Novus RPG

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NOVUS

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Project Specific Contributions:

Proofreading: Tim Dugger, Nunu-san & the Playtest

Team;

Playtesters (and helpers extraordinaire): Steven Alban,

Geoff Atkinson, Jason “me, the GM!!” Belack, James Bennett, Graham Bottley, Massimiliano Caracristi, Matt Clay, Clint “No Toes” Conner, Jason DeYoung, Sam Deckoff, Jayson “Jigger” Driscoll, Bastian Flinspach, Travis Friedman, ChrisGarland, Josh Rellik Georges, Tim “Samwise7” Harper, Bryan “The man with two first names” Henry, Tom Hoffer, Craig Huber, Jon Huber, Craig Johnson, Dustin “Togar Skullcrusher” Kiefer, Viktor Korimir, Marybeth Langdon, Gina Mekic, Nick Mekic, Ward Miller, Christopher “GM” Morrell, Pete Mujica, Tina Mujica, Jerry Nye, Kallen Ondrako, Bennett Osterwise, George Osterwise, Raphael Päbst, James Lynn Parnell, Don Pierce, Victoria Pierce, Right Wing Wacko “RWW”, Brian Ross, John Ross, Thomas Søderberg, Bruce Sorensen, Greg Stough, James “Witchking” Walker;

Novus Copyright © 2011 by Tim Dugger and Firehawk Games. All rights reserved. No reproductions without permission. Stock #1000 ISBN xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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We here at Firehawk Games have decided to try something new. Well, at least it is new to us.

We have recently developed this new role-playing game that we call Novus, and we hope that you enjoy playing it.

The “new” part comes from the fact that we are releasing Novus in 2 separate ways as part of our Open Beta playtest.

Free PDF - The first method of release is the free PDF.

This is a no-frills PDF. It will have no bookmarks, no artwork, no index, no internal links, nothing except plain (formatted) text in a PDF. The only updates that this PDF will receive are the rules updates.

Pay PDF - The second method of release for the Open

Beta is a PDF that costs only $5 to begin with, but whose price will go up as it moves closer to being a finished product. This version will start off identical to the Free PDF, except that it will have the bookmarks and internal hyperlinks. In addition to the rules updates, this version will also be updated with the addition of an index, as well as having artwork added as we move closer to completion.

If you downloaded the free version, and enjoyed reading and/or playing it, then I hope that you will show support for Firehawk Games and go back to purchase the more deluxe version of the PDF. My cats will thank you.

The current plan is for the Open Beta to run from 4 to 6 months, during which time Novus will only be available as a PDF. Once we have a final product, then we will then make print versions available.

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Introduction ... 4

System Mechanics Overview ...4

Character Creation ... 6

Character Creation Overview ...6

Character Concept ...7 Choose Race ...7 Humans ...8 Elves ...8 Dwarves ...8 Halflings ...9 Half-Elf ...9 Half-Orc ...9 Choose Background ...9

Choose Character Class ...10

Archer ...10 Cleric ...11 Druid ...11 Fighter ...11 Mage ...11 Minstrel ...11 Mystic ...11 Rogue ...11 Thief ...11 Wizard ...11 Generate Stats...12 Stat Generation ...12 Secondary Stats ...12

Develop Your Character ...14

Learning Skills ...14 Skill Descriptions ...15 Acrobatics ...15 Athletics ...15 Combat Skills ...15 Crafting ...16 First Aid ...16 Gimmickry ...16 Influence ...16 Lore ...16 Magecraft ...16 Navigation ...17 Perception ...17 Performing Arts ...17 Riding ...17 Spellcraft ...17 Stealth ...17 Streetwise ...17 Survival ...17 Tracking ...18 Trickery ...18 Talents ...18 Talent Descriptions ...18

Equip Your Character ...22

Money ...22

Equipment ...22

Accessories ...22

Armor & Shields ...23

Food & Lodging ...24

Transport ...25

Weapons ...25

Encumbrance ...27

Finishing Your Character ...27

Combat ... 28

Combat Basics ...28

The Combat Round ...28

Combat Moves ...29

Combat Styles ...31

Combat Boon Points ...32

Special Situations ...32

Magic ... 36

How Magic Works ...36

Learning Spells ...37 Casting Spells ...37 Casting Boons ...37 Counterspells ...38 Spell Lists ...38 Spell Descriptions ...38 Universal Spells ...39 Black Magic ...40 Divine Magic ...41 High Magic ...43 Mysticism ...44 Nature Magic ...45 Wizardry ...47

Summoning Spells & Rituals ...48

Running Novus ... 50

Resolving Rolls ...50

Snags ...52

Boons ...53

Occupational Hazards ...53

Injuries, Healing & Death ...57

Injuries & Healing ...57

Death & Dying ...57

Strategic Movement ...57

Movement By Terrain Type ...57

Advancing Levels ...58

Awarding Experience Points ...58

Creatures & Treasures ... 60

Encounters ...60

Planned Encounters ...60

Random Encounters ...60

Creatures ...61

Treasures ...75

Sample Magic Items ...76

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Welcome to the Novus RPG.

The introduction is usually where the game explains what role-playing is and what it is all about. Unlike other games, I am not going to do that here. This is because I fully expect that you will have played role-playing games before, and because there are, quite frankly, games out there that serve as a better introduction to role-playing games.

This game was designed to be fun and exciting, and to be flexible enough that an experienced Game Master (GM) will be able to easily adapt it to whatever setting he prefers to use for his games.

To paraphrase a famous quote, “no game is an island.” This means that game designers and game authors are and always will be influenced, to some small degree by every game that they have ever read or played. The same is true here. Considering that I have read and played many games over the years, I am sure that folks will likely see tiny bits of many different games that have inspired me.

To all of the game designers that have come before me, I salute you! You are true inspirations, one and all.

To everybody who tries this game and plays it, I hope that you enjoy the hell out of it and do so for many years to come. sPecial thanks

Before you delve into the game itself, I would like to take a moment of your time to give thanks to my play-testers. Without their prodding and feedback and suggestions, this game might never have gotten as far as it has.

With such friends and support, all things are possible!

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Before we move on to how to create your character, we will do a quick overview on the mechanics of the game. Basic mechanics

Novus uses a simple roll over Target Number (TN) system. What this means is that you roll the dice, add in any bonuses or other modifiers and if the result is equal to or higher than the TN of the task or action that you are attempting then you have succeeded in the task. It is up to the GM to determine the TN of a given task.

Combat uses the same basic mechanic, with the TN required to hit the foe being his DEF (Defense) rating. However, the defender, the person being attacked, can often take actions that may make it harder for them to be hit. This is explained more fully in the Combat Chapter.

saving thRows

There will be times when the player is asked to roll a Save against a certain stat in order to avoid some or all of the effects of a spell, poison, or some other type of attack or maneuver.

A Saving Throw has a default Target Number of 15. Certain effects and spells may have different Target Numbers for their Saves.

To make a Save, the player rolls 2d10 and adds in the stat bonus of the required stat, and his level, along with any other special modifiers that might apply. If the result equals the Target Number of the Save or is higher, he succeeds and is not affected (or receives a lesser effect in some cases).

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exPloding & imPloding dice mechanic

The mechanics for explosive and implosive rolls are not complex at all. When you roll the dice for a task, you look at each die before adding them together with whatever bonuses apply to the task you are attempting to accomplish. If the number is from 2 to 9, then you continue as normal. However, if the die has a 1 or a 10 (some dice have this marked as a 0, but it is read as a 10), then it implodes or explodes accordingly.

Exploding Dice: When the result on a die is a 10, then it

explodes. This means that you get to sum the two dice, and then reroll the one that had the 10 on it and add that to your total as well. You can continue to do this as often as your die result comes up a 10. Once a die has exploded, it cannot implode during the reroll process.

Imploding Dice: When the result on a die is a 1, then

it implodes. This means that you get to sum the two dice, and then reroll the one that had the 1 on it, and subtract that from your total. You would continue to do this as long as you continued to roll ones on the imploding die. Once a die has imploded, it cannot explode during the reroll process.

Nova Roll: This occurs when you roll a 10 on one die and

a 1 on the other. Instead of having one die implode while the other die explodes, the two cancel each other out, and the roll is resolved normally without an explosion or implosion. The character also receives a Fate Point (p. 13) when this happens.

However the task resolves, regardless of success or failure, it resolves in an unusual manner or through an unusual circumstance. The actual circumstances are up to the GM based on the task and the situation at hand. Here are two examples of how a GM might resolve this situation.

Example 1: Joe’s character is picking the lock on

a door. Joe rolls a 10 on one die and a 1 on the other. This is a Nova roll. The 11, along with the skill bonus of Joe’s character is not enough to succeed in opening the lock. The GM decides that Joe’s character breaks his lockpick in the lock and in a sudden fit of irritation, bangs his fist against the door. This pops it open for a second, before it bounces off the hand of Joe’s character and shuts again. The door shutting jars loose the broken bit of lockpick, spitting it out of the lock, allowing another attempt to open the lock to be tried.

Example 2: Joe’s character is picking the lock on a

door. Joe rolls a 10 on one die and a 1 on the other. This is a Nova roll. The 11, along with the skill bonus of Joe’s character is just enough to succeed in opening the lock. The GM decides that Joe’s character has set off a poison dart trap, but that Joe’s character spots it, and rears back to avoid it (no rolls required for any of this). In doing so, Joe’s character knocks into another character standing behind him, with a sword at the ready. This other character falls forward and to one side, his sword slipping between the door and jam, and as he shifts to the side, his weapon pries open the door, without breaking either the door or the weapon.

Unless stated otherwise, all dice rolls should be considered to be “explosive”. For example, initiative rolls will specifically state that they are a “non-explosive” roll.

snag & Boon Point mechanic

With exploding and imploding dice, we can easily have rolls that are well below or well above the Target Number (TN) of the task at hand.

On the high side, for every 10 points above the TN of the task that the player’s total roll is, including all modifiers, he earns one Boon Point. Boon Points (see p. 53) are then spent to enhance the results of the roll in some manner. Perhaps the character succeeded better than required, or took less time, or earned a bonus to his next attempt at the same skill. The choice would be up to the player, as he would use the Boon Points to purchase the special effect. Combat and spell casting will have their own Boon Point Tables for options that can be purchased. For the general Boon Points table, the player may only purchase those options that would apply to the skill being attempted.

On the low side, the player earns 1 Snag Point for every 10 points below the TN of the task that his roll was. As with Boon Points, Snag Points (see p. 52) must then be spent to create a complication from those available. Of course, the complication must apply to the skill being attempted.

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In this chapter we shall show you how to make a character from the ground up. We will start off with a short overview of the process and then go through each step again, but in full detail. At the end of this chapter, a player should be able to create a full first level character in short order.

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Step 1: Character Concept (p. 7)

As silly as this may sound, you should get a basic idea of the type of character that you would like to play before you even attempt to create a character. Once you have this figured out, then many of the choices that you will need to make in the following steps will and should simply fall into place, growing out of this Character Concept.

Step 2: Choose Race (p. 7)

This aspect of the character is something that should have been fully decided in determining the Character Concept. You need only select that race which fits your Character Concept, record the racial information on your character sheet and then move on to the next step.

Step 3: Choose Background (p. 9)

One of the things to determine in the Character Concept is where they character comes from, his Background. A character’s Background can often determine a number of factors about the character, other than what skills he learned growing up. Depending upon the details of the Background, based on the setting that the GM uses, a character’s Background can help shape his attitudes towards other races and specific types of characters, such as magic users.

Step 4: Choose Character Class (p. 10)

Once you have your Character Concept, the first thing to do is to select your character’s Class. This class defines some basic information about the character, such as what skills he has an affinity for. A character’s class will also define one or more special capabilities that the character might have, such as access to a specific School of Magic.

It should be noted that it is quite likely that none of the given character classes is a perfect match for your Character Concept. This is quite okay, nothing is likely to be a perfect match, and you should choose the Class that is closest to your Concept.

Step 5: Determine Stats (p. 12)

Not everybody is going to enjoy the same method of determining their character’s stats. Novus offers you 2 separate methods for determining your character’s stats. There is the Random Method and the Stat Array Method.

This section will also tell you how to determine any secondary stats such as how many Spell Points the character has and how many Hit Points he has.

Step 6: Develop Your Character (p. 14)

The player receives 30 Character Points (CPs) to use in creating a first level character. For each level beyond first level that the character achieves, he receives a number of additional Character Points equal to 15 + 1/2 the character’s level, rounded down. They may be spent on Talents and individual skills.

Talents are special abilities or skills that do not require or invite continued improvement once learned. In most cases, a Talent may only be acquired once. Some Talents may also require other Talents as prerequisites.

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Individual Skills are the last type of item a player may purchase for his character. Players are limited on how many total skill ranks that the character may have in an individual skill. Refer to the section on Learning Skills (p. 14) for more information.

Step 7: Equip Your Character (p. 22)

Once the player has spent all of his character’s Character Points, it is time for him to spend his gold. Every character will start with a few basic items as described in the beginning of this section, but the player will likely want to get him some more equipment, specifically for the adventuring that he is planning on his character doing.

Step 8: Tally Bonuses (p. 27)

This is the point in time where the player should, if he has not done so already, go over his character and make sure that he has tallied all skill bonuses and to make sure that he has not forgotten anything.

Step 9: Begin Play!

Of course, this requires that you have other players and a GM to run things

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While you might think that this is a superfluous step, spending a few minutes thinking about your character and what you want him to be like will prove to be very beneficial in the long run.

Your initial character concept can answer many questions about your character. You will likely want to sketch out a small bit of his history, and then start adding to it as you create the character. You will want to decide upon his race, his Background, the things that you think he should be good at.

You will want to put some thought into his personality and motivations. Are there events in his past that shaped his outlook? What drives the character to do the things that he does? Is he interested in fame or wealth? Is he running away from some dark secret in his past?

While these rules do not give Alignment labels like a certain famous set of rules, there are traits known as good and evil, and many shades of grey between the two extremes. You should figure out what sort of tendencies your character will exhibit.

Once you have given this all some thought, and gotten at least a basic idea of what you want your character to be like, you can then move on to the next step and actually begin creating your character.

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The next step in creating your character is to choose your character’s race. Each race has several aspects that help define your character.

stat modiFieRs

Humans are the standard race against which all other races are compared. Average Humans will have stats ranging from 6 to 20 (see p. 12 for more information on the stats and stat generation).

Other races receive Stat Modifiers. These modifiers apply to both the character’s actual stat as well as the potential maximum that the character can have. For the current stat, the Stat modifier is simply applied to the generated number for that stat. For the character’s potential maximum for a stat, you simply apply the modifier to 20, the maximum for a Human.

Example: Halflings have a +2 modifier to

Dexterity and a -4 modifier to Strength. The player would generate their stats as normal, and then apply the modifiers to both the actual stat and the stat’s maximum.

If the player generates a 16 for his Dexterity and 17 for his Strength; then after applying his racial modifiers, he would have a 18 (16 + 2 = 18) for his Dexterity and a 13 (17 – 4 = 13) for his Strength. And his potential maximums would be 22 (20 + 2 = 22) for Dexterity and 16 for Strength (20 – 4 = 16).

sPecial aBilities

Every race also has a number of special abilities and capabilities that each member of the race has. These vary from race to race.

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Humans are versatile and able to adapt to many locations and climes that other races might not be able to. They also tend to be driven, to reach further, to try new things, to expand their horizons in a way that no other race seems capable of. Most Humans live to about 100 years of age if they can survive that long.

Demeanor: Despite being one of the most diverse and

adaptable races, humans all tend to have one thing in common, ambition. The amount of ambition differs from person to person, but it seems that all humans continually strive to build and expand, to reach above and beyond their current means.

Appearance: Humans run the gamut of skin coloring and

body shape. They are one of the most diverse races when it comes to appearance. They range in height, 5’6”-6’4” for men; 5’-5’10” for women and have a range of builds from thin to stocky to fat. Their hair and eyes run the entire spectrum of normal shades. Males sometimes grow beards or mustaches. Quite often humans from a specific geographic area will all share similar racial traits. For example, humans from near the equator tend to have darker skin and less body hair, while those from northern climes often have more body hair and paler skin tones.

Stat Modifiers: None

Size: Medium (Base Movement: 2’) Special Abilities:

Adaptability: Players may spread 4 points among the

character’s stats (not stat bonuses), No stat may receive more than 2 points from this ability. This special Adaptability bonus to stats does not normally affect the potential maximum of a Human character’s stats. Nor can they be used to increase a character’s stats beyond the normal maximums.

Skill Flexibility: The player may select 3 skills to be

Favored Skills for his character. This applies to individual skills only, not all instances of a skill that needs to be specialized.

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Though basically similar to mortal men in most ways, Elves have several important, if subtle, differences. Elves are more refined in appearance than humans, having finer features and unmarred skin. Their long lifespan, of approximately 450 years, tends to give them a more unique perspective of the world, to be able to take a long view on plans. They often have no problem waiting decades for a plan to come to fruition.

Demeanor: Elves deeply respect nature and this shows in

their outlook on the world around them.

Appearance: Elves are shorter than humans, and more

slender overall, though still muscular. Elves average 5’ tall, with females of the race ranging only a few inches shorter. All have very lithe forms with Elven males weighing around 140 pounds. They have upswept ears

that top off in delicate points. Elves are unable to grow beards. Their skin color is usually a light brown, similar to that of an acorn, while their eyes are often some shade of grey, green, purple or amber.

Elves retain a youthful appearance until just before the end of their lives, aging dramatically over their last 5 years.

Stat Modifiers: +1 Dexterity, +2 Speed, +2 Charisma, -2

Strength, -3 Willpower

Size: Medium (Base Movement: 2’) Special Abilities:

Nightvision, Greater: This ability allows a character to

see outdoors as well on a bright night as he would on a cloudy, overcast day. When he is indoors, this allows the character to see 3 times as far as normally allowed by a light source.

Enhanced Senses: Excellent senses grant a +2 bonus to

all Perception rolls.

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Probably the overall physically toughest of the races, they are very resistant to poisons and diseases and have exceptional life spans of up to 350 years.

They are superior craftsmen and love to mine the earth for precious gems and metals, forging them into weapons of strength and artifacts of beauty and power. Not as fertile as humans, they have few children; and less than a third of their people are women, who are guarded jealously within their societies.

Demeanor: Dwarves are very straightforward and dislike

‘beating around the bush’. They admire strength and directness in others and dislike what they consider to be fripperies. To the Dwarves, something that is artistic should be functional as well. This attitude shows in their demeanor and dealings with others.

Appearance: Dwarven males stand around 4’ 5” tall, while

the females are slightly shorter (4’ 3”). A very stocky race, the Dwarves look as though they have been compressed, their bodies expanding in width. Often weighing twice what would be expected for someone their size, they generally average 200 pounds.

Dwarves are very fond of their beards, which may grow to lengths that hang past their waists. For many Dwarves, hair and beards (for men) are almost always woven into braids, weaving in colored stones and beads and rings that are more than just decorations. These items will each have a special significance to the Dwarves.

Stat Modifiers: +3 Constitution, +2 Strength, -2 Dexterity,

-2 Speed, -1 Charisma

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Special Abilities:

Darkvision (30’): Character may see up to the distance

listed when in total darkness. If surrounded by darkness and within an area of light (i.e. like that from a torch), he may see the distance given plus that of the light source. The character may see clearly up to twice the given distance on a starlit night, and 10 times the given distance on a brightly lit night.

Stone Sense: Dwarves are able to notice hidden things in

stone such as slight slopes, dangerous stone work, secret doors, etc. much easier than others. All Perception rolls involving gathering information about stone objects gain a bonus of +5.

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Halflings are one of the smallest of the civilized races, as well as one of the hardiest. They like to carve their homes into the side of hills and live in small rural communities. Halflings live to be about 120 on average and they are considered to be adults when they are 30.

Demeanor: Halflings are usually a peaceful race that likes

living in quite comfort; other forms of excitement are not for them. However, when pushed, they can show a toughness and resilience that often surpasses most other races. Most Halflings are rarely ambitious and tend to shun anything that smacks of adventure, but there is the occasional oddity that crops up, and this is often touted as a bad example to Halfling children.

Appearance: Halflings resemble miniature humans, between

3’ and 4’ in height, with females ranging only a few inches shorter. They have slightly pointed ears, although not quite as pointed as Elves. Male Halflings average about 55 lbs in weight, with females being slightly less.

Stat Modifiers: +1 Constitution, +2 Dexterity, +2 Speed, -4

Strength, -1 Charisma

Size: Small (+2 DEF & Stealth; Base Movement: 1’; Must use

Halfling-sized weapons)

Special Abilities:

Nightvision, Lesser: This ability allows the character to

see, when outdoors on a bright night, up to 500’ as if it were just a very dark day. When he is indoors, this allows the character to see twice as far as the light source normally allows.

Nimble Fingers: This ability grants the character a +4

bonus to all skills involving the manipulation of items with the hands (Gimmickry, Trickery, and crafts requiring fine work such as jewelry making, etc.).

Note 1: Halfling-sized weapons do 1 fewer point of

Base Damage than normal-sized weapons, down to a minimum of 1 point of Base Damage.

Note 2: Halfling-sized equipment weighs about

two-thirds of the weight listed in the equipment tables. In all other ways, except as listed in Note 1, it should be treated as identical to normal sized equipment.

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Slightly larger and sturdier than Elves, Half-Elves can often pass as fully human in most cases. They are usually only given away by the slight points on their ears, if they have any. Half-Elves are able to grow beards, unlike their Elven ancestors. Half-Elves usually live to be around 300 years old.

Stat Modifiers: +1 Dexterity, +1 Speed, +1 Charisma, -1

Strength, -2 Willpower

Size: Medium (Base Movement: 2’) Special Abilities:

Nightvision, Lesser: This ability allows the character to

see, when outdoors on a bright night, up to 500’ as if it were just a very dark day. When he is indoors, this allows the character to see twice as far as the light source normally allows.

Enhanced Senses: Excellent senses grant a +1 bonus to

all Perception rolls.

Skill Flexibility: The player may select up to 2 skills to

be Favored Skills for his character. This applies to individual skills only, not all instances of a skill that needs to be specialized.

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Half-Orcs are among the rarest of the racial crossbreeds. This is usually due to the habit of Orcs not allowing Half-Orc babies to live. Half-Orcs resemble muscular humans, but with more bestial appearing face. They often have a low over-hanging brow and a jutting jaw, although few have the up-thrust tusks of an Orc. Most Half-Orcs live to be around 100 years old.

Stat Modifiers: +3 Constitution, +3 Strength, -1 Wisdom,

-2 Charisma

Size: Medium (Base Movement: 2’) Special Abilities:

Nightvision, Lesser: This ability allows the character to see,

when outdoors on a bright night, up to 500’ as if it were just a very dark day. When indoors, this allows the character to see twice as far as the light source normally allows.

Keen Sense of Smell: This grants the character a +2 bonus

for all Perception and Tracking rolls that can be made using the character’s sense of smell.

Sturdy Build: The character is very tough. This grants him a

+1 to Con and a +2 to Strength (already figured in).

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Once you have selected the race of your character, the next step is to decide his Background. His Background tells what sort of area he grew up in and the type of skills that the character learned as a child.

Each Background also gives the character a number of ranks in certain skills. The number of free ranks given are listed in parenthesis after the skill’s name.

If ranks are given in a skill that needs to be specialized, then you should place those ranks into individual, specialized

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Those from this Background are considered to be the backbone of the city. They are the merchants and the average workers.

Skill Ranks: Athletics (2), Combat Skills (3),

Crafting (3), Influence (2), Lore: Local Region (2), Lore: player’s choice (2), Perception (3), Performing Arts (1), Riding (1), Streetwise (1)

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Those from this Background often form the ruling class of the city. They are more educated and often feel a sense of superiority over those from the lower classes.

Skill Ranks: Athletics (2), Combat Skills (3),

Crafting (3), First Aid (2), Influence (2), Lore: Local Region (2), Magecraft (2), Perception (2), Riding (2)

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Review each of the Character Classes that we provide below and then select the one that best suits your Character Concept. Each has several aspects that help define them. They are as follows:

Hits Per Level: The character gains a number of hit points

each level, starting at second level equal to this number plus his Constitution Stat Bonus (see p. 12). The character will always gain a minimum of 1 hit per level, even if his Constitution Stat Bonus is a negative number.

Favored Skills: Skill costs are based on whether the skill is

a Favored Skill or a Standard Skill, as well as how many ranks the character currently has in the skill. Starting off, Favored Skills cost 1 CP and Standard Skills cost 3 CP per rank, and the costs for both increase from there. The listing for Favored Skills may allow the player to select a number of skills to be considered as a Favored Skill. In all such cases, the choice applies only to a single instance of a skill (1 Lore skill, 1 combat skill, etc.).

Favored Stats: Every Character Class has 2 stats which are

felt to be the most important for that given class. It is recommended that you put your highest stat scores into those stats.

Special Abilities: This section lists any Talents or special

abilities that members of this class automatically know and have.

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An Archer is a character who specializes in the use of bows. He is also good at hunting out in the wilderness.

Hits Per Level: 3

Favored Skills: Athletics, Combat Skills (Bows & 2 other),

Navigation, Perception, Stealth, Survival, Tracking, and 2 skills of the player’s choice.

Favored Stats: Dexterity and Wisdom

Special Abilities: Armor, Light; Combat Training II; 1 Favored

Skill (already included in the Favored Skill list) versions of the listed skill. However, no individual skill is

allowed to have more than 3 ranks placed into it in this manner.

Example: A given Background is allowed to give

3 ranks to the Stealth skill because that skill is specialized. However, if a Background gives 4 ranks in Combat Skills, then the player may only place a maximum of 3 ranks in one Combat Skill, and the remaining rank in a second, or split them evenly between 2 skills, or any other viable combination.

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Those from this Background come from a variety of different tribal cultures. Some may be nomadic while others live in small villages as hunters and gatherers.

Skill Ranks: Athletics (2), Combat Skills (4), Lore:

Local Region (2), Navigation (3), Perception (2), Stealth (2), Survival (3), Tracking (2)

h

Those from this Background tend to live in small, quiet communities with their homes built into the side of hills.

Skill Ranks: Athletics (2), Crafting (3), Combat Skills

(2), First Aid (2), Lore: Local Region (2), Gimmickry (2), Perception (2), Stealth (3), Trickery (2)

R

Those from this Background live in small towns and villages away from the hustle and bustle of the cities.

Skill Ranks: Athletics (2), Crafting (2), Combat Skills

(3), Lore: Local Region (2), Navigation (1), Perception (2), Riding (2), Stealth (2), Survival (2), Tracking (2)

s

Those from this Background live in cities carved out of the interior of mountains.

Skill Ranks: Athletics (3), Crafting (3), Combat

Skills (6), Lore: Local Region (2), Magecraft (1), Perception (2), Stealth (1), Survival (2)

s

Those from this Background live in harmony with nature, often in villages found in deep forests.

Skill Ranks: Athletics (1), Crafting (2), Combat

Skills (4), Lore: Local Region (2), Magecraft (2), Perception (2), Stealth (3), Survival (2), Tracking (2)

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Those from this Background are often found in the worst parts of a city. These are the people who do most of the drudge work in the city. They are also the ones most likely to be associated with crime and thievery.

Skill Ranks: Athletics (2), Combat Skills (3),

Gimmickry (2), Influence (2), Lore: Local Region (2), Perception (2), Stealth (2), Streetwise (3), Trickery (2)

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A Cleric is a Pure Spell User who focuses the power of his deity through his spells. Clerics are either of a neutral or good outlook.

Hits Per Level: 1

Favored Skills: First Aid, Influence, Magecraft (all),

Perception, Spellcraft and 1 skill of the player’s choice.

Favored Stats: Wisdom and Charisma

Special Abilities: Major Adept in the Sphere of Divine Magic

d

Druids are spell casters who specialize in the natural world around them. This means plants, animals, and the 4 basic elements; fire, earth, air and water.

Hits Per Level: 1

Favored Skills: Magecraft (all), Navigation, Perception,

Spellcraft, Survival, Tracking

Favored Stats: Wisdom and Constitution

Special Abilities: Major Adept in the Sphere of Natural Magic

F

Fighters are primarily combat specialists. Fighters will find it easy to develop a variety of different weapons and to wear heavier types of armor.

Hits Per Level: 3

Favored Skills: Athletics, 3 Combat Skills, First Aid, Perception,

Riding, Survival, and 2 skills of the player’s choice.

Favored Stats: Strength and Constitution

Special Abilities: Armor, Medium; Shield Training; Combat

Training II

m

The mage is a master of conjurations and illusions. He is also quite often the most adept at creating magical items.

Hits Per Level: 1

Favored Skills: Crafting (2 crafts), Magecraft (all), Perception,

Spellcraft and 1 skill of the player’s choice.

Favored Stats: Intelligence and Willpower

Special Abilities: Major Adept in the Sphere of High Magic

m

The minstrel is a performer. He often earns his living by entertaining people as he travels. The minstrel is often able to go places and learn things that others might not be able to.

Hits Per Level: 2

Favored Skills: Acrobatics, 2 Combat Skills, Influence,

Perception, Performing Arts (all), Trickery, and 2 skills of the player’s choice.

Favored Stats: Wisdom and Charisma

Special Abilities: Armor, Light; Combat Training I; 1 Favored

Skill (already included in the Favored Skill list); Natural Talent (+2 to all Performing Arts skills, and Trickery)

m

Mystics believe in mastering their own minds and bodies. With such strong belief in the balance between mind and body, the Mystic is more adept in the physical arts than many other spell users.

Hits Per Level: 1

Favored Skills: Combat Skill (Martial Arts), Magecraft

(all), Perception, Spellcraft, Stealth, and 1 skill of the player’s choice

Favored Stats: Willpower and Wisdom

Special Abilities: Major Adept in the Sphere of Mysticism,

R

Rogues are at home in the wilderness. They often make thier living as hunters or trappers, or even explorers. They have minor capabilities in a lot of areas, allowing them to be extremely diversified. This allows them to be very self-sufficient.

Hits Per Level: 2

Favored Skills: Athletics, 2 Combat Skills, Navigation,

Perception, Riding, Survival, Tracking and 2 skills of the player’s choice

Favored Stats: Strength and Dexterity

Special Abilities: Armor, Medium; Shield Training; Combat

Training I; 1 Favored Skill (already included in the Favored Skill list)

t

Thieves are specialists in infiltration and in dealing with mechanical devices such as locks and traps.

Hits Per Level: 2

Favored Skills: Acrobatics, 2 Combat Skills, Gimmickry,

Perception, Stealth, Streetwise, Trickery and 1 skill of the player’s choice

Favored Stats: Dexterity and Speed

Special Abilities: Armor, Light; Waylaying; Combat Training I

w

Words have power, and Wizards have learned how to harness and direct this power.

Hits Per Level: 1

Favored Skills: Influence, Magecraft (all), Perception,

Spellcraft and 2 skills of the player’s choice.

Favored Stats: Intelligence and Willpower

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Value Bonus Value Bonus

1-3 -3 16-18 2 4-6 -2 19-21 3 7-9 -1 22-24 4 10-12 0 25-27 5 13-15 1 28-30 6

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Your character has 8 primary stats and a number of secondary stats that are derived from those primary stats. The following descriptions give you a better idea of what the 8 primary stats represent.

Strength (Str) – This is the character’s ability to use his existing

muscles to the greatest advantage. It is sometimes referred to as power, might, force, conditioning, physique, etc.

Constitution (Con) – This is the general health and well

being of the character. His resistance to disease and the ability to absorb physical damage are also reflected in this stat. It is sometimes referred to as health, stamina, endurance, physique, etc.

Dexterity (Dex) – This is the character’s hand and eye

coordination. His grace and litheness are the prime components of this stat. It is sometimes referred to as agility, deftness, grace, adroitness, litheness, etc.

Speed (Spd) – This is essentially a measure of how fast the

character is. It is sometimes referred to as quickness, reaction time, readiness, reflexes, etc.

Intelligence (Int) – This is the character’s ability to absorb,

comprehend, and categorize data for future use. It also reflects his ability to draw logical conclusions. It is sometimes referred to as reasoning, logic, deductive capacity, wit, IQ, etc.

Wisdom (Wis) – This stat measures a combination of luck,

genius, precognition, empathy, and the favor of the gods. It is sometimes referred to as perception, sixth sense, luck, talent, guessing ability, psychic ability, etc.

Willpower (Will) – This is a measure of the character’s

control of the mind over body, his ability to stay focused or push harder in pursuit of some goal, or to draw upon the inner reserves of determination. It is sometimes referred to as mental strength or power, self-discipline, mental fortitude, etc.

Charisma (Chr) – This is the character’s strength of

personality, his ability to inspire others and to command a group or gathering. It is sometimes referred to as leadership, psychic ability, perceived power, bardic voice, etc.

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eneRation

Each stat is comprised of 3 main elements. First there is the Stat Value; this is a number that is used to define your stat. It is often used in other ways as well. Refer to the section below on Generation Methods to learn about the ways you can select from to generate your Stat Values.

Second is the Stat Maximum. This is the maximum possible Stat Value for a character of a given race. To find the Stat Maximum for a given stat, just add the racial modifier for that stat to 20. As you go up in level, you will be able to increase some of your character’s stats. However, you will never be able to increase them beyond the Stat Maximums for his race.

The final element is the Stat Bonus. This number is determined by your Stat Value (see below). It is added to your skill ranks to give you your total skill bonus and is also used for other things, such as Saving Throws (p. 50). geneRation methods

Not everybody likes to generate their character’s stats in the same manner. Therefore, we give you 2 basic methods to select from. Each has their advantages and drawbacks, but the method you select should basically be the one you are most comfortable with.

Method 1: Random Generation – To generate your stats

using this method; you will roll 2d10 eight times, dropping the lowest number from each pair and recording the remaining number on a piece of scrap paper. You then select 2 of these numbers and add 10 to each of them and place these as the Favored Stats for your Character Class. For the other 6 numbers, add 5 to each and assign them to whichever stat you like. This will generate numbers from 6-15 for most stats, and from 11-20 your character’s Favored Stats.

Method 2: Stat Array – In this method, you simply take

the 8 pregenerated Stat Values (17, 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8, 7) and place them in whatever order you like.

Note: Do not forget to add the racial modifiers

to the stats (not the stat bonuses) once you have assigned them.

stat Bonuses

Use the following table to determine the Stat Bonuses for each of your character’s Stat Values.

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There are a number of Secondary Stats that are derived from the 8 primary stats, or that are included here simply for completeness. We will go over each one separately. hit Points (hP)

To determine a character’s starting Hit Points, simply add his Constitution Stat Value (not his stat bonus) to 20.

For every level that the character has above first level, he receives a number equal to the sum of his Constitution Stat Bonus plus the Hits Per Level rating for his class, added to his Hit Points. The character will always receive a minimum of 1 Hit Point each level even if the sum of the Constitution Stat Bonus and the Hits Per Level is a negative value.

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deFense (deF)

This is the Target Number that an attacker must equal or beat in order to make a physical attack against a character. Your character’s Base DEF is equal to 15 + your character’s Speed Stat Bonus + 1/2 of your character’s level (rounded up). A negative Speed Stat Bonus is always treated as if it were a zero. This is your character’s base DEF even if he is surprised.

There are other things, such as special abilities, shields, spells, Combat Moves, and Boon Point results that can alter your character’s DEF for either good or bad.

If your character is prone, caught completely unawares (which is different from just being surprised) or unable to move for any reason, his DEF would be 12 + any magical bonuses. sPell Points (sP)

Each spell costs one or more Spell Points in order to cast. Once a character is out of Spell Points, he has to rest to regain them. A character will regain 1 Spell Point for every 10 minutes of rest.

A character who is neither a Major or Minor Adept starts with a number of Spell Points equal to 5 + the Stat Bonus of the stat that is associated with his School of Magic. If the character does not have a School of Magic, then use the character’s Intelligence Stat Bonus.

A Minor Adept starts with a number of Spell Points equal to 8 + the Stat Bonus of the stat that is associated with his School of Magic. A Major Adept starts with a number of Spell Points equal to 10 + the Stat Bonus of the stat that is associated with his Sphere of Magic.

For Clerics and Druids, this stat is Wisdom. For Mages and Wizards, this stat is Intelligence. For Mystics, this stat is Willpower. This stat is referred to as the character’s Spell Stat.

As characters increase in level, they will gain additional Spell Points for each level that they have beyond first. Refer to Types of Casters on p. 37 for more information on how many Spell Points the character receives each level.

Fate Points

Every character starts with 3 Fate Points. He will then gain one additional Fate Point each level, up to a maximum of 5 Fate Points. A character may never have more than 5 Fate Points at any given time.

A player may use a Fate Point for any roll that directly affects his character. When he spends a Fate Point, he rolls a d10 (this is non-explosive) and then adds or subtracts the result of that to whatever roll he is attempting to influence. The addition or subtraction is based upon what would be most favorable for the player’s character.

A player can use a Fate Point to enhance his character’s own skill or attack rolls (but not damage) or even Saving Throws. It can be used to affect a foe’s attack rolls or to subtract from a foe’s skill rolls or Saves.

A player may spend more than one Fate Point on a given roll, but he must decide how many he is spending before he rolls the dice for the Fate Points.

Example: John is attempting to have his character

sneak past a guard, so that he can break a fellow

adventurer out of the prison. The TN for the task is 23, and John’s character has a Stealth skill of 7. John rolls a 2 and a 4, giving him a total roll of 13. John decides that he wants to use some of his character’s Fate Points to make sure that he succeeds. John decides to spend 3 Fate Points because he feels that his dice have been rolling poorly this evening and he really wants to succeed at this task. For the Fate Point dice, he rolls a 9, a 10, and a 6, bringing his total roll up to 37. This is 15 points more than the TN of the task, so he earns 3 Boon Points as well. John could not, however, decide to spend a single Fate Point, and upon seeing that it was a 9, decide to use a second Fate Point.

Only one source of Fate Points may be applied to a single roll. This means that if a player decides to use one or more Fate Points for a given roll, the GM or another player cannot also spend Fate Points to enhance or hinder that same roll any further.

Should the use of a Fate Point produce a result that would earn Snag (p. 52) or Boon Points (p. 53) on another person’s die roll, the person who made the original roll is the one who spends them, not the person who spent the Fate Points.

Additionally, a player may spend Fate Points on Snags and Boons directly. Should the character earn one or more Snag Points, he may spend one or more Fate Points to negate them, on a one for one basis. The character may also spend a Fate Point to gain a Boon Point. Only one such Boon Point may be gained in this manner for any given roll.

movement

Outside of combat rounds, it is expected that all characters will adjust their movement rates so that they all move at the same rate. However, when dealing with the more tactical situation of a combat round, we need to have a more accurate method of dealing with movement.

Each character has a Base Movement given in their racial description. To this is added the character’s Speed stat bonus, but only if it is a positive number. The result is the number of feet that a character may move for each Action Point spent during the course of a combat round.

staRting languages

Every character will start the game being able to speak 2 languages and being able to write in one language. If your character is a Half-Elf or Half-Orc (p. 9), he will start with a third spoken language. The spoken languages should be based on the race and/or background of the character, with at least one of them being a common trade language for the area. The written language will be that of the character’s native language. Characters may learn, by purchasing the appropriate Talents, additional languages. They may have a maximum number of languages equal to 5+ their Intelligence stat bonus.

Spoken Elven and Written Elven count as a single language when determining how many languages a character knows. The same applies for the spoken and written forms of other languages as well.

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skill costs If you have this

many ranks

The cost for your next rank is Favored Standard 0-5 1 3 6-10 2 5 11-15 3 7 16-20 4 9 21+ 5 11

maximum skill Ranks

Stat Max Ranks Stat Max Ranks Value Favored Standard Value Favored Standard

1 1 1 16 16 8 2 2 1 17 17 9 3 3 2 18 18 9 4 4 2 19 19 10 5 5 3 20 20 10 6 6 3 21 21 11 7 7 4 22 22 11 8 8 4 23 23 12 9 9 5 24 24 12 10 10 5 25 25 13 11 11 6 26 26 13 12 12 6 27 27 14 13 13 7 28 28 14 14 14 7 29 29 15 15 15 8 30 30 15

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Now it is time to develop your character. You do this by spending Character Points on Skills, Talents and other things such as Combat Moves and Spells.

chaRacteR Points

Players receive 30 Character Points (CPs) to use in creating a first level character. For each level beyond first level that the character reaches, he receives a number of additional Character Points equal to 15 + 1/2 the character’s level, rounded down.

These Character Points are spent on learning Skills, Spells, Combat Moves, and Talents. Skills are basically self-explanatory, and they can be improved upon each time that a character goes up in level.

Spells are chunks of magical knowledge. Learning a spell means that a character has learned how to manipulate magic in a specific fashion to produce a specific effect. To learn a given spell, the player must purchase it using his character’s Character Points. See p. 37 for more information on acquiring spells.

Combat Moves are special attack options that may be used instead of a normal attack. To learn a Combat Move, the player must purchase it using his character’s Character Points. See p. 29 for more information on acquiring Combat Moves.

Talents are special skills and/or abilities that are only acquired once and then may be used afterwards without requiring further training.

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kills

There are only two types of skills. Favored skills are those skills that are favored by a particular character class. Some characters may have other skills as Favored skills as well due to racial abilities, Talents, or possibly other reasons. All other skills that are not considered to be Favored are classified as Standard skills.

As you gain greater competence in a skill, it is going to be more difficult to learn and increase your ability. This is reflected in an increased cost that depends upon how many ranks you already have in that skill. The Skill Costs table gives you the cost of your next skill ranks based upon how many you already have and whether the skill is a Favored or Standard skill.

Note: The source of the skill ranks doesn’t matter.

Your cost is dependent upon how many ranks you currently have. Stat Bonuses and other special bonuses or modifiers do not count as ranks. Ranks are what you purchase using Character Points and what you receive from your Background.

maximum skill Ranks

Players may not endlessly purchase ranks in a given skill. They have a natural limit on the number of ranks that they may purchase. This limit is based on whether the skill is a Favored skill or Standard skill, and what the character’s Stat Value is for the stat that is relevant to that skill.

The Maximum Skill Ranks table shows the maximum number of ranks allowed based on the skill’s stat, and based on whether or not the skill is a Favored skill or a Standard skill. Basically, the maximum number of ranks allowed for Favored Skills is equal to the Stat Value of the stat used with the skill, and half of the Stat Value of the associated stat for all other skills.

There is no limit on how many ranks in a given skill a character may purchase each level, so long as he has the Character Points to spend.

Resolving skills

To make a skill roll, roll 2d10 and add your total bonus for the required skill. If the total is equal to or higher than the Target Number (TN) for the task, then the character has succeeded.

The Target Number is comprised of the Base Difficulty of the task along with any special modifiers that apply to the situation. For example, an Average Difficulty task has a Target Number of 15. The basic notation for this is “TN15”. A task with a Target Number of 18 would use the notation of “TN18”.

Characters may always attempt to accomplish physical skills even if they do not have any ranks in the skill. When doing so, the TN of the task is increased by 5 points. Conversely, instead of raising the TN of the task, the GM could just assign a -5 modifier to the player’s roll.

Mental skills, such as the Lore skills, will have their TN increased by 10 (or have their roll modified by -10) when attempted without any ranks in the skill. Success in such cases indicates that the character may have heard somebody else talking about it without realizing it and was able to dredge up the memory.

In both cases, the characters would still get to include the appropriate stat bonus in their roll.

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snags & Boons

All skill rolls, including combat and spell casting, can earn Snag or Boon Points. You earn Boon Points for rolling over the TN of the task; 1 Boon Point for every 10 points over. If you roll under the TN, you earn 1 Snag Point for every 10 points your roll was below the TN of the task.

Once you earn these points, you (the Player!!) must immediately spend them. There are three lists of Boons, one for general tasks, one for combat, and one for spell casting, and one basic list of Snags that will have options that apply to various types of actions.

Snags are often called failures or fumbles in other systems, but a Snag need not always be a failure. It could be that it will simply take you extra time to complete the task, or that you only got it partially complete, and have to make another roll in the following round.

The important thing to remember about the Snag/Boon Point system is that you, the player, decide the outcome by spending the points that you earn based on your original roll for the task. There are no random rolls or results involved in this. You control the outcome, both good and bad.

The Snags table can be found on p. 52 and the Boons table on page 53.

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escRiPtions

There is a relatively varied selection of skills that a character may choose to develop. The skills are listed below in alphabetical order. Next to the skill, in brackets, is the stat associated with the given skill. The stat for some of the skills is listed as [varies] because the stat used will depend upon the some other criteria.

a

[d

]

This skill provides a bonus for performing horizontal dives, rolling, vaulting, climbing, swinging on objects, jumping, and maintaining one’s balance and other gymnastic maneuvers.

This skill can also aid in reducing damage from falls. If the character makes a successful maneuver he may subtract 2’ per rank in this skill from any and all falls.

a

[c

]

This skill encompasses multiple physical activities such as climbing, swimming, weight lifting, running, and any other activities that require an athletic effort of some sort. A single rank is all that is required for the most basic forms of athletic activities. Encumbrance and Armor Penalties modifiers are tripled for swimming.

c

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[

]

The total skill bonus for a specific Combat Skill is referred to as the character’s Attack Bonus (AB). There are a number of Combat Skills, one for each group of weapons or special style of fighting. This means that the character will most likely have multiple Attack Bonuses, one for each Combat Skill. Each weapon group or combat style listed below is intended to be developed as an individual skill, separately from all of the others.

Combat Skills are classed in three general categories; Melee, Ranged, and Unarmed. Each Combat Skill has its own

stat associated with it, and the category is used to determine the Combat Moves that may be used with a given skill. All weapons that belong to weapon groups that are Ranged will have a Range Increment (RI) measured in feet. Attacks made against foes that are within that RI receive no modifier. For every full RI in distance that the target is from the character, the character receives a -4 modifier to his attack roll. All ranged weapons have a maximum of 5 Range Increments. The Range Increment for thrown weapons is the Strength Stat Value of the character. The Weapons table in the equipment section (p. 25) will list the RI for each ranged weapon.

The individual Combat Skills are as follows:

Axes & Hammers (Str – Melee): Hand axe, Battle Axe,

and War Hammer.

Bows (Wis – Ranged): Includes Short Bow, Long Bow

and Composite Bow.

Boxing (Spd – Unarmed): The art of fisticuffs. See Boxing

on p. 31 for more information.

Chains Plus (Dex – Melee): – Includes Ball & Chain and

Morning Star.

Clubs (Str – Melee): Includes Baton, Club, Mace and

War Hammer.

Crossbows (Int – Ranged): Includes Light Crossbow and

Heavy Crossbow.

Martial Arts (Spd – Unarmed): Anybody may acquire this

skill. However, only those with the Talent, Advanced

Martial Arts Training (see p. 18), will likely be able

to do much with it. Without that Talent, this skill is equivalent to slightly improved Brawling. See p. 31 for more information on the Advanced Martial Arts.

Great Blades (Str – Melee): Includes Bastard Sword and

Greatsword. Weapons of this group are used 2 handed.

Pole Arms (Str – Melee): Includes Pole Arms, Pole Axes

and Spears. Weapons in this group are used 2 handed and may be used to attack foes up to 10’ away.

Short Blades (Dex – Melee): Includes Dagger, Main

Gauche and Short Sword.

Spears (Dex - Melee): Includes Javelin and Short Spear.

Weapons in this group are used 1 handed and may be used with a shield.

Staves (Spd – Melee: Includes Quarterstaff, Short Spear

and Spear.

Swords (Str – Melee): Includes Bastard Sword,

Broadsword, Falchion, Rapier and Scimitar.

Thrown Axes & Hammers (Dex – Ranged): Includes

Hand axe and War Hammer.

Thrown Spears (Dex – Ranged): Includes Spear, Javelin

and Short Spear.

Thrown Blades (Spd – Ranged): Includes Dart and

Dagger.

Two Weapon Combo (Dex – Melee): This is a special

Combat Style that utilizes two weapons. See Two Weapon Combo on p. 32 for information on the prerequisites for this skill and more information on how it works.

Wrestling/Grappling (Spd – Unarmed): The skill of

man-handling a person or creature, immobilizing it. Refer to p. 32 for more information on Wrestling/Grappling.

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Bonus for performing or working in a specific craft or job. Each individual craft is required to be developed as a separate skill, with each skill allowing the character to perform any and all tasks required by the job.

Some example Craft skills include Cooking [Int], Dancing [Dex], Herbcraft [Wis], Healing [Wis], Jeweler [Dex], Wood-worker [Dex], Weapon Smith [Dex], Armor Smith [Dex], Fletcher [Dex], Scribe [Int], Herald [Chr], Stone Carver [Dex], Veterinarian (Animal Healing) [Wis], and many, many more.

Note: It is up to the GM to determine what the stat

will be for any specific Craft skill. The above examples

only make suggestions for the stat.

F

a

[w

]

This skill allows the character to aid in speeding up the rate of healing of himself or another character. Characters will naturally heal a number of hit points equal to 5 + their Constitution Stat Bonus for every 8 hours of uninterrupted rest. Successful use of this skill allows the character to add his number of skill ranks to that base amount of natural healing. It is also used for attempts to slow or halt bleeding damage (hits per round), splint broken bones and other emergency treatments. See p. 57 for more information on healing.

g

[d

]

This skill deals with all things mechanical. You can use it to disarm traps, set traps, pick locks, and more. Devices of more than a moderate complexity may be represented by higher Target Numbers.

i

[c

]

Words have power, especially if used correctly. This skill allows a person to influence others. Be it through the use of diplomacy when negotiating with a diplomat, duping a mark, bribing a guard, or haggling to get the best bargain from a trader.

If this skill is used against an individual to attempt to convince them to do something that they might not normally do, the defender gets to make either a Save vs. Intelligence or a Save vs. Will. The defending characer gets to use whichever stat is better. If they succeed, they will realize what is going on and to be able avoid being talked into something that they might not normally agree to.

l

[i

]

This skill encompasses the use of informational and academic skills which are available to most people with the determination to learn them. Some examples: Culture Lore (one skill for each culture/race), Fauna Lore, Flora Lore, Heraldry, History (one skill for each field of history), Philosophy, Region Lore (one skill for each region), Religion, Herb Lore, Lock Lore, Metal Lore, Poison Lore, Stone Lore and/or Trading Lore.

The more specifically a lore skill applies to a question, the easier the difficulty of the roll should be. (So very generic lore skills like “Lore: Monsters” may offer a bonus in many situations, but the GM should keep the difficulty rolled against at “Hard” or higher. On the other hand a specific lore like “Lore: Dragons” will more rarely be usable, but should keep the difficulty at or below “Challenging” in most situations where it is applicable.)

m

[

]

This skill has a number of basic capabilities that are all gained just by learning the basic version of Magecraft. They are as follows:

Learning Spells – A character may learn a maximum number

of spells equal to his level + 3 + the number of ranks he has in the basic Magecraft skill. Thus, a first level spell user may know up to 8 spells. Please note that this only dictates how many spells the character may know in total.

Reading Runes & Scrolls – With a successful skill roll,

the character may decipher runes and scrolls. The TN for doing this is equal to 15 + the level of the spell being deciphered.

Identifying Spells – The character may make a Magecraft

roll (TN15 + level of spell being identified) to identify a spell being cast by another spell user. This is required in order for him to be able to successfully counter it.

Using Items – Some magical items have permanent and

constant abilities that work for anybody who picks them up or puts them on. Other items have abilities that can be activated at will. For these latter items, a character must attune to the item in order to learn how to activate it (command word, phrase, gesture, etc.). The TN for attuning to an item is 20 + 2 for each ability beyond the first. Certain special items may have higher or lower Target Numbers because of their design or inherent powers.

Characters may also learn specific instances of this skill for other purposes. These include, but are not limited to Magecraft: Alchemy (the base skill used in item creation; to be covered in a later supplement), and specific magically related lore skills, such as Magecraft: Undead Lore, Magecraft: Demon Lore and Magecraft: Devil Lore, just to name a few.

The stat used with Magecraft will depend upon the character’s class. Clerics and Druids will use Wisdom as the stat for this skill. Mystics use Willpower and all others will use Intelligence.