New Horizon

Starter Guide 3.0

Volt 4.0 Rule System

New Horizon Roleplaying Game

© Rusty Rowboat
www.newhorizonrpg.com
 Credits
Design Cover Illustrations
Michal Lysek Minh Pham (Minties)

Development Concept Artists

Stephen Mayo, Eric Zhao Ou (Eriance),
Ian Stewart, Michal Lysek Jeffrey Agussoekarno

Editing Interior Illustrations

Stephen Mayo Ertaç Altınöz,
Adam Tredowski,
Additional Editing Latasha Williams (Udana),
John Balacko Guo-Shau Chung (Cushart),
Minh Pham (Minties),
Art Directors Lorenz Hideyoshi Ruwwe,
Michal Lysek, Ian Stewart Bramasta Aji (Unrealsmoker),
Gerardo Sandoval (Gordotote),
Typographer Andros Martinez (Androsm),
Michal Lysek Slamet Mujiono (Blewh),
Crystal McCallister (Mana),
Volt Rule System Nicholas Cloister (www.MonstersByEmail.com)
Mats Andersson, Niklas Berg

Copyright
New Horizon, all other Rusty Rowboat product names, and their respective logos, are trademarks
of Rusty Rowboat. All New Horizon characters, character names, and their distinctive likenesses
are property of Rusty Rowboat. This material is protected under the copyright laws of USA.
Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited
without the express written permission of Rusty Rowboat. This product is a work of fiction.
Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental.
© 2015 Rusty Rowboat. All rights reserved.
New Horizon Starter Guide 3.0, First Edition, First Printing: June 2015

Rusty Rowboat
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 Table of Contents
The Jet Engines Roared to Life 4 Close Combat Attack 37
In Your Hands 5 Ranged Attack 37
What’s This Book For? 5 Hidden 38
RPG Basics 5 Move 39
How to Use This Book 5 Wait 39
What Else Do You Need? 5 Find Weakness Attacks 39
The New Horizon Campaign Setting 6 Using Both Hands 39
The World 8 Wounds 40
Avalon Factions 11 The Damage Roll 40
People of New Horizon 14 Marking Wounds 40
Olympians 16 The Immediate Effects 40
Jotuns 18 Stun 40
Character Creation 19 The Attack Roll 40
Character Sheet 20 Armor 40
Attributes 21 Death and Dying 41
Combat Attributes 22 The Recovery Roll 41
Backgrounds 24 Æther 43
Traits 26 Creating an Ætherian 43
General Traits 26 Æther Traits 44
Olympian Traits 28 Using Æther 44
Jotun Traits 29 Direct and Indirect Chords 45
Derived Stats 30 Tricks 46
Equipment 31 Strain 46
Armor 32 Restore 46
Firearms and Ammo 32 Atmospheric Circuits 47
Support and Sights 32 Tectonic Circuits 48
Bullets and Arrows 33 Thermal Circuits 49
Shotguns and Energy Weapons 33 Monsters and Villains 51
GM Section 34 Combat Examples 52
Prepare the Players 34 Optional Rules 54
Actions 35 Combat Options 54
Mechanics 35 Player versus Player 54
Degree of Success 35 Luck 54
Values Above 20 36 Epic Duels 54
Progression 36 Shooting Through Cover 54
Combat 36 The Adventure 55
Initiative 36 NPCs and Creatures 66
Actions in Combat 37 Tables 70
Defending 37 Sample Characters 76

3
 Aquilon’s Reach

The Jet Engines Roared to Life

...before settling to a quiet hum as Lt. Thompson An hour into the flight, and Lt. Thompson
brought the TAU prototype online. The cockpit was had almost completely forgotten all about her
a bit roomier than what she was used to, and Molly expendability. At least that’s what she told herself.
found herself wondering if they were going to strip out Three different combat simulations down, two more
the comfort once this thing went into mass production. to go. She was enjoying herself as much as she was
allowed to. These TAU units definitely handled
“Mission Control, this is Devilray. The nicely for their size. Maybe a handful of these
Manta Bomber is operational and purring like a would make up for them being outnumbered by the
tundra ravager. All systems appear functional, and Xanadian air force.
I am ready to take this baby up in the air, over.”
The excitement of testing a prototype craft may have A contact on her screen stopped her imagining
leaked out of her words a bit much. immediately. At this speed, she was still fifteen
minutes from the next target, and airspace in this
“Devilray, your orders are to test the flight capa- area was closed off for today. “What the hell?”
bilities during mock engagement with the gun emplace-
ments only. You might be expendable, but the Manta Half a dozen more contacts on her screen began
prototype is not. Do not take unnecessary risks, over.” to rule out system error when the dark shapes came
into view. “Mission Control, this is Devilray. I
At least the cockpit cam couldn’t see her roll think we have a problem.”
her eyes. “Orders acknowledged.”

She finished her preflight and headed for the

runway. “Ah, the story of my life. I think my dad said
the same thing when he loaned me the keys to his car.”

4
In Your Hands
Welcome to the New Horizon RPG. You Playing an RPG involves the players
hold in your hands a brand new world, one describing how their characters interact
full of mysteries to unravel and wondrous with the world around them. Some actions
landscapes to explore. The last generation are straightforward, and simply involve
of mankind to see Earth is all but extinct. saying that the character does something.
For a hundred and seventy years the newest Other actions involve a certain amount
members of mankind have been born of risk or chance of failure. For these
under an alien sky. For a hundred and actions, players and GMs roll dice. Much
seventy years they played it safe, hiding of the system deals with combat. This does
behind walls of stone and steel. But where not mean that an equal proportion of the
once they were few, now they are many. adventures have to be about fighting – we
The stone is no longer in walls, but in roads. have simply found that combat is more
The steel is in their spines and their spirits. dependent on rules.
The time has come for the young and the
brave to step into the dark places and bring How to Use This Book
them into the light. This book is built around a sample
adventure involving two of the largest
What’s This Book For? nations, also known as factions, on
This book is a teaser of things found within new Horizon. It contains step by step
the New Horizon RPG Core Book. This instructions for players and GMs to build
starter guide provides limited information characters for the New Horizon RPG. It
to play the New Horizon RPG. From also contains every rule needed to play the
descriptions of the world and people, to game, but with a more select focus than
rules on creating a character and a sample the core book. The options available have
adventure, this book contains just enough been chosen specifically for the adventure
to give players and GMs their first glimpse presented. Additional rules and options are
of this new world. covered in the Core Book.

RPG Basics What Else Do You Need?

If you picked up this starter guide, there is This guide is just a taste of the information
a decent chance that you already know the contained within the New Horizon Core
basics of RPGs. This section is for those of book. The first step in playing a larger game
you who may not be fully acquainted with than this guide provides for is to procure
the hobby. a copy of this book, usually in PDF or
RPG stands for role playing game. It is printed form.
a game in which the players take on the role The New Horizon website has free
of characters as they progress through a information and programs to assist with
story set within the game world. One player playing the game. Supplemental information
takes on the role of Game Master, or GM delving deeper into the world can be found
for short. It is their job to set up the story in additional books, each covering a specific
and play the world around the characters. topic within New Horizon.
Further information on creating characters
or taking on the role of GM can be found For more information, visit:
later in the book. www.newhorizonrpg.com

In Your Hands
5
 The New Horizon Campaign Setting
During the first half of the 21st century, The beauty of their new home left them
civilization on Earth had devolved into one unprepared for the fury of Mother Nature.
war after another, covering the entire world After millennia atop the food chain, humans
with endless pockets of fighting. Dwindling were back on the menu. Not even the
resources and national greed simply wafans were safe. Synthetic life seemed to
made things worse. During the nearly be a delicacy. Savage wildlife and daunting
three hundred years of continual warfare, geography would make their new home a
mankind saw some of its worst atrocities difficult place to survive.
and greatest achievements. One of those In the 170 years since landfall, the
achievements was the birth of mankind’s colonists have spread far across their new
synthetic sister race, the wafans. As with home. To protect themselves from the
most discoveries of the time, this one was dangers of the world, they congregate
quickly turned to warfare. together in cities with protective walls and
Used as servants and warriors, the armed defenders.
wafans developed their sense of self, Mankind has found that their advanced
something completely unnoticed by a technology is not always a boon in this place.
majority of humanity. When the wafans One of the strangest mysteries of New
realized that they too were people, they Horizon is that the world seems predisposed
followed in their racial parents’ footsteps, toward hostility when advanced technology
and declared war on mankind. As the races is involved. The world is both new and old,
grudgingly began to acknowledge equality, as practices reminiscent of the ancient past
the lines of war became blurred. Rather return in places where technology does not,
than ushering in a new golden age, humans or should not, have sway.
and wafans simply fought alongside each The year is now 2495. Roughly 2
other once more. million individuals live on the moon at
As Earth edged toward destruction, present. The people of New Horizon
one group began to search for an end to are spread out over different continents;
the perpetual war. Realizing that any chance living in major cities that lie at least a few
at peace, and their continued existence on thousand kilometers away from each other.
Earth, was tenuous at best, they came up Seven factions have achieved enough
with a different plan. If they were to survive, power to act as ruling governments. All
they would need to colonize other worlds the while, full scale imperial expansion is
and travel amongst the stars. In hopes of now in swing. The world is being divided
finding such a place, the colony ship Icarus into many feuding or loosely allied city
set out for the distant star system of Epsilon states. Several of these states overlap with
Eridani. renegade internal factions which attempt
About 250,000 members of greater to rise to prominence from within, or gain
mankind, humans and wafans, left Earth power by less than scrupulous means.
aboard the Icarus. They made landfall in There are few large cities on New
the year 2325 AD. Rather than finding an Horizon, perhaps ten in all, each with a
inhabitable planet, the colonists discovered population above 25,000. But there are also
a verdant and water covered moon, which more than a thousand smaller cities, with
they named New Horizon. populations consisting of a few thousand
people or less.

The NH Campaign Setting

6
These smaller cities either learn to defend
themselves, or are erased from the map by
the local wildlife. In less than two hundred
years they have expanded to five of the six
different continents, and seven factions
have achieved enough power to act as
ruling governments.
Greater mankind lives their lives as
best they can within their city walls. The
wilderness is mainly unexplored, unknown,
and very dangerous. Many of those who
have chosen to venture outside these walls
have risen to greatness in one fashion or
another, but many more have perished
in the attempt. Increasing amounts of
archaeological and political evidence
of prior inhabitants of New Horizon is
coming to light. The inhabitants of New
Horizon are beginning to wrestle with the
fact that they were not the first ones here.
At least two great civilizations have called
this world home, and whatever caused
their destruction may still be hiding in the
unexplored reaches of the moon.

The NH Campaign Setting

7
 The World
New Horizon (Epsilon Eridani IV) is the During this time of darkness the only
second moon of the fourth planet in its star sources of light are luminescent plant life,
system and the only planetoid in the system the stars of the night sky, and the light
that can sustain life. The moon orbits a reflected from Nifelheim. During deep
very large, reddish world; an uninhabitable winter the world is drenched in a terrible
planet covered in a rusted desert very rich cold; with many lakes and rivers freezing
in ore. This planet is named Nastrond. over; wracking the world with truly horrible
New Horizon also has a sister, Nifelheim, winter storms.
a barren moon devoid of an atmosphere. Evaporation and rainfall on New
Around 55% of New Horizon’s surface Horizon tends to follow terrestrial patterns,
is covered with water and 45% is covered though rainfall on the moon tends to
with land. There are five landmasses be more torrential. Of particular note
regarded as continents and they are named however, are the storms. Seasonal storms
Youzem, Neo Titania, Aquilon, New can be considerably more impressive than
Chania, and Verdura, which is combined those found on Earth; with the native
with the South Pole. There is also a large hurricanes being significantly stronger than
group of islands called The Chain of Tears. their Earthly counterparts.
Seasons on New Horizon closely Summer is long and typically dry in
approximate Earth’s seasons, with winter, the temperate regions. The warm months
spring, summer, fall, and winter again; are usually breezier than Earthly summers,
though they vary in degrees of weather and though temperatures higher than the upper
sunlight due to the relationship between 30s (Celsius) are less common except for
itself, its sister moon, and their mother the equatorial regions. Monsoons are fairly
planet. The calendar year was carefully common in the tropical zones, and amazing
arranged to coincide with Earthly seasonal thunderstorms frequent the temperate
months, so they occur at the period of time regions.
one would usually expect from the calendar. The moon’s lithosphere has a layer
New Horizon experiences regular solar which stores static and electromagnetic
eclipses that occur approximately three times energy, making for ominous, spectacular
per month and last for roughly two hours. lightning arcs which crisscross between
New Horizon is occasionally also hidden cloud formations. These storms look
from its sun by Epsilon Eridani III, the dual something like an electric aurora borealis.
planet to its mother planet, Nastrond. This The lightning seldom strikes the ground
causes the moon to go into a short period except when a certain threshold limit is
of deep winter every five years which lasts reached. A ground lightning strike is quite
for approximately five days. A brief period deadly and can shatter several square
of twilight occurs just before, and just after meters of rock.
the five-day period of total darkness.

The World
8
 New Horizon
Epsilon Eridani IV

Technology Æther
Wherever the colonists expanded to on Æther is a mysterious force that seems tied
the moon, their advanced technology came into the very fabric of New Horizon itself.
with them. While this technology may not Many of the other phenomena on the moon
always be obvious, it is always around, owe their existence to æthereal influence.
and not just in the form of wafans. Cities Æther is so prevalent that many creatures
such as Avalon, Deep Aquilon and Xanadu on New Horizon have developed natural
boast the greatest presence of obvious æthereal abilities. More recently, select
technology. The cities are state of the art, individuals have begun to manipulate æther
filled with every amenity. for their own uses. More information can be
On the opposite end of the spectrum found in the Æther chapter on page 43.
are places like Trapper Town, which
resembles the Wild West with a pinch of Law Enforcement
high technology thrown into the mix. The New Horizon is an untamed and wild moon,
Port of Narehl is so overgrown by the jungle where beasts rule the land. Sometimes these
that overt displays of advanced technology beasts come from within society itself.
are less common. Such places take pride in Every large city has its own security, and
their low-tech feel, while hiding the true usually a police force, but law enforcement
extent of technology they possess. is generally confined within city limits. This
leaves the wilderness as a safe haven for
rogues and bandits.

The World
9
 Class and Station
In these lawless places they often roam free, Social class on New Horizon is a very broad
with little chance of repercussion. These term that is highly dependent on where an
outlaws have an easy time feeding off of individual lives. The larger cities showcase
those traveling between cities, or those in the highs and lows from the capitalist
smaller settlements. Many different rogue system back on Earth.
organizations have hidden themselves in Most people live in what can be
remote places around the world, such as considered the working middle class. They
within the Azuremar Mountain Range. have jobs which provide them with enough
These groups are generally large enough money to buy the necessities in life, and
to defend themselves from most of the have a little left over for something extra.
dangerous wildlife. Some are large enough These people can live comfortably with
to set up what amounts to their own towns. little fear as long as disaster doesn’t strike.
Though the term is only correctly applied They may not be able to afford the nicest
to a type of rogue wafan, most people call houses and all the fancy accompaniments,
these organizations “Animus”. but they get by just fine.

Commerce Nobility
Originating in Narehl, one of the major Those that could be considered New
factions, the geodite has become a worldwide Horizon’s nobility are often the members
currency thanks to a push by the Council of of families that have had great success in
Avalon to standardize trade. Geodites, often business, and used that success to place
just called geos, or geo crystals, are specially themselves in positions of political power.
grown tiny crystals which have a small The new Nobility could also be referred
metal band around their middle with serial to as the Corporate Nobility as most of
numbers written on it. With support from its members have advanced through the
Avalon, the Narehl Ministry of Stones is the ranks on the back of corporate wealth.
world’s sole source of geodites. The effects of this Nobility are seen most
Trading is one of the most common lines acutely in places such as Aquilon, Xanadu
of work on New Horizon, and visiting strange and Red Haven where the corporations
trading places is a great way to find those hold the most political sway.
hard-to-get items everyone is looking for. Noble authority depends on what
Rare and powerful weapons developed by faction the noble belongs to, and what
large weapon manufacturers sometimes find company grants them a title. In the very
their way to the various trading places before least they are granted minor privileges and
they are officially released to the public. some perks within the law. People will
There are many different items that can often look to an individual with a title for
be found and bought. Some are found within leadership and guidance, regardless of the
the boundaries of the major cities, in shops individual’s actual skill.
and stores, while other items are only found
along the different trading routes in Youzem
or Neo Titania, and acquired only through
negotiation with traders and other merchants.

The World
10
 The Council of Avalon

Avalon Factions
“The fact remains that Xanadu had working Angolmois simply watched the proceedings
plans and a project which would have constituted an with an amused smirk. “My company isn’t going
act of war against Aquilon.” anywhere, but I do know where you can get a good
deal on a security system.”
Though she was addressing the entire council,
Amber Thompson’s heated gaze was focused on The Council of Avalon does not consider
another figure across the room. Clive Weissman itself to be a faction but rather an
stood to address the council. international organization whose main
purpose is to facilitate cooperation in
“Need I remind the septumvir from Aquilon international law, international security,
that you have thus far failed to produce any proof economic development, social progress,
to support accusations of actions attributed to our human rights, and the achievement of
previous administration under President Denvers, world peace. It contains multiple subsidiary
an administration which saw the President under organizations to carry out its missions.
extreme stress from international relations, an The seven main factions of New
administration which has...” Horizon are all members of The Council of
Avalon. Other factions exist, but they are
“An administration you supported”, Amber cut in. not members of The Council of Avalon.
The Avalon factions are Aquilon’s Reach,
“Nevertheless, you have no ground without The Port of Narehl, New Chanian Conclave,
implicating your own people in the covert raid on our The Quisivati, Trapper Town (Walk of
shipyard which left five dead and sixty-three wounded.” Man), Warhead Keep, and Xanadu.
Though they are bound together by
“Kiss and make up, or blow each other up an agreement to work toward peace in the
on your town time. We were discussing current world, they are often almost as willing to
business.” Kevin Remus’ tone was harsh, but the trade bullets as social aid.
septumvir from Warhead managed to redirect the
council to their guest.

Avalon Factions
11
 The Council of Avalon
The Council of Avalon (also known as Aquilon’s Reach has a very tiny air force,
the Avalon Council) is an interfactional but its equipment is state-of-the-art. They
organization whose stated aims include the have developed some of the best and
goal of achieving world peace. After The most advanced aircraft on New Horizon.
Great War, this was established as one of Aquilon’s military pride is their massive
the most important goals of the council. navy, which is arguably the best in the
No one really wanted to see a repetition of world.
that horrible event. Avalon is the faction
responsible for arbitrating disputes with For the adventure presented in this book, Aquilon’s
and between the other seven factions. They Reach is the protagonist faction. The players will
act as the Law Givers of New Horizon. The each create characters who are members of this
Council of Avalon represents the central faction.
government, which presides over other
governments, and the other governments Xanadu
are all part of the working process of This faction represents the world’s leading
Avalon. specialists in the mass production of textiles.
As an interfactional organization, their Most planetary staples come from Xanadu,
sole purpose is facilitating cooperation as well as clothing, packaged foods, and
between the different factions of the world. almost all vehicles except submarines.
The council contains multiple subsidiary Xanadu is the world’s industrial center,
organizations to carry out its missions. and while, as a faction, it does not have the
Avalon has elite military units, but in small largest landmass, it definitely has the largest
numbers. They also have small elite teams population.
recruited from other factions for excellent The people who are part of this faction
pay in exchange for trading in their status as are very conservative and they strongly
citizens of their original nations. believe in human purity. As such, they
shun the genetically engineered humans
Aquilon’s Reach called medeans, and refuse to accept
While living in one of the coldest places on them in normal society. While Xanadu
the moon the citizens of Aquilon’s Reach not favors isolationism almost to the point of
only survive, but thrive in the unforgiving xenophobia, they do boast some of the best
environment. They are mostly known for learning facilities in the world.
sparingly harvesting the frozen north’s Xanadu maintains a navy that, though
bounty of pure Energen Deuterium crystals, small, is quite impressive in terms of skill
and harnessing the boundless geothermal and prowess, though it doesn’t come close
energy of the sea vents deep beneath the to the Aquilonian Naval Fleet, their chief
Perpetua Glacier. Aquilonian citizens pride rival. However, the Neo Titania Air Force,
themselves on their ability to provide which has its headquarters in Xanadu, is
surplus energy, as well as sophisticated and larger than any air force in the world.
efficient new technologies, which, while
seeming a bit odd by most standards, are of
startling efficiency.

Avalon Factions
12
Additional Factions
The starter guide only focuses on two main
factions. Information on the rest of the
factions can be found in the New Horizon
RPG Core Book.

Avalon Factions
13
 The People Diseases
New Horizon is home to slightly more New Horizon is not a friendly world. There
than two million people. Most of them are viruses and bacteria on the moon which
live inside one of the ten largest cities in humans had never before encountered,
the world. However, there are also more and have no natural immunity toward.
than a thousand small towns scattered here This environment is rife with potential
and there where each of them contain a for plagues and epidemics. In addition to
population below 1,000 people. the diseases which managed to make their
The population of New Horizon is way from Earth, New Horizon is full of
divided into distinct species which comprise microscopic dangers ready to wreak havoc
mankind; humans and wafans. These groups on an ill-protected populace. Most diseases
are further divided into three races each. are minor nuisances, but some will leave a
Humans are split into olympian humans, man a living vegetable, or a raving, hulking
promethean cyborgs and medeans. Wafans monster that barely resembles the person
are split into the aesirs, vanirs, and jotuns. they once were.
Each group reacts differently to the others Wafans face their own threats. These
around it in terms of lifestyle, career choice include silicon, rubber or metal eating
and general culture, though the overarching fungi and living rust. Wafans who fall
population shares a communal culture that victim to the worst strains can find their
has developed from the diversities among bodies falling apart round them within a
the races. few days or less. Most wafan diseases are
This starter guide only focuses on easily treatable if the victim is within range
two of the six races. Information on the of a properly equipped facility. Out in the
other four races can be found in the New wilderness however, many fall prey to the
Horizon RPG Core Book. smallest creatures of the world. A common
cure is to submerge any infected wafan in
Similarities between Races boiling water until the organisms die off.
Though they are synthetic life, wafans Wafans are immune to computer viruses
share many similarities with humans, both as we know them, but are susceptible to a
physically and emotionally. Wafans have process of memory corruption which turns
feelings. They can get hurt, they can fall in them against one another with an almost
love and get married, they can have children religious fervor, causing them to actively
– although the process of birth is totally seek the destruction of other wafans. This
different. They get hurt when damaged. They phenomenon is known as Animus. Other
feel pain or despair, and they treasure peace, such diseases may exist, but have yet to be
love and hope like other sentient beings. discovered.

Bleeding Eating
Wafans possess their own blood, usually Most wafans find eating and drinking
different coolants and lubricants, as well pleasurable due to the taste sensations, and so
as the fluid in their luminous core. Losing centuries’ worth of development have been
large amounts of blood is just as detrimental spent creating advanced systems through
to their health as it is to a human’s, though which much of a wafan’s mineral needs can
they bleed much slower than humans do. be supplied by eating actual food, in order
to make fueling up a social event like human
dining.

People of New Horizon

14
To this end, they have a complex system Medeans are olympians who have had their
which allows them to break food down genetics manipulated to grant them abilities
into necessary component materials and cultivated from the local flora and fauna of
eject waste in much the same manner as their new home. These three distinct races
a human. Their diets often require some co-exist as best they can, but their differences
things that a human diet would not. As a occasionally bring them into conflict.
result, much wafan food is incredibly toxic Excluding special cases, the three races
to humans, but some can be stomached by share a common olympian childhood
prometheans and medeans. dependent on the faction they are born
into. Their lives start to branch when they
Sleeping enter their teenage and young adult years.
A wafan’s equivalent of RAM is enormous, This is the time when choices are made.
but eventually the video, audio, tactile and Some make these choices willingly, some
emotional data becomes overwhelming out of desperation, and some have the
and a wafan becomes burdened as their choice forced upon them by others.
automated systems struggle to funnel this More information on creating
into long term memory while data is still promethean and medean characters can be
accumulating, slowing their faculties and found in the New Horizon Core Book.
reflexes.
Therefore, just like humans Olympians Prometheans
need to sleep, a wafan needs to
rest between six and twelve hours Medeans
per day depending on how much
data they’ve been bombarded with
in their waking period, and how
long they have been awake. Fewer
hours of sleep is manageable but
will become a problem after a few
days or a week. A tired wafan will
actually want to close his eyes to
minimize video data being stored. Aesirs Jotuns

Human Creeds Vanirs

The humans of New Horizon are
more versatile than ever before.
While olympian humans and
promethean cyborgs originated
on Earth, the third race developed
after their arrival on New Horizon.

People of New Horizon

15
 Olympians
• Proper Name: Olympian human. Even after a rudimentary peace was
• Slang Names: Progenitor, makers. formed, it took many years for the effects
• Derogatory: Monkey boys, meat bags, of the war to begin to reverse. This reversal
breeders. would never have happened if not for
• Height Range: 1.52 to 1.95 meter the development of a deuterium based
(females), 1.71 to 2.07 meter (males). cold fusion. With clean and abundant
• Weight Range: 45 to 100 kg (females), energy now available, fighting over energy
65 to 125 kg (males). resources ceased. Mankind was left to clean
up a world that they had nearly destroyed.
Olympian humans, or simply olympians, Technology and medicine began to advance
are the most recognizable of the races, once more. Science and biology became
despite their differences from humans of the pillars which supported the newly
the past. For most intents and purposes, developing world order. The survivors of
they are humans. What separates olympians the Subsistence War spent the next fifty
from modern day humans is hundreds of years slowly restoring world and rebuilding
years of medical advancement and changes civilization. A decade later, they developed
in lifestyle. Olympians are stronger, faster wafans.
and smarter than the humans of the 21st Within a quarter of a century of creating
century. They are more resilient to cuts their sister race, humanity found themselves
and bruises, and much more resilient – at war with them. Physically outmatched by
almost immune, in fact – to most common their synthetic counterparts, and having
diseases. Olympian humans can go without to contend with mutated diseases recently
food, drink or sleep for longer periods than released from the uncovered ruins of
what was possible for previous humans. the last war, mankind began to look for
They also live longer, in general close to 150 an answer. While many turned towards
years, as their cellular breakdown process attempts at peace, there were those who
has been slowed down drastically. sought answers in biology. Scientists
focused on new medical advancements,
Origin trying to strengthen the human species. The
In the early 21st century, mankind tried to rapid spread and mutation of disease was
destroy itself. The sabotage of clean energy their first hurdle. Dedicated research would
production by many who stood to profit eventually see the human immune system
led to what would become known as the strengthened to fight off such plagues,
Subsistence War. The full military might of curtailing the massive deaths that were so
the world turned toward this war, bringing common.
to bear vast numbers of soldiers, and all The human body was made more
the power of the atom. Over the course durable. Their muscles were strengthened.
of more than a decade, this massive world Their lungs became more efficient at drawing
war saw many nations destroyed, and the oxygen, even from depleted environments,
rest left limping. Large tracts of land were and their bodies utilized it more effectively.
left as blasted irradiated landscapes, and the Their digestive systems became increasingly
mutated diseases of wartime lurked in the adept at drawing even the tiniest amount of
shadows. nutrition from any source.

Olympians
16
 Wafan Creeds
Overall, their bodies and minds were Waveform Androids, colloquially known
strengthened to deal with harsher as wafans, are the final epitome of
environments. The improvements to the mankind’s obsession with creating artificial
human genome were administered to the intelligence. They were created by humans
population through gene therapy and as laborers, companions and warriors.
special screenings. After years of forced Cultural revolution through war, diplomacy,
evolution, mankind began to look back and and self enlightenment eventually saw the
compare themselves to what they had been. rise of wafans as a recognized sentient race;
They realized that they were no longer a sister race to humanity. Wafans became
simply homosapiens. They considered the second species of humanity to inhabit
themselves superior in every way. In Earth, and eventually the stars.
order to differentiate themselves from the The first generation of wafans was
previous generations, they adopted the created in factories as mass produced
name olympians. machines for mankind’s bidding. As
the wafan revolution progressed, they
Appearance developed their own ways, and left the mass
The different racial features of humanity molded automaton births behind them.
are still found among olympians, but Wafans are no longer mass produced in
centuries of interracial marriage and genetic factories. They are born in a family system
engineering means that the typical olympian known as a crèche. This system is where
exhibits an appearance of highly mixed 90% of wafans begin their lives.
ancestry. Hair and eye color still runs the What further defines them is that even
gamut of those that were around during the though all wafans are humanoid, there are
22nd century, and genetic engineering has three distinct creeds or races which show an
included a few more shades that were not enormous amount of phylogeny, like ants.
commonly seen, but are not so far different The three distinct races all live, work, and
as to be distracting. These include darker even interact with one another differently
and lighter shades of the standard colors, based on their creed. Though they are
as well as modified versions that produce synthetic in origin, wafans are often more
new shades. Among the new colors is a similar to man than machine in the way that
modified brown eye gene that lowers the their bodies are designed.
green balance causing the eyes to appear Aesir wafans are the smallest creed,
slightly red. Yellow and various shades of and the most like humans in their physical
green are now seen as often as most other abilities. They average 30 centimeters
colors. As far as hair goes, the standard is shorter than the typical human, but appear
still various shades of black, brown, red very similar physically. Vanir are the mid
and blond, yet there is also a shade of white grade creed. They are the same size as an
beginning to make an appearance that is average human, but they often have armor
similar in color to a pearl. built into their bodies. Jotuns are the least
human in appearance.
More information on creating aesir and
vanir characters can be found in the New
Horizon Core Book.

Olympians
17
 Jotuns
• Proper Name: Jotun wafan. As such, a jotun will often be less
• Slang Names: Big bones, second born, symmetrical than the other two creeds.
behemoths, leviathans. Jotuns typically eat either by using ports
• Derogatory: Tractors, garbage disposal, located on their hands or by removing the
flapjack engines, donkey engines. lower portion of their sculpted face plate,
• Height Range: 2.15 to 3.65 meters. revealing a smaller sculpted open mouth
• Weight Range: 225 to 445 kg. beneath.

Jotuns are overall the largest and strongest

of the wafan creeds in terms of physical
might. They are seen as slow and lumbering
by many. This impression is often a fatal
mistake as some jotuns can be quite mobile
for their size.

Origin
Jotuns originated as the second variety of
wafan created for mass production. The
first run of jotuns was crafted for use
as live-capture law enforcement agents.
Their actual conception occurred prior to
the vanir’s construction. They were one
of two proposals for the initial run of
mass produced wafans, jotuns and what
would eventually become aesirs, but both
plans were ousted in favor of the vanir’s
composite design as a compromise between
the two.

Appearance
Jotuns are physically the least human-like of
the three wafan creeds, resembling ancient
automated labor droids far more than they
resemble the androids they actually are.
They tend to be large and burly of build,
with enormous hydraulic systems and
heavy metal or ceramic plating for heavy
duty work capabilities over an extra thick
metal and carbon fiber-woven under-suit.
Any tools of the trade a jotun acquires will
often be built into their structure or stored
inside internal storage compartments.

Jotuns
18
Character Creation
This chapter contains the rules for creating Discuss the group composition with
a character. All persons in the game world the GM and the other players. Have the
which are not controlled by a player are characters met before? How did they meet?
referred to as “non-player characters” How long have the characters known
(NPCs). These are created and controlled one another? How do they usually work
by the game master to serve a specific together? Perhaps you could make up a
purpose in the game. The game master short story of something the group has
(GM) dictates their abilities unrestricted by achieved before?
these rules. Character creation involves spending
points on improving certain abilities,
The Team which break down into three categories:
A player character (PC, or simply attributes, backgrounds and traits. We’ll
“character”) refers to a player’s alter ego explain each one shortly. Each player
inside the fictional world. There are four receives 50 points to spend between these
sample characters beginning on page 76. categories. Most of the points typically go
You may pick one of these to play, or create into attributes. Each character receives
an original character of your own according 50,000 geodites, which is the currency
to the guidelines in the following sections. used to purchase starting equipment and
If there are less than four players, the GM certain traits. The geodites you have left
may wish to include one or more of the when you’re done purchasing stuff, your
sample characters as NPC members of the character keeps as hard cash when the game
party. starts.
Before you begin to fill in the sheet,
Preparation you need to decide whether or not your
Each player in New Horizon controls character will be channeling æther. This
one player character. These are the rules is for purely practical reasons, since æther
to create them. Before you start, take a users require a different character sheet. To
moment to think about the character you get some idea of what æther does, you might
are creating. Think about the character’s want to take a quick look at the circuits and
background, occupation, personality, family chords on page 45. It should be said that
and main areas of expertise. Any disturbing being able to use æther can be very costly in
habits or redeeming qualities? Make up a terms of points and geodites, limiting your
few quotes from this character and give character’s abilities in other areas. For most
some thought to how he or she thinks of character concepts, it’s probably better to
the rest of the group. These are the meat of stick to the regular sheet.
the character, that which makes it a person
rather than mere statistics.
In the adventure at the end of this
guide, the players take on the role of a
squad recruited by Aquilon for a search and
retrieval mission involving a missing pilot,
and the prototype she was testing.

Character Creation
19
 Character Sheet
On the first line under Notes, write down When creating a character, it is
whether your character’s Olympian or recommended to start by choosing a
Jotun. This will determine the upper limit background or two and spending some
of certain attributes, as well as what traits points there before getting started on
are available. attributes. For attributes, it is often a good
All characters have a personal history, idea to start by setting the lowest value you
represented by at least one background. can accept in each one. Don’t max anything
Choose from the list and write down the out at this point; remember that 6 is average
character’s background(s) on the empty and that 9 is better than most professionals.
lines in the backgrounds section of the When you’re done, you know how much
character sheet. A background measures you have left for traits and improving your
experience and knowledge in a particular specialties.
area. Those without that background know
very little about it. Attributes, in contrast,
describe more basic abilities that most
people have to at least some degree. If any
of the top five attributes (Strength, Agility,
Perception, Presence or Persuasion) is left
blank, it represents some sort of physical or
social handicap. Traits, finally, are specific
abilities the character possesses that are not
covered by attributes and backgrounds.
To the right of each background you
choose, and of each attribute, there are a
number of squares. Each point you spend
fills one area in one square. If a square is
divided into two parts then filling that
square costs two points. Squares are
filled from left to right, and the value of
the background or attribute equals the
number printed above the last square to be
completely filled. For example, spending 5
points on Strength would give the character
Strength 9 (not 10).
Backgrounds and attributes normally
range from 4 to 12, with 8 (that is 3 points
spent) roughly representing what you’d
expect from a professional - someone who
relies on that ability quite often. A character
may take any number of backgrounds, but
must spend at least one point on each one.

Character Sheet
20
Attributes Persuasion
There are 12 attributes in New Horizon, This attribute is used to convince people
including the two combat attributes. For of something through reasoning. Whether
æther users, there are four more, explained eloquent or blunt, spoken or written;
in the Æther chapter on page 43. any kind of bartering, negotiation or
manipulation falls under Persuasion.
Strength
Raw muscle power, which affects the Driving
damage dealt in close combat. Strength The ability to drive cars, ATVs and bikes.
has a remarkably wide range of uses, from More advanced or exotic transports may
relocating obstacles to kicking in doors and incur penalties, unless the character has
restraining prisoners. a suitable background, like Soldier for
military vehicles.
Agility
This determines a character’s speed when Animal Ken
traveling by foot. Agility is also used for This attribute determines your knowledge
quicker or more complex maneuvers: safely of animals and monsters. It covers any
backing out of close combat, jumping, interaction with domesticated animals:
climbing, swimming, softening a fall, soothe, scare, ride or train. For wild
crawling through small openings or getting creatures and monsters, it is knowing where
out of handcuffs and ropes. to find the beasts, or how to avoid them.
Successful rolls often grant knowledge of
Perception weak spots and less obvious dangers.
This attribute measures the sensitivity and
alertness of a character’s senses. Perception Willpower
is used to spot traps, see through disguises While Toughness sets the limits of the
and recognize people over long distances. character’s physical endurance, Willpower
determines the psychological ability to push
Stealth it to those limits. Willpower is what holds
Hiding or sneaking - anything that involves the consciousness together when the body
not being seen, heard or otherwise noticed. begins to falter. It is also the most effective
Stealth also includes concealing, planting or defense against some æther effects.
palming items.
Toughness
Presence The higher the value of the Toughness
Presence is the ability to choose a tone attribute, the more physical abuse the
of voice and a body-language that makes character’s body can withstand. Toxins,
people listen, believe or obey. It is used for heat and cold must get through Toughness
impersonation, intimidation, bluffing or before they cause damage. This attribute
just maintaining a calm and relaxed manner also governs the ability to function without
when the lawmen pull over your truck food or water for long periods of time.
full of contraband. If you have to explain
yourself in more than a sentence or two, use An attribute value of 12 is normally considered
Persuasion. the upper limit for olympians. Jotuns may increase
Strength and Toughness to 13, but their Agility
and Stealth may not be higher than 10.

Attributes
21
 Combat Attributes
The combat attributes; Close and Ranged
combat, have their own scales and start
out negative. If you don’t spend any
points on them, you have -5. People who
fight or train regularly, like soldiers or law
enforcement agents, typically have 0 in their
favored combat attribute. A value of +3 is
normally considered the upper limit for
starting characters.

Close Combat
Fighting hand to hand, with or without a
weapon. Examples include swords, rifle
butts, whips and broken bottles. Close
Combat governs both offensive and
defensive abilities.

Ranged Combat
The use of any kind of ranged weapon, such
as bows, rocks, pistols or flamethrowers.
Anything that hits a target from a distance
uses Ranged Combat, whether the projectile
is fired or thrown by hand.

Combat Attributes
22
?
23
 Backgrounds
The character’s backgrounds are used when While this background is most common
two conditions are met: among æther users, any character may learn it.
• The background is commonly associated Background rolls: Detect chords or
with this type of action; the Soldier digs traces of chords, determine their circuit,
a trench, the Auto Mechanic fixes an point of origin and target, recognize
engine, the Physician treats a wound, etc. individual casting patterns.
• None of the attributes fully applies.
While a Soldier does fight, there are Æther users also gain one new action:
attributes for doing that. To hit a Conceal chord: a success means other
target, use Ranged combat - never a ætherians must beat your Result in order
background. to detect the specified chord. This can be
done after casting it to cover your tracks, or
Backgrounds also determine what the the turn before in order to avoid detection.
attributes encompass. For a character Note that masking a chord doesn’t make
with only the Survivalist background, its effects invisible - it merely prevents
Ranged combat applies to hunting rifles ætherians from noticing it using this
and shotguns, but not to a machine gun. background.
Attempting tasks outside of your area of
expertise results in penalties. Auto Mechanic
Finally, the backgrounds are also a You know how to maintain, upgrade
measure of the character’s renown and and repair cars, motorcycles and ATVs
connections in that particular field. You (wheeled and tracked). With one or more
can use it to get in touch with colleagues points in the Soldier background, this
or other people associated with that trade: will also encompass military vehicles and
potential employers, customers or victims equipment.
(depending on the background), as well as Background rolls: Build, modify,
appropriate vendors and buyers. upgrade, maintain, repair or sabotage.
Improvise components, identify a vehicle by
Ætherian sound, lights or tracks. Knowledge of makes,
This is the ability to sense æther; both types, models and their strengths and flaws,
naturally occurring anomalies and the use components and compatible brands.
of chords. A low success will tell you if
æther is or has recently been used nearby. A Cyber Life Surgeon
higher success will grant more information; With a few exceptions, wafans do not heal
about what chord, on what, perhaps even when wounded, but need to be repaired.
by whom, if the Ætherian has seen that Where a human would consult a physician,
particular pattern before. Those with a wafan requires the services of a Cyber Life
implants of their own will recognize the Surgeon. There is very little overlap, either
circuits and chords that they are able to theoretically or in practice, between the two
use themselves, assuming they detect them. disciplines.
Æther use leaves fresh tracks for one hour Background rolls: Cure disease,
per point of Strain used. Traces stay for as administer appropriate antidote or treat a
many days, detectable with a -5 penalty. wound in a wafan patient.

Backgrounds
24
Physician
A physician practices the profession of A few minutes of preparation may create a
medicine; the diagnosis and treatment of permanent -3 Cover at the GM’s discretion.
diseases and injuries in humans. Wafans, by This requires tools and something to work
contrast, are treated using the Cyber Life with, like dirt, snow, scrap metal or wood.
Surgeon background.
Background rolls: Cure disease, Survivalist
administer appropriate antidote or treat a You know how to survive and find food
wound in a human patient. in the Snow Waste and Aquilon. You
know the land and its dangers well; where
Scientist to find safe shelter for the night and how
Scientists are usually working for a certain to avoid that which hunts you. Survivalist
university or school focusing in a specific backgrounds are frequently combined with
field. This background is written on the other backgrounds, adding knowledge of
character sheet as its specified field of the local area, tracking or survival skills.
science, for instance Chemist, Physicist, Different climates require different skills.
Astronomer, Mathematician or Biologist. This Starter Guide contains only one
Background rolls: Analyze object Survivalist field: Arctic.
appropriate to the scientific field, gather Background rolls: Tracking, read
data/samples, deduce additional data, terrain, find water, make camp, prepare
data search. Knowledge of academic food, weather forecasts. Knowledge of
procedures, different fields of research, local terrain and climate. Team Initiative
research applications. only when fighting animals.

Soldier
As a soldier, you’ve been trained and
employed by the military branch of a
faction. With Soldier 4, you’re still in boot-
camp, 6 is a private who’s completed basic
training, and 8 is a seasoned professional.
Specialized soldiers also take additional
backgrounds, for example Survivalist for a
scout or Physician for a medic.
Background rolls: Spot a good place
for an ambush. Team Initiative. Two
combat actions:
• Tactical analysis: a success may answer
questions like “what is the enemy likely
to attempt next?” or “(how) could that
position be circumvented or flanked?”
• Improve cover: a success turns a -1
Cover into a -2 Cover (but only for
yourself).

Backgrounds
25
 Traits General Traits
Traits are various aspects of a character that These traits are available to all races.
cannot be described by high or low attribute
values. The cost of a trait depends on its Appearance Traits
usefulness. If the trait is an advantage, it has If your character’s appearance tends to
a cost stated next to its name. If the trait trigger reactions in others, pick a suitable
is a disadvantage it has a negative cost, like word for it. A favorable appearance trait
“-1p”. Taking such a trait means the player could be Handsome +1p, Beautiful +1p,
gains points to spend on other things. or Magnificent +1p for an impressive-
Some traits cost nothing: the ups and looking jotun. This can grant a +2 bonus
downs balance out. Traits are written in the to Presence or Persuasion in some
traits section of the character sheet, followed social interactions, especially with first
by their cost in points.The different traits impressions. Conversely, a particularly
are grouped into related lists. General traits unattractive character could have a negative
are available to all characters, whereas the trait; Ugly -1p. This incurs up to a -5
race-specific traits can only be taken by that penalty to the same attributes, depending
race. Olympians have access to the general on how important looks are for the task.
traits list, as well as the olympian traits list. You could also have a neutral trait, which
Jotun characters have access to the general grants a bonus in some situations but a
traits list, the general cybernetics list, and penalty in others.
the jotun cybernetics list. For the sake of For example, a Scarred 0p veteran
the starter guide, all cybernetics traits have might frighten some people (up to a -5
simply been put in the jotun trait list. penalty when this isn’t helpful), but also
Note that jotun traits often cost inspire respect in other groups (+2). What
geodites as well as points. all of these have in common is that they’re
clearly recognizable. Another conceivable
For traits, penalties are cumulative while extreme is to be exceptionally Bland
bonuses are not. If several bonuses and +1p, which means you have very few
penalties apply to a roll, use only the highest distinguishing features. This makes it hard
bonus, but deduct every relevant penalty. for witnesses to describe or point you out
Last but not least, flesh out your traits! in a crowd or a lineup.
If you’re Scarred 0p, what happened
to you? If you are a Coward -1p, make
up a short story or two about when your
cowardice got the better of you. Take a
moment to think about every trait you
give the character. How does it affect the
character’s behavior, appearance, self-
esteem or moral standards?
There are four groups of traits in the
Starter Guide: General traits, olympian
traits, jotun traits, and æther traits (listed in
the Æther chapter on page 43).

Traits
26
Orientation Traits Combat Traits
Sense of Orientation +1p makes you very The descriptions of these traits require
unlikely to lose your way, perhaps due to an some understanding of the combat system
intuitive sense of the cardinal directions or (see page 36).
remarkable spatial recognition. Conversely, Ambidexterity +1p negates the -2
No Sense of Direction -1p means you’re penalty for using your non-dominant hand.
really bad at reading maps, and without one Archer +1p increases rate of fire with
you’re lost within two minutes outside your bow and arrow (removes the M-limitation
hometown. from all bows).
Sense of Time +1p means you always Knife Thrower +1p allows picking up
know roughly what time it is, and that a throwing knife without using an action,
you’re able to calculate how long something and with increased precision: your throwing
should take. knives are always Directed, unless they’re
Examples include the time it takes for Aimed.
opponents to reload, how fast it is plausible Gunslinger +1p allows “fanning”
to travel in a certain kind of terrain with with single action revolvers (M) provided
a given type of vehicle and, of course, at you have one empty hand; effectively a
what time one is likely to arrive at a given Burst that cannot be Aimed. This trait also
location. The opposite, No Sense of Time permits Aiming such a revolver instead of
-1p, means you shouldn’t be working with just Directing it when preparing the next
explosives. shot.
Quick Draw +1p allows drawing a
one-handed weapon from a quick-draw
holster or -sheath, without spending an
action. A firearm is never Directed the turn
in which it is drawn.

Quirks
Coward -1p means you gravitate strongly
towards the option that seems more likely
to keep you alive the next second. Make
sure you have a good excuse ready when
someone asks you to take point. This trait
comes with a lot of running, surrendering
and keeping your head down. Preferably all
the way down - if you can see them, they
can shoot at you.
Gullible -1p is a negative trait with no
disadvantages whatsoever. It’s a free point.
Trust me.
Prejudice -1p; you know exactly what
they’re like, every last one of them, and
you’re wrong. Pick one major group, like a
race or a faction. Their presence inflicts a -2
to all of your social interactions. Bastards.

General Traits
27
 Olympian Traits
Available to olympians only.

Adrenaline Rush +1p Rapid Healing +1p

Once per day, you may increase your Recovery rolls are made every day instead
Strength by +2 for one turn, which also of every week, and regenerative potions
affects your melee Damage. All of your grant an extra roll. Fatal Wounds still
Wound penalties (not incapacitation) are require medical attention to heal.
ignored for that turn.
Sterner Stuff +1p
Determination +1p You’ve been hurt worse before. The
All Wound penalties (not incapacitation) minimum damage required to instantly kill
apply the next turn; not the turn in which you is increased by +3.
you got them.

Intuition +1p
When something just isn’t right, you often
sense it. It could be an ambush, poison in
the food or your partners in crime about to
sell you out. Your Intuition doesn’t tell you
what’s wrong, only that something is.

Olympian Traits
28
Jotun Traits 360º Vision +1p
Available to jotuns only. As the most robotic Cost: 8,000 geodites
looking creed, jotun technology often strays Expands the field of view to 360º for all
from the conventions of humanoids. available vision modes. Perception rolls
based on any of them receive up to a +5
Hydraulic Grip +1p bonus when this is deemed useful. Sneaking
Cost: 4,000 geodites up on you is futile.
This trait allows you to hang on to objects
or the edge of a cliff indefinitely. It also Huge -3p
adds +1 to Unarmed Damage. You’re about three meters tall. This
is an inconvenience when confronted
Full Hydraulics +2p with human-sized doorways, seats and
Cost: 15,000 geodites parachutes. You also count as a Large
As Hydraulic Grip but also adds +5 to Target, which grants a bonus of +1 for
Strength when lifting, pushing or towing ranged attacks against you. On the plus
objects. Your joints can be locked or put side, you may purchase up to 14 Strength
into one-way-mode in any position you and Toughness.
choose, which means you never get tired
from static strain, like holding up one end Weapon Mount +1p
of a car or keeping a door shut. If you don’t Cost: 5,000 geodites
move, you’re resting. A ranged weapon that could normally be
held in both hands is attached to one of
Nanobots +1p your shoulders. Weapon mounts are always
Cost: 10,000 geodites “dominant hands”. This trait may be taken
Your body contains nano-robots designed twice (one weapon on each side). When
to provide maintenance for long patrols the weapon is not used, it can be folded
and emergency repairs. The nanobots grant backwards and onto the back. Readying
one Recovery roll per day, which means you or folding the weapon counts as an action.
get one roll before a fatal wound kills you. The weapon itself must be purchased for
geodites and costs the same as the regular
Vision Toggle +1p hand-held version.
Cost: 10,000 geodites
This trait grants the ability to cycle
through normal vision, low-light, infrared
or ultraviolet vision modes. It includes
an internal flashlight that can emit the
corresponding wavelengths, allowing all
vision modes to function as both active and
passive. Vision modes can only be toggled
at the end of each turn, but it does not
require an action.

Jotun Traits
29
 Derived Stats Damage Modifier
These values are based on the character’s Strong characters hit harder. This is
attributes, which means it’s best to leave represented by a Damage modifier, equal
them until you’re happy with how you’ve to the character’s Strength minus 8. For
distributed your points over backgrounds, example, a character with Strength 10 has
attributes and traits. a Damage modifier of +2 (10-8=2). For a
character with Strength 4 or 6, the damage
Wounds modifier will be a negative number.
The Wounds column on the right hand side
of the character sheet features a series of
numbered rows. Some of those will be filled
out with a set of numbers, depending on
your Toughness and Willpower attributes.
First, find the series of numbers that
corresponds to your Willpower attribute in
this table:

Willpower Penalties
0: xx55443322
4: x55443
6: 55443
8: 5433
9: 4432
10: 433
11: 422
12+: 42

Write the first number (or x) in that series

on the row in the Wound column that
corresponds to your Toughness.
For example, if you have Willpower 8
and Toughness 10, you write a ‘5’ on the
row marked 10, a ‘4’ on row 9, and a ‘3’ on
rows 8 and 7. These numbers will be your
penalties for trying to act while wounded.
In this case, sustaining a 9 Wound means
you get a -4 penalty until it’s healed.
Wounds higher than your Toughness are
incapacitating, and potentially fatal.
A high Toughness means you can survive
more damage, and a high Willpower means
you get lower penalties for being wounded.
An ‘x’ means the character is in too much
pain to take any constructive action.

Derived Stats
30
Equipment
Equipment is bought for geodites. Write When you equip a weapon, you write it
it down, for example on the back of the down on your character sheet. When you
character sheet. Two kinds of equipment do, you need to adjust the numbers based
have specific rules and are written on the on your character’s combat attributes:
front of the character sheet. These are • For melee weapons, add your Close
weapons and armor. Combat value to the Strike and Guard
The weapons table has six columns. values. Add your Damage Modifier to
Since only close combat weapons have Pierce and Damage.
Strike and Guard, and only ranged weapons • For ranged weapons, and your Ranged
have Reflex, Directed, Aimed and Range, Combat value to Reflex, Directed and
these values share columns in the weapons Aimed.
table. This is just a summary of the weapon
stats - their use is explained in the Combat So, if the character with Ranged combat -1
chapter on page 36. picks up a pistol, deduct -1 from its Reflex,
Close combat weapons use Strike and Directed and Aimed values when writing it
Guard. Strike is used like an attribute in down.
attacks - long, fast weapons have a good The purpose of this arrangement is
Strike value. In order to hit, an attack must to make improvising NPC combat values
have a higher degree of success than the easier for the GM. Select a weapon, and
opponent’s Guard. Weapons that are good modify its values up or down depending
for parrying have a high Guard value. on the NPC. Since most professionals
Ranged weapons use Reflex, Directed have 0, you can just use the numbers in the
and Aimed. Range indicates the longest equipment list for them. Civilians might
distance at which the weapon can be fired have a -2 in their combat attributes, while
with reasonable accuracy. In the lower right an elite unit could have a +2.
corner of the character sheet there’s a table Note that assault rifles also count as
for converting the Ranges into meters. melee weapons; write them down as both,
Many ranged weapons also have firing on separate rows.
modes with special rules, indicated by a
letter: M for Manual, B for Burst or A for
Auto.
All the numbers in the weapons table
in this book describe how dangerous
an average grunt is, using that particular
weapon and method of attacking. Note that
the combat attributes are centered around
0. If your Ranged combat is -1, you’re not
quite as good as the pros.

Equipment
31
 Armor Firearms and Ammo
Each armor is described by Coverage Some characters may want to attach some
and Protection. Coverage, rated 1-20, gadgets to their weapons, or bring extra clips
determines how much of the wearer’s with different kinds of ammo. Attachments
body is covered by the armor. Protection is generally don’t make a weapon better across the
two numbers that rate how well the armor board. They only allow for more specialization.
protects when it’s struck. When you equip an
armor, just write down its name, Protection Support
and Coverage in the armor section of the A crossbow or firearm may have one type
character sheet. Jotun characters must of support.
purchase a jotun armor.
For this mission, you’ll want an armor. Bipod
It’s probably a good idea to fit it with plates -1 Reflex. When there’s something to rest
(reinforced areas), too. There’s not much the bipod on (the ground works when
point wearing several layers of armor or plates, prone): +1 Aimed, may fire Bursts at the
though: only the best one counts. Exactly weapon’s full Range.
how armor affects damage taken is explained
in the Wounds section (see page 40). Tripod
For tables on Armor, Equipment, and A machine gun mounted on a deployed
other things, see page 70. tripod gains +1 to all attacks. Bursts and
Auto use the same Range as the weapon’s
regular attack. When a weapon with a tripod
is not deployed, it gains none of these
advantages and suffers -2 to all attacks.
The deployed weapon covers about 45
degrees and cannot fire outside that area.
Actions: Change direction, pick up,
deploy, attach or detach tripod.

Sights
A firearm may have any number of sights.
The penalties are always cumulative, but if
several bonuses from sights affect the same
value, only the highest counts.

Scope
-1 Reflex, -1 Directed, +1 Aimed. Required
to fire beyond Range 6 without the -5
Range penalty.

Laser sight
+1 Directed when within Range 2. Available
in all colors, including IR and UV. The user
must be able to see the dot to get the bonus.
Note that laser sights may alert the target.

Armor, Firearms, etc.

32
Bullets and Arrows
Most firearms, bows and crossbows have
three types of ammunition:

Standard ammo: Uses the numbers listed

in the weapons tables.
Soft target: -2 Pierce, +1 Damage,
same cost.
Armor piercing: +1 Pierce, -2 Damage,
Cost x2.

The cost (per cartridge) of the ammunition

depends on the type of weapon:
Firearm: 2
Arrow/Bolt: 50

For example: An Armor Piercing Arrow

would cost 50x2=100 geodites each.
The arrows and bolts in New Horizon can
typically be collected and reused after each
fight.

Extra clip (empty): 100

Shotguns
The shotguns in New Horizon can handle
several types of ammunition. The Starter
Guide includes two: shells and slugs. The
numbers in the weapons table are for shells.

R/D/A* Pierce Damage Range Cost

Shotgun shell: 3 3
Slug: -1 +3 -1 4 5
* Reflex, Directed and Aimed.
When a Shotgun shell is fired at Range 0
or 1, add +2 Pierce and +2 Damage. Shells
deal no damage beyond Range 3.

Energy Weapons
Energy weapons run on power cells. They
are replaced much like a regular clip, but
they can’t be recharged.

Pistol cell: 100 (for the Opto-Blaster)

Rifle cell: 200 (for the Caltech Ray Gun)

Bullets, Arrows, etc.

33
 GM Section
Before we go into the details of the system, There are no hand-held weapons that
we’d like to give you, the Game Master, a reliably stop a heavily armored opponent
bit of advice: from a distance – at least not with the
First: Don’t get too tangled up in the first round. Conversely, there is no armor
numbers, particularly in combat. It’s not that shrugs off a warhammer. All taken
“186m” – it’s “about 200 meters”. If you together, ranged and melee weapons are
find yourself keeping track of everyone’s evenly matched.
exact distance to their targets, you’re not The players need to know that even
playing it as we intended. with the best armor, you are not invincible.
Second: Make a habit of preparing two In a gun battle, you should take cover if you
outcomes when a character is making a roll. can. Firing at your enemies will put pressure
They should both advance the story; not on them even if you don’t hit. If you can
end it. For example, if Perception is rolled force them to keep their heads down, your
to spot a trap, a success means the character friends will be able to maneuver into better
sees it from a few steps away. A failure positions, or patch up your wounded. If
shouldn’t mean “ka-blam”, but rather that melee’s your game and someone shoots at
first “click” when the character steps on it. you, try to make use of cover until you’re
One wrong move now could set it off. The close enough to charge.
important thing is that the players have a
chance to influence the chain of events.
And finally: Remember that rolls are
for uncertain, dangerous and stressful
situations. Other actions can often be
resolved with just a quick glance at the
character’s ability; either it is high enough,
or it isn’t.

Prepare the Players

The combat encounters in this adventure,
excepting the last one, are quite forgiving.
Just make sure everyone has an attack with
at least Pierce 3, Damage 10 and they’ll have
a fair chance to contribute in every fight.
If you go for throwing knives, bring some
alternative, too! If you wear a jumpsuit or
armor clothing, fit it with plates.
Taking inspiration from the local fauna,
armors are currently ahead in the race against
firearms. However, these new designs do
not protect nearly as well against the slower,
heavier impact of melee weapons. This
leaves ample room for seemingly antique
weaponry, both for personal defense and
on the battlefield.

GM Section
34
Actions
An action is something a character attempts As you can see, a higher Attribute value
to do, that has a risk of failure and where the unlocks greater potential, while preventing
consequences are interesting in the story. the worst failures. By using the best of two
Shooting at bottles could be summed up as dice, your results gravitate towards your full
target practice. Each shot is not important capacity.
enough to warrant a roll - they are not The GM might decide that
actions. When shooting at an enemy, on circumstances make your attempt harder
the other hand, there’s pressure, time or easier, which temporarily modifies your
constraints, and it most certainly matters value. For example, trying to lift very heavy
whether the bullets hit or miss. That’s an objects will incur a penalty to Strength.
action. Such modifiers are always applied before
the dice are rolled.
Mechanics
New Horizon uses two distinguishable Degree of Success
20-sided dice. Any color will do, but we will If it’s relevant to determine how well a
assume that one die is black and that the character succeeds, look at the highest
other one is white. An action is a dice roll successful die. The last example is a
that is compared with a value; usually an 5 Success. If no die is successful, the
attribute. If at least one die result is below highest die rates the failure instead. A high
or equal to that value, then the action is successful roll is better than a low successful
successful. roll, and a high failed roll is less of a failure
Example: Your character tries to sneak than a low failed roll.
up on a guard using the attribute Stealth, The result is objective - not relative to
value 9. The dice are rolled: 12 and 5. Since an attribute or difficulty. No matter who
5 is below Stealth 9, the action succeeds. succeeds with 5, that 5 is equally good. This
The dice are individually compared means that success and failure alike can be
with a target value, in this case Stealth: 9. compared directly in competitions. A 12
That means 9 is your full potential; anything fail represents the same modest level of
higher than that is more than you can ineptitude or bad luck for everyone. A slight
handle. You want at least one of the dice overcompensation for the wind, missing
to be as high as possible, without exceeding one subtle tick of a pin in a tumbler lock. It
that value. happens to the best. If your attribute value
is 11 then 12 is the worst failure you’re still
Player - “I rolled 15 and 18! That’s good, capable of. You’re way too good to make
right?” the embarrassing rookie mistakes of, say, 6
GM - “Yes, it is - are you that good?” fail.
Player - “Er, no. I have a 9.” Let’s examine our “5 success”: who
GM - “So you fail.” can achieve that? Not complete newbies;
their capacity stops at 4, and they won’t
A high success is better than a low one. hit that very often. 5 is fairly close to what
A high failure is less disastrous than a low professionals are statistically likely to roll.
one. The example above is “18 fail”: a If the roll was crafting an item, the end
small mistake that could have happened to product looks like a professional job.
anyone, even a master.

Actions
35
 Combat
If it was trying to keep a door closed, it Combat is broken down into turns, each
means whoever wanted to get in had to roll about a second long. In a turn, every
a success higher than 5. If the roll was an character is allowed to take one combat
attempt to convince a policeman that what action. (For combat examples see page 52.)
you’re doing is legitimate business, it’s a
solid story that can’t easily be falsified. A Initiative
success of 1 might have only gotten you The order in which characters and NPCs
enough time for the officer to walk around act is generated only once per battle, during
the corner before going “wait a minute...” the very first turn. There are two different
A success of 10 is spectacular; it’s what ways to do this, and each group should
the very best accomplish on a good day. decide which one they prefer:
Individual initiative: First, all
Values Above 20 combatants declare their first-turn combat
When it is possible to add 20 to the dice and actions (explained later in this chapter).
still succeed, do it. This rule applies to all Each character then rolls as if they were
rolls, including Damage. resolving their actions, but this first roll
Example: After applying several bonuses, is only used to determine the order.
an attribute is 22 in one roll. The dice show 16 Combatants with successful rolls act before
and 1. The action is a 21 Success (1+20=21; those with failed rolls. Those with higher
still a success with value 22). successes act before lower successes, and
higher failed rolls act before lower ones.
Progression Team initiative: For each side in
It is customary to award additional points a conflict, pick the character that has
between missions. The GM decides what the highest combination of a suitable
rate of progression is appropriate for the background and initiative bonuses, and use
campaign. One point per session usually that for an initiative roll for that side. Within
works well. These points are spent the same each side the order is arbitrary, for example
way as the ones used in character creation, the order in which the players happen to be
but the player must be able to explain seated. This method is faster, and saves a
why the character’s skills improved in that bit of book-keeping.
particular field. In both methods, when each combatant
has acted or chosen not to act, the turn is
over and the next one begins. The order
remains unchanged throughout the battle.

Combat
36
Actions in Combat Ranged Attack
Anything that is very simple, or easily Ranged attacks hit if they score a higher
combined with other tasks (e.g. shouting an success than the distance to the target. Use
order, dropping whatever you are holding) the Range table on the character sheet: if
does not use up your action for the turn. the distance is about 100m, you need a
Actions that take several seconds to success higher than 4. At distances under
complete will span several turns. 5m, all successes are hits. Weapons can
be fired at targets one notch beyond their
Defending Range (and no more than one), but this
In an attack, the roll must not only succeed, incurs a -5 penalty.
but also do better than the opponent’s There are three kinds of ranged attacks,
efforts to not get hit. In a Close Combat each having a corresponding value. The
Attack, the degree of success must be difference between them is the degree of
higher than the opponent’s Guard. If the preparation:
defender has made (or is about to make) a • Aimed: The entire previous turn was
Close Combat Attack in this turn, use the spent Aiming at the target.
Guard from that attack. Otherwise, use • Directed: A readied weapon can fire
Unarmed Guard. directed shots at any target in the general
In a ranged attack, the degree of success direction in which it is pointed.
must be higher than the distance to the • Reflex: When the weapon is neither
target. Use the range scale in the lower right directed nor aimed at the target, the
corner of the character sheet to determine shooter is limited to snap shots using
the distance. the Reflex value.

Close Combat Attack Aiming can never be combined with any

The attacker rolls Strike, to beat the other action. You can’t aim while you’re
opponent’s Guard. Note that the defender obviously preoccupied, for example when
does not roll. Guard is simply the number attacked in melee, falling or flying through
that the attacker needs to overcome in the air.
order to hit. A defender who sees the attack If you stay too long in a firing position,
coming and hasn’t already acted this turn someone will have time to aim at you.
may, however, immediately use an action You will want someone to cover you as
to make a counterattack. This follows the you maneuver, to put that pressure on the
same rules as a regular attack. enemy instead.
Attacks and counterattacks occur If you use any Aimed or Directed
simultaneously: determine success or failure attacks while in melee, your Guard is 0
for both of them before you calculate the for the turn. If you have made only Reflex
damage. attacks, you retain your Unarmed Guard.
Prone characters suffer a -2 penalty to Conversely, if you have not yet acted when
Strike. attacked, using your Unarmed Guard limits
you to Reflex attacks.

Actions in Combat
37
 Some weapons have special firing modes: Finally, there are external factors which
• A - Auto: When a weapon fires full may affect the chance to hit of a Ranged
Auto, two separate attacks are made attack. These are a few examples:
and 10 bullets are used. The attacker +5 Peace and quiet (not a combat situation,
must choose the target(s) before the or anything else causing comparable levels
rolls are made. The second attack has of stress).
Range 2 and uses the same stat as the +2 Shooter is not threatened (the enemy
first one, unless it’s Aimed, in which seems unaware of the shooter’s location
case the second attack is Directed. Note or unable to retaliate).
that the requirements for Directed still -2 Reduced visibility (fog, gloom, blinded
apply: the target must be in the shooter’s by light).
general direction. Otherwise, use Reflex. -5 Blind fire (the shooter knows roughly
Weapons marked with an A may also where the target is, but can’t see it – such
fire Bursts. attacks can never be Aimed).
• B - Burst: The weapon can fire three -5 Extreme range (firing at one Range
shots in rapid succession. Firing both higher than the weapon’s Range).
shots in a double-barreled weapon also
counts. If the attack hits, immediately Target Size:
make another one using the Auto rules. +1 Large (the size of a car).
The second attack has Range 4 (or equal -1 Small (the size of a tire or a drone).
to the weapon’s Range, whichever is
lower). Cover:
• M - Manual: Before the weapon is -1 Prone or partially concealed.
fired, the round must be loaded manually -2 Partial cover (mostly hiding around a
or otherwise prepared (e.g. pump action corner or behind a large enough object).
or cocking a single action revolver). This -3 Entrenched (a particularly good firing-
action can be combined with Directing, position).
but not Aiming the weapon.
Target Motion (straight towards or away
Mounted machine guns do not suffer the from the shooter does not count):
Range limitations of either Burst or Auto. -1 Moving: 1-4 m/s (walking or jogging).
All of your intended targets in the turn -2 Fast-moving: 5-15 m/s (running).
are designated before you make any rolls: -3 Irregular movement or very fast-
you may not change targets in response moving: >15m/s.
to the outcome of your first attack (if you
want time to evaluate the effect of your first Hidden
shot, don’t fire Bursts or full Auto). Hiding means eliminating the line of sight -
if this is at all possible. For example ducking
all the way down behind a cover or stepping
back from the corner around which you
were firing. Hiding counts as an action, but
it normally doesn’t require a roll. Going
from Hiding to Cover also takes one action.

Actions in Combat
38
It can be combined with Directing (but not The defined action can be executed at
Aiming) the weapon at a predetermined any time, including cutting off subsequent
location. Shooting at someone in Cover actions of other characters. The waiting
incurs up to a -3 penalty, depending on the character may not take any other actions.
quality of the position (as described above) Triggering the defined action uses up the
and the angle of attack. Cover does not character’s action for the present turn -
stack: use only the highest penalty. actions are never “saved” between turns.
If you have Aimed at your chosen
Move target, your weapon remains Aimed as long
As an action, a character may move up to as you keep waiting.
her Agility in meters. Once a move action
is declared, the character is considered a Find Weakness Attacks
moving target until she stops. All declared Specifically targeting the less protected
move actions are resolved simultaneously at areas, as opposed to the ones that are easiest
the end of each turn; all characters who are to hit, incurs a -2 penalty. If you make
still able to do so arrive at their destinations. several attacks in one turn, Find Weakness
• Movement can be combined with a applies only to the first attack.
Close Combat Attack without penalties. Armor does not protect from Find
• The character may take other actions Weakness Attacks if either die, black or
while running, but this halves the maximum white, is higher than Coverage. For this
distance covered. Should the other action purpose, the die that is compared to
require a roll, it suffers a -2 penalty. Coverage does not have to be successful to
• Irregular movement (as to avoid getting count.
shot) reduces the distance covered by 2m. Note that some weapons, like
flamethrowers, grant this effect without
If an attack is combined with a move, it penalties.
occurs after all moves have been resolved
(at the end of the turn). If several characters Using Both Hands
have combined attacks with moves, they All characters can carry a weapon in
follow the regular initiative order when each hand, but unless they have the
carrying out their attacks. Ambidexterity trait, the non-dominant
Prone characters move up to Agility-5 hand suffers a -2 penalty to attack rolls,
meters per action (characters with Agility 4 whether melee or ranged.
need to stand up first in order to get anywhere). If you have more than one ranged
weapon ready, for example a pistol in each
Wait hand, you can make two ranged attack
Waiting enters a state of readiness to actions in one turn, but they both get a
perform one defined action (running in a -2 to hit. Neither of them may be Aimed.
set direction, attacking a reasonably specific Without the Ambidexterity trait, the attack
target, pressing a button etc). A waiting using your non-dominant hand gets a total
character is considered waiting until it is her of -4. You may not take more than two
turn to act again. attack actions in one turn.

Actions in Combat
39
 Wounds Stun
In terms of game mechanics, anything Compare Stun Damage with your Wounds
that can physically hurt the characters can as if it was normal Damage, but do not
be described as Damage. The higher the mark it. If the end result would have been a
Damage, the more dangerous it is. Unarmed penalty, apply it to any rolls you attempt in
attacks and certain stun guns have a * next this turn and the next. If the Stun is lower
to their Damage value, indicating that they than all of your penalties, nothing happens.
are less likely to inflict lasting injuries (see If the Stun is enough to render you
Stun on page 40). unable to act, you’re unconscious for the
rest of the scene, or until someone wakes
The Damage Roll you up. In addition, mark a Wound 5 points
Roll the attack’s Damage, like you would lower than the Stun you just suffered.
an attribute or background. The degree of
Success equals the Wound. For example, if The Attack Roll
your attack has Damage 15 and you roll 9 An attack can succeed with one or two
and 13, the target suffers a Wound of 13. dice. A die is a hit if it’s above Guard (or
Damage rolls can fail. When they do, mark distance, for ranged attacks), but no higher
the lowest damage that the attack could than the value that was used. If only one
have inflicted. These are attacks that just die hits, the attack is a “Hit”. The Damage
barely hit their targets, tearing up some skin applies. If both dice hit, it’s a “Full Hit”.
along the edges but not passing through This increases the attack’s Pierce by +2 and
anything vital. the Damage by +5.

Marking Wounds Armor

Damage translates directly into Wounds: A When someone who wears armor is hit
character that receives Damage 12 marks by an attack, the first thing to determine
Wounds row number 12 on the right hand is whether or not the armor protects. An
side of the character sheet. If the circle is armor with Coverage 20 is completely
already filled from a previous Wound, mark sealed; all attacks will strike armor.
the nearest empty circle above it. For Coverage 1-19, compare the white
die of the attack roll with the armor’s
The Immediate Effects Coverage. If the white die is higher, the
A series of your Wound rows have penalties attack bypasses the armor completely. For
written next to them. Most of your combat this purpose, it does not matter whether or
actions and more athletic undertakings not the white die hits.
suffer the penalty of the highest Wound When the armor is struck, compare the
you’ve sustained. Use only the most severe attack’s Pierce with the armor’s Protection.
penalty; they are never added together. Each type of armor has a Protection interval,
For example, if you take 5 Damage and for example “4-11”. In this case, all attacks
your Wounds 5 row has “3” written on with a Pierce below 4 are deflected and deal
it, you suffer -3 when attempting combat no damage at all. Attacks with a Pierce above
actions. 11 go straight through the armor, dealing
If you mark any Wound higher up than damage like it wasn’t there. Attacks with
your worst penalty, you’re unable to act. Pierce values within the interval, in this case
4-11, are mitigated by the armor: the attack’s
Damage is lowered by 5.

Wounds
40
If the target wears multiple armors or You do not heal this time. If the result
plates, check which ones have enough isn’t equal to any of your Wounds, check
Coverage to protect. From those, only the if it succeeded. If either of the dice beat
highest Protection range counts - all other your Toughness but was no higher than
layers are ignored. your worst Wound, your injuries won this
round. You do not heal. If the roll failed,
Death and Dying whether it was too high or too low, you win.
• A Wound above the highest wound Lower your highest Wound five steps. Any
penalty means the character is dying. Wounds along the way are also healed.
Humans are dead after an hour in this Example: An Olympian with Toughness
state, wafans last about 24 hours. 13 has sustained two Wounds: 12 and 7.
• If a Wound is more than 5 rows above The first recovery roll is 7 and 16; the Result
the highest wound penalty, the character is 7 (16 is higher than the highest Wound).
is dead. Some groups increase this Wound 7 is already marked, which means
limit or play without this rule, allowing it gets infected: the character also marks
all characters to be resuscitated. It’s Wound 8. The next time the olympian
recommended to agree on these rules makes a recovery roll the dice come up 2
before the campaign starts. and 11. No Wounds get infected.
Since the result is lower than the
The Recovery Roll character’s Toughness, the Wound has
Recovery rolls are fairly simple, but the failed. The character heals, lowering the
concept takes some getting used to. It’s highest damage, 12, to 7. The 8 along the
more of an “Infection roll”. You need to way is removed.
think of it as your most severe Wound trying Olympians make a recovery roll every
to kill you. The roll is something dangerous week. Medical attention, potions or traits
about to happen to you, like an incoming often increase the frequency of recovery
bullet. You want the roll to fail, because that rolls. Note that severely wounded patients,
means you’re safe. Recovery rolls are made especially ones with multiple injuries,
using the highest Wound sustained, as if could be adversely affected by making
it was an Attribute. This means the more recovery rolls without medical attention.
severe the wound, the greater the risk of it The Physician and Cyber Life Surgeon
getting worse. Your Toughness is trying to backgrounds can be used to Treat, Stabilize
keep you alive. Just like an opponent needs or Patch up the patient:
to beat your Guard to hit you, the Wound Treat: Treatment is the slowest
needs to score a Result higher than your approach. If a character successfully rolls
Toughness. The higher the Toughness, the against the Physician background, an
more likely you are to recover. Olympian patient’s next recovery roll is
That’s the roll, just like an attack, made against the highest Wound minus the
Wound versus Toughness. Here’s how to physician’s degree of success. Treatment
interpret it: First, check if the result is equal requires a Med-kit for olympians and Cyber
to any of your Wounds. If so, it has become Life kit for jotuns (see the equipment list,
infected. Treat the roll just like incoming page 74). Using improvised tools incurs a -5
Damage: mark the nearest empty circle to the background roll. Wafans do not heal
above the infected Wound. at all, unless they have nanobots installed.

Wounds
41
 Jotuns make a recovery roll only when a
Cyber Life Surgeon with the appropriate
tools has made a successful background
roll. Each attempt takes about an hour. For
Olympians and Jotuns alike; if a Treatment
roll is a failure of 15 or less, you’ve injured
the patient. Mark the lowest empty Wound.
Stabilize: Prolongs the life expectancy
of a dying patient. Each attempt takes about
a minute and consumes one Stabilizer (see
the equipment list, page 74). It’s easier than
treatment: add +5 to the roll. A successful
attempt keeps a dying human alive for 24
hours instead of one, and a jotun could last
a week instead of a day. It does not grant
any Recovery rolls.
Patch up: Patching is one action,
assuming the doctor has the tools ready.
Powerful painkillers and some high-tech
goo injected into the wound cavity keep
the patient going a little longer. Every
attempt expends one Wound Patch (see the
equipment list, page 74), and the subject
marks the lowest two empty Wounds. A
success revives an unconscious patient,
unless fatally wounded. It also suppresses
all Wound penalties for about an hour, or
until a more severe Wound is inflicted.

Wounds
42
Æther
Æther is perhaps the largest mystery on Some see in these circuits a parallel to runes
New Horizon, if simply for that fact that and other designs of power from Earth
it seems intrinsically tied to the world itself, lore, others simply see a burgeoning science
and its effects can be seen in many of the testing the waters of a new power source.
other mysteries that confront the colonists.
Up until recently, difficulties in working Creating an Ætherian
with æther caused it to be viewed as little Characters that can use æther require a
more than a fringe science. Its nature and different character sheet with four more
scope are unknown, and every potential attributes. The character also needs one or
answer just brings with it more questions. two circuits and at least one chord. Each
To those seeing it for the first time, the chord represents something you can do
effects of æther seem supernatural, like with your æther powers, and your circuits
magic from the old tales of Earth. It appears determine which chords are available to you.
to be some kind of force, a bleedthrough of
physics from a coterminous dimension that The four æther attributes are:
has bulged toward this one. Fortify: It increases your chance of
Æther research is still in its infancy, success in chords that create or strengthen
but it has increased during recent years things, and it makes them more durable.
with the discovery of halcium, a highly Destroy: It increases your chance to
metalized crystal that has been changed hit and the damage you deal with offensive
on a fundamental level by interaction with chords.
pure ripples of æther. This substance has Alter: It greatly increases your chance
proven to be the turning point in æther of success with chords of any other type of
research. Experimentation has found that effect.
nano-filaments of halcium in the correct Tolerance: It determines your ability
form create a vibration on an æthereal scale to withstand the side-effects of using any
that one can learn to harness for different type of chord; Strain. If you accumulate
effects. Those who have learned to utilize too much Strain you’ll experience fatigue,
æther are known as ætherians. disorientation and eventually physical
Because the first field test was with injury. Strain usually wears off in a few
Wafan and Promethean subjects, these seconds, but you may not have that long in
designs created from nano-filaments of a fight.
halcium have earned the name æther Strain: At the bottom of the æther
circuits. As things go this is a fairly accurate sheet, there’s a series of circles marked
term since the eventual product does look Strain. Draw a thick vertical line to the right
something like a highly stylized circuit. of the circle that corresponds to half of
Further progress eventually saw the first your Tolerance, rounded up. Also draw one
humans implanted with æther circuit to the right of the circle that corresponds
technology. to your full Tolerance. When you’ve taken
These circuits usually lie just beneath on more Strain than the first line, you’re
the upper layers of skin with a few filaments exhausted. If you exceed the other, the
going deeper into the tissue. The resulting forces you’re trying to control could tear
designs look similar to tattoos. you apart any second.

Æther
43
 Æther Traits Using Æther
Aside from running into some of the Activating a chord follows much the same
random æther driven phenomena around rules as ranged attacks; use Reflex, Directed
New Horizon, characters will have their or Aimed, depending on your degree of
most direct experience with æther in the preparation. The firing modes B and A
form of æther circuits and chords. The apply to æther chords as well, but their
specific design of a circuit differs depending specific Range-limitations do not. Some
on the user, so the exact appearance is chords have a fourth “firing mode”, unique
largely up to the player. In addition to the to æther:
price for the circuit, characters must spend S - Sustained: Once used, the effect
1 point for each chord known from the continues as long as you maintain an
circuit’s list. unbroken line of sight to some part of the
Æther Circuits: An æther circuit is a target (but you don’t need to look at it).
device created to allow people to tap into You can sustain any number of chords, and
æthereal energy and bend it to their will. canceling one or several of them does not
The circuit works by allowing the user to require an action.
perceive the subtle waves of æther that pass
through existence. With training, a circuit If something created by a sustained Fortify-
can be used to influence the æther to cause chord is hit by an attack, compare the
different effects known as chords. Each attack’s Pierce with the chord’s Protection
circuit is written down under Traits. They range. If Pierce is within or above the
cost 10,000 geodites each, but no points. interval, the caster may either accept one
Chords: Chord is a catchall term for more Strain to keep sustaining it, or let it
any effect created by utilizing an æther dissipate when the attack has been resolved.
circuit. Chords range from minor tricks Some Sustained chords affect a specific
like causing a piece of paper to float, to target, and it that case the effect follows
more devastating effects like causing the the target around. Apart from that, chords
air around an individual to spontaneously can’t be moved once summoned, unless the
combust. Chords are called such because description clearly states otherwise.
æther users often describe the process of Using æther, even on a small scale,
utilizing æther as similar to playing a musical causes a bleed through of the ætherium
instrument. They describe their perception into our dimension. Those that are sensitive
of æther like looking at several strings. to æther begin to notice shifts in the
Each string produces a different note when surroundings. Reality seems to convulse as
plucked building up to the desired chord. vibrations ripple through space and time,
coursing with with barely repressed energy.
Slight fissures form in the fabric of reality,
invisible to those without a sensitivity for
æther. These fissures spider web their way
out from around the source, usually the
ætherian who has activated their circuit.
The spider webs vibrate as the ætherian uses
their skill to twist the æther to their will.

Æther Traits
44
 Direct and Indirect Chords
These vibrations are audible, even to those There are two types of chords: the direct and
who are not ætherian sensitive. Each æther the indirect. The direct chords are marked
activation creates its own melody. The exact with a * instead of a number for Range:
song has a seemingly emotional connection since the effect is manifested directly at the
to the effect created. The more powerful target, the distance is irrelevant. Bigger and
the display, the more the ætherium bleed denser objects are more difficult to affect
through is witnessed. Visible to all, directly, and live beings in particular have
regardless of sensitivity, is the glow which a tendency to resist æther. Ætherians and
emanates from the activated circuit. This many others believe this phenomenon is
glow is unique to each user, but is often due to sentience itself having an effect
a color associated with the chords being on reality, much like aspects of quantum
used. Due to its cross-dimensional nature, physics only exist when consciously
this glow cannot be covered by things such observed.
as clothing and armor. When an æther user The rolls are not compared with the
takes time to concentrate (ie: using the Aim distance, but instead with the target’s
action) the glow becomes sharper and more Toughness-5, or Willpower (whichever is
defined. higher). Unconscious or voluntary targets
Matter conjured by æther falls apart always use Toughness-5. Monsters and
but doesn’t disappear afterwards. While NPCs with no Willpower attribute use their
thermal chords have the potential to set fire high Wounds number when awake, and the
to combustible items, their often explosive low one when unconscious or voluntary.
nature makes it relatively rare. The resistance to æther also applies to
any equipment carried by the target. For
example, trying to set fire to someone’s
backpack offers the same resistance as a
direct effect on the person who carries it.
Direct chords require a straight,
unbroken line to some part of the target, or
to something the target carries. Any solid
material, even if transparent, blocks the
line. In summary, direct chords can target
someone who wears an armor, but not
someone sitting in car with the windows
closed.
The indirect chords are different: they
have a number for Range. All of them
create an effect right in front of you, far
from meddling brain waves and reluctant
structural integrity. By the time the effect
hits the target, it is no longer strictly æther;
it is the physical consequence of aether
influencing reality.

Using Æther
45
 Strain
It can’t be resisted like a direct chord. On Every chord has a Strain, ranging from 1 to
the other hand, indirect chords have a 3. With the exception of sustained chords,
Range, which must overcome the distance Strain is only relevant to keep track of under
to the target just like any firearm. They’re stress, like in combat. Strain is marked from
subjected to the same penalties as any left to right in the circles at the bottom of
mundane ranged attack: cover, movement, the æther character sheet.
weather - the works. • After failing to use a chord, increase
Any chords that target yourself or your Strain by one.
anything you carry need not overcome any • After successfully using a chord, increase
resistance; a success will do. it by the chord’s full Strain.

Tricks If your Strain increases beyond half of

Ætherians often use tricks for practical your Tolerance, using a chord and failing
purposes. Minor effects, like lighting a the roll inflicts Stun to you, equal to your
campfire with a thermal circuit, cause current Strain (after increasing it one step).
no strain and require no rolls. Tricks can If your Strain surpasses your full
never have a direct mechanical effect in Tolerance, failure still causes Stun as
combat; they’re not powerful enough to above. In addition, every time you use æther
harm or to distract anyone. They can only (whether you succeed or not), you suffer a
affect inanimate objects that nobody carries Damage roll using your own Toughness as
on their person, or voluntary targets. The Damage. You cannot sustain any chords in
maximum range is 10m. this state.
Atmospheric tricks include playful For Sustainable chords (S), the listed
winds that make a cape flap dramatically Strain is for a few minutes of use at the
at the right moment, or put out all the most. By accepting twice the Strain, you
romantic candles in a room. They could be can create a more lasting version. You can
used to slowly move an object with roughly Sustain those for as long as you can stay
the same force as a person blowing on it. awake.
Tectonic tricks can reshape volumes
of earth (but not solid rock) with the Restore
approximate efficiency and precision of This æther-specific action lowers your
a sturdy shovel. The affected area slowly current Strain by one, and this is the only
assumes the desired form and stays that way way to decrease it. This can generally be
as long as gravity and other forces permit. It summed up as “catching your breath”
can erase footprints in dirt, but the control after a fight. You cannot Restore while
is too crude to move or create them. Sustaining any chords.
Thermal tricks means you’ll never
have to bring a lighter or a flashlight. You
don’t get burns from anything that a good
pair of thermal protection gloves would
save you from, and you never have to drink
cold coffee.

Using Æther
46
Atmospheric Circuits
Chords utilized with this circuit are
deceptively simple and fast. Though they Updraft
are not often strong, they provide many (Alter, Sustained)
options for a creative user. Directed currents of air can be used to
move an object or an individual. The
Air Wall control over the motion remains as long as
(Fortify, Sustained) the user concentrates. This chord is noisy,
This chord creates an invisible disc of hard creates an absolute mess among nearby
air, 1m radius. It appears solid to radar or small objects and only moves the subject
sonar. The surface is smooth and almost about 2m per turn. A person lifted with an
frictionless. Running into it or tripping Updraft suffers -5 to all actions and may
over it is uncomfortable, but not enough to not Aim.
inflict any damage in itself.
Wind Gust
Sand Blast (Alter)
(Destroy) This chord creates enough force to push
This chord is a powerful gust of air loaded a single object away with about as much
with small particles that sand blast the strength as a firm shove. The chord itself
target. The tiny particles easily get into the deals very little damage, but small objects
joints and weak spots of armor; it counts as can be thrown without actually touching
a Find Weakness Attack (see page 39). them, and opponents can be knocked
prone or over nearby edges.
Fog Bank
(Alter, Sustained)
Creates a cloud with a 100m radius around
the caster’s current position. All senses,
even radar and sonar, are reduced within
this fog; any Perception roll suffers a -5
penalty. Ranged attacks where either the
shooter, the target or both are within the
cloud are made at a -2 penalty. This chord
affects everyone, including the caster.

Tornado
(Alter, Sustained)
This chord creates a vortex with a 2m
radius. Small objects within the tornado
are tossed about, and anyone who enters or
remains in it suffers -2 to all actions. This
is useful for forcing people out of cover,
among other things.

Atmospheric Circuits
47
 Tectonic Circuits
This circuit focuses on strength. Though
not as fast and effortless as the atmospheric Tectonic Barbs
circuit, it is capable of creating solid objects (Destroy)
and devastating effects for controlled As the user concentrates, a field of large
periods of time. spikes erupts from the ground and into
a designated area. The target must be
Erect Monolith within 5m of a solid surface from which to
(Fortify, Sustained) summon the spikes. This chord is hard to
A 1m thick pillar of earth rises some 3m cast without Aiming first, but it’s immensely
from the ground and remains standing as powerful.
long as the user is focused. It counts as a - 2
Cover for up to two people (see page 38 Tremor
and on page 39). (Alter)
This chord shakes the ground on specific
Petrify points around the user, who chooses any
(Fortify, Sustained) number of targets in a 20m radius. Only
Engulfs a willing subject in layers of rock, one roll is made, and that result is tested
ice, dirt, sand and moss, depending on against each of the targets. Those who
what’s nearby. The end result resembles fail to resist (having too low Wilpower or
a rugged statue, suspending the target in Toughness-5) are knocked prone and may
relative comfort and tedium. If this effect suffer minor damages.
is used to improve a hiding spot, it grants
+5 to Stealth. While Petrified, observation
and Sustaining are unimpaired, but any
action instantly cancels the effect, causing
the protective layers to crumble and fall off.

Shale Skin
(Fortify, Sustained)
Plates of stone and crystal grow over the
æther user’s body providing protection.
The specific appearance of the armor is
determined by the user.

Stone Volley
(Destroy)
Creates a handful of stones with very sharp
edges, launched toward the target.

Tectonic Circuits
48
Thermal Circuits
This circuit’s effects manipulate heat,
allowing the user to create devastating fiery Thermal Blast
effects. (Destroy)
This chord triggers a chain reaction which
Cauterize causes an area with a 5m radius to reach
(Fortify, Sustained) extreme temperatures very rapidly.
Attempts to seal a willing subject’s wounds First turn: the ætherian uses this
with fire. If successful, the patient marks the chord. No rolls are made. Grass dries up
three lowest empty wounds. Unconscious and burns, paper catches fire, small animals
targets wake up unless fatally wounded. (and sensible people) attempt to leave the
The wound penalty is replaced by a steady area.
-2 (yes, it hurts), until the chord is cancelled Second turn: when it’s the caster’s turn
or the subject suffers a more severe Wound. to act again, attack rolls are made against
everyone currently within the heated blast
Cinder Cone radius. These attacks do not count as an
(Destroy) action. An inferno fills the target area,
The rough equivalent of a flamethrower, it melting rubber, plastic and flesh, and then
counts as a Find Weakness Attack (see page rapidly dissipates.
39). A powerful chord, though limited by
its short range and the considerable strain Incandescent Weapon
it puts on the caster. Some ætherians set (Alter, Sustained)
the cone to originate from their mouth, for The user alters the makeup of melee
dramatic effect. weapons; they become white hot but do not
lose integrity. Their Damage increases by 2.
Fireball Each weapon you wish to affect costs one
(Destroy) point of Strain. If a wielder drops or throws
Needs no introduction. Several æther the weapon, the effect on it is immediately
practitioners dislike the name and persist in cancelled.
using terms they find less cliche, but at the
end of the day a spade is still a spade.

Flashover
(Destroy)
This chord amplifies the heat from a
previous attack, so it only works on targets
that have sustained a Wound from fire in
this turn or the last one. Each target you
wish to affect costs one point of Strain. It
may be of interest that Wounds inflicted by
this chord also count as “from fire”.

Thermal Circuits
49
 Æther
Chord Type Reflex Directed Aimed Range Pierce Damage Strain
Cover. Protect.
Atmospheric Circuits

Air Wall Fortify S 8 8 12 5 20 5-11 1

Sand blast Destroy 8 10 12 5 2 8 1
Fog Bank Alter S 10 10 14 10 1
Tornado Alter S 10 10 14 8 1
Updraft Alter S 5 8 10 * 2
Wind Gust Alter 10 12 14 * 0 *5 1

Erect Monolith Fortify S 4 8 12 1 8-12 2

Tectonic Circuits

Petrify Fortify S 8 12 16 * 20 7-10 2

Shale Skin Fortify S 7 7 15 * 19 3-10 3
Stone Volley Destroy B 3 7 10 3 7 11 2
Tectonic Barbs Destroy 0 4 10 2 9 13 3
Tremor Alter 11 11 14 * 0 *5 1

Cauterize Fortify S 10 10 16 * 2
Thermal Circuits

Cinder Cone Destroy A 6 9 12 2 6 10 2

Fireball Destroy 5 8 11 5 7 10 1
Flashover Destroy 10 13 16 * 10 1
Thermal Blast Destroy 4 7 10 4 5 12 3
Incandescent Weapon Alter S 8 8 12 0 1
* Rolls using these chords are not affected by Range - instead, they are compared with the target’s Willpower, as
explained on page 30.

Æther
50
Monsters and Villains
Monsters and most NPCs do not have The monster isn’t considered wounded
Wounds like PCs. Instead, they have two until it has that many markers on the table.
numbers with a line between them; a range.
They ignore Damage below the range and Treating NPCs
die from Damage above it. If they take A wounded NPC that’s successfully
Damage within the range, they’re wounded Treated ceases to be wounded. At the GM’s
and will try to escape, surrender, hide or discretion, Stabilize could make it possible
play dead. If cornered, however, they’ll to Treat a dead NPC. Patching up an NPC
keep fighting. All such creatures die if clears the effects of being wounded for one
they’re wounded again. hour, but the patient dies if wounded again
Large beasties and particularly tough during this time.
villains have an additional number next to
their Wound-range; x2, x3 or the like. When
these monsters suffer Damage within their
range, place some sort of marker on the
table, like a paperclip or a die.

51
 Combat Examples
All rolls in these examples are written as • The damage from the attacks that hit
two numbers; the first one is the black die is now resolved: Crook A rolled a white
and the second one is the white die. “17:2” 11, which does not beat the Coverage of
should be interpreted as a 17 on the black Alto’s Duraplast plates (12). The rapier
die, and a 2 on the white one. has Pierce 5 - within the Protection
range of the plates (4-10) - the Damage
Close Combat is lowered by 5, to 6. The Damage roll
Alto stops to assist two travelers who ask comes up 18:4 - Alto marks Wound 4.
for his help. They appear to be working • Crook B also attacks Alto, and rolls 3:16.
on a broken down car. As he approaches The attack is blocked by Alto’s Guard
the vehicle, he notices that one of them (4). Since Alto has already acted in this
is hiding something behind his back. The turn, he can’t make a counterattack.
other one now unsheathes a rapier.
The Second Turn
Strike Guard Pierce Damage • Crook A attacks again. In
Alto, maul (2H): 10 4 12 14 response to this, Alto
immediately attacks Crook B.
Crook A, rapier: 13 5 4 11 Crook B, in turn, reacts by
Crook B, mace: 11 3 9 11 attacking Alto. The attacks of
all parties involved are resolved
Coverage Protection simultaneously.
Alto, armor clothing: 16 1-5 • Crook A rolls 2:15, which is
Alto, duraplast plates: 12 4-10 blocked by Alto’s Guard.
• Alto rolls 10:19, a hit.
Crooks, leather armor: 17 2-8 • Crook B rolls 5:13, a hit.
• The hits are resolved: Alto’s
The Crooks have a Wound range of 4-9, white 19 beats the Coverage of the Crook’s
meaning they’ll ignore Damage 1-3 and die leather armor (17). Alto rolls 11:20; Damage
from 10 or more. In the range in between, 11. Crook B tumbles ungracefully through
they’re Wounded and will be knocked out, flee the air. He won’t be getting up anytime
or surrender. If they’re wounded twice, they die. soon. Crook B also hit Alto. With a white
13, the attack strikes Alto’s Armor Clothing,
The First Turn which is too weak for a mace. The Damage
Time to roll initiative, Alto vs two Crooks. roll is 7:16, Damage 7. Alto’s hurt, and
It’s going to be a close combat fight, so the suffers -5 to all rolls until he’s recovered.
rolls are made against the Strike value of
their weapons. The Third Turn
• Alto rolls 5:13, a success of 5. • Fortunately for Alto, the remaining
• Crook A rolls 19:8, a success of 8. Crook doesn’t know this. He only
• Crook B rolls 13:17, a failure of 17. knows that stabbing Alto didn’t stop
• Crook A attacks Alto. In response, Alto him, and apparently neither did clubbing
counter-attacks: their attacks are him with a mace. And now his partner’s
resolved at the same time. out, too. Crook A runs away. Alto is in
• Crook A rolls 6:11, a hit! Alto rolls no condition to chase him, so the fight
14:14, a miss. ends here.

Combat Examples
52
Ranged Combat The Second Turn
Aaron is looking for his nemesis, Evelyn, Aaron chooses to aim this turn. The next
in a forest. He expects trouble and carries turn he will be using the Aimed value: 12.
a submachine gun. The battle begins when Evelyn calmly fires again; a Directed attack.
Evelyn appears behind a tree with a pistol She rolls 3:6 - a Full hit!
pointed at him. They are some 20m apart
(Distance 2). Aaron is a skilled marksman Armor and Damage
with Ranged combat +2, which is addedThe Full hit increases the attack’s Pierce
to his Reflex, Directed and Aimed on the
by +2 and the Damage by +5. With a total
character sheet. Evelyn has Ranged combat
Pierce of 6, it is no longer relevant whether
0; she uses the numbers from the weapons
or not armor is struck; Pierce 6 is above the
table. Protection range of Aaron’s armor clothing
(1-5). Damage 15 is rolled; 11:19. Aaron
Reflex Directed Aimed marks a Wound of 11. Without medical
Aaron’s Ophion 6 10 12 attention, he’ll die within an hour.
F-50 SMG (A):
Range Pierce Damage
4 4 10

Reflex Directed Aimed

Evelyn’s Paratus 5 7 9
P55 Pistol:
Range Pierce Damage
3 4 10

The First Turn

Initiative roll. Aaron is going to fire full
Auto. He didn’t know where to look, so
he’ll have to settle for Reflex (value 6).
Evelyn, on the other hand, heard where
Aaron was coming from when she assumed
her firing position, and can fire a Directed
shot (value 7). Evelyn’s roll is 12:17, which
is a failed roll with the value 17. Aaron rolls
4:2 - a success with the value 4. Aaron wins,
and shoots first.
The GM deducts -1 since Evelyn is in
partial cover from the tree. For Aaron to
hit, at least one of the dice must be 3, 4 or
5: above the distance (2), but no higher than
Aaron’s Reflex (6), -1 for partial cover. Since
he fires full Auto he gets to roll twice. The
rolls come up 2:18 and 7:11 respectively.
Every bullet misses. Evelyn rolls 13:1. Her
Directed shot also misses.

Combat Examples
53
 Optional Rules Luck
This section is for people who want more These rules add a chance of success and a
details from the system. When you’ve risk of failure even when it would otherwise
gotten used to the basic rules in New be impossible.
Horizon, add the ones you like. • If the black die comes up 1, the roll is
always a success. The degree of success
Combat Options is determined by the white die, ignoring
This section provides more alternatives in the Attribute.
combat, especially in melee. • If the black die comes up 20, the roll is
• Reckless: Disregarding your own safety always a failure. The degree of failure is
opens up a few more alternatives: you determined by the white die, ignoring
gain +3 to your attack this turn. On the the Attribute.
other hand, anyone attacking you in
close combat this turn gains +5. In other words, there’s always a 5% chance
• Defensive: By keeping your distance and of success, and a 5% risk of failure. Note
focusing on blocking you become harder that the GM may veto absurd intentions
to hit. It also means you will have fewer without a roll, simply stating that the
opportunities to strike back. If either attempt fails.
one of the opponent’s dice is within
your Guard, the attack misses. You may Epic Duels
attack this turn only if the opponent Under some circumstances, the GM could
rolls higher than her Strike with both rule that the first few successful attacks do
dice. Defensive fighting counts as an not hit, but cinematically drive the victim
action even if you don’t get to attack. backwards. The character may then choose
to retreat, or to keep trying. The GM
Player versus Player should of course not tell the player how
If two players are fighting each other, they many chances the character gets before a
reveal their disposition simultaneously: successful attack is resolved normally.
Default, Reckless, or Defensive. One way
to do this is to have the players pick up Shooting Through Cover
two dice each and hide their hands, before When Cover reduces your chance to hit,
presenting a closed fist above the table. any ranged attack that would have hit if it
When they’re both done, they show what wasn’t for the Cover, hits the Cover. Such
they’re holding: A black die: Reckless. A attacks are never considered Full hits. The
white die: Defensive. GM decides to what extent the Cover
No dice: Default attack. impedes the projectile. When trying to hit
a target that’s engaged in close combat, the
other party counts as a -1 Cover. If you hit
that Cover, that attack has hit the wrong
combatant. If you’re trying to hit a Large
Target, this rule normally doesn’t apply.

Optional Rules
54
The Adventure
As the nations of Aquilon and Xanadu sit The current tension between the two
on the brink of war, Aquilon begins testing factions really began when the popular
a prototype bomber that might change the Aquilonian fad of using cybernetic implants
course of the conflict. After an emergency for fashion eventually reached Xanadu.
transmission, both the prototype and its When young people couldn’t afford top
skilled pilot have gone missing. Afraid of of the line cybernetics, they resorted to
the consequences if the bomber should fall dangerous black market purchases. Dozens
into enemy hands, Aquilon mounts a rescue were left horribly disfigured, and more than
mission to retrieve the prototype before a handful lost their lives. Many Xanadian
Xanadu can learn its secrets. families were torn apart. Even those with
Whispers of War is a New Horizon children that were left unharmed viewed
adventure designed to introduce players to such augmentations as a betrayal of
the world of New Horizon. Game Masters olympian form. Though Aquilon wasn’t
(GMs) are free to adjust the adventure to directly responsible they suffered the
suit their particular gaming group. blame. In the aftermath of the ‘cyber fad’
Xanadu has often tried to cripple Aquilon
Preparation economically. Kern Denvers, the Xanadian
As the GM, everything you need to run this president at the time, took a very harsh
adventure is included in the New Horizon stance against Aquilon in the following
Starter Guide. If you have access to the decades.
Core Book, or any of the supplemental After growing increasingly suspicious
material, feel free to incorporate them into and hateful of Aquilon, President Denvers
the adventure as much or as little as you ordered the Xanadian navy to send out one
would like. Allowing players access to the of the new Merced submarines to scout
full lists of races, traits, and gear is especially for Aquilonian navy deployment. As the
suggested. Merced made its way close to the Perpetua
Text that appears in boxes is player Glacier, it met up with another unknown
information. Feel free to read the text submarine model wearing Aquilonian
verbatim, or paraphrase for your players colors. The Xanadian captain overreacted
when appropriate. Statistics for NPCs and at the sight of an unknown submarine and
creatures can be found at the end of the opened fire.
adventure. The skirmish was short lived as both
parties disengaged after a few passes to
Adventure Background return to their respective territories. The
The Nations of Aquilon and Xanadu have damaged Merced was forced to limp back
an uneasy relationship. Both are members to harbor, but the unknown Aquilonian
of the Avalon Council, but they are often vessel seemed considerably better off than
at opposite ends of discussion. Making its Xanadian counterpart. Denvers’ stance
things worse is the fact that both factions toward Aquilon became more aggressive
compete in the production of state of the as he grew convinced that Aquilon was
art technology, and each has some of the preparing an attack on Xanadu.
best academic institutions in the world.
The factions see each other as rivals both
economically and culturally.

The Adventure
55
 Both Aquilon and Xanadu began ramping Aquilonian politicians breathed a sigh
up military production, including the of relief as the mild-mannered Carlin
construction of Fort Fixed-Wing by Attacus was appointed for presidency.
Xanadu, and Fort Horus by Aquilon. Both While conservative parties continued to
claimed safety and other such reasons for cry “Aquilonian Assassins,” more prudent
the construction. The rest of the world factions maneuvered in such a way that
watched in fear as these two powerful the hothead in command of the Xanadian
factions began to increase their defenses. military was forced to retire, elevating the
The times were very uneasy and people general who had helped the Xanadian forces
began to suspect that they would see war two years back to the position of military
not too far into the future. governor. This turned out to be a wise choice
The ice was finally broken as President as the general proved to be very protective
Denvers orderd the first offensive on a of the country, opting to take Xanadu into a
Templar Aquilonian shipyard in The Chain more defensive stance. The cold war settled
of Tears. The Xanadian navy managed down somewhat. Things were kept quiet for
to destroy the shipyard, but the Templar a few years, but there was an anxiety in the
Aquilonia had arrived on the battlefield air, just like the calm before a big storm.
with their new amphibious fighter craft. Neither side sat idle however, and both
The Xanadians would have been utterly readied themselves for possible conflict.
defeated if not for an especially clever In preparation for the war that both sides
general who fought off the Templars long believed was coming, Aquilon developed
enough to allow the Xanadian forces an a new prototype bomber known as the
orderly retreat. Neutral factions intervened, Manta. Lt. Molly Thompson was sent to
begging the Xanadian military to forestall test the prototype. Shortly into her mission,
any further offensives, and asking Aquilon Lt. Thompson radioed about some kind of
not to seek retribution. The intervention problem, and then disappeared.
seemed to work for a time. However,
Denvers had secretly begun construction of The Players
a nuclear-powered stealth submarine with The players are introduced to this adventure
no other purpose than the destruction of as they are commissioned to search for Lt.
Deep Aquilon. This city’s collapse would Thompson and the prototype bomber.
destroy Glacier Run City as well, utterly Since this is a top secret military prototype,
destroying the Aquilonian civilization. An the most likely case is that the characters are
Aquilonian raid on the construction facility members of the Aquilonian military. Other
prevented the submarine’s completion. options include members of the family,
The very next year saw the assassination or close friends of Lt. Thompson. The
of president Denvers in his sleep. This specifics of the bomber are kept minimal,
event threatened to begin all out war, as and even less information is shared with
all fingers pointed toward Aquilon. The those characters who are not active military.
true killer had an unlikelier origin. The However they are connected to the search,
murder was the work of one man, Xanadian the players are brought in to see General
national Cadmus Rose, an up and coming Thaddeus Legstrom, the head of Aquilon’s
member of the Ministry of War. air force. The General Legstrom is a friendly
man, but he is very serious about the situation
at hand.

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 Aquilon’s Reach

Act 1: Gathering the Pieces

It is easiest to start with the players already
being recruited. If you choose to begin the Rather than wait for questions, the General
adventure in some other way, a possible simply clears his throat and begins speaking.
intro is having each of them give a bit of
information about what their character “Lt. Molly Thompson, one of our up and
would be doing on a normal day, and coming pilots. At approximately 0930 we lost
then play out each of them being recruited contact with Lt. Thompson as she was conducting
by Aquilonian agents sent by General a prototype test run through The Wall. As you all
Legstrom. should know, this area is our primary line of defense
should another faction decide to engage us in an air
Scene 1 battle.”
As the character are led into their meeting
with the General, read or paraphrase the Though he doesn’t say it, the General is
following. obviously referring to the current trouble with
Xanadu.
After several sparse corridors of strict military
design, your group is ushered into a small conference “This op is strictly need to know, so keep your
room that is just large enough to be cozy. At one traps shut. Her mission wasn’t supposed to include
end of the table sits a handsome Vanir with short any live fire, so the experimental Manta bomber
cropped platinum hair and a matching beard. she was piloting didn’t have a full payload. That
General Thaddeus Legstrom nods to each of you said, we recorded a few moments of weapons fire
and motions to the chairs around the table. Once before losing contact with Lt. Thompson and her
everyone is seated, he hits a button in front of him, bomber. You may not have been my first choice, but
and the air above the table buzzes to life with a you were all available sooner than the other people
holographic map of Aquilon. The picture zooms in I wanted. It’s your job to head out there and figure
on Aquilon’s southern border, an area known as out what happened to our bomber. Gather what
The Wall. Floating around the map is an image supplies you need and meet your transport at the lift
of a young olympian woman in uniform, and some up to Glacier Run. You leave in one hour.”
kind of aircraft that none of the characters recognize.

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 At this point, the characters are free to ask This scene should mostly be the players
questions about their mission. The General making sure that they have loose ends
will give them the following information if covered and are comfortable with the
prompted. equipment their characters will be bringing
along. If the prebuild characters are not
• The Bomber is a prototype being used, players may wish to look at
transformative unit, designed to work in them for examples. GM’s can feel free to
multiple environments. inform the party that their transport has
• The bomber disappeared an hour into additional gear, a box of flares, cold weather
its mission. cloaks, and three Sleipnir Snow Speeders
• Your transport has flares to mark the with twin seats.
prototype’s position. While they are making preparations,
• The Bomber fired off several shots from the party is approached by a man in a nice
some experimental energy weaponry suit of Avalonian cut. He identifies himself
before losing contact. as Roderick Trent, and informs the party
• Lt. Thompson is the younger sister of that he has a message from Septumvir
Amber Thompson, Aquilon’s Septumvir Thompson regarding their mission. Players
in the Avalon Council. may be suspicious since few people are
• Lt. Thompson is considered a skilled supposed to know about their mission.
pilot, and should have been able to If they decide to hear Roderick out, he
handle complications from equipment turns out to be telling the truth. The party
malfunctions. is motioned to a limousine and given a
• He always suspects espionage of one sort message from the Septumvir. Since she is
or another, it’s just prudent. If pushed, currently in Avalon, the party is not able to
he will name Xanadu as his primary speak to her face to face, and must make
suspicion. due with a recorded message.
• If Lt. Thompson is dead, bring her
home for burial. If you are seeing this message, then Roderick
• Unconfirmed reports mention has reached you in time. I am not sure what the
unidentified aircraft along the wall. good General has told you, but I do not have his
scruples. I believe that my sister is missing because of
Once the players have finished asking actions taken by Xanadu. They have been ramping
questions, the General has them escorted up their covert efforts against Aquilon as of late,
out. He reminds them that they have one and this is simply the latest attempt to sabotage our
hour to gather supplies they may need, and defense effort.
then they are to meet their transport at the
lift up to Glacier Run City. General Legstrom is a good man, but he is
undoubtedly more worried about his prototype than
Scene 2 about rescuing my sister. I must warn you that this
The characters are free for the moment to bomber is a very dangerous weapon, in any hands. I
gather any supplies they think they will need am not constrained by the military, so I will speak
on their mission. freely. The prototype is the result of a top secret
project known as Permafrost.

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 It was designed by reverse engineering technology She is generally friendly with the party, but
that was found buried in the perpetua glacier, she seems too curious for her own good,
technology not of Earthly origin. The experimental and will try to coax any information she can
energy weapon systems on the bomber far surpass from the group. She doesn’t have anything
our current military payload. herself except for a projected flight path,
and no knowledge of the aircraft that was
The bomber has also been built with a supposed to be taking it.
transformative design. I have heard that It can
operate in the air, under the water, and even in Act 2: On the trail
the vacuum of space. Some believe the alien
technology involved in the design somehow interacts Scene 1
with different dimensions, though I am not clear Teracia takes the party up the lift to
on exactly how or for what purpose. The entire Glacier Run City, and heads straight to a
system is still experimental, and nowhere near fully nearby Snow Truck with massive treads
functional, but it would be devastating for Xanadu for traversing the snowy landscape. She
to have access to this technology. It would allow unlocks the cab and pulls out the flight
them to attack us on every front. The military most plan to hand it to the party before moving
likely wants you to mark the prototype for retrieval. to the back where the rest of the gear
Personally, I am willing to sacrifice the bomber if it is stored. There is a box of flares, cold
means my sister comes home alive. weather cloaks, and three Sleipnir Snow
Speeders with twin seats. Use speeders with
As this is only a video, Roderick will stress more seats for a larger party, or substitute
again that Septumvir Thompson is most appropriate means of transportation if the
worried about her sister. He doesn’t have group is larger. A smaller secondary truck,
much more information, but assures the or dog sleds are viable choices. Whatever
group that they will gain her favor with this the final choice, there should be room to
task, something which shouldn’t be taken bring Lt. Molly back with the party.
lightly.
At this point, the party can gather I have flares for you to mark the crash site
supplies, or head for the lift to meet their when you find it. Air Patrol will be looking for your
transportation When the party arrives at the signal. I’m only supposed to get you to the edge of
lift, they find an olympian woman named the wall. Once you enter the interior of the wall, you
Teracia Sevars waiting for their arrival. She are on your own. That’s what the speeders are for.
introduces herself and informs the party
that she has been instructed to take them The initial trip is mostly uneventful. This
out to the wall. can be used as time for the party to get to
know one another, discuss their mission, or
So you’re the ones the General wants me to simply talk to one another. Teracia is more
take out on the ice. Gotta admit the urgency in his than happy to hear about the prototype if
order has me curious about what’s going on here. the party discusses it, and will try and keep
One minute I’m doing maintenance in the garage, the conversation going.
the next I’m being shoved out the door and told to
look for you lot at the lift. Don’t suppose any of you
know what this is about?

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 A smaller secondary truck, or dog sleds are A sound like glass scraping against ice is the
viable choices. Whatever the final choice, first warning you have just before the creature emerges
there should be room to bring Lt. Molly from the ice. The kratok that claims these caves has
back with the party. come to investigate the intruders to its home. The
creature has a thick shell, and a disk shaped body
I have flares for you to mark the crash site a meter and a half across, sporting six massive limbs
when you find it. Air Patrol will be looking for your protruding from the sides. The frontmost pair of
signal. I’m only supposed to get you to the edge of limbs ends in enormous pincers that look like they
the wall. Once you enter the interior of the wall, you could remove a limb. Four pure white eyes stare at the
are on your own. That’s what the speeders are for. nearest person. The kratok utters a sound halfway
between clicking and a hiss, and then charges.
The initial trip is mostly uneventful. This
can be used as time for the party to get to Both the truck and the cave system can be
know one another, discuss their mission, or used for cover, but the area is otherwise
simply talk to one another. Teracia is more barren within the immediate vicinity.
than happy to hear about the prototype if Because it is defending its home, the kratok
the party discusses it, and will try and keep fights until dead. Teracia will avoid this
the conversation going. fight unless absolutely necessary. She will
pull injured party members out of the way
Scene 2 though. Once the fight has ended, the party
The trip so far has been quiet, with little more is free to try and get the truck out, or to
than white expanse passing them by. As the take the speeders from here. If the party
truck nears the wall, it lurches to a halt. The chooses to take the speeders, Teracia says
sound of cracking ice surrounds the group, that she will stay with the truck and signal
and the cab of the truck suddenly breaks for assistance. If the party manages to free
through into a tunnel system beneath the the truck, Teracia leaves them at the outer
surface. Characters may make a roll to using edge of the wall, and heads back toward
Animal Ken or the Survivalist background Glacier Run.
to determine that this is likely the dwelling
of a kratok. Even if no one figures this out, Scene 3
they will know soon enough. The area within the wall is much more
Give the party some time to decide how cluttered than the wide open expanse the
they are going to deal with the immobile party crossed to get here. Debris from
truck. It is possible, but not necessary, for military training scenarios litters the place,
them to free the truck from the ice. Even right alongside fully working defensive gun
if they don’t they can use the speeders the emplacements. As the party follows the
rest of the way. Once the party has had projected flight path of the Manta Bomber,
some time to discuss the truck problem, they come face to face with the aftermath
the resident of the cave system makes an of what appears to have been a small battle.
appearance. Each of the characters may The first few aircraft may be passed off
make a perception roll to hear the creature as just more rubble in the wall, though
coming. As it makes its way out of the ice, an observant character with the Soldier
read the following to the players. background may notice that they are all
decommissioned aircraft of Xanadian make.

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When more downed craft are found, it It should be obvious to any soldiers in
should become apparent that these aircraft the group that Gedrin is himself a soldier,
were downed recently. The fact that some though he wears no uniform and bears no
are still smoking should hint that the Manta insignia. If the party is nice to Gedrin, and
Bomber was likely the reason for the craft manages to convince him that they will
that the party is passing. be fair in dealing with their prisoner, he
In all, there are fifteen downed aircraft, begins to open up to the group. He admits
all of which are decommissioned models to knowing about the test flight for the
from Xanadu. These specific models are prototype, but doesn’t know what it does.
often found on the black market however, He will even admit that his mission was to
meaning that the attackers have deniability. try and capture the prototype. If pressed for
Once the party has had time to take in the information about who he works for, he
scene, they hear a man screaming, and the will ask for asylum before giving any more
sound of several creatures growling. The information.
man is the pilot of one of the aircraft. He If the party agrees to give him asylum,
has regained consciousness, only to find Gedrin will tell them his story.
himself surrounded by a pack of tundra
ravagers which has been feeding on the As you probably have guessed by now, I’m a
pilots from the other craft. Two ravagers Xanadian soldier. I was selected as part of a squad
are circling the downed craft, with a third for a secret mission. All of us were fresh out of
one approaching from another one where boot, and given very little information about where
the pilot didn’t survive. The difficulty of we were going. I was taken to a top secret base on
this fight can be adjusted by adding more the northern coast of Neo Titania. There I was
ravagers, or by having them closer to the introduced to a group known as the Daevas. Far
party when discovered. as I can tell, they’re some kind of covert operations
At this point, the party must decide division that operates with very little government
whether or not to help the enemy pilot. oversight. I didn’t meet a man among the bunch,
If they do, they gain a possible source of and all the women struck me as fanatics. I’m all
intelligence on what happened here. If they for Xanadian glory and whatnot, but these ladies
leave the man to the beasts, the ravagers scared even me. The worst one was their leader, a
tear into him and only react to the party if woman they all call mother. I never saw her face. I
approached. Once they are finished with only heard her voice over recorded messages during
their meal, they will leave peacefully unless briefings, and I was honestly terrified whenever those
provoked. If forced to fight, they flee at the messages started playing. She’s insane I say; gone off
earliest opportunity. the deep end so far she hit space on the other side.
If the party decides to rescue the pilot,
he is grateful, but also very aware of the As he speaks, he watches the sky and
fact that he is down in enemy territory. horizon as if he expects to be struck dead
The pilot will introduce himself as Gedrin on the spot for what he is saying.
Thorist, but refuses to say where he is from
or what his mission was. Only reason I’m even telling you this is because
I’m already dead. I know that if those women find
me I’m dead for failing to complete the mission.

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 We all knew when we left that this was a Have the party make perception rolls again,
success or suicide mission. Problem was it was too or roll against the Ætherian background.
late to back out by the time we knew. They were Gedrin will succeed if no one else does.
pretty keen on this, wanted whatever kind of fighter Those that succeed see something that
it is that you all built. I got the feeling that this takes a moment for their brains to register.
wasn’t an ordinary weapon. I don’t know what kind It looks like crystals floating in mid air at
of fighter craft would make that big of a ripple, but the point where the snow fell from the
they seemed to think this thing would alter the course cliff. A successful roll using a Scientist or
of the world. They took precautions to avoid blame, Ætherian background will reveal that this
decommissioned craft, no identifying marks, but we is a meme shard. The shard is floating just
all know who the sides are in this war. I’m starting within reach, spinning slowly and bobbing
to wonder if I was born on the wrong one. up and down. It’s almost as if something
wants the shard to be taken. When someone
Gedrin is willing to accompany the party as touches the shard, there is a bright flash of
they continue their search for the bomber. light, and then the person who touched the
He says its because he has nowhere else to shard collapses in the snow. Give the other
go, but that fear still floats behind his eyes members of the party some time to decide
as he watches the horizon. He doesn’t ask what to do, but focus mostly on what the
for weapons, but will take a gun if offered. unconscious member now sees.
He does have a sidearm in his fighter if
asked. See NPCs on page 66. Images float through your mind, and thoughts
play before you immersing you in memories from
Scene 4 long ago. You are working on something with hands
As the party continues on the trail of the not your own, hands with too few fingers and too
bomber, they begin making their way many joints; the hands of the one whose memory
through the cliffs that eventually lead out you are now living. You are working in a lab, a
toward the ocean. As the party makes their strange craft partially assembled before you. As you
way along the bottom edge of one of the enter commands into what must be some kind of
inland cliffs they encounter an avalanche. A computer, a sound from behind causes you to turn.
character with the Survivalist background
may make a background roll to notice the “What are you doing Kleckm’tech?” Another
danger early and warn the party. If this roll individual with those alien hands stands before you.
rails, the entire party makes Perception rolls. You know him, and you feel yourself start to speak
A character with the Ætherian background before you ever hear the sound.
may use their background instead of
perception for this roll. Those that succeed “I’m putting an end to this, Mialsheth. What
hear a what almost sounds like someone we created here is not the answer. We may win the
speaking, but they cannot make out what war this way, but at what cost? Will we still want
is being said. When the noise stops, an this world when it is dead for anyone else? No! This
avalanche of snow falls from the cliff face. must stop here. We have lost this war and ourselves.
It is not enough snow to be dangerous, but We do not need to sink so far to prove it so.”
anyone who fails to get out of the way may
end up partially buried and in need of help
to dig their way out.

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62
 You enter one last command, and feel the Meme shards occasionally share a portion
explosion rip through your body before you awake. The of the deceased individuals experience with
feeling of the memories begins to fade as you become whoever touches them. This is usually a
aware of your body in the snow, your real body. collection of several memories, apparently
chosen with no rhyme or reason.
Give the party some time to discuss what On rare occasions, the person touching
just happened, but there are no answers the shard actually absorbs a particular
available to them for the mysteries they just knack that the individual had, such as a
discovered. better understanding of how to stalk an
animal, or how to harvest certain plants.
Meme Shards Despite the slight mental strain placed on
Though the specific nature of the so called the ‘earner’ this transfer of information is
‘Meme Shards’ is suspect at best. What is usually benign, and occasionally helpful.
known is that they are both dangerous, and The danger comes from what else a
a potential source of great power. meme shard may pass on. Sometimes the
How a meme shard is formed is memories overwrite the mind of the person
unknown, as no one has ever witnessed who touched the shard, making them
the process. From accounts of those believe that they are in fact the deceased
who claim to have come into contact individual. This transfer may be permanent
with a meme shard, it appears that the or temporary depending on the witnesses
phenomenon is something like a residual asked. Sometimes the person who touches
memory suspended in a crystalline form. a meme shard becomes subject to the
These memories are a record of the life of a weaknesses of the deceased. This is typically
human or wafan who has died alone out in a temporary phenomenon (such as a single
the wilds of New Horizon. point drop in a random area), but can take
When observed in broad daylight, a up to a week to wear off.
meme shard resembles a barely visible wind The entire phenomenon is somewhat of
chime of glass shards, typically golden in a fringe science field at the moment. Many
color. They hang in the air between one and believe that the stories of meme shards are
two meters above the ground, often at rest exaggerations at best, and most likely some
but occasionally drifting. They are almost type of hallucination.
always found within about thirty meters of “You don’t really believe in all that
the deceased. Typically when a meme shard meme shard voodoo, now do you? Come
is observed, a brief hunt will find the poor on, Luke is out there for three weeks, short
soul’s remains so they can be given a proper on food, eats some kind of mushroom and
ceremony. dreams he was a walker. End of story. Yeah,
When one touches a meme shard, they we did find that corpse, possibly a walker,
get a brief flash of the individual’s life; who but that was what – thirty meters away?
they were, where they were from and their That’s a dangerous place. Keep walking for a
name. But what else happens is what makes while and you’ll find a corpse, whether there
a meme shard so dangerous. are floating pebbles in the vicinity or not.”

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 Act 3: The Crash Site
If Gedrin is in the group: A shot rings out, and
Scene 1 Gedrin clutches a hand to his chest and drops to his
Shortly after finding the meme shard, knees in the snow. He barely breathes out the word
someone in the party should notice smoke Daeva before collapsing.
nearby. When they go to investigate, they are
presented with the prototype they have been As the gyrocopter approaches, a figure leaps
searching for all along. As the party rounds from the open door. Clad in angelic winged armor,
a corner past piles of rocks and snow, they you almost don’t recognize Teracia. Floating gently
see the prototype perched precariously on to the ground, she turns to you. The woman who
the edge of a cliff, and the Landsdale Ocean seemed so friendly before looks at you with hatred
spread out before them. Though it has and glory in her eyes.
been assembled and changed by Aquilonian
scientists, the ship is recognizable as the one “I have to thank you for finding the prototype.
in the vision from the meme shard. Mother will be very pleased.”
A gunshot rings through the frozen air,
and a woman’s voice floats across the distance. As she finishes talking, the gyrocopter begins
firing.
“Which side are you on?”
This should be a difficult fight. Teracia is
The party has had their first encounter with well trained, and the gunner in the air can
Molly. Those who are perceptive will notice fire at the party with near impunity. The
her hiding behind the wreckage, her true only source of real cover is the prototype,
position camouflaged by snow netting. If the and the party should find themselves forced
party says they are here from the General, or in that direction.
from Amber, Molly will greet them warmly
and come out of hiding. If Gedrin is along, Teracia Tactics: Teracia will lay down fire
she is wary of him, but will follow the party’s with her Grendel W-600, only resorting to
lead. If asked what happened, she tells them her bayonet if players close in on her.
that she was in the middle of her test run
when several fighter craft intercepted her. She Gyrocopter Tactics: The Gyrocopter has
explains that she managed to fight off a few a gunner, and a backup gunner. If the first
(the fifteen from before, though she is being gunner is killed or otherwise incapacitated,
modest) by using an emergency bypass to the second gunner takes his place two turns
activate some of the smaller weapon systems later. If both gunners are taken out, the
during the training exercise. Once the party gyrocopter switches to an onboard rocket.
has had time to speak with Molly, and set the The gyrocopter has one rocket, which takes
signal flares, let them make perception rolls. two turns to fire. On turn 1 the target area is
tagged with a laser marker. The rocket fires
The sound of a gyrocopter crosses the top of on turn 2, dealing damage to everyone within
the cliff, signaling the hope of rescue for the downed 5 meters of the target marker. The blast will
pilot, and a completed mission for the party. As destabilize the prototype (see page 65).
spirits begin to pick up, one of you notices something
wrong. The copter bears no Aquilonian markings,
and is coming in from the wrong direction.

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 Aftermath
As the fight progresses, it should become Though he is angry about the loss of the
increasingly evident that the prototype is prototype, General Legstrom is at least
very near to falling off the cliff and into the pleased that the Xanadian forces didn’t get
ocean below. If no one in the party comes up it. He informs the party that the navy has
with the idea, Molly will eventually suggest already started prepping to try and salvage
sending the bomber over the edge so that the bomber from the seabed. Once again
neither side can get it. Two characters with there is no concrete evidence that Xanadu
successful strength rolls can push it over in was involved, leaving Aquilon with few
a turn. If the party doesn’t choose to push political options in Avalon. For now, the
the prototype off the cliff, the fire from the war will continue to simmer under the
gyrocopter eventually weakens the cliff face surface.
and causes the bomber to fall. The General does inform the party
that there were a number of other covert
As the bomber falls, Teracia lets out an angry raids while they were gone. Most of the
scream that barely sounds like it could come from attacks were against military targets, but
human lips. Her angelic armor takes her aloft as some focused on archaeological sites and
she continues to fire at the party. “You bought museum archives. What the perpetrators
yourselves some time, but Aquilon is still going to were looking for is unknown.
fall.” She flies back to the gyrocopter and spares one If the party spoke with Roderick, they
last glare for the party before heading out. receive thank you letters from Septumvir
Thompson, along with assurances that
If the gyrocopter caused the prototype to she will help them out as much as she can
fall, she shoots the gunner before tossing should they call.
him out. Once on board, she heads out. If Gedrin has somehow managed to
Without her objective, she does not want to survive, he may become a source of further
continue to fight. information on Xanadu and their military.
If Teracia is killed, or captured during He may also become a target for Xanadian
the fight, the gyrocopter continues to fire assassins, forcing Aquilon (and likely the
upon the party until the prototype falls. party) to keep him safe.
The real rescue copter arrives after the If Teracia is captured, the Daevas are
fighting has died down and the party has almost certain to mount a rescue mission.
had time to lick their wounds. If he was They will use all of their covert contacts and
there, Gedrin may be saved if one of the resources to make sure the information she
party is a physician. If captured, Teracia knows does not fall into Aquilonian hands.
tells the party that war as they have never If Teracia escapes, she takes a personal
seen is coming, and that her sisters will interest in the party and plots how to get
destroy them. She refuses to give any more her revenge.
information to the party, and is taken into
custody once they reach Glacier Run city.

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65
 NPCs and Creatures
See also all the tables for NPCs and
creatures on page 75.

Soldier and Gedrin Stats Molly Thompson

(used for the Xanadian pilots and Gedrin) Name: Lt. Molly Thompson
Callsign: Devilray
Name: Gedrin Thorist
Title: Lieutenant in the Aquilonian air force
Title: Xanadian Pilot Race: Olympian Human
Race: Olympian Human Gender: Female
Gender: Male Personality: A bit of a wildcard. She
Armor: Jumpsuit doesn’t deal well with being told something
Weapons: Ranged: Vincere P74, is impossible.
Melee: Combat Knife Likes and Dislikes: Molly entered the
test pilot program because she enjoys all
Appearance: things speed. She is a competition flyer, and
Gedrin is a young olympian who looks frequent customer of the Runner line from
much older than his years due to the GlacialCycle. She dislikes being told her
palpable weight he seems to carry on his limits, especially by her family.
almost too thin shoulders and in his dark Armor: Jumpsuit
green eyes. Though he hasn’t been a soldier Weapons: Ranged: Paratus P55,
for long, he already seems haunted by the Melee: Combat Knife
things he has seen and done. His blonde Faction: Aquilon
hair is kept in a short military cut, and Location: Aquilon
his uniform is kept in proper order, even
though all identifying insignia have been Appearance:
removed. Molly is slightly shorter than average, but
carries herself like she’s taller. She has short
red hair, and blue eyes, and is rarely seen
wearing anything but her uniform. When
not dressed for war, she is dressed for
comfort and mobility, favoring form fitting
clothing that won’t interfere with her more
extreme hobbies.

Background:
As the baby sister of the Thompson family,
most thought that Molly would follow
in the family line and enter politics after
her compulsory service period. Instead
she decided to re-up and pursue a path in
experimental aircraft testing.

NPCs and Creatures

66
The choice has not made her family very Background:
happy. Her older sister Amber feels As is common with the Daevas, Teracia
particularly worried as her position on the was an orphan. She was raised within the
Council of Avalon allows her to watch sisterhood where she learned that her worth
the tensions boiling between Aquilon and in life was determined by how well she
Xanadu. Molly’s family is afraid that she could please Mother. Her fascination with
won’t have her rebellious streak worked out pain came from acting out her frustrations
before all out war breaks out between the against others when she knew she would
two factions. Molly simply sees it is another not be caught. After seeing several of what
risk of an already risky job. passed as her friends fall victim to the
Aquilonian Cyber fad, she volunteered for
Teracia deep cover missions in the frozen north so
Name: Teracia Faltrest that she could make Aquilon pay.
(uses different aliases ex: Teracia Sevars)
Kratok
Title: Sister (Member of the Daevas) Appearance: These creatures have a thick
Race: Olympian Human shell, and a disk shaped body a meter and
Gender: Female a half across, sporting six massive limbs
Personality: She is cold and calculating, protruding from the sides. The frontmost
always looking for the best way to complete pair of limbs end in large pincers that look like
her mission or cause pain. they could remove a limb, while the second
Likes and Dislikes: Raised in the Daeva set of limbs end in four fingered hands.
Sisterhood, Teracia’s greatest joy is They have four pure white eyes. Though
performing well for Mother. She relishes most kratok exhibit only rudimentary animal
causing pain to others, and will often go out intelligence, occasional specimens have
of her way to do so as long as it does not shown to be much higher functioning.
jeopardize her mission.
Armor: Daeva Armor (Jumpsuit with Size: Kratok typically stand two to three
Duraplast Plates and Jump Thrusters) meters tall with a shell about half that in
Weapons: Ranged: Grendel W-600 with a width. Their limbs stretch at least as long as
bayonet their shell is wide.
Faction: Xanadu
Location: Currently Classified Known Dangers: Though they are usually
not aggressive, Kratok defend their homes
Appearance: savagely. Their thick shells make them
Teracia is a young woman who appears hard to damage, and their large pincers can
at home in a machine shop. She sports remove even a jotun’s arm.
shoulder length brown hair, lightly tanned
skin, and has blue eyes. She is only of Eating Habits: Kratok are omnivorous, but
average height, but her body is toned from seem to prefer a more herbivorous diet when
work and training. the local climate permits. They are also quite
fond of marine life, which they catch on the
lower levels of their tunnel systems where they
can direct the flow of water through specially
crafted channels designed to catch prey.

NPCs and Creatures

67
 Behavior: Most Kratok are solitary and Behavior: Ravagers are aggressive animals
bestial, but some show signs of rudimentary that will attack anything with a pulse. They
culture to the point of forming family are not territorial, and will travel anywhere
groups. They create large homes by their hunger leads them. They typically hunt
burrowing into glaciers and softer stone. during the day, but some have been seen
These tunnel systems can stretch for during the night as well, especially in areas
hundreds of meters, or even more than where prey is more plentiful after nightfall.
a kilometer if a large family has taken up They hunt in packs or alone, and they can
residence together. Those with less bestial stalk a prey for miles. They are also quite
natures take well to training, forming family intelligent, and have an amazing sense of
bonds with their keepers. smell.

Ravager (Tundra Ravager)

Appearance: Ravagers resemble the
bastard offspring of a blunt nosed crocodile
and a lion. These pebbly skinned creatures
are hairless except for their long mane.
They sport a long salamander-like webbed
tail that is nearly as long as the rest of their
body.

Size: Ravagers are typically the size of a

large terrestrial dog.

Known Dangers: Ravagers are not the

largest predators, but pound for pound
not a single living creature on the moon is
deadlier. Ravagers are relentless predators,
whether in a pack, or on their own. They
often go berserk in battle. Their vicious
jaws are capable of tearing flesh and bone,
synthetic skin and servos alike, making them
dangerous to both humans and wafans.

Eating Habits: Their appetites are scarcely

voracious. A Ravager will follow its prey for
days, merely because it isn’t hungry enough
to eat yet, only to strike when its prey
has grown complacent. Smaller, juvenile
Ravagers will often move from carcass to
carcass likes crows, eating carrion. Because
of this, a group of Ravagers is called “a
murder of Ravagers”.

NPCs and Creatures

68
?
69
 Tables
Melee Weapons
Strike Guard Pierce Damage Cost Comment
Unarmed 10 4 5 *8

One-handed blades
Combat knife slash 11 4 3 13 4,000
thrust 11 5 7 12
Rapier 14 6 5 12 19,000 Gains no bonus from shields.
Short sword cut 12 5 5 13 8,500
thrust 12 5 7 12
Sword cut 13 6 5 14 12,000
thrust 13 6 7 13
Two-handed blades
Bastard sword cut 14 7 7 15 18,000
thrust 14 7 8 13
Beam sword cut 15 5 8 15 32,000 Unaffected by Damage modifier.
thrust 15 5 10 12
Horizon blade 12 5 8 16 10,000 Heavy blade, single edge, no guard.

One-handed Mass weapons

Flail 12 3 9 14 9,000
Hatchet hack 12 4 6 14 2,000
bash 11 4 8 12
Mace 12 4 9 13 7,000
Warhammer pick 12 4 9 12 11,000
hammer 12 4 10 11
Two-handed Mass weapons
Battle axe hack 12 5 8 15 15,000
pick 12 5 11 13
Heavy flail 11 5 11 15 11,500
Maul 10 4 12 14 8,500

Polearms
Pollaxe pick 12 6 11 13 22,000
hammer 12 6 12 12
Spear 14 8 8 13 15,000
Staff 14 8 6 *11 1,000

Shields
Shield +1 +1 5,000 1 Cover
Large shield +1 8,000 2 Cover

Tools
Crowbar 10 4 7 11 100
Fire axe 2H hack 9 3 7 14 2,000
pick 8 3 10 13
Hammer 11 4 7 10 50
Ice axe 12 4 7 11 1,500

Ranged weapons in melee

Assault rifle 2H 11 5 6 *10
Bayonet 2H 12 5 7 12 4,500 When attached to an assault rifle,
otherwise, treat as Combat knife.

Tables
70
Ranged Weapons
Thrown Reflex Directed Aimed Range Pierce Damage Ammo Cost
Stone 2 4 6 2 2 8
Throwing knife 3 6 7 1 1 9 500
Javelin 1 4 6 2 10 13 1,000

Bows
Moonflower Longbow M 2 5 7 3 8 13 8,000
Jessamine Longbow M 1 6 8 3 8 12 10,000
Cupid Crossbow 3 7 9 3 9 12 1 15,000

Pistols
Vincere P74 5 7 9 3 3 11 10 4,500
Vincere P83 B 4 7 9 3 3 10 15 5,500
Paratus P55 5 7 9 3 4 10 10 9,000

Revolvers
Flash Revolver 5 6 8 2 3 11 6 2,500
Cronus Handgun M 4 7 9 3 4 11 6 6,000
Magnum Firebird M 4 6 8 3 5 12 5 12,000

Shotguns
Skinbreaker B 4 8 10 3 1 14 2 4,500
Block Buster M 4 8 10 3 1 14 5 5,000
Protector 4 9 11 3 1 13 7 9,000

Submachineguns
Xanadian SMG-35 B 5 7 9 3 3 10 30 6,500
Xanadian SMG-45 A 4 8 10 3 3 11 30 10,000
Ophion F-50 A 4 8 10 4 4 10 30 14,000
Ophion Blackbird A 5 8 10 3 4 11 20 18,000
Submachineguns can be used with one hand at a -2 penalty to Reflex/Directed/Aimed.

Assault Rifles
Grendel W-600 A 3 9 11 5 5 12 20 19,000
Painless AR B 3 9 11 4 6 11 30 22,000
Titan AR A 2 8 11 5 5 12 50 24,000
Danes W-700 A 2 8 10 4 5 13 20 25,000

Rifles
Peacebringer 2 7 11 5 6 12 8 17,000
Flesh Reaper M 1 6 12 6 6 13 10 22,000
Lock Rifle Z-750 1 6 12 7 6 12 5 28,000
Perforator M17 Rifle M 1 6 11 6 7 12 10 31,000

Machineguns
Helios-C30 Minigun A 1 6 10 6 5 11 - 22,000
Aero-550 Minigun A 0 7 9 6 6 11 - 30,000
Helios-V70 Chain Gun A 0 8 9 6 6 12 - 35,000
Machineguns can fire Burst or Auto - not single shots. Being belt-fed they require no reloading.

Energy Weapons
Opto Blaster (Pistol) 4 8 10 3 3 11 20 8,000
Caltech Ray Gun (Rifle) A 2 9 13 6 5 11 50 21,000

Tables
71
 Æther
Chord Type Reflex Directed Aimed Range Pierce Damage Strain
Cover. Protect.
Atmospheric Circuits

Air Wall Fortify S 8 8 12 5 20 5-11 1

Sand blast Destroy 8 10 12 5 2 8 1
Fog Bank Alter S 10 10 14 10 1
Tornado Alter S 10 10 14 8 1
Updraft Alter S 5 8 10 * 2
Wind Gust Alter 10 12 14 * 0 *5 1

Erect Monolith Fortify S 4 8 12 1 8-12 2

Tectonic Circuits

Petrify Fortify S 8 12 16 * 20 7-10 2

Shale Skin Fortify S 7 7 15 * 19 3-10 3
Stone Volley Destroy B 3 7 10 3 7 11 2
Tectonic Barbs Destroy 0 4 10 2 9 13 3
Tremor Alter 11 11 14 * 0 *5 1

Cauterize Fortify S 10 10 16 * 2
Thermal Circuits

Cinder Cone Destroy A 6 9 12 2 6 10 2

Fireball Destroy 5 8 11 5 7 10 1
Flashover Destroy 10 13 16 * 10 1
Thermal Blast Destroy 4 7 10 4 5 12 3
Incandescent Weapon Alter S 8 8 12 0 1
* Rolls using these chords are not affected by Range - instead, they are compared with the target’s
Willpower, as explained on page 30.

Armor
Armor Coverage Protection Cost
Armor clothing 16 1 5 2,000
Jumpsuit 19 1 5 6,000
Bulletproof vest 12 3 10 10,000
Leather armor 17 2 8 10,000
Synthetic fiber armor 17 3 7 12,000
Ravager hide 17 3 9 15,000

Jotun armor
Plastic coating 20 2 6 5,000
Aluminum coating 20 3 10 20,000
Light composite coating 19 4 10 25,000

Plates
Duraplast 12 4 10 8,000
Ceramic 10 5 10 12,000
Steel 6 6 13 15,000
Shell mash 12 5 10 18,000
Aluminum 13 4 11 20,000
Composite 8 6 12 25,000
Bone plates 11 6 11 30,000

Tables
72
Equipment
Ammunition (weapon specific) Cost Gadgets Cost
Standard 2 Binoculars 200
Arrow/Bolt 100 Binoculars, night vision 1,000
Soft target x1 Flashlight 50
Armor Piercing x2 Flashlight IR 200
Example: Arrow, Armor Piercing: 100x2=200 geodites each. Flashlight UV 200
Extra clip (empty) 100 Flashlight UV+IR toggle 500
Goggles, passive IR 2,000
Shotgun shell 3 Goggles, passive UV 2,000
Shotgun slug 5 Goggles, passive UV+IR toggle 5,000
Thrusters, Jump Pack (5m jump or safe fall) 2,000
Energy Cell (pistol) 100
Energy Cell (rifle) 200 Medical
Pocket Med-kit(1 human Treatment) 1,000
Weapon Accessories Med-kit (5 human Treatments) 2,000
Holster, pistol 50 Doctor’s bag (20 human Treatments) 6,000
Holster, quick-draw 200 Resupply (restores 1 human Treatment) 50
Maintenance toolkit 150
Mount: Bipod 500 Stabilizer (human) 100
Mount: Tripod 5,000 Wound Patch (human) 200
Quiver, Combat (20 arrows/bolts) 500
Quiver, Hunting (5 arrows/bolts) 50 Nanite Injection (1 wafan Treatment) 500
Scabbard 50 Cyber Life repair kit (5 wafan Treatments) 1,500
Scabbard, quick-draw 200 Cyber Life repair box (20 wafan Treatments) 4,000
Scabbard, two-handed weapon 100 Resupply (restores 1 wafan Treatment) 100
Sight: Laser (IR) 1,000
Sight: Laser (red) 500 Non-Vital System Bypass (wafan stabilizer) 50
Sight: Laser (red+IR+UV toggle) 2,000 Hotfix (wafan wound patch) 300
Sight: Laser (UV) 1,000
Sight: Reflex 1,000 Survival
Sight: Scope 1,000 Axe 250
Bedroll, heavy 600
Containers Bedroll, light 250
Belt bag, 10l, 10kg 100 Bedroll, thermal 750
Backpack, 20l, 20kg 200 Blanket 20
Backpack, 40l, 50kg 500 Compass 200
Backpack, 80l, 100kg 4,000 First Aid Kit (bleedings only) 100
Barrel 75 Fishing Kit 500
Bottle 5 Hammock 150
Sack 50 Knife 100
Saddlebag 400 Lantern 75
Trunk/Box 125 Lighter 5
Utility Belt, ammo 125 Mountain Climbing Kit 750
Utility Belt, tools 375 Pot (cooking) 200
Water Flask 20 Road Flare 25
Rope (100m, 1,000kg) 75
Food Rope (20m, 1,000kg) 20
Food for Travel, 1-day 50 Rope (100m, 5,000kg) 200
Food for Travel, 1-week 250 Rope (20m, 5,000kg) 50
Food Pills, 1-day 200 Tarp 50
Food Pills, 1-week 1,000 Tent, small: 1 person 200
Meal, cheap 15 Tent, medium: 4 people 500
Meal 30 Tent, large: 12 people 1,000
Meal, gourmet 300 Tent, pavilion 2,000
Water Purification Kit (100 x 1 litre) 100

Tables
73
 Equipment
Tools Cost Cost
Anvil, portable (still bulky) 2,500 Hammer, sledge 250
Chain (5m, 10,000kg) 200 Hydraulic jack (Strength 15, 1m) 800
Chisel 50 Ladder, telescopic 1-5m 500
Computer (good) 2,500 Lock Picks 200
Computer (powerful) 10,000 Lock/Padlock 100
Computer (simple) 1,000 Med Kit 2,000
Crowbar 100 Nails (box, 100) 50
Diving equipment 3,500 Saw 125
Drill, electric 750 Saw, electric 2,500
Duct Tape 50 Shovel 100
File set, Metal/Wood 75 Spade 100
Grappling hook 75 Wire-cutters, hydraulic 1,000
Hammer 50

Potions
Potions (for humans) Effect Side-effect Duration Cost / Withdrawal symptoms
dose (-2 to all rolls for an hour)

Abomilord’s Strength +2 Strength Restless and/or aggressive 2h 50 Muscle pain, irritability.

behavior.
Amplified Senses +5 Perception Mild paranoia, occasional 6h 50 Headache, paranoia, dizziness.
glimpses of things that
aren’t there.
Devourer’s Digestion Able to eat almost anything. Increased appetite. 2 weeks 50 Last for 24 hours: nausea,
stomach pains.
Regenerative potion A few hours of rest grants About two days worth of 300 Hunger and thirst; withdrawal
the olympian two extra hunger and thirst. symtoms last until fed.
Recovery rolls.
Sbeak’s Sight Night vision Black and white vision, 12h 50 Headache, black and white
sensitive to light. vision, sensitive to light.
Shear’s Speed +5 to Initiative rolls, +2 Restless, may not perform 2h 100 Fatigue, somnolence.
Agility Aimed attacks.

Tables
74
NPCs, Vehicles and Monsters
Tundra Ravager Kratok Teracia
Strength 9 13 11
Agility 15 12 10
Perception 9 8 8
Stealth 10 8 6

Attacks Claws Bite Slash Pinch Grendel W-600 Bayonet

To Hit 15 14 13 10 10 12
Defense 6 4 4 2 5
Pierce 5 10 6 12 5 10
Damage 12 13 9 14 12 15

Armor Fur Shell Jumpsuit Duraplast plates

Coverage 15 12 19 10
Protection 2-6 8-15 1-5 4-10

Wounds 6-9 5-15 x5 5-15 x5

Gyrocopter Gedrin Thorist Lt. Molly Thompson

Strength 8 8
Agility 9 10
Perception 9 10
Stealth 8 9

Attacks Side-hatch MG Rocket Vincere P74 Combat Knife Paratus P55 Combat Knife
To Hit 7 7 10 8 11
Defense 4 5
Pierce 5 9 3 7 4 7
Damage 11 20 11 12 10 12

Armor Gunner Composite Hull Jumpsuit Jumpsuit

Coverage 10 20 19 19
Protection 3-7 5-10 1-5 1-5

Wounds 4-8 15-20 x3 4-9 7-10

Tables
75
 Sample Characters
The following pages contain sample characters designed
using the rules in this Starter Guide. These characters are
available to players who may not wish to create a character
yet. They are also helpful for groups that are just learning
the system, and for play sessions that have a limited amount
of time for character prep. Even if the players create their
own characters, the GM may wish to utilize one or more
of the sample characters as NPCs to help fill out the party.
Players and GMs may feel free to adjust the equipment listed
for each character. Character point expenditures may be
adjusted as well, but all values for the character are calculated
using the presented expenditures.
 Olympian Soldier

Character name
Character name Valeria Anders
Player name
Player name

Backgrounds Notes Wounds

Backgrounds Notes Wounds
4 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 0 points left 30
4 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 30
Soldier 8 315 geodites left 29
Equipment: 29
Extra Clips (x3), Ammo (x80), 28
Utility Belt, Ammo (x1), 28
Belt Bag (10l, 10kg). 27
27
26
26
25
25
24
24
23
23
Attributes Traits 22
Attributes Traits 22
4 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Adrenaline Rush 21
4 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 21
Strength 11 Determination 20
Strength 20
Agility 10 Rapid Healing 19
Agility 19
Perception 8 Sterner Stuff 18
Perception 18
Stealth 6 Scarred
Large gash from the bottom of
her right ear to her lower jaw. 17
Stealth 17
Presence 4 16
Presence 16
Persuasion 4 15
Persuasion 15
Driving 8 14
Driving 14
Animal Ken 0 13
Animal Ken 13
Willpower 10 12
Willpower 12
Toughness 11 11 -4
Toughness 11
-5 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 10 -3
-5 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 10
Close combat 0 9 -3
Close combat 9
Ranged combat 0 8
Ranged combat 8
7
7
6
6
Armor 5
Armor Coverage Protection
5
4
Coverage Protection 4
Jumpsuit 19 1 -5 3
- 3
Aluminum Plating 13 4 -11 2
- 2
- 1
- 1

Weapons Ranges
Weapons Ranges
Damage modifier • 3 Reflex Directed Aimed Range Pierce• Damage• 1 10m
Damage modifier • Reflex Directed Aimed Range Pierce• Damage• 1 10m
Strike Guard 2 20m
Strike Guard 2 20m
Unarmed 10 4 8 11 3 50m
3 50m
Grendel W-600 3 9 11 5 5 12 4 100m
4 100m
Combat Knife - Slash 11 4 3 16 5 200m
5 200m
Combat Knife - Thrust 11 5 7 15 6 500m
6 500m
7 1000m
7 1000m
8 2000m
8 2000m
9 5000m
9 5000m
New Horizon 3.0 Standard Character Sheet
 Jotun Survivalist

Character name
Character name Jakk Whittle
Player name
Player name

Backgrounds Notes Wounds

Backgrounds Notes Wounds
4 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 0 points left 30
4 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 30
Survivalist (Arctic) 8 5,000 geodites left 29
Equipment: 29
Arrows (x20), Quiver - Combat (x1),
28
Backpack (40l, 50kg). 28
27
27
26
26
25
25
24
24
23
23
Attributes Traits 22
Attributes Traits 22
4 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 360º Vision 21
4 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 21
Strength 9 Archer 20
Strength 20
Agility 10 Sense of Orientation 19
Agility 19
Perception 9 18
Perception 18
Stealth 8 17
Stealth 17
Presence 6 16
Presence 16
Persuasion 4 15
Persuasion 15
Driving 4 14
Driving 14
Animal Ken 8 13
Animal Ken 13
Willpower 10 12 -4
Willpower 12
Toughness 12 11 -3
Toughness 11
-5 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 10 -3
-5 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 10
Close combat -1 9
Close combat 9
Ranged combat 0 8
Ranged combat 8
7
7
6
6
Armor 5
Armor Coverage Protection
5
4
Coverage Protection 4
Aluminum Coating 20 3 -10 3
- 3
- 2
- 2
- 1
- 1

Weapons Ranges
Weapons Ranges
Damage modifier • 1 Reflex Directed Aimed Range Pierce• Damage• 1 10m
Damage modifier • Reflex Directed Aimed Range Pierce• Damage• 1 10m
Strike Guard 2 20m
Strike Guard 2 20m
Unarmed 9 3 6 9 3 50m
3 50m
Jessamine Longbow 1 6 8 3 8 12 4 100m
4 100m
Combat Knife - Slash 11 4 3 14 5 200m
5 200m
Combat Knife - Thrust 11 5 7 13 6 500m
6 500m
7 1000m
7 1000m
8 2000m
8 2000m
9 5000m
9 5000m
New Horizon 3.0 Standard Character Sheet
 Olympian Cyber-Life Surgeon, Auto Mechanic

Character name
Character name Ivarr Coldcape
Player name
Player name

Backgrounds Notes Wounds

Backgrounds Notes Wounds
4 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 0 points left 30
4 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 30
Cyber Life Surgeon 9 16,095 geodites left 29
29
Auto Mechanic 8 Equipment:
Cyber Life Repair Kit (x1), Ammo (x40), 28
Maintenance Toolkit (x1), 28
Utility Belt, Tools (x1), Extra Clip (x3), 27
Backpack (40l, 50kg). 27
26
26
25
25
24
24
23
23
Attributes Traits 22
Attributes Traits 22
4 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Adrenaline Rush 21
4 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 21
Strength 10 Intuition 20
Strength 20
Agility 10 Knife Thrower 19
Agility 19
Perception 8 Sense of Time 18
Perception 18
Stealth 6 17
Stealth 17
Presence 6 16
Presence 16
Persuasion 8 15
Persuasion 15
Driving 9 14
Driving 14
Animal Ken 6 13
Animal Ken 13
Willpower 9 12
Willpower 12
Toughness 11 11 -4
Toughness 11
-5 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 10 -4
-5 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 10
Close combat -2 9 -3
Close combat 9
Ranged combat -2 8 -2
Ranged combat 8
7
7
6
6
Armor 5
Armor Coverage Protection
5
4
Coverage Protection 4
Jumpsuit 19 1 -5 3
- 3
Bulletproof Vest 12 3 -10 2
- 2
- 1
- 1

Weapons Ranges
Weapons Ranges
Damage modifier • 2 Reflex Directed Aimed Range Pierce• Damage• 1 10m
Damage modifier • Reflex Directed Aimed Range Pierce• Damage• 1 10m
Strike Guard 2 20m
Strike Guard 2 20m
Unarmed 8 2 7 10 3 50m
3 50m
Paratus P55 5 7 9 3 4 10 4 100m
4 100m
Combat Knife - Slash 11 4 3 15 5 200m
5 200m
Combat Knife - Thrust 11 5 7 14 6 500m
Throwing Knife x4 3 6 7 1 11 6 500m
7 1000m
7 1000m
8 2000m
8 2000m
9 5000m
9 5000m
New Horizon 3.0 Standard Character Sheet
 Jotun Physician

Character name
Character name Cynthia Ratchet
Player name
Player name

Backgrounds Notes Wounds

Backgrounds Notes Wounds
4 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 0 points left 30
4 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 30
Physician 9 775 geodites left 29
29
Scientist 4 Equipment:
Med Kit (x1), Revolver Ammo (x50),
28
Utility Belt, Ammo (x1), 28
Backpack (40l, 50kg). 27
27
26
26
25
25
24
24
23
23
Attributes Traits 22
Attributes Traits 22
4 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Nanobots 21
4 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 21
Strength 9 Vision Toggle 20
Strength 20
Agility 9 19
Agility 19
Perception 10 18
Perception 18
Stealth 4 17
Stealth 17
Presence 9 16
Presence 16
Persuasion 9 15
Persuasion 15
Driving 6 14
Driving 14
Animal Ken 4 13
Animal Ken 13
Willpower 10 12 -4
Willpower 12
Toughness 12 11 -3
Toughness 11
-5 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 10 -3
-5 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 10
Close combat -1 9
Close combat 9
Ranged combat -2 8
Ranged combat 8
7
7
6
6
Armor 5
Armor Coverage Protection
5
4
Coverage Protection 4
Plastic Coating 20 2 -6 3
- 3
Steel Plates 6 6 -13 2
- 2
- 1
- 1

Weapons Ranges
Weapons Ranges
Damage modifier • 1 Reflex Directed Aimed Range Pierce• Damage• 1 10m
Damage modifier • Reflex Directed Aimed Range Pierce• Damage• 1 10m
Strike Guard 2 20m
Strike Guard 2 20m
Unarmed 9 3 6 9 3 50m
3 50m
Flash Revolver 5 6 8 2 3 11 4 100m
4 100m
Combat Knife - Slash 11 4 3 14 5 200m
5 200m
Combat Knife - Thrust 11 5 7 13 6 500m
6 500m
7 1000m
7 1000m
8 2000m
8 2000m
9 5000m
9 5000m
New Horizon 3.0 Standard Character Sheet
 Olympian Ætherian

Backgrounds Character name Otto Lambson

4 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Player name
Ætherian 9
Scientist (Physicist) 8 Notes Wounds
0 points left 29
13,985 geodites left 28
Equipment:
Utility Belt, Ammo (x1), Extra Clip (x2),
27
Belt Bag (10l, 10kg), Ammo (x45).
26
Attributes Traits 25

4 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Thermal Circuit 24
Strength 8 23
Agility 9 22
Perception 9 21
Stealth 4 20
Presence 6 19
Persuasion 4 18
Driving 4 17
Animal Ken 4 16
Willpower 9 15
Toughness 11 14
Tolerance 8 13
-5 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 12
Fortify -5 11 -4
Destroy 0 10 -4
Alter -5 9 -3
Close combat -2 8 -2
Ranged combat 0 7
6
Armor Ranges 5
Coverage Protection 4
Jumpsuit 19 1 -5 1 10m 4 100m 3
Bulletproof Vest 12 3 -10 2 20m 5 200m 2
- 3 50m 6 500m 1

Weapons and Chords

Damage modifier • 0 Category Strain Reflex Directed Aimed Range Pierce• Damage•
Strike Guard Coverage Protection
Unarmed 8 2 5 8
Combat Knife - Slash 11 4 3 13
Combat Knife - Thrust 11 5 7 12
Vincere P83 B 5 7 9 3 3 10
Fireball Destroy 1 5 8 11 5 7 10
Flashover Destroy 1 10 13 16 * 10

Strain
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

New Horizon 3.0 Æther Character Sheet

 Backgrounds Character name
4 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Player name

Notes Wounds
29
28
27
26
Attributes Traits 25

4 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 24
Strength 23
Agility 22
Perception 21
Stealth 20
Presence 19
Persuasion 18
Driving 17
Animal Ken 16
Willpower 15
Toughness 14
Tolerance 13
-5 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 12
Fortify 11
Destroy 10
Alter 9
Close combat 8
Ranged combat 7
6
Armor Ranges 5
Coverage Protection 4
- 1 10m 4 100m 3
- 2 20m 5 200m 2
- 3 50m 6 500m 1

Weapons and Chords

Damage modifier • Category Strain Reflex Directed Aimed Range Pierce• Damage•
Strike Guard Coverage Protection

Strain
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

New Horizon 3.0 Æther Character Sheet

 Character name
Player name

Backgrounds Notes Wounds

4 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
Attributes Traits 22

4 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 21
Strength 20
Agility 19
Perception 18
Stealth 17
Presence 16
Persuasion 15
Driving 14
Animal Ken 13
Willpower 12
Toughness 11
-5 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 10
Close combat 9
Ranged combat 8
7
6
Armor 5
Coverage Protection 4
- 3
- 2
- 1

Weapons Ranges
Damage modifier • Reflex Directed Aimed Range Pierce• Damage• 1 10m
Strike Guard 2 20m
3 50m
4 100m
5 200m
6 500m
7 1000m
8 2000m
9 5000m
New Horizon 3.0 Standard Character Sheet