Warlock!

A GAME INSPIRED BY THE EARLY DAYS OF

BRITISH TABLETOP GAMING

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Written by Greg Saunders

Cover art by Mustafa Bekir, design Paul Bourne
Internal art by Denis McCarthy, J.M. Woiak and Heather
Shinn
 CONTENTS
Welcome to Warlock
What is this game?
4
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4.5 Tomb Robber

Equipment 53
48
4.6 Wizard's Apprentice 50
Character traits 51
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What do we need to The gods 55
play? 4 The Thrice Blessed 55
How does Warlock work? 5 The Red King 55
What do the players do? 6 The Wild Wood 56
How you actually play? 6 The Heartstone 56

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The golden rule 7 The Dragon 56
The world of Warlock 8 Core Rules 57
Creating Characters 9 Core rules 58
Creating a character 10 Taking actions 58

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Beginning skills 10 Making a skill test 58
Stamina 11 Basic skill test 59
Luck 11 Opposed skill test 59
Communities 12 Testing your luck 60
Human 12 Testing luck in opposed
Elf 12 tests 60
Dwarf 13 Improving 60
Careers 60
Halfling 13
Careers and skills 15
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Gaining stamina
Changing careers
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The adventuring skills 15
Career skill 19 Advanced careers 63
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Basic starting Assassin 64
Equipment 20 Bravo 64
The basic careers 21 Watch Captain 64
1.1 Agitator 22 Charlatan 65
1.2 Beggar 23 Explorer 65
1.3 Boatman 24 Freelance 66
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1.4 Bodyguard 25 Highwayman 66

1.5 Bounty Hunter 26 Mercenary Captain 67
1.6 Entertainer 28 Merchant 67
2.1 Footpad 29 Minstrel 68
2.2 Gambler 30 Outlaw Chief 69
2.3 Grave Robber 32 Priest 69
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2.4 Hunter 33 Scholar 70

2.5 Initiate 34 Scout 71
2.6 Mercenary 36 Spy 71
3.1 Militiaman 37 Veteran Soldier 71
3.2 Miner 38 Wizard 72
3.3 Noble 39 Combat 73
3.4 Outlaw 40 Combat 74
3.5 Pedlar 42 Rounds 75
3.6 Raconteur 43 Who goes first? 75
4.1 Rat Catcher 44 Combat actions 77
4.2 Road Warden 45 Movement within actions 77
4.3 Soldier 46 The move action 77
4.4 Thief 47 Melee attacks 78

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GRanged attacks
Weapons and the damage
roll 80
Mighty strike
78

81
Servant (4)
Shield (2)
Silence (3)
Sleep (3)
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107
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Armour 81 Speak (3) 107
Effects of damage 82 Swarm (4) 108
Critical hits 82 Unlock (3) 108
Surrender or flee! 83 Unseen (4) 108
Recovery 83 Wall (4) 108

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Magic 89 Creating spells 110
Magic 90 Magical items 110
The path of priest or Bestiary 111
wizard 90 Bestiary 112

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Casting spells 91 Monster abilities 114
Wrath of the otherworld 92 Chimera 116
Casting spells in Dire wolves 116
combat 92 Demon 117
Finding and keeping Dragon 118
spells 92 Dwarf 119
Spells at character Elf 119
creation 93 Ghoul 120
Spells 96
Alarm (3) 98
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Giant 120
Goblin 121
Antimagic (4) 98 Griffin 122
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Armour (4) 98 Halfling 124
Banish (5) 98 Hobgoblin 124
Befriend (5) 99 Human 126
Blast (3) 99 Lich 126
Blur (4) 99 Manticore 127
Burn (3) 100 Ooze 129
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Detection (2) 100 Ratman 129

Dominate (4) 101 Skeleton 131
Enchant (4) 101 Treemen 131
Fear (4) 101 Troll 133
Feather (3) 101 Unmen 133
Fix (4) 102 Wight 134
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Float (3) 102 Wraith 136

Foulness (3) 102 Wyvern 136
Fumble (5) 102 Games master 137
Hammer (3) 103 Games master 138
Heal (2) 103 The rules 138
Illusion (4) 104 Discuss the game first 140
Lightning (4) 104 The setting of Warlock 141
Lock (3) 104 What do player
Multiply (3) 104 characters do? 141
Night (4) 105 What does the games
Path (2) 105 master do? 143
Read (5) 105 What is a scenario? 143
See (3) 106 Scenario forms 144

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 Welcome to Warlock
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Warlock is a rules-light roleplaying game that aims
to emulate the feeling of old-school British tab-
letop games of wondrous and fantastical adventure.
Warlock looks to reproduce the play style of its

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illustrious predecessors but in a light, quick and
simple manner, with a consistent rules set that is
easily hackable and adaptable as desired.

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WHAT IS THIS GAME?

Warlock is a tabletop roleplaying game, played with

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pencils, paper and dice. The implied setting is a
fantasy world in a vast Kingdom of man. Beset on
all sides by enemies, both without and within, the
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players control characters struggling to survive
in a fantastic world. So thematically, Warlock is a
fantasy game of perilous adventure. However Warlock
does not contain lots of explicit setting informa-
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tion, so you can use it with your favourite pub-

lished or home-made settings. Instead Warlock aims
to give you a simple and concise set of rules that
you can shape as you need.
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WHAT DO WE NEED TO PLAY?

There are a few things you will need before you can
play a game of Warlock. The first is a few friends,
as role-playing is a shared experience. Typically,
between three and six of you is ideal, but you can

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Gplay with as few as two if you want. You will also
need some paper and pencils (you can use pens, but
a lot of the information you will be writing down
will change during play so pencils are better). You
will need a character sheet such as the one shown
at the back of this book; although you can easily

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copy down the relevant information onto a blank
piece of paper should you wish to. Finally, you
will need some dice, more on them later.

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Warlock is a role-playing game with a narrative
emphasis, so you will not need miniatures or stra-
tegic maps. Saying that, if you want to use them to
enhance your experience of the game then feel free.
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Finally, you will need your imagination, so ensure
you bring it along.
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HOW DOES WARLOCK WORK?

A group of people sitting around a table or sharing

a space online plays the game. One of those peo-
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ple is the games master (GM), who sets the scenes,

takes the roles of non-player characters (NPCs) and
presents the game world and the challenges therein.
The rest of the people around the table are play-
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ers who each control one or more player characters

(PCs), their avatars in the game and the imaginary
characters through which they interact with the
game world. Like in a spontaneously created radio
play, roleplaying games allow players and the GM to
create a story together by imagining scenarios as
a series of interconnected scenes.

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 WHAT DO THE PLAYERS DO?
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During the game, the games master presents the
players with scenes and encounters in which their
characters are involved. The players simply choose
the actions of their characters in each scene; re-

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late that to the games master, who along with the
players uses the rules of the game to decide the
outcomes of the character's actions. It is as sim-

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ple as that!

HOW YOU ACTUALLY PLAY?

In a roleplaying game, the games master introduces

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the scene in which the player characters are in-
volved to the players. They explain the surround-
ings and any other characters or enemies that the
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characters might interact with. They then typical-
ly present a challenge that the player character
face, before asking the million dollar question
'what do you do?'. Based on the answer, the games
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master decides what occurs, and which, if any, of

the mechanics of the game are invoked. The players
and games master then use the mechanics to resolve
the scene. Based on the outcome the games master
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describes a new scene, and the process repeats. It

is a very simple procedure once the games master
and players have 'got into character' and got used
to the ebb and flow of play. Warlock uses a twen-
ty-sided die, a d20, to resolve actions. You'll
also need a six-sided dice or d6 as they are known.
You'll need these to play, and it's best if every-
one has their own dice.

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GThe golden rule
Remember that Warlock is a game, nothing more,
nothing less. The aim is to have fun, and the rules
in this book are simply a way of arbitrating ac-

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tions in a fair way an introducing some unpredicta-
bility. This is the golden rule - have fun! If you
are having fun, you are playing the game right!

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These rules are very light as roleplaying games go.
If you come across a situation that you cannot find
a rule for (and you will!), simply roll a die. Half
the results go in favour of the players, the other
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half go against them.
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 The World of Warlock
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Warlock is set within a fantasy world with many of
the common creatures and beings of western fantasy
literature. The implied area of the world in which
the game takes place by default is a vast King-

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dom of man, established many centuries ago. Elves,
dwarves and halflings share this land, but they are

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very much in the minority - this is a human-cen-
tric place. Goblins and hobgoblins, rival realms
and monsters beset the Kingdom on all sides. Worse
still, the Kingdom is rotten within - the traitor
Warlock escaped attempts to trap him and is still
at large, wrecking ruin with his dark magics, and
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drawing goblins and other fouler creatures to his
service. In look and feel the Kingdom is at a late
medieval to early renaissance level.
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Creating
Characters

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 Creating a character
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Before you can start playing, the players need to
create their alter egos in the game. Player char-
acters (PCs, also just referred to as characters)

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are the figures through which players interact with
the world of Warlock. The personalities of these
characters are the roles players adopt during play,

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their focus within the game. It is the choices
players make for their characters and how those
characters interact that creates the story. Cre-
ating characters can be a shared experience, and
building from each other's ideas can help to create
a more interesting group of people. Remember to
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include the games master in the design process, as
they have an important part to play in creating the
game everyone will play.
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Characters are defined by their skills, their Stam-
ina and their Luck. These are outlined below.
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BEGINNING SKILLS

The skills shown on the character sheet (see the

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back of this book) are known as the adventuring

skills. All skills have a level - the higher, the
better. Characters are competent individuals, so
they start with some aptitude here. Ten of the
skills on the sheet you can mark as level 6. These
are where the character has the most natural abil-
ity. Ten more begin at level 5, and the rest start
at level 4. There's a description of each of the
skills starting on page 16.

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GSTAMINA

The health, fitness and all-round vitality of a

character is defined by their stamina. The higher
the better. When a character or enemy runs out of
stamina in combat, they risk serious injury and are
at the mercy of their opponent. To determine begin-

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ning stamina, roll the following:

Stamina: 2d6+12

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LUCK

A character's destiny and fate are represented by

luck. At any time during a game session, the games
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master can ask a character to try their luck to see
if things go their way. To determine luck, roll the
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following:

Luck: 1d6+7
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 Communities
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There are four communities within the Kingdom that
can be selected for characters at creation. There
are no mechanical differences between them, but in
the default world of Warlock they each grant some
benefits and impose some societal restrictions.

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The default character community is human, which
grants neither benefit or restriction. Make a note

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of the community your character belongs to.

HUMAN

The most populous community in the Kingdom, humans

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hold most of the position of authority. They are
bright, adaptable, resourceful, aspiring to nobil-
ity but all too often destined to disappoint.
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Choosing to play a human gives no benefits or re-
strictions. However, as part of the dominant com-
munity of the Kingdom, you'll fit in and can be
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expected to be treated as 'normal' - whatever that

means.

ELF
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You are part of the ancient community of elves,

natives to distant lands and the deep woods. You
are rare enough in the Kingdom for your presence
to be remarked upon. Elves think like humans, with
two differences - they live for a long time and
mature very slowly, and they value art above and
beyond anything else. To the elves, the artistry
of a life is worth more than the life itself - to

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Gendure a dull life without grace and beauty is less
than living.

Elves are beautiful, graceful and can see in moon-

light as well as in day. However, they are treated
with mild suspicion by most folk, and can all to
often develop a contempt of their lesser fellows.

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DWARF

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The stout-hearted dwarves are common in the King-
dom. They are tenacious, hardy and wilful, prone
to greed and quick to anger, slow to friendship
but firm in loyalty. Of the other races, dwarves
are the most common in the Kingdom, respected if
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kept at arm's length by decent folk. Dwarves are
like humans, with a couple of differences - they
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are concerned more with the making a thing than the
thing itself, and consider honour and respect more
important than anything else in life.

Dwarves are smaller but stockier than humans, hap-

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piest under stone, and stubborn as rock. They can

see as well by moonlight as in day, and have a keen
eye for appraising things that have been made.
However, although they are always treated with re-
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spect, they are still considered outsiders to most

in the Kingdom.

HALFLING

Diminutive and slight, yet full of heart, halflings

are the most accepted race in the Kingdom besides
humans. In part this is because humans have dif-
ficulty seeing a Halfling as anything other than
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 a child. As a result, halflings tend to act like G
children - they are impulsive, quick to tantrums if
they don't get their way but also quick to forget
past slights.

Halflings are quiet and can move silently when they

want to, and often go unnoticed by bigger folk.

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However, some people struggle to take them seri-
ously.

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GCareers and Skills
Your career determines how you live - what you do
to earn your keep and place in the Kingdom. To de-
termine the starting career of the character, roll
a d6 die four times to determine a career from the

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table shown on page 21. Then pick one of the four
options that suits your conception of your charac-

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ter, and that's your character's starting career.
Each career lists some possessions, so write them
down (you'll also get some basic equipment, see
page 20), and allows you to roll on some small ta-
bles which add a bit of colour and background. Fi-
nally each career has a list of adventuring skills
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and levels. These are the only adventuring skills
that your character can advance while in the ca-
reer, and the maximum values that those skills can
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have while in that career. Tick the boxes on your
character sheet for the two different skill levels.

When you create your character, you can assign 10

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levels to those skills listed in your starting ca-

reer, the only restriction being that you cannot
exceed the maximum skill level shown. Remember to
include the skill levels you assigned earlier when
determining your skill level total. You also gain
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a 'career skill' at a level equal to lowest level

of all the skills the career grants as described on
page 20 - you'll need to write this in the space on
your character sheet.

You'll see that there are way more adventuring

skills available than are listed for each career
- to gain others, you'll need to change career, as
described on page 62.

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 The Adventuring skills
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During skill tests, skill levels are used to help
you succeed. There follows a description of the
various adventuring skills and their use.

Appraise - the character has a keen eye. Not only

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can they appraise items for their worth or provi-
dence, they can also assess other people to get a

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measure of their worth and their apparent trust-
worthiness.

Athletics - a measure of a character's ability to

use their body in feats of movement and coordina-
tion, including running, jumping, climbing etc.
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Bargain - the character's ability to bargain with
others for something they desire, such as a shop-
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keeper for their wares or an informant for a piece
of information.

Blunt - the use and application of blunt weapons

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such as clubs, maces and hammers.

Bow - how to hunt with a bow and hit small targets,

plus the care and maintenance of your implements.
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Brawling - a knack for fighting with fist and body,

knowing how to move and how to fight dirty.

Command - issuing commands and projecting the kind

of confidence that gets those orders followed.

Crossbow - the use of crossbows, implements of war

that advertise their users as soldier or hardened
mercenaries.

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GDiplomacy - the art of charting a course through
the rocky ground of interpersonal relations, and
getting two opposed sides to compromise and find a
way forward.

Disguise - the character can adopt a gait, voice

and mannerisms that disguises their true nature and

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convinces the casual observer that they are someone
they are not.

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Dodge - the character is able to dodge incoming
missiles, be they arrows, stones or rotten fruit.

Endurance - the character can resist physical hard-

ship and keep going where others fail.
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History - a knowledge of past events of the Kingdom
and the realms that surround it, and some of the
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major personalities that litter history books.

Incantation - the ability to use magic, to draw

symbols in the air with fingers of flame and summon
the breath of esoteric power using scrolls.
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Intimidate - the character is able to use their

physicality and personality to intimidate others.
This doesn't necessarily mean they are big and
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imposing, more that they are able to push others

around with the strength of their character.

Language - understanding enough of a smattering of

languages of the Kingdom, the character can figure
out what people are saying, even other races.

Large blade - this skill covers the application

and maintenance of large bladed weapons like both
one-handed and two-handed swords.
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 Lie - the character is able to tell quick and easy
lies, and convince others of their honesty. The
use of this skill is often opposed by the Appraise
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skill.

Medicine - the character is able to help stabilise

wounds and the critical hits that can be suffered

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in combat. Without some medical assistance, many
wounds can fester and deteriorate.

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Navigation - finding your way along the roads of
the Kingdom, let alone the trackless forests, is no
mean feat. This character is skilled in choosing
the right path.

Ostler - riding, tending and maintaining horses is

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a life skill that this character has learnt. They
know how to keep their mount happy and healthy.
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Persuasion - the fine art of getting someone to do
what you want. Persuading people assumes that what
you want them to do isn't against their interests
- if it is, the games master may impose a penalty
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to the test.

Pole-arm - the character is adept at fighting with

the various kinds of pole-arm, both spears and long
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weapons topped with a blade or axe head.

Repair - characters with this skill are mechanical-

ly minded, and able to perform repairs either ad-
hoc or planned to keep devices and tools operating.

Sleight-of-hand - the character is able to use

distraction and manipulation to perform tricks of
prestidigitation, useful in picking pockets and
cheating at cards.
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GSmall blade - the character is adept at using knives
and daggers in combat, nasty weapons in the right
hands.

Spot - with a keen eye and a mind set for detail,

the character is able to spot things out of place
or otherwise remarkable but hidden in a scene. This

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skill is often pitted against Stealth when someone
is sneaking where they shouldn't be.

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Stealth - able to make use of cover and shadows,
the character is adept at sneaking about. This
skill is often pitted against the spot skill of
guards and watchmen.

Streetwise - a knack for knowing the right kind of

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people to talk to and the right places to go to meet
them, this character is knowledgeable in facets of
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the seedier side of life.

Survival - how to find a good camp site, find water

and forage for food, a character with this skill is
adept at surviving in the wilds.
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Swimming - not many folks can swim, and water is

dangerous. This character is able to move about in
open water without losing their life.
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Thrown - there's an art to hitting something with

a stone, a javelin or a tomato. A character with
this skill has spent many an hour honing their aim.

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CAREER SKILL

Each career also comes with a skill named after the

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career itself. This represents all the knowledge
and know-how that come from working in that pro-
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fession, things that aren't covered by the adven-
turing skills themselves. If a player can persuade
the games master that a career skill makes sense in
the context of a test in the game, one that's not
covered by an adventuring skill, they may use this
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skill to determine success.

Basic Equipment
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Each character begins with the following equipment

at character creation. More can be bought with the
money they have, and most careers grant further
equipment that will be described in their entry.

2d6 silver coins, backpack, d3 days' foods, water

skin, eating knife, clothes and boots.

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GThe Basic Careers
The basic careers that can be taken by characters
as they start their adventure follow. Roll 1d6 four
times and choose one of the four careers indicated.

Die number Result of d6 Career

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1 1 Agitator
2 Beggar

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3 Boatman
4 Bodyguard
5 Bounty Hunter
6 Entertainer
2 1 Footpad
2 Gambler
3 Grave Robber
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4 Hunter
5 Initiate
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6 Mercenary
3 1 Militiaman
2 Miner
3 Noble
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4 Outlaw
5 Pedlar
6 Raconteur
4 1 Rat Catcher
2 Road warden
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3 Soldier
4 Thief
5 Tomb Robber
6 Wizard's Apprentice

Each listing gives a basic description, the ad-

venturing skills of the career and their maximum
level, and details possessions the career grants.
Tables of background flavour are also included.

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 1.1 AGITATOR
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Small blade 10, Intimidate 10
Dodge 12, Persuasion 12, Streetwise 12

You spend your time stirring things up, digging

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into the psyche of the mob and twisting it to your
ends. You are a good speaker, good at manipulating

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people, and at prodding the sore spots. That grain
riot in Galdenback? That was you. You had some
thing to do with the burning of the warehouse on
the shores of the river Eld, some say. You don't
comment.
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Equipment: A notched and nasty dagger, a leather
jerkin (light armour), pamphlets, seditious writ-
ings. A bottle of grog that could be set on fire,
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you know, if you had to.

Who you've worked for (roll a d6)

1. The Heldehall crime gang.
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2. Steepleman, the Mayor's rival.

3. The cult of the Stag.
4. The Gilvenburg trade house.
5. Someone called The Knife.
6. You don't know. Which is worrying.
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Who's hunting you? (roll a d6)

1. The Guard, deadly and vengeful.
2. The Guild, bedecked with lawyers.
3. The Church, saintly and poisonous.
4. Your brother, hateful but sad.
5. A goblin band, angry and mad.
6. You don't know. Which is worrying.

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1.2 BEGGAR

Appraise 10, Blunt 10

Lie 12, Spot 12, Streetwise 12
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Seated by the side of the road, you're ignored by

almost everyone - they don't even notice you are
there. Which doesn't help you eat, but does mean
you tend to see things others might prefer to go
unnoticed. You can spot a soft touch in the crowd,
and when things are tight and you need some help,
you also know people - not good people, but useful
people.

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 Equipment: A wooden club for defence, ragged
clothes, a messy bedroll. A bottle of something
that helps you forget how hard the floor is.
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What you've seen (roll a d6)
1. Things coming out of the sewers.
2. What the Mayor gets up to.

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3. Where the pickpockets live.
4. The secret of Madam von Hossburg.
5. A murder, silent and beautiful.

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6. A person supposed to be dead.

Who you know (roll a d6)

1. The captain of the Peacock Guard.
2. The silent priest of the Red King.
3. Silias, the silver thief.
4.
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The beautiful charlatan Mimirik.
5. The Dark Man and his bitter gang.
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6. You don't know anyone, honest.

1.3 BOATMAN
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Navigation 10, Repair 10

Blunt 12, Endurance 12, Swimming 12

Messing about on the river some call it, but in

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reality they know the rivers are the lifeblood of

the Kingdom, and the boatmen are the true lords. Or
so you say. Still, there's a lot to be learned on
the river, and you certainly see some interesting
places and meet some interesting people. But the
boat is where you heart really lies.

Equipment: A wooden club for defence, workman's

cloths, a bedroll and backpack. A pack of cards for
those slow nights, and a picture of a saint.
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GWhere you've been (roll a d6)
1. The capital city, bedecked in flags.
2. The badlands, rife with goblins.
3. The great port and wine-dark sea.
4. Lake Gossenham, and the floating fort.
5. The bloody canals of Westerlan.

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6. The rapids of the mighty Alase river.

What you've seen (roll a d6)

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1. Goblins burn a town with glee.
2. The lair of the loved Bandit king.
3. Blind traders from far Arais.
4. A sea beast, deadly and beautiful.
5. A handsome captain murdered for coin.
6. Enough of war to last a lifetime.
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1.4 BODYGUARD

Medicine 10, Thrown 10

Dodge 12, Intimidate 12, large blade 12
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You've guarded everyone from merchants in fear of

rivals to rich nobles after some fun in the rougher
parts of town. You know how to keep quiet and look
mean - all you need, most of the time. But things
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get out of hand and you need to pull a weapon,

you're ready for that too. Never lost a client. So
far.

Equipment: An arming sword, chain and leather with

a small shield (modest armour), knuckle-dusters.
A letter from your mother, which you cherish when
times get hard.

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 Who you have protected? (roll a d6)
1. Vilus, the vile priest.
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2. The head of the von Tassenback family.
3. The dwarven map forger, Haddous.
4. Lady Consetta, the sly opera singer.
5. The crimelord Garhen the elf.

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6. Lord Fellini, a fool in disguise.

A secret you know about them (roll a d6)

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1. They drink wine like a fish.
2. They visit the more exotic brothels.
3. They once killed someone, for love.
4. Where they keep the gold.
5. Who their late lamented mother was.
6. Why they hate the King's guard.
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1.5 BOUNTY HUNTER

Bargain 10, Crossbow 10

Small blade 12, Spot 12, Streetwise 12
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You keep to yourself. Your face is enough to keep

most people away. You have a knack for finding
people, people that don't want to be found. Mainly
that's a result of knowing the right people - or
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the wrong people, as most would see it. But you're

handy with a blade too, as most of the people you
are looking for will do a lot not to get found.

Equipment: A dagger, chain and leather (modest ar-

mour), a crossbow. A roll of parchment showing
faces and names for you to look out for.

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GWho you have caught? (roll a d6)
1.
2.
The murderer of Madam Von Hock.
The Tresselback arsonist.
3. Your sister. Don't ask.
4. Deserters from the royal army.
5. The wrong person, but don't tell.
6. The agitator Hemlock.

e
Who you're searching for? (roll a d6)
1. The halfling poisoner Rubis.

fil
2. The lover of Jizt, a jilted noble.
3. Horse thieves from Pure Ballalas.
4. The heretical priest Kinns.
5. A reason to hope, in a dark land.
6. A way out and into the light.
e
pl
m
Sa

27
 1.6 ENTERTAINER

Diplomacy 10, History 10

G
Brawling 12, Disguise 12, Persuasion 12

You can hold a tune, play an instrument or tell a

story, good enough that others will listen. People

e
like you for that reason, and listen to what you
have to say. Not that you take advantage of that.
Not at all. But hey, everyone has to make a living

fil
right? Nothing wrong with telling people what they
want to hear, and if it helps you, that's just a
coincidence, right?

Equipment: A musical instrument or book of stories,

a dagger, nice clothes and a jaunty hat that marks
e
you as someone to watch. A roll of parchment with
that play you've been working on.
pl
Who you have entertained? (roll a d6)
1. The crowds outside the grand temple.
2. The patrons of the Broken Swan.
3. The royal opera house.
m

4. Lady Polbeck's last and greatest party.

5. The beggars, you feel sorry for them.
6. Anyone who'll listen on the streets.
Sa

What have you learned? (roll a d6)

1. The mayor loves to sing.
2. Holbrick is a swindler.
3. Great stories are often unappreciated.
4. Poetry is not for you.
5. Sweet words hide ugly thoughts.
6. There's money in well-spoken lies.

28
G2.1 FOOTPAD

Stealth 10, Thrown 10

Blunt 12, Intimidate 12, Streetwise 12

Need money? No problem. Spot a mark, follow them,

e
make your move. No need to get too violent, just
enough to get the job done. Then run. Have a look
at what you got later, when you're safe. Or as safe

fil
as you can be anyway. You can't trust anyone these
days. A lurker in doorways and alleys, you are sad-
ly one of many in the Kingdom these days.

Equipment: A nasty club, stained with blood. A

cloak with hood, and a sack for your gains. A few
e
pretty trinkets which make you feel special and
aren't worth pawning.
pl
Who you have you robbed? (roll a d6)
1. The captain of the guard, dead drunk.
2. Your father. Needs must.
3. A young noble, foppish and foolish.
m

4. A priest of the Heartstone.

5. The merchant Johannes.
6. A nun - you're not proud.
Sa

What's your move? (roll a d6)

1. Slink out of doorways, cloaked.
2. Drop from a roof like a spider.
3. Pretend to be a beggar, humble and sad.
4. Lurk in bars, prey on the drunk.
5. Hide in the sewers, then jump!
6. Anything that comes to mind, really.

29
 2.2 GAMBLER
G
Bargain 10, Spot 10
Lie 12, Persuasion 12, Sleight-of-hand 12

A fool and his money are soon parted. You're no

e
fool, but the gambling pits of the Kingdom, be they
back-street dens or aristocrat casinos are awash
with them. You're good at finding a mark, and play-

fil
ing the odds in your favour so that you get what
you need. And if you make a few enemies on the way,
that's life huh?

Equipment: A deck of cards, well-thumbed, nice

clothes and a serious hat that marks you as a
e
player. A roll of parchment with your best cheats
scribbled on it.
pl
Who have you fleeced? (roll a d6)
1. Anise, arrogant mistress of Fulbeck.
2. Your father. Needs must.
3. An aspiring priest of his last coppers.
m

4. The mercenary Jagar. An error.

5. The gullible son of Lord Vech.
6. Who haven't you fleeced?
Sa

Who wants revenge? (roll a d6)

1. The casino owner, who's on to you.
2. Your partner. Well, one-time partner.
3. Your lover, who you gambled away.
4. That princeling, who knows you cheat.
5. Your father, for your dissolute ways.
6. Who doesn't want revenge?

30