ROLEPLAYING IN THE GRIM DARKNESS OF THE GREAT WHEEL

Brought to you by:

LawfulNice

Version 1.2
Updates on the WWW Blog:
www.lawfulnice.blogspot.com

This is intended as a work of parody and should not be mistaken for a real roleplaying
game. It’s a monster made from the corpses of a dozen roleplaying games, animated by
a vital spark that knows only darkness and terror.

That said, everything in here is copyright LawfulNice. If it’s orginal. If it’s shamelessly
stolen, then I take no credit. All credit goes to orginal source, etc.

Anyway, have fun, and don’t take roleplaying too seriously!

Special Thanks:
Gary Gygax - Your rapidly-spinning corpse is providing megawatts of clean electrical
power, helping us create a greener, better future!

Jane, James, Tony, Ai, and Michael

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1: Introduction 7
What is a Roleplaying Game 7
The Roll and Keep System 8
Raises and Checks 8
Chapter 2: Character Creation 9
Creating a Hero 9
Experience Point Costs 13
Character Creation Example 15
Chapter 3: Characteristics and... 19
Characteristics 19
Specialties 20
Skills 21
Chapter 4: Races 27
Racial Traits 27
Aasimar 28
Dark Eldarin 29
Dragonborn 30
Eldarin 31
Elf 32
Halfling 33
Human 34
Gnome 35
Ork 36
Squat 37
Tau 38
Tiefling 39
Chapter 5: Exaltation 41
Exalted Powers 42
The Tell 42
Mortal Heroes 42
Atlantean 44
Chosen 46
Daemonhost 48
Paragon 50
Promethean 52
Vampire 54
Werewolf 56
Chapter 6: Classes 59
The Leveling Procedure 60
Chapter 7: Feats, Assets, and ... 87
Feat List 88
Feat Descriptions 90
Racial Feats 100
Assets 102
Hindrances 113
Chapter 8: Magic 117
Casting Spells 119
Spells 121
Psychic Phenomena 122

3
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Perils of the Warp 123

Spell Combos 124
List of Spells 125
Chapter 9: Sword Schools 139
Special Attacks 139
Sword Schools 140
Chapter 10: Backgrounds 151
Chapter 11: Alignment 155
Degeneration 156
Deities 158
Chapter 12: Equipment 163
Availability 163
Weapons 165
Armor 178
Gear 180
Cybernetics 182
Chapter 13: Artifacts 185
Magical Weapons and Armor 187
Wonders 190
Hearthstones 192
Chapter 14: Playing the Game 195
Tests 195
Hero Points 198
Combat 199
Actions 201
The Attack 209
Combat Situation 210
Injury 212
Conditions 218
Movement 221
Social Combat 222
Fear and Insanity 226
Chapter 15: Setting 229
History of the Wheel 229
The Great Wheel 232
Sigil 235
Notable Crystal Spheres 240
Chapter 16: The Story Master 283
Themes 284
Game Styles 285
Running the Game 288
Chapter 17: Antagonists 291
Traits 291
Dramatis Personae 293
Guidelines and Glossary 314

4
 INTRODUCTION

If you cry when you lose a character, game! You've got to charge your opponent and
get lost - you're going to cry. If it hurts your hang it all out there! You've got to break his
fragile sensibilities to see your favorite charac- formations. You've got to be relentless. Show
ter get pounded unmercifully by horrorterrors them what a really pissed off immortal hero
from beyond the Crystal Spheres, you'd better can do. Anything less, and you'll be ham-
look the other way. If you've ever whined the burger.
words "That's too powerful," then put the
book down slowly and walk away before mak- You're playing with power now. Don't
ing eye contact with anyone or they'll realize be afraid - Few things are more sarisfying than
your voice hasn't changed yet. tearing apart an entire army with an Aasimar
in powered armor, or slaying a dragon with
This game is about aggression. This death-defying acrobatics and sword skills. Try
is the game of Immortal on Immortal combat. chaining together the special abilities of a few
This is magic power hopped up on steroids. Swordsman Schools, or abusing Porte for fun
This is DUNGEONS THE DRAGONING - and profit. It's almost more fun than you
the roleplaying game that kicks so much ass should be allowed to have with a roleplaying
it's accidentally branded every donkey from game.
here to the Shire.
The rules in this book deliver on every
We didn't set out to reinvent the level. Your character will radiate power like
wheel with this game - we just covered it in none other. We're pouring so much badass
skulls and eagles, threw it into space, and used into this book that if you bump it too hard, Vin
it to slay a Void Dragon. Diesel will fall out of solution.

DUNGEONS THE DRAGONING This is a new era in tabletop roleplay-

is simple. It's easy to learn. It has no THAC0, ing games. This is a game made for you, by
no heavy arithmatic, and doesn't require con- people like you. It's not a load of sterilized
stant trips to the rule book. At the same time, mass market drek designed by a room full of
the options it gives you give it great depth. The corporate meatplows. This is raw. This is bru-
ability to unlock combinations of abilities and tal. This is DUNGEONS THE DRAGO-
spells and skills is practically limitlesss. For NING.
every perfect strategy, there is a foil. For every
immovable object, there is an unstoppable So play like you've got a pair or put
force. Just when you think you've got it all down the dice and go find a My Little Pony
worked out, you'll be blindsided by something doll.
you never saw before. The more you dig, the
more you'll find.

DUNGEONS THE DRAGONING

favors the aggressor. You've got to fire the first
shot if you want to land on top! Too many
games set players up to be timid, afraid of a
little insanity or resting every few minutes to
rest in a secret tent. Players are afraid to go all
out and use their big powers just in case they
need it later.

Not in DUNGEONS THE DRAG-

ONING! If you wait for your opponent to
come to you, you're going to get purged and
cleansed. You've got to have balls to play this

5
For ten thousand years, the Lady of Pain has silently ruled
the city of Sigil, master of the hub of the Portal network
despite the petty wars of the gods. The city of Sigil is the
largest metropolis in the Astral Sea, untold millions
making sacrifices to sustain it and ensure the continued
survival of their people in the face of a hostile multiverse.
From hundreds of Crystal Spheres, teeming with the Clue-
less and monsters, refugees and opressors alike come to
find their place in a larger galaxy, to find treasure fame
and fortune amongst the planes. Beset on all sides by foes
of such malice it would sear a man's soul to know but a
fraction of their blasphemies, only the strongest and most
ruthless survive. Foes from within and without seek to
overthrow the Lady's rule, throwing themselves on the
Throne of Blades in vain efforts to destroy in a moment
the eons of her rule. The Great Devourer comes from the Far
Realm beyond the Astral Sea, driven to consume all before
it and Ork savages surge from their barbaric empires to
pillage and slaughter. The vengeful Eldarin cite prophetic
visions as they raid and destroy even their own cousins,
and an ancient evil arises from tombs sealed at the dawn
of creation.

In the grim darkness of the great wheel, there is only war.

 I
INTRODUCTION

W elcome, friends. You hold in your

hands a roleplaying game, one that asks you a
very important question. Is a man not entitled
board or play pieces (though sometimes you
might use a play mat to better illustrate com-
plex areas in the game world). Most of the
time, the action takes place in your mind,
to the grandest of adventure? 'No!' says the which is why a Roleplaying Game is so special.
man with the neckbeard, 'it would be unbal- You aren't limited to the spaces on a board -
anced.' 'No!' says the man in the high heels, 'it you can go anywhere and do anything you can
wouldn't be deep enough.' 'No!' says the man think of.
on the internet 'the new edition ruins every- This book will show you everything
thing forever.' I rejected those answers; in- you need to know to build a Hero, so you can
stead, I chose something different. I chose the take on his role at the center stage of a dra-
impossible. I chose... DUNGEONS THE matic story. You are always in control of your
DRAGONING, a game where the fighter character - what they say, what they do, how
would not fear the wizard, where the cleric they look, those are all things that are ulti-
would not be nerfed, where the great would mately up to you.
not be constrained by the small! And with the Before you begin, you and your role-
roll of your dice, DUNGEONS THE DRAG- playing group have to make a very important
ONING can be your game as well. decision: who is going to be the Story Master?
The Story Master (referred to as the SM) is
the referee and the lead storyteller, the person
WHAT IS A ROLEPLAYING in charge of running the game. The SM does
not play as others do. Instead, he presents the
GAME? stories and situations, describes the wonders
and perils of the Great Wheel, plays other
Right about now you might be won- characters and adjucates the rules. The SM is
dering just what a roleplaying game is, and the most important member of your group, so
what you need to jump into the action. Well, choose wisely. The SM ought to be fair-
it's part creative workshop, part improvised minded, well spoken and imaginative.
theatre, and part game of wits. There is no

7
 CHAPTER I:
INTRODUCTION

THE ROLL AND KEEP

SYSTEM WHAT YOU NEED TO PLAY
DUNGEONS THE DRAGONING
D:TD uses ten-sided dice. Whenever
the Story Master tells the player to make a When you're ready to start playing
Test, the player rolls a number of dice, throws DUNGEONS THE DRAGONING,
them, and counts up the results. You almost you'll need a few things:
always want to roll high, so rolling more dice
is good.
There are two kinds of dice you'll *This Rulebook
need to keep track of: Rolled and Kept. To *Three or more people to play the
make a Test, you roll a number of dice and game
then keep only some of them. For example, a *A quiet place to play
Test might ask you to roll five dice and keep
three. You'd roll a total of five dice and keep *Three or four hours of gaming time
the highest three, adding them together. The *Some ten-sided dice.
two lowest dice would be discarded. The *Paper
shorthand for this is XkY. For Roll five, Keep *Pencils and an eraser
three, it would be 5k3.
Whenever you roll a 10 on a die, that
die explodes. You reroll the die and add it to In the back of this book is a character
the result. For example, if you roll a 10, then sheet which is ideal for use with this
reroll it and get a 6, that single die rolled a 16. system. You might want to make a few
If you roll consecutive 10s, continue rolling copies of it, enough for everyone to
until you get a result other than 10, then add have one, though it's easy enough to
all the results together for the total. No matter
how mant times it explodes, it only counts as just write things down without one if
one die for the purposes of number of die kept. you don't have a spare sheet handy, so
All Tests are made against a target it's not essential.
number. If the result is greater than that target
number, then the Test is successful. If not, the
action fails.
Raises and Checks
For most Tests, it's just enough to
know if you succeeded, but sometimes it's
good to know just how well you succeeded
or failed. This is particularly important with
social skills, such as Charm and Persuasion,
as well as certain combat situations, such as
firing a gun capable of automatic fire.
Measuring raises is straightforward.
After the roll is made, compare the total
against the Target Number of the Test. For
each 5 points by which the TN was ex-
ceeded, one raise is achieved. Conversely, for
each 5 points by which the Test failed, you
have a Check.
If a feat or ability would give you a
free raise to a Test, that free raise only applies
if the Test is successful.

8
 II CHARACTER
CREATION

I n DUNGEONS THE DRAGO-

NING, you take the role of a hero, someone
When you die, you will be remem-
bered. Perhaps for great deeds, perhaps for
terrible ones, but there will be those who know
who has been put at the reigns of destiny your name. Your struggle, your triumph, your
thanks to the circumstances of their birth, the failure - these are the things that will become
patronage of dark gods, or simply dumb luck the legends of the next age.
and an ability to capitalize in it. You are one
in a million, with abilities and powers beyond CREATING A HERO
those most can even imagine. Perhaps you'll To get started on your quest, you
seek out justice, or power, or just the cold need to make your Hero, also known as your
comfort of gold. character (or Player Character, or PC). Cre-
You and your Party, your fellow He- ating your Player Character is a simple process
roes, will be faced with some of the greatest that many people find fun in itself. As you go
challenges in the Great Wheel, quests and op- through this chapter, you'll find the tools to
ponents that would crush lesser men and na- construct an interesting persona with a history,
tions alike. There is no hero who is unwilling attachment to the world, and beliefs. Be
or unable to use the power they wield - some- aware, there may be many unfamiliar terms
one who shirks away from their desires and ahead, but have no fear - everything will get
their destiny is unworthy of being a Hero. explained, if not here then in a later chapter as
Despite all of your power and abili- you explore the rest of this rulebook.
ties, though, remember that it is not going to Before you get started, you'll want to
be an easy task to achieve your destiny. At the gather some supplies - a character sheet, a
earliest stages, you will be little better than an pencil, and an eraser. It's best to write every-
experienced warrior, scholar, or thief. You'll thing in pencil to start with, as it's likely you'll
need to use your wits, luck, and the skills of end up changing or scrapping things as you go
your companions to survive. The longer the along. You may also like to have some spare
last and the stronger you become, the greater scraps of paper to take notes. It's also useful to
the foes you will be asked to face. There has get together with the group you'll be playing
never been a hero who has known peace. with when you make your character, so you

9
 CHAPTER II:
CHARACTER CREATION

can make sure your Heros all complement one a gruff lone wolf, strong but silent? Is she a
another. flirty sorceress that's great with people but ter-
There are a number of simple steps rible at heavy lifting? This is the time to de-
you should follow whenever you are creating cide.
a new Hero. Each step is relatively simple, All DUNGEONS THE DRAGO-
consisting of making a few choices and record- NING characters start with one dot in each of
ing your selections onto your character sheet. the nine Characteristics. A character's priori-
Each stage in the character creation process is ties determine how many dots the player may
as follows. allocate to that cluster of Characteristics. A
player may put six dots in his primary group,
Step Zero: four dots to the secondary group, and two in
their tertiary group. You may not bring any
Character Concept Characteristic to five in this step, though other
Before filling in even a single dot on sources - like a racial bonus to a Characteristic
your character sheet, think of a concept. You - can increase it later during character cre-
don't need to know every detail of your hero's ation.
life right now, just a general feel for who they Next come skills. They are also di-
are and their current place in the world. De- vided into three groups, Mental, Physical, and
cide on something you'll enjoy playing for the Social. Mental skills are modified by Mental
long haul. As you progress through character Characteristics and represent knowledge and
creation, you may alter this concept to suit learning. Physical Skills represent inherent
your needs or wants, but it's a good idea to skills and training. Social skills are, of course,
start somewhere instead of just picking things all about your ability to deal with people.
at random. Your Story Master may restrict Like Characteristics, skills are also
some options, for example disallowing some prioritized during character creation. Select
races or Exaltations, so make sure they ap- primary, secondary, and tertiary groups here.
prove your concept. Note that they don't have to be the same as
your Characteristics - a character with a terti-
Step One: ary Physical Characteristics can have a pri-
Starting Scores mary Physical Skills, for example. All skills
Now it's time to actually get some
dots down on that sheet. The first step in de-
termining a character's primary numeric traits
is to prioritize their Characteristics. Charac-
teristics are the natural abilities and raw 'stuff'
the character is made of. How strong is a char-
acter? How smart? How quick? Characteristics
take all these and more into account. All
DUNGEONS THE DRAGONING charac-
ters have nine Characteristics, which are di-
vided into three categories: Physical (Strength,
Dexterity, Constitution), Social (Charisma,
Fellowship, Composure), and Mental (Intel-
ligence, Wisdom, Willpower).
First the player must select which
group of Attributes is his character's strong
suit (primary). Then select the group at which
the character is average (secondary). Finally,
the remaining group is designated as the char-
acter's weak point (tertiary). Is your character

10
 CHAPTER II:
CHARACTER CREATION

start at zero dots. The primary group gets Humans - Newcomers to the Great
eight dots to distribute, the secondary gets six, Wheel's larger scene. Reckless, brave, and ver-
and the tertiary gets four dots. sitile.
No skill can be raised above three Aasimar - Servants of the Blessed
dots during this step - experts don't grow on Pantheon, created through their blessings.
trees, not even among starting heroes. You can Tieflings - Twisted mirrors of the
naturally raise them later, of course. Aasimar created by the powers of Chaos.
Eldarin - Among the oldest of races,
wise wanderers with no homeland.
EXPERIENCE POINT BUY Dark Eldarin - Raiders and pirates
As an alternative to the method pre- that live in a hidden city in the Warp.
sented here for determining starting skills and Elves - Distant relatives of the Eldarin
characteristics, here is another option: that have grown close to nature.
In step one, instead of distributing dots Orks - Brutal warlike people who
among your skills and characteristics, your wage war unending against all that they can.
characteristics start at 1 and you are given XP Dragonborn - Proud and vain ser-
to spend to improve your scores. You are not vants, the remnants of a lost Empire of Drag-
given starting XP during step seven, but can re- onkind.
serve up to 10% of your starting XP to spend Squats - Tough and stocky folk who
on feats, assets, backgrounds, and so forth. believe in tradition and drinking.
The amount of XP you get is deter- Halflings - Small people who have
mined by the GM. The mid power option gotten everywhere and take all your things.
below will create characters on-par with char- Tau - Mysterious people from a tiny
acters created by the default method. Empire that is cut off from the rest of the
Low Power: 3000 XP Wheel.
Mid Power: 4000 XP Gnomes - A race with a supernatural
High Power: 5000 XP ability to work with machines.

Step Two: Step Three:

Choose your Race Choose your Exaltation
Now you'll want to choose a race. A hero can be many things. But one
There are a number of different races in thing a real Hero isn't is a mere man. Even the
DUNGEONS THE DRAGONING, each newest hero has been touched by the super-
one with a unique ability and bonuses to Char- natural. Like Races, there are a number of
acteristics and Skills. Any race can do well choices. Any Race can develop any sort of Ex-
with any Exaltation and Class, though some altation. Most Exaltations are better at one
are obviously better than others. Halflings, for type of role than another - Atlanteans are ex-
example, can make excellent fighters, but their cellent mages, for example - but they don't re-
small size will naturally make them more frag- strict your choices.
ile than a Dragonborn fighter. Your Hero's exaltation says a lot
Your character's race gives you plenty about him, as much or more than his race.
of clues as to what sort of person they are, how Each Exaltation has a special list of abilities
they feel about characters of other races, and and powers that can improve over time. It's
what kind of motivations they might have. Re- worthwhile to spend some time reading over
member, however, that each character is more them in their own chapter before deciding.
than just a member of their race. A Hero is by A quick rundown of the Exaltations:
definition removed from the norm of their so- Vampire - Cursed by the spilled blood
ciety, and so regardless of what their race may of Khaine, they feed upon the living.
be like, they can be and do anything. Werewolf - Blessed or cursed by
A quick rundown of the Races: Luna, Werewolves can change their shape and

11
 CHAPTER II:
CHARACTER CREATION

walk the spirit world. The Backgrounds are:

Atlantean - One of the Syrne, reincar- Allies - People willing to help you.
nated in a new body with shadows of their old Artifact - Your character has a magi-
memories. cal item. A character may not begin play with
Paragon - Simply the best and the more than five dots worth of artifacts.
brightest of their race, demigods and kings. Backing - Being a ranking member in
Chosen - Those who have devoted an organization.
themselves fully to a god, or simply given Contacts - Being able to find someone
power at a whim. to help you, at a price.
Promethean - A created being, the Fame - How well people know of you.
essence of a person in a body of iron. Followers - Loyal assistants who are
Daemonhost - One of the poor souls devoted to you.
who have had their spirit torn out and a dae- Holdings - Owning large property like
mon take its place. a business or ship.
Inheritance - Having the epic loots.
Step Four: Mentor - Unlike most, you actually
have someone who is guiding you on the
Starting Class Hero's path.
Where your Race and Exaltation are Status - Other Heros have heard of
who and what you are, your Class is what your deeds.
you've learned to do. It's the skills and tricks Wealth - Having liquid resources, and
you've picked up, representing training as a your expected lifestyle.
warrior, wizard, priest, and so on. Each Hero
begins play in a Class. Your choice of class is Step Six:
very important - you can only use Experience
Points to purchase Advances that are on your Alignment
Class List. Every character has an alignment to a
Classes are gone into in more detail in god. Maybe they're truly devoted to that god.
their own section, including taking multiple Maybe they just think he has some good ideas.
classes, advancing to higher class Levels, and Whatever god your character chooses as his
just what classes really mean. Each class, alignment, that decides the moral code he lives
though, offers a host of abilities and powers for by, his Devotion. Your devotion starts at 6.
your character. Most come in the form of Things are more fully explained in the appro-
Feats, Magic, and Fighting Styles. Look over priate section, but here are the basics on each
things carefully before making a decision. god:
THE RUINOUS POWERS
Step Five: Khorne - The blood god, he fights for
honor, glory, and the love of battle.
Backgrounds Slaanesh - A god of excess and per-
Backgrounds are just what they sound sonal enjoyment.
like, a quantification of a character's backstory. Tzeentch - The god of change and
They can include the ties a character has with hope, but mostly pretending you plan things.
an organization, people that they talk to or get Nurgle - The god of decay and de-
help from, pure fame, and so forth. Each char- spair. He loves his followers.
acter begins with seven dots to spend on back- Malal - Self-destuctive god of unfo-
grounds. No background may be raised above cused devastation.
three dots without spending Experience
Points, and Experience Points may only be THE BLESSED PANTHEON
spent to improve Backgrounds during charac- Sigmar - Crusading god of protection
ter creation. and smiting evil.
Bahamut - The god of nobility, the

12
 CHAPTER II:
CHARACTER CREATION

Divine Right, and bravery.

Pelor - Mercy, kidness, helping others Remember that you can only spend
at your own expense. The god of healing. XP on skills, talents, and characteristics from
Moradin - The patron of measured your Class. Additionally, there are some feats
creation and the forge. that you can only purchase during character
Cuthbert - God of responsibility and creation. Look in the feats section to take a
oaths. look at those.

THE GRAY COUNCIL Step Eight:

Acererak - The god of magic, secrets,
and lost knowledge. Equipment
The Raven Queen - Death god, who Of course, it's not like your character
makes sure things die at the right time. is coming onto the scene naked and unarmed.
Luna - Fickle god of shapeshifting Even Dark Eldarin don't do that (often).
and independence. There are five basic starting packages of equip-
Corellon - The excellent god of excel- ment. Choose one of the following packages,
lence and success. helpfully codenamed with one of the five ele-
Vectron - A totally real and not pre- ments:
tend god that exists!
EARTH
Step Seven: Hand Weapon, Autopistol OR Bow, Lasgun,
Knife, Flak Jacket OR Chain Coat, Uniform
Experience OR Street Clothes, Rations.
With your class chosen and most
basic information recorded, it's time to spend AIR
your starting Experience Points (XP). All Hand Weapon, Las Pistol, Knife, Quilted
characters begin play with 600 XP which they Vest, Robes OR Bodyglove (Common quality
may use to increase Characteristics, acquire or clothing), Implement OR Charm, book of Po-
improve skills, buy new Feats, and so on. The etry OR deck of cards OR dice.
table below describes how to spend your ex-
perience. FIRE
Heavy Wrench (club), Las Pistol, Knife, Flak
Improve a Characteristic 100 x Current Rank Vest, Combi-Tool, Data Slate, Torch, Bag of
Improve Devotion 50 x Current Rank Random fiddly bits, Robes or overalls (Good
Quality clothing).
Improve a Skill 50 x Current Rank
Improve your Power Stat 200 x Current Rank*
WATER
Improve a Magic School 100 x Current Rank* Shotgun OR Autopistol OR Laspistol, Fenc-
Improve a Sword School 100 x Current Rank* ing Weapon, Mesh Vest, Street Clothes
Buy a Feat 100 (Common quality clothing), Chrono, flask of
Buy an Asset 100 ** brandy.
Buy a Background 50 per dot **
VOID
New Skill 100 Knife, Implement OR Magnoculars, Voidsuit,
New Sword or Magic 200 Autogun OR Pulse Rifle, Charm, Sunglasses,
* Your Power Stat, Magic Schools, Classy outfit (Good quality clothing).
and Fighting Style ranks are all capped at your
current level. Descriptions for equipment and how
** You can only buy Assets and new to get more (aside from the usual method of
Background dots at character creation. Back- stabbing things) is in the appropriately-named
ground dots above 3 cost double. equipment section.

13
 CHAPTER II:
CHARACTER CREATION

Step Nine: BRINGING YOUR

Finishing Touches CHARACTER TO LIFE
There are a few other spots to fill in
on your character sheet. Let's take care of So what you've got now, the dots and
those really quickly before we move on. numbers on your sheet, are the nuts and bolts
that define your character's capabilities. They
Size don't say much about your character's appear-
How big you are. Four is average for ance, age, and other personal details that help
a human. Whenever you take damage, you di- you and others visualize your Hero. The chap-
vide it by your size to determine how many Hit ter on Races will go into detail about that,
Points you lose. (For example, take 13 damage since there's no single table that can help de-
when you have size 4, you lose 3 Hit Points. If termine the appearance of both a noble El-
you're size 3, you lose 4 instead.) darin and a tough Ork.
Here are a few ideas to get you started
Hit Points thinking about your character, some questions
How much damage you can take be- to keep in mind when considering a backstory.
fore you start going into critical damage. A You might want to give the Story Master the
character's hit points are equal his Constitu- answer to them before the game starts - a little
tion + Willpower characterization and attachment to the world
can lead to a very compelling story.
* What was your family life like? Were
Resolve
you raised by both parents? Did one or both
Where hit points are about how much of them die? Do you have brothers or sisters?
damage before you die, Resolve is about how Are you married?
much it takes to convince you of things. Re- * Where are you from? Where your
solve is calculated by adding a character's character is from can have a huge effect on his
Willpower and Composure together. appearance, his native language, and many
customs and attitudes.
Static Defense * How did you become a Hero? What
Your character’s normal Static De- was your Exaltation like? Did you get training,
fense is equal to 10, plus five for every dot he or did you learn your skills on your own?
has in Dexterity. Bigger characters are easier * When did you meet your compan-
to hit, though, so you take twice your Size as ions? Do you get along with your Party? How
a penalty to your static defense. long have you known them? How did you
meet? Did you know any of them before you
Speed
become a Hero? Do you share any goals? Are
Strength + Dexterity - this is how there rivalries between you?
many meters you can move in a half action. * How has power changed you? Born
You move six times this distance with a run a mere mortal, you now command vast power.
action. How have you reacted to that?
* What do you think of mortals? Now
Hero Points
that you command great power and might live
Hero points are essentially plot armor. for a millennium or more, what do you think
You begin play with 2. Only very special peo- of ordinary mortals? Are they less powerful be-
ple have Hero Points. They can be used to do ings under your protection? Pawns? Prey?
a variety of things, and are explored in more * What motivates you to be a Hero?
detail later. Do you seek riches? Glory? Do you just enjoy
using your power? Is your agenda based on re-
venge, loyalty, a sense of social justice?
* What will you sacrifice? How far will
you go to do your duty?

14
 CHAPTER #:
CHAPTER NAME

EXAMPLE CHARACTER many duties to tie her down.

As for the character's alignment, Jane
CREATION decides on Malal. She has a starting Devotion
of 6.
Jane decides that she's going to build She now has Experience Points to
a new character. She reads over the book to spend. Six hundred of them, no less. The first
get some ideas, and comes up with a character thing Jane does is choose two Hindrances to
concept. She decides to build a Tiefling Were- get more XP. She gets Enemy and Impulsive.
wolf Barbarian so she can have some fun with She drops 200 into getting a level of the Tiger
melee attacks. She clears it with her Story Claw sword school, then picks up the Black
Master, and then moves on to the next step. Spiral Dancer asset, the Appearance asset, and
Her next step is to decide on Charac- the feats Frenzy and Power Attack. She has
teristic distribution. She decides to make 200 XP remaining, and so she drops it into
Physical characteristics her Primary group, So- improving her Dexterity from 2 to 3.
cial characteristics her secondary, and Mental For her starting equipment packages,
her tertiary. She distributes points, and moves she looks over her options and chooses the Air
onto the next step. package, taking a Hand Weapon, Laspistol,
After that, she puts points into skills, Knife, Quilted Vest, Bodyglove, Charm, and
again choosing Physical as her Primary group a deck of cards. She doesn't plan on using the
but this time taking Mental as her secondary weapons or armor much, given her ability to
group and Social as her tertiary. She puts eight turn into a monster, but figures they might
dots in Physical skills, six in Mental skills, and come in handy.
four in Social skills. Lastly, she puts the finishing touches
Then she chooses a race. Thankfully, on her character. She notes down 5 as her
she already knows what that's going to be. She character's size, adds her character's Constitu-
looks at the Tiefling racial entry. Jane can put tion and Willpower to get her Hit Points (6),
a dot into either Dexterity or Constitution, Willpower and Composure to get Resolve (4),
and decides on Constitution, increasing it to Her static defense (10, plus 15 for her Dexter-
4. She also gets a free dot in Intimidate and ity of 3, and minus 10 for her size doubled,
Weaponry. She notes down the Tiefling racial adding up to 15), Her speed (7 for her 4
power on her sheet. Strength and 3 Dexterity), and her 2 Hero
Jane has also already decided on her Points.
Exaltation, so she turns to the Werewolf sec- Jane writes down a name for her char-
tion. She reads over the abilities carefully and acter - Traya Psine Kaos - and she's ready to
notes Shifting, Lyran Resistance, Spirit play!
Tongue, and Silver Bane on her sheet. She
starts with a point in her power stat, Feral Jane’s sample character sheet appears on the
Heart, and gains the first level power of Feral next page.
Heart, Fast Healing. She also notes her maxi-
mum number of Rage points, 5.
Her starting class, of course, is going
to be Barbarian. She easily meets the prereq-
uisites of Weaponry 2 and Athletics 1.
Jane's next step is to decide on her
character's Backgrounds. She has seven dots
to spend, so she drops three into Contacts,
two into Status, and two into Backing. Jane
feels that the best organization to put this de-
veloping character into is the Society of Sen-
sation, and with two dots that puts her a notch
above a starting character, but without too

15
Name: Traya Psine Kaos Race: Tiefling XP: 800
Age: 120 Exaltation: Werewolf Campaign: Four Corners
Player: Jane Shepard Alignment: Malal Faction: Society of Sensation

ATTRIBUTES
Power Intelligence ●OOOOO Strength ●●●●OO Charisma ●●OOOO

Finesse Wisdom ●●OOOO Dexterity ●●●OOO Fellowship ●●●OOO

Resistance Willpower ●●OOOO Constitution ●●●●OO Composure ●●OOOO

SKILLS OTHER TRAITS

Mental Backgrounds Power Stat:

Feral Heart
Academic Lore OOOOOO Contacts ●●●OO ●OOOOO
Arcana ●OOOOO Status ●●OOO
Common Lore ●OOOOO Backing ●●OOO Resource Stat:
Crafts OOOOOO _____________ OOOOO Rage
Forbidden Lore OOOOOO _____________ OOOOO ●●●●●OOOOOOO
Medicae ●OOOOO
Perception ●●OOOO
Feats Devotion:
Politics ●OOOOO
Malal
Tech-Use OOOOOO Black Spiral Dancer
●●●●●●OOOO
Physical Appearance
Frenzy Static Def: ____15___
Acrobatics ●●OOOO
Power Attack Hit Points: ____6____
Athletics ●OOOOO
Ballistics OOOOOO _____________________ Resolve:______4____
Brawl ●●●OOO _____________________ Speed:______7______
Drive OOOOOO _____________________ Size:________5______
Larceny OOOOOO _____________________ Hero Points: __2____
Pilot OOOOOO _____________________ Armor: ______0_____
Stealth OOOOOO _____________________
Weaponry ●●●OOO _____________________
Social _____________________ Weapon:
Animal Ken OOOOOO _____________________ Type Damage Pen
Charm ●OOOOO _____________________
Command ●OOOOO _____________________ ROF Clip Range
Deceive ●OOOOO _____________________
Disguise OOOOOO _____________________ Weapon:
Intimidation ●●OOOO
_____________________
Performer OOOOOO Type Damage Pen
_____________________
Persuasion OOOOOO
Scrutiny OOOOOO _____________________ ROF Clip Range
 Special Abilities Allies and Contacts
Bloody Minded _________________________________________
Shifting _________________________________________
Lycan Resistance _________________________________________
Spirit Tongue _________________________________________
Silver Bane _________________________________________
Fast Healing
________________________ Description
________________________
Traya is a large, well-built Tiefling who usually wears
________________________
terribly revealing clothing and is covered in silver tat-
________________________
toos that have become tarnished and twisted over
________________________
time by her devotion to Malal and the Black Spiral.
________________________
________________________
Spells and Special Attacks
________________________
Class List Tiger Claw 1 _______________________________
_________________________________________
________Barbarian 1 ______ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
Derangements Equipment
________________________
________________________ Hand Weapon, Laspistol, Knife, Quilted Vest,
________________________ Bodyglove, Charm, and a deck of cards__________
________________________ _________________________________________
Languages _________________________________________
_________________________________________
Infernal, Trade, Spirits ______ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
Characteristics 6/4/2 * Skills 8/6/4 * Backgrounds 7 * (Buying the fifth dot in any area costs two points) * Hit
Points = Constitution + Willpower * Resolve = Composure + Willpower * Static Defense = 10 + (5 times
Dexterity) - (2 x Size) * Speed = Strength + Dexterity * Starting Hero Points = 2 * Starting Devotion = 6
 It had been a long flight out to Tau'va. Even with a good ship, the Crystal
Sphere of the Tau Empire was difficult to penetrate. Good for defense against a
hostile universe, terrible for trade. Or for visiting family. Joseph Sidus rubbed at
his bionic hand. He was wondering just what he'd find in the cells.
Kuj'o J'Karra had been given his own cell. The other captives, all of them
Gue'la, humans living with the culture of the Tau, refused to stay in the same cage
as him. He had put eight gang members in the hospital by himself. Despite that,
the authorities had told him he was free to go. He refused to leave. The criminals
all called him a Daemon, whispered and pleaded to be put somewhere else.
J'Karra's mother, a human originally from Sigil, had been visiting every day
to try and convince him to leave. She had contacted Joseph, her father, to try and
knock some sense into him. He had left at once when she mentioned that J'Karra
had said he was possessed by an evil spirit.
"You're going home today for sure, Kuj'o," The warden said. Joseph Sidus
stepped up to the bars. The cell was full of various things, which had appeared
there as if by magic.
"Don't worry. My grandson is coming with me," Joseph said. J'Karra had
been facing away from the cell door. He stirred and turned around.
"Grandson?" J'Karra got up and walked over to the bars, facing Joseph. The
two glared at each other.
"Get out of here! You're going home with me," Joseph said.
"Go away!" J'Karra said. "I didn't call for you. So you want to help me? What
could you do? I'm sorry you came all the way from Sigil, but you can't help me,
Grandpa."
J'Karra help up his hand. He had a broken bionic finger. Joseph raised his
hand. The little finger was missing. J'Karra had pulled it off without him even notic-
ing.
"Did you see it?" J'Karra asked. "Did you notice it? That is the evil spirit."
He stepped away from the bars, turning his bad on his grandfather. "Don't get near
me. You would only shorten what's left of your life."
Joseph narrowed his eyes. He had seen the golden gleam around J'Karra. A
flash of a ghostly form. He knew everything about the 'evil spirit'. It would come to
J'Karra in time, but he didn't have time to play nice with his grandson. There were
dangers ahead and his grandson was clearly destined to be in the middle of them.
Joseph snapped his fingers.
"Avourel," Joseph said. "Time for you to come into play." The tanned elf,
draped in a robe and jewelry, stepped into the room. He'd get his grandson out one
way or the other.
 III CHARACTERISTICS
& SKILLS

I n the last chapter you heard a lot

about Characteristics and Skills, but not ex-
Physical Characteristics
Physical Characteristics simply meas-
actly what they are or what they can do. Just ure the capabilities of the character's body -
about everything you do will rely on these how strong, fast, nimble, and tough they are.
Characteristics, Skills, or both. The standard
dice roll is presented in the form of a skill and Strength
a characteristic (For example, Academic Lore Strength describes physical prowess,
+ Intelligence or Acrobatics + Dexterity). In including the capacity to lift objects and cause
these cases, unless the specific effect tells you damage. This Attribute is used to resolve
otherwise, you roll dice equal to the skill and jumping, lifting, and other actions that draw
characteristic added together and keep dice on raw physical might. Strength is also used to
equal to your characteristic. So remember that determine the base dice rolled for successful
while skills are cheaper and can do a lot to im- physical attacks.
prove your chances, your Characteristic, your Specialties: Iron Grip, Reserves of
natural talent, puts a limit on just what you Strength, Fists Like Anvils, Hurting People
can accomplish. * Poor: You can lift 80 lbs.
** Average: You can lift 120 lbs.
CHARACTERISTICS *** Good: You can lift 250 lbs.
Characteristics represent your Hero's **** Exceptional: You can lift 400 lbs.
innate physical, social, and mental capacities. ***** Outstanding: You can lift 650 lbs.
Don't look at the numbers first. Rather, think and crush skulls like grapes.
about what your character can do, then work
out her Characteristics. Ordinary folk have be- Dexterity
tween one and three dots in all of their Char- Dexterity measures agility, hand-eye
acteristics, and most just have two dots in all coordination and reflexes. It describes every-
of them. Of course, heroes are not average thing from how quickly a character moves,
folk. They can have up to five dots in their how precisely he aims his blows and every-
Characteristics and, in some cases, six dots. thing else that relates to physical speed, grace,

19
 CHAPTER III:
CHARACTERISTICS
& SKILLS

Specialties
and control. Dexterity is used to determine the Every Skill and Characterization gains a Spe-
base number of dice rolled to hit in combat. cialty at four dots. A Specialty gives the user a
Specialties: Fast Movement, Feline bonus in certain situations. The SM must ap-
Grace, Lightning Reflexes, Perfect Aim prove a given Specialty - even the ones listed as
* Poor: You are clumsy and awkward. examples are subject to his approval - and de-
Stop tripping over your own feet! cides when that Specialty applies. Generally,
** Average: You're no clod, but don't ex while it should be applicable often, it shouldn't
pect to win any awards. be simply a given that it will apply. Each spe-
*** Good: You show some potential. cialty is a tool, and not every tool can be used
You're above-average. to do everything. Whenever a Specialty would
**** Exceptional: You could be an acrobat apply, you treat that skill or characteristic as
if you wanted. being one point higher. Someone firing a rifle
***** Outstanding: Backflips everywhere, with a Ballistics specialty of Rifles, for example,
running on walls, being awesome. would treat their Ballistics skill as being one
higher for that action.
Constitution
Constitution is a measure of a charac-
have several friends.
ter's health, well-being, and general toughness
*** Good: People trust you implicitly.
and resistance. It covers how long they can
**** Exceptional: You have significant per
keep going before getting tired. It also covers
sonal magnetism.
how many hit points they begin with.
***** Outstanding: Entire cultures could
Specialties: Tough as Nails, Tireless,
follow your lead.
Resolute, Stoic
* Poor: You bruise in a stiff wind.
Fellowship
** Average: You're moderately healthy
Fellowship measures a character's ap-
and can even withstand a punch or
pearance and ability for self-expression. The
two.
capacity to purposefully coerce, manipulate,
*** Good: You're in good shape and
and bully others. It covers everything from
rarely fall ill.
leading people to tricking them, from being sly
**** Exceptional: You can run in
to being domineering.
marathons - and win!
Specialties: Persuasive, Seductive,
***** Outstanding: You almost never get
Well-Reasoned, Charming Rogue
sick and don't get tired.
* Poor: A person of few (often ineffec
tual) words and plain face.
** Average: A normal looking man who
Social Characteristics isn’t too bad at talking to people.
Where physical characteristics are *** Good: You never pay full price. One
about your body, social characteristics are way or the other.
about how your character acts around other **** Exceptional: You could be a politi
people. cian. Or a cult leader.
***** Outstanding: People will live and die
Charisma on your word.
Charisma measures how innately like-
able someone is. It reflects an air of confidence Composure
and social grace, force of personality, and the Composure is the ability to remain
ability to force their point of view into a con- calm and appear - and actually be - unfazed in
versation social and threatening situations, usually har-
Specialties: Eloquent Speaker, Catch- rowing ones. This Characteristic is a measure
phrases, Genteel, Cutting Wit of emotional fortitude, restraint, and calm.
* Poor: Stop picking your nose. Specialties: Poise, Dignity, Unflap-
** Average: You're generally likable and pable, Fearless

20
 CHAPTER III:
CHARACTERISTICS
& SKILLS

* Poor: You fold to peer pressure like ** Average: You're oblivious to the very
origami paper. subtle, but not the big picture.
** Average: Once in a while you manage *** Good: You can read the environment
to stand up for yourself. like a book.
*** Good: You speak your mind when **** Exceptional: Almost nothing evades
you need to and can control yourself. your notice.
**** Exceptional: Others look at you and ***** Outstanding: You instantly observe
see only calm. things others would easily overlook.
***** Outstanding: You've probably never
been afraid of anything. Willpower
Willpower describes how strongly
Mental Characteristics your character can hold onto her own ideas
Mental Characteristics cover a char- and resist mental commands from others. This
acter's perception, mental capacity, imagina- attribute is used to resist many supernatural
tion, and quick thinking. Creative and effects and, as they say, willpower is nine-
intellectual individuals have high Mental tenths of effort.
Characteristics. Specialties: Getting the jump on oth-
ers, Mental Resolve, Meditation, Ambushes
Intelligence * Poor: You're a follower, not a leader.
Intelligence covers memory, under- ** Average: You can hold out as long as
standing, reasoning and imagination as well as the average person.
the ability to correlate information and make *** Good: You're seldom left surprised or
deductions. Intelligence also covers a charac- speechless.
ter’s starting languages. A character begins **** Exceptional: You can look death in
play knowing the local language from where the eye and make it blink.
they grew up (usually their racial language) ***** Outstanding: You are a bastion of
and Trade. If a character begins with three or mental power.
more dots of intelligence, he gets one extra
spoken language for each dot above two.
Specialties: Triva, Puzzle Solver, SKILLS
Book Knowledge, Creativity. The different ways in which a charac-
* Poor: Not the sharpest knife in the ter can apply his characteristics are determined
drawer. by his skills. A character's skills reflect the ed-
** Average: Smart enough to realize ucation and training he's acquired over the
you're normal. course of his life and are a reflection of his ori-
*** Good: More enlightened than the gins and interests. Skills can be acquired in
masses. any number of ways, from institutionalized
**** Exceptional: You're not just bright, learning to hard, hands-on experience. A
you're brilliant! young recruit with the guard is trained to use
***** Outstanding: Certified genius. deadly weapons, while a punk living on the
streets learns as a matter of survival.
Wisdom Like Characteristics, Skills are broken
Wisdom covers both alertness and down into three categories: Mental, Physical,
comprehension. It determines not only how and Social. These groups tell you what char-
well a character notices the world around him, acteristics will generally be rolled with each
but also how well he interprets what he sees skill. There are two types of skills - Basic and
and hears. Advanced. Basic skills can be attempted at
Specialties: Attentive, Insightful, Ex- zero dots with a -1 to your characteristic. Ad-
perienced, Discerning vanced skills cannot be attempted without at
* Poor: Perhaps you're self-absorbed. least one dot in the appropriate skill.
Or an airhead. Details elude you.

21
 CHAPTER III:
CHARACTERISTICS
& SKILLS

Academic Lore Athletics

Mental Skill Physical Skill
(Advanced) (Basic)
The Academic Lore skill grants you Where acrobatics is all flashy maneu-
knowledge of scholarly subjects. Successful vers, Athletics is basic ability, covering all
Tests enable you to recall pertinent facts and forms of running, jumping, throwing, swim-
- if you have access to the right facilities and ming, sports and the like. However, it doesn't
resources - to do research. Academic Lore rep- cover things like trying to hit a target (which
resents a depth of learning beyond the average is Ballistics or Weaponry) or anything else cov-
Common Sense and requires extensive study. ered by another Skill.
Specialties: Archaic, Astromancy, Specialties: Swimming, Climbing,
Beasts, Cryptology, Heraldry, History, Law, Endurance Running, Specific Sports, etc.
Occult, Philosophy, Psychology, etc.
Ballistics
Acrobatics Physical Skill
Physical Skill (Basic)
(Advanced) When a sword is too close and explo-
The acrobatics skill encompasses a sives aren't an option, there is the grand tradi-
variety of movement techniques unavailable to tion of firearms. This skill represents broad
less flexible Acolytes. From performing som- familiarity with guns and how to operate them,
ersaults to tumbling, from flipping through the but doesn't cover specific training with a
air to daring leaps and jumps, this skill ex- weapon - without the appropriate weapon pro-
pands your movement options. ficiency feat, you don't have the practical train-
Specialties: Jumping, Backflips, To- ing to apply your skill.
tally Cool Awesome Gymnastics, etc. Specialties: Fast Draw, Pistols, Snip-
ing, Shotguns, etc.
Animal Ken
Social Skill Brawl
(Basic) Physical Skill
You can understand an animal's be- (Basic)
havior patterns. This lets you predict how an Brawl is the skill used with unarmed
animal might react in a given situation, train a attacks. Brawl is used any time your character
domesticated creature, ride a domesticated doesn't have a weapon and is attempting to
animal or even try to calm down an angry or strike in melee. Brawl covers all the various
frightened animal. fighting styles - martial arts, simple grappling,
Specialties: Riding, Animal Training, and so forth. Once you have a speciality in
Big Cats, Horses, Farm Animals, etc. Brawl of any kind, your basic unarmed dam-
age goes from +0k1 to +0k2.
Arcana Specialites: Kung Fu, Karate, Jeet
Mental Skill Kun Do, Solar Hero Style, Do, etc.
(Advanced)
The Arcana skill reflects a character's Charm
knowledge and experience with the world's Social Skill
various legends and lore about the supernatu- (Basic)
ral. A character with the skill not only knows The Charm skill is used to befriend
the theories, myths, and legends about the oc- others. You test Charm when you want to
cult, but can generally tell 'fact' from rumor. change the minds of individuals or small
Specialties: Cultural Beliefs, Ghosts, groups, to beg, or seduce. You don’t make a
Magic, Monsters, Superstitions, etc. Charm Test every time you talk to an NPC,
only when you want to change their opinions
of you or convince them to do something for

22
 CHAPTER III:
CHARACTERISTICS
& SKILLS

you, like give you a tip, a dance, or a kiss. Deceive

Specialties: Seduction, First Impres- Social Skill
sions, Begging, etc. (Basic)
The Deceive skill is used to lie and
Command con others. You make deceive Tests whenever
Social Skill you would convince others of something that
(Basic) is not necessarily true, want to dupe them or
Command is used to make subordi- otherwise swindle and mislead them.
nates follow your oders. You may only use this Specialties: White Lies, Con Jobs,
Skill on those who are under your authority - Lying, Misdirection, etc.
Charm or Persuasion checks would be appro-
priate for others. Failing with the Command Disguise
skill, your subordinates might misinterpret Social Skill
your command or do nothing at all - or even (Basic)
go against orders. The disguise skill allows the hero to
Specialties: Oratory, Compelling, mask his features and even assume another's
Open, Noble, Military, etc. appearance. The difficulty of the Test depends
upon the materials available, the differences
Common Lore between the character and the desired appear-
Mental Skill ance, and any other elements that would affect
(Advanced) the deception. Perception checks can be used
Use the Common Lore skill to recall to see through a disguise.
the habits, institutions, traditions, public fig- Specialities: Mimicing Voices, Man-
ures, and superstitions of a particular world, nerisms, Mask of a Thousand Faces, etc.
cultural group, organization or race. This Skill
does not represent scholarly learning (that Drive
would be Academic Lore) nor obscure forbid- Physical Skill
den knowledge (that is Forbidden Lore), but (Basic)
rather the basics you learn by growing up or This skill is used to control autos,
travelling extensively through a region. trucks, landspeeders and other land-based or
Specialties: Sigil, Underworld, War, hover vehicles. Driving under normal condi-
Tech, Animals, Specific Crystal Spheres, Spe- tions doesn't require a Test. However, Tests
cific Races, etc. may be required for bad terrain, excessive
speed, or when attempting dangerous maneu-
Crafts vers. Opposed checks are used during a chase.
Mental Skill Specialties: Ground Vehicle, Hover
(Basic) Vehicle, Walker, etc.
Crafts represents a character's training
or expertise in creating works of art or con- Forbidden Lore
structin with his hands, from paintings to car Mental Skill
engines to classical sculpture. Characters typ- (Advanced)
ically have the skills, but may not have the fa- Forbidden Lore represents dangerous
cilities or material. A character may be an and often illegal knowledge gleaned from a
exceptional mechanic, but still needs tools and myriad of unconventional sources a Hero
a place to work in order to fix a transport. often finds in his possession. This skill repre-
Specialties: Forging, Painting, Sculpt- sents a combination of scholarly learning and
ing, Sewing, Ship Repair, Jury-Rigging, etc. knowledge gained through practical experi-
ence. Simply possessing the skill is often
enough to warrant death in the eyes of many.
Specialties: Cults, Daemonology,
Warp, Heresy, etc.

23
 CHAPTER III:
CHARACTERISTICS
& SKILLS

Intimidation Taste, Touch, etc.

Social Skill
(Basic) Performer
You use Intimidation to scare people. Social Skill
Unlike most Social skills, Intimidation can re- (Basic)
ally be used with almost any Characteristic, Use the performer skill to entertain
depending on the exact circumstances. Dis- and enthrall crowds of spectators. Or at least
plays of physical might are quite effective at carry a tune. The more Raises you have on
scaring folks, after all. Performer Tests, naturally, the better you've
Specialties: Bluster, Physical Threats, done. It's pretty easy to make a living with a
Stare-Downs, Torture, etc. good Performer skill.
Specialties: Dancer, Musician,
Larceny Singer, Storyteller, etc.
Physical Skill
(Basic) Persuasion
Larceny is used to palm objects, pick Social Skill
pockets, picking locks, concealing stolen (Basic)
goods, and everything in between. Most char- This is your ability to get your point
acters obtain this skill the hard way - commit- across clearly, whether through conversation,
ting crimes and often paying the price for their poetry or even magical means. Characters with
mistakes. Some, like locksmiths and special high persuasion can phrase their opinions or
agents, might recieve actual formal training in beliefs in a manner that cannot be ignored.
bypassing security systems and stealing assets. They may also be talented actors, skilled at
Specialties: Lockpicking, Pickpocket- conveying moods or feigning emotion with
ing, Prestidigitation, Security Systems, Safe- every gesture.
cracking, etc. Specialties: Acting, Poetry, Fiction,
Impromptu, Conversation, etc.
Medicae
Mental Skill Pilot
(Advanced) Physical Skill
The Medicae skill is used to treat in- (Advanced)
juries, closing wounds and restoring the bal- The Pilot skill is used to fly anything
ance of the body's humors. It's a vital skill to from small atmospheric craft all the way to
stabilize allies in combat and to help them re- spelljamming ships. Piloting a ship under nor-
cover from their injuries when they rest. Any mal conditions doesn't require a Test, just
doctor will have medicae, and it's required when making a dangerous maneuver or flying
training in many organizations. in bad conditions.
Specialties: First Aid, Pathology, Sur- Specialties: Civilian Craft, Military
gery, Pharmaceuticals, etc. Craft, Spelljamming ship, etc.

Perception Politics
Mental Skill Mental Skill
(Basic) (Advanced)
The Perception skill reflects your abil- Characters with this skill are not only
ity to perceive hidden dangers and to notice familiar with the way the political process
small details about your physical surround- works, they're experienced with bureaucracies
ings. You use the Perception skill to notice and know exactly who to call in a given situa-
ambushes, spot traps and discern other threats tion in order to get something done. Your
to you and your allies. It isn't tied to any one character keeps track of who's in power and
sense; it encompasses them all. how they got there, along with any potential
Specialties: Spot, Listen, Search, rivals.

24
 CHAPTER III:
CHARACTERISTICS
& SKILLS

Specialties: Bribery, Elections, Spe- Tech-Use

cific Crystal Sphere, Local, Scandals, etc. Mental Skill
(Advanced)
Scrutiny Tech-Use allows the Hero to use or
Social Skill repair complex mechanical items or fathom
(Basic) the workings of unknown technical artefacts.
Use the Scrutiny Skill to make assess- Using a basic piece of equipment under typical
ments about people you encounter, to deter- circumstances requires no Test, such as using
mine if someone is lying to you, to sense a vox-caster or opening a shuttle hatch. Tech-
ulterior motives and generally appraise the Use Tests are necessary for unusual or unfa-
worth of another being. Note that this isn't miliar gear, malfunctioning or broken items,
telepathy (only telepathy is telepathy!) and so and when conditions are less than ideal, such
it can't reveal secrets - just a general idea if as attempting to use the same vox-caster near
someone is telling the truth. a plasma core or coaxing a strange vessel's
Specialties: Spotting Lies, Motives, warp drive to reignite its fires.
Personalities, Emotion, etc. Specialities: Computers, Repairing
Machines, Reverse Engineering, etc.
Stealth
Physical Skill Weaponry
(Basic) Physical Skill
Stealth is used whenever you're ac- (Basic)
tively attempting to hide from someone or Sometimes a gun is too loud or you're
something. To use this, you must have appro- in too close to use it. Or you just want to put
priate terrain or some concealing effect like fog your muscle to the Test. This skill represents
or darkness. Otherwise, with nothing to hide broad skill with weapons, but doesn't cover
behind, you simply appear very suspicious. It's specific training with a weapon - without the
always an opposed Test against the Perception appropriate weapon proficiency feat, you don't
+ Wisdom of viewers. have the practical training to apply your skill.
Specialties: Concealment, Silent Specialties: Knives, Swords, Impro-
Movement, Shadowing, Crowds, etc. vised Clubs, Martial Arts, Axes, etc.

25
"Pardon me, good travellers... I don't mean to interrupt, but I am Gregory, the elder of this village.
You look familiar, and I just wanted to ask if you are, by any chance, the renowned sorceress Mistress
Scarlet."

"As a matter of fact~ Did the outfit give you a clue?"

"Please, our village is in great danger! We have need of the famous bandit killer, the Dragon SPOOKR
Mistress Scarlet! You must use your magic power to save us!"

"I'm okay with this bandit killer thing, but what's with 'Dragon SPOOKR'?"

"It means dragons 'Step Past Out Of Klear Repulsion!"

"WHY YOU LITTLE-!"

"Wait, I didn't mean to offend you! Please, we need your help!"

"Rrrr... Okay... What did you want from me?"

"The people of this village are being terrorized by a filthy gang of bloodthirsty bandits!"

"The name of this gang wouldn't happen to be the Dragon Fangs, would it?"

"Oh, you've heard of the Dragon Fangs?"

"If you're worried about the Dragon Fangs, don't worry."

"And why not?"

"I got rid of most of them yesterday, and the rest tried to ambush me on the way into town."

"You have saved our village from the curse of the black dragon! Those bandits were keeping that black
dragon as a pet and our village's soldiers couldn't fight it! While the dragon lived we were slaves to the
bandit gang! But now we have been freed by the great and mighty sorceress Mistress Scarlet."

"I didn't know they had a dragon."

"W-what?"

"I said I got rid of the Dragon Fangs, not the dragon."

"Now the dragon is running out of control! We're all doomed!"

"Maybe I can help you out. How much is it worth to you if I get rid of this dragon?"

"We can afford to pay you twenty Thrones!"

"Make it thirty!"
 IV
RACES

A huge variety of cultures and soci-

eties populate the Great Wheel, some made up
Racial Traits
Each character race offers the follow-
of humans but most of fantastic races such as ing types of benefits.
Aasimar, Eldarin, and Orks. Adventurers and Characteristic Bonus: Your character
heroes can arise from any of these people, race offers you a bonus to one of your charac-
often from the most unlikely places. Your teristics. For most races, they must choose be-
choice of character race provides you with a tween one of two characteristics. Remember
basic set of advantages and special abilities. that you only get a bonus to one of the listed
Your racial abilities and characteristic characteristics unless the entry specifically says
bonuses will say a lot about your character. otherwise.
Two heroes with the same class will still be Skill Bonus: Each race gives a bonus
very different if they have chosen different to a few skills. This usually represents training
races. Will your fighter be a graceful Eldarin, common in their culture, but also the race's
a brutal Tiefling, or a tough and stoic Squat? natural inclinations and ability. Even if
Will your magic-user be a clever Gnome, a brought up in a different culture, the race will
sadistic Dark Eldarin, or a versatile and unpre- find that they have natural ability in these
dictable human? areas.
Each race (aside from human - you’re Power: Every race has a special talent
probably familiar with what humans are like or power that only they can use. This might be
already) has a few common physical and per- anything from a bonus feat to an immunity to
sonality traits listed. Take these not as hard a special movement mode.
rules but just as some ideas as a starting point. Size: A character's size is used to de-
Not every squat is a drunken, bearded little termine how badly injured they become from
man, nor is every Tiefling a terrible person just attacks and how hard they are to hit - a char-
looking for trouble to cause and someone to acter with a large size loses fewer Hit Points
torment. Each race also has a few example from attacks but is hit by more of them, while
names in case you get stuck when trying to a character with a small size is in danger of los-
come up with one or just need one on the fly. ing more hit points but is far harder to hit.

27
CHAPTER IV:
RACES

Aasimar
The Aasimar exist to serve the
Blessed Pantheon. They are tall, averaging
more than two meters, strong, and are almost
inhumanly beautiful, often having golden or
silver hair, glowing eyes, or other signs of their
supernatural origins. Their history suggests
that they are the descendants of humans who
escaped their crystal sphere long ago and
made the long journey across the Astral Sea.
They do not reproduce like the other races -
they choose from among the best and the
brightest of other races to join their ranks, in-
tense indoctrination, training, and the bless-
ings of the gods turning them into Aasimar.
Aasimar don't have a culture as much
as they have religion. They're servants first and
foremost, warrior-monks and priests. Most
don't have much of a social life, at least outside
of small circles of respected friends and com-
rades in arms. Most see Aasimar as being stoic
and rather humorless, focused only on their
mission. It's certainly not too far from the
truth.

Common Personality Traits: Stoic,

focused, quiet, loyal, obedient.
Common Physical Traits: Great
height, long face, metallic hair, glowing eyes,
exceedingly tough.
Example Names: Antonius, Caecilia,
Eligius, Junia, Leontius, Rhea
Charateristic Bonus: +1 to Wisdom
or Constitution
Skill Bonus: +1 Command and Bal-
listics
Power: And They Shall Know No
Fear - Aasimar begin play with the feats Jaded
and Fearless.
Size: 5

28
 CHAPTER IV:
RACES

Dark Eldarin
The Dark Eldarin found protection
from the Fall in the Spider-Daemon Lolth.
They are a depraved people marked by their
pact with pitch-black skin and bone-white
hair. They are as lithe and graceful as their
cousins, but their sense of style leans far more
towards the fetishistic and irrationally danger-
ous. They exist as raiders and pirates striking
from their hidden city via Lolth's hidden Web-
way of tunnels through the Warp.
Dark Eldarin suffer from a terrible
thirst, a consuming and ever-increasing need
to find greater emotional highs in themselves
and others. Some say this is part of their pact
with Lolth, either feeding her that emotional
energy or propping up the substance of their
own souls with it as she leeches them dry.

Common Personality Traits: Sadistic,

seductive, dangerous, relentless, insane.
Common Physical Traits: Nimble, in-
tense gaze, pitch-black skin, white hair, spiky
bits.
Example Names: Alaurirra, Belaern,
Dhaunae, Gwylyss, Ilharess, Jaezred.
Characteristic Bonus: +1 to Charisma
or Dexterity
Skill Bonus: +1 to Deceive and For-
bidden Lore
Power: Warp Miasma - Summoning
a burst of raw warp power, the Dark Eldarin
creates a 4m radius sphere of darkness. This
blocks line of effect and anyone within the
sphere is blind. The sphere lasts for one round
per level.
Size: 3

29
CHAPTER IV:
RACES

time to improve themselves. Most seek a great

Dragonborn purpose in life, something to spend their lives
on. The ones who have found such a purpose
are the most common targets of the traditional
Once, long ago, Dragons ruled the challenges, though it's not uncommon to see
Astral Sea. The dragonborn were their chil- a Dragonborn studying under any particularly
dren and soldiers, their true origins lost to time powerful (or lucky) warrior.
and legend. They forged a great empire from
the ashes of the Syrneth's defeat and sought to Common Personality Traits: Proud,
unify all of the Crystal Spheres under their wise, straightforward, watchful, grandstand-
rule. Defeat for the Dragons came from ing.
within, a powerful warlord known as Tiamat Common Physical Traits: Hissing
led a campaign against even the gods them- voice, shimmering scales, darting eyes, mas-
selves, seeking to replace Bahamut. The Tia- sive form, sharp teeth.
mat Heresy was a bloody war that shattered Example Names: Thuath, Shaan,
the dragon empire, ending only on Mount Ce- Arark, Thaash, Shysik, Arima.
lestia itself as Bahamut and Tiamat fought to Characteristic Bonus: +1 to Strength
the death. To this day, dragons are found in or Charisma.
every known Crystal Sphere, and the Drag- Skill Bonus: +1 Command and In-
onborn are in nearly as many, proud warriors timidation
clinging to past glories. Power: Dragon Breath - Once per
Dragonborn, often masterless in this scene, you may make an attack with your
age, usually seek out a cause or worthy hero to breath weapon. It uses the same weapon pro-
serve. Tradition typically has them challenge file as a Flamer.
skilled warriors to single combat and, if de- Size: 5
feated, serve and learn under that person for a

30
 CHAPTER IV:
RACES

Eldarin
The Eldarin were created by the
Syrne as soldiers in their ancient war. After the
Syrne were destroyed, they were left scattered
throughout the various Crystal Spheres, with
nowhere to call home. The Eldarin choose to
create vast worldships large enough to house
entire ecologies and wander the Astral Sea, oc-
casionally opening a Portal Relay after long
study and maintaining the relays themselves
with what little knowledge remains of their
construction.
Eldarin do not have home towns.
They have home ships. Most Eldarin that are
in good standing among their kind use the
name of their native worldship as their second
name. Because of their fragile artificial envi-
ronments, Eldarin are very careful and conser-
vative in their thoughts and motions, not
doing anything to upset a balance. Many
young Eldarin are sent on pilgrimages to prove
their self-sufficiency. Those that return with
something of worth become adults. The rest
die, all part of their planned population con-
trol.

Common Personality Traits: Quiet,

careful, mysterious, secretive, restless.
Common Physical Traits: Willowy
build, fragile bones, sinewy build, birdlike
movements, pale skin.
Example Names: Aurian, Farendis,
Khiraen, Krullagh, Macha, Eldrad
Characteristic Bonus: +1 to Wisdom
or Intelligence
Skill Bonus: +1 to Academic Lore
and Arcana.
Power: Warp Step - Once per scene,
you may teleport up to twice your speed as a
half action. You must be able to see your des-
tination.
Size: 3

31
CHAPTER IV:
RACES

very well.
Elf
Common Personality Traits: Respect-
ful, patient, modest, peaceful, observant.
Distant relatives of the Eldarin, the Common Physical Traits: Thin build,
Elves settled down instead of escaping into the tanned skin, sharp eyes, simple clothing, quiet
Astral Sea. The Eldarin pity the Elves, saying footfalls.
their cousins have lost their way, their souls Example Names: Garryth, Kaelyssa,
weighed down by gravity. Elves live in har- Ravyn, Ossyan, Rahn, Vyros.
mony with the lands, living what most see as Characteristic Bonus: +1 to Wisdom
simple lives with little industry, but which they or Dexterity.
see as respectful of the land. Skill Bonus: +1 to Perception and
Elves usually feel a strong responsibil- Charm
ity to preserve and pass on the old ways, Power: Elven Accuracy - Once per
though some see their methods as primitive scene, an Elf may reroll a failed Weaponry or
and useless in the modern age. They see the Ballistic skill Test.
same skills as being necessary for personal Size: 3
growth and respect of the natural world, and
typically treat those who feel the same way

32
 CHAPTER IV:
RACES

Halfling
Short, lazy, and generally a criminal
element in many societies they become in-
volved in. Halflings are often seen in the same
light as rats and other parasites that live on the
fringes of a city. They managed to find their
way onto spelljammers in one way or another
and now are located in pretty much anywhere
anything is going on, ready to snatch a purse
or scavenge something useful when no one is
looking.
Most Halflings are insular and never
see much of the outside world. They'd gener-
ally prefer to sit in a comfortable chair and
have as many meals as they can manage to get
in a day, followed by some napping. Even the
most heroic halfling often has simple desires,
finding great joy in the easy things in life -
food, friendship, and family. Homesickness is
the most common affliction of the travelling
halfling.

Common Personality Traits: Easygo-

ing, spiritied, laid back, sneaky, clever.
Common Physical Traits: Hairy feet,
fast hands, childlike appearance, expressive
features, surprisingly quick.
Example Names: Angol, April, Au-
tumn, Banin, Bradoc, Jasmine, Mallin, May,
Rose.
Characteristic Bonus: +1 to Intelli-
gence or Fellowship
Skill Bonus: +1 to Larceny and De-
ceive.
Power: Shifty - Shift as a free action
once per round.
Size: 2

33
CHAPTER IV:
RACES

ways to live in crystal spheres otherwise hostile

Human to all life. They usually don't have time or pa-
tience to deal with the problems of others,
though humans come in all types, some even
Humans are a young race. Very young managing to not be self-centered.
and for the most part, clueless. They explore
incessantly and fight amongst themselves for Characteristic Bonus: +1 to any one
land, for love, for their gods. Thankfully, hu- Characteristic.
mans adapt extremely quickly and seem to Skill Bonus: +1 to any two skills.
have a knack for surviving in even the worst Power: Bonus Points: A human be-
places to live. In the short time they've been gins play with an additional 100xp to spend.
on the scene, they've managed to go to war Size: 4
with the Eldarin over the - in the views of the
Eldarin - dangerous practice of reopening dor-
mant Portal Relays. The dominant view of
Humanity is as a race rushing to disaster be-
cause of impatience and reckless behavior.
Relatively short-lived, most humans
view life in the Great Wheel as an adventure,
an undiscovered country to explore. Humans
blaze new trails every day - going places no
one else dares or wants to go, often finding

34
 CHAPTER IV:
RACES

Gnome
A race with a religious reverence for
technology, especially the artifacts of the
Syrne. They were created as engineers and
janitors for the ancient race, with an inborn
knowledge of how to repair Syrneth artifacts.
They are excellent at maintenance, managing
to keep many artifacts running even with no
spare parts. But their innovative abilities are...
somewhat lacking, the fact they don't actually
understand how to build or repair anything ex-
cept through muscle memory meaning that
their experiments usually turn out badly.
Gnomes can be found in some of the
most unlikely of places, outposts among ruins
or floating rocks that they found insteresting
for one reason or another. Their tolerances for
dangerous radiation leaks, substandard living
conditions, and environmental pollution are
somewhat staggering.

Common Personality Traits: Curious,

creative, impressionable, pensive, reckless.
Common Physical Traits: Dirty skin
and clothes, scrawny build, hyperactive mo-
tion, surprisingly tough.
Example Names: Snorrig, Noblar,
Grazbaag, Rord.
Characteristic Bonus: +1 to Intelli-
gence or Fellowship
Skill Bonus: +1 to Crafts and Aca-
demic Lore
Power: Improvise - You don't take the
usual penalties for not having the appropriate
proficiencies with weapons or armor.
Size: 3

35
CHAPTER IV:
RACES

some tough fighting and good opposition.

Ork While they have a reputation for being blood-
thirsty, they only tend to kill unworthy oppo-
nents - the ones that put up a good fight, or at
Like the Eldarin, the Orks were cre- least try, they let live so they can fight again.
ated by the Syrne as warriors. However, where
the Eldarin were created as agile warriors with Common Personality Traits: Argu-
great magical talent, the Orks were created as mentative, foolhardy, individualistic, impa-
brutal troops that can withstand almost any- tient, fun-loving.
thing and keep fighting. They breed quickly Common Physical Traits: Many
and are probably the most successful race in scars, pointed tusks, mottled green skin,
the galaxy, infesting nearly every crystal sphere blood-curdling roar, bulky physique.
known. Thankfully, their constant infighting Example Names: Waagrot, Duffthug,
and love of combat will likely keep them busy Ogork, Ugurty, Naznob, Skabbad
killing each other until the end of time. Characteristic Bonus: +1 to Strength
The Orks live in roving warbands, or Willpower
going from place to place in search of a good Skill Bonus: +1 to Intimidation and
time. They're one of the few Scrutiny
races of people Power: WAAAAAGH! - At the begin-
that are gen- ning of each combat, heal hit points
uinely almost al- equal to your level.
ways having a Size: 5
good time,
especially
w h e n
they
find

36
 CHAPTER IV:
RACES

Squat
A proud people, the Squats come
from a hostile world, the surface almost unliv-
able. They quickly developed mining skills and
began living underground, a tradition that
continues on almost every world they live on.
They are deeply tied to their families and their
social position, with tradition and their caste
structure forming the base of their lives. They
have a longstanding hatred of the Orks, who
infest the surface of their homeworld and are
almost a constant threat.
Squats are a creative people, most
with at least some skill at a trade and a keen
sense for the joy of a job well-done. Most
squats have an appreciation for beautiful
things, though the way they express this might
seem gruff and ungrateful to others. They're
some of the fastest adopters of new technolo-
gies and innovations, and are well-known for
quickly finding ways to turn even seemingly
useless things into useful tools.

Common Personality Traits: Brave,

gruff, persistent, reliable, stubborn.
Common Physical Traits: Beard, bar-
rel chest, sturdy build, drunk, incredible en-
durance.
Example Names: Hrothgar, Durik,
Snorl, Durgen, Gorten, Gudrun.
Characteristic Bonus: +1 to Constitu-
tion or Willpower
Skill Bonus: +1 to Crafts and Com-
mon lore.
Power: Squat Toughness - Once per
encounter, a Squat may reduce the hit points
they lose from an attack of their choice to 1.
They may choose to activate this power after
damage is rolled.
Size: 3

37
CHAPTER IV:
RACES

Tau
A mysterious race, the Tau have little
magical talent and less presence in the affairs
of the Astral Sea than even the humans. They
have not expanded beyond their home Crystal
Sphere, and visitors are almost unknown -
they have not activated their Portal Relay and
their Crystal Sphere is protected by an aura
called the Wall of Fire that makes such a jour-
ney almost suicidal.
Every Tau is humanoid in shape, with
two arms, two cloven feet, and a single head.
Their gray-blue skin is leathery and tough and
exudes no moisture, owing to the generally dry
conditions of their homeworld. Their faces are
flat, wide around the eyes, and their olfactory
organs are located inside their mouths. Their
eyes can see into the infrared and ultraviolet.
Tau eyesight is good, but they focus on distant
objects more slowly than humans.

Common Personality Traits: Under-

standing, tolerance, honor, diplomatic, naive.
Common Physical Traits: Frail build,
farsighted, mobile, enduring, light-fingered.
Example Names: Aun'va, Shaserra,
Shovah, Shas'La, Dynerah, Kais.
Characteristic Bonus: +1 to Intelli-
gence or Composure
Skill Bonus: +1 to Common Lore and
Persuasion
Power: Fall Back - Whenever you
successfully dodge a melee attack, you may
make a free withdraw action, but you may only
move half of the normal distance.
Size: 4

38
 CHAPTER IV:
RACES

Tiefling
The Tieflings are the mirror image of
the Aasimar, a people made to serve Chaos.
They are far more varied in appearance than
their counterparts, typically having multiple
mutations that mark them as servants of
Chaos - hooves, a tail, claws, horns, all of these
are common. While many closely follow the
whims of their gods, a sizable portion of them
simply do as they wish, which suits the pur-
pose of Chaos quite well. Like the Aasimar,
Tieflings increase their number by inducting
other races, though in the case of Tieflings
there is no orderly indoctrination or training,
just torturous warping of the body and prom-
ises of power.
As befitting their birth, Tieflings tend
to not really have any kind of society. Most are
barbaric, living for their own desires and noth-
ing else. They're creatures that indulge their
every whim. Which makes them extraordinar-
ily dangerous - a gang of tieflings might tear
through a street, robbing a few homes, setting
fire to more, painting beautiful murals on the
rest and turning one man's lawn into a beau-
tiful garden.

Common Personality Traits: Passion-

ate, flighty, loud, magnetic, untrustworthy.
Common Physical Traits: Dark eyes,
intimidating height, sharp teeth, inhuman mu-
tations, powerful build.
Example Names: Criella, Linaera,
Verstaadt, Kiltre, Marchaud Vinton, Liera
Characteristic Bonus: +1 to Dexterity
or Constitution
Skill Bonus: +1 to Intimidate and
Weaponry
Power: Bloody Minded - You may
reroll damage dice that land on a 1.
Size: 5

39
 "THE PIT, THE PIT!"
They threw the stranger into the pit. He had appeared from the sky with strange
lights and sounds. He was clearly another Daemon, appear to plague them from the
warp, or a dark sorcerer in their service. He had already been injured when they found
him, and hadn't put up much of a fight, though he was clearly a surly and spiteful type.
The pit was the only place for him, a dry well that had been warded by the priests
to contain daemons such as him. The horrors trapped there would make short work of
him. The stranger had argued, tried to convince them not to throw him in the pit, but
the arguments had fallen on deaf ears and they had pushed him into the pit at sword-
point.
From above, the villagers watched as the daemon in the pit appeared. It had killed
countless men in seconds. The stranger, though, proved to be made of stronger stuff,
pushing back the daemon with surprising strength.
"Give him the spikes," ordered the town magistrate. An ancient mechanism slowly
came into motion, the spiked sides of the pit slowly grinding closed like huge jaws. The
stranger cursed, an oath terrible enough to make the women watching blush.
Against the magistrate's orders, the King's sage appeared, carrying the strange
sword the stranger had been wearing when they captured him. He threw the sword down
into the pit. The stranger caught it before it hit the mud that lined the pit's floor, and
with the press of a switch, the chainsword roared to life. The stranger let loose a battle
cry and decapitated the daemon with one swing. Foul black blood flew into the air.
The stranger used the moments of peace he bought himself to climb above the
pit's closing walls, and then above the lip of the pit itself. Battered and bloody, he walked
up to the town magistrate, looked him in the eye, then looked down at his feet. The mag-
istrate's gaze followed his, and in that moment of distraction he slugged him in the face,
knocking the man over.
"All right, who wants some?" The stranger asked, looking at the silenced crowd
that had just been baying for his blood. "Who's next? Huh? How about it? Who wants
some?!" The men shied away from him. He sneered at them and pushed them away,
then turned to the other prisoners who had been due to be executed.
"Get on those horses and get out of here," he said. He looked at the men holding
them. "Let them go!" They released the prisoners.
"Halt!" the magistrate yelled, getting to his feet. He drew his sword, just a plain
steel blade. The prisoners got on the loose horses and rode off laughing. The magistrate
brandished his sword at the stranger. "For that arrogance, I shall see you dead."
There was a crack-roar like some strange thunder. The magistrate's sword ex-
ploded in his hands, shattering into metal fragments. The stranger raised the aim on the
weapon he was suddenly holding.
"Yeah. Alright you primitive screwheads, listen up. See this?" He raised his
weapon into the air. "This... is my BOOM STICK! It's a .75 gauge standard pattern
bolter, top of the line. This sweet baby was made in the forge city of Gunsmoke on By-
topia-1. Retails for about 500 Thrones. It's got a plasteel stock, engravings and a hair
trigger. Ya got that?! Now I swear, the next one of you primates even touches me-"
The stranger turned and fired his bolter twice in quick succession, blasting the
daemon crawling unnoticed out of the pit. The shots tore its body apart, knocking it
screaming back into the pit. The stranger blew smoke away from the barrel of the
weapon, then lowered it.
"Now, let's talk about how I get back to my ship."
 V
EXALTATION

E very Hero is more than just a man

with training. A real Hero is more than that,
One important thing to note about
the Exalted is that fate and destiny have a
strong hand in their creation. Each of the Ex-
with abilities beyond even the greatest normal alted is someone willing and able to use their
man. A Hero might have a great blessing, or a powers. There is no such thing as a Vampire
great curse. Maybe he was aware of his great unwilling to drink blood, or a Chosen that
potential since childhood. Maybe he only dis- doesn't follow the god that has given them
covered it in a time of great need. power. Destiny seems to work against 'wasted'
What a Hero finds, his source of exaltations.
power, is his Exaltation. It's more than just an- It's impossible to sever the Exaltation
other tool or some training. It's an intrinsic from someone. Despite rumors and experi-
part of who he is. Exaltations are rare, literally ments, there is no way to turn a Vampire back
more rare than a one in a million. It's not even into a mortal, or to neuter a werewolf's abili-
all that uncommon for there to be only one or ties, or cause an atlantean to forget. An Exalt
two exalts on a world at a time. can be killed - though that's not easy - but it's
How a person becomes Exalted de- beyond even the abilities of the gods to make
pends greatly on what type they become. them merely mortal again. If someone wants
Some types of exalted - Werewolves, the Cho- to take down one of the Exalted, they have to
sen - depend on the blessings of the fickle do it the hard way.
gods. Others, like Atlanteans and Paragons, Exalts are functionally immortal.
must be born into. Daemonhosts are more of Until someone goes out of their way to kill
a curse than anything else, taking over the them, they won't die. They'll seem to be in the
dying in some of the darkest corners of the prime of their life for a very, very long time -
world. In theory, anyone can become a when an Exalt starts to look old, they're at an
Promethean, but it requires an expenditure of age where entire nations and great empires are
capital and resources that take a nation to sup- fleeting moments that come and go. Disease
port. Vampires are the only type of exalted doesn't touch them, and all but the most pow-
that anyone really could become, and they're erful poisons fail to affect their bodies.
blood-sucking monsters that feed on mortals.

41
 CHAPTER V:
EXALTATION

EXALTED POWERS Each type of Exalt has a different type of Tell.

Vampire - A vampire grows more
The Exalted have a great variety of
powers. In general, you can divide these into pale, and his fangs become more and more
three parts. First, there are the Exalt's static prominent.
Werewolf - Develops patches of fur
powers, the abilities shared by all of their kind.
These are not always strengths, but also weak- and grows wolflike ears and a tail. Tattoos
nesses that they share. While Exalts are far glow brightly with silver light.
Atlantean - Begins glowing golden
stronger than mere mortals, some have super-
natural weaknesses - a vampire's weakness to with Syrneth magic and an avatar of their past
sunlight, a werewolf to silver, and so forth. life appears around them.
Paragon - No blatantly visible effect,
Secondly, there is the Power Stat.
This is the measure of just how powerful a but a noticible charisma that draws the eye of
given Exalt is in the powers of their kind. Like more and more people.
Chosen - The symbol of their god ap-
Magic and Sword Schools, its maximum in
dots is equal to the character's levels. A char- pears, and an aura forms around them in the
acter begins with one dot in their Power Stat. favored colors of their diety.
Promethean - More gadgets appear,
As they grow in power, most of them change
physically. and obvious mechanisms and crackling power
Third, and possibly most importantly, appear from their bodies.
Daemonhost - Vile marks appear on
there is the resource stat. While each of the
Exalted has a different resource stat, being their skin and their forms twist with mutation.
able to hold different amounts of these re- Tells are not present all the time. It's
sources and recover them in different ways only when an Exalt uses their power and
and at different rates, they can be expended spends Resource Points that the Tell appears.
for the same effects for all Exalts. By spending The number of points that an exalt spends in
one Resource Point, an exalt may: a given scene determines how strong their Tell
* Heal 1 Hit Point. is. When an Exalt spends even a single point,
* Gain +1k0 to a skill Test. their Tell becomes faintly visible to careful ob-
* Gain a reaction action. servers (Perception + Wisdom against TN 20
* Recover from being Stunned to notice). With two to three points, the Tell
* Recover from being Dazed becomes impossible to miss and their true na-
An Exalt can only spend a few re- ture is on display. With four or five points, the
source stats in a given round. The number of character radiates an aura of power, light
points they may spend per round is equal to bright enough to read by or darkness enough
their Power Stat. Healing hit points with your to smother campfires. At six or more points
resource points can only be used out of com- spent in a single scene, the Exalt's display of
bat during a period of relative rest and relax- power becomes truly epic - they might be sur-
ation. mounted with a glowing avatar, be visible for
kilometers, cause mortals to fall silent and sim-
ply watch, or send them screaming in terror.
THE TELL
All of the Exalted have a Tell, some-
thing that marks them as more than merely Mortal Heroes
members of their respective races. While it Some GMs and Players may be inter-
might seem odd, the sheer variety of races, ested in playing mortal characters, either
cultures and technology means that even the for an extra challenge or simply because
most bizarre first impression an exalt leaves, they want to play through their charac-
even ones as unusual as Prometheans and ter's exaltation. In this case, simply don't
Daemonhosts, can be matched by the more choose an Exaltation. A mortal charac-
extreme fashions of mortal society. However, ter is fragile and short-lived compared to
a Tell is blatantly strange and supernatural. an exalt, but their Hero Points still show
them to be something special.

42
 Captain Gabriev fired as the next target walked into the corridor. His
lasgun beeped as the power pack hit critical levels. His hand went to his belt.
Only one pack left. He reloaded and looked back at his teammates.
"How's Talieer?" Gabriev asked, looking back. Wrecka glanced down at
the prone form of the wounded Eldarin. She had taken a hit from the pink-
haired clones that had gone right through her void suit and out the other side.
"Da panzee's all urty," Wrecka said. Gabriev sighed. That wasn't exactly
the answer he had been hoping for. The Ork was a pretty good healer, but he
was nearly tapped at this point.
"I-I am fine," Talieer said. "I have not been injured in a way that will
impede the completion of this mission." She sat up, blood still dripping from
her wound. She put a patch over the hole in her void suit.
"Did any of their... stuff get to you?" Gabriev asked. He glanced back
down the corridor. Nothing yet.
"No. I do not believe so." She sealed the patch. Wrecka, surprisingly
gentle, helped her seal the hole on her back. The Eldarin nodded her thanks.
"No sudden love for the damned little pink things?" They were all iden-
tical, clones created by some damned mad scientist trying to create a god or
bring back her dead daughter or both. They were a perverse mixture of human
and some bizarre alien life form, all of them with pink hair, an empty smile,
and emitting pheromones that made people fall in love with them. Worse, they
seemed to be able to change their shape and turn their limbs into twisted blades
of red crystal.
"No. Their pheromones do not infect through blood contact. I believe
I will be fine as long as my suit does not become further compromised." She
stood up, shakily. "I will require my weapon."
"Oy gotz yer dakka," Wrecka said. He rummaged around in his belt
pouch and produced an inferno pistol. Talieer took it, checked the advanced
weapon, then holstered it, nodding her thanks.
"...kekahi mau pipi..." came an echoing call from down the corridor.
Gabriev turned back to the corridor. Glowing red eyes. He leveled his lasgun.
"We've got more Kiiha clones incoming!" Gabriev warned. "Goddamn,
I hate these things."
 CHAPTER V:
EXALTATION

character may purchase ranks in that Magical

Atlantean School as if they appeared in any class progres-
sion he possesses. Whenever an Atlantean rolls
When the Syrne vanished from this for Psychic Phenomena, they may roll twice
world, they didn't even leave corpses behind. and choose to have either or both effects
The popular theory is that they used a weapon occur.
that actually blasted the souls of their entire Prestidigitation: The character may
race free of their bodies. Ever since then, some preform minor magical tricks. As a half action
have been born with the same kind of amaz- they may do any of the following:
ing, universal magic that the Syrne practiced. * Move up to 1 pound of material
The rumor is that they're being born with the * Create a harmless sensory effect,
souls of the lost Syrne race. like a shower of sparks, faint music, or an
While the Atlanteans are indeed being odor.
reborn with the souls of the Syrne, they do not * Color, clean, or soil small items.
typically come into realization of this until * Instantly light small (Torch, candle,
later in their lives. They usually have normal small campfire) fires.
childhoods - at least as normal as they can be * Chill, warm, or flavor up to 1 pound
for someone with an amazing inborn talent of nonliving material.
with magic and surprising instinctual knowl- Past Lives: An Atlantean may treat all
edge. However, there is typically some trigger- skills as Basic.
ing event that brings old memories surging Paradox: Whenever an Atlantean
back to them. For most it is something simple spends a Mote, he gains 1 paradox. The
- the play of light on water, the sound of a bell only way to regain spent
- but for some it is more dramatic, from an motes is to eliminate the
epiphany in the middle of a duel to stumbling paradox caused by their
over one's own grave. use. There are two
Atlanteans do not have all of the ways to Un-
memories from their former lives. Most only
have flashes and vague memories like a long,
detailed dream. Others remember a few
events or days extremely well and have the
rest of their memory a total blank. All that
they can remember for sure is that something
terrible happened, a curse that still rests on
their power to this day in the form of Paradox.
Unlike some other Exalts, Atlanteans
have no society at all. They may have mem-
ories of being someone else, but they are still
ultimately who they were before they awak-
ened. They may have sudden shifts in person-
ality, and an even greater grasp of magic than
before, though. Most Atlanteans choose a
class with at least some ability to learn magic
- most of their inborn ability improves their
ability to use magic, and they are little better
than the average mortal without that advan-
tage.

POWERS:
Magical Aptitude: You begin play
with one free rank in any Magical School. The

44
 CHAPTER V:
EXALTATION

ravel paradox and change it back into motes. Arcana Power Gained
The safe way is to spend a full action to bleed
out the excess warp taint in a fairly dramatic
* Ancient Style - The vague memories of
the atlantean's past can greatly influ-
but safe way - ghostly images, a shower of ence his present. Some know ancient
sparks, heatless flame, or so forth. The fast fighting styles, lost spells, or even fash-
way is to spend a free action and roll for Psy- ion and style. Choose any three skills.
chic Phenomena. While the Hero has paradox, You may go to six dots in those skills
keeping a 9 on any die when making a magic and gain the specialty (Syrneth) in
Test forces the character to unravel one para- each, replacing any existing specialty.
dox immediately, the fast way - and multiple
9s stack if the character has more than one ** Empower Spell - by spending 1 Mote,
paradox. the character may treat their level as
being 3 higher for the purposes of the
next spell they cast.
POWER STAT: ARCANA
The Arcana of an Atlantean is a com- *** Excellence - You may spend two motes
bination of several factors. First, the awaken- instead of a Hero Point to reroll any
ing memories within them coming alive, skill in which you have a specialization.
memories of that first age blooming in their
minds and carrying with them training and
**** Maximize Spell - The Hero may spend
any number of motes. For each mote
techniques that have been lost to time. Of spent, one die in a spell's Magic check
course, secondly, there is the soul within them is counted as a 10. (despite being 10s,
growing in power. The Syrneth were known these dice do not explode - they are just
for their talents with magic, and this was not counted as 10.)
just because of their extensive knowledge, but
because of a well of power within them that ***** Quicken Spell - By spending one mote,
Atlanteans also share. While Atlanteans never the Hero may cast a spell as a free ac-
really become inhuman, they do tend to with- tion.
draw from their societies over time, becoming
more reclusive as they feel alienated by others.

Resource Stat: Motes. The character has max-

imum Motes equal to their Charisma and In-
telligence plus double their Arcana score.

45
 CHAPTER V:
EXALTATION

taken lightly, and will often occupy the highest

Chosen ranks of a church's organization.
There are those who worship the
gods, and there are those who are chosen by POWERS:
them. The Chosen gain power from their con- Conviction: Your power stat (Faith)
nection to the divine, becoming less human is capped at 1/2 of your Devotion (rounded
and more a devil or god themselves. Many are up) as well as your level. If you lose points in
devoted worshippers of their chosen deity, and devotion sufficient to bring the cap on your
while all of the Chosen have great power, only power stat down below the level you have ac-
those that embrace their calling can really as- tually purchased it at, you lose access to the
cend to the higher ranks of might. powers granted by higher ranks in the power
The way the Chosen are seen de- stat until you have increased your devotion
pends greatly on their patron. Given that the sufficiently.
Ruinous Powers and the Blessed Pantheon are Redeemed: As long as you have at
mortal enemies, it should be obvi- least 2 Faith, you are never in danger of
ous that just by being one of the death. Whenever you would burn a
Chosen, you'll have some enemies Hero Point to survive, you may instead
waiting for you. Granted, permanently lose 1 Faith. You may buy
the Grey Council has it again as normal.
fewer enemies than the Divine Power: The Chosen
other options, but that may spend a Favor to replace
can lead to even more any one rolled die with his
trouble from radicals Devotion. He may not use
from all sides. this power on Alignment
A Chosen's Checks.
power is largely focused Leeway: As long as
on chan- the Chosen is doing some-
neling the thing to advance the plans
might of of his God, or is on a mission
their god. directly from them, he gains a
They have bonus on Alignment checks
various abili- equal to his Faith.
ties to use their
faith as a fuel POWER STAT:
source, especially as
protection - it's almost
FAITH
impossible to kill one as
long as they're in good favor The Faith that a
with their god. Even when Chosen has is different from
you're sure they're dead the type of the average per-
they can just pop back up son. Where the typical be-
to life. liever has only
A Chosen is not prayer, the Cho-
simply someone deeply in- sen have blessings
volved with a god. They've sent down directly, and
been chosen as a cham- visibly, from their patrons.
pion, among the greatest They enjoy a level of power
and most important that few can match thanks to
of a god's servants. this Faith. While their abili-
They shouldn't be ties may not seem
flashy, they're undeni-

46
 CHAPTER V:
EXALTATION

able and extremely powerful and versatile.

Resource Stat: Favor. The Chosen may pre-

form a special ritual once per day which re-
stores all of their favor. The maximum favor a
Chosen can have is equal to his Devotion.

Faith Power Gained

* Second Chance - Whenever the Cho-

sen would burn a hero point to survive,
he immediately is returned to full
health and put in the nearest safe place
(how safe, exactly, depends on the
whims of the gods).

** Divine Protection - Whenever you re-

ceive critical damage you may make an
Alignment check. If it is successful, you
prevent the critical damage.

*** Auspicious Success - Whenever you

spend a Favor to add dice to a roll, you
may add +2k0 to your roll per Favor
spent instead of the normal +1k0.

**** Prayer Strip - A Chosen may, when

preforming the ritual to restore his or
her favor, choose to create a Prayer
Strip. A Chosen may only create one
Prayer Strip per day, and may have a
number equal to their Faith in exis-
tance at any time. A Prayer Strip may
used at any time as though it was a
point of the Chosen's Favor (including
all special modifiers such as from Aus-
picious Success), and may be used by
anyone holding it as long as the Cho-
sen considers them an ally.

***** Miracles - A Chosen does not have to

trust to luck. A Chosen makes their
OWN luck. Rather than adding +2k0
to a roll when spending a Favor, the
Chosen simply adds 10 to the result.

47
 CHAPTER V:
EXALTATION

fident types changing the least from the dae-

Daemonhost mon's influence and the easily led and submis-
sive changing the most.
A Daemonhost is what most people A Daemonhost's power is often com-
are really afraid of when they're thinking about pared to that of an Atlantean. And not without
the Exalted. Whereas most of the Exalted are cause. The two have very similar origins, an
simply people with supernatural ability, Dae- ancient and powerful soul in a fresh body.
monhosts are truly monsters. Most are people Some races are unwilling or unable to see the
who, at the verge of death, were willing to give difference between the two. But one is a rein-
up anything to live, even if it meant allowing a carnation, a fresh start for a cursed people,
monster to dominate and warp their body. while a Daemonhost is a parasite that brings
There is great debate about just how the living back from death purely to escape its
much control the original soul still has over own torment and to exert its power over a
their actions. It's undeniable that there are world it does not belong in.
major changes in the person's ac-
tions, personality, taste, and so
forth, but it's similarly un-
deniable that the Dae-
monhost retains all of
their memories and
often appears more
similar than differ- POWERS:
ent at first glance. Demonic Tutor:
The truth is You begin play with one
that there is no simple an- free rank in
swer. When a Daemon- any Magical
host is created, a warp entity School. You
escapes from that chaotic di- may purchase
mension and uses the body ranks in this
of one of the dying as a magical
host. It doesn't just take school as if it
over the body, though - it appeared
fuses with the soul of the host in your
and they become, essentially, c l a s s
an entirely new being. It progres-
seems that the most im- sion.
portant factor in de- Un h o l y
termining how the Might: By
host acts spending one
after the Essence, you
change is may add your
the strength of their Arcanoi rank to the rank
willpower and of your Magical School
personality, for a single Magic Test.
with par- Rejected by Cre-
ticu- ation: Whenever a Daemonhost spends
larly Essence, he gains Resonance. The only
domi- way to regain spent Essence is to
nating eliminate the Resonance caused
a n d by its use. Resonance Erup-
self-con- tions (turning the resonance

48
 CHAPTER V:
EXALTATION

back into essence) are made by Testing Arcanoi Power Gained

Willpower against a TN equal to 10+5 per
Resonance. For every degree of failure on this * Daemonic - Daemonhosts reduce
roll, the hero suffers one wound. For every de- damage they take from every source by
gree of success, the hero loses one Resonance an amount equal to their Constitution
and gains one Essence. While the Hero has plus their Arcanoi except for damage
Resonance, a 9 on any die when making a inflicted by magical effects or silver
magic Test forces the character to cause a Res- weapons.
onance Eruption immediately. (Multiple 9s
stack!)
** Unnatural Characteristics - Daemon-
hosts may go to six dots in any of their
Feeding: A Daemonhost may feed on Characteristics.
the living to fuel his power. By consuming the
flesh and blood of an living creature, the Dae- *** Scorn Earth - You no longer need to
monhost may recharge their horrid abilities. touch the ground of creation, holding
Daemonhosts can make bite attacks with a yourself above it with your massive
Brawl attack. For every hit point of damage power. A Daemonhost may hover at
they inflict with these bite attacks, they convert will, allowing them to move at their
one Resonance back into Essence. If a Dae- normal speed in all three dimensions.
monhost is feeding on a helpless or willing tar-
get, they may choose to feed only on a small **** Not Of This World – You do not suffer
the effects of results from the Critical
amount of blood, leaving almost no mark. Damage charts unless they would
cause death.
POWER STAT: ARCANOI
As the Daemonhost increases in ***** Black Miracle - Killing a Daemonhost
at this level of power merely forces the
power, the Daemon draws more power out of
Daemon inside back into the warp for
the Warp and into the real world. This perva-
a short time. Unless a ritual is pre-
sive wrongness that warps and empowers the
formed to prevent it (and a Daemon-
Daemon is their Arcanoi. As a Daemonhost's
host can burn Hero points to foil this
Arcanoi grows, they begin to warp away from
ritual) the Daemonhost simply reforms
their previous forms, often taking on unnatural
later, spending one week for every
coloration, growing horns or claws, having
point of Resonance they have in the
their eyes become flat black or begin glowing,
warp before finding a new vessel.
and so forth. Daemonhosts are hard to cate-
gorize in any simple way. They can be beauti-
ful, terrible, or anything in-between.

Resource Stat: Essence The character begins

play with Essence equal to Willpower +
Charisma, plus double their Arcanoi.

49
 CHAPTER V:
EXALTATION

Paragon POWER STAT: PRESSURE

A Paragon is, simply put, the best of When a Paragon sets his mind to
their race. The kind of person born with a su- something, it can be very difficult to oppose
pernatural level of talent and raw ability. Per- him. Each one has a dominating presence, a
haps only one in a thousand is born with this pressure that gives them an edge against every-
power, and fewer still come to recognize it. one else. Others can feel it, a psychic force ra-
Paragons are perhaps the most subtle diating from them and crushing resistance. It's
of all Exalts. They don't have blatant super- said that some very powerful Paragons can ac-
natural abilities. They can't change shape or tually move things with their minds, see the fu-
kill people with special mind bullets (just the ture, and preform all sorts of tricks - without
same mind bullets as anyone else). They are using any magic at all.
simply at the top end of the normal bell curve At the beginning of each scene, you
of talent, so many standard deviations from gain a number of points equal to three times
the norm that they're an entirely different type your Pressure. You may use these points to
of people. modify any roll directly - spending one point
Anyone who is a Paragon almost in- improves the final total of the roll by 1. You
evitably rises to the top in their society. may spend any number of these points per
They're the best of the best, and nearly every round, using all of them in a single roll if you
one has a story to tell about coming from some wish. Whenever an opponent spends a Re-
unlikely background and rising to meet every source Point, a point of Pressure, a Hero
challenge put in front of them. Point, or you lose one or more Hit Points, you
However, it's important to remember recover a point of Pressure. If you would have
that a Paragon isn't just someone who is good more than three times your Pressure in Pres-
at what they do. There are a lot of people who sure Points, the ‘extra’ points are lost.
are good at their chosen field. A Paragon is a
person born with literally unlimited potential. Resource Stat: Action Points. You have a
For the average person, competing with a number of Action points equal to your Level
Paragon is simply impossible. Even the great- + Pressure. They are regained at the beginning
est mortal expert would find the playing field of every session.
drastically tilted in the Paragon's favor.

POWERS:
Destiny: A paragon begins play with
2 additional Hero points.
Statuesque: Each race gives a choice
of +1 to two stats. Choose one of those stats
you have not chosen before. You gain +1 to
that stat.
Flash: You are never surprised and
are aware of every attack that is directed at
you.
Perfection: You gain one feat that has
your race as a prerequisite.

50
 CHAPTER V:
EXALTATION

51
 CHAPTER V:
EXALTATION

Promethean POWERS:
Heroes can be born or chosen by fate, Living Construct: A Promethean is
but a Promethean is made by the hands of immune to Fatigue, Poison, and Disease.
mortals. They are created by the tireless work They are not subject to the same frailties as
of mortals, the fortunes of entire crystal their fleshy companions. They also have no
spheres sunk into their creation to forge them need to Eat, Drink, Sleep, or Breathe though
out of the most perfect materials and magics. they can still do so if they want.
Each one is a device created to bring about a Refitting: A Promethean doesn't heal
change, machines built to bring freedom, men naturally over time. A Promethean must be re-
created to save the Great Wheel. paired. Repairing a Promethean takes a Craft
The body of a Promethean is an + Int Test. The TN for this Test is 15 if the
undying form of metal and magic, a work of Promethean is lightly wounded, 20 if heavily
art with incredible detail and care. Magical flu- wounded, and 25 if the Promethean has taken
ids, dissolved quintessence and other more ex- critical damage. A successful Test recovers 1
otic alchemical concoctions. Each one is Hit Point and takes one hour. A Promethean
unique. Most are beautiful, some because of cannot spend Pyros to heal Hit
their graceful forms and others with slablike Points. If a Promethean loses
forms of simple shapes. The one constant limbs or their body is de-
among Prometheans is that they have a stroyed, they can be re-
heart, a core that is the center of their paired rather than
magical life. replaced. Repairing a de-
This heart, the Promethean stroyed limb or body re-
Core, pulses with incredible power, a quires making Craft + Int
glowing reactor burning with a magical ra- tests against TN 25, each
dience called Pyros. This energy can do the test taking one day. After five
impossible, letting them exceed what few successful tests have been
limitations their enhanced bodies still made, the
have. This Core also hosts the soul of Promethean’s
the Promethean, which must come limb is rebuilt.
from a willing subject with an ex- Disquiet: A
ceptionally strong willpower and Promethean
drive to live. generates an
Prometheans are typi- aura of subtle
cally revered by their creators, wrongness. He
icons, perfect men, unbeatable takes -2k1 to all
machines, designed to destroy social rolls
every evil standing between their against non-ex-
people and freedom. They are alts. Partly this is
usually thought of in the same because of their
way that people think of flag- status as living
ships in a navy or walking nu- weapons and
clear weapons - respect and machine-like ap-
fear, but purely as a weapon. It pearance. This is also, though,
can be hard to get people to a partly magical effect.
see past their appearance to Superlative Constitution: A
the very real person still in- Promethean doesn't suffer
side them who sacrificed Critical Damage like others.
themselves to become It's extremely difficult to kill
something greater. one. Even critical damage
won't necessarily kill them.

52
 CHAPTER V:
EXALTATION

Each of their limbs tracks critical damage sep- Generation Power Gained
arately. They do not use the Critical charts for
damage, but at 5 critical damage the limb is *
Integrated Armor - A Promethean
has integrated armor equal to his
destroyed. If the damage is to the gizzards or
Generation +3. He may not wear
head, the Promethean is killed. Other limbs
armor, and counts as wearing light
being destroyed merely results in the loss of
armor for the purposes of determin-
said limb. If the Body is destroyed, the
ing static defence. A Promethean
Promethean is knocked unconscious until he
may choose to treat any armor profi-
is repaired.
ciencies on his class lists as being op-
tional feats.
POWER STAT:
GENERATION ** Integrated Weapons - A Promethean
can integrate a number of weapons
As a Promethean's Generation in- into his body equal to his Generation.
creases, he swaps out older equipment with These weapons are effectively con-
newer gear. Most Prometheans must return to cealed and can't be found by a nor-
their place of birth in order to increase their mal search. He can draw them as a
Generation, despite spending XP. As their free action.
generation goes up, most Prometheans also
become more and more ornate in appearance, *** Transhuman Potential - A
with extra components and gadgets being Promethean may spend Pyros to
added over time. Every ability, spell, and feat boost his characteristics, spending 1
a Promethean has might well come from these pyros for every +1 bonus up to a limit
installed components. of his Generation. This bonus lasts
only for one turn.
Resource Stat: Pyros. The Prometheans regain
one Pyros per hour as their internal reservoirs
**** Recharge - Whenever a Promethean
suffers damage from a source that
of magical essence generate power. They can deals E-type damage, they recover 1
hold Pyros equal to three times their Genera- spent Pyros for every hit point they
tion. lose from that attack.
***** Warstrider - A Promethean may as-
sume a massively powerful and
deadly form. For one scene per day,
the Promethean doubles his size and
gains +3 dots to all physical charac-
teristics. Integrated weapons deal an
additional +1k1 damage because of
their increased size.

53
 CHAPTER V:
EXALTATION

Undead Resilience - A Vampire may

Vampire not be killed by critical damage unless that
damage comes from an E, X, silver, or magical
Vampires are undead creatures, hor- source. Impact and Rending damage that
rors that drink the blood of the living. They would otherwise kill a vampire merely leaves
are cursed to a half-life by a plague stemming them unconsious. And since a vampire doesn't
from a small number of people who drank the breathe and has no heartbeat, this may lead a
blood of the dying Elven god of war, Khaine. careless opponent to think they've finished him
Vampires are generally feared and off. A vampire in this condition will remain
poorly understood by mortals, and are often unconsious until they spend enough blood to
considered among the weakest of the Exalta- heal their Critical Damage past the point
tions. However, any mortal can become a where they would have been fatal.
vampire - you have to be born a Paragon, at- Sunlight Weakness - A vampire auto-
tract the notice of a god to become one of the matically loses 1k1 Hit Points per round
Chosen, but all that is required to become a they're exposed to sunlight. Critical damage
vampire is to make yourself useful enough to uses the E chart and automatically goes to the
another vampire that they are willing to turn
you.
Most vampires spend decades or cen-
turies paying off this initial blood debt. How-
ever, during this time the elder vampire shields
the younger one, teaching them how to control
and use their powers. Because of their age and
their attachment to a local community, they
also tend to be very well connected.
Vampires come from all walks in
life. There is no single class or race that is
more strongly represented than any other -
the promise of immortality tempts nearly
every mortal. A vampire's powers
make them fairly hard to kill,
and they can replenish their
stores of blood quickly in a well-
populated area. Additionally, a
vampire's thirst runs deep, and
they can have more stored in
their Resource Pool than most
Immortals. In many situations, a
vampire can tap more fully into
their store of power than anyone
else, since they can easily recover
themselves after a fight.

POWERS:
Old Money - A Vampire
begins play with 4 additional dots to
place into backgrounds. They've
simply had a long time to inte-
grate themselves into society, and
can reap the benefits.

54
 CHAPTER V:
EXALTATION

body. A vampire killed by sunlight damage is

Blood Power Gained
reduced to dust and cannot be returned from
Potency
the dead. A thick cloak and wide hat, a para-
sol, or similar careful preparation is enough to
protect a vampire, though they’ll no doubt be
* Auspex - The Hero can see in the dark
and +1k0 to all perception checks.
quite uncomfortable.
Blood Dependency - A vampire must ** Dread - The Hero may spend 1 Vitae
spend 1 Vitae every day in order to remain ac- to gain Fear 1 until the end of the
tive. If they choose not to, or can't, they lapse scene.
into a coma. When making unarmed brawl at-
tacks, a Vampire may choose to bite his vic-
*** Celerity - The Hero may spend 1 Vitae
to gain an extra half action
tims, getting +1k0 to damage. The vampire
may choose to drain one resource point of **** Potence - The Hero may spend 1 Vitae
blood from a bitten victim, which gives the vic- to double his Strength until the end of
tim a level of fatigue (this replaces the normal the scene.
level of fatigue gained from an unarmed at- ***** Dominate - The Hero may use Domi-
tack.) A vampire may also, of course, feed nate as the spell, using Blood Potency
from a willing target. A vampire who is uncon- + Charisma instead of the normal
scious or in a coma may be fed blood by an- Magic Test.
other. If a vampire attempts to feed from
someone who has already been knocked un-
consious by fatigue, they may only safely drain
1 Vitae, with the next feeding killing the vic-
tim.

POWER STAT:
BLOOD POTENCY
Blood Potency is a measure of how
strongly the blood of Khaine resonates within
the vampire. It gives a vampire most of their
iconic powers - the ability to see in the dark,
to inspire fear, superhuman speed and
strength, and finally the power to control
minds. When a vampire increases their Blood
Potency, it means they are drawing farther and
farther away from the mortality they once had.
While a vampire with low blood potency can
easily pass for a mortal (if a pale one), one with
high blood potency will find it more difficult
as they become more corpse-like. A vampire
that cares much for their appearance often
finds it difficult to connect to the undead
power within them, though there are excep-
tions - for every shrivelled corpse, there is a
beautiful, secuctive vampiress.

Resource Stat: Vitae - A vampire's maximum

Vitae are equal to five times his Blood Po-
tency.

55
 CHAPTER V:
EXALTATION

spirit world, able to walk the Warp in ways

Werewolf that none other can do safely. They call the
layer of the warp they are able to access the
Werewolves are blessed by Luna with Umbra, a relatively stable part of the Warp
the ability to change shape. Or at least that's with few dangers compared to the rest of the
how some of them see it. Others call it a curse. chaotic dimension.
It may well be both - a curse for those who
don't appreciate the gift and a blessing for the
ones who revel in it. POWERS:
The way werewolves are seen varies Shifting - The most obvious power of
greatly from culture to culture. Typically, the the Werewolf is the ability to change shape. As
more stable, advanced, and monolithic a cul- a full action, the werewolf may change into
ture, the more werewolves are seen as a threat. one of two forms or back again - a normal-
They are typically outsiders, rebels fighting for sized wolf and a massive half-wolf half-man
the rights of the average person. Most of warform.
Luna's chosen are interested in saving people Wolf form: Obviously, in wolf form
from tyranny and oppres- the character cannot speak, manip-
sion - not to rule over them ulate all but the simplest objects, or
but to give them a chance to do other things most humans take
rule for themselves. for granted. However, they gain
Werewolves +1k1 to all perception checks in-
don't have a large volving scent. +2 to Dexter-
overarching society, ity, -1 to Size, and a bite
but they do form small attack that adds +1k1 to
packs and tribes. One Brawl damage.
of the primary respon- Warform: A horror,
cibilities of these tribes a werewolf in warform is a
is finding new were- massively destructive force.
wolves soon after their
first change and bring-
ing them into the fold.
It is traditional for
most werewolves to re-
cieve tattoos in magi-
cal silver (one of the
few inks that won't
simply be healed over
or expelled) to mark
their deeds.
Werewolves
are dangerous and
tenacious adversaries.
Their ability to change
shape gives them an
edge in many circum-
stances, especially A Werewolf in Warform
against anyone foolish may only make attack ac-
enough to go into tions or move towards an
melee combat with opponent. A Werewolf
them. They're also must spend 1 Rage to enter
strongly attuned to the warform and may only
maintain Warform for a

56
 CHAPTER V:
EXALTATION

number of rounds equal to his Constitution + Feral Power Gained

Feral Heart. While in warform, the werewolf Heart
gains Stuff Of Nightmares, Strength +2, Size
+2, Constitution +2, and has claws that can * Fast Healing - The werewolf heals 1
Hit Point per round, as long as that
be used to add +1k1 damage to Brawl attacks
wound was not caused by E, X, silver,
and a bite that acts as a +2k2 Brawl attack. A
or magic. Critical damage is healed
werewolf's bite and claws in warform count as
more slowly, recovering only one point
magical weapons. A werewolf must remove
per hour.
any armor before changing shape or else the
straps break, dealing damage to the werewolf ** Spirit Sight - The werewolf may see
equal to the armor’s AP and rendering the into the spirit world, viewing the local
armor useless until repaired. umbra. This requires making a FH +
Lycan Resilience - A Werewolf may Wisdom check to activate, and lasts
not be killed by critical damage unless that until deactivated or the end of the
damage comes from an E, X, silver, or magical scene. By viewing the local umbra, the
source. If a werewolf suffers enough damage werewolf may see any lingering magical
from another source that it would normally kill auras and traces of major events that
them, they are instead knocked unconsious have taken place there.
until they regenerate all critical damage. A
werewolf may spend Rage to recover Hit *** Quick Shift - The werewolf may shift
Points in combat as a free action. as a half action instead of a full action.
Spirit Tongue - Werewolf begins play **** Sacred Hunt - By preforming a ritual
with the feat Speak Language (Spirits) that lasts six hours (on average - rarer
Silver Bane - A Werewolf halves their prey takes a longer time and it's impos-
size when calculating Hit Points lost from sible to hunt an animal that simply isn't
damage from a silver weapon. in the area), a Werewolf may hunt and
kill a superlative example of a particu-
POWER STAT: lar animal. Once the Werewolf begins
the hunt, they cannot rest or pursue
FERAL HEART any other goal until it is complete.
Feral Heart is the measure of just how When they have completed the hunt,
close the character is to the ancient and wild they taste the heart's blood of their
power within him. The higher the measure of prey. From that time on, they may as-
the character's Feral Heart, the more they be- sume the form of that precise animal
come like a wolf themselves, cunning and in- (including scars and distinguishing
stinctual. Their connection to the spirit world marks) by spending two points of Rage
also grows more solid, until they can actually and then Shifting.
enter the Umbra on their own. As a Werewolf
increases his Feral Heart, his tribemates typi- ***** Spirit Walk - By making a FH + Wis-
cally give him more tattoos (or he inks his own dom check (Typically against TN 20,
body) describing the great deeds he has ac- though this varies depending on the
complished. area), the werewolf may attempt to
enter the Umbra through a reflective
Resource Stat: Rage. A werewolf regains Rage surface. Anyone holding his hand may
equal to their Feral heart at the beginning of come along. The Umbra is a dangerous
each combat and once each night when the place, a rough parallel to the real world
moon (or moons, or local equivalent) rises. A but infested with spirits and daemons.
werewolf may have rage equal to his Compo-
sure + Willpower + Level.

57
 "You can't tell me you're comfortable travelling with her," Iniga said. "She's
a werewolf!" The werewolf in question was getting another round of drinks at the
bar. The man Iniga was speaking to, an Aasimar that almost glowed with how much
shine and polish he had, glanced back to look at her for a moment, then back at
Iniga.
"You're a Dark Eldarin," Jacov pointed out. "And a vampire. Either of them
would be more than enough to make most uneasy. Traya isn't so bad."
"That's different!" Iniga folded her arms. "We just have a bad reputation be-
cause of a few outlying rogue elements that have given the whole an overall poor
public image. There are many, myself included, that do not fit into the general per-
ception of my kind as predators or sadists."
"...Your kind being Dark Eldarin or Vampire? I've heard pretty much the
same about both and-"
"That's not the point!" Iniga hissed. "Don't you see those tattoos?!" She
pointed at the werewolf's arm. She was a tiefling, and on her red skin were the mys-
tical tattoos that marked her as a werewolf. Many of the silver markings had become
tarnished and twisted into black spirals.
"What about them?" Jacov asked. Iniga sighed. The Aasimar was just so stu-
pid sometimes.
"Do I have to explain everything? That means she's a Black Spiral Dancer!
A berserker!" Jacov shrugged. Iniga groaned. "She'll kill us all!"
"I'll take care of it if there's trouble," Jacov said. The tiefling werewolf re-
turned to the table with the next round of drinks, smiling.
"Hah! I got this round for free!" Traya was almost purring as she put the
glasses down.
"How did you do that? Not with underhanded methods, I hope." Iniga asked.
Traya smiled at the vampire.
"Well, you wouldn't know about it, but we tieflings have these mind control
devices." She adjusted her very low shirt to show off her cleavage. She looked at
Iniga's chest. "I guess you just don't have that power."
"Are you calling me flat?!" Iniga demanded, standing up. She was a foot and
a half shorter than the tiefling, but she was trying her best to look imposing. Traya
smiled, showing rather more fangs than Iniga's delicate set.
"No fighting," Jacov said, quietly. Traya looked at him and sighed, then
stopped. "Look, Armstrong's back." He waved. The human wizard smiled and
walked over to the table.
"I think I got us a ship," Armstrong said. "Small freighter with a human cap-
tain and an orc first mate. It's called the Thousand-Year-Eagle."
"Wait... that pile of junk docked in the Hive?!" Iniga asked. She sat down
and started drinking again.
"He says he can get us to Carceri without any entanglements from the Coun-
cil or Imperial fleets," Armstrong said, with a shrug. "It'll cost us, though. He wants
ten thousand thrones."
"I could almost buy a ship for that," Iniga complained.
"And who would pilot it?" Traya asked. "You?!"
"Yeah, me." She folded her arms and smiled. "I happen to be a pretty good
pilot, you know."
"Tell him we'll pay him two thousand thrones now and fifteen thousand
when we arrive," Jacov said, finishing his ale. "
"I think we have ourselves a ship," Armstrong said, smiling.
 VI
CLASSES

C lasses are packages that represent

your character's training and work. Your class
These are the meat of each class, the abilities
that go above and beyond mere skills.
Each class has a list of prerequisites,
is the primary definition of what your charac- skills, characteristics, and occasionally classes
ter can do in the extraordinary magical land- that the character must have in order to be al-
scape of the DUNGEONS THE lowed to go into the class. Without meeting
DRAGONING world. these prerequisites, a character may not even
A class is more than just a profession: go into the class.
it defines the power and skills that the charac- A character may only be in one class
ter is focused on learning while they adventure at a time. In order to finish the class he is in a
across a spell-tangled, monster-ridden, battle- character must purchase every non-optional
torn fantasy world. You can be a gutsy sword- feat in the class. Once a character has pur-
master, a spellcaster with questionable ties, a chased the non-optional feats in a class, he
gun-toting soldier with dead aim, a skilled as- may choose a new class and begin spending
sassin for hire. The choice is yours. XP on it's advances. Once a character has
The primary focus of a class is deter- moved on to another class, he cannot purchase
mining just what a character may spend XP the Characteristics, Skills, Sword Schools,
on. It can be difficult for a wizard to suddenly Magic Schools, and any optional feats they
learn how to use a sword like an expert, and passed over from the old class.
similarly difficult for a gunslinger to just pick Each class has a Level. This level de-
up the basics of sorcery over a long weekend. termines the effect of many spells and feats,
As such, when spending XP, a char- but more importantly, the highest rank a char-
acter may only improve characteristics and acter may have in their Power Stat, their
skills that are allowed by the class. These rep- Sword Schools, and their Magic Schools is
resent the kind of things the character can ex- capped at the character's level. A character's
pect to improve while exercising the talents of level is equal to the level of the highest level
the class. Each Class also has a list of feats that class they have. For example, a character with
are available for purchase, and many also in- Fighter 4, Bard 2 is a Level 4 character.
clude one or more Sword or Magic Schools.

59
CHAPTER VI:
CLASSES

This chapter describes the following classes: THE LEVELING

Fighter - A master of weapons, armor,
and melee training.
PROCEDURE
Magic User - A versatile and powerful 1) Choose a class. This is your char-
wizard or warlock. acter's starting class. In order to go into a
Rogue - A combatant who uses class, you probably have to meet some prereq-
stealth and slyness to thwart enemies. uisites, so make sure you do.
Cleric - A divinely inspired warrior. 2) When spending XP, what you can
Peasant - A very basic class that any- spend it on (the class' Advances) is deter-
one can enter. mined by your class:
Mercenary - A basic fighting class for a - Each class has a level. A charac-
anyone who wants to learn to fight. ter's level is equal to the level of the highest
Ratcatcher - Sneaky buggers with level class they have. For example, a character
basic stealth skills. with Fighter 4, Bard 1, Wizard 3 is a Level 4
Scholar - A basic class that teaches character.
the basics needed to learn magic. b - Each class has a list of Character-
Initiate - Healers and the faithful, low istics. You may only buy improvements for
ranking members of religious organizations. the class' listed characteristics.
Bard - Versatile jack-of-all-trades with c - Each class also has a list of skills.
the potential to do anything. These are the only skills you may spend XP
Assassin - They're not mass murder- on while working on the class.
ers. It's a profession, not a mental illness. d - The core of every class is a list of
Guardsman - A class that's good at feats. These feats come in two types, manda-
shooting things. tory and optional.
Paladin - Holy warriors with talents at e - A class can also have Magic
healing and smiting. Lots of smiting. Schools and Sword Schools. The maximum
Barbarian - Wild and tough warriors rank of your character's Magic and Sword
with amazing talents. Schools is capped at your character's level.
f - You may also buy ranks in your
Exaltation's Power Stat. The maximum rank
FREE STUDY of your character's Power Stat is also capped
After you've finished your current at your character's level.
class, you have an opportunity for a little free 3) Until you have purchased all
study. You can spend XP to buy optional feats mandatory feats in a class, you may not
from classes you've already completed, and to change classes. Most feats can only be taken
improve any skills or characteristics that are on once. If you already have a feat that's in a class
the lists of classes you've completed. If you list, and it can't be taken more than once, you
want to improve other skills and characteris- don't have to purchase it again. Some classes
tics, you may, but the costs are doubled if they have the option of taking one feat or another.
don't appear on your class lists. When you choose one of these feats, you can-
not get the other feat from this class, though
you can get it from another class that has this
feat in its class progression.
4) When you change classes, you can
no longer purchase the advances from your
old class unless they appear on your new class
list.

60
 CHAPTER VI:
CLASSES

Assassin 1
Level: 1
Prerequisites: (Weaponry or Ballistics) 2, Stealth 2
Characteristics: Dexterity, Intelligence, Fellowship
Skills: Perception, Common Lore, Acrobatics, Ballistic, Larceny, Stealth, Weaponry, Scrutiny,
Persuasion, Charm, Deceive, Athletics, Pilot, Disguise
Feats:
Fast Reflexes
Blind Fighting
Improved Feint
Catfall
Two Weapon Fighting
*Weapon Prof (Any)
Weapon Prof (Any)
Sword Schools:
Shadow Hand
Setting Sun

Assassin 2
Level: 2
Prerequisites: (Weaponry or Ballistics) 2, Stealth 3, Assassin 1
Characteristics: Dexterity, Intelligence, Fellowship
Skills: Perception, Common Lore, Acrobatics, Ballistic, Larceny, Stealth, Weaponry, Scrutiny,
Persuasion, Charm, Deceive, Athletics, Pilot, Disguise
Feats:
Sneak Attack
Armor Prof (Light)
Catfall
Far Shot OR Furious Assault
Skill Focus (any)
*Skill Focus (any)
*Weapon Prof (Any)
Sword Schools:
Shadow Hand
Setting Sun

Optional feats are marked with an asterisk (*). Choice feats are marked with OR.

61
CHAPTER VI:
CLASSES

Assassin 3
Level: 3
Prerequisites: (Weaponry or Ballistics) 3, Stealth 3, Assassin 2
Characteristics: Dexterity, Intelligence, Fellowship
Skills: Perception, Common Lore, Acrobatics, Ballistic, Larceny, Stealth, Weaponry, Scrutiny,
Persuasion, Charm, Deceive, Athletics, Pilot, Disguise
Feats:
Fleet of Foot
Quick Draw
Swift Attack OR Deadeye Shot
Back Stab
Weapon Focus (Any)
Skill Focus (any)
*Skill Focus (any)
Weapon Prof (Any)
Sword Schools:
Shadow Hand
Setting Sun

Assassin 4
Level: 4
Prerequisites: (Weaponry or Ballistics) 4, Stealth 4, Assassin 3
Characteristics: Dexterity, Intelligence, Fellowship
Skills: Perception, Common Lore, Acrobatics, Ballistic, Larceny, Stealth, Weaponry, Scrutiny,
Persuasion, Charm, Deceive, Athletics, Pilot, Disguise
Feats:
Crack Shot OR Crushing Blow
Hard Target
Luck
Jaded
Skill Focus (any)
*Skill Focus (any)
*Weapon Prof (Any)
Sword Schools:
Shadow Hand
Setting Sun

62
 CHAPTER VI:
CLASSES

Assassin 5
Level: 5
Prerequisites: (Weaponry or Ballistics) 5, Stealth 5, Assassin 4
Characteristics: Dexterity, Intelligence, Fellowship
Skills: Perception, Common Lore, Acrobatics, Ballistic, Larceny, Stealth, Weaponry, Scrutiny,
Persuasion, Charm, Deceive, Athletics, Pilot, Disguise
Feats:
Step Aside
Assassin Strike
Counter Attack
Improved Back Stab
Devastating Critical
Skill Focus (any)
*Skill Focus (any)
*Weapon Prof (Any)
Sword Schools:
Shadow Hand
Setting Sun

Barbarian 1
Level: 1
Prerequisites: Weaponry 2, Athletics 1
Characteristics: Strength, Dexterity
Skills: Crafts, Athletics, Drive, Weaponry, Intimidation, Animal Ken, Brawl, Acrobatics
Feats:
Frenzy
Danger Sense
Armor Proficiency (light)
Power Attack
Weapon Proficiency (any)
*Weapon Proficiency (any)
Sword Schools:
Stone Dragon
Tiger Claw
Desert Wind

Optional feats are marked with an asterisk (*). Choice feats are marked with OR.

63
CHAPTER VI:
CLASSES

Barbarian 2
Level: 2
Prerequisites: Weaponry 3, Athletics 2, Barbarian 1
Characteristics: Strength, Dexterity
Skills: Crafts, Athletics, Drive, Weaponry, Intimidation, Animal Ken, Brawl, Acrobatics
Feats:
Jaded
Quick Draw
Light Sleeper
Powerful Charge
Weapon Proficiency (any)
*Weapon Proficiency (any)
Weapon Focus (any)

Sword Schools:
Stone Dragon
Tiger Claw
Desert Wind

Barbarian 3
Level: 3
Prerequisites: Weaponry 4, Athletics 3, Barbarian 2
Characteristics: Strength, Dexterity
Skills: Crafts, Athletics, Drive, Weaponry, Intimidation, Animal Ken, Brawl, Acrobatics
Feats:
Crushing Blow
Furious Assault
Swift Attack
Armor Proficiency (medium)
Weapon Proficiency (any)
*Weapon Proficiency (any)
Sword Schools:
Stone Dragon
Tiger Claw
Desert Wind

64
 CHAPTER VI:
CLASSES

Barbarian 4
Level: 4
Prerequisites: Weaponry 5, Athletics 4, Barbarian 3
Characteristics: Strength, Dexterity
Skills: Crafts, Athletics, Drive, Weaponry, Intimidation, Animal Ken, Brawl, Acrobatics
Feats:
Battle Rage
Fearless
Iron Jaw
Cleave
Weapon Proficiency (any)
*Weapon Proficiency (any)
*Weapon Focus (any)
Sword Schools:
Stone Dragon
Tiger Claw
Desert Wind

Barbarian 5
Level: 5
Prerequisites: Weaponry 5, Athletics 5, Barbarian 4
Characteristics: Strength, Dexterity
Skills: Crafts, Athletics, Drive, Weaponry, Intimidation, Animal Ken, Brawl, Acrobatics
Feats:
Devastating Critical
True Grit
Lightning Attack
Armor Proficiency (Heavy)
Weapon Proficiency (any)
*Weapon Proficiency (any)
Sword Schools:
Stone Dragon
Tiger Claw
Desert Wind

Optional feats are marked with an asterisk (*). Choice feats are marked with OR.

65
CHAPTER VI:
CLASSES

Bard 1
Level: 1
Prerequisites: Charisma 3, Common Lore 3, Performer 1
Characteristics: Charisma, Fellowship, Dexterity
Skills: Academic Lore, Common Lore, Medicae, Politics, Arcana, Acrobatics, Larceny, Per-
former, Persuasion, Charm, Deceive, Disguise, Tech-Use, Scrutiny, Command
Feats:
Speak Language (Any)
Luck
Jack of All Trades
Peer (Any)
Weapon Prof (Parrying)
Weapon Prof (Fencing)
Sword Schools:
White Raven
Diamond Mind
Magic Schools:
Enchantment
Illusion

Bard 2
Level: 2
Prerequisites: Charisma 3, Common Lore 4, Performer 2, Enchantment or Illusion at 1, Bard
1
Characteristics: Charisma, Fellowship, Dexterity
Skills: Academic Lore, Common Lore, Medicae, Politics, Arcana, Acrobatics, Larceny, Per-
former, Persuasion, Charm, Deceive, Disguise, Tech-Use, Scrutiny, Command
Feats:
Speak Language
Peer (Any)
Catfall
Armor Prof (Light)
Skill Focus (Any)
Sword Schools:
White Raven
Diamond Mind
Magic Schools:
Enchantment
Illusion

66
 CHAPTER VI:
CLASSES

Bard 3
Level: 3
Prerequisites: Charisma 4, Common Lore 4, Performer 3, Enchantment or Illusion at 1, Bard
2
Characteristics: Charisma, Fellowship, Dexterity
Skills: Academic Lore, Common Lore, Medicae, Politics, Arcana, Acrobatics, Larceny, Per-
former, Persuasion, Charm, Deceive, Disguise, Tech-Use, Scrutiny, Command
Feats:
Speak Language
Peer (Any)
Weapon Focus (Fencing)
Decadence
Skill Focus (Any)
Sword Schools:
White Raven
Diamond Mind
Magic Schools:
Enchantment
Illusion

Bard 4
Level: 4
Prerequisites: Charisma 4, Common Lore 4, Performer 4, Enchantment or Illusion at 2, Bard
3
Characteristics: Charisma, Fellowship, Dexterity
Skills: Academic Lore, Common Lore, Medicae, Politics, Arcana, Acrobatics, Larceny, Per-
former, Persuasion, Charm, Deceive, Disguise, Tech-Use, Scrutiny, Command
Feats:
Speak Language
Fearless
Good Reputation (Any)
Spell Focus (Enchantment or Illusion)
Skill Focus (Any)
Sword Schools:
White Raven
Diamond Mind
Magic Schools:
Enchantment
Illusion

Optional feats are marked with an asterisk (*). Choice feats are marked with OR.
67
CHAPTER VI:
CLASSES

Bard 5
Level: 5
Prerequisites: Charisma 5, Common Lore 5, Performer 5, Enchantment or Illusion at 3, Bard
4
Characteristics: Charisma, Fellowship, Dexterity
Skills: Academic Lore, Common Lore, Medicae, Politics, Arcana, Acrobatics, Larceny, Per-
former, Persuasion, Charm, Deceive, Disguise, Tech-Use, Scrutiny, Command
Feats:
Expanded Knowledge
Heightened Senses (Hearing)
Sound Constitution
Speak Language
Skill Focus (Any)
Sword Schools:
White Raven
Diamond Mind
Magic Schools:
Enchantment
Illusion

Cleric 1
Level: 1
Prerequisites: Academic Lore 2, Forbidden Lore 2
Characteristics: Willpower, Wisdom, Composure
Skills: Medicae, Academic Lore, Forbidden Lore, Arcana, Weaponry, Intimidation, Persuasion,
Command
Feats:
Pure Faith
Powerful Charge
Hatred (Heretics)
Armor Prof (Light)
Tested
Weapon Prof (Ordinary)
*Weapon Prof (Flail)

Magic Schools:
Abjuration
Conjuration
Divination
Healing
Transmutation

68
 CHAPTER VI:
CLASSES

Cleric 2
Level: 2
Prerequisites: Academic Lore 2, Forbidden Lore 3, Cleric 1, Healing or Conjuration at rank 1.

Characteristics: Willpower, Wisdom, Composure

Skills: Medicae, Academic Lore, Forbidden Lore, Arcana, Weaponry, Intimidation, Persuasion,
Command
Feats:
Peer (Religious Order)
Spell Focus (Any)
Sound Constitution
Armor Prof (medium)
Virgil’s Guidance
*Weapon Prof (any)
Magic Schools:
Abjuration
Conjuration
Divination
Healing
Transmutation

Cleric 3
Level: 3
Prerequisites: Academic Lore 3, Forbidden Lore 4, Cleric 2, Healing or Conjuration at rank 2.

Characteristics: Willpower, Wisdom, Composure

Skills: Medicae, Academic Lore, Forbidden Lore, Arcana, Weaponry, Intimidation, Persuasion,
Command
Feats:
Shield Proficiency
Divine Ministration
True Grit
Spell Focus (Any)
Channel Energy
*Weapon Focus (any)
Magic Schools:
Abjuration
Conjuration
Divination
Healing
Transmutation

Optional feats are marked with an asterisk (*). Choice feats are marked with OR.
69
CHAPTER VI:
CLASSES

Cleric 4
Level: 4
Prerequisites: Academic Lore 4, Forbidden Lore 4, Cleric 3, Healing or Conjuration at rank 3.

Characteristics: Willpower, Wisdom, Composure

Skills: Medicae, Academic Lore, Forbidden Lore, Arcana, Weaponry, Intimidation, Persuasion,
Command
Feats:
Armor Prof (Heavy)
Absolution
Good Reputation (Religious Order)
Sound Constitution
*Skill Focus (Any)
Improved Spell Focus
Magic Schools:
Abjuration
Conjuration
Divination
Healing
Transmutation

Cleric 5
Level: 5
Prerequisites: Academic Lore 5, Forbidden Lore 5, Cleric 4, Healing or Conjuration at rank 4.

Characteristics: Willpower, Wisdom, Composure

Skills: Medicae, Academic Lore, Forbidden Lore, Arcana, Weaponry, Intimidation, Persuasion,
Command
Feats:
Fearless
Armor of Contempt
Purge the Unclean
Greater Spell Focus
Magic Schools:
Abjuration
Conjuration
Divination
Healing
Transmutation

Optional feats are marked with an asterisk (*). Choice feats are marked with OR.

70
 CHAPTER VI:
CLASSES

Fighter 1
Level: 1
Prerequisites: Weaponry 2, Athletics 1
Characteristics: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Crafts, Athletics, Brawl, Drive, Ballistic, Weaponry, Intimidation, Perception, Command
Feats:
Hardy
Armor Proficiency (light)
*Armor Proficiency (medium)
Power Attack
Weapon Proficiency (any)
*Weapon Proficiency (any)
*Shield Proficiency
Sword Schools:
Iron Heart
White Raven

Fighter 2
Level: 2
Prerequisites: Weaponry 3, Athletics 2, Fighter 1
Characteristics: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Crafts, Athletics, Brawl, Drive, Ballistic, Weaponry, Intimidation, Perception, Command
Feats:
Blind Fighting
Jaded
Quick Draw
Armor Proficiency (medium)
*Armor Proficiency (heavy)
Weapon Proficiency (any)
*Weapon Proficiency (any)
Weapon Focus (any)
Sword Schools:
Iron Heart
White Raven

71
CHAPTER VI:
CLASSES

Fighter 3
Level: 3
Prerequisites: Weaponry 4, Athletics 3, Fighter 2
Characteristics: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Crafts, Athletics, Brawl, Drive, Ballistic, Weaponry, Intimidation, Perception, Command
Feats:
Crushing Blow OR Crack Shot
Combat Insight
Swift Attack
Armor Proficiency (heavy)
*Armor Proficiency (extreme)
Weapon Proficiency (any)
*Weapon Proficiency (any)
Weapon Specialization (any)
Sword Schools:
Iron Heart
White Raven

Fighter 4
Level: 4
Prerequisites: Weaponry 5, Athletics 4, Fighter 3
Characteristics: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Crafts, Athletics, Brawl, Drive, Ballistic, Weaponry, Intimidation, Perception, Command
Feats:
Fearless
Iron Jaw
Armor Specialization
Combat Master
Wall of Steel
Armor Proficiency (extreme)
Weapon Proficiency (any)
*Weapon Proficiency (any)
*Weapon Focus (any)
Improved Weapon Focus (any)
Sword Schools:
Iron Heart
White Raven

72
 CHAPTER VI:
CLASSES

Fighter 5
Level: 5
Prerequisites: Weaponry 5, Athletics 5, Fighter 4
Characteristics: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Crafts, Athletics, Brawl, Drive, Ballistic, Weaponry, Intimidation, Perception, Command
Feats:
Counter Attack
True Grit
Blademaster
Lightning Attack
Weapon Proficiency (any)
*Weapon Proficiency (any)
*Weapon Specialization (any)
Improved Weapon Specialization (any)
Sword Schools:
Iron Heart
White Raven

Guardsman 1
Level: 1
Prerequisites: Ballistics 2, Athletics 1
Characteristics: Strength, Dexterity
Skills: Perception, Athletics, Drive, Ballistic, Weaponry, Command, Pilot
Feats:
Sound Constitution
*Sound Constitution
Armor Proficiency (light)
Quick Draw
Weapon Proficiency (any)
*Weapon Proficiency (any)
*Shield Proficiency
Jaded
Sword Schools:
Iron Heart

Optional feats are marked with an asterisk (*). Choice feats are marked with OR.

73
CHAPTER VI:
CLASSES

Guardsman 2
Level: 2
Prerequisites: Ballistics 3, Athletics 2, Guardsman 1
Characteristics: Strength, Dexterity
Skills: Perception, Athletics, Drive, Ballistic, Weaponry, Command, Pilot
Feats:
Sound Constitution
*Sound Constitution
Blind Fighting
Crack Shot
Far Shot
Armor Proficiency (medium)
Weapon Proficiency (any)
*Weapon Proficiency (any)
Weapon Focus (any)
Sword Schools:
Iron Heart

Guardsman 3
Level: 3
Prerequisites: Ballistics 4, Athletics 3, Guardsman 2
Characteristics: Strength, Dexterity
Skills: Perception, Athletics, Drive, Ballistic, Weaponry, Command, Pilot
Feats:
Sound Constitution
*Sound Constitution
Hip Shooting
Fast Reflexes
Deadeye Shot
Armor Proficiency (heavy)
Weapon Proficiency (any)
*Weapon Proficiency (any)
Weapon Focus (any)
Sword Schools:
Iron Heart

74
 CHAPTER VI:
CLASSES

Guardsman 4
Level: 4
Prerequisites: Ballistics 5, Athletics 4, Guardsman 3
Characteristics: Strength, Dexterity
Skills: Perception, Athletics, Drive, Ballistic, Weaponry, Command, Pilot
Feats:
Sound Constitution
*Sound Constitution
Fearless
Iron Jaw
Armor Specialization
Hard Target
Armor Proficiency (extreme)
Weapon Proficiency (any)
*Weapon Proficiency (any)
*Weapon Focus (any)
Sword Schools:
Iron Heart

Guardsman 5
Level: 5
Prerequisites: Ballistics 5, Athletics 5, Guardsman 4
Characteristics: Strength, Dexterity
Skills: Perception, Athletics, Drive, Ballistic, Weaponry, Command, Pilot
Feats:
Sound Constitution
*Sound Constitution
True Grit
Sharpshooter
Swift Attack
Armor Proficiency (Power)
Weapon Proficiency (any)
*Weapon Proficiency (any)
Sword Schools:
Iron Heart

Optional feats are marked with an asterisk (*). Choice feats are marked with OR.

75
CHAPTER VI:
CLASSES

Initiate
Level: 1
Prerequisites: -
Characteristics: Wisdom, Fellowship
Skills: Academic Lore, Forbidden Lore, Medicae, Crafts
Feats:
Divine Ministration
Hatred (Heretics)
Minor Magic
Peer (Religious Organization)
*Weapon Prof (Ordinary)

Magic User 1
Level: 1
Prerequisites: Academic Lore 2, Arcana 3
Characteristics: Intelligence, Charisma
Skills: Arcana, Academic Lore, Common Lore, Forbidden Lore, Scrutiny, Deceive
Feats:
Obtain Familiar OR Implement Focus
Eidetic Memory
Foresight
Spell Might
*Tested
*Weapon Prof (Ordinary)
Magic Schools:
Abjuration
Evocation
Illusion
Enchantment
Divination
Necromancy

Optional feats are marked with an asterisk (*). Choice feats are marked with OR.

76
 CHAPTER VI:
CLASSES

Magic User 2
Level: 2
Prerequisites: Academic Lore 3, Arcana 3, Magic User 1, any two Magics at rank 1.
Characteristics: Intelligence, Charisma
Skills: Arcana, Academic Lore, Common Lore, Forbidden Lore, Scrutiny, Deceive
Feats:
Spell Book
Spell Focus
Improvisational Magic
Strong Minded
Wizard Tradition
*Tested
*Skill Focus (Any Lore)
Magic Schools:
Abjuration
Evocation
Illusion
Enchantment
Divination
Necromancy

Magic User 3
Level: 3
Prerequisites: Academic Lore 3, Arcana 4, Magic User 2, any two Magics at rank 2.
Characteristics: Intelligence, Charisma
Skills: Arcana, Academic Lore, Common Lore, Forbidden Lore, Scrutiny, Deceive
Feats:
Spell Book
Spell Penetration
Touch Spell Specialization
Wizard Tradition
*Tested
*Skill Focus (Any Lore)
Magic Schools:
Abjuration
Evocation
Illusion
Enchantment
Divination
Necromancy

77
CHAPTER VI:
CLASSES

Magic User 4
Level: 4
Prerequisites: Academic Lore 4, Arcana 4, Magic User 3, any Magic at rank 3, any two Magics
at rank 2.
Characteristics: Intelligence, Charisma
Skills: Arcana, Academic Lore, Common Lore, Forbidden Lore, Scrutiny, Deceive
Feats:
Spell Book
Greater Spell Focus
Mental Fortress
Wizard Tradition
*Skill Focus (Any Lore)
Magic Schools:
Abjuration
Evocation
Illusion
Enchantment
Divination
Necromancy

Magic User 5
Level: 5
Prerequisites: Academic Lore 5, Arcana 5, Magic User 4, any Magic at rank 4, any two Magics
at rank 3.
Characteristics: Intelligence, Charisma
Skills: Arcana, Academic Lore, Common Lore, Forbidden Lore, Scrutiny, Deceive
Feats:
Spell Book
Archmage Tradition
Greater Spell Penetration
Spell Mastery
*Skill Focus (Any Lore)
Magic Schools:
Abjuration
Evocation
Illusion
Enchantment
Divination
Necromancy

78
 CHAPTER VI:
CLASSES

Mercenary
Level: 1
Prerequisites: -
Characteristics: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Command, Scrutiny, Common Lore, Athletics, Ballistic, Weaponry, Perception, Brawl
Feats:
Armor Prof (light)
*Armor prof (medium)
Speak Language (Any)
*Peer (Mercenary Organization)
Sound Constitution
Weapon Prof (Ordinary)

Paladin 1
Level: 1
Prerequisites: Weaponry 2, Forbidden Lore 2
Characteristics: Willpower, Wisdom, Constitution
Skills: Medicae, Academic Lore, Forbidden Lore, Arcana, Weaponry, Intimidation, Persuasion,
Command
Feats:
Pure Faith
Sound Constitution
Powerful Charge
Hatred (Heretics)
Armor Prof (Light)
Shield Prof
Weapon Prof (any)
Sword Schools:
White Raven
Devoted Spirit

Optional feats are marked with an asterisk (*). Choice feats are marked with OR.

79
CHAPTER VI:
CLASSES

Paladin 2
Level: 2
Prerequisites: Weaponry 2, Forbidden Lore 3, Paladin 1
Characteristics: Willpower, Wisdom, Constitution
Skills: Medicae, Academic Lore, Forbidden Lore, Arcana, Weaponry, Intimidation, Persuasion,
Command
Feats:
Peer (Religious Order)
Guardian
Sound Constitution
Armor Prof (medium)
Divine Bond
Divine Grace
*Weapon Prof (any)
Sword Schools:
White Raven
Devoted Spirit

Paladin 3
Level: 3
Prerequisites: Weaponry 3, Forbidden Lore 4, Paladin 2
Characteristics: Willpower, Wisdom, Constitution
Skills: Medicae, Academic Lore, Forbidden Lore, Arcana, Weaponry, Intimidation, Persuasion,
Command
Feats:
Sound Constitution
Divine Ministration
True Grit
Armor Prof (heavy)
*Weapon Focus (any)
Swift Attack
Sword Schools:
White Raven
Devoted Spirit

80
 CHAPTER VI:
CLASSES

Paladin 4
Level: 4
Prerequisites: Weaponry 4, Forbidden Lore 4, Paladin 3
Characteristics: Willpower, Wisdom, Constitution
Skills: Medicae, Academic Lore, Forbidden Lore, Arcana, Weaponry, Intimidation, Persuasion,
Command
Feats:
Armor Prof (Extreme)
Sound Constitution
Good Reputation (Religious Order)
Sound Constitution
Wall of Steel
Blademaster
*Skill Focus (Any)
Sword Schools:
White Raven
Devoted Spirit

Paladin 5
Level: 5
Prerequisites: Weaponry 5, Forbidden Lore 5, Paladin 4
Characteristics: Willpower, Wisdom, Constitution
Skills: Medicae, Academic Lore, Forbidden Lore, Arcana, Weaponry, Intimidation, Persuasion,
Command
Feats:
Armor Specialization (Any)
Sound Constitution
Fearless
Armor Prof (Power)
Armor of Contempt
Death Before Defeat
Sword Schools:
White Raven
Devoted Spirit

Optional feats are marked with an asterisk (*). Choice feats are marked with OR.

81
CHAPTER VI:
CLASSES

Peasant
Level: 1
Prerequisites: -
Characteristics: -
Skills: Crafts, Common Lore, Animal Ken, Scrutiny, Performer
Feats:
Luck
Common Sense
*Skill Focus (any)
*Sound Constitution
Unremarkable

Ratcatcher
Level: 1
Prerequisites: -
Characteristics: Dexterity, Composure
Skills: Crafts, Animal Ken, Common Lore, Perception, Larceny, Stealth, Deceive, Performer,
Disguise
Feats:
Common Sense
*Fast Reflexes
Blind Fighting
Light Sleeper
Obtain Familiar
*Weapon Prof (Ordinary)
Weapon Prof (Primitive)

82
 CHAPTER VI:
CLASSES

Rogue 1
Level: 1
Prerequisites: Larceny 2, Stealth 2
Characteristics: Dexterity, Intelligence, Fellowship
Skills: Perception, Common Lore, Acrobatics, Ballistic, Larceny, Stealth, Weaponry, Scrutiny,
Persuasion, Charm, Deceive, Pilot, Disguise, Tech-Use
Feats:
Danger Sense
Fast Reflexes
Blind Fighting
Improved Feint
*Weapon Prof (Ordinary)
Weapon Prof (Fencing)
*Weapon Prof (Throwing)
Sword Schools:
Shadow Hand
Diamond Mind

Rogue 2
Level: 2
Prerequisites: Larceny 2, Stealth 3, Rogue 1
Characteristics: Dexterity, Intelligence, Fellowship
Skills: Perception, Common Lore, Acrobatics, Ballistic, Larceny, Stealth, Weaponry, Scrutiny,
Persuasion, Charm, Deceive, Pilot, Disguise, Tech-Use
Feats:
Sneak Attack
Armor Prof (Light)
Catfall
Evasion
Two Weapon Fighting
Skill Focus (any)
*Skill Focus (any)

Sword Schools:
Shadow Hand
Diamond Mind

Optional feats are marked with an asterisk (*). Choice feats are marked with OR.

83
CHAPTER VI:
CLASSES

Rogue 3
Level: 3
Prerequisites: Larceny 3, Stealth 3, Rogue 2
Characteristics: Dexterity, Intelligence, Fellowship
Skills: Perception, Common Lore, Acrobatics, Ballistic, Larceny, Stealth, Weaponry, Scrutiny,
Persuasion, Charm, Deceive, Pilot, Disguise, Tech-Use
Feats:
Fleet of Foot
Quick Draw
Back Stab
Weapon Focus (Fencing)
Skill Focus (any)
*Skill Focus (any)
Sword Schools:
Shadow Hand
Diamond Mind

Rogue 4
Level: 4
Prerequisites: Larceny 4, Stealth 4, Rogue 3
Characteristics: Dexterity, Intelligence, Fellowship
Skills: Perception, Common Lore, Acrobatics, Ballistic, Larceny, Stealth, Weaponry, Scrutiny,
Persuasion, Charm, Deceive, Pilot, Disguise, Tech-Use
Feats:
Improved Sneak Attack
Hard Target
Luck
Jaded
Skill Focus (any)
*Skill Focus (any)
Sword Schools:
Shadow Hand
Diamond Mind

Optional feats are marked with an asterisk (*). Choice feats are marked with OR.

84
 CHAPTER VI:
CLASSES

Rogue 5
Level: 5
Prerequisites: Larceny 5, Stealth 5, Rogue 4
Characteristics: Dexterity, Intelligence, Fellowship
Skills: Perception, Common Lore, Acrobatics, Ballistic, Larceny, Stealth, Weaponry, Scrutiny,
Persuasion, Charm, Deceive, Pilot, Disguise, Tech-Use
Feats:
Step Aside
Fearless
Improved Back Stab
Devastating Critical
Skill Focus (any)
*Skill Focus (any)
Sword Schools:
Shadow Hand
Diamond Mind

Scholar
Level: 1
Prerequisites: -
Characteristics: Intelligence, Willpower
Skills: Arcana, Academic Lore, Common Lore, Forbidden Lore, Politics, Tech-Use
Feats:
Eidetic Memory
Speak Language (Any)
Skill Focus (Any Lore)
Peer (School)
Expanded Knowledge

85
 "Strangers from distant lands... friends of old. You have been sum-
moned here to answer the threat of Mortarion. Terros stands upon the brink
of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite... or you will fall. Each race
is bound to this fate... this one doom."
A council had gathered in that small forest. The elven elder stood be-
fore a group of just over twenty that represented the free peoples of Terros.
He nodded to a halfling.
"Bring forth the ring, Prefect," the elder said. The young halfling
stepped forward and put a simple gold ring on the stone plinth that was the
focus of the gathering, then returned to his seat.
"So it is true," Brother Boromos of the White Templars muttered, his
voice raspy through the filter of his power armor's ventilator.
"Saurious' ring! The ring of power!" Megablos, one of the local elves,
exclaimed. One of the squats looked at the ring and shook his head.
"The doom of man," the squat muttered.
"It is a gift," Brother Boromos said. "We can use this ring to strike at
the enemy, if it is such a powerful artifact."
"You cannot wield it," Walker said, gruffly. He brushed his hands over
his denim pants, dislodging road dust. "None of us can. The one ring answers
to the daemon Saurious alone."
"And what would a ranger know of this matter?" Brother Boromos
asked, turning to face Walker. Walker just fixed him with a level gaze. The air
filled with unspoken threat.
"He is no mere ranger," Megablos said, trying to defuse the situation
"He is Walker, son of Tecksas."
"Walker?" Boromos asked, quietly. "Norris' heir?" There was a gentle
cough as a man dressed in strange robes, the robes of the Syrneth, spoke up.
"Walker is right... we cannot use it," the wizard said.
"We have only one choice," said the elven elder. "The ring must be de-
stroyed." The squat suddenly stood up, bringing his meltagun to bear.
"Then... what are we waiting for?" He asked. He fired the meltagun.
There was a crack as the superheated air washed over the group. The stone
plinth vanished, turning into ash and molten stone. The ring hung suspended
in midair for a moment, then landed on the ground with the tone of pure
metal, unharmed. Pentagrammatic wards flared on its surface, an evil and ar-
cane script.
"The ring cannot be destroyed," the elder said, to the suddenly silent
chamber, "Cheri, son of Chearwin, by any craft that we here possess. The ring
was made in the fires of Mount Kismet... only there can it be unmade. It must
be taken deep into Mortarion, and cast back into the firey chasm from whence
it came. One of you must do this."
"One does not simply walk into Mortarion," Brother Boromos said. "Its
black gates are guarded by worse than just orks. There is evil there that does
not sleep and the Great Eye is ever watchful." He paused. "We will need to
take drop pods. We shall not fail in this. Before this day is done, the evil of
Mortarion will fall."
 VII FEATS, ASSETS,
AND HINDRANCES

F eats are the bread and butter of

classes. Raw talent and skill is always good,
trained under the same teacher to get a certain
feat, or a player might use the Hatred feat to
inspire him about events in his character’s
but the difference between a good swordsman backstory.
and a great swordsman is that the great
swordsman knows more techniques and when FEAT GROUPS
to use them. Several feats represent a general abil-
Whereas Skills represent abilities ity that can be applied to a specific category
gained through learning or training, Feats are within that group. As some of these groups
proficiencies gained through intrinsic charac- have many sub-categories, they have been col-
teristics and experience over time. A Cleric lected into related groups. When selecting one
might gain additional graces from his God, a of these feats, the player chooses one of the en-
Magic User might further hone his sorcerous tries from the group. Thus, when selecting the
abilities, and a Guardsman would become Peer feat, the Hero would also choose a spe-
more adept with his weapons after surviving cific group or organization from the feat group
many combats. such as Peer (Mercykillers). Each time the
From the exploration of uncharted Hero gains the talent, he may choose a differ-
crystal spheres to wiping the monsters from ent specialisation, so the next time he selects
their surface to negotiating trade agreements it, he might opt for Peer (Elves).
with the survivors, Heroes need every ounce In many cases a class will have the
of their abilities to emerge victorious and write feat's group already chosen for you - a Paladin
their legend across the stars. doesn't have just Peer, but Peer (Religious
Planning out effective and flavourful Order). In this case, you do not get to make a
combinations of Feats and Skills that match a choice as to the group the feat applies to.
character's background can be an enjoyable Often, group listings are representative as op-
processs for the entire game group, and can posed to all-inclusive. Consequently, even
provide interesting ideas for the SM or other though "Clan Jade Falcon" isn't specifically
players to further cement their relationships listed in the Peer feat group, it can still be cho-
and adversaries. Perhaps two characters sen with SM approval.

87
 CHAPTER VII:
FEATS, ASSETS &
HINDRANCES

You can preform incredible feats of healing, removing diseases and poisons alike
Absolution
with a touch.
Archmage Tradition Your mastery of magic has reached its peak, giving you more control over it.
Armor of Contempt You are protected against social attacks
Armor Proficiency (-)* You may use a given armor type with fewer penalties.
Armor Specialization* The chosen armor type provides more armor.
Assassin Strike Whenever you make a melee attack, you may make an acrobatics check to move.
Back Stab If you are ganging up on your opponent, you gain a bonus to damage rolls.
Battle Rage While using Frenzy, you may make parry actions.
Blademaster You may reroll a missed melee attack once per round.
Blind Fighting Take only a small penalty to attacking while blind.
Catfall Halve falling distance when calculating damage, always land on your feet.
Channel Energy You can channel raw magical power to heal or harm.
Cleave When you kill someone, you have enough power to get the guy next to him.
Combat Insight You can use Int in place of Dex for some rolls.
Combat Master Opponents gain no bonuses for outnumbering you in melee combat.
Common Sense Whenever you're about to do something stupid, the SM can tell you.
Counter Attack When you parry an attack, you may make an attack against that opponent.
Crack Shot Ranged attacks you make deal more damage.
Crushing Blow Melee attacks you make deal more damage.
Danger Sense May act normally in a surprise round.
Deadeye Shot You take a smaller penalty to your attacks for making a called shot.
Death Before Defeat You may spend a Hero point to ignore the effects of a single critical hit.
Decadence You are never affected by drugs or alcohol.
Defensive Mobility The TN to hit you with opportunity attacks is increased by 5.
Devastating Critical Whenever you deal critical damage to an opponent, deal an additional wound.
Divine Bond You gain a holy steed that can be summoned at will.
Divine Grace You can resist some magical effects with the force of your personality.
Divine Ministration Spend a Hero point to heal a target and remove fatigue.
Eidetic Memory You have total recall.
Evasion When making a dodge check, you may move a short distance.
Expanded Knowledge You are treated as having a specialization in all lores.
Far Shot You don't suffer penalties for firing at Long Range.
Fast Reflexes You may reroll your initiative.
Fearless You are immune to all fear effects.
Fleet of Foot You're fast on your feet, but prone to tire yourself.
Foresight You may spend time examining a problem to get a bonus to your next Int Test.
Frenzy Work yourself into a frothing rage and you get stronger and stupider.
If you take an All Out Attack and the attack is successful, you may make a sec-
Furious Assault
ond attack with the same bonuses and penalties.
Good Reputation* You gain a bonus to social rolls with a group you have as a Peer.
Greater Spell Focus Gain an additional free raise to magic rolls with a specific school of magic.
You may use Parry actions against attacks made by or against targets within
Guardian
melee range of you, allowing you to protect others.
Hard Target Whenever you charge or run, opponents find it harder to shoot at you.
Hardy You recover from serious wounds more quickly.
Hatred* You gain a bonus to Weaponry against members of a certain group or race.
Heightened Senses* Gain a bonus to all checks made using one of your senses.
Hip Shooting You may take a Full Move and make a single attack with a Pistol.

88 Implement Focus When using an Implement, you may reroll one die on your Magic Tests.
 CHAPTER VII:
FEATS, ASSETS &
HINDRANCES

Improved Back Stab If you are ganging up on your opponent, you gain a bonus to damage rolls.
Improved Feint Even when you don't quite succeed at a feint, it still has some effect.
Improved Sneak Attack Ignore the armor of targets unaware of your attacks.
Improved Weapon Focus* Gain a bonus to attacks made with a specific type of weapon.
Improved Weapon Specialization* Gain additional damage done with a specific type of weapon.
Improvisational Magic You may spend a Hero point to try casting spells you don't even know.
Iron Jaw Whenever you become stunned you may make a Con Test to shrug it off.
Jack of All Trades You do not suffer penalties for making skill checks untrained.
Jaded You never need to roll fear checks against normal scenes of gore and death.
Lightning Attack As a full action, you may make three attacks at a penalty to hit.
Light Sleeper You are always counted as awake, even when asleep.
Luck You may reroll one roll per day.
Minor Magic* Your training has given you a small amount of magic ability.
Obtain Familiar You get a small friend who can do your bidding.
Peer* You gain a bonus to Social rolls with a certain group.
Power Attack Hit less often, but do more damage.
Powerful Charge You gain a bonus to damage rolls on a charge.
Pure Faith You have easier Alignment checks.
Purge The Unclean Repel the spiritual enemies of your God.
Quick Draw You may ready a weapon as a free action.
Sharpshooter You do not take a penalty to attacks when making a Called Shot.
Shield Proficiency You may use Shields with no penalty.
Skill Focus* Gain a skill speciality.
Sneak Attack Halve armor of targets unaware of your attacks.
Sound Constitution* Gain 1 additional Hit Point.
Speak Language* Learn to speak one additional language.
Choose a school of magic. You may learn one additional spell from that school
Spell Book*
at a rank you already possess.
Spell Focus* Gain a free raise to magic rolls with a specific school of magic.
Spell Mastery* You may reroll magic Tests with one spell.
You can put more power into your spells, making them more difficult to cast
Spell Might
but with a better payoff.
Spell Penetration Tests made to resist your spells need an additional raise to succeed.
Spell Specialization* Once per scene you may reroll a failed magic check from a chosen school.
Step Aside You may Dodge one extra time per round.
Strong Minded You may reroll failed Willpower Tests made to resist magic.
Swift Attack As a full action, you may make two attacks at -2k0 to hit.
Tested You have been Sanctioned, making your magic safer.
Touch Spell Spec You gain a bonus to hit with all spells that require you to make an attack.
True Grit Take less critical damage from attacks.
Two Weapon Fighting Hold two weapons in order to attack more often.
Unremarkable Attempts to pick the character out of a crowd or describe him are at a penalty.
You can get away with more than most people can, making it easier to keep
Virgil's Guidance
your devotion high.
Wall of Steel You may Parry one extra time per round.
Weapon Focus* Gain a bonus to attacks made with a specific type of weapon.
Weapon Proficiency* Use a category of weapons with no penalties.
Weapon Specialization* Gain additional damage done with a specific type of weapon.
Wizard Tradition* Wizards have many secret methods and traditions. You happen to know them.

* this feat may be taken more than once. If it has groups, you must choose a different group each time.
89
 CHAPTER VII:
FEATS, ASSETS &
HINDRANCES

RACIAL FEATS Absolution

Racial feats are special feats that, in- You can preform incredible feats of healing,
stead of being purchased for a character's removing diseases and poisons alike with a
class, are purchased by virtue of being of a par- touch. By spending a hero point, you may
ticular race. You can purchase these feats at touch a target and remove one ongoing effect.
any time, spending the normal amount for If that effect comes from a source greater than
them, as though they were part of your char- your own power - an Exalt with a higher level,
acter's class list. a god, or another being of similar power, this
ability might not work at the SM's discretion.
ASSETS
Archmage Traditions
Assets are a special type of feat that
can only be taken during character creation Your mastery of magic has reached its peak,
and at no time afterwards. More than other giving you real mastery over it. Choose one of
feats, they represent something that is a core the following options:
of your character. You may spend any amount Arcane Mastery
of your starting XP on buying Assets. Whenever you cast a spell, you may spend a
hero point in order to copy it on his next turn.
You may cast the same spell without rolling a
EXALTED ASSETS magic check, using the same result as you had
Each of the types of Exalt have a on this turn.
number of Assets they can purchase to im- Spellbloom
prove their base powers as Exalted or to show Whenever you cast a spell, you're surrounded
that they belong to a certain tribe or caste by an aura of energy that makes it easier for
within their society. With the exception of others to cast. When you cast a spell for the
Paragon Assets, taking an Exalted Asset means first time each round, all allies who cast a spell
that you cannot take a second Exalted Asset. within 3m have the TN of that spell's magic
check reduced by 5.
HINDRANCES
Hindrances are something like the op- Armor of Contempt
posite of assets. Where an asset is something You’re not an easy man to talk to. You’ve cul-
you spend XP on during character creation to tivated a fine shell of divine insight and hatred
get a bonus, Hindrances are a penalty you take that makes you harder to influence. Even if
in order to get 100 bonus XP to spend during you run out of Resolve, you cannot be forced
character creation. A character can take up to to go against your Alignment.
two hindrances during character creation, but
can't just decide to pick one up later and get Armor Proficiency
some free XP. While it is possible to get an ad- Groups: Light, Medium, Heavy, Ex-
ditional Hindrance during play - it's certainly treme, Power
easy to get a new Enemy or to become Wanted It takes training to wear armor without it get-
- Hidrances gained during play are at the dis- ting in the way. You can use armor with fewer
cretion of the SM and don't give XP, just the penalties. With light and medium armor you
penalty. suffer no penalties at all, and with heavy, ex-
treme, and power armor you reduce the
FEAT DESCRIPTIONS armor's penalty to your static defense by 3.
Following is the full rules text of the Without the appropriate feat, you apply the
general feats list. Note that if there is a discrep- armor's AP as a penalty to your static defense
ancy between the text in this listing and the and take a speed penalty.
table on the previous pages, the text should be
considered correct.

90
 CHAPTER VII:
FEATS, ASSETS &
HINDRANCES

Armor Specialization
Choose a particular category of armor (light,
medium, heavy, extreme, or Power). Thanks Channel Energy
to your extreme training the chosen armor You can channel raw magical power to heal or
type provides +1 armor points. harm. As a half action, you may touch a target
and spend up to twice your level in resource
Assassin Strike points. For every two resource points you
One of the most important things about being spend, you may heal the target of one Hit
an assassin is getting away after doing the Point or damage it for one wound.
deed. Whenever you make a melee attack, you
may make an Acrobatics Test against a TN of Cleave
20 to move at your Half Move rate as a free When you kill someone, you have enough fol-
action. Your opponent does not get a free at- low-through to get the guy next to him. The
tack against you for disengaging. first time you kill an enemy with a melee attack
in a round, you may spend a reaction action
Back Stab to make a melee attack against another enemy
You have a talent for finding the best place to within your reach.
stab someone when they're busy with someone
else. If you are ganging up on your opponent, Combat Insight
you gain +1k0 to damage rolls. Being a smart bastard can get you pretty far in
life, even when people are shooting at you.
Battle Rage You may use Intelligence in place of Dexterity
Even when you're in a blind rage, you've got when using the Dodge action or on attacks
enough skill with a sword to surprise most. that benefit from the Aim action.
While using Frenzy, you may make parry ac-
tions.

Blademaster
Your mastery of sword and
knife is unsurpassed and your
blade always strikes true. You
may reroll a missed melee attack
once per round.

Blind Fighting
Through years of practice and
training with a blast shield
down, you can fight without
having to use your eyes. Take
only -1k0 to hit while blind in-
stead of the normal penalties.

Catfall
You are nimble and balanced,
like a cat, and are able to fall
much greater distances un-
harmed than others might.
Halve falling distance when cal-
culating damage, always land on
your feet.

91
 CHAPTER VII:
FEATS, ASSETS &
HINDRANCES

Combat Master Death before Defeat

Through a combination of reflex and percep- All you need is some pure bloody-minded
tion you're able to keep many more opponents stubbonness to push through the worst pain.
at bay in melee than someone with only aver- You may spend a Hero point to ignore the ef-
age skill. Opponents gain no bonuses for out- fects of a single critical hit as long as that hit
numbering you in melee combat. Not only would not cause death.
does this include the normal bonuses for gang-
ing up, but also from talents like Back Stab. Decadence
Either through mental and physical training...
Common Sense or more likely, through years of experimenting
There are many times in which a player might with mind-altering drugs, you've built up a tol-
be about to do a stupid and not quite know it. erance even above the average Hero. You are
With Common Sense, the SM can ask the never affected by drugs or alcohol, or at least
player to make a Wisdom roll against TN 15 you can sober up quickly enough to do what-
in order to pick up on the fact. ever you need to do.

Counter Attack Defensive Mobility

While it can be dangerous, the best opportu- You present a hard target to catch unawares.
nity to hurt someone can be when they've left Even when you leave yourself open you aren't
themselves open attacking you. When you suc- easy to hit. You get a +5 bonus to your static
cessfully parry an attack, you may make an at- defense against opportunity attacks.
tack against that opponent with the weapon
you used to parry, taking -2k0 to that attack Devastating Critical
because of the awkward nature of the blow. When you're putting someone down, they go
down hard. Whenever you deal critical dam-
Crack Shot age to an opponent, deal an additional wound.
You are able to target your shots at the places
where they're really going to do some harm. Divine Bond
Ranged attacks you make deal +4 damage. You gain a holy steed that can be summoned
at will. This typically takes the form of a
Crushing Blow warhorse, but depending on the culture of the
Your melee strikes land with force enough to user, it can form any other appropriate riding
shatter bone. Melee attacks you make deal +4 animal or small ground vehicle. It takes a full
damage. action to summon the steed, and it can remain
for a full day. If it is lost or destroyed, the char-
Danger Sense acter is unable to use this feat for three days
You are never surprised. While you might be while the bonded steed reforms.
taken unaware, you may act normally during
the surprise round regardless of if your party Divine Grace
is taken by surprise or not. You can resist some magical effects with the
force of your personality. You may use your
Deadeye Shot Charisma in place of your Willpower when at-
You always hit an opponent right between the tempting to resist enemy or enironmental ef-
eyes. Or wherever else you're aiming. You take fects.
only -1k0 to your attacks for making a called
shot. Without this feat, you take -2k0 to your Divine Ministration
attacks for making a called shot. Some can lay hands on someone suffering and
remove their wounds. You may spend a hero
point to touch a target and remove a level of
fatigue and heal the target for 1d5 Hit Points.

92
 CHAPTER VII:
FEATS, ASSETS &
HINDRANCES

Eidetic Memory tions. You are immune to all fear effects and
You have perfect recall. As long as you've pinning. Disengaging from combat or backing
heard or read something, you can reproduce down from a fight requires a successful
it in detail with no real difficulty. willpower Test (TN 15).

Evasion Fleet of Foot

When you get out of the way, you really get You're quick on your feet and can push your-
out of the way. When making a dodge check, self to be even faster. When making a Full
you may move a distance equal to your Dex- Move action, you may move an additional dis-
terity in meters. You don't tance equal to your Dex
provoke an opportunity at- in meters. When run-
tack from the enemy whose ning, you may double
attack you dodged, though your movement for one
you provoke opportunity round. Using this talent
attacks from other enemies two turns in a row gives
as normal. you one level of fatigue.

Expanded Foresight
Knowledge Logic and analysis do
There's knowing things and for you what divination
there's really knowing things. and luck do for others.
You may gain an additional You may spend 10 min-
specialty for all of your Lore utes examining a prob-
skills. This doesn't have to lem to get a free raise to
be the same specialty for your next Int Test.
each lore skill, and this
doesn't prevent you from Frenzy
getting a specialty later if you Your temper and pas-
don't have one when you take sion boil just below the
this feat. surface of your mind,
mostly held in check but
Far Shot easily released when it's
You can lead a shot like a pro. time to ride the beast.
There are few who can surpass By spending one full action
your sniping skills. You don't suffer to work yourself into a
penalties for firing at Long Range. rage, you gain +1 to your
You still suffer the same penalties for strength and constitution, -2 to
firing at Extreme range. your intellegence and wisdom until the end of
combat, and you must make a melee attack or
move closer to an enemy on each of your
Fast Reflexes turns. You may not make parry actions.
You always expect trouble, even in the most
innocuous situations, allowing you to act
quickly when needed. You may reroll your ini-
Furious Assault
tiative dice. If you choose to do so, you must Your speed and martial prowess allow you to
take the result of the reroll, even if it would be land several blows where lesser combatants
worse. can land only one. If you take an All Out At-
tack and the attack is successful, hitting the
target and dealing at least one wound to it, you
Fearless
may make a second attack with the same
Through hard experience with horrifying sit- bonuses and penalties.
uations, fear no longer commands your ac-

93
 CHAPTER VII:
FEATS, ASSETS &
HINDRANCES

gain +1k0 to Weaponry rolls made to attack

Good Reputation members of a certain group or race. You must
Groups: Academics, Sigil's Factons, be aware the enemy is of that group or race to
Churches, Specific Races, Government, The gain the bonus.
Military, Middle Classes, Nobility, the Insane,
Underworld, Workers, etc. Heightened Senses
Your reputation precedes you in interactions Groups: Sight, Sound, Smell, etc.
with a specific group or faction, opening doors Either genetics or augmetics have made one of
that might otherwise remain closed. You gain your senses superior to others. Gain +1k0 to
+0k1 to Charm, Persuasion, and Command all checks made using a chosen sense. This
rolls with a group you have as a Peer. ability cannot give a bonus to attack rolls, but
if there is a penalty due to environmental con-
Greater Spell Focus ditions (fighting in darkness, for example), the
You have focused your efforts on casting spells bonus can be applied to reduce the penalty if
from a specific school of magic. If your magic it would be applicable.
Test is successful when casting spells from a
certain school of magic, you may apply an Hip Shooting
extra raise to that magic Test for the purpose Your prowess with ranged weapons is such
of determining the spell's effect. This stacks that he can still fire accurately without using
with Spell Focus. the sights. You may, as a Full Action, take a
Full Move and make a single attack with a
Guardian ranged weapon. This attack can only be a sin-
Years of serving as a bodyguard allow you to gle shot - no automatic fire.
put yourself in the line of fire or take a mur-
derous attack that was meant for another. You
may use Parry actions against attacks made by
or against targets within melee range of you,
allowing you to protect others. If the parry ac-
tions are unsuccessful, you are hit by the at-
tack instead of the intended target.

Hard Target
Light on your feet, you dodge and weave as
you move, skills learned from long years in the
line of fire. Whenever you charge or run, op-
ponents take -2k0 with Ballistics skill Tests
made to hit you with a ranged weapon until
your next turn.

Hardy
You rebound quickly from shock or injury.
You are always counted as Lightly Wounded
while recovering from injuries.

Hatred
Groups: Criminals, Rival Group (spe-
cific), Pirates, Race (specific), Magic Users,
Heretics, etc.
A group, organization, or race has wronged
you in the past, fueling this animosity. You

94
 CHAPTER VII:
FEATS, ASSETS &
HINDRANCES

Implement Focus Improvisational Magic

You've trained long and hard with using a wiz- You may spend a Hero point to cast one spell
ard implement, a wand, rod, staff, or Orb. of any school that is of a lower rank than the
When using an Implement, you may reroll one highest rank of Magic you possess. For exam-
die on your Magic Tests. ple, if you have Evocations at rank 4, you may
spend a hero point to cast a rank 3 Conjura-
Improved Back Stab tion effect, a rank 3 divination effect, and so
You can slide your blade between someone's on. You still use that spell's normal magic
ribs like no one else. If you are ganging up on check, so attempting to cast Necromatic spells
your opponent, you gain +0k1 to damage when you aren't a vampire is going to end in
rolls. failure before you even try.

Improved Feint Iron Jaw

Even when you don't quite succeed at a feint, You've taken blows from Orks and given back
it still has some effect. Even on a failed Feint as good as you got. Whenever you become
attempt, the target suffers -1k0 to reactions. stunned you may make a Con Test (TN 10 +
5 x Number of rounds you'd be stunned) to
Improved Sneak Attack shrug it off. You may only make this check
When someone doesn't notice one of your at- once, at the time you become stunned.
tacks coming, it's usually the last thing they
don't hear. Ignore the armor of targets un- Jack of All Trades
aware of your attacks. They still take penalties There's nothing you can't try your hand at and
to their Static Defense, if they don't have the have at least a chance at success. You may at-
appropriate feats, but gain no damage reduc- tempt to use Advanced skills with no ranks in
tion from the armor. them, just like basic skills. If you have zero
ranks in a basic skill, you get +1k0 when using
Improved Weapon Focus that skill.
You can hit the bull's eye every time you throw
a dart. Gain an additional +0k1 to attacks Jaded
made with a specific type of weapon. You Your wide travels have shown both wonders
must choose a specific weapon type - not just, and horrors beyond the ken of most. The
say, Bolt Weapons, but specifically a Heavy Great Wheel has thrown its worst at you and
Bolter. While this bonus will apply to all you have yet to flinch. You never need to roll
weapons of the appropriate type regardless of fear checks against normal scenes of gore and
make or quality, it will not apply to others even death. Supernatural effects will still cause you
if they have the same proficiency. to roll fear normally.

Improved Weapon Lightning Attack

Specialization Your speed with weapons is legendary, allow-
Long training and careful study have let you ing you to launch flurries of attacks. You may
become adept at putting the hurt on with your make three melee attacks with the multiple at-
chosen weapon. Gain an additional +0k1 to tacks action. If you also have Swift attack, it's
damage done with a specific type of weapon. important to note that these two feats do not
You must choose a specific weapon type - not stack - you can choose to use the multiple at-
just, say, Las Weapons, but specifically a Las- tacks action to use Lightning Attack or Swift
gun. While this bonus will apply to all Attack, but not both at once.
weapons of the appropriate type regardless of
make or quality, it will not apply to others even Light Sleeper
if they have the same proficiency. The slightest change in conditions or distur-
bance brings you from sleep to full awareness.

95
 CHAPTER VII:
FEATS, ASSETS &
HINDRANCES

You are always counted as awake, even when Pure Faith

asleep. You don't count as helpless while Thanks to your true faith, you know what you
you're resting, though it's possible someone can get away with. You gain +1 to all align-
will still sneak up on you. You are considered ment checks.
to be aware of what's going on around you,
though stealth will work normally. Purge the Unclean
You may spend a Hero Point to repel the en-
Luck emies of your God. Choose an opponent that
Is it better to be lucky or good? You've cer- represents a foe of your deity (Warp Entities,
tainly got the luck part down. You may reroll Daemonhosts, and Chosen almost always
one die per day. This can be any die, even an count - the SM will let you know if a target
alignment check. doesn't count) and spend a hero point. Make
an opposed Willpower test with the target. If
Minor Magic it succeeds, the target is repelled a distance of
Your training has given you a small amount of meters away equal to twice your willpower. It
magic ability. You gain a single level in any cannot approach closer than this distance for
magical school in which you have no levels. 1d10 rounds.

Obtain Familiar Quick Draw

You get a small animal companion like a rat, You've practiced so frequently with your
toad, or raven. It can follow simple orders, weapons that they practically leap into your
carry messages, and so forth. In some cultures, hands, ready for action. You may ready a
this may not be a real animal, but instead a weapon as a free action.
simple robot or magical servant.
Sharpshooter
Peer Your steady hand and eagle eyes allow you to
Groups: Academics, Sigil's Factons, place shots exactly where you like. You do not
Churches, Specific Races, Government, The take a penalty to attacks from making a Called
Military, Middle Classes, Nobility, the Insane, Shot.
Underworld, Workers, etc.
You're adept at dealing with a particular social Shield Proficiency
group or organization. You gain +1k0 to You can use a big sheet of metal to protect
Charm, Persuasion, and Command rolls with yourself without it getting in the way. You may
a certain group. use Shields with no penalty. Without this feat,
the -1k0 penalty a shield has for being a de-
Power Attack fensive weapon applies to all attacks.
You can really put your back into it and cut.
When making a melee attack, you may take - Skill Focus
1k0 to hit in order to deal +1k0 damage. If you While everyone has something they're focused
make multiple attacks during a round, you on, you put forth an effort to be really good at
must decide to use this ability before making something in particular. Gain an additional
any attacks, and it applies to all of your attacks skill speciality. You do not need to have 4
that round. ranks in that skill in order to gain this special-
ity, and you still get the normal speciality at 4
Powerful Charge ranks.
When you throw yourself into a fight, you get
to put your body weight behind your swings. Sneak Attack
You gain +1k0 to melee damage rolls on a With long training, you know how to get to the
charge. tenderest part of a person's body when they
aren't protecting themselves. Halve armor of

96
 CHAPTER VII:
FEATS, ASSETS &
HINDRANCES

spell from that school at a rank you already

possess. Without this feat, you may only learn
one spell from a school at a given rank.

Spell Focus
Most mages are best in one particular area. If
your magic Test is successful when casting
spells from a certain school of magic, you may
apply an extra raise to that magic Test for the
purpose of determining the spell's effect. This
stacks with Greater Spell Focus.

Spell Mastery
By practicing the motions of a spell over and
over again, you can make sure you'll be able to
cast it even in the worst circumstances.
Choose a single spell of the third rank or
lower. You may reroll failed checks to cast that
spell.

Spell Might
You can put more power into your spells,
making them more difficult to cast but with a
better payoff. You may take -2k0 to a Magic
Roll in order to add 5 to the final result.

targets unaware of your attacks, rounding up. Spell Penetration

The targets still take their normal penalty to It's harder to resist your spells, the energy
static defense (if it applies). blasting through defenses both mental and
physical. Tests made to resist your spells need
Sound Constitution an additional raise to succeed.
Thanks to being as tough as iron, you can take
more hits than most. You gain one additional Spell Specialization
Hit Points. Most sorcerers are best with a certain type of
spells - blowing things up, healing, seeing the
Speak Language future, whatever. Choose a school of magic.
Groups: Human, Elven, Squat, Once per scene you may reroll a failed magic
Trade, Syrneth, Gnomish, Celestial, Infernal, check from that school.
Eldarin, Dark Eldarin, Clawspeak, Draconic,
Orkish, etc. Step Aside
It can take a lot to learn a new language. Learn You are quick at getting out of the way of at-
to speak one additional language of your tacks. You gain an additional reaction action
choice. every round which may only be spent in order
to use the Dodge action.
Spell Book
Most of the time, a person can only learn a Strong Minded
small fraction of the spells in a particular spell Your mind is like a fortress guarded against
school. But with this feat, you have expanded psychic attack. You may reroll one failed
your talents to learning more tricks. Choose a Willpower Test made to resist magic per
school of magic. You may learn one additional scene.

97
 CHAPTER #:
CHAPTER NAME

True Grit
Swift Attack You can shrug off wounds that would fell
Your skill with a blade lets you attack more lesser men. Whenever you suffer critical dam-
quickly than average. With the multiple attack age, you may halve the result (rounding up).
action, you may make two melee attacks. If
you also have lightning attack, it's important Two Weapon Fighting
to note that these two feats do not stack - you When armed with two weapons of the same
can choose to use the multiple attacks action type (melee or ranged) and using the Multiple
to use Lightning Attack or Swift Attack, but Attacks action, you gain an additional attack
not both at once. using your second weapon. All attacks you
make during that round are at -2k0 to hit.
Tested
You have been Sanctioned by an official or- Unremarkable
ganization, Tested and found to be stable. You have a forgettable face and are able to
You count as a Sanctioned Sorcerer when blend in with a crowd. Attempts to pick the
rolling magic Tests. Without this feat, you character out of a crowd or describe him are
count as an Unsactioned Sorcerer, which can at -2k0 penalty. This is partly a supernatural
be bad. effect, so even with eidetic memory, the
penalty still applies.
Touch Spell Specialization
Aiming a spell is almost exactly unlike aiming Virgil's Guidance
a gun. That doesn't mean you can't get better You can get away with more than most people
at it and you're living proof. You gain +1k0 to can, making it easier to keep your devotion
hit with all spells that require you to make an high. You can buy Devotion at only half of the
attack. normal cost.

98
 CHAPTER #:
CHAPTER NAME

Wall of Steel the spell is cast become Dazzled.

Your blades are so quick that they form a wall Iron Sigil
of impenetrable steel. You gain an additional Whenever you cast an abjuration spell, you
reaction action every round which may only may choose to gain Aura equal to 5 plus your
be used to Parry an attack. rank in Abjuration that lasts until the begin-
ning of your next turn. Aura reduces damage
Weapon Focus you take from magical sources (like armor
You've focused your training on a single does for all damage) but only affects magical
weapon. Gain +1k0 to attacks made with a sources.
specific type of weapon. You must choose a Golden Wyvern
specific weapon type - not just, say, Ordinary Whenever you cast an divination spell, the
Weapons, but specifically a Shotgun. While next time you roll initiative, you get a bonus
this bonus will apply to all weapons of the ap- to the roll equal to your ranks in divination.
propriate type regardless of make or quality, it Emerald Frost
will not apply to others even if they have the When casting an Evocation spell, choose one
same proficiency. target hit by your Evocation attack and reduce
their Aura when calculating damage by an
amount equal to twice your rank in Evocation.
Weapon Proficiency Serpent Eye
Choices: Ordinary, Parrying, Cavalry, Whenever you cast and Enchantment spell,
Flail, Fencing, Two Handed, Bows, Slings, the target's Static Defense is reduced by 2 until
Entangling, Throwing, Las, Plasma, Melta, the end of your next turn, even if the spell has
Syrneth, Exotic, Flame. no effect on the target.
Training can show a person just how to use a Stormwalker
weapon properly - not shooting a las weapon Whenever you cast an Evocation spell, you
at a mirror, for example. Without this feat, you deal additional damage to all targets hit by it
may not apply your Weaponry or Ballistic skill equal to your level.
when making attacks with the weapon type,
but instead must merely roll your Dexterity.

Weapon Specialization
You've got a real knack for putting the pain
on. Gain +1k0 to damage done with a specific
type of weapon. You must choose a specific
weapon type - not just, say, Exotic Weapons,
but specifically a Needle Gun. While this
bonus will apply to all weapons of the appro-
priate type regardless of make or quality, it will
not apply to others even if they have the same
proficiency.

Wizard Traditions
Wizards have many secret methods and tradi-
tions. You happen to know some of them.
Whenever you take this feat, choose one of the
following. You may not choose the same op-
tion twice.
Hidden Flame
Whenever you cast an illusion spell, you can
throw on a minor rider effect. All enemies
within 5m of the illusion's effected area when

99
 CHAPTER VII:
FEATS, ASSETS &
HINDRANCES

Racial Feats
Aasimar
Terminator Honors You have been honored for your devotion with a power to protect yourself.
Celestial Wrath Sometimes you've just got to Smite Evil.
Dark Eldarin
Dark Cruelty Some people are really into the black leather and whips.
Warp Fire Dark Eldarin don't just create patches of darkness, but also of dancing light.
Dragonborn
Dragonborn Frenzy A smart man wouldn't get you riled up. Getting hurt makes you angry.
Dragon Sight You can see in the dark with the senses of your draconic ancestors.
Elf
Elven Precision You're not just a good shot, you're even better than the average elf.
Light Step You can move around like a ghost, barely touching the earth.
Eldarin
Guess Destination When you move through the warp, you can move out of line of sight.
Extra Warp Your warp step can be used more often.
Gnome
Tinker I never knew you could turn a toaster into a plasma cannon.
Eureka! You've got a gadget for every situation. If it's working and you can find it.
Halfling
Second Chance Even a sure hit can somehow miss one of the sneaky hobbits.
Halfling Agility You gain a bonus to your agility that makes it hard to fail.
Human
Able Learner You pay less to pick up new skills.
Human Perseverance It's harder to oppose your actions.
Ork
Mobbing Up When an Ork is afraid, he doesn't just run - he goes to get a friend.
I’m Da Boss! Orks always know who's in charge. The biggest guy around.
Squat
Able Drinker Drinking is in your blood. Or maybe that's the ale talking.
Squat Stability Being low to the ground makes it hard to knock you over.
Tau
Farsighted You've got discipline, making it harder to manipulate you against your will.
Move And Shoot As long as you keep on the move, it's hard to take you down.
Tiefling
Mutation Your mutations aren't just for show - you can do damage with those hooves.
Outsider You're not normal at all on the inside. You're better than normal.

RACIAL FEATS Able Learner [Human]

Humans are good at picking up new skills.
Able Drinker [Squat] You need to pay only half the normal cost for
Squats can hold their booze like no one else. the first rank of a skill.
When you drink, not only do you not suffer
any penalties from being drunk, but while Celestial Wrath [Aasimar}
drunk you gain +1 to your size for the purpose Stars shine, the wind blows, birds sing, and
of determining Hit Points lost from damage. brother - you hurt people. Once per scene, add
your Charisma dice to a damage roll.

100
 CHAPTER VII:
FEATS, ASSETS &
HINDRANCES

Extra Warp [Eldarin]

Dark Cruelty [Dark Eldarin] Some Eldarin can slip in and out of the Warp
You've got a kind of dark charisma that man- easily. You may use Warp Step one additional
ages to both repulse and fascinate. You gain time per scene.
+1k1 to Intimidation and Charm checks.
Farsighted [Tau]
Dragonborn Frenzy [Dragonborn] You've got a wide view of things, or you're dis-
When you hurt a Dragonborn, it just makes ciplined enough to resist charms. Attempts to
them more angry. As long as you have at least use Charm, Command, Decieve, or Persua-
one point of critical damage, your attacks deal sion against you need an additional raise to
extra damage equal to the amount of critical succeed.
damage you've taken.
Guess Destination [Eldarin]
Dragon Sight [Dragonborn] You don't need to see the target of your Warp
Dragons are known for seeing in the dark, Step, you've got enough experience with it to
sensing the heat of their prey. You may reroll just make a good guess. If you cannot teleport
one failed perception check per scene and can into that space, you're shunted to the nearest
see in the dark. safe spot.

Elven Precision [Elf] Halfling Agility [Halfling]

Elves have an ability to make even the most When you're as small as a halfling it’s some-
impossible shot look easy. Whenever you use times like you’re not even there. Your size no
Elven Accuracy to reroll a failed Weaponry or longer gives a penalty to your static defense.
Ballistics Test, you gain +1k0 to the reroll.
Human Perseverance [Human]
Eureka! [Gnome] Humans have an innate talent to put forth an
Gnomes tend to have tools and junk on them extra effort when they're challenged. You gain
that can solve any problem. And typically +1 to the final result of an opposed roll.
breaks immediately afterwards. A Gnome
may, once per scene, make a Crafts check in I'm Da Boss! [Ork]
place of any other check, pulling out some de- There is nothing quite like physical strength
vice or trinket to solve a problem. and size in ork politics. You may add your size
as a bonus to Command checks.

Light Step [Elf]

Elves are great at moving silently
and seemingly only barely touching
the ground. You gain +1k0 to all ac-
robatics and stealth rolls.

Mobbing Up [Ork]
Orks believe in strength in numbers.
Whenever you fail a Fear check, you
may choose to retreat towards any
ally rather than suffering the normal
consequences of that check. Once
you are adjacent to that ally, you
may stop fleeing.

101
 CHAPTER VII:
FEATS, ASSETS &
HINDRANCES

Move And Shoot [Tau] Warp Fire [Dark Eldarin]

Tau have an ancient fighting style where they You may outline a target with a kind of sickly
mostly avoid getting close to anyone and run multicolored light once per scene. For the rest
away while shooting. Whenever you attack of that scene, attacks against that target are at
with a ranged weapon and move in the same +1k0 to hit.
turn, your static defense increases by 5.
ASSETS
Mutation [Tiefling]
Often, Tieflings have cloven hooves, claws, or
Academy
tearing horns. You're one of them, and you
can kick some ass with them. Your unarmed You may purchase Weapon Proficiencies at a
attacks do 2k2 damage. lesser cost. New weapon proficiencies cost
only half of the normal amount for your char-
acter to buy, generally fifty experience points
Outsider [Tiefling] instead of a hundred.
Tieflings have strange internals that don't
quite match up with what you'd expect - they
Ambidextrous
have redundant organs, thick blood that clots
easily, and so forth. The first time you would You're just as good with your left hand as with
suffer critical damage in a scene, you instead your right. You're deadly in a fight and even
take only one point of critical damage. Obvi- worse with cards. When attacking with two
ously, if you'd only be taking one point any- weapons at once, reduce the penalties by -1k0.
way, this ability has no effect.
Androgynous
Second Chance [Halfling] You could pass for a male or a female. If you're
Halflings are so slippery that it's more than just a boy, you're a pretty one. If you're not, you
skill, it has to be luck. Once per combat, you get mistaken for a pretty boy anyway. You can
may force an opponent to reroll one attack roll pass off as being a boy or a girl as long as the
made against you. situation doesn't get too... intimate. You get a
free raise on all Tests made to disguise your-
self.
Squat Stability [Squat]
Squats don't really get knocked on their asses.
Appearance
They tip over, but don't fall down. Whenever
an enemy would force you to move or knock They say an ugly fellow can stop a bullet with
you prone, you may ignore that effect. his face. A good-looking one might not get
shot at in the first place. A character with Ap-
pearance may add +1k0 to all social rolls
Terminator Honors [Aasimar} where her good looks might come into play.
One of the greatest things an Aasimar can
hope for is to be selected for the elite Termi-
Brave
nator units. Aasimar with this special training
may spend a Hero Point to negate an amount Most people aren't really brave - they're just
of damage from an attack equal to their size. too stupid to know better. Maybe you're dif-
ferent, but it's doubtful. If you fail a fear check,
you may subtract 2 from the result on the fear
Tinker [Gnome] table.
Gnomes can make almost anything given
something to work from. By sacrificing an
Dangerous Beauty
item of average or better quality, the Gnome
may create another item of the same or less You have a certain something about you that
rarity with one less level of quality. This takes attracts members of the opposite sex. And
one hour. sometimes members of the same sex. You get
+2k0 to seduction attempts.

102
 CHAPTER VII:
FEATS, ASSETS &
HINDRANCES

Assets
Academy You may purchase Weapon Proficiencies at a lesser cost.
Ambidextrous A real two-fisted action hero, you can use two weapons easily.
Androgynous You've got one of those faces that could pass for a boy or a girl.
Appearance You're more appealing to others.
Brave You can handle your fear better than most people.
Dangerous Beauty You have something about you that gets a lot of attention.
Driven You refuse to surrender, even in the face of adversity.
Education You've had a real education, full of facts and trivia.
Eagle Eyes Sharp-eyed folks like you can see trouble coming a mile away.
Fast You're quick on your feet, almost enough to outrun bullets.
Gifted You're able to advance one of your characteristics more quickly.
Large You're a big fellow, and that means you've got big guts.
Left Handed Opponents are often taken by surprise with your southpaw style.
Level Headed Nothing keeps a person alive longer in a gunfight than staying calm.
Linguist You begin play speaking one additional language.
Magic Resistance You have an innate resistance to spells.
Nerves o' Steel Even when you get scared, you can hold your ground.
Nine Lives Some say you lead a charmed life, or that something won't let you die.
Sand You're the kind of tough bastard that will keep going no matter what.
Spirit Mentor You have a ghostly companion and guide.
Tough as Nails You can tough out losing blood and getting banged around when oth-
ers are already gone.
Veteran o' the Wheel You've been around for a while, and you're still kicking.

Driven chewy. You gain two free raises to perception

You refuse to surrender, even in the face of ad- checks to see something far away.
versity. You gain a conditional hero point that
may only be spent in situations to overcome Fast
incredible odds or when refusing to back down There comes a time in every Hero's life when
from a superior enemy. It may never be it's time to hightail it away from something
burned, and must be announced as being used that's more trouble than he expected. If that's
specifically. the case, you only need to be able to outrun
the slowest person. You may count your Dex-
Education terity as being two dots higher for the purposes
There are a number of excellent schools, some of determining your speed as long as you’re
with reputations that are known throughout only wearing light or no armor.
the Wheel. You get a free number of Lore spe-
cialities equal to your starting Intelligence. Gifted
You're able to advance one of your character-
istics more quickly. Choose a characteristic. It
Eagle Eyes counts as being 1 less for determining how
Sharp-eyed folks can spot a fly on a raisin cake much XP it costs to improve it.
at 20 paces. Others just wonder at what's so

103
 CHAPTER VII:
FEATS, ASSETS &
HINDRANCES

Large
Some people think a fellow as big as you is as Sand
dumb as a post. They sometimes change their You're the kind of tough bastard that will keep
minds when you let them know what it feels going no matter what. You can take two addi-
like to be a post. You gain +1 to your Size and tional levels of fatigue before passing out.
take -1k0 to all Stealth checks
Spirit Mentor
Left Handed You have a ghostly companion and guide. The
Not so much the inability to weild a weapon identity and exact powers of this spirit are up
with your right hand, but proficiency at using to the SM, but it can be called upon in diffi-
your left. Since other fighters (even other cult situations for help and guidance.
southpaws) are trained to fight right-handed
swordsmen, they have a bit more trouble deal- Tough as Nails
ing with you. Opponents get -1k0 to rolls to You can tough out losing blood and getting
parry your attacks. hurt when others are already gone. If you
haven't lost any Hit Points, the most critical
Level Headed damage you can take from an attack is 1.
Nothing keeps a person alive longer in a gun-
fight than staying calm. A hothead who runs Veteran o' the Wheel
into trouble too fast soon finds themselves six You've been around for a while, and you're still
feet under. Immediately after all participants kicking. You begin play with one extra dot to
have rolled initiative in combat, you may put into any characteristic and another dot to
choose to switch places in the initiative order put into any skill. Extra dots sound great, huh?
with the person immediately ahead of you - They are, but the hero's past experience does-
probably a good idea if that person is an n't come without a steep price. The SM
enemy. should assign your hero a few haunting re-
minders of his past. It might be as simple as
Linguist an additional hindrance, like an Enemy or
You have a natural ability with languages. some hideous scar. More often, the price is
You're invaluable as an interpreter, if nothing much higher. Give your SM a good back-
else. You begin play speaking one additional ground so whatever he comes up with fits your
language. hero and makes him a more interesting char-
acter.
Magic Resistance
You have an innate resistance to spells. The
TN of all spells directed at you - for good or
ill - is increased by 5.

Nerves o' Steel

Some heroes are too stubborn to run even
when their boots are filled with 'liquid fear'.
No matter how badly you fail a fear check, you
may choose to stand your ground instead of
fleeing. You still suffer any other penalties.

Nine Lives
Fate has granted you the opportunity to come
closer to death as anyone can get and still sur-
vive. The first time you would burn a hero
point to survive, you lose this Asset instead.

104
 CHAPTER #:
CHAPTER NAME

Atlantean Caste Assets

Dawn Caste Spending motes allows you to get an aura of leadership.
Zenith Caste Spent motes form a kind of magical armor around you.
Twilight Caste You can spend motes to become more slippery and faster.
Night Caste You can spend motes in order to disguise your spellcasting.
Eclipse Caste You can seal oaths with your own personal power.

ATLANTEAN CASTE
ASSETS Night Caste
Once the spies, assassins, and thieves of the
Syrneth, they retain their abilities to be subtle
Dawn Caste in surprising ways. By spending 1 Mote, ob-
The Dawn Caste were soldiers in the old Syr- servers cannot tell the caster of the next spell
neth empire, and still have that training. used by the character - it seems to come out
Whenever the Hero spends a Mote, for the re- of thin air.
mainder of the Scene he gains +1k0 to all In-
timidate and Weaponry rolls. Eclipse Caste
The Eclipse caste were once the very public
Zenith Caste face of the Syrneth, diplomats and bureau-
The Syrneth Zenith caste were priest-kings, crats. By spending 1 or more Motes, the Hero
prophets, and mystics in their empire. When- creates a binding oath. If the oathsworn indi-
ever the Hero spends a Mote, he reduces dam- vidual breaks their oath, they suffer terrible
age done to him by an amount equal to his luck, automatically failing at a critical mo-
Arcana rating until the end of the round. ment. This repeats once for every mote spent
by the Hero.
Twilight Caste
The Twilight Caste were once scholars, sor-
cerers, and craftsmen. The Hero may spend a
mote to add your Arcana rating as unkept dice
to any Parry or Dodge roll.

105
 CHAPTER #:
CHAPTER NAME

Chosen Mark Assets

Mark of Acererak You do not need to eat, sleep, or breathe as long as you have 1 or more favor.
Mark of Bahamut You gain a free raise on Command, Intimidate, and Persuasion checks.
Mark of Corellon Protect yourself against the greatest failures.
Mark of Cuthbert Attacks made against those you have seen commit a crime have a free raise to hit.
Mark of Khorne Khorne gives you additional attacks when you charge.
Mark of Luna Replicate the blessings from any other Mark.
Mark of Malal Attacks made against neutral or allied targets deal more damage.
Mark of Moradin You gain a bonus on Tests made to parry attacks from creatures bigger than you are.
Mark of Nurgle Ignore effects of critical damage until it exceeds your Faith.
Mark of Pelor You may produce bright light or a Death Ray.
Mark of The Raven No one is safe from your gift of Final Death.
Mark of Slaanesh You may spend a favor to alter your appearance.
Mark of Sigmar Gain extra damage against targets that damaged one of your allies in its last action.
Mark of Tzeentch By spending 1 favor you may reroll a failed Magic Test.
Mark of Vectron Praise Vectron! By his kindly claw we have regained Favor!

Mark of Khorne
CHOSEN MARK ASSETS Khorne wants you to Be Aggressive. After
making a charge or an all-out attack, you may
Mark of Acererak spend 2 favor to make an extra basic attack.
Acererak allows his followers to subsist only
on faith and magic. You do not need to eat, Mark of Luna
sleep, or breathe as long as you have 1 or more Luna is an everchanging goddess with as many
favor. faces as there are moons in the Great Wheel.
She gives her followers the gift of change. By
Mark of Bahamut spending 1 favor and 1 Hero point, you may
Bahamut's chosen have a presence and voice duplicate the effects of any other Mark. You
that carries over others. You gain a free raise may use that effect until the end of the scene.
on Command, Intimidate, and Persuasion
checks. Mark of Malal
Mark of Corellon There are many who call Malal a team-killing
Corellon is a god of excellence. He can extend, bastard. That's not inaccurate. Attacks made
if not that excellence, at least a buffer away against neutral or allied targets deal +1k1
from the greatest failure. You may reroll up to damage.
one die in any skill or characteristic Test once
per round Mark of Moradin
Moradin doesn't want his chosen to take shit
Mark of Cuthbert from anyone. Especially when they have the
You know what Cuthbert hates? Criminals. gall to be bigger than you. You gain a free raise
And there's no faster way to bring them to jus- on Weaponry skill Tests made to parry attacks
tice than to do it yourself. Attacks made from creatures with a size greater than yours.
against those you have seen commit a crime
have a free raise to hit. Mark of Nurgle
Nurgle can protect you. Well, protect is the
wrong word. You'll still get hurt. You'll just

106
 CHAPTER VII:
FEATS, ASSETS &
HINDRANCES

care less. Ignore effects of critical damage until ically an ideal form) for the duration of the
it equals or exceeds your Faith. scene. You gain +2k0 to all seduction at-
tempts.
Mark of Pelor
Pelor, as the god of the furnace of light and Mark of Sigmar
stars, allows you to shine like starlight. You Sigmar lets you protect others by making the
may produce bright light at will. Once per ses- ones who would hurt them very sorry about it.
sion, the Mark can be overloaded and used to Gain +0k1 to damage rolls made against tar-
produce an attack that uses the same profile as gets that damaged one of your allies in its last
a plasma pistol shot. action.

Mark of The Raven Mark of Tzeentch

The Raven Queen's chosen give true death to Tzeentch gives his followers skill with magic.
their enemies. Any creature that is reduced to That includes you. By spending 1 favor you
5 critical damage by your attacks is killed un- may reroll a failed Magic Test.
less they burn a Hero point, even if they would
normally not be in danger of death (for exam- Mark of Vectron
ple, using R damage to a vampire). Vectron only cares about worship. And to
him, the best kind of worship is the kind where
Mark of Slaanesh you praise him by name a lot. You may regain
Slaanesh is great for party tricks. And turning 1 favor per scene by loudly praising Vectron
tricks. You may spend a favor to alter your ap- for something within the hearing of others.
pearance to another member of your race (typ-

107
 CHAPTER VII:
FEATS, ASSETS &
HINDRANCES

Daemonhost Sin Assets

Desire You can sense the thoughts of others, when you aren't lost in your whims.
Hunger You will feed while your target is still screaming, and you're always hungry.
Pride You always rise to a challenge, even when it's something you're awful at.
Rage You are filled with burning, boundless rage that hurts your foes.
Sloth You are slow to take action, but you're tough enough to deal with it.

DAEMONHOST SIN ASSETS 5) in order to resist challenging them. You

gain a free raise to all opposed Tests and
whenever opponents are ganging up on you,
Desire you gain a free raise to hit them.
You are able to sense the desires of those
around you, allowing you to use Perception + Rage
Charisma checks to sense a target's thoughts. When you are enraged, which is pretty much
However, it can be difficult to resist your own all the time, you literally burn with anger, and
desires - you must Test Willpower against you may choose for your attacks to deal E-type
(TN Arcanoi x 5) in order to avoid fleeting damage. But the rage within you burns hot,
whims and pretty faces. and you've got a short fuse. Whenever some-
thing is provoking you to violence, you must
Hunger roll Willpower (TN Arcanoi x 5) in order to
A terrible hunger feeds you. You may feed not resist attacking the source of your ire.
only on the living, but the recently dead, gain-
ing one Essence fron eating a corpse. You find Sloth
it difficult to resist the temptations for material You can't be bothered to move quickly, even
gain, though, and must make Willpower Tests pain doesn't motivate you much. You gain two
(TN Arcanoi x 5) to resist such charms. additional hit points. However, getting your-
self motivated to do anything is particularly
Pride difficult. Whenever you encounter something
You cannot stand being second best. When- that isn't immediately life threatening and
ever someone claims to be the best at any- would require you to make an effort, roll
thing, or otherwise says they're better than Willpower (TN Arcanoi x 5) or you can't be-
you, you must Test Willpower (TN Arcanoi x bothered to deal with it.

108
 CHAPTER VII:
FEATS, ASSETS &
HINDRANCES

Paragon Assets
Action Hero You never run out of action points when there's trouble.
Extra Action You begin each session with extra action points.
High Pressure You have additional Pressure points to spend.
Legendary Trait One of the Paragon's Characteristics may be purchased up to rank 6.

PARAGON ASSETS High Pressure

You gain additional points of Pressure equal
Action Hero to your Level.
At the beginning of each combat, recover 1
spent action point. If you have not spent any Legendary Trait
action points this session, you don't gain an One of the Paragon's Characteristics may be
extra action point. purchased up to rank 6. This ability is always
considered to be available to improve as if it
Extra Action appeared in your class. This Asset may be
You gain 2 additional Action Points at the be- taken multiple times, applying to a different
ginning of each session. characteristic each time.

109
 CHAPTER VII:
FEATS, ASSETS &
HINDRANCES

Promethean Material Assets

Orichalcum You get more effect from spent Pyros.
Mithril By spending Pyros you can accelerate to incredible speeds.
Darksteel Double the armor granted to you by Integrated Armor.
Wraithbone You may heal wounds with your Pyros, unlike other Prometheans.
Necrodermis You gain a fear aura that sends men screaming.

PROMETHEAN MATERIAL
ASSETS Wraithbone
Wraithbone is a bone white ceramic that
grows and flows like it's alive, easily healing
Orichalcum over damage and repairing itself. You may
Orichalcum is a mystical golden metal that en- heal one Hit Point by spending a Pyros.
hances the effects of spent Pyros. For every
two unkept die you add to a roll by spending Necrodermis
pyros, add an additional kept die. Necrodermis is an unusual metal, a silvery
metal that, horribly, is somehow alive. Spend
Mithril a Pyros to gain Fear (with a rating equal to
Mithril is silvery and clean, glowing in moon- your generation). This lasts until the end of
light. It lends the speed of quicksilver to the scene.
Prometheans made of it. Spend a Pyros to take
a full action as a half action.

Darksteel
Darksteel is, perhaps, the strongest metal there
is, a heavy black material that is almost impos-
sible to shape. Double the armor granted to
you by Integrated Armor. Your integrated
armor has a Max Dex of 3.

110
 CHAPTER VII:
FEATS, ASSETS &
HINDRANCES

Vampire Clan Assets

Brujah The Brujah are good at resolving social situations with violence.
Malkavian You need fear no madness. You just enjoy it instead.
Toreador Clan Toreador has amazing skill with arts and crafting items.
Tremere Clan Tremere, in addition to being fairly creepy guys, are also experts at magic.
Ventrue Ventrue owns you, the building you're standing in, and most of the planet.

VAMPIRE CLAN ASSETS

Tremere
Brujah The Tremere are masters of vampiric magic,
To the Brujah clan, the best kind of philoso- the only ones with the ability to really tap
phy is the type where you hit the other guy deeply into it. Gain one rank of the Necro-
with a club until he agrees with you. Whenever mancy magical power. You may purchase this
a character fails a social roll against you, you power as if it was part of any class you belong
gain +1k0 to damage on all attacks made to. Get +1k1 on Focus Power tests to cast
against that character until the end of the Necromancy spells.
scene.
Ventrue
Malkavian The Ventrue are a tightly-knit clan that keep
Malkavians are crazy. Really crazy. But no in touch with one another and lend aid to each
matter how crazy they get they can somehow other in times of trouble. You begin play with
function in the world. Begin play with a Minor Peer (Ventrue) and gain +10 to all Wealth
Disorder. You are not removed from play for checks.
having 100 or more IP, though you continue
to gain derangements every 20 IP.

Toreador
The Toreador clan is known for their focus on
perfecting arts and crafts with the kind of
knowledge and training you can only get by
being alive (well, undead) for a few hundred
years. Gain Kept dice equal to your Blood Po-
tency on Crafts and Performer checks.

111
 CHAPTER VII:
FEATS, ASSETS &
HINDRANCES

Werewolf Tribe Assets

Black Spiral Dancers You can tear people apart with your talons and aren't particular who they are.
Get of Fenris Spend Rage to increase some characteristics.
Iron Masters You can purchase optional talents from classes you've exited.
Red Talons You can speak to animals, but you're not very good at speaking to people.
Silent Striders Experts at special werewolf magic, mostly about changing things.

WEREWOLF TRIBE ASSETS time, a character cannot purchase optional

feats that he has passed over, Iron Masters
may always use Free Study, even while they’re
Black Spiral Dancers
in a class.
Some say that Black Spiral Dancers are a sign
of Chaos' taint in Luna. Or that they're just a
Red Talons
bunch of crazy bastards that like killing things.
You gain +1k1 damage to claw and bite at- Red Talons are closer to animal than person,
tacks in warform, but cannot distinguish and they get along better with animals, too.
friend from foe unless you make a Willpower They can actually speak with animals. The
Test (TN 20) at the beginning of each round. Hero takes -2k0 to social rolls against hu-
manoids, but may use social skills on animals
while he is in wolf form. He can understand
Get of Fenris their speech, if crudely.
The Get of Fenris are Luna's warriors, solving
problems the way any wolf would solve them
- with crushing force. The Hero may spend 1
Silent Striders
Rage. If he does, he increases his Strength, Ac- There are subtle magics that only werewolves
robatics, and Athletics by 1 until the end of the know, forging the art of their own shapechang-
scene. ing into a magical skill that only the Tribe
known as the Silent Striders are privy to. Gain
one rank of the Transmutation magical power.
Iron Masters You may purchase this power as if it was part
Iron Masters are werewolves that haven't of any class you belong to. Get +1k1 on Focus
abandoned their ties to civilization. They pride Power tests to cast Transmutation spells.
themselves on adaptation. While most of the

112
 CHAPTER VII:
FEATS, ASSETS &
HINDRANCES

Hindrances
Ailin’ You're dying of something. And given what you are, that's strange.
All Thumbs You don't like machines and they don't like you much either.
Bad Luck You may not spend Hero points to reroll Tests.
Big Britches It's good to be confident. You went past good and right into foolish.
Clueless You're new to the Great Wheel. Everyone can tell.
Deathwish You have a suicidal streak to you.
Enemy You've wronged someone, and they are coming to collect.
Geezer You're practically a fossil, old even compared to most Exalts.
Grim Servant O’ Death You're almost always at the wrong place at the wrong time.
High-Falutin’ You turn up your nose so high you're in danger of drowning when it rains.
Illiterate You can't read a damn word. Better hope that Tattoo really says 'courage'.
Impulsive You're a doer, not a thinker. There's a time for action and it's every time.
Intolerance There's some folks you just can't stand.
Kid Don't let that face fool you. A kid with a gun can blow your brains out.
Law O’ The Stars You've got a code of honor that you just can't break.
Loco No one in their right mind would go off and be a hero.
Night Terrors Each night, you suffer terrible nightmares that could stop a man's heart.
Slowpoke You better learn to fight, 'cause you ain't gonna run.
Small You're smaller than the average person of your race.
Ugly as Sin There's orks with a prettier mug than yours.
Vengeful The world needs to be taught a lesson and you're the person to do it.
Wanted You are wanted by the law, dead or alive.

gerous lifestyle of adventure. You may not

HINDRANCES spend Hero points to reroll Tests.

Ailin' Big Britches

You are dying of something. And since you're It's good to be confident, but only a fool
an Exalt, that means something very unusual. charges 600 Guardsmen into a horde of 5,000
At the beginning of each session, Test Consti- Orks. You're severely overconfident. You be-
tution (TN 15). If you fail, you suffer -2k0 to lieve you can do anything and you never turn
all Tests this session. down a challenge.

All Thumbs Clueless

You don't like machines and they don't like Berks using two-Throne words are a copper a
you much either. Scientific and mechanical dozen in the Great Wheel now that so many
skills cost twice the normal points to learn or new worlds have been opened up. The cutters
improve. All rolls made to use or repair ma- that live and work in the dark places of the
chinery are made at -1k0. galaxy don't take kindly to these clueless sods
talking big about their back end of nowhere.
The Clueless are big talkers, usually from
Bad Luck
some underdeveloped Sphere. They don't get
Bad luck is an often-fatal condition in the dan- the big picture and tend to brag about things

113
 CHAPTER #:
CHAPTER NAME

most take for granted. Illiterate

You can't read a damn word. It'd cost 200xp
Deathwish to learn how. This is more common than
Sometimes a berk just doesn't want to go on. you'd think - there are quite a few Crystal
Maybe his family has fallen victim to some ter- Spheres and quite a few social situations where
rible fate. Maybe he's got the Rot and wants even an Exalt wouldn't learn to read.
to go out in a blaze of glory. Or maybe he's a
young cutter who knows just enough to be Impulsive
dangerous. Regardless, your character wants Impulsive characters are doers, not thinkers.
to die for some reason (dark or otherwise), but They tend to go off based on their own
only under certain circumstances. Most want hunches even when the rest of the party makes
to go out in a blaze of glory. Your cutter won't elaborate plans and preparations. Of course,
just throw his life away for any little thing (sui- sometimes quick action saves the day, but this
cide is easy, after all). hindrance also gets your character into a lot of
the trouble, which the rest of the party may
Enemy not feel obligated to help her out of.
You've wronged someone, and they are com-
ing to collect. This isn't the normal sort of per- Intolerance
son you've angered, either. By taking this There's some sods you can't stand. Your char-
hindrance, you're saying the enemy you have acter does not get along with certain kinds of
is the type who is not only insatiable, but is people (Orks, sorcerers, politicians, and so on)
powerful enough to actually do something and has nothing to do with them if possible. If
about it. forced to work with them, he insults and pro-
vokes them whenever he gets the chance.
Geezer
You may not have teeth, but you've still got a Kid
bite. Not all older characters have this Hin- Many Heroes are young, but you're even
drance - some folks are old at 50 and others younger. He's not an adult in his culture
are still young at 1,000. Reduce your charac- (Something like 8-15 to put it in human
ter's Hit Points by 2 and he cannot take the terms), and most people don't take him seri-
run action. ously and call him "sawed-off," "runt," or "half
pint." As your character grows up, you must
Grim Servant O' Death buy this Hindrance off with XP (which takes
People die around you. A lot. Maybe you're 200 XP). Until you do, he doesn't age, which
not a bad berk, but you're still trouble looking can be a real social issue for someone trapped
for a place to happen. As long as it's self-de- in the middle of puberty for a hundred years.
fense, you usually don't get into too much
trouble for it. If the SM is looking for some- Law o' the Stars
one's lap to drop trouble into, you are the des- A true gentleman of the Great Wheel won't
ignated target. draw down on an enemy until the foe draws
first. Most honorable people end up being
High-Falutin' quickly put into honorable graves. Your hero
Your character has no tolerance for those of a must live by a code of honor that not everyone
lesser class. Those who notice your upturned else subscribes to. He treats women with re-
nose don't like you much either. You get -1k0 spect, won't draw his gun on unarmed men,
to all social rolls you make towards those who and refuses to shoot someone in the back.
know your hero thinks they're beneath him in
social stature. Loco
No one in their right mind would stand up to
some of the monsters lurking in the Wheel.

114
 CHAPTER #:
CHAPTER NAME

Maybe that's why there are so many kooks Ugly as Sin

wandering the Galaxy. You begin play with You're not the ugliest person in the universe.
one minor derangement. There's probably at least one or two people in
the far reaches of the galaxy that look worse
Night Terrors than you. I've never seen them myself. You
When you go out to face the greatest dangers take a -1k0 from social rolls whenever your
in the Universe, sometimes they come back character's bad looks might intervene. Intimi-
and stay with you. Each night, you must make date probably won't suffer at all, but it's hard
a fear Test (TN 20). If you fail, you gain a to attract the ladies when you look like ham-
level of fatigue. Even fearless characters must burger.
make this Test.
Vengeful
Slowpoke The Great Wheel needs to be taught a lesson,
You better learn to fight, because you ain't and you aim to be the cutter to teach it. Your
gonna get away from anything that's chasing character must always attempt to right a
you. You're faster than a dead turtle. Barely. wrong committed against her. Whether this
Halve your dexterity for determining your revenge is violent or not depends on her na-
Speed. ture.

Small Wanted
You're smaller than the average for your race, You are wanted by the law, dead or alive. This
more fragile and thinner. You have -1 to your isn't for some small crime. This is for the kind
size and +1k0 to all stealth checks of thing that's given you the death penalty in a
dozen Crystal Spheres, gotten bounty hunters
on your tail, and worse.

115
 Lucien stepped forward, power sword in hand. He had no idea how his
enemy could remain so quiet. The tyrant had so many augmatics that he was more
machine than man, and his augmented lungs alone should have been enough to
make it easy to find him with their wheezing.
Then the glow of a power sword appeared at the edge of his vision, and
the young warrior stepped back to parry the blow. The dark lord stepped forward
with his lunge, a massive metal form. Lucien was forced back as the Dark Mecha-
nius Verturabo's greater strength overpowered his guard.
"You are beaten," Verturabo said. His mechendrites twitched as he spoke.
"It is useless to resist. Don't let yourself be destroyed as Oberon did."
Lucien answered by rolling sideways and thrust his power sword at Ver-
turabo, surprising him and tearing one of the Dark Mechanius' mechendrites free.
The black metal sparked and smoked. Verturabo roared, a burst of static, pained
at the feedback. He immediately recovered and swing again.
Lucien backed away along the narrow end of the gantry as Verturabo came
at him, slashing at the young man with his sword. Lucien's vague Syrneth mem-
ories snapped into focus for a moment, and he blocked the deadly attack with a
complex block that was somehow second nature to him. Verturabo's attack was
deflected into an instrument complex attached to the gantry, cutting it loose.
Lucien glanced down as it fell in the station's artificial gravity, and in that
instant of distraction, Verturabo's power sword came down on Lucien's right arm,
cutting off his hand and sending his sword flying. Lucien screamed and fell back,
across the narrow gantryway over the abyss. Verturabo couldn't follow him across
the thin pipes to the extreme end of the gantry. The Dark Mechanius was too
bulky and clumsy to manage the balancing. But there was nowhere for Lucien to
run.
"There is no escape," Verturabo said. "Don't make me destroy you. You
do not yet realize your importance. You have only begun to discover your power.
Join me and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can
rebuild the Syrneth Emprire, and bring order to the galaxy!"
"I'll never join you!" Lucien gasped.
"If only you knew the power of the C'tan. Oberon never told you what hap-
pened to your father."
"He told me enough! He told me you killed him!" Lucien held on for his
life as another gust of wind cycled through the cavernous space. Verturabo shook
his head, servomotors whining.
"No. I am your father." Lucien stopped moving entirely, almost stopped
breathing for a moment.
"No. No! That's not true! That's impossible!"
"Search your feelings. You know it to be true."
"No! No! No!"
"Lucien. You can overthrow the Factons. They have forseen this. It is your
destiny. Join me, and we can rule the galaxy as father and son. Come with me.
It's the only way." Verturabo put his sword away, a mechendrite taking it from
his bionic hand and whisking it away under his black robes. The hand extended
out to Lucien, offering salvation.
Lucien looked at the hand, and a calm came over him, lifetimes of experi-
ence in dealing with dark powers at the back of his mind. He stepped off the gantry
and into freefall. Verturabo looked after him, the wind whipping at his robes. He
had lost him again.
 VIII
MAGIC

W ithin the Great Wheel, some peo-

ple are born different. Some fickle turn of fate
train those with magical ability. Those who
can master magical ability become a prized, if
dangerous, commodity to their people.
or chance twist of destiny has seen them join
the growing ranks of sorcerers within the TYPES OF SORCERER
galaxy. These sorcerers labour under a bless- There are many roles within the many
ing and a curse. They have the rare talent to societies of the Great Wheel that utilize sor-
draw power from the Warp, the hidden di- cerers in some way or another. Some of these
mension of Chaos that lurks beneath the fabric roles are revered and vital while others are re-
of reality, and shape it into all manner of viled utterly. However people feel about sor-
strange and supernatural effects. cerers they are a vital part of the trade and war
Sorcerers are regarded in many differ- potential of all races within the Great Wheel,
ent ways across the Wheel's countless Crystal and are intrinsic to the societies on almost all
Spheres. On the more primitive planets, they worlds.
are thought of as shamans, witches, and war-
locks. More sophisticated societies are usually
aware of magical abilities and refer to psykers
Astropaths
by other titles such as "gifted" or "the These sorcerers are capable of trans-
touched". But in almost all cases, and on all mitting messages across the vast distances of
worlds, they are feared for the supernatural space. Though often inexact, arriving too late,
abilities they can bring down on those around or lost all together in the turbulence of warp
them. space, they represent the best means that has
There are many that believe sorcerers been found to communicate across the vast-
represent a gross perversion of the natural ness of the Great Wheel at speeds greater than
order, and a constant reminder of the terrible light. At times the availability of an Astropath
powers of the warp. This idea has led to sor- has determined whether entire worlds have
cerers often being kept tightly under control, lived or died.
with most races having a government-con- Astropaths spend years of training to
trolled organization in place to control and be able to send messages to the correct recip-
ient and to recognize from whence messages

117
CHAPTER VIII:
MAGIC

they recieve come from. They must learn to trol. Known by many names; warlock, rene-
ignore the dangerous calls and temptations gade, apostate, wyrd, darkspawn and worse,
that whisper to them from the warp. Most are these psykers rarely can match the control or
watched carefully, lest they become driven in- mental stability of those who have benefited
sane or corrupted by the terrible things that lie from sanctioning, but some are frighteningly
beyond. powerful, and their services are often highly
sought after by those of nefarious purpose.
Sanctioned Sorcerers
These sorcerers are individuals Untouchables
deemed strong enough to serve their people The Untouchables are strange people,
without significant dangers to others. They individuals with no warp presence. They are
serve most of the various and miscellaneous not sorcerers - in fact, they are completely the
functions a sorcerer can, from serving in vari- opposite. Their presence frequently acts as a
ous militaries to within merchant houses or damper on magical activity, lessening or even
even for personal servants. Sanctioned Sorcer- completely halting its effects. Untouchables,
ers have gone through whatever process their like sorcerers, have different grades of 'ability',
race uses to train Sorcerers to safely use their though few scholars have actually been able to
powers, almost always belonging to either an study them closely thanks to their extreme rar-
arcane academy or religious organization. ity. Their strange aura makes most uncomfort-
Many races have somewhat extreme methods able around them and for this reason they are
for assuring that the Sorcerers of their kind often loners, outcasts, and pariahs.
don't go rogue. There are entire organizations
dedicated to hunting down spellcasters that MAGICAL ABILITY
have evaded official training and sanctioning. Learning the secrets of sorcery is a
process of initiation. The prospective sorcerer
Navigators must overcome five trials - which is either con-
These powerful sorcerers have the sidered part of the 'training time' or played out,
ability to navigate the precarious tides of the as the SM and player feel appropriate. Most
Warp with the aid of their magical abilities. sorcerers in the modern age are carefully
Most Navigators are blind, a side effect of guided through these often harrowing trials as
their intense training and a symbol of their part of their Sanctioning. Sorcerers who de-
dedication. Men go mad or worse to stare into velop their abilities away from the guidance of
the face of the warp, and so only those already more experienced spellcasters must go
made blind can safely find their way through through these trials on their own.
it. In most cases, their abilities more than The first trial is humility. The initiate
make up for this deficiency, and others might must learn to see beyond his own hubris, often
never know, but for their disturbing whited- in the course of challenges impossible to fin-
out eyes or in some cases, empty, shrunken ish, deliberate humiliation by a mentor or con-
eye sockets. templation of past failures. SMs might
encourage players to take the lead in describ-
Apostates ing this initiation, as players can be (rightfully)
There are sorcerers who manage to resentful when their character is humiliated at
exist, unsanctioned and in many cases un- the Story Master's hands.
trained. Some simply evade the authorities The second trial is tutelage. The ini-
and others are born either in outlaw or isolated tiate must find a teacher - not necessarily a
communities or in Crystal Spheres as yet un- mentor as such, but as person or spirit able to
opened. The majority of these die through the give them a new insight. It is easy for an initi-
perils of their burgeoning condition, but some ate to find tutelage in this age - nearly every
few manage to survive the full manifestation military or church is more than willing to take
of their powers and gain some measure of con- them in and give them over to a more experi-

118
 CHAPTER VIII:
MAGIC

enced spellcaster for training. Those who seek Whenever a sorcerer casts a spell, he attunes
more independence or who are on the wrong his will to the warp to fuel his magical abilities.
side of the law (such as most apostates) can While the sorcerer draws out this energy, he
find a teacher in many places. Other apostate has a chance of causing disturbances in the
sorcerers, spirits from the Warp, and even sim- warp that can have undesired side effects, even
ple wisdoms from surprising sources. up to opening an uncontrolled rift between re-
The third trial is a journey. The initi- ality and warpspace with potentially fatal con-
ate must wander and, through wandering, sequences. By minimising the amount of
learn appreciation for the Wheel as it is. The power a sorcerer draws, he can all but elimi-
power of magic may remake entire worlds and nate the chance of these side effects - in some
give almost impossible power, but the present cases.
matters as much as the future. The third trial When a sorcerer casts a spell, he has
is as much about understanding the impor- a choice of using it at Fettered Magical
tance of each moment of life as it is about ex- Strength (rolling fewer dice but not risking
panding one's views. dangers), Unfettered Magical Strength (rolling
The fourth trial is fear. The initiate their full array of dice), or he may try to Push
must learn mastery over their darkest fear - it for greater effect but increased danger.
whether a fear of lowing her way, of causing When casting a spell at Fettered
others' deaths, of claiming her true power, of strength, the caster halves the number of
finding herself powerless or simply of "drown- rolled dice. This may also reduce the number
ing". Many sanctioned sorcerers have been of kept dice on the roll if the number of rolled
pushed through the third and fourth trials at dice drops below
once in a harrowing ritual that has become Each of these choices carries with it a
commonplace - sending the initiate into the set of consequences. If a sorcerer casts a spell
Umbra alone and unprotected and having at less than full power, it may not be enough
them find their own way out. to achieve the desired outcome, but if he ex-
The fifth trial is sacrifice. To become ercises Unfettered Psychic Strength or greater,
a sorcerer, one must make a terrible sacrifice. he risks potential calamitous attention from
A sorcerer might cut off a finger or abandon a the warp. Depending on the strength used,
brother to learn the basics of sorcery, and what consult the following chart and apply the ap-
a character has given up, what it matters to propriate result.
them, represents their ultimate ability to learn Note that Warp Phenomena and even
sorcery. The greatest spellcasters have made Perils of the Warp don't necessarily mean the
terrible sacrifices - giving up true love, casting spell has failed - as long as you've beaten the
away their ability to feel happiness, or even spell's TN it still (probably) goes off. However,
losing portions of their sanity. given how dangerous some of the results for
Perils of the Warp can be, you might have
CASTING SPELLS more to worry about than just if you've man-
Spells are one-time magical effects. aged to put a charm on someone.

Psychic Strength
Fettered Unfettered Push
Sanctoned Sorcerer No roll for psychic If the sorcerer keeps any ex- Make a check on the psychic
phenomena. ploded dice in his Focus phenomena table at +5 per
Power Test, roll on the Psy- die desired, up to a maxi-
chic Phenomena table. mum of +3/+15
Unsactioned Sorcerer No roll for psychic If the sorcerer keeps any ex- Make a check on the psychic
phenomena. ploded dice in his Focus phenomena table at +10 per
Power Test, roll on the Psy- die desired, up to a maxi-
chic Phenomena table at +5 mum of +4/+40
per level of the spell.

119
CHAPTER VIII:
MAGIC

into the flow of the warp. All sorcerers can

Pushing Spells Test Arcana + Wisdom (TN 20) when spells
Whenever a sorcerer successfully are in effect in their presence in order to de-
pushes a spell, he gains an enhancement to his termine their source.
effective Magic School rating of that spell for
that use. Sanctioned sorcerers may add up to Magical Schools
+3 to their Magic School rating when deter- There are many different spells that a
mining the final pushed strength of the power. sorcerer can possess, for the mutability of the
Other sorcerers have a deeper connection to warp is as limitless as imagination itself. Some
the wild surges of the warp and may add up to examples range from creating illisions, to firing
+4 to their final Magical School rating but at bolts of energy, to seeing the future, to rarer
even greater risk. Any push can result in a arts like animating the dead, summoning dae-
school rating greater than 6, but if a sorcerer mons from the warp, and the transmutation of
has more than one source increasing the final matter. These abilities usually begin as a basic,
effective Magic School rating, only the highest almost rudimentary form of the power - the
is applied. first level of spells in each Magical School.
Over time, a sorcerer can learn more ways to
Focus Power fine tune that power for a variety of effects.
Any use of a spell starts with the This chapter represents nine Magical
Focus Power Action. This is a Test, using the Schols in detail which are most prevalent
spell's Magical School and a Characteristic, to among the Sanctioned Sorcerers through the
make the power function or to generate suc- Great Wheel.
cess. Focus Power is the catch-all phrase used *Abjuration: Abjurations are protec-
to encompass the many Tests that may be re- tive spells. They create magical or physical
quired - varying by the action it takes to use, barriers, negate magical or physical abilities,
the characteristic required, and occasionally harm trespassers, or even create a point for
other factors. As with all other Tests, the char- your own magical effects to trigger off on later.
acteristic determines the number of kept dice. *Conjuration: Conjuration is the art
Some spells require a Magic School and a of moving objects, creatures, or some form of
Power Stat. Whenever you cast one of these energy through the warp. A creature or object
spells, the Power Stat is what determines the summoned with a conjuration effect cannot
number of kept dice. appear inside another creature or object, nor
can it appear floating in an empty space. It
Cumulative Effects must arrive in an open location on a surface
Modifiers, Characteristic Bonuses, capable of supporting it.
and other effects generated by spells do not *Divination: The art of reading the
stack, only the highest applies. past, present, and future. In addition, this dis-
cipline also encompasses the art of influencing
another's mind.
Range and Line of Sight *Enchantment: Enchantment spells
Unless noted in their descriptions, affect the minds of others, influencing or con-
spells that are targeted directly against other trolling their behavior. Many attempt to
individuals require the sorcerer to either have charm or force an individual to do something,
line of sight or otherwise be 'aware' of the tar- and can be resisted by those with enough
get of his powers, as well as the target to be in- willpower.
side of the power's stated range. *Evocation: Evocation spells manip-
ulate energy or tap an unseen source of power
Detecting Magical Effects to produce a desired end. In effect, they create
Sorcerers are attuned to the warp something out of nothing. Many of these spells
around them and that includes the currents produce spectacular effects, and evocation
and eddies caused by other sorcerers dipping spells can deal large amounts of damage.

120
 CHAPTER VIII:
MAGIC

*Healing: Healing spells enhance a Focus Power Test

subject's abilities, often granting them super- The type of Test the spell requires.
human strengths and curing them of even the This will typically be the spell school and a
most deadly wounds. characteristic or a power stat. Remember that
*Illusion: Illusion spells deceive the rolling doubles on the focus power Test in-
senses or minds of others. They cause people vokes psychic phenomena unless the power is
to see things that are not there, not see things being used at fettered psychic strength.
that are there, hear phantom noises, or other- Target Number
wise experience things that are unreal. The TN is the threshold to activate
*Necromancy: Necromancy spells the spell. Many powers gain in strength as you
manipulate the power of death, unlife, and the get raises above the spell's base TN.
life force. Spells that enhance the powers of Action
vampires are obviously common, as Vampires Most spells have a casting time of a
developed and exclusively use the school of half action. Others take a full action, and oth-
Necromancy. ers take a reaction action or merely a free ac-
*Transmutation: Transmutation tion.
spells are about change, both in the caster and Keywords
in the world around him. The school of trans- These rules use the following key-
mutation relies on the caster's own ability to words to describe qualities of a spell.
change shape, drawing on that mutable core Attack: This spell counts as an attack
to power its effects. against the target.
Combo-OK: You can use this spell to
LEARNING SPELLS build a Combo.
Whenever a character gains a dot in a Focus: This spell requires a focus, a
spell school, he learns one of the spells in that material object that, if destroyed, instantly
school of the appropriate level. Most of the ends the spell.
time, this will mean making a choice as to Language Dependent: In order for
which spells you want to learn and which this spell to function, the caster and target
you're willing to give up. Some feats might must share a common language.
allow you to choose additional spells to learn. Material: When casting this spell you
Once you've chosen which spells to learn, you require some material components which are
may not change these spells later - each one consumed in casting the spell.
isn't just a representation of effort, but of the Mind-Affecting: This spell affects the
magic becoming an intrinsic part of your char- mind of the target, and so can only be used on
acter. targets that are sentient.
Ranged Touch: To affect a target
with this spell requires hitting the target with
SPELLS a ranged attack (Dexterity + Ballistics).
The spells available to characters are Saving Throw: This spell allows the
listed and described below. The description of target to make a Test to resist its effects. If the
each spell is presented in a standard format. target does resist its effects, they become
Each category of information is explained and aware of the spell, even if it has the Subtle key-
defined below. word. Unless otherwise listed, the TN of the
Name Saving Throw is 10+5 per level of the spell.
The first line of every spell description Social: This spell is often used in so-
gives the name by which the spell is generally cial situations and cannot be used during com-
known. bat.
School (Level) Somatic: This spell has Somatic com-
Beneath the spell name is a line giving ponents. It cannot be used if the caster is
the school of magic that the spell belongs to bound, grappled, or otherwise unable to move
and the level of that spell. freely.

121
CHAPTER VIII:
MAGIC

PSYCHIC PHENOMENA (1D100)

01-03 Dark Forboding: A faint breeze blows past the sorcerer and those near him, and everyone gets the feeling
that somewhere in the galaxy, something unfortunate just happened.
04-05 Warp Echo: For a few seconds, all noise causes echoes, regardless of the surroundings.
06-08 Unholy Stench: The air around the sorcerer becomes permeated with a bizarre and foul smell.
09-11 Warp Mind: The sorcerer suffers 1 Insanity Point as his own inherent phobias, suspicions, and hatreds surge
to the surface of his mind in a wave of negative emotion.
12-14 Hoarfrost: The temperature plummets for an instant, and a thin coating of frost covers everything within
3d10 meters.
15-17 Aura of Taint: All animals within 1d100 meters become spooked and agitated.
18-20 Memory Worm: All people within line of sight to the sorcerer forget something trivial.
21-23 Spoilage: Food and drink go bad in a 5d10 meter radius.
24-26 Haunting Breeze: Wind whips up around the sorcerer for a few seconds, blowing light objects about and gut-
tering fires within 3d10 meters.
27-29 Veil of Darkness: For a brief moment (the remainer of the round) the area within 3d10 meters is plunged
into immediate darkness.
30-32 Distorted Reflections: Mirrors and other reflective surfaces within a radius of 5d10 meters distort or shatter.
33-35 Breath Leech: Everyone (including the sorcerer) becomes short of breath for one round and cannot make
any Run or Charge actions.
36-38 Mask of Fear: For a fleeting moment, the sorcerer takes on a terrible appearance and gains a Fear rating of
1 for the rest of the round.
39-41 Unnatural Decay: All plant-life within 3d10 meters of the psyker withers and dies.
42-44 Spectral Gale: Howling winds erupt around the sorcerer, requiring him and anyone within 4d10 meters to
make a TN 10 Dexterity or Strength Test to avoid being knocked to the ground.
45-47 Bloody Tears: Blood weeps from stone and wood within 3d10 meters of the sorcerer. If there are any pictures
of statues of people inside this area, they appear to be crying blood.
48-50 The Earth Protests: The ground suddenly shakes, and everyone (including the sorcerer) within a 5d10 meter
radius must make a TN 15 Dexterity Test or be knocked down.
51-53 Psy Discharge: Static electricity fills the air for 5d10 meters around the sorcerer causing hair to stand on end
and unprotected electronics to short out.
54-56 Warp Ghosts: Ghostly apparitions fill the air for 3d10 meters around the sorcerer, flying about and howling
in pain for a few brief moments. Everyone in the radius must Test against fear 1.
57-59 Falling Upwards: Everything within 2d10 meters of the sorcerer (including him) rises 1d10 meters into the
air as gravity briefly disappears before falling to the ground after a second or two.
60-62 Bahsee Howl: A deafening keening sounds out across the immediate area, shattering glass and forcing every
creature in the area to make a Constitution Test (TN 15) or be defened for 1d10 rounds.
63-65 The Furies: The sorcerer is assailed by unseen horrors. He is slammed to the ground and loses 1d5 hit points
and must Test against Fear 2.
66-68 Shadow of the Warp: For a split second the world changes in appearance and everyone within 1d100 meters
has a brief glimpse of the shadow of the warp. Everyone in the area (including the sorcerer) must make a TN
20 Willpower Test or gain 1d5 insanity points.
69-71 Tech Scorn: The electromagnetic discharge created by the spell causes all tech devices within 5d10 meters
to malfunction momentarily and all ranged weapons jam. Characters with cybernetic implants (and
prometheans) must pass a TN 15 Constitution Test or lose 1d5 hit points.
72-74 Warp Madness: A violent ripple of tainted dischord causes all creatures within 2d10 meters (with the excep-
tion of the sorcerer) to become Frenzied for a round unless they pass a TN 20 Willpower Test.
75+ Perils of the Warp: The warp opens in a malestom of energy. Roll on the Perils of the Warp table instead.

122
 CHAPTER VIII:
MAGIC

PERILS OF THE WARP (1D100)

01-05 The Gibbering: The sorcerer screams in pain as uncontrolled warp energies surge through his un-
protected mind. He must make a TN 20 Willpower Test or suffer 1d5+1 Insanity points and is
stunned for 1d5 rounds.
06-09 Warp Burn: A violent burst of energy from the warp smahes into the sorcerer's mind, sending him
reeling. He loses 1d5 Hit Points and is stunned for 1d5 rounds.
10-13 Psychic Concussion: With a crack of energy, the sorcerer is knocked unconsious for 1d5 rounds,
and everyone within 3d10 meters must make a TN 15 Willpower Test or be stunned for one
round.
14-18 Psy-Blast: There is an explosion of power, and the sorcerer is thrown 1d10 meters into the air,
falling to the ground.
19-24 Soul Sear: Warp power courses through the Sorcerer's body, scorching his soul. The sorcerer can-
not use any powers for one hour.
25-30 Locked In: The power cages the Sorcerer's mind in an ethereal prison. The Sorcerer falls to the
ground in a catatonic state. Each round thereafter, he must spend a full action to Test Willpower
(TN 15) On a success, his mind is freed and restored to his body.
31-38 Chronological Incontinence: Time warps around the sorcerer. He winks out of existance and reap-
pears in 1d10 rounds and suffers 1d5 Insanity Points.
39-46 Psychic Mirror: The Sorcerer's power is turned back on him. Resolve the spell's effect as normal,
but the spell targets the Sorcerer instead. If the spell is beneficial, it instead makes the sorcerer
lose 1d5 Hit Points and the beneficial effect is cancelled.
47-55 Warp Whispers: The voices of daemons fill the air within 4d10 meters of the sorcerer, whispering
terrible secrets and shocking truths. Everyone in the area must make a TN 25 Willpower Test or
suffer 1d10 Insanity Points.
56-58 The Darkness: The area is cloaked in terrible screaming darkness, rendering everyone within 5d10
meters of the sorcerer blind and deaf for the next 1d10 rounds.
59-67 Teleport Storm: Mystical lightning strikes the ground in a terrible displacement storm. Everyone
within 3d10 meters of the sorcerer switches places with someone else at random.
68-72 Rending the Veil: The air vibrates with images of cackling daemons and the kaleidoscopic taint of
the warp is rendered visible. All sentient creatures within 1d100 meters must Test against Fear 3.
This effect lasts for 1d5 rounds.
73-78 Blood Rain: A magical storm erupts, covering an area of 5d10 meters in which everyone must pass
a TN 15 Strength check or be knocked to the ground. The skies rain blood and any Spells cast in
the area automatically invoke a Perils of the Warp check for the next 1d5 rounds.
79-82 Cataclysmic Blast: The sorcerer's power overloads, arcing out in great bolts of energy. Anyone
within 1d10 meters (including the sorcerer) loses 1d5+2 Hit Points. The sorcerer may not cast
any spells for 1d5 hours.
83-86 Power Drain: The sorcerer's power glitches and tries to draw power from the spirits of others.
Everyone within 3d10 meters of the sorcerer lose all unspent fate points.
87-90 Reality Quake: Reality buckles around the sorcerer, and an area raditing out 3d10 meters from
him is sundered: everything rots, burns, and freezes, and everything in the area takes 3d10 Rending
damage.
91-99 Lost to the Warp: The sorcerer must make a TN 30 Willpower Test or he is gragged into the warp
by a daemon immediately for purposes unknown. He reappears 1d10 weeks later on an inhabited
planet with only dim, horrific memories of what happened. He suffers 3d10 Insanity Points and
all future Perils of the Warp Tests are made at +10.
00 Destruction: The sorcerer is sucked screaming into the Warp, never to be seen again. He is no
more.

123
CHAPTER VIII:
MAGIC

Subtle: The effects of this spell are not EXAMPLE SPELL COMBO
immediately obvious. Other spellcasters can
Mistress Scarlet has saved up some
Test Arcana + Wisdom (TN 20) to notice
XP and has decided to use some of her
them.
downtime to develop a new spell combo.
Touch: A touch spell requires the
Mistress Scarlet has Illusion 2 and Evocation
caster to touch the target in order for the spell
3, and looks over her spell list. She chooses
to take effect. Touching an unwilling target re-
to combine Invisibility and Energyball to
quires an unarmed attack Test (Dexterity +
create a spell that will let her blow someone
Brawl).
up and vanish at the same time.
Verbal: The spell has verbal compo-
Mistress Scarlet has an Intelligence
nents. It cannot be used if the caster cannot
of 3 and a Charisma of 4. Since spell combos
speak, and the caster must speak in a clear,
use the lowest of the magic school ratings
loud voice for the spell to take effect.
and characteristics involved, this spell
Duration
combo uses Illusion and Intelligence.
The length of time the spell lasts.
Invisibility doesn't have a minimum
Spells can measure their duration in real units,
TN, but Energyball has a TN of 25. Since
such as days, or game units, such as rounds or
this combo includes 2 spells, the TN is in-
scenes. Indefinite spells have no fixed duration
creased by 5, so this combo has a total TN
- they last until the caster cancels the effect.
of 30 - Mistress Scarlet is going to have to
Instant spells happen in an instant, like the ex-
push this spell pretty hard to have a good
plosive burst of a fireball. When a spell's du-
chance of success.
ration is listed as Concentration, it will include
the action that the caster must spend each
Developing Combos
round in order to maintain its effect. An (E)
Characters develop combos through
after the spell duration means that the spell
long exercise of their powers, devoting hours
can be expended, and how it can be expended
of effort toward integrating their abilities and
will be listed in the spell description.
understanding their spells and how they inter-
Description
act. Because of the sheer amount of effort and
This portion of a spell description de-
danger required to make a Combo,
tails what the spell does and how it works. If
During play, a character can develop
one of the previous entries in the description
combos through arduous practice. The expe-
included "see text" this is where the explana-
rience point cost of Combos developed during
tion is found. If the spell you're reading about
play is equal to 50 xp per level of each spell in
is based on another spell, you might have to
the combo. However, Story Masters don't
refer to a different spell for the "see text" in-
have to let a character learn a Combo just be-
formation.
cause the player has enough XP saved up.
Combos are hard - they're less a studied
SPELL COMBOS method of using the power of the warp and
With long practice and focus, it's pos- more trying to manipulate it on the fly.
sible for a spellcaster to combine spells to-
gether, becoming able to cast multiple spells General Guidelines
at once. For example, A sorcerer who has mas- Using a combo allows a character to
tered the combo of Stun and Energy Burst can use two, three, or more spells with a single ac-
blast a target for damage and reduce his ac- tion. Don't worry if this seems like it could get
tions. Combos represent a level of magical confusing. This section will go over the rules
power above simple spells, and are more dan- for using combos in detail.
gerous for the spellcaster to use, but far more The Test for using a combo uses the
effective. lowest of the characteristics and magical
schools that apply to the spells in the combo.
The TN of the combo is that of the

124
 CHAPTER VIII:
MAGIC

highest TN spell in the combo, plus five for

every spell beyond the first. Armouring Aura
A Combo cannot be used with a Fet- Abjuration 1
tered focus power Test. Most of the time, a Focus Power Test: Abjuration + Wisdom
combo will need to be Pushed to have much Target Number: 10
chance of success. If psychic phenomena Action: Half Action
occur, add +5 to the roll for every spell in the Keywords: Somatic, Touch
combo, in addition to any additions to the roll Duration: One Scene
from Pushing the power or being Unsac- The touched creature gains Aura 1. For every
tioned. raise you get on the Focus Power test, the
A Combo takes an action equal to the value of the granted Aura goes up by 1 to a
longest action of spells in the combo. Where maximum of three times your Level.
Stun is a half action, Invisibility is a full action.
Casting the example combo therefore takes a
full action.
Knock
Duration and range of the spells in Abjuration 2
the combo are handled seprately. In the exam- Focus Power Test: Abjuration + Wisdom
ple combo, The stun still affects a creature Target Number: 20
within 10m as an instant effect, whereas Invis- Action: Half Action
ibility hides the caster for the normal duration. Keywords: Somatic, Touch
If one spell requires a Focus, Verbal, Duration: Instant
Somatic, or Material components, then the You unlock a touched door, disabling all non-
entire combo will fail if the caster can't provide magical locks on it.
those components. Language Dependency,
Mind-Affecting, and being an Attack are han- Dispel
dled per effect rather than on the combo as a Abjuration 2
whole, and if a Saving throw would negate one Focus Power Test: Abjuration + Wisdom
part of a combo, it doesn't negate the entire Target Number: 15
thing. Attacks are rolled seprately for each part Action: Reaction Action
of a combo, and a miss doesn't cause the Keywords: -
whole combo to collapse. Unless all spells in a Duration: Instant
combo are subtle, the combo is not subtle as a You may use this spell as a reaction to counter
whole. a spell being cast, with the target number of
this spell equal to the Magic roll of the caster
of the target spell.

List of Spells Ward

Abjuration 3
Focus Power Test: Abjuration + Wisdom
ABJURATION SCHOOL Target Number: 25
Action: Full Action
Shield Keywords: Verbal, Social, Somatic
Abjuration 1 Duration: One day per caster level
Focus Power Test: Abjuration + Wisdom This spell creates a protected area with a ra-
Target Number: 10 dius of 10m from the casting spot. Anything
Action: Reaction Action larger than a cat, and not named as 'safe' dur-
Keywords: Somatic ing the casting of this spell, sets off an alarm.
Duration: Instant This alarm can be loud, alerting everyone in
You may use the result of this spell as a parry the area, or silent, alerting only the caster.
Test.

125
CHAPTER VIII:
MAGIC

Contingency
Abjuration 4
Focus Power Test: Abjuration + Wisdom
Target Number: 30
Action: Full Action
Keywords: Social, Somatic, Touch
Duration: Indefinite (E)
On the completion of this spell, you must im-
mediately cast another spell. That spell does
not take immediate effect. Under a condition
chosen at the time of casting, that spell takes
immediate effect. Targets must be chosen
when the spell is cast, though they may be left
somewhat vague (for example, you might cast
fireball and set the target at 'whatever I am
pointing to').

Disjunction
Abjuration 5
Focus Power Test: Abjuration + Wisdom
Glyph Target Number: 20
Abjuration 3 Action: Reaction Action
Focus Power Test: Abjuration + Wisdom Keywords: -
Target Number: 25 Duration: Instant
Action: Full Action This spell functions as Dispel, but if you suc-
Keywords: Focus, Somatic, Touch ceed on the counter attempt, the target cannot
Duration: One day cast spells until the end of your next turn.
You touch an object or person and create a
Glyph. You may cast spells at the glyph with-
out having line of effect, though it must still
CONJURATION SCHOOL
be within range of the spell. For example, you
could put a glyph on a rock, throw it over a Invisible Servant
wall, then cast fireball targeting the glyph, ex- Conjuration 1
ploding anything behind the wall without pok- Focus Power Test: Conjuration + Wisdom
ing your head over to look. Target Number: 15
Focus: A small gem. Action: Full Action
Keywords: Social, Verbal
Exploding Runes Duration: One hour
Abjuration 4 You summon an invisible roaming animating
Focus Power Test: Abjuration + Wisdom force. It can preform any task that doesn't re-
Target Number: 30 quire a skill check, and has effective rating of
Action: Full Action 1 in each characteristic. It lasts for one hour,
Keywords: Social, Somatic, Touch and is often used for cleaning and other simple
Duration: Indefinite (E) tasks.
You inscribe a series of runes on an object. If
anyone except you and anyone else you name Blink
as safe during the casting of this spell reads Conjuration 1
these runes, they explode, dealing 4k4 damage Focus Power Test: Conjuration + Wisdom
in a Burst 3 and ending the spell. Target Number: 15
Action: Half Action
Keywords: Combo-OK, Somatic

126
 CHAPTER VIII:
MAGIC

Duration: Instant two portals open at once. If you attempt to

You instantly teleport to a spot you can see open a third, you must choose which of your
within your run distance. existing portals closes.

Lesser Servant Jaunt

Conjuration 2 Conjuration 3
Focus Power Test: Conjuration + Wisdom Focus Power Test: Conjuration + Wisdom
Target Number: 20 Target Number: 25
Action: Full Action Action: Reaction Action
Keywords: Material, Somatic, Verbal Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: One minute per caster level Duration: Instant
You summon a weak creature to aid you. It You instantly teleport up to 10m away. If used
has a rating of 2 in all characteristics and 2 in reaction to an attack, you can use this as a
ranks in any relevant skills. The Servant re- dodge attempt.
mains for one minute for every level you have.
Material: A candle
Greater Servant
Call Item Conjuration 4
Conjuration 2 Focus Power Test: Conjuration + Wisdom
Focus Power Test: Conjuration + Wisdom Target Number: 30
Target Number: 20 Action: Full Action
Action: Full Action Keywords: Material, Somatic, Verbal
Keywords: Touch, Social Duration: One minute per caster level.
Duration: Indefinite As Lesser Servant, except the summoned crea-
You cast this spell on an item you can hold in ture has 4 in all characteristics.
one hand. You may teleport that item into Material: A candle
your hand at any time, from any distance, as a
free action. You may have only one item pre- Teleport
pared in this way at a time. Conjuration 4
Focus Power Test: Conjuration + Wisdom
Porte Target Number: 30
Conjuration 3 Action: Full Action
Focus Power Test: Conjuration + Wisdom Keywords: Combo-OK, Somatic, Verbal
Target Number: 20 Duration: Instant
Action: Half Action or Reaction Action As Blink, but with no maximum distance, and
Keywords: Somatic you may teleport anywhere you have seen be-
Duration: One day per Caster level. fore. Unless you are extremely familiar with
You create a portal large enough for a person the destination, you must make a Widom +
to walk through in a place you can see within Perception check against TN 25 (The SM
100m. The portal must be placed on a rela- may raise the TN for locations you've only
tively flat surface, but can otherwise be set at seen once or have seen only from a distance or
any angle. If the surface moves, the portal van- through divination spells).
ishes instantly. You must cast this spell twice
for it to have much effect. The portals are like Gate
a doorway - there's no real space between Conjuration 5
them, entering one immediately puts you out Focus Power Test: Conjuration + Wisdom
the other. You can hang halfway through a Target Number: 35
portal, though if one is closed you're expelled Action: Full Action
through the open side. Momentum is con- Keywords: Social, Somatic
served through the portals. You may have only Duration: One day per Caster Level.

127
CHAPTER VIII:
MAGIC

As Porte, save you don't need to have line of Luck

effect to the target for the portal opening. This Divination 2
portal counts as one of the two open portals Focus Power Test: Divination + Wisdom
you may have and otherwise follows all the Target Number: 20
rules of Porte. Unless you are extremely famil- Action: Half Action
iar with the destination, you must make a Keywords: Combo-OK, Subtle
Widom + Perception check against TN 25 Duration: One scene (E)
(The SM may raise the TN for locations Until the end of the scene, you gain 1 extra
you've only seen once or have seen only from 'floating' unkept die that you may apply to one
a distance or through divination spells). roll per turn. For every raise you get, you gain
one additional floating die. You may use a
DIVINATION SCHOOL number of these floating die up to your level
on any one roll.
Agury
Divination 1 Scry
Focus Power Test: Divination + Wisdom Divination 3
Target Number: 20 Focus Power Test: Divination + Wisdom
Action: Full Action Target Number: 25
Keywords: Material, Social Action: Full Action
Duration: Instant Keywords: Focus, Social, Somatic, Verbal
You get a general idea of if your current ac- Duration: Concentration (Half)
tions are wise or not. If you fail casting this To cast this spell, you must have an object that
spell, it still functions, but you get a false re- belongs to the target you wish to scry, or a part
sult. of their body (like a lock of hair). The target
Material: Dice, cards, runes, or some other may roll Arcana + Willpower to resist. If this
means of telling a fortune. spell is successful, you can see and hear the
target and their surroundings out to about 10
Whisper meters. You must spend a half action every
Divination 1 round to maintain this effect.
Focus Power Test: Divination + Wisdom Focus: A mirror or still pool of water.
Target Number: 15
Action: Free Action Precognition
Keywords: Combo-OK, Subtle Divination 3
Duration: Instant Focus Power Test: Divination + Wisdom
You send a short message (a sentence or so) Target Number: 25
to a target you can see. No one but the target Action: Half Action
can hear the message. Keywords: Combo-OK, Subtle
Duration: One scene (E)
Forsee You may reroll one failed roll. For every raise
Divination 2 you get on this spell's magic Test, you get one
Focus Power Test: Divination + Wisdom additional reroll. You may use these rerolls in
Target Number: 15 addition to any other rerolling ability and may
Action: Reaction Action use as many of these as you like on a given
Keywords: Somatic Test.
Duration: Instant
You may use this spell in place of a dodge at- Mind Net
tempt. Divination 4
Focus Power Test: Divination + Wisdom
Target Number: 30
Action: Full Action

128
 CHAPTER VIII:
MAGIC

Keywords: Mind-Affecting, Subtle Command

Duration: One scene Enchantment 1
You create a telepathic network between your Test: Enchantment + Charisma
allies. Until the end of the scene, you and any Target Number: 15
allies you name on casting this spell can speak Action: Half Action
through this network silently and instantly. Keywords: Attack, Combo-OK, Language
Dependent, Mind-Affecting, Saving Throw,
Unluck Verbal
Divination 4 Duration: Instant
Focus Power Test: Divination + Wisdom Deliver a one-word command to the target,
Target Number: 30 which they must attempt to obey with their
Action: Half Action next action if they fail an Arcana + Willpower
Keywords: Attack, Combo-OK, Saving roll. Targets will automatically resist obviously
Throw, Subtle self-destructive commands like 'Suicide' or a
Duration: One scene command to jump from a bridge. If they can-
Choose a target within 10m. He loses one un- not complete the action with their next action
kept die from all rolls, plus one for every raise in combat, they will attempt to do their best
on the magic Test. The target may resist with given the time they have.
Arcana + Willpower.
Stun
Commune Enchantment 2
Divination 5 Test: Enchantment + Charisma
Focus Power Test: Divination + Wisdom Target Number: 20
Target Number: 30 Action: Half Action
Action: Full Action Keywords: Attack, Combo-OK, Saving
Keywords: Focus, Language Dependent, Ma- Throw, Somatic
terial, Mind-Affecting, Social, Verbal Duration: Instant
Duration: One minute per level. The target, a creature within 10m, may only
You begin a conversation with anyone you take a half action on his next turn. He may re-
name, regardless of distance or barriers be- sist this effect with Arcana + Willpower. If he
tween you. The target may end this conversa- fails by 5 or more, he loses his entire action in-
tion at any time. It lasts for up to five minutes. stead.
Focus: A scrying pool or mirror.
Material: Incense. Attraction
Enchantment 2
ENCHANTMENT SCHOOL Test: Enchantment + Charisma
Target Number: 20
Charm Person Action: Full Action
Enchantment 1 Keywords: Mind-Affecting, Saving Throw,
Test: Enchantment + Charisma Social, Subtle, Touch
Target Number: 15 Duration: One hour.
Action: Half Action The touched object or person generates an
Keywords: Mind-Affecting, Social, Subtle aura that just draws attention from everyone
Duration: One scene. around. Creatures passing within 30m can't
The target likes you for no reason at all, treat- help but stop and look. If it's a person, they
ing you like an old friend and granting +2k0 hang on his every word, giving +1k1 to all so-
to all social rolls. The target may resist with cial rolls. People will attempt to interact with
Arcana + Willpower. If you treat a charmed this object - opening doors, reading signs, and
target well, they might just continue to think so forth. This effect lasts up to one hour, and
of you as a friend. may be resisted with Arcana + Willpower.

129
CHAPTER VIII:
MAGIC

Dominate Geas
Enchantment 3 Enchantment 5
Test: Enchantment + Charisma Test: Enchantment + Charisma
Target Number: 25 Target Number: 20
Action: Full Action Action: Half Action
Keywords: Attack, Combo-OK, Language Keywords: Attack, Combo-OK, Language
Dependent, Mind-Affecting, Saving Throw Dependent, Mind-Affecting, Saving Throw,
Duration: Concentration (Half) Subtle, Verbal
You control the actions of target creature Duration: One Scene. (E)
within 10m. You must spend a half action This works as Command, save the target will
every round to maintain this effect. The crea- follow suicidal commands if they fail their Test
ture may Test Arcana + Willpower to resist. If to resist and the target may undertake ex-
you ask the creature to do something outside tended actions rather than just using their next
of its nature, it gets a free raise to that roll. If action, up to the duration of the scene.
you force it to do something self-destructive or
violent towards an ally, it gets three free raises. EVOCATION SCHOOL
Awe Magic Missile
Enchantment 3 Evocation 1
Test: Enchantment + Charisma Test: Evocation + Charisma
Target Number: 25 Target Number: 15
Action: Full Action Action: Half Action
Keywords: Attack, Combo-OK, Saving Keywords: Attack, Combo-OK, Somatic
Throw, Somatic Duration: Instant
Duration: Instant One target within 30m takes 2k1 damage. For
This works as Stun, except on all creatures every raise you gain on this roll, you may copy
within a 10m radius. this spell and attack the same or a different tar-
get. The target may not dodge this attack. The
Encore maximum number of copies of this spell you
Enchantment 4 may make is equal to your level.
Test: Enchantment + Charisma
Target Number: 30 Energy Burst
Action: Half Action Evocation 1
Keywords: Mind-Affecting, Verbal Test: Evocation + Charisma
Duration: One round per level. (E) Target Number: 15
The target must Test Arcana + Willpower Action: Half Action
every turn, or else he must repeat the same ac- Keywords: Attack, Combo-OK, Ranged
tions he took in his last turn if possible. Touch, Somatic
Duration: Instant
Blindness Make an attack with Blast 2 that deals 3k2
Enchantment 4 damage, plus 2 damage per level, at a range of
Test: Enchantment + Charisma up to 30m.
Target Number: 30
Action: Half Action Energy Grasp
Keywords: Attack, Combo-OK, Saving Evocation 2
Throw, Somatic Test: Evocation + Charisma
Duration: One day. Target Number: 20
The target touched becomes blinded if they Action: Half Action
fail to resist with Arcana + Willpower. This ef- Keywords: Attack, Combo-OK, Touch, So-
fect lasts for one day. matic, Verbal

130
 CHAPTER VIII:
MAGIC

Duration: Instant
Your hand glows with an awesome power. Energy Aura
You may make an unarmed melee attack Evocation 3
(Dexterity + Brawl). Roll Evocation + Test: Evocation + Charisma
Charisma as damage. Target Number: 15
Action: Reaction Action
Energy Ray Keywords: Attack, Combo-OK, Focus, So-
Evocation 2 matic, Verbal
Test: Evocation + Charisma Duration: One scene.
Target Number: 20 Create an aura that deals 1k1 +3 damage/level
Action: Full Action to everyone in melee range of you at the end
Keywords: Attack, Combo-OK, Ranged of your turn or who you hit in melee which
Touch, Somatic lasts until the end of the scene.
Duration: Instant
Make a ranged attack with a maximum range
of 50m per level. This attack deals 5k3 dam- Energy Wall
age. Evocation 4
Test: Evocation + Charisma
Energyball Target Number: 25
Evocation 3 Action: Full Action
Test: Evocation + Charisma Keywords: Attack, Material, Somatic
Target Number: 25 Duration: One scene
Action: Half Action Create a wall that is 10 meters long, plus five
Keywords: Attack, Combo-OK, Material, meters for every raise you get on this roll. Peo-
Ranged Touch, Somatic ple can see and target through this wall. Any-
Duration: Instant one who passes through this wall takes 4k2
Make an attack with Blast 10 that deals 2k1 damage. This wall lasts until the end of the
damage per level, at a range of 30m. scene.
Material: A pinch of gunpowder. Material: A vial of oil.

131
CHAPTER VIII:
MAGIC

Energy Bits Duration: One Minute (E)

Evocation 4 All allies within 10m get +1k0 on their next at-
Test: Evocation + Charisma tack roll. This bonus is lost if it isn't used
Target Number: 5 within one minute.
Action: Full Action
Keywords: Attack, Combo-OK, Ranged At- Regeneration
tack, Somatic, Verbal Healing 2
Duration: One Scene (E) Test: Healing + Wisdom
Create one sphere of energy plus one for every Target Number: 20
raise you get on this roll. These spheres last Action: Full Action
until the end of the scene. You may expend Keywords: Social, Somatic, Touch
any number of these spheres at the beginning Duration: Instant
of your turn as a free action. For each sphere You touch a target. You may spend three re-
you expend, make a ranged attack with a range source points. If you do, that target regrows a
of 50m that deals 4k2 damage. You may not severed limb.
attack the same target with more than 2
spheres per turn. Boost
Healing 2
Energy Meteors Test: Healing + Wisdom
Evocation 5 Target Number: 20
Test: Evocation + Charisma Action: Half Action
Target Number: 30 Keywords: Verbal
Action: Full Action Duration: Instant
Keywords: Attack, Combo-OK, Ranged Choose an Ally within 10m. That ally may im-
Touch, Somatic, Verbal mediately take a half action. This does not
Duration: Instant change that ally's place in the initiative order.
Make an attack with Burst 10 that deals 6k4
damage at a range of up to 120m. Copy this Cure Moderate Wounds
spell for each dot you have in Evocation. Healing 3
Test: Healing + Wisdom
HEALING SCHOOL Target Number: 25
Action: Half Action
Cure Light Wounds Keywords: Combo-OK, Somatic, Touch,
Healing 1 Verbal
Test: Healing + Wisdom Duration: Instant
Target Number: 15 You may spend one resource point (Vitae,
Action: Half Action Rage, etc). If you do, the target touched is
Keywords: Combo-OK, Somatic, Touch, healed of up to three hit points.
Verbal
Duration: Instant Rebuke
You may spend one resource point (Vitae, Healing 3
Rage, etc). If you do, the target touched is Test: Healing + Wisdom
healed of one hit point. Target Number: 25
Action: Half Action
Boon Keywords: Attack, Combo-OK, Verbal
Healing 1 Duration: Instant
Test: Healing + Wisdom Choose a target within 10m. If that target wor-
Target Number: 15 ships the same god as you, this spell has no ef-
Action: Half Action fect. Otherwise, the target loses one hit point
Keywords: Combo-OK, Verbal and loses one unspent hero point.

132
 CHAPTER VIII:
MAGIC

Consecrate day. The caster may only have one of these

Healing 4 weapons at a time.
Test: Healing + Wisdom Material: A sharpening stone.
Target Number: 30
Action: Full Action Ressurection
Keywords: Material, Somatic, Verbal Healing 5
Duration: See text. Test: Healing + Wisdom
You create an area 5m in radius. Those within Target Number: 35
this area who worship the same god as the Action: Full Action
caster gain +1k0 on all rolls. By spending an Keywords: Social, Somatic, Touch, Verbal
additional full action in his next round, the Duration: Instant
caster increases the radius of this area by 5m, The caster spends five resource points. If he
to a maximum of 50m. The caster may instead does, the touched corpse is returned to life at
spend a half action every round to merely 0 hit points. The subject loses one dot of Con-
maintain this area. This area's size degrades by stitution. If they had only one dot of Consti-
5m every minute after the caster stops main- tution to begin with, the spell fails and they
taining it. cannot be returned to life.
Material: Holy water or incense.
ILLUSION SCHOOL
Holy Weapon
Healing 4 Image
Test: Healing + Wisdom Illusion 1
Target Number: 30 Test: Illusion + Intelligence
Action: Half Action Target Number: 15
Keywords: Material, Somatic, Touch, Verbal Action: Full Action
Duration: One day. Keywords: Combo-OK, Somatic
The touched weapon deals +1k1 damage to Duration: Concentration (Half)
enemies of your god. This effect lasts for one You create an image up to 3m cubed within
10m. You must spend a half action on each of
your turns after the first to maintain it. If you
spend a full action, you may make the image
move, though it cannot leave the 3m cube it
was created in - an illusion of a man could be
made to blink and shift his weight, for exam-
ple, instead of being static. A Wisdom + Per-
ception Test allows viewers to tell it as unreal.

Disguise
Illusion 1
Test: Illusion + Intelligence
Target Number: -
Action: Half Action
Keywords: Material, Social, Somatic
Duration: Concentration (reaction)
You may use this spell instead of the Disguise
Skill in order to disguise yourself, the result of
the Magic Test being the quality of your dis-
guise. You must spend one reaction action per
turn to maintain this disguise.
Material: A pinch of rouge.

133
CHAPTER VIII:
MAGIC

Invisibility distract enemies. These images remain close

Illusion 2 to you. You create one image on a success at
Test: Illusion + Intelligence casting this spell, plus one for every raise
Target Number: - gained, to a maximum of your level. Whenever
Action: Full Action you are attacked, the attacker must roll ran-
Keywords: Combo-OK, Subtle domly between you and your images to see
Duration: One minute per level. what he hits. An image struck by an attack is
You become invisible, and may use the result destroyed. All images vanish at the end of the
from this magic Test in place of stealth rolls scene.
involving sight. This effect lasts up to one
minute per level, but ends immediately if you Improved Invisibility
make an attack. Illusion 4
Test: Illusion + Intelligence
Ghost Sound Target Number: -
Illusion 2 Action: Full Action
Test: Illusion + Intelligence Keywords: Subtle
Target Number: 20 Duration: One minute.
Action: Half Action This funtions as Invisibility, save its maximum
Keywords: Combo-OK, Subtle duration is only one minute and making an at-
Duration: Instant tack does not immediately end the spell.
You create a sound from a source up to 20m
away an in your line of sight. If you get at least Programmed Image
one raise on this roll, you can create intelligible Illusion 4
speech. If you get two raises, you may mimic Test: Illusion + Intelligence
a specific person's voice. This sound can be Target Number: 30
from as quiet as a whisper to as loud as a Action: Full Action
shout. Keywords: Social, Somatic, Verbal
Duration: One hour per level.
Silence This works as Image, but it lasts for up to one
Illusion 3 hour per level, and you may program it to
Test: Illusion + Intelligence react to a number of stimuli up to your Intel-
Target Number: 25 ligence. This spell may also produce sounds,
Action: Half Action including intelligible speech.
Keywords: Combo-OK, Somatic.
Duration: One minute per level. Permanent Image
A touched object or person radiates an aura of Illusion 5
silence out to 5m. Stealth Tests involving Test: Illusion + Intelligence
sound within this area automatically succeed, Target Number: 35
and sounds from outside the area simply stop Action: Full Action
at the border. This effect lasts for up to 1 Keywords: Somatic, Verbal
minute per level. Duration: Indefinite
This works as Image, but you do not need to
Mirror Image maintain it. It lasts until dispelled.
Illusion 3
Test: Illusion + Intelligence NECROMANCY SCHOOL
Target Number: 25
Action: Full Action Flush of Life
Keywords: Combo-OK, Somatic, Verbal Necromancy 1
Duration: One scene (E) Test: Necromancy + Intelligence
You create duplicate images of yourself that Target Number: 15

134
 CHAPTER VIII:
MAGIC

Action: Half Action Torment

Keywords: Social, Subtle, Touch Necromancy 3
Duration: One Scene Test: Necromancy + Intelligence
Until the end of the scene, the touched corpse Target Number: 25
breathes, look less pale, and otherwise seems Action: Half Action
to be alive (but in a coma) to even detailed ex- Keywords: Attack, Combo-OK, Saving
amination. If you are a vampire, you may use Throw, Somatic, Verbal
this spell on yourself. Duration: Instant
All creatures within 10m lose half of their re-
Rot maining Hit Points. This includes the caster
Necromancy 1 and his allies. Creatures may roll Arcana +
Test: Necromancy + Intelligence Constitution to resist. Undead creatures
Target Number: 15 (Vampires, skeletons, zombies, etc) get a free
Action: Half Action raise on their rolls to resist.
Keywords: Attack, Combo-OK, Somatic, Ver-
bal Raise Dead
Duration: Instant Necromancy 3
This causes items to age and rot. You may tar- Test: Necromancy + Intelligence
get a 1m cube within 20m. Items within that Target Number: 25
cube are subjected to terrible powers. Food Action: Full Action
spoils, water becomes stagnant. If you get one Keywords: Material, Social, Somatic, Touch,
raise, wood crumbles and rots. Another raise, Verbal
and even metal rusts and flakes away. Duration: Indefinite
Spend a Resource Point. The touched corpse
Speak with Dead becomes a terrible undead creature, a mockery
Necromancy 2 of life. If it is in good condition, it can pass for
Test: Necromancy + Intelligence a (VERY SICK) living creature for a short
Target Number: 20 time. Regardless of the creature that it comes
Action: Full Action from, it acts as though it has 2 in all charac-
Keywords: Focus, Language Dependent, So- teristics and 1 in any skills it used often in life.
cial, Somatic, Touch, Verbal Material: A black gem.
Duration: Instant
The touched corpse answers one question. It Corrupted Earth
can only answer one question per day in this Necromancy 4
manner. While the answer must be truthful, it Test: Necromancy + Intelligence
can be vague or obfuscated. Target Number: 30
Focus: A metal disk inscribed with runes. Action: Full Action
Keywords: Material, Somatic, Verbal
Draining Touch Duration: See text.
Necromancy 2 You create an area 5m in radius. Those within
Test: Necromancy + Intelligence this area who don't worship the same god as
Target Number: 20 the caster suffer -1k0 on all rolls. By spending
Action: Half Action an additional full action in his next round, the
Keywords: Attack, Combo-OK, Somatic, caster increases the radius of this area by 5m,
Touch to a maximum of 50m. The caster may instead
Duration: Instant spend a half action every round to merely
Make an unarmed melee attack that deals 2k2 maintain this area. This area's size degrades by
damage. If you are a vampire, you gain one 5m every minute after the caster stops main-
Vitae for each Wound this attack causes. taining it.
Material: Holy water or incense.

135
CHAPTER VIII:
MAGIC

Consume Soul Treesong

Necromancer 4 Transmutation 1
Test: Necromancy + Intelligence Test: Transmutation + Wisdom
Target Number: 30 Target Number: 15
Action: Full Action Action: Half Action
Keywords: Attack, Combo-OK, Somatic, Keywords: Somatic, Touch, Verbal
Touch Duration: Instant
Duration: Instant You shape living wood into a simple shape,
When this spell is cast on a recently (less than such as what you could form out of clay. You
one minute) deceased creature, you consume may effect up to 1 cubic meter of wood, and it
its soul, making it impossible for that creature remains in the shape you form it into perma-
to be brought back with ressurection spells for nently.
as long as you're alive (or, well, an undead
mockery of life). Dedication
Transmutation 2
Necromutation Test: Transmutation + Wisdom
Necromancer 5 Target Number: 20
Test: Necromancy + Intelligence Action: Full Action
Target Number: 35 Keywords: Material, Somatic, Touch, Verbal
Action: Full Action Duration: Indefinite
Keywords: Focus, Somatic, Verbal The caster touches an item and a character
Duration: See text. with an ability to change shape. While nor-
When the Caster casts this spell, his hit points mally items are dropped or shredded when the
are reduced to 0 and he cannot benefit from character changes shape, the dedicated item
healing effects for the rest of the scene. The instead transforms with them.
caster becomes immune to hit point loss for Material: A pinch of Silver dust.
1d10 rounds +1 for each raise he gets on the
spell. Animal Power
Focus: A medallion inscribed with a symbol of Transmutation 2
a solar eclipse. Test: Transmutation + Wisdom
Target Number: 20
TRANSMUTATION Action: Half Action
Keywords: Combo-OK, Somatic, Touch,
SCHOOL Verbal
Duration: One scene.
Swift Change The target creature gets +1 to one physical
Transmutation 1 characteristic (Strength, Dexterity, or Consti-
Test: Transmutation + Wisdom tution). For every two raises on this roll, the
Target Number: 15 creature gets an additional +1 to the statistic.
Action: Free Action
Keywords: Combo-OK, Somatic Magic Fang
Duration: Instant Transmutation 3
You may change into any clothing or armor Test: Transmutation + Wisdom
you’re carrying in an instant. If you have a nat- Target Number: 25
ural shapechanging ability (such as a were- Action: Half Action
wolf’s shifting) you may use that as well. Keywords: Combo-OK, Somatic, Touch,
Verbal
Duration: One scene.
The touched creature's natural weapons and

136
 CHAPTER VIII:
MAGIC

unarmed attacks deal an additional kept die of

damage and count as magic weapons. Earth Song
Transmutation 4
Polymorph Test: Transmutation + Wisdom
Transmutation 3 Target Number: 20
Test: Transmutation + Wisdom Action: Half Action
Target Number: 25 Keywords: Somatic, Touch, Verbal
Action: Full Action Duration: Instant
Keywords: Material, Somatic, Touch, Verbal You shape stone into a simple shape, such as
Duration: One scene. what you could form out of clay. You may ef-
The touched creature may assume wolf form. fect up to 1 cubic meter of stone, plus one ad-
Obviously, in wolf form the character cannot ditional meter per raise on this spell and it
speak, manipulate all but the simplest objects, remains in the new shape permanently.
or do other things most humans take for
granted. However, they gain +1k1 to all per- Dragon Form
ception checks involving scent. +2 to Dexter- Transmutation 5
ity, -1 to Size, and a bite attack for 1k1 Test: Transmutation + Wisdom
damage. Target Number: 35
Material: A lock of your hair. Action: Half Action
Keywords: Focus, Somatic, Verbal
Primal Power Duration: One Scene
Transmutation 4 This spell temporarily transforms the caster
Test: Transmutation + Wisdom into a dragon. While he's a dragon, gains +3
Target Number: 30 to size, -1 to Dexterity, +2 to Strength, a bite
Action: Half Action attack that deals 2k2 damage, Flyer (2x
Keywords: Material, Somatic, Touch, Verbal Speed), and a breath attack that uses the at-
Duration: One scene. tack profile as a Flamer that they may use once
This works as Animal Power, except instead per round. While in dragon form the caster
of choosing a characteristic, the bonus applies may cast spells normally, speak, and be very
to all three physical characteristics. tall and lizardy.
Material: A tooth from a predatory animal. Focus: A jade circlet.

137
 Lance stepped out of the elevator, checking left and right with his laspistols.
Glass shattered as another volley of fire came at him from below. Lance took cover
behind a support beam and threw a grenade blindly towards the gunner. The blast
shattered the rest of the windows on that floor. He spotted movement out of the
corner of his eye and fired, arrows of light streaking towards the guard as both
men fired on each other.
The guard dropped, a pool of bright red blood spilling under him. Lance
dropped one of his laspistols as the pain hit him. Blood trickled down his left arm.
The wound staggered him, the pain almost making him black out. The elevator
behind him pinged. He turned, bringing his gun up. A plasma pistol was already
aimed at him. And holding it was...
"Jim!" Lance said, surprised. The dragonborn gunman stepped around him
and fired a bolt of white-hot plasma at another guard as he appeared behind
Lance. The bolts blasted through the man's light armor and sent him to the ground
in a cloud of fire and smoke.
"Where's Kharne?" Lance asked.
"Top floor. This way!" Jim led the way, Lance nursing his injury and watch-
ing the massive dragonborn's back. He tossed another grenade back the way they
had come, collapsing the corridor on two unfortunate men who had been follow-
ing.
Jim unlocked the express elevator with his multitool. As Lance caught up
to him, a dark shape appeared at the end of the hallway, hefting a heavy weapon.
"Jim!" Lance screamed. The dragonborn turned just as the heavy bolter
opened up, filling the air with screaming steel. Lance threw himself to the ground
and fired wildly. The bolter fell silent as Lance's shots struck true. Lance ran over
to Jim as the dragonborn collapsed, split open by the explosive shells of the heavy
bolter.
"Kharne... he's got to be stopped..." Lance gasped. He smiled through the
pain. "I was waiting... for you to come back and take over." He dragonborn went
limp as he finally bled out.
Lance took the express elevator up. There were no guards on the top floor.
He could feel Kharne waiting for him. A blast rocked the station. The entire pent-
house roof disinegrated. Force fields snapped into place, just barely holding back
the vacuum.
"So," Kharne said. "You're finally awake." Lance stepped through the
smoke and rubble. The Mark of Bahamut on his chest burned. He could make
out the crimson light shining from the Mark of Khorne that Kharne bore. "I told
you before, Lance. I'm the only one who can kill you and set you free."
"Those words apply to you as well, Kharne." Lance smiled grimly. "Either
way, it's going to end here." He raised his laspistol, his vision blurry with fatigue.
Kharne's chainaxe rumbled. It would all be over soon, one way or the other.
 IX
SWORD
SCHOOLS

T he Sublime Way. The Nine Disci-

plines. Blade Magic. All of these are terms that
MARTIAL ADEPT LEVEL
Some effects of Advantages and Re-
strictions will reference a character's Martial
have been used to describe the almost super- Adept level. A character's martial adept level
human fighting abilities that are the hallmark is equal to the number of dots he has in his
of heroic combat. The uncanny power of the highest level Sword School. Where Magic
Sublime Way springs from a blend of physical Schools have little overlap (as represeted by
skill, mental self-discipline, and adherence to the way that each magical school is rolled as
distinct martial philosophies. Many of the Ad- its own skill), the sword schools can be used
vantages of the various martial disciplines together, and so a character's full Martial
aren't magic at all - they are simply demonstra- Adept level is always used regardless of from
tions of superhuman skill and training. Al- whence a particular advantage came from.
though many of the Advantages and methods
taught by the Sublime Way are mundane in
execution and effect, their results can some-
times rival spells.
Special Attacks
The warriors who study the Nine Dis- Special Attacks are the core of the
ciplines are Martial Adepts, capable of battle- Sublime Way. Unlike spells, which are codi-
field feats beyond those that a traditionally fied and separate effects that can be combined
schooled and trained warrior can home to ac- by a skilled spellcaster, the skills of swords-
complish. The typical fighter mgiht display manship flow into one another, build on one
great skill in a weapon's basic cuts, thrusts, and another, with Martial Adepts adapting ele-
parries, but a student of the Sublime Way be- ments of each Sword School they know into
lieves that mastering a weapon requires self- their own personal fighting style.
discipline and spiritual austerity in addition to The maneuvers of the Sublime Way
learning the correct postures and movements. are not given as simple combat actions. Each
school teaches special Advantages and Restric-
tions that can be used to create your own spe-
cial attacks.

139
 CHAPTER IX:
SWORD SCHOOLS

Advantages are special bonuses that a martial adept gains access to the Universal
are applied to an attack action. It might give Advantages and Restrictions, and may use
an enemy a Condition, apply a property to the Standard Attack actions to build Special At-
attack, or just increase the damage dealt by the tacks. These represent the basic training and
blow. Advantages from different schools can universal abilities that all adepts can access.
be used together to build attacks that tran- Every Advantage on an attack costs a
scend the nine schools and are truly a 'style certain number of Style Points. While a Mar-
without style'. tial Adept has Style Points equal to their Mar-
Restrictions are flaws in an attack - tial Adept level to use on attacks he buys,
this may represent overextending yourself to going beyond that requires him to gain style
strike deeply at an opponent's most vulnerable points by adding Restrictions to his attack.
location or striking lightly with extra precision. Where an Advantage gives an attack additional
No matter how skilled a martial adept be- ability or utility, a Restriction imposes a
comes, the more specialized they make their penalty on the attack - this might be less dam-
attacks, the more flaws they're forced to ac- age, less accuracy, or a number of other things.
cept. You can gain extra style points equal to your
Martial Adept Level with restrictions - if the
HOW TO BUILD A SPECIAL restrictions you’ve chosen are worth more than
that, the ‘extra’ points are lost.
ATTACK It's possible to both buy and improve
Special Attacks start with choosing an attacks. Buying an attack is fairly inexpensive,
action to base it on. You add Advantages and costing fifty XP per Style Point of the attack
Restrictions to increase the power and utility with a minimum cost of fifty XP. Improving
of said attack, buying it with XP. There are an attack you already have costs, naturally,
some Universal Advantages and Restrictions fifty XP per style point you're adding to it.
that can be used by any Martial Adept, but the Some weapon types (such as Ordi-
majority of Advantages and Restrictions come nary and Syrneth) have proficiencies that
from the Nine Disciplines. apply to both ranged and melee weapons. Spe-
Each attack is built on a specific ac- cial Attacks can only be used when making
tion using a specific weapon. As a base, for ex- melee attacks with these weapons.
ample, you might select making a normal
attack with a fencing weapon. The types of
weapon you may select to use are restricted by
the Sword Schools you have learned. Which
Sword Schools
actions you can use are similarly restricted by There are nine Sword Schools in the
the Sword Schools you know. Sublime Way. These same schools and tech-
At the first level of any sword school, niques have been discovered and rediscovered

EXAMPLE SPECIAL ATTACK

Rocky is a Martial Adept with Setting Sun 2 and Iron Heart 3. His Adept level is 3, so he has
3 Style points to spend on special attacks. He's decided to build a new special attack.
First, he decides what weapon and action to use as a base. Rocky fights mostly with his bare
hands, so he'll use Unarmed as his weapon choice. He wants to keep it simple this time, so his action
choice will be a simple Standard Attack, something all Adepts have access too.
Now he chooses advantages. He decides to go with Hammer of the Emperor from Iron Heart,
Knockout Blow from Setting sun, and +2k0 damage from the Extra Damage universal advantage list.
This comes to six points of advantages, which means he'll need to choose three points of restrictions.
The first restriction he chooses is Opening the Path. That's worth two points, so he only needs
to choose one more. He decides to go with the Limited Use restriction for one point, so he can only
use it every other turn.
Lastly, he names the attack. He's decided to call it Exploding Burst Fist. He spends 300xp (6
Style Points)

140
 CHAPTER IX:
SWORD SCHOOLS

in different places and times throughout his- There are almost no Grandmasters to learn
tory. Some have even unlocked their secrets this secret technique from, and nearly every
through intense personal meditation and person who has achieved this level of mastery
study, with no teacher to guide them save their has done so through their own training and
own desire to be the best, like no other warrior personal perfection of the school's teachings.
ever was.
There are five levels of mastery to Universal Advantages
each school, represented by the number of
dots you have in the school. The five levels of Name Cost Effect
mastery are, in order, Apprentice, Initiate, First Damage
1* Add +1k0 to damage.
Journeyman, Master, and Grandmaster. At Improvement
each level of mastery, the Martial Adept un- Second Damage
locks new secrets of the Sword School. 3* Add +0k1 to damage.
Mastery
At the first stage of mastery, the Ap-
prentice learns the use of the school's chosen First Accuracy Add +1k0 to the attack
1*
weapon type and combat action. A martial Improvement roll.
adept can only use the weapons and actions he Second Accuracy Add +0k1 to the attack
has unlocked in this way in order to build spe- 2*
Mastery roll.
cial attacks - without this level of training, he
simply doesn't have the true zen of it. For every style point
Penetration
At the second stage of mastery, the 1* you spend, add 2 to the
Mastery
Initiate begins learning the true secrets of the attack's Penetration.
school. He learns the school flaw, a Restriction
that is exclusive to that particular sword
school, and the first school Advantage, which Universal Restrictions
tends to be a core part of the school's style and
Name Cost Effect
teachings.
In the third stage of mastery, the Jour- You may not use this
neyman learns to incorporate the school's fa- Difficult Strike (-1) attack if you used it in
vored skill into his techniques, allowing him to the last round.
use a skill Test with that skill as a restriction You may only use the
on his attacks. He also learns the second Last Resort (-2)
attack once per scene.
school Advantage, which further solidifies the
style of the school. Restrained This attack deals -1k0
(-1)*
In the fourth stage of mastery, the Force damage.
Master is just that, as master. They learn a This attack deals -0k1
Unbroken Skin (-2)*
special Mastery ability that they can always damage.
use, even if they're not making a Special At- The attack roll is made
tack, that represents the sheer amount of train- Inaccurate (-1)*
at -1k0.
ing they've put into the Sword School. They
also learn a new Advantage for their school, a The attack roll is made
Overextended (-2)*
powerful ability that even most martial adepts at -0k1.
never see. This attack has 0 pen-
Non-Penetrating (-1)
Finally, if a Martial Adept manages to etration.
get to the fifth stage of mastery, they gain the
school's ultimate secret technique, the most
powerful Advantage that the school can give.

141
 CHAPTER IX:
SWORD SCHOOLS

Desert Wind
Speed and mobility are the hallmarks of the Desert Wind discipline. Desert Wind ma-
neuvers often involve blinding displays of sword skill, quick charges, and agile footwork. Some
maneuvers from this school, however, draw power from the supernatural essence of the desert
and allow and adept practitioner to scour his foes with fire.
The key skill for Desert Wind is Athletics. The odd weapons of the Syrneth are the tra-
ditional weapons used in Desert Wind special attacks. It's thought that the Syrneth were the first
to use this fighting style, which isn't unlikely given the supernatural effects of the school.
Name Cost Effect

Level 1: Apprentice
Weapon (Syrneth) - Use Syrneth weapons with your martial maneuvers.
Action (Called Shot) - Use Called Shot actions in martial maneuvers.
Level 2: Initiate
Do not add your weapon's damage to this attack. It
deals no damage. You may only apply this to actions
Empty Hand (-2)
that include an attack with a weapon - you cannot apply
this to an Aim action, for example.
If this attack hits, the target is dazzled for one round for
Blistering Flourish 1
every raise you get on the attack roll.
Level 3: Journeyman
As part of this attack, make an Athletics check against
Skill (Athletics) (-1)
the static defense of the target. If it fails, the attack fails
Your attack deals E type damage instead of the
Burning Blade 1
weapon's damage type.
Level 4: Master
When making a charge attack, you do not need to move
Mastery (Zephyr Dance) -
in a straight line.
You may teleport 5m either right before or right after
Leaping Flame 1
making this attack.
Level 5: Grandmaster
As part of this attack, everyone within 2m of you takes
2k2 E damage. If you move during this attack, this af-
Holocaust Cloak 4
fects everyone that you come within 2 meters of. A tar-
get can only be affected by this effect once per round.

142
 CHAPTER IX:
SWORD SCHOOLS

Devoted Spirit
Faith, piety, and purity of body and mind are the wellsprings of a warrior's true power.
Devoted Spirit attacks harness a practitioner's spiritual strength and her zealous devotion to a
cause. This Sword School includes energies baneful to a creature opposed to the Martial Adept's
cause, abilities that can keep an adept fighting long after a mundane warrior would fall to his
enemies, and strikes infused with vengeful, fanatical power.
Medicae is the key skill for Devoted Spirit. Devoted Spirit adepts are trained in the use
of the Flail, an difficult and awkward weapon for most to use. It has been suggested that the
original masters of the Devoted Spirit school were taught by their gods themselves.
Name Cost Effect

Level 1: Apprentice
Weapon (Flails) - Use Flail weapons with your martial maneuvers.
Use Aid Another actions in martial maneuvers. If you
use this to aid another character’s attack, any attack-re-
Action (Aid Another) -
lated benefits from the special attack apply to the aided
attack.
Level 2: Initiate
Make an alignment check with a +2 bonus as part of
Devotion (-2)
this attack.
For 1 point, heal an adjacent ally for 1 Hit Point. For 3
Revitalizing Strike 1/3
points, heal the ally for 2 Hit Points.
Level 3: Journeyman
As part of this attack, make a Medicae check against the
Skill (Medicae) (-1)
static defense of the target. If it fails, the attack fails.
If you roll a 10 on damage with this attack, roll an ad-
Foehammer 2
ditional 2 dice for the exploding die instead of just one.
Level 4: Master
Mastery (Ox Body Technique) - Your maximum Hit Points increases by 2.
For every time you take this advantage, an adjacent ally
gains +2 to their static defense until your next turn. This
Covering The Phalanx 1*
bonus can be applied to one ally or divided among as
many as can fit in melee range with you.
Level 5: Grandmaster
If this attack hits the head or gizzards it deals additional
Castigating Blow 4
damage equal to your devotion.

143
 CHAPTER IX:
SWORD SCHOOLS

Diamond Mind
True quickness lies in the mind, not the body. A student of the Diamond Mind disci-
pline seeks to hone his perceptions and discipline his thoughts so that he can act even in slivers
of time so narrow that others cannot even perceive them. A corollary of this speed of thought
and action is the concept of the mind as the battleground. An enemy defeated in his mind must
inevitably be defeated in the realm of the physical as well.
Scrutiny, the ability to read another person, is the key skill for Diamond Mind. Martial
Adepts focused in Diamond mind use Fencing weapons, light and fast enough to move as fast
as their user. It's said that this Sword School was developed by a Mortal as a means to defend
himself from and even defeat the Exalted.
Name Cost Effect

Level 1: Apprentice
Weapon (Fencing) - Use Fencing weapons with your martial maneuvers.
Use Feint actions in martial maneuvers. Any attack-re-
lated advantages you apply to the special attack apply
Action (Feint) -
to the normal attack made after a feint. That attack may
not be a Special Attack of its own.
Level 2: Initiate
This technique can only be used either as a free strike
Backhanded Blade (-2)
or a delayed action.
Gain a free raise on all parry attempts made until your
Dipping Swallow 2
next turn.
Level 3: Journeyman
As part of this attack, make a Scrutiny check against the
Skill (Scrutiny) (-1)
static defense of the target. If it fails, the attack fails.
Make an additional attack with your weapon as part of
Flurry of Blows 3*
this attack.
Level 4: Master
You may use any sort of attack after a successful feint,
Mastery (Open Form Motion) -
not just a standard attack action.
If this attack hits, the opponent must make a Dex check
Weakening Grip Technique 4
(TN 20) or drop whatever they're holding.
Level 5: Grandmaster
You may take advantage up to five times on one attack.
Essence Draining Strike 2* An opponent hit by this attack loses 1 resource point for
every level you have of this advantage.

144
 CHAPTER IX:
SWORD SCHOOLS

Iron Heart
Absolute mastery of the sword is the goal of the Iron Heart discipline. Through unending
practice and study, the Iron Heart adept achieves superhuman skill with her weapons. Iron Heart
Special Attacks are demonstrations of uncanny martial skill - weaving patterns of steel that dizzy,
confuse, and ultimately kill with no recourse.
The key skill for Iron Heart is Perception, the ability to see the flaws in your own stance
and the defenses of others. Iron Heart weapons are Ordinary weapons, and like the school itself,
what seem like ordinary attacks are polished and brought to supernatural levels.
Name Cost Effect

Level 1: Apprentice
Weapon (Ordinary) - Use Ordinary weapons with your martial maneuvers.
Use Aim actions in martial maneuvers. Any attack-re-
lated advantages applied to this special attack are ap-
Action (Aim) -
plied to the attack that benefits from the aim bonus.
That attack may not be a Special Attack.
Level 2: Initiate
After making this attack, your static defense is lowered
Opening the Path (-2)
by 10 until your next turn.
Steel Wind 2 Your attack gains the Tearing property.
Level 3: Journeyman
As part of this attack, make a Perception check against
Skill (Perception) (-1)
the static defense of the target. If it fails, the attack fails.
This attack deals X damage instead of the weapon's nor-
Hammer of the Emperor 2
mal damage type.
Level 4: Master
Opponents get -1k0 on all of their responses to your at-
Mastery (Mithirl Blade) -
tacks.
Exorcism of Steel 4 This attack gains the Power Field property.
Level 5: Grandmaster
Strike of Perfect Clarity 5 This attack cannot be dodged or parried.

145
 CHAPTER IX:
SWORD SCHOOLS

Setting Sun
Strength is an illusion. Adherents of the Setting Sun philosophy understand that no war-
rior can hope to be stronger, quicker, and more skillful than every one of her enemies. Therefore,
this discipline includes Advantages that use an adversary's power and speed against him. Setting
Sun maneuvers include weakening blows and the ability to stun and distract an opponent. The
highest forms of the Setting Sun allow you to turn an opponent's weapon against him, turning
the strongest opponent into the most vulnerable.
Deceive is the key skill for the Setting Sun discipline, the ability to trick and outmaneuver
an opponent with fast hands. The weapons of the Setting Sun school are no weapons at all, using
unarmed strikes to damage an opponent. It's said that the Setting Sun school was founded by
halflings who were facing extermination and oppression.
Name Cost Effect

Level 1: Apprentice
Weapon (Brawl) - Use Unarmed attacks with your martial maneuvers.
Action (Fight Defensively) - Use Fight Defensively actions in martial maneuvers.
Level 2: Initiate
Eagle's Claw (-2) You may only use this attack as part of a grapple.
Anyone hit by your attack takes a level of fatigue, even
Knockout Blow 2*
if they lose no hit points.
Level 3: Journeyman
As part of this attack, make a Deceive check against the
Skill (Deceive) (-1)
static defense of the target. If it fails, the attack fails.
Anyone damaged by this attack takes -1k0 to all rolls
Distraction Method 2
until your next turn.
Level 4: Master
Mastery (Wind Step) - Gain a free raise to all initiative checks.
Shocking Bullet Fist 4 This attack gains the Shocking property.
Level 5: Grandmaster
You may use your opponent's weapon as the base dam-
Fool's Strike 2
age of this attack.

146
 CHAPTER IX:
SWORD SCHOOLS

Shadow Hand
Never show an adversary what he expects to see. The Shadow Hand discipline empha-
sizes deception, misdirection, and surprise. The most effective blow is one struck against an
enemy who does not even know he is in danger. Because the study of the deceit as a philosophy
often leads into darker practices, some Shadow Hand maneuvers employ supernatural effects
such as the manipulation of shadows.
The key skill of the Shadow Hand school is Stealth, hiding your own attacks and sur-
prising your enemy. Shadow Hand weapons are parrying weapons, small and easily-concealed
weapons that can be carried almost anywhere. The original practicioners of the Shadow Hand
school were assassins, using the attacks of the school to disable and kill their enemies before they
even knew they were in danger.
Name Cost Effect

Level 1: Apprentice
Weapon (Parrying) - Use Parrying weapons with your martial maneuvers.
Use Ready actions in martial maneuvers. Any attack-re-
lated advantages applied to this special attack instead
Action (Ready) - are applied to your next standard attack if you use this
action to ready a weapon and use that weapon in your
attack. That attack may not be a Special Attack.
Level 2: Initiate
This attack may only be used on someone unaware of
Death Blow (-2)
you or helpless.
Delay this attack's effect for up to one minute. The tar-
Mosquito's Bite 1
get is unaware of the attack until it effects him.
Level 3: Journeyman
As part of this attack, make a Stealth check against the
Skill (Stealth) (-1)
static defense of the target. If it fails, the attack fails.
This attack’s range increases by 5m for every time you
Ring The Temple Bell 1*
take this Advantage.
Level 4: Master
Attacks made with a weapon you drew this turn are
Mastery (Sheathed Blade) -
made at +2k1.
Curving Shadows Attack 3 This attack gains the Flexible property.
Level 5: Grandmaster
Cobra’s Venom Technique 3 This attack gains the Toxic property.

147
 CHAPTER IX:
SWORD SCHOOLS

Stone Dragon
The strength and endurance of the mountains epitomize the Stone Dragon discipline.
The methodical and relentless application of force allows a student of this philosophy to defeat
any foe. Strikes of superhuman power and manifestations of perfect, idealized force make up
the Stone Dragon's Advantages.
Intimidate is the key skill for the Stone Dragon, overwhelming others with the force of
your personality as well as the strength of your blows. Two Handed weapons are the most com-
mon in use among Stone Dragon adepts, as they're extremely efficient at the hurting of people.
Dwarves, with their strong ties to the earth, were the first to develop the Stone Dragon school.
Name Cost Effect

Level 1: Apprentice
Weapon (Two Handed) - Use Two Handed weapons with your Special Attacks.
Action (Bull Rush) - Use Bull Rush actions in martial maneuvers.
Level 2: Initiate
Weight of the Mountain (-2) When you use this attack, you gain one level of fatigue.
Foot-Trapping Blow 3 This attack gains the Snare property.
Level 3: Journeyman
As part of this attack, make an Intimidate check against
Skill (Intimidate) (-1)
the static defense of the target. If it fails, the attack fails.
Gain 1 armor until your next turn for every point of this
Stone Skin Concentration 1*
advantage.
Level 4: Master
You are considered one size larger while your feet are
Mastery (Strength of Granite) -
firmly planted on solid earth or rock.
Treat your opponent as two sizes smaller than he is for
Felling Giants Blow 6 the purpose of determining hit points lost from this at-
tack, to a minimum size of 1.
Level 5: Grandmaster
This attack gains Blast (X), where X is twice the num-
Earth Shattering Attack 1*
ber of times you take this Advantage.

148
 CHAPTER IX:
SWORD SCHOOLS

Tiger Claw
Consciousness is the enemy of instinct. The Tiger Claw discipline teaches that martial
superiority can be achieved by discarding the veneer of civilization, along with the higher
thoughts that fetter a warrior's actions. Tiger Claw maneuvers emulate the strikes, leaps, and
pounces of animals. Tiger Claw strikes are explosively powerful and variable, as wild and ener-
getic as the adepts of the style.
The key skill of the Tiger Claw style is Acrobatics, required for the intensely physical
and always-moving style. Chain weapons, with their rows of sharp teeth, are the favored weapons
of the style. Tiger Claw is one of the most wide-spread styles, as many of its practitioners learn
the movements from watching animals in the wild.
Name Cost Effect

Level 1: Apprentice
Weapon (Chain) - Use Chain weapons with your martial maneuvers.
Action (All Out Attack) - Use All Out Attack actions in martial maneuvers.
Level 2: Initiate
If this attack misses, or it is dodged or parried, you fall
Death From Above (-2)
prone.
If you hit with two or more raises, double this attack's
Razor Sharp 2
Penetration.
Level 3: Journeyman
As part of this attack, make an Acrobatics check against
Skill (Acrobatics) (-1)
the static defense of the target. If it fails, the attack fails.
After you roll damage for this attack, roll 1d10. On a 1,
Unstable Sword Skill 2 this attack deals half damage. On a 10, this attack deals
double damage.
Level 4: Master
After making an All Out Attack you may still use reac-
Mastery (Brutal Reserve) -
tions, but at a -2k2 penalty.
You may spend a hero point when making this attack.
If you do, ignore any effects (such as armor) that would
Demonic Weapon Attack 5 reduce damage from it and halve the target's size,
rounding up, for the purpose of determining Hit Points
lost from the attack's damage.
Level 5: Grandmaster
The dice from this attack's damage explode on 9s and
Blood In The Water 4
10s.

149
 CHAPTER IX:
SWORD SCHOOLS

White Raven
No warrior fights in isolation. Cooperation, teamwork, and leadership can give two war-
riors the strength of five, and five warriors the strength of twenty. The student of the White
Raven masters techniques that combine the strengths of two or more allies against a common
foe. Shouts and battlecries to draw the attention of enemies and get them into the perfect spot
to finish them off.
Command is the key skill of the White Raven school, giving orders to others and know-
ing which orders are the right ones to give. The White raven school focuses on Cavalry weapons,
which are good for those on the move or charging. The White Raven school originally developed
among the commanders of infantry groups on the battlefield.
Name Cost Effect

Level 1: Apprentice
Weapon (Cavalry) - Use Cavalry weapons with your martial maneuvers.
Action (Charge) - Use Charge actions in martial maneuvers.
Level 2: Initiate
You may not use this attack unless your target moved
Perfect Positioning (-2)
since your last turn.
Allies who attack this enemy gain +1k0 to their attacks
Road-Clearing Technique 2* until your next turn for every time you take this advan-
tage.
Level 3: Journeyman
As part of this attack, make a Command check against
Skill (Command) (-1)
the static defense of the target. If it fails, the attack fails.
Knight's Movement Concentra- If you move as part of this attack or after it, you do not
2
tion provoke opportunity attacks.
Level 4: Master
Opponents within melee range of you get -1k0 on at-
Mastery (Marked Target) -
tacks made against allies.
Opponents hit by this attack cannot make parry or
Attention Drawing Strike 3
dodge actions until their next turn.
Level 5: Grandmaster
Opponents hit by this attack provoke an opportunity at-
Wolf Pack Technique 5
tack.

150
 X
BACKGROUNDS

B ackgrounds tell a lot about a char-

acter. They tie him to the world and describe
won't risk their lives. And they'll almost always
want something in return.
Background Effects: Each dot in this
advantages of birth, circumstance, and oppor- background typically represents one ally ap-
tunity. Material possessions, social networks proximately equal to a starting character in
and the like. Backgrounds are external to your power. More powerful allies require higher
character. You should always rationalize how ratings.
your character came to have the backgrounds
they possess and what they represent. ARTIFACT
You can't improve backgrounds with In both the distant past and the mod-
XP (except at character creation). If they go ern day, sorcerers created all manner of items
up or down is up to the SM and what your of power, ranging from magical weapons and
character does to earn them through play. armor to flying vehicles or enchanted dis-
guises. A character with the Artifact back-
ALLIES ground possesses one or more such items.
Allies are close friends and trusted Most Syrneth artifacts were lost or destroyed
companions. Unlike Followers, allies are never millenia ago, and much of the knowledge of
mere faceless NPCS. Most are Exalted (of any how to make such items has also been lost.
type), Daemons, or other magical beings that Today, all artifacts are rare and precious.
are at least as powerful as a starting character. Consider carefully how your character
They may alternatively be exotic beings like acquired her artifacts. She may have been rich
intelligent animals, rogue AIs, or exceptionally or powerful enough before hearing the call of
skilled or powerful mortals. Characters don't a hero to have some trappings of the glory of
have to buy Allies to represent the rest of the the old empires. Or perhaps she followed
party - allies are always NPCs. Also, allies are prophetic dreams after rising to power and
independent people with their own lives and found the artifacts in some lost fortress-tomb.
goals. If your character constantly asks for help Perhaps she stole it or took the artifact from
and gives nothing in return, they will abandon the body of one of her foes.
her. Allies do what they can to help, but they Background Effects: Your character

151
 CHAPTER X:
BACKGROUNDS

can purchase this Background multiple times, name basis with, people in positions where
once for each artifact she owns. Each artifact they are useful. High-ranking military officers,
has a rating between 1 and 5, and this is the powerful courtiers, faction members in posi-
background cost of that particular artifact. Ar- tions of influence, and so forth. Minor con-
tifacts with ratings of 4 and 5 are now excep- tacts simply represent overall connectedness.
tionally rare and will be coveted greatly by the They aren't as useful, but you can use Con-
Hero's foes. A character may only have up to tacts + (Charisma or Fellowship) to gather in-
five total dots of Artifacts at character creation. formation and find minor help.
Background Effects: Each dot of this
BACKING Background provides one major contact and
Your character is an important mem- one dice for finding minor ones.
ber of an organization, such as a government,
an army, the Harmonium or a powerful un- FAME
derground Syndicate such as the Doomguard. You enjoy widespread recognition in
The higher your character's Backing, the society, for better or worse. People know your
higher her rank is in this organization. At your name and face and they may enjoy just being
SM's discretion, you may take Backing multi- seen with you. This will open a lot of doors in
ple times for rank in different organizations. some places, but also means that it can be dif-
Neglecting duties can easily result in demotion ficult to avoid attracting attention. It's defi-
or worse. nitely a mixed blessing in some ways,
Background Effects: especially if you've made enemies.
Backing 1: Your character is a lower Background Effects:
officer or a minor functionary. Fame 1: You're known to a select
Backing 2: Your character is a mid- subculture or city.
level officer, the head of a small department or Fame 2: You have nationwide
some similarly intermediate position. renown. Perhaps you're a politician or a minor
Backing 3: Your character is moder- star.
ately powerful and has many people working Fame 3: Nationally famous, every-
under her. body knows something about you.
Backing 4: Your character is ex- Fame 4: You're an internationally
tremely powerful, often directly reporting to famous media icon.
the highest ranking of power in her organiza- Fame 5: You're so famous that even
tion. other crystal spheres buzz with news about
Backing 5: Your character is one of you.
the leaders of her organization, a general or
admiral, a Factol of one of Sigil's 15 factions, FOLLOWERS
or a similarly powerful position. Your character has one or more loyal
assistants, oathbound warriors, devoted
CONTACTS acolytes, or similar companions. These people
In addition to friends and Allies, are exceptionally devoted to her. They might
many characters know people in various sec- worship her, might regard her as their best
tors of society. Contacts use their talents, in- hope to achieve some lofty goal, or they might
formation, or resources to help your character, simply be willing to follow her to have some
but they'll always expect a similar favor in re- fun. Followers are almost always merely mor-
turn. Where an Ally will help you out of tals.
friendship as long as it doesn't put their lives Regardless of exactly what they do for
on the line, a Contact won't work for free. a living, they're always exceptionally loyal.
Each dot in this background repre- Poor treatment or neglect will strain and break
sents both minor and major contacts. Major that loyalty quickly, and will end in abandon-
contacts are individuals you are on a first- ment or revolt. However, with care and re-

152
 CHAPTER X:
BACKGROUNDS

spect, most will gladly lay down their lives for

you. Part of treating them well is caring for INHERITANCE
their needs. Your character needs Wealth, You begin play with something be-
Backing, or Holdings equal to her dots in Fol- yond your means to normally aquire. There
lowers in order to support them all. are many things that are almost impossible for
Background Effects:
a normal person to get their hands on - Syrne
Followers 1: Provides up to 5 follow- artifacts, power armor, deadly weapons - and
ers. you've somehow gotten one of these rare and
Followers 2: Provides 20 followers. precious items.
Followers 3: Provides a loyal band of Consider carefully how your character
100 followers. aquired her Inheritance. Perhaps an ancestor
Followers 4: Provides a small army of passed it down to her, or she looted it from a
1000 followers. forgotten ruin on some lost world floating
Followers 5: Provides a mighty force around a dead star, or maybe she stole it, or
of 10000 followers. took it from the body of a foe.
Background Effects:
HOLDINGS Inheritance 1: You begin play with
You own property or a spelljamming one Common-Quality Rare item.
ship. This might be a family or business hold- Inheritance 2: You begin play with
ing, but it is both a potential base of operations one Good-Quality Rare item, or two com-
and a resource by itself. A holding is always a mon-quality Rare items.
safe place to rest, a home that many of the Ex- Inheritance 3: You begin play with
alted simply don't have. To support a Holding, one Best-Quality Rare item, or two choices
you'll need to hire staff or crew, requiring Fol- from level 2.
lowers, Backing, or Wealth equal to the Hold- Inheritance 4: You begin play with
ings in order to support it. one Common-Quality Very Rare item, or two
Background Effects: choices from level 3
Holdings 1: Your character owns a Inheritance 5: You begin play with
very small spelljammer (as large as a shuttle- one Good-Quality Very Rare item, or two
craft, for example) or an average house or a choices from level 4
small local business (a repair shop or restau-
raunt, for example) MENTOR
Holdings 2: Your character owns a Although most Exalted meet their
small spelljammer (a smuggling ship, per- new life without a guide, you found one. The
haps?) or a small manor home or a successful mentor is a patron, a teacher, a defender, and
local business (a major local construction firm, a friend. However, the mentor expects your
a repair dock for ships, or so forth) character to obey her, though they will always
Holdings 3: Your character owns a act in what they see as your character's best in-
medium ship (like, say, a Bird of Prey) or a terests. Your character is the mentor's student,
small castle or a large business with some off- ward, or apprentice, not her equal.
world contacts (an importing company or Background Effects:
mining operation for example) Mentor 1: Your character's mentor is
Holdings 4: Your character owns a just a bit more worldly and wise than her.
large ship (think the Enterprise or a Whitestar Mentor 2: Your character's mentor is
ship) or a huge castle or a corporation with op- someone of minor note or an exceedingly im-
erations on several worlds. portant individual who has little time for your
Holdings 5: Your character owns a character.
powerful and ancient ship (think a kilometer- Mentor 3: Your character's mentor is
long battleship) or a massive castle or a mega- wise, influential, and considerably more pow-
corporation with ties on many worlds (like erful than your character.
ExoGeni Corporation or Weyland-Yutani)

153
 CHAPTER X:
BACKGROUNDS

Mentor 4: Your character's mentor is buying power. No dots in wealth means that
an exceedingly important individal whose you have the clothes on your back and not
words and deeds shape the course of history. much more, and probably rarely eats well.
Mentor 5: Your character's mentor is Where your wealth comes from is
exceedingly powerful and he takes great inter- something you should detail. It may be a trust
est in your welfare. However, he expects much fund, income from a job, or income from
from you and his enemies will likely see you as holdings. Depending on events, it may be in-
a way to get to him. creased, reduced, or cut off entirely. Like
fame, few Exalted have problems aquiring
STATUS wealth, through one means or another.
Background Effects:
You have something of a reputation
and a standing (earned or not) within the com- Wealth 1: Middle class, your charac-
munity of Exalts. This may be for great deeds, ter lives comfortably if not particularly well.
prophesy, or simply because you've made He rarely has spending money in any signifi-
yourself well-known at gatherings. This does- cant amount.
n't cover rank in an organization or fame Wealth 2: A larger savings means that
among the wider population. you have quite a bit more leeway in your
Background Effects: lifestyle. You likely have a domestic servant of
Status 1: Known by some, even if some kind and can afford to eat what you like.
they haven't met her before. Wealth 3: Being actually wealthy is
Status 2: Respected, her words carry even better. You probably have several ser-
weight in serious discussion. vants and life a life of luxury, dining in fine
Status 3: Influential, the character is restauraunts if you don't have a private chef
often asked to consult. and having more than enough left over for any
Status 4: Powerful, other Exalts may sort of entertainment.
flock to you and follow your lead. Wealth 4: This is where you become
Status 5: Luminary, there are few who fabulously wealthy - a merchant prince, a ban-
can match the respect that goes with your dit king, a mercenary lord, you have vast riches
name. and if you don't have an army at hand you can
rent one at need.
Wealth 5: You have so much money
WEALTH that there are no longer little things like limits.
Your personal financial resources, or You have only your imagination and a nearly
your access to such. A hugh Wealth reflects endless supply of wealth to support your de-
your liquid assets, how much cash flow you sires.
generate. This background also describes your
standard of living, your possessions, and your

154
 XI
ALIGNMENT

W hen you choose an alignment,

you're indicating your character's dedication
ment than the others can disrupt a party of he-
roes and, frankly, make the game less fun for
everyone involved.
to a set of moral principles. In a cosmic sense,
it's the team you believe in and fight for most DEVOTION
strongly. There are three main forces in the How dedicated you are to your ideals
Great Wheel: The Ruinous Powers, The is determined by your Devotion score. Every
Blessed Pantheon, and The Gray Council. character starts with a Devotion of 6 before
Alignments are tied to universal forces spending starting experience. The higher your
bigger than deities or any other allegiance you devotion, the more is expected of you in keep-
might have. They are an intrinsic part of the ing up your ideals and standing for them.
universe, as real as gravity, time, or magic. Whenever you go against the commandments
Most of the people in the Great Wheel don't of your alignment, the DM can call for an
worship any one diety in particular, but they Alignment Check.
do devote themselves to one of the broad An Alignment Check is made by
ideals. In a galaxy at war, there is no place for rolling one die and comparing it to your De-
those who believe in nothing. votion score, adding any bonuses you have
When you choose an alignment for from class feats or assets. If you match or ex-
your character, you'll want to make sure that ceed your Devotion score, you pass the Align-
you read over the description for that align- ment Check and nothing bad happens. If you
ment. Every alignment has a set of guidelines fail, however, you permanently lose one point
to help guide roleplaying and let you know of Devotion. This can be bought again with
when you're pleasing your god or properly XP, but as you can imagine, the greater a char-
holding your ideals. acter's devotion the more is expected of them
Check with the other players while and the harder it is to maintain it.
you're deciding on an alignment for your char- Given that it's difficult for most to
acter. While a good group can make nearly any keep their Devotion high unless they walk the
combination of alignments work in a party, line carefully, it may be tempting to just let
having a character of wildly different align- your Devotion slip. However, that is a danger-

155
CHAPTER XI:
ALIGNMENT

ous prospect. As your Devotion falls you risk RAISING DEVOTION

Degeneration, a type of terrible corruption. It's possible to reverse your character's
slide into damnation and insanity through
DEGENERATION concerted effort and contrition. A character's
Whenever you fail an Alignment Devotion can be increased primarily by spend-
Check, you risk something even worse, De- ing XP, but Devotion can only be increased by
generation. Degeneration represents the way a maximum of one point at any given time.
that going against their moral code can break SMs are encouraged to require that characters
and eventually destroy someone. When you demonstrate the desire to redeem themselves
lose that Devotion point, if it brings you to 6 with concrete acts of contrition before a De-
Devotion or less, make a second alignment votion increase is warranted.
check against your new score. If you pass, you When a Degeneration is assigned to a
don't suffer Degeneration. You got off lightly. Devotion point, that ailment is overcome
If you fail this second check, you don't lose an- when the next, higher point is gained. The ex-
other point of Devotion. That would be too perience spent to gain a Devotion dot repre-
easy. Instead, you suffer Degeneration. sents your character's efforts to come to terms
When you suffer Degeneration, roll with her sin and thus free herself of her condi-
on the Degeneration chart to determine its ef- tion. She might also undergo a ritual of cleans-
fects, then write the result down next to your ing or simply forgive herself.
new Devotion score. For example, if your
character manifests a Palsy when she drops CHANGING ALIGNMENT
from 6 to 5 Devotion, write 'Palsy' on the line It may come to pass that a character
associated with 5 Devotion. This will help you wants or needs to change their alignment. This
keep track of what Degenerations you have isn't something that should be taken lightly - a
and, more importantly, let you know when character's alignment says a lot about their
you've overcome them. worldview and the way that the world sees
Repeated Degeneration and Align- them, not to mention the patronage of a pow-
ment rolls that fail cause your character to erful warp entity that probably won't take well
incur more and more or worse and worse con- to a character going and playing for another
ditions. If you roll the same Degeneration team.
twice, reroll that degeneration until you get a If a character switches from one diety
degeneration you don't already have. When- to another in the same pantheon, they lose two
ever a degeneration indicates a reduction in points of devotion, to a minimum of Devotion
one of your characters Characteristics, this 1. Thankfully, though, the fact that the gods
doesn't simply reduce the character's dots in are at least vaguely on the same side and have
that characteristic. It represents a more serious bigger things to worry about means that their
affliction. While a character has a characteris- new patron can shield them from the wrath of
tic reduced by Degeneration, it's impossible their old diety. They're on shaky ground for a
for the character to improve that characteristic while, but it's not too difficult to recover.
with experience points until he rids himself of On the other hand, if the character's
that degeneration. alignment switches so drastically that the new
If your character descends so far that diety isn't even in the same pantheon, well,
her Devotion drops to zero, she is immediately that's when the character starts to have some
removed from play. The curses of the gods real issues. First, his devotion is set to 4. No
have fallen too heavily on her, either killing her matter how well or poorly he served his last
irrevocably or else driving her irrevocably in- patron, he's starting from square one (and as
sane or even mutating her into some terrible a former heretic) with this new god. Secondly,
chimaeric horror. they cannot escape the wrath of their old diety.
Roll on the Degeneration Chart and write in
that Degeneration next to Devotion 7. To be

156
 CHAPTER XI:
ALIGNMENT

DEGENERATION CHART
Roll Effect
(1d100)
Palsy: The character suffers from numerous minor tics, shakes, and tremors with no med-
01-07 ical cause. Reduce his Dexterity by 1.
Dark-Hearted: The character grows increasingly cruel, callous, and vindictive. Reduce his
08-11
Fellowship by 1.
Ill-fortuned: The SM may force you to reroll any one roll per session that isn't an Align-
12-21
ment Check.
Skin Afflictions: The character is plagued by boils, scabs, weeping sores, and the like. He
22-28 takes a -2k0 to all social Tests.
Morbid: The character finds it hard to concentrate as his mind is filled with macabre vi-
29-32 sions and tortured, gloom-filled trains of thought. The character's Intelligence is reduced
by 1.
Witch-mark: The character develops some minor physical deformity or easily concealable
33-41 mutation. It is small, but enough to mark him as cursed.
Wasted Frame: The character's pallor becomes corpse-like and his muscles waste away.
42-45
The character's Strength is reduced by 1.
Horrific Nightmares: The character is plagued by visions in his sleep. He gains the Night
46-54 Terrors hindrance. If he already has it, reroll this result.
Poor Health: The character constantly suffers petty illnesses and phantom pains, and his
55-58
wounds never seem to heal fully. The character's Constitution is reduced by 1.
Malign Sight: The world seems to darken, Tarnish, and rot if the character looks too long
59-62
at anything. The character's Wisdom is reduced by 1.
Ashen Taste: Food and drink hold disguisting tastes and offer little sustenance for the
63-69 character, and he can barely stomach eating. The character doubles the effects for levels
of Fatigue.
Blackouts: The character suffers from inexplicable blackouts. When they occur and what
70-76
happens during them is up to the ST.
Distrustful: The character cannot conceal the distrust and antipathy he has for others. The
77-80
character's Charisma is reduced by 1.
Fell Obsession: The character is obsessed by a strange or malign focus that occupies his
81-85 mind at all times. The character's Willpower is reduced by 1.
Mood Swings: The character's mood rapidly and unpredictably swings from one extreme
86-90 to another. The character's Composure is reduced by 1.
Blighted Mind: The character's mind snaps under the weight of his sins. He gains a new
91-00 minor derangement.

cured of this affliction, a character will have to someone betraying their own again and again.
prove themselves worthy of their new god's A ST should only allow a character to change
personal attention. alignments for strong In Character reasons. A
Regardless of how drastically a char- quest for their new patron is appropriate, with
acter switches alignment, a character can only the theme based on how much the character
do so once. The gods do not take well to must change to serve their new diety.

157
CHAPTER XI:
ALIGNMENT

DEITIES
Deities are the most powerful immor-
tal creatures, powerful entities of the Warp.
They are created and sustained by the emo-
tions and souls of every living creature of the
material universe. Of course, they also claim
to have created those same living creatures,
leading to something of a paradox. They ap-
pear in dreams and visions to their followers
and wear countless different faces, and art-
work depicting them shows them in a variety
of forms. Their true nature is beyond any
physical form. Corellon is often depected as
an Eldarin, but he is no more an Eldarin than
he is a fey grox - he is a god, and he transcends
the physical laws that bind even Daemons to
their concrete forms.
The Deities can be divided into three
groups (pantheons) depending on their gen- Khorne - The god of battle. The
eral views, though it should be noted that sim- blood god. He enjoys killing dudes. Khorne is
ply being in the same pantheon doesn't mean a god of honorable combat and slaugter. Of
that the gods necessarily work towards the battles fought for glory alone and for dirty,
same ends or even get along. Many dieties drawn out fights for life and country. Khorne
have contradictory versions of how the Wheel loves every type of warfare found in this world.
should turn, and even worshippers of the same Worship of Khorne is purely through blood-
deity can come to blows over different inter- shed, either from one's enemies in victory or
pretations of their god's will. one's own through earnest struggle. Khorne
Most people revere more than one has only a few simple commandments for his
deity, praying to different gods at different followers:
times and generally follow the teachings of * Spill blood in his name. It can be
whatever pantheon goes along with their cul- your blood or the blood of your enemies, but
ture or basic morality. Adventurers, on the do not shy from violence.
other hand, are more likely to worship a spe- * Do not trust in sorcery, and do not
cific god, enjoying the greater benefits of that seek to learn its secrets - magic is the way of
personal attention along with the greater risk. the weak.
* Fight in honorable combat, not
THE RUINOUS POWERS against the weak or helpless.
The Ruinous Powers of Chaos are
powerful and devisive. By the standards of Slaanesh - The god of excess. Sex,
most societies, the anarchic and random be- drugs and rock and roll. Slaanesh is all about
havior of Chaos worshippers is seen as danger- doing what you enjoy, and not holding back
ous at best and a crime in some places. While for anyone. The drive to be perfect, the love
the powers of Chaos don't necessarily encour- of doing something just to do it. The excite-
age their followers to go out and hurt people, ment of the novel. The joy of art. That's what
they do encourage their followers to do what Slaanesh is about. Worship of Slaanesh is ex-
they want, and not worry about how it effects tremely varied, ranging from simple hedonism
others. The gods of Chaos are almost con- to elaborate and exacting rituals that take days
stantly at war with one another within the to complete. Slaanesh orders its followers
Warp, vying for power admid the immaterial thus:
planes. * Turn away from no new experience,

158
 CHAPTER XI:
ALIGNMENT

unless it would kill you - try everything once. generally expected to follow until they self-de-
* Stand out from those around you. struct:
To blend in with the crowd is to lose who you * Hate gives you strength. Learn to
are. truly hate those that oppose you. No mercy.
* Tempt others with what you enjoy - * Destruction is the fate of all that ex-
share drink, invite them to lavish meals, and ists. Destroy all that is.
turn them to hedonism. * Betrayal can get you what you want.
If people can't defend themselves, that's their
Tzeentch - The god of change. own problem.
Change we can believe in. Tzeentch is also the
god of hope, because hope is nothing more
than wishing for the future to change. In his
mind Tzeentch listens to the hopes and plans
of every mortal and every nation; and through
his own complex plots and manipulation he al-
ters the course of history to achieve some great
plan beyond mortal knowledge. Tzeentch asks
for his followers to do the following:
* Be flexible with your plans. You
must always be open to change as it is needed.
* Change what you don't like in your-
self. Use sorcery! All the sorcery!
* Follow your own goals. Take com-
mand of your destiny.

Nurgle - The god of despair. He cares

about you and all your diseases. Seriously. He
loves you. He's like the lazy, smelly grandpa
who is always there with a smile, who makes
you laugh, and is there to hold you when you
need a shoulder to cry on. He also dabbles a
bit with death, rot, disease, and so forth. Nur-
gle doesn't interfere with his followers too THE BLESSED PANTHEON
much, but he does have a few simple things he Where the Ruinous Powers represent
asks of his worshippers: Chaos, the Blessed Pantheon represents the
* Don't bother seeking help. Fail or force of Law and Order. They are a stabilizing
succeed through your own perseverance. force that promotes civilization and commu-
* You can only escape suffering nity where chaos is more about self. The
through faith. Blessed Pantheon could roughly be called
* Be kind to those who are facing 'good', if you want, but some consider their
death. They cannot be saved, but there's no teachings to be stifling and oppressive. The
reason not to make them more comfortable. Blessed Pantheon are the most tied to the
physical realm. Where the Chaos gods seek to
Malal - The only sane thing to do is
bring the change and power of the Warp into
to BLOW IT ALL UP! Malal is a renegade the real space of the Wheel, the Blessed Pan-
god, the embodiment of Chaos' indescrimi- theon oppose this and would prefer to seal the
nate destructive urge, even of itself and its own Warp off for all time.
agents. He is hated by the other gods, and
spits in their faces, feeding off their own power Sigmar - A wrathful and vengful god,
and turning it against them. Malal has a few protector of his followers. He is a warrior king
commandments for his follows, which they are and a great unifier, the god of stable civiliza-

159
CHAPTER XI:
ALIGNMENT

tions and of putting the common good ahead Moradin - Stoic, loyal, big on family
of yourself. He is the most commonly wor- and bigger on hard work. Moradin is a creative
shipped god among humans, and has a large god, and his followers are encouraged to make
number of dwarf followers as well. He com- a mark on the world by making something
mands his worshipers to: lasting. He expects loyalty to family, friends,
* Work with others to achieve your and leaders, in that order. He's stoic and tena-
goals. Community and order are always cious, like the very rock itself. Dwarves from
stronger than the disjointed efforts of long in- all walks of life follow him. He demands these
dividuals. behaviors of his followers:
* Tame the wilderness to make it fit * Meet adversity with stoicism and
for habitation, and defend the light of civiliza- tenacity.
tion against the encroaching darkness. * Demonstrate loyalty to your family,
* Seek out new ideas, new inventions, your clan, your leaders, and your people.
new lands to inhabit, new wilderness to con- * Strive to make a mark on the world,
quer. Build machines, build cities, build em- a lasting legacy. To make something that lasts
pires. is the highest good, whether you are a smith
working at a forge or a ruler building a dy-
Bahamut - God of nobility and the nasty.
just use of power. He is known as the platinum
dragon and worshipped by those in power. Cuthbert - He will track you down
Once, Bahamut sought to unite the stars in his himself if you break a promise. That's not a
name, but now his ambitions are cooled to threat, that's a fact. Cuthbert is a god of eter-
merely guiding civilizations. Monarchs are nal bonds and trust, of promises and the way
crowned in his name, and his worship is most that entire cultures are built upon the trust be-
popular among the Dragonborn. He com- tween people. Common superstition holds
mands his followers to seek out power, and to that if his name is invoked in a contract, he will
use it for the right reasons: personally curse anyone who breaks from the
* Uphold the highest ideals of honor contract. He is strict with his followers, and
and justice. orders them to do the following:
* Be constantly vigilant against evil * Your word is your bond. Never
and oppose it on all fronts. break it for any reason.
* Protect the weak, liberate the op- * Never allow your fear to gain mas-
pressed, and defend just order. tery over you, but drive it into the hearts of
your foes.
Pelor - God of mercy and kindness * Repay betrayal with the sword.
and turning the other cheek. Associated with Trust others until they break that trust, and
the sun, and bringing light into dark places. only give them that trust again when it is re-
Pelor encourages people to make the world a paid.
better place with acts of kindness, and gener-
ally to not be a dick. That is actually more rad-
ical an idea than you think. Pelor directs his THE GRAY COUNCIL
followers thus: The Gray Council is something of a
* Alleviate suffering wherever you catchall for the gods that don't align them-
find it. selves with the Ruinous Powers or the Blessed
* Bring Pelor's light into places of Pantheon, remaining mostly neutral from the
darkness, showing kindness, mercy, and com- conflict of law and chaos. Most ultimately
passion. serve only their own goals, like any other god.
* Be watchful against evil. The powers of the Gray Council are some of
the most worshipped gods in the Great Wheel,
as they don't urge their followers to action
against the other gods, and so can be found in

160
 CHAPTER XI:
ALIGNMENT

nearly every corner of the Great Wheel and work of the faithful to ensure that change is for
not face opposition. the better.
* Strike back against those who would
Acererak - A God of Magic itself. rob you of your freedom and urge others to
Legend says he gave away his body piece by fight for their own liberty.
piece to learn all the secrets of the world, leav- * Do not fear or condemn the sav-
ing him only a skull. He knew the secret to im- agery of nature. Live in harmony with the
mortality and godhood at that point, of course, wild.
so it didn't really inconvenience him as much
as you'd expect. His commandments are also Corellon - He is essentially the god of
teachings: excellence, and one of the very few living El-
* Seek the perfection of your mind by darin gods. He cannot abide failure in any
bringing reason, perception, and emotion into form - but constantly reminds his followers
balance with one another. that they haven't failed until they refuse to try
* Accumulate, preserve, and keep se- again. He asks those who worship him to al-
cret knowledge in all forms. Pursue education, ways be willing to try no matter the odds, and
build libraries, and seek out lost and ancient to never quit. He urges his followers thus:
lore. * Cultivate beauty in all that you do,
* Never reveal all that you know. whether you're casting a spell, composing a
saga, strumming a lute, or practicing the arts
The Raven Queen - Things die all the of war.
time. When they die, the Raven Queen is there * Seek out lost magic items, forgotten
to handle it. She pulls souls into the Warp rituals, and ancient works of art. Corellon
when its their time, and lets them out when it's might have inspired them in the world's first
time for them to be born again. She isn't too days.
fond of letting them out, but it's still part of * Show neither pity nor mercy to
her job. And she's very serious about it. those who are caught underfoot as you climb
Deadly serious. She expects her followers to your way to power. Failures do not deserve
abide by these commandments: compassion.
* Hold no pity for those who suffer
and die, for death is the natural end of life. Vectron - By his golden wings, praise
* Bring down the proud who try to him! Vectron is a very real and not completely
cast off the chains of fate. As the instrument made up god who has worship going back
of the Raven Queen, you must punish hubris fifty- no, a THOUSAND years! Yeah! And
where you find it. and... he's really awesome. What is he the god
* Keep to the shadows, avoiding the of? Well, conveniently, he is the god of what-
blazing light of zealous good and the utter ever seems like you need help with right now,
darkness of evil. so get in there and yell some praises! Vectron's
commandments are vague and often change,
but are generally agreed to be something like
Luna - Luna is a fickle and everchang- this:
ing diety. It can be impossible to tell just what * Do not question the validity of Vec-
she'll do. She can be savage, loving, violent, all tron as a god. He's the biggest, best god, and
the true faces of people behind the masks they that's all there is to it.
wear for society. Luna commands people to * There is no problem that cannot be
follow their own paths and not to let others solved by praising Vectron loudly enough and
rule them, no matter where that path takes giving it another go.
them, and especially no matter what social * Make sure to let people know Vec-
conventions would demand. Her strictures are tron helped you. Try and convert others into
these: the flock.
* Change is inevitable, but it takes the

161
 "So bear with me here," Armstrong said, adjusting his grip on his staff.
"That archdaemon over there-" He nodded behind the group, indicating the
giant draconic thing overflowing with the powers of the Warp that was leading
the army of incarnate daemons flooding the Crystal Sphere they had become
trapped in.
"Can I wolf with you instead?" Traya asked, holding back a giggle.
Iniga's eye twitched.
"That was a bad pun and you should feel bad for making it," Iniga
said. "Can we maybe finish this soon? It's almost dawn and I don't want to
burn to death."
"Can I finish?" Armstrong asked. "Anyway, like I was saying, to banish
the archdaemon we need to complete some ritual that involves human sacri-
fice, according to the old book I found."
"Pfft. Books. I don't trust books." Traya folded her arms. "Let's just
go krump it." Jacov nodded.
"I have to agree," Jacov said. "We aren't going to sacrifice anyone.
We'll find another way to deal with this thing." He adjusted his plate armor.
They were all covered in muck and blood. Traya was the only one who didn't
seem to mind. The tiefling was almost always covered in muck and blood
anyway.
"We at least need some kind of plan," Iniga said. "If we just go at that
thing screaming we'll end up splattered across six dimensions. Or worse! You
have no idea what a greater daemon could do!"
"How about we throw a rock at it?" Traya said, excited. Three pairs
of eyes turned to give her blank looks. "A big rock?" She looked down. Traya
was not exactly known for her great planning ability.
"The ship we hired doesn't have anything that will reach from orbit,"
Armstrong muttered. "I hope the captain hasn't just buggered off and left us
here after the trouble started."
"Anyway, here's what I'm thinking," Iniga said. "I'll toss down a couple
of fireballs to get its attention, then you can go all wolfy and- Jacov! You're
thinking about sacrifing yourself!"
"Well I wasn't necessarily..." Jacov looked down. "If someone needs
to die, I can't let any of you make that sacrifice." Iniga facepalmed.
"Idiot," Iniga said. "Now, like I was saying- Where the hell is Traya?"
"She went all wolfy and ran off," Armstrong said. He pointed. There
was screaming as a very large and angry werewolf was busily and happily tear-
ing apart dozens of lesser daemons.
"Raven Queen help me... doesn't anyone respect my plans?!"
 XII
EQUIPMENT

T he darkened era of the 41st Millen-

nium can be the stuff of nightmares as hellish
a weapon in a teeming metropolis. Each piece
of equipment or service has an associateed
Availability, raning from Very Common to
war, predatory xenos, insurrection, and con- Very Rare. SMs can use the following guide-
flict threaten those who live in the Great wheel lines as a starting point for determining
on all sides. These and other threats can be whether a world's traders possess a particular
even more dangerous for those who seek out item or not. If the present location does not
adventure, as explorers face not only the offer an item or service, then a Hero must ei-
known and catalouged dangers of the various ther arrange passage to a world whose markets
crystal spheres but also a host of new threats do offer it or else go on a quest in search of it
unimagined save for the ravings of deranged - and either option turns a simple purchase at
seers and other madmen. market into an adventure.
The better armed and equipped a Some things are not just hard to find
party, the better their chances of survival in on certain worlds, but impossible. For in-
dread voids - and the better their prospects for stance, while a lasgun might be a common
achieving the quests they set for themselves. piece of equipment in most parts of the Wheel,
This chapter outlines some of the many types you are unlikely to find one anywhere on a
of weapons, armor, and gear existing in the feral world. The SM can decide to either make
Great Wheel, ranging from standard muni- an item harder to find or even impossible to
tions to rare and magical weapons. acquire because it uses technology not readily
available at the present location.
AVAILABILITY Characters searching for a particular
Desired goods or services are not al- item must make a Wealth Test. A Wealth Test
ways immediately at hand. Squalid medieval is made by rolling dice equal to your wealth -
worlds are a lot less likely to offer rare goods and yes, if you have zero dots in wealth it
and services than the sophisticated markets of means that you can't afford anything beyond
an industrialized city-world. Moreover, find- the bare necessities. The TN of the Wealth
ing a high-quality weapon on a backwater Test is determined by the rarity of the item:
planet is far more difficult than locating such

163
CHAPTER XII:
EQUIPMENT

bit easier to find, with a lower TN, use the

AVAILABILITY time listed next to that TN. It certainly doesn't
Rarity TN Examples take months to find a flashlight in a metropo-
A simple gun, a knife, a lis!
Very Com-
5 low-quality chrono
mon
A laspistol, a basic Aquisitions by Population and Time
Common 10 sword, a microbead
Size Population TN Time
An autogun, a flak
Uncommon 15 Village < 1000 5 One Hour
jacket, a multikey
A meltagun, plate Small Town 1000-10.000 10 1d10 Hours
Rare 20 armor, a good camera
Large Town 10.000-100.000 15 One Day
A bolter, powered
Very Rare 25 armor, a best-quality
100.000-One
auspex Small City 20 1d10 Days
Million

It's possible to retry a failed wealth One to Ten Mil-

City 25 1d5 Weeks
Test. However, looking again can mean that lion
you end up dealing with people who know Metropolis > Ten Million 30 1d10 Weeks
you're desperate or are only willing to part
with the item in question dearly. It may be a
family heirloom, something passed down This table further assumes that the
through the centuries, or just something with Hero is taking an active hand in searching for
sentimental value. It could also be in a mu- the item in question. If he employs servants,
seum or otherwise difficult to get except negotiators, or factors who are skilled in such
through unsavory means. Regardless of the matters rather than putting forth the effort
why, every time you retry a wealth Test the himself, increase the time taken by one step -
TN to find the item increases by 5. from weeks to months and from days to weeks.
Of course, just because the markets of Acquisitions of new services and
a community offer an item or service doesn't equipment are probably best made in the
mean that the goods are easy to locate, or easy downtime between game sessions for most
to arrange purchase. Larger communities have groups rather than allowing time spent at the
better and more accessable markets, but they market to take time away from plot, battle,
are also a challenge to search well, and local and excitement. Mercantile dealings can cer-
laws impede rapid transactions. Mercantile tainly take centre stage when the plot demands
negotiations become more drawn-out in it, but for the most part purchases are one of
civilised surroundings, where merchant the many chores that a Hero's trusted servants
guilders puff themselves up with self-impor- organise in his stead.
tance, and where the goods offered grow in Note that once a service or purchase
value. It may take more time than desired to of equipment is agreed upon, signed, and
both locate a seller and complete a deal, or to sealed, it may still require further time to com-
determine that a community really has no sell- plete! Much toil likes between signing the
ers for the desired item or service. parchment that seals the contract for the con-
The following table shows the time it struction of a new spelljamming ship and that
takes to search a market, and the maximum ship first taking flgiht, for example. The SM is
TN of the items that that market supports, encouraged to use common sense when deter-
sorted by the population. The times listed on mining additional time taken for a new acqui-
the table are under the assumption that the sition.
Hero is looking for an item at the market's When you pass a Wealth Test, it
maximum TN. If he's looking for something a might have a lasting effect on your wealth

164
 CHAPTER XII:
EQUIPMENT

score, depending on how badly you strained ity one would be a flashlight. The SM may re-
your wealth. If the item's TN is more than duce the Difficulty of some Tests involving
your Wealth x 5, buying it strains your re- items of better Craftsmanship but that is en-
sources. Consult the following chart to see tirely at his discretion.
what happens: Services are more affected than goods
by the craftsmanship of the retainers who pro-
vide them. The quality of the service can de-
WEALTH STRAIN termine skill levels, willingness to toil, and
Difference* Effect loyalty of the retainers, as well as other aspects
You suffer -1 to your Wealth for at the choice of the SM.
5 Craftsmanship also affects the diffi-
one week.
culty of finding goods or services. It's a lot eas-
10 You permanently lose 1 Wealth ier to find someone offering a badly-made
knife than one hand-forged by a master. The
15 You permanently lose 2 Wealth TN to find the item is adjusted according to
the following table.
You are beggared by your item,
20+
losing ALL of your Wealth.
Craftsmanship
(*Between the item's TN and your Wealth x 5)
Quality TN Modifier
Poor -5
For every raise you get on the Wealth
check, reduce the penalties by one level. These Common +0
raises represent finding a great deal on the ex-
pensive item - which may well mean that Good +5
you've found yourself with stolen goods. Best +10

CRAFTSMANSHIP
Not all goods and services are of the
same quality. In the vastness of the Wheel and Weapons
myriad crystal spheres within it, the Crafts-
Weapons are divided into several
manship of items can vary widely - everything
groups covering a plethora of ranged weapons,
from crude mass-produced materials of Poor
dealing with everything from crossbows to
craftsmanship to handcrafted masterpieces of
plasma cannons, and melee weapons covering
Best craftsmanship can be found for sale. Un-
all manner of close combat weaponry. Unless
less specifically stated, the Craftsmanship of
they are of Poor craftsmanship, all weapons
an object or retainer providing a servide is con-
come with the appropriate holster or carrying
sidered Common.
strap as part of their cost.
Items of Poor craftsmanship are gen-
All weapons have a profile that is pre-
erally more prone to failure and breakage,
sented using the following statistics, providing
while items of Good and Best Craftsmanship
players and SMs with all the relevant informa-
are more durable, though it is up to the SM
tion needed to use them.
how and when these effects might enter play.
Name: What the weapon is called.
In the case of weaponry and armor,
Type: Describes what type the
effects on an item's performance or weight are
weapon is, either Melee, Thrown, Pistol,
detailed later in this chapter, but for other
Basic, or Heavy weapon.
goods differences of quality are merely de-
* Melee weapons can be used in close
scriptive. This isn't just build quality, either -
combat. When using a melee weapon you add
a poor quality torch might be a literal torch,
your Strength as unkept dice to the weapon's
oil-soaked cloth on a stick, were a better qual-

165
CHAPTER XII:
EQUIPMENT

damage. tomatic, and how many shots are fired when

* Thrown weapons cover anything this happens. If the weapon cannot be fired in
propelled by muscle power alone and covers either mode, it will be indicated by a "-". If a
throwing knives, spears, and the like. Unless weapon can be fired in both modes, a charac-
they are also classed as melee, thrown ter must choose which mode they are firing
weapons cannot be used in close combat (if their weapon in before making their attack.
they are, they count as improvised weapons). Range: This number is used to deter-
When using a thrown weapon you add your mine how far the weapon can be accurately
Strength as unkept dice to the damage you in- fired in meters. A weapon's short range is half
flict (with the obvious exception of explosives this number, while its long range is double this
such as grenades). number. Weapons cannot be fired at targets
* Pistol weapons are fired one-handed more than four times their range distance
and can be used in close combat. However, away.
when a pistol is used in close combat, the firer Clip: How many rounds the weapon
gains no bonuses or penalties to hit for range holds when fully loaded.
or targeting equipment. Reload: How many actions the
* Basic weapons normally require two weapon takes to reload. This is generally Half
hands, but can be used one-handed with -2k1 (for a Half Action) or Full (for a Full Action).
to hit. Some weapons can take a number of Actins
* Heavy weapons always require two over several Rounds. The number of Rounds
hands and must be braced in some way, usu- is given as a number, for example 2 Full means
ally either on a bipod or tripod but equally it that reloading takes 2 Full Rounds.
could be a windowsill or sandbag (or the firer's Avail (Availability): This identifies the
shoulder in the case of missile launchers), to weapon's availability.
be fired without penalties. Firing a heavy Special: This tells you if the weapon
weapon without bracing incurs a -3k1 penalty has any special qualities, such as creating a
to hit and prohibits Full Auto fire. blast when fired or needing to recharge be-
Damage: The Damage the weapon tween shots.
does and the type of damage it inflicts for the
purpose of Criticals: E (Energy), X (Explo- WEAPON SPECIAL
sive), R (Rending), I (Impact).
Pen (Penetration): Reflects how good QUALITIES
the weapon is at cutting through armor. When Some weapons possess special quali-
a shot or blow from this weapon hits a target, ties to represent such things as special damage
reduce the target's Armor Points by the or unusual effects. The following is a list of the
weapon's Penetration, with results of less than most widely used weapon qualities:
0 counting as 0 (i.e. the armor provides no
protection at all). Then work out Damage as Accurate
normal. So, for example, if we weapon with a Get an additional +1k0 bonus to hit when
Penetration of 3 hits a target with 5 armor using an Aim action. If this is a basic weapon
points, the target will only count as having 2 firing on single shot, it deals +1k1 damage for
armor points against any damage that hit every two raises you get on the roll to hit.
causes.
ROF (Rate of Fire): This tells you if Armoured
the weapon can be fired on Full Auto and how Armoured weapons grant a +2 armor bonus
many rounds it expends when doing so. A to the arm of the hand that’s holding them.
weapon's RoF has two entries to indicate the
modes a weapon can be fired in. The first Balanced
entry indicates whether the weapon can be +1k0 to Tests made to parry.
fired singly (with an S). The second entry de-
scribes if the weapon can be fired on full au-

166
 CHAPTER XII:
EQUIPMENT

Weapon Quality:
by the flames and take damage normally.
All of the weapons detailed here are of
When fired by someone that isn't proficient,
Common craftsmanship. For weapons of better
reduce the difficulty of the Test made to avoid
or worse manufacture use the following modi-
damage by 10. Flame weapons Jam if the firer
fiers:
rolls a 9 on his damage dice.
Poor - These cheaply constructed
ranged weapons are more prone to malfunction.
Poor ranged weapons gain the Unreliable qual-
Flexible
ity. If it has Relible already, the two cancel each These weapons may not be parried.
other out. Melee weapons of Poor craftsmanship
incur -1k1 penalty on Tests made to attack and Inaccurate
parry. You get no bonus for using the Aim action
Good - More carefully constructed and with such weapons.
finished, these weapons are consequently more
reliable. Good quality ranged weapons gain the Overheats
reliable quality. If it was already reliable, then it Whenever you roll a 9 on a damage roll with
merely has obviously good craftsmanship. Melee an Overheating weapon, the weapon... over-
weapons of good quality give +1k0 on Tests heats. The user takes E damage equal to the
made to attack. weapon's damage to one of his arms (the firing
Best - These items are crafted by arti- arm if the weapon is used one-handed, a ran-
sans and are often centuries old. Ranged dom arm if fired two-handed). The wielder
weapons of best craftsmanship never jam or may choose to drop the weapon to avoid the
overheat, simply missing if these results shout damage. Dropping the weapon is a Free ac-
occur. Melee weapons of best quality add +1k0 tion. A weapon that has overheated must be
to Tests made to attack and +2 to damage they reloaded.
inflict.
Blast (X) Power Field
When such a weapon is used to parry, or is
When working out a hit from a Blast weapon
parried by, a weapon that lacks this quality,
anyone within the weapon's Blast radius in
you may roll a d10. On a 4+, the parried
meters, indicated by the number in parenthe-
weapon is destroyed. Natural and Artifact
sis, is also hit. Roll hit location and Damage
weapons are immune to this effect.
individually for everyone affected from a blast.

Defensive Recharge
The weapon needs time between shots to
+2k0 when used to parry, -1k0 when used to
recharge. The weapon must spend the Round
make attacks. If you aren't proficient with the
after firing building up a charge and cannot be
weapon, the -1k0 applies to all attacks you
fired. In effect, you can only fire the weapon
make, instead of just the ones with this
every other Round.
weapon.

Flame Reliable
Reliable weapons seldom fail. If it would Jam,
These weapons project a cone of flame out to
the shot instead just misses.
the range of the weapon. They can't be fired
out to long or extreme range. You don't need
to roll to hit with a Flame weapon - you just Scatter
fire the weapon. The path is a cone shaped If fired at a foe within Point Blank Range, each
area in a 30 degree arc. All characters in this two raises the character gets on the attack in-
area must make a Dexterity Test (TN 10 for a dicates another hit. At long range, the spray
Poor quality weapon, 15 for Common quality, reduces its effectiveness. All armor points are
20 for Good and Best quality) or else be struck doubled against hits from scatter weapons at
long or extreme ranges.

167
CHAPTER XII:
EQUIPMENT

Guns
Shocking
Ordinary
Whenever someone takes a wound from a
Shocking weapon, he must make a Toughness Ordinary projectile weapons are the
Test (TN 15) or be stunned for one round. ones you're probably most familiar with.
They're exceedingly plentiful and can be
found on all but the most primitive worlds.
Smoke Every race has developed slug-throwers at one
These weapons throw up dense clouds of point or another and citizens of all types com-
smoke to create cover. When a hit is scored monly carry one kind or another for their basic
from a weapon with the Smoke quality, it cre- protection or livelihood.
ates a smokescreen 3d10 meters in diameter
from the point of impact. This screen lasts for Autopistol - Compact and rapid-firing, au-
2d10 rounds, or less in adverse weather con- topistols are favourites of gangers and outlaws.
ditions.
Revolver - Based on an ancient and well-
Snare Tested design, the stub revolver is an ideal
On a successful hit, the target must make a backup weapon.
Dexterity Test (TN of the roll that hit him) or
be immobilized. He can attempt no actions on Hand Cannon - A variant of the Revolver, this
his turn other than trying to escape the bonds. huge hand cannon fires enormous rounds de-
He can attempt a Strength or Dexterity Test signed to not only take down a target but make
on his turn (TN 10 for a poor-quality weapon, a loud and intimidating noise while doing so.
15 for common, 20 for good or best) These weapons produce ferocious recoil, and
impose a -1k0 penalty on Tests made to attack
Tearing unless the firer uses both hands to brace the
Tearing weapons always deal at least one weapon.
wound when they deal damage, regardless of
the target's size.

Toxic
After taking damage from a Toxic weapon, the
target must make a Constitution Test (TN 15)
or else suffer 1 additional wound to the body.
Autogun - Cheap and easy to produce on even
Two Hands the lowest-tech planets, autoguns are a staple
This melee weapon requires both hands to weapon. Durable, rugged and easily stocked
use. with readily available ammunition, these
weapons are a common sight, especially in the
rougher parts of the Great Wheel.
Unbalanced
-1k0 to all Tests made to parry. Hunting Rifle - Hunting rifles can be found in
the hands of a former hunter or carried by a
Unreliable wealthy sportsman in the pursuit of prey.
Whenever you attack with this weapon, treat Highly accurate in the arms of a trained user,
your level as being halved (rounding down) even at extreme long ranges, a hunting rifle
for the purpose of checking for Jams. can bring down its target be it man or beast.

Unwieldy Shotgun - Even the lowest-tech factories can

This weapon may not be used to parry. produce these weapons, making them a com-

168
 CHAPTER XII:
EQUIPMENT

GUNS
Name Type Damage Pen ROF Range Clip Reload Avail Special
Ordinary
Autopistol Pistol 2k2 I 0 S/6 30m 12 Full Com -
Revolver Pistol 2k2 I 0 S/- 30m 6 2Full Com Reliable
Hand Cannon Pistol 3k2 I 3 S/- 35m 6 2Full UnCom -
Autogun Basic 2k2 I 0 S/10 90m 30 Full UnCom -
Hunting Rifle Basic 2k2 I 0 S/- 150m 5 Full Rare Accurate
Shotgun Basic 3k2 I 0 S/- 30m 2 2Full Com Scatter, Reliable
Pump Shotgun Basic 3k2 I 0 S/- 30m 8 2Full UnCom Scatter
SAW Heavy 3k2 I 5 -/10 120m 100 Full Rare -
Las
Laspistol Pistol 2k2 E 0 S/- 30m 30 Full Com Reliable
Pulse Rifle Basic 2k2 E 2 S/4 100m 40 Full UnCom Reliable
Lasgun Basic 3k2 E 0 S/3 60m 60 Full Com Reliable
Long Las Basic 3k2 E 0 S/- 150m 20 Full Rare Reliable, Accurate
MP Lascannon Heavy 5k4 E 10 S/- 300m 5 2Full VRare Recharge
Plasma
Plasma Pistol Pistol 3k3 E 8 S/- 30m 10 4Full VRare Recharge, Overheats
Plasma Gun Basic 3k3 E 8 S/2 90m 20 8Full VRare Recharge, Overheats
Melta
Inferno Pistol Pistol 4k3 E 12 S/- 10m 3 Full VRare -
Meltagun Basic 4k3 E 12 S/- 20m 5 2Full Rare -
Bolter
Bolt Pistol Pistol 4k2 X 6 S/- 30m 8 Full Rare Tearing
Boltgun Basic 4k2 X 6 S/3 90m 24 Full VRare Tearing
Heavy Bolter Heavy 4k2 X 8 -/10 120m 60 2Full VRare Tearing
Syrneth
Null Ray Heavy 6k3 E 20 S/- 10m 4 2Full VRare Recharge
Lightning Gun Basic 4k2 E 4 S/2 30m 6 2Full VRare Scatter, Shocking
Exotic
Needle Pistol Pistol 2k2 R 0 S/- 30m 6 Full VRare Accurate, Toxic
Needle Gun Basic 2k2 R 0 S/- 180m 6 2Full VRare Accurate, Toxic
Web Pistol Pistol - 0 S/- 30m 1 Full Rare Snare
Heavy Webber Basic - 0 S/- 50m 1 Full Rare Blast (5), Snare
Flamer
Hand Flamer Pistol 3k2 E 4 S/- 10m 3 2Full VRare Flame
Flamer Basic 3k2 E 6 S/- 20m 3 2Full Rare Flame

169
CHAPTER XII:
EQUIPMENT

mon sight in the Wheel. Favoured for urban

and shipboard combat, where their short range
stopping power comes into play, shotguns
have found their way into the arsenal of many
organizations.

Pump Shotgun - Favored by law enforcement, Lasgun - Produced in a multitude of different

the pump-action shotgun has all the strengths styles and patterns, the lasgun can be found in
of its double-barrelled cousin with the added almost every Crystal Sphere, where its robust
benefits of increased clip capacity. There are design and dependability make it a favored
few things as distinctive (and intimidating) as weapon of armies and adventurers alike.
the sound of a pump-action shotgun chamber-
ing a shell. Long Las - Favoured by snipers, the long las
is a specially modified version of the lasgun
constructed for added range and accuracy. As
its name implies, a long las also has a much
longer barrel than a lasgun, sometimes being
up to twice the length, making it unwieldy in
close quarters.

SAW - A mainstay support weapon on lower- MP Lascannon - Built for war, lascannons use
tech planets, and also popular with outlaws huge power packs that provide enough energy
and hive gangers, the SAW (Squad Automatic to punch holes in the thickest armor even at
Weapon) is ideal for fighting off large numbers very long ranges. Lascannons also require sep-
of enemies or even lightly armored vehicles. arate power packs, which is why they are often
crewed by two or more people.
Las
Laser or 'Las' weapons are the most Plasma
numerous weapons found in the Wheel. Based Plasma weapons work by using hy-
on reliable technology, they are cheap to man- drogen fuel suspended in a photonic state in
ufacture and easy to maintain. Las weapons either fuel flasks or backpack containers. As
work by emitting short, sharp pulses of laser the fuel is fed into the miniature fusion core
energy from high capacity fast-discharge ca- inside the weapon the hydrogen energises into
pacitors, with a flash of light and a distinctive a plasma state, held in the core by powerful
snap like the cracking of a whip as the trigger magnetic containment fields. When fired, the
is pulled. fields dilate open and the plasma is ejected as
a bolt of superheated matter.
Laspistol - The laspistol is a light, compact
and reliable weapon common throughout the Plasma Pistol - Few pistols are deadlier than
Wheel. Designs vary widely and can range the plasma pistol, and those willing to take the
from elaborate heirloom devices inscribed with risk of using one possess a weapon capable of
ornate carvings and gold filigree, to simplistic taking down almost any foe at close range.
but brutally robust weapons used by gangs
and criminals. Plasma Gun - An uncommon weapon, even in
the military, plasma weapons are as unstable
Pulse Rifle - A light, cut down las weapon de- as they are deadly, occasionally overheating
signed for longer range and more volume of and venting superheated air back on their
fire than the standard Lasgun. Pulse rifles can wielder.
be fired in one hand with only a -1k0 penalty
rather than the normal penalty for basic
weapons.

170
 CHAPTER XII:
EQUIPMENT

munition. However, few can argue with their

Melta destuctive power in combat and after experi-
Melta weapons emit devastatingly in- encing their potent capabilities a man might
tense but short-ranged blasts of heat which beggar himself to own one.
can melt through almost any material. Melta
usage is accompanied by a distinctive hissing Boltgun - Boltguns are known for the unique
sound as the beam boils away the water in the roar they make when fired, as the propellant
air, then a roaring blast as the beam reduces in their shells ignite, followed shortly by the
the target to charred scraps or molten slag. explosive detonation as they hit their target. It
Meltas are excellent anti-armor weapons and is an experience only slightly less satisfying
few things can withstand their power. than seeing the results of such a weapon in ac-
tion.
Inferno Pistol - The inferno pistol represents
very specialized and ancient technology, hard
to reproduce and making these weapons ex-
ceptionally rare and expensive. Owning an in-
ferno pistol is a sign of status, but usually only
powerful and influential individuals have the
honour of owning one of these relics. Heavy Bolter - A larger support version of the
boltgun, the heavy bolter is seldom seen out-
Meltagun - Meltaguns are the most common side military organizations. Jamming is often a
form of melta weapon, coveted by soldiers for problem due to their high rate of fire, and
their massive close-range destructive power. when used in two-man teams the loader can
There are also few things as good at cutting expect to be clearing shells as well as loading
through armor as a meltagun, and they are new ammunition packs or feed belts.
often pressed into service for breaching bulk-
heads.

Bolter
The bolter is an ancient and respected
weapon, a sign of status and respect. Most are
made for the Aasimar and Tieflings, though
some are constructed with smaller grips and
lighter construction for smaller people. Bolter
weapons fire self-propelled mass-reactive
shells called bolts, set to explode just after pen-
etration for maximum lethality. Overall they Syrneth
are superb if temperamental devices requiring Weapons of the ancient Syrneth em-
skilled maintenance. Bolter ammunition is ex- pire, they remain in as good condition today
pensive and difficult to manufacture, and only as when they were manufactured. While it's
the elite have ready access. The standard certainly possible to damage or even destroy
bolter round is .75 calibre with a super-dense them, it's thought that some element of their
metallic core and armored tip. manufacture repairs itself over time, which is
why even in ruins tens of thousands of years
Bolt Pistol - Carrying a bolt pistol is a sign of old, they seem as good as new.
high status, one that only a minority can afford
due to the high cost of maintenance and am- Null Ray - The Null ray is a terrible and an-
cient weapon that uses complex enchantments
and arcane science that cannot be replicated.
These glossy black rifles emit a ray of crackling
purple light that tears open solid mass. There

171
CHAPTER XII:
EQUIPMENT

OTHER RANGED WEAPONS

Name Type Dam Pen ROF Range Clip Reload Avil Special

Primitive
Bow Basic 2k2 R 0 S/- 30m 1 Free Com Reliable
Crossbow Basic 3k2 R 0 S/- 30m 1 2Full Com -
Hand Bow Pistol 2k2 R 0 S/- 15m 1 Full Rare -
Musket Basic 3k2 I 0 S/- 30m 1 5Full Com Unreliable, Inaccurate
Sling Basic 1k1 I 0 S/- 15m 1 Full VCom -
Bolas Thrown - 0 S/- 20m - - UnCom Snare, Inaccurate
Launchers
Grenade Launcher Basic ** ** S/- 60m 6 2Full Rare **
Missile Launcher Heavy ** ** S/- 200m 1 Full Rare **
Grenades and Missiles
Smoke Grenade Thrown - 0 S/- S*3 - - Com Smoke
Frag Grenade Thrown 4k2 X 0 S/- S*3 - - Com Blast (4)
Frag Missile - 4k2 X 5 - - - - UnCom Blast (6)
Krak Grenade Thrown 4k2 X 10 S/- S*3 - - Rare -
Krak Missile - 5k4 X 12 - - - - VRare Blast (1)
Photon Flash Thrown - 0 S/- S*3 - - Rare -
Plasma Grenade Thrown 3k3 E 10 S/- S*3 - - VRare -
Stun Grenade Thrown - 0 S/- S*3 - - VRare Blast (1)
Grav Bomb Thrown - 0 S/- S*3 - - VRare Blast (5)
** - Varies with ammunition

is almost no way to defend against these must be mastered separately with a different
weapons, and in the very rare occasions when talent.
they appear on the market, they are traded for
vast sums. Needle Pistol - Needle pistols use a low-power
laser beam to propel small slivers of crystal
Lightning Gun - One of the simpler and more coated in viral toxins. Enemies wounded by
common Syrneth weapons, the Lightning gun them are almost instantly paralyzed or dead
fires a wide cone of electrical potential, almost within moments. As they are virtually silent
like a shotgun firing crackling bolts of thun- and have no muzzle flash, needle weapons are
der. ideal for assassins.

Exotic Needle Gun - Prized by snipers, the needle

Some weapons are so rare that even a rifle offers the perfect combination of range,
seasoned warrior might never have seen one, stealth and deadliness. The only argument
while other weapons are of such secret or spe- against these exquisite weapons is that they are
cialized purpose that only one inducted into next to useless against heavily armored targets.
the correct secret society or with the proper
training can ever expect to hold one. Such Hand Webber - Hand webbers fire masses of
weapons require specialised training, and each filaments which expand in the air to form a

172
 CHAPTER XII:
EQUIPMENT

web of sticky, near-unbreakable material. Tar- on vicious worlds where even in the heart of
gets are quickly entangled in a painful em- cities combat rages. Though these weapons
brace; if they attempt to stuggle the filaments may be hopelessly outdated by more advanced
constrict even more, further entrapping them. firearms, in the hands of a skilled user they can
The webbing breaks down on its own and be just as deadly.
flakes away after 1d10 rounds.
Bow - Bows have changed little throughout
Heavy Webber - The most commonly used their many countless centuries of usage, and
web weapon, it is often called into play to sub- can be found across the Wheel in a variety of
due lawbreakers without killing them. They designs of constructions. Even on high-tech
have a longer range and each shot can cover a worlds, these weapons, like hand bows, are a
small group of people, incapacitating entire favorite amongst assassins and gangers for
crowds when used in large numbers. The web- their silence and reliability.
bing breaks down on its own and flakes away
after 1d5 hours. Crossbow - Crossbows are less common than
bows as they require more advanced mechan-
Flame ical fittings, but they are equally as deadly.
As the name suggests, these weapons
operate by firing gouts of flame at the target,
not only serving as an effective means of smit-
ing the enemy but also making disposal of
their corpses a much easier task. Flame
weapons function by firing gouts of an ignited
fuel that can be hard to extinguish, with some
models even able to fire underwater or in vac-
uum. Hand Bow - This weapon offers the hitting
power of a crossbow but in a pistol grip, suit-
Hand Flamer - Flame pistols or hand flamers able for one-handed operation but at shorter
are designed for personal combat at close ranges. The ease at which they can be broken
range where their very short range and poor down and concealed, as well as their silent op-
accuracy are not an issue. eration, makes them a favoured weapon of as-
sassins.

Musket - These crude devices can only fire

once before reloading, are prone to failure,
and only the most low-tech savage or desper-
ate renegade would generally fight with one.
When they do strike, however, they are deadly
against unarmored foes.

Sling - Slings are a difficult weapon to master,

but can be used to throw anything from rocks
Flamer - Flamers are terrifying and indiscrim- picked off the ground, to specialised metallic
inate weapons ideal for attacking enemies in balls, to even grenades. When using a sling to
cover or confined spaces. throw grenades, replace the sling's damage
with the effects of the grenade but retain the
Primitive weapon's range.
Even in the 41st millennium there is
Bolas - Bolas are normally non-lethal and as
a call for low-tech weapons, found on feral,
undeveloped planets or post-apocalyptic envi- such can be seen employed by bounty hunters
ronments where technology has collapsed, or or local law enforcement, where the swirling

173
CHAPTER XII:
EQUIPMENT

balls (some styles have up to eight of these Photon Flash Grenade - Photon flash or sim-
dense objects) can entangle a target with heavy ply flash grenades detonate like a small star,
cords or wire. blinding anyone nearby and overloading most
vision protection systems such as visors. Those
Launchers caught without eye protection are usually left
The Great Wheel is raked by war and temporarily blinded and defenceless.
disorder, and there's a high demand for ex-
tremely destructive ordnance. To that end the Plasma Grenade - These use a deliberate
forge worlds of the Imperium send out a plasma containment failure, causing a blast of
steady stream of explosives, grenades and sim- heat and light to burst forth like a miniature
ilar weaponry, some of which may find its way sun. They are highly lethal against almost all
into the hands of Heroes and their foes. targets.

Grenade Launcher - The standard grenade Stun Grenade - Stun grenades use a combina-
launcher uses compressed gas to launch a va- tion of a loud explosive and a flash of light to
riety of grenade types at the enemy. These momentarily incapacitate targets before an as-
shots can be arced high into the air as suppres- sault is launched. They are designed for non-
sive fire at unseen targets as well as being used lethal uses and generally cause no lasting
indirectly against foes. injury. Anyone caught in a stun grenade's blast
must pass a TN 15 Constitution Test or be-
Missile Launcher - Like the grenade launcher, come stunned for 1d5 rounds. Proper eye and
missile launchers fire a variety of explosive ear protection reduce the TN to 10.
rounds at long distances. A missile is fitted
with stabilisation and guidance systems to aid Grav Bomb - An extremely rare grenade type,
in their accuracy, which is excellent at long the gravity bomb creates a burst of gravitons.
ranges. Most launchers are shoulder-mounted All targets in the blast area of a Grav Bomb
tube-like weapons that fire a single round at must Test Dex against a TN of 15. Those who
great accuracy. fail are drawn to the center of the blast radius,
taking damage as if they had fallen that dis-
Grenades and Missiles tance.

Smoke Grenade - Smoke grenades explode

with a dense black smoke which obscures
Melee
basic eyesight and optical based systems. De- Despite the wide range of ways avail-
pending on the quality of the grenades, they able to kill the enemy at a distance, there is al-
may also block heat or other spectral bands ways a demand for weapons designed for close
outside of normal human eyesight. and personal combat. For some it is a matter
of honor to look their foe in the eye, for others
Frag - Fragmentation or frag grenades and a way to prove their skill at superhuman sword
missiles are filled with shot, heavy wire, or ability. These kinds of weapons range from
metallic shards to create high velocity shrapnel crude lengths of metal to exquisitely con-
fragments when they explode, making them structed artefacts from ages gone by, devices
deadly when used against infantry. which could never be created again in this dark
time.
Krak - Krak grenades and missiles use concen-
trated explosives to punch holes in armored Ordinary
targets such as vehicles or bunkers. The pow- Ordinary weapons are among the
erful detonations do not produce a blast effect most widely used weapons. They range from
however, making them impractical for use common broadswords and axes to simple
against most infantry or other moving targets. heavy sticks and the like.

174
 CHAPTER XII:
EQUIPMENT

MELEE WEAPONS
Name Type Damage Pen Avail Special
Ordinary
Daiklave Melee 4k2 R 4 Rare -
Hand Weapon Melee 3k2 * 0 Com -
Power Sword Melee 4k2 R 4 VRare Power Field
Club Melee 1k2 I 0 VCom -
Parrying
Knife Melee, Thrown 1k2 R 0 VCom -
Katar Melee 0k2 R 3 Com -
Main Gouche Melee 1k2 R 0 UnCom Balanced
Cavalry
Lance Melee 3k2 R 4 Rare Two Hands, Unbalanced
Spear Melee, Thrown 2k2 R 3 UnCom Two Hands
Shortspear Melee 2k2 R 3 UnCom -
Flail
Flail Melee 3k2 I 0 Rare Flexible
Dire Flail Melee 2k3 I 3 VRare Two Hands, Flexible
Electro-Flail Melee 2k2 I 0 Rare Flexible, Shocking
Fencing
Fencing Sword Melee 3k3 R 0 Com Balanced
Officer’s Cutlass Melee 2k2 R 0 Rare Balanced, Shocking
Phase Sword Melee 3k2 R 7 VRare Balanced, Power Field
Two Handed
Great Weapon Melee 2k2 * 4 UnCom Unbalanced
Grand Daiklave Melee 4k3 R 2 Rare Unwieldy
Goremaul Melee 4k3 I 2 Rare Unwieldy
Syrneth
Scythe Melee 4k2 R 8 Rare Power Field
Gryspike Melee 5k1 R 6 VRare Flexible
Grimscythe Melee 6k2 R 8 VRare Power Field, Unbalanced
Chain
Chainsword Melee 3k2 R 4 Rare Tearing
Chain Axe Melee 2k3 R 4 Rare Tearing
Shields
Shield Melee 0k1 I 0 Com Armoured, Defensive
* - This weapon can deal either R or I type damage, decided at the time of purchase.

steel alloyed with magical materials and are

Daiklave - Elaborately decorated and with a improperly balanced for mere mortals.
double-edge design, daiklaves are the signa-
ture weapon of Heroes. They are forged from

175
CHAPTER XII:
EQUIPMENT

Hand Weapon - A hand weapon is kind of a knife for hurting people.

catch-all category for the huge variety of
weapons this can cover. A hand weapon can Cavalry
be a broadsword, an axe, a mace, a hammer, Cavalry weapons are called such be-
and so forth. cause they are most often used either by or
against cavalry. They're typically long weapons
that can be braced against a charge or stabbed
down from horseback.

Lance - The lance is a strong-shafted spear de-

Power Sword - A much more modern and signed to be used from horseback, they're not
dangerous version of the standard hand typically used against other infantry but to ride
weapon, the Power Sword uses a power field down cavalry. When used from horseback, a
generator to create deadly arcs of energy Lance is at +0k1 damage.
across the blade. Many are centuries old and
handed down from father to son. Spear - One of the most versatile and simple
weapons ever produced, the spear is a foot-
Club - This can be pretty much anything that's long head attached to the end of a five to six
got some weight to it and can be used to bash foot long pole. Spears are inexpensive and ef-
someone over the head. Most improvised fective, and as a result are one of the most
weapons count as clubs, but there are specially common armaments of soldiers on primitive
made clubs as well. worlds.

Shortspear - A short-hafted weapon used pri-

marily for stabbing, the short spear often has
a long head so it can be usef for slashing and
chopping in a pinch.
Parrying
Parrying weapons are made specifi-
cally to be small and easy to use defensively.
While they may not be powerful weapons on
their own, they can be worn (or at least hid-
den) in polite society. Flail
Flails consist of one or more heavy
Knife - This is pretty much the most common spiked balls attached to the weapon's pole
weapon there is. Many are really more tools (with lengths of chain or metal rods), and
than weapons at all. Nearly all knives made for while difficult to wield, they are capable of in-
fighting are balanced so they can be thrown flicting terrible wounds.
with a range of 5m.
Flail - A typical flail is a single spiked ball at-
Katar - Also known as the punch dagger, it's a tached to a bit of chain and a handle. Once
single-bladed knife with a hilt assembly per- someone actually becomes trained in its use,
pendicular to the blade. Held in a closed fist, it becomes a deadly weapon for getting around
the blade juts from the front of the character's an enemy's defenses.
fist so that his punches deliver deadly stabs.

Main Gouche - A special parrying dagger with

a basket hilt that makes it excellent for block-
ing attacks but not quite as good as a normal

176
 CHAPTER XII:
EQUIPMENT

Dire Flail - Much larger than the standard

flail, the Dire flail can have a head as big as the Great Weapon - A standard great weapon can
person using it, swinging dangerously on a be anything from a two-handed axe to a large
long chain. It's a dangerous weapon both to sword or glaive or even a huge iron club. They
enemies and everyone around you. all do about the same amount of damage -
which is a lot - and use the same stat line.
Electro-Flail - Electro-flails are groups of ten-
dril-like lashes, attached to a short staff or han-
dle. These flails have a short reach but as they
strike in devistating masses of hits they can be
extraordinarily effective at incapacitating a foe.
Grand Daiklave - Sometimes called a battle-
Fencing blade or foecutter, the grand daiklave is the ul-
Fencing weapons come in many timate expression of the philosophy behind the
shapes and sizes, but almost all are light and daiklave - one needs no defense against a dead
fast weapons that are designed to be easy to opponent. They can be two meters long with
use. However the light weight of the weapons blades a foot wide, and only the enchantments
can make them hard to master as killing tools. within them allow them to be used at all.

Fencing Sword - A standard fencing sword Goremaul - Massive hammers that require
can come in quite a few forms, from rapiers to two hands to wield, Goremauls require great
sabres or even longer curved blades like strength to use but deliver crushing blows that
katanas. can deal horrifying damage with every attack.

Syrneth
Syrneth weapons are of extremely
strange design and manufacture, appearing to
be overly ornate or badly thought out, as if not
designed for fighting as much as display. How-
Officer's Cutlass - A version of a fencing sword ever, they are among the most dangerous
enhanced with a shock generator, the batteries weapons available, their basic power eclipsing
throw off the balance of the weapon, but its that of even some of the greatest weapons
ability to disable an opponent without killing made in modern times.
them can be worth the trade.
Scythe - A Syrneth scythe resembles a farmer's
Phase Sword - One of the most deadly sickle, a short, semicircular blade. Its appear-
weapons a person can wield, forged from mag- ance is decieving - the curved blade isn't what
ical materials and dark magic that is kept a does the cutting. There's an invisible line of
deadly secret, it's said the edge of this blade force that runs from the curved tip of the blade
only half-exists, letting it slip through armor towards the handle, forming a cutting edge
and cut the flesh inside without scarring the that can slice even through steel.
armor.
Gyrspike - An awkward weapon, a Gryspike is
Two Handed a combination of a sword and a flail, extraor-
Two Handed weapons are, as you can dinarily deadly. Especially to an untrained
guess, all weapons that can be used in two wielder. Once mastered, though, it's great at
hands. Not all weapons that require both getting through an opponent's defences. It's
hands are part of this weapon category - other likely they've never even seen one before.
weapon types require more specialized train-
ing that is better represented in their own pro-
ficiency type.

177
CHAPTER XII:
EQUIPMENT

ARMOR
Name AP Max Dex Avail Loc. Covered
Grimscythe - A much larger version
of the Syrneth scythe, the Grimscythe Light
is designed to be used with both Leathers 2 - UnCom Arms, Body, Legs
hands and, while even deadlier than Heavy Leathers 3 5 Com Arms, Body, Legs
the smaller version, is somewhat Quilted Vest 3 - Com Body
slower on the defense.
Mesh Vest 4 - Rare Body
Mesh Cowl 4 - Rare Head
Chain
Mesh Gloves 4 - Rare Arms
Chain weapons are popular
amongst most warriors, as most races Medium
and planets have the basic technology Chain Coat 5 5 UnCom Arms, Body, Legs
to produce these brutal weapons. Chain Hood 4 - UnCom Head
They all have fast-moving chains of Flak Vest 5 5 UnCom Body
serrated metallic teeth running across
Flak Jacket 5 4 UnCom Arms, Body, Legs
what would normally be the weapon's
Flak Gauntlets 5 5 UnCom Arms
bladed edge. Even the slightest hit can
rip open flesh, and solid strikes can Flak Helmet 4 - UnCom Head
cut through armor. Most are loud and Heavy
all are visibly dangerous, and the sight Banded 6 3 UnCom Arms, Body, Legs
of one can demoralize even the most Full Helm 6 - UnCom Head
fanatical opponent. Carapace Chest 7 3 Rare Body
Carapace Helm 7 - Rare Head
Chainsword - Chainswords are
Carapace Gloves 7 3 Rare Arms
roughly sword-like in shape as the
name suggests, with a large flat hous- Carapace Legs 7 3 Rare Legs
ing containing the chain. Generally Extreme
only the forward curved section is Plate 8 2 Rare Arms, Body, Legs
open, and is thrust at the enemy Plate Helm 8 - Rare Head
where the spinning chain teeth can Storm Carapace 8 3 VRare All
bite into flesh and bone.
Power*
Chainaxe - Chain axes are heavy, bru- Light Power 10 3 VRare All
tal weapons that can deliver hideous Power Armor 12 2 VRare All
damage with each blow. Like a regu- *Power Armor provives a +1 bonus to Size and Strength.
lar axe, these can have one edge or be
two-sided. Each open edge contains Shield - The basic shield, which can be made
its own chain loop, meaning that the double- of a variety of materials, from improvised
sided version can still operate if one side is wood or plastic sheets to advanced metal or
fouled. armorplas plates. Sizes range from light buck-
lers to full-body shields as large as a man.

Shields
Shields are tools used to block at- Armor
tacks. They vary in size and shape, but they all
Given the numerous weapons avail-
have the same functionality - they're strapped
able in the Great Wheel as well as their sheer
to a character's arm and interposed between
lethality, it is no wonder that personal armor
the character's body and attacks. Shields make
and protective energy fields are commonplace.
poor weapons, though all but the heaviest can
Most important civilians always wear some
be used to at least bash an enemy.
sort of body armor when in public, and some

178
 CHAPTER XII:
EQUIPMENT

ARMOR QUALITY acter wearing Leathers and a Flak Vest is hit

All the types or armor detailed here in the body, the lower armor points of the
are of Common craftsmanship. For armor of Leathers (AP 2) are ignored and the Armor
better or worse manufacture use the follow- Points of the Flak Vest (5) are used for the
ing modifiers. purposes of calculating damage.
Poor - Badly fitted, Poor quality
armor is difficult to wear and imposes a -1
Primitive Armor
penalty to Dexterity.
Good - Well made, the armor is easy It might be leather or classically-fitted
metal plates, but primitive armor is still quite
to wear. Against the first attack in any round,
protective. Most of what's still in use today is
the armor increases its AP by 1.
Best - The very best there is, like enchanted and practically dripping with magic
enough to deflect bullets.
donning a second skin, it gets a +1 bonus to
Leathers and Heavy Leathers are just
AP. The armor’s Max Dex is increased by 1.
what you expect. Most heavy or thick clothing
can be considered roughly the same as leathers
of the more paranoid (or well prepared) also in a pinch. Quilted Vests are much the same,
use them in private. Military personnel and thick padded clothing that really wouldn't look
Heroes are always equipped with some sort of terribly out of place as normal clothing.
armored protection, ranging from cheap lay- Chain armor is one of the most com-
ered padding to highly sophisticated armored mon types of armor on feral worlds, interlock-
shells built to withstand almost any attack. ing rings of metal that soften and deflect
Armor provides Armor Points to var- blows. A step up from chain armor is Banded
ious locations on your body. In addition, some armor, which is made of horizontal strips of
kinds or armor have special properties that are steel allowing a lot of movement but not quite
noted in their description. as full protection as the next step up, Plate
Type: The type of armor it is. armor, which is made of thick plates of metal
Location(s) Covered: What locations articulated for movement.
the armor covers, a combination of arms, legs,
body and head. Any armor that provides pro-
Mesh Armor
tection to the body also protects the gizzards.
Some armor covers all these locations and is Of advanced design, and sometimes
noted as covering "all". ancient manufacture, mesh is formed from
AP (Armor Points): How many thousands of thermoplas cells linked together
Armor Points the armor provides for the loca- to create a fabric-like material. It is lightweight
tions covered. and can withstand most impacts or heat en-
Max Dex: The character’s maximum ergy by becoming momentarily rigid, spread-
usable dexterity score while wearing the ing and dissipating the attack.
armor. This affects speed, skill tests, and char-
acteristic tests. Flak Armor
Availability: How rare the armor is. Comprised of layers of ablative and
It takes training to wear armor with- impact-absorbent material, flak armor is effec-
out it getting in the way. Without the appro- tive against small arms, shrapnel, and proxim-
priate feat, you apply the armor's AP as a ity blasts. Flak armor doubles its AP against
penalty to your static defense. weapons with the Blast quality, provided the
wearer was not subjected to a direct hit by the
weapon.
MIXING ARMOR
You can mix pieces of armor. How-
ever, their protective qualities do not stack. In
Carapace Armor
cases where an area which is covered by mul- Carapace armor is made of densely
tiple pieces of armor is struck, the highest layered plates of armaplas, ceramite or some
Armor Points is used. For example, if a char- other kind of highly durable material. It is

179
CHAPTER XII:
EQUIPMENT

GEAR Gear
Name Avail
Other gear is, of course, available.
Auspex UnCom The SM should use her best judgement for the
Backpack VCom availability of other items. In general, most
Charm Com very basic gear, as people could expect to use
in their daily lives, should be Very Common
Chrono Com
or Common. If you're unsure of how to price
Climbing Kit Com something, it's usually better to go too high
Clothing VCom than too low.
Combi-Tool UnCom Note there is no listing for ammuni-
tion, basic food and water, and so forth. The
Data Slate Com characters are assumed to be able to take care
Implement UnCom of such things for themselves. The purchase of
Magnoculars UnCom a gun is assumed to be accompanied by the
purchase of a reliable source of ammunition.
Medkit UnCom
A character can take as much ammo as they
Micro-Bead Com want with them (within reason - a person can
Multikey Rare only carry so much!), replenishing it whenever
Pict Recorder UnCom they get back to their base of operations. If
they don't hase a base of operations, well, then
Rebreather UnCom
they just get it during any significant down-
Torch VCom time. Let's be honest - the necessities are only
Void Suit UnCom removed when it's important for the plot
Writing Kit Com ANYWAY, so it's one less thing to be kept
track of.
heavy to wear and cannot easily cover flexible
areas such as joints, but it offers significantly Auspex
better protection than lighter kinds of armor. These devices are used to detect en-
ergy emissions, motion, and biological life
Storm Carapace signs. A character using an auspex may make
Storm Carapace comes as a single Tech-Use Tests to use an auspex to spot
sealed suit, and counts as a voidsuit as long as things not normally detectable by human
all parts are worn. The protection of Storm senses alone, such as invisible gases, nearby
Carapace is slightly better than normal cara- bio-signs, or ambient radiation. The standard
pace armor thanks to its better, sealed joints range for an Auspex is 50m, though walls
and tough underlayer. more than half a meter thick and certain
shielding materials can block the scanner.
Power Armor
The heaviest and most sophisticated Backpack
kinds of armor use their own power source in- A personal carrying device can take
creasing the user's strength. Power Armor many forms, but is usually some kind of bag
adds 1 to the wearer's Strength Characteristic with attached straps for ease of carrying. A
and increases his size by 1 (so while wearing backpack can usually carry approximately 50
power armor, a human, whose average size is kilograms.
4 takes damage as if they were size 5, and op-
ponents add 5 to their attack roll for his size). Charm
A charm is a keepsake, holy relic, or
good luck token that is intended to draw the
benevolent eye of the gods to the wearer. They

180
 CHAPTER XII:
EQUIPMENT

take myriad forms including such things as are versatile if somewhat bizarre mechanical
saintly finger bones, fragments of blessed devices. A character using a combi-tool is con-
bolter casings, water from holy rivers, and sidered properly equipped for almost any
even corpse hair woven into significant pat- Tech-Use Test.
terns. Throughout the Great Wheel, there is
no shortage of folks who will sell such items, Data Slate
though discerning true relics from the false is Data Slates are commonplace in the
an almost impossible task. great wheel as the primary means of storing
Charms have no tangible benefits. and reading printed text and other media such
However, when the unfolding plot calls for as video or audio recordings. They are cheap
something bad to happen to a random charac- and easy to make, and many only contain a
ter, at the SM's discretion a character with a single media recording, such as text, and can
charm will be exempt. If all the characters only play that single file. Others can re-record
carry charms (as most wise adventurers do) new information and transmit and receive data
then it is up to the SM to choose which from other devices.
charms are the most potent.
Implement
Chrono Commonly used by sorcerers and
Chronos are hand-held or wrist-worn clerics to focus and enhance their magical
timepieces, generally dependable and simple power, Implements come in a huge variety of
to use. shapes and sizes - wands, rods, staffs, orbs,
holy symbols, and so forth. A sorcerer does
Climbing Kit not need to have an implement to use most of
A compact spool-stored safety line, his power, but depending on their training and
with a magnetic or hooked clasp. A character taste, it may form an important part of their
using a climbing kit to descend a vertical sur- style.
face is in no danger of falling.
Magnoculars
Clothing These are powerful vision aids, which
It's a very simple magnify distant objects. More advanced,
matter to find clothing, higher-quality magnoculars can also do such
and the forms clothing things as give range read-outs, detect heat
can take are nearly infi- sources, calculate target location positioning
nite, from literal rags to and take image snapshots for later analysis.
bodygloves, suits, practi-
cal work clothing, mili- Medkit
tary uniforms, religious This is a vital bit of equipment for any
garb, and so forth. The medic. A typical medikit contains various cat-
SM is free to set any aplasm patches, contraseptics and synth-skin.
availability for a given A character that has a medikit at hand when
item of clothing, and using the medicae skill gains a free raise on the
there's always a way to Test.
spend more and find yet
more exclusive fabrics, Micro-Bead
clothiers, and jewelers. A micro-bead or comm-bead is a
short-range communication device worn in
Combi-Tool the ear, good out to about one kilometer. Such
Commonly found in things as bad weather, dense terrain and inter-
the hands of experienced vening rock or plasteel can greatly reduce this
engineers, combi-tools range, however.

181
CHAPTER XII:
EQUIPMENT

Multikey Services
As it can open most standard locks, Services indicate those things that are
the multikey is not a standard item for most often essential to a Hero's life, such as finding
honest citizens. For the same reason, though, a place to sleep, food to eat, and some fool
they are widely sought after by criminals and with a ship willing to transport them to some
other disreputable elements. tomb world, ash waste, drifting space hulk, or
some other equally dangerous locale.
Pict Recorder Heros are not expected to actually
Pict recorders are relatively simple have to roleplay and struggle to find food or
live-media recording devices and some have lodging - the character's wealth or backing
holographic capabilities. Most also allow for gives a good idea of what kind of lifestyle they
playback as well as recording, and some are have. A character with one or two dots in
even built into special robotic frames so they Wealth has a far more modest lifestyle than
can capture important archaeological tech- someone with five dots. Most services - finding
quests, weapons Tests, interrogations and somewhere to sleep and eat - don't take nearly
other possibly dangerous events. as long to arrange as an aquisition. However,
finding transport, getting long-term medical
Rebreather care, and so forth can take some time.
Consisting of a mask or helmet, re-
breathers contain their own air supply and are
designed to preserve the user in even the most Cybernetics
toxic atmospheres. A character wearing a re-
Bionic implants and cybernetic aug-
breather is immune to the effects of gases and
mentation are a fact of life in the Great Wheel.
can even survive underwater. However, re-
They enable damaged or diseased parts of the
breathers typically have air canisters that last
body to be replaced, improving on the abilities
for about one hour and then must be replaced.
and power of the body and, in certain cases,
extending life. There is a price to be paid for
Torch such improvements, and this cost is measured
Depending on the quality of its man- not simply in in flesh but, it can be argued, in
ufacture, a Torch might be able to emit vari- humanity and even sanity.
ous levels of light, change the color of its beam Thanks to superstition and the un-
of light, and so forth. even level of technology across the Wheel, the
sophistication and use of bionics varies wildly.
Void Suit Each different kind of cybernetic grants the
These sealed suits are intended to user different benefits (and sometimes penal-
perserve the wearer in the most hostile envi- ties) depending on its craftsmanship. The ex-
ronments. A void suit incorporates a re- ception to this is Best quality cybernetics that
breather and in addition allows the wearer to provide no additional benefits beyond those of
survive in a vacuum. Good quality, but are more impressive in their
construction and design.
Writing Kit
A writing kit contains various papers, BIONIC REPLACEMENT
inks, and quills.
LIMBS AND BODY PARTS
Bionic replacement limbs are as-
sumed to operate at the same level of strength
and dexterity as the body they are attached to
(rather than risk ripping themselves out of
their host through overpressure), though their

182
 CHAPTER XII:
EQUIPMENT

robust construction does add +2 to the implant is up to the SM. He may decide that
owner's AP against hits scored to that particu- given enough time, and in an advanced
lar location. Damage taken to these locations enough facility, it is automatic, or he may call
counts towards damage to the character and on the doctor to make a series of Medicae or
Critical Damage dealt to these locations func- even Tech-Use Tests that could lead to such
tion as normal. However, any result that things as permanent crippling or blood loss.
causes bleeding or some other inappropriate
result renders the bionic limb useless. Critical BIONICS AND MAGIC
damage to a limb that results in death has the If a character changes shape due to
full effect as it can be assumed that the limb magic, their robot parts change to match the
explodes into shrapnel, incinerates, or dis- new shape and size, though they remain obvi-
charges stored energy through its owner with ously artificial.
lethal effect.
Note that bonuses and penalties relate
only to Tests made using the bionic limb and
Bionic Arm
characters that have two bionic limbs do not Common versions of these systms
gain double the bonus, but rather they may mirror the function of the owner's arm and
apply the bonus regardless of which bionic hand exactly, retaining strangth, dexterity, and
limb they are using. sense of touch.
Poor versions halve the user's Dexter-
ity score when matters of fine dexterity are in-
CYBERNETICS volved and Weaponry and Ballistics Tests take
a -2k0 penalty when using the limb.
Name Avail Good bionic arms provide a +1k0
bonus on Dexterity Tests requiring delicate
Bionic Arm UnCom manipulation (such as Sleight of Hand) and
Bionic Heart Rare add +1k0 to Strength Tests using that arm.

Bionic Locomotion UnCom Bionic Heart

The paranoid (or prepared) are ever
Bionic Respiratory
Rare willing to replace crude flesh with more
System
durable, armored materials. The light armor
Cybernetic Senses Rare shielding of a bionic heart provides one last
line of defense against attacks. Superior mod-
Mind Impulse Unit Rare els can be triggered to pump more rapidly to
increase physical capacity, though this risks
stroke or other catastrophe as the rest of the
ATTACHING BIONICS AND circulatory system is put under pressure. A
character with this implant fains +2 armor to
IMPLANTS the gizzards - which stacks with any armor
Implants and bionics are only avail- worn - and gains the Fleet of Foot feat.
able if the character has access to both the re-
sources and skilled labour to have them Bionic Locomotion
installed: commonly this is only available in Common locomotion bionics must be
substantial medicae facilities and worlds with fully integrated into the spine and nervous sys-
a very high technological base. tem to function properly; basic models accom-
If a character can find a doctor willing plish this without any loss of function over the
to install a bionic or implant than the process norm.
takes 2d10 days, minus one day for each dot Poor versions halve the character's
he has of Constitution (to a minimum of 1 Speed (rounding up) and such characters that
day). How difficult it is to attach a bionic or attempt to run must succeed on a Dexterity

183
CHAPTER XII:
EQUIPMENT

Test (TN 10) or fall at the end of their move-

ment.
Good versions of these systems grant
the owner the Fleet of Foot talent. In addition
they add a +2k0 bonus to Athletics and Acro-
batics checks made to jump or leap.

Bionic Respiratory System

Common bionic lungs and implanted
respiratory systems mimic the action of lungs
and keep the body supplied with oxygen. Such
characters gain a +2k0 bonus to Tests made
to resist airborn toxins and gas weapons.
Poor bionic lungs offer the same ben-
efits as the Common system. However, they
are raucously loud affairs and characters take
a -2k0 penalty to all Stealth checks involving
sound. A generally poor oxygen supply to the
body means all Tests involving strenuous escopic sighs, a full photo-visor, and/or a sys-
physical activity require an extra raise to suc- tem allowing the ability to see in the dark.
ceed. Likewise, basic or advanced cybernetic hear-
Good bionic lungs count as a full life ing may also include an internal micro-bead
support system (thus if for any reason the system. Each of these 'extra' upgrades counts
user's own respiratory system fails, his bionic as a separate implant for the purposes of cost.
lungs will keep his blood oxygenated), and
their presence may be unnoticable if designed Mind Impulse Unit
to be so. These devices, also known as sense-
links, allow the owner to directly interface with
Cybernetic Senses a machine or technological device, seeing very
Sight, hearing, and even touch and widespread use among the military and engi-
taste may be duplicated artificially, and more neers, who regard them as objects almost in-
esoteric senses may be added. Common sys- despensible for troubleshooting and repairing
tems, while usually very obviously artifical and damaged machines. A basic or crude MIU rig
ofen oversized, manage to more or less dupli- involves a simple universal serial port either in
cate the approximate human range of senses the spine or wrist.
adequately and have no further game effects. Common models add a +1k0 bonus
Poor cybernetic senses are trouble- to Tech-Use, Pilot, or Drive Tests used in
some and poor imitations of the real thing conjunction with devices capable of MIU link-
(hearing may be troubled by static, vision ing.
glitches or is randered in low-resolution Poor MIU systems require an Intelli-
monochrome, and so on). A character with gence Test (TN 15) to use because of their
this system takes a -2k0 penalty to Tests made crude interface, but otherwise work the same
that involve the sense. as a Common MIU.
Good cybernetic senses grant the Good models grant a +1k0 bonus to
Heightened Senses talent for that particular Tech-Use, Pilot, Drive, Logic, and Inquiry
sense, and a +2k0 bonus to Tests made to re- Tests when interfaced with MIU systems and
sist attacks on the sense itself (deafening often have wireless links that allow them to
noises, blinding flashes and so on). Basic and connect without need of direct plugs.
advanced cyber-eyes may also incorporate tel-

184
 XIII
ARTIFACTS

A rtifacts play many roles in DUN-

GEONS THE DRAGONING. You can ap-
for power but for their legends. It colors the
way she uses artifacts, because each has a spe-
cial meaning to her and to history.
proach Artifacts' roles from the character's Games that use this role make arti-
perspective and the game's perspective. Sev- facts' histories important to the story. Where
eral approaches are given below as extremes, it came from, who wielded it in what battle
but none of them are exclusive of any others. and when it was buried or lost are all relevant,
Artifacts as equipment. They are perhaps clues in a grand mystery. The group
magical tools, and that's about it. To a char- can also use artifacts to play with themes on
acter, this makes an Orichalcum Sword is just loss.
a better sword and a Rod of Might just a useful Artifacts as objectives. Acquiring
tool. This sort of Hero doesn't need to be them is a goal in itself, or an important means
buried with his equipment, and probably also to another end. A character can have many
won't respect the equipment of others, which reasons to make an artifact an objective. Seek-
might leave some unsettled spirits behind him. ing something that belonged to an ancestor or
When a player follows this standard, a famous hero is common. Artifacts can be
artifacts are things for players to pick out and mysteries to be discovered and solved. Char-
give to their characters. There may be an ex- acters can also seek an artifact that will help
cuse for that Darksteel Heart, but there is no them defeat enemies or keep them safe. This
real reason for it: players don't care much applies equally to characters on a mission to
about their tools' origins or destinies. And create or repair an artifact.
that's okay. You can tell a thousand different This is one of the easiest roles for a
stories in the Great Wheel without tying them Story Master to invoke, but it works better
to the character's artifacts. when the players are also interested. Artifacts
Artifacts as legacies. Remnants of a can be classic, plot-driving MacGuffins - get
greater past lure characters to greater heights enough of the ancient plot coupons and re-
and sadden them at what was lost. Every arti- deem them for one world saving! - and tied to
fact tells a story. This motivates a character, Galaxy-spanning quests. Take care not to
driving her to seek out lost treasures not (just) overuse this role, though; one treasure hunt

185
CHAPTER XIII:
ARTIFACTS

after another can get old. that anything you do with an artifact is re-
Artifacts as companions. They have a versible. Create a story: hunt down the thief
character all their own that comes out in play. or find a Syrneth workshop to effect repairs.
This doesn't refer to intelligent artifacts and This applies more to artifacts pur-
magical automatons (though both are certainly chased at the start of the game with back-
possible), but to artifacts that color the way ground points than to artifacts found during
they are used and affect the nature of their play, with exceptions. The weapons and armor
wielders. A warrior might pull steel at the drop taken from the bodies of some well-equipped
of a hat until she recovers a Necrodermis but ultimately unimportant enemies are easy
Daiklave that demands death every time it's come, easy go (unless someone becomes really
drawn. A bard might go to great lengths to re- attached to one as a great trophy). After the
cover his stolen sitar because it is as dear to infiltration of a planetary armory to 'liberate'
him as a sister. Many characters of legend had the weapon of a legendary hero (in addition to
tools that became almost as famous as the any earlier buildup to the theft), though, a
characters themselves. player may be less willing to lose her new ac-
Most games need to apply a special quisition.
level of importance to artifacts in order to give
them character. Some players do this on their GAME IMPACT
own, and some do not. It's not a problem un- An artifact is only as useful as you
less you want to establish an overarching allow it to be. A piece of paper that can change
theme involving artifacts. Because the nature to look like any document is rather worthless
of an artifact is reflected in the character that if the entire campaign takes place in the
bears it, players can easily make an artifact a wilderness. A magical sword is only useful in
special companion without assistance; they battle, and in a few additional circumstances
only need to make it a part of the character's (like intimidation or blowing your cover). Who
attitude. needs a stone to repel animals when the game
Most games mix and match these dif- takes place entirely on a space station?
ferent roles for artifacts without a thought. Players and Story Masters should
Thinking about what you want artifacts to be both be aware of the game. Players should
about in your game allows you to fine-tune ar- know better than to spend all their points on
tifacts' involvement and themes until you're armor and weapons in a series about court in-
satisfied. trigue. Story Masters should warn players
against taking useless traits. On the other
SCRIPT IMMUNITY hand, Storytellers should also recognize that
A Story Master is usually free to putting points into combat means the player
arrange the theft of a character's assets, kidnap wants to see her character kick butt.
his family and kill off friends and allies, all in A player might intend to take an arti-
the name of story. Many players feel more pro- fact she never uses - like being the bearer of a
tective about their characters' artifacts. Maybe mystical talisman or hearthstone but sworn
they like having "stuff" or maybe they resent not to use it, which is a story hook that the
the loss of something they paid points at char- Story Master should seize like a pit bull. If
acter generation to have. So, what's a Story there's no such intention, then something
Master to do? should change to bring unused artifacts into
Figure out which artifacts mean play.
something to their players and which don't be- Conversely, artifacts may be very,
fore you start messing with them. Don't start very useful. This can be a case of a man with
a new campaign and yoink magical weapons a hammer seeing only nails, but it's also up to
from the players' hands - play a few sessions the storyteller to make sure that no single arti-
(at least) to see which players (characters also, fact dominate's the game's conflicts. If a single
but players especially) feel strongly about their artifact solves all the characters' problems, ei-
artifacts. All you really need to do is make sure ther it is too powerful or the characters are

186
 CHAPTER XIII:
ARTIFACTS

meeting too limited a range of challenges. A ment to them. Artifact weapons, though, are
soul-eating sword can't make the space pirate extremely powerful, typically ancient, and
princess fall in love with you or repair a hull made of one of the five magical metals. The
breach before the air runs out. artifact level of magical weapons and armor
depends on the base rarity of the weapon it-
COMMON TRAITS OF self.
ARTIFACTS
Unless noted otherwise, all artifacts Rating by Availability
share a number of general traits.
* Artifacts register as magical. They Item Availability Rating
may be detected by the flow of warp-energy Very Common Artifact 1
around them. Any effect that reveals magical
flows. A character with the Arcana skill can Common Artifact 2
make a Test (TN 20) to identify an object as Uncommon Artifact 3
an artifact.
Rare Artifact 4
* Artifacts are eternal. Wonders do
not wear down, wear out or break accidentally. Very Rare Artifact 5
A very few artifacts are, of necessity, fragile
enough to shatter or tear if they are not well The bonuses listed for magical weapons and
treated. Even these artifacts never just wear armor replace the normal bonuses for quality
out, assuming they are not ill-used. The power - each of these artifact weapons is already con-
of an artifact is bound into it forever and does sidered to be of best quality owing to the en-
not need maintenance. chantments used to forge them. Only armor
* Artifacts are difficult to break. Cre- that is primarily made of metal can benefit
ation of a magical wonder solidifies magical from magical materials. while it's certainly pos-
flows in a harmonious manner, making arti- sible to have, say, buckles or buttons made of
facts difficult to break. Most require either a one of the magical materials, this won't really
very specific ritual to break them or a truly ex- give their intrinsic properties to the leather
traordinary environment such as the heart of they're attached to.
a star. It's similarly possible to create some
* Artifacts cannot easily be bought bionics out of these magical materials. They
and sold. While they do occasionally go on the follow the same general guidelines for pricing
market - low-powered artifacts are often made as weapons and armor, but only a few types of
to turn a profit rather than for personal use, bionic are commonly made out of the magical
and there's sometimes a successful tomb raider materials: Bionic arms, locomotion and, very
looking to retire - Artifacts are far beyond the rarely, hearts. The bonuses they give, like
reach of most. Even the most common artifact weapons and armor, replace those normally
would take Wealth 4 or 5 just to consider as a given for quality.
purchase. Finding a broker to sell an item is All magical weapons and armor have
difficult. Finding a buyer even more so. Find- one hearthstone slot in addition to their addi-
ing someone selling the artifact you want? A tional listed effects.
miracle.
ORICHALCUM
Magical Weapons A golden magical material, with a
sheen that bears the warmth and light of the
sun, even when lit by as little as a candle or a
and Armor display screen. People mistake it for gold only
when the light is dim or they cannot touch it
Almost all weapons of better than
to feel its inner fire. It is hard to mine and
common quality have at least some enchant-
harder still to forge. Once incorporated into an

187
CHAPTER XIII:
ARTIFACTS

artifact, orichalcum represents strength, supe- Weapons and armor made of mithril
riority, order, glory and (to a degree) perfec- are exceptionally light for their strength, em-
tion or striving for the absolute. phasizing movement and fluidity over bulky
Weapons and armor that are made of strength.
Orichalcum don't particularly excel in any one Melee Weapon: +2 to your Static De-
way. They're just generally better at everything fense, +2 to damage inflicted.
they do. Ranged Weapon: Double the
Melee Weapon: +1k0 to all Tests weapon's range, no penalties for firing heavy
made to attack or parry, +3 to damage they in- weapons without bracing or using a basic
flict. weapon in one hand.
Ranged Weapon: +1k0 to Tests made Armor: Except for Power armor,
to attack, +10m range, will never jam or over- Mithril armor counts as one armor category
heat. less for determining proficiencies. Mithril
Armor: +2 AP. Plate would count as Heavy armor, Mithril
Bionic Arm: Provides a +1k1 bonus Chain armor would count as light armor.
on Dexterity Tests requiring delicate manipu- Bionic Arm: You may make one
lation (such as Sleight of Hand) and add +1k1 Ready action as a free action each round. Gain
to Strength Tests using that arm. +1k1 bonus on dexterity checks and checks
Bionic Locomotion: Gives the user made to parry.
+2 to Speed, +2k1 to Athletics checks. Bionic Locomotion: The user gains
Bionic Heart: +2 Armor to the giz- +2 to Speed, +1k0 to Athletics checks, and
zards, and +2 Hit Points. +2k0 to Acrobatics checks.
Bionic Heart: The user is immune to
the Toxic weapon effect, gains +1 armor to his
gizzards, and gains the Fleet of Foot feat.

DARKSTEEL
There is a substance so hard that it
can only be shaped by the magic of the most
powerful artificers. It is so durable that it never
degrades, Testing the patience of Time itself.
Traditional weapons are useless against it; it is
easier to put dents in the laws of physics than
in its surface. It is the metal that is innocent of
death. It is called darksteel. Darksteel is a
magical, dark gray or black metal. Motes of
magical energy orbit artifacts made from dark-
steel. The trajectories of the energy motes
form golden-yellowish streaks around the ar-
tifact.
MITHRIL Weapons of Darksteel are heavy and
This magical material forms only in often somewhat rough around the edges - you
the wild and undeveloped spaces, mostly on cannot sand down imperfections or burrs in
moons and in other areas with low gravity. De- darksteel. All items made of darksteel, no mat-
posits of mithril look like normal silver, but ter how great or small, are absolutely inde-
they run through exposed surfaces in smooth, structible.
flowing patterns that veins of silver could Melee Weapon: +8 to this weapon's
never match unless melted and sculpted. Pen except against Darksteel armor.
Under the moonlight, mithril reflects things Ranged Weapon: +8 to this weapon's
that aren't there, dreams and illusions sublim- Pen except against Darksteel armor.
inating from their owners. Armor: Ignore the Pen value of

188
 CHAPTER XIII:
ARTIFACTS

weapons striking you, except for Darksteel Armor: This armor provides +4 Aura.
weapons. Bionic Arm: A wraithbone bionic arm
Bionic Arm: This arm cannot be dis- has a simple but powerful ability - it can be
abled or destroyed by critical damage. If the used to Parry any spell with Touch or Ranged
damage would kill you, it still does, but the Touch targeted at the bearer. If the parry is
arm is fine. Gain a +2k0 bonus to strength successful, the arm completely absorbs the
Tests made using that arm. spell, and the spell has no effect.
Bionic Locomotion: Your legs cannot Bionic Locomotion: Once per scene,
be disabled or destroyed by critical damage. If you may use the magical energies in the
the damage would kill you, it still does, but Wraithbone to walk on air for a single round.
your legs are fine. Gain a +2k0 bonus to Tests While using this ability, you can move at your
made to stay on your feet. full speed in all three dimensions.
Bionic Heart: Ignore the effects of Bionic Heart: A wraithbone heart
critical damage to your Gizzards. +3 Armor to protects the soul of its bearer. Whenever you
the Gizzards. suffer a Perils of the Warp roll, you may roll
twice and choose between those results.
WRAITHBONE
Wraithbone is a form of crystallized NECRODERMIS
magical energy that can exist as a solid in real- Necrodermis is a grey, dull metal.
space brought forth from the Warp and Most people become uncomfortable when
shaped by sorcery. It can only be shaped using they're in the same room as the metal, often
sorcery, but is extremely malleable and can be without quite knowing why, like there's a chill
made into any shape the magic-user desires. It in the air or they're being watched. Necroder-
is also very tough and resilient - despite ap- mis is a metal that can entrap souls, lending
pearing like porcelain, and often created in the its terrible properties to various works of death
most delicate forms, it is stronger than steel and destruction. And yet, the most horrible
and quickly repairs itself. It is a natural con- thing about Necrodermis is that it isn't simply
ductor of magical energy, spells flowing along a metal. It lives. The Metal Lives.
the surface of wraithbone constructs like water Weapons and armor of Necrodermis
over glass. are always cold to the touch, not dangerous
Weapons and armor of Wraithbone but uncomfortable. They can seem to move or
are typically made of curved, sloping single pulse, more like a worm or some kind of foul
pieces, as it's easier to form wraithbone into thing than a wholesome living creature.
curves than angles, and there's no need for Melee Weapon: Opponents take -2k0
multiple parts where one can flow into any to attempts to parry or dodge this weapon and
form. it deals +1k0 damage.
Melee Weapon: You can deliver Ranged Weapon: Opponents get -2k0
melee-range spells using this weapon, Testing to attempts to parry or dodge this weapon and
Dexterity and Weaponry rather than Dexterity it deals +1k0 damage.
and Brawl. If the spell has a casting time of Armor: Opponents take -2k0 to hit.
one half action or more, you may choose to Bionic Arm: At the beginning of each
add an attack with this weapon to the spell. round, all critical damage on this arm is re-
Ranged Weapon: Once per scene, the moved as the metal heals itself. The arm also
wraithbone may be formed into additional am- grants +1k0 to all Strength Tests.
munition for this weapon, or the magical Bionic Locomotion: At the beginning
charge within it used to fire it. A wraithbone of each round, all critical damage to your legs
weapon essentially recharges its own ammuni- is removed as the metal heals itself. You may
tion, providing one clip per scene (or three ar- stand up from prone as a free action at the be-
rows or bolts, if using more primitive ginning of your turn without provoking Op-
weapons). If the weapon would jam or over- porunity Attacks - the legs just stand you up,
heat, it instead misses. not taking effort or thought on your part.

189
CHAPTER XIII:
ARTIFACTS

Bionic Heart: A bionic heart made of extremely ornate. They're rare but useful tools.
necrodermis is among the rarest of all artifacts, They typically have between two and four
and among the most dangerous. If you would functions. The two most common being ex-
burn a Hero Point to survive, roll 1d10. On a tending to several meters in length and grow-
5 or lower, the hero point is not burned and ing rungs and growing a short blade
you lose 1 point of Wisdom as the horrid arti- (sometimes of force or magical energy) that al-
fact forces your body back to life. lows it to be used as a fencing weapon. Other
types can be fixed in space, becoming almost
immovable until deactivated. A few rare ones
Wonders can turn into spears or other weapons. This
Artifact's cost depends on how many functions
There's a lot more to artifacts than it has.
just swords and platemail. Most artifacts in
circulation and use, and by far the most com-
monly found in Syrneth ruins, are tools and
Silvery Box (Artifact 1)
clothing left behind that has long outlived its One of the most simple and direct of
bearers. Not all of these artifacts are ancient, all magical items, the silvery box is a small box
but the Syrne were a people more advanced (like a jewelry box or the like, only large
than even the most modern technology - their enough for a few small objects) that can only
work is generally smaller, more reliable, and be opened by its owner. When the box is with-
of finer design. out an owner, the first one to pick it up be-
comes the new owner. The current owner
does not have to die to lose his connection to
Aetheroscope (Artifact 3)
it, he can also willingly abandon it. All at-
There are many variations of Aethero- tempts to open or destroy the box automati-
scope, the most common simply being a spy- cally fail.
glass made of orichalcum, but with some
variants using thin panes of precious stone as
lenses in goggles or glasses. The Aetheroscope
Collar of Dawn's Cleansing Light
allows the user to see magical auras as a glow (Artifact 1)
in the air. This enhanced vision goes out to A useful magical item, the Collar of
about 10m. If the user does nothing in a round Dawn's Cleansing Light keeps its wearer clean.
but steady the Aetheroscope and study what As long as the Collar is worn, dirt and muck
they see, they can determine the relative are almost instantly cleaned off, even the worst
strength of the auras they're seeing and their stains vanishing and mud simply sliding away.
source. Different varieties of this collar create various
pleasant scents.
Black Prism (Artifact 1)
Made from an impossibly tough black Hearthstone Amulet (Artifact 1)
stone in a tall prism shape, the Black Prism is These simple amulets can be made in
studded with holes that twist and turn inside a large variety of shapes and sizes, from ex-
it, making them impossible to follow. These tremely ornate baubles and pendants to very
holes constantly emit a low-pitched growling simple wireframes just large enough to serve
sound that only animals can hear, discourag- their purpose - to hold a hearthstone and en-
ing and driving off normal animals. The prism able the wearer to use its abilities.
only emits this sound while it's standing, but
the odd balance of the stone makes it difficult Dragon Tear Tiara (Artifact 2)
to knock over by accident. These Tiaras are forged from magical
materials and enhance the perceptions of the
Rod of Might (Artifact 2-4) wearer. Each has a setting for a hearthstone di-
This small rod can be found in many rectly on the forehead of the wearer. While
variations of style, from extremely simple to worn, in addition to the normal benefits for

190
 CHAPTER XIII:
ARTIFACTS

the hearthstone, the wearer gains +1k0 to all Resplendent Personal Assistant
Perception checks. On Arcana checks made to (Artifact 2)
detect spells or determine magical effects, this A device much like a large wristwatch,
bonus increases to +3k0. the Resplendent Personal Assistant serves a
variety of functions. Its simplest function is to
Hearthstone Bracers (Artifact 2) accurately tell the time. Most are set to the
Hearthstone Bracers are another fairly current time in Sigil, though more purpose-
common magical item, each set containing a built ones might be set to a particular planet
slot for a single hearthstone and proving their or ship. The Resplendent Personal Assistant
wearer significant defensive bonuses, giving also serves as a compass and altimeter, both
+2 Armor Points that stack with any worn functions relying entirely on magic in order to
armor. function in the huge variety that exists in var-
ious Crystal Spheres.
Hat of Disguise (Artifact 2)
The Hat of Disguise is a simple mag- Bag of Holding (Artifact 2)
ical device that enables the wearer to change One of the oldest and most widely-
his appearance as he wishes. This gives a free used magical items, a Bag of Holding is simply
raise on all disguise checks and means the a bag that's larger on the inside than the out-
wearer never needs to find makeup or other side. While they come in a huge variety of
aids to use for his disguise. The hat itself will styles, shapes, and sizes - from simple sacks to
also change, and can assume the form of a elaborate backpacks or beltpouches - they're
crown, hairpin, hat, or headwear of any sort. all extremely useful, especially since the ex-
However, the hat only changes the appearance tradimensional properties of the space inside
of the wearer, not his clothing, so he may need the bag mean that anything placed inside does
to find a change of clothes if he wants to look not add to the weight of the bag. Most look
appropriate. like they can hold about a quarter of a cubic
meter but can actually hold two cubic meters.
Perfected Boots (Artifact 2)
These boots are extremely comfort- Essence Union Dart (Artifact 1)
able, sizing to fit anyone that puts them on. The Essence Union Dart is a small
They are always warm and dry, no matter the dart covered in runes. The primary function
conditions, and the wearer finds that they of the dart is to use it as a tracking device.
don't tire as easily, never getting blisters. The Each dart comes with a matching ring. As long
wearer can move overland at surprising speed, as one is within a short distance (typically a
averaging twenty kilometers an hour, and their kilometer or two), the ring pulses and indi-
Speed is increased by 2. cates the direction to the target. If used in
combat to hit a target, unless the target spends
Fire Pearl (Artifact 1) a half action to tear out the dart (assuming
Fire pearls are small orange gems, they even know what the dart does), the
about a centimeter across, that glow faintly wearer of the matching ring can ignore penal-
like warm coals. They can be used to start ties from not being able to see his target, such
small fires by holding it tightly in one's palm as from darkness or smoke.
and concentrating on something flammable
within 3m. The Fire Pearl can be used in this Jump Pack (Artifact 3)
way once per hour. If placed in a fire, it will A Jump Pack is a complex and arcane
cause that fire to burn for twice as long as it device that can be used to move at high speed
normally would. These are prized by those over and around rough terrain. Anyone wear-
often in the wild as a way to start campfires ing a Jump Pack may, once per scene, use it to
and conserve fuel. take a Run action as a half action instead of a
full action. While making this special run ac-

191
CHAPTER XIII:
ARTIFACTS

tion, the character gains the power of flight, + Perception against TN 10. The more raises
allowing them to move that run distance in all he gets on the roll, the more detailed the in-
three dimensions. formation he gains. Just passing the roll will
give vauge impressions of the person's
Psychic Paper (Artifact 2) strongest emotion. Two or more raises will not
This paper is amazingly useful and, only show the target's emotions but also reveal
like all amazingly useful things, it is extremely if they are of the Exalted. If the target suspects
dangerous if you aren't careful with it. This what is happening, they may resist with
paper can assume the form of any document Willpower + Arcana, their result replacing the
the user has seen or can imagine, taking the TN to use the stone.
form of an official document of the correct
type, already filled out and with the correct Windhands Gemstone
stamps and signatures. It will pass any cursory (Artifact 3)
inspection, since it really becomes that docu- This hearthstone is perfectly clear - so
ment in every way. However, the change in the clear that it becomes invisible if submerged in
psychic paper only lasts for one scene, so if the clear water. A character bearing this hearth-
document is taken away for processing or ex- stone has his reflexes enhanced, allowing him
amination, its true properties become readily to knock aside or dodge arrows and thrown at-
apparent. tacks with casual ease. When this character is
subject to a ranged attack, they may use a

Hearthstones stunt in order to parry that attack rather than

dodge it.
Hearthstones are talismans of power,
growing and forming naturally in wellsprings
of great geomantic power. They are solid ac-
cumulations of pure magical power, usually
about the size of a large chicken egg. Such
crystals are of unearthly beauty, forming with
their beautiful cuts already formed. Yet it is
not for merely their luster that they are so
prized.
Many magical items have sockets in
them that permit the mounting of these crys-
tals. When a hearthstone is placed within an
open socket in a magical item, the hearthstone
resonates along with the enchantment in the
item. Such a resonant hearthstone has a ben-
eficial effect on the person carrying it. This ef-
fect is determined by the type of stone that is
inserted into the item. Some provide minor
bonuses, while more powerful hearthstones
grant great magical powers.

Gemstone of Aura Detection

(Artifact 2)
This round, light-blue gem allows the
bearer to read someone's aura. He just has to
concentrate on his target, who must be within
20m, and the target's aura slowly comes into
focus around them. The bearer rolls Wisdom

192
 CHAPTER XIII:
ARTIFACTS

Gem of Adamant Skin hearthstone can never be physically restrained.

(Artifact 4) Shackles and ropes will fall away, knots and
This hearthstone is a glittering, flaw- nooses will come undone. All grapple maneu-
less black ovoid. The character who bears it is vers attempted against the bearer are automat-
difficult to cut, and her bones are virtually un- ically parried unless they are part of a Perfect
breakable. Whenever the bearer loses Hit Attack. Note that while the character cannot
Points, reduce the number of Hit Points he be restrained, he can still be confined - this
loses by one (to a minimum of zero) and the hearthstone does nothing to counter locked
bearer gains a level of fatigue as the normally doors and barred gates.
dangerous blows rattle him around.
Seacalm Gemstone (Artifact 3)
Gem of Immortality In appearance, a fist-sized drop of
brilliant azure seawater caught in perfect sta-
(Artifact 4) sis, this hearthstone brings the character great
This hearthstone is a smooth, darkest protection against the dangers of the sea. The
black, with the faintest rainbow sheen playing character may breathe water as though it were
across its surface. While he bears the stone, the air, and so is never in danger of drowning. In
character does not age, nor does he suffer from addition, the character is protected against the
the infirmities and illnesses of old age, should other, less obvious ways the ocean can kill -
he already be old when he gets the stone. He unless he descends to truly stygian depths, the
cannot die of old age or illness, but he can be pressure of the sea will not harm him, and the
harmed and killed through other means. If the cold will not chill his bones.
stone is lost or given away, the bearer merely
begins aging where he left off - the years don't
Stone of Healing (Artifact 1)
suddenly catch up to him.
This hearthstone is a healthy earth-
brown, mottled with spots of green. It is round
Gem of the Calm Heart
in shape and could have come from the bot-
(Artifact 1) tom of any common streambed, were the col-
This hearthstone is teardrop-shaped, ors not so vibrant. The stone enhances the
and the bright red of heart's blood. It serves to medical talents and knowledge of any charac-
bank the fires of the character's heart, allowing ter who bears it, making an unskilled character
him to act out of reason rather than anger. into a skilled surgeon and a gifted physician
The character gains the Common Sense feat. into a brilliant healer. A character bearing this
stone gains +2k0 to all medicae rolls made by
Jewel of the Hungry Fire the player.
(Artifact 2)
This gem is a bright orange-red The Monkey Stone (Artifact 2)
around the edges, deepening to a glowing This hearthstone is a rich reddish
brick red at the center, like the coals of a brown, with a surface that looks like bark. It
banked fire. This hearthstone draws heat and gives the bearer the agility of an arboreal pri-
flame into itself, protecting the character. The mate. Any character who posesses such a
character can comfortably live in temperatures stone reduces the difficulty of all Athletics and
far above the norm, with deserts posing no Acrobatics rolls involving balance, jumping or
problem. The character reduces all damage he climbing by 5 (to a minimum difficulty of 5).
takes from fire by 5.
The Speech Gemstone
The Freedom Stone (Artifact 1)
(Artifact 3) This common hearthstone is cobalt
This stone is a murky blue-black, full blue and perfectly egg-shaped. It constantly
of shifting colors. A character who bears this seems to whisper, and someone listening care-

193
CHAPTER XIII:
ARTIFACTS

fully to it can hear words in a langauge they Wilderness Gem (Artifact 3)

don't understand. When worn, the stone en- This hearthstone is pale purple and
ables the bearer to speak and understand one rough in texture. Regardless of the environ-
specific language. A Speech Gemstone has ment, this gem will allow its bearer to survive
been found for every langauge save Syrneth - in the wilderness. This gem gives the bearer an
the curse of that ancient race seems to have instinctive knowledge of where safe shelter and
even eradicated their tongue from the stars. campsites can be found, what plants and ani-
mals are safe to eat and how to recognize the
Gem of Sending signs of the onset of dangerous weather.
(Artifact 2 for a pair)
This common hearthstone appears as The Gem of Day's Light
half of a cloudy white sphere. It is always (Artifact 4)
found in pairs, which remain mystically This hearthstone is a yellow gem
bonded to one another. The two halves of a burning with an inner light that seems almost
Gem of Sending can be used to pass messages infinitely bright, as if the longer you stare at it
through any distance of space, but with some the brighter it becomes. The bearer may con-
limitations - the gems can only send messages centrate on the gem in order to set it glowing
to the other half of their pair, both gems must brightly, illuminating everything within a kilo-
be placed in settings in order to work at all, meter with a light as bright as broad daylight.
and the messages they pass on can be no The effect lasts for as long as needed and can
longer than a sentence or two at a time. be ended in an instant.

Dream-Stone (Artifact 4)
This hearthstone is a smooth black
stone with abstract white markings. When its
bearer remembers her dreams, they will always
be prophetic in some way. Once each session,
the bearer's player may make a Wisdom +
Scrutiny Test (TN 15) upon her character's
waking. Any success at all causes her to re-
member a dream from the night before that
gives some indication of events to come. The
more raises on the Test, the clearer the dream.

Golden Marble (Artifact 1)

This hearthstone appears to be a sim-
ple overlarge golden marble. It has an ability
to remember a location. If the bearer concen-
trates and taps the gem, it will memorize its
current location. After that, the gem is subtly
attracted back to that place. The bearer is led
back along the path it has traveled since then
at a slow walking rate.

194
 XIV PLAYING THE
GAME

D ungeons the Dragoning provides

a rich game experience where players use cre-
you may roll that die again and add the result
to the 10. This is called an exploding die. If
the hero rolls again and gets an additional 10,
ative thinking, tactics, strategy, and total over- he may add that 10 and continue rolling until
whelming force to overcome a huge breadth of he doesn't get an additional 10.
challenges. Life in the Great wheel can be ex-
citing, but it is seldom easy. Innumerable dan- Rolling More Than Ten Dice
gers, from untimely mechanical failures and While most gamers like rolling lots of
bloodthirsty aliens to teacherous warp storms dice, ten is about as many as you can reason-
and deadly trapped ruins, await those daring ably be expected to throw down at once and
enough to explore the cold, uncharted Crystal keep the game moving at any reasonable kind
Spheres in deep space. This chapter discusses of speed. Therefore, whenever you are rolling
the fundamental rules of how such situations more than ten dice at once, rolled dice over 10
(and many others) are resolved. are changed into kept dice at a 2 to 1 ratio.
Thus, if you were rolling 12k6, you would

Tests drop the two extra unkept dice and Keep one
extra dice, for a roll of 10k7. Should you reach
Tests are the basic way of determining 10k10 and still have extra dice left over, each
success or failure in a game of DUNGEONS additional die (whether it's Kept or unkept)
THE DRAGONING. When a hero performs becomes a bonus of 5 to the roll. Thus, 15k10
any task that could have dramatic conse- becomes 10k10+25, and 11k11 becomes
quences - affecting the story, a character's 10k10+10.
health, a leader's reputation, the safety of the
ship, and so on - a Test must be performed. SKILL TESTS
The most common type of Test. Each
Exploding Dice of the three main branches of skills is governed
Ten-sided dice generate numbers by the appropriate stats. You simply roll a
from one to ten. Generally, the ten on a die is number of dice equal to the appropriate skill
indicated with a zero. Whenever a die rolls 10, and characteristic and keep a number of dice

195
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

equal to the characteristic. The SM will set a Willpower: Resist torture or fear
Target Number for this Test. The base TN for Constitution: Resist poison or disease, tolerate
an ordinary skill Test is 15. temperature extremes, stave off hunger
Success is more likely to occur in a Composure: Refrain from reacting to shock,
skill Test where the character has training in resist secuction
the skill. An explorer can attempt a Skill Test
with an untrained Basic skill, but in such Rank 0 Characteristics
cases, it becomes a characteristic Test with a - It's possible, due to penalties or
1 penalty to the characteristic. If an untrained curses, to end up with zero dots in a Charac-
basic skill Test involves situational modifiers, teristic. This mean that you're pretty much
they apply as normal after the penalty to the crippled in that aspect. A hero with a Rank 0
characteristic. A character cannot attempt a Dexterity may be literally crippled, while a
skill Test with an untrained advanced skill. hero with Rank 0 Strength might be sickly and
weak.
A Hero who must make a roll based
TARGET NUMBER on a Characteristic in which he has a 0 always
5 Mundane rolls one die for the characteristic, applying
skills and specialities as normal, but if he rolls
10 Easy a 10 on any of his dice, they count as 0 and
not as 10, and the die never explodes.
15 Average

20 Hard Raises and Checks

For most Tests, it's just enough to
25 Very Hard know if you succeeded, but sometimes it's
good to know just how well you succeeded or
30 Heroic
failed. This is particularly important with so-
35 Never Done Before cial skills, such as Charm and Persuasion, as
well as certain combat situations, such as firing
40 Never to be Done Again a gun capable of automatic fire.
Measuring raises is straightforward.
After the roll is made, compare the total
CHARACTERISTIC TESTS against the Target Number of the Test. For
If what you attempt isn't covered by a each 5 points by which the TN was exceeded,
skill, the SM may ask you to make a charac- one raise is achieved. Conversely, for each 5
teristic Test. The SM determins the most ap- points by which the Test failed, you have a
propriate characteristic for the Test, and the Check.
appropriate TN for the Test. Unlike a skill If a feat or ability would give you a
Test, you just roll dice equal to your charac- free raise to a Test, that free raise only applies
teristic and total them against the TN. if the Test is successful.
Intelligence : Solve puzzles, play games like
chess, etc. OPPOSED ROLLS
Strength : To move heavy objects, bend bars, Sometimes you'll need to Test your
smash doors open. skill against another's. This is known as an Op-
Charisma : Getting attention, beauty pagents, posed Test. For example, if an explorer
etc. needed to hide from a guard, he could Test his
Wisdom : Understand a hidden message. Stealth skill against the guard's Perception
Dexterity: Maintain balance on a narrow sur- skill.
face, navigate treacherous terrain In an opposed skill Test, both partic-
Fellowship: Make a good impression, inspire ipants make Tests normally. Whoever suc-
confidence, seduce a target ceeds at his Test wins. If both participants

196
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

succeed, the participant with the highest total At the lowest level, one-drama die
roll wins. stunts require a good description of an action,
Should both parties fail, one of two adjudicated by the Story Master. In return, the
things occurs. Either there is a stalemate and player gains one drama die to use as an unkept
nothing happens or both parties should reroll die on that roll and the character may perform
until there is a clear winner. feats that border on impossible (such as run-
For example to dodge you'd need to ning across the heads of people in a crowd, de-
roll Dexterity + Acrobatics agaist the oppo- flecting a blade barehanded and so on).
nent's Dexterity + Weaponry. The process is Example: Lyra snaps her switchblade
simple - each participant rolls, and the highest open behind her back with a soft click, swiping
roll wins. If there's a tie, the character with the it across the guard's throat in the same mo-
highest applying Characteristic wins. ment. She folds it back up as she watches him
collapse in a gurgling heap at her feet.
STUNTING Two-die stunts require that the char-
The rules of DUNGEONS THE acter interact with the environemnt in some
DRAGONING reward players with drama notable fashion, taking advantage of the
dice, additional unkept dice granted for good scenery that the Story Master has provided.
roleplaying, for describing their characters' ac- This can be physical environment or things the
tions in an evocative manner. The out-of- character knows about the world, like an
game rationale for a stunt bonus is that enemy's phobias or a lover's favorite flower.
well-described dramatic actions keep the game The player gets two bonus dice and may per-
interesting for everyone and help the Story form limited dramatic editing. No detail of the
Master set the scene. In game, stunts represent scene may be contradicted, but minor details
the capacity of epic heroes to be truly spectac- may be 'revealed' in the context of the charac-
ular when they take risks and act like heroes. ter's actions. For instance, a character might
leap off a parapet to escape a hail of arrows,
and the player could use a two-die stunt to re-
veal a banner fortuitously hung on the wall,
which the character grabs to save himself. The
Story Master may veto any editing that he feels
strains belief or is otherwise inappropriate
(such as an edit that contradicts a major detail
he has not yet revealed). Players cannot gen-
erally use a stunt to draw a "hidden" weapon
from nowhere, though some assassins might
well have knives or other small weapons hid-
den all over your person, leaving exact place-
ment vague until a good stunt opportunity
arises.
Example: Lyra watches the two
guards charging her from each side, intending
to flank her. At the last moment, she crouches
and flips back against the wall. In the instant
she stands horizontal, she aims and fires at
their knees with her twin bolt pistols held out
to either side. The bolts tear through their
legs, and both men collide with each other on
momentum alone as she lands catlike leaving
the two collapsed behind her.
Three-die stunts are singular acts of
greatness, stunning bravado and visual poetry,

197
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

defined by their capacity to leave the other

players slack-jawed in astonishment. If any
doubt exists as to whether a stunt merits three
drama dice, it isn't a three-die stunt. In addi-
tionto providing three drama dice, these feats
allow for the same measure of dramatic editing
as two-die stunts.
Example: The daemon swings his
burning fist at Lyra, and she leaps straight up
in a somersault, balancing in a tentative hand-
stand on his massive hand. Her feet connect
with a lighting fixture above, breaking it away
from the ceiling and causing it to swing into
the daemon's head, the fluorescent lights shat-
ter against the warp horror's head, not hurting
it but distracting him long enough for her to
release a hand and grab a bolt pistol from her
belt. Still balanced on the monster's swinging
arm, Lyra shoves her bolt pistol into the dae-
mon's eye, firing directing into its skull.
Players should note that the preceding
examples set the scene as well as providing the
action. In the first, the stunt is the description
of the attack as something more than "I hit
him." In the second, the stunt is Lyra's use of
the wall as a springboard and arranging for her
opponents to crash together. In the final ex-
ample, it's her audacity to perform acrobatic
feats while perched on her enemy as she sets
him up to expose a point of vulnerability. Dur-
Hero Points
ing play, the Story Master should have already Heroes are unusual people, individu-
set the scene by the time a character acts, so a als with abilities, backgrounds, and experi-
stunt does not need to be a five-minute narra- ences well beyond those of ordinary citizens of
tive. Without exception, short and flowing is the Wheel. More than anything, it's the hero's
always better than long and clunky. Merely tie to fate that separates him from the masses.
stringing adjectives and adverbs together isn't All adventurers begin play with a number of
good enough. The description must be inter- Hero Points. For some, these Hero Points rep-
esting without interrupting the flow of play. resent destiny, a sign that the gods have
Important Story Master characters marked them for greatness. For others, they
may also use stunts to benefit their actions but represent simple luck.
they should only do so sparingly since the
Story Master is the final authority on all
stunts. Unimportant characters should never
USING HERO POINTS
gain the advantage of stunts, no matter how Hero Points allow an adventurer to
well the Story Master narrates their actions. In manipulate situations by mitigating bad results
gritty games, Story Masters may limit the ef- or turning a mishap into fortune. Among other
fect of stunts for all characters. things, this allows players to take more risks,
which makes the game faster and far more ex-
citing. A hero has a limited pool of Hero
Points, and when a Hero Point is spent, that
pool is reduced by one. Spent Hero Points are

198
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

restored at the beginning of the next gaming course of a Hero's journey, they're bound to
session, or possibly under special circum- encounter all manner of people, aliens, and
stances in the middle of a game session that worse that would see them dead. Unless they
the SM deems appropriate. A Hero Point can plan to spend their lives running away from
be used at any time, either on the character's their enemies (and they aren't very good he-
own turn or in reaction to the action of an- roes if that's all they do), they will have to
other character. Spending a Hero Point is a fight. As a result, combat can form a key com-
Free Action. ponent to a game.
Spending a Hero Point allows for one
of the following effects: Narrative Time vs Structured Time
* Reroll a failed Test once. The results of the The passage of time is flexible in a
reroll are final. game of DUNGEONS THE DRAGONING
* Reduce the TN of a roll by 5. This must be and subject to the SM's discretion based on
chosen before dice are rolled. the needs of the story and the choices the play-
* Add an extra raise to an already successful ers make. Sometimes the SM only needs to
Test. convey a very loose sense of time, which is
* Count as having rolled a 10 for initiative. known as narrative time. In other situations,
* Instantly recover from being stunned. especially combats, more precise time keeping
is necessary, and the SM should adopt what is
BURNING HERO POINTS known as structured time.
Burning Hero points is much more
severe. When you absolutely need to, you can Narrative Time
burn a Hero point, permanently reducing the Most of the time, you don't need to
pool by one. The result is that the character worry about exact timing, and it just passes as
survives whatever would have killed him. Most needed for the story. It's usually enough to
of the time it's just that the attack wasn't fatal know if a certain action takes a few minutes,
but leaves you out of the fight, more compli- or about an hour, or several weeks, or anything
cated situations (being trapped in a collapsing in between. Narrative time is most often used
chamber) might require some working things outside of combat and other situations where
out with the SM. The consequences of burn- the precise order of actions is unimportant.
ing fate should largely be in the hands of the
player - there might be no consequences, or Structured Time
the character might end up losing an arm or In contrast to the abstract approach of
becoming heavily scarred or something of the of narrative time, structured time is important
sort. A Hero point may be burnt even if it has for resolving complex encounters, such as
already been used for that gaming session. combat, where every second counts and the
order in which things happen is crucial. Struc-
Gaining Additional Hero Points tured time is divided into Rounds, Turns, and
Characters are awarded additional Actions.
fate (or are allowed to replenish burnt fate *A Round consists of every character
points) at the SM's discretion. Such awards participating in the encounter taking one turn
should be given out only for reaching mile- each. It is assumed that characters act more or
stones, accomplishing major goals, etc. less simultaneously in an encounter, so a
round is approximately five seconds long, re-
gardless of how many characters are involved.
Combat *Each character in an encounter gets
one Turn each round. During a character's
The galaxy is a dangerous place, es- turn, he can perform one or more actions.
pecially for those who choose to leave behind While character's turns overlap each other
the relative safety of established Crystal slightly, Turns are resolved in a specific order
Spheres and explore the unknown. Over the

199
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

known as Initiative order. of the initiative order, each character takes a

*Actions are what a character does. A turn. The character currently taking his turn
character can preform one or more actions on is known as the active character During his
his turn. A character can take one reaction ac- turn, the active character can perform one or
tion per round, any number of free actions, more actions. Once his actions have been re-
and one full action OR two half actions. A solved, the next character in the initiative
character may not take the same half action order becomes the active character and takes
twice in one turn (a character couldn't use his Turn, and so forth.
Standard Attack twice, for example, but could
use a Standard Attack and a Bull Rush). Step 5: Round Ends
The round ends when everyone has
COMBAT OVERVIEW taken their turn, and any effects that last until
Combat is usually resolved using the end of the round now end.
structured time divided into Rounds, Turns,
and Actions. Each character, including NPCs, Step 6: Repeat Steps 4-5 as needed.
takes one Turn each round. The order in Continue to play through combat
which turns are resolved depends on initiative rounds until the combat is resolved.
order. When a new combat begins, follow
these steps to determine what happens.

Step 1: Surprise
At the beginning of a combat, the SM
determines if any characters are Surprised.
This can only happen once at the beginning of
a combat, and there will be many combats
where nobody is surprised. A surprised char-
acter loses his turn on the first round of com-
bat because he has been caught unawares by
his enemies.

Step 2: Roll Initiative

At the start of the first Round, partic-
ipants roll initiative to determine turn order.
Just roll 1d10 and add Dexterity and Compo-
sure. Highest result goes first. If two people
are tied for result, the character with the
higher die roll wins. If they're still tied, highest
dex wins. If still tied, roll again, winner goes
first. The results of this roll apply for all suc-
cessive Rounds in this combat.

Step 3: Determine Initiative Order

The SM ranks all the Initiative rolls,
including those of the NPCs, from highest to
lowest. This is the order in which the charac- SURPRISE
ters take their turns during each round of com- Surprise only affects the beginning of
bat. a new combat. It is up to the SM to decide if
any of the combatants are Surprised. Ulti-
Step 4: Combatants Take Turns mately, this comes down to a judgement call
Starting with the character at the top on the SM's part, based on the circumstances

200
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

and the actions of the various combatants not take any Half Actions. Grappling an op-
leading up to the encounter. The SM should ponent is an example of a Full Action.
take the following into account when deter-
mining surprise: Half Actions
* Is anyone hiding? Successful stealth A half action is fairly simple; it re-
checks may mean that some combatants are quires some effort or concentration, but not so
hidden. much that it consumes a character's entire
* Are there any unusual circum- turn. A character can take two different Half
stances that would mask the approach of at- Actions on his turn instead of taking one full
tackers? This can cover nearly anything, from action. A character cannot take the same half
pouring rain to whining engines to nearby ex- action twice in the same turn. Readying a
plosions. weapon or making a Standard Attack are both
* Are there any distractions? It's pos- examples of Half Actions.
sible that something quite distracting is going
on. A cultist's attention may be so fixated on Reactions
the sermon of his confessor that he doesn't no- A Reaction is a special Action made
tice his attackers approaching. in response to some event, such as an attack.
Bearing all of this in mind, the SM A character receives one Reaction each
must decide which combatants are surprised. Round, which may only be used when it is not
Whilst it's often the case that one entire side his turn. Examples include making a Dodge
or the other is surprised, there can be individ- Test or parrying an attack.
ual exceptions.
If no one is surprised, proceed with
the combat as normal.
Free Actions
A surprised character loses his Turn A free action takes only a moment
in the first Round. he can do nothing except and requires no real effort by the character.
stand dumbfounded. Furthermore, he grants Free actions may be performed in addition to
combat advantage to all non-Surprised attack- any other Actions on a character's turn, and
ers. After the Surprise round completely re- there is no formal limit to the number of Free
solves, all surprised characters recover their Actions one character can take. The SM
wits and can act normally. should use common sense to set reasonable
limits on what can be done in a few seconds.
Examples of Free Actions include dropping an
Actions item or speaking a few words.

During each normal round, every Extended Actions

character gets a Turn to act. On his Turn, a Some actions take more than a single
character can take one or more action. There round to complete. Once a character commits
are five types of actions in DUNGEONS to an Extended Action, he is considered to be
THE DRAGONING, and every action also working towards completing it for as long as
has one or more subtypes. necessary. If the character abandons the Ex-
tended action, or is interrupted, all progress
TYPES OF ACTIONS towards completing the Extended Action is
Every action is categorized into one of lost.
the following types: Full actions, half actions,
reactions, free actions, and Extended actions. Action Subtypes
In addition to its type, every action is
Full Actions also categorized into one or more subtypes.
A full action requires a character's Action subtypes don't do anything in and of
complete attention to accomplish. A character themselves, but they are used to clarify what a
can take one Full Action on his turn and can- character is and is not allowed to do in a vari-

201
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

ACTIONS IN COMBAT
Name Type Description
Aid Another H Give another character +1k0 on their next Test.
+1k0 to hit on a half action aim or +2k0 to hit on a full action, ap-
Aim H/F
plying to your next attack.
All-Out Attack F +2k0 to hit, cannot Dodge or Parry.
Brace H Brace a heavy weapon to fire it normally.
Bull Rush H Test opposed Strength, move target 2m, plus 2m for every raise.
Called Shot F Attack specific location on your target for -2k0 to hit.
Charge F Must move 4 meters before attack, +1k0 to attack.
Delay H Before your next turn take any half action.
Disarm H Test opposed Weaponry + Dex, disarm opponent on success.
Dodge R Test Dex + Acrobatics to negate a hit.
Opposed Weaponry + Dex Test, if you win your next attack cannot
Feint H
be dodged or parried.
Fight Defensively F -1k0 to hit, +1k0 to parry and dodge
Focus Power V Cast a spell.
Full Auto Burst F +2k1 to hit, additional hit for every raise.
Full Defense F Improve your Static defense, gain an additional reaction.
Grapple H/F Affect a grappled opponent or escape from a grapple.
Healing Surge H Spend resources to heal during battle.
Knock Down H Try and knock an opponent to the ground.
Move H/F Move up to your speed as a half action or double it as a full action.
Attack more than once in the same round - requires two weapons,
Multiple Attacks F
a talent, or both.
Opportunity Attack Fr Attack a target that has left itself open.
Overwatch F Shoot targets coming into a set kill zone, -2k0 to ballistics.
Parry R Test Weaponry + Dex to negate a hit.
Ready H Ready a weapon or item.
Reload V Reload a ranged weapon.
Move a long distance, enemies attack you at -2k0 on ranged attacks
Run F
and +2k0 on melee attacks.
Shift H Make a small movement that doesn't provoke attacks.
Stand H Stand up from being prone.
Standard Attack H Make one melee or ranged attack.
Suppressing Fire F Force opponents to take cover, -2k0 to Ballistics.
Tactical Advance F Move from cover to cover.
Use a Skill V You may use a skill.
Withdraw F Break off from melee and move.

202
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

ety of special circumstances. For example, a disease, poison, Fear, or anything else the SM
character that is Immobilized cannot perform deems inapporopriate, and no more than two
any Actions with the momement subtype. characters may attempt to assist another on a
single Test.
USING ACTIONS
During his turn, a character may per- AIM
form one Full Action or two different half ac- Half or Full Action
tions. A character could, for example, make a Subtype: Concentration
charge attack (Full action) or aim and shoot The active character takes extra time to make
(two half actions). It's important to remember a more precise attack. You may take a half ac-
that a round is only a few seconds long, so the tion to get +1k0 on your next attack or a full
character's turn within that round is but a few action to get +2k0 on your next attack. The
moments. next action the aiming character performs
Any action can be combined with must be an attack or the benefits of aiming are
talking, banter, battle cries, and other short lost. Aiming benefits are also lost if the char-
verbal expressions - these are considered free acter performs a reaction before making his at-
actions. It is left to the SM to decide what a tack. Aiming can be used with both melee and
player might be able to say in that amount of ranged attacks.
time. A wry aside to a companion or a terse in-
sult to an enemy is always reasonable, but re- ALL-OUT ATTACK
counting the intimate details of one's seven Full Action
duels-to-the-death between swings of a Subtypes: Attack, Melee
daiklave should probably count as something The character attacks with everything they've
more than just a Free Action. got, making a melee attack with a +2k0 bonus.
Most actions are started and com- However, the active character loses the ability
pleted within the active character's same turn. to use reactions until their next turn.
For example, a character does not begin a
charge one one Turn and then finish it on a
later turn; he performs the entire Charge BRACE
(which is a full action) at once on his turn. Half Action
But, there are two exceptions. Reactions are Subtype: Miscellaneous
almost always performed when it is not the re- Heavy weapons must be braced before firing.
acting character's turn, and Extended Actions Bracing a heavy weapon can involve using a
take more than one Round to complete. stand, propping it up on a windowsill, or sim-
ply assuming a wide stance or kneeling. The
firer cannot move after bracing without losing
AID ANOTHER the benefits, and depending on how it's
Half Action braced, may be unable to traverse the weapon
Subtype: Miscellaneous very far. If a heavy weapon is fired without
The character creates an opportunity for an- bracing, the firer takes -3k0 to his attack roll.
other character. By working together with
them, the active character gives them +1k0 to
their next Test. If the Test is to be a skill, the BULL RUSH
character must have at least one dot in that Half Action
skill or this Aid Another bonus does not apply. Subtypes: Attack, Melee, Movement
Supernatural template abilities and spells can- The character body slams into an opponent
not get bonuses via this method. The active and attempts to move him. The character and
character must be adjacent to the character a target in melee range make opposed strength
performing the Test. The Aid Another bonus Tests. If the active character succeeds, she
cannot be used on Free Actions, and the moves the target 2m, plus 2m for every raise
bonus cannot be given on Tests made to resist she gets on this opposed Test.

203
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

DODGE
CALLED SHOT Reaction Action
Full Action Subtype: Movement
Subtypes: Attack, Concentration, Melee or Dodge is a Reaction that a character can per-
Ranged form when it is not her turn. After a character
The active character attempts to attack a spe- is hit, but before Damage is rolled, the char-
cific or vulnerable area on his target. The at- acter can attempt to avoid the attack by mak-
tacker declares a location on his target (Head, ing a dodge Test (Dexterity + Acrobatics). A
Body, Left Arm, Right Arm, Gizzards, Left character must be aware of the attack in order
Leg or Right Leg), then makes an attack at - to make the Test. The TN For this test is the
2k1. However, isntead of Testing randomly attacker’s roll to hit the character using
for a hit location, if the attack is successful he Dodge. If the Test succeeds, the character gets
hits the desired location. out of the way at the last moment and the at-
tack is considered to have missed (and thus no
CHARGE damage is rolled). If the Dodge Test fails, the
Full Action attack connects and deals damage normally.
Subtypes: Attack, Melee, Movement Dodge can be used to avoid both melee and
The character rushes at his target and delivers ranged attacks.
Dodging Auto-Fire and Area Effect
a single melee attack. The target must be at
Attacks
least four meters away, and a character may
charge up to twice their Speed in meters. The Some attacks, such as those made
movement of the charge must be in a straight with grenades, flamers, or guns firing on au-
line so the attacker can build speed and line tomatic are especially difficult to avoid.
up with his target. The attacker gains a +1k0 When dodging an area effect weapon
bonus on the attack made at the end of the (such as a flamer), a successful dodge Test
charge. If the charging character is unarmed, moves the character to the edge of the area of
he can attempt to grapple his opponent in- effect, as long as it is no further away than the
stead of inflicting damage. character's dexterity in meters. If the character
would need to move further than this to avoid
the attack then the Dodge Test automatically
DELAY fails.
Half Action When dodging fully automatic fire,
Subtype: Miscellaneous your TN is your own static defense against the
Instead of acting immediately, the character attack rather than the attacker’s roll, and every
saves an action for later. At any time before raise negates one extra hit.
her next turn, she may take any half action. If
the character uses this stored action in re-
sponse to someone taking an action, this ac-
FEINT
tion occurs first. Half Action
Subtype: Attack, Melee
The character attempts to use guile and com-
DISARM bat training to trick her opponent into a mis-
Half Action take. The character and her target make an
Subtype: Attack, Melee opposed Weaponry Test. If the active charac-
The character attempts to disarm an oppo- ter wins, her next melee attack against that
nent. Both the active character and her target same target cannot be dodged or parried. If
make opposed Dexterity + Weaponry checks. the active character's next action is anything
If the active character gets two or more raises other than a standard attack, the advantage of
on this opposed check, the opponent drops feinting is lost.
their weapon.

204
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

FIGHT DEFENSIVELY
Half Action
Subtype: Attack, Concentration, Melee
The character performs a careful attack, mak-
ing sure she remains well poised to defend her-
self. The character suffers a -1k0 penalty to
her Weaponry Test, but she gains a +1k0
bonus to all dodge and parry Tests until the
start of her next turn.

FOCUS POWER
Variable Action
Subtype: Varies by power, Provokes
The character casts a spell. The spell will list
the target difficulty and the skill Tested. If the
character succeeds, the spell works. If not, the
spell fails.

FULL AUTO BURST

Full Action
Subtype: Attack, Ranged, Provokes
The character hurls a roaring burst of fully au-
tomatic gunfire at her enemies. The attacker
must be wielding a ranged weapon capable of concentrates entirely on self-defense. Until the
fully automatic fire to take this action. If the start of her next turn, the character can make
character has a pistol in each hand, both ca- one additional reaction and gains a +10 bonus
pable of fully automatic fire, she mat fire both to her static defense.
with this action.
The attacker makes a Ballistics Test
with a +2k1 bonus. If she succeeds, the attack
scored a hit normally. Furthermore, each raise
GRAPPLE
on the Ballistics Test scores an extra hit. The Half or Full Action
number of extra hits scored in this manner Subtype: Attack, Melee
cannot exceed the weapon's automatic rate of If the character is not in a grapple, she may use
fire. Extra hits can either be allocated to the the Grapple action to enter a grapple with tar-
original target or any other targets within 2 get opponent. Make a Brawl Test. If it is suc-
meters, provided none of the new targers cessful, she begins grappling the target as the
would have been harder to hit than the original controller of the grapple.
target. Determine hit locations normally. A The controller of a grapple must spend a full
character using this action with a pistol or action every turn to maintain this grapple. If
basic class weapon may also move up to his she doesn't, the grapple immediately ends. She
Dexterity in meters. However, if he does so, may then make an opposed strength Test. If
he gains no bonus to his Ballistics Test and in- she succeeds, she may take one of the follow-
stead suffers a -1k0 penalty. ing actions:
Attack with Weapon: The controller
of the grapple can attempt to damage the op-
FULL DEFENSE ponent with your fists or a held weapon. The
Full Action opponent cannot make any reactions to this
Subtype: Concentration, Melee attack. Roll damage normally. You cannot use
The character makes no attacks and instead weapons that require both hands in a grapple.

205
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

Throw Down Opponent: The con- she may choose one of the following options:
troller of the grapple can wrestle the Grappled Break Free: The grappled target can
opponent to the ground. The grappled oppo- attempt to break free of the grapple by making
nent becomes prone. an Opposed Strength Test with the controller
Push Opponent: The controller of the of the grapple. If the active character wins, she
grapple makes a bull rush attempt. The breaks free and may perform any half action
pushed distance cannot exceed the active Slip Free: The grappled target can at-
character's half move distance. The active tempt to wriggle out of the grapple by making
character must move with her grappled oppo- a Dexterity check against TN 15. If she suc-
nent in order to maintain the grapple or she ceeds, she slips free and may perform any half
can choose to let go of her opponent, which action.
ends the grapple, but allows the active charac- Take Control: The grappled target
ter to keep her ground. can attempt to take control of the Grapple by
Ready: The controller of the grapple making an opposed strength Test with her
can ready one of her own items. Or if the SM grappling opponent. If the active character
allows, she can use the Ready action to grab wins, she becomes the controller of the grapple
an item belonging to her grappled opponent. and her opponent becomes the grappled tar-
Stand: If both grappling participants get. The active character may then immedi-
are on the ground, the controller of the grap- ately perform one of the controller grapple
ple can regain her feet with this action. She options, but cannot take any other half action.
can also attempt to drag her grappled oppo-
nent up with her. If she so desires, both par- HEALING SURGE
ticipants stand. Half Action
Use item: The controller of the grap-
Subtype: Miscellaneous
ple can use a readied item. While normally a character cannot spend re-
source points during combat to heal, they do
If the active character is the target of the grap- have the option of using this action to heal
ple the first thing she must do on her turn is their wounds. They take take a half action and
declare Grapple as a half action - this is part spend Resource points up to their level, heal-
of the penalty for being grappled. After that,

206
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

ing that many hit points. A character gains +5 tion that you can use once per turn, during any
to their static defense until their next turn character's turn.
when they use Healing Surge.
OVERWATCH
KNOCK DOWN Full Action
Half Action Subtype: Attack, Concentration, Ranged
Subtype: Attack, Melee The active character guards a specific area or
The attacker smashes her opponent in the target, poised to shoot at an opportune mo-
hopes of knocking him off his feet. Make an ment. When Overwatch is declared, the active
Opposed Strength Test. if the attacker wins, character establishes a kill zone, which is any
the target is knocked prone and must make a general area, such as a corridor or tree line,
Stand action on his turn to regain his feet. If which encompasses a 45 degree arch in the di-
the target wins the opposed strength Test, he rection the active character is facing.
keeps his footing. If the target wins with two The active character then specifies ei-
or more raises, the attacker is knocked prone ther Full Auto Burst or Suppressing Fire,
instead. along with the conditions under which she will
perform the chosen attack. At any time the
MOVE specified conditions are met before the start of
Half or Full Action the character's next turn, she can perform that
Subtype: Movement, Provokes attack. If a character on Overwatch performs
The active character can spend a Half Action any actions or reactions, such as dodge, her
to move a number of meters equal to their overwatch immediately ends. Note this does
Speed. As a Full Action, she may move twice not include free actions such as speech.
that distance. If the active character ends her
movement adjacent to an opponent, she may PARRY
engage that opponent in melee. If the active Reaction Action
character moves away from an opponent with Subtype: Defence, Melee
whom she is engaged, he provokes Opportu- If the character is wielding a melee weapon ca-
nity Attacks. pable of parrying, she can attempt to thwart
an incoming melee attack by making a
MULTIPLE ATTACKS Weaponry Test with a TN of the attack in-
Full Action coming on the character. If the Test succeeds,
Subtype: Attack, Melee or Ranged the incoming attack is considered to have
This action allows the character to make one missed. If the Test fails, the attack connects
or more attacks on his turn. If a character is and damage is rolled normally. Parry can only
wielding two weapons and has the Two be used to negate a melee attack.
Weapon Wielder talent, they may make an ad-
ditional attack, but all attacks they make this READY
round are made at -2k0. Half Action
Subtype: Miscellaneous, Provokes
OPPORTUNITY ATTACK The active character draws a weapon or re-
Free Action trieves an object stowed in a pouch or pocket.
Subtype: Attack, Melee A weapon or item can also be properly stowed
Whenever an character uses an action with the away with this action (but note that simply
provokes keyword while engaged in melee dropping an item is considered a free action).
with an opponent, she provokes an Opportu- This action can also be used to do things such
nity Attack. All opponents in melee range of as apply a bandage, coat a blade with poison,
the Provoking character may use this action in and so forth. Ready can be declared twice in
order to make a Standard Attack against the the same turn if it is used on two different
Provoking character. This is a special free ac- weapons or items.

207
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

RELOAD eral area, such as a corridor or tree line, that

Varies encompasses a 45 degree arch in the direction
Subtype: Miscellaneous, Provokes the active chracter is facing. Then, the active
The active character can reload a ranged character fires a Full Auto Burst and expends
weapon. The amunt of time the reload action the appopriate ammo.
takes depends on the weapon. Note that any Targets within the kill zone must make a Pin-
reload action that is spread across more than ning Test or become Pinned. The active char-
one round is an extended action. acter makes a Ballistics Test against TN 20 to
determine if her wild spray of gunfire hits any-
one, friend or foe, within the kill zone. If the
RUN Test succeeds, the SM assigns one hit to a ran-
Full Action dom target within the kill zone. For every two
Subtype: Movement, Provokes raises on the Test, the SM assigns another hit,
The active character runs, covering a distance up to the weapon's automatic rate of fire. The
equal to her Run Movement. This makes the active character cannot choose to fail this Test.
character harder to hit with ranged weapons,
but easier prey for melee attacks. Until the be- TACTICAL ADVANCE
ginning of the character's next turn, ranged at-
tacks made against her suffer a -2k0 penalty, Full Action
while melee attacks gain a +2k0 bonus. Subtype: Concentration, Movement
The active character moves from one position
of cover to another positon of cover. In so
SHIFT doing, she may cover a distance up to her Full
Half Action Move. For the duration of the move, she is
Subtype: Movement considered to benefit from the cover she left,
The character moves a distance equal to her even though she is in the open for a brief time.
dexterity in meters.
USE A SKILL
STAND Variable Action
Half Action Subtypes: Concentration, Miscellaneous
Subtype: Movement, Provokes The active character may use a skill. How long
If the active character is on the ground, she this takes and what kind of check they need to
can stand. make are covered in the descriptions of the in-
dividual skills.
STANDARD ATTACK
Half Action WITHDRAW
Subtype: Attack, Melee or Ranged Full Action
The active character makes one melee attack Subtypes: Concentration, Movement
by Testing Dex and Weaponry or one ranged The active character breaks off from melee
attack by Testing Dex and Ballistics. combat and may make a half move.

SUPPRESSING FIRE Other Actions

Full Action If a player wants to take some action not cov-
Subtypes: Attack, Ranged ered in the rules, the SM should make a judge-
The active character unleases a devastating ment about how long this will take and any
hail of firepower to force her opponents to take relevant checks. Generally most actions should
cover. This action requires a weapon capable be resolved with some sort of Test: Character-
of full automatic fire. When Suppressing Fire istic Test, skill Test, or opposed Test. Keep in
is declared, the active character establishes a mind that a round is only a few seconds long,
kill zone (or uses one previously established, which is a very limited amount of time to ac-
such as through overwatch), which is any gen- complish a task.

208
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

made against a TN of the target's static de-

The Attack fense.
The most common action in combat is the at- Dodge and Parry Reactions
tack - the characters are fighting, after all. If a character is hit by an attack, they
Whether armed with a melee or ranged have an opportunity to make a Dodge or Parry
weapon, the process is the same. Before an at- reaction as an opposed roll against the attack.
tack is made, the SM should verify that the at- If successful, the attack is negated and no
tack is even possible by checking the basic damage is dealt.
requirements for the attack.
Melee attacks require the attacker to
be engaged in melee combat with his target.
Step Three: Attacker Determines Hit
Ranged attacks cannot be made if the attacker Location
is engaged in melee unless he is firing a pistol On a successful hit, the attacker needs
class weapon. In either case, the attacker must to determine where the hit landed. Simply roll
be aware of his target. on the following chart to determine hit loca-
Assuming the attack is possible, fol- tion:
low these steps
Step One: Apply Modifiers to the At-
tack Test
HIT LOCATIONS
Step Two: Attacker Makes a Test Roll (1d10) Location
Step Three: Attacker Determines Hit
1 Left Leg
Location
Step Four: Attacker Determines 2 Right Leg
Damage
Step Five: Target Applies Damage to 3-6 Body
Hit Points 7 Gizzards
8 Left Arm
Step One: Apply Modifiers to the At-
tack Test 9 Right Arm
A melee attack requires the attacker 10 Head
to make a Dex + Weaponry Test. A ranged at-
tack requires the attacker to make a Dex +
Ballistics Test. There are many instances
where circumstances and factors will make the
Step Four: Attacker Determines Dam-
attack easier or more difficult than normal. age
For example, using the All Out Attack option After the hit location has been deter-
gives +2k0 to the roll. mined, the attacker determines the damage
If a situation calls for two or more dealt by his attack. Each weapon has a damage
bonuses or penalties, simply combine all mod- listing, usually a given number of kept and un-
ifiers together and apply the total to the appro- kept dice. Melee weapons add the user's
priate roll. strength as unkept die on the damage roll. Roll
If a character aren't proficient with the the appropriate dice and apply any indicated
weapon they're using, they don't use your modifiers. The result is the damage total.
Weaponry or Ballistics skill. Instead, they roll
a base Characteristic Test. Step Five: Target Applies Damage
From the damage total, the target
Step Two: Attacker Makes a Test subtracts any Armor Points that protect the lo-
After the modifers have been deter- cation hit by the attack. If the target is hit by a
mined, the attacker makes his attack Test. spell, Armor Points do not apply, but the tar-
These Tests are made like any other Test, get may instead subtract his Aura value from

209
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

the spell's damage. If this reduces the damage Combat circumstances can be used to
to zero or less, the target shrugs off the attack. reflect the effects of terrain, the weather, tac-
Any remaining damage is compared tical situations, and a variety of other factors.
against the target's size. For every multiple of Many circumstances alter the difficulty of
the target's size he takes in damage, he recieves tasks by providing bonuses or penalties to
one wound. For example, if the target is an av- Tests, while others provide opportunities for
erage human (size 4) and he takes 15 points of characters to leverage good fortune, or exploit
damage from a sword attack, he loses 3 Hit misfortunes that befall their enemies. Adven-
Points. (15 divided by 4 is 3, with 3 left over. turers should make as much use of beneficial
The left over damage is simply wasted.) circumstances as possible. A good plan, suit-
If the target has run out of Hit Points, able equipment or skillful use of tactics can
he begins taking Critical Damage. often mean the difference between life and
death for a hero. The following circumstances
UNARMED COMBAT are some of the most common ones encoun-
Not every fight in DUNGEONS tered in combat. For situations not covered
THE DRAGONING requires bolters and here, use these as a guide. Remember, the SM
daiklaves. Some conflicts can be settled the has the final say about the difficulty of any par-
old-fashioned way with fists (not to mention ticular Test or the outcome of any unusual sit-
feet and, if you're the bloodthirsty type, teeth). uation.
Unarmed attacks are resolved in the
same way as any other melee attack, with some Combat Advantage
differences. Unarmed attacks can be used for One of the most common attack
any Melee combat action, but wherever the modifiers is combat advantage. Combat ad-
normal combat action calls for the use of the vantage represents a situation in which the de-
Weaponry Skill, an Unarmed attack uses fender can't give full attention to defense. The
Brawl instead. defender is pressed by multiple enemies at the
Unarmed attacks cannot be used to same time, stunned, distracted, or otherwise
parry attacks made with weapons except with caught off guard. When you have combat ad-
a Stunt. Unarmed attacks typically deal 0k1 vantage against a target, you get a free raise to
damage, adding the character's Strength as un- hit them.
kept dice as normal for melee attacks. If the
character has a speciality in Brawl, the base Cover
damge of their unarmed attacks increases to Cover is a vital part of surviving a fire-
0k2. fight and a good Adventurer knows that you
If an Unarmed attack deals at least go for cover first and draw your gun second.
one Wound to the target, the attack also in- There are no penalties to Ballistics Test made
flicts one level of Fatigue. to attack targets standing partly behind cover.

COVER EXAMPLES
Combat Situations
Cover Type AP
DUNGEONS THE DRAGONING
offers endless potential for gripping, dramatic, Armor-glas, Pipes, Thin Metal 4
white-knuckle action. Combat is an essential
element for such action, and each combat, Flakboard, Storage Crate, Sandbags, Ice 8
from simple corridor shoot-outs to titanic civ-
ilization-crushing battles, should offer unique Computer bank, stasis pod 12
experiences. The combat circumstances de-
Rockcrete, hatchway, thick iron, stone 16
scribed in this section offer many ways to help
make every combat exciting, varied, and dan- Armaplas, bulkhead, plasteel 32
gerous.

210
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

However, there is a chance that the shot may Difficult Terrain

hit the cover rather than the target. It is up to Melee attacks and dodge Tests made
the Adventurer to decide which parts of his while standing in difficult terrain, such as
body he is exposing when behind cover, but as mud, are made at -1k0. Tests made while
a general rule, a character firing around or standing on arduous terrain, such as deep
over cover will have his body and legs con- snow or slick ice, are made at -2k0.
cealed. If the shot would hit a body location
that is concealed behind cover, work out the Engaged in Melee
damage against the Armor Points of the cover If the attacking character is adjacent
instead, with any excess being applied to the to his target, both the character and his target
target as normal. are considered to be engaged in melee. Ballis-
tics Tests made to hit a target engaged in
Damaging Cover
melee combat require two additional raises to
Cover is not invulnerable. Attacks can hit. If one or more characters engaged in the
damage or destroy the protection afforded by melee is granting combat advantage, this
cover. Each successful hit against cover that penalty is ignored.
deals any amount of damage in excess of the
Armor Points it provides reduces the cover's
Armor Points by 1.
Extreme Range
Targets that are at a distance of more
than three times the range of a character's
Concealment weapon are at Extreme Range. Ballistics Tests
Concealment can be provided by a made to hit targets at Extreme range require
variety of sources. Darkness, fog, foliage, three additional raises to hit.
smoke, and harsh weather can all provide con-
cealment for participants. Whenever a charac-
ter has concealment, his static defense
increases. The default amount of this increase
Falling
to a character’s static defense is 5, but at the Characters can fall off things for any
SM’s option, particularly dense concealment number of reasons, though the results are usu-
like a blizzard or the like can increase a char- ally the same. A character takes one wound for
acter’s static defense by more. every two meters they fall - characters with a
larger size may be able to take more damage
per wound, but they also fall harder. A char-
acter may Test Acrobatics against TN 15 to

211
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

reduce falling damage. On a success, they take tages and disadvantages to this style of fight-
one fewer wound, and every raise further re- ing. Unless the two-fisted fighter has Am-
duces damage taken by a wound. If a character bidextrous talent, it is imporant to consider
intentionally drops down, they may fall 2m per which is his primary hand and which is his off
dot of their Acrobatics rating before taking hand.
damage. A character fighting with two
weapons may attack with either weapon when
Ganging Up making attack actions. If he is able to make
A character has an advantage when he multiple attacks, he may split up his attacks
and his allies engage the same foe in melee between the two weapons if they are applicable
combat. If a group of characters outnumber (one can't use Lightning attack with a pistol,
their opponents by two to one, their melee at- for example). Attacks made using the off-hand
tacks gain an +1k0 to hit. If a group of char- are made at -2k0.
acters outnumber their opponents by three to A character fighting with two melee
one or more, their melee attacks are at +2k0 weapons gains +2 to damage when making a
to hit instead. single standard attack with his main hand.

Higher Ground Weapon Jams

Characters standing on higher Unfortunately, no weapon is perfect.
ground, such as standing on a table, hill, or Sometimes a weapon will jam, either through
atop a mound of slain enemies and/or dead age, neglect, or simply poor design. Whenever
puppies, have an advantage. Melee attacks a character rolls more 1s on a roll to hit with
made by these characters are at +1k0. their weapon than their level (2 1s at level 1, 3
at level 2, etc.) than the weapon has jammed.
Long Range A Jammed weapon cannot be fired until it is
Targets that are at a distance of more cleared, though if the Test to hit was success-
than double the range of a character's weapon ful on the jamming shot, the weapon jams on
are at Long Range. Tests made to hit those the recoil - the shot is good but the weapon is
characters with attacks require an additional now fouled.. Clearing a Jam is a full action
raise to hit. that requires a TN 15 Tech-Use or Ballistics
Test. If the Test is successful, then the Jam has
been cleared, though the weapon needs to be
Point Blank Range reloaded and any ammunition in the weapon
When a character mades a ranged at- is lost. If the Test fails, the weapon is still
tack against a target that is two meters away jammed and the character may attempt to
or closer, that target is at Point Blank Range. unjam the weapon next round.
Tests made to hit a character at Point Blank
range are made at +2k1 to hit. This bonus
does not apply when the attacker and the tar-
get are engaged in melee combat with each
Injury
other. A natural consequence of pushing
one's luck in far reaches of the Wheel is getting
Short Range hurt. Adventurers can get into fights with an
Target that are at a distance of less endless array of enemies, machinery can mal-
than half the range of a character's weapon are function, pilots can discover exciting new ways
at short range. Tests made to attack targets at to land that don't involve leaving their craft in
short range are made at +1k0. one piece, and careless sorcerers can invite all
sorts of horrors from the Warp to show up and
Two-Weapon Fighting ruin everyone's day.
Many warriors fight with a weapon in Common physical injuries to DUN-
either hand. There are some important advan- GEONS THE DRAGONING characters are

212
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

Energy Critical Effects

Critical Effect
Energy Arm
1 A blast to the arm leaves it numb. All Tests using the arm are made at -2k0 for one round
2 The energy leaves the target's arm burned and useless for 1d5 rounds and the character takes one level of fatigue.
The attack wreathes the arm in flame, scorching clothing and armor. The target's attack rolls require two additional
3 raises to hit for one round and the target takes 1d5 levels of fatigue.
Energy sears through the arm at the shoulder, causing the limb to be severed from the body. The target suffers 1d10
4 levels of fatigue and is inflicted with Blood Loss.
5 The attack reduces the arm to a cloud of ash and sends the target to the ground where he immediately dies from shock.

Energy Body
1 The blast takes the breath from his lungs. He can only take a single half action on his next turn.

2 The target is burned badly, cooking the flesh on his chest and abdomen, and suffers 1d5 levels of fatigue.
Struck by the full force of the attack, the target is sent reeling to the ground, smoke spiralling out of the wound. The
3 target is knocked prone and stunned for 1d10 rounds.
The attack blackens and burns off the target's skin. The target is stunned for 2d10 rounds, and his Str, Con, and Dex
4 are halved until the critical damage heals.
The target is completely encased in fire, melting his skin and popping his eyes like superheated eggs. He falls to the
5 ground a blackened corpse.

Energy Gizzards
1 Ripples of heat make the character stumble and vomit. The target is stunned for one round.
2 The target falls to the ground screaming and suffers 1 level of fatigue.
3 The intense power of the energy attack scorches the target's heart and lungs. The target is stunned for 2d10 rounds.
4 The character's flesh and organs are cooked completely through. He falls to the ground, splitting open and steaming.

The target falls to the ground in a heap of burning flesh. Any grenades or missiles on the character's body detonate.
5 The character is very dead.

Energy Head
1 A grazing blow to the head dazzles the target for one round.
2 All of the target's hair is burned off, and he is blinded for 1d5 rounds.
The attack cooks the target's face, melting his features and damaging his eyes. The target is blinded for 1d10 hours
3 and reduces Fellowship by 1 permanently.
In a gruesome display, the flesh is burned from the target's head, exposing charred bone and muscle underneath. He
4 does not survive.
Superheated by the attack, the target's brain explodes, tearing apart his skull and sending flaming chunks of meat flying
5 at those nearby.

Energy Legs
1 A grazing strike against the leg slows the target for a bit. The target's movement is halved for 1 round.
A solid blow to the leg sends electric currents of agony coursing through the target. Target's movement is halved for
2 1d5 rounds and suffers 1 level of fatigue.
The attack burns the target's foot, charring the flesh. The target must successfully Test Constitution (TN 20) or lose
3 the foot. On a success, the target's movement is halved until he recieves medical attention.
Energy sears through the bone, causing the leg to be severed. The target must Test Constitution (TN 20) or be stunned
4 for 1 round. The target gains 1d10 levels of fatigue and is suffering from blood loss.
In a terrifying display of power, the leg immolates and fire consumes the target completely. The target dies in a matter
5 of agonizing seconds.

213
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

Explosive Critical Effects

Critical Effect
Explosive Arm
1 The target's arm fractures, making the character's hand spasm in pain. The character drops anything he is holding.
The blast causes the target to scream in agony. The target is stunned for 1 round and the limb is useless until the
2 critical damage is healed.
Fragments from the explosion tear into the target's hand, ripping away flesh and muscle. He must Test Constitution
3 (TN 20) or lose the hand. The target takes 1d5 levels of fatigue.
In a violent burst of shattering power, the target's arm is mangled. He must make a TN 20 Constitution Test or else
4 die from shock. He suffers Blood Loss.
The arm disintegrates into a red mist, taking a good portion of the shoulder and chest with it. The target is sent scream-
5 ing to the ground, dying in a pool of his own blood and organs.

Explosive Body
1 The target is blown backwards 1d5 meters and takes 1 level of fatigue per meter travelled. He lands prone.
As above, but if the character was wearing any armor, the armor is breached and no longer protects the body until it
2 has been repaired.
Chunks of the target's flesh are ripped free by the force of the attack, leaving large weeping wounds. The target is
3 stunned for one round, takes 1d10 levels of fatigue, and is now suffering blood loss.

4 Pieces of the target's body fly in all directions as he is torn into giblets by the attack.
As above, and anyone within 1d10 meters of the target is drenched in gore and must make a TN 20 dexterity check or
5 else become dazzled for one round as blood fouls their sight.

Explosive Gizzards
1 The target is blown backwards 1d10 meters, taking one level of fatigue for ever meter traveled.

2 The explosion sends the target sprawling to the ground. He takes 1d5 levels of fatigue and becomes prone.
Concussion from the explosion knocks the target to the ground and tenderizes his innards. The target falls down
3 Stunned for 1 round, takes 1d10 levels of fatigue and is now suffering Blood Loss.

4 The target's chest explodes outwards, disgorging a river of cooked organs onto the ground, killing him instantly.

5 As above, and in addition if the character was carrying any ammunition or exploves, they detonate.

Explosive Head
1 The flash and noise leaves the target Blinded and Deafened for 1 round.

2 The detonation knocks the target to the ground and stuns him for one round. The target takes two levels of fatigue.
The target's head explodes under the force of the attack, leaving his headless corpse to spurt blood from the neck for
3 the next few minutes. The target takes -1k0 to all perception checks for one round and, worse, is killed instantly.
In a series of unpleasant explosions the target's head and torso peel apart, leaving a gory mess on the ground. You
4 don't get much deader than this except...

As above, except such is the unspeakably appalling manner in which the target was killed that any allies of the target
5 who are within 2m of where he once stood must Test against Fear 1.

Explosive Legs
1 A glancing blast sends the character backwards one meter.
The concussion cracks the target's leg, leaving him stunned for one round and halving all movement for 1d5 rounds.
2 The target takes 1 level of fatigue.
Explosive force removes part of the target's foot and scatters it over a wide area. The target must make a TN 20 Con-
3 stitution Test or permanently lose the use of his foot, inflicting 1d5 levels of fatigue.
The explosion reduces the target's leg into a hunk of smoking meat. The target must make a TN 20 Constitution Test
4 or die from shock. On a successful Test, the target is merely stunned for 1d10 rounds, takes 1d10 levels of fatigue, and
suffers Blood Loss. He now has only one leg.
The leg explodes in an eruption of blood, killing the target immediately and sending bloody bits of him in all direc-
5
214 tions.
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

Impact Critical Effects

Critical Effect
Impact Arm
1 The attack numbs the target's limb, causing him to drop anything held in that hand.

2 The impact leaves crushing pain and the target takes one level of fatigue.
The attack pulverises the target's hand, crushing and breaking 1d5 fingers (a thumb counts as a finger). The target
3 takes 1 level of fatigue and loses the use of his hand until he gets medical attention.
With a loud snap, the arm bone is shattered and the limb is left hanging limply. The arm is broken and useless until
4 healed. The target also takes two levels of fatigue.
In a rain of gore, blood, and met, the target's arm is removed from his body. He screams incoherently for a few seconds
5 before collapsing to the ground and dying.

Impact Body
1 The target is momentarily knocked off balance by the attack, and can take only a half action on his next turn.

2 The attack breaks a rib and inflicts two levels of fatigue. The target is also stunned for one round..

A solid blow to the chest winds the target and he momentarily doubles over in pain, clutching himself and crying in
3 agony. The target takes 1d5 levels of fatigue and is stunned for two rounds.
With an audible crack, 1d5 of the target's ribs break. The target can either lay down and stay still awaiting medical at-
4 tention or continue to take actions, though if he takes any actions he begins suffering Blood Loss.
The target jerks back from the force of the attack, throwing back his head and spewing out a jet of blood before crum-
5 pling to the ground dead.

Impact Gizzards
1 The impact punches the air from the target's body, inflicting one level of fatigue.
2 The blow batters the target, almost stopping his heart. The target takes 1d5 levels of fatigue and is stunned for 1 round.
The attack knocks the target to the ground, sending him flying 1d5 meters away and falling prone. The target takes
3 1d5 levels of fatigue and is stunned for 2 rounds.
The force of the attack ruptures several organs and knocks the target down gasping in wretched pain. The target suffers
4 Blood Loss and takes 1d10 levels of fatigue.
The target's organs are turned into a fine paste. While this would be great for spreading on crackers, it's not so great
5 for being alive. The target dies instantly.

Impact Head
1 The attack causes the target to see stars. The target takes one level of fatigue and becomes dazzled for one round.
2 The target's nose explodes in a torrent of blood, blinding him for one round and dealing two levels of fatigue.
The target's head is snapped back by the attack, leaving him staggering around trying to control mind-numbing pain.
3 The target is stunned for 1d5 rounds and takes 2 levels of fatigue.
4 Blood pours from the target's nose, mouth, ears, and eyes as the attack pulverises his brain. He does not survive.

5 The target's head explodes like an overripe fruit and sprays blood, bone and brains in all directions.

Impact Legs
1 A light blow to the leg leaves the target stumbling. His movement is halved for one round.
The blow breaks the target's leg, leaving him stunned for one round and halving all movement for 1d5 rounds. The
2 target takes one level of fatigue.

Several if the tiny bones in the target's foot snap like twigs with cracking noises. The target must make an immediate
3 Constitution Test (TN 20) or permanently lose the use of his foot. On a success, halve all movement until medical at-
tention is received. The target takes two levels of fatigue.

The force of the attack rips the lower half of the leg away in a stream of blood. The target must make a TN 20 Con-
4 stitution Test or else die from shock. On a success, the target is stunned for 1d10 round, takes 1d5 levels of fatigue
and suffers blood loss. He now only has one leg.

The hit rips apart the flesh of the leg, causing blood to spray out in all directions. Not only does he not even have a leg
5 to stand on, but he also dies horribly in a spreading pool of gore.
215
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

Rending Critical Effects

Critical Effect
Rending Arm
1 The slashing attack tears anything free that was held in this arm.
2 The shredding attack sends the target screaming in pain. As above, and the target takes 2 levels of fatigue.
The blow mangles flesh and muscle as it hacks into the target's hand, liberating 1d5 fingets in the process. The target
3 takes 3 levels of fatigue and must make a TN 20 Constitution Test or lose the use of his hand.
With an assortment of interesting wet ripping sounds, the arm flies free of the body, trailing blood behind it in a crimson
4 arc. The target is now missing an arm and suffering blood loss.
5 The attack slices clean through the arm and into the torso, drenching the ground in gore and killing the target instantly.

Rending Body
If the target is not wearing armor on this location, he takes 1 level of fatigue from a painful laceration. If he is wearing
1 armor, there is no effect.
The attack rips a large patch of skin from the target's torso, leaving him gasping in pain. The target is stunned for one
2 round and takes 2 levels of fatigue.
The blow opens up a long wound in the target's torso, causing him to double over in terrible pain. The target takes
3 1d5 levels of fatigue.

4 The target is sent screaming to the ground, clutching at his wounds. He goes prone and takes 1d10 levels of fatigue.

5 The powerful blow cleaves the target in twain. Unfortunately, he doesn't survive the experience.

Rending Gizzards
The attack hits a weak point on the target's armor, tearing at straps or between joints and reducing its Armor Points
1 by 1 until it is repaired. The target takes one level of fatigue.
2 A torrent of blood spills from the deep cuts, making the ground slick with gore. He takes 1d5 levels of fatigue.
The attack cuts open the target's abdomen. The target suffers from blood loss and can either use one arm to hold
3 himself together or else roll twice for blood loss each turn. He also takes 1d5 levels of fatigue.
4 The target is rent into several bits. He is now quite dead.

5 As above, except the area around the target is awash in gore and counts as difficult terrain for the rest of the fight.

Rending Head
1 The attack tears skin from the target's face dealing 1 level of fatigue. If the target is wearing a helmet, there is no effect.

2 The attack scoops out one of the target's eyes, inflicting 1d5 levels of fatigue and leaving the target stunned for 1 round.
The attack opens up the target's face, leaving him stunned for 1d5 rounds and inflicting 1d5 levels of fatigue. If the
3 target is wearing a helmet, the helmet is torn free.
With a sound not unlike a wet sponge being torn in half, the target's head flies free of its body and sails through the air,
4 landing harmlessly 2d10 meters away. The target is instantly slain.

5 As above, only blood spews out in a torrent, drenching all those nearby and dazzling them as gore fills their eyes.

Rending Legs
1 The target's kneecap splits open. He must make a TN 20 Dexterity Test or fall prone. He takes 1 level of fatigue.

The attack rips a length of flesh from the leg, causing blood to gush from the wound. The target takes 1 level of fatigue
2 and suffers Blood Loss.
The blow slices a couple of centimeters off the end of the target's foot. The target must make a TN 20 Constitution
3 Test or lose the foot. In either case, movement is halved until the character receives medical attention and takes 1d5
levels of fatigue.
In a single bloody hack the leg is lopped off the target. The target must immediately make a TN 20 Constitution Test
4 or die from shock. On a success, the target is stunned for 1d10 rounds, takes 1d10 levels of fatigue, and suffers Blood
Loss. He now has only one leg.

5 With a meaty chop, the leg comes away. The target pitches to the ground howling, before dying moments later.

216
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

represented by Damage and Fatigue. Addi- lacerated by daemon claws, falling into a lava-
tionally, characters can also experience several filled crevasse, exposure to the vacuum of
types of conditions and special dmage such as space, and worse.
fire, suffocation, being stunned, and the am- When a character suffers Damage,
putation of limbs. With all these different compare the damage he takes against his Size.
types of punishment waiting to befall charac- For every multiple of his size, the character
ters, it's important to know how much physical takes one wound. For example, if a human
abuse a character can take and a key measure- (size 4) takes 18 damage from an attack, he
ment of this is how many Hit Points he pos- would lose 4 Hit Points. (18 divided by 4 is 4.
sesses. The remainder of two is simply wasted.) An
Elf (size 3), would lose 6 Hit Points from the
HIT POINTS same amount of damage.
Hit Points are a measurement of how Each time a character suffers damage,
much punishment a character can take before there may be an opportunity to reduce it.
suffering debilitating effects and, ultimately, Armor Points reduce damage taken from most
death. Every character in DUNGEONS THE sources, but are ineffective against distinctly
DRAGONING has a specified number of Hit magical effects like spells. Aura, on the other
Points. When you create your character, you hand, reduces damage from spells but is
determine his Maximum Hit Points, which is worthless against things like, say, bullets.
his Constitution plus his Willpower. There Some effects, such as fire and falling,
may be feats, racial abilities, or effects from can directly wound a character regardless of
your character's template that add to your their size.
maximum hit points as well. Whenever a char-
acter loses Hit Points, they are subtracted Damage Types
from the character's Current Hit Points. Once All damage is divided up into four
a character's current Hit Points drop to zero types: Energy (lasers, fire, plasma), Explosive
or below, he is in real trouble. (grenades, bolt rounds), Impact (clubs, bul-
lets, falling), and Rending (swords, claws). If
DAMAGE a source of Damage does not specify a type,
treat it as impact. Damage type is usually only
Damage is physical trauma dealt to a important for determining Critical Effects re-
character. Characters can suffer damage in sulting from Critical Damage.
any number of ways - being shot by a boltgun,

217
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

CRITICAL DAMAGE
Whenever a character runs out of Hit
Points, he begins to take critical damage. Each
time a character suffers Critical Damage, he
also suffers one or more Critical Effects. These
are determined by consulting the appropriate
Critical Effects Table based on the affected
body location (Arm, Body, Gizzards, Head, or
Leg) and the type of damage (Energy, Explo-
sive, Impact, or Rending).
As with normal damage, Critical
Damage is cumulative and remains with the
character until he either heals naturally over
time or receives medical attention. Each criti-
cal effect also has its own duration (including
permanent). If a Critically Damaged character
loses more Hit Points, the amount is added to
his existing critical damage and a new set of
critical effects are applied based on his Critical
Damage.

HEALING
A character who has gotten injured covers an amount of hit points equal to his
will probably like to get healed at some point. Constitution. Once a Heavily Wounded char-
As a character takes wounsd, he progresses acter's hit points are equal to or less than his
through three different states: Lightly Willpower, he becomes Lightly Wounded.
Wounded, Heavily Wounded, and Critically
Wounded. Characters naturally recover from Critically Wounded
wounds at a slow rate that varies depending on A character is Critically Wounded
the character's state. Rest, medical attention, whenever he has lost Hit Points in excess of
and a few spells can speed up wound recov- his hit points. Critical Damage does not heal
ery. on its own - it requires medical attention. With
rest and medical attention, a character re-
Lightly Wounded moves 1 point of Critical Damage per week.
A character is considered Lightly After all Critical Damage has been removed,
Wounded if he has lost Hit Points equal to or a character becomes Heavily Wounded in-
less than his Willpower. A lightly wounded stead.
character recovers 1 hit point per day through
natural healing. If a lightly wounded character
devotes an entire day to bed rest, he recovers Conditions
a number of hit points equal to his Constitu-
Common injuries are far from the only forms
tion.
of bodily harm facing those who dare to ven-
ture into the unknown. Spells, monsters,
Heavily Wounded traps, and the environment can all afflict your
A character is Heavily Wounded character with various conditions. A condition
whenever he has lost Hit Points greater than imposes a penalty, a vulnerability, a hindrance,
his Willpower. A Heavily Wounded character or a combination of effects.
recovers 1 hit point per week through natural
healing. If a heavily damaged character de-
votes an entire week to complete rest, he re-

218
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

AMPUTATED LIMBS on mobility, such as Stealth. Losing both feet

A character that loses body parts (ex- makes it hard to walk. Perhaps the ship's En-
cept for the head, which almost certainly gineseer has some spare wheels lying around...
means death) is also affected by Blood Loss
and must be treated for it quickly. If the char- Lost Leg
acter lives, someone with the medicae skill Treat this as a lost foot, but the char-
must be found to ensure that it heals well. If acter cannot use the Dodge action. Losting
no medic is available, the character becomes both legs renders the character half the person
Diseased. Assuming the character survives the he was, but the good news is he also becomes
Blood Loss, he'll also have to cope with the half the target for his enemies.
disagreeable side-effects of the lost limb,
which are explained below. BLINDED
A blind character automatically fails
Lost Hand all Tests based on vision and automatically
The character suffers a -2k1 penalty fails all Ballistics Tests. She also suffers a -2k1
on all skill and characteristic Tests that rely on penalty to Weaponry Tests and most other
the use of two hands and she cannot wield Tests that ordinarily benefit from vision.
two-handed weapons. A shield can be Blinded characters grant Combat Advantage.
strapped to the injured arm, however. Should Needless to say, most heroes find blindness
this be the character's primary hand, she must very inconvenient.
cope with the customary -2k0 penalty to
Weaponry using his secondary hand. For BLOOD LOSS
every 100 xp she spends, she can reduce this Blood Loss is an effect that can result
penalty by 1k0. from Critical Damage. Characters suffering
If a character loses both hands, she from Blood Loss are in danger of death at any
should either secure at least one replacement moment. Each round a character is suffering
or get someone to sharpen her teeth. from blood loss, she rolls 1d10. On a roll of 1,
the character dies. If the suffering character is
Lost Arm consious, she may attempt a TN 20 Medicae
As with a lost hand, but a character Test each Round to staunch the bleeding. If
cannot strap a shield to the arm since he no the character is also trying to simultaneously
longer has it. Losing both arms is bad, plus it's engage in strenuous activity, such as running
a bit difficult to reach those hard-to-clean away from whatever caused the blood loss, at-
spots. Once again, look into replacement tempts to staunch the bleeding instead re-
limbs or consider rolling up a new character. quires a TN 30 Medicae Test. If the suffering
character is not conscious, or doesn't fancy her
Lost Eye chances, another character may attempt the
Losing one eye permanently haves the Test.
effective range of all ranged attacks the char-
acter makes. In addition, he suffers a -2k1 DAZZLED
penalty to all Skill and Characteristics Tests A Dazzled character has been dazed
that rely on sight. Should a character have the and confused. He takes -1k0 to all Tests and
misfortune to lose both eyes, he becomes an additional -1k0 to all Tests based on sight.
Blinded.
DEAFENED
Lost Foot
The character cannot hear at all, or at
The character permanently reduces least not well enough to communicate with
all his movement by half (round up) and suf- others. Until the character recovers or has his
fers a -2k0 penalty to all movement Actions as disability repaired, he automatically fails any
well as Skill and Characteristic Tests that rely

219
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

Skill or Characteristic Test that relies on hear- covers one level of fatigue per hour as long as
ing. Apart from having trouble communicat- they can rest and relax.
ing with his fellow Adventurers, the SM is free
to decide what effects a deaf character will HELPLESS
have on the game. Tests made to hit a sleeping, uncon-
sious, or otherwise helpless target automati-
FIRE cally succeed. When rolling damage against
A character suffers damage from fire such a target, roll twice and add the results.
each round she is exposed to it. At the begin-
ning of each round after the first in which a IMMOBILIZED
character is exposed to the same source of Characters who have been Immobi-
flames (or if he is hit by a weapon with the lized have some serious problems moving. An
Flame special quality) she must make a TN 15 immobilized character cannot use any action
Dexterity Test or catch on fire. with the Movement subtype.
Once a character is on fire, she loses
one hit point and gains and one level of fatigue
each round until the fire is extinguished. All PINNED
damage from fire is treated as Energy damage Being shot at is a terrifying experience
for the purpose of determining Critical effects at the best of times, and even the most inex-
- if the location is not otherwise specified, use perienced Adventurers know to keep their
the body location. heads down when the bullets and bolt shells
A character that is on fire may try to start flying. Pinning represents a character's
extinguish the flames herself by dropping survival instincts telling him to stay in cover.
prone and making a TN 15 Dexterity Test, When a character is on the receiving end of
which counts as a full action. The SM can suppressive fire, even if he isn't hit, he must
make this Test easier or harder depending on make a Pinning Test. This is a Willpower Test
environmental conditions and whether the made at TN 20. On a success, the character
blazing character is able to recieve any help may act normally. On a failure, the character
from nearby allies. becomes Pinned.
A Pinned character may only take
Half actions. If a Pinned character is in cover
FATIGUE relative to the attacker that Pinned him, he
Exhaustion, combat trauma, or swap- may not leave it except to retreat (provided he
ping licks with bare fists can all leave a char- can remain in cover while doing so). If he is
acter battered, but more or less intact. Fatigue not in cover when Pinned, he must use his
measures the amount of non-lethal injury a
character can take over the course of game
play. Characters gain Fatigue from certain
types of attacks, some critical effects, and
some weapons and feats.
Fatigue is measured in levels. A char-
acter can take a number of levels of Fatigue
equal to his Constitution score and still func-
tion, albeit with some side-effects. Should a
character take a number of levels of fatigue in
excess of his Constitution, he collapses, un-
consious, for 10-Constitution hours. After the
character awakens, his levels of fatigue revert
to a number equal to his Constitution.
Characters suffering any level of fa-
tigue suffer -1k0 to all Tests. A character re-

220
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

next turn to reach cover. If there is no cover twice his Constitution.

nearby, he must move away from the attacker While holding his breath, a character
that Pinned him. must make a TN 10 Con Test each minute (if
A character can make a Pinning Test conserving oxygen) or each round (if getting
at the end of his Turn to escape Pinning, in busy). If he fails, he suffers one level of fatigue.
which case he may act as normal on his next If the character has not gained a fresh source
turn. This Test is made against TN 10 if the of oxygen by the end of the allotted time he
character is no longer under fire. A character automatically falls unconsious regardless of his
engaged in melee combat automatically es- levels of Fatigue.
capes Pinning. If a character is both unconsious and
deprived of a fresh source of Oxygen, he loses
PRONE one Hit Point per round until he dies.
A Prone character grants Combat ad-
vantage against melee attackers and ranged at- SURPRISED
tackers within point blank range. Ranged When you're surprised or taken un-
attackers beyond point blank range need an awares, you grant combat advantage.
extra raise to hit his Static Defense. A prone
character suffers -1k0 to all melee attack Tests UNCONSCIOUSNESS
and -2k0 penalty to all dodge Tests. A char- Unconsiousness is usually a tempo-
acter may drop prone as a free action. rary state that typically results from excessive
levels of fatigue or critical damage. The dura-
RESTRAINED tion of a state of unconsiousness is usually in-
It's easy enough for a character to end cluded in the description of the effect that
up restrained. Perhaps he's gone and gotten caused it, but if no other duration is given, un-
himself arrested, or he's having to fight off at- consiousness lasts for 10-Constitution hours.
tackers in the middle of something intimate in- An unconsious character is com-
volving fuzzy handcuffs. Either way, a pletely unaware of his surroundings and can-
restrained character grants combat advantage. not take any actions. His is also treated as
If his legs are bound, he's also immobilized. being Helpless.
All attack rolls he makes are at -1k0.

STUNNED Movement
In addition to Damage and Fatigue, In many game situations, it is unnec-
characters may also become Stunned. A essary to worry about how fast a character can
stunned character grants combat advantage run or how long it takes him to walk from his
and cannot take actions. A stunned character private quarters to the ship's armory. On the
is not helpless or unaware. other hand, there are many situations that
come up during a game, such as combat,
SUFFOCATION where knowing how far a character can move
There are many ways to suffocate, in- over a given period of time becomes very im-
cluding drowning, smoke inhalation, and ex- portant.
posure to certain toxins. The rate of During a combat round, a character
suffocation depends on the character's activity may take a specific action to move at one of
level. If a character is actively trying to con- four speeds: Half Move, Full Move, Charge,
serve oxygen, he can hold his breath for a or Run. The number of meters a character
number of minutes equal to his Constitution. travels per Round at these various speeds is
If a character is instead engaged in strenuous determined by, well, his Speed. See the de-
activity (combat, swimming, etc) he may hold scription of the actions for their special condi-
his breath for a number of rounds equal to tions and how far they allow a character to
move.

221
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

Narrative Moment and Terrain start of at least 4m before his jump, he makes
Terrain conditions affect how fast a an Acrobatics and Strength Test against TN
character can cover ground during Narrative 10. On a success, he leaps a number of meters
Time. Obviously, slogging through a waist- horizontally equal to his Strength, plus an-
deep death world swamp is far more laborious other meter for every degree of success. On a
than strolling through the steel corridors of an failure, he only leaps a number of meters equal
orbital space station. If you're moving through to half his Strength (round up). He can
difficult terrain, you can only cover half of the achieve a height of one half of this distance
normal distance in a given amount of time. travelled in meters (round down). If he's just
The SM has the final decision about what, if making a vertical leap, make the Test as nor-
any, modifers apply to Narrative Time caused mal and simply ignore the horizontal distance
by the environment. travelled. A character can attempt to make the
A character may hurry - either be- same jumps from a standing start, but the ini-
cause they're running or because they're on a tial Test is made against TN 15 instead of TN
forced march - and cover more ground. Char- 10.
acters may double their movement during nar-
rative time, but for every hour spent doing this Swimming
they must make a TN 10 Constitution Test or A character doesn't need to make a
take a level of fatigue, with the TN increasing Swim Test (Athletics and Strength) under
by 5 for every hour after the first. ideal circumstances, but hazardous conditions
In general, a character may move 20x such as rough waters, hands being tied, or
their speed per minute, a number of kilome- swimming while fighting all require Swim
ters equal to their Speed per hour, and ten Tests to move. A successful swim Test allows
times that per day. the character to move at half speed through
the water. Normally, swim Tests are made
Climbing against TN 10, but difficult conditions might
Climbing an object requires Athletics increase the TN. A failed Test means the char-
rolls. Under most circumstances, as long as a acter doesn't get to move that turn. Heavy
character has both hands free, has a dot in equipment, especially armor, makes swim-
Athletics, and isn't being distracted (by, say, ming extremely difficult. Swim Tests made
being shot at), a character can automatically while wearing Medium or heavier armor is
succeed at simple climbing tasts like fences, made against TN 20. A character must, nor-
trees, boulders, and the like. mally, hold their breath if they're completely
If he's trying to move quickly or is submerged.
being distracted, he needs to make an Athlet-
ics Test to climb. On a successful Test, he can
ascend up to half of his Speed. For every raise Social Combat
on the Test, he can move an additional meter. Of course, Heroes don't always need
If he fails, he falls, and might take damage. to solve problems and differences by punching
The SM can adjust the difficulty of each other in the face, launching bolts of
the Test based on the nature of the climb, and plasma, and accidentially opening a gate to the
can rule that certain surfaces, like sheer sur- Warp because someone rolled *really* badly
faces like building faces and cliffs, require on a Perils of the Warp check. There is also
Tests and can't be attempted automaticaly. the option to simply talk things over.
The default difficulty of most climbing Tests Any great heroic epic has heroes who
is TN 15. can motivate a nation through force of person-
ality, making speeches to open up the hardest
Jumping heart, wooing the princess, and so forth. While
A jump is, well, you should be famil- simple skill checks might be enough to pass for
iar with this one. If a character gets a running a lie or two, important debates and social sit-

222
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

SOCIAL COMBAT ACTIONS

Action Type Description
Monologue/Study H/F Take time to make your next social attack more effective.
Move Fr Move around the area.
Poker Face F Focus on defending yourself from social attacks.
Refute R Negate someone's social attack.
Social Attack H Make a social attack.
Speak Carefully F Make a social attack while preparing a defense.
Support H Provide wingman support for someone.
Wordplay H Catch someone off-guard with tricky words.

uations with far-reaching implications should- Social combat can be resolved in a

n't be left to succeed or fail on the basis of a number of different ways, not just killing
single roll - or at least no more than combat. everyone involved. Make sure to read over the
A really serious social situation should resolution phase to understand how social
be handled with the same seriousness and combat can end.
depth as a fight to the death - especially since
death might really be on the line! Resolve
For the most part, Social Combat is Resolve is a character's defense
handled like real combat. Initiative is rolled, against social attacks. Resolve is calculated by
actions are taken, and then people take turns adding a character's Willpower and Compo-
until the situation is resolved. sure together. Resolve recovers more quickly
than Hit Points. Each morning, the character
SOCIAL COMBAT may roll her Composure against TN 10. If the
OVERVIEW roll succeeds, she regains one point of Resolve,
plus one for every raise on the roll. The char-
Just like regular combat, social com- acter gains a point of resolve if they perform a
bat is resolved with structured time. Social stunt that furthers their Alignment (at the
combat rounds, however, are considerably SM's discretion).
longer than normal rounds - social combat
rounds can be a minute or more long, though
Mental Defense
really they just take however long is required
for the actions people are taking. If someone Just as a character's static defense in
is making a particularly long speech or mono- normal combat is determined by their Dexter-
logue, a round might be several minutes or ity, a character's Mental Defense is deter-
more. Social combat works in the same way as mined by their Composure. A character's base
normal combat with the following notes: Mental Defense value is 5 + (5 x Composure).
A character can be just as surprised in
a social situation as anywhere else - someone SOCIAL COMBAT ACTIONS
might just walk right up to a hero and try to The list of actions in a social situation
persuade them to do them a favour or invite are somewhat different from the actions taken
them into the back room. A character who is during normal combat - you'll find a distinct
surprised loses their first turn in the combat. lack of options that involve stabbing someone.
A character uses their Fellowship and If a character does decide to use the point of
Composure to modify their initiative roll his sword rather than his argument, then social
rather than Dexterity and Composure. Being combat ends rather abruptly and normal com-
quick on your feet isn't all that impressive in a bat takes its place - possibly with one very sur-
battle of wits. prised person who came expecting a debate.

223
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

Monologue/Study Refute
Half Action Reaction Action
The active character takes some time to pre- Refuting a social attack can be done in a num-
pare himself, building a fortress or words or ber of different ways. The two main methods
considering carefully the arguments of another of social refuation are as follows, though given
for flaws. You may take a half action to get the variety of social situations the SM may
+1k0 on your next social attack or a full action allow a character to use a stunt to Test other
to get +2k0 on your next social attack. The skills and characteristics:
next action the monologuing character per- Wisdom and Scrutiny - By Testing
forms must be a social attack or the benefits of wisdom and scrutiny a Hero is seeing through
this study are lost. These benefits are also lost the arguments people are making. A wisdom
if the character performs a reaction before and scrutiny Test can be made against any so-
making his attack. cial attack.
Intelligence and Lore - The last thing
Move an adventurer wants to do is debate an expert
Free Action on their chosen topic. Whenever a Lore would
Unlike in a normal combat situation where be appropriate, an Intelligence and Lore Test
bullets are going all over the place and cover may be used to refute social attacks, and gains
is a very nice thing to have, movement during a free raise on his Test (he's got the facts on
social combat is more for flavor than anything his side, after all).
else. Unless someone is specifically making a
withdraw action or otherwise fleeing the scene, Social Attack
movement is a free action that is simply taken Half Action
while making other actions. Making a Social Attack depends on a number
of factors. A hero must choose exactly which
Poker Face tactic they'll be using in order to determine
Full Action what they'll be rolling. First, the character
The character makes no social attacks and in- must decide if they're using Charisma (for
stead concentrates entirely on self-defense. honest persuasion) or Fellowship (for guile
Until the start of her next turn, the character and seduction). A hero then selects from
can make one additional reaction and gains a Charm (for seduction and simply improving
+10 bonus to her static social defense. disposition), Command (for giving orders),
Deceive (for attempting to get their way
through lies), Intimidation (for scaring
the hell out of people), Performer (for
influencing large crowds), and Persua-
sion (making an honest attempt to talk
to someone).

Speak Carefully
Full Action
The character presents a careful argu-
ment, making sure she remains well
poised to defend herself. The character
suffers a -1k0 penalty to her social at-
tack Test, but she gains a +1k0 bonus
to all Refute Tests until the start of her
next turn.

224
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

Support
Half Action
The character creates an opportunity for
another character. He might support his ar-
gument, present more facts, or simply add
another voice. By working together with
them, the active character gives them +1k0
to their next social skill Test. It cannot be
used on any actions the SM deems inap-
poropriate, and no more than two charac-
ters may attempt to assist another on a
single Test.
approach. Whenever a social attack would
Wordplay make a character act against their alignment
Half Action they must spend a Resolve point in order to
The character attempts to use guile and de- resist.
bate training to trick her opponent into a mis- Social attacks can impose a range of
take. The character and her target make an possible effects:
opposed Test, the active character using De- Building/Eroding Dispositions: The
ceive and the defending character using most basic type of social attack effect, building
Scrutiny. If the active character wins, her next and eroding dispositions simply makes a char-
social attack against that same target cannot acter like or dislike a given cause, belief, or
be refuted. If the active character's next action other character. The results of a single social
is anything other than a social attack, the ad- attack aren't going to win an enemy over as a
vantage of wordplay is lost. lover or turn a patriot against their nation,
though - whenever a character consents to this
EFFECTS OF effect, their disposition only moves one place,
and the change is typically temporary unless
SOCIAL ATTACKS the same effect has been used a number of
Social attacks don't reduce a target's times equal to the defender's willpower (the
Hit Points. At least not under normal circum- average person with Willpower 2 would need
stances. The effects of a social attack are ac- to be subject to this effect twice for it to be-
tually much more subtle, attacking a target's come permanent).
Resolve. The TN of a social attack is made Typically characters will spend re-
against a target's Mental Defense. solve to resist having existing loyalties eroded,
Whenever a character is overcome by but they are less likely to oppose attacks on a
a social attack, he has two options: he may different front targeting causes and people
spend a point of Resolve to resist the effects of they don't have strong feelings for already.
the social attack or he may consent to the at- Compelling Behavior: Characters
tack, performing the behavior described in the who don't or can't resist a social attack can be
initial attack declaration. Keep in mind that convinced against their better judgement to
additional raises on the social attack have no spend the rest of the scene doing any one task,
effect - one that hits with ten raises has the provided that doing so doesn't violate their
same effect as one with no raises at all. Alignment. Typically a character will resist any
In a given scene, a character can suf- course of action that violates their normal be-
fer only two points of Resolve drain from so- havior, but they are not required to do so - a
cial attacks. Once this has happened, the husband may have a loving wife and still ac-
character becomes jaded and suspicious. Any cede to the proposition of a beautiful concu-
further attempts at persuasuion automatically bine, for instance.
fail unless the attacker uses a stunt to try a new

225
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

Breaking Alignment: If a character is are separated in two distinct sections: Fear

reduced to zero Resolve through social attacks covers a character's immediate reaction to
and she is prevented from regaining their full frightening events and creatures and Insanity
Resolve for a number of days equal to their details the long term effects of trauma on a
Devotion, her will is broken. In this state character. During combat encounters, the
(which lasts until the character has fully recov- only rules that will be used from this chapter
ered their Resolve), successful social attacks are those for fear. The effects of Insanity are
may compel her to take actions betraying her dealt with in the aftermath of a battle rather
Alignment. Storytellers should be wary of in- than during it.
flicting such a dire fate on a protagonist.
FEAR
DISPOSITION Fear comes into effect when the char-
The disposition of a character deter- acters are confronted with scenes of atrocity or
mines the general difficulty of influencing their horror, or when they are called on to battle
actions, as well as just what they're likely to do. against terrifying aliens, insane perversions of
A low disposition (like Hostile) is likely to be science, and nightmarish entities from the
less than helpful, whereas a high disposition warp. When a PC is confronted by such a
might see you getting favors and even some as- frightening event or adversary, he must make
sistance. The following table shows the general a Fear Test. This is a Willpower Test, with the
attitudes of disposition as well as the effects TN determined by how frightening the thing
they have on Mental Defense to change these is. If the PC passes this Test, then he may con-
attitudes and what they mean. tinue to act as normal. If he fails, however, he
succumbs to fear.
If a character fails the fear Test in a
DISPOSITION combat situation, he must immediately roll on
Attitude TN Means the Shock Table, adding +1 to the result for
every Check on the Test. The effects listed are
FROM HELL'S HEART
Kismesissitude +10 applied immediately to the character. If the
I STAB AT THEE.
character fails the fear Test in a non-combat
Hostile +5 Will take risks to hurt you. situation, the character becomes unnerved and
suffers a -1k0 penalty to any skill or Test that
Unfriendly 0 Wishes you ill.
requires concentration on his part. This
Indifferent 0 Doesn't much care. penalty lasts while the character remains in the
vicinity of the object of his fear. In addition, if
Friendly 0 Wishes you well.
any non-combat fear Test is failed by 10 or
Helpful +5 Will take risks to help you. more, the character also gains +1d5 Insanity
There is only the Emperor,
Points.
Fanatical +10 and he is our shield and
protector.

FEAR TEST DIFFICULTIES

Severity of Fear TN Examples
Fear and Insanity Fear 1 - Disturbing 15 Walking Dead
The Great Wheel is a dark and terri- Fear 2 - Frightening 20 Ebon Wraith
ble place where billions inhabit a universe
filled with unnumbered horrors and countless Fear 3 - Horrifying 25 Incarnate Daemon
dangers. The rules presented here reflect these The King in Rags
many threats to the mind and soul, and how Fear 4 - Terrifying 30
and Tatters
the player characters interact with them. They

226
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

SHOCK TABLE
Roll
Result
(d10)
The character is badly startled. He may only
1-2 take a half action on his next turn, but after-
wards he may act normally.
The character is gripped by fear, shaking and
3-4 trembling. He is dazzled until he can snap
out of it.

Reeling with shock, the character backs away

from the thing that confronts them. The
character cannot willingly approach the ob-
5-6
ject of his fear, but may otherwise act nor-
mally until the end of the encounter. He also
gains 1 insanity point.
The character is frozen by terror. The char-
acter is Stunned until they snap out of it, and
7-8 then act at -1k0 to all Tests until the end of
the encounter. The character gains 1d5 In-
sanity Points.
Panic grips the character. He must flee the
source of his fear, if able, as fast as he can,
and if prevented from doing so, he may only
9 take Half Actions and is at -2k0 to all Tests.
The character gains 1d5 insanity points.
Shock and Snapping Out of It Once away from the danger, he may attempt
Characters may be able to shake off to snap out of it to regain control.
some of the effects of fear after the initial shock
Fainting dead away, the character keels over
has worn off. Where on the Shock Table that and remains unconsious for 1d5 rounds.
a character may 'snap out of it', a character can Once he regains consiousness, he is still
make a Willpower Test (TN equal to the ini- 10
shaken, taking -1k0 to all Tests until the end
tial fear's TN). If this succeeds, then he regains of the encounter and gaining 1d5 insanity
his senses, shrugs off the effects, and may act points.
normally from then on. If he fails this Test, the
Totally overcome, the character screams and
effect continues. A character may Test again vomits uncontrollably for 1d5 rounds. Dut-
at the beginning of each of his subsequent ing this time he is helpless. Afterwards, the
turns until he succeeds. 11
character may only take a half action each
turn until he can rest. The character gains
GOING INSANE 1d5 insanity points.
Characters in DUNGEONS THE The character crumples to the ground weep-
DRAGONING face things in their travels that ing. For 1d10 rounds they may do nothing
most people will forever remain unaware of, except sob, babble, and tear at their own
spending prolonged periods in the warp, visit- 12 flesh. Even after returning to his senses, the
ing ancient and terrible worlds, and dealing character is at -2k0 to all Tests for the rest of
the encounter and gains 1d10 insanity
with treacherous aliens are just a few of these.
points.
Such are the stresses and horrors of these tasks
that the slow slide into insanity is a constant The character's mind snaps. She becomes
threat. No mind, not even one hardened by catatonic for 1d10 hours and may not be
13+
roused. The character gains 1d10 insanity
the harsh rigors of life in the Great Wheel, is
points.

227
 CHAPTER XIV:
PLAYING THE GAME

MENTAL TRAUMAS
immune to the slow erosion of sanity by the
Roll
horrors of the galaxy, and a party of Heroes is Result
(1d10)
no exception.
In DUNGEONS THE DRAGO- The character becomes withdrawn and quiet,
1-2
NING, these dangers are represented by in- suffering -1 to Charisma for 3d10 hours.
sanity points. Insanity points represent the The character must compulsively perform an ac-
strain put on a character's mind by his experi- tion such as fevered praying, frantically cleaning
ences; the more Insanity Points a character a weapon, reciting verse, and so on, and pays lit-
has, the more fragile his mind. The cumulative 3-4 tle attention to anything else. All Tests that are
effects of gaining Insanity Points are divided based on Intelligence, Fellowship, or Compo-
sure suffer a -1k0 penalty. This effect lasts for
into traumas, which represent the short term
3d10 hours.
after-effects of particularly terrible experiences
and Disorders, which are permanent mental The character is constantly fearful, seeing dan-
afflictions that sign-post a character's slide into ger everywhere and extremely jumpy. The char-
total madness. 5-6 acter gains a +1k0 bonus to all Perception-based
Tests and is at -1 to his Willpower for the next
1d5 days.
Mental Trauma
The character suffers from a temporary severe
Mental Trauma represents the rela- 7-8
phobia. This effect lasts for 1d5 days.
tively short-term damage to a character's state
of mind that he suffers after experiencing a The character reacts to the slightest stress or
horrific or supernatural event. Each time the pressure by becoming extremely agitated.
character gains 10 Insanity Points he must 9 Whenever the character is annoyed or stressed
(such as, for example, by combat), all Tests he
make a Trauma Test. This is a Willpower Test makes are at -1k0. This effect lasts for 1d5 days.
with a variable difficulty. The Target Number
for this Test is 10, plus one for every five The character suffers vivid and extreme night-
points of Insanity the character has accumu- mares whenever he tries to sleep. For the next
10
1d10 days, he is unable to recover Hit Points
lated (12 at 10 Insanity Points, 20 at 50 Insan-
through bed rest.
ity Points, etc). If the Test is failed, roll on the
Trauma table, adding one to the roll for every The character is struck dumb is unable to speak.
11
Check on the roll. This effect lasts for 1d5 days.
Extremely distressed and unfocused, the char-
GAINING MENTAL 12
acter refuses to eat or drink and looks in a terri-
ble state. The character takes a -1 penalty to all
DISORDERS characteristics for 1d10 days.
Mental disorders reflect the perma-
The character temporarily becomes hysterically
nent, long-term effects on a character's mind 13
blind or deaf. The effect lasts for 1d10 days.
as a result of exposure to things horrific and
unnatural. A character automatically gains a The character becomes completely traumatized
new disorder (or a more severe version of an and virtually unresponsive. He can't initiate ac-
14+
existing disorder) each time he acquires a cer- tions but may be gently led. This effect lasts for
tain number of Insanity Points. A character 1d10 days.
gains one Minor Disorder when he gains 40
Insanity Points, one Severe Disorder when he he prefers. Some disorders would be phobia,
gains 60 Insanity Points, and one Acute Dis- obsessions and compulsions, hallucinations,
order when he gains 80 Insanity Points. If a and horrific ngihtmares. The exact effects of a
character reaches 100 Insanity Points, they are disorder should be decided on by the SM.
removed from play - they’ve completely Rolls made to resist the effects of a disorder
cracked and are now under the control of the depend on their difficulty - Minor Disorders
SM. require a TN 10 roll, Severe Disorders require
Disorders can be selected by the SM, TN 15, and Acute Disorders require TN 20.
or the SM can allow the player to select one if

228
 XV
SETTING

T he history of the Great Wheel is a

great sprawling tapesty, embroidered in blood
magic and technology enough to become part
of the larger universe. They were almost im-
mortal, patient and wise. They are thought to
and steel and gold, stretching from the furthest be directly responsible for the uplifting of most
reaches of the distant past to the current hour. of the currently active intelligent species in the
Near-immortal wizard kings once shaped the Astral Sea, including the Eldarin, the Orks, the
Wheel to their will and made it a place of Gnomes, and the Dragons. The Syrne were
miraculous splendor. Today, men fight with potent mages who routinely used the powers
sword and bolter in the ruins of ancient glory. of the warp for a large variety of applications,
The implacable Lady of Pain rules over Sigil constructing the Portal Relays.
and the Factions that founded themselves Eventually, a great conflict later
there constantly work to stab each other in the known to the Eldarin as the War in Heaven
back. The forces of Law and Chaos make war arose between the C'tan, immensely powerful,
on each other, the Warp presses against the incorporeal beings composed of pure energy
fabric of reality, and newly reborn Heroes who existed solely in the material universe,
from the ancient past return to save the world and the Syrne. The Syrne, physically weak and
- or doom it. few in number, uplifted the Eldarin to serve as
their soldiers. In response, the C'tan enslaved
the Modrons, almost elemental creatures of
HISTORY OF THE pure order, bonding them within geometrical
armored shells of a living metal called necro-
WHEEL dermis. The C'tan directed the Modrons into
Great Marches of all intelligent life. In re-
sponse to this threat, the Syrne created the
THE WAR IN HEAVEN - Orks and, finally, the Dragons to act as their
greatest weapons.
40,000 YEARS AGO How the war ended isn't known. The
Long ago, a great race known as the Modrons were forced into stasis in Mechanus
Syrne emerged, the first race to progress in and other forgotten clockwork worlds. The

229
CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

C'tan were put into hibernation. The Syrne fore someone rose to challenge Bahamut's
were rendered completely extinct, the Portal power. In a war known as the Tiamat Heresy,
Network shut down. The only clues left to the a warlord named Tiamat waged war on Ba-
Syrneth mystery are among the most ancient hamut, nearly half of the living dragons siding
records of the Eldarin, as much myth as his- with her. The two armies clashed, and on the
tory, speaking of Great Devourers that came slopes of Mount Celestia itself, Tiamat was
to destroy and consume all life. No evidence struck down. But the Draconic empire was
of these so-called "Reapers" actually exists be- shattered. The only legacy it managed to leave
yond this near-mythological record. was spreading Dragons to nearly every Crystal
Sphere.
THE DRACONIC
ASCENDENCY - THE WAR OF THE
10,000 YEARS AGO MONSTER'S FALL -
When the Syrne were lost, their cre- 7,000 YEARS AGO
ations were left to their own devices. The Orks Few details survive from this era, but
immediately turned on themselves, the joy of it marked the beginning of the end for the El-
combat all they desired in life. Some of the El- darin. The Dragon Empire was fragmented
darin escaped their Crystal Spheres and con- and lost, the Eldarin the dominant force in the
structed giant worldships, Craftworlds, to sail universe. They continued their work of re-
through the astral sea. They repaired and opening Portal Relays until one day they dis-
opened many Portal Relays, and found the city covered something horrible, something that
of Sigil. The Lady of Pain was, even then, the had been locked away so long that even the
ruler of the city, already sitting on the throne Syrne had nearly forgotten about them.
of blades before the Eldarin arrived. At some point in their history, before
But the Dragons were not content to the Eldarin had been uplifted, the Syrne had
war among themselves, or to play at being
mere caretakers of the Syrneth ruins. The
Dragons spread out into the Astral Sea, their
personal power and their own uplifted sol-
diers, the Dragonborn, allowing them to con-
quer many worlds. They forged an empire,
seeking to unite all worlds under the guidance
of their ruler, the god Bahamut.
But nothing lasts forever, and the egos
of the Dragons meant that it wasn't long be-

230
 CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

encounted a race so hostile and dangerous that left on their homeworlds. The craftworlds cut
they felt the need to seal it off from the rest of off contact with the homeworlds.
the universe. This crystal sphere that they The corruption of the Eldarin be-
sealed off is today known as Pandemonium, a cames a religion of its own. After centuries of
place forbidden entrance by all. The Portal feeding the fledgeling god with prayers made
Relay was not merely shut down, but com- from extreme experiences and twisted rituals
pletely disabled. It was nearly beyond the of self-indulgence, the Chaos God Slaanesh
knowledge of the Eldarin to repair it. When it was born. The violence of Slaanesh's birth
opened, the Eldarin were not prepared for turned the Eldarin Homeworlds and their
what came out, a terrible enslaving race of Crystal Sphere into the terrible rip in reality
abominations known as the the Aboleth. today known as the Abyss. Most of the Elven
The War of the Monster's Fall was gods died save Corellon, who either fought off
ended by the creation of the first Aasimar and Slaanesh or hid himself, depending on the
Tieflings, supersoldiers moulded like clay by story and who is telling it. Kaela Mensha
the Gods and forged in the fires of war. They Caine was the last of the gods to fall, in a battle
were clad in great armor and armed with the so violent it sent his blood spilling throughout
mightiest blades. They were divinely inspired the cosmos.
with tactics, strategies, and artifacts such that The Eldarin were destroyed as a peo-
no foe could best them in battle. They were ple. Now they are split into three groups. The
the bulwark against the terror, the defenders 'true' Eldarin, who remained in their Craft-
of all. Knowing no fear, they pushed back the worlds safe from the corruption and now
Aboleth and sealed them back into Pandemo- travel in great migrant fleets. The Elves, now
nium, deactivating the Portal Relay once so distinct from the Eldarin that the Eldarin
again. It became law that no Portal Relay consider them lost, their souls weighed down
should be opened without careful study of the by gravity and their powers lost. Finally, there
Crystal Sphere it accessed. The Eldarin were are the Dark Eldarin, protected by oaths to the
left with no purpose. demon spider queen Lolth, striking as raiders
and pirates from their hidden enclaves.
THE FALL OF THE
ELDARIN - THE COUNCIL ERA -
5,000 YEARS AGO 1,000 YEARS AGO
The Eldarin were left the dominant After the Fall of the Eldarin, much
race in the universe after the fall of the Drag- space was left open for other races to flex their
ons. With little to challenge them, they de- muscles. The Elves, Dwarves, Dragonborn,
scend into decadence. Their extreme and Eldarin formed a Council, ruling from
hedonism destroys what little government is Sigil, under the watchful eye of the Lady of
Pain. The Aasimar and Tieflings became en-

231
CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

forcers for the Council, though the disputes of

their gods meant that they were often at each
other's throats more than any potential enemy.
The city of Sigil prospered, and four
represenatives became a dozen as Factions or-
ganized along philosophical lines became the
ruling forces of Sigil and, thus, the entire uni-
verse. Of course, divided as they were, the
Factions accoplished little more than just
countering each other's moves.

THE AGE OF THE

IMPERIUM -
CURRENT DAY
The emergence of Humanity into the
Great Wheel is considered the beginning of
the modern era. Humanity escaped their Crys-
tal Sphere on their own. Syrneth ruins on their
home world of Théah gave them the clues to
build their own spelljamming ships. They
emerged from their world into the Great
Wheel. At first, the travels were slow and dan-
gerous, requiring years and often ending in
disaster. Eventually, they learned to activate
the Portal Relays and use the Warp for fast
travel, establishing a small empire for them-
selves.
The Eldarin encounter humans for
the first time by finding them opening up an
unknown Portal Relay. This led to a short, but
violent war between a splinter fleet of the El- pirates, and Dragon attacks have become
darin and the humans. The Eldarin splinter minor issues. The Modrons are reported to be
fleet is wiped out by a human counterattack awakening again, prehaps preparing another
after occupying only a single Crystal Sphere. Great March against all life. Crystal Spheres
Before the weight of the Eldarin can be have been lost, all the worlds within stripped
brought to bear on the humans, the Council bare. Whispers speak that the planets were so
learned of the events and humanity was intro- stripped by the Reapers who destroyed the
duced to the wider universe, the true expanse Syrne. And as always, the forces of Law and
of the Astral Sea. War was cancelled on ac- Chaos wage their eternal Blood War.
count of massive culture shock. In the grim darkness of the great
Today, Humans are still finding their wheel, there is only war.
way in the Astral Sea. They are explorers and
risk takers, and the engine of much change in
the universe. Several of the Factions in Sigil THE GREAT
have had humans elected as their leaders, and
the young race holds a very important place in
the Council, something that other races occa-
WHEEL
sionally look on with jealousy. The Great Wheel is the galaxy, full of
Many threats to the relative stability thousands of Crystal Spheres floating in the
of the Council loom. Ork warbands, Eldarin vastness of the Astral Sea. They're arranged in

232
 CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

THE PORTAL NETWORK

Thankfully, most are not reliant on
the Astral Sea for their travel. The Portal Net-
work connects many crystal spheres, made of
Portal Relays, giant constructs built by the
Syrne before the dawn of man's civilization al-
lowing fast travel through The Warp. The
Warp is a roiling sea of chaos, a limbo between
states, shaped by stray thoughts and desires, a
swirling storm of earth, air, fire, and water.
Unprotected people and matter quickly dis-
solve in this storm, torn to pieces.
But despite the danger, Warp travel
reduces travel time between crystal spheres
from years to mere weeks. Sigil serves as a bea-
con for ships in the Warp, a fixed point even
there that allows navigation. For this reason,
Sigil is considered the hub of the Portal Net-
work.

a spiralling wheel, with Sigil at its hub. The SPELLJAMMING SHIPS

Great Wheel is the ultimate frontier, a vast sea It would be very difficult to get
of darkness studded with outposts of civiliza- around the Great Wheel without Spelljam-
tion. There are an almost infinite variety of ming ships. Very few beings can simply leave
stories and peoples to be found, and most of a gravity well under their own power, much
the Great Wheel lies unexplored, entire Crys- less crack a crystal sphere or travel through the
tal Spheres like vaults - potentially ful of treas- warp (true dragons, naturally, being the excep-
ure, death, or, in most cases, plenty of both. tion to those rules). A spelljamming ship is a
mix of technology and sorcery, the exact mix
THE ASTRAL SEA depending on the skills of its builders and the
The Astral Sea is an empty place, as culture it comes from.
still empty and cold as death itself. But it is A Spelljammer ship can travel
studded with bright lights, bubbles of safety through the vastness of space under its own
large enough to contain worlds. Some contain power, but without using a Portal Relay to
only one or two worlds, others with dozens or enter the Warp, their effective range is ex-
more. These bubbles are known as Crystal tremely low - even travel between two very
Spheres. They present a formidable barrier to closely-spaced Crystal Spheres might take
travel, spelljamming ships crashing into them decades.
if they don't know the safe routes. Each race and culture has its own
Ships crossing the Astral See face style and construction methods for ships.
massive, often impenitrable barriers of time. From the thickly-prowed human vessels of the
There are no shortcuts to be had, no quick warlike human Imperium, to the graceful
route or tailwind to speed your way. There is skeletal shapes of Eldarin wraithbone ships, to
only distance, an endless road. The distance the bashed-together mess that defines an Ork
between Crystal Spheres is almost incalcula- ship.
ble, taking years in even the fastest ship. But
aside from the sheer emptiness, the Astral Sea THE WARP
is safe, simply because there is nothing in it to The Warp, Limbo, the Immaterium.
be deadly. It is a co-existing universe that underlines the
physical universe, an endlessly broad and infi-

233
CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

nitely deep sea of energy

and churning elemental
matter. It carries within it
the random thoughts, un-
fettered emotions, memo-
ries, and unshakable beliefs
of those who live in the ma-
terial universe.
The Warp is the
source of magic in the uni-
verse, providing power to
spells and magic. Some
think that sorcerers, strain-
ing the fabric of reality by
casting spells and dragging
the power of the warp into
the real world, are a danger
to the universe itself, and
that the power of sorcery
was what led to the fall of the Syrneth. verse is quite another matter. Most warp
The most important thing about the jumps take months, and a year or so is average
Warp, to the Wheel, is that it allows ships to for widely-placed points. With the unpre-
travel from one Crystal Sphere to another in dictable currents of time and space in the
the span of weeks instead of generations. To Warp, it is impossible to really predict the time
travel through the Warp, a ship uses one of the taken, and travellers have no idea how long
Portal Relays to breach a hole into the Imma- their journey has taken until their ship has fin-
terium and travel into it. With the help of a ished its jump. Travel through the stars is not
Navigator, a ship in the warp can be directed something to be undertaken lightly.
nearly anywhere in the Great Wheel. Sigil pro-
vides a point of reference, a shining beacon THE UMBRA
that can be seen from anywhere in the Warp. The Umbra is a kind of shallow end
Warp travel is not without its dangers. of the warp, an intermediary between the full
It could be considered the most dangerous chaos of the warp and the real universe. It is
thing in the universe, in fact, which is hardly a something like a shadow, not really a true
title given to something that is safe. The most place or thing, just an image of the real uni-
obvious danger in the warp is the roiling en- verse that exists alongside it, separated by a
ergy of the Warp itself, which can tear at ships. thin barrier. The geography of the Umbra is a
More pressingly, anyone looking into the dark mirror of the real universe, warped by the
Warp without protection can be driven insane, emotions and history of the place, empty of
possessed, or worse. If the protective fields of people and changing to reflect the real world
the ship fail, warp creatures can invade the when no one is looking.
ship and corrupt or kill everyone on board. Many supernatural beings and spirits
Without a navigator, Warp travel can can cross between the Umbra and the real
only be attempted in short jumps of five light world. Ghosts and weaker daemons can use
years or so - any more than that and the un- this shadowland to cause havoc. Damage done
predictable currents of the Warp make it im- to things in the Umbra does not cause imme-
possible to tell where or when a ship will diate harm to anything in the real world,
appear. though there are some odd parallels - some-
During a Warp jump, something like thing being destroyed in the warp tends to give
two weeks will pass for the ship and its crew, it bad luck in the real world, as an example.
but how long this travel takes in the real uni-

234
 CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

SIGIL the political, cultural and financial capital of

The City of Doors. The Greatest Me- the Great Wheel. It is, in theory, completely
tropolis. The Hub. Sigil is the center point of neutral ground - no wars are waged there and
ths cosmos. The city itself is a beacon in the no armies pass through. However, it's hardly
Warp, a bright light that remains as fixed as a peaceful. Violence is common, usually be-
north star, allowing travel through the infini- falling the foolhardy, the incautious, or the
ties. Some say the light comes from the Lady poor.
of Pain, the city's silent eternal ruler. The Anything can be found in Sigil. Any-
Lady, naturally, has been mum on the matter. thing. And peace is kept, strictly and ab-
She does not pass many decrees down through solutely, by the Harmonium, an army
her servants, the dabus, but when she does her dedicated to law and order. Declared neutral
word is absolute and disobedience is met with ground by all, even direst enemies like Aasi-
swift death. Even the gods themselves are not mar and Tiefling can be found sitting side by
immune - no God may manifest in Sigil. It is side in taverns and sharing tales. Far from a
said by the Eldarin that only one has tried in bright and shining city, though, Sigil is a study
their living memory, a god of travel whose of barely controlled anarchy, too many differ-
name is lost and whose worshippers were all ent ideologies and peoples coming though for
found flayed with even their souls lost one day. the city to be anything but a melting pot, con-
Sigil is a free-floating space platform, fusing and disorienting to outsiders.
shaped something like a gigantic floating torus
with tightly-packed structures lining its inner SIGIL'S FACTIONS
surface. It is located outside the Crystal The Factions of Sigil are something
Spheres, just like the portal relays, and shares like political parties or philosophies, people or-
a lot of technology with them. It is considered ganized along the lines of their beliefs and al-
the greatest creation of the Syrne and acts as legiances. While the Factions are, in many

235
CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

ways, the rulers of the

Wheel, it's important to
note that they do not
represent specific races
or governments on their
own. Most governments
are officially unaligned,
donating military men
and equipment to the
Council forces to use as
a whole rather than to
any one faction. The re-
cent appearance of Hu-
mans into the general
population of the Wheel
has had a somewhat
destabilizing effect on
things as faction ranks
swell and power bases change. their own. They serve the faction in an auxil-
What most find out, very quickly, lary function most of the time: they usually
though, is that the Council and the Factions have other jobs outside of the faction that con-
do not hold true power here. The Lady of Pain flict with their loyalty to that group. However,
ultimately has control. She would take action they quite often are hired to do simple, mun-
against any real threats to the security of Sigil, dane tasks: delivering parcels, asking a few
but allows the Factions to handle the day-to- questions, passing along a message, that sort
day running of the place. However, there are of thing. None of these are really mandatory,
things she just won't tolerate - someone trying but shying away from aiding the faction is a
to summon powerful Warp entities, slaughter- sure sign that they aren't going to get to the
ing the dabus, attempting to tear down the sta- higher ranks.
tion, or inciting general rebellion against her Higher up on the ladder are the Fac-
rule. People who try those things end up dead, totums. They work full-time for a faction, get-
and quickly. Even the Factions aren't safe - if ting their salary from them and their very way
they go too far or overstep their bounds, she'd of life. They deliver the more important mes-
crush them like ants. And she has, in the past. sages, contact people of interest to the faction,
There were fifteen factions at one point. Some serve as guards, and do almost anything that
of them got a bit too uppity. They're gone their faction asks of them. At this rank, their
now, each one vanishing overnight with all its loyalty is noted and they can easily rise within
members when it became a threat. the ranks to gain weath, fame, and other re-
Most of the factions run a particular wards. The life of a Factotum is never dull.
part of the station, as it keeps them in the Those that gain enough influence and
Lady's good graces. Some are better at it than prestige throughout their faction rise to the
others. No faction fully trusts another, no mat- rank of Factor. These are the highest up of the
ter how noble or trustworthy their goals might highups, right next to only the factol them-
seem, which makes the station's offices rather selves. They have great sway in Sigil and often
divided. represent their faction in a public and official
matter.
Within the Ranks At the very top of the line is the Fac-
tol. Leader and guider of the entire faction,
The Namers of a Faction are the low-
they set the tone for their members. Factols
est level of the Faction that's really part of the
are the representatives of their groups: to get
group, with a grasp of the philosophy and
a basic idea about the current nature of a fac-
ideals that they've been able to embrace as

236
 CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

Godsmen are headquartered in the Great

Foundry, and serve to settle disputes between
people, keeping peace between warring faiths.

Bleak Cabal
The Bleakers believe that there's no
greater meaning to the universe. It doesn't
make sense, and it isn't supposed to, and the
people running around looking for meaning
are just wasting their lives doing it. Things just
are, and whatever meaning there is in the
Wheel is what each being imagines into the
void. Bleakers believe in the hard truth, that
they live in a universe with no 'truth' and that
they're the only ones able to face it. Factol
Lhar keeps them moving, working through the
deep melancholy that most of the members
suffer through. He believes that since there is
no meaning in the universe, no plan, that peo-
ple have only each other to count on. Under
his leadership, everyone is welcome to join the
Bleak Cabal and the Cabal makes itself useful
running orphanages, charities, soup kitchens,
and sanitariums.

Doomguard
Everything dies. People, places, and
tion, one only has to look at their factol. When things. Entropy is a one-way street, and the ul-
it comes time for factols to be replaced, timate fate of everthing. They believe the pur-
whether it is through natural death or some pose of the universe is to simply run to its end.
foul play, a factol is chosen from among the And when it's all over, it will finally be the end
available factors by a group decision. of toil and pain. People who try to fix things,
stop the decay and put things back together,
Believers of the Source they've got it all wrong. They're fighting the
To these people, all things are godly. natural goal of the multiverse. It's important
All things can ascend to greater glory - if not to note they don't just tear down everything
in this life, then in the next. Patience, that's all that's built up. Building a house means quar-
it takes. They see the universe as a giant test, rying stone, cutting down trees, and eventually
where those who pass ascend and those who termites get into the beams and the place
fail get reincarnated to try again. It's a simple comes down on its own. There's a long view
philosophy, and very straightforward. They to things. It'll all happen in time. Factol Pentar
haven't figured out exactly what the tests are runs the faction from Sigil's armory, and she
or how to beat them (should a person be good, makes sure weapons get where they can do
evil, or what?), but they keep trying. Eventu- their work best.
ally, they believe everyone will ascend, and the
Wheel will empty out and crumble as it stops Dustmen
being needed. The leader of the Godsmen is The Dustmen don't believe in life.
Factol Ambar. Anyone is welcome to join the Everyone is already dead, even if they don't
Believers of the Source, though the fact that know it yet. There wouldn't be such terrible
they ultimately lack utmost faith means their pain and misery in the universe if it was a place
Devotion typically never gets very high. The

237
CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

for living creatures. Some people - the ones cery look like mere parlour tricks. Of course,
who have gone all stiff and cold - are more that's not easy. The universe keeps its laws
dead than others, but everyone is just as dead. dark, and finding all of the laws isn't an easy
The thing everyone should strive for is to ap- task. It doesn't matter what it all means, just
preciate Death, to explore one's so-called 'life' how it all works. Knowledge is power. It takes
and understand it and all its trials before mov- study, searching, and looking for the right an-
ing on. Factol Skall is said to be a Vampire, as swer. Factol Haskar is a man who has held
close to true Death as anyone can come and onto his office for a very long time, after the
still talk about it. They care for the dead of last Factol apparently found exactly the loop-
Sigil, taking their bodies to their headquarters hole he was looking for and vanished without
in the Mortuary until they're claimed, and dis- a trace. The Guvners run the city courts, from
posing of the bodies that aren't. the small courts of the station's wards to the
High Court of the Council. They also have all
Fated the best lawyers.
The universe belongs to those who
can take it. Everyone makes their own fate and Harmonium
there's no one else to blame for it. People who The Harmonium have a simple phi-
whine about their luck are just weaklings - if losophy: The Harmonium is always right. The
they were meant to succeed, they could have. goal of every enlightened being in the multi-
Everyone has the potential to be great but that verse is to live in perfect harmony with all oth-
doesn't mean it's going to happen.
It takes sweat and blood for
things to come true, not just a lot
of hoping. Those that work hard
get what they deserve. Nothing's
free in this life or any other. The
Takers handle the most hated
and needed task in the city - they
control the Hall of Records. It's a
vital piece of city administration
that records all the deeds, births,
and deaths in the station. What
makes them hated, though, is that
they're the tax collectors. Duke
Rowan Darkwood is the Factol of
the Fated, and he's had the kind
of hard life that shows he knows
how to rebound from being re-
duced to nothing.

Fraternity of Order
The universe has laws.
Mankind has laws. Sigil's got
laws. Even the Abyss has laws.
Once someone learns the laws, he
can use them to his advantage,
and learn how to use loopholes in
the laws, how to bend them to get
an edge. If someone could learn
all the laws of the universe, the
power he had would make sor-

238
 CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

ers. Sharing the same views means that people high-ups meet to make the laws of the city,
don't have anything to fight over, and that's the and the settle feuds, handle treaties, and do all
secret to peace. And the only way to have the other little things that keep Sigil running.
peace is to get rid of opposing views. They'd Factol Darius is well-respected by other fac-
rather people just followed orders, but they'll tions for her ability to keep city business on the
happily crack a few skulls to make things table and avoid personal interests.
peaceful. It's all for their own good anyway.
The Harmonium runs Sigil's city watch under Society of Sensation
Factol Sarin. They're always happy to crush The Sensates are one of the most im-
crime, but because the Doomguard has con- portant and influential Factions, with a mas-
trol of the Armory, the tools to run the station sive membership. According to them, the
the Hardhead way are kept out of the Harmo- universe is known only by the senses. Without
nium's hands. That suits everybody but them experience, without sensation, a thing isn't. A
just fine. poem about a rose isn't a rose. Picking a rose,
feeling its thorns, smelling its fragrance, seeing
Mercykillers its color, that's real, and the only way to know
Justice is everything, and there is no it is to experience it. Until you've experienced
one beyond its reach. The reason laws and so- everything, you can never know the secret of
cieties exist is to see that justice is carried out, the universe. Factol Erin leads the Society of
to purge the evil in folks and make them bet- Sensation, a recent arrival in Sigil who has ex-
ter, fit to belong in the multiverse. And once perienced a meteoric rise to power. The Sen-
everything has been made just, once everyone sates don't really have an official role, but the
has been cleansed, the Wheel will be a perfect city would go mad without them. They run
place. The only tricky part of justice is making the Civic Festhall, a place where an incredible
sure it's correctly applied. A body's got to variety of experiences can be had, from
know the criminals from the innocent so he Tiefling Ballet to debates between dragons
doesn't make a mistake. Mercy's an excuse and dragonslayers. The Sensates ensure that
created by the weak and criminal, and every entertainment and diversion flow into the city.
crime must be punished. The Factol, Alisohn
Nilesia, is barely more than a child, and is one Transcendent Order
of the cruelest and most bloodthirsty factols To become one with the universe, one
the Mercykillers have ever had. If not for some must stop thinking and act. Action without
of the more level-headed people serving under thought is the purest form of thought. When
her, things could go very badly. a cutter can know what to do without even
thinking about it, then he has become one
Sign of One with the universe. It is not enough to act with-
Every person is a unique and special out thinking - anyone can do that, especially
individual. This is the greatest glory of the when they're drunk. One must work hard to
Wheel, that each creature living and dead is learn himself, learn his own mind and instincts
different from all others. It's obvious, then, until the right action comes automatically,
that the universe centers arounds the self. training the body and mind to be one - the
Each person is the most important person in hand moves before the thought reaches it.
the universe, because the world only exists be- Factol Rhys is a tiefling who epitomises action
cause the mind imagines it. Each Signer be- without thought. No one knows much about
lieves they are the one dreaming the universe, her, and her motivations can only be described
but of course it's impossible to tell. The Sign- as following the flow of the universe. The Ci-
ers' confidence that each person is the center phers are the truest diplomats of Sigil, advisors
of their own universe makes them probably the accepted almost universally, even if not every-
only folks who can internally govern Sigil, at one takes their advice.
least as much as the place can be governed.
They run the Hall of Speakers, where the

239
CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

The Verdant Guild Crystal Sphere is dangerous to even attempt

The wilderness is the foundation of all to cross without a proper navigator and spell-
life. The wild places have existed for eons, and jamming ship.
should continue to flourish for untold ages.
Without the resources of the wilderness, civi- NOTABLE CRYSTAL
lization itself is doomed. Therefore, the
wilderness must be preserved from the forces
SPHERES
of civilization, evil, and destruction. All mem- While there are countless crystal
bers of the sect wear some type of animal mask spheres in the sky, there are a few that truly
as a badge of office and sign of their reverence stand out from the rest.
for nature. The Verdant Guild takes charge of
Sigil's marketplace and customs, making sure
people aren't trading in rare or illegal animals
Abyss
and plants. The Factol, an elf named Strong- Of all the Crystal Spheres, none is
bow, feels trapped and rumors say he'd be more recognized than the Abyss. It looms
happy to leave the leadership to someone else bright in the sky, a huge blight like a diseased
if there was anyone he trusted to do a good eye visible in every corner of the Astral Sea.
job. Their headquarters, the Sorting House, is The Abyss is by far the largest Crystal Sphere,
typically the first place anyone sees of Sigil, as uncounted, perhaps uncountable, worlds
their luggage and posessions are scanned by within the roiling storms of glowing gas and
auspexes for contraband. vapor within. Every world is mutable, horrible,
and different. The natives are the servants of
the Ruinous Powers of Chaos, barely re-
CRYSTAL SPHERES strained from overrunning the Astral Sea be-
A Crystal Sphere is a kind of natural cause of a fortress-world known as Cadia built
barrier existing between planetary systems and around the only Portal Relay out of The
the void of the Astral Sea. They are thought to Abyss. Some ships still manage to escape from
represent barriers between different sets of the Abyss' crystal sphere, but the chaotic cur-
physical laws, perhaps arising from some sort rents around it make a journey near-suicidal
of energy or friction between those different for those not blessed by the gods of Chaos.
sets of physics. Others think the Astral Sea it-
self is somehow alive, and the Crystal Spheres PHYISCAL
grew like pearls in an oyster as it protected it- CONDITIONS
self from irritants.
Within a Crystal Sphere, the laws and The Abyss is an extraordinarily hostile
physics of the universe itself can change. In environment. A person would have to be in-
most Crystal Sphere, the changes are too small sane to want to go there, but there's always
and unimportant for all but the most scientif-
ically inclined to notice, but some have wildly
differing physical laws - there have been Crys-
tal Spheres containing light years of fluidic
space that somehow resisted gravitational col-
lapse, Crystal Spheres where the flow of time
was different or reversed, and even a Crystal
Sphere where matter cannot exist, quickly
breaking down into absolute nothingness.
Most Crystal Spheres contain only a
single planetary system, centered on the star
and with a diameter double that of the largest
orbiting planetary body. The barrier of the

240
 CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

someone who's just dumb enough to think it to do anything. Incorporeal creatures are
can't be all that bad. Truthfully, it isn't all that therefore quite solid here, with nowhere to
bad. It's worse. The Abyss is much larger in- hide.
side than outside, as vast as imagination and In the Abyss, the best thing to do is to
as timeless as infinity. Where the Warp over- act quickly. There's no way to predict what
laps and bridges the real world, the Abyss is might happen, and being ready for anything
like a vast knot that twists in on itself, a space just leads to being caught unaware by the one
that may truly be infinite in size and cruelty. thing you forgot. Anyone in the Abyss has to
Unfortunately, it's almost impossible be ready to make life-or-death snap decisions
to predict what any part of the Abyss will be and to trust their gut instinct.
like. Some parts have been mapped (to some
extent or another), but there is always infi- ABYSSAL
nitely more in every direction. The laws of
physics and magic change from place to place, INHABITANTS
sometimes over distances so short that a per- While the mix of creatures that inhab-
son can walk from one set of physical laws to its the abyss is vast beyond understanding,
another. Still, there's bad and worse. Most there are some things that are the same on
places in the Abyss are desolate and danger- most planets. As the Abyss is a twisted realm
ous, but not unlivable to someone with the that has the very warp itself hemmoraging into
power of an Exalt and a bit of magic, no worse it, it is effectively entirely within the Umbra.
than some normal planets. Trouble is, even- Ghosts, Elementals, and Daemons are all
tually a person's bound to wander off and find quite common, far more easily found than in
themselves somewhere they can't survive. any wholesome place. There are no native
Not every place is hostile in an obvi- mortal sentients. While there are some
ous way; some places steal memories, others Tieflings, they're typically recently born,
rot bodies from within, and some places (es- changed in a pilgrimage to bathe in the raw
pecially near the realms of the Ruinous Pow- power of the Warp. Most newborn Tieflings
ers, but also near some of the more powerful don't survive to escape the Abyss.
Daemons) slowly corrupt a person's mind and
turn him towards worship of the residing dark- ABYSSIAL
ness. Rumors on Cadia and in Sigil tell stories LOCATIONS
about planets that are just swarms of hungry
insects, where a person's soul comes on display There are countless worlds floating in
for all to see in its beauty or twisted horror, or the Abyss, so trying to name them all would
where the cold doesn't just steal heat but be foolish. Here are a few of the more impor-
freezes your thoughts. tant worlds and systems in the Abyss:
Most of the Abyss could best be de-
scribed as a thick nebula in riotous colors that Cadia
makes it difficult to see just what trouble you'll Cadia isn't a world, though it's as
get into next. Small stars provide illumination large as one. Layer upon layer upon layer of
from all directions, with flows of the often-poi- fortification and armor built right on top of the
sonous nebula vapors making the light incon- only known safe rout out of the Abyss' Crystal
stant and difficult to navigate by. Most of the Sphere. Some of the deeper parts of Cadia are
planets in the Abyss orbit these stars, through tens of thousands of years old. It has been over
a fair number are rogue wanderers that float a decade since the last major attempt by warp-
through the aether. creatures to escape the Abyss, the fourteenth
Because the Abyss is a giant puddle of such attempt since the latest ruler, Gerrard
warp energy, there is no real Umbra to speak Inkheart, took power. The place is a last rest-
of. Any effect that would allow travel to or ing point before the chaos of the Abyss. En-
from the Umbra doesn't work here. Or more forcers are on hand at all times to give last
properly, it does work but simply doesn't seem rights to those going into the abyss and to

241
CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

carefully inspect those coming out. Despite tion and paradox, just like the betraying god
being a military outpost, the place has a sur- himself. What one finds within the battlefield
prising amount of civilian life, an industry and of Malal is no less than what one brings with
culture that formed around selling supplies them. The Daemons that reside there take on
and comfort to the garrison. Things there are the aspects and powers that the intruders most
generally clean, but confusing to outsiders as prize, and even the very worlds shift and
the millenia of construction have made the change to become familiar and deceptive.
place a maze in three dimensions. Everything in Malal's realm exists to destroy
and betray, and the more an intruder cares for
The Fortress of Khorne something the more dangerous it becomes.
Khorne's realm within the Abyss is a Worse of all, the more that seek to intrude in
monument to fury and bloodshed built on Malal's realm, the stronger each of his servants
foundations of murder and conflict. The becomes. Only by going alone does anyone
blood-soaked realm echoes constantly with have a chance of reaching The Tumor a place
Khorne's bellows and the clash of weapons. At of broken doomsday devices and world-ending
the center of this mighty fortress lies the Brass weapons where the God of Destruction waits
Citadel, where Khorne's mighty throne re- for his chance to strike out any anyone and
sides. There, on a mountain of skulls in his everyone.
castle of pain sits the God of Blood. Around
the citadel flows a moat, and it is filled not The Garden of Nurgle
with water but with the boiling blood of those Nurgle's realm within the Abyss is an
who have lost their lives to war. Beyond this unwholesome realm home to every pox and af-
moat lies league upon league of cracked land, fliction imaginable and alive with the stench of
littered with the ravaged bones of those who rot. It is not a barren wasteland, but rather a
have fallen in battle. Many champions and as- macabre paradise of death and pestilence. A
piring lesser gods of war have journeyed there thick sheet of buzzing swarms of black, furry
to test themselves against Khorne's prowess, flies litter the sky, and twisted, rotten boughs
and just as many now lie dead, for he has entangled with grasping vines cover the moul-
never known defeat. dering ground beneath an insect-ravaged
canopy of leaves. Defiled fungi both plain and
The Battlefield of Malal extraordinary break through the leaf-strewn
Malal's realm is one of stark opposi- mulch of the forest floor, puffing out vile
clouds of spores. Muddy rivers slither across

242
 CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

the bloated landscape. Nurgle's Mansion of sane insight to find it, stands the Impossible
rotted timbers and broken walls resides at the Fortress, a constantly changing fortress which
heart of the garden, decrepit and ancient, yet constantly replaces its own archetecture with
eternally strong at its foundations. It is within new and ever more maddening spires, gates,
these tumbling walls that Nurgle toils at his and walls. Mortals find the fortress impenetra-
cauldron, a receptacle vast enough to contain ble. Only Tzeentch's most powerful servants
oceans. can tread the secret paths that lead to the inner
sanctum of the fotress, the Hidden Library,
The Palace of Slaanesh where Tzeentch, the puppet master himself re-
Slannesh's realm takes the form of a sides, eternally plotting.
number of worlds which must be visited in a
certain order to proceed, each stop on the ADVENTURE SEEDS
journey posing a greater and greater risk of * There are things, artifacts, coming
leaving the traveller trapped forever. Each of out of the Abyss that break every law of
the six worlds tempts the traveller, first with physics and magic, and no one can explain
greed, then gluttony and carnality. The fourth how they work except with a guess that they're
world tempts with roars of adultation and the some form of solidified warp energy. Smug-
promise of ultimate power over others. The glers have been going into the Abyss to gather
penultimate planet is that of vainglory, tempt- these artifacts and sell them for vast sums. But
ing with an ideal self-image - and even an in- is this get-rich-quick scheme merely as dan-
stant of pride leaves one trapped there for all gerous as it sounds or do these artifacts repre-
eternity. The last circle is the most perilous, a sent something even worse just starting to rear
heavenly place seemingly perfect in every way. its ugly head?
Every second fills the intruder with bliss, but * Cultists to one of the major Chaos
a moment of rest or enjoyment results in gods have kidnapped one of their god's ene-
falling into a coma and eventually dying in idle mies alive and are dragging him through the
bliss. If one is able to successfully pass through abyss to sacrifice directly to their god. If the
the circles, he comes before the palace and heroes can't stop them in time, the poor man
Slaanesh himself. It is impossible for mortals (and probably the cultists as well) will suffer a
to look upon the god without instantly losing fate infinitely worse than death and, worse, the
their soul, for all who see her become willing magical significance of the act will allow the
slaves to the Dark Prince. Warp-entities to launch another attack on
Cadia, one that the fortress is ill-prepared for.
The Maze of Tzeentch * A second Portal Relay has been dis-
The realm of Tzeentch is a maze covered near the Abyss. While it is currently
woven of portals, magic, space and time. Of inactive, it is also totally undefended, and it
all the realms of the Ruinous Powers, this do- would be short work for some misguided soul
main is the most bizarre and incomprehensi- to bring it online and give the Abyss a back
ble. The Maze's presence is felt throughout all door hanging wide open.
of the infinite space of the Abyss. Hidden * One of Cadia's most impressive fea-
pathways built from lies and schemes lead out tures are the gigantic black pylons that jut
from the maze and weave themselves every- through it. They are some of the oldest parts
where in the Abyss, gateways that bend space of Cadia, and no two are alike. No one has
connecting them. There are no daemonic de- ever managed to discover just what they are or
fenders in the maze, the realm's own illusory how they work, but they suppress Warp energy
passages enough of a barrier to any intruder around themselves, making it difficult for
not possessed of the strongest mind imagina- magic to work anywhere near them.
ble. Its glittering, everchanging corridors re-
flect not only light but also hope, misery,
dreams, and nightmares. At the center of the
maze, hidden from those who have not the in-

243
CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

that's not to say that people don't go there any-

Arborea way, but they're typically sorry once the Elves
catch up with them, and they tend to find out
Arborea is a Crystal Sphere that pulls very quickly. Only those who are specifically
in an incredible tourist trade. Ossa, once a dis- invited to Arvandor are really welcome here,
mal, rain-soaked and unstable planet, was ter- and the number of people who get invited are
raformed with a sophisticated weather control small. The place is a forest grown to impossi-
network that provided nearly constantly desir- ble scale, everything twice the size or more
able weather and seismic regulators to elimi- that it should be. Even animals grow to sur-
nate the geological instability. Today, Arborea prising size, with trout the size of a man and
is known for its beautiful tropical resorts, the wolves standing two meters tall at the shoul-
abundance of pristine beaches, and the hospi- der.
tality of its natives. The third planet is one that doesn't
really get mentioned much by anyone. It's not
PHYSICAL the kind of place that even the curious would
CONDITIONS go - the entire planet is swirling dust storms
Arborea is a system that clearly has a and thin air. A body can breathe it, but it's dry
long history of interesting events. The Sphere as a bone and the dust will leave him choking
contains a planetary system that maintains a for days afterwards and spitting up thin mud.
stable, but complicated, orbit between two There's a quarantine around the place, one
stars. The natives name the two stars as Rah that is surprisingly well-enforced. The Elves
and Risa. Rah is the larger of the two stars, a have some kind of large settlement here, but
pure-white sphere of flame. Risa is much what they do is kept a secret from everyone.
smaller, burning orange like a hot coal. Spec- Rumors say it's connected to the reason the
tral analysis has shown beyond a shadow of a planet's terraforming failed, that they're pro-
doubt that Risa is billions of years younger tecting something of terrible power.
than Rah - impossibly young, in fact. Syrne The rest of the system is a place of
ruins and some legends from the Elves and El- beauty. The night sky is dominated by a neb-
darin bear out the theory that Rah was a gas ula of multicolored gas that makes the dark-
giant not too long ago (in cosmological time) ness shine like a rainbow of diamonds. The
and was ignited into a star by the Syrne. first planet has a single, large moon that hangs
Many think that the Syrne ignited like an eye above the planet, whereas the other
Risa to make terraforming three of the planets two inhabited worlds have a multitude of small
in the system an easier task. It's certainly true moons that only serve to provide something to
that three planets in-system are habitable, but look at. The remaining gas giant in the system
only the middle planet of the three, Ossa, is has a ring system considered a wonder of na-
visited by tourists. Its tropical beaches and ture all on its own.
islands make it a beautiful place with ex-
tremely friendly natives who live to serve
the tourists that come here. The sea over
the planet is rarely more than a meter
deep, though remnants of its geologically
active past have left it with many rifts in the
sea, most of which are dead rock but some
of which have molten magma sizzling in
their depths.
The other two planets are not so
friendly. The first planet, Arvandor, is off-
limits even to Elves from other systems. It's
a very private planet that the natives are
not willing to share with anyone. Now

244
 CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

being outdone all the time. It's rumored that

Corellon is restless, which is why he badgers
the natives from time to time, but some force
or perhaps simply fear keeps him from leav-
ing.

Aumaan
Aumaan is the most heavily defended
point in Arborea, hidden away on Pelion
among the swirling dust and broken mesas. It
is a military facility, created by the Elves
around a massive Syrne ruin that contained
technology, weapons, and materials that other
races would dearly love to have. The most im-
portant thing they've got is raw Metatron ore,
ARBOREAN a radical isotope that has psychoactive proper-
INHABITANTS ties and is used in Portal Relays. The Custo-
The Elves are the true natives of Ar- dian of Aumaan, Nephythys, is an Elven
borea, Eldarin who long ago decided to settle woman with a brilliant mind that has been re-
here. Few can blame them for not wanting to portedly using the Metatron ore to construct
leave again. The worlds are amazingly beauti- massive humanoid war machines with capabil-
ful, after all. What most don't notice, at least ities unmatched by anything built since the fall
not at first, is that they're alive with nature of the Syrne. The Elves have been keeping
spirits. Faeries and elementals can be found all these machines secret, and it's unknown for
over the place in the system. The native elves what purpose Nephythys' creations will even-
make small sacrifices to the nature spirits to tually be put.
appease the elementals, and many of the cer-
emonies and parties that take place on the sec- Gilded Hall
ond world exist to keep visitors on the good The Gilded Hall is a structure of su-
side of these creatures - when the natives say pernatural beauty on Ossa, a golden palace of
you simply must give the Limbo a go, they re- achingly beautiful spires and gracefully curving
ally mean it. halls. Describing the beauty of the place is a
thankless task, an overwhelming, thundering
ARBOREAN glory that stops viewers in their tracks and
strikes each heart in a different light, as if it
LOCATIONS were magically tailored to appeal to each eye
differently. The Gilded Hall's beauty seems to
Realm of Corellon bring out the best in everyone, and all are
Hidden away on the Arvandor, and welome as long as the follow the same rules as
one of the reasons the Elves don't allow others on the rest of Ossa - no compulsions, only per-
on the planet, is the Realm of Corellon. suasion. Some have trouble leaving the Gilded
There's no proper boundaries or even build- Hall, and it's said that some visitors find them-
ings to show the extent of his domain. Corel- selves unable to leave, like flies caught in a spi-
lon is a wandering god, appearing and der's web spun of beauty and vice.
vanishing like the faeries. It's considered very
bad luck to praise anyone's skill too highly on Tribe of Tribes
Arvandor because there's always a chance it'll On Arvandor, there is a secret society.
draw Corellon's attention and he'll appear just Well, secret from outsiders. Everyone on the
to show off that he's better than everyone else. planet seems to know about it. Arvandor has
While that sort of thing is really impressive the the single largest society of werewolves any-
first few times, natives have gotten tired of

245
CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

where in the Wheel, and it's here that they in- they've quested enough for it.
duct new werewolves into the tribes and meet * The Elves have experimented with
to resolve situations. The ruler of all were- various ways to make Ossa more appealing to
wolves, the Marrok, lives here and spends al- boost the tourist trade. One of the most prom-
most all his time keeping people from tearing ising methods was to give the visitors exactly
each other's throats out. Pretty much every what they wanted, a perfect paradise tailored
werewolf comes to Arvandor to spend time to each person. Using holofields and nerve in-
here learning how to use their power and con- terlinks, they managed to do just that. And for
trol their instincts. a while, it seemed like it was working. But
something has gone wrong, and thousands are
Master Weather Control trapped in a pleasant hell that kills them upon
The Master Weather Control system awakening. Unless someone can go inside and
is the most important place on Ossa. It is con- resist the temptations therein, they may never
stantly manned by a team of thousands. Nau- awaken.
tilla Colchea heads the department of weather, * Some reports from nearby systems
maintaining constant pleasant conditions all have mentioned attacks from pirates that don't
over the planet, a demanding task that requires meet any known criminal organization, using
constant small adjustments. Even a few min- flying humanoid war machines with weapons
utes without attention could cause a massive and equipment that are impossibly advanced.
storm to form, and given that the planet has Some fingers are beginning to point to the
no real solid structures aside from a few emer- Elves, though the government of Arborea is
gency shelters, this would cause massive de- denying any involvement. Has Nephythys
struction. Nautilla has apparently been gone rogue, or have some of her prototypes
growing bored with her position, though - not been stolen?
surprising considering her mastery of magic.
Rumors say she's considering abdicating her
post and setting out into the wider universe. Arcadia
Arcadia is one of the most important
ADVENTURE SEEDS breadbasket Crystal Spheres. The two habit-
* Ossa isn't quite as innocent and nice able worlds within Arcadia's Crystal Sphere
as it seems. One of the major species of plant have both been terraformed to the point that
life, a type of strange flower with an almost any original features have been completely
choking scent, is said to have a psychoactive erased and the worlds leveled so that only gen-
effect on some, making emotions and passions tle hills and plains exist where once there were
run wild. The Elves encourage these plants for mountain ranges. Even the seas have been
their own reasons, apparently to get blackmail carefully regulated. The entire land mass of
material or just to have their own kind of fun. both worlds have been turned into endless
A major meeting of Faction heads is scheduled farms, shipping out grain and produce across
on Ossa, and with the influence of the elves, the Great Wheel.
things might go poorly, or better than ex-
pected. PHYSICAL
* Somewhere on Arvandor is said to
be a pool of pure glowing gold, a magical CONDITIONS
fountain of youth that restores health and life Arcadia is one of the most predictable
to all those who drink from it. It is said to re- and stable crystal spheres. The planets move
verse the aging process, which makes it worth in nice predicatable orbits, there aren't any
a fortune to mortals. The fountain is said to huge changes to normal physics, and even the
move around the planet, and finding it is more sun is a nice happy yellow color. Even better,
than just a matter of knowing the location - ru- the natives are welcoming and the wildlife is
mors say it only appears to the worthy after tame. Of course, there are some small, minor
caveats. They're really no big deal.

246
 CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

a few gentle slopes, shallow seas full

of fish, and happy natives. All so very
happy. And anyone is welcome to
stay, as long as they can follow the
rules. Why, the people here are so
happy they never want to leave! Can't
blame them - the Wheel is a danger-
ous place.

ARCADIAN
INHABITANTS
There are all sorts on Arca-
dia. Humans, Elves, Squats, even
The main one is that if you step out Halflings and Aasimar. The people all
of line, you're going to be in more trouble than work together to support the greater good.
you can handle. The planetary militias are ex- Even the animals seem to do their part for the
traordinarily strict, with no tolerance for any- benefit of all - the livestock of the farms is al-
one who doesn't fit in. And fitting in isn't just ways cooperative, with animals actually lining
a matter of getting along with people, it's fol- up on their own to be slaughtered. To an out-
lowing every rule, even the ones that don't sider seeing it, it's a horrifying sight, but to the
seem significant. A native of Arcadia would natives it makes perfect sense - that's what the
never think to disobey a posted sign, leave animals are for, so of course they're happy to
marked roads, or overstep their authority. do it.
Well, that last one isn't quite true.
Lately the militia has decided they need to ARCADIAN
keep a firmer grasp on things. They've chosen LOCATIONS
to go with the firm grasp of an iron fist rather
than a velvet glove. Sorcery, for example, is
frowned upon. And it's very unwise to do any-
Abellio
thing that is frowned upon on Arcadia. Abellio is a vast, flat grassland. Long
Physically speaking, the system has ago, it was terraformed to be almost as flat as
three planets. Had three planets. Of course, a cue ball. It's easily one of the smoothest plan-
ask a native and they'll tell you there have al- etary masses in the Wheel, the difference be-
ways only been two planets. The fact that the tween the highest and lowest points on the
third orbit around the star has a debris field planet a matter of only a hundred meters or
that hasn't even managed to spread out en- so. Every tree is part of an orchard. Every field
tirely, and is still glowing with residual heat, is has grazing livestock. Every centimeter of
just a strange but perfectly natural event. Abellio's surface is made purposeful. Even the
Rumors that the third planet was de- oceans hold great stocks of fish, with reefs
stroyed by some mismanaged working of sor- keeping schools neatly separate from each
cery designed to make sure no one could even other. The place runs like clockwork, and
think out of order... those rumors are of course from the way the animals act, one gets the im-
simply wrong. The militia ships around the pression it would continue to do so for some
debris field are merely keeping others safe time even without the people there.
from dangerous, but perfectly natural, ra-
dioisotopes and micrometors. So no ships may Buxenus
approach within several light-seconds under The second planet in the system,
penalty of death. Buxenus, is more tightly controlled than Abel-
Besides, the other planets are much lio. While the first planet is open to visitors (as
more interesting. They're all flat land with only long as they follow the rules), to get access to

247
CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

Official records outside Arcadia have

records showing Nemausus as a trading
post only two centuries ago.

ADVENTURE HOOKS
* The planets of Arcadia are just a lit-
tle too regular. Too well-defined and or-
derly on every level. When people can
actually make detailed observations - and
the militia usually kicks them out for dis-
rupting things - the actions of the people
and animals of Arcadia seem to approxi-
mate logic gates. It can't be proven, but
Buxenus requires all sorts of passes and per- some think the planets of Arcadia are
missions, which makes it a really trying expe- some kind of massive computer. What they're
rience for anyone attempting to get there. computing is anyone's guess.
Frankly, unless a person is sent an invitation * The destruction of Nemausus was-
along with clearance, they'll just be given the n't an accident. It was done very deliberately,
runaround and thrown at so much red tape and as a last resort after everything else had
that they drown in it until they lose interest failed. Something terrible happened there -
and find something else to do. The militia and reports say that something terrible was
keeps its headquarters here, and there are sup- modrons awakening and deciding to clean the
posedly reeducation camps for troublemakers place up a bit. It's entirely possible that mod-
that are more like dog kennels, but proving the rons are sleeping in other places as well, and
stories has been impossible and natives simply unless a better way can be found to deal with
don't care. them, there might be more asteroid fields in
the future.
Great Mirror * Buxenus is so well protected be-
A massive construction with a diame- cause the crops they grow there are extraordi-
ter measured in thousands of kilometers, the narily valuable. There are medicinal herbs
Great Mirror is a framework supporting huge and, well, the other sort of medicinal herbs.
sheets of a reflective material designed to pro- The drug trade may seem like an odd thing to
vide additional sunlight to Abellio. Thanks to see in such a law-abiding place, but it seems
the Great Mirror, there is no real night, just a that most of the drugs go to the native popu-
second sunrise following a short dusk. Work- lations. New settlers sometimes have trouble
ers are constantly replacing panels in the Great adjusting, you see, and they're given certain
Mirror as they tear or lose their reflective coat- medications to calm them and... erase those
ing, but the increased crop yields have been emotions and feelings that don't fit well with
incredible. the way things are normally done here.
* Maybe the mortal mind can only
Nemausus take so much law and order before it snaps.
Maybe there's something dreadfully wrong
Nemausus was the name of the third
about Arcadia. Rumors say that once every
planet in the system. Now it's a slowly expand-
season, the farmers of Arcadia get together for
ing cloud of debris tained with sorcery that
big festivals. Festivals that involve sacrifices
creates dancing shows of violet energy through
burned to the gods. Farmers offer some of
the rubble. A militia fleet keeps a full-time cor-
their crop, an animal, or best of all, someone
don around the area and gives people exactly
who isn't fitting into their perfect order.
one chance to turn away before firing on them.
All official records within Arcadia say that the
planet has been like that for billions of years.

248
 CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

Acheron's center. The entire sphere is lit by a

Acheron dim grey light like twilight, not enough to read
by but not so dark a man can't see his hand in
A Crystal Sphere that holds an im- front of his face. The source of this illumina-
mense Ork empire, Acheron is a place of eter- tion has never been found.
nal warfare, Ork tribes fighting each other in The most striking and obvious feature
an endless brawl between worlds so close to- of Acheron are its many, many worlds, huge
gether they occasionally collide and scrape cubes of iron dozens of kilometers across.
against one another. While it's incredibly dan- Gravity here doesn't draw towards the center
gerous to visit, many smugglers bring endless of the cubes, but just perpendicular to their
caches of weapons that give one Ork tribe or surfaces. And on almost every cube can be
another a momentary advantage in the war found Orks. Now, there's only one thing that
that consumes their lives. That said, the na- can happen when you have a bunch of Orks in
tives are content with their lot, Orks enjoying one place, and that's fighting. The Orks spend
fighting more than anything except fighting almost all of their time forming into warbands
and winning. and fighting each other in an endless self-con-
suming war. Despite the sheer number of sol-
PHYSICAL diers, there are surprisingly few leaders. Any
CONDITIONS Ork who really has what it takes to lead typi-
It would be wrong to say Acheron is cally leaves to find someone more interesting
unlivable. The place is a huge crystal sphere, to fight.
not as large as the Abyss - not that anything Deeper into Acheron, and the cubes
could be - but still larger by an order of mag- change, becoming pockmarked blocks like
nitude than the average Crystal Sphere. In- cubic meteors, the pits in their surfaces leading
side, it isn't filled kilometers down inside, where they are filled
with vaccum but in- with the broken scraps of thousands of devices
stead an airy void like some giant's toy box. Great ships
that grows colder that have been lost to the Warp,
and colder the deeper toppled buildings, and weapons
you get towards of every kind find their way
here. Everything is inopera-
tive, turning to the same iron-
like stone as the rest of the
cubes here over time. There
are few orks here except for
scavengers looking for a bit of
extra dakka or choppy to take
back with them. Deeper yet,
and things get more and more
hostile. Even the Orks don't
go all the way down into
Acheron's depths.
The most obvious danger in
Acheron, aside from the na-
tives, is the threat of collisons
between the cubes. While the
cubes are rarely damaged be-
yond a few dents and scrapes,
but those dents and scrapes
are in kilometers of solid iron
- anyone caught between two

249
CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

colliding cubes is as good as dead.

Of course, the cubes aren't always
entirely solid. Some cubes are rid-
dled with tunnels, which make
them favorites for permanent
habitation since cities or struc-
tures built on the surface of a cube
will eventually be crushed.
The tunnels are also cru-
cial sources of food and water, for
they support humid, fertile mush-
room beds and a strange form of
woody, black, earthy fruid called
provender stones. Provender
stones are edible, barely, and re-
semble square black blocks that sit
on the iron plains and grow con-
stantly, some reaching the size of
a house or larger. Ice and sleet
from blizzards fall into the tunnels
and pool in caverns, providing a source of
foul-tasting but live-giving water. ACHERONIAN
The most terrible danger of Acheron
is one that only the most learned scholars
LOCATIONS
know of - time on the cubes of Acheron simply
stops if they sail through the void without col- Istvarhan, the Moving Fortress
liding with another cube. While this does keep Istvarhan is the kind of fortress that
someone stranded on a cube from starving to only an Ork would think to build. It's a huge
death, anyone who can will get away before place made of the only two resources that can
this happens before centuries pass back home. be found in Acheron in vast quantity - iron
and manpower. The walls of Istvarhan are lit-
ACHERONIAN erally made of armor and slaves, and the entire
fortress can be set into motion on their backs.
INHABITANTS The jerky, bouncing motion of the fortress
Acheron is the home of battalions and makes anything besides sitting still a difficult
armies constantly at war. To most, this would task. The Warboss commanding the fortress is
be a place of oppressive death and encroaching Grazdeff the Wise, an Ork with a surprising
horror, but to the native Orks it is nearly a par- grasp of tactics and an ability to put people
adise. They care not for glory or honor, just where they can do the most good. Which is
the sheer excitement of a battle well-fought, quite unfortunate for those who can do the
victory or death. Even the sides and comrades most good bolted into the walls of the fortress.
constantly change - an Ork might fight for one He allows anyone who wishes to join to be-
warband one day and against it the next. come part of his warband, and has assembled
When a battle isn't on, the orks can be surpris- a grand fighting force of blood brothers. It's
ingly cheerful and even good company. There said that he'll be the next to escape Acheron
are a surprising number of soldiers from other and head out in a WAAAAAGH to fight the
races as well, most of them dispossessed sol- greater foes of the Wheel, and his skill at diplo-
diers with nothing left to fight for. They don't macy and technology will make him a danger-
typically last long, but most of them are just ous foe when he does. For now, his main goal
seeking a place to die anyway. There's no real is to assemble a ship to effect such an escape.
native wildlife to speak of.

250
 CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

Hammergrim tempting to do any mining themselves - there

An inward-turned realm of Squats are enough threats from scavengers and jeal-
and ironlike stone, Hammergrim is a dour ous miners, and no one needs an angry dragon
realm of grey light, grey stone, and somber added to that list.
clothing. Even the squat festivals are grim,
with much sonorous chanting and invocations Tintibulus
of protection against the threat of the Orks. Deep, deep within Acheron, things
Hammergrim was founded long ago as a start to change. In the area known as Tintibu-
refuge and striking point against the Ork lus, cubes give way to other geometric shapes,
hordes of Acheron - the Squat's ancient hatred pyramids and prisims and octrahedrons and
for the greenskins demanded they have a shapes that have no name. The shapes here are
foothold against them. It is one of the best much smaller than the iron cubes before, most
places in the Wheel to have a blade forged, scarcely larger than a house. The material of
and the squats there will do so (not happily, the bodies here is also different, not the iron
though - they're never happy) for a price. The of the first layer of cubes or the ironlike stone
ruler of Hammergrim is currently the Living of the second, but dull volcanic rock that frac-
Ancestor Branka, though no ruler of Hammer- tures when collisions occur, cracking along
grim has ever ruled alone - the Court of Mem- natural fault lines. The place is empty, even
ory, where the ruler resides, is haunted by the sounds hardly carrying at all. It mostly resem-
spirits of rulers past. Every ruler of Hammer- bles a very thick asteroid belt, with little to rec-
grim goes insane over time, losing themselves ommend it except as a place to hide.
to the possession of these spirits and becoming
little more than a limp doll when not being Ocanthus
used by them. Branka has only ruled for a There are very few reports from this
short time, so the ill-tempered squat has not part of Acheron. There are no cubes or shapes
yet lost herself to the whispering voices. to find here. Instead, there are razor-thin
shards of black ice, some barely a centimeter
The Mines of Marsellin across, others kilometers in width. Their col-
The mines are a treasure-trove of ar- lisions break them into progressively smaller
tifacts, magic, and strange jeweled machines. shards, eventually into needles and then dust.
Heaps of spacefaring ships, enormous The shards must all come from some single
weapons, and steam-driven carriages are scat- source, though the night-black space filled
tered everywhere. Unfortunately, most of with flying razors doesn't lend itself well to ex-
them have been fused into lumps of solid black ploration. Rumors speak of some bottom to
iron. The mines seem to generate new mate- Acheron, a central sea of black ice as large as
rial daily, though no one has ever learned why. a sun. The only ones who have claimed to
The mines include hundreds, even thousands have gone there and come back are insane and
of strip mines and bottomless well-like shafts. otherwise untrustworthy - but you'd have to
The best kept secrets are which mineshafts be insane to want to make the trip in the first
lead to the interior caverns, those echoing hol- place. Tales of creatures made entirely out of
low spaces filled with the cast-offs of the uni- blades are similarly almost certainly false, and
verse. Most are dead ends, sunk into the black even if they were true, who would want to go
iron cubes by hopeful prospectors who soon to Ocanthus to find out?
turned to iron themselves. The area is over-
seen by an ancient dragon with rust-colored ADVENTURE SEEDS
scales who calls herself Coirosis who hates * The most powerful ship ever con-
theieves and claimjumpers and punishes them structed, The Emperor's Wrath, has been
with swift death. Even the threat of the found floating in Acheron after thousands of
dragon, though, can't keep people away from years lost in the warp. There may be survivors,
the untold riches of the mine. Wise men do but more importantly the ship included an-
well to buy a deed from the dragon before at-

251
CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

cient Syrneth technology that made it invinci- PHYSICAL

ble in combat. The ship must be recovered be-
fore it can fall into the wrong hands or turn CONDITIONS
into stone, and it's quickly turning into a race Baator is a fairly normal-looking place
between the Orks and everyone else in the by most standards. One star, a red giant that
Wheel. looks like a diseased and dying thing, and nine
* Orks just seem to be everywhere in planets. It's a dangerous place by anyone's
Acheron. The rumors say that they aren't standards, but compared to some of the really
born, but simply seem to come up out of the awful places in the universe, Baator's creeping
tunnels in some of the cubes. Are the cubes of evil and sinister tones can seem downright
Acheron some kind of massive farm of the Syr- homey.
neth designed to produce warriors for their an- Baator is safe for ships to travel
cient war? And if so, what would happen if through, following the normal laws and
someone managed to get them up to full pro- physics of the Wheel at large. Of course, those
duction - or stopped them in their tracks? ships had best pay very careful attention to the
* The Living Ancestor Braska will pay orders of the local traffic controllers - Baator
a high price to anyone who can find a way to attracts a surprising number of visitors from
keep her sane despite the spirits haunting her all parts of the Wheel and so traffic can be
palace. While it is forbidden in her society to quite thick. Naturally, Baator being what it is,
actually destroy the ghosts, she is more than anyone breaking those orders has more to
willing to look the other way if it will mean
she isn't doomed to insanity. However, the
ruthless ruler isn't beyond selling out the
PCs to her people if they're caught in the
act.
* The ocean at the very center of
Acheron isn't just a rumor - it's a real thing
and it isn't just a puddle of water. It's hold-
ing back some horror from ancient times. It
is the reason for the cubes existing in their
current state of disrepair, its power flinging
them out of perfect geometric alignments.
The shards of ice in Ocanthus are symptoms
of its awakening, and it might take more
than all the Orks working together to put it
down.

Baator
Nine worlds, each different and
each one sinister yet far from lawless. The
chain of command here is absolute, and dis-
cipline is enforced as much to crush the
spirits of those who don't conform as to
maintain order. The natives here plot and
scheme against one another, vying for
power. It is a place of great opportunities to
the ruthless, but the price of failure is ab-
solute.

252
 CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

worry about than just some minor fender-ben- sky, though anyone who has learned the truth
der. The might of Baator's armies come down of it has ended up dead.
on those that dare break the law here, though
for the right price it's possible to get them to Dis
look the other way. Dis is the second world of Baator, and
the destination that most travellers to Baator
BAATORIAN end up. The entire world is more or less a gi-
gantic city, spires of blackened iron thrusting
INHABITANTS their way into the ashen skies in the few open
Baator attracts all the wrong sort of areas surrounding the core of civilization on
people. The natives here have a long history of this world, the city of Dis, a place so nice they
sorcery, the dangerous kind. Pacts with dae- named it twice. The city is like a hive, crowded
mons are the only way to ascend in society, and dirty, made of darkened iron that turns
testing not only a person's ability to call on the red hot in the glare of the sun. The city of Dis
daemons but also their cunning and ability to is a tightly controlled place, with passes
cut deals that leave them ahead (and alive). needed for almost everything and the activities
The more politically influential people in Baa- of visitors being strictly recorded and their
tor are effectively immortal, with overlapping movements controlled. Most never leave the
contracts and deals that have left them with Port Quarter of the city, though that's where
little humanity in body or soul. Mutation and almost all the services for vistors are located
corruption are common among Baator's in- anyway. At the center of Dis, looking over
habitants. Most worlds of Baator have little in every part of the city from a tower so high it
the way of wildlife - almost everything has reaches nearly into orbit, is the Iron Tower.
been subjugated and planned, used up in Edicts from the city's ruler, Dispater, come
quests for power. What there is was probably down from on high like iron slabs hitting con-
once human but fallen to mutation to become crete.
something less than a man.
Minauros
BAATORIAN Minauros is best described as a stink-
LOCATIONS ing bog. Polluted acid rain washes down from
a leaden sky like the burning tears of a god.
Avernus The atmosphere is so thick and hot that lead
Avernus is the world closest to Baa- runs like water, and the surface is a bog of acid
tor's sun, a parched world of blasted, rock- muck and misery. Some very, very tough veg-
strewn fields. The atmosphere is a thick haze etation hangs on to life here, but nothing that
that turns the sky into a smear of glaring red. would really resemble life can survive outside
There is no real water here, just dried up of Minauros' few cities. The most major city
riverbeds and dust. The greatest danger to is, perhaps unsurprisingly, both simply called
anyone coming here is the ever-present threat Minauros and also sinking into the swamp.
of fireballs - seeping gasses from below waiting Rumors persist that the swamp of Minauros
for the slightest spark to erupt into an explo- has no bottom, and that you can sink forever
sion that can burn a man to ash. One of the without ever hitting bedrock. Minauros' ruler,
few things to recommend on this world are the Mammon, is terribly warped from the bar-
quality of its gemstones, mined in a city of de- gains he has made. His greed is said to be al-
praved halflings called Draukari. The stones most infinite, and he is willing to give up
are all of the highest quality, often in shades almost anything to sate his avarace. The fact
and colors that seem totally unreal. The ruler that he has already given up his humanity (or
of Avernus is a Tiefling named Bel. It's ru- whatever race he was - being that he's thirty
mored that Bel runs training camps for the meters tall with the lower body of a snake
armies of Chaos beneath the haze of Avernus' means that it's anyone's guess at this point)
speaks volumes.

253
CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

Phlegethos
Phlegethos is, like most
of Baator, a quite unpleasant
place to live. Some quirk of plan-
etary formation left it with a vol-
canic cycle that causes massive
upheval of the entire surface
every few thousand years. The
place is currently in the beginning
of another of these cyles, and the
entire surface is cracked and
flooded with rivers of magma and
seas of flame. It may seem like
this would be the last sort of place a
person would want to be, but the
same quirk of planetary formation that created
this cycle of volcanic activity also left the Malbolge
planet with an incredible mineral wealth that Malbolge is a gas giant, standing out
replenishes itself every cycle. The ruler of among the other planets like a festering sore
Phlegethos is technically Lady Fierna, though and looking like a diseased boil. While the
most in the know are aware that her father, planet itself is uninhabited, there are a number
Lord Belial, runs most of the planet from be- of small moonlets and stations around it that
hind the scenes. Both have little to do with the draw off valuable gasses from the planet. The
mining operations directly, just managing the most interesting feature of Malbolge are the
managers, and spend their lives in incredible massive corpses that orbit it, remnants of a
hedonism. species that is likely long dead, space whales
hundreds of kilometers long. Their bone and
Stygia ivory are a fair bit of the trade from Malbolge,
A place that seems like a refreshing the sheer size of the corpses meaning that the
change from the heat-blasted first few worlds supply is almost inexhaustible. The ruler of
of Baator, Stygia is a water world, a great Malbolge, Glasya, has only very recently been
frozen sea, a place of crushing ice floes and installed, and is said to be the daughter of the
mammoth icebergs. Floating plants of several soverign of Baator itself.
types form floating swamps and forests on the
water, places that are fairly hospitable. Con- Maladomini
stant storms and lightning make the sky a dan- Maladomini is a planet of ruins, a
gerous place to be, though strong currents world of hard labor under a blood-black sky.
create clear paths through the ice for those Granite and wasted cities scatter the surface of
willing to risk them. Ice floes are the dominant the planet, polluted canals clogging up and
surface here, upon which castles and cities are spilling waste across the scarred surface of the
built. The ruler of this layer is rumored to have planet. Everything natural has been defaced or
been imprisoned deep in the ice of a massive destroyed. Strip mines, slag heaps, landfills,
iceberg, trapped and unable to die by some and crumbled ruins are the terrain of this
badly-made contract with a daemon. The planet. The ruler, Triel, is an Aasimar who has
planet has reverted to a sort of controlled an- apparently been driven insane (or worse) by
archy, with private armies enforcing the laws the pressures of Baator. No one has seen him
of their masters with an iron fist in the now- in person in decades, and his orders have
fractuous city states. grown more and more insane - he demands
perfection from all endevors, and this is most

254
 CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

evident in the construction of his captial city. Nessus

He has demanded that workers restart the ef- The final planet of the system, and
fort again and again, always displeased. The one of the best-protected places in the entire
entire planet has been torn apart and half-re- Wheel. An armada of ships prevents anyone
assembled under his orders. from getting close. It is from here that Baator
is ruled. Nessus is a black planet crisscrossed
Cania by rifts and trenches, some little more than a
Where Stygia is a frozen sea, Cania is few meters deep and others extending hun-
a place of ice and land even harsher than that dreds or even thousands of kilometers into the
planet. Here the ice isn't just water, but the air depths. In the deepest pit, of incalculable and
itself freezing in the almost-perfect cold. The impossible depth, broods Asmodeus, the ruler
world has a unique industry, producing some of Baator. He is, from reports, soft-spoken, ar-
of the finest plasma weaponry there is. The ticulate, chillingly reasonable, and so powerful
ruler of the planet, Mephistopheles, is a man as to defy comprehension.
who displays a facade of charm, civility, and
wit. In reality, he has a terrible temper with Adventure Hooks
endless ambition. He is a powerful sorcerer, * The ruler of Stygia, Prince Levistus,
and has recently developed a way to create a is only allowed one day of freedom every year
type of warp plasma with his spells. He has from his prison of ice. He is willing to give the
openly stated he intends to rule the entire sys- heroes almost anything if they can find a way
tem, and no doubt he intends to use this new to free him, a task that may require the slaying
power to fuel that ambition. of a Daemon before the more mundane task
of cutting him free can even begin.
* An assassination attempt has re-
cently been aimed at Glasya, and failed. Now
the entire crystal sphere is on lockdown and
martial law is getting worse and worse. Unless
someone can find the assassin soon, the para-
noia and twistings of betrayal of the system
will erupt into a real war. Fortunately,
the heroes are beyond suspicion and
have been hired - apparently by As-
modeus himself - to take care of the
problem. Or else.
* A warp storm has been building
around Baator for some time now, and
ships are finding it more and more dif-
ficult to get into the crystal sphere and
out again. While this has driven the
prices of Baatoran goods up, it appears
that this may not be a natural warp
storm, but an attack from one of Baa-
tor's enemies.
* A man approaches the heroes beg-
ging for help - his child has been se-
duced and lured to Baator by the
promise of wealth, wine, and women.
The rumors suggest that this is a plot
by a high-ranking Baatorian to gather a
huge number of unwitting people to
serve as a sacrifice to ascend to some

255
CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

higher power. Other rumors say that the offer

is just what it seems, an attempt to boost the
tourism trade.

Beastlands
The Beastlands are a mysterious
Crystal Sphere. There are a number of planets
circling the star that are habitable, each one
covered in wilderness and with astoundingly
deadly wildlife. There are some ruins on the
planets and mysterious power signatures, but
attempts to investigate the ruins or establish a
colony have all met with failure as the fauna -
and even flora - turned actively hostile,
demonstrating abilities impossible for normal
plant and animal life that only increased in re-
sponse to resistance.

PHYSICAL
CONDITIONS ecosystems are astoundingly deadly to out-
To a casual observer, the Beastlands siders, functioning almost like a massive de-
seem like a fairly normal system, if one com- fense system at every scale from microscopic
pletely untouched by industry and the trap- to even defending from orbital threats. The
pings of civilization. Someone more observant things that the life forms on these planets can
might note that the worlds in the Sphere are do border on the supernatural in scope, yet
unusually flush and full of life, with every sin- there doesn't seem to be much actual magic to
gle solid surface - and even the system's sole it at all, merely biology so incredibly advanced
gas giant - supporting an advanced ecology. that it seems impossible, from trees that grow
The system has seven planets, and there's little as armored shells around high-energy hydro-
point in describing each of them in detail - carbons - firing upward as ballistic missiles
they are all nearly the same. that can even achieve orbit - to plants with
The sameness of the worlds is actually leaves with almost perfectly reflective surfaces
quite startling. Very nearly the same ecosys- that they use to focus ambient light into deadly
tems exist in every world, just adapting to sur- beams of heat.
vive in the conditions present on each of the The fauna is even worse than the
planets. From what few samples scholars have flora. Dragons can't even compete with them,
been able to gather, the native organisms de- mostly because they all seem to work together
veloped an astounding ability to survive in when intruders are around. When observed
nearly any environment, possibly thanks to a from a great distance, the ecology seems to
massive planetary disaster. There's little evi- settle and act like a fairly normal world, the life
dence to support that theory, though. With the forms preying on one another and so forth. It's
active ecosystem on each system, finding only when someone from the outside comes in
craters and other signs of disaster are difficult. and disturbs things that they seem to sponta-
Any kind of active scan is almost inevitably neously form an army. There doesn't seem to
met with a response from the planet. be any central planning or hivemind effect - all
Naturally, it's this response that is of of the behavior seems to be emergent, devel-
greatest interest to people. Mostly because it's oping from their normal behaviors.
what ends up killing just about everyone. The Because of the sheer danger of the

256
 CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

mass for a growing infection

that started after life forms
from the planet got onboard.
The Mothership has since
become a crumpled wreck
overgrown with tough fun-
gus and massive vines that
have developed thick skins
that use metal drawn from
the ship to form radiation-
resisting hulls. Animals,
most of them smaller and
stranger than in the rest of
the system, prowl the
warped hallways which have
become more like caves or
the bowels of some massive
beast.
ecologies, settlements are more-or-less impos-
sible. One attempt was made to terraform the The Sargasso Asteroids
most temperate of the planets. The attempt Supporting the idea that the life forms
ended badly, and the tales the few survivors here spread through space via some kind of
told were enough to make sure a second mis- impact event, asteroids have become collected
sion was never launched. To date, the Beast- in most of the stable Lagrange points and, over
lands lie relatively untouched, left to the time, life has grown there. Weedy strings of
dangerous animals within. plant matter and bacteria have joined the as-
teroids that fall here into loose nests and webs.
BEASTLANDS They're one of the few places that are relatively
safe to collect samples from, as there isn't
INHABITANTS enough biomass to create anything really dan-
The only real inhabitants are the gerous, though occasionally asteroids will
strange, extremely advanced life forms. Noth- break free on suspiciously precise trajectories
ing else can really survive for long, either end- to hit ships that approach too closely.
ing up becoming food or being torn apart and
then food. A few (very well armed) scientists
The Great Circle
still study the local life forms, but their expe-
The Great Circle is the name given to
ditions have to be very fast and unobtrusive -
the only ruins that have ever been discovered
even a slight disturbance can start the wildlife
on any of the planets of the Beastlands.
on a killing spree.
They're the only structures that aren't over-
grown or destroyed quickly by invading plants
BEASTLANDS and animals. The ruins are in the form of a
LOCATIONS ring, twenty kilometers around and a kilome-
ter and a half thick. Several expeditions have
The Mothership tried to explore the ruins, but there doesn't
seem to be a way inside the structure. For
The remains of the first terraforming
now, it remains one of the greatest mysteries
attempt are still floating in-system. The mas-
in the Sphere.
sive ship is several kilometers long, and had a
crew numbering in the tens of thousands.
Had. Only a tiny fraction of the crew managed Variable Gravity Well
to escape, and the rest became food and bio- On one of the moons of the system's

257
CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

sole gas giant (which itself harbors floating nected.

plants and animals like gliding wings and * Reports speak of strange ships being
baloons) is a spot that's unique in the system. seen around the Beastlands, both inside and
Something buried deep within the moon is outside of the Spheres. The ships don't match
emitting a high amount of warp energy that's any known class or even general design philos-
warping space around the moon, the effect phy of the known races. At least one of the
most strongly felt as a, well, variable gravity ships was destroyed after firing strange plasma
well that changes in shape and power over weapons on a human ship. The debris recov-
time. The corpses of many thousands of the ered - and there wasn't much - was almost en-
largest variety of predatory native are in a mas- tirely non-metallic, made of strange polymers
sive pile over the site of the gravity well, their and plastics that seem organic in nature. Are
hardened shells forming a tough barrier that these ships connected to the reports of space
would take battleship-level weapons to break monsters attacking nearby Crystal Spheres?
through. Even approaching this moon is dan-
gerous - it seems to represent a sore spot or
sensitive zone for the wildlife, always drawing Bytopia
fire.
Bytopia is a place of intense industry,
a pair of worlds that are covered in forges and
Adventure Hooks factories, industrial complexes soaring into the
* Recently, humanoid creatures have sky and mine workings burrowing deep into
been spotted on one of the planets in-system. the crust. Bytopia boats the most impressive
They didn't quite match the description of any factories in known space, its massive produc-
known race, but seem to combine features tion able to supply armies throughout the
from all of them. Are they intelligent life forms Wheel. Entire fleets are devoted to bringing
that have somehow escaped detection until raw materials to Bytopia and bringing con-
now, a new development that has only recently sumer goods away. The very void within the
evolved, or are they part of a rumored cult of Crystal Sphere of Bytopia is contaminated
survivalists that is said to have come to the with enough industrial pollution and smoke to
Beastlands to escape the sprawl of civilization? give it a thin atmospheric haze.
* Some of the scientists returning
from studies of the Beastlands have been van-
ishing after returning home. At the same time, PHYSICAL
there are reports of creatures that resemble the CONDITIONS
native life of the Beastlands appearing on their Bytopia is an old and used-up system.
homeworlds. Is there some new disease or in- There are only two planets left, encrusted with
fection that is lying dormant in researchers and factories and landing facilities for ships. Space
waiting to spread the taint of the bizarre life elevators hang down from artificial, solid, rings
here across the Wheel? around each planet that serve both as docking
* Increasingly, as research efforts be- ports for massive freight ships and mass accel-
come more uncommon and unmanned probes erators for launching cargo loads to waiting
become the norm, strange malfunctions and nets and waste loads into the sun. The planets
glitches have been occuring. Probes are are only barely habitable, wastelands of indus-
recording passages of time that don't match trial waste and mining debris. The vast major-
the time that passes outside the Sphere. It ap- ity of the large populaton spends their lives
pears as though the longer that the Sphere inside, many never seeing the light of day.
goes without being opened, the faster time Bytopia's system is thankfully free of
passes inside it. Some have suggested that this magical hazards. The place operates much as
time warp might be the cause for why the life you'd expect a space to, with few surprises in
here is so evolved - it's had many more billions terms of the actual physical laws. The compo-
of years without extinction-level events or out- sition of the plane might surprise a person,
siders becoming involved to become intercon- though. As noted above, there's so much pol-

258
 CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

lution and industrial waste floating around in viewed with suspicion and kept away from the
the sphere that it's actually somewhat pressur- general population, distracted by areas set
ized, thicker than a nebula and made entirely aside for just that purpose. Going outside
out of pollution. these areas carries the threat of immediate and
There's plenty of evidence that there often deadly police action.
were a number of other worlds in the system. Ships are constantly moving in and
The mined-out remnants of no less than three out of the system, making the traffic a hazard
gas giants and two other rocky planets float in in its own right. Thankfully, the traffic control
lazy orbits. There's little left now except an- agents of Bytopia are excellent - the combina-
cient scaffolding from when they literally took tion of Virtual Intelligence and extreme skill
the planets apart, too old and in much disre- they use combines the best aspects of logic and
pair, everything of value already taken away. instinct. The trade in raw materials and ore
The only thing left are frameworks of metal has priority over almost all other traffic, fuel
too difficult to work or scrap. for the furnaces of creation.
The first planet of Bytopia, Dothion,
is all rust-colored landscapes and tarnished BYTOPIAN
metal. Most of the natives live in massive ar-
cologies that supply all their needs. Monorails INHABITANTS
and moving walkways are the norm - there are The major inhabitants of Bytopia are
almost no personal transports except for the Squats and Humans. Halflings are found in
very rich. Most live within walking distance of great numbers as well, though they typically
their jobs, only know their neighbors and live in the underbelly of the factory-cities, sur-
workmates, and never viving on scraps and
even think about travel cunning. Gnomes can
or the outside world. Va- be found as well, work-
cations are spent in pur- ing on the more arcane
pose-built recreation and ancient machinery
zones which offer some and keeping it running
modest simulation of na- from day to day. There
ture, albeit one crowded is no wildlife to speak of,
shoulder-to-shoulder though there are some
with other people. working animals used in
The second a few factories, and pets
planet, Shurrock, is far kept by the affluent.
less forgiving. It pro-
duces many items that BYTOPIAN
are restricted or illegal on LOCATIONS
other worlds - lockpicks,
weapons, military armor,
and spelljammer compo- Ring 0
nents. The natives don't One of the oldest
have the same sort of parts of the system, Ring
freedoms enjoyed on the 0 is the scaffolding rem-
first world - because of nant of one of the inner
the dangerous nature of rocky planets. It was one
many of the items and of the first planets com-
the value of them all, pletely strip mined, an
they're constantly overbuilt prototype that
watched, searched, and was refined as the By-
screened for dangerous topians tore the rest of
ideas. Outsiders are the system apart. The

259
CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

scaffolding surrounds a useless core of slag coming from the wreck.

rock that no one has (yet) found a use for.
What remains of Ring 0 is what they couldn't GWOTT Headquarters
easy recycle - the mass driver and damaged A government building as large as a
parts that just weren't worth saving. It has be- city, the Great Wheel Order of Trade and Tar-
come something of a tradition for the smaller iffs is the organization that polices economic
independent traders to stop at Ring 0 at the activity and acts as a kind of police force to
end of a successful run. A bar has been built protect the stability of the Wheel's economy
there, and the ancient Ring 0 docks are more and to curtail trade in illegal goods and serv-
than sufficient to handle the light traffic. The ices. GWOTT keeps its headquarters separate
bar, Absolute Zero, is an inflatable structure from Sigil to keep a distance both politically
that looks out into the void with transparent and literally from the interests of the Factions.
walls. It has been destroyed and rebuilt several The chief of GWOTT is a strict and collected
times now, but the bartender, an Eldarin exile woman named Eclipse who makes few public
who goes by Moondog, refuses to make the appearances. Rumors say that the GWOTT
structure more sturdy or quit. He says he en- employs teams of Exalts to take on the most
joys the danger and excitement. difficult and sensitive missions, often breaking
or ignoring local laws for a greater good.
The Last Ruby Rays of Dawn
A wrecked ship, the Last Ruby Rays Solar Observatory #14
of Dawn was carrying extremely hazardous A very plain title for one of the best-
cargo that broke containment and left every- kept secrets in the system. For thousands of
one onboard ship dead. For over a century, years now it has been watching a very strange
the Dawn has floated in an extremely elliptical object - a station orbiting the sun at extremely
orbit that keeps it away from all other traffic close range. Impossibly close. The station has
lanes. No one has tried to salvage the ship - been seen passing through arcs of solar plasma
the filed reports say that it'll be another hun- with no change to the structure. Ships haven't
dred centuries before anyone can go aboard been able to get close enough to actually dock
without melting into a puddle of radioactive with it. The assumption among most scholars
ooze. Or that's what the reports say. No one is is that it's Syrneth in nature, a relic of their
willing to chance it. The ship floats with a golden age. Of course, it hasn't been proven,
hundred thousand kilometer no fly zone and some of the latest scans have presented
around it, though rumors say that transmis- somewhat worrying evidence of growing activ-
sions and even running lights have been seen ity lately. The truth may never be known at all,
as the orbit is slowly decaying and within a
generation or so it is expected to simply drop
into the sun and never be seen again.

ADVENTURE SEEDS
* In one of the best protected factories
of Shurrock is a legion of massive war ma-
chines, titanic walking tanks called Warstrid-
ers. Whoever gets their hands on them can
conquer entire Crystal Spheres, carve out em-
pires among the stars. Next week, the bidding
is due to start. Now, though, they're vulnera-
ble (relatively) and an extremely tempting tar-
get. A surprising amount of information on
their location and the security forces has been
leaked to the wrong people, almost as if they're

260
 CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

tempting someone to try taking them...

* The inhabitants of Dothion
are used to excavating geofronts, huge
caverns underground, to house people
and industry. However, in one of the
latest excavations, the miners discovered
a cave complex that was certainly not
natural. Before contact was lost, they re-
ported strange power sources, halls of
black metal staring into them, stasis
banks with sleeping things the refused to
describe, and, towards the end, the
sense that something was awakening,
that the entire place was alive and full of hate difficult to breach. But each new Crystal
for them, endless ancient hate. Sphere opened has also had prizes, technology
* The GWOTT would like outsiders that even the most clever looters had been un-
to think that it is a perfect organization with- able to claim. Despite the signs that Carceri
out any internal troubles and unparalleled au- was constructed to contain something terribly
thority throughout the Wheel. However, dangerous, the lure of Syrneth technology has
recently two very important high-ranking op- funded countless expeditions.
eratives went rogue, claiming that the
GWOTT is being controlled by a cabal of PHYSICAL
merchants and aristocracy that have some ne-
farious plan. While the rogues might be right,
CONDITIONS
unconfirmed internal reports suggest that they Carceri is located in the scenic middle
might be high-level exalts, and perfectly capa- of nowhere. It's not only out of the way, but
ble of doing a lot of damage on their own. the crystal sphere is shrouded in a dark nebula
* Shurrock has been experimenting that makes it invisible until a spelljammer gets
with something extremely dangerous - a kind close to it, when it suddenly looms up out of
of mind control agent of extreme and subtle the gloom. The portal relay that services
power delivered over multiple means. The Carceri is well outside the nebula, making the
food, water, and entertainment of the planet journey to the crystal sphere a trying task. The
are all tainted with this system, and it has been outermost crystal sphere is easy to breach from
very effective in keeping worker unrest down the outside. From the inside, though, the
and happiness high. However, it appears long- once-easy navigation becomes a trying task,
term use of the drugs and psychological pro- the structure of the crystal sphere serving to
gramming has a detremental effect. An effect funnel ships inside.
that drives people to murder everyone around As already mentioned, Carceri is a
them. unique structure, as far as is known. Inside are
nested crystal spheres - the exact number of
which aren't known. The first open area is the
Carceri most well-known, especially by treasure
hunters, as it's their first stop (and often the
Carceri is an unusual formation, a last place they're seen alive). The space be-
matryoshka doll of Crystal Spheres nested one tween the spheres on the first layer is quite
inside the other. Each layer contains equip- small, only a few kilometers like a shallow sea
ment of incredible age - most assume that it's of space with crystal spheres above and below.
Syrneth, but some scholars claim that it seems Even on the first layer of Carceri, the
even older, though that is of course impossi- Sphere's various hazards appear. The two
ble. The center has never been reached, each most obvious are the massive storms and
Crystal Sphere proving to be more and more clouds of floating debris. Because of a kind of

261
CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

strange extradimensional friction, massive been picked clean, driving the hunters deeper
electrical storms roil across space, strange and deeper in to find anything worth selling.
lighting striking out in all directions in unpre- Still, it's said that even one good find can set a
dictable patterns. These bolts have been man up for life, so those looking to get rich
known to wreck smaller ships and slag electri- quick typically can't resist.
cal systems on larger ships. The debris is even There are other, less obvious dangers
worse, everything from ships wrecked by the to Carceri. While there's no atmosphere, there
storms to clouds of razor-sharp hull fragments are occasional rains and snows of a black acid
that can cut through void suits (and the people that can eat through unprotected starship
wearing them) like a sword through butter. hulls. Some kind of Warp turbulence makes it
There are other dangers as well, some so that no one can manage to get sleep without
of them less obvious. The first few layers have having horrible nightmares that stay with them
been relatively well-explored, and it has be- for the rest of their lives. Worst of all, the com-
come quite clear that space is warped here, pression of space in the lower layers of Carceri
compressed so that impossible gulfs of space carry with them a compression of time. Not
span the layers between the spheres. It seems just time flowing at a different rate, but cause
to grow at an exponential rate, so where only and effect jumbling together, events being
a few kilometers are in the first layer, there are forced closer together even as perception of
hundreds in the next, then tens of thousands. time stays the same and struggles to catch up.
Always at the center, though, is the next layer
of Carceri's crystal sphere. Exacting measure- CARCERIAN
ments have shown only a tiny decrease in the
central sphere's diameter with each layer INHABITANTS
down. There might be hundreds of layers. No one sane would call Carceri
Syrne ruins are the main attraction for home, which means that humans have natu-
visitors. And the only visitors are foolish treas- rally tried to colonize the place. The attempts
ure hunters. There's a long history of treasure have been universally met with failure. No one
hunting here, thousands of years of people wants to stay here. The creatures that seem
throwing their lives away for Syrne artifacts. truly native to the place are among the worst,
All of the ruins that are easy to get to have and toughest, known to exist. Aside from

262
 CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

crawling things like giant bugs that scavenge approach, as any unauthorized attempts to
wrecked ships for anything they can eat, there close with it end in being fired on. Rumors say
are predators like large flying jellyfish that have that the shipyard isn't government work, and
proven resistant to even concentrated attacks that pirates run the place, but that seems un-
and seem to drain the very life from their vic- likely given some of the ships seen there unless
tims. the pirates and government are working to-
gether - a theory only a conspiracy theorist
CARCERIAN would believe. What is certainly true is that the
shipyard is building prototype ships designed
LOCATIONS to penetrate the extremely dangerous Crystal
Spheres of the lowest Carceri layers, complete
The Vault with a new and unique type of navigation sys-
Carceri is a place that's hard to get out tem.
of, with no helpful natives and nowhere to re-
ally run. It's a great place to build a prison, or Agathys
at least so thought some of the Factions. When Agathys is the name scholars have
someone really, really needs to disappear, this given to the sixth layer of Carceri, the deepest
is where they're sent. It's a structure that re- one that has been reliably penetrated and
sembles nothing so much as a blank sphere of partly mapped. While some gatecrashers tell
iron, with just one dock for a ship, no win- stories of navigating through the crystal sphere
dows, and no lights, guide beacons, or any- at its center and reaching another layer full of
thing else to draw attention. The warden, ruins, but this is almost certainly nothing more
named Staccato Thaman, is a man with a hard than just stories or dumb luck. Current think-
head and an iron fist. No one has ever escaped ing is that no human can actually penetrate the
from the vault. As long as he's in charge, he's Crystal Sphere here - the course changes
going to make sure no one ever does. needed are too much for anything but a com-
puter, but actually building the program that
Rostok can manage it and the ship that can fly the
Rostok is one of the very few places in course have proven difficult.
Carceri that offers travellers any services. It's
a space station bodged together with scrapped ADVENTURE HOOKS
hulls of ships and garbage, giving it a ram- * The unique properties of the plane
shackle and overall dirty appearance. For the have inspired a group of mages to create a
gatecrashers who attempt to penetrate deep unique form of magic that affects time itself.
into Carceri's layers, though, it's the place they They're not willing to just teach these secrets
come for supplies and the latest information. to anyone, but if someone was persuasive
While no one is really in charge here, enough or managed to do some pretty impres-
Sidorovich is an old gatecrasher who has re- sive things for them, they might just be willing
tired here, and has ended up keeping the place to give him a hint or two.
running with repairs and patches. Anyone who * Beyond Agathys, in the deepest part
comes here can find things to buy, people will- of Carceri, is a thing, a monolith or obelisk
ing to buy almost anything even a little useful, that can grant wishes to anyone with what it
and the occasional artifact brought back by a takes to get to it. Many have tried to reach it,
lucky adventurer who managed to find a scrap and almost all of them have failed. Their am-
of Syrneth technology that hadn't been scav- bitions were mountains of artifacts and gold,
enged yet. and anything else their greedy minds could
think of. Of course, it extracted from them a
Shipyard X-18 price, and some people tell horror stories of
Another highly defended point, X-18 people who got exactly what they wanted.
is located three layers deep in Carceri, far from * In the void between the spheres, im-
prying eyes. The place is extremely difficult to

263
CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

possible music sometimes finds its way to peo-

ple, carrying promises and power in exchange
for terrible sacrifices, always involving the be-
trayal or murder of someone close to the lis-
tener. There aren't many that can resist these
calls, not because of any mind-controlling ef-
fects, but just because what they offer is tai-
lored to the person that hears it.
* Some very wild and unconfirmed
rumors say that what the Syrne were protect-
ing deep inside Carceri wasn't some amazing
artifact or powerful weapon but the future of
their race. Some of the more barmy and un-
trustworthy types have claimed to meet with and structured, hinting at another weaver.
real, living Syrne. But that is, of course, totally Within the city of Commorragh, it is
impossible. And you'd have to be even barmier much like being inside an immense cavern.
than they are to go looking. The temperature is mild at all times but never
quite comfortable, ranging from just a little too
hot to just a little too cold. The air is damp
Commorragh and dank, gray fog rolling through the city
daily. The light is inconstant and dim, though
Not a real Crystal Sphere, the city of the bright neon lights of the city provide garish
Commorragh is a dark parallel to Sigil, a hid- illumination at street level.
den place lying in the Warp itself, a place of It is difficult to comprehend the sheer
anarchy and terror ruled by the Dark Eldarin scale of Commorragh. When someone pic-
and their dark god, Lolth, a demon spider tures a city, they typically think of some mere
queen who protects them from the ravages of metropolis. Perhaps if they're well-travelled,
the warp. Their depravity knows no bounds, they may think of a world entirely covered in
and what happens to the slaves and captives construction like Dis. Commorragh is so
they take is... unspeakable. much larger than that. The city is a megastruc-
ture that reaches for literally billions of kilo-
PHYSICAL meters. In the real universe, such a structure
CONDITIONS would collapse in on itself, but in the warp it
hangs like a tumor in the endless expanse,
Commorragh is a difficult city to find,
growing and changing at the behest of Lolth.
existing in the Warp itself. It is built in and on
The megastructure of Commorragh is
a massive series of constructs called the Web-
connected and built around the webway like a
way, secret invisible passageways that create a
particularly tasty morsel trapped in a spider's
space not unlike the Umbra - not quite the real
web. Because it is located in the Warp, ships
world, but not quite the Warp either. It is a
can travel directly to it without ever exiting the
place of shadows, the color drained out of
Warp, making it almost impossible to track
everything and leaving it black and white.
those ships or find the city. It's said that only
The Webway itself is akin to a giant
the Dark Eldarin can truly find the city, their
spider's web woven out of a strange material
pact with Lolth giving them an internal com-
that is rumored to be the lost souls of those
pass centered on the Dark City.
who have been captured by the Dark Eldarin
The half-reality of Commorragh has
and sacrificed to the daemon Lolth. Lolth is
strange effects on people. While the shadowy
the weaver of the Webway, either having de-
reality of the webway is fairly safe, certainly
veloped the technique herself or learned it in
moreso than the Abyss that it shields from, it
some ancient time. Some parts of the Webway
isn't quite the same as normal reality. Light
seem quite different from the chaotic tangle
does not travel as far, liquids seem thicker and
that Lolth has created, surprisingly orderly

264
 CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

ing.

COMMORRAGHAN
LOCATIONS
Daemonweb Pits
The domain of Lolth herself, the Dae-
monweb pits are said to exist near the very
heart of Commorragh, a tangle of webs in a
space tens of thousands of kilometers wide.
There, Lolth and her most trusted servants
(who rarely last long before they're sus-
pected of betrayal and replaced with new
trusted servants) plot from a massive mov-
ing palace of darksteel and mithril shaped
like a vast spider crawling across the web
strands. Lolth herself is rumored to be a
rogue or fallen pattern spider, one of the
weavers of destiny. Lolth, of course, has
anyone killed if they speak of her as less
than a god, so the wise would take care to
keep these rumors to themselves.

Erelhei-Cinlu
Erelhei-Cinlu is one of the largest Ka-
ichorous. Even emotions are affected - within bals in Commorragh, a self-governing socio-
the webway not only are lights and flame economic paramilitary organization.
dimmed, but also anger, joy, and sadness. Commorragh is simply too large for any single
This is something of a boon for the Dark El- government to control it, and so the Kabals
darin, as outside of the webway they are con- formed out of the old noble familes and pleas-
trolled by their powerful emotions - though ure cults. Erelhei-Cinlu is... calling it safe
some say that their powerful emotional dis- would be improper, but it is slightly less dan-
plays are a reaction to the webway itself, over- gerous than some of the other Dark Eldarin
compensating for the normally muted feelings. Kabals. The Dark Eldarin here have recently
recovered from one of the civil wars common
COMMORRAGHAN to their kind, and have become increasingly
INHABITANTS aware that they don't exist in a vacuum, and
that the Great Wheel can offer them more
The most common inhabitants of
than just slaves and toys. Outsiders are becom-
Commorragh are, of course, the Dark Eldarin.
ing increasingly common in Erelhei-Cinlu,
They are the masters of the city, decadent and
merchants and mercenaries who have sworn
full of terrible lusts. Slaves of all shapes and
blood oaths to obey the Kabal. The survival
sizes can be found everywhere, outnumbering
rate for outsiders is surprisingly high, and peo-
the Dark Eldarin but broken by the totures
ple have actually been known to come back
and horrors they've experienced. Lolth's dae-
from Erelhei-Cinlu. Few desire to return to
monic minions wander the streets, toying with
the Dark City, but the lure of wealth and un-
the Dark Eldarin as they toy with others. Al-
told pleasures tempts many.
most any kind of person or creature could be
found here, especially if one of the cruel mis-
tresses of the Dark Eldarin would find it amus- Menzoberranzan
One of the oldest Dark Eldarin Ka-

265
CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

bals, Menzoberranzan is an archetypical Dark them for some terrible purpose. But what
Eldarin city-state, with huge numbers of slaves could the Dark Eldarin need with such a vast
existing only to serve the needs of their mis- number of slaves, and how were they taken so
tresses. The city is a matriarchy where the easily? To find the answers, the heroes will
most powerful rise to the top through assassi- need to find a guide who can lead them to the
nation and torture. They say that visitors are Dark City - and unless they hurry, there's no
welcome here, and that's certainly true. What telling just what will happen to the captives.
most visitors learn quickly is that they're wel- * A powerful merchant has made con-
come as tools and playthings. Anyone visiting tacts in Commorragh. He's accepted their in-
Menzoberranzan will quickly become part of vitation to meet and discuss a trade agreement
the endless game of politics and death that un- to use him as a front to sell their goods and
derlies everything in the city. Because the city buy what they want from the outside world.
is so old, it is deeper within the megastructure He is no fool, though, and requires powerful
of Commorragh than other Dark Eldarin Ka- bodyguards in case this is just an elaborate
bals, often finding itself under siege from the plan to betray him. Anyone he hires will have
terrors of the Underdark. Menzoberranzan's to be careful not to anger or offend the Dark
ruler is Triel Baenre, a priestess of Lolth who Eldarin, lest they decide to turn on the of-
commands great respect and fear for her pacts fender and make an example of him.
with the Spider Queen. She doesn't rule with * A recent slave revolt in Erelhei-
an iron fist but a cloaked blade, her enemies Cinlu has made it clear that there is someone
simply vanishing.

Underdark
Vast spans of Commorragh are
labyrinths of steel and mist, entire worlds
worth of artificial caverns and illogical con-
structions that seem almost random in form
and completely without function. They are
often pitch-black, and in the vastness of these
spaces, strange forms of life encouraged by the
underlying taint of the warp and the raditation
of its mutating energies grow into strange
ecologies. There are nameless seas as wide and
deep as entire worlds that no mortal eye has
ever seen, endless twisting passageways
through the dark, forests of fungus and vines,
half-starved cannibalistic monsters descended
from escaped pets and experiements of the
Dark Eldarin, and roaming undead. There are
rumors of grand treasures in the Underdark,
of hordes of gold, weapons, and data that lie
for the taking, abandoned or hidden in some
lost scheme by one of the Dark Eldarin. Life-
times could be spent wandering the Under-
dark, meeting no one, seeing nothing, just
alone in the utter darkness and silence.

Adventure Seeds
* The population of an entire Crystal
Sphere has vanished in a single day. Evidence
suggests that the Dark Eldarin have taken

266
 CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

organizing the slaves to rise up and fight the guard Elysium against all who would dare to
Dark Eldarin. The Dark Eldarin have put an enter. There are no permanent settlements on
extraordinary price on the head of the instiga- any of the planets. The Eldarin do not want to
tor. It has become a deadly race to find him, live on the surface, even here, and space sta-
and the heroes might find themselves on either tions and remaining onboard ship are the
side of the conflict. norm.
The six worlds of Elysium are each
suited to a different climate, though all are eas-
Elysium ily habitable. The first world is a desert, but
with surprisingly abundant plant and animal
A small group of worlds, Elysium is a life that makes survival easy for those who
Crystal Sphere that almost seems an un- know how to look. It is a place of harsh beauty,
touched paradise. Each world is blessed with perfect for those seeking a quiet place to med-
fertile richness and unsurpassed natural itate. The second world is a lush jungle burst-
beauty. However, these worlds are claimed by ing with life, hot and steaming and filled with
the Eldarin, and those who seek to settle there color. Thousands of years of breeding have
must take care not to disrupt the land or break turned the animal life here tame - they prey
any of the Eldarin's mysterious laws. upon each other as in a normal ecosystem, but
they would never harm the Eldarin (or most
PHYSICAL sentients, who don't look terribly different in
CONDITIONS their eyes).
There are a half dozen worlds in the The third world is a hilly grassland
Elysium system, each one beautiful in its own with fields of boulders and creeping vines.
way. The system is somewhere between a gar- There are small trees that dot the landscape,
den and a wild paradise, the ancient Eldarin each one twisted and stunted and shaped into
allowing it to grow and trimming away unde- a pleasing form. Small songbirds and flying in-
sirable growths. Speaking purely in terms of sects with glowing wings flitter through the
natural hazards, Elysium is one of the safest sky. The fourth world is a broadleaf forest, a
places in the Wheel. There are no deadly pred- place of flowing rivers, streams, and wide
ators here (at least none that will attack peo- oceans, with the sound of flowing water cas-
ple, anyway), no poisonous plants, and no cading everywhere.
massive rivers of fire or atmospheres of poison The fifth world is much like the
gas. The void between the planets is clean, free fourth, but where the fourth world is temper-
of all debris both natural and artificial. There ate, the fifth is chilled, with light snowfalls and
aren't even micrometeorites here to scar a needle-bearing trees. The temperature varies
ship's paint. just enough to get a freeze and a thaw, allow-
However, there is one extremely real ing for beautiful ice formations and then a
threat here. The warming spring.
Eldarin. While The last of the
most Eldarin live worlds of Elysium
their lives aboard is a frozen tundra,
world-ships and windswept fields
rarely even set foot of glaciers and pil-
on a planet, they liars of ice like
still find planets some natural city
useful for some carved by erosion.
things, and the Just like the first
world-ships of the world, this is a
Eldarin occasion- place of quiet
ally need repair. meditation, with
They jealously all the tools of sur-

267
CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

vival easily at hand.

ELYSIAN
INHABITANTS
Elysium has a large amount of
wildlife, the Eldarin having chosen only the
most beautiful and interesting animals to place
on their Maiden Worlds. Of course, there are
also the working animals that keep the ecosys-
tem working - earthworms and ants, for exam-
ple. There are always Eldarin in the system,
and it's one of the few places that Eldarin from
different craftworlds are likely to meet. Visitors
this power grid is to power weather-control de-
from other races are rare, as the Eldarin dis-
vices buried beneath the crust of the six
courage other races. Violently. With lasers.
maiden worlds, keeping them at the same
Still, if one is a true ally of the Eldarin, being
biome from pole to pole all year long. The
allowed to see Elysium is the greatest privilage
Array is maintained by a special sect of Eldarin
they can offer, and so even if it is rare, other
that never leave the system. They are the
races can be found here (typically being
youngest and the oldest of their race, those
watched at all times from a polite distance).
with much to learn and those who can teach
and have left adventures behind them. Almost
ELYSIAN all Eldarin serve here, at least for a short time.
LOCATIONS
The names of most of these locations The Axis
have been shortened from their extremely long A massive space station built out of a
and poetic Eldarin names to shorter terms that massive asteroid, Axis is the closest thing to a
have roughly the same meaning. real government capital of the Eldarin. It is a
meeting place where Eldarin from different
The World Harbour craftworlds come to meet and discuss events,
The only docking platform large trade agreements, and plans for the future.
enough to accomodate a world-ship, this mas- The tone of these meetings is always extremely
sive, skeletal space station floats beyond the formal, something like a ball crossed with a
sixth planet. While skiffs and smaller vessels political debate. These formal meetings are
are typically used to resupply world-ships, oc- where many young couples and political al-
casionally one will need refitting or massive re- liances are formed. The current commander
pair work due to some accident or attack. The of Axis is a young Eldarin named Haman
Eldarin preform all of their repair work here, Karn. She has distinguished herself as a fighter
away from prying eyes. The world-ships are and a charasmatic leader, and rumors say that
their homes, and so they treat them with great she Exalted shortly before assuming leader-
care. This is also the birthplace of new world- ship. She is a dangerous woman, who has a
ships, built here by sorcery and careful work, very dim view of the other races and would as
growing like a living thing of wraithbone. The soon have them exterminated.
process is said to take centuries, and none
have been built in living memory. The Cradle
The Eldarin reproduce only slowly
The Array and require time and great care to bear young.
A massive solar array like a net The Cradle is a place they built specifically for
around the sun, The Array provides power the purpose. It is a large space station that is
throughout the system. The main target for extraordinarily well defended. Outsiders are

268
 CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

not allowed in under and circumstances, and closer the 'earthbergs' are to their central star,
automated systems ensure that even if every the more intense their geological activity, with
defender should fall, the developing Eldarin the innermost constantly erupting and the out-
will be taken care of. Rumors say that inside, ermost a cold, almost dead place aside from
The Cradle is just row after row of artificial geothermal vents and cracks.
wombs, countless millions of them. And de-
spite this, the Eldarin are still slowly declining, PHYSICAL
losses from wars too much for them to bear.
CONDITIONS
ADVENTURE HOOKS There's nowhere flat on Gehenna.
That's inevitably the first thing anyone notices
* Elysium isn't just where the Eldarin on entering the sphere, because it isn't just the
come to have children, but also where they planets that are affected, even artifical gravity
come to die. Under the surface of the worlds systems can't compensate. Something about
are massive catacombs where the bodies and the place makes it utterly impossible for any-
belongings of the most powerful Eldarin lie. A thing to stay stable and perpendicular to grav-
graverobber could make a fortune in a day if ity. Most ships seem to 'list' at somewhere
he could find his way into these catacombs, if between ten and forty-five degrees, though
he could somehow get in and out without get- some go nearly vertical. This makes getting
ting killed in seconds. around the system annoying, since most ships
* The Eldarin have been keeping it a are forced to turn off their gravity - and the
secret even from most of their race, but their ones that can't are stuck with a hill climb just
ability to control the six Maiden Worlds has to get around.
been slipping. Most recently, a terrible preda- There are four main earthbergs, hun-
tor spawned on the second world, and has dreds of thousands of kilometers tall, far larger
slain dozens of brave Eldarin warriors and only than a normal planet. Each is a hotbed of vol-
grown stronger from the experience. The El- canic turmoil. Each has mostly cleared the
darin will reward anyone who can destroy this space in its orbit, though it's not uncommon
creature extremely well, though anyone taking for smaller rocks to tumble out and smash into
the job had better make sure to get a promise the earthbergs. The dark void between the or-
of safe passage in and out of Elysium. bits of these primary earthbergs is dark and al-
* The Eldarin despirately need to most impenetrable, a minefield of hot rocks
bring some fresh blood into the fold. Elves and and, away from the central sun, ice. It's impos-
Dark Eldarin, though both are distasteful, are sible to see from one berg to the next, and
perhaps the only answer. The heroes are going even trying to get a glimpse of the central sun
to have to escort an Elven Prince and a Dark is difficult - not that anyone would want to.
Eldarin Archon to Elysium and get them both Gehenna's sun is a sickly, half-dead thing that
there alive and happy - while defusing what- produces dim red light and smoulders with
ever plots they have. dark shadows like a coal.
The first berg is called Chamada, and
is pretty much the most hostile place in
Gehenna Gehenna. In addition to the heat it gets from
the sun - the only berg to get much heat from
Gehenna is a Crystal Sphere of mas- it at all - it also steams with heat from the in-
sive volcanic activity - some obscure change to ternal volcanic activity. Though really, little
the laws of reality have made every planetary enough of the geological activity here is inter-
body turn into geothermal furnaces, with four nal. Most of it seems ready to escape at any
main planets like twin volcanoes hundreds of moment, and very good at it. At any given
thousands of kilometers tall and joined at the time, about half of the surface area of the berg
base. Countless mountain-sized burning rocks is molten rock.
orbit and float with these 'earthbergs'. The The second berg is considered to be

269
CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

the most gentle of the four. And it surprises

some to think that Khalas would ever be con-
sidered gentle, considering the ground is hot
enough to burn unprotected feet. Even so, it's
one of the few places with running water. Of
course the water runs in great rivers that cut
canyons and ravines into the rock. The third
berg is a place of ice and fire, occasional rivers
of burning rock streaming through glaciers
tainted foul and black with ash. It's always too
hot or too cold on Mungoth, with nothing in
between.
The berg farthest from the sun is
Soltheim, a rough place of ice. The volcanic
activity here is long dead, and any warmth it
had is once gone. It's a brutal, dark place, to-
tally inhospitable to life. Even the tough native
life doesn't extend to this location. It's just an
empty, dead rock.

GEHENNAN
INHABITANTS
The main inhabitants of Gehenna are,
surprisingly, Dark Eldarin. Just as the Eldarin
need somewhere in a gravity well to do their
thing, the Dark Eldarin do as well - and Com-
morragh is in the middle of the warp, making
it less than ideal for quite a few things. course, as to what crimes the people actually
Gehenna isn't well-traveled otherwise, making were guilty of, well... typically it's merely
it useful for them. The native plant and animal catching the interest of the Mandrakes. A mas-
life here is limited to fungus and insects of sur- sive temple to Lolth dominates Vivec, and it's
prising size, some of which are dangerously ag- said that one of her most powerful servants,
gressive. There isn't much here that isn't trying half Eldarin and half Daemon, lives there and
to kill someone. dispenses orders directly from her dark mas-
ter.
GEHENNAN Rura Penthe
LOCATIONS Rura Penthe is a prison built on
Soltheim by the human Imperium. The place
Vivec has some of the harshest prison conditions in
Vivec is the largest Dark Eldarin set- the Wheel. There are no walls, few guards,
tlement, a sprawling complex of small arcolo- and a lot of cold, ice, and cliffs. Unlike most
gies over roaring rivers, connected with prisons, plenty of people have tried to escape
bridges deliberately unsafe bridges. The Dark Rura Penthe. The guards don't even give chase
Eldarin decided long ago that safety railings when people leave the perimeter - the cold is
were a lot less entertaining than making the more than enough to take care of all but the
edges of the bridges slippery and razor-sharp. hardiest escapees, and the fact that there's
Elite warriors called Mandrakes patrol the ar- nothing to eat usually takes care of the rest. A
cologies and dispense their own brand of swift few prisoners are wise enough to return.
and typically instantly-deadly justice. Of They're beaten, though it's more of a formality

270
 CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

crude replications of people made

out of small blocks of metal. The
place is safe enough, and the mi-
cromachines have surprisingly
adept skill at making goods. While
the rumors say that the replicators
consume people, enough have re-
turned from Nimicri speaking of
its wonders and with goods that
they got merely for information that
occasionally merchants make the
trip. And really - considering the
number of Dark Eldarin in the system, it
would be foolish to think that the place is
much more dangerous than anywhere else in
Gehenna.
than
anything else, and put back in their
cells with no other mention made of the at-
Acererak's Tomb
tempt. No one is sure why the Dark Eldarin Acererak makes his realm here on
permit this, though the common belief is that Gehenna. It is not a place where people are
they're given a suitable number of prisoners welcome. Magic - powerful magic - is required
themselves to use as toys. to get around. The place is a dusty tomb, with
many sections sealed off and filled with deadly
guardians. There is no air, water, or food. Just
Tower of the General
dry bones and dust, stone and silence. Those
One of the few services that can be
who come seeking knowledge find themselves
had here is mercenaries. There's never a short-
faced with test after test, with deadly conse-
age of people willing to hurt other people for
quences for those who fail and knowledge -
a bit of money. The mercenaries here work for
gained in the passing of the test - for those who
a mysterious figure known as the General of
succeed. Acererak does not meet with people.
Gehenna, and they're some of the best that can
He merely tests them, and lets them learn for
be found anywhere, willing to take any job if
themselves.
you can meet their price. Of course, the trou-
ble with mercenaries is that they're, well, mer-
cenary. They'll turn against their employer for ADVENTURE SEEDS
the right amount of coin, and they're far too * On Mungoth, there is supposedly a
well informed. For a mercenary band, they secret temple, a massive structure designed to
seem to have their eyes and fingers in every- entrap a Daemon named Hircine. It's full of
thing. Some suggest they've been drumming traps, mazes, and lesser daemons - either
up their own business and playing both sides. Hircine's servants or spawned from his power.
It's said that every hundred years, Hircine has
Nimicri a chance to escape, but that someone called
Nimicri is an extraordinarily strange by destiny always appears to gain entrance to
place. At some distant time in the past, some his prison and defeat him, sealing him away
race (possibly the Syrne, though it doesn't re- again for another century.
semble any other examples of their technol- * Though it seems impossible, rumors
ogy) developed self-replicating machines say that there is someone living on Soltheim -
about a centimeter across. What they were a tribe of werewolves that have gone totally
made for has never been proven, but Nimicri feral, preying on the prisoners of Rura Penthe
is a planetoid made entirely of them. They've like cattle in a pen. The guards either don't
formed into roads, terrain, buildings and even know, don't care, or they have some connec-

271
CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

tion to the wolves that runs even deeper. Pris- bands of asteroids provide even more pointless
oners say that the guards *are* the wolves, and strategic points to take and retake in the end-
stalk the corridors of the prison every night less Blood War, as well as serving as a grim re-
looking for food. minder of the forces at work.
* There's something actually worth
having on Chamada, huge veins of raw dark- PHYSICAL
steel ore. Of course, they're extremely difficult
to get to, since the molten surface sometimes CONDITIONS
manages to smelt it into its pure form and The Grey Waste contains three star
leave misshapen, unchangable messes of systems, though there isn't really much left of
metal. Anyone who could manage to set up a them. Endless war has reduced what planets
mine to get at the ore would become rich, but there are to shattered husks, gravel and rocks
the Dark Eldarin native to the area don't care floating around the three pale white stars of
to have people intruding on them, and have al- Oinos, Niflheim, and Pluton. There isn't a
ready destroyed one expedition sent by the hu- hint of color here - everything is a shade of
mans. grey ranging from charcoal to off-white.
* Under the Arcologies of Vivec, there What people learn, very quickly, is
are caverns driven into the rock that provide that this isn't a trick of the light or the material
direct access to Commorragh, passages of the system. The physical laws of the Grey
through the webway that a person can simply Waste simply don't allow for color. Even the
walk down them. They're a tempting target to most vibrant colors are reduced to shades of
invaders, especially the Eldarin, since they Grey. The effect is draining, emotionally and
would provide an easy way to get to the dark mentally. Worse, losing the ability to see colors
city. However, the defenses around the web- is very bad on many ships that use colors to
way passages are said to be some of the cru- display things like, oh, warnings, damage, en-
elest and most terrible known to exist, just gine condition, and so forth. A ship that goes
deathtrap after deathtrap, designed so there's in unprepared can find itself with a number of
always the sense the person can escape, but it's meters and displays that are simply useless.
just an illusion to make their torturous deaths Worse, the lack of color does some-
more painful. thing to a person, emotionally. People just
start losing hope, forgetting dreams and goals,
like the Waste is just training them of every-
thing that they ever wished to be. For the most
The Grey Waste part, the symptoms of this 'Waste Syndrome'
resemble post-traumatic stress. Which is cer-
The Grey Waste is a large and easily- tainly something else common enough here.
navigated Crystal Sphere
helpfully located right
between Mount Celestia
and the Abyss. It conse-
quently is almost con-
stantly turned into a
battleground between
the forces of Order and
Chaos. There might
have been life here once,
but all of the planets
within the Crystal
Sphere have been
blasted into grey rocks
over time, and floating

272
 CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

The Grey waste is a battleground, one

that has been fought over again and
again.
It's because of this constant
warfare that almost nothing is left of
worth here. The planets have been
blasted to rubble, fortresses built and
taken and lost and destroyed. Ships
come fresh off of the assembly lines to
meet their end here. The place is just an
meatgrinder, turning men and machines
into dust. And yet neither side will stop
fighting, or can stop fighting. The
Blessed Pantheon and the Ruinous
Powers both want this place because the
other also wants it. place useful to both sides at once - especially
Most of the fighting here takes place with medical technology. He's managed to ex-
on massive floating rocks, some still bearing tract treaties from both sides of the Blood War
the marks of once having been life-supporting to make fighting here illegal, and he doesn't
planets. The largest are a few thousand kilo- hold to any particular god worship, though
meters across, but most are only a dozen or so. Vectron seems to have a major following here,
Armies meet in the colorless dust, in the silent making this sort of an unofficial pilgramage
void, and fight battles that mean nothing. Un- stop for Vectron's flock to come and see that
told billions have wasted their lives here. Vectron is the only sane and stable god, or so
they say.
GREY WASTE
Khin-Oin
INHABITANTS This place is a massive tower, going
There are only two permanent inhab- right through the middle of an asteroid and
itants of the Grey Waste. The dead, and lar- out the other side. It looks like nothing more
vae, and it's hard to know which of the two is than a spine almost eighty kilometers tall. It's
more numerous. Larvae are a type of parasite the most important fortress in the entire Crys-
that somehow survived the destruction of their tal Sphere, and has traded hands over and over
planet and survived on the only kind of food again in massive battles. The only ones that
that was in great supply - the corpses (mostly have held the tower for any significant length
Aasimar and Tiefling) of the fools and soldiers of time are mercenaries, though who they were
who come here. They're relatively harmless accepting pay from changes fairly often.
things.
Death of Innocence
GREY WASTE The Death of Innocence is a small
LOCATIONS town, made of scavenged supplies and emer-
gency shelters joined up together on a mid-
dling sized rock (a kilometer or so across)
The Port at the Center
that's well out of the way of the fighting or any-
There's a point right at the middle of
thing interesting. Death of Innocence is a
the Waste, where the gravitational forces are
haven for deserters and war criminals. People
mostly stable and the orbits of the outermost
who have grown disillusioned of war or simply
rocks overlap. A massive spaceport was built
so shell-shocked they can't take any more. The
there, and the owner and operator, Dandy
ruler of the town, Viliki Cainor, is a human
Will, has worked hard to keep it as neutral
who signed up to help one side (she doesn't
ground. Mostly he does this by making the
say which, and here it doesn't matter much)

273
CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

and found that it wasn't at all the glorious bat- * There are some exceptionally cre-
tle she ahd been expecting. She keeps the ative people in the Wheel, and some of them
place holding together, with a kind and gentle are just a little too creative. With all the
optimism that comforts and makes things corpses in the Grey Waste, it was only a matter
work. of time before a necromancer showed up to
have some fun. But no one expected him to
Aeaea build a city out of the undead. Literally, out of
Aeaea is the one remaining intact the undead - walls, floors, furnishings, all of it
planetoid. In most other systems, the former made from corpses returned to a horrible half-
moon would be an uninteresting lifeless rock, life and melded together. Corpus is a fairly
but here it's one of the most dominating fea- safe place, but it's said that the mysterious man
tures of the system. Aeaea is never held by who made it has an artifact of extraordinary
anyone for long. There's always some fighting power that's letting him do all of this.
here, and more of the craters come from or-
bital bombardments than asteroid impacts - an
impressive feat considering the Waste is filled
with chaotic orbits. Mechanus
The Dead Worlds. Mechanus is or-
ADVENTURE SEEDS dered and set like clockwork, entire worlds
* There is a strange group that shows merely gears within a great machine. It is a
up to the largest and most important battles of lifeless place of constant machine motion and
the Blood War and bets on the outcome of the cold law. This is not a place for living crea-
fighting. And when they fighting isn't interest- tures, all traces of life quickly eradicated by the
ing enough, the meddle to make things more Modrons, horrible immortal things of living
exciting. No one is sure just who they are, but metal, nearly mindless, just cogs in the ma-
they must be extremely rich and extremely chine themselves. Where once they were just
powerful. And very interested in the ebb and rumor, the Modrons are awakening from their
flow of the war. great slumber. Some scholars warn of a great
* The native Larvae are more danger- March that will see them eradicating all life
ous than they look. If they're left alone long from the Astral Sea, leaving it barren and pris-
enough, they metamorphize into strange and tine again.
unique creatures, beautiful and utterly deadly.
They're hateful things, and rumors say they're PHYSICAL
partly made of the anger and wasted lives of
the corpses they feed on, their faces twisted CONDITIONS
parodies of the fallen and with wings reflecting Almost none have returned to speak
the moments of their lives they regret most. of it, but the inside of the sphere of Mechanus
* The Grey Waste is a place of con- is one great machine, a Dyson Sphere that
stant decay and death. Because of the Blood presses against the confines of the Crystal
War, so much death occurs here that it would Sphere. Gears the size of worlds turn in space,
have been impossible for there not to have pistons pump, and everything is bathed in ter-
been some sort of major plague. There's a rible green light. The Modrons are not yet
wasting sickness going around that completely fully awake, and so Mechanus is merely as
destroys a person, body and mind (and, if the dangerous as being inside of an engine while
rumors are correct, it even eats the soul). Peo- it's running, rather than actively attempting to
ple would pay a lot of money for the man who destroy everything that infests it.
can cure the wasting sickness. Even more if, Mechanus is a hellish place, beyond
as the rumors say, it's a weapon that got out of the imaginings of most. It is like a vast clock-
control and someone could find the one who work tomb, lifeless and yet full of movement.
made the thing. Necrodermis forms the bulk of the structures
of the realm, that nightmare metal that some-

274
 CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

how lives. Warp energy simply does not func- Mechanus are the seas of glistening black oil.
tion in Mechanus. Spells fail, enchanted The stuff seems to be as alive as the rest of the
weapons dull, and magical protections vanish. realm, horrible in its own way, pouring and
The deeper one tries to go into Mechanus, the pooling in ways that just don't seem natural,
more powerful this effect. On the outskirts, waves breaking in ways that are terribly wrong,
only those effects needing the most magical and currents and flows like countless worms
energy fail, but eventually even the simple slithering around and over each other. The oil
spell becomes too much. is dangerous on its own, carrying a terrible dis-
Should someone be foolish enough to ease that destroys living tissue. Rumors say
go deep into Mechanus, they will find seas of that it can even convert manchines into Mod-
black oil, forests of pipes and chimneys, and ron technology, the metal itself festering and
arcs of terrible green energy like impossible turning to necrodermis, but no proof has ever
lightning. It is an utterly hostile place, where been found to the wild stories.
nothing natural is wanted or permitted to exist
for long. Merely being here can quickly draw The Pylon Forest
the notice of whatever foul systems run this A perfectly regular forets of identical
Sphere, defense systems coming online with and bizarre machines, all standing perfectly
enough power to destroy anything that stands still. The Pylon forest seems like it should be
against them. just a note on a map, but the pylons them-
The whirling gears and moving ma- selves seem to somehow distort magic around
chinery of Mechanus pose their own threat to them, like lightning rods or mirrors. No one
anyone hoping to explore the place. The sheer has discovered just what they are for, or how
size and hostility of Mechanus means that no they are able to achieve this effect, though
one has really been able to sit and map out safe some suggest that the pylon's branches might
routes through the gears. The smallest, most extend not just through three dimensions but
maneuverable ships can get quite a long ways into the warp or some other higher dimension,
in, though the ones that dare to almost never and serve as some kind of beacon for the Mod-
return. ron's unexplained ability to teleport without
using spellcraft.
MECHANIAN
INHABITANTS The Afterlife
Modrons, and nothing else. And the It's where you end up if you spend too
gods themselves can't help you if you
run into a significant force of Mod-
rons. Turn tail and run and hope that
you're very quiet or you're with
someone you don't care much for
and can easily outrun. Fighting the
Modrons here is a fool's task - not
only will they just come back almost
instantly, but every second a berk
fights, more and more of the damned
things will wake up to kill him.

MECHANIAN
LOCATIONS
Black Oil Sea
One of the most obvious features in
bloody long here.

275
CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

ocean. The problem is that the mountain is

ADVENTURE HOOKS the size of a solar system, and the ocean fills
* A worried scholar thinks that the half of a Crystal Sphere. Gravity here, as you
Modrons are awakening, very soon. He needs might expect, isn't quite normal.
hard data to back up his theories, though, and Gravity, in fact, is the most interesting
there's only one place he knows to get it. He thing about Mount Celestia. It seems to vary
needs the heroes to capture a modron alive (or not with time or place but with each person,
whatever you call one that's still kicking) and as if they're weighed down by their guilt.
extract the data from its clockwork shell. Scholars have named the phenomenon 'Intel-
* The black oil of Mechanus is a pow- ligent Falling'. It seems to be some form of
erful poison, one that can even fell one of the Warp phenomenon, as anyone with sufficient
Exalted, and this fact is not lost on those who magical resistance reduces the effect or even
deal in death. An alchemist is willing to pay becomes next to weightless. Objects are all af-
through the nose for raw Mechanus Oil, espe- fected as though they were in a normal gravity
cially if the heroes can find a large supply for well of average strength. The notable excep-
him. Getting in and out is only half the dan- tion is that nothing can fly up the mountain.
ger, though. Who knows what it might do, just The only way to ascend Mount Celestia is by
sitting around. Or worse, if even a drop got walking the paths or climbing the sheer cliff
into the workings of the ship... faces. Ships can only hover slightly above 'sea
* It's a dangerous job, but someone level'.
needs to destroy the Mechanus Portal Relay. Natives divide the mountain into
While it could serve as a way to mount an of- seven Traverses, starting at the seashore of
fense against Mechanus, the risk of the ma- white sand that marks the sea's end. The layers
chines escaping is simply too great to ignore. are like huge terraces the size of planets, yet
The heroes must find a way to take the Portal the next highest is always just barely visible
Relay offline forever - no easy task when and shining brightly. Climbing from one Tra-
they've been running for tens of thousands of verse to another is difficult, and dangerous for
years with no sign of wear. those who are feeling the effects of the
Sphere's gravity. The next Taverse always
looks beautiful and inviting, but the higher a
Mount Celestia body goes up the mountain, the farther off and
more difficult they are to reach. Thin mist and
An impossibly giant mountain, larger haze prevents anyone from getting a good look
than worlds, rising from an ocean that fills half at what lies ahead, though the glimpses and
of a Crystal Sphere, Mount Celestia is the imagined sights are impressive indeed.
home turf of the Blessed Pantheon in the same Mount Celestia contains the domains
way The Abyss is to the Ruinous Powers. No of the Blessed Pantheon. They make their
mortal has ascended to the top of the moun- homes at the very top of the mount, making
tain and returned to tell what he found at its them almost completely inaccessable to mor-
glittering peak. Aasimar call this place
home.

PHYSICAL
CONDITIONS
Mount Celestia is one of the
more impossible places in the Wheel.
While some other impossible places are
roiling chaos or great machines, Mount
Celestia looks fairly normal at first. It's
simply a mountain rising up out of the

276
 CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

tals. No one has ever conquered the mount leave. Asked once and then exiled. Animals
and returned to speak of it. Whatever is up here are universally tame and small, with noth-
there is either so beautiful that no one wishes ing larger or more dangerous than the sheep
to return or else so deadly that anyone who some of the farmers here raise on the lower
breaks into it is put down before they can es- Traverses. Aasimar are born here, and form a
cape with the secrets. Those who worship the kind of upper class (though they'll deny that
Blessed Pantheon will assure you it's the for- and say everyone is equal).
mer, but the dark of it is that the latter is more
likely - no matter how much they might pres- CELESTIAN
ent themselves as benevolent, Mount Celestia
is the center of the Pantheon's war effort, and LOCATIONS
it's likely they're doing something there that
they don't want anyone to know about. The The Fortress of Sigmar
wise don't ask questions. Sigmar's realm on Celestia is a mas-
Justice and law here are sive palace the size of a continent,
meted out by the Aasimar. As centered on a golden throne
servants of the Pantheon, that wouldn't fit in many
they rule by divine will nations. Sigmar's
and make sure every- most trusted ser-
one knows it. Justice vants, the Cus-
tends to be fair but todes, are all
immediate - the Aasimar Chosen
Aasimar here are with thousands
ready for action of years of expe-
and take it where rience. Sigmar
they can find it. has a large per-
Death isn't the only sonal army,
punishment, though they're al-
though it comes most always out
pretty quickly if the among the
criminal isn't will- Spheres, on one
ing to pay their fine crusade or an-
or get thrown in jail other. He isn't
or exile. the type to have
It's a nice an army and not
place, really, de- actively use it.
spite the Aasimar Anyone ap-
occasionally taking proaching Sig-
a bolter to some- mar's fortress
one's skull. The finds that every
weather is always stream and hill,
pleasant and warm, with light rains that are every tree and rock, everything is purposeful
more refreshing than annoying. and planned. There is nothing here that is un-
touched and made useful, and that includes
CELESTIAN the people. Any heroes entering his realm find
that they're directed where they need to go
INHABITANTS rather than his fortress, and can only approach
Almost any sentient race can be found if Sigmar allows.
on Mount Celestia. Almost any. Tieflings are
not welcome, and any Tiefling that does hap- Bahamut's Palace
pen to find their way here are kindly asked to Bahamut's Palace is a glittering won-

277
CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

der built entirely out of treasure, with windows they turn a corner and are abruptly outside of
of gemstones in settings of gold and silver, his realm. The entire structure is shaped like
walls of inlaid copper and ivory, and floors of a sphere of orichalcum, glowing with heat and
jade and beaten electrum. It moves from place yet never hot, just comfortably warm. Pelor's
to place, and is one of the few realms of the sanctum is said to be at the very center of the
Blessed Pantheon that mortals have much of palace, a place of pure light, beauty, and hope,
a chance of really seeing, though approaching where he bathes in the light of all the stars of
it would be foolish. Bahamut has the smallest all the Crystal Spheres.
personal army of any of the Blessed Pantheon,
but the quality of that army is exceptional, as The Halls of Justice
he leads a force of dragons, each one worth Cuthbert's Realm is not located on
dozens of the best soldiers. This is also an ex- the seventh Traverse, but on the very first. He
ceptional way to discourage thieves. No one prefers to keep his distance from the other
would be so foolish as to steal from Bahamut's gods. His realm is a gigantic prison, where he
Palace with guards like that. Well, no one who seeks to 'reform' captives to the worship of
wasn't sure they could get away with it. more proper gods and ways of life. There's a
kind of aura about this place that makes it dif-
The Soulforge ficult to resist following the orders of the
Moradin's realm is a gigantic forge, guards, and most of the countless prisoners
with an anvil forty meters high and a river of just kind of mill about, confused and lost,
pure divine energy. Moradin creates great when they're not being told what to do. It's a
wonders here. The Squats say that the souls of peaceful place in its own way, just horribly op-
their race are forged here, each one personally pressive and not a very nice place. No one gets
made by Moradin. It's also said that this is the to see Cuthbert. He deals with everyone
place where the Aasimar are born, reforged through underlings, locked away reading
from what they were before into their new through his giant book said to contain every
forms, like tempering a sword. No one is sure transgression and broken promise.
just what the process entails - the Aasimar lose
almost all their memories of their former lives ADVENTURE HOOKS
and all memory of whatever is done to them. * There's a man willing to pay a small
General concensus is that it's probably better fortune to anyone who can get one of his
that they don't remember. The process is likely friends out of Cuthbert's prison. The chap
a long and painful one, given the massive seems to know the location of some hidden
changes made to their bodies. trove of relics from a massive theft before get-
ting locked up on Mount Celestia for some
The Unconquered Sun minor crime. Getting him out is only going to
Pelor's palace sits at the very highest be half of the problem - the heroes are going
point of Mount Celestia, providing the light to have to find some way to deprogram him,
that shines down over the rest of the Sphere. and he doesn't want to return to his old ways.
The palace shines like the Sun itself, blinding * One of the Traverses of Mount Ce-
anyone who looks at it for too long. Most have lestia has taken to worship of the Grey Coun-
to wear blindfolds here, as even a glimpse of cil. The Blessed Pantheon is having the entire
the inside of Pelor's realm will render a man Traverse purged, and evidence suggests that
sightless forever. His servants are so familiar this isn't the first time it has happened. The
with the palace that they can guide visitors heroes are caught in the middle, and must find
around without having to see their path, but a way to escape or somehow stop this purge.
to those who seek to invade the palace be- * On the first Traverse, an under-
comes a terrible maze that the unworthy can- ground trade in a strange new drug has sur-
not navigate. Thieves and spies find that every faced. Apparently someone has managed to
step twists and turns, and they soon find the get their hands on some of the divine energy
ground under them changed to soft loam as

278
 CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

that Moradin uses to forge his wonders, and is enough not to follow my good advice and stay
using it as an ingredient in this new, highly- away. More's the pity. The three things a per-
addictive drug. If they can find the alchemist son has to get used to in Pandemonium are
mixing it, the heroes could become rich. Or deafness, madness, and blindness. The very
they could stop him from getting thousands first thing more people notice about the
addicted to his vile poison. Whatever floats Sphere of Pandemonium is the noise. Of
their boat. course that's like saying the most noticeable
* There are countless minor holy sites thing about fire is that it's hot. In most places,
scattered throughout Celestia. The steward- the winds of Pandemonium blast with hurri-
ship of one of these sites belongs to followers cane force, a deafening roar through the end-
of Pelor, a small group of female paladins who less black caverns. There are some places
are willing to lay down their lives to protect the where the wind is just a nerve-wracking moan-
shrine. A group of knights from another holy ing, but they're few and far between.
order has come to challenge their right to the At this point one might wonder how
shrine, as it is an important site to their god as winds can howl that strongly in space. Pande-
well. Unless someone intervenes, and quickly, monium is one of the stranger Crystal Spheres
it will erupt into a holy war. in structure. There's no planetary system, no
giant megastructures. Just massive caves, start-
ing as kilometers wide and enough for ships to
Pandemonium find somewhere to dock and eventually nar-
rowing to cracks in the endless black rock,
We don't go to Pandemonium any- wind moaning and pouring through them.
more. Not since the reports came out. Endless And that wind is the most dangerous
screaming tunnels in the blackness. Madness thing in the sphere. It doesn't just blow air
and death are all that await here. Don’t go to about and make noise, there's something
Pandemonium. about it that will drive a person completely in-
sane. The constant howling is enough to drive
PHYSICAL a person barmy, sure, but everyone who hangs
CONDITIONS around the place long enough eventually goes
So for some reason you're stupid crazy. Some are lucky and manage to go only
a little insane, but spending any time here is
call for a long ses-
sion of therapy
later.
The next
thing most people
will notice about
the place is that it's
dark. Pandemo-
nium is utterly and
completely without
light sources. The
only light anywhere
in the sphere is that
maintained by those
visiting or living
here. Most would
think that the lack
of light would be
the first thing most
people notice, given

279
CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

that most folks rely on sight as

their number one sense. But that
just goes to show you how
throughtly noisy Pandemonium
is.
Carrying around a light
source in Pandemonium has its
own dangers - it makes the per-
son carrying it an obvious target,
and in a place full of crazy peo-
ple, whatever monsters are lurk-
ing in the dark, and the nameless
horrors of the endless caverns,
well, being a target might not be
a wise idea. Luckily, actually
traveling the tunnels of Pandemonium bears after some of the recent events. See, not too
some resemblances to actual spelunking. long ago one of the few permanent cities in
Gravity here points towards some unseen cen- Pandemonium was destroyed by something -
ter of the sphere. No one has found their way no one knows what - and what was left behind
to the center (or at least no one has returned was so unspeakable that almost all of those
sane enough to talk about it). who were sent in on the rescue operation were
Travel through Pandemonium's end- lost to the horror as well. Something lurks in
less caverns is further complicated by the foul Pandemonium's depths. Something horrible.
water flowing here. Most passages have a
stream of one size or another, whether it's a PANDEMONIUM
bare trickle or a raging torrent. If they're mov- LOCATIONS
ing very fast, these streams can throw up a
spray that fills the air with an oily mist and
makes footing horribly slippery.
The Black Flag
The last effect that Pandemonium has The one thing Pandemonium is really
is one that people don't typically notice at first good for now is as a place to hide from the rest
- lights just won't go as far. They're as bright of the Wheel. There aren't many groups that'd
as ever, illuminate just as well, but at less than pursue someone here - a thief would have to
half the distance they should go... they just have something damned important for a gov-
stop, like they're hitting a wall of shadow. The ernment to consider the risk worthwhile. The
darkness here is almost a physical force. And Black Flag is the name of a huge pirate base,
speaking of that, anyone going into the Umbra where pirates and crooked merchants meet to
here will quickly learn that that's a bad idea. trade goods, stories, and to hide from the law.
The Umbra's psychic landscape is not a The exact location is a closely kept secret - the
friendly place in a sphere that is all darkness Black Flag is careful about just who is allowed
and madness. The number of predators there to dock at their station. The place is built like
is very high, and they are so very hungry. an armored space station, airtight and with
baffles and insulation to keep the worst of the
noise out. The owner of the Black Flag is a pi-
PANDEMONIUM rate king named Atomsk, said to have such
INHABITANTS amazing skill as to steal entire planets.
Pandemonium isn't some summer re-
sort where people go to spend holiday. There Ravenholm
are not a lot of people who want to come here Ravenholm used to be the largest city
and spend any amount of time. It's one of the in Pandemonium. Used to be. It was estab-
least populated Crystal Spheres, especially lished to act as a mining camp, with some de-

280
 CHAPTER XV:
SETTING

gree of success. The most attractive part of the demonium is an area that explorers call
city, for most, was that absolutely anyone was Agathon, where the passages stop, and caverns
welcome. They would take people in, find are sealed away, bubbles in the endless rock.
them work, and let them forget about their Where breaches exist, the wind howls into
past as long as they behaved themselves in the miniature tornadoes. Bubbles without a
present. It was the kind of place where a per- breach are utterly still. Only about half have
son could redefine themselves and escape the air, the rest merely vacuum. They're obviously
horrors of their past. But a few years ago, incredibly hard to find, and it's rumored that
something terrible happened. No one knows the gods themselves use them as vaults to hide
if it's the result of some daemon infestation or away things they don't want stolen, things they
an artifact that was supposed to be sealed away don't want running loose. It's certainly true
or some kind of contagious psychosis, but that things are found in the bubbles, things
every single person living in Ravenholm was that couldn't possibly be there.
killed in a single night, just a few hours of ter-
rible violence. Or at least it's assumed that ADVENTURE SEEDS
everyone died. The rescue effort turned up * The eldest daughter of a royal line,
mostly fragmentary bodies, people torn limb next in line for their throne, left her home
from limb, before the rescue team succumbed Crystal Sphere and became a pirate. Unfortu-
to the same psychosis and contact was lost. nately, her father has just found his way into
the next world thanks to an assassin, and even
Phlegethon if she isn't a fan of the idea she's needed back
Phlegethon is a region of rare beauty at home. Someone is going to have to go to the
in Pandemonium. This part of the Sphere is Black Flag and find her - before the assassin
surprisingly cold, like the composition of the can.
walls leeches heat away, but the walls are * Whatever happened to Ravenholm,
beautiful, dripping water giving rise to great it's spreading. Several other small outposts
columns, stupendous stalactites and stalag- have stopped responding after transmitting
mites, and incredible curtains of rock in mag- messages of such horror and fear that it's been
nificent variations of color. The colors of this hard to find anyone to even fly over the sites.
place make it great for sightseeing, but there Unless the cause of these disasters can be
are stories that there's something terrifying stopped, the entire place might become a char-
here, spirits of earth and air and cold, phan- nel house. The last thing Pandemonium needs
toms and faeries that lure people deeper into is to be an even worse place than it is.
the tunnels where they're never seen again. * Rumors say that Aboleth and Mind
Flayers have a massive city here, hidden some-
Agathion where in some massive underground sea. If
Somewhere close to the core of Pan- there's truth to these rumors, then this hidden

281
 Marina Pheonix waited, perfectly still, behind the chest-high wall of reinforced concrete.
She had only noticed the trouble moments after she had entered the room and her sensors picked up
the fresh exhaust fumes. She had only just barely managed to get her light-bending implants active
before the walking tank locked onto her. The thing was just waiting for her to leave cover now.
And she didn't have much choice. Her target was down there, the tank standing over it like a
mountain of steel. She checked her rifle. She wasn't sure why she was checking her lasgun. It'd be as
effective as shining a flashlight at the hulk of metal. She was really starting to wish she'd brought a
bigger gun.
"Marina, can you read me?" came the whisper on her comm implant. It was Chief Anya. Ma-
rina touched her chin, a reflex from when she had been merely human and wore a radio instead of
being one.
"Yeah," Marina subvocalized.
"We have your transponder location again. What's the situation?" Marina quickly glanced over
the wall. She was able to look for half a second before a hail of fire from the tank's heavy machine
gun blasted into the concrete of the wall. She ducked down as the bullets tracked up and nearly hit
her.
"He's in the back of a ground transport. There's a spider-tank covering him. It's going to be
hard to get to him like this."
"The ship will be directly overhead in thirty seconds. If you can get it out in the open and give
us a firing solution, we can give you fire support." The sound was nearly drowned out by the thun-
dering impact of the shells against the concrete. Marina wondered how long it would hold out. She
felt it crack. Not long enough.
Marina activated her Veil system, and light bent around her as she channeled warp energy
through her artificial body. She got up and ran for it just as the barrier shattered. The tank must have
had one hell of a sensor suite - the bullets started tracking her motions after just a moment. She'd
have only one chance.
The arcane pyros flowing through her mechanical heart flared, and power surged into her legs.
The promethean jumped down to the lower level of the room, level with the tank, and ran serpentine
for it. A lucky shell bounced into her left arm, shredding her artifical flesh and exposing orichalcum
bones to the air. Marina ignored the warning alerts flashing in her vision and jumped again, cooling
vanes on her body springing out and flaring with discharge as the Pyros surged through her again.
She landed on top of the car, and with another quick motion as the tank scrambled to get a
firing solution that didn't include the thing it was trying to protect, she got on top of it. The tank
stumbled off to the side, confused, and got right under the shattered skylight.
Marina grabbed the hatch with both hands, pulling with all her might. The hatch popped, and
her damaged left arm went with it. She swore, then drove her right hand into her chest, tearing her
transponder free.
"I want you to fire directly on my transponder signal!" Marina shouted, forgetting to subvo-
calize. She threw the transponder into the tank's hatch, then jumped away, rolling as she hit the
ground. The tank spun to face her. The gun started tracking her. She had landed wrong. She had no
speed. She couldn't run.
"Understood. Firing lance battery." Just as Marina was looking into the black void of a gun
barrel, a blinding red light struck down from the heavens, and a hole was burned right through the
tank. There was a crack as the superheated air expanded. The tank shook like a leaf for a moment as
the VI systems inside it crashed. The beam drifted slightly, cutting the tank in two. Molten steel
dripped to the floor.
"I think you got it."
"Is the target still in one piece?" Marina walked over to the transport, a mixture of machine oil
and blood dribbling from her severed arm. She opened up the back door and unzipped the black bag
there. A blank face stared up at her. She smiled.
 XVI
THE STORY
MASTER

T his chapter offers guidance for you

to share stories about grand Heroes molding
Initial Questions
Before you begin a DUNGEONS
THE DRAGONING campaign, you and your
the fate of the Great Wheel and provides ad- players need to answer some basic questions
vice for running a game of DUNGEONS about the characters, the setting and the rules.
THE DRAGONING. You will learn the prac- Story Masters need to figure out the follow-
ticalities of running a DUNGEONS THE ing:
DRAGONING game, how to create your own * Are there any elements of the setting
campaign and how to simplify bookeeping. that you want to explicitly avoid? Will you
You will also find some rules for character ad- need to change or ignore any of the rules be-
vancement and tips on the tone and themes of fore you play?
the game. Take what you need, ignore what * Who are the direct antagonists and
you don't, and run the best damn DUN- recurring characters the Heroes will encounter
GEONS THE DRAGONING game you and throughout the campaign? With what allies do
your players can come up with. the heroes begin, or what aid can they initially
procure? How far across the Wheel do you ex-
GETTING STARTED pect the game to span?
As Story Master, your first goal is to * Where are the characters from?
focus the options for the DUNGEONS THE How did they arrive at the game's starting lo-
DRAGONING game. You need to create cation? How do they know one another?
some general parameters for your game, and * What areas of knowledge and ex-
the players need to do the same for potential pertise does each character bring to the party?
characters. Next, you need to figure out the Are there any hooks characters should possess
style of game you're trying to run and where it or avoid? Should the characters have vastly dif-
will occur in the Great Wheel. Finally, you ferent capabilities, or is it okay to overlap?
need to work with your players so they can fig- * Should the characters form a bal-
ure out how their characters interact with your anced party with healing, skills, fighting, and
campaign. magic? Can they possess similar Backgrounds
such as belonging to the same organization or

283
 CHAPTER XVI:
THE STORY MASTER

matching artifact armor?

Use these questions to get started. If
you like to plan ahead, come up with useful
questions of your own for current or future
games.

CHANGING THE RULES

You are in complete control of your
game and can change any rule you want, at
any time, for any reason. However, DUN-
GEONS THE DRAGONING rules often in-
terlock with others, so be sure you understand
what the rule affects before making changes.
Players who find their spells and special at-
tacks invalidated by your changes can becore
frustrated, particularly if they discover this
during play. Be flexible in each case, and al-
ways apply the rules consistently.

KEEPING
CHARACTERS UNIQUE
realms of the Great Wheel, and by extension,
It's okay if characters have similar
help the players to better sink into the roles of
Characteristics and Skills or have the same
their characters.
race or Exaltation. If players have character
ideas that overlap, have them work together to
make sure their concepts aren't too similar. As
The Ancient and the Forgotten
long as nobody feels her character is overshad- The Great Wheel's standard calendar
owed by another (whether by numbers on a runs from the disappearance of the Syrne over
sheet or involvement in the story), each should 40,000 years ago. There is an incredible depth
be able to fill her own niche. Character choices of time, tens of millennia, ages of galactic his-
are broad and customizable enough that no tory that lie forgotten and lost, either de-
two characters need be alike. stroyed in war or simply forgotten over time.
The Great wheel is filled with mysticism, fear,
and superstition, and people survive huddled
THEMES IN together away from the darkest parts of the
universe. Crystal Spheres lie unexplored, Syr-
neth ruins dot the stars, and the golden age of
DUNGEONS THE the galaxy is long past.

DRAGONING Into the Unknown

Every hero has their quest, goals for
The universe of the Great Wheel, and their gods or their avarice or their own per-
the DUNGEONS THE DRAGONING sonal moral values. These quests drive them
game which resides within it, are different to become prolific explorers, some of the few
from any other science fiction setting. To bet- in the Great Wheel willing to take on the dan-
ter evoke this universe and weave its flavour gerous task of charting pathways into Crystal
and colour into his games, the Story Master Spheres and breaking the ancient laws to open
should become familiar with its key themes. new paths on the Portal network. Such is the
Being able to add these themes to a game will vast scope of the Galaxy that entire empires of
help to make it undeniably set within the aliens, lost worlds, and never-before-seen ce-

284
 CHAPTER XVI:
THE STORY MASTER

lestial phenomena have all been found hidden bring to the table. if you need inspiration, or
within the folds of the known stars or on their if your players want to try something different,
edges. use these style summaries for ideas. Each in-
cludes a 'focus' a general recommendation for
Points of Light building characters to suit that style.
Civilization is not the norm in the
Great Wheel. Most of the galaxy is unexplored "Vanilla" Dungeons The Dragoning
wilderness and the centers of civilization are The most obvious DUNGEONS
few and far between. There are great empires THE DRAGONING game involves the He-
and powerful worlds, but the void and the un- roes returning to the world, confronting their
known dangers in it separate them by huge enemies, establishing a power base, conquer-
gulfs of time and space. Anything could be ing the surrounding regions and becoming
lurking off the beaten path, and any journey god-kings. Their grand conflict could involve
carries with it the inherent dangers of Warp drawing a line in the sand and fighting anyone
Travel. Almost anything could happen to a who dares cross it. It could mean working be-
world without anyone noticing for a long time. hind the scenes to spy and assassinate. It could
even mean actively seeking to bring down the
One Minute to Midnight Factions, either from within or without.
The galaxy is tottering on the brink of The players' characters eventually end
ruin and disaster. There are enemies around up calling the shots in their own empire carved
every corner, from daemons to the ancient in the stars, defending their people and the
nightmare automatons of the modrons to the Great Wheel from all who oppose them. This
vile aliens that lurk in the shadows. Across the style can emphasize rebuilding and restoration
Great Wheel, there is a constant struggle to of society from the tragic mess of things made
survive. Doom fills the air, and the end is nigh. by the Factions, or it could focus solely on the
long, hard road to seizing Sigil itself.
Focus: No change.
Game Styles By Your Powers Combined
There is no one true way to play DUNGEONS THE DRAGONING
DUNGEONS THE DRAGONING, but is usually over-the-top, but this style cranks it
there are basic assumptions many players to eleven and pours
enough excess over
it that Slaanesh
would be pleased.
This game might in-
volve Heroes with
color-coded pow-
ered armor riding
drop pods down
into a hot battle
zone where they
fight hundreds of
enemies then return
home to be em-
broiled in melodra-
matic, soap-opera
relationships with
storyteller charac-
ters (or each other).
The players' charac-

285
 CHAPTER XVI:
THE STORY MASTER

ters may sport Lascannons, Null Rays, and the problems, and typically sllows characters to
ability to call down orbital strikes upon their come together and focus because of their
enemies. Powerful individuals and organiza- shared background. They might be seen as
tions will have complicated, intricate plots that heroic special agents of their government, a
might inadvertently destroy the world. special team of experts, or members of the
This style of game harks back to how same vampire clan or werewolf tribe. By hav-
the Wheel looked back when the Syrne were ing one element be the same for all characters,
in charge, the golden age of the galaxy, but it it gives everyone common ground to work
can be really fun if you're going for a more ex- from.
treme vibe. Be sure to throw in a vengeful Focus: Social Backgrounds, Differing
Dragon Empire, an enraged behemoth that is skillsets.
slowly eating Crystal Spheres, and mysterious
dead ship floating between the stars made of Miscellany
some terrible living metal. There are many other game styles you
Focus: Artifact Background. can apply to your DUNGEONS THE
DRAGONING game. Here are a few more
Outlander suggestions:
Perhaps the known Crystal Spheres Bolter and Chainsword with Daiklave
don't intrest you much at all. Whether the call is a lighthearted, goofy take on the DUN-
of the stars has lured the characters to a life of GEONS THE DRAGONING setting. Per-
searching out lost treasure or simply exploring haps the characters are all teenagers in a Sigil
to see what lies at the second star on the right, academy or must prove their worth to be a
there are alien ways of living and surviving in ruler by finding the Lady of Pain a date for an
the stars that might appeal to the Heroes. An exclusive ball. This style doesn't take much of
Outlander game brings the character in close anything seriously and is mostly played for the
contact with these foreign elements, letting lulz.
them boldly go where no man has gone before. Invasion! presents your standard
The Storyteller should concentrate on DUNGEONS THE DRAGONING game
the differences between the new expanses the with a massive influx of otherworldly beings
players are exploring and the familiar places bent upon conquering, enslaving, or destroy-
they come from, highlighting the peculiar ing the Great Wheel. The characters attempt
denizens and the strange logic by which they to fight, delay, or flee from the seemingly un-
operate. Remember that the Heroes are pow- stoppable enemy, be they Daemons, the
erful on a large scale, so even in these alien armies of the Modrons, terrible beings from
worlds they represent a force to be reckoned beyond the stars, aliens from a newly-opened
with - don't make them the smallest fish in a Crystal Sphere, angry ghosts, or anything else.
very big pond.
Focus: Lore skills.

The Clans
Similar to a standard
game of DUNGEONS THE
DRAGONING, this style of game
focuses more on a single common
background. Each character be-
longs to the same race or has the
same Exaltation, allowing them to
focus on the internal politics of
that group.
This style of game can en-
compass smaller and more focused

286
 CHAPTER XVI:
THE STORY MASTER

FORMING A PARTY
There are many reasons why a group
of Heroes might form a party. Some of the
most common are these:

The Enemy of my Enemy

The easiest way for characters to en-
counter one another is when they're working
against a common menace. They might be on
the run from some terribly powerful evil, or
they may simply be out to take down the same
dark overlord or oppressive tyrant. Characters
can come from almost anywhere in the Great
Wheel, and even if they don't necessarily know
each other, by the end of the first adventure
they should decide to stick together for their
own safety, at least for the time being.

Perhaps the characters can stop the invasion The Gods Will It
with some form of Syrneth superweapon after If the characters have similar align-
finding allies among those who would nor- ments, they may have been thrust together by
mally seek to destroy them. the will of the gods themselves. The Ruinous
The Hero Who Came in from the Powers, the Blessed Pantheon, and the Grey
Cold assumes a game of intrigue and espi- Council can all exert an otherworldly impetus
onage, perhaps with the characters working for to unite the characters. If this pull is not sub-
one of the Factions, a powerful Rogue Trader, tle, the Heroes might recieve prophetic dreams
a particularly important government, or even full of places they have never been. The He-
a god. The characters won't always know who roes travel to find one another, for their visions
to trust, but they must rely on brains, skills, clearly indicate the importance of the other
and cunning to survive rather than their com- characters to the accomplishment of their di-
bat capabilities. vine task. This backdrop works well in a game
Sorcery & Sorcery is simiar to a stan- with an emphasis on the more mystic elements
dard DUNGEONS THE DRAGONING of the setting.
game, except every character plays a sorcerer.
Should the players wish to emphasize this as- Supernatural Conspiracy
pect, the game can take on a life of its own as There is no shortage of people looking
the Story Master plays to their sorcerous am- to improve their position, and naive Heroes
bitions. can make perfect tools if properly controlled.
Walk the Earth is perhaps the sim- At least, that's how the ambitious and the ar-
plest form of game, for it follows the characters rogant view it, be they one of the Factions of
as they wander around the Wheel with no Sigil, a collection of daemons, an ambitious
overriding purpose beyond a desire to see the government, a cunning Pirate Prince or any
universe and have unique escapades in new number of supernatural movers and shakers.
places. This style of game is a DUNGEONS While the characters begin the game serving a
THE DRAGONING travelogue, allowing power they are told is greater than their own,
Story Masters to alter the Wheel as they see fit they should have many opportunities to disa-
to share cool, standalone stories set in a per- buse their controllers of this notion.
sonalized backdrop.
Beyond the Call to Action
The characters knew one another be-

287
 CHAPTER XVI:
THE STORY MASTER

fore they became Exalted. Perhaps they were mal pressures of the game. These minisessions
all close friends. Whatever their backgrounds, are also useful for deciding exactly what char-
they are now Heroes who stick together be- acters do during their downtime and as some-
cause of their previous connections. The im- thing to do if not everyone can show up for a
plications of so close a group all ascending to full session.
become Exalted at the same time could easily
become a major plot point. The First Session
The first session of the campaign in-

RUNNING THE troduces your players to the game. Do every-

thing you can to start it with a bang. Instead
of the characters meeting in a dive onboard
GAME some space station before leaving to search
through some ancient ruins for an artifact,
DUNGEONS THE DRAGONING have them start the game with the artifact in
is unlike a lot of roleplaying games when it hand, escaping from the collapsing ancient
comes to to the level of control provided to the ruins and being chased by beastmen hordes,
players. This can be daunting to even the most then end it with a relaxing tavern visit.
experienced Story Masters, to say nothing of Think of the opening to a James Bond
those running a roleplaying game for the first movie - you see the action-packed culmination
time. The important thing for both you and of an exciting adventure that seems unrelated
the players to realize is that the characters con- to what comes next, but later on ties into the
trol the direction of the game. While they reg- plot. Aim for this by setting an over-the-top
ularly react to circumstances you provide scene and asking your players to describe ex-
them, you will just as often be the one impro- actly how they got into thie predicament. Cut
vising a response to what they are doing. them some slack and let them get creative, be-
cause you can tie that into the ongoing cam-
The Prelude paign later.
You might want to run a short session If this is your first time running
called a prelude as the players get a feel for DUNGEONS THE DRAGONING or if you
their characters' personalities. We recommend have players who are new to the game, you
you do this with each player individually be- should primarily use this session to test out the
fore the first session. A prelude should be a limits of the system and show the players' char-
short session focused more on roleplaying and acters exactly how cool they can be. Go lenient
involve few, if any, dice rolls. They provide a with stunt requirements to get people in the
way to explore a character outside of the nor- mood, giving examples of the kinds of things
they can do before letting them
run with it. Encourage them to
focus on the basics, to test out
any rules they don't fully under-
stand and to use any powers
they're itching to try out.
While the characters should
feel threatened in dangerous
circumstances, killing off a
character in the first session is
discouraged. The point is not
to show the players how easily
you can destroy their charac-
ters, but for your players to test
out what does and doesn't
work. Should your players be

288
 CHAPTER XVI:
THE STORY MASTER

very timid and hesitant to put themselves into

dangerous situations, you might want to tell
them flat out that if they 'die' in this session
you won't force them to Burn any Hero
Points, but they'll just be incapacitated in-
stead, maybe ending up with a cool scar for
their troubles. Only do this if the characters
are being too timid - DUNGEONS THE
DRAGONING is a game about heroes, and
knowing you're invincible doesn't make you
brave.

Reworking the Characters

You might want to allow players who
were unsatisfied with the way their character
performed in the first session to rework their
characters. If any player finds a character fun-
damentally boring to play or poorly balanced,
now is the time to change it. However, be sure
to take an active role with the player to smooth
out the rough spots. Some players might want
to completely remove non-combat skills in
favor of ass-kicking. If your first session was
mostly action, encourage them to keep any banked and total experience. Banked experi-
non-combat skills you forsee coming up in ence is any experience stored by the player for
your game. While combat skills can certainly future improvement of a character's traits.
tip the balance in a fight, non-combat skills Players who spend experience in this manner
can sway whole nations. reduce their banked experience by the amount
spent.
Beyond the First Session Total experience is the total amount
The first session lays the groundwork received from the Story Master and is never
for your first DUNGEONS THE DRAGO- spent or reduced. When the Story Master
NING campaign. It is vital to recognize that awards experience, the player adds this
the campaign itself is a shared experience. You amount to banked and total experience. Keep-
are not dicating an unchangeable narrative, ing track of total experience gives you a good
displaying the elaborate schemes of antago- idea of the overall power level of your charac-
nists and extras punctuated by the occasional ter, and makes sure you have the same amount
interruption of the players' characters. Instead, as the other characters in the campaign.
you are crafting a fun experience based around There are two main ways for the SM
the characters themselves. Talk frankly with to award experience to his players: the Ab-
your players about what they want out of the stract Method and the Detailed Method.
game, and make sure you get their feedback,
or you'll never be able to give them what they Abstract Method
want. This is the easiest and recommended
(certainly for beginning SMs) way to award
EXPERIENCE experience. It relies simply on the amount of
Character growth is measured with time spent gaming and ensures a steady and
numerical points provided by the Story Master smooth rise in power for the characters. For
to the players, known as Experience Points. each game session each player should receive
There are two kinds of experience points: 500 xp. The SM can adjust the reward for
longer or shorter sessions.

289
 CHAPTER XVI:
THE STORY MASTER

the desired increase with their Story Master.

Detailed Method The rank of some abilities - your Power Stat,
A more detailed method of awarding Magic Schools, and Fighting Styles - are
experience is also possible, in which each re- capped by your character's level.
ward is broken down on a case-by-case basis Example: Mistress Scarlet wants to
and players gain experience for completing increase her Charisma from 3 to 4. Charisma
specific tasks. For this method to work, how- is a characteristic, so it costs (100 x current
ever, the SM must assign a value to each en- rank) to increase. Her current rank is 3, so it
counter. For example, he might have a session costs (100 x 3), or 300 xp. Should her Story
that includes a dangerous journey through the Master approve, Mistress Scarlet can subtract
warp, a space battle against orks, and a tense 300 from her banked Experience and fill in
negotiation with some hostile natives. In this one more dot of Charisma.
case, each of the three encounters would be
worth a set amount of XP that would be Spending Experience
awarded to the players when the encounters Improve a Characteristic 100 x Current Rank
are completed or overcome. Improve Devotion 50 x Current Rank
The Encounter Difficulty table gives Improve a Skill 50 x Current Rank
examples of encouters based on difficulty. To Improve your Power Stat 200 x Current Rank*
work out the difficulty of an encounter, con-
Improve a Magic School 100 x Current Rank*
sider how much it taxes the resources of the
group and what it costs them in Hit Points, Improve a Sword School 100 x Current Rank*
equipment, or time. Buy a Feat 100
When using this method, it is impor- New Skill 100
tant to remember to award experience for only New Magic or Sword 200
meaningful encounters and obstacles, lest the * Your Power Stat, Magic Schools, and Fighting
players embark on the wholesale slaughter of Style ranks are all capped at your current level.
worlds simply for the 'experience'. Likewise, as
the player characters gain in power, some chal-
lengers will be so easily overcome as to be New Characters in Old Games
worth little or no experience. Occasionally it may become necessary
to bring a new character into an existing game.
Encounter Difficulty Perhaps a previous character died, or maybe
you've decided to add another player to the
Difficulty Award game. In general, it is best to keep all charac-
Easy 50 ters at the same level of experience. Bookkeep-
ing is easier when all characters are on the
Routine 70
same level, and it becomes easier to balance
Ordinary 100 encounters.
Average 130 Talk with your players. Soem might
resent having a new character show up who
Challenging 170
didn't 'earn the experience', and they might
Hard 200 want the player to come up with a starting
Very Hard 250 character. Others might want any starting
character to start on an equal footing, as He-
Spending Experience roes often need all the help they can get. You
Players can spend a character's must also be sure the player of the new char-
banked experience to purchase new traits or acter doesn't feel hobbled or powerless. Ulti-
increase existing ones. Increasing a trait costs mately, your decision is final, but be sure you
banked experience equal to a multiple of its get player input before you make it. It's gener-
current rating. This is the value of the trait be- ally better to do this before a game begins so
fore it is raised. Players should always bring up it doesn't cause problems later on.

290
 XVII
ANTAGONISTS

T he galaxy of the Great Wheel is a

strange and limitless place, filled with horrors TRAIT DESCRIPTIONS
and wonders in equal measure. So too are the
individuals, creatures, and alien races in it. Amphibious
From the spires of Sigil to the darkest depths Amphibious creatures are more suited
of Pandemonium, Heroes can encounter for underwater movement than crawling
countless different fores, from mortal soldiers around on the ground. When moving under-
to otherworldly beasts and the most hideous water, Amphibious creatures never need to
terrors imaginable. The trick, of course, is to make tests to advance through less-than-ideal
know which one is which... conditions like rushing water. They also dou-
ble their listed speed while swimming.

Amorphous
Traits Amorphous creatures don't have body
structures that lend themselves to easy under-
Skills and Feats represent ability and standing. All hits on an amorphous creature
knowledge gained over a character's life. go to the body. An Amorphous creature dou-
Traits, then, are innate abilities gained by bles its hit points.
virtue of birth and racial circumstance. They
may be gained through other means later in Armor Plating (X)
life, but almost never by choice. Racial abilities Creatures with armor plating have a
are one example of traits, albeit extremely spe- natural armor rating because of their tough
cific ones that are limited just to their given skin, bone ridges, scales, or just generally
races. Other characters can have various traits, being a tough bastard. The rating of a crea-
features inherited from their particular type of ture's armor plating is always listed, and by de-
species or their environment. fault protects all parts of a creature's body
unless otherwise listed.

291
 CHAPTER 17:
ANTAGONISTS

Aura (X) with this trait, they must roll against it as listed
As armor reduces damage from phys- in the Fear and Insanity section.
ical sources, Aura reduces damage from mag- Flyer
ical ones. Aura always protects all hit A creature with this trait has the nat-
locations. Creatures with this trait typically ural ability to fly, whether with broad leathery
have great magical power of their own, or are wings, strange Warp energies, or inflatable gas
warded against spells. sacs. This trait typically includes a number to
indicate the Speed it uses while flying. If not
Auto-Stabilized otherwise listed, this Speed is double the crea-
The creature always counts as braced tures normal movement speed.
when firing heavy weapons and may fire on
fully-automatic mode as a half action. Machine
A creature with the machine trait is
Caster fashioned from inorganic materials and is gen-
A creature with the Caster trait can erally more hardy than real people. Machines
cast a number of spells. Their effective ranks do not breathe, are immune to the effects of a
in magic schools are listed after caster. They vacuum, extremes of cold, any mind-influenc-
follow all the normal rules for casting spells. A ing psychic effect, and they gain a number of
creature with Caster always counts as being armor points that apply to all of their body lo-
sanctioned. cations.

Crawler Mindless
Worms, serpents, and similar crea- Mindless creatures have no Charisma,
tures crawl and slither rather than walk. The Fellowship, Composure, or Intelligence
base speed for a creature with this trait is scores. They automatically fail all social skill
halved, but they don't take any penalties due tests, are immune to social attacks, and are im-
to terrain. mune to any attempts to control their mind,
since they don't have anything there to con-
Daemonic trol.
Daemonic creatures are creatures of
the Warp, but can manifest in real-
space through sheer strength of will,
hunger, or occult rituals. Creatures
with this trait gain extra hit points
and armor equal to their Constitu-
tion score. This armor stacks with
all other sources of armor.

Dark Sight
A creature with this trait
sees normally even in areas of total
darkness, and never takes a penalty
due to lighting conditions.

Fear
Creatures with a fear rating
are horrifying things that can inspire
terror in all those who see them.
They gain the listed fear rating.
When a hero encounters a creature

292
 CHAPTER 17:
ANTAGONISTS

Phasing undead creatures can just stand in one spot

A creature with this trait can trans- until they rot away. They don't suffer blood
form its body into an insubstantial state, pass- loss and ignore stunning effects.
ing ghostlike through solid objects or barriers
of any sort. A creature may change to and Unnatural Toughness
from corporeality as a half action. An incorpo- Creatures with Unnatural Toughness
real creature gains two extra raises on Stealth are almost impossible to put down. Their hit
checks when hiding inside an object and are points are doubled, including from sources
immune to normal weapons. Magic weapons like Sound Constitution.
and weapons with the Power Field property
can affect them normally.
Dramatis
Quadruped
Quadrupeds are much quicker over a
distance than their bipedal counterparts. Their
Personae
ground speed is doubled as they can use all There are a lot of berks out there
four legs to sprint. looking to hurt someone because they’re in a
bad mood, they’re on the wrong side of a fight,
Regeneration or just because someone slipped them a few
Creatures with this trait heal very Thrones to do it. Or maybe they’re just hun-
quickly. Every round, at the start of its turn, gry. Here are statistics for a few sample ene-
the creature may regain a number of lost hit mies to get you started.
points equal to its regeneration score.

Resource Stat General Noncombatant

A creature with a resource stat has a The Wheel contains countless billions
pool of points to pull from, just as an Exalt of men and women, from the hab-workers
does. These follow all the normal rules for re- trudging to and from factories day after day,
source stats. The type and number of resource to the ratings that blister their hands working
stats the creature has to spend are listed with impossible hours onboard military ships, to
the trait. ore miners providing fuel and raw material to
fuel the galaxy's lust for wealth.
Stuff of Nightmares
Some warp entities and bizarre crea- Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil
tures are so terribly powerful that the will per-
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
patuating their bodies in our reality is almost
impossible to break or disrupt. Such entities
are completely immune to the effects of poi-
Skills Common Lore 1, Perception 1,
sons, diseases, the need to breathe, most en- Craft 1
vironmental hazards, bleeding, stunning, and Speed 4
any critical result other than one that would Size 4
destroy them outright unless caused by a Static Defense 12
Spell, Power Weapon, or similarly unusual HP 4
source. Feats None
Armor None
Attacks Unarmed
Undead
Gear Drab garb, a few coins.
An undead creature isn't really alive. Threat Rating Very Low
They're animated by terrible forces of sorcery
and warp energy. They don't need to breathe,
eat, drink, or really to do anything. Mindless

293
 CHAPTER 17:
ANTAGONISTS

Green Troops/Common Outlaws Helmet (4 AP; Head)

The lowest of the low, these men rep- Attacks Knife (4k2 R; Pen 0), Lasgun (60m; S/3;
3k2 E; Pen 0; Clip 60; Reload Full)
resent barely trained conscripts and thieves.
Gear Uniform, Flak Armor, Lasgun, 2 Energy
They present little threat to anyone armed or Packs, Micro-bead, Torch
ready for them, preying upon the weak and Threat Rating Low
afraid. Every day, wars and hardship drive
more people to these extremes - many are not
even bad people, just hungry and not able to
see any other way out.

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

3 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2

Skills Acrobatics 1, Perception 1,

Common Lore 1, Intimidate 2,
Scrutiny 1, Weaponry 1, Ballistics 1.
Speed 5
Size 4
Static Defense 12
HP 5
Feats Weapon Proficiency (Ordinary, Parrying)
Armor Leathers (2 AP; Arms, Body, Legs)
Attacks Knife (4k2 R; Pen 0),
Autopistol (30m; S/6; 2k2 I; Pen 0; Clip
12; Reload Full)
Elite Soldiers/Raiders
Gear Threadbare clothing, leathers, 2 autopis- Elite Soldiers are special forces, dis-
tol clips, a few coins. tinct not just in having somewhat better equip-
Threat Rating Very Low ment, but also in having better training and
experience. They tend to not only preform
Regular Troops/Rebels better in combat than the standard soldier, but
A common, every day soldier, armed also know when it's time to leave.
with standard service weapon and armor. Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil
They've gone through basic training, unlike
conscripted soldiers forced into service, and 4 3 3 2 2 3 2 2 2
can present an actual threat if there are enough Skills Acrobatics 1, Perception 2,
of them around to concentrate fire. Common Lore 1, Intimidate 2,
Scrutiny 1, Weaponry 2, Ballistics 3.
Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil Speed 7
Size 4
3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 Static Defense 13
HP 8
Feats Weapon Proficiency (Ordinary, Parrying,
Skills Acrobatics 1, Perception 1,
Las). Sound Constitution x 2, Jaded, Armor Profi-
Common Lore 1, Intimidate 2,
ciency (light, medium, Heavy)
Scrutiny 1, Weaponry 2, Ballistics 2.
Armor Carapace Armor (7 AP; Arms, Body,
Speed 6
Legs, Head)
Size 4
Attacks Knife (5k2 R; Pen 0), Lasgun (60m; S/3;
Static Defense 13
3k2 E; Pen 0; Clip 60; Reload Full)
HP 7
Gear Uniform, Carapace Armor, Lasgun, 2 En-
Feats Weapon Proficiency (Ordinary, Parrying,
ergy Packs, Micro-bead, Torch, Rebreather, 2 Frag
Las). Sound Constitution x 2, Jaded, Armor Profi-
Grenades
ciency (light, medium)
Armor Flak Vest, Gauntlets,(5 AP; Arms, Body) Threat Rating Low

294
 CHAPTER 17:
ANTAGONISTS

Mortal Hero Sabbat Thug

The mortal hero represents a warrior The Sabbat is a kind of vampire
near the very peak of mortal mafia, an organization whose tendrils reach
ability, armed with some into many major planetary cities and with po-
of the best equipment litical influence that stems from simply being
and training that a per- around for over a thousand years and gaining
son can get. To a lots and lots of wealth. The lowest members
newborn exalt, they of the Sabbat are thugs, soldiers and enforcers
present a threat in who are at the bottom rung of the organization
one-on-one com- with nowhere to go but up.
bat, pure luck and
bloody-minded- Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil
ness taking the
place of su- 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 2
pernatural
power. Skills Acrobatics 1, Athletics 1, Ballistics 1,
Brawl 2, Drive 1, Intimidation 1,
Perception 2, Weaponry 2
Speed 6
Size 4
Static Defense 17
HP 6
Feats Sound Constitution, Weapon Proficiency
(Ordinary)
Armor None
Attacks Bite (4k1 R, Pen 0), Brass Knuckles (3k2,
Pen 0), Hand Cannon (35m; S/-; 3k2 I; Pen 3; Clip
6; Reload 2 Full)
Abilities
Undead Resilience - As the Vampire power.
Sunlight Weakness - As the Vampire power.
Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil Blood Dependency - As the Vampire power.
5 4 4 3 4 3 2 2 4 Traits Resource Stat (Vitae; 5), Dark Sight
Gear Dark clothing, Brass Knuckles, Hand
Cannon, Chrono, 5 reloads for the Hand Cannon.
Skills Acrobatics 2, Perception 2, Threat Rating Low
Common Lore 2, Intimidate 2,
Scrutiny 1, Weaponry 3, Ballistics 3.
Speed 9
Size 5
Static Defense 20
HP 10
Feats Weapon Proficiency (Ordinary, Parrying,
Las, Chain). Sound Constitution x 2, Jaded, Armor
Proficiency (light, medium, heavy, extreme,
power), True Grit, Blind Fighting, Lucky
Armor Light Power Armor (10 AP; All)
Attacks Chainsword (8k2 R; Pen 4, Tearing), Las-
gun (100m; S/4; 2k2 E; Pen 2; Clip 40; Reload
Full)
Gear Flashy clothing, Light Power Armor,
Pulse Rifle, 2 Energy Packs, Micro-bead, Torch,
Rebreather, 2 Frag Grenades
Threat Rating Moderate

295
 CHAPTER 17:
ANTAGONISTS

Sabbat Prince Skills Brawl 2, Perception 3, Intimidate 2,

A Sabbat Prince is considerably Weaponry 2
Speed 5 [8]
higher up in the organization than the thugs
Size 4 [6]
they command. They have a huge amount of Static Defense 12 [8]
personal power, not just from their undead HP 6 [8]
abilities, but also because they're so well con- Feats Furious Assault, Heightened Senses
nected with the local political scene. They are (smell), Iron Jaw
rarely seen alone or in any kind of vulnerable Armor None
position, usually accompanied by bodyguards Attacks [Claws (7k1 R), Bite (8k2 R)]
and hired thugs. Abilities
Shifting - As the Werewolf power. Stats in brackets
Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil are for Warform.
Lycan Resistance - As the Werewolf power.
5 4 5 4 2 4 2 3 4 Silver Bane - As the Werewolf power.
Traits Resource Stat (Rage; 6), Regeneration 1
Gear Torn street clothing.
Skills Acrobatics 2, Athletics 3, Ballistics 2, Threat Rating Low
Brawl 4, Drive 1, Intimidation 3,
Perception 3, Politics 3, Weaponry 4
Speed 9
Size 4
Static Defense 22
HP 12
Feats Sound Constitution x 3, Weapon Profi-
ciency (Ordinary), Quick Draw, Swift Attack, Fear-
less, Wall of Steel
Armor None
Attacks Bite (6k2 R, Pen 0), Brass Knuckles (5k3,
Pen 0), Hand Cannon (35m; S/-; 3k2 I; Pen 3; Clip
6; Reload 2 Full)
Abilities
Undead Resilience - As the Vampire power.
Sunlight Weakness - As the Vampire power.
Blood Dependency - As the Vampire power.
Traits Resource Stat (Vitae; 15), Dark Sight,
Fear 1
Gear Sharp black suit, Brass Knuckles, Hand
Cannon, Expensive Chrono, 5 reloads for the Hand
Cannon.
Threat Rating Moderate

Zoanoid Thug
Werewolves are a divided group, and Zoanoid Heavy
Zoanoids are the worst of the worst, changed More powerful than the standard
and mutated by the powers of the Warp. Zoanoid, these monsters are deadly, some-
They're barely distinguishable from daemons times simply berserk monsters that go wild in
in their warforms, and it's entirely possible that the streets but occasionally one with excep-
they'll have abilities and traits that aren't listed tional power or charisma will form a gang of
here as a consequence of these mutations. mutant monsters and terrorize a city. Most ap-
Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil pear as horrible abominations in their war-
form, a mix of insect and aquatic features that
3[6] 2 4[6] 2 1 3 2 2 2 look unreal and terrible.

296
 CHAPTER 17:
ANTAGONISTS

ical damage to that location even if they have HP

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil
remaining.
5[8] 3 5[7] 2 1 3 2 2 4 Frightful Presence - Whenever this creature charges
or makes an all out attack, all creatures within
melee range of it must test against its fear rating.
Skills Brawl 4, Perception 3, Intimidate 4,
We'll Be Back - When 'killed', roll 1d10 at the start
Weaponry 4
at each of its turns. On an 8+, the creature fades
Speed 8 [11]
away, teleporting somewhere else. After three
Size 4 [6]
rounds, the creature comes back to life at 0
Static Defense 17 [13]
wounds.
HP 11 [13]
Traits Armor Plating (4), Aura (4), Crawler,
Feats Sound Constitution x 2, Furious Assault,
Fear 2, Mindless, Regeneration 1, Stuff of Night-
Power Attack, Heightened Senses (smell), Iron Jaw
mares
Armor None
Gear -
Attacks [Claws (9k1 R), Bite (10k2 R)]
Threat Rating Moderate
Abilities
Shifting - As the Werewolf power. Stats in brackets
are for Warform.
Lycan Resistance - As the Werewolf power.
Silver Bane - As the Werewolf power.
Traits Resource Stat (Rage; 10), Regeneration 1
Gear Expendable suit, sunglasses.
Threat Rating Moderate

Monodrone Modron
Modrons. The very name causes
some of the bravest heroes in the Wheel to
shudder in terror. They are immortal things,
battle shells of an unholy living metal. Their
weapons fire beams that tear their targets apart
layer by layer. They slowly and methodically
seek out living things and destroy them, im-
placable and terrible. Monodrones are the
most common Modron, simple creatures like
metal spheres of skeletal metal with baleful Duodrone Modron
eyes and long, birdlike legs. Duodrones are more advanced and
Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil powerful than monodrones, capable of not
only destroying life, but seeking out new tar-
4 2 5 - - - - 4 5 gets when they have eliminated their targets.
They have even more deadly weapons than
monodrones, and are even tougher and
Skills Weaponry 3, Ballistics 3, stronger.
Brawl 3, Perception 3
Speed 3
Size 5 Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil
Static Defense 10
HP 10 5 3 8 - - - - 4 8
Feats True Grit
Skills Weaponry 4, Ballistics 4, Brawl 4,
Armor Armor Plating 4 (All)
Perception 4
Attacks Gauss Flayer (80m; S/-; 2k2 X; Pen 12;
Speed 4
Clip -; Reload -; Tearing), Melee Attachment (8k3
Size 6
R; Pen 4)
Static Defense 13
Abilities
HP 16
Gauss Weapon - Whenever a creature takes damage
Feats True Grit
from the Modron's Gauss Flayer, they suffer 1 crit-

297
 CHAPTER 17:
ANTAGONISTS

Armor Armor Plating 6 (All) Arch-Heretic

Attacks Gauss Blaster (80m; S/3; 2k2 X; Pen 12; A dangerous and fanatical champion
Clip -; Reload -; Tearing), Melee Attachment
of their god, typically the leader of a radical
(10k3 R; Pen 4)
Abilities sect. They might even worship a daemon di-
Gauss Weapon - Whenever a creature takes damage rectly. Regardless of their cause or master,
from the Modron's Gauss Flayer, they suffer 1 crit- they are dangerous, not just because they have
ical damage to that location even if they have HP magical blessings but because they cannot be
remaining. reasoned with.
Frightful Presence - Whenever this creature charges
or makes an all out attack, all creatures within
melee range of it must test against its fear rating.
We'll Be Back - When 'killed', roll 1d10 at the start
at each of its turns. On an 8+, the creature fades
away, teleporting somewhere else. After three
rounds, the creature comes back to life at 0
wounds.
Traits Armor Plating (6), Aura (6), Crawler,
Fear 2, Mindless, Regeneration 1, Stuff of Night-
mares
Gear -
Threat Rating High

Cultist
A cultist is, naturally, a member of
one of the more extreme arms of a religion.
They're not any stronger, faster, or smarter
than the average person, but they've got just
enough crazy to make them really dangerous Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil
and the blessings of their gods mean that they
3 3 4 3 4 4 3 3 5
shouldn't be underestimated.

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil Skills Academic Lore 2, Forbidden Lore 4,
Arcana 3, Weaponry 3, Persuasion 3,
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 3 Ballistics 3
Speed 4
Skills Academic Lore 2, Forbidden Lore 2, Size 4
Arcana 2, Weaponry 2, Persuasion 2 Static Defense 17
Speed 4 HP 11
Size 4 Feats Lucky, Powerful Charge, Weapon Profi-
Static Defense 12 ciency (Ordinary, Flail, Flame), Armor Proficiency
HP 5 (Extreme), Sound Constitution x2, True Grit, Di-
Feats Lucky, Powerful Charge, Weapon Profi- vine Ministration
ciency (Ordinary) Armor Plate Armor 8 (Arms, Body, Legs)
Armor None Attacks Dire Flail (6k2 I; Pen 3; Two Hands,
Attacks Hand Weapon (5k2 R; Pen 0) Flexible), Hand Flamer (10m; S/-; 3k2 E; Pen 4;
Traits Resource Stat (Favor; 6) Clip 3; Reload 2Full, Flame)
Gear Tattered Robes, Hand Weapon, Heretical Traits Resource Stat (Favor; 8)
Writings, Charm Gear Ornate Robes, Dire Flail, Hand Flamer,
Threat Rating Low extra fuel tank, Plate Armor, Heretical Writings,
Charm
Threat Rating Moderate

298
 CHAPTER 17:
ANTAGONISTS

Heretek Gear Tattered robes, Combi-tool, Data Slate

A Heretek is a failed promethean, a filled with illegal data, Chrono, Laspistol, 2 power
packs, Heavy wrench
being more machine than man and often
Threat Rating Low
driven insane by the bionic upgrades and sur-
geries that they've suffered in their attempt at
immortality. Some are the poor victims of mad Dark Mechanius
scientists, others are the mad scientists them- A powerful and dangerous opponent,
selves, men with the will and drive to experi- the Dark Mechanius is almost everything the
ment even on themselves. Heretek wants to
be, merely the
barest traces of
Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil flesh remaining
3 2 4 2 2 3 4 2 3 inside a ma-
chine shell.
Skills Academic Lore 3, Ballistics 2, Drive 2, Nearly every
Forbidden Lore 3, Pilot 2, Tech-Use 3 part of them
Speed 5 has been re-
Size 4
placed with
Static Defense 12
HP 7 bionics, and
Feats Weapon Proficiency (Las, Ordinary) many are lit-
Armor Subdermal Plating (2, All) tle more than
Attacks Laspistol (30m; S/-; 2k2 E; Pen 0; Clip a few scraps
30; Reload Full; Reliable), Wrench (4k2 I) of brain tis-
Abilities sue control-
Man of Iron - The Heretek ignores critical effects ling a
that would cause death except for effects resulting machine.
from critical damage to the gizzards or head.
Traits Armor Plating (2), Stuff of Nightmares,
Resource Stat (Pyros, 3)

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

5 3 6 3 2 4 5 2 5

Skills Academic Lore 3, Ballistics 2, Drive 2,

Forbidden Lore 3, Pilot 2, Tech-Use 3
Speed 8
Size 4
Static Defense 17
HP 14
Feats Weapon Proficiency (Las, Ordinary,
Plasma), Crack Shot, Sound Constitution x3, Iron
Jaw
Armor Subdermal Plating (4, All)
Attacks Integrated Plasma Gun (90m; S/2; 3k3 E;
Pen 8; Clip -; Reload -; Recharge), Power Sword
(9k2 R; Pen 4; Power Field)
Abilities
Man of Iron - The Dark Mechanius ignores critical
effects that would cause death except for effects re-
sulting from critical damage to the gizzards or head.
Mechendrites - The Dark Mechanius has a number

299
 CHAPTER 17:
ANTAGONISTS

of extra mechanical limbs. These allow him to take

an extra half action on each of his turns that can
only be used for something those extra limbs could
do, such as a ready action or attack.
Traits Armor Plating (4), Stuff of Nightmares,
Resource Stat (Pyros, 9)
Gear Tattered robes, Combi-tool, Data Slate
filled with illegal data, Chrono, Power Sword
Threat Rating High

Incarnate Lesser Daemon

A daemon brought from the warp and
into the real world, the incarnate daemon
presents a deadly threat. They're almost im-
possible to kill by normal means, made more
out of warp stuff than any real matter. A lesser
daemon is little more than an animal, clever
and dangerous but not truly intelligent or with
much magical ability.
HP 17
Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil Feats Frenzy, Swift Attack
Armor Daemonic Toughness (6, All)
3 3 3 3 1 3 1 3 3 Attacks Claws and Teeth (8k3 R; Tearing), Warp
Fire (50m; S/-; 4k3 E; Flame)
Traits Daemonic, Dark Sight, Fear 2, Resource
Skills Perception 1, Arcana 2, Brawl 3 Stat (Essence; 14)
Speed 6 Gear None
Size 4
Threat Rating High
Static Defense 17
HP 9
Feats None Beast of Burden
Armor Daemonic Toughness (3, All) This stat block represents a great va-
Attacks Claws and Teeth (5k2 R; Tearing) riety of creatures. From oxen to heavy horses
Traits Daemonic, Dark Sight, Fear 1, Resource or grox, the Beast of Burden takes as many
Stat (Essence; 7) shapes as there are worlds. They're hardly dan-
Gear None
gerous, but they're usually stubborn.
Threat Rating Low

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

Incarnate Greater Daemon
Where the lesser daemon is essentially 4 2 4 1 1 1 1 3 2
a wild animal, the greater daemon is an intel-
ligent opponent that uses its abilities to their Skills Perception 2, Athletics 2, Brawl 1
all. With its massive size and sheer toughness, Speed 8
the Greater Daemon can shrug off all but the Size 8
most impressive attacks. Static Defense 4
HP 6
Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil Feats -
Armor None
6 4 6 3 1 3 3 3 5 Attacks Kick (5k2 I)
Traits Quadruped
Gear -
Skills Perception 1, Arcana 2, Brawl 4 Threat Rating Very Low
Speed 10
Size 8
Static Defense 14

300
 CHAPTER 17:
ANTAGONISTS

Ferocious Creature Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil
A predatory creature much more dan-
2 5 2 1 1 1 1 4 2
gerous than the simple beast of burden, the
Ferocious Creature is typically cat- or wolf-
Skills Perception 3, Athletics 2, Acrobatics 1,
like. They tend to be much less fearful than Brawl 1
most animals, and many are not afraid to hunt Speed 7
people for food. Or sport. Size 3
Static Defense 29
Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil HP 4
Feats Swift Attack
4 4 3 1 1 1 1 3 3 Armor None
Attacks Claws (3k1 R)
Skills Perception 3, Athletics 3, Acrobatics 2, Traits Flyer (14)
Stealth 2, Brawl 3 Gear -
Speed 12 Threat Rating Very Low
Size 4
Static Defense 22 Slithering Creature
HP 6 Most worlds have some form or an-
Feats Heightened Senses (Scent), Step Aside other of sneaky ambush predator that uses poi-
Armor None
son and stealth to get to its prey. Snakes are a
Attacks Bite (6k3 R)
Traits Quadruped, Dark Sight
surprisingly common type of creature, with
Gear - variants throughout the stars. This stat block
Threat Rating Low represents something like a large rattlesnake or
viper with a dangerous enough bite to prove
Flying Creature toxic even to a Hero.
From large hawks to severely pissed Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil
off swans, there are plenty of things that fly
around that might give a Hero some trouble. 2 4 2 1 1 1 1 4 2
They are more dangerous because their mo-
bility and agility makes them difficult to hit
than be-
cause of
t h e i r
l o w
damage
potential.

301
 CHAPTER 17:
ANTAGONISTS

Skills Perception 2, Stealth 3, Brawl 2 Static Defense 18

Speed 3 HP 14
Size 3 Feats -
Static Defense 24 Armor Machine Toughness (6, All)
HP 4 Attacks Claw (6k2 I; Snare), Multilas (60m; S/8;
Feats None 3k2 E; Pen 0; Reliable)
Armor None Traits Machine (6)
Attacks Bite (4k2 R; Toxic) Gear -
Traits Crawler Threat Rating Moderate
Gear -
Threat Rating Very Low

Walking Creature
A primitive humanoid creature like a
gorilla or vegetarian, these beasts are fairly rare
creatures on most worlds, but are sometimes
surprisingly intelligent and capable of learning
limited speech.

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

4 3 3 1 1 1 1 3 3

Skills Brawl 4
Speed 7
Size 6
Static Defense 13
HP 6
Feats None Industrial Servitor
Armor None A more modest machine, the indus-
Attacks Fist (4k2 I) trial servitor is designed to work in environ-
Traits - ments where people would be put too much
Gear - at risk. They have hardened plating designed
Threat Rating Very Low to stand up to the difficulties of an industrial
workplace and an arc welder that can be set to
Combat Servitor an amazingly dangerous power level if it is pro-
A robot designed to kill, the Combat grammed or ordered to defend itself.
Servitor is a dangerous machine with an inte-
Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil
grated multi-barrel las weapon that can put
down an impressive volley of fire. It isn't a ter- 4 2 5 1 1 3 1 1 1
ribly intelligent machine, however, and its pro-
gramming typically has it do little else but keep
an overwatch over an area and fire at anything Skills Brawl 1, Crafts 1, Tech Use 1
that moves. Speed 6
Size 5
Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil Static Defense 10
HP 8
5 4 6 1 1 3 1 1 2 Feats -
Armor Machine Toughness (2, All)
Attacks Claw (6k2 I; Snare), Arc Welder (10m;
Skills Brawl 1, Crafts 1, Tech Use 1, S/-; 3k3 E; Flame)
Ballistics 3 Traits Machine (2)
Speed 9 Gear -
Size 6 Threat Rating Low

302
 CHAPTER 17:
ANTAGONISTS

Dragon
Giant killing machines made of scales,
wings, and fire. They're also smarter than you
are, centuries old, and with more magic in
their fingernail than the typical wizard has in
his entire body. The stats presented here are
only representative of a fairly small and young
dragon. Ancient wyrms can be far, far more
powerful.

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

7 4 6 6 3 4 5 5 5

Skills Academic Lore 3, Acrobatics 2, Arcana 4,

Athletics 2, Ballistics 3, Brawl 4,
Charm 3, Command 5, Common Lore 2,
Forbidden Lore 2, Intimidation 5,
Perception 3, Politics 2, Scrutiny 4,
Weaponry 3
Speed 11
Size 12
Static Defense 6
Lich
HP 22 Not everyone can become an immor-
Feats Danger Sense, Eidetic Memory, Iron Jaw, tal Exalt. That doesn't mean there aren't other
Power Attack, Powerful Charge, Strong Minded, paths to immortality. Well, being a Lich isn't
Armor Iron Scales (10, All) quite immortality - being an undead horror is
Attacks Claws and Teeth (10k3 R; Tearing), more accurate - but it's a pretty attractive op-
Dragon Fire (80m; S/-; 6k3 E; Flame) tion for a sorcerer getting on in his years and
Abilities
feeling mortality creeping up on him. Becom-
Frightful Presence - Whenever this creature charges
ing a lich is a terrible process that involves the
or makes an all out attack, all creatures within
melee range of it must test against its fear rating. death of someone the lich deeply cares about
Traits Flyer (22), Unnatural Toughness, Armor as a sacrifice.
Plating (10), Dark Sight, Caster (Evocation 3, Div-
Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil
ination 4), Fear 2
Gear - 2 3 3 5 1 4 5 4 4
Threat Rating Very High

Skills Academic Lore 3, Acrobatics 2,

Arcana 5,
Athletics 2, Brawl 4, Charm 3,
Command 5, Common Lore 2,
Forbidden Lore 5, Intimidation 2,
Perception 3, Politics 2, Scrutiny 4
Speed 5
Size 4
Static Defense 17
HP 7
Feats Wizard Tradition (All), Spell
Specialization (All), Tested
Armor None
Attacks Unarmed

303
 CHAPTER 17:
ANTAGONISTS

Abilities
Phylactery - Every Lich has hidden their death Skills Academic Lore 4, Acrobatics 2, Arcana 4,
somewhere safe. They cannot be killed as long as Athletics 2, Brawl 4, Command 3,
their Phylactery exists. A lich's phylactery is invari- Common Lore 2, Forbidden Lore 5,
ably a constructed and typically valuable item. Perception 3, Scrutiny 5
Traits Undead, Dark Sight, Caster (Evocation 4, Speed 5
Illusion 3, Abjuration 3, Conjuration 3) Size 3
Gear Musty but expensive robes, staff, ancient Static Defense 19
gems and jewelry. HP 7
Threat Rating High Feats Danger Sense, Eidetic Memory, Strong
Minded
Armor None
Attacks Tentacles (2k2 I; Snare)
Abilities
Mind Blast - The mind flayer may spend a half ac-
tion to fire a 60' cone of psychic power. All targets
within the cone must make a TN 25 Willpower test
or else become stunned for one round.
Eats Your Goddamn Brain - A mind flayer's attacks
in a grapple always hit the head. While grappling, a
mind flayer's tentacles gain Tearing.
Traits Dark Sight, Caster (Divination 3, En-
chantment 3, Illusion 3)
Gear Blasphemous Robes
Threat Rating Moderate

Aboleth
Aboleths come from the same blasted
and forsaken place as the Mind Flayers.
They're even more powerful and evil than
Mind Flayers, if that's possible. They're
bloated, scaled fish things with bony ridges
and four powerful tentacles. They don't eat
brains with them. They just poison with the
barbs on them, and anyone who dies from this
poison turns into a sludge that the aboleth
consume. They typically have a few slaves on
hand to deal with interlopers.
Mind Flayer
Mind Flayers are some of the most Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil
dangerous creatures in the Wheel. They are
evil, mind-controlling things with only simple 5 3 4 4 1 4 6 5 6
desires. Desires like the subjugation of all liv-
ing things, brains to eat, and countless slaves. Skills Academic Lore 4, Acrobatics 2, Arcana 4,
They're humanoids with slick slimy skin, long Athletics 2, Brawl 4, Command 3,
fingers, and tentacles sprouting around a Common Lore 2, Forbidden Lore 5,
beaked mouth. They use those tentacles to pry Perception 3, Scrutiny 5
open skulls from their victims and extract their Speed 4
brains. Size 8
Static Defense 9
Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil HP 10
Feats Danger Sense, Eidetic Memory, Strong
2 3 2 3 2 4 5 5 5 Minded, Swift Attack
Armor Bone Ridges (3, All)

304
 CHAPTER 17:
ANTAGONISTS

in exceptional natural purity. They're typically

not dangerous as long as they're left alone.

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

3 3 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

Skills Perception 3, Brawl 3

Speed 6
Size 6
Static Defense 13
HP 6
Feats None
Armor None
Attacks Tentacles (4k2 I; Snare, Toxic) Attacks Slam (6k3 I)
Abilities Abilities
Mindslaver - An Aboleth can concentrate to main- Elementals get one of the following, dependning on
tain Enchantment spells as a free action, and targets their composition:
do not get extra dice to resist the effects of those Earth - An earth elemental gains 6 armor to all lo-
spells based on the orders given. cations.
Traits Dark Sight, Caster (Divination 4, En- Air - An air elemental gains Phasing.
chantment 4, Illusion 4), Crawler, Amphibious, Fire - Fire elementals deal E damage with their at-
Armor Plating (3) tacks and all targets within melee range must test
Gear Slime Constitution against TN 15 every turn or gain a
Threat Rating High point of fatigue from waves of heat.
Water - Water elementals gain Regneration 1.
Traits Amorphous, Stuff of Nightmares
Gear None
Threat Rating Low

The Walkin' Dead

Zombies. Shamblers. They go around
biting people and eating their flesh. Some-
times they're caused by a plague or curse, but
they're more often the result of evil sorcery and
warp energy. While they only really pose a
threat in huge numbers and to ill-prepared
people, they still manage to cause a lot of trou-
ble on more primitive or run-down worlds.
Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil
3 2 2 - - - - 2 2
Skills Brawl 2, Perception 2
Speed 5
Size 4
Static Defense 12
Elemental HP 4
Elementals are spirit creatures that Feats None
create and inhabit bodies made of one of the Armor None
Attacks Claws and Teeth (3k1 R)
four primary primal elements - Earth, Air,
Traits Undead, Mindless
Fire, or Water. They're not really properly life Gear Bloody and torn clothing.
forms, and are quite common in the Umbra Threat Rating Very Low
and places where one of the elements is found

305
 CHAPTER 17:
ANTAGONISTS

Fire Warrior
Ghost Fire Warriors are the Tau's standard
When someone dies, their spirit can military force, armed with better weapons and
linger, vengeful and angry. A ghost is just such excellent training. They're somewhat shorter
a spirit, a warp echo of someone who has died. and stockier than the average Tau, and most
They're most commonly seen in the Umbra, are trained from birth for their expected life-
but their influence can extend to the real world time of fighting for the Greater Good.
in places where the veil is thin.
Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil
Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil
3 3 2 2 2 3 2 2 2
3 2 2 4 1 2 2 2 2
Skills Acrobatics 1, Perception 1, Persuasion 2,
Skills Brawl 2, Perception 2, Arcana 3 Common Lore 2, Scrutiny 1,
Speed 5 Weaponry 1, Ballistics 3.
Size 4 Speed 6
Static Defense 12 Size 4
HP 4 Static Defense 17
Feats None HP 5
Armor None Feats Weapon Proficiency (Ordinary, Parrying,
Attacks None Las). Sound Constitution x 1, Armor Proficiency
Abilities (light, medium), Deadeye Shot
Possession - The Ghost may test Charisma and Ar- Armor Flak Vest, Gauntlets,(5 AP; Arms, Body)
cana to affect a target as the Dominate spell. Helmet (4 AP; Head)
Traits Undead, Flyer (10), Phasing, Fear 1 Attacks Knife (4k2 R; Pen 0), Pulse Rifle (100m;
Gear None S/4; 2k2 E; Pen 2; Clip 40; Reload Full; Reliable)
Threat Rating Low Abilities
Fall Back - As the Tau racial power.

306
 CHAPTER 17:
ANTAGONISTS

Gear Uniform, Flak Armor, Pulse Rifle, 2 En- Attacks Knife (3k2 R; Pen 0), Autopistol (30m;
ergy Packs, Micro-bead, Torch S/6; 2k2 I; Pen 0; Clip 12; Reload Full)
Threat Rating Low Abilities
Shifty - As the Halfling racial power.
Gear Threadbare clothing, leathers, Autopistol,
Knife, 2 autopistol clips, a few coins.
Threat Rating Very Low

Slayer
When a Squat does something truly
disgraceful and dishonorable, there is only one
option left for them in their society. They go
to find an honorable death, taking only the
most basic equipment - an Axe, their body
marked with the traditional paint used to bless
those who are already dead, and a grenade to
give them a way out that can take an enemy
with them.

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

3 2 3 2 2 3 2 2 3

Skills Athletics 2, Crafts 2, Intimidation 2,

Weaponry 3, Common Lore 2
Speed 5
Size 3
Static Defense 14
HP 12
Feats Iron Jaw
Armor None
Attacks Axe (6k2 R)
Ratling Abilities
Halflings typically live their life on the Squat Toughness - As the racial ability
wrong side of the law. They've fallen through Gear Axe, boots, loincloth, body paint, mean
the cracks in modern society, and Ratlings are look, Frag Grenade.
just such halfings, thieves and pickpockets that Threat Rating Low
prey on unsuspecting people to survive in the
slums and gutters of the Wheel.

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

2 3 2 2 2 2 2 3 2

Skills Acrobatics 2, Perception 2,

Common Lore 3, Deceive 2, Scrutiny 1,
Weaponry 1, Larceny 3, Ballistics 1.
Speed 5
Size 2
Static Defense 21
HP 5
Feats Weapon Proficiency (Ordinary, Parrying),
Sneak Attack
Armor Leathers (2 AP; Arms, Body, Legs)

307
 CHAPTER 17:
ANTAGONISTS

Living Ancestor Skills Command 2, Weaponry 3,

A wise and respected member of Intimidation 2, Ballistics 2, Brawl 2,
Athletics 2. Acrobatics 2, Perception 2
Squat society, the title of Living Ancestor is
Speed 6
only given to those with wisdom and ability Size 5
that comes only once in a hundred years. All Static Defense 13
other Squats try to emulate the Living Ances- HP 6
tors, and whenever a Squat is declared a Liv- Feats Armor Proficiency (Medium), Weapon
ing Ancestor, they become the head of a new Proficiency (Ordinary, Fencing)
noble house founded in their name. While Armor Flak Jacket (5; Arms, Body, Legs)
they have no special political position save as Attacks Fencing Sword (6k2 R; Balanced), Pump
the head of their noble family, they have great Shotgun (30m; S/-; 3k2 I Pen 0; Clip 8; Reload
2Full; Scatter)
pull in Squat society thanks to the respect oth-
Abilities
ers give them. Dragon Breath - As the Dragonborn racial abilities
Gear Flak Jacket, Pump Shotgun, 24 extra
Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil shells, Fencing Sword, Micro-Bead, Tough cloth-
5 2 5 4 2 5 2 4 5 ing
Threat Rating Low

Skills Athletics 3, Crafts 4, Intimidation 2,

Weaponry 4, Common Lore 2,
Command 3, Academic Lore 2
Speed 6
Size 4
Static Defense 12
HP 20
Feats Iron Jaw, Armor Proficiency
(Power)
Armor Power Armor (12, All)
Attacks Power Axe (8k2 R, Power Field),
Plasma Pistol (30m; S/-; 3k3 E Pen 8; Clip
10; Reload 4Full; Recharge, Overheats).
Abilities
Squat Toughness - As the racial ability
Gear Power Axe, Power Armor, Plasma Pis-
tol, 2 extra plasma charges, mean look, beard jew-
elry, embroidered clothing
Threat Rating Moderate

Talon of Tiamat
Tiamat's followers have never died
out. Some dragonborn carry on in her name, Dragonfire Adept
seeking to destroy Bahamut and avenge their Some Dragonborn focus on the
fallen lord. Some rumor that Tiamat is still power within themselves, training themselves
alive, taking a hundred centuries to recover in magic. Especially fire magic. And when that
from her wounds, almost ready to resume her doesn't work, they carry a really big gun that
war against Bahamut and forge a new Dra- they can use to shoot people to death. Typi-
conic Empire in her fivefold image. cally one or the other will work in any given
situation.
Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil
Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil
4 2 3 4 3 3 2 3 3
4 3 4 5 3 4 2 3 4

308
 CHAPTER 17:
ANTAGONISTS

Skills Command 2, Weaponry 3,

Intimidation 2, Ballistics 3, Brawl 2,
Athletics 2. Acrobatics 2, Perception 2,
Arcana 2, Academic Lore 2
Speed 7
Size 5
Static Defense 15
HP 8
Feats Armor Proficiency (Medium), Weapon
Proficiency (Ordinary, Fencing), Spell Focus (Evo-
cation)
Armor Flak Jacket (5; Arms, Body, Legs)
Attacks Fencing Sword (6k2 R; Balanced), Melt-
agun (20m; S/-; 4k3 E Pen 12; Clip 5; Reload
2Full)
Abilities
Dragon Breath - As the Dragonborn racial ability
Traits Caster (Evocation 3)
Gear Flak Jacket, Meltagun, 2 extra reloads,
Fencing Sword, Micro-Bead, Brightly colored
robes
Threat Rating Moderate

Tinkerer
Gnomes are generally hamless people,
more concerned with playing with new tech-
nology (and fixing old technology) than hurt- Ork Freeboota
ing anyone. Sometimes, though, they have to Orks love nothing more than a good
defend themselves against thieves or, worse, fight. An Ork freeboota is a fairly typical ork
saboteurs. warrior with little experience, almost no scars,
and all his own teeth. All of which mark him
Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil
2 3 2 2 3 2 3 1 2 Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil
4 2 3 3 2 2 2 3 3
Skills Academic Lore 3, Acrobatics 2, Arcana 2, as being very low on the totem pole indeed.
Ballistics 1, Common Lore 3, Drive 2,
Perception 2, Pilot 3, Scrutiny 1, Skills Intimidation 2, Scrutiny 2, Ballistics 1,
Weaponry 2 Weaponry 3, Brawl 2
Speed 5 Speed 6
Size 3 Size 5
Static Defense 19 Static Defense 10
HP 4 HP 6
Feats Blind Fighting, Evasion, Fearless Feats Cleave, Crushing Blow, Power Attack,
Armor Mesh Vest (4, Body) Fearless, Armor Proficiency (Light), Weapon Pro-
Attacks Laspistol (30m; S/-; 2k2 E Pen 0; Clip 30; ficiency (Ordinary)
Reload Full; Reliable), Web Pistol (30m; S/-; Clip Armor Heavy Leathers (3, Arms, Body, Legs)
1; Reload Full; Snare), Katar (2k2 R, Pen 3) Attacks Choppa (7k2 R), Autogun (90m; S/10;
Abilities 2k2 I Pen 0; Clip 30; Reload Full)
Improvise - As the Gnome racial ability Abilities
Gear Laspistol, 3 energy packs, Web Pistol, 2 WAAAAAGH! - As the Ork racial ability.
web loads, Katar, Mesh Vest, Auspex, Backpack, Gear Charm, Heavy Leathers, Choppa, Auto-
Chrono, Combi-Tool, Data Slate, Torch, Void gun, 3 clips, Patchwork clothing
Suit, Clothing with a lot of pockets. Threat Rating Low
Threat Rating Low

309
 CHAPTER 17:
ANTAGONISTS

Ork Nob Aspect Warrior

An Ork Nob is much larger than a Aspect Warriors are Eldarin warriors,
mere freeboota, with the scars and a few members of one of their great fighting schools.
bionik bitz to prove it. They're good at yellin' Many fighting schools have extremely special-
really loud and givin orders to make sure no ized equipment or tactics - the following is a
one is muckin' about. Most Ork Nobs love kind of baseline warrior type with standard
nothing more than gettin' stuck in, and so they (very deadly) weapons and armor.

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil
5 3 4 4 2 2 2 3 4 3 4 2 3 4 3 4 4 3
can be found in the very thickest fighting.
Skills Academic Lore 2, Acrobatics 3,
Skills Intimidation 3, Command 4, Scrutiny 2, Arcana 2, Athletics 2, Ballistics 2,
Ballistics 3, Weaponry 4, Brawl 3 Common Lore 3, Deceive 2,
Speed 8 Perception 3, Scrutiny 2, Weaponry 4
Size 6 Speed 7
Static Defense 13 Size 3
HP 8 Static Defense 24
Feats Cleave, Crushing Blow, Power Attack, HP 5
Fearless, Armor Proficiency (Light), Weapon Pro- Feats Blademaster, Armor Proficiency (Light),
ficiency (Ordinary) Blind Fighting, Catfall, Defensive Mobility, Fleet
Armor Heavy Leathers (3, Arms, Body, Legs) of Foot, Swift Attack, Weapon Proficiency (Fenc-
Attacks Big Choppa (9k2 R; Pen 4), Autogun ing, Syrneth)
(120m; -/10; 3k2 I Pen 5; Clip 100; Reload Full) Armor Mesh Overcoat (4, All)
Abilities Attacks Fencing Sword (5k2 R; Balanced), Light-
WAAAAAGH! - As the Ork racial ability. ing Gun (30m; S/2; 4k2 E Pen 4; Clip 6; Reload
Gear Charm, Heavy Leathers, SAW, Autogun, 2Full; Scatter, Shocking)
3 belts of ammunition, Patchwork clothing Abilities
Threat Rating Moderate Warp Step - As the Eldarin Racial ability.
Gear Lightning Gun, 2 Lighting Charges, 3
Photon Flash Grenades, Fencing Sword, Mesh
Overcoat, silk suit.
Threat Rating Moderate

Eldarin Farseer
Endarin Farseers are leaders in their
race, using powerful divinations and other
magics to see through the veil of the warp and
determine the best course of action. They're
really too valuable for the Eldarin to lose, but
because their powers are so useful they end up
in all sorts of dangerous situations. Most El-
darin have the sense to start running once they
see the Farseer absconding.

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

2 4 2 4 4 2 4 3 4

Skills Academic Lore 1, Acrobatics 3, Arcana 4,

Athletics 2, Ballistics 2, Common Lore 3,

310
 CHAPTER 17:
ANTAGONISTS

Deceive 2, Forbidden Lore 3, Static Defense 13

Perception 3, Scrutiny 3, Weaponry 2 HP 12
Speed 6 Feats Sound Constitution x3, Combat Master,
Size 3 Armor Proficiency (all), Weapon Proficiency (all)
Static Defense 24 Armor Power Armor (12, All)
HP 6 Attacks Chainsword (8k2 R; Pen 4; Tearing),
Feats Common Sense, Danger Sense, Defensive Boltgun (90m; S/3; 4k2 X Pen 6; Clip 24; Reload
Mobility, Fast Reflexes, Foresight, Spell Might, Full; Tearing)
Spell Penetration, Strong Minded, Weapon Profi- Abilities
ciency (Fencing, Syrneth) And They Shall Know No Fear - As the Aasimar
Armor Leathers (2, Arms, Body, Legs) racial ability
Attacks Fencing Sword (5k2 R; Balanced), Gear Power Armor, Chainsword, Boltgun, 2
Abilities Bolt clips, Plain clothing, charms
Warp Step - As the Eldarin Racial ability. Threat Rating Moderate
Traits Caster (Divination 4, Enchantment 2, Il-
lusion 3, Evocation 2) Grey Knight
Gear Fencing Sword, Staff, Leathers, Elaborate
robes If the Space Marines are the best of
Threat Rating Moderate the best, the Grey Knights are the best of the
best of the best. They are issued relics and
Space Marine equipment that is of such value that it must
only be given to those who can make the best
Armed with the best weapons, the
use of it. They have training superior even to
thickest armor, knowing no fear and with the
that of a Space Marine, and are sent to carry
sole purpose of bringing the forces of Chaos
out missions with nearly no chance of success
to their knees. These are the Space Marines.
but which they cannot afford to fail.
They are Aasimar who are part of the elite
forces of the Blessed Pantheon, going out into
the Wheel to smite the enemies of their gods. Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil
6 3 5 4 3 5 3 5 5
Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil
Skills Acrobatics 3, Athletics 4, Ballistics 4,
5 3 5 3 3 4 3 5 4
Common Lore 3, Forbidden Lore 3,
Perception 3, Scrutiny 4, Weaponry 4
Skills Acrobatics 2, Athletics 3, Ballistics 3, Speed 9
Common Lore 2, Perception 2, Size 6
Scrutiny 3, Weaponry 3 Static Defense 13
Speed 8 HP 15
Size 6 Feats Sound Constitution x5, Combat Master,
Armor Proficiency (all), Weapon Proficiency (all),
Blind Fighting, Danger Sense,
Luck, Strong Minded
Armor Power Armor (12, All)
Attacks Power Sword (9k2 R;
Pen 4; Power Field), Boltgun
(90m; S/3; 4k2 X Pen 6; Clip
24; Reload Full; Tearing)
Abilities
And They Shall Know No Fear
- As the Aasimar racial ability
Gear Power Armor, Power
Sword, Boltgun, 2 Bolt clips,
Plain clothing, charms
Threat Rating High

311
 CHAPTER 17:
ANTAGONISTS

Chaos Marine ciency (all), Weapon Proficiency (all), Frenzy

As the Space Marines serve the forces Armor Power Armor (12, All)
Attacks Chainsword (8k2 R; Pen 4; Tearing),
of the Blessed Pantheon, the Chaos Marines
Boltgun (90m; S/3; 4k2 X Pen 6; Clip 24; Reload
serve the Ruinous Powers of Chaos. They are Full; Tearing)
a more varied lot than the Space Marines, Abilities
their armor altered to serve the various muta- Bloody Minded - As the Tiefling racial ability
tions each Tiefling gains over time, and cov- Gear Power Armor, Chainsword, Boltgun, 2
ered in spiky bits and garish colors for good Bolt clips, Plain clothing, charms
measure. Threat Rating Moderate

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

5 4 5 3 3 4 3 4 4

Skills Acrobatics 2, Athletics 3, Ballistics 2,

Common Lore 2, Perception 2,
Intimidate 3, Weaponry 4
Speed 8
Size 6
Static Defense 18
HP 12
Feats Sound Constitution x3, Armor Profi-

Obliterator
There is a kind of curse or magic or
virus (or all three) that infects some Chaos
marines. They become one with their weapons
and armor, mutating to become a mass of
weaponry with flesh stretched over gunmetal.
They've almost all been driven insane by the
torment of their condition, but serve well as
engines of death and destruction.

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

6 4 6 3 1 4 2 1 4

Skills Acrobatics 2, Athletics 3, Ballistics 3,

Common Lore 2, Perception 2,
Intimidate 3, Weaponry 3
Speed 10

312
 CHAPTER 17:
ANTAGONISTS

Size 8 Static Defense 29

Static Defense 14 HP 5
HP 15 Feats Blademaster, Armor Proficiency (Light),
Feats Sound Constitution x5, Armor Profi- Backstab, Catfall, Defensive Mobility, Decadence,
ciency (all), Weapon Proficiency (all), Frenzy Fleet of Foot, Sneak Attack, Weapon Proficiency
Armor Armor Plating (10, All) (Fencing, Exotic, Parrying)
Attacks MP Lascannon (300m; S/-; 5k4 E Pen 10; Armor Mesh Overcoat (4, All)
Clip -; Reload -; Recharge), Heavy Bolter (120m; - Attacks Officer's Cutlass (5k2 R; Shocking), Nee-
/10; 4k2 X Pen 8; Clip -; Reload -; Tearing), dle Gun (180m; S/-; 2k2 E Pen 0; Clip 6; Reload
Crushing Fist (6k3 I). 2Full; Accurate, Toxic)
Abilities Abilities
Bloody Minded - As the Tiefling racial ability Warp Miasma - As the Dark Eldarin Racial ability.
Integrated Weapons Array - The Obliterator can Gear Needle Gun, 2 Needle Packs, 3 Smoke
create nearly any weapon from its body. In addition Grenades, Officer's Cutlass, Mesh Overcoat, spider
to the listed attacks, it can generate nearly any Or- silk suit.
dinary, Las, Plasma, Melta, Bolt, or Flame weapon Threat Rating Moderate
it needs to. An obliterator has effectively infinite
ammunition with all of its weapons. It requires a
full round action to shift weapons, and can have any
two at a time.
Traits Auto Stabilized, Machine (10)
Gear -
Threat Rating High

Dark Eldarin Raider

The Dark Eldarin have a culture of
slavery, sacrifice of souls to the Daemon Lloth,
and incredible decadence that would make
even the most jaded whore blush. They often
send raiding parties out to capture fresh prey
to bring, screaming, to their hidden dark city
of Commorragh. Those that they take are typ-
ically never seen again.

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

3 5 2 4 4 3 3 3 3

Skills Academic Lore 1, Acrobatics 3, Arcana 2,

Athletics 2, Ballistics 2, Common Lore 2,
Deceive 4, Forbidden Lore 2,
Perception 3, Scrutiny 2, Weaponry 4
Speed 8
Size 3

313
 correct proficiencies, the penalty is equal to the armor
General Guidelines and points the armor provides.
Armor Points: The amount a suit of armor re-
Glossary duces damage taken. Armor Points are not applied
against purely magical effects like spells.
Some general rules and simple rules quandries Artifact: A magical item or weapon. They're of
are sorted out in this section, along with a glossary, and higher quality or have effects that can't be matched by
a guide to the slang of Sigil. standard gear.
Astral Sea: The void of space that lies between
RULE ZERO crystal spheres. There is no air, almost infinite room,
and the general kind of unpleasantness that one would
It bears repeating that this is a game. It's about
expect from outer space.
having fun. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If it is broke, Attack: Any of numerous actions intended to
though, don't be afraid to nudge things around to solve
harm, disable, or neutralize and opponent. The out-
a problem.
come of an attack is determined by an attack test.
Attack Test: A test made to determine whether
ROUNDING FRACTIONS an attack hits. The test is made with Dexterity. If you're
In general, if you wind up with a fraction, proficient with the weapon you're using, you add
round down, even if the fraction is one-half or larger. Weaponry (for melee attacks) or Ballistic (for ranged
attacks) as unkept dice.
CHARACTERISTIC CHANGES Aura: Armor reduces damage from physical at-
If a character's characteristics change because tacks, Aura reduces damage taken from magic attacks
of magical effects, transformations, or so forth, it can like spells but has no effect on physical effects like being
have an effect on more than just their rolls. For exam- stabbed or shot.
ple, a bonus to strength or dexterity will increase a char- Blinded: Blind characters fail all tests based on
acter's speed. More interesting is when a character's vision and automatically fails all Ballistics tests, suffers
constitution or composure changes, which affects a a -2k1 penalty to Weaponry test and most other tests
character's hit points. If a character's maximum hit that benefit from vision. They also grant Combat Ad-
points would increase, they get the additional hit points vantage.
right away. If a character's maximum hit points would Blood Loss: When someone's suffering Blood
decrease, though, things get dangerous for them. The Loss, they're in great danger of death. They must roll
amount of damage they've taken has *not* decreased, 1d10 every round, and die if they roll a 1 on it. Medicae
so they lose hit points immediately. This can put a char- tests can be made to staunch the bleeding.
acter into critical damage or even kill him. Bonus: A positive modifier to a test, expressed
as +XkY, where X is the number of extra unkept dice
the bonus gives and Y is the number of extra kept dice.
Glossary Some bonuses modify the end result of a roll rather than
the number of dice, and are instead expressed as +Z.
Action: A character activity. Actions are di- Character: A fictional individual within the
vided into the following categories, according to the confines of the game. The words character and creature
time required to perform them: Full Action, Half Ac- are often used synonymously within these rules, since
tion, Reaction Action, and Free Action. almost any creature could be a character and every
Adventuring Party: A group of characters who character is a creature (as opposed to an object).
adventure togther. An adventuring party is composed Characteristic: One of the nine numerical sta-
of player characters plus and followers, familiars, pets, tistics that define's a character's physical, mental, and
hirelings, minions, cohorts, or mercenaries they might social abilities.
have. Characteristic Test: A test made that uses only
Alignment: The character's morality base, a character's characteristics, almost always with the
based on which diety is closest to his personal views on same number of kept and unkept dice.
the universe. Charisma (Cha): A character's force of person-
Ally: A creature friendly to you. In most cases, ality and how good they are at making first impressions,
references to 'allies' includes yourself. A character may their personal magnetism and persuasiveness.
freely designate creatures as allies or enemies at will. Check: A check is missing the target number
Armor Defense Penalty: The penalty wearing by 5 points. For every additional 5 points you miss the
a suit of armor gives to your static defense. Without the target number by, you get another check.
 Class: A package of skills, feats, and abilities Deafened: Deafened characters can't heal.
that defines what a character is studying and working They automatically fail any test based on hearing. They
towards. Most characters will change class at least once also have quite a lot of trouble with understanding what
during their career as a Hero. people are trying to tell them.
Composure (Cmp): A character's ability to Dexterity (Dex): Dexterity is the measure of a
control themselves and their emotions and remain character's nimbleness, agility, and reflexes.
strong in the face of challenges to their beliefs. Dodge: A defensive action that can be made to
Concealment: Something that prevents an at- counter any attack, ranged or melee.
tacker from clearly seeing his or her target. Conceal- Engaged: Characters are engaged once they're
ment makes it more difficult to hit a target, increasing in melee combat with each other characters in melee
their static defense. combat are kind of stuck there unless they take a with-
Concentration: Some effects, especially spells, draw or shift action to end their engagement.
require that a character spend actions on each of their Exalt: One of the Exalted.
turns in order to maintain the effect. Exalted: The champions of destiny, with power
Constitution (Con): A character's sheer tough- beyond that which any mortal can hold, near limitless
ness and physical health and stamina. It helps deter- potential, and abilities that make them unmatched. The
mine hit points and resist some deadly effects. most prominent types of Exalted are
Cover: Cover is what helps you survive a fire- Atlanteans - People with the reincarnated souls
fight. It's been said that the only way an army can of the Syrneth. They have the elder secrets of sorcery
achieve victory in the modern age is through the use of and skill flowing through them.
chest-high walls. Chosen - The Chosen are given their power by
Creature: A living or otherwise active being, as the gods, their souls elevated to be divine in their own
opposed to an object. The terms 'creature' and 'charac- right.
ter' are sometimes used interchangeably. Daemonhosts - Daemonhosts were people
Critical Damage: Wounds that have lasting, that, on the edge of life and death, allowed the powers
sometimes deadly, effects on a character. A character of the warp to get a hold on their souls in exchange for
starts taking critical damage after they've lost all their life.
hit points and someone is still pounding on them. Paragons - Paragons are people who were born
Crystal Sphere: A crystal sphere is the barrier with exceptional ability, that top one percent of one per-
around a star system that makes entry difficult. A ship cent of one percent, the one in a million chance.
must find a way through it like they'd find a way Prometheans - Prometheans are very expensive
through a reef at sea. A crystal sphere looks like a kind and very powerful cyborgs using the best and newest
of dull hazy glass from outside, and it's difficult to make technologies to create a perfect being.
anything out on the inside. Vampires - Vampires are cursed by the blood
Current Hit Points: The number of hit points of the fallen Eldarin god of war, filled with blood lust
a character currently has remaining, as opposed to their and predatory power.
normal full maximum hit points. Werewolves - Werewolves are those blessed by
Daemon: One of the terrible creatures of the Luna to have the ability to change their form, to become
Warp, made of magic, thoughts, and emotions. They and be whatever they want.
take many forms and are almost impossible to under- Experience Points (XP): A numerical measure-
stand. ment of a character's personal achieve-
Damage: Hurt incoming on someone. Damage ment and advancement. Characters
comes in several forms - Impact, Rending, Energy, and earn experience points by over-
Explosive. When a character takes damage, their hit coming challenges and defeat-
points are reduced. Characters determine just how ing opponents. At the end of
many hit points they lose by dividing the damage by each adventure, the SM as-
their size - larger characters take more to hurt. signs XP to the characters
Dazzled: Dazzled characters are dazed and based on what they have ac-
confused. They take -1k0 to all tests and an additional complished. XP are spent to
-1k0 to all tests based on sight. buy new feats, and improve
Dead: A character dies when they take enough skills and characteristics.
critical damage for the critical damage charts to say he's Exploding Dice:
dead. Dead characters really can't do much, what with Whenever a die comes up as
being corpses, though others might manage to use them a natural 10, the dice 'ex-
as decorative pieces, doorstops, or interesting furniture. plodes'. Roll an additional die and add it
to the first die's result. If this second die also comes up getting seriously hurt by an attack (getting seriously hurt
10, roll a third. Continue rolling dice until they come would be Critical Damage).
up with something other than 10. Immobilized: Unable to use movement actions.
Failure: An unsuccessful result on a check, sav- Incorporeal: Incorporeal creatures aren't solid.
ing throw, life, or other determination involving a die They can move through and inside objects and can't be
roll. hurt by normal weapons. Only artifact weapons and
Fatigue: Tired to the point of impairment. weapons with the Power Field property can hurt them.
Many critical effects, as well as some weapons, can Initiative: A system for determining the order
cause fatigue effects. When a character gets enough fa- of actions in battle. Before the first round of combat,
tigue, they call unconscious and become helpless. Even each participant makes a single initiative check. Each
if they have only one level of fatigue, suffering -1k0 to round, participants act in order from the highest initia-
all tests. tive check to the lowest.
Fellowship (Fel): The measure of how attrac- Initiative Check: A check used to determine a
tive and expressive a character is, and their power to co- creature's place in the initiative order for a combat. An
erce or manipulate others. initiative check is made by rolling 1d10 and adding the
Free Action: A free action is a type of action character's Dexterity and Composure scores.
that takes almost no time at all. During their turn, a Maximum Hit Points: A character's maximum
character may preform any number of free actions, to hit points is how many hit points they have when they're
reasonable limits of what the SM allows, and no more fully healed and rested.
than one action of a given type per turn. Melee: Melee combat consists of physical
Full Action: Full actions take up a character's blows exchanged by opponents close enough to
full concentration. When a character takes a full action, threaten one another's space, as opposed to ranged
it pretty much takes their entire turn aside from free ac- combat.
tions. Melee Weapon: A handheld weapon designed
Half Action: Most common actions are half ac- for close combat.
tions. A character may preform two half actions instead Natural Weapon: A natural weapon is any
of one Full Action. A character may not take the same weapon like a claw, bite, sting, or so forth. Natural
half action twice in a turn. weapons have their own damage profiles and use the
Hero: A Hero is a character with heroic traits Brawl skill when making attacks. Natural weapons can-
like an Exaltation or Hero Points. not be disarmed or broken.
Intelligence (Int): The measure of how good a Nonplayer Character: One of the characters
character's memory, understanding, reasoning and de- that's controlled by the Story Master.
ductive ability. Opportunity Attack: A single extra melee attack
Kept Dice: How many dice are kept from a per round that a combatant can make when an oppo-
roll. Typically this is equal to the characteristic used in nent within reach takes an action with the Provokes key-
the roll. word.
Level: A character's level could be said to be a Parry: A defensive action that can be used to
measure of his mastery and focus rather than raw ability negate a melee attack.
or experience. The more a character devotes himself to Party: A group of Heroes that adventure to-
a single path, the faster a character's level increases. The gether.
very best characters gain all the levels. All of them. Penalty: A negative modifier to a die roll. Typ-
Yeah!!!!!!!! ically they're noted as -XkY, where X is the reduced
Grapple: Engaging in wrestling or some other number of unkept dice and Y is the reduced number of
form of hand-to-hand struggle with one or more attack- kept dice. Some penalties apply to the end result of a
ers. Grappling and being grappled reduces the types of roll rather than the number of dice, and are expressed
actions you can take. as -Z.
Great Wheel: The Galaxy. The collection of Perfect Attack: A perfect attack automatically
crystal spheres spinning together in the As- hits. There is no need to roll. The only way to stop a
tral Sea like a big spiral wheel. perfect attack is with a perfect defense.
Helpless: A helpless character is effec- Perfect Defense: A perfect defense automati-
tively at the mercy of his opponents. A help- cally stops any attack, even a perfect attack. No rolls are
less target is in great danger of death. made.
Hit Points (HP): A measure of a characters Player Character: A character controlled by
heath, luck, skill and divine favor, all the factors one of the players.
that combine to protect a character from Prone: A prone character has been knocked on
their ass. They have to spend an action to stand up and talent, since not every-
until they do, they have a variety of penalties, though it one has the ability or
does make them a bit harder to hit with ranged talent needed to rip
weapons. power out of the Warp
Raise: Beating the target number by 5. You get and bend it to their
an additional raise for every 5 you beat the target num- own ends. Most He-
ber by. If an ability says you get an additional raise on roes at heast have
a test, you simply add 5 to the result. some ability to learn
Range: Guns and other ranged weapons have the basics.
a given range. Beyond this range, they're less likely to Speed: How
hit, and past a certain point they simply become inef- quickly a character
fective. At short range, it's easier to hit with weapons moves.
and at point blank range you get big bonuses. Of Spell: A one-
course, at point blank range you're also more likely to time magical effect created by a Sorcerer. A spell is
have the enemy walk up and stab you. powered by warp energy and controlled by the will of
Ranged Attack: Ranged attacks are attacks the Sorcerer using it.
made with guns, bows, and missile launchers (among Spelljamming: The process of sailing a spell-
other things). They're made with the Ballistics skill, and jamming ship through the void. It's more a traditional
can't be used in melee range. name than anything else, as very few ships are purely
Ranged Weapon: Ranged weapons are the driven on spells.
guns, bows, and missile launchers mentioned above, Spelljamming Ship: A ship that moves through
ideal for putting someone down without getting your the Astral Sea. Also called starships, voidships, space-
hands dirty. ships, and so forth.
Reaction Action: A reaction action is the effort Static Defense: How difficult it is to hit some-
a character keeps in reserve to deal with problems as one. A person's static defense is the Target Number
they come, their reflexes and reaction time. Typically, needed to hit them.
Reaction Actions are made to dodge or parry attacks, Strength (Str): How physically strong a char-
but there are other actions that use up Reaction Actions acter is, how much they can lift and how much damage
as well. they do when they hit something.
Resolve: Resolve represents how well a charac- Stunned: A stunned character grants combat
ter can resist charms, arguments, and the points of view advantage and cannot take actions. They are neither
of others. helpless nor unaware.
Restrained: A restrained character has man- Success: The opposite of a failure. The good
aged to get himself tied up, figuratively or literally. They kind of opposite! Try to get lots of these.
grant combat advantage and take -1k0 to attack rolls. Syrne: The Syrne were one of the first races in
If someone has thrown him in leg irons, he's also im- the Great Wheel, and most of the great artifacts and
mobilized. ruins are attributed to them. While some claim there is
Result: What you determine by rolling dice. It's evidence of even earlier civilizations, there is almost no
compared against a Target Number to see if you suc- evidence.
ceeded or failed. Syrneth: The descriptor attached to what's left
Rogue Trader: One of the insanely rich and of the Syrne's works. Syrneth ruins and artifacts are well
powerful merchants who plies their trade across the respected and extremely valuable.
stars. Target: The intended recipient of an attack,
Size: How big a creature is, which determines spell, supernatural ability, or magical effect.
how many hit points they lose from damage. Target Number: The number that one needs
Skill: One of the many fields in which a char- to reach for a test to be successful. Don't get up to the
acter can apply his characteristics. They represent edu- target number, and you fail.
cation and training they've acquired. Tell: The supernatural appearance or aura that
Skill Test: A test made using a skill and char- an Exalt gets when he overextends his power. It's dif-
acteristic, the most common type of test a character will ferent for each type of Exalt, and even with individual
be asked to make. Exalts.
Sorcerer: A character with the ability to cast Test: A roll made to see if a character succeeds
spells. A Sorcerer is viewed with respect, or at least fear, or fails at a given task. Tests are made whenever deter-
in most places. mining failure is important. Most everyday tasks don't
Sorcery: Spellcasting ability. Sorcery is a rare require tests.
 Threaten: To be able to attack in melee with- the Wheel.
out moving from your current space. You threaten all Basher: A neutral reference to a person, usually
characters you're engaged in melee with. You can make a thug or fighter.
opportunity attacks if people you threaten take actions Berk: A fool, especially one who got himself
with the Provoke keyword. into the mess when he should have known better.
Throne: A throne is the most standard cur- Birdcage: A cell or anything that compares to
rency in the Wheel, issued by the Council and with the it.
backing of Sigil's economy behind it. Bleaker: A faction, one of those dispondent
Turn: The point in the round at which you take members of the Bleak Cabal.
your actions. On your turn, you may perform one or Blood: Anyone who's an expert, sage, or a pro-
more actions, as dictated by your current circum- fessional at his work. A champion gladiator can be a
stances. blood, just like a practiced sorcerer. Calling somone a
Umbra: A shallow part of the Warp, existing as blood is a mark of high respect.
a shadow parallel to the physical universe. Werewolves Bob: The business of cheating someone,
and many spiritual creatures can enter this place. whether it's of their cash, honor, or trust. A good guide
Unarmed Attack: A melee attack made using to Sigil will warn a cutter when someone's bobbing him.
fists, kicks, or headbutts instead of weapons. Unarmed Thieves boast that they "bobbed some leatherhead on
attacks use the Brawl skill instead of the street."
Weaponry. Bone-box: The mouth, named be-
Unconscious: A character who cause of its teeth, fangs, or whatever.
accumulates enough levels of fatigue falls "Stop rattling your bone-box," is telling
unconscious. Unconscious characters are a berk to lay off the threats or bragging.
helpless and can't take any actions. Better Bub: Booze, wine, or ale that's usually
than being dead, though. cheap and barely drinkable.
Unkept Dice: The first number Bubber: A drunk, especially if he, she,
in the equation, the X in the XkY that or it has fallen on hard times. Bubbers
tests are expressed as. This is how many don't get any sympathy from most folks
dice you roll during a test, rather than in Sigil.
how many dice you keep. This is usually Burg: Any town smaller than Sigil, ei-
the sum of the characteristic and skill ther in size or spirit - at least that's how
used in a test. folks from Sigil see it. Other bodies
Warp: The Warp is an alternate don't always agree.
dimension of chaotic raw matter and en- Cage, the: This is a common nick-
ergy. Because space and time work differ- name for Sigil, used by locals. It comes
ently here, it's the only way known for ships to get from Birdcage, so it's a pretty harsh judgement on this
around the Wheel in a reasonable amount of time. place.
Willpower (Wil): A character's strength of will Case: The house or place where a cutter lives.
and their ability to resist mental commands and magic. Cipher: A faction nickname of the Transcen-
Wisdom (Wis): Alertness and comprehension, dent Order, because most folks don't know what they're
how well a character notices the world around him and talking about.
interprets what he sees and hears. Clueless, the: The folks who just don't get it,
usually someone who's never been off-world. Use this
Knowing the cant: on an experienced traveller and it's likely there'll be a
A guide to Sigil's slang fight.
Chant, the: An expression that means news,
Addle-Cove: A not-particularly friendly way to local gossip, the facts, the moods, or anything else about
call someone an idiot. "Did you hear what that addle- what's happening. "What's the chant?" is a ways of ask-
coved commissar wanted us to do?" ing what's the latest information a basher's heard.
Cross-trade: The business of thieving, or any-
Bar That: An almost-polite way to say "shut
up" or "don't talk about that." it's quick and to the point, thing else illegal or shady. "A cross-trading scum" is a
and it can be used as a warning: "Bar that, Nicodemus, thief who's probably angered the Mercykillers.
Cutter: A term that refers to anybody, male or
there's Space Marines over there."
Barmies: The insane folks, especially those in female, that a person wants. It does suggest a certain
Sigil, who've been "touched" by the impossible vistas of amount of resourcefulness or daring, and so it's a lot
better than calling somebody a berk.
 Dark: Anything that's secret is said to be a dark. Long Walk: Being pushed out an airlock, which
"Here's the dark of it," is a way of saying "I've got a se- is where some berks wind up after they've been
cret and I'll share it with you." scragged.
Doomguard: One of the factions in Sigil. They Leatherhead: A dolt, a dull or thick-witted fel-
think everything's going to run down and decay, and low. Use it to call somebody an idiot.
want to help it along. Lost: Dead. "He got lost," means he ain't com-
Dustmen: One of the factions of Sigil. They be- ing back.
lieve everybody's dead. Mercykillers: A faction of Sigil that believes
Fated, the: A faction of Sigil which holds that there is an absolute justice.
if they've got something, it's because it belongs to them. Music: The price a cutter usually doesn't want
This doesn't always sit well with others. to pay, but has to anyway. "Pay the music or you'll never
Garnish: A bribe, as in "Give the irritating petty find your way out of here."
official a little garnish and he'll go away." Out-of-Touch: Outside of the material uni-
Give 'em the Laugh: Escape or slip through the verse. A body is said to be "out-of-touch" when he's
clutches of someone. Robbing a tiefling's house and not traveling through the warp. It derives from the fact that
getting caught is giving him the laugh. a spelljammer in the warp can't be contacted by any
Give the Rope: What happens to condemned normal means.
criminals who don't manage to give the law the laugh. Out-of-Town: In a different Crystal Sphere.
Usually thieves are the only folks who use this term. Peel: A swindle, con, or a trick is the peel. It's
Godsmen: A faction of Sigil that believes every- often used as a verb. Peeling a Space Marine is usually
body's got the chance to ascend to godhood. a bad idea.
Greener: A nickname for the Verdant Guild, Pike It: A useful, all-purpose phrase, as in,
one of Sigil's factions. They have very strong views on "Take a short stick and pike it, bubber."
the way people treat animals. Put in the Dead-book: Dead. Some people
Guvner: A faction in Sigil that believes know- have others "put in the dead-book."
ing physical laws will give a cutter power over every- Scragged: Arrested or caught.
thing. Not the kind of folks to argue logic with. Sensates: Nickname for the Society of Sensa-
Harmonium: A faction of sigil. "Do it our way tion, a faction. It's members believe life's got to be ex-
or no way," could be its slogan. perienced to be understood.
High-up Man: This is what everybody - man, Signers: A faction nickname for the Sign of
woman, and thing - in Sigil wants to be: somebody with One. Its members figure everybody is the center of their
money and influence. It's bad form to call one's self this; own universe
it's a phrase others bestow. Sod: A poor, unfortunate soul. Use it to show
Jink: The goal of the poor; money or coins. sympathy for an unlucky cutter or use it sarcastically for
"That's going to take a lot of jink!" for an expensive bit those who get themselves into their own mess.
of garnishing. Turn Stag: To betray somebody or use treach-
Kip: Any place a cutter can put up his feet and ery. Saying "he's turned stag" is about the worst thing
sleep for a night, especially cheap flophouses. Landlords that can be said about a cutter.
of good hotels get upset if a fellow calls their place a kip.
Knight of the Post: A thief, cheat, and a liar -
clearly not a compliment unless, of course, that's what
the basher wants to be.
 There was a scream. Princess Claudia was used to hearing screams in
the dungeon. That scream sounded different, though. Someone was walking
up to her cell now. The footsteps were light, not at all like the heavy boots of
the guards.
"Princess Claudia?" Asked a voice at the door. A woman's voice. That
wasn't normal. All the guards here were men. And totally resistant to her
charms. She had heard a woman could use feminine wiles to get out of any jail,
but they hadn't helped her one bit.
"Ah... yes?" Claudia said. There was a pause from outside.
"Please stand away from the door and close your eyes." Claudia frowned.
What was that supposed to mean? Before she could ask, there was a blinding
flash of light and the door was punched inwards by a blast from outside. The
princess screamed. The lights flickered as the explosion damaged power leads.
Before the smoke could clear, someone was already stepping into her
room. Claudia coughed on the dust and looked at them. The girl there couldn't
have been any older than she was, though her tone suggested she was athletic.
A sword was strapped to her side and she wore a flak jacket.
Princess Claudia took a step back. She didn't like the person looking at
her. There was something about the way she was staring, like the Princess was
barely a person at all. It was a... very hungry look. Claudia swallowed. There
was a moment when she wasn't sure if the person was going to attack her. The
strange woman held out a hand.
"Come with me if you want to live." Claudia hesitated, then took the
hand. The woman smiled. Claudia saw fangs. Lots of fangs. Just for an instant.
The woman half-dragged her outside, past two dead guards. Claudia tried not
to look at them. The looked like they had been... eaten. They ran out into a
courtyard.
"STOP RIGHT THERE CRIMINAL SCUM!" Spotlights bloomed,
blinding Claudia for an instant. A VTOL swung over them, dust kicking up.
The woman let go of Claudia's hand. As the Princess' eyes adjusted to the light,
she could see Harmonium guards, weapons drawn, in a semicircle around the
door.
"Oh my~" the strange woman said, laughing. "All this for little old me
and a princess?"
"YOU WILL COME PEACEFULLY WITH US OR PAY THE
PRICE!" The speaker gave the impression that they really, really hoped the
woman would chose the second option. "YOU CAN'T ESCAPE THIS TIME,
HARUHARA!"
Name: Race: XP:
Age: Exaltation: Campaign:
Player: Alignment: Faction:

ATTRIBUTES
Power Intelligence OOOOOO Strength OOOOOO Charisma OOOOOO

Finesse Wisdom OOOOOO Dexterity OOOOOO Fellowship OOOOOO

Resistance Willpower OOOOOO Constitution OOOOOO Composure OOOOOO

SKILLS OTHER TRAITS

Mental Backgrounds Power Stat:

____________
Academic Lore OOOOOO _____________ OOOOO OOOOOO
Arcana OOOOOO _____________ OOOOO
Common Lore OOOOOO _____________ OOOOO Resource Stat:
Crafts OOOOOO _____________ OOOOO ____________
Forbidden Lore OOOOOO _____________ OOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOO
Medicae OOOOOO
Perception OOOOOO
Feats Devotion:
Politics OOOOOO
_____________
Tech-Use OOOOOO _____________________
OOOOOOOOOO
Physical _____________________
_____________________ Static Def: _________
Acrobatics OOOOOO
_____________________ Hit Points: _________
Athletics OOOOOO
Ballistics OOOOOO _____________________ Resolve:___________
Brawl OOOOOO _____________________ Speed:____________
Drive OOOOOO _____________________ Size:_______________
Larceny OOOOOO _____________________ Hero Points: _______
Pilot OOOOOO _____________________ Armor: ____________
Stealth OOOOOO _____________________
Weaponry OOOOOO _____________________
Social _____________________ Weapon:
Animal Ken OOOOOO _____________________ Type Damage Pen
Charm OOOOOO _____________________
Command OOOOOO _____________________ ROF Clip Range
Deceive OOOOOO _____________________
Disguise OOOOOO _____________________ Weapon:
Intimidation OOOOOO
_____________________
Performer OOOOOO Type Damage Pen
_____________________
Persuasion OOOOOO
Scrutiny OOOOOO _____________________ ROF Clip Range
 Special Abilities Allies and Contacts
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________
________________________ Description
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________
Spells and Special Attacks
________________________
Class List _________________________________________
_________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
Derangements Equipment
________________________
_________________________________________
________________________
_________________________________________
________________________
_________________________________________
________________________
_________________________________________
Languages _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
________________________ _________________________________________
Characteristics 6/4/2 * Skills 8/6/4 * Backgrounds 7 * (Buying the fifth dot in any area costs two points) * Hit
Points = Constitution + Willpower * Resolve = Composure + Willpower * Static Defense = 10 + (5 times
Dexterity) - (2 x Size) * Speed = Strength + Dexterity * Starting Hero Points = 2 * Starting Devotion = 6
 ROLEPLAYING IN THE BRIGHT NOBILITY
OF THE 41ST MILLENIUM

Prepare to venture forth with your bold companions into a world of heroic fantasy. Within
these pages, you’ll discover all the tools and options you need to create characters worthy of
song and legend for the Dungeons the Dragoning game, and how to create adventures to show
them the horrors and wonders of the Great Wheel.

Wars rage over airless moons, in the dark, twisted depths of hive worlds and in the cold waste
of the Astral Sea. From the immaterial realm of the Warp, malicious entities send their un-
speakable horrors to corrupt the universe. Terrible beings from the depths of ancient time
awaken to begin their March. The Blood War between the forces of Law and Chaos leaves only
ruin and death in its wake. Even the bastion of galactic civilization, Sigil, isn’t safe.

There is no time for peace.

No respite.

No forgiveness.

There is only adventure.