a weapon, at the GM's
discretion.
Maneuver: Unarmed Attack at HA Reach with X dice at Elbow TN 7 to Target Zone on the Swinging or
Thrusting Attack Table.
Success: Inflicts Unarmed Damage equal to [STR+0+BS] to Hit Location.
Failure: If Parried, suffer a Swing or Thrust (Opponents choice, GM adjudicates) to Elbowing arm with
dice equal to half of Defense successes from Parrying weapon.
Special: If elbow is armored in metal, add +1 to damage.
If aiming an Elbow below the waist, Activation Cost increases by 1.
Superior: Your elbows now inflict an additional +2 damage.
Gallant has Pinned his opponents arm, torso, and neck using the Grappling rules, and delivers a savage Elbow to his victims
head with 12 dice. He rolls 8 successes to the defenseless fool, and inflicts STR-2(4)+8 damage, for a total of 12!
HEADBUTT [X+1]
Type: Universal, Attack, Unarmed
Requirements: None. No hands required.
Maneuver: Unarmed Attack at HA Reach with X dice at Headbutt TN 6 at either Face or Chest Target
Zone on the Thrusting Attack Table.
Success: Inflicts Unarmed Damage equal to [STR-1+BS] to Hit Location. Target suffers [BS] Stun. Half
of damage done minus BS is inflicted back on your upper head. You suffer [half BS] Stun.
Failure: If Parried, suffer a Swing or Thrust (opponents choice, GM adjudicates) to Upper Head with
dice equal to half of Defense successes from Parrying weapon. If Blocked, suffer a Shield Bash to Upper
Head with dice equal to half of Defense successes from shield used.
Special: If head is protected with a helmet (chain coifs do not count) the Head receives no damage or stun
back upon it from this attack, and the Headbutt instead inflicts [STR+0+BS] Damage.
KICK [X]
Type: Universal, Attack, Unarmed
Requirements: Have an available leg to Kick.
Maneuver: Unarmed Attack at S Reach with X dice at Kick TN 8 at Target Zone on the Thrusting or
Swinging Attack Table.
Success: Inflicts Unarmed damage equal to [STR+0+BS] to Hit Location. Opponent must make a stability
test at BS or be rendered Prone.
Failure: If Parried, suffer a Swing or Thrust (opponents choice, GM adjudicates) to kicking leg with
dice equal to half of Defense successes from Parrying weapon or shield.
Special: If aiming a Kick above the waist, Activation Cost increases by 1. If wearing sabatons or steel
boots, add +1 to damage.
When rolling an Initiative test to determine attack order while making a Thrusting Kick, you may roll 1
additional die in the test.
Whip Kick (1-2): When declaring a Swinging Kick,, you may spend up to 2 CP to increase Kick damage
by an amount equal to the number of CP spent.
If the Target is currently prone, a Thrusting kick inflicts an additional +2 damage.
Superior: Your Kicks now inflict an additional +2 damage.
Gaston has just discharged his blunderbuss into a dubious brigand, but he has no melee weapon with which to defend himself
from yon brigands comrade! He levels a Kick at the blaggard with 14 dice, and his attack succeeds with 3 BS. Gaston inflicts
negligible damage to the brigandine armored brigand, but the Opponent must make an RS 3 stability test or be rendered prone.
The brigand fails, and is flung backwards onto the ground, giving Gaston enough time to pour a fistfull of silverware down the
barrel of his blunderbuss, and
KNEE [X]
Type: Universal, Attack, Unarmed
Requirements: Have an available leg to Knee.
Maneuver: Unarmed Attack at HA Reach with X dice at Knee TN 7 at Target Zone on the Thrusting
Attack Table.
Success: Inflicts Unarmed damage equal to [STR+1+BS] to Hit Location.
Failure: If Parried, suffer a Swing or Thrust (opponents choice, GM adjudicates) to kneeing leg with
dice equal to half of Defense successes from Parrying weapon or shield.
Special: If aiming a Knee above the waist, Activation Cost increases by 2 unless Knee is targeting Target
Zone currently Trapped in a Clinch. If wearing metal knee-armor, add +1 to damage.
Superior: Your knees now inflict an additional +2 damage.
Dietrich, having just spit a Bohemian rebel on his sidesword, finds an officer in full armor approaching him from an unseen
quarter. His sword wont be able to penetrate that armor, so he declares a Shield Bash to the face on the Hussite rascal with his
rodela with 8 dice. The Hussite is in full armor, so his Void costs would be high. He attempts to Parry with 10 dice. Dietrich
rolls 5 successes, while the Hussite rolls 5, but because Parry Successes are halved against Shield Bash, Dietrich succeeds with 5
BS, and inflicts 11 damage, inflicting a level 1 wound to the Hussite through his helmet. That might give him the leg-up he needs
to take this guy down.
Gallant declares a Swing with his arming sword to his Opponents neck with 6 dice. His Opponent, who is well-armored,
declares a Parry with 8 dice. Gallant activates Shield Feint, switching his Swing to a Shield Bash with 6 dice to the face. He has
to pay an additional 2 dice for Reach, but his Opponents defensive successes are halved, because of Parrys penalties against
Shield Bash.
Gallants saber has just been knocked out of his hand by his intrepid foe, Goofus. Desperate, and having just won the Initiative
back with a Duck, Gallant flings a fistful of sand at his foe with 5 dice. Goofus ignores it, and tries to launch a Swing past it.
Gallant scores 3 successes, moving Goofuss Swing TN to 10. Goofus scores no successes, having been caught in the face with a
fistful of sand. He wipes the stuff from his eyes, and opens them, enraged, to the sight of Gallant pulling back the hammer of his
raised pistol with a thumb. Alas, poor Goofus
STRANGLE [X]
Type: Universal, Attack, Clinching
Requirements: Are behind an Opponent, either through stealth, Outmaneuver, and so on. Have two arms
(hands optional), a wire/cord, some sort of bar, or any other potential strangling device.
Maneuver: Clinching Attack with X dice at Strangle TN 8.
Success: Immediately enter the Clinch, with your Opponents head trapped, and resolve a Strangle
Maneuver (using whatever tool you initiated the Strangle with) with BS as automatic successes. You may
maintain the Strangle as normal in the coming rounds.
Special: If using a wire or a bar, Strangle TN is 7.
Defense Maneuvers
Parry Defense Maneuvers
PARRY [X]
Type: Universal, Defense, Parrying
Requirements: Have a weapon, device or anything with a Defense TN.
Maneuver: Defense with X at Defense TN. If you are using this Maneuver without Initiative, declare it
against an Opponent attack.
Success: Opponent attack negated. Gain Initiative if any BS are scored.
Special: You may only declare this Maneuver once per Action with a weapon. If you have two weapons,
you may declare a Parry and an Off-Hand Parry simultaneously, against two separate attacks.
Optional [Handguards]: If you successfully defend against a Swinging or Thrusting Weapon Attack
Maneuver made by an Opponent, but do not have any BS, your opponent resolves a Swing or Thrust at 0
BS against the hand holding the weapon you used to Parry (if the weapon was two-handed, or if you are
Half-Swording, roll odd/even to decide which hand is hit). The Guard value of the weapon reduces this
damage as normal, unless you are Half-Swording, in which case the forward hand is not protected. The
Parrying party still gains Initiative, and Reach does not change despite the attack being resolved. It counts
in all ways as the Parrying party being successful, except that the extra hit to the hand resolves. Multi-Hit
does not apply here.
Riposte [2+X]
Advanced: 1H Sword, 2H Sword, Polearm, Spear, 1H Blunt, 2H Blunt
Requirement: Have a weapon with a Parry TN and a Strike or Cut TN.
Maneuver: Parry-Like Defense with X at Weapon Parry TN.
If you are using this maneuver with Initiative, wait until characters without Initiative have declared their
Defenses to declare the target of this defense. If nobody declares attacks against you, you can return the
Defensive Dice to your Combat Pool. Then, resolve maneuvers at Initiative.
If you are using this maneuver without Initiative, declare it against an enemy attack.
Success: Negates enemy attack and gains initiative. You may follow through Riposte next Action by
declaring a Strike-Like or Thrust-Like Maneuver on enemy whose attack was negated by this maneuver.
If you do so, your attack gains bonus dice equal to enemy successes on Countered attack.
Superior Riposte: You may, in addition to a Strike or a Thrust, follow through Riposte with a Grapple,
Half-Sword, or Hook (paid for normally) gaining bonus dice equal to enemy successes on the Countered
attack as normal.]
Special: You may only declare this maneuver once per Action with a weapon.
BLOCK [X]
Type: Universal, Defense, Blocking
Requirements: A shield or other item with a Block TN.
Maneuver: Block with X dice at Block TN. If you are using this Maneuver without Initiative, declare it
against an Opponent attack.
Success: Opponent attack negated.
Special: You may declare this Maneuver any number of times per Action, if there are multiple incoming
attacks to defend against.
Cover Cover AV
Fence 6
Wooden wall/tree 12
Piled dirt 18
Stone wall 24
Gallant is being assaulted by a psychotic carpenter with a sledgehammer. The carpenter is making a Swing with 8 dice. Seeing
an attack incoming, and having no weapon with which to Parry, he declares a Void with 7 dice. Not liking his odds, but noticing
that he is unencumbered, Gallant elects to take 2 Fatigue and reduce the TN of his Void by 1. This gives him the edge he needs to
avoid having his head smashed in.
Cross-Fighting Maneuvers
Attack Cross-Fighting Maneuvers
Simultaneous Maneuvers
General Simultaneous Maneuvers
Missile Maneuvers
Missile Maneuvers refer specifically to Maneuvers that can only be used in the Bystander Phase with
missile weapons. Using missile weapons in close quarters or melee (that is, in a Bout) is covered by
Maneuvers like Melee Shoot and Fling.
Only missile Proficiencies can have these Maneuvers, even if they are listed as Universal.
Remember, a characters MP is normally equal only to their Proficiency with the missile weapon, but can
be increased with Talents, and with the Aim Maneuver below.
AIM [0]
Type: Universal, Missile
Requirements: Have missile weapon that is ready to shoot or fling.
Maneuver: Spend Action aiming at visible target. No roll is required, failure is only possible if you are
interrupted by force, injury, or death.
Success: Next Action, if you take a Missile Attack with the weapon that is aimed at the target, you gain
an Aim bonus equal to your PER to your MP for that attack.
Superior: Upon taking an Aim action, add 10 yards to the Range increments of your weapon.
RELOAD [???????]
Type: Universal, Missile
Requirements: Have a shooting weapon that requires reloading (firearm or crossbow) that is unloaded.
Have ammunition with which to reload it.
Maneuver: Roll [Weapon Proficiency+AGI] at TN determined by Loading Method.
Success: The weapon gains a number of Load Points or Span Points equal to Successes. If the weapon
reaches its Load or Span requirement, it is now loaded and ready to be used.
Special: If moving while Reloading, the TN for this Maneuver is increased by 2. Weapons with the
Cavalry Bow special quality do not reduce this penalty.
SHOOT [???????]
Type: Universal, Missile, Shooting
Requirements: Have a Bow, Crossbow or Firearm that is ready to shoot or be loosed.
Maneuver: Shooting Missile Attack with MP-1 per Range increment at Missile TN.
Success: Inflicts Weapon Damage+BS to Hit Location rolled on Missile Hit Table.
Special: If you are Shooting while moving, reduce your MP by 4. If you are on horseback and your
weapon has the Cavalry Bow special quality, this penalty can be alleviated as detailed.
This attack cannot be Parried. Only Block, Void, and Cover Maneuvers can be made against it.
Voids always gain a +2 penalty to Void TN versus Shoot.
If the weapon being used is a firearm, then in addition to Parry, Block and Void Maneuvers cannot
normally be made against it either (see Special [Din]).
Before rolling this attack, you may spend up to 4 MP. If you do so, and the attack hits, you may modify
your roll on the Missile Hit Table by a number up to the amount of MP spent in this manner. This is in
addition to other sources of Hit Table modification.
Special [Din]: The Burdinadin racial characteristic The Stains of Time and the Ohanedin characteristic
The Feeling Disappears allows them to Void and Parry attacks made by firearms. A Parry made against
a firearm attack counts as a Break attempt against the parrying weapon with 0 BS. If the base damage is
sufficient to destroy the weapon, it does so, and the attack hits the defender as normal.
Superior: When spending MP to adjust the Missile Hit Location of this Maneuver, you may modify your
roll on the Missile Hit Table by an additional 1 space per 2 MP spent (i.e. if you spend 2 MP to modify
your roll, you may change it by 3, instead of by 2).
FLING [???????]
Type: Universal, Missile, Throwing
Requirements: Have a Throwing Weapon that is ready to be thrown.
Maneuver: Missile Attack with full MP-1 per Range increment at Missile TN.
Success: Inflicts [STR+Weapon Damage+BS] to Hit Location rolled on Missile Hit Table.
This attack cannot be Parried. Only Block, Void, and Cover Maneuvers can be made against it.
As this attack uses a Throwing Weapon (javelin, thrown sword, axe, hammer, spear, and so on) it can be
countered with the Missile Catch Maneuver.
Special: If using this Maneuver when moving, reduce MP by 2.
Superior: If your target is within the first range increment of your weapon, you may spend up to 2 MP to
increase damage by XX damage per MP spent.
Grapple Maneuvers
Any Maneuver Grapple with the Advantage tag may only be defended against using a Maneuver with the
Disadvantage tag.
Hilt Push Maneuvers: Push Maneuvers count as both attacks and defenses. When declaring a Hilt Push:
Cut against a Hilt Push: Thrust, they Defend against each other, and the victorious Maneuver only
resolves at BS over the other, which is canceled.
In the event of a tie in a Hilt Push, neither Maneuver resolves.
The following Maneuvers act exactly as their normal versions, but count as separate Maneuvers for the
purposes of Talents, School Bonuses, etc. Additionally, they can only defend against/be defended against
by other Hilt Push Maneuvers. Hilt Push Maneuvers are all Universal regardless of whether or not the
original Maneuver is.
Hilt Push Maneuvers marked with a * end the Push if they are successful.
-Hilt Push Maneuvers always use the Parry TN of their weapons instead of Thrust TN or Strike TN.
Mobility Maneuvers
General Mobility Maneuvers
OBSTRUCTION [????????]
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Mounted Maneuvers
Attack Mounted Maneuvers
DISENGAGE [??????]
Type: XXXXXX
Requirements: XXXXXX
Maneuver: XXXXXX
Success: XXXXXX
Dog Maneuvers
Attack Dog Maneuvers
TACKLE [2+X]
Type: Universal, Dog
Requirements: Be Dog (or Wolf, Hyena, or similar animal using Dog rules).
Maneuver: Unarmed Attack at Half-Hand Reach with X at Furious Dog Tackle TN 5.
Success: Opponent suffers [BS] Stun, and must make a Stability Test at RS 2+BS or be rendered Prone
and suffer Falling Damage as though having fallen Feet equal to [5+Dog Strength+BS.]
Gaining Talents
A character gets a Talent whenever a Proficiency or a School reaches a level in which a Talent is
rewarded (see Table XX for details.)
Proficiencies that are a part of a School do not gain Talents. Instead, the School as a whole gains only one
set of Talents, but these Talents apply to all Proficiencies within the School, and can use any Proficiency
in the School to satisfy their requirements.
Choosing Talents
When your character receives a Talent from a Proficiency level that theyve just acquired, you may
choose any Talent under the Talent rank they have gained (Novice, Journeyman or Master) or lower,
provided the character meets the requirements of the Talent. You may take a Novice Talent in a
Journeyman Talent slot, but you may not take a Journeyman level Talent in a Novice slot.
Some Talents have Attribute requirements, which your character must match or exceed in order to take
the Talent. Others have Proficiency requirements, meaning that they can only be taken as Talents for that
Proficiency or a School containing that Proficiency.
Using Talents
Any time a Talent would be applicable for activation, simply announce that it is in effect or not in effect.
If it is simply an automatic improvement to a Maneuver or similar, assume that it is in effect unless you
say otherwise.
Unless the Talent is chosen for a School, Talents can not be used for Proficiencies they are not linked to,
or when Defaulting from a Proficiency.
Talent List
Novice Talents
Accuracy
Requirements: Universal, AGI 4.
Description: You have a natural knack for hitting in the right spot. It's not always conscious, but your
attacks just seem to find their way to your intended target.
Effect: Whenever you hit with a melee attack that rolls for Hit Location on a Target Zone, you may
modify the Hit Location roll by 1. If your opponent has Rapid Reaction, the effects of both Talents cancel
out, and the attack lands normally.
Additionally, whenever you perform a Joint Thrust Maneuver, add +1 CP to that attack.
Boar Piercer
Requirements: STR 5, Throwing
Description: Either youve got a thing for pork, or you just really like throwing spears at things. You can
throw a spear like nobodys business, especially in combat.
Effect: When making a Melee Throw or Fling with a Spear or any variety of Javelin, you inflict +1
damage.
Bonk!
Requirements: Str 6, 1H or 2H Blunt
Description: See Title
Effect: Whenever you Power Attack with a Blunt weapon, you inflict additional Stun with a successful
attack equal to the CP spent to increase damage.
Flourishing Drills
Requirements: Dagger, Sword or Blunt Proficiency (1H and 2H varieties are both eligible).
Description: You have practiced a series of tight, circular cutting or striking drills to the point that you
can perform them in your sleep. In battle, you are a whirlwind of rapid strikes, each snapping into another
faster than the eye can see.
Effect: Whenever you perform a Swinging Maneuver, if in the previous Action you also performed a
Swinging Maneuver, the Maneuver rolls 2 additional dice.
Good Form
Requirements: Noble School, or high-quality tutelage.
Description: You have been drilled in the performance of a specific maneuver, and can now execute it
flawlessly, every time. This is the hallmark of high-quality training in swordsmanship, and it requires
more than just practice, but the careful guidance of more experienced masters who can correct
inadequacies as they form.
Effect: Choose one Maneuver. Reduce that Maneuvers Non-[X] and Non-Range Activation Cost by 1.
Helm-Splitter
Requirements: Universal.
Description: Maybe you've spent a lot of time practicing for helmet-cutting competitions, or maybe
you've just chopped a lot of wood. You can hit things REALLY hard, as long as youre swinging straight
down.
Effect: If you use the Power Attack function of Strike, you may spend 1 more CP to increase damage
than normal.
Shield-Breaker
Requirements: 1H or 2H Blunt.
Description: You have a knack for smashing shields, and have practiced at sundering them to deprive
your enemies of their defenses.
Effect: You inflict +2 damage when making Hew attacks. When passively inflicting damage to a Shield,
increase that damage by 1.
Shield Trick
Requirements: Shield, STR 4.
Description: When using a shield, you know how to hide your weapon behind it so that your movements
are concealed until the moment you strike.
Effect: After making a successful Block, Shield Bash, or other shield-related Maneuver, if you perform a
Swinging or Thrusting Maneuver with the weapon in your other hand in the next Action, you gain +1 dice
to the attack. This includes Melee Shoot.
Slowpoke
Requirements: Spear or Polearm
Description: Getting past the range of a spear is hard. You know how to make it even harder.
Effect: When using a Spear or Polearm, when your opponent makes an attack during which he would
have to pay a Range Cost, increase the total Range Cost by 1.
Impaler
Requirements: Spear
Description: Like ol Uncle Vlad, youve got a thing for impaling people.
Effect: If you inflict a Level 5 Wound with a any sort of Thrusting attack, you regain 2 CP.
Special Move
Requirements: Universal.
Description: You have a very unconventional way of performing a certain move. Those who haven't seen
it before are put off by the speed and sureness with which you conduct this strange Maneuver, and, at
least the first time, it's much harder to defend against.
Effect: Choose a Maneuver from the following list: Weapon Throw, Blind Toss, Quickdraw, or Melee
Shoot. When you use this Maneuver against an individual for the first time, you perform a Special Move
version of that Maneuver. A Special Move has no Activation Cost (this includes Range) and its TN is
reduced by 1. If a character witnesses you using a Special Move against someone else, on a PER test at
RS 3, he can count as having had it used against him before, and as such you can never gain the bonus
against him.
Rapid Reaction
Requirements: Universal, AGI 4.
Description: While you might not always be able to move out of the way, you sure know how to take a
hit better than most.
Effect: When you are hit by a melee attack in combat, you may alter the roll to see which location is hit
by 1 in either direction. If your opponent has Accuracy, the effects of both Talents cancel out, and the
attack lands normally.
Specialist
Requirements: Universal.
Description: One Maneuver is just more important to you than the rest. Youve drilled it for countless
hours, and can perform it in your sleep.
Effect: Choose one Advanced Maneuver. Reduce that Maneuvers Non-[X] and Non-Range Activation
Cost by 1.
Smash Punch
Requirements: Universal
Description: You can deliver a monstrous uppercut. This technique favors hook-heavy infighters.
Effect: When making a Hook Punch, you may elect to perform a Smash. If you do, you inflict +2
damage, and your Hit Location is automatically the Lower Head. However, this attack suffers a -1 penalty
to Initiative Rolls.
Head Guard
Requirements: Universal.
Description: Youve got a good handle on protecting your head. The head is the most commonly
armored part of the human body, and for good reason: its the obvious place to attack with any sort of
weapon, and its not far from arm-level, making it convenient as well.
Effect: Whenever Parrying or making a Parry Maneuver to defend an attack targeting your Head, Face, or
Neck, you may add 2 dice to the Parry (this does not let you Parry if you have no CP remaining).
Infighter
Requirements: Universal.
Description: Youre not afraid to get up close and personal.
Effect: When fighting an enemy inside your weapon's reach, your penalty to attacks is 1 less than it
would be normally. When attacking an enemy within their weapons reach, their penalty to attacks and
defenses is 1 higher than it would be normally. Multiple people with Infighter cannot stack, and if both a
combatant and his current target have Infighter, it cancels out.
Counter Attack
Requirements: Universal, AGI 4.
Description: You know what they say about the best defense...
Effect: If you attempt to Steal Initiative to launch an attack against an opponent who is already attacking
you, you gain a +1 dice bonus to the Initiative test.
Journeyman Talents
Art of Eight Limbs
Requirements: Pugilism, Wit 6
Description: How is it even possible to attack from a position like that!?
Effect: You can Feint from any Unarmed Maneuver into any other Unarmed Maneuver.
Bear Piercer
Requirements: STR 5, Spear, Boar Piercer
Description: Youre really good at throwing spears. REALLY good.
Effect: When making a Melee Throw or Fling with a Spear or any variety of Javelin, any target you hit
must make a Stability Test at RS 2+BS or be rendered prone.
Swift Sword
Requirements: Sword proficiency (1H or 2H varieties are both eligible), AGI 5.
Description: Youve got a swift hand when it comes to swords.
Effect: You gain a +1 bonus to Initiative contests when using a 1H or 2H Sword.
Roll With It
Requirements: Universal, AGI 5.
Description: It's natural to cringe from potential injury, but your reactions are much more practical, and
you have a natural understanding of how force transfers from one body to another. You instinctively roll
away from blows and other sources of harm, and this tends to lessen their effects on you.
Effect: Once per Round, if you are struck by an attack (missile attacks, including those made in melee,
are not eligible) that would inflict damage, and you are not currently Prone, you may immediately become
Prone to reduce the damage inflicted by your AGI. This has all the normal effects of being made Prone.
Ground Wrestler
Requirements: Wrestling.
Description: Youre more practiced in grappling on the ground than standing. Many fighters fear this
kind of fight for how it can go disastrously wrong, but you revel in it.
Effect: When in a Clinch, and the fight has gone to the ground, you do not suffer the associated
Activation Cost penalty for Clinch Maneuvers, and you add 1.5 your Strength instead of 1.0 to your CP
(i.e., when you go to Ground, if you have 4 Strength normally, you gain a bonus of 6 to your CP as long
as you are on the Ground.)
Stepping Parry
Requirements: MOB 7.
Description: You have learned to step close, to take the initiative, and most importantly, how to do so
through clever manipulation of the opponents weapon, and its position relative to you.
Effect: Add the following section to your Parry or Parrying Maneuver with one Proficiency. Special: On
success, you may change the range between yourself and your opponent by 1 for every 2 BS.
Kebab Master
Requirements: Impaler Talent, Spear
Description: You know a thing or two about skewering things.
Effect: If you inflict a Piercing Wound with a Thrusting attack, increase the Level of the Wound by 1.
Rapid Strike
Requirements: Universal, AGI 5.
Description: You're very skilled at attacking with weapons in both hands, striking with one while the
other returns to an ideal position to strike from, and repeating this over and over to strike fast, hard, and
often.
Effect: Whenever you make a Double Attack, you gain a +1 CP bonus to the Off-Hand attack. Each
consecutive Double Attack increases this bonus by +1, to a maximum of 4.
Spartan Sole
Requirements: Pugilism, Str 5
Description: Talk to the Sandal, cause the shield dont care.
Effect: Whenever you force a Stability Test with a Kick to knock your opponent down, increase the RS
of that Test by 2.
Slippery
Requirements: Universal, AGI 6.
Description: You know how to move. In combat you're fast, fluid, and can change direction on a dime.
Your enemies often find themselves looking at nothingand nothing is the last thing they see.
Effect: As long as you are Unencumbered, you gain a -1 TN when performing the Outmaneuver and
Thread the Needle Maneuvers.
Quick Reload
Requirements: Pistol or Arquebus/Musket, AGI 5.
Description: A great deal of practice and some finely-tuned muscle memory have made reloading a
breech-loading firearm into one quick, fluid motion.
Effect: When performing the Reload Maneuver, you gain an additional automatic success for every two
successes you roll. This may cause your Reloads total successes exceed the actual number of dice you
rolled.
Spear-Sunderer
Requirements: Universal, STR 5.
Description: Cleaving through the shafts of spears, axes, polearms and the like isnt easy, but it is
certainly possible.
Effect: You inflict +2 damage when making Break attacks.
Straight Blast
Requirements: Pugilism, AGI 6.
Description: Commonly associated with Wing Chun and certain styles of boxing, you have mastered a
rapid, piston-like punching style that can wear down any defense. Combined with a strong center and
good footwork, this technique can be devastating.
Effect: When making a One-Two Punch with a Straight Punch into another Straight Punch, you may
reduce the Activation Cost of the Maneuver chained from the first by 1.
Rolling Hooks
Requirements: Pugilism, STR 6.
Description: To the untrained eye, a feral and apelike series of haymakers. But to the trained boxer, this
technique is a monstrous culmination of brute strength, skill, and pugilist rhythm.
Effect: When making a One-Two Punch with a Hook Punch into another Hook Punch, you may reduce
the Activation Cost of the Maneuver chained from the first by 1.
Long Jab
Requirements: Pugilism, INT 5.
Description: You are a more measured fighter, preferring to fight at longer ranges, peppering opponents
with strikes intended to wear them down, and only striking them when they present an opening.
Effect: Your Straight Punch Maneuvers (not the Hook Punch or One-Two Punch) are made at +1 Reach.
Ironwall
Requirements: Universal, END 5.
Description: Youre hard to dislodge from your feet. It takes a singular force to put you on the ground.
Effect: You gain +2 bonus dice to Stability tests made to avoid falling over or being shoved, pushed, or
dislodged from your position.
Shield Charge
Requirements: Shield, STR 5, MOB 8, Superior Shield Bash.
Description: When slamming a shield properly into someones face, you know how to throw your
shoulder into it, potentially flinging them from their feet.
Effect: When you force a Stability test through a Superior Shield Bash, add 1 to the Stability test RS.
Rim Bash
Requirements: Shield, STR 5, MOB 8, Superior Shield Bash, Shield Charge
Description: You know just the right spot to get that extra bit of Oomph out of a shield bash.
Effect: When you force a Stability test through a Superior Shield Bash, add 1 to the Stability test RS.
This is cumulative with Shield Charge.
Master Talents
It Was On Purpose!
Requirements: Missile Weapon, WIT 6.
Description: No really, it was totally intentional! You seem to have a skill for putting small missiles
through narrow slits and chinks in armor. Youre every knights worst nightmare.
Effect: Whenever a Shoot, Melee Shoot or Fling attack you make hits an opponent on a Hit Location
where the targets armor has a Weak Point, the attack inflicts +2 damage. This does not apply to Scatter
damage, except for the primary shot from the weapon.
Whirlwind Defense
Requirements: Spear, Polearm, 2H Sword or 2H Blunt, AGI 6
Description: You can move your weapon in a whirlwind of defensive patterns, intercepting enemy
attacks as you do.
Effect: There is no limit to the number of Parries you can make with a weapon in one Action. After any
successful Parry, you regain 2 CP.
Bad War
Requirements: 2H Sword or Polearm, STR 6, AGI 6.
Description: Its a rare man who can survive in the Bad War. When two pike formations meet, and the
world turns into an infinity of spear points, halberds, katzbalgers and screaming, dying men, theyll be
glad they brought you along.
Effect: You may use Cleaving Blow with Breaks in addition to Swings. Each time you activate Cleaving
Blow, you regain 2 CP.
Stern
Requirements: Universal, HLT 6.
Description: Few people can match your physical resolve.
Effect: Once per Combat, at any Refresh, you may choose to ignore all Pain, and regain your CP as
normal. Next Refresh, the Pain returns in full.
Superior Void
Requirements: Universal, AGI 6.
Description: You dont even remember what it feels like to fear being hit.
Effect: You perform all Void maneuvers at -1 TN.
Juggernaut
Requirements: Universal, END 6.
Description: Even if ones head were to be cut off, he should be able to perform one more action with
certainty.
Effect: Once per Session, you may elect to delay the full effect of any Wound until the end of the Action.
However, if the Wound inflicted has a Limb Severed or Death result, halve the CP of any Maneuvers
you currently have declared, but then resolve them as normal.
Jarring Blows
Requirements: Universal, STR 6.
Description: You really know how to hit people, and can throw enemies off their feet with powerful
blows.
Effect: Whenever any Maneuver you perform would cause an opponent to make a Stability test or
become Prone (including Overshock) you increase the RS of that test by 2.
Bruiser
Requirements: Universal.
Description: A veteran of many battles, you know where to strike to offset a foe.
Effect: Any Wounds you cause with Unarmed or Melee Weapon Attacks inflict +1 Stun per level of the
Wound.
Flicker Jab
Requirements: Pugilism. AGI 8
Description: Your jabs are so rapid, and come from such unorthodox angles, that most opponents cannot
even perceive them.
Effect: If you declare a Straight Punch with fewer than 5 CP, your opponent must make a Perception Test
at RS 3 in order to perform any sort of Defense against it. You may not in any way increase the CP of the
Straight Punch once this Perception Test is made.
Terrain
Temperature
Encumbrance
A characters Encumbrance is the degree to which they are hindered by the equipment, baggage and
armor that theyre wearing and carrying. This is as much tied to the awkwardness of the things being
carried as it is to the weight.
A characters Encumbrance Level is determined by their Carry Score, and the total Weight they are
currently carrying. Weight is determined by the following:
-Stowed/Sheathed/Holstered Weapons (Weapons currently being wielded do not add to Encumbrance,
because they are generally very light and handy when wielded. It is the awkwardness of carrying them on
your person that contributes Weight. Imagine trying to do anything with a 15 foot pike strapped to your
back!)
-Worn or carried Armor
-Miscellaneous Gear/Equipment/Items carried in pockets, satchels, and backpacks. Generally, 20 lbs in
a backpack or 10 lbs in pockets/over the shoulder should equal 1 Weight. Superior carrying equipment,
like a large framed backpack or a harness may further decrease these numbers, situationally.
There are five Levels of Encumbrance. Unencumbered, Light, Medium, Heavy, and Overloaded.
Each Encumbrance Level has a different effect on a characters Combat Pool, Mobility, certain Skill
Checks, and also on Exhaustion.
Skills that suffer additional difficulty from Encumbrance have a special tag, as shown in the Skills
section.
At 5x Carry and beyond, the character is too heavily encumbered to move, and cannot engage in combat
or make any sort of skill or attribute tests that involves moving. Reducing the load is the only way to
continue moving.
Weight
Exhaustion
As characters exerts themselves physically, either in combat or other strenuous activities like running,
jumping or severe lifting, fatigue will begin to set in.
-side bar-
[Fatigue rules add another layer of realism to combat, but also another layer of complexity. These
should be considered Optional Rules, and can be safely ignored in campaigns with new players,
those more interested in heroic action, and those who wish to keep bookkeeping to a minimum.]
Fatigue Points
At the end of each Round, while in combat, all characters in the combat who acted in the previous Round
gain one Fatigue point. Encumbrance and Environmental effects can increase this amount (being in
Medium Encumbrance, for example, causes a character to gain double the normal number of Fatigue).
Additionally, if a character has a visor, helmet etc with the Constricts Breathing special rule, add an
additional 1x to Fatigue Gain per point of the quality (i.e. Constricts Breathing 3 adds 3x to the Fatigue
Gain.). If the visor/whatever is raised, then it has no effect. Once a character reaches the amount of
Fatigue to move to the next level of Exhaustion, they suffer penalties until theyve had a chance to rest.
Additionally, any Wound inflicts Fatigue equal to the level of the Wound, regardless of what sort of
Wound it is. Some Wounds will inflict additional Fatigue, and Blood Loss, with its ability to reduce
Health, can also effect Fatigue.
0 to 5+HLT Fresh 0 0 0
6 to 10+HLT Winded -1 -1 -1
11 to 15+HLT Tired -2 -2 -2
21 to 25+HLT Exhausted -6 -6 -6
Resting
A character who takes no Actions during a Bout Cycle (or who only takes Actions that do not cause
Fatigue) loses Fatigue equal to his Endurance score, modified by his Encumbrance level (see Recovery
Speed). Full-Face Helmets and Visors halve a characters Endurance for this purpose, unless lifted or
removed (see Movable Visors later in this section for more details.)
Sitting down and having a drink adds 2 to a characters effective Endurance (after Encumbrance) for the
purposes of Resting.
Fatigue
Lighting
General Actions cover these small affairs. A General Action can be performed in addition to Maneuvers
during the Bout. Only one General Action can be performed in each Action Phase, and you may only take
a General Action if you have at least 1 die in your combat pool.
Draw a Weapon
Drawing a weapon can be done automatically as long as there is a weapon sheathed or affixed in a place
where it can be drawn easily (a spear or similar weapon stuck in the ground sticking up so that it is easily
accessible also counts), a hand free to draw the weapon, and nothing interrupting the Action. At the end
of the Action, the weapon is considered drawn and can be used normally from the start of the next Action.
The removal of the weapon or free hand, or suffering Overshock, all cancel a Draw Weapon General
Action.
Pick Up a Weapon
Picking up a weapon off the ground is a bit harder than drawing one from a sheath at the belt. This
involves bending over and grabbing the weapon, or manipulating it with ones feet somehow. This is not
so simple. It requires a weapon to pick up, a free hand to grab the weapon, and that you spend 4 CP and
roll a Mobility Test at RS equal to 1+Weapon Weight+Terrain Modifiers. If successful, the weapon is
picked up at the end of the Action. The removal of the weapon or free hand, or the suffering Overshock,
all cancel a Draw Weapon General Action. An opponent near the weapon may spend 3 CP to roll their
Mobility at the same RS, and add BS to the RS required for you to successfully pick the weapon up.
Failure results in the weapon not being picked up.
Stand Up
Standing Up is done when in a Prone position. A character can attempt to Stand Up during an Action at
no cost. They still suffer the halved pool this Action and may only Quick Defend, but are no longer Prone
at the end of the Action. Once a character begins a Refresh standing up, they regain their full CP as
normal.
If a character is forced to make a Stability roll while Standing Up, the RS is increased by 1. Failure does
not halve their Combat Pool again, but cancels the Stand Up action.
Say something
A character can speak at no cost as a General Action, but remember that each Action is about 1 second
long on average. This is generally enough for two or three syllables. Kill him! or Watch out! or
Formation! are appropriate examples of something that can be said (or barked) as a Say Something
action.
Zells, when performing a Say Something General Action, can instead pulse a much longer and more
detailed thought to other Zells in their Dream in the same span of time. Generally one or two full
sentences can be communicated easily in one action.
Combat
Lets face it. The games called Song of Swords. Youre going to end up in combat sooner or later. Song
of Swordss combat system is very detailed. Combat is intense, lethal, and fast. A single good blow from
a weapon can put anyone down, even the mightiest hero. Youre not just going to be racing to deplete an
enemys hit points until they hit 0 and die, youre inflicting wounds. Injuries seriously deteriorate a
characters ability to fight. There are also rules for exhaustion.
Combat Overview
Combat in Song of Swords is broken up into Rounds. Each Round contains two Action phases. In an
Action Phase, each character involved in the fight declares an action, called a Maneuver, using dice from
their Combat Pool (CP). These Maneuvers are then carried out, and the next Action begins, in which the
characters devote their remaining Combat Pool to additional maneuversassuming they are still alive.
After both Actions play out, a new Round begins with a Refresh, and all characters have their Combat
Pools re-filled to maximum (possibly modified by the Pain from injuries from enemy maneuvers), and the
cycle repeats itself.
These are the very basics of combat. But of course, theres much more. In this chapter, youll learn
everything from how to decide initiative, to how to calculate wounds, to how to fight from horseback.
And more.
1: Important Concepts
Maximum Combat Pool is a character's ADR, Proficiency, School Bonus, Boon Bonuses, and
any miscellaneous bonuses that apply when Maximum Combat Pool is called for, minus the
character's Encumbrance Penalty, Exhaustion Penalty, Pain, and any miscellaneous penalties that
apply when Maximum Combat Pool is called for.
Encumbrance represents how much weight a character is currently burdened by, and reduces
the character's Combat Pool by the amount listed. For more details on Encumbrance, see Page
[X] of Chapter 5: Equipment and Encumbrance.
Stun is a one-time deduction from a character's Combat Pool. It does not decrease a character's
maximum CP, but rather their current reserves. Stun cannot reduce a character's CP below 0. If
Stun would bring a character's CP below 0, the CP is only reduced to 0, and the character suffers
Overshock. Overshock forces a Stability Test at RS equal to the excess Stun after 0. Failure
results in the character becoming Prone.
Ex. Goofus is hit in the face with a mallet, and suffers--among other things--12 Stun. His Combat
Pool of 6 is reduced to 0, and he must make an Endurance Test at RS 6 to avoid being rendered
prone. He rolls his Endurance of 5, and unsurprisingly rolls fewer than 6 successes. Goofus is
flung off of his feet to the ground.
Pain: Pain is similar to Stun, but rather than the immediate jarring effect of the injury, it is a
lasting effect. Pain inflicted by any source reduces the characters Combat Pool Refresh by 1 per
point of Pain, reducing the amount of Combat Pool the character gains at the start of each Round
to a minimum of 0.
If Pain reduces a characters Combat Pool at Refresh to 0, the character is rendered helpless and
incapable of doing anything meaningful (talking may or may not be possible, GMs choice). The
character must also make a Willpower test (with an RS equal to any excess Pain over that
required to reduce the characters CP to 0) or lose consciousness.
A characters Pain is pooled into one number, and that whole number is reduced once by the
suffering characters Grit.
Grit is a character's acquired resistance to the shock of violence. It grows with experience and a
general hardening of character. Grit reduces the total cumulative Pain that a character suffers
from their Wounds.
Maneuvers
Maneuvers are things characters do in combat. Swinging with a sword, Thrusting with a spear, Blocking
with a shield, trying to Disarm an enemy of his weapon, etc, are all Maneuvers. Maneuvers are declared
during the Action Phases, often with an Activation Cost and an Investment of CP. Each Maneuver
has its own rules and effects, and you can read more about them in the Maneuvers Section of Chapter 4:
Proficiencies. In brief, however, here is how Maneuvers generally work in combat.
Attack Maneuvers are used to try and inflict some effect on the enemy. When an Attack
Maneuver is declared, its Investment (usually an [X] in the Activation Cost) in CP is
also declared. This is the number of dice rolled against weapons TN when the Maneuver is
resolved. Attack Maneuvers resolve in order of initiative.
Defense Maneuvers are used to try and defeat an opponent's Attack Maneuver, and
sometimes inflict some effect upon the attacker as well, or set up some condition that the
defender can take advantage of. When a Defense Maneuver is declared, its Investment in CP is
also declared, just like an Attack Maneuver. This is the number rolled against TN when the
Maneuver is resolved. However, Defense Maneuvers always resolve at the same time as the
Attack Maneuver that they were declared against.
Unless otherwise stated, if a Defense Maneuver successfully defends against any Attack
Maneuver, the Defender gains Initiative. If a Defense Maneuver resolves but there is no Attack
Maneuver for it to defend against, it does not grant Initiative unless otherwise stated.
Action Initiative is the order in which Maneuvers declared in an Action resolve. Action
Initiative, or just Initiative, is held by one character against another character that they are
Targeting. If two characters are Targeting each other, only one of them can hold
Initiative.
When Maneuvers in a Bout resolve, all Maneuvers made with Initiative resolve in the reverse
order that they were declared, (unless a Steal Initiative attempt is made), and then all Maneuvers
made without initiative resolve in reverse order of declaration.
The exception to this is that Defensive Maneuvers resolve simultaneously with the Attack
Maneuver they are defending against. What this means is that if two characters are
attacking each other, the one with Initiative resolves their Maneuver first, and only afterwards
does the Initiative-less character (if they survive) resolve their Maneuver.
Interrupted Maneuvers
In the case of a Maneuver that prevents another Maneuver from acting out, the Maneuver is cancelled and
half the CP invested in the prevented Maneuver is refunded. This includes attacks prevented by Grappling
or Hilt Push or dropping a weapon or shield in response to a Beat, Hook, Hew or Break, or any other
situation where a maneuver would not feasibly activate.
Dusan and Mirza are practicing their swordsmanship. Dusan has declared a Disarm with 6 dice, and
Blood Loss represents how much blood a character is losing due to their injuries. Each round, a
character who is suffering more than 5 Blood Loss from all wounds must make an Endurance
Test, with an RS equal to 1 per 5 Blood Loss suffered. If they fail, their Health decreases
temporarily by 1, and if their Health is reduced to 0, they die. In order to stop the bleeding, the
character and or another must make a Medical test (see page. X in Chapter 3). For information on
how a character recovers from Wounds over time and regains lost HLT, see page. X in Chapter 8.
Dismemberment is when a Wound removes a character's arm, leg, hand, foot, etc.
Dismemberment is an extremely traumatizing experience that obviously renders a
character much less able to defend themself, even if the Pain and Stun don't put them out of the
fight immediately. When a character suffers a Dismemberment, they immediately gain the Bane
appropriate for the injury (Lost Foot, Lost Arm, Lost Hand, etc) in addition to the Blood Loss,
Pain and Stun appropriate for the Wound. This also applies for various other crippling injuries,
like losing an eye, suffering damage to the vocal chords or internal organs and more. Each
Wound will mention what Bane it causes. Some Wounds have a Medical test involvedthis
means that the character's injury might be recoverable with the skill use.
Reach
Reach is an important factor in combat. The fighter with longer reach tends to have an advantage so long
as the fight stays at their desired range. Entire philosophies of warfare are built around the simple
advantage of having reach over ones enemies. Of course, long reach also has its weaknesses. When the
distance is closed, longer weapons lose much of their strength and can become a liability for a fighter
without a sidearm or a backup weapon!
In Combat, there are 8 Stages of Reach, from Half-Arm to Ludicrously Long. In combat, unless the gap
has been closed between two fighters, they are assumed to be at the longer Reach between the two.
-The basic distance between any two characters is the Reach of the longer weapon between the
two. If one of the characters has a missile weapon, then the Reach of that weapon is considered
LL.
- If a character successfully hits their target with an attack that has a Reach value, the combat
moves to the Reach of the attack, which will usually be the favored Reach of the attacker.
- When declaring an Attack maneuver against an enemy at a longer Reach than a characters own,
an Activation Cost must be paid in addition to any others equal to the difference between the
disadvantaged attacker and the defender with longer reach.
- When declaring an Attack OR Defense maneuver against an enemy at a shorter Reach than a
characters own, an Activation Cost must be paid in addition to any others equal to the difference
between the disadvantaged party and the opposition at the shorter Reach.
This does not affect Defenses that do not involve defending with a weapon. Shield-based and
Dodging maneuvers suffer no penalty.
-When making Initiative Tests for Offensive/Offensive contests or Steal Initiative, a character
whose Reach is currently favored (either the enemy is outranged, or the fight is occurring within
the enemys range to their disadvantage) gains a +1 bonus to the Initiative Test per step of Reach
advantage they enjoy over their enemy.
-If a character leaves Combat or the Bout, and returns later or is reengaged, the Reach is refreshed
to the longest between the two fighters.
Example: Goofus has a short sword, whereas Gallant has a pike. Goofuss Short Sword is Short
Ranged, whereas Gallants pike is Ludicrously Long range. If Goofus wants to attack Gallant,
thats 5 stages of reach--hed have to pay 5 CP just to try and make the attack. If the attack
succeeds, then he would move the fight to Short range, since he got close enough to hit. At Short
range, Gallant is now the one at the disadvantage, and his attack AND defensive maneuvers
using his weapon each suffer a 5 CP activation cost. He could still Void incoming attacks without
penalty, since these do not use his now cumbersome weapon.
2 Hand H Dagger
5 Long L Poleaxe
Terrain Modifiers
Combat
COMBAT FLOW CHART
GM begins encounter
- Combat Starts
- Order is decided (ADR check)
- General Actions are Taken (Move, Missile, Misc)
-Clash Counts are Determined
-Bout 1 Begins
Action 1 (Refresh, Apply Pain, Apply Misc)
Action 2 (Apply Stun, Apply Misc)
Repeat until clash count is reached
-Move onto next Bout, repeat until all bouts reached their clash count.
-General Actions are Taken (Move, Missile, Misc).
Step 1: Combat Starts. Every character involved rolls ADR at TN 5, and arranges in order from
most successes to least. Ties are decided by whose ADR score is higher, subsequent ties are
decided by coin flip. This order is the Initiative Order: Most Successes goes first, then second
most, then third most, etc.
Step 2: First character in the Initiative Order takes his Turn. A Turnmuch like the Combat
Roundconsists of 2 Actions. A character can perform up to two Actions on their Turn.
Move: By making a Move Action, you can move a number of yards equal to your current
Mobility score. If you are riding a horse, you can move a number of yards equal to the Horses
Mobility score. If you use two Move Actions simultaneously, you can instead move Yards equal
to five times your (or your Horses) Mobility Score instead of merely x2. This is called
Sprinting. You cannot perform any other Action after a Sprint.
Missile: A Missile Action allows you to perform a Reload, Shoot, Aim, Fling, Throw, or any
other missile maneuver, aimed at any other Target on the battlefield. If the Target is not currently
engaged in a Bout, they may defend against your attack in the following ways:
-They may make a defense at Dice equal to their Perception passively.
-If they have not had their Turn yet this Turn Cycle or chose to make a Cautious Defense Action
during their Turn, they may make a Defense appropriate to the kind of attack being made against
them at Dice equal to their ADR+Perception. If they have not had their Turn yet this Turn
Cycle, one of their Actions (when their Turn comes up) is automatically expended on a Cautious
Defense.
-Missile Attacks While Moving carries certain restrictions. If you want to Move and use a
Missile in the same Action, you must declare them both simultaneously. During this time you are
considered Shooting while Moving. This is the case both on Foot and on Horseback,
Camelback, sliding down a zipline, etc.
Cautious Defense: This Action allows you to prepare for someone making an attack on you or
some unexpected event threatening you. If you choose this during your Turn, any Missile Attack,
Explosion, Landslide, Giant Antlion, or other threat that emerges after your Turn can be reacted
to using the appropriate Maneuver or Action. You make as many of these reactive defenses as
you have PER. You can also immediately make a Take Cover Maneuver (see: Combat
Maneuvers) if you are near appropriate Cover. Roll Dice equal to your ADR for that Maneuver,
and the AV you gain from it applies until the beginning of your next Turn.
At the beginning of your next Turn, if you choose another Cautious Defense and do not perform
a Move Action, you may choose to retain your previous AV from Take Cover without rolling
again.
EX. Gizka is faced with a dozen bandits, and some of them have crossbows. She wins
Initiative, and declares a Move Action to get to some cover, and then declares a Cautious
Defense Action. She uses Take Cover behind a tree, and scores 3 successes, giving her an
AV of 15 against missile attacks. The Bandits turns come, and then open fire, but are
unable to penetrate Gizkas Cover AV. Shes safe For now.
Engage: An Engage Maneuver allows you to within Move distance to Engage another character
in a Bout, or to become part of an existing Bout. Your Turn immediately ends, you cannot
continue after Engaging an opponent. Bouts are resolved in Step 3 of Combat, after all characters
have performed their other Actions.
Characters who are Engaged cannot perform any other actions during the Turn. If a character
Engages another character who has not yet taken a Turn, they effectively lose their Turn until
such a time as they are freed from the Engagement. (They can act as normal in the Bout itself.)
If you combine a Move and Engage Action, it is called a Charge. You may move 3x your
Mobility in Yards, and still Engage with an enemy if you can reach them. Certain Maneuvers
(Lance Charge, for example) require that you Charge into Combat in order to be used.
Pass: A Pass allows you to do nothing. If you take a Pass action You do nothing.
Misc Action: Basically anything that could be done in about a second and a half. Getting
something out of one's pocket, quickly reading a short message, barking a short order to
someone, putting on a ring, drawing a weapon, and so forth. GM abjugation here is important.
Step 3: Bouts
All Bouts are resolved at the end of each Turn by playing out a number of Rounds equal to the
Bouts Clash Count.
First determine Orientation, and then resolve a number of Combat Rounds equal to the Bout's
Clash Count between the two combatants, as detailed below. At the end of the Clash Count,
whichever character currently has Initiative may choose to either Disengage or Lock.
Lock: The two characters are still in combat, and continue fighting in the next Turn's
Fight Phase. They cannot take their normal Actions next Turn, since they are still in
combat.
Disengage: The two characters are no longer in combat, and can act normally in the next
Turn.
Flow of a Bout
1: Bout Begins. [If this is the first Round of combat for this Bout, the characters involved must
Declare Orientations to decide Target status and Action Initiative. If the Bout has ]
2: First Round begins
3: Combat Pools refresh. First Actions are declared and resolved.
4: Second Actions are declared and resolved.
5: Round ends
6: Repeat steps 3-5 until a number of Rounds have passed equal to the Bouts Clash Count.
7: Bout ends, next Bout in the Bout Order begins.
Declaring Orientation
Before the first Round of a Bout, right after it is formed and before any blows are struck, all of
the characters involved must declare their orientations simultaneously. This is only done once for
a Bout, except in the case of Defensive/Defensive or tied Cautious/Cautious declarations, and
each Round thereafter all combatants simply use the Initiative and Targets from the previous
Round.
Orientations are essentially a characters attitude entering the combat, and whether or not he
intends to attack, defend or remain cautious in the first Round. There are three Orientations:
Aggressive, Defensive and Cautious.
First, all fighters in the Bout declare which of the three they are not potentially going, to narrow
things down. This can be either Aggressive, Cautious or Defensive, and is best done by having
each player (or the GM, in the case of NPCs) hold a colored die signifying the Orientation (Red
for Aggressive, Yellow for Cautious, Blue for Defensive) and then drop it at the count of 3.
After this, everyone repeats the action, this time with the Orientation that they are Declaring. The
Orientation chosen at this time determines the order in which characters choose Targets, their
Initiative for the coming Round, and what special maneuvers are available in this first Round.
Aggressive means that the character is actively engaging an enemy. When a character
throws Aggressive, they commit to offensive action in the first Round, and chooses a
Target before Defensive and Cautious characters do, and gain Initiative against any
Defensive or Cautious character they Target. Characters who throw Aggressive have
access to the Beat and Lance Charge Maneuvers in the first Round of combat.
Cautious means that the character is approaching cautiously, ready to take advantage of
openings, but not willing to leave themselves open. When a character throws Cautious,
they commit to nothing in the first Round, and chooses a Target after Aggressive
characters do, and gain Initiative against any Defensive character they Target. If Targeted
by an Offensive character, Cautious characters automatically Target them back, but do
not gain Action Initiative. Characters who throw Cautious have access to the Dart
Maneuvers in the first Round of combat.
Defensive means that the character is approaching defensively, and intends to repel
enemy attacks rather than looking for openings to attack. When a character throws
Defensive, they cannot declare any Attack Maneuvers in the first Action, and choose a
Target after both Aggressive and Cautious characters do. Characters who throw
Defensive have access to the Flee and Total Shielding Maneuvers in the first Round of
Combat.
Once all characters have tossed Orientation dice, and know their attitudes for the coming combat,
Targets are declared.
A Characters Target is the individual that he is actively attempting to attack. A characters
regular Attack Maneuvers can only be directed at his Target. Cross-Maneuvers must be used to
declare Attack Maneuvers on non-Target characters.
Characters declare Targets within their Bout in order of Orientation, with Aggressive characters
picking Targets first (in order of highest Adroitness to lowest, rolling off for ties), followed by
Cautious characters, and then by Defensive characters.
When a character picks a Target, he gains Initiative against that Target, unless that character also
targets them. If two characters Target each other, something special happens depending on their
Orientation.
Aggressive/Aggressive: If two Aggressive characters Target each other, they both act as
though they have the Initiative over the other. Roll an ADR test. The loser must declare
his Action first, after which the winner declares. Both still proceed as though they had
Initiative (i.e. they must both declare Attack Maneuvers), right up until the time comes to
resolve those Maneuvers. At that time, the two characters must roll an Initiative Test
(Adroitness+Length Advantage+Misc) In the case of a Tie, the two characters resolve
their maneuvers against each other simultaneously, with all Stun and Pain being deferred
until after both maneuvers go through; this has the great potential to kill both fighters! If
one fighter wins, than he resolves his Maneuver first, applies all effects of that Maneuver
against his opponent, and only afterwards (if able) does the other character resolve their
Maneuver.
Aggressive/Anyone Else: If an Aggressive character and any other character Target each
other, the Aggressive Character has Initiative.
Cautious/Cautious: If two Cautious characters Target each other, they roll an Initiative
Test (Adroitness+Length Advantage+Misc), prior to declaring Maneuvers. The winner
gains Initiative, the loser does not, both may then declare Actions. In the event of a tie,
treat it as a Defensive/Defensive situation.
Cautious/Defensive: If a Cautious character and a Defensive character Target each other,
the Cautious character has Initiative.
Defensive/Defensive: If two Defensive characters Target each other, neither of them can
declare Attack Actions against each other this Round. After that Round, if neither
character has Initiative and they are still Targeting each other, they Re-Declare their
Orientations, in exactly the same manner as they did during the First Action.
This system of Orientations only matters for the First Round. After that, all Targeting and
Initiative follow naturally out of the flow of Combat.
First Round
At this time, all characters should have their Targets and Initiatives worked out, either due to
Orientation Declaration, if this is the First Bout, or left over from the previous Round, if this is
the second or more time this Bout has come up in Initiative. Every Round works the same, so
this explanation covers all Combat Rounds.
1. Refresh
2. First Action
3. Second Action
After this is done, just repeat steps 1-3 until the Bout has run through a number of Rounds equal to its
Clash Count. At that time, the Bout is over, and you can move the spotlight to the next Bout, and resolve
it the same way.
Round Mechanics
The Refresh
At this time, all characters fill their Combat Pools up to their current maximums. Any Pain or Exhaustion
should be factored in to this, as characters Maximum CP might change over the course of a battle. Some
Maneuvers or effects might specify that they reduce an enemys CP at the next Refresh, if such effects
are in place, simply subtract them from the characters CP immediately after the Refresh, but before
taking any Actions.
First Action
In the First Action phase, characters declare Maneuvers, first characters with Initiative (in order of lowest
Adroitness to highest, roll off to resolve ties) and then characters without Initiative. A Character can only
direct an Attack Maneuver at his Target. Cross Maneuvers (See the Maneuver Section in Chapter 4) can
be used to attack non-Target enemies, or to switch Targets mid-Round.
Maneuvers are declared by naming the maneuver being used, on whom it is going to be used and then
how many dice are being Invested into it. The more dice in the Investment, the higher the chance that the
Maneuver will be successful.
Defenses declared against Attack Maneuvers also have Investment. The goal of Defense Maneuvers is
usually to roll more successes than the Attacker.
After Maneuvers are Declared, they are resolved. Attack Maneuvers are resolved in the opposite order
that they were Declared, such that the last Maneuver declared is the first one resolved.
Maneuvers are resolved as detailed in their Maneuver Descriptions in Chapter 4, but the basic
concepts will be repeated here.
For example, the Thrust Maneuvers description:
Thrust
Requirements: Weapon has a Thrust TN
Basic Attack with Investment on Target at Thrust TN, aimed on Thrusting Table.
Success: Inflict [Str+Weapon Thrust Damage+BS] of the damage type indicated by your
weapon.
If Steal Initiative is used in conjunction with a Thrust, you gain +1 to the Initiative Roll.
What this means is that when a character resolves a Thrust on their Target, they do so by rolling
the Investment put into the maneuver at the Thrusting TN of the weapon they are using to make
the attack, to a location on the Thrusting Attack Table, as shown on Table 7.2: Hit Location on
the following page.
If successful, this attack deals the amount of damage described in the Success section
(Strength+the Weapons Thrust Damage rating+Any Successes above the enemy Defense), of the
weapons Thrusting damage entry.
Block
Requirements: Have a shield or device with a Block TN.
Basic Defense with Investment at Shield Block TN against Basic or Ranged Attack.
Success: Negates enemy attack, gains Initiative.
What this means is that when a character declares a Block against an attack aimed at him, he rolls
his Investment in that maneuver at the Block TN of his Shield. If he scores AS MANY AS or
more successes than the Attacker does, than the Attack is negated, and the character who Blocked
gains the Initiative over his opponent.
After Maneuvers are resolved, Targets may shift if one or more characters were killed. These are
the circumstances in which Targets may change, and how:
If a Character was attacked by a character other than his current Target, and successfully
defended against that attack, the Character may switch his Target to the Character that
attacked him, and gains Initiative over that Character if his Defense Maneuver granted it.
If a Characters current Target has been rendered Un-Targetable, either by being
incapacitated, dying, or use of Maneuver, the Character may choose a new Target,
prioritizing those who have attacked him this Action.
If a Characters Maneuver allows them to switch Targets, they may change to a new
Target in the manner prescribed by the Maneuver.
Second Action
The Second Action is identical to the first. Initiative and Targets set in place during the First
Action remain in place for the Second Action, and characters may spend their remaining CP
Declaring Maneuvers and resolving them, just as described in the First Action entry.
Round Ends
After this, the Round Ends.
This is everything you need to know to conduct a basic combat in Song of Swords.
Hit Locations
Attacks that hit a Target Zone must be aimed on a Target Zone. Swinging and Thrusting attacks have
different Zones available to them, and each Zone contains three Hit Locations.
If the attack hits, roll 1d10 to decide the Hit Location that the attack actually lands on, and then calculate
damage based on the armor covering that Hit Location.
The amount of damage done is then applied on the Damage Charts, in Chapter 8, using the damage
table appropriate to the type of damage dealt (Piercing, Cutting, Bludgeoning).
Certain other sources of damage make use of Target Zones, and these will specify whether they count as
Swing or Thrust attacks for the purposes of which set of Zones they use.
Neck Swing
1-3: Shoulder
4-6: Neck
7-8: Lower Head
9-10: Face
Face Thrust
1-3: Neck/Throat
4-7: Face
8-10: Upper Head
Throat Thrust
1-3: Chest
4-7: Neck/Throat
8-10: Face
Chest Thrust
1-3: Belly
4-7: Chest
8-9: Shoulder
10: Throat
Belly Thrust
1: Groin
2: Hip
3-7: Belly
8-10: Chest
Groin Thrust
1-3: Thigh
4-7: Groin
8-10: Belly
Swinging
Downwards Head: 0
Upwards Head: -1
Neck: 0
Upper Arms: 0
Lower Arms: +1
Torso: 0
Upper Legs: -2
Lower Legs: -3
Groin: -2
Thrusting
Face: -1
Throat: 0
Upper Arm: -1
Lower Arm: -1
Chest: +1
Belly: 0
Upper Leg: -2
Lower Leg: -3
Groin: -2
Rear Positions
In some fighting styles, a character will stand in such a way that half of their body is situated forward,
and the other half back. Usually the rear half is the arm that holds the primary weapon, and the leg on
that side as well.
Attacks of any sort made to the Rear Arm or Rear Leg suffer an additional -2 on the TZM table. The
forward positions are unchanged, and function as normal.
Rear Positions only apply if the character is currently facing his opponent and ready to fight. If TZMs
do not apply to the character currently (he is prone, surprised, etc) then these rules do not apply either.
1 Head
2 Chest
3 Chest
4 Belly
5 Belly
6 Groin
Outflanking
Certain situations in combat can result in a character Outflanking another character. When a character
Outflanks another character, they gain certain benefits:
-The Outflanked character cannot Target or Attack the Outflanking character.
-The Outflanked character cannot use any Defense Maneuvers against Attack Maneuvers made by the
Outflanking character without spending CP equal to the Outflanking Characters Perception. Even then,
only the Void or Flee Maneuver (if available) can be used.
-The Outflanking character makes Back Attacks when attacking the Outflanked character.
-The Outflanking character ignores the Shield AV of the Outflanked character.
Outflanking ends if the Outflanked character Targets the Outflanking character. However, if in a combat
with multiple opponents, Targeting one who is Outflanking, and thus ending their Outflanking status, may
cause another enemy to become Outflanking, at the GMs discretion.
The twins Bruce and Hazel are attacking a norse warrior named Snorri. Hazel declares an Outflank
Maneuver, and succeeds, so that he is now Outflanking Snorri. Now, Snorri must pay CP equal to Hazels
Perception to defend against any of his attacks, and Hazel can target his less-defended back. If Snorri
wants to get out of this, hes going to have to defeat Bruce quick, and then turn to face his outflanking foe
before he gets a few new holes carved in his back.
Back Attacks
Any attack made from the rear, either because a character has snuck up on his target or is Outflanking
(see above) is a Back Attack.
Back Attacks replace the Chest Target Zone with the Upper Back Target Zone, and the Belly Target Zone
with the Lower Back Target Zone, but otherwise roll exactly the same as normal attacks. Both Swinging
and Thrusting attacks work this way.
Remember:
Chest=Upper Back
Belly=Lower Back
i.e. character is Outflanking an enemy, and declares a Horizontal Torso Swing on his target, and hits. The
Hit Location roll determines that the attack hits the Chest. However, because the character is making a
Back Attack, it actually hits the Upper Back.
Scatterfire
Weapons with the Scatter special rule (Blunderbuses, Dragon Pistols, other weapons loaded with Shot,
etc.) a character can fire the weapon in such a way that multiple enemies are hit at once. Only enemies
who are very close to each other (1 yard away from each other) can be hit in this way. Targeting a
character with two others a yard away from them could result in hitting all 3.
To start, resolve the primary attack against the center target as normal. If it misses, all of the Scatter shots
will miss as well. The primary shot resolves as normal, however, the Scatter damage should be randomly
divided between the potential targets (assign numbers on a D10 to each potential target, favoring the
primary one, and roll each scatter die to determine who it hits, then where on each character it hits as
normal) and then resolved separately.
The individuals targeted by these multiple Scatters can benefit from Take Cover and other defenses as
normal.
At the GMs discretion, this rule may be applied against friendly targets as well--firing a shotgun into a
crowd of mixed friends and enemies is dangerous!
Mounted Combat
Characters in combat will often fight on horseback, or else mounted on exotic beasts like elephants or
dinosaurs. Fighting in such a manner confers special bonuses in combat, as well as opening up new
opportunities for characters to use special maneuvers.
Explosions
Radius: The range within which an explosion is at its most optimal power.
Power: The amount of damage that an explosion inflicts.
Type: The type of damage inflicted by the explosion. If two types are listed, then the explosion inflicts
half of one type, and half of another.
Special: Special effects of the explosion. It might set all areas that suffer damage from the base explosion
on fire, or it might ignore some armor, or it might inflict extra Stun.
Resolving an Explosion:
All figures within the Radius of the explosion in yards suffer damage equal to the Power of the explosive,
minus half of their TOU. (at GM's discretion, a fully armored man might subtract of their armor's
Bludgeoning AV as well.) The damage after reduction is randomly distributed across the body using the
Random Missile Hit Table. Damage that lands on the same Target Zone combines before rolling further
for specific Hit Location.
For each multiple of the Radius past the first, the Power of the explosion is halved, until it can no longer
inflict damage.
If an Explosion inflicts more than a Level 5 wound to any area, add Limb Severed to the Wound's effects,
regardless of its Damage Type.
A Take Cover Maneuver, or any sort of Cover AV, reduces damage from Explosions.
Michael triggers a booby-trap, and a large bomb explodes next to him. The bomb has a power of 16, and
a Range of 10 that Michael is well within. He has TOU 5. He suffers 14 (16-2) damage randomly
distributed. He ends up suffering a level 4 wound to the torso (chest), a level 5 wound to the right arm
(elbow), a level 4 wound to the head (face), and a level 1 wound to the left leg (thigh). Because the bomb
relied on shrapnel to do its damage, the damage is of Piercing type.
Michael is left in a state of anguish, rapidly bleeding to death, and unable to move.
If Michael had been 15 feet away from the bomb, he would've suffered 6 (8-2) damage, because the
Power of the bomb would've been halved. If he had been 33 feet away, he would've suffered 2 (4-2
damage), as the Power would be halved yet again. Ten more feet, and he would not have suffered any
damage at all, as his TOU would have cancelled out the explosion's power entirely.
Incendiary Bomb
Radius: 3
Power: 5
Type: -
Special: Does not inflict regular damage, but any area hit suffers Burn 3/TN 5 for 5 Rounds. If multiple
damage lands on the same area, increase the Burn Duration by 1 per point.
Light Landmine
Radius: 5
Power: 15
Type: p/b
Special: Can be set as a trap to explode upon being stepped on. First half of damage is ALWAYS inflicted
to the leg that triggers the mine.
Heavy Landmine
Radius: 5
Power: 30
Type: p/b
Special: Can be set as a trap to explode upon being stepped on. First half of damage is ALWAYS inflicted
to the leg that triggers the mine.
Explosive Cannonball
Radius: 15
Power: 20
Type: p/b
Special: Within 5 Yards, add 10 Power.
Barrel of Gunpowder
Radius: 20
Power: 30
Type: b
Special: If buried, will inflict
Barrel of Gunpowder filled with nails and ball bearings, broken glass, etc
Radius: 30
Power: 45
Type: b/p
Lighting Rules
Fighting in a low-light environment is a dangerous affair. Aside from the chances of misidentifying
enemies and friends, it also makes it harder to perform many Skill Tests, reduces combat effectiveness,
both in melee and ranged combat.
A candle will generally improve an environments Lighting by one stage, up to Even Lighting but never
higher.
A torch will improve an environments Lighting by two stages, up to Even Lighting.
A pit of burning magnesium will improve an environments Lighting up to four stages, up to Blinding.
At GMs discretion, other effects like fog, smoke, dust, fire etc. can effect visibility in the same way that
Light can. Dense fog could move an Evenly Lit environment to Poorly Lit, for example.
Terrain Rules
Terrain rules cover how characters navigate the battlefield itself. Obstacles, rough or unstead ground,
pitfalls and more, these are things that can dramatically effect the outcome of a fight. Mobility Maneuvers
often require Terrain Rolls, and in certain situations, a Terrain Roll might be necessary to complete a
regular Maneuver or Action during Combat as well.
Terrain Rolls are simply Mobility Rolls made at a special TN. The default TN is 4 for wide, flat, open
ground with no significant obstacles, but this number can change depending on the nature of the Terrain,
as detailed in the table below. The RS is normally 1, but Maneuvers may result in contested Terrain Rolls.
A failed Terrain Roll might have disastrous consequences depending on the situation. The GM must
decide what exactly is the correct outcome of a failed Terrain Roll. A minor failure might result in the
characters movement being halted or maneuver failing. A major failure (no successes at all, for example)
may result in the character falling down, or worse, falling off of a cliff, moving vehicle, or worse.
Rocky/Minorly Obstructed +1
Narrow Footing +1
Uneven Footing +1
Unsteady/Slippery Footing +1
Dogs
Dogs and other, similar animals (wolves, jackals, hyenas and such) can be deadly combatants themselves.
Players may purchase dogs much as they can Horses (see Horse section below) and use them as guards or
fighting companions.
Dog Murderousness
This is the Dog equivalent of Proficiency. Murderousness combines with ADR to determine a Dogs
Combat Pool.
Wolf
Str: 5
Agi: 6
End: 6
Het: 5
Wip: 4
Int: 1
Wit: 6
Per: 6
---
ADR: 6
TOU: 5
MOB: 8
SOC: 5
Murderousness: 5
(In Combat, Dogs have access to the Dog Maneuvers listed in the Maneuver Section, as well as the
following Maneuvers from regular human Maneuvers list:)
Dog Qualities
Some horses have special qualities, abilities, or traits that make them more useful. Dog Qualities increase
the cost of a dog. A dog is not guaranteed (though it is likely) to pass its genes on to its offspring.
Freakishly Robust [+100% Cost]: This Dog is huge. Absolutely massive. It dwarfs most other Canids,
and may weigh as much as a man, or more! Some Dog Breeds are consistently this size, and are greatly
prized for it.
This Dog gains a +2 bonus to Health, gains an additional +1 damage to its Dog Bite, Tackle and Savage
Attacks. It can also keep you warm by sitting on you because its so huge.
Thirsts for Murder [+100% Cost]: This Dog has a deep, instinctual desire to crush the life out of other
living things. While its canine loyalty may keep its master safe, in battle nothing can constrain its savage
lust for blood.
This Dog gains +4 Murderousness, and increases the Handling TN required to bring it under control by
2. In stressful situations, a Critical Failure on a Handling Roll may result in this Dog turning on its master
out of excitement.
Extremely Loyal [+200% Cost]: This Dog has a reputation for loyalty to its master that transcends the
norm even for canines. Barring extreme abuse or a deliberate attempt to alienate the owner from it, it will
virtually never abandon, disobey or turn on its master.
Handling Rolls for this Dog are unnecessary unless the Dog has the Thirsts for Murder quality, in which
case all of the TNs are reduced by 2. The Dog will ALWAYS do its masters bidding. Any effect, even
magic or other sorcery that would cause the Dog to act against its masters wishes, are resisted at +4 WIP.
Fast [+100% Cost]: Mother of God this thing can run. Most commonly found in Sighthounds, this Dog is
a pursuit predator, and can bolt like nobodys business, often for hours.
This Dog adds +4 to its total Mobility.
Great Endurance [+50% Cost]: This Dog has extreme endurance even by the standards of dogs. These
things can run for hours.
This Dog gains +2 Endurance.
Intelligent [+50% Cost]: This Dog is smart. Its a sharp puppy, and can reason for itself. This can
sometimes make a hound harder to control, but on the other hand, if they are handled well, it can make
them carry out tasks more effectively.
This Dog gains +1 Intelligence, and increases all of its Handling TNs by 1. However, when actually
carrying out any activity set for it by a Handling Roll, it will perform it in the most intelligent and likely
to succeed manner possible. Additionally, its Murderousness increases by 2 when it is fighting Dogs with
lower Intelligence than it.
This Quality cannot be taken in conjunction with Dumb as a Sack of Hammers.
Dumb as a Sack of Hammers [+50% Cost]: Slow dogs always fight harder. Maybe its because they
dont know theyve lost, or maybe its because they know deep down that the other dogs always made fun
of them behind their backs, and resent all living things for it. This Dog reduces all Pain and Stun damage
inflicted against it by 2. Additionally it completely ignores Shock from weapons, and increases its
Murderousness by 4 when facing an Intelligent Dog.
This Quality cannot be taken in conjunction with Intelligent.
Beautiful [+100% Cost]: This Dog is a walking testament to mankinds ability to tame nature while
retaining its beauty. Perhaps it is particularly statuesque, or maybe its pelt is full, rich, and lustrous. Its
eyes gleam with that Canine charm that makes it Mans best friend, its brow is expressive, its head domed
and intelligent in appearence. It does not seem deficient--nobody could remember it as such.
This Dog is so magnificent that its master, will derive great prestige merely from its presence. Any Social
rolls made by the Dogs master while the Dog is present will receive a +1 bonus, so long as the other
party is not some sort of gibbering savage who hates dogs. (This bonus is cumulative with Purebred, but
not with multiple dogs.)
Purebred [Special]: This Dog is the product of centuries of Dog-Eugenics. It is the pure, crystalized
essence of Dog. Its traits are fully inheritable, and if two Purebred Dogs mate, they will amost certainly
produce Purebred pups. These animals are considered extremely valuable, not only because they are
simply superior to regular dogs of their type, but also because of their rarity, value as breeding stock, and
the prestige they grant their owners.
This Dog gains +1 to ALL Attributes (including Intelligence), and any Social rolls made by this Dogs
master while the Dog is present will receive a +1 bonus, so long as the party being socialized with would
recognize the impressiveness of such a hound. (This bonus is cumulative with Beautiful, but not with
multiple dogs.)
Purebreds have a special cost: Instead of a % increase of base cost, a Purebred multiplies the cost of the
dog by 10 after all other Qualities are determined. So, a dog that, after all other qualities costs 6 sp, costs
60 sp
Keen Scent [+100% Cost]: This Dog does most of its hunting through its sense of smell, and this can be
invaluable for guard dogs or trackers. The Dog gains a +6 bonus to Perception for the purposes of
following trails, detecting intruders or outsiders, finding lost items by smell, etc, and can be trained to
immedaitely bring foreign scents to the attention of its master.
Floofy [+50% Cost]: Longhaired Dogs have certain advantages, their thick fur actually makes it very
difficult to injure them, particularly for other animals. This Dog gains AVC 1, and any Dog Bite or
Savage attack made against it is made at +1 TN.
Its also quite nice to look at, and combined with Freakishly Robust, makes an excellent companion on
the road or a cold evening.
Dacian Volkodav: Attack Dog w/ Freakishly Robust, Thirsts for Murder, Dumb as a Sack of Hammers,
and Floofy.
Breed Cost Modifier: +300%
Dog Cost: 4 sp.
Clachish Borfhound: Attack Dog w/ Freakishly Robust, Dumb as a Sack of Hammers, Keen Scent,
Extremely Loyal, and Floofy.
Breed Cost Modifier: +500%
Dog Cost: 6 sp.
Kamen Carraige Dog: Regular Dog w/ Fast, Endurance, Intelligent, and Extremely Loyal.
Breed Cost Modifier: +400%
Dog Cost: 5 cp
Horses
Horses have attributes very similar to those of humans, with the addition of the Loyalty Attribute, which
varies depending on the horses training.
Loyalty: Loyalty ranges from 0 to 10, but can only be purchased up to 5 when buying a horse. Each point
of Loyalty gives a +1 bonus to the riders Ride Checks if the mount is friendly to them, either the rider
himself or an individual gently introduced to the horse by the rider. If the mount is unfriendly to the rider,
then the Loyalty score is suffered as increased RS instead.
Loyalty Costs: Each point of Loyalty increases the cost of a horse by 50% of its original value.
Increasing Loyalty: A horses Loyalty can be increased (or attempted to be increased) once for every
month that its rider has been actively interacting with it. Up until Loyalty 5, this simply requires a Ride
check at RS equal to the current Loyalty of the Horse. Success increases the Horses Loyalty by 1.
From Level 5 onwards however, increasing Loyalty costs Arc Points as well as a Ride check. If the check
fails, the Arc Points are not refunded.
6 1 Arc
7 2 Arc
8 3 Arc
9 4 Arc
10 5 Arc
(In Combat, Horses do not normally fight except through the use of Mounted Maneuvers by their riders,
but in the event that a Horse is forced into a fight without its master, it can use Mounted Maneuvers of its
own accord, as well as the following Maneuvers from regular human Maneuvers list:)
Horse/Dog-Human Maneuver Crossover
-Void
-Closing Void
-Dart Out
-Flee
-Pass
Horse Qualities
Some horses have special qualities, abilities, or traits that make them more useful. Horses with good
combinations of Qualities are highly sought after, and their cost can rapidly increase beyond the means of
anyone except kings and high nobility!
Horse Qualities increase the cost of the horse after Loyalty.
Smooth Gait [+100% Cost]: Missile Attacks made from this horse while moving suffer half of the normal
penalty (-2.) In addition, the horse is very comfortable and less exhausting to ride, and so a rider can
cover 20% additional distance in a day of hard riding before suffering Exhaustion.
This Horses Agility is increased by 1.
Murderous [Special Cost]: Horse gains 5 additional dice when making Horse Attacks, and no Ride test is
required to convince the horse to attack. The horses unruly and violent character makes its loyalty
suspect. The cost of this trait is equal to the cost of its Loyalty score. (i.e. if a Destriers Loyalty score of 3
cost 30 gp, then Murderous would cost 30 gp.) Increasing Loyalty through Ride checks is also more
difficult, suffering a +4 RS to the roll.
Additionally, the horse gains the Complete Monster Bane. If this horse is also Unusually Intelligent, it
will plot the downfall of rival horses, or, if its Loyalty is low, its rider. A Murderous horse with 0 Loyalty
is impossible to ride.
This Horses Willpower is increased by 5.
Unusually Intelligent [+50% Cost]: The horse is unusually, even frighteningly intelligent. Its intelligence
equals that of a human, but its perspectives are still animal. This horse can be given instructions that
would be totally lost upon a slower animal, and it will work to serve, protect, or even save its master if its
Loyalty is high enough. In addition, it is much easier to convince the horse to do something essential to its
survival. When making any sort of Ride Test the failure of which would result in possible injury to the
horse (excluding Horse Attack maneuvers) the rider gains +2 dice to the Ride Test.
This Horses Intelligence is increased by 2.
Freakishly Robust [+150% Cost]: This horse is big for its class. Very big. Most warhorses were not
actually known for their enormous size, but this one sure is. Standing as high as 20 hands, this animal
looks like it could kill and eat a smaller horse.
Maybe it has.
This horse gains a +2 bonus to its Strength and Health, gains an additional +1 damage to its Bite and Kick
Attacks, and counts its Reach for purposes of those attacks as 1 longer than normal. In Horse Crashes, this
horse adds 2 to its own Mass, and reduces its targets Mass by 2.
Beautiful [+100% Cost]: Some horses just have a gorgeous mien. For millennia, mankind has admired
beautiful horses, and they have always fetched a high price both for the pleasure of owning them, and for
the prestige of riding such an animal.
A Beautiful horse is incredibly easy to recognize if you have seen it before (automatic), and confers a +2
to Leadership rolls made while riding it, or after having dismounted from it when its visage is still fresh in
the minds of the subjects of the roll.
A horse like this must be maintained by competent servants (or its own diligent owner), or its good looks
might temporarily be ruined by the rigors of the road or warfare.
Dunkey
Str: 4 Wip: 10
Agi: 4 Wit: 2
End: 8 Int: 2
Het: 4 Per: 7
Adr: 3 Loyalty: X-2
Tou: 5 Mob: 10
Mass: 4
Horse Attack Dice: 1
Bite Attack: Str-2c
Kick Attack: Str-2b
Cost: 10 cp
Pony
Str: 5 Wip: 2
Agi: 4 Wit: 2
End: 10 Int: 1
Het: 4 Per: 5
Adr: 3 Loyalty: X
Tou: 6 Mob: 11
Mass: 5
Horse Attack Dice: 1
Bite Attack: Str-2c
Kick Attack: Str-2b
Cost: 2 sp
Workhorse
Str: 7 Wip: 2
Agi: 4 Wit: 2
End: 9 Int: 1
Het: 5 Per: 5
Adr: 3 Loyalty: X
Tou: 7 Mob: 12
Mass: 9
Horse Attack Dice: 1
Bite Attack: Str-2c
Kick Attack: Str-2b
Cost: 10 sp
Mounted Advantages/Disadvantages
Mounted Characters gain the following advantages while Mounted.
- A +1 bonus to Reach.
- All armor below the waist is ignored for purposes of Encumbrance.
- The Mount's Mobility score is used instead of the character's own for all tasks taken while Mounted
unless otherwise stated or ruled by the GM.
- The Character has access to Mounted Combat Maneuvers.
- The Character can move as Mounted. Horses count their Mobility as being doubled for the purposes of
movement.
- The Character cannot be attacked from the Chest up by attacks made at Reach shorter than Long by
dismounted opponents.
- The Character cannot attack dismounted opponents below the Chest with an attack made at Reach
shorter than Long.
- The Character cannot perform non-Mounted Void maneuvers.
-Missile Attacks made by the Character suffer a -4 die penalty if the mount is moving, unless it has
Smooth Gait.
Trampling
Trampling is similar mechanically to Falling, and represents a character being trampled under hoof by a
horse or other animal.
Trampling damage is randomized in delivery location on the following table, and resolves as Bludgeoning
damage. The listed damage for a Trampling event (normally equal to Mount Weight) is always delivered
3 times on the table. However, if multiple instances of the damage land on the same area, the instances
combine rather than being resolved separately.
If the body part listed is one of which there are two (left/right), then flip a coin for which is hit, but
combine all damage to that result on the table to the chosen limb.
Trampling damage is reduced by TOU and Armor, but only half of Armor is applied to the total damage
on an area.
1 Thigh
2 Groin
3 Side
4 Chest
5 Face
6 Upper Head
7 Shoulder
8 Upper Arm/Bicep
9 Forearm
10 Hand
Attacking Horses
Horses can be injured much as humans can. However, to spare you the complexities of a damage table for
the Horse, horse-damage is simplified here into a generic damage table for each damage type. The table
has five levels, just as the normal one.
Just as with a human, when a horse suffers damage, the Strength of the attack is reduced by the
Toughness of the horse, and the excess amount of damage (if any) determines the damage level of the
Wound.
Any attacks made against a Horse assume that the Horses base Reach is Short, for purposes of Reach
penalties.
Stun only affects a horse if it reduces its CP to 0, at which point the Horse will panic, and must be
Calmed as-per the Ride Skill before it can be commanded again.
Pain affects a horse's CP for maneuvers, and if its CP is reduced to 0 by Pain, the horse will collapse and
suffer until it is treated or put out of its misery.
Horse Damage
(Note: For the purposes of Scatter, roll on the Missile Hit Table and only combine damage that lands on
the same area--but every area uses the same damage table.)
Horse: Bludgeoning
Wound Level Stun Pain Bleed Special Description
Level 1 1 0 0 -
Level 2 3 1 0 -
Level 3 5 3 3 -
Level 4 Total 5 5 -
Horse: Cutting
Wound Level Stun Pain Bleed Special Description
Level 1 2 3 2 - -
Level 2 3 5 3 - -
Level 3 5 10 5 - -
Level 4 8 Total 8 - -
Horse: Piercing
Wound Level Stun Pain Bleed Special Description
Level 1 1 1 4 - -
Level 2 2 3 8 - -
Level 3 4 5 12 - -
Horse Crashes
In the event of a Horse Crash, in which two or more Horses slam into each other, each suffers
bludgeoning damage equal to the other horses Weight, reduced by TOU. Both riders must make Hard
[RS 5] difficulty Ride checks or suffer Falling damage equal to 18' onto the ground. If they succeed their
Ride checks, they instead suffer Falling damage equal to 9 onto the ground.
If the Horse instead crashes into an obstacle, the ground, or a person, use the Weight guidelines below
and resolve it the same way.
Weight Example Object
1 Miscellaneous Furniture
3 Man
6 Wooden Fence
7 Construction Scaffolding
9 Workhorse, a Cow
10 Courser, Rouncey,
15 A Brick Wall, A Freakishly Robust Armored Destrier, a Destrier with two saddlebags full of
bricks carrying a concrete statue of Mark Henry.
Surprise Attacks
If characters are caught unawares in an ambush or another surprise attack, they may not move or choose
their own Bouts in the first stage of combat, and their Maximum Combat Pools are halved for the first
Round of combat. They also might be Outflanked.
Characters who detect the ambush beforehand may still act normally, only those surprised suffer in this
way.
A Miscellaneous Combat Action is something that can be done in combat more or less concurrently with
the rest of the Bout, but which isnt any sort of action taken against another character. Examples include
drawing a sword, grabbing a fallen weapon off of the ground, etc.
Weapons cannot be dropped in reaction to events. You may only drop a weapon at the start of an
Action. You may drop a weapon and then draw a new one in the same Action.
Anatomy of a Wound
Wounds have a few components, illustrated here. When a Wound is suffered by a character, the level,
location and type of the wound should be recorded, in addition to the Blood Loss, Stun and Pain. Injuries
are not removed from a characters sheet until they are healed (see Recovery and Healing below).
Hit Location
The Hit Location of the injury. This is identical to the Hit Location determined on the Hit Location Tables
below.
Type
This is the kind of damage that has been inflicted. Most weapons inflict Cutting, Piercing, or Bludgeoning
damage. Other types of damage include Fire and Cold.
Blood Loss
This is the amount of blood being lost from the wound. Different kinds of wounds inflict different
amounts of Blood Loss, as detailed in their Wound Description. Blood Loss is used for Bleeding Rolls,
detailed below.
Stun
Stun is a one-time deduction from a character's Combat Pool. It does not decrease a character's maximum
CP, but rather their current reserves. Stun cannot reduce a character's CP below 0. If Stun would bring a
character's CP below 0, the CP is only reduced to 0, and the character suffers Overshock. Overshock
forces a Stability Test at RS equal to the excess Stun after 0. Failure results in the character becoming
Prone.
If Stun is sustained while a Character has an unresolved Maneuver declared, the Stun is first
subtracted from any CP devoted to the Maneuver, and after that is depleted, the rest of the Stun is
applied to their remaining CP.
If there are multiple Maneuvers declared, the effects of Stun cannot be divided up between them,
but must be applied to one at a time. First subtract CP from one Maneuver until its CP is fully
depleted, then do the same to the other, and finally the Characters remaining CP. The Character
sustaining the Stun chooses which maneuvers to subtract from.
Pain
Pain is similar to Stun, but rather than the immediate jarring effect of the injury, it is a lasting effect. Pain
inflicted by any source reduces the characters Refresh by 1 per point of Pain, reducing the amount of
Combat Pool the character gains at the start of each Round to a minimum of 0.
If Pain reduces a characters Combat Pool at Refresh to 0, the character is rendered helpless and
incapable of doing anything meaningful (talking may or may not be possible, GMs choice). The
character must also make a Willpower test at RS equal to any excess Pain over that required to reduce
the characters CP to 0 or lose consciousness.
A characters total Pain is reduced by Grit before being subtracted from the characters Combat Pool.
So, a character who has 5 Grit and who is currently suffering 12 Pain suffers a -7 penalty to their
Maximum Combat Pool until the pain is alleviated.
5 to 9 1 success
10 to 14 2 successes
15 to 19 3 successes
20 to 24 4 successes
+ +
Losing Health:
Any time that a Blood Loss test is failed, the Character loses an amount of HLT equal to the number of
successes by which the test failed.
When a character's HLT reaches 1 or lower from Blood Loss, all of their other Attributes are temporarily
halved. When a characters HLT reaches 0 or or lower, they immediately pass out and continue to bleed,
making END tests and losing HLT into negative amounts. When their HLT reaches a negative amount
equal to their unmodified total HLT, they die. Note that when the character passes out, the TOU vs. 2 RS
to avoid Brain Damage is done with their newly-modified TOU. (See Knockout, below.)
Duke has been shot several times with a repeating crossbow. He is suffering 22 Blood Loss. He must
make an Endurance test with his End of 5,
Regaining Health:
Once a wound has been treated via Surgery so that no more Blood Loss can occur, HLT lost to Blood
Loss will begin replenishing at a rate of 1 HLT per week.
HLT lowered by Infection is also recovered in this manner, but only after all of a characters Infections
have been defeated.
If a Character goes for over an hour without losing a point of HLT, any remaining Blood Loss is
automatically staunched, including Internal Bleeding.
Treating Wounds
In order to stop a wound from bleeding, and to reduce the Pain it causes, the Surgery skill must come into
play. A Surgery check made at appropriate difficulty for wound level Treats the wound. Treated wounds
have their Blood Loss reduced to 0 (unless reopened somehow), and their Pain reduced by half. Treated
wounds begin healing immediately. Healing time depends on the characters maximum normal HLT, and
the level of the wound.
Once a Wound has fully healed, the Wound, and any remaining pain, are removed from the character.
Unarmed Wounds heal in Days instead of Weeks.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8+
1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 0
2 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1
Wound Level 3 4 4 4 3 3 3 2 2
4 8 8 8 6 6 6 5 5
5 60 60 60 48 48 48 36 36
Damage Tests:
Knockout
A Knockout (KO) test, is an END test. You need a number of successes specified by the event. Failure
causes the character to be knocked unconscious, Prone, and unable to act for 1d10 minutes. A character
that is knocked out cannot defend themselves and is entirely helpless. Whenever a character is knocked
out, they must pass a TOU vs. 2 RS test, or gain the Brain Damage (Minor) Bane.
[Optional]: If a character is knocked out while standing up or fighting, the GM may rule that he suffers
Falling Damage due to landing on a hard surface or an object while unconscious. This usually will be
equivalent of a fall from 6 feet. An unconscious man hitting an awkward surface (the corner of a table, a
street curb, etc.) could suffer a far more severe injury than the actual blow that rendered him unconscious.
Stability
When a character makes a Stability Test (either as specified by a wound or effect, or because their CP has
been reduced to the negatives by Stun or Pain, or other reasons at GMs discretion) roll an AGI test. The
RS will vary depending on the cause of the event that called for a Stability Test. Failure renders the
character Prone.
Prone
Whenever a character is laying flat on the ground, they are considered to be Prone. While a character is
prone, their maximum combat pools for all melee proficiencies and their Mobility are halved, and the
effective Reach of any weapon theyre using (including unarmed weapons like fists, legs, etc) is
reduced by 2 stages. While Prone, all Maneuvers except for Block are made at +1 TN.
Being knocked prone (after failing a Stability test, being knocked down, etc.) causes a character to
immediately take Stun equal to half their maximum combat pool. Until the character is standing during a
Refresh, their maximum combat pool remains halved, and any Refresh when prone only restores them to
that half-maximum.
The use of the Rapid-Rise Maneuver allows a character to stand up immediately upon falling down, if
they have the remaining CP. Check Chapter 4: Proficiencies & Manuevers for more information.
Otherwise, a character must spend an entire action standing up, and cannot use any Maneuvers for that
action except Quick Defense.
Falling Damage
When a character falls, they roll on the first table below to determine what body part they land with. They
then take a wound as if struck with a blunt object to the area hit at Strength determined by the distance
fallen, and the surface fallen onto. Neither Armor nor TOU reduce this damage. The character also takes
additional damage to the adjacent body parts as determined by the falling table at half damage.
Hard (Cement, Stone, Packed Dirt, Cobblestones, Hardwood floor, 1 per 2 fallen
a thoughtlessly placed pile of bricks)
Solid (Earth, carpeted floor, collapsible structure (falling through a 1 per 4 fallen
cart, wagon, canopy, an armored man)
Soft (Straw, trampled battlefield earth, mud, Sand, a Person, a pile 1 per 8 fallen
of dead people)
Rough Slope (Rocky Hill, Flight of Stairs, Shingled Rooftop) 1 per 10 tumbled
Deadly Slope (Cliffside, Jagged Mountain Slope, Castle Ramparts) 1 per 6 tumbled
Hard Angle (Corner of a Table, Edge of a bin, street curb, etc) 1 per 1 fallen, may inflict Cutting
or Piercing damage.
For example: An assassin is flung off a balcony after a failed attempt on the life of a King, and then falls
fifty feet onto a hard rooftop, where he then rolls another fifty feet before falling off this second roof,
down another twenty feet onto the cobblestone street, he would sustain three separate Falls. Lets run
through an example of what happens:
First Fall: 50 onto a Hard surface. The assassin sustains 25 damage to his Right Arm, and 12
Damage to his Hand and Upper Arm. This results in 3 Level 5 Wounds.
Second: 50 on Rough Slope (5 damage) The assassin rolls down the slope, and suffers 5 damage
to his neck, and 2 damage to his shoulder and head. At this moment, the assassin dies.
Third: 20 on Hard (10 damage) The assassin, who is already dead, finally lands on his back,
suffering 10 damage to his upper back, and 5 damage to his head and lower back. This results in
three more leve l5 wounds.
Every bone in his right arm is shattered, his neck is broken, his spine is broken is two places, and his head
is smashed upon. He is dead. BUT, what if, like a smart Assassin, he had aimed for the conspicuous pile
of straw instead of the rooftop?
Well, assuming the slope of the roof was fairly steep and actually covered about 30 feet of vertical space,
thatd mean that the total distance fallen wouldve been 100 feet exactly.
Now lets say that the the Assassin leaps into the pile of straw from the same total height (about 100 feet)
instead. He instead suffers 12 damage to one body part, and 6 damage to two others. If hes lucky, he
might only shatter one of his legs or arms, but hes just as likely to break his neck, spine, or rupture all of
his organs.
Falling onto certain materials or hazards might justify changing the damage type inflicted from
Bludgeoning to Cutting or Piercing damage. Use your judgment, GM.
When a character suffers Fire Damage, the format looks like this:
(X)/TN5
X is the number of dice rolled, and the TN is always 5. Each success on this roll inflicts a level of Burn
Damage to the body part (or body parts) affected.
Burn Damage is not reduced by TOU, but it is reduced minorly by Armor. Cloth, Leather and other light
armors do nothing to reduce burn damage. In fact, they might make it worse (Quilted Armor, of worn
without Plate over it, increases the Burning Time of any Fire Damage by 1. Mail, Laminar, Brigandine,
etc. reduces Burn Damage by 1. Plate reduces Burn Damage by 2.
Burn Damage is Cumulative. If a character suffers a Level 1 Burn, and then next Round suffers two
additional Burn Damage, this does not create a Level 2 Burn, but instead turns the Level 1 into a Level 3.
Burning damage often lasts for multiple Rounds, inflicting damage at the beginning of each, and clothing
or armor may also catch fire, continuing the blaze for still longer!
Extinguishing a fire on ones person is either very easy (patting out, smothering with a blanket or cloth,
dropping and rolling) or excessively difficult (boiling oil, burning pitch, chainmail made dangerously hot
in a fire, acid). You may try to Extinguish a source of burn damage by spending a Full Action in the
Bystander Phase doing so. This is an Agility check, with the RS ranging from 1 (burning sleeve) to 8
(covered in burning pitch).
So, a character may suffer a pot of boiling oil being dumped on his head while climbing up a siege ladder.
The GM estimates this as a 4/TN5 burn attack that hits the upper head, neck, shoulders, and back. The
roll is made, 4 at TN 5.
2 successes are scored, however the character is wearing a Plate helmet and a Mail shirt, which reduces
burn damage to the upper head by 2, the back and shoulders by 1. The neck suffers all damage.
The result is a Level 1 Burn to both shoulders (two wounds), and a Level 2 burn to the neck. The next
Round, he suffers additional damage.
Table 8.6 Burn Damage
Wound Stun Pain Bleed Special Description
Level
Level 1 4 4 - [-3 Infection 1st degree Burn, painful but not serious.
Chance]
Level 2 8 6 - [-1 Infection Minor 2nd degree burn with swelling, but no probable
Chance] scarring.
Level 3 12 10 - [+1 Infection Bad 2nd degree burn, skin lost, scarring probable.
Chance]
Level 4 20 20 - [+3 Infection 3rd degree burn, serious scarring and injury. Consider
Chance] disfigurement Banes.
Level 5 Total 30 - [+5 Infection 4th degree burn or worse, flesh destroyed, bone
Chance] exposed and charred, almost certainly lethal if located
on vitals (HLT at RS 5)
Electrical Damage
Being electrocuted is not something that happens often in a medieval setting, but it can happen. Electrical
Damage is made against TOU, but it is not reduced by any sort of armor, and in fact is increased by
metallic armor (mail and scale increases Electrical damage by 1, Laminar and Plate of all varieties
increases it by 2.
A character does not suffer Electrical Wounds to any particular part of their body, the Wound applies to
the characters whole frame. However, in extreme cases (Damage 5 and Higher) a Burn Wound may be
inflicted (generally 1 at 5, +1 per 2 points of Electricity Damage past 5) at the point of electrocution.
Multiple Electrical Wounds combine, creating a new Wound with a Level equal to the highest previous
Wound +1. (So if a character has a Level 3 Electrical Wound, and suffers an additional Level 1-3
Electrical Wound, he instead upgrades the original Level 3 Wound to a Level 4, and suffers its effects
instead.)
Each Action (second) that a character stays in contact with the source of Electricity, he suffers the damage
again.
On top of any actual damage inflicted, Electricity always inflicts Shock equal to the amount of damage
dealt.
Electrical Wounds cannot be Infected, and heal at twice the speed of other Wounds.
Level 1 8 0 -
Level 2 10 2 - KO at 1
Level 3 12 4 - KO at 2
Level 4 16 20 - KO at 3
Cold Damage
Something something, Cold can target Limbs, TOU reduces, Armor doesnt, Warm Clothing can slow
effects, need rules for Freezing, yadda yadda, what killed the dinosaurs? Get to the Choppa.
Table 8.9
Wound Stun Pain Bleed Special Description
Level
Level 1 2 2 -
Level 2 4 4 -
Infection
The shock of a wound can kill a man, or he can bleed out before the injury can be staunched, but the most
insidious and terrible way to die of a wound is by corruption, or infection. In the course of healing, a
wound can become infested with bacteria and parasites which quickly cause the wound to become
gangrenous or septic, which can eventually result in necrosis and death.
Infection has a chance of occurring 24 hours after the infliction of the wound. Roll a HLT Test at RS
equal to the Infection Level of the Wound. The Infection Level equal to the Wound Level, plus any
miscellaneous modifiers. Both Wound descriptions and exterior circumstances (see Table 7.1) can
increase or decrease Infection Chance.
Wound was successfully treated with Surgery immediately after it was inflicted. -1 per 2
BS
Wound was inflicted in a fairly clean environment free of filth (being cut with a well -2
maintained dress sword during a parade, being injured by a practice weapon).
Wounded party did not receive adequate care after the injury. +2
If the character succeeds, then the Wound does not become infected, and heals normally. However, if
something occurs to infect the Wound again (the wound is exposed to filth, or reopened, or stripped of its
coverings and left unprotected for some time) then an additional roll may be necessary.
If the Infection Roll fails, then the Wound becomes Infected. Once a Wound becomes Infected, the
characters body begins to fight against the infection by all means possible, some of which are quite
detrimental. Characters with Infections become Feverish within 24 hours, and remain Feverish until the
Infection is defeated. (See Illness and Disease section for the effects of Fever. Short version: The
character suffers a Halved Combat and Mobility pool, and gains Exhaustion at double the normal rate).
Every 24 hours, the character must roll a Health Check at RS equal to the Infection Level of the Wound.
This roll can be modified with Medical skill, as detailed on Table 7.2, and this will greatly increase a
characters chance of survival. If unsuccessful, the characters Health is reduced temporarily by 1. This
Health does not recover until after the Infection is defeated. If the characters Health is reduced to 1 by
Infection, then all current Infections become Septic.
If a character succeeds a number of these Health Checks equal to the Infection Level of the wound, that
Infection is defeated, and the character can begin recovering Health, assuming there are no other
Infections to struggle against.
In the case of multiple Infections developing, only one Health Check is rolled per 24 hour period, at the
highest Infection Level of the infected wounds suffered. If the Check succeeds, all of the Infections are
resisted. If the Check fails, the character only loses 1 point of Health, not 1 per Infection.
Septic Infections
Septic Infections (when the injury becomes gangrenous and decaying) are almost invariably lethal. After
a wound becomes Septic, it rapidly spreads across the body, eventually reaching the heart or brain, and
killing the victim. The character becomes delusional, weak, and likely unconscious, and dies within
2d10+HLT hours. If the character can pass a WIL+HLT test at RS 5, the character can struggle on for
another 24 hours, but will still die before the next day.
There is no treatment for Sepsis, but if the Infection is in a limb, it can be Amputated immediately upon
the onset of Sepsis to prevent it from spreading. This increases the Infection Level of the resulting
Amputated wound by 1, whereas Amputating before Sepsis develops does not increase the Infection
Level at all. Surgeons must be careful when deciding whether or not to amputate too early on what
mightve been a salvageable limb.
Amputation
When a limb is Amputated (which itself requires a Surgery check at RS 3), the limb suffers the equivalent
of a level 5 cutting wound on the location where the Infection is located, but with no Bleed. This
automatically removes the Infection that occupied the amputated limb, and the wound can then be treated
like a normal wound for terms of surgery checks to end blood loss and begin the healing process.
Amputations also confer an automatic -2 to the Infection Chance of the wound, due to the care that goes
into the procedure to make it as clean as possible, and may benefit from other factors as well, such as a
clean environment with proper tools, to minimize the chance of the new wound becoming Infected as
well.
If a wound becomes Septic before being amputated, as detailed in the Septic Infection section above, then
the Amputations -2 to Infection Chance is reduced to -1, increasing the possibility of repeated Infection,
as some of it may have already spread beyond the limb.
Each Target Zone contains three to four Hit Locations, which are listed below. Swinging and Thrusting
attacks have different Target Zones available to them.
If an attack hits, roll 1d10 to decide the Hit Location that the attack actually lands on, and then calculate
damage based on the following formula:
[Total Damage Done (Maneuver Damage+Miscellaneous)] versus [Total Defensive Value (TOU+AV of
appropriate damage type+Miscellaneous)]
If the Total Damage exceeds the Total Defense, the result is a Wound of a level equal to the excess
damage.
The amount of damage done is then applied on the damage charts located later in this section.
Heres an easy way to decide if you dont feel like flipping a coin: fighters tend to lead with the dominant
side of their bodies when fighting, so if an opponent is right-handed, and you land a hit on his thigh with
an upwards swing, you probably hit him on his right thigh.
Alternatively, flip a coin or roll for it. GMs, be sure to be consistent about this sort of thing!
Table 8.1.1 Swinging Attacks
Target Zone Hit Locations
Wound Qualities
Table 8.1.3 Wound Qualities
Quality Description/Effect
Disarm vs You must make a Disarm (AGI+Misc) test at X RS or drop anything held in the affected arm.
[X] RS
KO vs [X] You must make a Knockout (END+Misc) test at X RS or be rendered unconscious for 1d10
RS minutes.
[X] Surgery You immediately gain Y Bane, which cannot be removed without a successful Surgery test at X
vs [Y] difficulty before the wound heals. If the wound heals (or the surgery test fails) then Y Bane
becomes permanent.
Autodrop You automatically drop anything held with this limb when this Wound is inflicted. Increase the RS
of any Stability test made to maintain your grip on a weapon with this limb by the Wound level.
Auto-Prone You are automatically rendered Prone. You cannot Stand Up in the same action, or in the action
after receiving this Wound. Increase all further Stability tests RS by the Wound level, until the
Wound is fully healed.
Auto-KO Character is rendered unconscious for 1d10*6 minutes. Increase the RS of any further KO rolls by
the Wound level, until the Wound is fully healed.
Stun: Total Automatically reduces Combat Pool to 0, and immediately renders you Prone without a test.
Pain: Total Your effective Pain is considered infinite until this Wound has healed.
Limb This limb is cut off! You receive the Severed Limb Bane.
Severed
Damage Charts
Upper Head
Table 8.1.4 Upper Head - Cutting
Wound
Stun Pain Bleed Special Description
Level
Auto-KO
Severe skull fracture, brain damage,
Level 4 Total Total 8 [Difficult Surgery vs Brain
immediate unconsciousness.
Damage], Internal Bleeding
Level 5 Total 10 3 Auto-KO, Internal Severe blow to the temple, fractured bones, possible
Bleeding brain damage.
Face
Table 8.1.8 Face - Cutting
Wound Stun Pain Bleed Special Description
Level
Level 3 4 16 8 [Miracle Surgery vs One- Slash catches eye! Severe damage, may lose
Eyed] eye.
Level 4 6 20 18 [Miracle Surgery vs One- Face bisected, extreme damage to jaw, teeth,
Eyed] OR [Miracle Surgery and skull. May lose eye (1-5) or nose (6-10),
vs Facial Deformity] serious medical complications either way.
[Infection Chance +2]
Level 4 5 15 10 [Difficult Surgery vs Mute] OR Point penetrates face, either through mouth
[Miracle Surgery vs One-Eyed] (1-3) eye (4-6) or facial bones (7-10.) Severe
OR [+5 to wounds Bleed] injury, lots of bleeding, extremely painful.
Level 5 - - - Dead Jaw smashed, skull shattered, neck broken. Instant death.
Level 5 Total 15 3 Auto-KO Perfect hit, nose probably broken, Several teeth probably lost,
instant KO.
Lower Head
Table 8.1.12 Lower Head - Cutting
Wound Stun Pain Bleed Special Description
Level
Level 4 4 18 12 KO vs 4 RS Blade cuts cheek from corner of mouth to behind the ear,
[Difficult Surgery vs lots of teeth lost, cheek muscle damage.
Facial Deformity]
Neck
Table 8.1.16 Neck - Cutting
Wound Stun Pain Bleed Special Description
Level
Level 4 5 14 20 [Miracle Surgery vs Throat and jugular cut, spray of blood, needs a
Mute] surgeon immediately.
Shoulder
Table 8.1.20 Shoulder - Cutting
Wound Stun Pain Bleed Special Description
Level
Chest
Table 8.1.24 Chest - Cutting
Wound Stun Pain Bleed Special Description
Level
Level 1 0 4 0 - Shallow cut across chest, ribs do their job, no serious effect.
Level 3 2 10 5 - Cracked ribs, laceration within ribcage, no organ damage but very
painful.
Level 5 - - - Dead Blade cleaves through ribs and into center of chest cavity. Lungs,
heart, major blood vessels cut, near-instant death.
Level 5 Total Total 15 Internal Ribcage shattered, possible organ damage, definite
Bleeding internal bleeding.
Side
Table 8.1.28 Side - Cutting
Wound Stun Pain Bleed Special Description
Level
Level 1 0 6 2 - Cut across the side and belly, painful but shallow.
Level 3 2 12 6 [Infection Risk Blade penetrates into side, serious but survivable. Possible
+3] organ damage.
Level 4 3 12 14 [Infection Deep penetration, organ damage, severe bleeding, serious risk
Risk +2] of infection.
Level 3 6 7 1 Internal Bleeding Severe blow to side or belly, nausea and pain,
but no internal damage.
Level 4 8 12 5 Internal Bleeding Blood in mouth, organ damage. Mercifully little
risk of infection.
Level 5 Total Total 25 [Infection Risk +5], Internal organs ruptured, survival would be
Internal Bleeding nothing short of a miracle.
Belly
Table 8.1.32 Belly - Cutting
Wound Stun Pain Bleed Special Description
Level
Level 1 1 5 1 - Cut straight up across navel. Not deep, but damn close.
Level 4 5 15 15 [Infection Risk Cut belly, intestinal and organ damage. Get a doctor. Get
+4] one fast.
Level 5 - - - Dead Blade cleaves into belly, through organs and sternum.
Instant death.
Level 3 5 12 10 [Infection Stabbed in the gut, organ and intestine damage. This is serious.
Chance +4]
Level 5 - - - Dead Point slams straight through guts to sever central artery of
trunk. Exsanguination occurs within seconds, unconsciousness
is instant.
Level 5 15 8 5 KO vs 6 Possible organ damage, will be sick, will almost certainly lose
RS consciousness.
Level 5 9 12 3 KO vs 6 Possible organ damage, will be sick, will almost certainly lose
RS consciousness.
Hip
Table 8.1.36 Hip - Cutting
Wound Stun Pain Bleed Special Description
Level
Level 5 5 20 20 Auto-Prone [Difficult Blade cleaves fully into hip, cuts artery,
Surgery vs Crippled Leg] severe, and very likely lethal injury.
Level 4 Total Total 20 KO vs 5 RS Blade cleaves deep, artery cut, excessive damage to
Sterility reproductive organs within and without.
Level 4 Total Total 25 KO vs 5 RS Artery severed, reproductive organs damaged beyond repair,
Sterility unconsciousness likely.
Level 5 - - - Dead Point slams through groin into abdomen, severing major
artery and cracking pelvis. Death from shock and
exsanguination follow instantly.
Table 8.1.42 Groin - Bludgeoning
Wound Stun Pain Bleed Special Description
Level
Level 4 Total Total 10 KO vs 5 RS Severe damage to reproductive organs, but also to pelvis
[Difficult and innards. Possible organ damage. May lose
Surgery vs consciousness.
Sterility]
Level 5 Total Total 15 Auto-KO The horrors borne within this wound level do not bear
[Miracle Surgery consideration. Severe internal organ damage, instant
vs Sterility] knockout, may never recover.
Thigh
Table 8.1.44 Thigh - Cutting
Wound Stun Pain Bleed Special Description
Level
Level 4 4 15 20 Auto-prone Deep cut to thigh, chipped femur, severed artery. Medic!
[Difficult Surgery
vs Crippled Leg]
Level 5 Total Total 25 Auto-prone Blade cleaves through the femur and either severs leg
[Infection Risk +5] entirely or gets stuck in hip/pelvis. This is close to
Limb Severed! unsurvivable.
Knee
Table 8.1.48 Knee - Cutting
Wound Stun Pain Bleed Special Description
Level
Level 1 1 6 0 - Motherf-
Level 2 1 8 1 Stability vs 1 RS Deep cut to knee, painful contact with bone. May fall.
Level 5 Total Total 20 Auto-prone Leg severed at knee. Knockdown automatic. Death by
[Infection Chance exsanguination likely to follow without medical
+3] Limb Severed! attention.
Foot
Table 8.1.56 Foot - Cutting
Wound Stun Pain Bleed Special Description
Level
Level 2 2 5 1 - Deep cut into the meat of foot. Painful but not
serious.
Upper Arm
Table 8.1.60 Upper Arm - Cutting
Wound Stun Pain Bleed Special Description
Level
Level 5 5 15 20 Limb Severed! Arm severed just below the shoulder! Extreme
[Infection +3] blood loss, seek help!
Elbow
Table 8.1.64 Elbow - Cutting
Wound Stun Pain Bleed Special Description
Level
Level 2 2 6 3 Disarm vs 2 RS Deeper cut to elbow, nerves nicked, may drop item.
Level 4 4 12 7 Autodrop Nerves severed, arm nearly cloven off, bone broken.
[Difficult Surgery vs Item automatically dropped. Arm may not recover
Crippled Arm] functionality.
Level 5 5 20 20 Autodrop Arm severed at the elbow, massive blood loss, limb
[Infection Risk +3] irrecoverable, infection is a serious risk.
Limb Severed!
Level 5 10 18 6 Autodrop [Miracle Elbow smashed to pieces, arm bent the wrong
Surgery vs Crippled Arm] way, exquisite pain. Unfathomable horror.
Level 1 0 0 0 - No effect.
Level 4 2 2 0 - Painful bruising, but still nothing serious. Arm might be numb
for a bit.
Level 5 3 5 0 Autodrop Bruised bone and injured tendons. Arm wont work quite the
same for a while.
Forearm
Table 8.1.68 Forearm - Cutting
Wound Stun Pain Bleed Special Description
Level
Level 5 5 20 20 Autodrop Arm cloven off just beneath the elbow. Serious blood
[Infection Chance +3] loss.
Limb Severed!
Level 2 4 4 1 Disarm vs 3 RS Hard strike to the wrist, severe bruise, may drop
held items.
Level 1 0 0 0 - Ow.
Level 2 1 0 0 - Ow!
Hand
Table 8.1.72 Hand - Cutting
Wound Stun Pain Bleed Special Description
Level
Level 2 2 6 3 Disarm vs 2 RS Deep cut, bruised bones, may drop held item.
Upper Back
Table 8.1.76 Upper Back - Cutting
Wound Stun Pain Bleed Special Description
Level
Level 3 7 9 6 - Deep gashes, wounds noticeable. Scars that will never heal.
Level 4 10 15 8 Stability vs Spinal fracture, shoulder blades cracked, no organ damage, but
3 RS extreme pain.
Level 5 - - - Dead Shoulders cleaved, spine severed. Spine destroyed. While death
is not instantaneous, it will come within 24 hours.
Level 4 10 13 20 [Miracle Surgery vs Point hits home, piercing deep and causing significant
Punctured Lung] bleeding. Possible organ damage.
Level 5 - - - Dead Spine severed or heart pierced, its all bad. Spine
destroyed. While death is not instantaneous, it will come
within 24 hours.
Lower Back
Table 8.1.80 Lower Back - Cutting
Wound Stun Pain Bleed Special Description
Level
Level 4 12 15 15 Autoprone Blow cracks spine, and cleaves muscle and flesh.
[Paralyzed (Not in Possible paralysis.
Beta)]