the red gods of babylon

A fantasy role playing game

@ 2013

by Aaron Zawadi

for the boys of S.F. Chris Tommy Guido Bowling Vince Palladium Buening dmund Sin!inoor "edfield #ames $anem %est

&' &G

(F %"&T)

1630 BC

History's oldest and greatest civilizations are crumbling. The ancient empire of babylon is in flames The armies of Egypt have broken and their fall portends the end of the rule of law. The barbarian Hyksos have invaded and occupied the Nile delta While petty warlords s uabble over the ruins of the old regime. !ar to the east" the #edic $ryans ride their chariots over the bones of the ancient kingdoms of %ndus &loodthirsty $chaeans run pirate $cross the $egean 'ea" (assacring the aboriginal peoples of Europe $nd on the little island of thera" north of crete the ground rumbles to foretell of a fire that shall crack the pillars of the earth

Mysteries and Adventures

If I could be any historical figure I think I would be Cleopatra. So I'm traveling down the Nile on the royal barge, high in the stern on a golden couch, surrounded by attendants and naked slave girls. Except for my crown and my sandals I'm completely nude. ne of the slaves decorates my hands and feet with henna and paints my nipples gold. A !reek musician strums his lyre and recites the strange, Aeolian poetry of the divine Sappho and a fat, black slave girl stands behind me, waving a giant peacock fan as I smoke opium from a silver hookah. "he drug does not dull my senses. In fact, I've never felt more alert and alive. I discover vivid, nameless colors and hear the mad whispering of forgotten gods. "he barge puts in at "hebes. Emissaries bring me gifts, pearls, uncut emeralds, exotic birds, Sylphium and myrrh, and pretty naked boys. I pick the most beautiful, brown boy and send the others away. I have my
usicians play something Eastern, passionate and hypnotically seductive. My most experienced #ersian slave girl reclines on a pile of rugs and cushions, with her legs open, and I order the boy to give her pleasure as he will, except that his penis may not touch her. $e kisses her on the mouth, on the neck. She looks bored. $e kisses her breasts and takes her left nipple between his teeth. $er eyes close and her mouth opens. $er toes curl. $e kisses her belly and her thighs. $e places his mouth between her legs and makes her moan. nce the boy has demonstrated that he'll be an ade%uate lover I order him to stop, although the girl is not yet entirely satisfied. &et her masturbate to exhaustion while I ride the boy dry. whispering of forgotten gods. "he barge puts in at "hebes. Emissaries bring me gifts, pearls, uncut emeralds, exotic birds, Sylphium and myrrh, and pretty naked boys. I pick the most beautiful, brown boy and send the others away. I have my musicians play something Eastern, passionate and hypnotically seductive. My most experienced #ersian slave girl reclines on a pile of rugs and cushions, with her legs open, and I order the boy to give her pleasure as he will, except that his penis may not touch her. $e kisses her on the mouth, on the neck. She looks bored. $e kisses her breasts and takes her left nipple between his teeth. $er eyes close and her mouth opens. $er toes curl. $e kisses her belly and her thighs. $e places his mouth between her legs and makes her moan.

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whispering of forgotten gods The barge puts in at Thebes Emissaries bring me giftspearls uncut emeraldsexotic birds Sylphium and myrrh and pretty naked boys I pick the most reclines on a pile of rugs and cushions with her legs open and I order the boy to give her pleasure as he will except that his penis may not touch her He kisses her on the mouth on the neck She looks bored He kisses her breasts and takes her left nipple between his WRPANSL193494M6HD1COARBXPTWRTWRPANSL193494M6HD1COARBXPANSL193494M6H D1COARBXPDDCX1WMENSLXOQLATME193494M6HD1COARBXPTWRTWRPANSL193494M6HD1CO ARBXPPANSL193N1K1494M6HD1COARBXPDDCX1WMENSLXOQLATMECRPNTWRPANCRPNTW1 ADOPBLSU1RNPANSL193494M6HD1COARBXP9NK

with her legs open, and I order the boy to give her pleasure as he will, except that his penis may not touch her. $e kisses her on the mouth, on the neck. She looks bored. $e kisses her breasts and takes her left nipple between his teeth. $er eyes close and her mouth opens. $er toes curl. $e kisses her belly and her thighs. $e places his mouth between her legs and makes her moan.

table of contents
Introduction
Description Assyria Babylon Canaan Haltamti (Elam) Hatti Kemet (Egypt) inoan Crete #edic India 7 8 9 9 9 9 9 !" !" 4aragons ,alents Ad0antage 5ist (ocial Impediments oti0es issions E6perience ($amas$ ((ample C$aracter) ,as' .esolution (Ad0anced) Bra3n ,as's C$arm ,as's Cra7t ,as's !9 !9 *" *! ** ** ** *+ ***/ */ *1 *7 *8 *8

C$aracter %eneration
&uic' (ystem )ames Attributes ,raits ,as' .esolution (Basic) Ad0anced C$aracters 2la3s Attribute .elations$ip ,able Ad0antages (ocial Ad0antages 4$ysical Ad0antages 4ersonality &uir's (pecial ,raining !! !* !+ !!/ !1 !7 !8 !9 !9 !9 !9 !9

2itness ,as's Intuition ,as's Kno3ledge ,as's 8ill ,as's

Combat
Basic Combat ,utorial 9rder o7 4lay .ange (urprise orale Emotional (tate .ally *9 +" +" +! +* +* ++

Attac' 9rder Bas$ing and ,$rusting elee Attac's 8eapon 5ists De7ense Attac' atrices atri6

+++/ +/ +1 +7 +7 +8 +9 -" -" -! -* -+ -+ --

.itual 2ailure inor .ituals a:or .ituals Dance e$ndi agic

1" 1! 1+ 17 19

Close ($a0es (peci7ic In:uries Armor Combat E77ects o7 In:ury 2alling In:uries issile Attac's ,ric's .eco0ery ortality ,as' C$ec's in Combat

issions
Disease Healing 4oison elanc$olia Into6ication 4ossession 4ant$eons Animals Animal 5ist Abominations agic 7* 7+ 7+ 77/ 71 77 79 8" 8! 88/ 87 87 9" 9! 9* 9+ 9/

agic
agical 4o3ers agic 4o3er 5ist (tates o7 Consciousness Ent$eogens 9neiromancy Di0inatory Dreams Entering a ,rance Entering a Heirop$anic (tate Entering a (tate o7 Ecstasy 4er7orming .ituals -/ /" /! /* /* /+ /1 /7 /7 /8

(tandard 2oes Campaigns E6perience .e3ards Edges 5anguages Economics 9b:ects o7 #alue agical De0ices C$aracter ($eet

*ysteries and &d+entures

the red gods of babylon is a fantasy role playing game set in the 17th century BC. Players take on the roles of extraordinary people living in uncertain times: Impetuous sorcerers struggle to master bi arre and arcane forces! blasting demons and shaping the destiny of man "ith their craft. #mbitious "arlords arm the rabble of the age "ith chariots! arro"s and spears! unite fragmented nations and trample barbarian hosts into the dust. Bold diplomats and merchant$adventurers brave "ild barrens and violent seas to gather tribute from strange and savage lands. %esperate burglars evade guardians and traps! plundering the palaces of kings and the gilded houses of the dead. Brilliant engineers restore beauty and order to the "orld! organi ing vast armies of artisans and slaves to build grand temples and tombs. &roubled 'udges and ministers preside over cities that have been torn apart by cults and factions! battling corruption in the name of peace for the living and 'ustice for the dead.

What you will need: A game master and at least one player. The players assume the roles of the central characters, or protagonists. The game master plays all of the other characters, narrates the story, invents the obstacles that the protagonists must overcome, and determines the difficulty of any tasks the protagonists attempt. When disputes arise in the game, the game master's judgment is final. This rulebook. Paper and pencils. At least two eight sided dice. Whenever you are asked to make a !task check" in the game, you will roll two eight sided dice and add them together. The abbreviation for this kind of roll is #d$. Almost every time you roll the dice in this game you will roll two eight sided dice and add them together. %ometimes you will add a fi&ed number to the result. This number is called a !modifier."
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$ingdoms of Bron,e
Most of the action in The Red Gods of Babylon takes place in and around the ancient civilizations of Egypt, rete, !atti, anaan, "ssyria, and #ndia$ Each civilization has a distinctive character, %ith its o%n uni&ue religion, social structure and technological profile$

Assyria:
"round '((( B an "kkadian king na)ed *shpia founded a city on the Tigris river, north of +u)eria and na)ed it after the sky god "ssur$ This city %ould beco)e the core of a great e)pire$ #ts people are "kkadian +e)ites %ith a culture and language that closely rese)bles that of the Babylonians$ The "kkadians %ere originally sub,ects and allies of the +u)erians, %ho called the region +ubartu$ The +u)erians taught the "kkadians science, engineering and technology and gave the) a cuneifor) syste) of %riting$ The +u)erian civilization is long gone, but educated "ssyrians and Babylonians still speak and %rite +u)erian as the language of science and religion$ #t is also the language of the civil service bureaucracy, %hich collects ta-es and ad)inisters the courts$ The "ssyrians have gro%n rich through a sophisticated trading net%ork in "sia Minor based on econo)ic colonies called karu)$ Each karu) is attached to a foreign city, but re)ains under "ssyrian authority$ Through these colonies the "ssyrians e-port tin, %ool, lead and te-tiles, and i)port precious )etals$ "round ./0( B the great Babylonian king !a))urabi con&uered the "ssyrians and reduced the) to the status of vassals$ But after the death of !a))urabi the "ssyrian %arlord "dasi drove the Babylonians fro) the city and founded the dynasty that rules "ssyria to this day$ Today "ssur is a large and %ealthy capital$ Bazaya, king of the "ssyrians, holds council %ith diplo)ats and )agicians fro) all over the kno%n %orld in his great royal palace$ 1iggurats and te)ples devoted to "ssur, #shtar, +ha)ash the +un and 2anna the )oon to%er over the narro% streets and endless )arketplaces$ "ssyria is )ilitarily strong and has so far been able to %eather the plague of barbarian invasions$ 3ithin the last hundred years they4ve e-panded to fill the po%er vacuu) that %as left by the decay of the old Babylonian e)pire$

Babylon:
Babylon is the largest city on Earth, and one of the oldest$ #ts people are descended fro) the "kkadians, %ho overthre% the +u)erians to beco)e the do)inant po%er in Mesopota)ia$ The city is still e-tre)ely %ealthy, but the old Babylonian e)pire is in steep decline, under)ined by di)inishing agricultural yields and %eakened by incursions fro) the "ssyrians and the se)i5barbaric 6assites$

Canaan:
The anaanites are a +e)itic people$ 7o%er in anaan is divided bet%een )any independent city states, but )ost of the population consists of se)i5no)adic herders$ The )ost significant cities of anaan are 6adesh 8sacred city of the epony)ous love goddess9 and !azor$ +o)e aggressive tribes have invaded 6e)et, %here they are kno%n as the !yksos$

Haltamti (Elam):
Ela) is a very old and culturally sophisticated civilization based in %estern #ran$ #t consists of a nu)ber of fiercely independent city states, the )ost po%erful of %hich is called +usa$ The Ela)ites %ere old rivals of the +u)erians, and figured pro)inently in their decline and eventual ruin$

Hatti:
The !ittites are an #ndo5European people$ #n around '((( B they invaded "sia Minor fro) southern Russia$ The absorbed the local !atti people, adopted their religion, and preserved their language in their religious rituals$ The !ittites call the)selves !atti no%, ,ust to add to the confusion$ Their capital is !attusas$ They4ve also adopted various technologies and cultural practices such as cuneifor) %riting through trade %ith "ssyria$

Kemet (Egypt):
The civilization %e call Egypt %as kno%n to its inhabitants as 6e)et, the black land, due to the fertile black soil of the 2ile river valley$ Most of its inhabitants live %ithin a fe% )iles of the 2ile$ #ts inundations are gentle and predictable, and bless its banks %ith a legendary fertility$ "s a result, 6e)et is the richest civilization in the %orld, and the oldest civilization still in e-istence$ The nation is fa)ous for its achieve)ents in architecture, )athe)atics and )edicine$ The largest of its reno%ned pyra)ids are already over a thousand years old$ The people are very devout, and every )a,or city has hundreds of te)ples devoted to native gods$ +o)e anaanite goddesses such as "nat and #shtar are revered as %ell$ The 2ile valley is densely populated$ The re)ainder of the country is a desert of sand and dust, occasionally relieved by so)e great oasis$ This desert for)s a great natural barrier that has traditionally protected 6e)et fro) invasion$ There are only t%o gaps in this defense: in the north, %here the +inai peninsula connects 6e)et to the kingdo)s of the ;evant, and in the south, %here the 2ile river falls in cataracts fro) the lands of 6ush$ Enor)ous fortresses guard the cataracts and have long kept the %arriors of the south at bay$ But %ithin the last generation, the barbarian !yksos have crossed the +inai and invaded and occupied the 2ile delta region$ entral govern)ent has collapsed, and the country is divided into dozens of )utually hostile kingdo)s$

Minoan Civilization:

Minoan civilization is based on the island of rete, although there are Minoan colonies throughout the "egean$ +o far the sea has proved an ade&uate defense against barbarian incursion, and the Minoans have little in the %ay of a standing )ilitary$ They4re a )ariti)e po%er, rich in trade$ They do)inate the copper trade through their holdings in "lishiya 8 yprus9 and they have substantial trading arrange)ents %ith Mycenae, anaan and 6e)et$ They are kno%n for their beautiful pottery, their gy)nastic youths and their enor)ous, labyrinthine palaces$ The Minoans are an indigenous people, unrelated to #ndo5Europeans$ Their religion is based on the %orship of various Mother Goddesses$ Recently, Minoan settlers on the island of <era 8Thera9 have noticed strange ru)blings in the Earth, and great clouds of ash$ But the volcano there #+ e-tinct, yes=

Vedic India:
The first civilization to occupy the #ndus river valley %ere a people related to the Ela)ites and the >ravidians$ They built large, %ell organized and peaceful cities, and created a syste) of pictographic %riting$ This civilization collapsed, probably due to prolonged drought, before the arrival of the "ryans$ The first #ndo5"ryans 8the >asas9 arrived in the #ndus river valley fro) #ran around .?(( B $ They clashed %ith native peoples but eventually )erged %ith the), adopting )any of their custo)s$ ;ater %aves of "ryan )igrants arrived5 chariots %arriors %ho sacrificed horses to "gni, the fire god$ Their religion, language and custo)s differed fro) that of the >asas$ The t%o groups ca)e to blo%s, and the fighting beca)e a long and bitter religious %ar$ The #ndo5"ryans are a nation of se)i5no)adic cattle herders, divided into about fifty )utually hostile tribes$ Each tribe consists of several thousand individuals led by a tribal council$ Most tribes also have a Ra,an, or chief, but the position is appointed by the council and theoretically subordinate to it$ Each tribe lives in a single fortified settle)ent$ "fter a fe% years the tribe burns the settle)ent and )oves to find ne% pastures for their horses and cattle$ 3arfare )ostly consists of cattle raids 8gavisti9$ !igh5ranking %arriors 86shatras9 race chariots and ride the) into battle$ @ther popular diversions include )usic, dancing, theater, ga)bling and the drinking of )ind altering beverages 8+ura and +o)a9$ Marriage e-ists in a %ide variety of for)s, including polyga)y and polyandry$ 3o)en en,oy a relatively high degree of freedo) and status in Aedic society$ +o)e re)arkable %o)en have beco)e sages or %arriors$

10

Character Creation
Quick System
" character is any i)aginary person in the ga)e, %hether controlled by a player or the ga)e )aster$ #f the character is controlled by a player he or she is called a protagonist$ Start with a concept. Give your character a na)e and a description of one or t%o sentences$ ;et the description reflect your )ost po%erful i)pressions of %ho the character is5 this )ay or )ay not include his or her profession or appearance$ Bou )ay not yet have a strong idea of %hat your character is like$ ThatCs okay$ "s you develop the character, your conception of hi) or her )ay change$ ThatCs okay too$ Examples:

Pepis the scribe is a timid but brilliant engineer who is fond of emeralds, fine wine, good horses and Nubian dancing girls. Hanu is a talented young artist, and a grieving widow. Shes smart, clever and kind, and although her loss gives her great pain, shes managed to hold on to her optimism and cheerful disposition. Shamash is a born leader, aggressive, ambitious and demanding- but friendly. Hes a great bull of a man who rose from poverty to prosperity through hard work and sheer force of personality. amin is a dilettante adventurer- rich, la!y, arrogant and addicted to pleasure. Nevertheless, she hates in"ustice and arbitrary cruelty and she is tougher than she appears.
National Origin: #n )ost cases, the ca)paign setting %ill deter)ine nation of origin$ Dor e-a)ple, if the ga)e takes place in upper Egypt )ost characters should be fro) 6e)et 8Egypt9 %ith perhaps a 6ushite or t%o fro) points south$ 2ot every character has to be a native, but characters %ho co)e fro) far a%ay %ill attract attention %herever they go and )ay have trouble understanding local politics and custo)s$

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Names:
Achaean Male:
"da)as, "sius, >eion, >y)as, Makhaon, 2isus, 2ora-, 7rotesileas, +chedius, Thestor, Eanthus

Achaean Female: Assyrian Male:

"ithra, "ktaia, "ntheis, Basilis, !ekabe, 6astalia, 6rino, ;ysiana, Marpessa, Rhoio, +elana "bazu, "da)u, "zarah, Belu, >idanu, Elibal, !arharu, !arsu, #)su, Mandaru, Musa, 2uabu, Rahbani, +uhla)u, Bakin, 1uabu

Assyrian Female: "isha, !ind, Ma)ea, 1ebba Babylonian Male:

"bdi, "bu), "dar, "dini, ")ilanu, ")uru), "rdi, "s)adu, "ssoros, "thtar, Belibni, Belsu)iscun, Bunene, >akhe, >akuri, Etana, Ga)ilsin, Gandu, !aban, !assi)ir, #llinos, #rigibel, #s)idagan, #ttibel, 6arabel, 6ineladen, 6isu, ;abynetus, Marsippar, Muranu, 2abua, 2azaratus, 2urval, @bares, +ilani, +uzub, Ta)zi, Telal, *rha))u, 1aidu

8loved by all9, 6afele 8%ould die for9, 6a)en%ati 8dark rebel9, 6aphiri 8hill9, 6ara%an 87rotected9, 6asiya 8departs9, 6e)nebi 8black panther9, 6e)osiri 8black @siris9, 6henti 8leader9, 6hne)u 8follo%er9, 6neph 8spirit9, 6osey 8lion9, ;isi)ba 8lion9, ;uzige 8locust9, Madu 8of the people9, Maskini 8poor9, Matsi)ela 8root9, Mbizi 8%ater9, Meti 8righteous9, Mhotep 8peace9, Minkah 8,ustice9, Mkhai 8fight9, Mosegi 8tailor9, Mos%en 8%hite9, Mshai 8traveler9, Msrah 8born si-th9, Mudada 8provider9, Mu)e 8fountain9, 2a,,a 8born second9, 2ebi 8panther9, 2ebibi 8panther9, 2iza) 8disciplined9, 2kosi 8la%9, 2kru)ah 8born ninth9, 2kuku 8rooster9, 2uru 8born during the day9, @d,i 8%icked9, @kpara 8firstborn9, @)ari 8high born9, 7anahasi 8foreigner9, Rashidi 8%ise9, Rasui 8drea)9, Runihura 8destroyer9, +abola 8pepper9, +adiki 8faithful9, +efu 8s%ord9, +ekani 8laughs9, +eti 8of +eth9, +henti 8hairy9, +hushu 8braggart9, +inuhe 8son of the syca)ore tree9, +okk%i 8little fool9, +udi 8lucky9, Tau 8lion9, Tere)un 8loved by father9, Thabit 8strong9, Tu)aini 8hope9, *)i 8life9, *nika 8shining9, *si 8s)oke9, 3akhashe) 8little fool9, 3a)ukota 8left5handed9, 3ati 8rebel9, Bafeu 8bold9, 1ahur 8flo%er9, 1uberi 8strong9$

Babylonian Female: Canaanite:

"natu, Banit, Bau, Belit, Beltis, >avke, 6ishar, 6issare, +erua, 1irat "kizzi, ")a,ase, "rte)anya, "yab, "ziri, Baia%a, Balatnese, Birya%aza, >adua, >asru, E%iri, Gulatu, ;abayu, ;upakku, 2ukurtu%a, 7ubala, Rus)ania, Tagi, Toi, Turbaza, 3idia, Babitiri, Bapahu$ 1i)redda, 1isa, 1itra,ara, 1urata

Kemetic Female: ")isi 8flo%er9, "ti 8cushion9, Bahiti

8fortune9, Banafrit 8beautiful soul9, >,eserit 8holy %o)an9, Ebe 8%onderful9, Ebio 8honey9, E)uishere 8kitten9, Eshe 8life9, De)i 8love9, !arere 8flo%er9, !asina 8good9, #risi 8)ade by #sis9, Fendayi 8thankful9, 6ebi 8honey9, 6epi 8stor)9, 6iya 8happy lady9, Merit 8beloved9, Mesi 8%ater9, Meskhenet 8destiny9, Metit 8righteous9, Mos%en 8%hite9,2afre 8goodness9, 2afretiri 8beautiful creation9, 2afrit 8virgin9, 2athifa 8pure9, 2ebit 8leopard9, 2etikerty 8e-cellent9, 2ubiti 8golden lady9, @d,it 8%icked9, @labisi 8brings ,oy9, @ni 8%anted9, @seye 8happy9, +anura 8kitten9, +eshafi 8angry %o)an9, +he)ei 8desire9, +hepsit 8honorable lady9, +heriti 8)aiden9, +hukura 8grateful9, +iti 8lady9, +ubira 8patient9, Tabia 8talented9, Tahirah 8pristine9, Tanafriti 8beautiful land9, 3oserit 8)ighty %o)an9, 1alika 8%ell5born9

Cretan:

"pate,a, "ranare, "ro,a, "rudara, Bansabira, >uripi, #sueko, Fadikira, 6ikeru, 6itane, 6urina, 6uruke, 2ashu,a, @pitura,o, 7aki,anede, 7i,asiros, 7inaruti, 7ura, Rusa, Bidini, Bisharu

Elamite:

"ttar, >abala, !alki, !atanash, !utran, #lhush, #shkur, 6indattu, ;ibu), Mabuk, Manana, 2anar, 7eli, +halabu), Tandaia, Tarana, Te)ti, *rsin, *rtak, 1ina, 1ittiyash, 1izi

Hittite: "r), "sadu)u, >u)uses, !ulusage, !upusiyas,

6arasuru, 6ikulli, 6ikunir, 6isnapali, Muluttai, +akuni, *dunita, *rbarra, *ruhassatar, *rulu)us, 3ellutar

Kushitic Male: "lara, 6ashta, 2astasen, 7iye, +ilko Kushitic Female: Vedic Male:
"s)inia, #ras, 6ari)ala, 6hensa, Mala&aya, 2aparay, 7eksater "gnirupa, ",as, "ndhigu, "nga, "ntaka, "shtaka, "vatsara, Ba,ra, Balantha, hatri, >avana, >ipak, >yuti, Etasa, Galava, Garga, 6apota, Madhava, Manava, Matsya, 2arada, 7arvata, +hakti, +u)itra, Tapasa, Taruksa, Tulasi, Aarasika, Aatsi, Aikuksi, Aisarada, Ayo)akesha, Badavendra, Badupati

Hurrian: "))iya, >idikasenne, 6iya, 6ubaba, 7ita,a, 7uhiya,

7irizzi, +a)a, Tapsihuni, Tarina, Tehu, *&nitu), *rhiya

Kemetic Male: "d,o 8treasure9, "kho) 8eagle9, "kiiki

8friendly9, "kil 8intelligent9, "ko 8tired, %eary9, "nu) 8 born fifth9, "%an 8&uality9, Babafe)i 8loved by his father9, Baruti 8teacher9, Bo)ani 8%arrior9, Bubu 8gives light9,9, Buikhu 8the best9, henzira 8born on a ,ourney9, higaru 8hound9, hisisi 8secret9, hu)a 8%ealthy9, >akarai 8happy9, >onkor 8hu)ble9, Denuku 8born late9, Gahi,i 8hunter9, Gyasi 8%onderful9, !a)adi 8praised9, !asani 8handso)e9, Fabari 8brave9, Fafari 8creek9, Fahi 8dignified9, Fu)oke

Vedic Female: ")su)ati, >adhisara, >akshina, >aksi,

>a)ni, >uhsala, Ghosa, #la, #ndira, #sani, ;asika, ;okaseva, ;ola, 6adru, 6esi, 6usava, 2agari, 2anda, 2ayika, 2iravadya, Rasa, Rusati, +asha, +asvati, +uchanti, Trika, *r,ani, Baduri

12

Attributes:
"ttributes are broad categories that define a characterCs capabilities$ There are seven:

Brawn, Charm, Craft, Fitness, Intuition, Knowledge and Will.

rawn:+ize and strength$ Bra%ny characters are big, physically po%erful and inti)idating$ !harm:+ociability, friendliness, poise, e-troversion and allure$ har)ing characters are influential and popular$ !ra"t:7roductivity in the building and )anufacturing tradesG the ability to design and create beautiful and useful ob,ects$ #itness: "gility and health$ $ntuition:#nstinct, %isdo) and co))on senseG the sort of intelligence that relies )ore on e-perience than for)al education$ %nowledge:#ntellectual capacity, abstract reasoning, and )athe)atical ability$ Will:Dorce of personality, spirit, resolve$

&he degree to which a character possesses each attribute depends on which traits he or she has.
13

TraitsTraits are %ays of describing attributes$ Dor e-a)ple: Bra%n is an attribute$ "thletic, Muscular, Tall and Tough are traits that describe bra%n$ The character that is athletic and tall possesses )ore bra%n than the character that is si)ply )uscular$ @ther traits 8such as graceful or rational9 donCt affect bra%n at all$ Dor the purpose of describing a character, you should think of traits as rare and e-ceptional$ "bout .(H of a given population should possess any given trait$ The average person possesses one or t%o e-ceptional &ualities$ @nly one person in ten thousand 8.(H to the fourth po%er9 %ill have all four traits that are associated %ith a particular attribute$ " person %ho is "thletic, Muscular, Tall and Tough %ill be the bra%niest person around5 one in ten thousand$ Most traits apply to t%o attributes$ Dor e-a)ple: "thletic is a trait that applies to both bra%n and fitness$ Dor the purpose of basic character creation, every protagonist should have four traits$ &rait Athletic Attenti'e !le'er !urious (ecisi'e (e"t )race"ul $ndustrious *uscular +assionate +ercepti'e ,ational *ethodical &all &ough Attributes rawn and #itness !harm and $ntuition !harm and %nowledge $ntuition and %nowledge $ntuition and Will !ra"t and #itness !harm and #itness !ra"t and Will rawn and !ra"t !harm and Will #itness and $ntuition %nowledge and Will !ra"t and %nowledge rawn rawn and Will

Examples:
+epis: Brilliant scholar. Curious, Clever, Methodical, Rational Brawn: No bonus. Pepis is not physically strong. Char : Clever. Pepis isn!t e"ceptionally char ing, but his poise and wit give hi an air o# sophistication. Cra#t: Methodical. Pepis is a #airly talented cra#ts an. $itness: No bonus %ntuition: Curious. Pepis is not e"ceptionally wise, but he has good instincts. &nowledge: Curious, Clever, Methodical, Rational. Pepis is a genius. 'ill: Rational. Pepis isn!t e"ceptionally brave, but he!s rational and entally stable. &amin: (poiled rich thrill)see*er. Clever, +race#ul, Passionate, ,ough Brawn: ,ough. ,a in is healthy and resilient. Char : Clever, +race#ul, Passionate. ,a in is elegant and e"tre ely char ing. Cra#t: None. ,a in is rather la-y and ill)suited #or per#or ing use#ul labor. $itness: +race#ul. ,a in has the physi.ue and agility o# a dancer. %ntuition: None. ,a in is used to being pa pered and sheltered and she is .uite the tender#oot. &nowledge: Clever. ,a in is no scholar, but she!s #airly intelligent. 'ill: Passionate, ,ough: ,a in is neither so #rivolous nor so #ragile as she appears. 14

&asks:
" character atte)pts to perfor) so)e action$ >oes he succeed or fail= +o)e actions 8opening a door, for e-a)ple9 are usually so easy to perfor) that the outco)e is al)ost never in doubt$ #n such cases the character need not perfor) a task check, unless there is so)e )a,or i)pedi)ent to success$ 8Dor e-a)ple, he4s ,ust fallen and broken both his legs9$ +o)e actions are essentially i)possible, regardless of the character4s abilities$ 8Dor e-a)ple, ,u)ping over the )oon9$ 2o task check is necessary in such casesG the atte)pt al%ays fails$ Many tasks are possible, but difficult to so)e degree$ #n such a case, the character )ust )ake a task check$ Every task has a difficulty rating:

,oll two eight sided dice and add the result together.
"l)ost every ti)e you need to roll dice in this ga)e, you %ill roll t%o eight5sided dice and add the results together$ The abbreviation for this kind of roll is 'd?$ "dd one to the roll for every trait the character has under the bonus attribute$ #n the advanced character generation rules the character %ill get additional bonuses for having advantages and talents$

&ri'ial: "ny reasonably co)petent individual has a

good chance of success, even if he or she has no training$

Roll 8'd?9 "dd . per trait 0 or less I5? J5.. .'5.K .05./ .? or )ore

+uccess Dailure Trivial Routine !ard Dor)idable !eroic

,outine: "ny person %ith so)e training or

e-perience %ill usually succeed$

-ard: ")ateurs and dilettantes %ill usually fail$

3holly untrained people have little chance of success$

#ormidable:Even the e-perts find these tasks

challenging$

-eroic: These are the )ost difficult tasks

i)aginable$ Even talented people fail about half the ti)e$

Which attribute do $ use. rawn:Tests of strength, resistance to in,ury or

to-ins, using brute force to attack %ith clubs or a-es$ !harm:+ocial interaction$ Making friends and (egrees o" Success: influencing people$ !ra"t:Making, repairing and evaluating ob,ects, +o)e tasks have different possible degrees of success$ studying )echanical devices, looking for defects or #n these cases the ga)e )aster does not assign a traps$ difficulty to the task$ #nstead, he or she tells the player #itness:Tests of agility, balance and endurance$ to )ake a task check, and the result of the check is the "ttacking %ith thrusting %eapons and )issiles$ degree of success: $ntuition:2oticing threats, finding people or Dailure: 2o success$ ob,ects, caring for ani)als and plants, surviving Trivial: Marginal or insignificant success$ natural hazards$ Routine: 7artial or li)ited success$ %nowledge:!igher educationG literature, history, !ard: +ubstantial success$ )athe)atics, language, culture and engineering$ Dor)idable: o)plete success$ Will' ourage, resistance to )ental attack, !eroic: Best possible success$ i)pressing and inspiring others$

15

&d+anced Character Creation

#n basic character creation you learned the relationship bet%een traits and attributes$ #n advanced character creation, you %ill find out about fla%s, advantages and talents$ The relationship bet%een fla%s, traits, advantages and talents 8protagonists only9: Dla%s Traits "dvantages Talents 2u)ber hoose 8(5/9 K L . per fla% K L . per fla% K L . per fla%

7rotagonists are re)arkable individuals and they possess )ore traits than average people do$ "n protagonist %ill have at least four traits and not )ore than eleven$ Dor every trait that the protagonist has over four, he or she %ill have one fla%$ Dla%s tend to under)ine the benefits of having traits, so itCs a good idea to not take )ore traits than you feel are re&uired to define the character$ Most protagonists should have five to seven traits 8or one to three fla%s9$ haracters %ho are not protagonists do not follo% this for)ula$ Most non5protagonist characters have one or t%o fla%s, t%o or three traits and a s)all nu)ber of advantages and talents$ +o)e rare non5protagonists are as co)petent and versatile as protagonists$ E-tre)ely fe% should ever be more co)petent than protagonists$ Tall: Most traits describe t%o attributes$ Tall only describes Bra%n$ #n co)pensation, Tall protagonists get their choice of either a free social advantage or t%o free talents$ #n addition, they have e-tra reach %hen using long %eapons such as spears$

16

Flawsharacters are defined as )uch by their %eaknesses5 or flaws5 as by their strengths$ Each fla% is associated %ith one specific attribute 8or t%o attributes, in the case of >%arf9$ The fla% )akes it harder to succeed at tasks associated %ith the attribute$ " protagonist doesn4t have to have fla%s, but every fla% a protagonist takes increases the nu)ber of traits, advantages and talents he or she gets by one 8each9$ A character may not have more than one flaw associated with a given attribute. Contradictory attributes: The egocentric courtier %ho can also be clever and passionateG the obese athleteG the graceful dancer %ho is nevertheless a klutzG the tough, )uscular d%arf$ #t is possible for a character to have see)ingly contradictory &ualities$ @n the other hand you canCt be a tall d%arf$ "bsolute restrictions are listed under limitations$
Brawn Flaws: Dla% >%arf Drail +light "ttribute8s9 Bra%n and Ditness Bra%n Bra%n annot be )uscular or obese ;i)itations annot be tall >escription E-tre)ely short$ This counts as two flaws 8Bra%n and Ditness9 Drail people are e-tre)ely susceptible to in,ury and illness, due to age or e-tre)ely lo% body %eight$ +hort 8but taller than a d%arf9 and slender 8but not necessarily frail9$ +light people have childlike physi&ues$

Charm Flaws: Dla% "busive "ttribute8s9 har) ;i)itations annot be kind >escription "busive people are habitually tactless and insulting$ They find it difficult to consider other peopleCs feelings, even %hen it is in their best interest to do so$ 2arcissistic, selfish, lacking in e)pathyG incapable of seeing the other personCs point of vie%$ *nfortunately, people often ,udge others by their appearance$ *gly people are at a social disadvantage$

Egocentric *gly

har) har)

Craft Flaws: Dla% areless ;azy "ttribute8s9 raft raft ;i)itations annot be diligent annot be industrious >escription 2egligent, slipshod, easily distracted$ #ndolent and slothful, un%illing to do productive %ork$ This person )ay be a hard %orker as long as the %ork is pleasant or interesting, but lazy people %ill avoid dull or repetitive labor if they can$

17

Fitness Flaws: Dla% lu)sy >%arf @bese +ickly "ttribute8s9 Ditness Bra%n and Ditness Ditness Ditness annot be tall annot be slight ;i)itations >escription 7hysically a%k%ard and accident prone$ E-tre)ely short$ This counts as two flaws 8Bra%n and Ditness9 Aery fat$ +ickly people are in poor shape because they suffer fro) one or )ore chronic illnesses$

Intuition Flaws: Dla% Doolish @blivious "ttribute8s9 #ntuition #ntuition ;i)itations annot be keen >escription *n%ary annot be sensible #ncautious, lacking in co))on sense$

Knowledge Flaws: Dla% #gnorant 7ri)itive "ttribute8s9 6no%ledge 6no%ledge annot have acade)ic training ;i)itations >escription E-tre)ely uneducated and incurious$ haracters that %ere raised in a no)adic or hunter5gatherer society are pri)itive$ 7ri)itive people are either conte)ptuous of or baffled by the custo)s of civilized people$

Will Flaws: Dla% "n-ious +pineless "ttribute8s9 3ill 3ill ;i)itations >escription E-ceedingly ti)id, vacillating, irresolute, lacking self5confidence$ 3eak5%illed, easily )anipulated, lacking )oral courage

Attribute ,elationships:

"ttribute Bra%n har) raft Ditness #ntuition 6no%ledge 3ill

Dla%s >%arf, Drail, +light "busive, Egocentric, *gly areless, ;azy lu)sy, >%arf, @bese, +ickly Doolish, @blivious #gnorant, 7ri)itive "n-ious, +pineless

Traits "thletic, Muscular, Tall, Tough "ttentive, lever, Graceful, 7assionate >eft, #ndustrious, Muscular, Methodical "thletic, >eft, Graceful, 7erceptive "ttentive, urious, >ecisive, 7erceptive lever, urious, Rational, Methodical >ecisive, #ndustrious, 7assionate, Rational, Tough

18

Ad'antages:
There are five kinds of advantages: +ocial advantages, physical advantages, personality &uirks, special training and paragon status$ 7rotagonists get four advantages, plus one advantage for every fla% they have$

"rcane: The character is a priest or sorcerer %ho has been taught ho% to )anipulate )agical energies$ "rtistic: The character has received so)e for)al training in painting, sculpture and )etal%orking$ Medical: The character is a trained doctor$ Aersatile: Aersatile characters can atte)pt any task, even if they do not have the re&uired special training$ "pply a 5' penalty to such atte)pts 8characters %ho do not have the re&uired training cannot )ake such atte)pts at all9$

Social Ad'antages:
"uthority: The character has a high rank or position in a po%erful organization$ !igh priests, provincial governors and regi)ental generals all have authority$ 7rosperous: The character has a)assed great personal %ealth in the for) of land, buildings, slaves, livestock and lu-ury goods$ Aenerated: The character is rather fa)ously loved and respected by )any people$ +pecify %hat group of people venerates the character 8Med,ay )ercenary soldiers, people %ho %orship #sis, !abiru refugees, +yrian )erchants, etc$9 The people )ay not be individually po%erful, but as a group they are a force to be reckoned %ith$ The venerated person has no for)al authority over the group, but the group %ill protect the revered person if they can$ " character can have )ore than one social advantage$

+aragon:
" character )ay be a paragon of any specific attribute: Bra%n, har), raft, Ditness, #ntuition, or 6no%ledge 8but not 3ill9$ To be a paragon of an attribute, the character )ust )eet the follo%ing criteria: .9 The character )ay not have any of the fla%s associated %ith the attribute$ Dor e-a)ple, a careless person cannot be a paragon of craft$ The character )ust have at least t%o of the traits associated %ith the attribute$

'9

7aragons receive L. bonus to task checks based on the appropriate attribute$ 8E-a)ple: a paragon of kno%ledge receives L. to all kno%ledge based task checks9$

+hysical Ad'antages:
7hysical advantages are e-ceptional &ualities ste))ing fro) the characterCs physi&ue, such as &uick refle-es 8<uick9 or acute senses 8+harp9 Talents are special affinities that a character has for succeeding at specific tasks$ "n protagonist has K talents, plus one for every fla%$ oordinated, 2i)ble, <uick, +harp Each talentCs effects apply only to one specific task 8such as ad)inistration or cli)bing9$

&alents:

+ersonality Quirks:

7ersonality &uirks are e-ceptional &ualities ste))ing fro) the characterCs )ental and e)otional )akeup: Brave, o)petitive, reative, ruel, >aring, >evious, E&uestrian, Driendly, Gardener, !ypnotic, 6ind, 7atient, +alt, +ensible, +tudious, +ub)issive, Tenacious, Aersatile, Aisionary

Effects: .9 The character doesnCt have to have any special training to acco)plish the task$ Dor e-a)ple, a character %ith a talent for divination can perfor) divination %ithout arcane training$ The character )ay ignore a fla% that %ould other%ise di)inish the chance of success$ The character gets an e-tra L. )odifier to the die roll$ " character %ho has a talent for ;anguages and ultures is fluent in one language that is part of the sa)e language group as his or her native language, plus one language fro) any language group$

Special &raining: %pecial training covers any unusual, advanced instruction that the
character has received5 Academic Arcane Artistic and !edical "cade)ic: The character has been taught ho% to read and %rite, and kno%s so)e history and applied )athe)atics$ !e or she also has so)e fluency in dead languages$

'9 M9 K9

19

Ad'antage )eneral /ist:

Ad'antage
Academic &raining Arcane &raining Artistic &raining Authority ra'e !ompetiti'e !reati'e !ruel (aring (e'ious E6uestrian #riendly )ardener -ypnotic %ind *edical &raining Nimble +aragon o" rawn +aragon o" !harm +aragon o" !ra"t +aragon o" #itness +aragon o" $ntuition +aragon o" %nowledge +atient +rosperous Quick Salt Sensible Sharp Studious Submissi'e &enacious 7enerated 7ersatile 7isionary

&ype
Special &raining Special &raining Special &raining Social +ersonality Quirk +ersonality Quirk +ersonality Quirk +ersonality Quirk +ersonality Quirk +ersonality Quirk +ersonality Quirk +ersonality Quirk +ersonality Quirk +ersonality Quirk +ersonality Quirk Special &raining +hysical +aragon Status +aragon Status +aragon Status +aragon Status +aragon Status +aragon Status +ersonality Quirk Social +hysical +ersonality Quirk +ersonality Quirk +hysical +ersonality Quirk +ersonality Quirk +ersonality Quirk Social +ersonality Quirk +ersonality Quirk

(escription
#ormal education 0including literacy1 &raining in magical rituals and di'ination &raining in sculpture and metalworking O""icial rank in a power"ul organi2ation +hysical courage En3oys contests o" strength or skill $maginati'e and artistic +itiless4 bloodthirsty or sadistic Ad'enturous4 well5tra'eled4 thrill5seeking (uplicitous4 deceit"ul4 wicked #ond o" horses Outgoing4 social4 gregarious )reen thumb4 botanical expertise Attracti'e4 ha'ing personal magnetism. !haritable and bene'olent &rained in herbalism4 surgery and medicine Spry and "lexible Exceptional physical strength Exceptional charm Exceptional cra"tsmanship Exceptional agility and endurance Exceptionally wise Exceptionally well educated #ocused4 with a long attention span +ossessing great wealth -a'ing "ast re"lexes /o'es swimming and boating /e'el5headed -a'ing keen senses /ikes to read and attend school Ser'ile4 subordinate4 passi'e %eeps trying long a"ter others lose hope /o'ed and protected by many people Adaptable and multi5talented Occult4 mystic4 prophetic

20

Social $mpediments:
Every character )ust have one social i)pedi)ent:

Cherished "e#endent: The character is a %ife,

concubine, child or beloved slave$ The character4s )aster loves and protects hi) or her, but this love can be stifling$ #n general, the character isn4t allo%ed to take risks or travel Known Idiot: De% people take the character seriously$ The %ithout per)ission$ character )ay not actually be an idiot, but he or she has a reputation for being a lunatic or a fool$ "evoted: The character is fanatically loyal to a specific person, cause, nation, tribe, ideology or god$ #f the %overty: The character has no significant inco)e or character is devoted to one person and that person dies, the possessions$ #n so)e %ays, poverty is %orse than slavery, character %ill re)ain devoted to their )e)ory, beco)ing because the character is not under anyone4s protection$ obsessed %ith taking revenge, creating a )ausoleu) or )onu)ent, or taking on the deceased person4s favorite &es#onsibilities: The character has nu)erous and cause$ onerous duties and responsibilities$

untrust%orthy and considered barbarians, regardless of their degree of cultural or technological sophistication$

$nemies: The character has po%erful ene)ies$ $nslaved: The character is a slave, %ith no legal rights$
7rotagonists tend to be valuable slaves, en,oying the protection of a po%erful )aster, so they don4t have to %orry about being drafted into rando) construction pro,ects or raped and )urdered by any passing ruffian$ @n the other hand, they serve at the %hi) of a )aster %ho is free to %ork the) as he %ill or sell the) %henever he %ishes$

'agabond: The character is a drifter %ith no strong ties to

any co))unity, sub,ect to routine harass)ent fro) petty authority figures$

Wanted Criminal: The character is an outla%$ The

authorities of his ho)eland actively seek his capture and e-ecution$ The character )ay or )ay not be innocent of the original cri)e$ #t is possible that the character is innocent of the original cri)e but has co))itted capital offenses in the process of escaping or evading the authorities$

Foreigner: The character is a stranger in this strange land$

7eople of his or her ethnicity are thought of as

21

*oti'ations:
Each character should choose fro) one to three )otivations$ Motivations do not affect trait checks, but they help define %ho the character is and %hy he or she takes risks:
Affection: More than anything, the character needs love$ !e or she %ill not feel secure unless the person %ho loves hi) or her de)onstrates this love by %ord and deed on a regular basis$ #f this character is unfortunate in his or her pursuit of love and friendship, he or she )ay ,oin a religious or ideological cause in the hopes of filling the e)otional void$ Challenge: The character is a thrill seeker, or perhaps ,ust ridiculously co)petitive$ "ppropriate personality &uirks include Brave, o)petitive and >aring$ The character )ay regard the search for %ealth as a kind of a ga)e, but discovers that ac&uiring %ealth is )ore fun than )anaging it$ Com#assion: The character is )oved by the suffering of others$ !e or she is %illing to suffer hardship and danger in order to help strangers$ o)passionate characters often have the personality &uirk 6ind$ "ignity: The character is on constant guard against threats to his or her status and reputation$ The character )ay seek %ealth as a sy)bol of status$

*issions and Experience:

" character isn4t %orthy of the na)e protagonist unless he or she has interesting e-periences$ The ga)e )aster organizes those e-periences into specific )issions$ " )ission can be short and straightfor%ard 8go to the barracks and steal a donkey9 or long and co)plicated 8circu)navigate "frica9$ +hort )issions )ay last only an hour or so of ga)e ti)e to resolveG long )issions )ay take )ultiple ga)e sessions to co)plete$ 3hen the )ission is over, the ga)e )aster %ill evaluate each protagonist4s acco)plish)ents$ 7art of this evaluation %ill be based on the co)ple-ity of the )ission, ho% dangerous it %as, and %hether the party co)pleted it successfully$ The other part of the evaluation is specific to each player$ >id the player display initiative= >id he or she get into character and interact %ith the other characters in a consistent %ay= 3as the protagonist true to his or her )otivations= " protagonist %ho is )otivated by co)passion should go out of his or her %ay to help people in need$ The protagonist %ho is )otivated by order should al%ays try to uphold the la%$

3hen the evaluation is co)plete, the ga)e )aster )ay assign e-perience re%ards in the for) of edges$ (edonism: The character loves co)fort, pleasure and Edges allo% e-perienced protagonists to do entertain)ent$ The character )ay seek %ealth, but only as e-traordinary things$ +o)e )ake the protagonist a a )eans of ac&uiring lu-uries and avoiding disagreeable )ore effective fighter$ @thers enhance the effects of %ork$ !edonists often have the ;azy fla%$ successful task checks or give the protagonist a )rder: The character has a strong sense of right and %rong5 per)anent )agical ability$
appropriate and inappropriate behavior$ !e or she )ay be strongly nationalistic or fanatically religious$ *urvival: The character is obsessed %ith his or her o%n safety and security$ @ften he or she is driven to a)ass personal %ealth as a hedge against future catastrophes$

Minor edges help the protagonist under very specific circu)stances$ Ma,or edges give the protagonist an advantage that is either large or fre&uently useful$ The ga)e )aster %ill not al%ays give out an e-perience a%ard$ #f the protagonist4s acco)plish)ents %ere substantial, the protagonist should receive a )inor edge$ #f the acco)plish)ents %ere legendary, he or she should receive a )a,or edge$

Everyone is )otivated by all of these factors to so)e e-tent5 but listing all of the) for every character %ould defeat the purpose$ @nly list one, t%o or three of the character4s )otivations, in order of i)portance$

22

Example !haracter: Shamash is a born leader, aggressive, a bitious and de anding) but #riendly. /e0s a great bull o# a an who rose #ro poverty to prosperity through hard wor* and sheer #orce o# personality. $laws: %gnorant. (ha ash is bigoted and distrust#ul o# new ideas and #oreign things in general. ,raits: Muscular, ,all, ,ough, 1ecisive, Methodical. 2ttributes: Brawn: Muscular, ,all, ,ough. (ha ash is big and strong. Char : No bonus. (ha ash is a an o# action, not words. Cra#t: Methodical, Muscular. (ha ash isn!t especially good with his hands, but he!s a hard wor*er. $itness: No bonus. (ha ash is big and strong, but not as young as he used to be and he!s a bit out o# shape. %ntuition: 1ecisive. (ha ash is a good an to have on your side when things turn ugly. &nowledge: %gnorant, Methodical. (ha ash is not an educated or intellectually curious an. %n #act, he can be a bit single inded, but that so eti es wor*s in his #avor, as once he decides on a course o# action he!s not easily distracted. 'ill: 1ecisive, ,ough. (ha ash is con#ident and aggressive. 2dvantages: (ocial 2dvantage: 'ealthy. (ha ash owns a large #ar , livestoc* and any slaves. Personality 3uir*s: Co petitive, $riendly, (ensible, ,enacious ,alents: 'restle, Build, (upervise, 4alue, 5eadership (ocial % pedi ent: Responsibilities. (ha ash has a wi#e, a concubine, #ive children and a do-en servants, and he serves as a ta" assessor. /is oldest son is a bit o# a #ool, so he has no one he can trust to run his estate i# he should have to go on a long 6ourney. Motivations 7in order o# i portance8: 1ignity, (urvival, 9rder.

23

Tas. Chec.s
,oll 08d91 ? or less @59 A5== =85=B =?5=C =9 or more Success /e'el *odi"iers: #ailure &ri'ial ,outine -ard #ormidable -eroic #law: 5: 0;nless you ha'e the appropriate talent1 Appropriate +aragon: <= Each onus &rait: <= onus 6uirk>ad'antage: <8 &alent: <= and ignore any "laws.

rawn Task (ash (lock (urglary +orestry -ntimidate /abor %uperior 0each %wim 2igor Wrestle %pecial Training none none none none none none none none none none (onus (rave )uick *evious ,ardener .ruel %ensible 1imble %alt Tenacious .ompetitive

Bash: +triking opponents %ith a %eapon such as an a-, club or )ace, by use of brute force$ Block: >efeating an ene)y attack by interposing a %eapon or a shield$ Burglary: Breaching %alls, doors and %indo%s &uickly and &uietly$ Breaking into a house, knocking do%n a door$ Dorestry: !arvesting %ood and transporting logs safely$ #nti)idate: Drightening people %ithout e-plicitly threatening the)$ ;abor: 3orking safely and productively as a porter or unskilled labor on an engineering pro,ect$ Moving heavy stones %ith ropes and pulleys, avoiding death or in,ury %hile %orking on a construction pro,ect$ +uperior Reach: !olding opponents at a distance by threatening the) %ith a %eapon that has great reach 8such as a spear9$ +%i): +%i))ing on and under the surface of the %ater, diving into %ater safely, rescuing a dro%ning person, e-ploring an under%ater cave$ Aigor: +urviving a serious in,ury or e-posure to a to-in$ 3restle: +triking, thro%ing or pinning an opponent in unar)ed co)bat$

24

!harm
Task Bargain Beg hat o))une orrupt urse >ance #nstruction 7a)per Revels +e3it +pecial Training none none none none none "rcane none none none none none none Bonus o)petitive +ub)issive Driendly Aisionary >evious ruel 2i)ble 7atient 6ind >aring !ypnotic reative

!ra"t
Task "lche)y Build arpentry hariot Builder onceal ook Dine "rt !andcrafts Metal %orking Mining +ail +urgery Traps +pecial Training "rcane none none "rtistic none none "rtistic none "rtistic none none Medical none Bonus +tudious >iligent Gardener E&uestrian >evious 7atient reative +ensible Aisionary Tenacious +alt +tudious +harp

Bargain: !aggling over )erchandise, negotiating a purchase$ Beg: Trading dignity for )ercyG seeking )ercy fro) a victorious ene)y by appealing to their vanity or co)passion$ hat: Gathering infor)ation by )eans of infor)al co))unication$ o))une: Entering a heirophanic state at %ill$ orrupt: #dentifying corrupt officials, bribing the right official, selecting an appropriate bribe, convincing servants to betray their )asters$ "lso, procrastinating or avoiding assigned %ork %ithout detection$ urse: #nflicting )agical curses on ene)ies$ >ance: #)pressing or entertaining a person or audience by dancing$ #nstruction: Teaching students$ 7a)per: 7ersonal care such as hairdressing and cos)etology$ "lso, giving pleasure to so)eone %ho en,oys the attention passively$ This usually consists of bathing and )assage or non5penetrative se-$ Revels: Thro%ing a good party, finding the right sort of party, kno%ing %here to find the best %ine, clo%ns and dancing girls, crashing a party %ithout getting e,ected, getting other people to have fun$ +e-: +eduction$ "ttracting and pleasing se-ual partners$ 3it: #)pressing people %ith clever ,okes, insults and observations$

"lche)y: reating and identifying )agical concoctionsG also, )u))ification$ Build: Erecting per)anent structures out of brick or stone$ arpentry: onstructing boats, furniture and buildings out of %ood$ hariot Builder: Making, repairing and evaluating %heeled vehicles, especially chariots$ onceal: !iding ob,ects inside structures, boats, carts, etc$ ook: 7reparing tasty and nutritious )eals, baking bread, bre%ing beer, etc$ Dine "rt: +culpture, painting, carving, etc$ !andcrafts: Basket %eaving, pottery, etc$ Metal%orking: +)elting, casting and %orking bronze, silver, gold and lead$ Mining: >igging and shoring up tunnels$ +ail: re%ing and piloting large sail or oar5propelled %atercraft$ +urgery: 7erfor)ing invasive )edical procedures$ Traps: >etecting traps such as concealed pits, deadfalls, snares, etc$ >isar)ing )echanical traps safely$ "lso, building and setting traps$

25

#itness
Task "rchery Boating harioteer li)b >istance Running >odge Gy)nastics !ealth 7ose +ports +print +tealth Thrust +pecial Training none none none none none none none none none none none none none Bonus +harp +alt E&uestrian oordinated Tenacious 2i)ble >aring +ensible !ypnotic o)petitive <uick >evious Brave

Boating: @perating s)all, paddle5driven %atercraft such as canoes$ harioteer: @perating %heeled vehicles such as chariots$ li)b: Traversing vertical surfaces such as cliffs and %alls, %ith or %ithout e&uip)ent$ >istance Running: Traveling long distances on foot, &uickly$ >odge: "voiding hazards by )oving out of the %ay, especially in co)bat$ Gy)nastics: Tu)bling, ,uggling, balancing on a narro% bea), acrobatic ,u)ps and flips$ !ealth: Resistance to illness, disease and fatigue$ 7ose: "ttracting attention by having an ad)irable physi&ue, particularly %hile %earing little or no clothing$ "rchery: +hooting ga)e or attacking opponents in co)bat %ith thro%n %eapons, sling stones or arro%s$ +ports: 7laying physically co)petitive ga)es$ +print: Running short distances$ +tealth: Moving %ithout attracting un%anted attention$ Thrust: "ttacking an opponent %ith a %eapon such as a spear or dagger$

26

"lertnessN+earch: Dinding lost people and ob,ects, noticing a)bushes$ Balance: Moving over slippery or narro% surfaces %ithout falling$ hild Rearing: aring for infants and toddlers$ >rea)ing: Maintaining and )anipulating the drea) state, especially for the purpose of perfor)ing divinatory )agic$ Escape: Dreeing oneself fro) bonds )ade of rope, %ood or )etal$ Dar): Raising and harvesting crops, threshing, %inno%ing and storing grain, evaluating soil &uality$ Dirst +trike: +eizing the initiative in co)bat, and )aking the first attack$ Dish: *nderstanding the habits and habitats of fish, catching fish %ith nets, spears, traps and lines$

$ntuition
Task "lertnessN +earch Balance hild Rearing >rea)ing Escape Dar) Dirst +trike Dish !erd !orses !u)anity !unt #nterrogate 7arry +erve +pot Trick +treet +ense +urvive +pecial Training none none none none none none none none none none none none none none none none none none Bonus +harp oordinated 6ind Aisionary 2i)ble Gardener <uick +alt >iligent E&uestrian Driendly 7atient ruel Brave +ub)issive +ensible >evious Tenacious

!erd: >riving and caring for groups of do)esticated ani)als, keeping the) &uiet, )ini)izing losses to straying or predation$ "ssessing the econo)ic value of livestock$ !orses: are and feeding of horses and donkeys$ Training and evaluating the)$ !u)anity: *nderstanding and predicting hu)an behavior$ >eciding %hether a person can be trusted$ !unt: *nderstanding ani)al behavior$ 6no%ing %here and %hen to look for particular ani)als$ #ncludes tracking$ #nterrogate: E-tracting infor)ation fro) uncooperative people, %ith or %ithout the use of torture$ 7arry: >efending by striking the ene)y4s %eapon$ +erve: o)pleting do)estic chores efficiently$ +pot Trick: Recognizing ene)y tricks in co)bat in ti)e to )ini)ize their effects$ +treet +ense: Dinding one4s %ay around a large city, )oving through cities &uickly, avoiding dangerous areas, sneaking into or out of a city during a curfe%$ +urvive: Dinding %ater, shelter and food in a %ilderness environ)entG )oving through the %ilderness safely$

27

%nowledge
Task "strono)y >e)onology >ivination Engineer Ga)e !erbalis) ;anguages and ultures ;iterature and !istory Medicine 7olitics Aalue +pecial Training "cade)ic "rcane "rcane "cade)ic none Medical none "cade)ic Medical none none Bonus +harp ruel Aisionary reative o)petitive Gardener >aring +tudious 6ind >evious +ensible

"strono)y: "strology and celestial navigation$ >e)onology: +u))oning and negotiating %ith de)onsG understanding the political relationships bet%een de)ons$ >ivination: >rea) and prophecy interpretation$ Engineering: "rchitecture, design of irrigation syste)s, bridges, etc$ Ga)e: 7laying board ga)es co)petitively$ !erbalis): 6no%ledge of )edicinal herbs and %here and %hen they )ay be found$ ;anguages and ultures: Da)iliarity %ith foreign cultures and religions and the ability to speak foreign languages$ ;iterature and !istory: The ability to read and %rite heiroglyphic and cuneifor) te-ts$ "lso, kno%ledge of history$ Medicine: 2on5invasive )edical procedures, and the ability to diagnose and cure disease$ 7olitics: *nderstanding political relationshipsG appearing at court %ithout co))itting any fatal errors, gaining political influence$ Aalue: "ssessing the econo)ic %orth of inani)ate goods such as precious stones or ,e%elry$

Will Task "d)inistration #nspiration ;a% ;eadership Meditation Music 7ersuade Resist Ritual +upervise Trick Aalor 3ar

+pecial Training none none "cade)ic none none none none none "rcane none none none none

Bonus >iligent !ypnotic +tudious o)petitive 7atient reative Driendly Tenacious Aisionary +ensible >evious Brave ruel

"d)inistration: Managing a large estate$ Meeting the logistical re&uire)ents of a large pro,ect or e-pedition$ >iscovering %aste or pilferage$ #nspiration: #nciting a large group of people to action$ #)pressing cro%ds %ith the force of one4s personality$ ;a%: *nderstanding legal precedent and arguing civil or cri)inal cases$ ;eadership: Motivating an organized body of )en, such as an ar)y regi)ent or barge cre%$ Meditation: Entering a trance state %ithout the use of drugs or )agical co)pulsion$ Music: +inging, playing a )usical instru)ent and creating ne% co)positions$ 7ersuade: Getting an individual to confor) to a desired opinion or course of action, through appeals to reason, e)otion or self5interest$ Resist: Mental protection against hostile )agic$ Ritual: 7erfor)ing cere)onies and )agical rites$ +upervise: Managing a %ork party$ >ealing %ith insubordination$ "ssessing the value of a slave$ Trick: *nderhanded tactics in personal co)bat$ Aalor: @verco)ing panic and confusion in dangerous circu)stances such as co)bat$ 3ar: Military strategy and tactics$

28

Basic Combat
&utorial 5 &he duel.
@ne co)bat round is t%enty seconds long$ >uring this $n3ury ti)e each fighter gets one opportunity to har) his No $n3ury opponent$ Super"icial $n3ury Dights are resolved through the use of task checks$ Serious $n3ury #n the basic rules, all fights are resolved as duels5 each )ra'e $n3ury side consists of a single co)batant$ #atal $n3ury The basic rules only cover the use of close co)bat AttackerDs !hoice 8)elee9 %eapons, such as spears and clubs$ Ranged 8)issile9 %eapons such as bo%s and arro%s are covered (e"ense: in the advanced rules$ *nless the defender is i))obilized or surprised he #irst Strike: )ay atte)pt to reduce the in,ury that the attacker Both fighters )ake a Dirst +trike 8intuitionN&uick9 task inflicts by )aking a defense task check$ 7ossible check$ The fighter %ho rolls the highest success level defenses include >odge, 7arry and Block$ attacks first$ "fter the results of this attack are resolved, the other fighter )ay reply5 if he is still able (e"ense *atrix to fight$ (i""iculty $n3ury #f the results of the Dirst +trike check are e&ual, both ,eduction fighters attack at the sa)e ti)e$

Attack *atrix Success le'el #ailure &ri'ial ,outine -ard #ormidable -eroic

Attack:

The attacking fighter )akes a Bash, Thrust or 3restle task check, depending on the sort of %eapon he4s using$ The level of success deter)ines the specific in,ury he inflicts:

#ailure &ri'ial ,outine -ard #ormidable -eroic

None One step One step &wo steps &wo steps No in3ury

Example:
6isu the shepherd is defending his flock fro) Marsippar, the notorious thief5of5goats$ Both )en are ar)ed %ith clubs$

#irst Strike:The result of Marsippar4s first strike check is routine$ The result of 6isu4s is Dor)idable$
6isu %ins first strike$ &he attack: lubs are bashing %eapons$ 6isu )akes a bashing task check to deter)ine the success of his attack$ The result of 6isu4s task check is hard$ &he de"ense:Marsippar chooses to dodge$ The result of Marsippar4s dodge check is routine$ hecking the defense )atri-, %e see that a routine success against a bash results in a t%o5step reduction in the attack4s effectiveness$ 6isu4s hard bash result is reduced to trivial$ &he in3ury: hecking the attack success level chart, %e see that a trivial success inflicts a superficial %ound$ Marsippar is effectively unhurt$ &he reply:2o% it4s Marsippar4s turn to attack$ !is bash task success level is hard$ 6isu tries to dodge this attack$ The dodge task check results in co)plete failure$ Marsippar4s success level 8hard9 is not reduced at all$ " hard result on the attack )atri- results in a grave in,ury$ This is a debilitating %ound$ #f 6isu continues fighting, he %ill be at a considerable disadvantage$

29

&d+anced Combat
Order o" play: =1 (etermine Encounter ,ange 81 !heck "or Surprise 0Alertness and Stealth1 :1 Establish *orale 07alor1 B1 Establish Attack order 0#irst Strike1 ?1 ,esol'e Attacks and tricks

,ange:
3hen opposing groups encounter each other, the distance bet%een the) is the range:
range )elee short )ediu) long visual description 3ithin three )eters$ lose enough for ene)ies to attack each other %ith )elee %eapons such as knives and spears$ More than three )eters but less than ten )eters$ Thro%n %eapons, arro%s and sling stones are all deadly at this range$ More than ten )eters but less than thirty )eters$ "t this distance, thro%n %eapons usually )iss$ "rro%s and sling stones are still deadly at this range$ More than thirty )eters but less than five hundred )eters$ "rro%s and sling stones can still in,ure at this distance, but rarely kill$ More than five hundred )eters$ 2o attacks per)itted$

The range at %hich co)bat occurs )ay change as events unfold$ +o)e co)batants )ay %ish to close in order to attack )ore effectivelyG others )ay atte)pt to open the range or flee$

30

Encounter ,ange:
The encounter range is partly dependent on cover and visibility, and partly deter)ined by a 'd? roll$

'd? roll

' M50 I5? J5.( ..5.' .M5.K .05.I

over and visibility !eavy over 7oor visibility Mi-ed cover )elee )elee )elee )elee )elee short short short short )ediu) )ediu) long long visual

7oor visibility Mini)al cover )elee short short )ediu) long visual visual

Good visibility Mi-ed cover short short )ediu) long visual visual visual

Good visibility Mini)al cover short )ediu) long visual visual visual visual

Surprise
>uring the first round of co)bat, any co)batant on either side could be surprised$ +urprised co)batants cannot attack, and have a li)ited ability to defend the)selves$ The follo%ing surprise rules refer to groups of co)batants, but either group )ay contain ,ust one co)batant$ +o)eti)es an individual4s circu)stances preclude hi) or her being surprised$ #f the t%o follo%ing conditions are )et, the character can4t be surprised: .9 The character approaches the potential conflict in a state of %ariness and '9 The character already kno%s %here all of his potential opponents are$ #f the character is una%are of the %hereabouts of even one potential opponent, he can be surprised$ 7rocedure: .9 Every character on either side %ho is engaged in loud behavior is called a decoy$ Every person on either side auto)atically kno%s %here the decoys are and cannot be surprised by the)$ '9 Every character on either side 8e-cept for decoys9 )akes a +tealth 8fitnessNdevious9 check$$ M9 Every character %ho is capable of being surprised )ust )ake an "lertness 8intuitionNsharp9 check$ The difficulty of the "lertness check is e&ual to the result of the lowest +tealth check )ade by any opponent$ #ncrease the difficulty of the "lertness check by one 8)a-i)u) !eroic difficulty9 if none of the ene)y fighters is capable of being surprised$ K9 >ecoys )ay )ake "lertness checks to avoid surprise, but the difficulty is increased by one level 8)a-i)u) !eroic difficulty9$ 09 "ny "lertness check that results in a failure indicates that the character is surprised$ " )ini)u) result of Trivial is re&uired to avoid surprise, even if one of the opponents failed their +tealth check$ Effects of surprise: +urprised characters )ay not ready a %eapon or attack$ #f a surprised person is attacked, he or she )ust )ake an "lertness 8intuitionNsharp9 check 8difficulty !ard9 in order to )ake any defensive )ove$ The effects of surprise last for a single round$ "fter that, any characters %ho %ere surprised )ay attack and defend %ithout restriction$ 31

*orale
$nspiration be"ore combat: *p to t%o individuals )ay atte)pt to inspire a group of fighters by giving short speeches$ 3hen the speech is concluded, the speaker )akes an #nspiration 8%illNhypnotic9 task check %ith the follo%ing difficulty:
SpeakerDs relationship to the group &rusted leader &rusted comrade 0Well liked4 but not in charge1 ;ntried or weak leader Who is this guy. 0Anonymous speaker1 di""iculty ,outine -ard #ormidable -eroic

#f the atte)pt at inspiration fails, there is no effect$ #f it succeeds, )e)bers of the group have an advantage %hen checking for starting )orale$ +uccessful inspiration doesn4t last long$ #f co)bat doesn4t occur %ithin t%o hours of the successful inspiration, the effects are lost$

Emotional States:
#n co)bat, the ideal e)otional state is steadfast$ "ll other e)otional states are dysfunctional, and interfere to a greater or lesser degree %ith co)bat efficiency$ 3motional %tate -ncapacitating +ear Panic .ower Angry .ocky %teadfast (ash 1ot permitted Permitted 1ot allowed Permitted Permitted Permitted Thrust 1ot allowed 1ot allowed 1ot allowed Permitted Permitted Permitted *efend 1ot allowed 1ot allowed Permitted 1ot allowed Permitted Permitted *esperate 4easures 5ther task checks 1ot allowed Permitted Permitted 1ot allowed 1ot allowed Permitted 1ot allowed Permitted Permitted Permitted Permitted Permitted

$ncapacitating #ear: This person )ay choose to freeze, run or beg for )ercy$ 2o attacks or effective defenses are
per)itted$ This person cannot perfor) any useful tasks until he or she recovers fro) this e)otional state$ +anic:This person is so over%hel)ed by fear that he or she has difficulty )aking even si)ple decisions$ !ower: This person is currently obsessed %ith self5preservation$ !e or she can defend effectively, but is ti)id and overly cautious %hen )aking attacks$ Angry: Dear is )aking this person behave in a recklessly aggressive fashion, leaving hi) or her vulnerable to counter5 attacks$

!ocky:This person is able to )anage his or her fear through overconfidence or false bravado$ This reaction is less
dysfunctional than anger or panic, but )ay cause potentially fatal errors$ Stead"ast: al) and rational, e&ually able to attack or defend and able to )ake rational decisions regardless of danger$

32

$nitial Emotional State:

7alor check #ailure &ri'ial ,outine -ard #ormidable -eroic Easy +anic !ower Angry !ocky Stead"ast Stead"ast (i""icult $ncapacitating #ear +anic !ower Angry !ocky Stead"ast

*orale !heck (i""iculty:

circu)stance 3ounded "lly incapacitated or killed #ndifferent leader incapacitated or killed 7opular leader incapacitated or killed +upernatural fear aura +pooky )agical display Aalor difficulty By %ound type routine hard for)idable Aaries by type hard

Every co)batant )ust )ake a Aalor 8%illNbrave9 check for initial e)otional state$ The check is easy if the group has been inspired or has good reason to believe the chance of serious physical in,ury is lo%$ @ther%ise, the check is difficult$

#ailed *orale !heck:

7revious e)otional state steadfast cocky angry co%er 2e% e)otional state co%er angry panicked panicked #ncapacitated by fear 2o change

*orale !hecks

haracters )ust )ake )orale checks %henever panicked circu)stances turn against the) in co)bat$ #ncapacitated by fear Morale checks are Aalor 8%illNbrave9 task checks$ #f the task check fails, the character4s e)otional state deteriorates$

,allying:

"t the end of each round, any character )ay atte)pt to i)prove his or her e)otional state by )aking a valor task check$ " person %ho is already steadfast )ay try to rally one other individual by )aking a persuade task check, or rally a group of people by )aking an inspire task check$ @nly one person is per)itted to atte)pt to rally the group on any given turn$ #n the event of a group rally, deter)ine the effects on each individual4s e)otional state %ith a separate inspire check$ urrent state #ncapacitating Dear 7anic o%er "ngry ocky +elf5rally 8valor9 !ard !ard !ard !ard !ard #ndividual Rally 8persuade9 Group Rally 8inspire9 2e% state if rally succeeds Dor)idable Dor)idable !ard !ard !ard !eroic !eroic !ard !eroic !eroic o%er "ngry +teadfast ocky +teadfast

33

Attack Order:

"t the beginning of each co)bat round, every co)batant )akes a Dirst strike 8intuitionN&uick9 task check$ The basic attack order is deter)ined by the result of this check: everyone %ho succeeded at a heroic degree of success goes before everyone %ho succeeded at a for)idable level of success and so forth$ 3ithin a degree of success category, characters go in order of %eapon speed as listed on the %eapon charts$ Dast %eapons attack before average %eapons and average %eapons attack before slo% %eapons$ "ll ranged %eapons are considered slo% %eapons$ #f both the degree of success and %eapon speed are the sa)e, attacks are considered si)ultaneous$ @nce attack order has been established, it is )aintained fro) round to round for the duration of the co)bat$ #f a co)batant s%itches %eapons, the order is changed to reflect the ne% %eapon speed$

Bashing %eapons strike flesh %ith a rotary or s%inging )otion$ The club is the grandfather of all bashing %eapons$ " )ace is si)ply a club %ith a heavy stone or )etal headG an a- is a club that has been enhanced by adding a chopping blade$ Bashing %eapons depend )ore on strength, )ass and brute force than finesse$ The first thrusting %eapon %as a dagger5 either a sharpened stick or a blade of stone$ +pears are a further refine)ent of the principle, allo%ing a co)batant to thrust at his opponent fro) a safer distance$ " thrust can be e-ecuted in less ti)e than a bash, and )ini)izes the fighter4s e-posure to counter5attack$ Thrusting %eapons rely )ore on finesse than brute force$

ashing and &hrusting:

34

*elee Attacks:
Wrestle ,each #ist %ick ash ,each Short Stick Short Whip !lub &orch War !lub /ong Stick *ace Epsilon Ax -yksos Ax Sickle Sword &hrust ,each %ni"e ig %ni"e (agger Short Sword -al" Spear Spear4 = hand Spear4 8 hand E E E E 8 8 : Speed "ast "ast "ast "ast "ast a'e a'e Attack &ype &hrust &hrust &hrust ash &hrust &hrust &hrust &hrust (amage &ype /aceration !hopping +enetrating !hopping +enetrating +enetrating +enetrating +enetrating +arry no no no yes no no yes lock no poor poor poor no no yes &wo -ands Secondary Special Secondary E E E = E = E = = = Speed "ast a'e a'e slow slow a'e a'e slow slow slow Attack &ype ash ash ash ash ash ash or thrust ash ash ash ash (amage &ype rawling /aceration lunt &rauma urns !hopping rawling lunt trauma /aceration !hopping !hopping +arry yes no no no yes yes no no no yes lock poor no poor poor yes yes poor yes yes yes )aping wounds )aping wounds )aping wounds &wo -ands Secondary Secondary Special Secondary E E Speed "ast "ast Attack &ype Wrestle Wrestle (amage &ype rawling rawling +arry no no lock no no Special

/aceration: ;ight edged %eapons 8%hips and knives9 cause lacerations$ ;acerations are usually shallo% in,uries$ !hopping: !eavy edged %eapons 8such as a-es9 inflict chopping %ounds$ hopping in,uries are particularly grueso)e$ They cause )a,or blood loss and broken bones and are capable of a)putating entire li)bs$ lunt &rauma' !eavy blunt %eapons 8such as clubs and )aces9 inflict blunt trau)a$ Blunt trau)a breaks bones and can cause death by interfering %ith heart, lung or brain function$ +enetration' 7enetrating %eapons 8arro%s, daggers, spears9 tend to cause less %idespread destruction than chopping %eapons, but these s)all, deep %ounds are potentially the )ost dangerous and difficult to treat$ rawling: !ands, feet and sticks inflict bra%ling in,uries, %hich are rarely lethal$ )aping Wounds:This %eapon is capable of inflicting gaping %ounds, %hich cause )assive trau)a and blood loss$ Secondary Weapons:+econdary %eapons can be carried in the non5do)inant hand$ The fighter )ay attack %ith the secondary %eapon instead of the )ain %eapon, but the fighter )ay not attack %ith both %eapons in the sa)e round$

35

(odge (e"ense *atrix:

+uccess >odge vs$ Thro%n 3eapon E . step ' steps M steps K steps total >odge vs$ "rro% E E . step . step ' steps total >odge vs$ Bash E . step ' steps M steps K steps total >odge vs$ Thrust E E . step . step ' steps total

(e"ense &ypes:
" character )ay not defend if he or she is unconscious, panicked , angry or incapacitated %ith fear$

Dailure Trivial Routine !ard Dor)idable !eroic

(odge:The )ost basic for) of defense is the

dodge$ " co)batant )ay atte)pt to dodge any sort of physical attack$ The disadvantage of the dodge is that it tends not to be as effective as a block or parry$

+arry: #n order to parry an attack, the

co)batant )ust be using a %eapon that per)its parries, such as a s%ord or staff$ 7arries are only effective against thrust attacks$

Reduce the attacker4s success level by the indicated nu)ber of steps$ !eroic success results in the attack4s co)plete negation$

Weapon

lock: +o)e %eapons can be

+arry and
+uccess

lock (e"ense *atrix:

7arry vs$ Thrust E . step . step ' steps total total 3eapon Block vs$ Bash E . step . step ' steps total total 7oor 3eapon Block vs$ Bash E E . step . step ' steps total +hield Block vs$ "ny E . step ' steps M steps total total

used to block ene)y attacks$ 3eapon blocks are only effective against bash attacks$

+oor Weapon

lock: ertain %eapons

Dailure Trivial Routine !ard Dor)idable !eroic

are less effective at blocking ene)y attacks because they are too cu)berso)e, light or short$ 7oor %eapon blocks use a different table, but are other%ise identical to ordinary %eapon blocks$

Shield blocks: +hield blocks are as versatile

as dodges, but they tend to be )ore effective$ " co)batant %ho has a shield can use it to defend against any attack$

Superior ,each: The defender )ust have Superior ,each (e"ense *atrix:
+uccess >ifference bet%een defender4s %eapon reach and attacker4s %eapon reach @ne T%o Three Dour or any vs$ unar)ed E . step ' steps M steps total total a longer %eapon than the attacker to defend against attacks in this %ay$ The effectiveness of superior reach depends on the difference in reach bet%een the t%o %eapons$ +uperior reach cannot be used to defend against )issile attacks, but it is especially effective against unar)ed attacks$ Treat any %eapon %ith reach as having a %eapon reach of K %hen used against unar)ed attacks$ Tall characters: Tall characters add one to the reach of any %eapon that already has a reach of one or )ore$ 3eapons that have a reach of zero don4t &ualify for this bonus$

failure trivial routine hard heroic

E E E . step total

E E . step . step ' steps total

E . step . step ' steps M steps total

for)idable ' steps

36

Attack *atrix Success le'el #ailure &ri'ial ,outine -ard #ormidable -eroic !lose Sha'es:
E-perienced protagonists can so)eti)es avoid in,ury even if their atte)pt to defend %as unsuccessful$ This last ditch effort to avoid in,ury is called a close shave$ @nly protagonists have close shaves$ @rdinary ga)e )aster controlled characters and creatures do not &ualify for the)$ The %ay protagonists &ualify for close shaves is through co)bat edges$ The protagonist )ust be in a steadfast or co%er e)otional state$ #f the protagonist is angry, cocky, panicking or incapacitated by fear, he or she is in the %rong fra)e of )ind to take advantage of this fleeting opportunity$ Dinal #n,ury +everity +uperficial +erious Grave Datal >ifficulty Trivial Routine !ard Dor)idable

$n3ury No $n3ury Super"icial $n3ury Serious $n3ury )ra'e $n3ury #atal $n3ury AttackerDs !hoice

#f the close shave check is a success, the protagonist suffers no in,ury at all$ #f it fails, the protagonist suffers the full in,ury$ The specific task that the protagonist )ust check depends on the edge used and the circu)stances:

Edge creeper drill)aster feet frog ge)ini )onkey rat scorpion shark venator %heels

Re&uired conditions @nly useful against traps$ The drill)aster is leading a group he or she has drilled$ *nencu)bered and able to )ove freely$ Dighting in the rain or in a s%a)p$ Dighting alongside his or her partner$ Dighting in a forest or ,ungle$ Dighting indoors or on a street$ Dighting in a desert or on bare rock$ The protagonist and the attacker )ust both be s%i))ing$ @nly useful against 8non5hu)an9 ani)als$ >riving or riding in a chariot$

Task checked Traps 8craftNsharp9 >rill)aster4s 3ar 8%illNcruel9 >ance 8char)Nni)ble9 Balance 8intuitionNcoordinated9 +ports 8fitnessNco)petitive9 +tealth 8fitnessNdevious9 +treet +ense 8intuitionNdevious9 +urvive 8intuitionNtenacious9 +%i) 8bra%nNsalt9 !unt 8intuitionNpatient9 harioteer 8fitnessNe&uestrian9
one reason$ #n such cases, resolve close shaves by %hatever task check has the best chance of success$ The creeper edge does not give close shaves against living opponents$ Rather, it allo%s the protagonist to avoid being in,ured by a trap even after the trap is sprung$ The protagonist4s co)panions )ay still be in,ured by the trap, ho%ever$

#n )ost cases, the protagonist atte)pts the task check in order to avoid in,ury, but in the case of drill)aster it is the drill)aster %ho atte)pts the task check$ @nly one close shave )ay be atte)pted per potential in,ury, even if the protagonist is eligible for a close shave for )ore than

37

$n3ury

/e'els:

Super"icial: Minor scrapes, bruises and cuts$ These rarely interfere %ith a co)batant4s ability to fight$ #f left
untreated )inor scrapes and cuts could beco)e infected, but these in,uries usually heal on their o%n and do not re&uire professional )edical attention$ Serious:These in,uries are severe enough to distract a co)batant or interfere %ith his ability to fight$ )ra'e:>a)age to a )a,or organ$ Grave in,uries cause rapid or i))ediate incapacitation, and )ay result in death$ #atal: " fatal %ound either causes instant death or instant incapacitation %ith a great possibility of death$

rawling: Result +uperficial +erious Grave Datal #n,ury ;ight Bruise +tunned Broken Bones Head Injury

+enetration 0horn1: Result +uperficial +erious Grave Datal urns: Result +uperficial +erious Grave Datal #n,ury +inged Toasted harred >eath #n,ury Bleeding #nternal Bleeding Head Injury >eath

lunt &rauma 0crush1: Result +uperficial +erious Grave Datal #n,ury ;ight Bruise Broken Bones Head Injury >eath

/aceration 0claw or bite1: Result +uperficial +erious Grave Datal !hopping: Result +uperficial +erious Grave Datal #n,ury Bleeding Amputation Head Injury >eath #n,ury +cratch Bleeding Head Injury >eath

Results in italics indicate that a further roll is required in order to determine the specific effects of the injury:

Amputation:
'd? '5? ")putation Bleeding and lose .d?N' fingers

J5.( >ebilitating in,ury and lose hand ..5.M >ebilitating in,ury and lose lo%er ar) .K .0 .I >ebilitating in,ury and lose foot >ebilitating in,ury and lose ar) >ebilitating in,ury and lose leg

38

roken 'd? '50 I /5? J5.' .M .K .05.I

ones: Effect Dingers broken on one hand 8stunned9 3rist or hand is broken 8stunned9 Broken lo%er ar) 8debilitating in,ury9 Broken ribs 8debilitating in,ury9 Broken upper ar) 8debilitating in,ury9 Broken leg 8debilitating in,ury9 Broken nose 8stunned and bleeding9

Armor:
De% %arriors %ear ar)or of any sort$ 3hen %arriors do %ear ar)or, it is usually )ade of light )aterials that provide so)e protection against arro%s and knives but do nothing to reduce the in,uries that are inflicted by clubs or heavy blades$ There are several reasons that ar)or plays such a s)all role$ The )ost i)portant factor is cli)ate, particularly in 6e)et, #ndia and Mesopota)ia$ "nyone %ho insisted on fighting in ar)or on the banks of the lo%er Euphrates or in the ,ungles of #ndia %ould soon collapse fro) heat e-haustion$ "lso, the ar)or that is available is so crude and cu)berso)e that the protection it offers isn4t usually %orth the loss of )obility$ Dinally, )etal is so e-pensive that only the very %ealthy can afford )etallic ar)or$ @ne circu)stance %here ar)or does )ake an appearance is in chariot %arfare$ 6ings and great lords can afford to %ear coats of bronze scales, and the reduced )obility is a less i)portant factor %hen one is firing arro%s fro) a chariot$ !el)ets are relatively ine-pensive, and provide so)e protection against head in,uries$

-ead $n3ury: LM if the in,ured person is not %earing a hel)et$ L. if the %eapon inflicts gaping %ounds 'd? Effect '5K 2o in,ury 05I 2eck 8debilitating in,ury9 / Torn ear 8+tunned and cos)etic da)age9 ?5J heek 8+tunned and cos)etic da)age9 .( Broken ,a% 8debilitating in,ury9 ..5.' Broken nose 8stunned and bleeding9 .M ;ose one eye 8debilitating in,ury9 .KL o)a !oma:
L. if the in,ured person is not %earing a hel)et$ L. if the %eapon inflicts gaping %ounds 'd? Effect '5/ *nconscious . )inute 8M rounds9 ? onfused for .dI rounds J5.' *nconscious .dI )inutes, confused for . round .M *nconscious MdI )inutes, onfused . hour .K *nconscious MdI hours, onfused . hour .0 *nconscious .dI )inutes, dead in .dI hours .I *nconscious 'dI )inutes follo%ed by death

-ea'y Skins:

!eavy skins protect the %earer fro) all superficial in,uries$ 3henever a person %ho is %earing heavy skins suffers a serious laceration in,ury, treat it as a superficial in,ury instead$ " person %ho is %earing heavy skins loses any task bonus he or she %ould ordinarily receive for being ni)ble or &uick$ !eavy skins are )ost i)practical in hot %eather$

Scale Armor:
+cale ar)or protects the %earer fro) all superficial in,uries and fro) serious lacerations$ +cale ar)or provides co)plete protection against serious %ounds that are inflicted by arro%s, darts, daggers and knives$ +cale ar)or is hot and cu)berso)e$ #t is i)possible to run or s%i) in it$ haracters in scale ar)or lose any task bonuses they %ould ordinarily receive for being graceful, ni)ble or &uick$

-elmet:

!el)ets provide a substantial reduction in the severity of head in,uries$

39

!ombat e""ects o" 'arious in3uries:

*orale !heck 0'alor1 /ight Scratch Stunned leeding leeding 0gaping wound1 $nternal leeding (ebilitating $n3ury ruise tri'ial routine hard hard "ormidable hard "ormidable (istracted 0'igor1 tri'ial tri'ial "ormidable routine hard hard heroic heroic routine "ormidable heroic As per indi'idual wound /oss o" consciousness 0'igor1 no no no tri'ial routine routine routine hard no tri'ial hard "ormidable

(ebilitating $n3ury 0gaping heroic wound1 Singed &oasted !harred *ultiple serious wounds routine "ormidable heroic As per indi'idual wound

*orale check' The in,ured character )ust )ake a Aalor 8%illNbrave9 check at the indicated difficulty or suffer a loss of )orale$ (istracted' heck for distraction once, i))ediately upon in,ury$ The in,ured character )ust atte)pt a vigor task check$ #f the check
succeeds, there is no effect$ #f it fails, the character is )o)entarily distracted by the in,ury$ This distraction allo%s the person %ho inflicted the in,ury to attack again$ This free attack takes place i))ediately$ The attacker can only attack %ith a %eapon that he has ready5 he can4t close the range, dra% a ne% %eapon or prepare a ne% arro% or sling stone before )aking the attack$ The distracted person is not allo%ed to defend against the attack$ /oss o" consciousness' ;oss of consciousness )ust be checked i))ediately upon receiving the in,ury, and at the end of every

subse&uent round until the %ound is successfully treated$ #f the character loses consciousness, roll on the co)a table to deter)ine the effects$ #n addition, the character cannot regain consciousness until his condition is stabilized$ !on"used' !ead in,uries can so)eti)es cause confusion$ The confused character )ay speak, cra%l or %alk, but he can4t run, cli)b, s%i), attack or defend against attacks$ #f he atte)pts any task check, the results of the check are reduced by t%o levels$ *ultiple serious wounds' #f the character receives )ore than one %ound that is capable of causing loss of consciousness,

increase the vigor check difficulty to for)idable$ ontinue to check for unconsciousness for each %ound as it is received, but only check at the end of each round once 8at a difficulty level of for)idable9 regardless of ho% )any %ounds are suffered$

#alling $n3ury:
Dor every )eter fallen, the in,ured person suffers one in,ury as deter)ined by a roll on this table: 'd? '5.. .'5.K .0L #n,ury Broken Bone !ead #n,ury >eath

,ymnastics check failure trivial routine hard formidable heroic

*istance reduction' 1one 5ne meter Two meters +our meters 3ight meters %i&teen meters

This assu)es that the ground is hard 8brick or rock9$ +ubtract one fro) the nu)ber of in,uries if it is soft$ The falling person can reduce the effective distance fallen by )aking a successful Gy)nastics 8fitnessNdaring9 check$

40

*issile Weapons:
&ask !heck &hrown ,ock &hrowing Stick (art Fa'elin &hrown Spear Sling Stone Sling ullet /ong ,ange Sling Stone /ong ,ange Sling ullet ow !omposite ow Sports Sports Sports Sports Sports Sports Sports Sports Sports Archery Archery (amage &ype rawling rawling +enetration +enetration +enetration rawling lunt &rauma rawling lunt &rauma +enetration +enetration *edium ,ange +enalty 5@ 5? 5B 5: 5B 5B 5: 5: 58 5: 58 /ong ,ange +enalty No attack No attack No attack No attack No attack No attack No attack 5C 5@ 5C 5?

*issile Weapons: &hrowing Stick:" short, aerodyna)ic stick used to hunt s)all ga)e. (art' " short ,avelin fitted %ith a stone or lead %eight$ 6a'elin:" s)all spear designed for thro%ing$ Sling' +lings are cheap, easily constructed cords of leather or plant fiber, used to cast stones or lead bullets$ They co)e in
t%o different lengths: short cords for short range attacks and longer cords for attacking at ranges up to M(( )eters$ +ling stones are essentially freeG lead bullets are e-pensive but they are )uch )ore effective at longer ranges$

ow: " si)ple and relatively cheap bo% )ade of a %ooden staff under tension$ !omposite bow:"n e-tre)ely e-pensive and co)ple- version of the standard bo%, )ade of la)inated strips of
%ood, horn and sine%$

*issile Attacks:
Missile attacks are resolved as )elee attacks are$ >eter)ine the in,ury inflicted %ith an "rchery 8fitnessNsharp9 task check %hen firing a bo% or a +ports 8fitnessNco)petitive9 task check %hen attacking %ith a thro%n %eapon or sling$ The only defenses against )issile %eapons are dodge and shield block$ Missile 3eapons are deadly at short range, but lethality drops off rapidly %ith distance$ "t )ediu) and long range, )issile %eapons are sub,ect to task check penalties, as indicated on the table$

#iring into melee combat:

o)batants ar)ed %ith )issile %eapons )ay re)ain at short range %hile their allies close to )elee range$ #f they choose to fire into )elee, they )ust )ake a shootNthro% roll 8difficulty: routine9 to avoid hitting an ally$ #f this roll fails, the nearest ally to the target suffers a rando) in,ury 8roll for a rando) ally if it isn4t clear %hich is the closest9$ Rando) da)age is deter)ined by a 'dI roll$ '5/: superficial, ?5.(: serious, ..: Grave, .': Datal$

41

&ricks:
"ny character %ho is steadfast )ay atte)pt a trick instead of )aking an attack$ Tricks are sneaky, underhanded co)bat )oves such as thro%ing sand in an opponent4s face or goading one4s attacker to lose his or her balance$ The task check is trick$ The difficulty is based on the opponent4s e)otional state$ #t isn4t possible to trick a person %ho is incapacitated %ith fear$ #f the trick is successful, the tricked person )ust )ake a +pot Trick task check 8degree of success9 in order to deter)ine the specific effects of the trick$

&rick (i""iculty
@pponent4s E)otional state 7anic o%er "ngry ocky +teadfast >ifficulty 8trick9 Routine Dor)idable !ard Routine Dor)idable

Spot &rick 's. the e""ects o" the trick:

+pot trick success 2one Trivial Routine !ard Dor)idable !eroic Effect of trick The tricked character trips and falls prone$ The tricked person stu)bles into an obstacle and suffers the e&uivalent of a serious bra%ling in,ury 8stunned9$ The ene)y %ho tricked this character gets a free attack against hi) or her$ 2o defense is per)itted$ The tricked character loses his or her ne-t action$ !is or her opponent )ay use this opportunity to disengage and retreat safely$ The ene)y %ho tricked this character gets a free attack against hi) or her$ "ny usual defense is per)itted$ The trick is entirely foiled$

#alling +rone: #f a character falls prone or is tripped by a successful trick: The character )ay not attack again until he stands up$ *ntil he stands up, any defense he atte)pts is reduced in effectiveness by one success level 8superior reach cannot be atte)pted at all9$ The character stands up by )aking a Gy)nastics 8fitnessNdaring9 check$ #f the result is at least trivial the character stands up, but loses his or her opportunity to attack$ #f the result is at least for)idable the character )ay stand and attack at the sa)e ti)e$ $ntimidation in !ombat: "ny character %ho is angry, cocky or steadfast )ay atte)pt to inti)idate his opponent instead of )aking an attack$ The inti)idating character )akes an opposed inti)idate 8bra%nNcruel9 task check against his or her ene)y4s valor 8%illNbrave9 task check$ #f the value of the inti)idate check is higher than the valor check, the ene)y4s )orale is reduced as if he or she failed a )orale check$

42

"eco+ery

*ortality:
#n,ury Bleeding Bleeding 8gaping %ound9 #nternal Bleeding >ebilitating #n,ury ")putation +urgery check hard for)idable heroic for)idable heroic +urgery ti)e 0 )inutes .( )inutes '( )inutes '( )inutes '0 )inutes *ntreated Datality hard for)idable for)idable for)idable heroic

D
;ong ter) effects of in,uries:

"fter the co)bat is over, any character %ho has suffered fro) bleeding, internal bleeding or a debilitating in,ury )ay die of his or her in,uries$ heck for each in,ury separately$ "ny person %ith )edical training or a talent for surgery can )ake a +urgery 8craftNstudious9 check to save the in,ured person4s life, but the surgery )ust be perfor)ed %ithin thirty )inutes$ #f the +urgery check fails, or if the in,ured person receives no )edical help, he or she )ust )ake a Aigor 8bra%nNtenacious9 task check$ The difficulty is listed above under the heading *ntreated Datality$ #f this check fails, the in,ured person dies$

There are no long ter) effects of being bruised, singed or stunned$ These in,uries can be ignored after co)bat$ " scratch e-poses the character to disease 8%hich see9, but has no other long ter) effects$ @ther in,uries cause lingering har)$ Dor every in,ury )ake a Aigor 8bra%nNtenacious9 task check one %eek after the in,ury occurred and once every %eek thereafter until the in,ury is healed$ #f the check succeeds, the effects of the in,ury are re)oved$
#n,ury BleedingN#nternal Bleeding Bleeding 8gaping %ound9 >ebilitating #n,ury >ebilitating #n,ury 8gaping %ound9 Toasted Modifiers 5' Bra%n checks 5' Ditness checks 5M Bra%n checks 5M Ditness checks 5K Bra%n checks 5K Ditness checks 50 Bra%n checks 50 Ditness checks 5. har) checks 5' Bra%n checks 5K Ditness checks 5' har) checks 5M Bra%n checks 50 Ditness checks Aigor task check to re)ove penalty routine hard hard for)idable hard

harred

for)idable

" character )ay ignore the penalty for recovering fro) a bleeding in,ury, but this %ill cause the %ound to reopen 8treat as if it %as ,ust inflicted9$

43

Summary o" &ask !hecks as they are used in combat: Task "lertN +earch Bash Block >odge Dirst +trike #nspire 7arry 7ersuade +hootN Thro% +pot Trick +tealth +uperior Reach Thrust Trick Aalor Aigor 3restle Trait Bonus #ntuition +harp Bra%n Bra%n Ditness #ntuition 3ill #ntuition 3ill Ditness Brave <uick 2i)ble <uick !ypnotic Brave Driendly +harp *se in o)bat >eter)ining surprise, )ini)izing the effects of surprise "ttacking %ith clubs and a-es >efending against bash attacks >efending by )oving out of the %ay "ttacking before an opponent #)proving group )orale, rallying >efending against thrust Rallying an individual "ttacking %ith )issile %eapons Mini)izing the effects of tricks >eter)ining +urprise >efending by using distance and superior %eapon length "ttacking %ith spears and daggers >eceiving opponents in co)bat Mastering fear in co)bat "voiding distractions, unconsciousness and death *nar)ed co)bat attack and defense

#ntuition o)petitive Ditness >evious Bra%n 2i)ble Ditness 3ill 3ill Bra%n Bra%n Brave >evious Brave Tenacious o)petitive

44

"ites of Power
#n 6e)et, )en and %o)en %ho can %ork )agic are called !ekau$ The courts of "ssyria, Babylon and anaan are cra%ling %ith astrologers, %itches and drea) interpreters, and in Aedic #ndia %izard5priests called 7urohita seek %ealth and success in battle through public rituals$ There are several %ays that a character can create a )agical effect$ The )ost co))on is by perfor)ing a )agical ritual$ +o)e rituals take hours to perfor) and re&uire the aid of one or t%o assistants or any nu)ber of lay participants$ +o)e take only a fe% )inutes and can be perfor)ed by a solo practitioner$ +o)e rituals are dangerous$ Generally speaking, the )ore elaborate the ritual is, the greater the risks and re%ards$ >ancers can create )agical effects by giving brilliant perfor)ances, and )endhi artists can create )agic through dra%ing designs on bodies %ith henna$ haracters that have arcane training can create various )agical effects:

Attacks: Agony: E4s unar)ed attack inflicts intense pain$ "ny

unar)ed in,ury 8superficial or greater9 causes the in,ured person to be distracted by the pain unless they succeed at a vigor task check 8for)idable9$ The in,ured person )ust also )ake a difficult )orale check$

Blast:E )ay in,ure, i))obilize or destroy a single

abo)ination$ The abo)ination )ust be %ithin short range$ The abo)ination )akes a Resist task check$ Dailure or Trivial +uccess: instantly destroyed, Routine: creature is frozen to the spot indefinitely, !ard: creature cannot )ove or attack for t%o rounds, Dor)idable: creature cannot )ove or attack for one round, !eroic: creature is unaffected$

Sacred Sun:Bea)s of intense light spring fro) ECs

eyes$ 8#f E is a )agical ob,ect, the light co)es fro) a )irrored surface or so)e depiction of eyes9$ The light causes te)porary blindness in anyone looking directly at E$ 8Blindness can be avoided if the victi) succeeds at an Attack:"ny )agical po%er 8other than a curse9 that alertNsearch 8hard9 task check$ "bo)inations caught in the causes direct har) to a person or creature, or enhances a light )ust )ake a resist 8hard9 task check or disintegrate$ physical attack$ +o)e attacks only affect supernaturally evil "bo)inations that do not disintegrate %ill suffer an in,ury creatures such as de)ons, and do no har) to hu)ans or that causes an auto)atic distraction$ ordinary beasts$ !urse: urses are special for)s of )agical attack that Scare:E generates an aura of supernatural fear$ 8Aalor inflict a rando) har)$ +o)e curses are )ere annoyances difficulty for)idable9$ but so)e cause per)anent in,ury and suffering$

(e"ense:" )agical po%er that protects a character fro) a

specific har)$ -ealing:"ny )agical po%er that restores health or re)oves the effects of hostile )agic$ *ental Enhancement:"ny )agical po%er that grants a character kno%ledge or po%er over )inds$ +hysical Enhancement: "ny )agical po%er that alters a character4s body in a useful %ay$ Sensory Enhancement: "ny )agical po%er that e-tends or e-pands the character4s natural senses$ En'ironmental *agic: Magic that affects the character4s surroundings$

Splinter:E can destroy %ooden ob,ects %ith a touch$

>oors, %ooden shields and furniture cracks loudly and falls to pieces$ +)all boats capsize but larger vessels si)ply spring a slo% leak$ @b,ects that are protected by any sort of )agical sy)bol are not affected$

Venom' #f E4s unar)ed attack inflicts superficial or

greater da)age, the in,ured person is e-posed to a severe neurological to-in$

Word of

*agical E""ects
#n the description for each )agical effect, E stands for the character %ho has the po%er and B stands for the victi) or beneficiary of the po%er$ Dor e-a)ple, if 2efer curses a te)ple guard %ith a ,in-, E is 2efer and B is the te)ple guard$

that is able to hear the %ord )ust succeed at a vigor task check 8hard9 or be distracted by the pain$ #n addition, all affected creatures )ust )ake a difficult )orale check$

ain' Every living creature %ithin .( )eters

Word of

creatures in the sa)e %ay as a %ord of pain, e-cept that it

ower' The %ord of po%er affects living

45

also causes te)porary deafness 8M( rounds, or .( )inutes9$ "bo)inations are affected as if they %ere caught in the bea)s of a +acred +un attack$

Insects Away: #nsects %ill not co)e %ithin short

range of E$ #f E )oves so that insects are %ithin short range, the insects %ill atte)pt to flee$ *nder no circu)stances %ill an insect sting E$

!urses:

Bane' E curses B$ This counts as an attack$ B )ust %itness

the curse for it to be effective$ B )ust )ake a Resist task check 8difficulty hard9 or suffer a rando) result fro) the Bane table$

In(iolate' E cannot be har)ed by Fin-es$

!in":E curses B$ This counts as an attack$ B )ust %itness

the curse for it to be effective$ B )ust )ake a Resist task check 8difficulty routine9 or suffer a rando) result fro) the Fin- table$

"bo)inations aren4t per)itted to close to )elee range unless they )ake a Resist8!ard9 check$

oison Immunity' E suffers no in,ury fro)

e-posure to poisons$ E is still affected by curses, diseases and )ind altering substances such as alcoholic beverages$

#ri$ulation: E curses B$ This counts as an attack$ B

)ust %itness the curse for it to be effective$ B )ust )ake a Resist task check 8difficulty hard9 or suffer a rando) result fro) the Tribulation table$ The har) usually takes so)e ti)e to take effect, so tribulations aren4t very useful in co)bat$

Shield: The ne-t ti)e E suffers any in,ury of superficial

or greater severity both the in,ury and this )agical effect are negated$ #nsignificant bu)ps don4t trigger the )agic

-ealing: Antidote' 3ith a touch, E can neutralize any to-in

(e"enses: Blade %esistance' Every ti)e E suffers a

%ithin a poisoned creature4s body$ This po%er %ill not cure any in,uries that the to-in has already caused$

chopping, laceration or penetration in,ury, E )ay atte)pt a resist task check 8difficulty: routine for laceration, hard for chopping and for)idable for penetration9$ #f the check succeeds, reduce the in,ury type by one step$

Fight 'isease' 3ith a touch, E can re)ove any

co))unicable disease fro) a living creature$ This po%er does not in itself confer i))unity to the disease$

Crush %esistance& Every ti)e E suffers a bra%ling %emo(e Curse: Re)oves the effects of a ,in-, bane
or blunt trau)a in,ury, E )ay atte)pt a resist task check 8difficulty: routine9$ #f the check succeeds, reduce the in,ury type by one step$ or tribulation$

%est in

Curse Immunity' E suffers no har) fro) curses$ 'isease Immunity' E is i))une to co))unicable
diseases$

hu)an or ani)al to rest, so that the dead creature does not beco)e an undead )onster$ The deceased )ust not have been dead for longer than si- hours$

eace' 3ith a %ord, E can put the soul of a

%estore )ealth:3ith a touch, E can re)ove any

long ter) effects of disease, such as per)anent blindness$ Restore !ealth can also be used to re)ove per)anent fla%s that %ere caused by disease 8Drail, +ickly or *gly9, but only if the )agic is applied %ithin a year of the ac&uisition of the fla%$ "ny fla%s that the character had at the beginning 8fro) the character creation process9 are long ter) fla%s that cannot be re)oved via Restore !ealth$

'i(ine Fa(or' "ll health, resist and vigor task checks

E is re&uired to )ake are increased by one success level$

Fire %esistance' E cannot be in,ured by ordinary

fires$ "ny burn in,ury that is inflicted on E by supernatural causes is reduced in severity by one step$

46

Sta$ili*e& 3ith a touch, E can prevent a seriously

in,ured person fro) dying due to a )ortality check$

*ental Enhancements: Cloa, of the Beast' Ani)als %ill not attack E$ 'i(ine Wrath' "ny ti)e E4s e)otional state is

$llusions:

'isguise' E can change his or her facial features, gender panic, it instantly changes to angry$ 3henever E is
and voice once, and can change back again %henever he or she %ishes$ E cannot duplicate a specific person4s features or voice accurately enough to assu)e that person4s identity$ Third Eye %ill reveal the deception and negate illusion %ill destroy it$

angry, he or she gets one e-tra )elee attack per )elee attack action$

'omination& >o)esticated )a))als such as co%s,

dogs and sheep and do)esticated birds such as chickens %ill obey E4s si)ple co))ands$ They %ill not fight anyone, but they %ill go %herever E tells the), &uietly and %ithout fuss$ "ggressive or independent ani)als such as bulls, cats, asses, goats, pigs and horses are not affected$

In(isi$ility+ E beco)es invisible and inaudible to

hu)ans$ E4s gear and clothing are not affected, so anything E carries or %ears %ill appear to float about$ "ni)als and abo)inations can still perceive E %ithout difficulty$ Mirrors %ill reflect E4s i)age as if he or she %as not invisible$ E can voluntarily dispel the invisibility at any ti)e, but %hen the invisibility is dispelled the po%er is lost$ The invisibility is also dispelled at any ti)e that E physically interacts %ith another person in any %ay$ #f E touches another person, if another person bu)ps into E, or if another person even s)ells E4s odor, the invisibility is lost$ Third Eye %ill reveal the invisible person and negate illusion %ill dispel the invisibility$

'ream -essage' E atte)pts to co))unicate %ith

B )entally$ E )ust be in a drea) state$ B )ust be asleep or in a drea) state$ #ntervening distance is no obstacle$ #f B is sleeping 8not in a drea) state9 B )ust )ake a drea) 8routine9 roll to understand the )essage and re)e)ber it upon a%aking$ The )essage cannot be over seven %ords long$

Fan Flames: E can cause any ordinary fla)e %ithin

t%o rounds$ This )ay in,ure anyone nearby 8effects are detailed under Magic #n o)bat, page9$

In(isi$ility to A$ominations' "bo)inations short range to burn its fuel )uch )ore rapidly for the ne-t
cannot perceive E$ #f E attacks any abo)ination %ith )agic or physical force, the po%er is lost$ ;iving creatures are not affected$ 2egate illusion %ill dispel the invisibility$

Shadow animal& E can create a single illusionary

non5hu)an land ani)al$ This ani)al can be the size of any nor)al land ani)al, fro) the s)allest insect to a bull elephant$ @nce created, the ani)al %ill act in all %ays like a living creature of its type, e-cept that it %ill obey E4s si)ple co))ands$ The illusion is e-tre)ely fragile$ "ny strong sti)ulus such as bright sunlight or loud noises %ill cause the illusion to disappear$ #f it touches or is touched by another living creature that is at least as s)art as a lizard, it %ill disappear$ Third eye %ill reveal the illusion and negate illusion %ill destroy it$

-usic of the gods:"t %ill, E su))ons )usic that

is audible to anyone %ho is in a heirophanic, ecstatic or trance state$

negate Illusion: "ll illusions %ithin )ediu) range

8M( )eters9 of E are destroyed$ "ll invisible creatures %ithin M( )eters beco)e visible, and )agical disguises are dispelled$ Music of the gods is silenced in this location for at least one hour$

.egate -agic: "t %ill, E per)anently neutralizes

%eak )agical devices or lingering spell effects and te)porarily deactivate )oderately po%erful ones %ithin short range 8.( )eters9$ 2egate Magic also acts as 2egate #llusion, but only to short range 8.( )eters9$ Aery po%erful )agic is not affected at all$

Shadow monster& The po%er +hado% Monster is

identical to +hado% "ni)al, e-cept that the illusion created is of a )onster that is about the size of a bull ape$ The shado% )onster generates a supernatural aura of fear 8Aalor difficulty to resist is !ard9$

47

State of /race' #f E dies, his or her spirit %ill not

)athor2s !oy:E suffers reduced penalties and

enhanced benefits %hen he or she is into-icated$ 3hen E has even one dose of alcohol 8M( );9 he or she enters a heirophanic state$ "n alcoholic co)a result still causes E to lose consciousness, but %ithout the usual risk of death$ #f E suffers a stupor result, he or she enters a state of ecstasy instead$ #f E suffers an attribute penalty fro) into-ication, that penalty is 5. instead of 5M$ #n addition, each attribute penalty that E suffers as a result of alcohol into-ication is acco)panied by a different )agical ability:
7enalty har) raft Ditness #ntuition 6no%ledge 3ill Magical "bility >ivine 3rath 7oison #))unity +urefoot >o)ination Tongues Third Eye

return as a ghost$ E4s re)ains cannot fulfill the )aterial re&uire)ents of a )agical ritual, or be used for the creation of a )onster$ Su$0ugate: E can enslave abo)inations to his or her %ill$ The abo)ination )ust be %ithin )ediu) range$ E )ust infor) the abo)ination of his or her intention to enslave it$ The abo)ination )akes a hard Resist 8%illNtenacious9 task check$ #f the check fails, the abo)ination %ill serve E indefinitely$ The abo)ination %ill atte)pt to break free fro) E4s do)inion once every thirty days$ #f the abo)ination resists the initial atte)pt to sub,ugate it, or if it breaks free thereafter, it %ill atte)pt to kill E$

#ongues: E can speak and understand any spoken

hu)an language$ Tongues does not i)part proficiency in any written language$

3eap:E can leap '( )eters horizontally or 0 )eters

straight up$

aths of Set' E suffers no har) fro) environ)ental

e-posure 8e-cessive heat or cold9$

%egenerate: E auto)atically recovers fro) non5fatal

%ounds after one day$ E also does not suffer fro) infected %ounds$ E can still be killed by instant death or the effects of co)a$

Serpent Clim$:E can cli)b up or across any surface

%ith no chance of failure$

+hysical Enhancements: Breath of oroteu' E does not need air to

Shadow Form' E beco)es insubstantial and can %alk

through %alls, etc$ 3hile insubstantial, E cannot physically interact %ith solid ob,ects or creatures$ +unlight %ill kill E %hile he or she is in shado% for)$

survive, and can re)ain alive %hile under%ater or buried in sand or )ud 8for e-a)ple9$

Silence: E4s nor)al )ove)ents )ake no noise, even if Cat Fall: E )ay fall up to .( )eters %ithout in,ury$ #f E the surface that E is %alking on is a very loud one$ @ther
falls fro) a greater height, subtract .( )eters fro) the total before deter)ining any in,uries suffered$ actions 8such as co)bat or vandalis)9 )ake the usual a)ount of noise$ Raise the effective success of stealth task checks by one level$

Cheetah& E )ay run e-tre)ely &uickly$ #ncrease all

+print 8fitnessN&uick9 task checks by t%o success levels and increase all >istance Running 8fitnessNtenacious9 task checks by one success level$

S,in Show' E can change the skinCs appearance at %ill

and in detail, creating instant ca)ouflage, tattoos or pig)entation changes$ Magical sy)bols 8such as henna )agic9 cannot be created in this %ay$ By shifting skin designs periodically, the effectiveness of stealth task checks is raised by one level$

1el& E can s%i) very &uickly$ #ncrease all +%i)

8bra%nNsalt9 task checks by t%o success levels$

48

Surefoot' E cannot stu)ble, trip or fall into a

concealed pit$ E is i))une to any curse, )agical effect or trick that %ould result in E falling prone$

#rac,less: E can )ove through any terrain %ithout

leaving a trail$

Sensory Enhancement: 'ar, Vision:E can see even in total darkness$ #)ages
are slightly distorted and colors are )uted and confused$ 3riting cannot be deciphered at all$

Swarm:E creates a %ave of )agical energy that

attracts and enrages insects$ E )ust take an attack action to initiate the effect$ Dor the ne-t t%o rounds, there is no co)bat effect5 but anyone %ho )akes an "lert8!ard9 check poisons in food and drink auto)atically and distinguish %ill notice that insects are starting to cra%l out of the individuals by scent$ ground andNor rise fro) the vegetation$ "fter spending t%o Sense A$ominations: +ense abo)inations %orks rounds gathering its strength, the s%ar) for)s into a huge cloud that e-tends to long range fro) the person %ho in e-actly the sa)e %ay as sense life, but applies to activated the s%ar)$ Aisibility %ithin the s%ar) is reduced abo)inations instead$ to short range$ The s%ar) %ill not har) anyone %ho is protected by #nsect "%ay$ "nyone else )ust )ake a )orale Sense 3ife:E is a%are of ho% )uch co)ple- living check 8hard9$ )atter is %ithin short range 8.( )eters9, and %here, in #n addition, any unprotected person )ust )ake a general, it is located$ Microorganis)s do not register as life, Resist8!ard9 check if they %ish to take any action other than nor do freshly dead creatures$ #ntervening )aterial does not s%atting at insects, diving into %ater 8if it is available9 or interfere %ith E4s ability to detect life$ E can use this po%er running a%ay$ Rolling on the ground %ill ,ust )ake things to distinguish corpses fro) living bodies, or detect unseen %orse$ creatures, but the effect gives no infor)ation about the Every round, roll for each unprotected person to see ho% detected )atter other than a vague location$ )any ti)es he or she is bitten:

1nhanced Sense of Smell: E can recognize

#hird 1ye: E is not fooled by illusions or )agical

disguises, and can see invisible creatures and ob,ects$ E is a%are that the illusion, disguise or cloak of invisibility is present, but is able to see past it$

Roll 8'd?9 '5I /5.( ..5.M .K5.0 .I

2o defensive action, i))obile, or prone 2ot +tung +tung @nce +tung T%ice +tung Three Ti)es +tung Dour Ti)es

+%atting 2ot +tung 2ot +tung +tung @nce +tung T%ice +tung Three Ti)es

En'ironmental *agic: $light& E destroys plant life %ithin )ediu) range 8M(
)eters9$ Trees %ill lose their leaves, but survive$ +)aller plants %ill si)ply %ither and die$

Insect light& This po%er can only be used %here

there are dense insect populations: forests, ,ungles, s%a)ps, etc$ #nsects %ithin long range 80(( )eters9 %ill generate light, as if they %ere fireflies$ This light is bright enough to read by$

Each insect bite counts as a scratch in co)bat and is )ildly poisonous 8see 7oison9 The s%ar) %ill follo% E, for)ing a he)isphere centered on E out to long range$ The s%ar) lasts three rounds, and then dissipates$ 2ote that E is not auto)atically i))une to the s%ar)$ #f E is not protected by #nsect "%ay, he or she %ill suffer the full effects$

49

*agical Power Classification

7o%er "gony "ntidote Bane Blade Resistance Blast Blight Breath of 7oroteu atfall heetah loak of the Beast rush Resistance urse #))unity >ark Aision >isease #))unity >isguise >ivine Davor >ivine 3rath >o)ination >rea) Magic Eel lass "ttack 8page K09 !ealing 8page KI9 urse 8page KI9 >efense 8page KI9 "ttack 8page K09 Environ)ental Magic 8page KJ9 7hysical Enhance 8page K?9 7hysical Enhance 8page K?9 7hysical Enhance 8page K?9 Mental Enhance 8page K/9 >efense 8page KI9 >efense 8page KI9 +ensory Enhance 8page KJ9 >efense 8page KI9 #llusion 8page K/9 >efense 8page KI9 Mental Enhance 8page K/9 Mental Enhance 8page K/9 Mental Enhance 8page K/9 7hysical Enhance 8page K?9 Enhanced +ense of +)ell +ensory Enhance 8page KJ9 Dan Dla)es Mental Enhance 8page K/9 Dight >isease !ealing 8page KI9 Dire Resistance >efense 8page KI9 !athor4s Foy 7hysical Enhance 8page K?9 #nsect ;ight Environ)ental 8page KJ9 #nsects "%ay >efense 8page KI9 #nviolate >efense 8page KI9 #nvisibility #llusion 8page K/9 #nvisibility to "bo)ination Mental Enhance 8page K/9 Finurse 8page KI9 ;eap 7hysical Enhance 8page K?9 7o%er Music of the gods 2egate #llusion 2egate Magic 7aths of +et 7oison #))unity Regenerate Re)ove urse Rest in 7eace Restore !ealth +acred +un +care +ense "bo)inations +ense ;ife +erpent li)b +hado% "ni)al +hado% Dor) +hado% Monster +hield +ilence +kin +ho% +plinter +tabilize +tate of Grace +ub,ugate +urefoot +%ar) Third Eye Trackless Tribulation Tongues Aeno) 3ord of 7ain 3ord of 7o%er lass Mental Enhance 8page K/9 Mental Enhance 8page K/9 Mental Enhance 8page K/9 7hysical Enhance 8page K?9 >efense 8page KI9 7hysical Enhance 8page K?9 !ealing 8page KI9 !ealing 8page KI9 !ealing 8page KI9 "ttack 8page K09 "ttack 8page K09 +ensory Enhance 8page KJ9 +ensory Enhance 8page KJ9 7hysical Enhance 8page K?9 #llusion 8page K/9 7hysical Enhance 8page K?9 #llusion 8page K/9 >efense 8page KI9 7hysical Enhance 8page K?9 7hysical Enhance 8page K?9 "ttack 8page K09 !ealing 8page K/9 Mental Enhance 8page K?9 Mental Enhance 8page K?9 7hysical Enhance 8page KJ9 Environ)ental 8page KJ9 +ensory Enhance 8page KJ9 7hysical Enhance 8page KJ9 urse 8page KI9 Mental Enhance 8page K?9 "ttack 8page K09 "ttack 8page K09 "ttack 8page K09

50

The Se+en States of ConsciousnessMost )agical effects can only be triggered by a person %ho is in a particular state of consciousness$ 7eople %ho possess the visionary personality &uirk are particularly adept at )oving bet%een the various states, but anyone can learn ho% to do so through the use of )editation, drugs, )usic and ritual$ There are seven states of consciousness:

!omatose:The character is co)pletely una%are of his or Trances in co)bat: Treat the character %ho is in a trance as
her surroundings and unable to take any actions$ #nvoluntary nervous and )uscular functions such as breathing, circulation and digestion continue to operate$ *sually this state is the result of trau)atic or che)ical brain in,ury$

having a cocky e)otional state$ !e or she is also so)e%hat resistant to being distracted by painful in,uries$ Reduce the difficulty of avoiding distraction by t%o levels$ #f the in,ury causes distraction any%ay, the trance is broken and the character4s state changes to sleeping, drea)ing or a%ake: 'dI: '5I sleeping$ /: drea)ing, ?5.': a%ake$

Sleeping: @rdinary drea)less sleep$ The character has

)ini)al a%areness of the outside %orld$ E-tre)e sti)uli %ill %ake sleeping people$ +leep deprivation causes a drop in )ental efficiency and e)otional stability$ #f total sleep deprivation is )aintained for )ore than a fe% days it )ay cause death or per)anent psychosis$

Awake:This is the )ost co))on state of consciousness,

the state )ost characters are in %hen they perfor) tasks$

-eirophanic:Dro) an outside perspective, a person in

a !eirophanic state of consciousness is indistinguishable fro) a person %ho is a%ake$ 7eople in a heirophanic state (reaming: Everyone needs to drea) for at least a fe% are able to co))unicate and perfor) co)ple- tasks$ #n addition, they are sensitive to the presence of supernatural )inutes every day$ Most divinatory )agic can only be pheno)ena, including sacred or )agical creatures or perfor)ed %hile in a drea) state, and there are so)e devices$ The person %ho is in a heirophanic state intuitively rituals that can only be perfor)ed by drea)ers$ kno%s if an ob,ect or creature is )agical and can esti)ate in a crude %ay ho% intense or po%erful the )agic is$ Most &rance: >rugs, rituals and repetitive )usical beats can )agic is perfor)ed %hile in a heirophanic state$ cause the people %ho are e-posed to the) to slip into a !eirophanic state in co)bat: The heirophanic character trance$ " person in a trace state has li)ited a%areness of his checks for initial )orale state on the easy colu)n$ !e or or her environ)ent$ !e or she cannot co))unicate she is )ore susceptible to supernatural fear auras 8increase rationally, e-cept to ans%er very si)ple &uestions$ The the difficulty by one category9$ #f his or her e)otional state character %ill not atte)pt to deceive the &uestioner, but he ever beco)es panic or incapacitated %ith fear the or she can choose to ignore the &uestion if he isn4t under character4s state of consciousness is changed to a%ake$ any )ental co)pulsion re&uiring that he or she ans%er$ The character cannot atte)pt any kno%ledge checks, any Ecstatic:The ecstatic state is a profound )ystical or char) tasks, or any %ill checks other than resist and ritual$ The person %ho is in a trance %ill usually be focused on one religious e-perience co)bining the intense concentration of a trance %ith the heightened a%areness and sensitivity of very si)ple, specific task, such as digging a tunnel or obeying the vocal co))ands of the person %ho placed the the heirophanic state$ "bove all it is a condition of e-tre)e character in a trance$ The person %ho is in a trance )ay not ,oy, albeit ,oy laced %ith a sense of deter)ination or even rage$ The ecstatic person is capable of perfor)ing acts of perfor) any craft check that is not directly related to the focal task$ 8Dor e-a)ple, if the focus of his trance is digging po%erful )agic, but such po%er is fraught %ith terrible risks$ a tunnel, he can )ake )ining or labor task checks, but %ill auto)atically fail any traps task check9$ "ll alertnessNsearch >uring the state of ecstasy, the speech centers of the brain task checks are resolved at an inept skill level, e-cept for are confused$ Ecstatic people can understand language tasks directly related to the focal task 8in %hich case they perfectly %ell, but have difficulty speaking$ The ecstatic are resolved at the character4s nor)al level of co)petence9$ person )ust )ake a Resist8!ard9 check every ti)e he or she %ishes to speak$

51

The body of the person %ho is e-posed to the entheogen %ill auto)atically try to neutralize its effects$ The character e-posed )ust )ake a Aigor 8Bra%nNTenacious9 task check$ #f the check is successful, the entheogen has no effect$ The difficulty of resisting the effects of ingestion 8voluntary or involuntary9 is for)idable$ The difficulty of resisting inhalation is hard$ #f one dose fails to have the desired effect, )ore doses can be atte)pted$

(neiromancy
@neiro)ancy is the art of drea)ing for )agical or prophetic purposes$ " character )ay use the >rea)ing task to )ove voluntarily fro) a sleeping state to a drea) state$ The difficulty is for)idable$ #f the task check fails, the character has dis,ointed, chaotic drea)s that serve no useful )agical or prophetic purpose$ 2o useful drea)ing %ill occur during that sleep cycle$ 8" sleep cycle is a day4s %orth of sleep, or appro-i)ately I to ? hours, regardless of the nu)ber of interruptions9 The character )ay ingest or i)bibe oneirogenic 8drea)5inducing9 drugs to increase the odds of having a useful drea) e-perience$ The difficulty of choosing a proper dose is hard 8!erbalis)9$ #f the result of the task check is routine the drugs are ineffective$ " result of failure or trivial success results in accidental poisoning 8)oderate lethality9$ " correct dosage of oneirogenic drugs reduces the difficulty of having a useful drea) to routine$

ntheogensEntheogens are substances 8such as +o)a9 that can induce altered states of consciousness$ #t is safer and easier for a %illing person to enter the desired state of consciousness, but a person %ho is e-posed to entheogens against their %ill or against their kno%ledge can also be affected$ Entheogens can be burned and inhaled, or dissolved in )ilk or beer and i)bibed$ 7reparing entheogens: To prepare entheogens and esti)ate the correct dosage, )ake an !erbalis) 8kno%ledgeNgardener9 task check: !erbalis) Aoluntary #nvoluntary #nhalation ingestion ingestion failure @verdose5 @verdose5 treat treat as as co)a in,ury co)a in,ury #neffective >ose Trance @verdose5 treat as co)a in,ury #neffective >ose @verdose5 treat as co)a in,ury #neffective >ose #neffective >ose Trance +tate

*seful drea)s co)e in three types: )agical, prophetic and divinatory$ The drea)er can atte)pt only one useful drea) 8of any sort9 during a single sleep cycle$

+rophetic (reams:
"ny character %ho has a useful drea) )ay choose to have a prophetic drea) rather than a )agical or divinatory one$ 2o further task check is necessary$ The )eaning of the drea) %ill not be obvious, but )ust be interpreted$ >rea) interpretation is a divination task check %ith a difficulty of for)idable$ 8The drea)er does not have to interpret the drea) personally but )ay ask another person to interpret the drea)9$ #f the drea)er hears an accurate interpretation of the prophecy, he or she %ill intuitively kno% it to be correct$ #f the drea)er hears an incorrect interpretation, he or she %ill kno% it to be false 8and )ay beco)e angry at the false prophet %ho atte)pted to deceive hi)9$ The drea)er has no control over %hat sort of prophecy he or she %ill have$ The prophecy )ay not even concern events that directly affect the character$ 7rophecies can reveal as )uch about the present or the past as they do about the future$ " drea) )ay reveal any sort of hidden infor)ation, but drea)s usually concern visions of future good fortune or disaster$ The ga)e )aster should be careful %hen pronouncing correct prophetic drea) interpretations$ The outco)e should not be preventable 8for that %ould invalidate the prophecy9 but it also should not unfairly re%ard or punish the players$ o)ing plagues, fa)ines and natural disasters )ake good prophecies, since they can4t be prevented but they are survivable$

trivial routine hard for)idable heroic

!eirophanic Trance +tate +tate Ecstatic +tate

!eirophanic +tate !eirophanic +tate

"ny state of "ny state of the Ecstatic +tate herbalist4s herbalist4s choice choice

52

(i'inatory (reams:
7rophetic drea)s seldo) give specific or detailed infor)ation$ The drea)er has no control over %hat sort of infor)ation the prophetic drea) %ill reveal$ *nlike prophetic drea)s, divinatory drea)s can be used to find the ans%er to specific &uestions$ !o%ever, the kinds of &uestions that the drea)er is allo%ed to ask are very li)ited$ 3henever a drea)er has a divinatory drea), he )ust petition a specific god or goddess to act as his or her guide, patron and protector$ Each god or goddess is capable of ans%ering one or t%o e-tre)ely specific &uestions$ The drea)er is only capable of asking a single &uestion per night$ The drea)er )ust )ake a divination task check in order to receive an ans%er to this &uestion$ " drea)er )ay petition the deities of his or her o%n nation, and internationally kno%n deities$ #n addition, 6ushitic peoples )ay petition 6e)etic deities$ 2ot all deities act as drea) guides5 only the ones that do act as drea) guides are listed in the follo%ing tables$ " drea)er )ay choose one deity to be his or her pri)ary drea) guide$ 3hen a drea)er asks his or her pri)ary drea) guide one of that deity4s per)issible &uestions, the divination task difficulty is reduced by one step$

Achaean +antheon
>eity "tana 8"thena9 "te)ito 8"rte)is9 >i%o 81eus9 Eileithyia >ifficulty !ard <uestion "ns%ered "re the gods angry %ith 8specify person or group9= 3ill 8specify kind of ani)al9 appear in this location to)orro%= 3hat %ill the %eather be like here to)orro%= 3ill 8specify pregnant %o)an9: !ave a boy or a girl= !ave an easy childbirth= #s 8specify person9 plotting to do )e har)=

Akkadian +antheon 0Assyria and

>eity "nu >ifficulty !ard <uestion "ns%ered

abylon1

!ard

3hat kind of %eather %ill %e have here to)orro%= !as 8specify person9 atte)pted to deceive )e in the last three days= 3ho %rote this 8specify inscription or docu)ent9= >id the person %ho %rote this 8inscription or docu)ent9 believe it to be true= #s 8specify person9 guilty of an unpunished serious cri)e= !as 8specify person9 atte)pted to deceive )e in the last si- hours= #s 8specify person9 suffering fro) a curse, disease or de)onic possession= 3hat treat)ent %ill cure 8specify person9= 3hen %ill be the ne-t lunar eclipse= 3hen %ill be the ne-t solar eclipse=

2abu

Dor)idable

!ard !ard

2anshe

Dor)idable

Enu%ari,o 7a,a%o

Dor)idable

Dor)idable #s 8specify person9 suffering fro) a curse, disease or de)onic possession= 3hat treat)ent %ill cure 8specify person9= #s 8specify vessel9 sea%orthy= 3ill there be stor)s at sea in the ne-t three days=

2ergal

!ard

7oseda%one !ard 87oseidon9

+in

!ard

53

Elamite +antheon
>eity Fabru >ifficulty <uestion "ns%ered !ard #s 8specify person9 above ground or in the under%orld= 82ote: " person %ho is alive but underground &ualifies as in the under%orld$ #s 8specify fe)ale ani)al or person9 barren, fertile or pregnant= 3hat %ill the %eather be here to)orro%= !as 8specify person9 atte)pted to deceive )e in the last three days=

6iririsha

!ard

6hu)ban !ard

-ittite +antheon
>eity "runa !asa)eli >ifficulty !ard !ard <uestion "ns%ered #s 8specify vessel9 sea%orthy= #f # dig at 8specify e-act location9 %ill # strike 8specify )etal or stone9=

!anaanite +antheon
>eity "starte >agon >ifficulty <uestion "ns%ered Dor)idable #s the ro)antic love 8-9 professes for 8y9 genuine= !ard #s 8specify fe)ale ani)al or person9 barren, fertile or pregnant= 3ho created 8specify device, %eapon, tool, etc9= 3hat treat)ent %ill cure 8specify person9= 3ill there be stor)s at sea in the ne-t five days=

6a)rusepa Dor)idable #s 8specify person9 suffering fro) a curse, disease or de)onic possession= !o% do # break 8specify curse or spell9= 6urunta !ard 3ill 8specify kind of ani)al9 appear in this location to)orro%= #s 8specify fe)ale ani)al or person9 barren, fertile or pregnant= #s the co)ing year a good year for gro%ing 8specify crop9= 3hat %ill the %eather be here to)orro%= !as 8specify person9 atte)pted to deceive )e in the last three days=

Telepinu

!ard

6othar Resheph Ba%

!ard !ard !ard

Teshub

!ard

54

%emetic +antheon:
>eity "nubis >ifficulty !ard <uestions "ns%ered #s 8specify person9 above ground or in the under%orld= 82ote: " person %ho is alive but underground &ualifies as in the under%orld$ #s the unborn child of 8specify pregnant %o)an9 a boy or a girl=

%ushitic +antheon:
>eity >ifficulty <uestion "ns%ered 3hat %ill the %eather be here to)orro%= !as 8specify person9 atte)pted to deceive )e in the last three days= >edun Dor)idable #s 8specify person9 above ground or in the under%orld= 82ote: " person %ho is alive but underground &ualifies as in the under%orld$ Dor)idable #s 8specify person9 plotting to do )e har)=

"rensnuphis !ard

Bes

!ard

Geb !athor

Dor)idable #f # dig at 8specify place9 %ill # find 8specify )ineral9= !ard #s the ro)antic love 8-9 professes for 8y9 genuine= #s 8-9 se-ually faithful to 8y9=

Menhit

!orus

Dor)idable !as 8specify person9 atte)pted to deceive )e in the last three days= !ard 3hen is the ne-t lunar eclipse=3hen is the ne-t solar eclipse= #s 8specify person9 suffering fro) a curse, disease or de)onic possession=

6honsu

2ephthys !ard

@siris

Dor)idable 3as 8specify person %ho has died %ithin the last three days9 the victi) of )urder= !o% did 8specify person %ho has died %ithin the last three days9 die= Dor)idable 3ho created 8specify device, %eapon, tool, etc9= Dor)idable #s 8specify person9 plotting to do )e har)= Dor)idable 3ho %rote this 8specify inscription or docu)ent9= >id the person %ho %rote this 8inscription or docu)ent9 believe it to be true=

*inoan +antheon
>eity "riadne >ifficulty <uestion "ns%ered !ard #s 8specify person9 above ground or in the under%orld= 82ote: " person %ho is alive but underground &ualifies as in the under%orld$ 3ill 8specify kind of ani)al9 appear in this location to)orro%= #s 8specify person9 suffering fro) a curse, disease or de)onic possession= !o% do # break 8specify curse or spell9=

7tah +et Thoth

Brito)artis !ard

7asiphae

!ard

55

7edic +antheon
>eity Mitra >ifficulty <uestion "sked Dor)idab !as 8specify person9 broken le his or her pro)ise to 8specify oath=9 !as 8specify person9 atte)pted to deceive )e in the last three days= Rudra Ba)a !ard !ard 3hat %ill the %eather be here to)orro%= #s 8specify person9 above ground or in the under%orld= 82ote: " person %ho is alive but underground &ualifies as in the under%orld$

&he &rance:
+o)e )ystics are able to )ove fro) %akefulness into a trance, heirophanic or ecstatic state at %ill, %ithout outside assistance$ 2eophytes )ay find it difficult to achieve an altered state of consciousness %ithout the help of )usic and ritual or drugs$

Ostinato:"n ostinato is a )usical rhyth) that is able to

induce a trance in anyone %ho hears it$ The )usician can create an ostinato %ith his or her voice or %ith al)ost any )usical instru)ent, but dru)s are the )ost effective instru)ents for this purpose$ The )usician )akes a separate )usic task check for every person %ho hears the ostinato for )ore than a fe% seconds 8including hi)self9$ The difficulty is routine if the )usician is using a dru), but hard if he or she is using any other kind of instru)ent$ +uccess indicates that the listener falls into a trance$ #f the listener does not fall into a trance he or she cannot enter a trance state by )eans of an ostinato until the follo%ing day$ #f the listener does not %ish to enter a trance he or she can avoid the effects %ith a successful resist check 8the resist difficulty is routine if the )usician is using a dru) or trivial if the )usician is using any other instru)ent9$

$nternational (eities: These goddesses are kno%n and %orshiped far beyond their lands of originG anyone )ay petition the)$
>eity "nat 8 anaan9 Great Goddess 8 rete9 >ifficulty !ard !ard <uestion "sked #s 8specify person9 plotting to do )e har)= #s the co)ing year a good year for gro%ing 8specify crop9= #s the unborn child of 8specify pregnant %o)an9 a boy or a girl= #shtar
8"kkadian9

)roup !hanting:#ndividuals %ho participate in a

group chant )ay atte)pt to enter a trance state if they %ish$ Many group rituals involve chanting$ To enter a trance state the chanter )ust )ake a )usic task check$ The )ore people that are participating in the chant, the easier it is to enter a trance state$ #f the chanter fails to enter a trance state, he or she %ill be unable to try again by this )ethod until the follo%ing day:

!ard

#s the ro)antic love 8-9 professes for 8y9 genuine= #s 8-9 se-ually faithful to 8y9=

Participants 78889 788 ::: 78 :: #: -ndividual chant

difficulty trivial routine hard formidable heroic

#sis 86e)et9

!ard

#s 8specify fe)ale ani)al or person9 barren, fertile or pregnant= #s 8specify %o)an9 a virgin= #s the ro)antic love 8-9 professes for 8y9 genuine= 3hat kind of se-ual partner does 8specify person9 prefer=

<etesh 8 anaan9

!ard

56

*editation:" character )ay enter a trance state by

)editating for appro-i)ately ten )inutes and then )aking a hard )editation task check$ #f this check fails, the )editating person )ay check again every thirty )inutes until he succeeds or gives up$ #f there are significant distractions, the difficulty is for)idable$

/ea'ing the -eirophanic State:

"nyone %ho is distracted by an in,ury auto)atically a%akens fro) a heirophanic state$ " person %ill leave a heirophanic state by falling asleep or beco)ing co)atose$ The person does not auto)atically reenter the heirophanic state upon %aking$

,itual:+o)e rituals auto)atically )ove the officiant

andNor participants into a trance state$

Entering a state o" ecstasy: &heophany:"nyone %ho enters the presence of a divine

/ea'ing a trance:" character )ay atte)pt to leave

a trance state voluntarily$ This is a for)idable Resist task$ The character )ay atte)pt to leave the trance state once every thirty co)bat rounds 8ten )inutes9$

being 8god or angelic )essenger9 )ay atte)pt to enter a state of ecstasy$ The difficulty is 8 o))une9 hard if the being is a god or goddess or 8 o))une9 for)idable if it is haracters that are in a trance state are largely insensible to the agent of a god or goddess$ This atte)pt )ust be )ade at the outset of the encounter and can only be )ade once$ pain, ho%ever, great, continuous or persistent pain %ill "ctive %orshipers of the god reduce the co))une task break the trance$ #f the character fails a >istraction check, check difficulty by t%o steps$ he or she a%akens fro) the trance$

(ance:" dancer )ay atte)pt to enter a state of ecstasy ertain rituals %ill a%aken other people fro) a trance state$ fro) an a%ake, heirophanic or trance state$ The dancer +o)e rituals %ill release the person %ho perfor)s the) )ust dance for at least nine rounds 8three )inutes9 #f there fro) a trance state as soon as the ritual4s purpose has been is no )usic, the difficulty is heroic$ #f there is appropriate achieved$ )usic, proficiently played 8Music difficulty routine to &ualify as proficient )usic9 the >ance difficulty is hard$ Entering a -eirophanic State: !ommune: "nyone can enter a heirophanic state by
)eans of a co))une task check$ The difficulty is for)idable$ #f the environ)ent is particularly foul 8such as a slaughterhouse or se%er9 the difficulty is heroic$ #f the environ)ent is especially sacred or )agical 8such as a shrine9 the difficulty is hard$ The character )ay )ake an atte)pt every hour$

*usic:"ny )usician )ay atte)pt to )ove fro) an

a%ake, heirophanic or trance state to a state of ecstasy )erely by singing or playing a )usical instru)ent$ This takes thirty rounds 8ten )inutes9 and has a difficulty 8Music9 of heroic$ #f the atte)pt fails, no further atte)pt )ay be )ade that day$

Sex:"ny person physically capable of se-ual arousal )ay

enter a state of ecstasy through se-ual activity$ The difficulty is for)idable if the person has a co)petent #f a character is e-posed to supernatural horror and partner 8+e- difficulty of routine to &ualify as a co)petent succeeds in his or her valor check to avoid loss of )orale, he partner9, or heroic if the person is atte)pting to enter the or she )ay i))ediately atte)pt to enter a heirophanic state through self sti)ulation$ #f the check fails, the person state, even if he or she has already atte)pted to do so %ill enter a state of ecstasy but it %ill only last for a %ithin the last hour$ The difficulty is hard, regardless of )o)ent, and it %ill be follo%ed by a period of se-ual environ)ental conditions$ e-haustion$

,ituals:

ertain rituals cause the officiant andNor the participants to enter a heirophanic state$

+ampering:"ny character )ay atte)pt to )ove another

person %ho is a%ake or in a heirophanic state into a state of ecstasy through oral or )anual sti)ulation of their erogenous zones$ The difficulty is 87a)pering9 heroic$ #f the check fails, the pa)pered person %ill enter a state of ecstasy but it %ill only last for a )o)ent, and it %ill be follo%ed by a period of se-ual e-haustion$

dreaming into a heirophanic state:"

drea)er )ay )ove directly fro) a drea) into a heirophanic state$ The difficulty is >rea)ing 8for)idable9 and )ay only be atte)pted once per sleep cycle$ 8#f the drea)er fails he or she %ill enter a sleep state that %ill last until he or she %akes nor)ally9$

57

,ituals:
The )ost dra)atic )agical effects are brought about by rituals$ Rituals can be private affairs, involving only the officiant herself$ They can also be lavish public spectacles that bind the entire co))unity through shared religious e-perience$ +o)e rituals are tran&uil and )editative$ @thers are %ild, orgiastic rites$ Many can be dangerous5 concentrations of such vast )agical energies often attract diabolical forces$ Every ritual has an officiant$ The officiant leads the ritual$ #n so)e cases the officiant perfor)s the ritual alone$ "t the cli)a- of the ritual, the officiant )akes a ritual task check$ The difficulty of this check varies according to the ritual perfor)ed$ #f this ritual check fails, the ritual fails5 possibly %ith dire results$ +o)e rituals re&uire the officiant to )ake other task checks$ #f any of these checks fail, the ritual fails$ +o)e rituals re&uire assistants$ "ssistants are specialists %ho perfor) ancillary tasks such as dance, gy)nastics, or )usic$ These tasks )ust be perfor)ed %ithout error if the ritual is to have any chance of success$ +o)e rituals also re&uire participants5 the )ore, the better$ 7articipants %itness the ritual and )ay aid the officiant by chanting, dancing or perfor)ing si)ple actions, but they do not have to be professional )agic5)akers$ #f the officiant fails his or her ritual task check 8or any of the secondary task checks9, the ritual %ill fail$ #f an assistant perfor)s inade&uately, the ritual %ill fail$ But a participant cannot ruin the ritual through inco)petence$ #f a participant is called upon to )ake a task check it is to deter)ine %hether the ritual benefits the participant$ " witness is anyone %ho %atches the ritual %ithout taking part in it$ *sually %itnesses are irrelevant, but so)eti)es %itnesses can be affected by the ritual involuntarily$

*a3or and *inor ,ituals:

Rituals are divided into t%o )a,or categories: Ma,or rituals and )inor rituals$ Minor rituals are si)pler and safer than )a,or rituals$ Ma,or rituals tend to have )ore po%erful and dra)atic effects$

,ituals %nown:
The officiant is only able to perfor) rituals that he or she knows$ #n order to learn any rituals, a character has to be able to perfor) ritual task checks$ This re&uires either that the character have arcane training or that he or she has a talent for perfor)ing ritual tasks$ +tarting characters %ho fit this re&uire)ent begin play kno%ing so)e rituals already$ The nu)ber of rituals such a character kno%s is deter)ined as follo%s: The character kno%s one ritual 8)a,or or )inor9 per each of the follo%ing he or she possesses: Traits: "ttentive, lever, urious, #ndustrious, 7assionate, Methodical +ocial advantages: 7o%erful, Aenerated, 3ealthy 7ersonality <uirks: reative, >aring, +tudious, Aersatile, Aisionary #f the character has acade)ic training, add one ritual$ #f the character has arcane training, add three rituals$ @nce play begins, the character can learn )ore rituals$ +o)e rituals are so co))only kno%n that scrolls containing instructions for perfor)ing the) can be found in the )arketplace of any large city$ @ther rituals are so secret that they can only be learned fro) dragons or ancient inscriptions$ The desire to learn so)e rare or unusual ritual )ay be an effective adventure hook$

58

+er"orming the ,itual:

Rituals are described in the follo%ing for)at: ,itual Name )eneral (escription o" the ,itual'
#f the ritual has any unusual re&uire)ents 8such as a sacrifice9 or if it can only be perfor)ed under certain conditions, these %ill be listed in the general description$ "lso, there %ill usually be an indication of ho% long the ritual takes to perfor)$ O""iciant' The officiant4s re&uired state of consciousness %ill be listed here, along %ith any task checks he or she )ust co)plete in order to perfor) a successful ritual$ Assistants: #f the ritual re&uires one or t%o assistants, the task checks they are re&uired to co)plete %ill be listed here$ #f this entry does not appear, the officiant does not need to e)ploy assistants$ +articipant ,e6uirements:#f the ritual re&uires participants, this entry %ill describe the actions they )ust perfor) in order to gain the benefits of participation$ #f this entry does not appear, the officiant does not need the help of participants$ )eneral e""ects:" general effect is any change that the ritual %orks on the %orld, apart fro) any benefit it grants to the people %ho are perfor)ing it$ The ritual )ight turn the space %here it is perfor)ed into a sacred space$ The ritual )ay su))on a de)on or cause an earth&uake$ #f the ritual har)s, aids or transfor)s those %ho %itness it, the effects %ill be listed here$ " ritual )ust be successfully co)pleted before these effects occur$ E""ect on o""iciant:The officiant only gains a benefit if the ritual is successful$ "ny change in the officiant4s state of consciousness %ill be noted here$ #n addition, the officiant %ill gain the te)porary use of various )agical po%ers$ onus Ad'antage:#f the ritual is a success, the officiant gets a bonus advantage$ #f the officiant does not already have this advantage, he or she te)porarily gains it$ #f the officiant already possessed this advantage, he or she te)porarily gains a talent for every task for %hich it is the bonus advantage 8if he or she doesn4t have that talent already9$ Either %ay, the bonus applies for three hours$ E""ect on assistants:#f the ritual succeeds, any assistants %ill receive benefits$ These are si)ilar to the benefits that the officiant received, but are usually )ore )odest$ E""ect on participants: #f the ritual succeeds, any participants %ill get an opportunity to receive benefits as %ell$ " participant is usually re&uired to )ake a successful task check5 usually )usic or dancing5 before he or she gains any benefit$ The re&uire)ents for gaining benefits %ill be listed here$

59

,itual #ailure

Rituals are inherently dangerous$ 3hen a ritual fails no one is safe5 least of all the officiant$ !ar) caused by a failed ritual is called backlash 3hen the ritual fails, every person present )ust )ake a Resist task check to avoid the backlash$ The difficulty depends on the role that person played in the atte)pted ritual and %hether it %as a )inor or )a,or ritual:

E""ects o"
0oll ; or less $ 78 77 3ffect

acklash:

.ursed' 0oll once on the 6in& table 4elancholia <permanent until cured= 4ystical dysfunction' This character cannot perform any rituals, assist with a ritual or gain any benefit from participating in a ritual. Treat this as a curse, which can be neutrali>ed in any of the usual ways. -mpotent if male, supernatural pregnancy if female. .ursed' 0oll once on the (ane table (lindness <permanent until cured= *emonic Possession .ursed' 0oll once on the tribulation table.

acklash:
,ole O""iciant Assistant +articipant Witness *inor ,itual -ard ,outine &ri'ial Automatic Success *a3or ,itual #ormidable -ard ,outine &ri'ial

7# 7? 7@ 7A 7B9

60

*inor "ituals
The all seeing eye
The officiant )editates &uietly for ten )inutes in a &uiet place %ith no distractions$ @fficiant: !eirophanic, Ritual 8Routine9, Meditation 8Routine9 Effect on officiant: *nli)ited use of urse #))unity and Third Eye, so long as the officiant re)ains in a !eirophanic state or a state of Ecstasy$ Bonus advantage: +harp$

The Ear of Enki

The officiant )ust observe and study natural pheno)ena 8clouds, birds, fire, etc9 for one hour$ @fficiant: !eirophanic, Ritual 8Routine9, o))une 8!ard9 Effect on officiant: *nli)ited use of Tongues and >o)ination$ +ingle use of +care, 3ord of 7o%er, 2egate #llusion, 2egate Magic$ 7o%ers last for 'K hours$ Bonus "dvantage: 7atient

Henna Ritual

Calling Dagon
This ritual )ust be perfor)ed on the banks of a river or the shores of a large lake or sea$ #t takes an hour to co)plete$ @fficiant: !eirophanic, Ritual 8!ard9 7articipants: 7articipants are per)itted, but not re&uired$ Effect on @fficiant: @fficiant receives unli)ited use of Breath of 7oroteu, >ark Aision, Eel and 7aths of +et for 'K hours$ Bonus "dvantage: +alt Effect on 7articipants: 7articipants )ust )ake a Aalor 8Easy9 check to receive Breath of 7oroteu, Eel and 7aths of +et for 'K hours$

The officiant prepares !enna paste fro) ra% !enna %hile reciting verses in praise of "nat for one hour$ @fficiant: "%ake or !eirophanic, Ritual 8Routine9, !erbalis) 8Routine9 General Effects: #f it is allo%ed to sit for 'K hours after the ritual, the !enna paste %ill ac&uire )agical properties$ Thereafter, the !enna paste )ay be used to create Mehndi )agic$ Effects on officiant: The officiant receives urse #))unity and >ivine Davor for 'K hours$ Bonus "dvantage: Gardener

Meditation rite
This ritual can only be perfor)ed in a sacred space$ The officiant )editates until he or she )akes a successful connection %ith a)bient supernatural forces$ The officiant dra%s his or her )agical po%ers fro) these forces$ The length of ti)e this takes depends on ho% &uickly the officiant can score a for)idable level of success on his or her )editation task check$ Dirst the officiant )ust )ake a successful Ritual 8Routine9 task check or the ritual fails i))ediately, %ith the usual hazards of failure$ "t the end of every half hour of ritual, the officiant )ay atte)pt a Meditation 8Dor)idable9 task check$ #f the check succeeds, the ritual is co)plete$ #f the check fails, the officiant )ay choose to continue, or abort the ritual %ithout suffering any ritual failure results$ The officiant )ay try again later by )aking a successful Ritual 8Routine9 task check$ @fficiant: !eirophanic, Ritual 8Routine9 Effects on officiant: Dor the ne-t 'K hours the officiant gains unli)ited use of urse #))unity, >ivine Davor, +tate of Grace and Third Eye plus unli)ited use of @2E of the follo%ing )agical abilities: Blade Resistance, heetah, rush Resistance, >isease #))unity, Eel, Dire Resistance, "ntidote, Dight >isease, Re)ove urse, 2egate #llusion, >o)ination, #nvisibility to "bo)inations, 2egate Magic, Tongues, Breath of 7oroteu, Regenerate, >ark Aision, #nsect ;ight, 2atural Music$ Bonus "dvantage: 7atient

The Covenant of Nusku

The officiant &uietly stares into an open fla)e 8%ithin short range9 for ten )inutes$ @fficiant: !eirophanic, Ritual 8Routine9, Meditation 8Routine9 Effect on officiant: *nli)ited use: Blade resistance, Dire Resistance, #nsects a%ay$ May Dan Dla)es at any ti)e %ith a hard ritual check$ These po%ers last until the fla)e that the officiant )editated upon dies or is e-tinguished @R the officiant fails any ritual check @R after the passage of one )onth 8%hichever co)es first9$ Bonus advantage: +harp$

Dreaming Festival

The officiant drea)s that he or she is leading a fantastic ritual, %ith benevolent supernatural creatures in attendance$ @fficiant: >rea)ing, Ritual 8!ard9, >rea)ing 8Routine9 General Effects: *pon conclusion of the ritual, the officiant )ay send one >rea) Message$ Effect on officiant: The officiant %akes into a heirophanic state$ *nli)ited use: >ark Aision, Music of the Gods$ +ingle use of #nvisibility$ These po%ers last until the ne-t drea) state$ Bonus advantage: reative

61

Minor Sacrifice

@fficiant )ust sacrifice a do)esticated ani)al such as a chicken or goat %hile any participants chant or sing for at least ten )inutes$ @fficiant: "%ake or !eirophanic, Ritual 8Routine9 General effects: The officiant invokes any deity that can be petitioned for the purposes of divination, and asks the invoked deity4s divination &uestion$ #n order to interpret the result, he or she )ust )ake a >ivination task check$ 8The difficulty of the check varies %ith the deity invoked9$ Effect on officiant: The officiant enters a heirophanic state$ Dor the ne-t 'K hours the officiant receives unli)ited use of >ivine Davor$ "lso, for the ne-t 'K hours the officiant receives a single use of 8pick @2E9: "gony, Blight, +care, +plinter, Aeno), 3ord of 7ain, Bane, Fin-, +hield, #nvisibility, "ntidote, Re)ove urse$ Bonus "dvantage: 7assionate Effect on participants: 7articipants are optional$ Each participant )akes a Ritual 8routine9 task check$ +uccessful participants receive unli)ited use of >ivine Davor for the ne-t 'K hours$

Rites of Manhood

Minor Sex Ritual

The officiant either perfor)s a solitary rite or )akes love to one or t%o assistants for at least thirty )inutes$ The difficulty of the officiant4s se- task check difficulty depends on the nu)ber of assistants$ #f there are t%o assistants the difficulty is trivial, if there is only one the difficulty is routine, and if there are no assistants the difficulty is hard$ @fficiant: "%ake or !eirophanic, Ritual 8Routine9, +e8variable9 "ssistant @ne: @ptional, +e- 8Routine9 "ssistant T%o: @ptional, +e- 8Routine9 7articipants: optional5 >ance, hant or have seGeneral effects: The spot %here the ritual took place 8to a .( )eter radius9 counts as a sacred space for one day$ Effect on officiant: The officiant enters a state of ecstasy and receives divine favor for 'K hours$ "lso, for the ne-t 'K hours the officiant receives unli)ited use of 8pick @2E9: urse #))unity, loak of the Beast, >ivine 3rath, Dan Dla)es, Music of the Gods, Breath of 7oroteu, ;eap, 7aths of +et, +ilence, +kin +ho%, Trackless, >ark Aision, Enhanced +ense of +)ell, +ense ;ife or !athor4s Foy$ Bonus "dvantage: !ypnotic Effect on assistants: "ssistant8s9 enter a state of ecstasy and receive >ivine Davor for 'K hours$ Effect on participants: "nyone %ho succeeds in a Revels task check 8routine9 enters a state of ecstasy and receives divine favor for M hours$

There )ust be at least one participant %ho is ready to pass the test of )anhood$ The ritual )ust not be %itnessed by %o)en or children$ Men %ho have passed the test of )anhood are per)itted to %itness 8but they are not considered participants9$ *sually fathers of boys %ho are being tested are not present$ This ritual is a test of character$ The officiant %ill ask each participant several &uestions that can be ans%ered by anyone %ho has prepared for the ritual$ "fter the &uestions are ans%ered to the officiant4s satisfaction, the real test begins$ The officiant inflicts terrible pain on each participant$ 8#n so)e places, this pain is inflicted through circu)cision9$ @fficiant: !eirophanic, Ritual 8Trivial9, #nterrogate 8Routine9 7articipant Re&uire)ents: "t least one and no )ore than seven boys ready to undergo the test$ General effects: Each participant )ust face the pain bravely in order to pass the test$ Those %ho do not pass %ill never gain the respect of their people or legal rights of )anhood$ Effect on officiant: *nli)ited use of urse #))unity, Dight >isease and Re)ove urse for one )onth$ Bonus "dvantage: Brave Effect on participants: Each participant )ust )ake a Aalor 8routine9 task check$ #f the participant succeeds, his people %ill consider hi) a )an in every respect$ !e %ill gain all the rights and responsibilities of )anhood$ #n addition, he gains the follo%ing te)porary benefits: *nli)ited use of Third Eye and Trackless for one )onth$ 7articipants %ho fail either leave the co))unity or re)ain second class citizens for the re)ainder of their lives$

Scroll S ell

The officiant )ust have in hand the )agic scroll that corresponds to the specific )agical effect desired$ The officiant studies the scroll for five )inutes$ The scroll is not consu)ed by this process, and it does not lose its )agical properties$ @fficiant: "%ake or !eirophanic, Ritual 8Routine9, ;iterature and !istory 8Routine9 Effect on officiant: The officiant enters a !eirophanic state$ "lso, for the ne-t 'K hours the officiant receives unli)ited use of the scroll spell$ The follo%ing spells )ay be found on scrolls: Blast, "ntidote, Blade Resistance, rush Resistance, urse #))unity, >isease #))unity, >ivine Davor, Dan Dla)es, Dire Resistance, 7oison #))unity, >o)ination, #nsects "%ay, #nvisibility, Tongues, +ilence, Trackless, >ark Aision, Third Eye, Blight, #nsect ;ight, +%ar) Bonus "dvantage: +tudious

62

*a!or "ituals-

Chaunt of "siris

!kelarre
The officiant slaughters a chicken or goat, and speaks various incantations$ The ritual lasts three hours and can only be perfor)ed at night$ @fficiant: !eirophanic, Ritual 8!ard9, Revels 8Routine9 @ne assistant: Ritual 8routine9 7articipants are per)itted, but not re&uired$ General effects: The officiant su))ons a lesser de)on and i)prisons it in a )agic circle$ #f a hu)an sacrifice is perfor)ed, a greater de)on is su))oned instead$ The de)on %ill )ake a Resist task check to break free 8difficulty e&uals officiant4s Ritual task check9$ #f the de)on breaks free it %ill attack$ #f it can4t break free it %ill perfor) a single service for the officiant and then vanish$ The de)on %ill not perfor) any service that takes over three days to co)plete$ Typical services include attacking the officiant4s ene)ies or teaching the officiant a ne% ritual$ "kelarre is a particularly dangerous rite$ "nyone %ho suffers backlash fro) a failed ritual checks for specific effects %ith a L. )odifier to the die roll$ Effect on officiant: @fficiant enters a state of ecstasy and gains unli)ited use of all three curses: Bane, Fin- and Tribulation$ The officiant also gains the follo%ing unli)ited )agical abilities: >isease #))unity, 7oison #))unity, +ilence, +ub,ugate, Trackless$ 3henever the officiant is in a state of ecstasy, he or she gains unli)ited use of these po%ers as %ell: Blade Resistance, rush Resistance, at Dall, >ark Aision, loak of the Beast, Enhanced +ense of +)ell, 7aths of +et, +erpent li)b$ "ll )agical abilities last for one )onth or until the officiant )isses a urse task check %hile activating a curse$ Bonus "dvantage: >evious Effect on assistant: "ssistant enters a state of ecstasy and gains unli)ited use of +ilence and Trackless$ 3henever the assistant is in a state of ecstasy he or she also gains unli)ited use of loak of the Beast and 7aths of +et $ These )agical abilities last one )onth$ Effect on participants: 7articipants enter a state of ecstasy$ Each is per)itted to )ake a Revels 8!ard9 task check$ #f the reveler succeeds, he or she gains unli)ited use of +ilence and Trackless, and %henever he or she is in ecstasy, he or she also gains unli)ited use of loak of the Beast$ These )agical abilities last one )onth$

This ritual )ust be conducted outdoors, at sunrise$ The difficulty of the officiant4s ritual task check depends on the nu)ber of participants$ 2one or one: heroicG '5I: for)idable, /5.': hard, .M or )ore: routine$ The officiant leads the participants in a one hour ritual$ @fficiant: !eirophanic, Ritual 8Aariable9, Music 8Routine9 @ne "ssistant: Music 8Routine9 7articipant Re&uire)ents: 7articipants chant or play )usical instru)ents$ General effects: The place %here the ritual is conducted beco)es a sacred site for one )onth$ Effect on officiant: +ingle *se of each of the follo%ing: #nsect ;ight, +plinter, 3ord of 7o%er$ *nli)ited use of urse #))unity, >isease #))unity, #nsects "%ay, #nviolate, 7oison #))unity, Regeneration and +tabilize$ 3henever the officiant is in a state of ecstasy he or she also gains unli)ited use of: rush Resistance, +ense ;ife, +ense "bo)inations$ "ll po%ers last for one )onth$ Bonus advantage: Gardener$ Effect on assistant: *nli)ited use of urse #))unity, >isease #))unity and Regeneration for one )onth$ Effect on participants: Each participant )ay )ake a Music 8Routine9 task check$ Every participant %ho succeeds receives urse #))unity and >isease #))unity for one )onth$

The Doom of #illu

The ritual re&uires a hu)an sacrifice$ The sacrifice )ust be a convicted cri)inal %ho has been la%fully and ,ustly conde)ned to die$ The ritual )ust be perfor)ed at sunrise$ !undreds of stone or cera)ic i)ages of the local god or goddess of ,ustice )ust be produced$ The conde)ned cri)inal is brought before the participants$ The officiant recites the facts of the cri)e and the sentence and a brief su))ary of the legal code that the cri)inal violated$ The participants strike the conde)ned person %ith the stone or cera)ic i)ages of the offended god until he or she is dead$ @fficiant: !eirophanic, Ritual 8Routine9, ;a% 8Routine9, #nspire 8Routine9 7articipant Re&uire)ents: There )ust be at least thirteen participants, and they )ust cast stone or cera)ic idols at the conde)ned person$ General effects: Rest #n 7eace applied to the sacrifice$ Effect on officiant: The officiant receives unli)ited use of >ivine Davor and #nviolate and a single use of 3ord of 7o%er$ "ll po%ers last until sunset$ Bonus advantage: ruel Effect on participants: 7articipants gain the benefits of the )agical defense >ivine Davor until the sun set$

63

The Face of Ra

The ritual can only be perfor)ed during the day$ The officiant )editates in sunlight for one hour$ @fficiant: !eirophanic, Ritual 8!ard9, Meditation 8!ard9 Effect on officiant: *nli)ited use of urse i))unity and >isease #))unity$ +ingle *se each of +acred +un, 3ord of 7o%er, +hield, Re)ove urse, Dight >isease, 2egate #llusion, >ivine 3rath$ Magical abilities last for three days$ Bonus "dvantage: Brave

The False Servant

The officiant 8%ho is the Dalse +ervant9 )ust be invited to be the assistant for another officiant4s ritual 8the overt ritual, and )ust successfully perfor) the functions of that assistant$ The Dalse +ervant appears to be perfor)ing the overt ritual correctly$ !o%ever, if the betrayed officiant )akes a ritual 8Dor)idable9 check he or she %ill recognize %hat the Dalse +ervant is doing in ti)e to negate both rituals$ 8Both rituals are ruined, but neither officiant suffers the usual effects of failure9$ @fficiant: !eirophanic, Ritual 8!ard9 General effects: The other ritual fails, and the betrayed officiant suffers any of the usual effects of failure$ #f the Dalse +ervant ritual succeeds, the betrayed officiant )ust )ake a Resist 8hard9 roll or fall into a 8rando)9 co)a$ The betrayed officiant )akes a Ritual task check$ #f it succeeds, the betrayed officiant %ill kno% that he or she %as betrayed by a Dalse +ervant ritual$ Effect on officiant 8Dalse +ervant9: +ingle use po%ers: Blight, Re)ove urse, +hield, +ub,ugate, Tribulation, 3ord of 7ain$ 8Must be used %ithin one )onth or lost9$ Bonus "dvantage: >evious

@fficiant: !eirophanic, Ritual 8Aariable9, Revels 8Routine9, +e- 8Routine9 "ssistant @ne: +e- 8!ard9 "ssistant T%o: Music 8Routine9 7articipant Re&uire)ents: 7articipants dance, play )usic and have seGeneral effects: The field that the ritual takes place on %ill produce abundant crops in the follo%ing year, even if %eather and flood conditions are unfavorable$ This effect can be negated by hostile )agic or divine intervention$ Effect on officiant: @fficiant enters a state of ecstasy and gains unli)ited use of: >isease i))unity, !athor4s Foy, #nsects "%ay, Regeneration and +tate of Grace$ #n addition, %henever the officiant is in a state of ecstasy he or she also receives unli)ited use of: Eel, Enhanced +ense of +)ell, Dire Resistance and 7aths of +et$ "ll po%ers last for one year Bonus "dvantage: >aring Effect on assistants: "ssistants enter a state of ecstasy and receive unli)ited use of >isease i))unity, !athor4s Foy and +tate of Grace$ "ll po%ers last for one year Effect on participants: "ll receive unli)ited use of >isease i))unity and +tate of Grace for one )onth$ "ny participants %ho have the trait 7assionate %ill enter a state of ecstasy$ @ther participants %ill enter a heirophanic state$

The officiant and one or t%o assistants have se-ual intercourse for one hour$ The officiant and his or her assistant8s9 have ritualistic se-ual intercourse %hile the participants %atch$ 7articipants are not necessary, but if there are at least three participants the difficulty of the officiant4s ritual task check and the first assistant4s se- task check are both reduced to routine$ @fficiant: !eirophanic or Ecstatic, Ritual 8!ard9, +e8Routine9 Fertility Rite $!kitu% &uruli' "ssistant @ne: +e- 8!ard9 Must be perfor)ed on a field that has ,ust been so%n, "ssistant T%o: 8@ptional9, +e- 8Routine9 during the appropriate season 8Early autu)n in 6e)et, 7articipant Re&uire)ents: 7articipants optionalG +pring E&uino- in Babylon and "ssyria9 General >escription of the Ritual: The officiant sacrifices an participants chant, sing or perfor) erotic dances General effects: @fficiant, assistants and participants are ani)al 8typically a co% or bull9 and has se-ual intercourse cured of any depression or se-ual dysfunction$ %ith assistant one$ "ssistant t%o sings or plays a )usical Effect on officiant: @fficiant auto)atically enters an instru)ent$ " general orgy follo%s$ The difficulty of the officiant4s ritual task check depends on ecstatic state and receives unli)ited use of urse #))unity, >isease #))unity and >ivine Davor$ #f the ritual %as the nu)ber of participants %ho actually have se-$ 2one or one: heroicG '5I: for)idable, /5.': hard, .M or )ore: routine$ attended by three or )ore participants the officiant also gains unli)ited use of heetah, 7aths of +et and Music of #f the ritual fails any crops gro%n on the field %here the the Gods$ "ll )agical abilities last for one )onth$ ritual takes place %ill be eaten by pests or destroyed by Bonus "dvantage: reative disease$ This is in addition to the usual hazards of a failed ritual$

Maithuni

64

Effect on assistants: "ssistants auto)atically enter an ecstatic state and receive *nli)ited use of urse #))unity, >isease #))unity and >ivine Davor for one )onth$ Effect on participants: "ll participants )ay )ake a o))une task check 8routine9 to enter a heirophanic state$ "ny participant %ho has se-ual intercourse before the ne-t sunrise )ay )ake a se8routine9 roll to gain the follo%ing benefits: *nli)ited urse #))unity and >ivine Davor for one )onth$

"ssistant T%o: >ance 8Routine9 7articipant Re&uire)ents: +ing, dance and drink %ine$ Effect on officiant: The officiant gains a single use of Blast$ The officiant also gains unli)ited use of: >ivine Davor, >ivine 3rath, !athor4s Foy, #nsects "%ay, #nviolate, +ilence and +urefoot$ #n addition, %henever the officiant is in a state of Ecstasy he or she receives unli)ited use of: Blade Resistance, at Dall, heetah, loak of the Beast and ;eap$ "ll )agical po%ers last one )onth$ Bonus "dvantage: 2i)ble Effect on assistants: Dor the ne-t )onth the assistants The Mhe of (isdom receive unli)ited use of: >ivine Davor, >ivine 3rath, The officiant )ust have access to a substantial nu)ber of ancient inscriptions or te-ts$ The officiant studies his or her !athor4s Foy, +ilence, +urefoot$ Effect on participants: Each participant )ay atte)pt up to te-ts for at least si- hours, looking for cryptic 8hidden9 four task checks 8revels, dance, )usic and gy)nastics9$ )essages$ Each successful check results in the ac&uisition of a different @fficiant: !eirophanic, Ritual 8!ard9, ;itN!istory 8!ard9 )agical po%er: >ance 8!ard9: +ilenceG Gy)nastics 8!ard9: Effect on officiant: *nli)ited use: urse #))unity, ;eapG Music 8!ard9: loak of the BeastG Revels 8Routine9: #nviolate, +ense "bo)ination, Tongues$ May use 2egate #llusion or Re)ove urse at %ill %ith a successful Meditation !athor4s Foy$ "ll po%ers are unli)ited use and last for three days$ 8!ard9 check$ The granted po%ers disappear after one )onth or if the officiant fails the )editation task check to 2egate #llusion or Re)ove urse Bonus "dvantage: +tudious Rites of (ar The group )ust have an identifiable ene)y$ The officiant denounces the ene)y and e-tolls the virtues o y rite The officiant and any 8optional9 participants ingest the dried of the group4s )ost %arlike ancestors %hile the participants late- of poppies %hile perfor)ing the ritual$ The ritual takes chant, dance, sing and perfor) gy)nastic feats$ t%o hours to co)plete$ @fficiant: "%ake, !eirophanic or Ecstatic, Ritual 8hard9, @fficiant: "%ake or !eirophanic, Ritual 8!ard9 #nspire 8hard9, 3ar 8routine9 7articipant Re&uire)ents: 7articipants chant or play 7articipant Re&uire)ents: "t least si- participantsG )usical instru)ents$ hanting, >ancing, Gy)nastics Effect on officiant: @fficiant enters a state of ecstasy and Effect on officiant: *nli)ited Blade Resistance, rush gains a +ingle *se of each of the follo%ing: >isguise, Resistance and >ivine 3rath until the officiant gets a +hado% "ni)al, +hado% Monster$ !e or she also gains co%er )orale check result, surrenders to a foe, or runs unli)ited use of +ense ;ife and +erpent li)b for three a%ay fro) a fight after blood has been shed by either side$ days$ Bonus "dvantage: Brave 8 ruel9 Bonus advantage: Aisionary$ Effect on participants: "ll participants receive a single use of Effect on participants: Each participant )ay )ake a Music >ivine 3rath and +hield$ These effects )ust be used %ithin 8Routine9 task check$ Every participant %ho succeeds enters three days or lost$ a !eirophanic state and gains the officiant4s bonus advantage$ The Shado* of ! e This ritual )ust be conducted underground$ The difficulty of the ritual task check depends on the nu)ber of participants: The Revels of )ast This ritual )ust be conducted outdoors, by a procession 2one or one: for)idableG '5I: hardG / or )ore: routine$ that starts or ends in a sacred space$ The procession lasts at The officiant and the participants all %ear )asks or robes least t%o hours$ The difficulty of the officiant4s ritual task %ith long co%ls$ They stand in a circle, )otionless and chant check depends on the nu)ber of participants$ 2one: heroicG prayers to forbidden gods for at least t%o hours$ .5.(: for)idable, ..5.((: hard, )ore than .((: routine$ @fficiant: !eirophanic, Ritual 8Aariable9 @fficiant: !eirophanic, Ritual 8Aariable9 "ssistant @ne: Music 8Routine9

65

Effect on officiant: @fficiant gains unli)ited use of the follo%ing po%ers: "ntidote, ure #))unity, >isease #))unity, >ivine Davor, Dight >isease, #nsects "%ay, #nviolate, Re)ove urse, +tabilize, +urefooted$ @fficiant gains a single use of each of the follo%ing: Blast, 2egate Magic, Restore !ealth, +acred +un, 3ord of 7ain$ "ll po%ers last one )onth Bonus "dvantageN<uirk: 6ind Effect on assistants: *nli)ited use of the follo%ing po%ers for one )onth: >isease #))unity, >ivine Davor Effect on participants: Every participant %ho )akes a successful o))une 8routine9 task check gets unli)ited use of the follo%ing po%er for one )onth: >isease #))unity$

(and Heating Ceremony

The officiant )ust be a %o)an$ " %and is re&uired5 The officiant touches specific anato)ical sites %ith the %and, and at the end of the cere)ony it %ill take on )agical properties$ The ritual takes one hour$ 7articipant Re&uire)ents: 7articipants chant$ 7articipants are not re&uired, but the )ore there are, the )ore likely the @fficiant: !eirophanic, Ritual 8!ard9, +e- 8!ard9 7articipant Re&uire)ents: 7articipants chant, sing or dance$ ritual is to succeed$ 7articipants are not re&uired$ General effects: The +hado% of "pep is a particularly General effects: "t the conclusion of the cere)ony, the dangerous rite$ "nyone %ho suffers backlash fro) a failed officiant4s %and takes on )agic properties$ The o%ner of ritual checks for the specific effects %ith a L' )odifier to the %and )ust )ake a separate ritual task check 8routine9 the roll$ every ti)e she %ishes to activate one of these properties$ Effect on officiant: @fficiant enters +hado% Dor)$ The This ritual is e-tre)ely short 8and counts as an action in officiant re)ains in +hado% Dor) for as long as desired, co)bat9$ #f this check fails the )agic ability does not sub,ect to the li)itations of that state$ activate and the %and loses its )agical po%ers$ 8The Bonus "dvantage: >evious officiant )ay restore the po%ers to the %and by perfor)ing Effect on participants: 7articipants enter a heirophanic another 3and !eating ere)ony$9 state$ "ny participant )ay )ake a Ritual 8hard9 task check 3and properties 8)ust have %and in hand to activate9: Fin-, to gain the abilities +ilence and Trackless$ 3ord of 7ain, "ntidote, Re)ove urse, +ense ;ife, +ense "bo)inations, +hado% "ni)al$ Trium h of +sis The %and retains its po%ers indefinitely, so long as the This rite invokes gods and goddesses of protection and %and4s o%ner never fails to achieve at least a routine level healing$ #t )ust be perfor)ed in a sacred space and takes of success %hen perfor)ing the activation ritual$ an hour to co)plete$ #f the %and breaks, it per)anently loses its )agical @fficiant: !eirophanic, Ritual 8hard9, Medicine 8routine9 properties$ #n addition, the %and utters a 3ord of 7o%er "ssistant @ne: Music 8routine9 %hen it is destroyed$ The %and4s o%ner has no special "ssistant T%o: Music 8routine9 i))unity to the effects of the 3ord of 7o%er$ The %and4s 7articipant Re&uire)ents: 7articipants per)itted but not o%ner )ay voluntarily break her %and$ re&uired Effect on officiant: @fficiant enters a state of ecstasy$ Bonus General effects: The sacred space %here this ritual is "dvantage: reative perfor)ed takes on )agical properties$ 2o diseases can be Effect on participants: 7articipants enter a heirophanic trans)itted in this space$ E-isting curses are re)oved fro) stateG )ake a hard >ance 8char)Nni)ble9 task check to gain any person %ho enters the space 8and no ne% curses can be unli)ited use of loak of the Beast and 7aths of +et$ placed on anyone in the space9$ ;esser >e)ons cannot enter$ These )agical abilities re)ain for one )onth$

66

/ance *agic
#n order to create dance )agic, the dancer )ust )ake a >ance 8char)Nni)ble9 task check$ The difficulty of this check depends on the specific dance$ "ll dances re&uire )usic$ Music of the gods &ualifies, if the dancer is in a heirophanic, trance or ecstatic state$ 2atural Music also provides the necessary acco)pani)ent$ #n )ost cases, one or )ore hu)an perfor)ers %ill provide the )usic$ #f so, the perfor)ance )ust be fla%less$ >esignate one )usician to be the lead$ The lead )usician )ust )ake a routine Music 8%illNcreative9 task check or ruin the dance$ The dancer )ay play a s)all %ind instru)ent 8such as a flute9, to provide his or o%n )usic, but only if the dance doesn4t re&uire a hand prop such as a snake or thurible$ The dancer )ust )ake a Music 8%illNcreative9 roll %ith a difficulty of !ard to create his or her o%n acco)pani)ent$ "ll dances re&uire that the dancer be free to )ove, carrying no bulky or heavy e&uip)ent, barefoot and %earing )ini)al or no clothing$ >ance )agic is inherently erotic, and dance )agicians are usually concubines or sacred prostitutes of either se-$

Dance of !gni

!eirophanicN!ard 7rop: Dla)ing thurible The first ti)e so)eone %itnesses the dance of "gni, they )ust )ake a resistance task check 8routine9 or fall into a trance$ The ob,ect of the trance is to continue %atching the dancer, taking no other action, for as long as the dance continues$ 3hen the dance is over the dancer )ay )ake a separate dance or pose check 8dancer4s choice9 for each person %ho fell into a trance 8difficulty routine9$ #f the check succeeds, the person %ho %as in a trance beco)es i)pressed or ena)ored of the dancer, does not realize that he or she %as in a trance, and has no )e)ory of events that happened during the dance 8other than the dance itself9$ The thurible can be used as a slo% %eapon %ith a reach of M that inflicts burn da)age and re&uires both hands$ #t cannot be used to block or parry attacks$ *se dance task checks to resolve attacks$ The thurible can e)it dense clouds of s)oke on co))and, obscuring all sight %ithin ten )eters$ The dancer )ay produce Diery Breath during the dance, by )aking a successful Aigor check 8hard9$ The atte)pt counts as an attack action, even if the vigor check fails$ Bonus "dvantage: !ypnotic

Dance of the Co,ra

EcstaticN!ard 7rop: ;ive cobra The dancer should )ake a different dance task check Each dance counts as one of the rituals kno%n upon 8difficulty: hard9 for every person %ho %itnesses the dance$ character creation$ #f this check succeeds, the person enters a heirophanic state$ " dancer can only benefit fro) the effects of one dance at a The dancer should )ake a different pose task check ti)e$ #f the previous dance has ongoing effects they are lost 8difficulty: hard9 for every person %ho %itnesses the dance$ as soon as the dancer begins a ne% )agical dance$ #f the check succeeds, the person %ill beco)e fascinated by the dancer$ The fascinated person %ill beco)e very se-ually attracted to the dancer unless the dancer and the fascinated person are funda)entally se-ually inco)patible$ Name of the dance 8Dor e-a)ple, a %o)an %ho is heterose-ual %ithout Re&uired state of consciousnessN>ance task difficulty$ e-ception %ill not desire to have se- %ith a fe)ale dancer9$ 7rop: "ny special device or costu)e re&uired$ The dancer gains the 7hysical enhance)ent +urefooted and >ance >escription: "ny )agical effects the dance creates$ the sensory enhance)ent >ark Aision for the duration of Bonus "dvantage: #f the ritual is a success, the officiant gets the dance plus three hours$ a bonus advantage$ #f the officiant does not already have "fter the dance is co)plete, the dancer receives the this advantage, he or she te)porarily gains it$ #f the )agical attack Aeno) as a single use attack$ " co)plete officiant already possessed this advantage, he or she )iss does not consu)e the Aeno), but Aeno) is consu)ed te)porarily gains a talent for every task for %hich it is the if the victi) is struck but negates the attack %ith a bonus advantage 8if he or she doesn4t have that talent successful Aigor check$ #f the Aeno) is not e-pended %ithin already9$ Either %ay, the bonus applies for three hours$ three hours of the end of the dance, it dissipates har)lessly$

67

"fter the dance is co)plete, the dancer receives the curse Bane as a single use attack$ #t )ust be used %ithin three hours of the end of the dance or it is lost$ Bonus "dvantage: <uick

Dance of the Moon -od

Dance of Hathor

EcstaticNRoutine 7rop: 2one5 but the dancer )ust have i)bibed at least three doses of an alcoholic beverage or entheogen$ 3hile perfor)ing this dance and for three hours thereafter, the dancer receives the follo%ing )agical po%ers: loak of the Beast, >ivine Davor, >ivine 3rath, !athor4s Foy, Music of the Gods, 7aths of +et, +erpent li)b and +kin +ho%$ Bonus "dvantage: Brave

TranceN!ard 7rop: Moon god )ask This dance can only be perfor)ed at night$ The dancer gains the follo%ing )agical abilities: >ark Aision, >isguise$ These abilities last for the duration of the dance$ #f the dance lasts for ten )inutes or )ore, the abilities are retained after the dance is over, and until the ne-t sunrise$ "t the end of the dance, the dancer4s state of consciousness changes to heirophanic auto)atically$ The dancer gains the ability to inflict a Fin- on another person at %ill, as an attack action$ The dancer can ,in- as often as he or she likes, but if a person )akes a successful resist task check to negate the ,in-, the dancer cannot atte)pt to ,in- that person again$ The ability to inflict a Fin- on other people is retained after the dance is over, and until the ne-t sunrise$ Bonus "dvantage: >evious

Dance of Nanaya

Dance of +nara
!eirophanicN!ard 7rop: +tylized %olf )ask 3hile perfor)ing this dance and for one hour thereafter, the dancer gains the follo%ing )agical po%ers: loak of the Beast, >ivine Davor, Enhanced +ense of +)ell, ;eap, 7aths of +et and +urefooted$ 3hen the dance is over, the dancer )ay )ake a single atte)pt to turn into a %olf$ #f the dancer succeeds %ith a dance 8for)idable9 check, the transfor)ation occurs, other%ise there is no effect$ The dancer does not change back into a hu)an auto)atically$ To beco)e hu)an again, he or she )ust )ake a resist 8hard9 check$ The transfor)ed dancer )ay )ake this atte)pt once per day until he or she returns to hu)an for)$ #f thirty days pass and the dancer is still in %olf for), the transfor)ation beco)es per)anent$ Bonus "dvantage: +harp

EcstaticNRoutine 7rop: 2one 3hile perfor)ing this dance and for three hours thereafter, the dancer receives the )agical po%ers >ivine Davor and +urefooted$ The dancer )ay seduce one specific )e)ber of the audience$ The dancer )ust succeed in a 7ose 8hard9 task check$ The person seduced )ay negate the )agic %ith a resist task check if they %ish$ The difficulty of the resist check is routine if the seduced person is voluntarily celibate or doesn4t have a co)patible se-ual orientation$ @ther%ise, the difficulty is for)idable$ #f the seduction is successful, the seduced person %ill enter a heirophanic state and beco)e infatuated %ith the dancer$ #f the dancer encourages the infatuation, it %ill persist indefinitely$ Bonus "dvantage: >aring

Dance of Slaughter

EcstaticNDor)idable 7rop: The dancer )ust %ear ,e%elry )ade of hu)an bones or teeth or paint his or her body %ith hu)an ashes$ Dor the duration of the dance and for thirty rounds 8ten )inutes9 after the dance is co)plete, the dancer gains the )agical defenses of Blade resistance, rush resistance and Dire Resistance, the +ensory Enhance)ents >ark Aision and +ense ;ife and an aura of supernatural fear 8+care9$ Bonus "dvantage: ruel

68

*ehndi *agic
Mehndi is a for) of body art$ The Mehndi artist applies !enna to a hu)an body$ The !enna te)porarily stains the skin$ #t is possible to create very intricate designs$ 8" successful 7a)per or Dine "rt task check results in an aesthetically pleasing design9$ Most often the Mehndi artist decorates hands and feet, but any part of the body can be e)bellished in this %ay$ #f the Mehndi artist has access to )agical !enna, he or she can create )agical Mehndi designs$ The person %ho %ears the Mehndi recieves unli)ited use of a single )agical po%er$ Because different )agical )ehndi designs cover different parts of the body, a person can %ear )ultiple such designs$ @f course, )ultiple si)ultaneous applications of the sa)e design are not allo%ed$ The Mehndi design fades after seven days, and the )agic is lost$ To successfully create )agical Mehndi designs, the artist )ust )ake a successful ritual task check and a Dine "rt task check$ The Mehndi artist )ay substitute 7a)per for Dine "rt, but the difficulty is higher$

#f the Mehndi artist fails either the ritual task check or the Dine "rt 8or 7a)per9 task check, the recipient )ust )ake a The Mehndi artist cannot dra% )agical designs on his or her Resist 8Routine9 task check or suffer a rando) !in" result$ o%n body$ "lso, the botched Mehndi pattern %ill re)ain on the skin for one %eek, preventing the application of a proper design$ The !enna Ritual 8a Minor Ritual9 creates enough )agical !enna for a single application$

*ehndi designs:
Magical "bility Blade Resistance at Dall >ivine Davor +urefooted Third Eye ;ocation Body ;egs "r)s Deet !ead Ritual heck Routine Routine Trivial Trivial !ard Dine "rt heck !ard !ard Routine Routine Dor)idable 7a)per +ubstitution Dor)idable Dor)idable !ard !ard !eroic

Spells in !ombat:

3henever a character thro%s a curse or activates a )agical attack, the action counts as an attack$ *se the Dirst +trike 8#ntuitionN<uick9 task check to deter)ine %hen the )agical attack takes place %ithin a round$
E-ceptions: The po%ers "gony and Aeno) enhance a character4s unar)ed attacks$ The character can activate the po%er and )ake an unar)ed attack %ith a single action$ +o)e )agical %eapons %ill have the "gony andNor Aeno) po%ers, in %hich case, the po%ers affect anyone struck by the %eapon$ " character can activate the +care po%er at the beginning of the round, to force opponents to )ake a )orale check$ The effects of +care re)ain in effect until the character loses consciousness or voluntarily deactivates the scare$ This doesn4t count as an attack$ Most people are afraid of )agic$ 3henever so)eone creates so)e tangible )agical effect 8such as Dan Dla)es9, ene)ies )ust )ake a )orale check$ This is true even if the )agic isn4t overtly hostile$ 7eople %ho are able to perfor) Ritual tasks don4t have to )ake a )orale check unless the )agic does the) actual har)$

Dan Dla)es can be used in co)bat$ #f a person is holding a torch, %ithin three )eters of a ca)pfire, or %ithin ten )eters of a bonfire, he or she )ust )ake a >odge task check 8fitnessNni)ble9 or suffer a burn in,ury:
>odge heck Dail Trivial Routine !ard Dor)idable !eroic Effect @n fire$ Toasted and +tunned$ o)pletely blinded for three rounds$ +inged and +tunned$ o)pletely blinded for three rounds$ +inged$ o)pletely blinded for three rounds$ +inged and +tunned +inged 2o #n,ury

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Curses
urses are )ade of the )ost )alevolent and unpredictable sort of )agic$ Three )agical po%ers allo% the practitioner to inflict curses on his or her ene)ies: Fin-, Bane and Tribulation$ Fin-es are the %eakest curses and Tribulations are the )ost po%erful, but the effects of all curses are unpredictable$ The person %ho casts the curse has no control over the kind of in,ury the curse inflicts$ " Fin- is usually ,ust an inconvenience$ #t can be used to distract a victi) ,ust long enough for the practitioner to escape or to set up an attack$ Bane causes )uch )ore severe in,uries$ Tribulation is less useful in a fight, because it usually takes hours or days before its effects beco)e )anifest$ But if the practitioner %ants to inflict terrible, per)anent har) on his or her victi), Tribulation is the %ay to do it$ "ll urses count as attack actions, and re&uire a urse 8char)Ncruel9 task check to perfor) correctly$ The victi) )ust be %ithin short range or less$ The practitioner )ust reveal hi) or herself to the intended victi)5 curses cannot be thro%n secretly or anony)ously$ urses only affect hu)ans and do)esticated ani)als$ 3ild ani)als, supernatural creatures, ani)ated ob,ects, de)ons and other inhu)an agents are not har)ed by curses$ >efending against a curse: urse #))unity is an absolute defense$ #f a person is protected by urse #))unity, no curse )ay har) hi) or her$ @ther%ise, the person cursed is allo%ed to )ake a Resist 8%illNtenacious9 task check to neutralize the effects$

&hrowing a !urse: urse urse heck to Thro% FinRoutine Bane !ard Tribulation Dor)idable ane
Roll .d? . '

Resist heck to >efend Routine !ard !ard

Roll t%ice on the ,in- table instead$ The victi) is %racked by intense pain$ Dor the ne-t three rounds, the character )ust )ake a Aigor8!eroic9 task check in order to take any action at all 8check for each action9$ @pen %ounds appear on the victi)Cs body$ Treat as a Bleeding in,ury result$ Rando) o)a The victi) contracts a disease$ 7er)anently )ute Broken Bones Te)porary co)plete blindness 8until sunrise of the follo%ing day9

M K 0 I / ?

Finx
Roll .d? . The victi) drops %hatever he is holding and cannot attack this round, although he )ay recover the ob,ect as his ne-t attack action$ The victi) sneezes violently$ Dor one round he cannot attack or defend$ The victi) trips and falls to the ground$ Dor one round he cannot attack or defend$ The victi) suffers fro) a severe rash$ 5. to all task checks for 'K hours$ Melancholia 8per)anent until cured9$ The victi)Cs vision gets e-tre)ely blurry$ Aision returns to nor)al after three rounds 8. )inute9 The victi) has painful )uscle spas)s$ Treat as a stunned in,ury result this round and ne-t round$ Roll once on the Bane table instead Effect

,emo'ing a !urse:
urses can be re)oved in three %ays: The po%er Re)ove urse can re)ove the curse %ith no chance of failure$ "ny cursed person can visit a sacred site and atte)pt to co))une %ith the spirits there in the hopes that they %ill re)ove the curse$ This re&uires a o))une8Dor)idable9 task check$ #t can only be atte)pted once for any given sacred site$ "ny cursed person can atte)pt to rid the)selves of the curse through )editation alone$ The difficulty is Meditation 8!eroic9$ Dor every day spent in rest and )editation the cursed person )ay )ake one task check$

' M K 0 I / ?

70

&ribulation:
Roll . ' M K 0 I Roll t%ice on the Bane table instead$ "ni)als hate the victi)$ >o)esticated ani)als refuse to obey his co))ands and avoid hi) if possible$ 3ild ani)als %ill either flee or attack$ "fter one hour a s%ar) of insects attacks the victi)$ Every day thereafter, so long as the victi) is alive there is one chance in eight that another s%ar) of insects %ill attack$ Aicti) contracts a fast acting disease$ Treat it as a disease already in progress, eight days into the incubation period$ The victi) loses the ability to read, %rite, speak, sing or co)prehend all languages$ 2o effect until the ne-t ti)e the victi) sleeps$ 3hile the victi) sleeps he turns into a baboon 8or other ani)al, at the ga)e )asterCs discretion9$ The victi) retains his )ind but is unable to speak or perfor) )agical rituals and loses the use of any charis)a skills$ >e)onic 7ossession Roll once on this table and once on the bane table

/ ?

71

/iseases
>iseases are poorly understood, and doctors have trouble distinguishing one disease fro) another$ Dor the purpose of these rules, all infectious diseases have the sa)e effects$ " character )ay contract a disease if he or she: .$ +uffers a penetrating %ound$ '$ #s bitten 8be an ani)al, hu)an or )onster9$ M$ Touches infected hu)an re)ains or bodily fluids$ K$ Touches certain abo)inations, such as ghouls$ 0$ >rinks 8or is i))ersed in9 conta)inated %ater$ I$ !as inti)ate contact %ith an infected individual$ /$ ;ives around infected people for a prolonged period of ti)e$ 3henever a character is e-posed to a disease, he or she )ay avoid contracting it by )aking a !ealth 8fitnessNsensible9 task check: !ealth check to avoid disease: E-posure type Dre&uency of !ealth task checks check difficulty 7enetrating 3ound Bite !andling infected re)ains or fluids ontact %ith abo)inations #ngesting conta)inated %ater +%i))ing in conta)inated %ater #nti)ate contact %ith an infected person 7er e-posure 7er e-posure 7er e-posure 7er e-posure 7er e-posure 7er e-posure 7er e-posure !ard Trivial Trivial Routine Routine Trivial Trivial Trivial "t the end of the incubation period, the infected person %ill beco)e ill$ "t this point, the infected person )akes another !ealth task check$ This ti)e the difficulty is Routine$ #f this second check is successful, the person %ill suffer only a )inor, annoying illness$ The character %ill gain the +ickly fla% for a period of ten days, and then recover$ #f the person %as already +ickly, he or she %ill be bedridden and unable to )ake any Bra%n or Ditness checks for one )onth$ #n either case, the person %ill be contagious for the duration of the illness$ #f the !ealth task check is unsuccessful, the infected person %ill contract a serious illness and )ay die$ +erious #llness:
sy)pto) >eath Blindness Drail +ickly *gly !ealth task +pecial cases check to avoid Routine Routine Routine !ard Trivial #f already frail, character dies #f already sickly, character dies !orrific blisters appear$ 3hen the illness is over the blisters are replaced by disfiguring scars$

Dirst, the character )ust )ake a !ealth 8Routine9 task check$ #f this check fails, the character dies$ Even if the character survives, he or she risks developing blindness or per)anent fla%s$ Blindness: #f this check is failed, the character beco)es co)pletely blind$ Drail: The character )ust )ake a !ealth 8Routine9 task check$ #f this check fails, the character ac&uires the Drail fla%$ #f the character %as already Drail, he or she dies$ +ickly: The character )ust )ake a !ealth 8Routine9 task check$ #f this check fails, the character ac&uires the +ickly fla%$ #f the character %as already +ickly, he or she dies$ *gly: The character )ust )ake a !ealth 8Routine9 task check$ #f this check fails, the character ac&uires the *gly fla%5 in this case, his or her face is covered %ith blisters$ #f the character %as already ugly, there is no further penalty5 but the blisters %ill cause )ost people to shun the diseased person in any case$ #f the disease causes the character to have t%o fla%s for the sa)e attribute, the task check penalties for B@T! fla%s are applied 85IO9$ 2eedless to say a person %ho is both clu)sy and sickly %on4t be %inning any footraces$

;iving around an infected 7er )onth person 7rogress of the >isease:

#f the character fails the initial health task check, he or she %ill contract a disease$ The incubation period is ten days$ >uring the incubation period, the infected person %ill not sho% any signs of the disease$ Dor the purpose of these rules the incubation period is the sa)e as the latency period 8the period during %hich the infected person is not contagious9$

72

)ealing *agic"nyone %ith the )agical po%er >isease #))unity %ill not contract a disease for any reason$ This person can drink unsafe %ater, s%i) in an open se%er, bathe in the blood of his ene)ies5 no behavior, ho%ever reckless, %ill cause the character to contract a disease$ Restore health can re)ove all fla%s inflicted by disease, unless the fla% %as ac&uired )ore than one year prior to the application of restorative )agic$ #f a fla% has persisted for longer than one year, no restorative )agic %ill re)ove it$ 8Dla%s ac&uired through the character generation process are al%ays considered long ter) and cannot be re)oved %ith Restore !ealth9$

The )agical ability Dight >isease %ill re)ove all disease organis)s Restore health can restore sight to so)eone %ho has been blinded fro) a person4s body$ #f Dight >isease is applied to the infected by disease, if applied %ithin five years of the onset of blindness$ #f person during the incubation period, no har) %ill co)e to hi) or a character has been blind for )ore than five years, his or her her$ vision cannot be restored$ #f the character is already seriously ill, Dight >isease %ill re)ove the infectious organis)s, but cannot heal any ac&uired fla%s, %hich represent long ter) organ da)age$

Poison
#ngestion: The creature eats or drinks the poison$ #nhalation: The creature breathes air that contains poison )ist, ash or gas$ #n,ection: The poison enters the creature4s bloodstrea) through a cut or break in the skin$ Effects: Dor the purposes of these rules the pri)ary effects of poison are ytoto-ic and 2eurological$ +o)e poisons only have one effect and so)e have both$ #f a poison is both cytoto-ic and neurological, the victi) )ust deal %ith both effects independently, as if he or she %ere e-posed to t%o co)pletely different poisons$ There are three different %ays that poison can be introduced into a creature4s body: 7oisons are rated according to severity: Mild, +evere and >eadly$ 3hite 3ido% spiders are less veno)ous than their better kno%n 2eurological cousins, the black %ido% spiders$ Mild 3hite %ido%s are co))on in 2orth "frica and the Middle East$ Mild +evere >eadly Mild >ose dependent >ose >ependent Black 3ido% spiders are found in Europe and "sia$ obras are found in "frica and +outh "sia$ Aipers and scorpions )ay be encountered al)ost any%here$

!ommonly encountered poisons:

7oison +%ar) insect bite 3hite 3ido% +ting Black 3ido% +ting +corpion +ting obra Bite Aiper Bite !e)lock +trychnine >elivery #n,ection #n,ection #n,ection #n,ection #n,ection #n,ection #ngestion #ngestion or #nhalation ytoto-ic 2one 2one 2one +evere >eadly 2one 2one

2one or Mild 2one, Mild or +evere

73

!ytotoxic E""ects:
Aigor heck Dailure Trivial Routine !ard Dor)idable !eroic Mild 2ecrosis +evere 7ain 7ain 2o #n,ury 2o #n,ury 2o #n,ury +evere E-tre)e 2ecrosis 2ecrosis +evere 7ain 7ain 2o #n,ury 2o #n,ury >eadly >eath E-tre)e 2ecrosis 2ecrosis +evere 7ain 7ain 2o #n,ury

>eath: #ncapacitation is i))ediate, although the victi) )ay )ake a dying declaration, and )ay take one final action if he or she )akes a Resist8!eroic9 check$ 2euroto-ic o)a: Treat as death 8above9 e-cept that the victi) falls into a co)atose state$ Every four hours the victi) )ay )ake a Aigor check$ #f the result is Dor)idable, the victi) recovers fro) the co)a$ #f the result is Dailure, the victi) dies$ @ther%ise, the victi) re)ains in a co)a$ E-tre)e 2ecrosis: #f the in,ection site %as a li)b, treat this as a trau)atic a)putation in,ury$ #f it %as on the body, treat as a gaping %ound internal in,ury$ #f the in,ection site %as on the head or neck, the victi) dies$ 7aralysis: Treat as o)a, e-cept that the victi) is conscious of his or her surroundings and recovery is auto)atic after three hours$ 7artial 7aralysisN2ausea: #f the poison %as ad)inistered via in,ection, he or she loses all sensation and )obility of the affected li)b for one hour$ 8#f the in,ection site %as the head, the victi) falls into a neuroto-ic co)a instead$ #f the in,ection site %as the body, the victi) suffers total paralysis instead$ #f the poison %as ad)inistered via ingestion or inhalation, the affected person beco)es violently ill$ !e or she can take no action for five )inutes$ onfusion: Treat the victi) as if he or she has ,ust taken the fourth dose of an alcoholic beverage$ 7ain: Treat as co)bat in,ury stunned$ Entheogenic Effects: "ny ti)e a person is e-posed to a 2eurological poison he or she )ay )ake a o))une8!ard9 check to enter a heirophanic state$

Neurological E""ects:
Aigor heck Dailure Trivial Mild 7aralysis 7artial 7aralysisN 2ausea Routine 7ain and onfusion 7artial 7aralysisN 2ausea !ard 7ain 7ain and onfusion 7artial 7aralysisN 2ausea Dor)idable !eroic 2o #n,ury 2o #n,ury 7ain 2o #n,ury 7ain and onfusion 7ain 7aralysis +evere 2euroto-ic o)a 7aralysis >eadly >eath 2euroto-ic o)a

*elancholia
Melancholia is a for) of depression$ Effects: " person %ho is suffering fro) )elancholia )ust )ake a Resist8Routine9 task check every )orning at sunrise$ #f the check fails, the person suffers fro) a bout of depression that day$ Dor one day, the character ac&uires the fla%s ;azy and "n-ious$ #f the character already had one of these fla%s, he or she is unable to do anything constructive that day$ " person suffering fro) Melancholia cannot enter a heirophanic state or a state of ecstasy$ uring Melancholia: #f the )elancholia %as caused by either a curse or backlash fro) a failed ritual, it can be eli)inated by the Re)ove urse po%er$ "ny incidence of )elancholia, regardless of the cause, can be re)oved by any of the follo%ing )ethods: Revels: The haracter )ust attend a party and )ake a successful Revels8Dor)idable9 task check$

Meditation: The haracter )ust )editate for t%o hours and )ake a successful Meditation8Dor)idable9 task check$ 7a)pering: The person %ho is pa)pering the depressed character )ust )ake a successful 7a)per8!ard9 task check$ +e-: The person %ho is having se- %ith the depressed character )ust )ake a successful +e-8!ard9 task check$ Music: The person %ho plays )usic for the depressed person )ust )ake a successful Music8!ard9 task check$ lo%ning: The person %ho is clo%ning for the depressed person )ust )ake a successful Gy)nastics8!ard9 task check$ Each )ethod )ay only be atte)pted once$ #f it fails, that particular incidence of )elancholia %ill never be re)oved by the )ethod atte)pted$ +o)a: #f the character drinks at least one dose of +o)a, the difficulty of re)oving )elancholia by any )ethod is reduced by one level$ #f all else fails, the ga)e )aster )ay allo% the character to get rid of his or her )elancholia by co)pleting a &uest or so)e arduous or dangerous religious duty$

74

0nto1ication
Dro) the king of kings to the poorest laborer or slave, nearly everyone drinks %ine or beer$ Every nation has its preferred drink$ Mesopota)ia is fa)ous for its abundant taverns$ The "chaeans prefer %ine and honey )ead to beer$ The Aedic #ndians drink +ura, a s%eet beverage bre%ed fro) grapes, %heat, rice )eal and sugar cane$ #n 6e)et, the best varieties of beer and %ine have old and distinguished pedigrees, and are offered as sacrifices to the gods$ Every%here beer and %ine are considered sacred beverages$ #n 6e)et, the goddesses Men&et and Tene)yt preside over the bre%ing of beer, and the cobra goddess Renenutet is the )istress of viticulture$ #n Babylon divine +iduri is ale%ife to the gods$

Both )en and %o)en )ake %ine but in )ost cultures %o)en do)inate the bre%ing of beer$ Bre%ing is one of the fe% professions %here a free, independent %o)an of )odest )eans can )ake an honest living$ *se a ooking task check %henever so)eone %ishes to bre% an into-icating beverage$ >istillation is an unkno%n technology so alcohol content never surpasses about '(H $ +o)a: +o)a is any into-icating beverage that contains entheogens$ Bre%ers create +o)a by )aking successful ooking 8!ard9 and !erbalis) 8!ard9 task checks$ #f either check is unsuccessful, the concoction beco)es ineffective and )ildly poisonous$ #f +o)a is created successfully, anyone %ho drinks it auto)atically enters a heirophanic state$

&he e""ects o" intoxication:

Dirst >ose o)a +tupor 2auseaN Ao)iting >aring Brave #ntuition 7enalty Ditness 7enalty raft 7enalty har) 7enalty 3ill 7enalty Routine Trivial Trivial Trivial 2o penalty 2o penalty 2o penalty !ard Routine Routine Routine Routine Trivial Trivial 2o penalty Dor)idable !ard !eroic Dor)idable Dor)idable Dor)idable Routine Routine !eroic Dor)idable !eroic !eroic !eroic !eroic !ard Dor)idable no no no +econd and Third Dourth, Difth and >ose +i-th >ose no Trivial Trivial Trivial Routine Routine +eventh >ose or greater Routine !ard !ard

6no%ledge 7enalty 2o penalty

Make a vigor task check for every effect every ti)e the character has one dose 8M( );9 of an into-icating beverage$ >aring or Brave: haracter receives this personality &uirk if he or she doesn4t have it already$ "ttribute penalty: "ll task checks under the affected attribute are at 5M$ " character %ho is in a stupor %ill be a%ake but essentially useless, and %ill eventually fall into a deep sleep$ " character %ho is in a co)a %ill re)ain unconscious for .( hours and )ust )ake a trivial health task check or die$

75

/emonic Possession
@ne of the )ost devastating effects curses can have on their victi)s is de)onic possession$ >e)ons also can possess people as a result of a failed ritual$ 7ossessed people act like %ild ani)als$ They behave inappropriately, screa)ing and cursing and neglecting their physical needs$ They )ay attack people at rando)$ #f a protagonist is possessed by a de)on, the player te)porarily loses control of the character$ 7ossessed people lack e)pathy and insensible to pain$ #f they don4t already have the Tough trait or ruel advantage, they receive the) for the duration of the de)onic possession$ >e)onically possessed people %on4t usually attack %ith %eapons$ They prefer to bite, rend or curse the people they encounter$ The de)on4s presence usually gives the possessed person so)e for) of enhanced attack$ The )agical po%ers Blast and +acred +un auto)atically destroy the de)on and free the victi) fro) de)onic possession$
.d? >e)onic behavior and enhanced attacks

The possessed person %ill not atte)pt to attack unless provoked$ Anything )ight count as provocation$ #f the person is provoked, the possessed person attacks %ith enhanced abilities 8roll again on this table9$ The possessed person gains no additional abilities, but %ill attack %ith his or her bare hands$ The possessed person %ill attack unar)ed %ith supernatural strength, gaining the )uscular trait$ The possessed person gains the co)petitive advantage and )uscular trait and %ill bite using %restling 8bra%nNco)petitive9$ The bite inflicts laceration da)age and is severely cytoto-ic 8see poison9$ The possessed person gains the brave advantage and %ill use any sort of )elee %eapon$ The possessed person can inflict ,in-es$ The possessed person can inflict bane curses$ The possessed person can inflict bane and tribulation curses$
atte)pt first second third fourth fifth si-th Total ti)e ' hours K hours I hours ? hours .( hours .' hours #n,ury 2one ;ight bruise +cratch Bleeding Broken bones #nternal bleeding

' M K

0 I / ?

>e)onic possession can also be re)oved through an E-orcis) ritual$ The possessed person )ust be captured and bound$ Every t%o hours, the e-orcist )ay )ake a for)idable Ritual 8%illNvisionary9 task check to e-orcise the de)on$ The e-orcist )ust physically in,ure the possessed person during the e-orcis)$ "t first these physical in,uries are )ild, but every t%o hours the in,uries beco)e progressively )ore serious$ #f e-orcis) does not succeed by the si-th atte)pt, it never %ill$

76

Mar&od: God of dance$ <etesh: Goddess of se-ual pleasure and tutelary deity of the The "chaeans are an #ndo5European tribe that has invaded )ost of epony)ous city$ the territory surrounding the "egean sea$ Their pantheon contains Resheph: God of healing and pestilence$ both #ndo5European deities such as >i%o, the sky god, gods and +ydyk: God of ,ustice$ goddesses of retan origin 8such as "te)ito, 7a,a%o and 7eresa%a9 and aboriginal nature spirits$ !e "ods o# Crete: 7oseda%one is the )ost po%erful deity, but "te)ito is the )ost popular$ "te)ito is closely associated %ith the retan goddess retan religion is based on the %orship of various Earth5 Brito)artis and the retan ult of the Tree$ goddesses$ Bulls, snakes and poppies are considered especially "piiti,o: God of fire$ sacred$ "tana: Goddess of %ar$ 8Mistress of "thens9 "te)ito: Goddess of the )oon and hunting$ "riadne: Mistress of the ;abyrinth, a snake goddess and goddess >i%o: God of the sky$ of the under%orld$ Enu%ari,o: 3ar god$ Brito)artis: +%eet Maiden, or Mother of Mountains, the 7a,a%o: God of healing, )agic and )usic$ retan goddess of the hunt$ !er sy)bol is the double headed a7eresa%a: Goddess of the under%orld$ 8labrys9 and her sacred ani)al is the serpent$ 7oseda%one: hief of the gods, god of earth&uakes and horses$ 7asiphae: Goddess of the )oon, )agic and prophecy$ 7oroteu: God of the sea$ +on of >i%o: God of nature, trees, %ine, ritual )adness and !e "ods o# Elam: revelry$ Ela)ite religion is )atriarchal and the priesthood is largely fe)ale$

!e "ods o# t!e Ac!aeans:

The "kkadians are a +e)itic people of Mesopota)ia$ The great "kkadian e)pire once covered the %hole of Mesopota)ia$ The "kkadian e)pire is ,ust a )e)ory, but t%o other +e)itic e)pires have risen to fight over the re)ains: "ssyria in the north and Babylon in the south$ They share a co))on religious tradition and )any of the sa)e gods$ "nu:+ky god$ "shur: Tutelary deity of "ssur$ #shtar: Goddess of love and %ar$ 2abu: God of %riting$ 2anshe: Goddess of ,ustice$ 2ergal: God of the under%orld$ Marduk: Tutelary deity of Babylon$ +ha)ash: +un god$ +iduri: Goddess of %ine$

!e "ods o# t!e A$$adians:

#nshushinak: Tutelary deity of +usa Fabru: Dather of all the gods and god of the under%orld$ 6hu)ban: +ky god and chief of all the gods$ 6iririsha: Mother goddess and %ife of 6hu)ban 7inikir: "n earth goddess$

The #ndo5European !ittites rule over a confederation of "natolian tribes, including the closely related ;u%ians and the non5#ndo5 European !urrians$ 3henever the !ittites con&uer or absorb a people, they incorporate that people4s gods into the !ittite pantheon, so !atti is kno%n as the ;and of Ten Thousand Gods$ Every to%n has its o%n local deities, but there are gods of national i)portance: "rinna: +un Goddess$ "r)a: ;u%ian )oon god$ "runa: God of the +ea$ !ebat: !urrian )other goddess$ !asa)eli: God of crafts)en and )iners$ !atepuna: +ea goddess$ >aughter of "runa and %ife of Telepinu$ #nara: 2ature goddess, goddess of protection$ #stanu: God of the sun and ,udg)ent$ 6a)rusepa: Goddess of )agic and healing$ 6urunta: God of the !unt$ 6ushuh: !urrian )oon god$ +ha%ushka: !urrian goddess of love, %ar and fertility$ Telepinu: God of Dar)ing Teshub: God of the +ky *pelluri: !urrian drea)ing god, god of prophecy$ Aillu: !urrian fish god of droughts and thirst$

!e "ods o# t!e Hittites and H%rrians:

"nother +e)itic people, %ith a distinct culture, living in the ;evant$ +o)e anaanite deities are %idely recognized and %orshiped in 6e)et, particularly since the !yksos invasion$ "nat: Airgin goddess of %ar, %orshiped in 6e)et$ "thirat: Mother goddess$ "ttar: The )orning star$ Baal !adad: 8Master of Thunder9 +tor) god$ Baal !a))on: Dertility god$ >agon: God of grain$ Esh)un: 7hysician of the gods$ 6otharat: Goddess of )arriage and fertility$ 6othar5%a56hasis: God of crafts)en and engineers$

!e "ods o# t!e Canaanites:

77

Indo&Aryan "ods:

The ancestral lands of the #ndo5"ryans are located east of the aspian sea$ #n recent centuries #ndo5"ryan peoples have )igrated %est, into northern +yria, and southeast, into #ndia$ Thus, the #ndo5 "ryan pantheon is revered by groups as far apart as the Maryanu in "r)enia and the Aedic tribes of the #ndus$ "gni: Brother of #ndra and god of fire and sacrifice$ Brah)a: The creator god$ >yaus: The heavens personified$ #ndra: The brash and i)pulsive leader of the gods$ Mitra: The god of honesty, friendship and oaths$ Rudra: The ho%ling god, god of %ind, stor)s, archery and destruction$ +urya: The sun personified$ Tvastr: reator god and god of artisans$ Aaruna: The god of sky and %ater$ Aishnu: The preserver god, held by so)e to be the supre)e deity$ Ba)a: The god of death, an apotheosis of the first )ortal to die$

"lthough 6ush has its o%n uni&ue pantheon, its religious beliefs have been strongly influenced by those of 6e)et$ By the sa)e token, 6ushitic gods are recognized and respected in 6e)et$ "l)ost all 6ushitic gods are %arlike and represented as lions or lion5headed hu)ans$ "pede)ak: God of %ar$ "rensnuphis: hief of the gods$ >edun: God of incense, %ealth and prosperity$ Menhit: +he %ho )assacres$ Goddess of %ar$

!e "ods o# K%s!:

Ancient 'ant!eons:
+o)e pantheons are already ancient and defunct$ The follo%ing pantheons %ere revered by civilizations that no longer e-ist$ ertain cults or supernatural creatures )ay continue to follo% the old gods$

!e "ods o# Kemet:
Most of the gods of 6e)et are of local origin, but they have also adopted so)e anaanite deities such as "nat and <etesh$ The gods of 6e)et are )ostly concerned %ith upholding ,ustice and social order and so)e are believed to physically co)bat the forces of chaos to the benefit of )ankind$ ")un: hief god of Thebes "nubis: 7rotector of the dead$ "tu): reator deity and god of the setting sun$ Baba: +avage baboon god of darkness and virility$ Bast: at goddess and protector of the royal fa)ily$ Bes: " d%arf god, hideous in for) to better frighten a%ay evil$ 7rotector of children, dancing girls and %o)en in childbirth$ Geb: Earth god and patron deity of far)ers$ !athor: Goddess of love, )usic and cattle$ !orus: Dalcon headed sky god and god of %ar$ #sis: Goddess of )agic and healing$ 6hnu): Ra) headed god of potters and the 2ile cataracts$ 6honsu: Moon god$ Min: God of fertility$ 2eferte): God of the lotus blosso), protector of 6e)et$ 2eith: "ncient goddess of %arfare and %eaving$ 2ephthys: Goddess of death, protector of the dead$ 2un: 7ri)ordial creator god$ 2ut: the divine personification of the sky$ @siris: God of rebirth, fertility and the under%orld$ 7tah: reator god and patron of artisans$ Ra: +un god and creator deity$ +ekh)et: ;ion goddess of %ar$ +et: God of the desert, chaos and stor)s and foreigners$ +hes)u: ;ord of blood and slaughter$ +hu: God of air and sunlight$ Thoth: God of kno%ledge, %riting and )agic$ 3ad,et: obra goddess$

'roto&Indo&E%ropean "ods:
This is the religion of the ancestors of the "chaeans, !ittites and Aedic "ryans$ "t the center of the %orld is one great treeG its branches support the sky and its roots e-tend deep into an under%orld %here the spirits of the dead d%ell$ >anu: River Goddess >yaus 7iter: +ky5father, patriarch of all the gods$ !ausos: Goddess of love, light and the da%n$ Menot: Moon god 2epots: God of the sea$ 7ehuson: God of shepherds$ 7erk%uonos: The strikerG god of thunder and %ar$ 7riha: Goddess of ;ove +ehul: +un god 3elnos: God of cattle

(%merian "ods:
The +u)erians created the %orld4s first civilization as early as K0(( B $ +u)erian culture and religion had a tre)endous influence on all later Mesopota)ian civilizations, such as the "kkadians, "ssyrians and Babylonians$ "n: +ky god$ Enlil: 3ind god and patron deity of 2ippur$ Enki: God of %isdo) and virility$ Ereshkigal: Goddess of the under%orld$ #nanna: Goddess of love, fertility and %ar$ 2inhursag: Earth goddess$ 2anna: Moon god, patron deity of *r$ *tu: God of the +un$

78

&nimalsMost hu)ans have so)e sort of contact %ith ani)als every day$ Most of these encounters are benign5 at least fro) the hu)an4s point of vie%$ 3hen hu)ans and ani)als co)e into conflict, tools and superior organization usually give hu)ans a critical advantage$ But any ani)al can be dangerous, under the right circu)stances$ "nd big, aggressive ani)als like lions and elephants )ake deadly foes$ !ere are so)e e-a)ples of ho% characters )ay encounter ani)als in the ga)e:

three things that )ight happen$ .9 the ani)al dies, '9 the ani)al is seriously in,ured or M9 the ani)al gets )ad$ "ni)als never check for their e)otional state in co)bat$ "ni)als do need to )ake valor checks %hen they e-perience danger$ #f they fail, they %ill atte)pt to run a%ay$ +o)e ani)als such as sharks and crocodiles are too stupid to run fro) any confrontation$ Dor the purpose of the defense superior reach treat all ani)al attacks as having a reach of one$

Animal Statistics: Aalor: This is the ani)al4s bonus to valor checks$ #f the "ni)al 7rey: !u)ans hunt ani)als for food$ "l)ost any ani)al ani)al is e-posed to frightening )agic 8such as +care9, the can be killed for its )eat, but big predators are usually too ani)al )ust pass a for)idable task check$ #f the Aalor check dangerous and difficult to catch to )ake efficient food sources$ fails, the ani)al flees$ #f the ani)al is confronted by a "ntelopes, goats, sheep, )onkeys, pigs and s)all birds are all routinely hunted and killed for their )eat$ Royalty hunt ani)als for bigger, hostile creature it )ust pass a routine check or flee$
sport, even using chariots and co)posite bo%s to take do%n big predators$ >o)esticated "ni)als: !u)ans keep co%s, pigs, chickens, sheep and goats and slaughter the) for their )eat$ o%s and goats also produce useful &uantities of )ilk, and sheep produce %ool$ hickens lay eggs$ Many do)esticated ani)als produce useful fertilizer and can be used to pull plo%s or carry burdens$ >o)esticated ani)als are usually relatively docile, but any ani)al can beco)e aggressive under the right circu)stances$

!ostility: This is the difficulty of any !unt 8#ntuitionN7atient9 task to avoid angering the ani)al$ leverness: This is the difficulty of any !unt 8#ntuitionN7atient9 roll to surprise, a)bush or outs)art the ani)al$ The ani)al4s sensory acuity is as i)portant here as its brains$

+print: This is the difficulty of any +print 8DitnessN<uick9 roll to outrun the ani)al in the short ter)$ 2ote that in the real 3atchdogs: >ogs are the )ost co))only used guard ani)als, but %orld, it is i)possible for a hu)an to outrun antelopes or geese also )ake useful burglar alar)s$ ats are good security cheetahs, especially over short distances$ But The Red against pests$ Gods of Babylon is the story of e-traordinary heroes, and +acred "ni)als: Te)ples and palaces often )aintain sacred the fittest a)ongst the) are able to outrun almost any ani)als, particularly in 6e)et$ "ny sort of ani)al can be cared for living creature$ Dlying creatures 8eagles, geese9 can al%ays as sacred$ Even big, dangerous ani)als are kept in this %ay$ These outdistance ground creatures such as hu)ans$ 3hen )ight prove a nasty surprise to burglars$ atte)pting to outdistance s%i))ing creatures 8such as sharks9, use s%i))ing instead$ Traps: " ten foot pit is a potentially dangerous trap$ " ten foot pit
full of cobras is the stuff of night)ares$ Traps can be deliberate or incidental$ #f you go poking your hand into confined spaces in the dark, don4t be surprised if the creature that lives there bites it$ Maneaters: rocodiles %ill eat anything that )oves, and along the 2ile river, )ore people are killed by crocodiles than by any other predator$ Big cats usually leave people alone, but if other ga)e is scarce they %ill hunt hu)ans$

>istance: This is the difficulty of any >istance Running 8DitnessNTenacious9 roll to outrun the ani)al over ti)e$ Bipedal hu)ans actually have an advantage over &uadrupeds %hen running long distances5 but only if they are very, very fit$ Most ani)als %ill not pursue hu)ans over great distances$ "ttack: The )odifier for the ani)al4s )ain for) of attack$ Big cats )ay attack %ith their cla%s instead, inflicting laceration instead of puncture da)age$ >odge: "ni)als %ill atte)pt to avoid ene)y attacks by dodging the), %ith the indicated bonus$ #n,ury lass: Refer to the ani)al in,ury table to deter)ine the effects of an ene)y attack$

#ighting animals:
o)bat should al%ays be resolved as &uickly and as si)ply as possible, but this is especially true of co)bat bet%een hu)ans and ani)als$ There4s no need to deter)ine %hat specific in,uries the ani)al suffers during the fight$ 3hen a hu)an strikes an ani)al in co)bat there are really only

79

Animal Statistics
Aalor "ntelope "pe "ss Baboon Bear Bovine heetah obra rocodile >og Eagle Elephant Goat Goose !orse !ouse at !ippo !yena ;eopard ;ion Monkey Rhino +hark Tiger 3arthog L( LM L. L' LM LK L' nNa nNa L. L. L' L. L' L. L( L' L. L' L' L( LM nNa L( L' !ostility Routine !ard !ard !ard !ard !ard Dor)idable !ard nNa Routine !ard !ard !ard Routine !ard Routine !eroic !ard !eroic !eroic !ard Dor)idable !eroic !eroic Dor)idable leverness !ard !ard !ard !ard !ard Routine !ard Easy Easy !ard Routine !ard !ard Routine !ard !ard Routine !ard !ard !ard Routine Routine Routine !ard !ard +print !eroic !ard Dor)idable !ard Dor)idable Dor)idable !eroic Routine !ard Dor)idable nNa Dor)idable !ard nNa !eroic !ard Dor)idable Dor)idable Dor)idable Dor)idable Routine Dor)idable 8!eroic9 Dor)idable !ard >istance Dor)idable !ard Dor)idable !ard Dor)idable !ard Dor)idable Easy Easy !ard nNa Dor)idable !ard nNa Dor)idable Easy Easy !ard !ard !ard Routine !ard 8!eroic9 !ard Routine "ttack LM horn LM crush L' bite L' bite LK cla% LM crush LK bite L. bite LM bite L' bite L. cla% L0 crush L. crush L( crush LM hoof L( cla% LM crush L' bite L0 bite LI bite L. bite LK crush L0 bite L/ bite L' bite >odge L' L. L. L' L. L( LM LM L( L' LK L( L. LM L. LM L( L' L' L. LM L( L. L( L. #n,ury lass "ntelope "pe "ntelope >og "pe Bovine >og Dragile Bovine >og Dragile Elephant >og Dragile "pe Dragile Elephant >og "pe Bovine Dragile Elephant "pe Elephant "ntelope

Animal $n3ury &able:

"ttack +uccess Trivial Routine !ard Dor)idable !eroic Dragile +uperficial 6illed 6illed 6illed 6illed >og +uperficial 3ounded 6illed 6illed 6illed "ntelope +uperficial 3ounded 3ounded 6illed 6illed "pe +uperficial +uperficial 3ounded 6illed 6illed Bovine +uperficial +uperficial 3ounded 3ounded 6illed Elephant +uperficial +uperficial +uperficial 3ounded 6illed

+uperficial: The in,ury is not significant, but if the %eapon is poisoned, the ani)al %ill be e-posed to the poison$ 3ounded: The ani)al4s in,ury class drops by one category$ Dor e-a)ple, %hen a fighter attacks a %ounded ape, the effects of the attack are resolved on the "ntelope table rather than the "pe table$ #f the ani)al is %ounded again, it dies$ 6illed: The ani)al dies$

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*agical Animals:

+o)e ani)als have one or )ore )agical po%ers, such as: 7o%ers that enhance the ani)al4s natural attacks: 8"gony, Aeno)9$ >efensive po%ers such as poison, fire and curse i))unity$ Mental and 7hysical Enhance)ents$ E-a)ple )agical ani)al:
De% of the original >ravidian inhabitants still live on the banks of the +arasvati river$ Dor the )ost part the >ravidians have been driven south%ard by the Aedic "ryans$ " long stretch of rough, hilly, heavily forested ground hides the fe% re)aining >ravidian villages$ The people of these villages %orship a )an5eating Tiger they call +enthil$ The >ravidians kno% ho% to placate +enthil %ith

rituals, but he consu)es Aedic "ryans by the dozens every year$ !e attacks any Aedic "ryans he sees$ #f he isn4t hungry he )utilates the) for sport and leaves the )eat to rot$ +enthil is a tiger %ith the follo%ing )agical abilities: +care, To-in, 3ord of 7o%er 8roar9, urse #))unity, 7oison i))unity, Breath of 7oroteu, ;eap, +ilence$ Trackless and +ense ;ife$ #f +enthil is killed, %ith his dying breath he %ill curse his killer %ith Tribulation$ +enthil can4t attack and roar 83ord of 7o%er9 in the sa)e round$ !e4ll usually roar first, to stun his opponents, and then attack$ "lthough he doesn4t have to leave a trail 8Trackless9 he often %ill in order to lead )en into a trap$ !e4s very cunning in the use of natural barriers, and inti)ately fa)iliar %ith the local terrain$ !e %as %ounded by an arro% fro) a chariot archer once, so he4s particularly cautious %hen dealing %ith chariots$ !e4ll try to lure )en into tall grass to )ini)ize the effectiveness of chariots and arro%s, and to )ake it harder for his prey to run a%ay$

Abominations
Evil supernatural creatures such as ghouls and de)ons are kno%n as abo)inations$ "bo)inations aren4t born5 they4re %hat happens to a soul that has gone bad$ 3hen the dead go unburied and un)ourned, their lost souls beco)e abo)inations$ 3itches have been kno%n to knit such creatures fro) corpses, pain and unfulfilled a)bition$ "nd so)eti)es, the shade of so)e depraved %izard king returns fro) belo% to %reak havoc on the %orld$ "bo)inations never have to )ake )orale checks, and they are al)ost al%ays i)placably hostile to hu)ans$ "ll abo)inations are i))une to the effects of disease, poison and curses, and are never bothered by insect s%ar)s$ They do not need to breathe, and they see perfectly %ell in total darkness$ They do not check for their e)otional states in battle$ "ni)als %ill avoid the)$ Most abo)inations are uni&ue$ The listing belo% is only a sa)pling of the for)s they )ight take:

&bomination
+print >istance "ttack >odge Resist #n,ury lass >isease !ealth check bovine elephant ape ape LI L0 L0 LM LK elephant bovine bovine ape ape for)idable routine routine for)idable routine routine routine hard hard Dear "ura Aalor heck routine routine 8routine9 routine heroic hard trivial none hard

"sakku "sterion hurel Ghoul Ma,or >e)on Minor >e)on Mushussu Rabisu Aetala

routine for)idable routine hard heroic for)idable hard hard hard

hard for)idable hard for)idable heroic for)idable easy hard hard

LM cla% LI %eapon LM bite LM cla% or bite LI various LK various LK bite L0 %restle LK cla%

L' LM LM LM L' LM L. LM LM

LM L0 LM

81

&bomination Powers
Magical "bilities "sakku "sterion hurel Ghoul Ma,or >e)on Minor >e)on Mushussu Rabisu Aetala "gony$ Enhanced sense of s)ell, Trackless$ Dire resistance$ >isguise, +ense ;ife, Tongues$ Enhanced sense of s)ell$ annot be har)ed by fire$ +ense life, +%ar), Tongues annot be har)ed by fire$ >isguise Dire resistance$ Dire resistance, +ilence$ annot be har)ed by fire$ >rea) )essage, +ense life, +ilence, Tongues$

&sa..u 8Mesopota)ia9: The "sakku are )inor de)ons %ith very

hairy hu)an bodies and the heads of %ild beasts$ Most appear fe)ale$ They attack %ith sharp cla%s$ "nyone %ho co)es %ithin short range of an "sakku )ust )ake a routine health task check or contract a disease$

&sterion 8"egean9: The "sterion is a large, bipedal )an5bull hybrid$

There is a secret ritual, kno%n only to certain )ad %izards on the island of rete, %hereby the officiant turns hi)self into an "sterion$ @n rete, so)e cults regard the "sterion as a revered but so)e%hat dangerous de)igod$ The established %arlords and kings fear the "sterion and %ill band together to prevent hi) fro) con&uering and uniting the island$ The "sterion %ill fight %ith large versions of ordinary hu)an %eapons, forged specifically for his use$ The "sterion fights as a tall hu)an5 his %eapons get a L. reach bonus$ !is favored %eapon is the double5 headed a- 8labyris9$ Treat the labyris as a hyksos a-$ #f the "sterion )ust chase so)eone do%n, he %ill drop his %eapon, run on all fours, and kill his prey %ith his bare hands 8%restling L09 The "sterion understands hu)an speech, but cannot speak$ !is follo%ers often have trouble interpreting his %ishes, %hich so)eti)es )akes hi) fly into a violent rage$

Chedi2e3Churel 8Aedic #ndia9: 3hen a %o)an dies by violence

and her body doesn4t receive the proper rites, her soul beco)es a hurel$ The hurel looks like a hideous old %o)an, but she can create an illusion that )akes her appear beautiful$ hurels haunt desolate places: graveyards, to)bs, abandoned battlefields$ The hurel4s bite in,ects a severe neurological to-in$ +he can change to and fro) shado% for) at %ill, but she cannot bite her victi)s %hile she is in shado% for)$ +he can also drop the illusion of beauty %henever she %ants$ "nyone %ho sees her in her true for) %ill be affected by her aura of supernatural fear$ This aura does not affect anyone %ho is fooled by her illusion of beauty$

82

hurels never appear in groups e-cept %hen there is a )a,or catastrophe$ #n the %ake of an earth&uake or tsuna)i they %ill hunt in packs of half a dozen or )ore$ @ther%ise, the hurel %ill stalk her prey alone$ +he prefers )ale victi)s$ +he is very cautious, preferring to steal upon )en %hile they sleep$ #f she4s desperate she4ll %aylay a )an %ho is traveling alone$ +he %ill try to paralyze hi)$ +he is very strong and capable of carrying his paralyzed body off to a &uiet place %here she can slo%ly drain his blood$ +he %ill take a little bit every night$ Every night, the victi) )ust )ake a for)idable Resist 8%illNtenacious9 task check or gain the +ickly fla%$ @nce he is sickly 8or if he %as already sickly9 he )ust )ake a routine !ealth 8fitnessNsensible9 roll every night or die$

Ghoul 8%idespread9: Ghouls look like baboons or feral, e)aciated

hu)ans, or so)e t%isted hybrid of both$ They eat hu)an flesh, and they aren4t particular about ho% fresh it is$ They %ill attack hu)ans in order to eat the), but they have a strong sense of self preservation and they %on4t attack unless they have a nu)erical advantage$ They aren4t particularly intelligent, but they are cunning$ They bite or cla% their victi)s, or attack %ith crude %eapons$

/emon 8%idespread9: 2o t%o de)ons are alike$ >e)ons can

take )any for)s, and each de)on %ill have uni&ue %eaknesses and capabilities, but for the purpose of these rules de)ons can be divided into t%o classes: )a,or de)ons and )inor de)ons$ The typical )inor de)on is about the size of an adult hu)an$ +o)e are bipedal and so)e are shaped like various beasts$ They )ay attack %ith cla%s and teeth, or they )ay use hu)an %eapons$ Ma,or de)ons are huge and terrible to behold$ Their bodies generate enor)ous heat$ "nyone %ithin short range )ust )ake a >odge task check as if affected by Dan Dla)es$

*ushussu 8Mesopota)ia9: The Mushussu is a reptile %ith legs like a

bird4s$ #n Babylon they are considered sacred, and the king keeps a fe% in the royal )enagerie, %here they eat off of golden plates$ They4re rather bad te)pered, and no s)arter than co))on beasts$

"abisu 8Mesopota)ia9: The Rabisu d%ell in the under%orld, but %hen

they venture onto the surface they tend to be dra%n to%ards cities$ They appear hu)an, usually in the for) of a leprous beggar$ They are very strong, and use %restling )oves to strangle their victi)s$ +o)eti)es they rob the corpses, but their pri)ary )otive is love of killing for its o%n sake$ They pick their victi)s carefully, averaging only one kill every fe% %eeks$ Every )a,or city has one$

Vetala 8Aedic #ndia9- The Aetala takes the for) of a hu)an skeleton %ith
large, tattered %ings$ They nest inside hollo% trees in desolate places$ "nyone %ho fails to resist the Aetala4s supernatural fear aura %ill contract Melancholy 8%hich see9$ " Aetala can be su))oned and controlled through the "kellare ritual as if it %ere a lesser de)on$

83

Standard Foes
+o)eti)es protagonists %ill get into fights %ith characters for %hich the ga)e )aster has no statistics$ #n such cases, it is useful to refer to a typical opponent$

&ypical Opponents
&hug andit Soldier Assassin #ighting Aristocrat Elite soldier andit /eader alert <= <8 <8 <8 <= <: <: stealth <= <8 <= <B <= <8 <: 'alor <= <= <8 <= <: <: <: #irst strike <= <8 <= <: <8 <8 <: attack <= <8 <: <8 <: <B <: de"ense <= <8 <= <8 <: <8 <: 'igor <= <8 <: <8 <8 <: <:

Thug: !ired goon %ith little for)al training or co)bat e-perience$ Bandit: E-perienced tribal %arrior, pirate or brigand$ +oldier: " veteran fighter, accusto)ed to )ilitary discipline$ "ssassin: !ighly trained and e-perienced rebel insurgent or hit )an$

Dighting "ristocrat: Royal or noble fighting )an, %ell trained in a variety of %eapons, usually %ith so)e e-perience leading )en in co)bat$ Elite +oldier: ha)pion fighter or )e)ber of a royal guard$ Bandit ;eader: E-perienced bandit chief or pirate captain$

84

Cam2aigns
" Governor4s ;a)ent 6aru) 6anesh, "sia Minor
6anesh is the "ssyrian na)e of a large and ancient city in central "natolia$ The !ittites call it 2esha$ The people are )ostly !ittite, but it contains a large "ssyrian )erchant colony 8karu)9$ 6aru) 6anesh is ad)inistered by "ssyria and defended by an "ssyrian garrison$ 7ro)inent "ssyrian )erchant fa)ilies trade %oven fabrics, spices and lu-ury ite)s fro) Mesopota)ia and anaan for locally produced tin and %ool$ The protagonists are the recently appointed "ssyrian governor and his entourage$ #n theory, the governor4s authority is para)ount, inside the karu)$ But the governor has ,ust arrived, %hile the %ealthy )erchant fa)ilies are entrenched and ruthless and they have friends in both royal courts$ The governor %ill need to seek their cooperation or they %ill th%art his designs at every turn$ "t the sa)e ti)e he4ll need to keep the !ittites happy, since the karu) is located deep inside !ittite territory$ The governor4s )ain priorities are to )aintain peace in the co))unity and to keep the trade and ta-es flo%ing$
+tory ideas: .9 Many "ssyrian fa)ilies have turned a%ay fro) "shur and have begun to %orship !ittite gods$ This has caused a schis) in the co))unity that threatens the flo% of trade$ Ele)ents %ithin the !ittite court are encouraging the religious schis)$ They see) to %ant the trade %ith "ssyria to be disrupted$ 3hy= T%o %ealthy fa)ilies are feuding$ The eldest son of one of the patriarchs is )urdered$ #f the )urderer isn4t found and punished, the feud %ill erupt into an all5out clan %ar$ The !ittite king dies and his heir is still an infant$ " pretender clai)s the throne and )akes 6anesh his capital$ !e %ants "ssyria to recognize hi) as the legiti)ate ruler, and he %ants the karu) to give hi) )aterial aid in the inevitable civil %ar$ #t looks as if the pretender %ill lose, so helping hi) is risky$ But he4s insistent, %ell ar)ed and living right ne-t door$

The Rats of "bu "bu 8Elephantine #sland9, 6e)et$

"bu is an island about . k) long by K(( )eters %ide, in the 2ile river, ,ust do%nstrea) fro) the first cataract$ The first cataract is the traditional border bet%een 6e)et and 2ubia, and "bu is an i)portant trading center and border post$ There are about a thousand per)anent residents$ "ttractions include a nilo)eter, a granite step pyra)id that dates to the third dynasty and a large te)ple to ra)5 headed 6hnu), god of the cataracts$ ;ocal industry includes a large rock &uarry that attracts a large nu)ber of )igrant %orkers$ The protagonists are orphan children 8bet%een the ages of .. and .09 in the service of one of the to%n4s %ealthiest and )ost pro)inent citizens5 "banakht the Eye 7opper$ "banakht %as once a po%erful %restler %ith a reputation for eye gouging$ 2o% he i)ports ivory and slaves fro) 2ubia, and o%ns both of the local brothels$ "banakht is )iserly, a)bitious and ruthless$ !alf the to%n is indebted to hi)$ Everyone fears his thugs$ The 2ubian trade is very lucrative, and outsiders are al%ays trying to get a piece of "banakht4s action$ #t4s a constant struggle to stay on top, and so)eti)es bodies fall$ "banakht4s household includes a couple of dozen soldiers he uses to keep the to%nies in line, but he4s also got a s)all band of ,uvenile delin&uents he uses for s)aller ,obs$ 3henever a local )erchant displeases hi), "banakht sends hi) a )essage$ *sually, a little vandalis) is all it takes to re)ind the )an %ho is in charge$
+tory ideas: .9 " rival )erchant is trying to break "banakht4s hold on the ivory trade$ Ru)or has it that he4s been hiring e-tra )uscle$ "banakht needs to kno% the rival4s plans, so he sends the orphans to spy on hi)$ They )ake ideal spies since they are unobtrusive and e-pendable, and they can4t reveal )uch about "banakht4s operation if they get caught$ 3hat )ost people don4t kno% is that "banakht is an a)ateur %izard$ !e sends the orphans to break into to)bs to gather old scrolls and )aterials he can use in his rituals$ The orphans have to evade the to)b guardians as %ell as any hellish creatures that )ight be lurking in the shado%s and dust$ "banakht teaches one of the orphans the all of >agon ritual, so that he and his friends can stay under%ater for hours in order to salvage cargo lost fro)

'9

M9

'9

7rotagonists: The protagonists are the ne% governor and his entourage$ "ny of the social advantages are appropriate, but the governor hi)self )ust at least have authority$

M9

85

a boat that capsized in the 2ile$ 3hile they4re looking for sunken ivory, the orphans find a sub)erged te)ple co)ple-$ The structure is centuries old and long forgotten$ " nest of river snakes lives in the flooded cha)bers, and the co)ple-4s )agical energies have enlarged and transfor)ed the) into iridescent )onsters$ The co)ple- )ay be full of treasure, but it is guarded by ancient )agical traps and curses$

+tory ideas:
.9 The council of elders calls for a series of ga)es: %restling )atches, archery contests and so on$ "ny contestant %ho %ins a )atch %ill be allo%ed to co)pete in a long and dangerous chariot race$ The %inner of the race %ill beco)e Ra,an of the Meena$ The Meena have settled in territory clai)ed by the 6uru tribe$ The 6uru %ere also defeated by the Aisanan, and they are also %eak and vulnerable$ The 6uru have a lot of desperately needed cattle$ +hould the Meena launch a cattle raid= @r could the Meena and the 6uru set aside their differences to fight against their co))on ene)y= Disher)en and children are finding strange cera)ic tokens on the banks of the +arasvati$ "pparently they %ere )ade by the aboriginal inhabitants of the river valley, %ho %ere driven south long ago$ The tokens are about the size of a )an4s thu)b and shaped like various ani)als$ The people %ho picked the) up have started to act peculiar5 staying up all night, e-periencing e-tre)e )ood s%ings$ +o)e have started to act paranoid$ 2one of the affected people %ant to give up their tokens$

'9

Abanakht: rawn: Muscular, ToughG !harm: "busive,

"ttentive, 7assionateG !ra"t: MuscularG #itness: 7erceptiveG $ntuition: "ttentive, 7erceptiveG %nowledge: 2one, Will: 7assionate, ToughG Ad'antages:7rosperous, o)petitive, ruel, >evious, Tenacious, &alents: 3restling, Ritual, Bargain, orrupt, Trick$ 7rotagonists: The protagonists are young orphans$ "ll of the) should have the slight fla% to reflect their adolescent bodies, and the poverty or enslaved social disadvantage$
M9

Red Runs the +arasvati +arasvati River, Aedic #ndia

The large and po%erful Aisanan tribe has driven several other tribes fro) their established territories$ The defeated Meena travel east and settle on the banks of the +arasvati$ The settle)ent is ne% and the Meena haven4t yet had a chance to build any defensive %orks such as ditches or %ooden palisades$ They are also desperately short of supplies, and )ost of their cattle %ere lost to the Aisanan$ The Meena have no ra,an 8king9$ Many ti)es the council of elders has asked the priests if they could elect a ra,an, but the priests said that if they did the god #ndra %ould be displeased$ 2o% the priests say that #ndra has changed his )ind, because the Meena need a ra,an to lead its %arriors against the Aisanan and other ene)ies$ +everal of the leading contenders are bitter rivals$ Each contender has an entourage of several dozen %arriors$ #f the council picks the %rong )an, clan %arfare )ay tear the %eakened tribe to pieces$ @ne of the protagonists is a )a,or contender for ra,an$ The others are the leading %arriors, priests and sages of his entourage$

7rotagonists: "ny contender for Ra,an should have all social advantages: "uthority, 7rosperous and Aenerated 8by the Meena9$

RebellionO "ny%here
The protagonists are )e)bers of a defeated cult, tribe or nation$ Their ancestral ho)eland is occupied by brutal invaders, such as the "ssyrians or the !yksos$ The rebel leaders create tea)s of insurgents to co)plete specific )issions:
.9 Theft and sabotage: The insurgents burn do%n granaries, poison %ells and so on, in order to %eaken the occupation forces$ "ssassination: The insurgents perfor) political assassinations in order to terrorize the ene)y leadership as %ell as traitors and collaborators$ Rescue: The protagonists )ust rescue hostages taken by the invaders, or captured co)rades +)uggling: The rebellion needs %eapons and supplies, but the occupation forces search any vessels or pack ani)als that enter the country$ ounter5espionage: " double agent is betraying the rebellion4s secrets$ The protagonists )ust find and eli)inate the traitor$

'9

M9 K9

09

86

12erience "ewards
"t the end of any given )ission, the ga)e )aster assesses each character4s perfor)ance on a scale of (5.', using the follo%ing rubric:
Mission >uration 8sa)e for entire party9 points +hort 8less than t%o hours of play9 Mediu) 8t%o to si- hours of play9 ;ong 8)ore than si- hours of play9 Mission +uccess 8sa)e for entire party9 points Total Dailure 7artial +uccess o)plete +uccess Mission >angers 8sa)e for entire party9 points Mini)al danger +ubstantial risk of serious in,ury or death +uicide )ission Motivations 8individual a%ard9 points Betrayed or ignored the character4s stated pri)ary )otives "ctions consistent %ith the character4s stated pri)ary )otives ( . ( . ' ( . ' ( . '

dges
Edges are special advantages that can only be earned through e-perience$ There are three kinds of edges: co)bat edges, )agic edges and task edges$ 7rotagonists are the only sorts of characters that are allo%ed to have edges$ Ga)e )aster controlled characters don4t get the)$

Combat

dges-

o)bat edges generally re&uire the protagonist to be in a particular e)otional state before they are effective$ The re&uired e)otional state is indicated in parentheses after the title of the edge$

*inor Combat

dges-

ully: 8"ngry or +teadfast9 The bully )ay inti)idate an opponent and attack that sa)e opponent at the sa)e ti)e$ This counts as a single attack action$ !autious: 8 o%er9 The cautious fighter )ay )ake trick atte)pts %hen his or her e)otional state is co%er$ 8@rdinarily, only steadfast fighters are allo%ed to trick opponents9$ #f the trick results in a free attack, the fighter4s e)otional state instantly turns to steadfast and he or she is allo%ed to take advantage of the attack opportunity$ Enraged:8"ngry9 3henever the enraged fighter is angry, he or she )ay )ake t%o attacks per attack action$ #eet: 8+teadfast9 The fighter gets close shaves based on >ance 8char)Nni)ble9$ The fighter4s feet )ust be free and he or she cannot be %earing bulky clothing or carrying anything heavy$ #rog:8 o%er or +teadfast9 The fighter gets close shaves based on Balance 8intuitionNcoordinated9 %hen fighting in the rain or in a s%a)p$ )emini:8+teadfast9 T%o fighters )ust take this edge at the sa)e ti)e$ 3henever those t%o fighters fight side by side, both fighters get close shaves based on their +ports 8fitnessNco)petitive9 task checks$ #f one of the partners is ever killed, this co)bat edge beco)es useless$ *erci"ul: 8+teadfast9 The )erciful fighter can inflict bra%ling da)age %ith any )elee %eapon$ The decision to inflict bra%ling da)age )ust be announced before the attack task check is resolved$ *onkey:8 o%er or +teadfast9 The fighter gets close shaves based on +tealth 8fitnessNdevious9 %hen fighting in forest or ,ungle$

Took great risks to advance the character4s stated pri)ary ' )otives #nitiative 8individual a%ard9 points Mini)al or no initiative Reasonable initiative "ctions took ga)e )aster by surprise Role 7laying Bonus 8individual a%ard9 points Mini)al or no role playing Good role playing #nspired role playing ( . ' ( . '

Total the points fro) each category$ #f the player earned K5/ points total, he receives the )inor edge of his or her choice$ #f the player earned ? or )ore points, he or she receives the )a,or edge of his or her choice$

87

*outh: 8 ocky9 The fighter is allo%ed to )ake trick atte)pts instead of attacks %hen his or her e)otional state is cocky$ 8@rdinarily, only steadfast fighters are allo%ed to trick opponents9$ #n addition, he or she )ay use 3it 8char)Ncreative9 in place of Trick 8%illNdevious9 if his or her %it has a larger task bonus$

)ay defend against the free attack as if it %ere any other attack$

Samson: 8+teadfast or "ngry9 3hen the +a)son )akes an unar)ed 8%restling9 attack or uses a %eapon that inflicts bra%ling da)age, he or she )ay choose to inflict blunt trau)a da)age instead$ The choice )ust be )ade before ,at:8 o%er, +teadfast9 The fighter gets close shaves based the attack is rolled$ #f the +a)son is angry he or she must inflict blunt trau)a da)age$ on +treet +ense 8intuitionNdevious9 %henever he or she is fighting indoors or on a to%n or city street$ &osser:8+teadfast9 3hen using a sling or a thro%n ob,ect ,oll:8"ngry, ocky, +teadfast9 The fighter does not have such as a rock or a ,avelin, the tosser treats )ediu) range to )ake a Gy)nastics task check to stand up in co)bat$ !e attacks as short range attacks$ or she can stand up auto)atically %ithout forfeiting an *agic dgesattack action$ Scorpion:8 o%er, +teadfast9: The fighter gets close shaves +o)e )agic edges )irror the effects of certain )agical based on +urvive 8intuitionNtenacious9 %hen fighting in the po%ers$ The difference is that the edges are per)anent$ There is no additional advantage for having both the po%er desert or on bare rock$ and the edge$ Shark:0+teadfast9 3henever the fighter and his or her opponent are both s%i))ing, the fighter gets close shaves *inor *agic dgesbased on his or her +%i)8bra%nNsalt9 task check$ $nspired: Bonus advantages fro) rituals and dances last 7enator: 8+teadfast9 The fighter gets close shaves based on t%ice as long 8I hours rather than M9$ !unt 8intuitionNpatient9 %hen fighting 8non5hu)an9 ani)als$ Wheels:8+teadfast9: The fighter gets close shaves based on harioteer 8fitnessNe&uestrian9 %hen driving or riding in a chariot$ +rodigy:3henever the protagonist is an assistant in a successful ritual he or she learns ho% to officiate the ritual$ #n addition, the protagonist gains the sa)e bonus advantage that the officiant received$

*a!or *agic

dges-

*a!or Combat

dges-

(rillmaster:8+teadfast9: The drill)aster can train a group of protagonists so that they get close shaves based on the drill)aster4s 3ar 8%illNcruel9 task check$ The group consists of the drill)aster and up to si- other protagonists$ The protagonists )ust practice together$ Every day that they train together the drill)aster )ay )ake an #nstruction 8char)Npatient9 check$ "fter the drill)aster succeeds at a level of for)idable or higher, the group receives the benefits of the edge$ The group )ust drill in this %ay at least once a )onth to retain the benefits$ *arksman:8+teadfast9: 3hen shooting a bo%, the )arks)an treats long range attacks as )ediu) range attacks$ ,iposte: 8+teadfast9 3henever the fighter co)pletely blocks or parries an ene)y4s )elee attack 8reducing its effectiveness to )iss9 he or she )ay )ake an i))ediate free attack action against that ene)y$ #f the ene)y attack %as only partly reduced the protagonist )ay not riposte, even if the resulting da)age %as insignificant$ The ene)y

Ascetic: The protagonist is not fooled by illusions or )agical disguises, and can see invisible creatures and ob,ects$ E is a%are that the illusion, disguise or cloak of invisibility is present, but is able to see past it$ 8Third Eye9 #ireproo": The protagonist is not in,ured by ordinary fire$ Reduce in,ury fro) )agical fires by one step$ 8Dire Resistance9 +ro"ane: The protagonist )ay thro% curses and attack in )elee at the sa)e ti)e$ Resolve the effects of the attack before resolving the effects 8if any9 of the curse$ +rophet: The protagonist )ay change fro) a%ake to a heirophanic state at %ill$ +ure: The protagonist cannot contract any disease$ 8>isease #))unity9 Sacrosanct: The protagonist cannot be har)ed by curses$ 8 urse #))unity9 7agabond: The protagonist suffers no har) fro) e-posure 8e-cessive heat or cold9$ 87aths of +et9

88

Tas.

dgesdges-

*inor Tas.

!reeper:The protagonist gets close shaves based on his or her Traps 8craftNsharp9 task check$ These close shaves can only be used to avoid in,uries inflicted by traps such as pits and deadfalls$ +olyglot:The protagonist )ust have a talent for ;anguages and ultures 8kno%ledgeNdaring9 in order to &ualify for this edge$ The protagonist i))ediately gains t%o additional languages of any kind$ "lso, the protagonist can pick up ne% languages very &uickly$ #f the protagonist

gets at least a hard level of success %hen checking to understand a ne% language, he or she can beco)e fluent in that language after only t%o )onths of intensive study$ &alented:The protagonist receives a ne% talent$

*a!or Tas.

dges-

Ad'antage:The protagonist receives a ne% advantage$ Arti"icer:The protagonist is able to construct )agical devices 8%hich see9$ +erse'erant: The protagonist only suffers a 5' task check penalty for having a fla%, rather than a 5M$

89

4anguages"ll characters are fluent in their o%n language$ "ny character %ho has a talent for ;anguages and ultures %ill be fluent in up to t%o additional languages: one language fro) the sa)e language fa)ily as his or her native tongue and one language of any language fa)ily$ 3henever a character encounters any other language, he or she )ay )ake a ;anguages and ultures 8kno%ledgeNdaring9 task check to see if he or she is already fa)iliar %ith the language$ "dd one success level if the language is closely related to a language the character already kno%s$ +uccess level Dail Trivial Routine !ard Dor)idable *nderstanding 2o co)prehension$ The character can understand basic concepts$ The character can convey and understand si)ple phrases$ The character kno%s useful phrases and understands about half of %hat is said$ The character kno%s enough of this language to speak haltingly and understand if the speaker talks slo%ly$ The character happens to already be fluent in this language$

+e)itic ;anguages: There are )any +e)itic languages and they all should be considered closely related$ The )ost i)portant are "kkadian 8spoken in "ssyria, Babylon and Ebla9, ")orite 8spoken by the tribe that rules Babylon9, "rabic 8spoken in "rabia9 and anaanite 8the language of anaan and of the !yksos invaders in Egypt9$ anaanite has a nu)ber of dialects, including "))onite, Edo)ite, Moabite and *garitic$ +e)itic languages are %ritten in cuneifor)$ There is also an alphabetic %riting syste), but it is not %idely used$ "kkadian %as the language of the old Babylonian e)pire, and it is still %idely spoken$ Dro) "natolia to 6e)et and Mesopota)ia, "kkadian is the language of diplo)acy$

)urro56rartian languagesThis is a s)all language group spoken by the people of 6haldini 8"r)enia9 and northern Mesopota)ia$ !urrian: +poken by the Mitanni of northern Mesopota)ia, and %ritten in cuneifor)$ 6assite: +poken by the 6assites of northern Mesopota)ia$

0ndo5 uro2ean languages"chaean: "lso kno%n as MyceneanG spoken by the Greeks$ #t has no %ritten for)$ !ittite, ;u%ian and arian: These "natolian languages are so closely related that they )ay be considered dialects of the sa)e language$ #ndo5"ryan: +poken by the #ndo5"ryan invaders that occupy pockets of territory fro) northern Mesopota)ia to the #ndus river valley$ #t has no %ritten for)$

!eroic

&fro5&siatic language grou2Thousands of years ago, "fro5"siatic speakers )igrated north fro) their ho)eland in 2ubia or Ethiopia, and spread throughout the Mideast$ This is the )ost i)portant group of languages in the region, as it includes 6e)etic, %hich is the language of 6e)et 8Egypt9, and "kkadian, %hich is %idely spoken throughout the fertile crescent$ ushitic: ushitic is the language of 2ubia 86ush9$ #t has no %ritten for)$ 6e)etic: 6e)etic is the language of 6e)et$ #t has t%o %ritten for)s: hieroglyphic, %hich is used for )onu)ental inscriptions, and hieratic, %hich is %ritten on papyrus scrolls$ Both for)s have been around since predynastic ti)es$ ;ibu: ;ibu is spoken by the tribes of the desert 3est of 6e)et$ #t is closely related to 6e)etic$

0solatesThese languages have no kno%n relationship to each other or to other languages$ Ela)ite: +poken by the Ela)ites$ The %ritten language is a )odified cuneifor)$ Eteocypriot: +poken on the island of "lisiya 8 yprus9$ #t has no %ritten for)$ Minoan: +poken on the island of rete and the yclades$ #t has t%o %ritten for)s: retan hieroglyphics and an alphabetic syste) 8;inear "9$ +u)erian: 2o% e-tinct e-cept as a scholarly language, +u)erian is %ritten in cuneifor)$

90

conomics
oinage has not yet been invented, but precious )etals are used as a )ediu) of e-change$ The )etals have to be %eighed again during every transaction$ The )a,or govern)ents all )aintain standardized bronze %eights and sell the) to private )erchants$ Ta)pering %ith the %eights is considered a sort of treason and every%here punishable by torture and public e-ecution$ #n )ost civilized nations the standard is one shekel, %hich %eighs appro-i)ately .( gra)s$ @ne gold shekel is %orth .( silver shekels$ " silver shekel is %orth '( silver gerah$ " co))on laborer earns about one silver shekel every four days, although the laborer is usually paid in a co)bination of useful co))odities such as barley, %ool and salt$ #n Aedic #ndia, the co% is the standard )ediu) of e-change$ " co% is %orth about t%o shekels$ 7rotagonists start the ga)e %ith clothing, e&uip)ent and personal %ealth that is appropriate to the setting$ 3ealthy protagonists %ill start %ith land, livestock and lu-ury goods$ Animals Gold shekels hicken o% >og >onkey !orse 7ig +heep Armor Gold shekels !el)et +cale "r)or +hield, %icker +hield, %ooden +hield, bronze fittings !lothing Gold shekels Boots Rude ani)al skins 3oolen costu)e ;eather costu)e ;inen costu)e Dine ;inen costu)e . ' I .0 +ilver shekels . I +ilver gerah I 0 .( .0 +ilver shekels +ilver gerah M K M ' ? . +ilver shekels +ilver gerah 0

/abor 0per hour1 Gold shekels *nskilled +e)i5skilled "rtisan 7rofessional *eals4 per ser'ing Gold shekels Bread or porridge Bread, vegetables, beer Balanced )eal Deast 3ine per liter Dine %ine per liter Sla'es Gold shekels *nskilled +e)i5skilled "rtisan 7ehicles Gold shekels Boat, s)all Boat, long art hariot, one )an hariot, %ar Weapons Gold shekels >agger !yksos "6nife +hort +%ord +ickle +%ord +pear Bo% o)posite bo% Favelin . ' . M ? M ' I +ilver shekels / +ilver gerah M I ' 0 +ilver shekels I +ilver gerah . ' 0 +ilver shekels +ilver gerah ' . 0 +ilver shekels +ilver gerah ' M I +ilver shekels +ilver gerah . ' M 0

91

Creating ob!ects of +alue"rtisans can take ra% )aterials and i)prove their value by turning the) into finished goods: Task check Builder 8craftNdiligent9 arpentry 8craftNgardener9 hariot Builder 8craftNe&uestrian9 ooking 8craftNpatient9 Dine "rts !andcrafts Metal%orking Dinished @b,ect +tructures Durniture and boats arts and hariots Meals 2on5)etallic ,e%elry loth Metal ob,ects "dded Aalue: #t takes one day for an artisan to i)prove one standard &uantity of any given ra% )aterial$ The &uality of )aterial doesn4t )atter in this case$ Dor e-a)ple, it takes . day to turn .( kg of %ood into furniture, or . kg of linen cloth into clothing, or I(( gra)s of ivory into ,e%elry$ The artisan )akes the appropriate task check and )ultiplies the value of the ra% )aterial by the figure given in the table belo%:
Task heck Dail Trivial Routine !ard Dor)idable !eroic 7oor <uality Ruined . .$' .$0 ' M "de&uate <uality Ruined . .$0 ' M K +uperior <uality Ruined . ' M K Magical "ny Metal . . ' M K Magical

@ne silver shekel %ill buy the follo%ing &uantity of ra% )aterials: Material lay Grains 3ood Aegetables Meat 3ool ;eather ;inen loth ;ead #vory opper Bronze Tin +ilver Electru) Gold Mass in kg .0 .' .( J 0 M ' . . I(( gra)s 0(( gra)s M(( gra)s '0 gra)s .( gra)s M gra)s . gra)

Ruined: The ra% )aterials are %asted$ They can be sold for scrap at .N0 the original value$ Metal is never ruined, as it can al%ays be )elted do%n to ingots again$ Magical: #f the artisan has the "rtificer )a,or task edge, he or she creates a )agical device$ #f the artisan does not have the edge, he or she creates a co))odity that is %orth five ti)es the cost of the ra% )aterials$
Dor e-a)ple: " baker buys 'K kg of poor &uality grain for one shekel 8.' kg - double &uantity for poor &uality9$ #t takes t%o days to bake it into bread 8.' kgNday9$ The baker )akes a routine 8cooking9 task check the first day and a hard task check the second$ The total value of the baked bread is 8.$' - ($0 shekels L .$0 - ($0 shekels9 or .$M0 shekels total$ !is profit for the day is ($M0 shekels$ "t this rate, he4s )aking a bit less than a day laborer$ The ne-t day he buys .' kg of superior &uality grain for ' shekels 8'K kg - half &uantity for poor &uality9$ #t takes one day to bake it into bread 8.' kgNday9$ The baker )akes another routine task check$ The total value of the baked bread is 8.$0 - ' shekels9 or M shekels total$ !is profit for the day is one shekel P four ti)es a co))on laborer4s salary$ @f course, if his task check had failed co)pletely he %ould have received nothing at all$

2on5)etallic ra% )aterials co)e in three levels of &uality: 7oor, "de&uate and +uperior$ The listed values are for ade&uate &uality )aterials$ 7oor &uality )aterials cost half #t is )ost profitable to use superior )aterials$ They aren4t as )uch as ade&uate )aterials and +uperior &uality )aterials cost t%ice as )uch$ Dor e-a)ple, one silver shekel al%ays available$ %ill buy 0 kg of superior %ood, .( kg of ade&uate %ood, or '( kg of inferior %ood$

92

*agical /e+icesThese are so)e of the )agical devices that protagonists )ay encounter in their travels$ The cultural provenance of each device follo%s its na)eG ho%ever, a device )ay be found far fro) its land of origin$ 8Aedic #ndia9: The arro% of Brah)a is particularly effective against abo)inations$ 3hen the arro% strikes an abo)ination the abo)ination )ust )ake a resist task check or die$ The difficulty of this task check is e&ual to the level of success of the attack$

3a$rys 8

Arrow of $rahma

rete9 This is a large, )agical version of the double5 headed a- that is the sy)bol of royal po%er in Minoan rete$ @nly a character %ho is Tall and Muscular can %ield it$ #t is treated as a !yksos a- %ith the usual L. reach for Tall characters$ The ;abrys is practically indestructible$ The %ielder can shatter any door5 even a fortress or city gate5 by )aking a heroic Bash 8bra%nNbrave9 task check$ This atte)pt counts as an attack action and can be repeated indefinitely$ 3henever the labrys is used against an ani)al or abo)ination, treat %ounded results as killed$

86ush9 This obsidian knife can be used as a %eapon, but its pri)ary function is as a ritual aid$ 3hen it is fired clay and covered %ith )agical inscriptions$ #t has several used as a prop in any successful ritual, it gains the follo%ing single functions: use po%ers: "ntidote, ;eap, 2egate Magic, Re)ove urse$ #f it is used to kill a sacrifice 8hu)an or ani)al9 during the ritual it also .9 The inscriptions count as scroll spells for the )agical gains a single use each of "gony and Aeno)$ @nly the person %ho po%ers "ntidote, >ivine Davor and +tabilize$ officiated at the ritual can activate any of these po%ers$ The "gony '9 urses are ineffective %ithin )ediu) range 8M( )eters9 and Aeno) po%ers )ay only be activated %hen the knife is used of the cippus$ against an opponent in co)bat$ The other po%ers can only be M9 E-isting curses are re)oved fro) anyone touching the activated %hen the officiant is holding the knife$ The te)porary cippus$ po%ers last until they are used, or until the knife is used in another K9 E-isting diseases are re)oved fro) anyone %ho touches ritual$ the cippus$ -e,et 86e)et9: This is an a)ulet of protection, usually %orn Kudurru 8Babylon9 6udurru are royal land deeds %ritten on on a necklace$ "nyone %ho %ears it is i))une to curses, as per the stone$ The boon is sole)nized by oaths to various deities and )agical po%er urse #))unity$ i)ages of those deities are carved upon the stone$ " cera)ic copy of the 6udurru is )ade$ The stone 6udurru is kept in the palace hall -agic Scroll 86e)et9: Magical instructions and of records %hile the clay version is placed, %ith so)e cere)ony, at incantations, %ritten in hieratic script on a papyrus scroll$ The scroll contains the for)ula necessary to invoke one )agical po%er$ the boundary to the deeded property$ The cera)ic version %ill This )agical po%er is activated through the )inor ritual scroll resist any atte)pts to )ove it$ 2othing short of the po%er of a spell$ diverted river %ill shift the 6udurru fro) the spot %here it %as The follo%ing spells )ay be found on scrolls: Blast, "ntidote, placed5 and if such force is brought to bear against the 6udurru it %ill shatter and beco)e dust$ #f the cera)ic 6udurru is destroyed, Blade Resistance, rush Resistance, urse #))unity, >isease #))unity, >ivine Davor, Dan Dla)es, Dire Resistance, 7oison its stone co)panion %ill e)it a lo% hu) that can only be stilled #))unity, >o)ination, #nsects "%ay, #nvisibility, Tongues, through the >ispel Magic po%er, or by the creation of a +ilence, Trackless, >ark Aision, Third Eye, Blight, #nsect ;ight, replace)ent$ #n addition both the stone and the cera)ic 6udurru have )agical po%ers$ These po%ers affect a spherical volu)e %ith 2atural Music, +%ar)$ a radius of 0(( )eters 8long range9, centered on the 6udurru$ Sha$ti 86e)et9: +habti are cera)ic figurines of various Multiple 6udurru 8such as one %ould find in the palace hall of records9 do not have cu)ulative effects$ 3ithin the sphere: laborers$ 7riests of "nubis leave ordinary +habti in burial cha)bers, to sy)bolically perfor) labors for the deceased in the .9 The "kellare ritual cannot be perfor)ed$ afterlife$ Magical +habti are out%ardly identical, but they are '9 "bo)inations )ust )ake a for)idable resist task check capable of )oving and perfor)ing si)ple tasks$ They are too slo% in order to enter the affected area$ 3hile they are %ithin and stupid to attack effectively$ They can understand the language the area, any resist task checks that the abo)ination is of the person %ho created the), but they cannot speak$ They can re&uired to )ake are increased by one difficulty level$ see perfectly %ell in the dark$ They can4t be da)aged by fire, M9 3ild ani)als )ust )ake a for)idable )orale check to bra%ling, laceration or penetration attacks, but blunt trau)a or enter the affected area$ chopping in,uries %eapons %ill destroy the) if the attacker scores K9 #nsect s%ar)s 8natural or )agical9 cannot for) %ithin or at least a for)idable result$ +o)e +habti %ill only obey the person enter the affected area$ %ho )ade the)$ @thers %ill obey anyone %ho speaks their 09 >o)esticated ani)als and plants are i))une to disease language$ %ithin the affected area$ I9 The Blight )agical po%er has no effect$

Cippus 86e)et9: " s)all statuette or idol )ade of stone or

3eopard Knife

93

8Aedic #ndia9: The Aa,ra 8thunderbolt9 is a s)all )etal rod$ The %ielder can use it as a )elee %eapon against abo)inations, using the 3restling 8bra%nNco)petitive9 task check$ "ny abo)ination %hich is struck in this %ay )ust )ake a resist task check or be destroyed$ The difficulty of the resist task check is e&ual to the attacker4s 3restling success level$ #n addition, %hen the Aa,ra is held in the %ielder4s hand, it grants hi) or her urse #))unity and >isease #))unity and unli)ited use of Re)ove urse and +tabilize$ "n e-orcist %ho %ields the Aa,ra gains one e-tra e-orcis) atte)pt before the e-orcis) begins to in,ure the possessed person$

Va0ra

83idespread9: " )agic %and allo%s its %ielder to 2egate Magic or Blast or +ub,ugate abo)inations$ These uses are unli)ited, but each use counts as an attack action$

Wand

enchanted de(ices&
"rtisans create enchanted devices under specific circu)stances as detailed in the section reating @b,ects of Aalue$

$oat& "ny hostile creature such as a hippopota)us, crocodile

or shark )ust )ake a valor task check to approach the boat$ The boat is i))une to the )agical po%er +plinter and %ill not break, capsize, sink or spring a leak for any reason$

clothing& This can be any sort of costu)e or single ite) of

clothing$ "nyone %ho %ears it gains a single use of the +hield po%er$ The ne-t ti)e the %earer suffers an in,ury, the clothing %ill absorb that in,ury and the %earer %ill be unhurt$ The force %ill, ho%ever, tear the clothing and the rent gar)ent %ill beco)e non5 )agical$

Food: "nyone %ho eats of this )eal %ill be protected by

#))unity and >ivine Davor until the follo%ing )orning$

urse

furniture: This can take the for) of a chair, bed, table,

etc$ "nyone in physical contact %ith the furniture is protected by urse #))unity$ "nyone %ho %ears this ,e%elry is i))une to curses, as per the )agical po%er urse #))unity$

!ewelry& -irror&

The )irror %ill reflect the true appearance of a creature, undisguised by illusion$ #f the )usician plays %ell 8)ini)u) hard )usic task check9 anyone listening %ill enter a heirophanic state 8unless they are in a state of ecstasy, in %hich case they %ill re)ain so9$

musical instrument&
86e)et9: This is a )etal sistru) 8rattle9 decorated %ith a stylized i)age of !athor$ The noise it )akes %hen it is shaken drives a%ay abo)inations$ "ny abo)ination that hears it )ust )ake a routine resist check or flee$ #f a dancer shakes it %hile perfor)ing a successful )agical dance, he or she gains the >ivine Davor po%er for one day, in addition to any other po%ers received$ #f the dancer successfully perfor)s the >ance of !athor he or she also receives unli)ited use of the po%er Third Eye for one day$

Sistrum of )athor

Weapon& The )agical %eapon %ill not break unless it is

sub,ected to e-tre)e force$ #f it successfully parries a non5)agical %eapon, the non5)agical %eapon %ill break$ #f the %eapon strikes an abo)ination, the abo)ination )ust )ake a hard Resist task check or be destroyed$

94

the red gods of ,a,ylon

&rawn,****************************** -harm,****************************** -raft,****************************** !itness,***************************** %ntuition,*************************** .nowledge,************************** Will,********************************

)layer Name*************

Name*********************** 'e+******** Nationality****************** native language************* other languages**************************

!laws,************************************ Traits,*********************************** $dvantages,***************************************************************** Talents,******************************************************************** 'ocial %mpediment,************************************************************ (otivations,**************************************************************** Edges,***************************/ituals01ances,*****************************

95

Talent )onuses
Task Bash Block Burglary Dorestry ;abor +uperior Reach +%i) Aigor 3restle Bargain Beg hat o))une orrupt urse >ance #nstruction 7a)per Revels +e3it "lche)y Build arpentry hariot Builder onceal ook Dine "rt !andcrafts Metal %orking Mining +ail +urgery Traps "ttribute Bonus Bra%n Bra%n Bra%n Bra%n Bra%n Bra%n Bra%n Bra%n Bra%n har) har) har) har) har) har) har) har) har) har) har) har) raft raft raft raft raft raft raft raft raft raft raft raft raft Brave <uick >evious Gardener ruel +ensible 2i)ble +alt Tenacious o)petitive o)petitive +ub)issive Driendly Aisionary >evious ruel 2i)ble 7atient 6ind >aring !ypnotic reative +tudious >iligent Gardener E&uestrian >evious 7atient reative +ensible Aisionary Tenacious +alt +tudious +harp Total Task Boating li)b >istance Running >odge !ealth 7ose +hootN Thro% +ports +print +tealth Thrust "lertnessN +earch Balance hild Rearing >rea)ing Escape Dar) Dish !erd 7arry +erve +pot Trick +treet +ense +urvive "ttribute Ditness Ditness Ditness Ditness Ditness Ditness Ditness Ditness Ditness Ditness Ditness #ntuition #ntuition #ntuition #ntuition #ntuition #ntuition #ntuition #ntuition #ntuition #ntuition #ntuition #ntuition #ntuition Bonus +alt E&uestrian oordinated Tenacious 2i)ble >aring +ensible !ypnotic +harp o)petitive <uick >evious Brave +harp oordinated 6ind Aisionary 2i)ble Gardener <uick +alt >iligent Brave +ub)issive +ensible >evious Tenacious "d)inistrati 3ill on #nspiration ;a% ;eadership Meditation Music 7ersuade Resist Ritual +upervise Trick Aalor 3ar 3ill 3ill 3ill 3ill 3ill 3ill 3ill 3ill 3ill 3ill 3ill 3ill >iligent !ypnotic +tudious o)petitive 7atient reative Driendly Tenacious Aisionary +ensible >evious Brave ruel Total Task "strono)y >ivination Engineer Ga)e !erbalis) "ttribute Bonus ruel reative o)petitive Total 6no%ledge +harp 6no%ledge Aisionary 6no%ledge 6no%ledge harioteer Ditness >e)onology 6no%ledge

#nti)idate Bra%n

6no%ledge Gardener

Gy)nastics Ditness

;anguages 6no%ledge >aring and ultures ;iterature and !istory Medicine 7olitics Aalue 6no%ledge +tudious 6no%ledge 6ind 6no%ledge >evious 6no%ledge +ensible

Dirst +trike #ntuition

Roll 8'd?9 I5? J5.. .'5.K .05./ .? or )ore

+uccess ;evel Trivial Routine !ard Dor)idable !eroic

Modifiers:

0 or less Dailure

Dla%: 5M 8*nless you have the appropriate talent9 "ppropriate 7aragon: L. Trait: L.Nper "dvantage: L' Talent: L. and ignore any fla%s$

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