While the application of any modifiers rests in the firm and absolute discretion of the Director, following are modifiers that are not uncommon in combat.
Modifier Condition
-3 Actor attacks opponent bearing a shield from the front or from the flank bearing the shield, where the shield is not a valid target for the attack. -2 Opponent takes cover behind object
(like a tree or table).
-1 Opponent flees field rather than Act. -1 Actor’s second attack due to
Florentine or Two Weapons Skills. +1 Opponent affected by Pin or Bind. +2 Opponent affected by Feeblemind or
otherwise unable to use game abilities.
+3 Actor attacks opponent bearing a shield from the front or from the flank bearing the shield, where the shield is a valid target for the attack +3 Target affected by Nausea.
+4 Target is unable to move (i.e., affected by Confine, Sleep, Vertigo or Web), but attack is thrown.
Example: (Please note that the following description of combat may seem a bit drawn out. In fact, combat in Alliance Tabletop should move swiftly once the Director and players
learn the system as a single cast of the die is all that is needed for any Round.)
Finally, Dorothea, T’to, Bolger, Haley and Lahr have stolen into Margaret’s castle and have come upon Margaret herself and six Orc guards. The hallway in which they fight only allows three people to stand abreast. T’to, Haley and Bolger make the front line, with Dorothea and Lahr in the back. They face two rows of guards, with Margaret behind them. The two sides spend a few moments taunting each other, but it is clear that this encounter will not be avoided without the shedding of blood. When Margaret summons aura to her hands, every- one else draws claws and weapons.
The Director asks everybody to roll Ini- tiative (Feet). The Director decides to roll a single initiative for the guards. In descending order, the modified initiative rolls are Bolger (9), T’to (9), guards (8), Lahr (8), Margaret (8), Haley (4), Dorothea (4). Combat proceeds as follows (all numbers are modified):
Bolger Strikes (Hands) the first guard (Feet). Bolger’s 8 beats the guard’s 7. The guard loses Magic Armor.
T’to Strikes (Hands) the second guard (Feet). T’to’s 4 loses to the guard’s 6.
The first guard Strikes (Hands) Bolger (Feet). The guard’s 6 loses to Bolger’s 7.
The second guard Strikes (Hands) T’to (Feet). The guard’s 8 beats T’to’s 5. T’to loses
Magic Armor.
The third guard Strikes (Hands) Haley (Feet). The guard’s 9 beats Haley’s 6. Haley loses Magic Armor.
Lahr Throws (Eyes) a Pin at Margaret
(Feet). Lahr’s 8 beats Margaret’s 7. Margaret loses her Spell Shield.
Haley Strikes (Hands) the third guard (Feet). Haley’s 7 beats the guard’s 7. The guard loses Magic Armor.
Margaret Throws (Eyes) a Disarm at
Bolger (Feet). Margaret’s 7 beats Bolger’s 5. Bolger loses his Spell Shield.
Dorothea Spots (Eyes) for anything to help. Dorothea’s 8 beats a prior Stow (Hands) and she spies a scroll tucked under a bucket on the window sill.
The Director narrates the action as blows are exchanged, spells course through the air and magical defenses fall to the wayside. Now for round two!
Bolger Strikes (Hands) the first guard (Feet). Bolger’s 8 beats the guard’s 7. The guard takes damage.
T’to Strikes (Hands) the second guard (Feet). T’to’s 9 loses to the guard’s 6. The guard loses Magic Armor.
The first guard Strikes (Hands) Bolger (Feet). The guard’s 6 beats Bolger’s 6. Bolger loses Magic Armor.
The second guard Strikes (Hands) T’to (Feet). The guard’s 8 beats T’to’s 7. T’to takes damage!
The third guard Strikes (Hands) Haley (Feet). The guard’s 9 beats Haley’s 9. Haley
takes damage!
Lahr Throws (Eyes) another Pin at Mar-
garet (Feet). Lahr’s 9 loses to Margaret’s 12! Haley Strikes (Hands) the third guard (Feet). Haley’s 4 loses the guard’s 6.
Margaret Throws (Eyes) a Dragon’s Breath at Bolger (Feet). Margaret’s 6 loses to
Bolger’s 7.
Dorothea spends her action retrieving the scroll. Since it is within five seet, she can pick it up with one action. It is a scroll of Ice Bolt.
Again, the Director narrates the action, as orcs and allies grunt in pain and magic con- tinues to fly. On to Round 3!
Bolger Strikes (Hands) the first guard (Feet). Bolger’s 4 loses to the guard’s 6.
T’to Strikes (Hands) the second guard (Feet). T’to’s 7 beats the guard’s 6. The guard takes damage!
The first guard Strikes (Hands) Bolger (Feet). The guard’s 4 beats Bolger’s 6. Bolger takes damage!
The second guard Strikes (Hands) T’to (Feet). The guard’s 8 beats T’to’s 5. T’to takes more damage! He’s in bad shape.
The third guard Strikes (Hands) Haley (Feet). The guard’s 7 loses to Haley’s 9.
Lahr Strikes (Hands) T’to with a Cure Light Wounds. Since T’to is within reach of
Lahr, and Lahr accepts the spell, the Director rules it operates automatically. T’to thanks Lahr for the healing.
Haley Strikes (Hands) the third guard (Feet). Haley’s 7 beats the guard’s 5. The guard takes damage!
Margaret Throws (Eyes) a Dragon’s Breath at Bolger (Feet). Margaret’s 9 beats
Bolger’s 8. The spell utterly depletes Bolger’s Body Points, reducing him to -1! Bolger screams in pain and collapses to the floor.
Dorothea Throws (Eyes) the Ice Bolt at
Margaret. The Director rules that as she had to move five feet back to retrieve the scroll, the throw is subject to an additional –1 modifier. Dorothea’s 8 beats Margaret’s 7! The Director checks Margaret’s NPC card and notes that she has a special vulnerability to ice-based attacks, which cause her double damage. The ice bolt causes her 30 Body Points of damage, killing her. Screaming in pain, she drops to the floor. Dorothea asks the Director if she can speak in response to this and the Director agrees. Dorothea demands the orcs surrender. Normaly, a Face check opposed by the orc’s
Heart might be warranted, but the Director had
already decided that Margaret’s defeat would demoralize the Guards. In fact, they always secretly hoped someone could end Margaret’s cruel rule. “Huzzah!” shout the orcs, “Mar- garet is dead! Long live Queen Dorothea!” (Meanwhile, Lahr quickly begins performing First Aid on the scorched Bolger.)
A Tabletop Character sheet can be found at the end of this book so that you can remove it and make copies.
161
161161
161161
Glossary
GlossaryGlossary
GlossaryGlossary
The following are a list of mostly OOGterms you may hear when playing the game. Adjudicator: A judge to whom you may appeal if you feel wronged by a marshal’s call- ing on a rule.
Basher: A player who cares only about fighting and not role-playing.
Battle Board: the card given to you when you sign in that shows all of your daily skills and spells. This is how you keep track of what you have and what you have used.
Battle Magic: Spells that are not Formal Magic.
Blade Spells: Spells that affect the type of damage you can do. The Blade Spells are
Chaos Blade, Earth Blade, Elemental Blade, and Magic Blade. They are called Blade Spells even if you cast them on blunt weapons.
BP: Build Point. You “buy” in-game skills for your character with these. You earn Build Points by trading in Experience Points.
Cauliflower Hand: Somebody endowed with so much aura that the spell packets in their hand seem like a stalk of cauliflower.
Character Card: Your character card lists your current skills and all other important stats. Keep your Character Cards after each event like a receipt and that way you can keep track of your character’s progress.
Cheese: To be a rules cheat by insisting upon the letter of the rule instead of the intent of the rule or to otherwise try to bend the rules to fit what you want.
Death Countdown: When your character reaches -1, you start your Death Countdown. For the first minute, any healing spell or heal- ing elixir can bring you back to consciousness. After that minute, you are dead and need a Life spell. After five minutes with no Life spell, you must attempt to resurrect. This Death Count- down continues even if you are raised as a zom- bie and only stops if you are healed or given First Aid.
Doughnut: A player without a clue. Ap- parently began when one monster said to a clue- less PC “I eat people like you for breakfast! You’re a doughnut!”
Dragon Magic: A spellcaster who can cast Formal Rituals as if they were standard spells. PCs may never possess this skill and only the
most powerful NPC characters will ever pos- sess it.
Drawing a Black Stone: When you go to the Healers’ Guild to be resurrected, you will reach into a bag with ten stones. White stones mean you are resurrected and black stones rep- resent a permanent death. This is an in-game as well as an out-of-game phrase; In-game, char- acters are referring to the old myth that Death makes you choose from a bag of stones when you die. (Aw, you don’t really believe that old fable, do ya?)
Effect Groups: Every effect in the game falls into a group. For example, in the effect group “Binding” you will find effects like Con-
fine, Pin, and Web. This provides consistency for spell verbals, specific defenses, and cures. Experience Points: These are points you trade in for Build Points. You earn these every time you play.
Fishbowl: When random weekend NPCs need a reason to be out there, pre-written en- counters can be pulled from a “fishbowl” to fill the need.
Fizzrep: See “Phys Rep.”
FOIG: “Find Out In-Game.” Said fre- quently to players who ask in-game questions while out-of-game.
Full Boat: Having every Spell Defense possible active on you. We have no idea where this phrase originated.
Goblin Munchies: Food for monsters. Some goblins, for instance, are very bribable. Offering a goblin some candy or other food to keep it from killing you usually works (espe- cially if the NPC behind the mask is hungry). Lots of players carry around a small pouch full of “goblin munchies” for such an occasion.
Goblin Points: Also known as “Gobbies.” Goblin Points are given to our volunteers for work performed and can be turned in for game items and experience.
Hack and Slash: Either a player who cares nothing about roleplaying and is only interested in fighting; or a module adventure that only pro- vides fighting encounters.
Hawley-Smoot Tariff: An important piece of legislation that, in 1930, established strict controls on imports into the United States. Ac- tually has nothing at all to do with the game; we just like the way it sounds.
Hook: The thing that gets the players into a module. It could be an NPC hiring them, or a treasure map found, or any number of interest- ing plot devices.
Huzzah!: The medieval version of “hoo- ray!” Usually cheered by crowds at tourna- ments.
IG: In-game
In-Game: What really happens to your character. Not everything on a weekend or a module is “in-game.” During a battle, the dam- age you call is “out-of-game” but the damage caused to the character is “in-game.” Two play- ers may talk between weekends, say something incriminating, and decide for the fun of it to treat it “in-game” as if their characters had said it. “In-game” also refers to knowledge your character has as opposed to you the player. Out- of-game, you can read and write but in-game you can’t, for instance.
In the Bag: A character who already has a chance of drawing a black stone from the Bag of Chance. “I can’t afford to die! I’m already in the bag!”
162
162162
162162
Logistics: Logistics is where you get your tags, spend your Production Points, update your character, and take care of all the out-of-game paperwork that must take place for the game to run smoothly.
Machine gunning: A machine gunner stands next to his or her victim and moves the weapon only with the wrist, bringing the weapon back a few inches and striking repeat- edly while yelling damage as fast as possible. This is not allowed.
Marshal: A staff member who is versed in the rules and can make decisions on rules interpretations when there are questions or con- troversies. Marshals are certified on a chapter- by-chapter basis.
Mee Wee: A Mystic Wood elf.
Metagame: To use out-of-game knowl- edge to help your in-game character. This is cheating!
Module: A set adventure. On an adven- ture day, the module takes up your day as you go through several encounters. On a weekend, a module may be only one encounter.
Mundania: The real world. (You know— where we go when we’re not playing Alliance games.)
Mundane: A person who does not play Alliance games; especially one who does not understand why people enjoy these things—like our bosses and teachers.
Newbie: A new player, usually identified by the “Gosh Wow” expression on his or her face at the first event. This is not meant to be an insulting term. Everyone was a newbie once. Nounverber: A character with a typical fantasy name such as “Dreamseeker” or “Shadowwalker” or “Deathbringer.”
NPC: A non-player character. NPCs are all controlled by the Plot Committee. NPCs in- clude all monsters. A few people who serve im- portant functions in the town may also be NPCs, such as the major nobles and guild leaders. To all outward appearances, all non-monster NPCs should look and act just like PCs.
OOG: Stands for “Out-of-Game.” Not to be confused with the sound you make when hit too hard in the stomach by a barbarian with a huge club.
Out-of-Game: Information obtained by a player (as opposed to a character) is out-of-
game. Certain areas may be out-of-game as well, such as the bathrooms, the module set-up ar- eas, and the NPC camp.
Phys Rep: Short for “Physical Represen- tation.” There must be a Phys Rep for every item your character possesses. In other words, you must have a small bottle or container and not merely the potion tag in order to use a po- tion.
PC: Player character. Everyone who is not an NPC (see above).
PC Basher: A player who earns game money and items primarily by killing and rob- bing other players. Not a very well-liked per- son.
Popcorn Battle: Sometimes a group of NPCs is sent out for a battle. Each NPC is given a certain number of lives. When they die, they wait to be searched (if applicable) and then they go out of the battle area OOG and come run- ning back in as another monster. The players are surrounded with enemies coming at them from all directions and feel like they are in a popcorn popper.
“Prepare to Die” Skill: Certain battle skills require you to concentrate, and when us- ing those skills, you can use no others until the blow is successfully landed or countered. The “Prepare to Die” skills are Disarm, Eviscerate,
Shatter, Slay, and Stun Limb.
Reversible Spell: Some spells are revers- ible. A spellcaster learning Cure Wounds also automatically knows Cause Wounds. However, not all reversible spells have a necromantic counterpart.
Rumor Sheet: An out-of-game sheet of paper containing in-game rumors that your char- acter has heard. It can contain clues and other important information.
Scaling: Modules are often “scaled” so that different party levels will be properly chal- lenged. A group of goblins may challenge a first level group but be a big yawn to a tenth level group so the higher level groups will encoun- ter monsters and traps appropriate to their level. Shadow Magic: This skill is similar to Dragon Magic, but the caster may only cast Formal Rituals of one school as a regular spell. This skill is also NPC only.
Spell Defense: Spell defenses are spells that are cast upon you for protection and stay upon you until used up. The spell defenses are
Bless, Elemental Shield, Magic Armor, Poison
Shield, Reflect Magic, Shield, and Spell Shield. Sometimes they are also called “Protectives.”
Stats: Your characters’ statistics, which in- clude level, skills, number of deaths and the like and are found on your character card (or on a Monster Card).
Stick Jockey: A player who only cares about fighting.
Sword and Board: Fighting with a sword and shield.
Tag Hold: A Tag Hold is held after a battle for the purpose of collecting the many tags and adjusting each player’s Battle Board. The game continues on for purposes of role-playing, first aiding, armor repair, and so on, but NPCs may be walking around out-of-game collecting used tags. This is different from a regular Hold where everything stops and you can’t even role-play or first aid.
Ten Percent Club: A club no one wants to join, consisting of characters who have per- manently died on their first draw from the Bag of Chance.
Time Bomb: An NPC who sneaks into town and attacks for no in-game reason, sud- denly “exploding.” This is bad. Do not do this. Turtling: Crouching down and hiding behind a shield so that no legal targets are avail- able for your opponent to hit. This is not al- lowed. Do not do this.
Unslept: A player who has stayed up all night playing, powered by caffeine or adrena- line, and now looks half dead. Not as bad as a Greater Unslept (usually identified by their staff cards).
Wave Battle: Battles that simulate hav- ing more participants than NPCs by having NPCs attack in “waves.” It’s the opposite of a “popcorn battle.”
163
163163
163163
Index
IndexIndex
IndexIndex
A
A
A
A
A
Acid Traps 145 Acidic Blood 70 Acidic Skin 70 Activate 103 Actor 59 Adept 48 Adjudication 37 Advanced Alteration 76 Advanced Twist 76 Adventurer 31Advice, Bad Guy 22
Advice, NPC 25 Advice, Player 13 Advice, Spy 24 Advice, Thief 23 Alarms 146 Alchemical Solvent 110 Alchemical Substances 107 Alchemy 107 Alchemy skill 57 Alcohol 35
Alliance Bulletin Board 36 Alteration effect group 98 Alteration mental ability 75 Alternate Component 138 Amnesia 110 Animal Intelligence 28 Antidote 110 Antidote, Enslavement 117 Antidote, Euphoria 118 Arcane 97 Arcane Armor 140 Archery 83 Archery skill 57 Armor 79
Armor Protection, Waylay 68
Armor, Arcane 140 Armor, Refitting 58 Armor, Stealing 147 Arrow 83 Artisan 48 Aspects 127 Assassinate 57 Attacks, Packet 94 Attacks, Weapon 94 Audible Projection 140 Awaken 110 Axe 83
BBBBB
Back Attack 57 Backlash 131 Backstab 58 Bad guy 22 Bag of Chance 92 Bane 134 Bane ritual 140 Banish 110Banish to Other Plane 140
Barbarian 40 Bard 59 Barkskins 41 Baron 30 Baroness 30 Base Claws 70 Basher 161 Bashing, Shield 80 Batches 56 Battle Board 86 Battle Magic 161 Becoming a Noble 31 Berserk 111 Biata 40
Biata mental abilities 74
Bind 111
Binding effect group 98
Blacksmith skill 58 Blade Spells 161 Bless 111 Blighted Crop 144 Blighted Forest 144 Blissful Rest 144 Block 75 Boats 33 Body Contact 93 Body Weaponry 70 Bolt 83
Bonus Points, Armor 79
Book, Recipe 107 Book, Spell 99 Boost Duration 140 Bottles 70 Bound Shard 144 Bountiful Harvest 144 Bow 83 Break Command 58 Breaking character 35 Buckler 80 Build Points 50 Bulletin Board 36
C
CC
C
C
Cabin, searching 148 Calling Damage 94 Calling Defenses 95 Calling Hits 95 Calm 76 Camping Advice 11 Candles 35 Cariosus 129 Carrier Attacks 96 Carrying People 87 Caster’s Mark 137 Casting Insight 138 Casting Rituals 130 Casting Spells 99 Catnip 46 Cauliflower Hand 161Cause Critical Wounds 111
Cause Damage 111
Cause Light Damage 111 Cause Light Wounds 111 Cause Mortal Wounds 111
Cause Pain 75
Cause Serious Damage 111 Cause Serious Wounds 111
Cause Wounds 111
Celestial Armor 134
Celestial Magic skill 59 Channel Earth/Chaos 134 Channel Foundation Element 135
Channel Spell 140 Chaos Aura 140 Chaos Blade 111 Chaos Storm 112 Character Card 161 Character Goals 17 Character History 14 Character, Creating 13 Character, Killing Off 92
Charging 93 Charm 112