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AMBROSIA
a gathering of souls
by
Erlend van der haegen
Treasure 26
Magic 26
Monsters 30
rules
Created to give you an idea of what Ambrosia is all about,
this book provides you with the absolute basics regarding
the game mechanics, character creation, and also tells you
something about the setting in which all of it takes place, as
well as an introductory one-off scenario called A gathering
of souls. Of course, for more detailed information you’ll
still need to consult the Manual; but this book will get you
started on your path.
First off, Ambrosia aims to be a storytelling game; so
forget everything you know about convulsively hoarding
experience points, and leave your miniatures in their display
cabinet; you’ll be playing the protagonist of an epic fantasy
drama, so in Ambrosia, you will be treated as more than just
a set of stats with feet attached. Your character is a living,
breathing inhabitant of this strange world, both moulded
and scarred by past experiences. As such, it makes sense
to talk about the setting first - we’ll worry about necessary
evils, like rules and game mechanics, later on!
Ambrosia takes place in the Alverlands, a stretch of land
4 bordered by the Salis Sea on one side and the Morbic
Mountains on the other. Almost 1500 years ago, a great
power arose in the east, fuelled by dark magic-users,
wielding powers they couldn’t possibly control and
corrupting them both physically and mentally. One man
stood up to this invading force; a charismatic leader
from southern Carthicia called Argonius, who united the
primitive Alverlandic tribes, standing up to their common
enemy. Together, they defeated the dark wizards who were
never heard from again - the very wildlife of their lands now
grotesquely warped and perverted by their sinister arts. A
pact with the dwarves who lived deep beneath the Morbic
Mountains would protect the Alverlands against any threat
coming in from the east, now known as the Wilderlands.
Argonius was crowned emperor and ruled for hundreds of
years, blessed with an unnatural long life - and even after his
death, he was granted divine status, revered as god-emperor
all over his old empire.
The Alverlands were divided among Argonius’ closest
advisors, each a specialist in their chosen field, who
ruled over six counties in the emperor’s name. But after
Argonius’ death, all of the feudal lords refused allegiance to
a newly appointed emperor. The Alverlands declared their
independence, each county forming a sovereign micro-
state of its own. Eventually, the Old Empire fell, leaving
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likely wanting to designate a scapegoat to get it over with. check. To make an ability check, you throw a ten-sided
As punishments are often harsh (from hanging for murder, die (noted as 1D10 or simply 1D) and add the applicable
or chopping off a hand for thieving or poaching, to cutting Secondary Ability Score to the result, coupled with Bonuses
out one’s tongue for insulting a noble lady), the defendant is and Penalties from Skills, magic, character flaws, and/or
always given the chance to appeal for trial by combat. In such inflicted Traumas. If you roll a 1, you fumble the check;
cases, a peasant armed with nothing more than a wooden it always fails, whatever you try to do - it’s plain bad luck.
stick has to take on an armoured champion of the court, with If you roll a 10, however, you get to roll again and add the
predictable results. Nobles settle their differences mostly by result to your previous roll. If you roll a 10 again, you keep
duelling, however; a lady scorned can designate a champion rolling and adding the results until you roll a lower value.
to defend her honour, but noblemen are considered to be The result of this sum has to be equal or higher than a DC,
cowards if they don’t fight for themselves. set by the Game Master. To determine this DC, the Game
A huge part of the Alverlandic social life revolves around Master can consult the following table; each difficulty level
beer (in contrast with Carthicia, for example, where they is accompanied by a specific example of when that specific
mostly drink wine). Seven distinct beers are brewed in DC is used. A simple check is always noted as Intelligence
the Alverlands, and each region has its own specific 8 or Strength 12 for example: stating the Ability Score being
characteristics that are reflected in its local brew. The used, followed by the DC.
Isidoor is a light, fruity beer from the north, for example,
which is the only Alverlandic beverage also being exported 7 mundane lure a domesticated dog
to Carthicia as a novelty. Schildbeer from Ketendal, on the 8 easy tie two tree trunks together
other hand, is a dark stout and the monks who brew it, guard chop a log in two with a single
its recipe with their lives. The eight, unofficial, Alverlandic 9 feasible
strike
beer is Vern, brewed by the dwarves of Galeb Morbia. The
10 takes some effort carry a beer keg around
name is roughly translated from the dwarven tongue as
10 11 challenging climb a steep rockside
hammer’s blow and is considered to be the strongest beer in
the world. The dwarves consider all human beers to be cat’s 12 strenuous push a cart out of the mud
piss in comparison. 13 doubtful break down a heavy door
14 difficult hold up a portcullis
15 very difficult bend an iron bar
Ability scores pick something up from
16 impressive the ground while riding a
Each character in Ambrosia is built up from three Primary galloping horse
Ability Scores (Physical, Mental and Social), and almost split an arrow in two with a
17 epic
every other stat is derived from them: what weapons you’re new shot
able to use, how powerful your magical Skills are, even how listen in on a conversation
many henchmen you can get to follow you around. Each of 18 nearly impossible on the other side of a noisy
these Primary Ability Scores are divided into two Secondary marketplace
Ability Scores; Strength and Dexterity for Physical; hit a hawk in full flight in the
Knowledge and Intuition for Mental; and Charisma and 19 1 in a 1000
eye with a thrown pebble
Appearance for Social. A Primary Ability Score is always
equal to the sum of the two underlying Secondary Ability In Ambrosia, you’re given the option to manipulate your
Scores; so you can have a physical character who’s very dice rolls to give players a direct storytelling tool and
muscular, or one who is very quick and nimble (or even minimize randomness. That’s where the Primary Ability
better, both!), while a social character will be either silver- Scores come into play; these form pools that you can
tongued or get by on his or her good looks. use to alter your dice rolls. Should you fail to jump to the
Ability checks are only made for Secondary Ability Scores. next rooftop by 2 points, for example, you still have the
For example, jumping from rooftop to rooftop would opportunity to spend 2 points of the corresponding Primary
require a Dexterity check; while remembering a vital Ability Score (in this case, Physical) to make the DC after
Quickstart rules
after the roll is made and with full knowledge of the DC you the amount of damage you just received. This represents the
have to reach, so there’s no element of chance involved! wound. If you’re dealt damage again, this will inflict a new
Alternatively, you can also spend 1 point of a Primary wound, so you’ll start counting the dots from the beginning
Ability Score to retry a failed corresponding secondary (i.e. the previous damage doesn’t stack). Should a dot that
ability check. This is not a strict re-roll; it’s actually your you already marked be hit again, then the corresponding
character noticing he or she did something wrong before, dot on the line below is checked instead; the location in
and trying anew. Spending points of Primary Ability Scores question was hurt again, the wound ripped open even more.
never lower your Secondary Ability Scores, and it is called Example: a character gets hit by a kobold, armed with a
using Extra effort. Only player characters can use Extra short sword, and is inflicted 6 points of damage. The player
effort; sometimes it pays to be the protagonist of the story! checks the sixth dot beneath Light Trauma (see below). The
When performing a contested action against another being, next turn, that character is dealt 3 points of damage; so the
an opposed check is required. When you want to convince a player checks the third dot on the same line (the 3 points of
merchant to give you a better price, a Charisma vs. Intuition damage aren’t added to the 6); now he or she suffers from
check is required; to arm-wrestle another tavern patron to two Light Traumas; the character has a cut in his or her left
the table, you’ll have to pass a Strength vs. Strength check. arm and near the chest, for example. If that character is dealt
In such cases, the highest value wins. Combat is resolved more than 10 points of damage, he or she is inflicted a Severe
in the same way: to successfully attack with a Carving or Trauma. The same goes for the character in this example if
Blunt weapon, you’ll need to make a Strength check; when he or she is dealt 3 points of damage again, for example; the
using Piercing or Ranged weapons, a Dexterity check is existing wound is aggravated and the corresponding Severe
required. The DC needed to hit is equal to the opponent’s Trauma is also checked (the 13th dot in total).
Strength check (when parrying with a Carving or Blunt Physical Trauma’s are quite straightforward; a Light
weapon) or Dexterity check (when parrying with a Piercing Trauma represents a shallow cut or a bruise; a Severe
weapon, or dodging). There will be instances when a static Trauma is a fractured rib or a broken leg (something that
DC is used (when using shields) or when an opponent can’t takes a longer time to heal); and an Incurable Trauma can 11
defend him- or herself; more on this later on. cause your character to lose an eye, get your hand chopped
It’s also possible to help another character while he or she off, or even cripple a leg. A critical trauma is possibly fatal.
is attempting a certain action - like engaging in a tug of war, Mental Traumas work in a similar way. Casting magic spells
or trying to figure out a puzzle. In that case, only one die is or performing occult rituals takes its toll on your psyche,
rolled, but each participating character’s Secondary Ability ranging from a mild headache and absent-mindedness to
Score is added; keep in mind that it is possible to have a all-out psychotic episodes - or even leave your character
negative ability score, and characters with very low scores stranded in a vegetative state!
can actually hinder such an attempt! Lastly, your Social traumas determine how the world
perceives you. If your character is a well-known criminal,
or everybody knows him or her as the coward who ran at
Damage the battle of..., you’ll have a hard time getting people to trust
you. In the absence of internet or television, gossiping is a
big part of social life in the Alverlands!
In Ambrosia, there is more than one way to get hurt. A
character can be dealt Physical damage (by getting hit,
shot or burnt); Mental damage (mostly from performing light trauma (-1)
magical spells or rituals); or Social damage (by performing
dastardly deeds - and getting caught! or even getting framed severe trauma (-2)
for crimes they didn’t commit). Each of these types of
damage is linked to one of your Primary Ability Score.
incurable trauma
For each of the Primary Ability Scores, a set of 40 possible
Traumas are specified on your character sheet, each
represented by a single dot. Whenever your character is critical trauma
dealt damage, you count the dots beneath the respective
It’s a bit less obvious when it comes to Incurable Social the current one has become unplayable.
Trauma’s, however. As these Traumas are gained by If a character is ever dealt more than 40 points of damage,
performing specific immoral acts, it’s obviously impossible or would be required to check a dot that doesn’t exist (if
to list them all in a simple table. That’s why Incurable Social he or she is dealt 36 points of damage twice in a row, for
Traumas simply give you a General Charisma Penalty 2 (for example), the character in question will instantly die - after
dot 1-5) or 4 (for dot 6-10). all, with that kind of punishment taken, there’s very little
A Critical Trauma might result in death - or worse! A you can do!
character who is dealt one, immediately passes out, but It is good to know that Extra effort, the technique for using
has to make a Strength (for Physical Traumas), Intuition points from Primary Ability Scores to improve your dice
(for Mental Traumas) or Charisma (for Social Traumas) 1 rolls we talked about earlier, can also be used as Damage
check as well. If this check fails, he or she dies from their Reduction for corresponding Traumas. Each point of a
wounds, is left in a drooling vegetative state, or is so hated Primary Ability Score spent in that way can prevent 1 point
that staying put simply becomes intolerable. In any case, the of damage. Your character is still treated as the story’s
player in question will have to draw up a new character as protagonist, after all, and having one hand chopped off by
ini 2
ini 5
ini 3
Quickstart rules
can evade all of their blows - so ganging up does work!
In the table below, the most frequently used actions are
jotted down, along with their cost in Action Points. Of Now that we covered how to get wounded, there are also
course, many other actions are possible as well; the Game a few ways to get healed of course. The most frequently
Master can use the actions mentioned below as a reference used method to heal wounds is to rest - but a shattered rib
to determine the cost of new ones. or a broken leg won’t simply mend itself overnight. When
taking a Night’s Rest (6-8 hours, can only be used once a
Action AP day), a character follows the steps below, in that order:
Attack unarmed 4 1. All Light Traumas are healed overnight.
Attack with a weapon * 2. The character can spend 3 points of a Primary Ability
Evade a blow or shot 4 Score to convert a Severe Trauma (linked to that ability
score) to the corresponding Light Trauma.
Shout a short sentence 1
3. The player rolls 1D10 and replenishes a number of
Parry with a weapon * spent Primary Ability Score points, equal to that value
Cast a spell / Use a hieratic Skill 6 (distributed as the player sees fit).
Characters can also get healed by herbs, magic, potions, or
*The Encumbrance value of the weapon is used as Action characters with the Surgery Skill. Surgeons can heal several
Point value for Actions that entail using said weapon. The kinds of Traumas in the following ways:
minimum is always 3 AP.
By withdrawing blood, a surgeon can
Buckle on a shield / Put on a helmet 5 purify toxins and infections from the
Draw a weapon / Put away a weapon 2 patient’s body. The surgeon can cure a
Drop a weapon or item 0 poison or disease by succeeding in a check
Blood-letting
Knowledge (8+Level disease or poison);
Open and drink a magic potion 4 15
the patient is dealt 1D+4+(Level disease
Pick something up from the ground 2 or poison) Physical damage (all Damage
Drop a worn shield or helmet 3 Reduction is ignored).
Take a small object out of a container 2 A surgeon can determine which disease(s)
and/or poison(s) a patient suffers from. If
Jump on or over something 4 the surgeon successfully makes a check
Diagnose
Open or close a door 2 Knowledge (7+Level diseases and/or
poisons), he or she can identify all toxins
Run Dexterity+2 meters** 5
and diseases the patient suffers from.
Run down stairs (8 steps) 5 Making indentations in a patient’s scalp
Run up stairs (8 steps) 8 allows a surgeon to heal Light or Severe
Stand up from sitting 2 Mental Traumas if he or she succeeds in a
Stand up from lying down 4 Keye-cutting check Knowledge 9 (Light) or Knowledge
Take a single step*** 2 12 (Severe). The patient is dealt 1D
Physical damage (all Damage Reduction is
ignored).
**When running, a character uses the sum of his or her
By bandaging, or splinting a broken bone,
Dexterity and all Physical bonuses, as well as any Penalties
a surgeon can speed up the healing process
he or she endures. If this sum has a result of 0 or less, then
of a Severe Physical Trauma if he or she
running proves to be impossible in his or her current state.
succeeds in a Knowledge 10 check. When
***The amount of AP needed to take a single step increases Surgery
the patient awakes after his or her next
by 1 for every Physical Penalty (Strength or Dexterity)
Night’s Rest, the Severe Physical Trauma
a character has. Once that penalty is higher than 8, the
will be converted to a Light Physical
character will only be able to crawl because of the severity
Trauma of the corresponding value.
of his or her wounds.
notes:
again, and sailors speak of strange lights emanating from she will also be able to add 1 point to any Primary Ability
its wild forests, as well as inhuman shrieks and cries that Score of his or her choosing.
seem to come out of nowhere. The elves, or Katori as they Next, you’ll be able to fill out your Secondary Ability
call themselves, are feral beings who worship a primitive Scores by choosing Skills and Talents. Talents are abilities
god known only as the Beast. Humans consider them to be your character was born with, or things he or she gained in
little more than animals, and that is why they don’t consider his or her life before our story starts. This could be a natural
them to be equals; elves are allowed to hunt on a lord’s land, magical aptitude, a strong back that allows you to have a
for example, because you can’t blame a wolf for killing one higher carrying capacity, or a sturdy constitution that makes
of your deer either. If the wolf population grows too large, you more resistant to diseases and poisons - but it could
however, a hunting party is organized to thin the herd, and also be a title you received in life (sometimes earned, but
the same will be done to large groups of elves roaming the mostly by political manoeuvring), an oath you swore, or a
land... henchman you picked up along the way. Talents may only
Your Primary Ability Scores will be determined depending be taken at character creation.
on your descent. Several examples are listed below: Skills, on the other hand, can also be learned in-game. Some
Skills give you access to certain areas of knowledge (like
Human, noble - house Baligant academics or folklore) or teach you Skills you won’t be able
Physical: 4 Mental: 1 Social: 1 to do without training (like picking locks or casting magic
spells). Others simply make you better at it - anyone can
Human, noble - house Tauernier swing a sword around or try to track footsteps through the
Physical: 1 Mental: 1 Social: 4 mud, but a seasoned warrior or tracker, respectively, will
have a much better chance of succeeding.
Human, freeman Each Talent and Skill is linked to a corresponding Secondary
Physical: 2 Mental: 2 Social: 2 Ability Score, and each of these ability scores are increased
by 1 for each Talent and/or Skill you possess. In other words,
20 Human, serf you don’t need to be a strong character to be a lumberjack
- but as you train to be one, you will gain physical strength!
Physical: 3 Mental: 1 Social: 2
Any which way you look at it, the statements below will
Dwarf always remain true:
Physical: 3 Mental: 2 Social: 1
Your Secondary Ability Scores are each equal to the
Elf number of your Skills and/or Talents linked to them
Physical: 2 Mental: 3 Social: 1 Your Primary Ability Scores are each equal to the sum of
Secondary Ability Scores linked to them
Quickstart rules
Weapon Skill gives your character a Combat Penalty equal
to the difference between the two.
Example: a character with a Dexterity score of 4 decides
to hurl a throwing axe (Encumbrance 7) at an opponent’s
"An army may march head. His Weapon Skill (one-handed) for ranged weapons
on its stomach... is equal to his Dexterity, so throwing the axe would give
him a Combat Penalty of 3 (=7-4). Should that character
but it fights pick up the heavy axe with both hands, though, he wouldn’t
on its liver!" incur a penalty as his Weapon Skill for two-handed ranged
weapons is equal to twice his Dexterity score (4*2=8),
which is higher than the weapon’s Encumbrance of 7.
(knight-commander Armour Skill determines what kind of armour your
Beric Baligant) character can use without incurring penalties. For once
again, anyone can don a suit of plate mail; but obviously,
you need to be trained in such arts, and have the upper body
strength needed to support it, in order to make the best
use of heavy armour. Armour Skill is derived from your
Strength score and, like with Weapon Skill, cannot exceed
the Encumbrance score of your armour. It is possible to
highest to lowest. Your Initiative is equal to the sum of your wear several pieces of armour over each other (you can use
Dexterity and Intuition scores, but can also be increased by a maximum of one Upper armour and one Shield, but as
Skills like Lightning reflexes. As Initiative remains a fixed many Base armours as you like, as long as they’re unique
number for most of the game, it’s easy to keep track of items - so no wearing three helmets on top of each other!),
whose turn it is by seating players around the table in order in which case the sum of all worn armours’ Encumbrance 21
of Initiative. scores can’t exceed your Armour Skill. Should it happen that
Weapon Skill determines what kind of weapons your it does exceed your Armour Skill, your character endures a
character is proficient with. Obviously, anyone can pick General Dexterity Penalty equal to the difference, as well
up a sword and swing it around, but your Weapon Skill as decreasing the distance in the Run Dexterity+2 meters
determines how effective the result will be. There’s four Action by another 1 meter for each point of Encumbrance
different kinds of weapons in this game (Piercing, Ranged, higher than your Armour Skill.
Blunt, and Cleaving) and obviously, a high Strength score Carrying capacity tells you how many weapons and/
won’t really be of help when using an elegant rapier or or armour you can carry without straining yourself. In
swift dagger, although you will need to be quite muscular Ambrosia, we like to take a realistic approach to this: in
to swing a huge war hammer around. Therefore, your WS many role-playing games, your character is able to carry
with Piercing and Ranged weapons is derived from your enough weapons with him to justify enlisting the help of a
Dexterity score, while Blunt and Cleaving weapons are caddy just to hand him the right one - but in reality, those
dependent on your Strength score. Skills like the aptly wrought iron monstrosities weigh tons. Your Carrying
named Weapon skill allow you to use larger, heavier capacity is usually equal to 10 + your Strength score (again,
weapons. You’ll note that you can use heavier weapons Talents and Flaws can alter this value) and the sum of all
when you’re holding them with both hands; obviously, your weapons’ and armours’ Encumbrance scores cannot
you can’t use a second weapon or a shield then, but larger exceed this. We are talking about armour worn, with
weapons do have a higher chance at harming or even its weight divided evenly over your body, because the
instantly killing tougher enemies. In Ambrosia, we don’t Encumbrance of armour you simply carry with you (in a
talk about one- or two-handed weapons; it depends on your satchel, for example) is doubled even! For each point of
individual character whether he or she can use a weapon Encumbrance higher than his or her Carrying capacity,
one- or (sometimes clumsily) two-handed. Each weapon your character endures a General Dexterity Penalty 1 and
comes with an Encumbrance score, and your Weapon Skill a General Strength Penalty 1. Only weapons and armour
is the maximum Encumbrance of weapon you can use. are included when calculating total Encumbrance; for other
equipment, common sense is simply used (obviously, you passive defence - an opponent’s attack roll must be higher
can’t walk around with five treasure chests on your back, than the shield’s Power score to hit, even if you’re not
filled to the brim with gold coins!). spending Action Points for parrying or dodging.
On the front of your character sheet, you’ll also see a
table where you note down your weapons. This is a handy
reference tool for calculating Bonuses and/or Penalties
applicable to attack and parry rolls, as well as the damage
Your immortal soul
your weapon inflicts on a successful hit. The columns on the
left of Type contain all bonuses and/or penalties that apply Morality makes up a large part of the game in Ambrosia,
to attacking and parrying; those on its right give you an and trying to stay true to your personal norms and values
overview of all bonuses and/or penalties for damage. When isn’t always easy when you’re living in a dark and gritty
22 you inflict damage with a weapon, you add these Bonuses setting like the Alverlands. As a moral compass for your
and/or subtract the Penalties from a die roll (1D10). A roll character, this game utilises a Soul score; you can lose Soul
of 1 doesn’t cause a fumble when rolling for damage, but the points by performing foul and immoral acts; in other words,
exploding dice rule is still in effect! it doesn’t pay to be a murder hobo in this game!
Unarmed attacks are also possible of course, but as we’re Your Soul reflects, for one, the way a character views him-
trying to set up a medieval, western European-inspired or herself. Can a character live with him- or herself after
game, there’s no such thing as intricate (oriental) martial saving his or her own skin by abandoning a child to be eaten
arts. After all, in Ambrosia, as in its historical counterpart, by a dragon? Will the ghosts of their past come back to
the lands aren’t populated by ninjas and kung-fu monks! haunt him or her in dreams? This is all determined by your
Attacking unarmed is resolved by making a simple Strength Soul score.
check (which can be parried or dodged as if it were an armed Secondly, your Soul determines how susceptible you are
attack) and damage is determined by 1D10+Strength-1. to holy or unholy powers, respectively. A character with
Rather than composing complex fighting rules, specific a high Soul score will have a higher chance to be blessed
moves are resolved by making simple opposing checks; for by the gods, having your wounds healed, or even having
example, grappling an opponent would be a Strength vs. dark spirits exorcised from your very being. A low Soul
Dexterity check, wrestling someone to the ground becomes score, on the other hand, makes you more susceptible to the
a Strength vs. Strength check, and so on. hellish forces of the Netherworld, wielded by both devils
The principle remains the same for armour; for they too and witches alike.
have a Power and Encumbrance score, but only magic can It is possible to do penance for your evil ways and
be used to increase or decrease them - so a complex table regain points of Soul. Every religion has its own way of
isn’t necessary here. An armour’s Power score offers your atonement, ranging from purchasing pardons from the
character a Physical damage reduction (as such, it is even church of Argonius, or self-flagellation, up to going on a
possible for your armour to take an entire blow, leaving you mythical spirit quest when worshipping the Beast. When
completely unscathed!), but it works slightly different for your Soul score is lowered to 0, however, all hope is lost for
shields. When using a shield, its Power score works as a the character; he or she becomes a sociopath with no sense
Points
Ambrosia doesn’t utilize a growth-based system like most
role-playing games do. A Level 1 and a Level 7 character
can stand side by side, each with their own strengths and
"Not before he loses
weaknesses, without the Game Master having to worry both titles and gold
about Level-appropriate encounters, an insurmountable gap will man truly
between high and low Levels, and having players who are
primarily motivated by gaining more and more Experience reveal his soul."
Points. Instead, characters are created with realistic abilities
for an adult in the Alverlands, and will be able to better him- (from "The Writ",
or herself a little - while also being hindered by Incurable psalm of Saint Gyssel)
Traumas he or she will suffer during their adventures.
A player character starts at Level 1 and gains 1 Experience
Point for each game session (of 3-4 hours) he or she
participates in. Experience Points don’t need to be earned
by killing monsters, Game Master approved role-playing,
or any other means; the story advances either way. After
gaining 21 Experience Points, your character will have
evolved from Level 1 tot the maximum Level 7 (as per the fear or piety, this church has the largest following in the
chart at the top of the Character Sheet). Each time a character Alverlands. Priests (only men are allowed to don the cloth)
reaches a new Level (at 1 XP, again at 3 XP, then at 6 XP, spread the word of Argonius throughout the land, while
and so on), he or she can choose a new Skill that character bishops and cardinals bide their time in the noble courts,
24
has learned; this also increases the linked Secondary Ability using diplomacy and intrigue to gain more power.
Score by 1, and indirectly the Primary Ability Score above Although less prestigious than the priestly order, the monks
that (as well as derivative scores, if any). Be realistic about who live in monasteries all over the Alverlands, make up
the Skill you choose, however; it’s very difficult for a a big part of Argonius’ clergy. Although they’ve put their
character who has just spent four months at sea to learn as lives in service of the god-emperor, monks aren’t perceived
Skill like Favoured terrain: deserts... as the spiritual guides that priests are. Many monasteries
For every Experience Point a player character receives, he still rely on a chaplain priest, for example, to consult its
or she also gains 1 point of Karma. Karma can be spend inhabitants on the divine. Monks, led by abbots and abbesses
as a wild-card for Extra effort instead of Physical, Mental respectively, are organized in six distinct monastic orders,
or Social points, but once it’s spend, you never get it back. each devoted to one of Argonius’ apostles, now revered as
Karma can be used to make the truly epic rolls that seem saints in their own right.
impossible otherwise! The order of Saint Ambros consists of monks who have
taken a vow of silence; within the walls of an Ambrosian
convent, silence must be maintained at all times. Ambrosian
Religion monks spend most of their time in meditation and prayer.
The brotherhood of Saint Bogomil consider knowledge to
Faith is an important part of life in the Alverlands, as only be the most precious commodity in the world. These monks
a very small population consists of non-believers. Different copy books and draw intricate icons in their vast libraries.
religions are regularly at each other’s throats, and free- The order of Saint Elora is the only sisterhood among
thinkers often end up burned at the stake as heretics. the monastic orders of Argonius. They honour thriftiness
Since the Holy Carthician Empire annexed the Alverlands, above all else, and while these blessed sisters have taken
the church of the Argonius has become the mandatory a vow of poverty, they do charge the common folk for a
state religion. Humans not honouring the god-emperor on lot of services (among which pardons to clear one’s soul
a regular basis are also tried for heresy; so either out of of taints). As such, many suspect the Elorian Sisterhood is
for blessing the Katori talisman a new-born elf receives, dreading the immense power they hold over them. Also, it’s
which -by the doctrine of their faith- contains the child’s a well known fact that magic corrupts the soul; a testament
soul. Losing that talisman is the worst faith an elf can befall, to this were the dark wizards from the Wilderlands who
yet they are sought-after trophies for many human hunters caused their bodies and minds as well as their environment
who want to impress their peers. to be warped, reshaped by powerful magics they couldn’t
As dwarves believe the world is actually the body of their possibly control.
dead god Ment, they see no use in having an established Three different kinds of magic are known to exist in the
clergy. All dwarves simply agree on the existence of Ment Alverlands: Hieratic magic, firstly, is a collection of powers
and accept their role in excavating his body. and rites bestowed upon clerics of a certain religion. Hieratic
Humans who refuse to follow the church of Argonius, magic mostly utilizes Skills (so-called hieratic Skills), only
but aren’t attracted to the feral life the Beast offers them, available to those who spread the faith among mortal men.
are called apostates. They’re usually opposed to immoral These pious men and women also have access to a set of
acts made by hypocritical clergymen, and have renounced sacramental rites they can use to perform miracles, and the
the god-emperor because of that. Others are free-thinkers, holiest among them are even surrounded by a mystical aura,
deemed dangerous by the established religion, as they showing off their piety to all who lay eyes on them. Hieratic
undermine their hold on the people. magic is utilized by both humans (priests, monks, druids
and witches) and elves (shamans).
Little is known to the outside world about Agnostic magic,
Treasure the stone- and ore-based sorcery of the dwarven folk.
The dwarves stubbornly guard their magical knowledge
In the Alverlands, four different kinds of currency are
commonly used. Of these, the Corte is worth the least;
these simple coins made of copper or bronze have a hole
in the middle so one can collect them on a string to count
26
them more easily. 10 Corte (singular and plural) are worth
1 Braspenning, a somewhat decorated brass coin which is
the greatest form of currency most commoners will ever
get their hands on. 10 Braspennings are in turn worth 1
Schelling, a piece of silver, and 10 Schellings are worth 1
Florin, made from pure gold.
1 Florin =
10 Schellings =
100 Braspennings =
1000 Corte
Magic
Magic-users are both revered and feared in the Alverlands,
for very little is known about the occult by outsiders.
Largely due to a lack of understanding, common folk are
both attracted to the wondrous effects they conjure as well as
Shadow-play Imitation
Spell - Sciadomancy Spell - Pseudomancy
Damage: 1D + 7+X Damage: 1D+3+X
Target: shadows or darkness, max. 10 meters away from Target: 1 living creature
the wizard (see Description) Duration: X turns
Duration: 1D+(the wizard’s Knowledge) turns Check: Knowledge vs. Intuition
Check: Knowledge 10+X Actions: the pseudomancer touches the Target with one
Actions: the sciadomancer waves one hand around in a hand and rubs the palm of the other hand over his or her
circling motion while he or she uses the other to direct the face (in a downward motion) while he or she recites the
shadows into a first movement. The incantation is recited incantation. If the Target is able (and wants) to resist, a
during this action. Dexterity vs. Dexterity check is required for the wizard to
Description: with this spell, a sciadomancer can grow and touch him or her.
shrink shadows, as well as have them take on any shape Description: pseudomancers master the art of gaining
he or she desires. The wizard can also cause shadows to in seconds what others have taken years to accomplish.
become corporeal and manipulate their surroundings. If This spell allows you to copy a Skill or Talent from
the shadows are used to make checks in physical form (to another character. The Target retains the ability as well.
attack someone, for example, or to suppress them), the The wizard’s corresponding Secondary Ability Score
caster’s Knowledge Ability Score is used as Strength, and is also increased by 1 for the duration of this spell, but
his or her Intuition as Dexterity. Any Physical damage the the Primary Ability Score isn’t. If necessary, the Skill is
shadows are inflicted is converted to Mental Damage for altered to suit the wizard (for example, if a pseudomancer
the caster. copies a small bird’s Wings Skill, the wizard will sprout
The value X in the Damage and Check of this spell is equal wings large and strong enough to carry him or her). The
to the combination of things the sciadomancer wants to only exception is the Skill Toxic; in that case, the Level of
28 achieve, as mentioned below: the original creature is retained.
• The shadows are moulded: +2 The pseudomancer will, apart from gaining the
• The shadows grow: +1 per extra m² characteristics of the Skill or Talent he or she copies, also
• The shadows become corporeal: +3 physically change if the ability requires. A character who
copies Stone skin, for example, will effectively appear
manipulate time), exists only in rumours and speculation. to be made out of stone, and with a fish’s Gills Skill,
It is not known for sure whether chronomancers have ever gills will appear on the wizard’s neck, allowing him or
existed - or will ever exist. her to breathe under water. The Game master can lower
Casting spells and performing rituals are ages-old methods the character’s Appearance Ability Score up to -2 (truly
of performing magic, but both take their toll on the minds of monstrous appearance) for the duration of this spell.
If the wizard copies a Hieratic Skill, he or she will only
their users. A few sample spells and rituals are listed below,
be able to use them if the Target follows the same religion
and you’ll notice that each has Damage detailed; this is the
and the pseudomancer is also conscripted into that faith.
Mental Damage the user inflicts upon themselves by casting
The value X in the Damage and Duration of this spell are
the spell or performing the ritual in question. Certain items
determined by the wizard before the Damage die is cast.
(magical foci, like wands or holy symbols) and Skills offer
Mental Damage Reduction when using certain kinds of
magic, but many an inexperienced wizard has ended up in a
vegetative state, having cannibalized his or her own psyche
by his lust for power and knowledge.
user is still inflicted the Mental Damage.
Each spell and ritual also requires a check (sometimes
opposed) to be performed successfully. Usually, this is a Each character in Ambrosia can only be affected by one
Knowledge or Intuition check, so the more spells you cast, version of an individual spell at the same time; though
the more Mental Traumas you receive, and the harder it will effects of different spells do stack, casting a single spell
be to perform new ones. Even if the check fails, the magic- over and over again is quite useless.
Kobold
Idis Jomfer
Level 4 Spirit Level 5 Undead
Physical: 5 Mental: 4 Social: 3 Physical: 7 Mental: 5 Social: 1
Strength: 3 Knowledge: 1 Charisma: 0 Strength: 2 Knowledge: -1 Charisma: 3
Dexterity: 2 Intuition: 3 Appearance: 3 Dexterity: 5 Intuition: 6 Appearance: -2
Ethereal Unarmed combat Deadly gaze Ethereal
Unnatural body Night vision Painless
The idis is a spirit of nature, summoned by an ancient Unnatural body
druidic ritual. Druids can task these creatures, who take When a witch dies, she (or, in rare cases, he) is banished to
the form of a beautiful woman, to do their bidding. Idises the Netherworld. The remnants of her soul aren’t admitted
are traditionally summoned to convey a message or to there, doomed to roam the world of the living forever.
free a prisoner, but they can also be fierce combatants, In extreme cases (like after a violent death or a heated
descending upon a battlefield as hellish furies. conflict), the manifestation of said soul (called a jomfer)
Equipment: - will haunt the area where she lived or died.
Attack: +3 Damage: +3 Dodge: +2 Jomfers have a greater chance of appearing in moors,
Parry: - Phys. DR: 0 Initiative: 5 primarily in the Kyrian Marshes, probably because of
Special abilities: the presence of enchanted marsh water, known to have a
• Ethereal: DR 10 vs non-magical weapons, permanent specific effect on the dead.
death only by magic A jomfer retains the appearance of the witch when she
• Unarmed combat: Combat Bonus 1 when fighting was alive, dressed in white robes, and emanating a bright,
unarmed; Attack/Dodge costs -1 AP white light. She is often preceded by eerie mists, spreading
• Unnatural body: total immunity to poison an disease over the surface. Few who see a jomfer, live to tell the
tale; for it is said that looking one in the eyes will cause
light trauma (-1) you to instantly die out of fright.
32
Equipment: -
severe trauma (-2) Attack: +2 Damage: +1 Dodge: +5
Parry: - Phys. DR: 0 Initiative: 11
severe trauma (-2) Special abilities:
• Deadly gaze: spend 1 MEN; Intuition vs. Intuition or
critical trauma 3D+Intuition Physical damage
• Ethereal: DR 10 vs non-magical weapons, permanent
death only by magic
• Night vision: isn’t hindered by complete darkness or
invisibility
• Painless: all Physical damage inflicted by Piercing
and Ranged weapons is halved
• Unnatural body: total immunity to poison and
disease
critical trauma
Scenario
This scenario starts on a dark night, deep in the Eternal
Forest. Harsh storms have plagued these woods for days
"One can try and now, knocking over trees, and excess water causing floods
throughout the region. This has also created a huge mudslide
run from Argonius' on the hills, forming an impassable barrier between most
judgment, but none of the player characters and their destination - the castle
Valanthil, better known in Ketendal as new Valanthil for
will ever escape it." it was built after the old castle collapsed into a sink hole
many years ago - during a storm not unlike the one they’re
(from "A widow of Frymonde" enduring right now.
by Marten Scirja) The rains have finally stopped and as a cold, northern
wind still echoes along the tree branches around them,
each character is mostly concentrating on the crackling
camp-fire, not quite warm enough to dry the wet clothes
clinging to their bodies, but the best they can hope for in
these unpleasant conditions. The sky is quite cloudy, so
moon nor stars shed their light on the lands below. Priest
Virgilius, the old clergyman who accompanied brother
Mourinus or sister Haersinde here, seems to be the most
monk or nun from the convent he resides in nowadays. This eager to start a conversation. Even though his appearance
character’s mission is to get his or her chaplain safe to new suggests otherwise -he’s missing an arm, has a limp, an ugly
Valanthil, and carry his sacraments for him. scar runs over his forehead and ends on the right side of
Walric / Serotine: they fulfil the part of the outsider, for his nose-, Virgilius comes across as a serene, grandfatherly 37
although they don’t have a specific link to the scenario,
they will be drawn into the story out of sheer necessity. The Game-mastery tip
outsider will have a unique view on the situation, however,
especially in the final part of this scenario! These kinds of frames are to be found all over Ambrosia
Duke Eoban / Ranildis: if you’re only playing with three scenarios; they contain easy-to-reference tips for the
players, remove this choice from the game. A fourth player Game-master on how to set up a certain scene, how to
can take on the role of a noble (or not-so-noble) child of best analyze your player group, and so on. Just friendly
Baligant, however, tasked to escort the bride or groom advice from one Game-master to the other, no strict
game mechanics or dice-rolling needed. For example,
being married into their house to the new castle Valanthil.
at the start of this scenario, it’s best to emphasize
As soon as each player has chosen a character, the Game-
the general discomfort to the players. They’ve been
master gives each player their respective Background. In traveling in severe conditions all day, soaking wet
there, they can read what their character has gone through because of the heavy rains, and freezing to the bone
in his or her life, and why they’re in the Eternal Forest right - the cold of the wind blasts aggravated even more by
now. On the right-hand side of this document, there’s also their soggy clothes. Despair has also kicked in as most
a brief listing of what his or her strengths and weaknesses of them hoped to have reached the new castle Valanthil
are, expressed in non-game terms (i;e. it won’t say you get by sundown, now relaxing under a warm and dry
a +5 bonus when fighting with swords, it’ll say you’re a sheep’s skin and enjoying a fresh piece of veal in the
great hall. But because of the mudslide blocking their
great swordsman). The statements in bold print, however,
way, the campfire is the best they can hope for, each
do contain the in-game effects for easy reference during the
trying to keep a brave face in these trying times, slowly
game. nodding off by the warmth of the crackling fire...
Game-mastery tip
After the players introduced themselves, and priest Virgilius
Make sure that entering this information in the
told them everything they need to know, the conversation is
conversation is done in a natural way and doesn’t come
suddenly interrupted by an inhuman shriek coming from the
across as forced. For example, when baron Sibold /
shadows. Several short, twisted creatures come running out
lady Everliin states their name, priest Virgillius should
of the darkness towards the camp-fire, rusty short swords in
brighten up and say “I knew your mother!”, or if duke
Eoban / Ranildis says they’re from Valanthil, he could their hands. Broad grins, almost as wide as their faces, bare
start talking about what happened on that fateful night rotting, sharp teeth, and their long, pointy ears hang limp
when the old castle was destroyed. That way, the on the sides of their heads. They have very pale skin, as
conversation can retain its organic flow and you’re not if they’ve never seen sunlight, and are dressed in rags that
just left with a character who’s belching out exposition seem to have been noble clothing at one time; with silk, satin,
for no adequately explored reason! and brocade elements still visible. These are the kobolds,
striking from the freshly uncovered old castle Valanthil,
come to lure their prodigal son or daughter (depending on
figure; he speaks slowly with a slight crackle in his voice, whether it’s baron Sibold or lady Everliin) back home. As
and always seems to have a friendly smile on his face. He they have no idea which one of the player characters this is
starts by thanking Walric or Serotine (as they will have (baroness Catharina gave him or her a human appearance,
made the camp-fire in the first place) for their hospitality, after all), their attention is drawn to the one person they
even going as far as very nearly respecting Serotine’s do recognize - priest Virgilius, one of the only people to
religious convictions. Next up, he’ll introduce himself and survive the destruction of the old castle so many years ago.
the brother/sister accompanying him, then ask the other
player characters to introduce themselves as well (ending Kobold
38 with baron Sibold / lady Everliin). This will give the players Level 1 Troll
a chance to get acquainted with the other characters. Physical: 4 Mental: 3 Social: -2
In the resulting conversation, make sure to have priest Strength: 0 Knowledge: -1 Charisma: 0
Virgilius convey the following information: Dexterity: 4 Intuition: 4 Appearance: -2
• Virgilius is on his way to the newer castle Valanthil Shadow-step
to solemnize the marriage that would bring the noble houses Kobolds are small, sneaky creatures who look vaguely
Baligant and Tauernier closer together. humanoid, but have long, pointy ears that usually hang
• He was asked to do so as he was present in the old limp along the sides of their broad faces. These creatures
castle Valanthil when the child of Tauernier was born; he grow to about one meter’s length and what they lack in
even assisted in delivering the baby. smarts, they make up for in cunning. Kobolds are natural
• Priest Virgilius was on friendly terms with born thieves who will destroy anything they can’t steal.
baroness Catharina, the mother that baron Sibold / Lady They’re feared by young mothers; for they’re attracted to
Everliin never knew. She was a powerful ecomancer, a children with strong magical auras, who would grow up to
flesh-moulding wizard, which made her a proficient healer. be powerful wizards. Kobolds steal such babies from their
• Virgilius was one of the few survivors of the cribs and place one of their own in its place.
disaster that befell the old castle; he barely escaped, Equipment: Short sword (Piercing/Cleaving, PW: 6, ENC:
accounting for his physical disabilities to this day. 4), Leather armour (ENC: 3), 1D Corte
• As far as he is concerned, a sink hole opened Attack: +4 Damage: +6 Dodge: +4
beneath the foundations of the castle, caused by the ongoing Parry: +4 Phys. DR: 3 Initiative: 8
storm (one he compares in intensity to the storm that’s Special abilities:
raging through the region right now). • Shadow-step: General Bonus 2 when trying to move
• The old priest knows about the true heritage of covertly
baron Sibold / lady Everliin, but took an oath to keep it a
secret many years ago so he won’t say anything about it at light trauma (-1)
this time.
The apparition starts to tremble, seemingly acting nervous, as the light it emanates brightens until
it encompasses the entire chamber. The room seems to take the form of the castle in better times;
decorative shields, proudly bearing the heraldic symbol of house Baligant, are seen hanging on
the walls as torches provide a warm, welcoming light. A wooden crib stands in the middle of the
chamber; a baby’s cries echo throughout the tower. Then, the door opens and a kobold, carrying a
Baron Sibold /
small bundle in rags carefully enters the chamber. He looks to the left, then to the right, then runs off
Lady Everliin
toward the crib. The creature puts the bundle in the crib, takes the human baby out of it and rushes
back out of the door, which slams shut with a loud bang; the light turns to darkness once more and
the crib disappears as the old watchtower reverts to its earlier state. Nothing that had just appeared
can be seen now, but the apparition has also disappeared, giving the player characters a clear path to
the door and whatever lies beyond.
The light emanating from the apparition seems to darken slightly as the sound of an angry mob seems
to come out of nowhere. Brother Mourinus feels a sharp blow to his leg, his old wound, making him
trip and fall onto the cold, stone floor. He feels several kicks from unseen sources -some to the chest,
Brother Mourinus others in his sides, one even straight to the face- as the jeers and taunts of laughing children echo
throughout the tower. Brother Mourinus is dealt 1D Physical Damage and 1D Mental Damage. As
the noise slowly fades away, the apparition’s light starts to brighten again, until the tower reverts to
its earlier state.
The light emanating from the apparition seems to darken slightly and the sound of blaring trumpets
can clearly be heard from all around the player characters. Several banners whirl down from the top
of the tower, each of them ripped and blood-stained, and depicting the heraldic symbol of house
Baligant. Even before they get a chance to hit the floor, purple banners are rolled down along the
Duke Eoban
tower walls, depicting the golden poppy -the heraldic symbol of house Tauernier- while an invisible
mob cheers them on loudly. Duke Eoban is dealt 1D Mental Damage. Then, the sounds die away
and the banners seem to disappear into the walls; the apparition’s light starts to brighten again as the
tower reverts to its earlier state.
The light emanating from the apparition seems to darken slightly as the taunting laughter of several
ladies can be heard, as well as the barking of dogs. Ranildis is pushed in the back by an invisible
force and topples over to the ground, landing in a muddy mess that wasn’t there before. The laughter
Ranildis
intensifies, as does the barking; Ranildis is dealt 1D Mental Damage. Then, the sounds fade away
again and the apparition’s light starts to brighten again. The floor is massive stone once more, but
Ranildis’ clothes and face are still dripping in mud.
The light emanating from the apparition seems to darken slightly as the sound of a hunting horn
blares throughout the watchtower. Serotine starts to feel anxcious, as if some kind of feral instinct
just kicked in, feeling like an animal that knows it’s being hunted. Chattering, human voices become
42 barely audible, after which she suddenly feels a sharp pain in her right flank - it feels like it was just
Serotine
pierced by an arrow. Blood gushes out of her side and she topples over in pain. Serotine is dealt 2D
Physical Damage. Then, the sounds fade away and the apparition’s light starts to brighten once
more. The gaping wound remains though, and anyone examining it can clearly see that it’s a clean,
piercing trauma - not unlike if she were hit by an arrow.
The light emanating from the apparition seems to darken slightly and filthy, mocking laughter
-obvious jeers from a number of lower-class women- resounds throughout the tower. Haersinde can
feel several rough, hairy hands under her habit: touching her buttocks, fondling her breasts, even
crawling up her legs. The laughter only intensifies as Haersinde is pushed back by this invisible
Sister Haersinde
force, landing on her back. Her legs are spread open forcibly by a seemingly unstoppable entity; then,
everything seems to disappear again and the apparition’s light starts to brighten once more. The other
player characters saw sister Haersinde move and struggle desperately, but didn’t see anyone touching
her. Haersinde is dealt 2D Mental Damage.
The light emanating from the apparition seems to darken slightly as the sound of an angry mob is
heard echoing throughout the tower. It is followed by the loud banging of a wooden hammer on a
wooden surface - a well-known sign that a tribunal, known commonly as a vierschaar, is going to
begin. An older man’s stern voice condemns Walric for poaching and orders his right hand to be
Walric chopped off as a form of punishment. Walric feels an invisible force grabbing hold of his right hand
as his arm is extended; then, he feels a stinging pain in his wrist as the crowd seems to go wild.
Everything seems to disappear again and the apparition’s light starts to brighten once more, but
Walric clearly notices a deep cut on the top of his right wrist. He is dealt 1D Physical and 1D Mental
Damage as the surroundings return to normal.
Scenario
Once the players get past the magical echo, they’re free to
explore the rest of the buried castle. When they open the
"All magic must tear door, they’ll find a great hall, probably where the lords and
ladies of Valanthil gathered in better times to feast and drink
off a piece of the soul - this is also where the majority of the castle’s social life
to manifest itself." took place. Now, however, it’s as run down as the rest of the
keep; once fine tapestries and glorious hunting trophies are
hanging askew on the walls, ruined by moisture as well as
(from "The Writ", rodents and insects; the stone floor and ceiling are cracked
psalm of Saint Bogomil) and dripping with goo from outside; and most importantly,
the entire north wall has caved in and the player characters
are looking right at a side of the mudslide, apparently only
being kept at bay by the air pocket they find themselves in.
The entire structure looks like it could collapse easily and
be engulfed in the flowing silt of the mudslide - but note that
this will only happen if the players take direct actions leading
to a cave-in. Players trying to disrupt the structure can do so
by dealing more than 30 points of Physical Damage to the
they only regard the person who touched the magical echo.
muddy wall, for example, or propose an initiative that would
Note: due to their primitive intelligence, the kobolds and the
logically lead to a collapse of the structure (like causing the
shield spider are unaffected by the magical echo’s effects.
balcony to crash down, for example - see below).
The follet is, though (see Lamb to the slaughter for more
The great hall is about five meters in height and the tower 43
information on the follet) and he or she fears the apparition
door opens on a wooden balcony, hovering about three
beyond belief. Because of this, the follet needs to lure the
meters above the ground floor. The balcony’s barristers
changeling down into the old castle instead of going out
are all but rotten away and in places even broken off,
after the pretender him- or herself.
and the planks creak beneath the player character’s feet
as they move along the walkway. The wood has suffered
immensely the last few years in these mouldy conditions,
Game-mastery tip and it doesn’t seem like it would take much to bring the
incurable trauma
Scenario
their life. This raises an important question of course: are always opposed those who follow the ancient ways of the
kobolds inherently evil or are they merely a product of Beast, and this might give her an opportunity to deal them
their environs? On the other hand, by the medieval sense of a blow as well.
morality common in the Alverlands, a noble’s prime duty • Duke Eoban/Ranildis: to some Baligants, a
is to ensure (preferably male) offspring, but is this even betrothal between one of their own and a kobold might
physically possible between a human and a kobold? Such be preferable to an engagement with a Tauernier, but how
a thing is unprecedented, after all, and while baron Sibold would duke Eoban or Ranildis deal with this knowledge?
or lady Everliin wear a human face, it was only their flesh Even if it is possible for a human and a kobold to procreate,
that was moulded - on the inside, they remain kobolds. Of would they want to pollute their bloodline in such a way?
course, the political machinations of the Alverlandic noble For duke Eoban, the information that baron Sibold or lady
courts have harboured much darker secrets in the past, and Everliin isn’t even human might give him good cause to
having strong support from the other player characters may call of the wedding, and no Baligant in history has ever
pose an opportunity for this character to rise to power - for shied away from a little bloodshed. The duke can even use
having a secret, unholy army of the night that follows your his power as feudal lord to command Walric into helping
every command is certainly an asset for every ruler. On the him defeat the threat from below, but wither the serf does
other hand, a truly pious Tauernier can also refuse to go so remains up to him of course. Ranildis might have other
through with such a vile act, decide to live in exile with their motives to act, however; she’s nothing more than a bastard
true people, or even lay down their own life in the process. daughter of house Baligant, and has always been treated as
• Brother Mourinus/Sister Haersinde: for a cleric an inferior by her higher-born brothers and sisters. Having
sworn to obey the will of the god-emperor, knowingly one of them marry a kobold might bring her story to closure,
putting a pretender on the throne would prove very difficult. serving as an ultimate practical joke to pull for all the years
As the tenets of their faith stipulate that nobility is granted of bullying she’s had to endure.
to a mortal soul by Argonius himself, being born a member As you can see, the options are infinite and the players might
of the ruling class is both a man’s birth right as well as his take a while to come to a compromise - if one is reached 49
divine duty. Of course, ambition does tend to trump piety
in some cases, and one could argue that house Tauernier
is very influential in matters of the church - and a humble Game-mastery tip
monk or nun could be tempted to think that bishop Mourinus
or abbess Haersinde does have a nice ring to it... If the player characters can’t come to a conclusion over
• Walric/Serotine: being the outsider gives these what to do about putting a pretender on the throne,
characters a unique perspective on the whole situation. After it’s quite possible that it will come to blows between
all, while noble houses feud, it’s often the commoners who them. In such a case, the side that controls the kobold
horde will probably win (unless the other side brings
suffer the most - but in this case, they’re privy to some very
the whole structure down on them by utilizing the mud-
confidential information that might benefit them greatly.
slide to his or her advantage), but it is recommended to
Choosing a side in the event of a dispute gives the noble
have them go out in a blaze of glory; give all players
lords or lady as well as the members of the clergy a chance
a chance to shine, even if that means staying true to
to make them an offer they can’t refuse - for Walric, who is
duty and honour even when they’re ripped to bloody
basically a criminal, this might pose an opportunity to escape
shreds by the stuff that nightmares are made of. Make
his life as a low-born. After all, how does a comfy position
it an epic scene in which they almost escape, but are
at court sound to him? As a warden for example, not really
overpowered by swarms of kobolds while trying to get
doing any actual work but getting to eat his fill at every
up the stairs in the watchtower - or have them not even
banquet, and access to as many prostitutes as his libido can
make it that far, with a large force of kobolds frantically
manage? How would the elf Serotine look upon a kobold,
climbing up the wooden balcony in the great hall as
essentially an abomination of nature, ruling over an estate?
the players try to make their escape. That way, you can
On the other hand, the Katori have never acknowledged the
give them a sense of accomplishment even though their
humans’ claim on these soils (or the concept of ownership
characters have technically died a horribly death!
of land in any form, for that matter), but if brother Mourinus
or sister Haersinde take a stand, Serotine might be tempted
at all of course. Wither this scenario ends in bloodshed or an action like that to succeed). As we certainly don’t want
in peaceful negotiations is completely up to them; priest to punish good thinking on part of the players, there is a
Virgilius will ask his young ward to take him back to possibility to rescue priest Virgilius from the clutches of
the abbey where they lived, where he will live the rest of these vile creatures before they’re able to get a good hold of
his life in silent prayer and castigation, begging the god- him in the first pace. Such things could shut down a game-
emperor Argonius forgiveness for his sins. But as the last night early, but that’s exactly why we put these contingency
of the player characters emerge from the old watchtower plans in place. If the shield spider is defeated prematurely,
once again, for the first time in days the thick layer of the remainder of the cowardly kobolds will flee back to
stormy clouds hanging over this portion of Ketendal have the sunken tower. Priest Virgilius, however, appears in a
given way and the sun’s rays once again reach the hills and state of shock as he hasn’t seen these creatures since that
valleys, slowly drying the muddy soil and warming the cold fateful night when baroness Catharina died in the old castle
forests once again. The unnatural storm seems to have died Valanthil. It’s not hard for him to presume that they’re
with the follet and the secret that had been buried here, here to finish what they started so many years ago, and this
deep beneath the earth, for so many years. Depending on confronts him with the unholy vow he made to remain silent.
the players’ decisions in this scenario, this might mean a He will grab baron Sibold or lady Everliin by the shoulders
bright dawn for both the families Baligant and Tauernier, and say follow them! Their fate is entwined with yours!
or it could be rekindling the ages-old feud between the two before falling to the ground and, staring into oblivion, keep
noble houses, now headed into a long and bloody war... repeating my Lord Argonius, forgive me! We didn’t know
the kobolds would return, we thought what we did was for
the best, I swear! At this point, the players won’t be able to
get him to say anything else - the old priest just stares off
Contingency plans into the distance and mumbles the same lines over and over
again. The players should now have sufficient motivation to
It is said that no matter how well you plan a role-playing
follow the kobolds to their hideout and uncover what secret
50 game session, and no matter how many possibilities for a
story you foresee to evolve into, your players will always
come up with something you couldn’t possibly predict. Game-mastery tip
A role-playing game is essentially an interactive piece of
fiction, and when you’re not limited by movements on a Different players come up with different ways to solve
game-board or a number of predefined actions, nearly a problem in a scenario, some more effective than
anything is possible. To account for players going astray, others. As a Game-master, you’re in an ideal position
each scenario in Ambrosia contains a number of contingency to anticipate what your individual group of players
plans; ideas that you, the Game-Master, can use to keep a might be up to; after all, no one knows them better than
storyline going. This isn’t the same as getting the players you. Some players go for a very serious tone, others
back on track, though; interactivity remains a big part of the want to experience a full range of emotions, while some
Ambrosia experience so you’ll simply end with a different players are just in it to have a good time. Although
kind of story depending on the choices players make. Ambrosia is a dark fantasy role-playing game at heart,
• The shield spider doesn’t succeed in kidnapping that doesn’t mean it can’t cater to a more comically-
priest Virgilius: even though the combat encounter near inclined audience as well; after all, having a party of
the camp-fire we planned is neatly divided into four rounds, misfits stumble upon a more realistic subject matter is
the essence of situation comedy, even one that has been
the players may be able to defeat the shield spider before
mixed with the horror genre many times before (just
it gets that far. This is a completely interactive game, after
think of those old Abbott & Costello movies). Every
all, and there is more than one way to defeat a creature.
player group is different and want other things out of
The players can use the environment to their advantage,
their game, so it is advisable to adjust the game to their
for example; scaring off the spider with fire can be very
specific needs. These contingency plans also work to
effective, as most animals are instinctively afraid of flames:
that end, offering an alternative story that can be told
taking a log from the camp-fire and threatening the spider
with the same tools at your disposal.
with it could foil the kobolds’ plans very early on (although
an opposed check Charisma vs. Intuition is required for
53
54
55
titles: Baron
notes:
- Alertness
notes:
- Wealthy
titles: Duke
notes:
- Literate
titles: Lady
notes:
- Armour skill
- Rage
- Weapon skill
- Hypermobility - Wealthy
titles:
notes:
titles:
notes:
- Title
notes:
- Weapon skill
titles:
16 arrows:
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
notes:
“The shadow in
the deep” is the
first Chronicle for
Ambrosia. In this
scenario, the players
will be given the
chance to be part of
history! It will take
them on a journey
starting at Level 1
and ending at Level
7 - but most of all, it
will enable them to
make decisions that
will change the
world of Ambrosia
forever.