QUICK-START RULES

The premiere German role-playing game,

in continuous publication for more than
30 years, coming soon in English in a
terrific new edition!

THE DARK EYE

QUICK-START VERSION
Welcome to The Dark Eye! This pamphlet introduces you
to the rules, and will give you an idea of how skill checks
work, how to run combats, and which spells your hero
might know. It provides everything you need to play
your first scenario, which is included here.

Skills
In The Dark Eye, heroes may choose from a wide variety
of skills. Skills include proficiencies (such as Tracking or
Plant Lore) and spells.

Attributes
Attributes are a heros basic framework and provide that
heros characteristics. Every hero has eight attributes:
Courage, Cunning, Intuition, Charisma, Dexterity, Agility, Constitution, and Strength. The higher your number,
the better your hero is at that attribute.

Skill Checks
For every skill, skill group (physical, social, nature,
knowledge, crafts), and spell, there are three attributes.
You roll against these attributes in sequence. You can
decide in which order you want to make your rolls, but
you must determine against which attribute you roll before rolling the die.
The attributes of skills in a skill group are always the
same. For example, if you want to make a social skill
check, you always roll against Intuition, Charisma, and
Charisma. It doesnt matter whether you make a Seduction or Intimidate check.
The number you roll on a D20 must be equal to or less
than your rating in the attribute.
You may use your skill rating (SR) to be successful
with your check. Every skill and spell has its own SR, and
you may use this rating to reduce rolls that are too high.
For example, if a hero has an attribute rating of 12 and
you roll a 14, use 2 points of your SR to reduce the roll.
You cannot use the spent points for the remaining
rolls of the skill check. If you have a SR of 10 and use 6 of
those points with the first attribute roll, you only have 4
points left for the remaining rolls. You do not lose your
SR points forever. If you have to make a skill check using
the same skill later in the adventure, you have your full
SR available again.

If you use up all the points and cannot reduce the roll
enough, the skill check is not successful.
If you still have SR points, the number of points left
determines the skill checks quality level.

Quality Levels

Every three points remaining of your SR gives you one

quality level (QL). The more QLs you have, the better
your result. If you succeed in a check but have no points
left, you have a QL of 1.
Remaining SR points

Quality Level

0-3

4-6

7-9

10-12

Cumulative Group Checks

Sometimes heroes must make a cumulative group check.

This means that all players make a check using the skill
and add all their QLs together. If player A has a QL of 2
and player B has a QL of 3, they together have a QL of 5
for the cumulative group check.

Combat

Combat Turn

In The Dark Eye, combats are divided into combat turns

(CT). Every combat turn takes about 25 seconds, just
the time needed to exchange blows or perform another
action.

Initiative
Initiative (INI) determines the order in which the combatants can act. Initiative is decided for the entire combat
and is not rolled anew each combat turn. The combatant with the highest Initiative can take his action first.
If two combatants have the same Initiative result, both
roll a D6. The one with the higher result can act first. In
case of a draw, continue rolling until one combatant has
a higher result.

Actions
In each combat turn, every combatant may take an action, one or more defenses, and one free action, as follows.
Actions:
Make an attack
Make a ranged attack
Move up to your Movement in paces (meters)
Draw a weapon
Draw a ranged weapon (may cost more than one
action, depending on the reload time)
Cast a spell (may cost more than one action,
depending on the spell)
Defenses:
Parry
Dodge
Free Actions
Shout a short sentence
Drop an item
Drop to the ground
Turn around
Move up to your Movement in paces (meters)

Attack and Defense

Roll a D20 to see if youre successful with an attack
or a defense. To succeed, your result must be equal to
or less than your heros stat in Attack, Ranged Combat,
Parry, or Dodge (you can find these ratings under Combat Techniques or your heros equipment).

To attack an opponent in close combat, roll against

your Attack (AT).
If you use a ranged weapon, like a bow, roll against
Ranged Combat (RC).
If you defend, roll against your Defense Value. There
are two ways to defend yourself: Parry (PA) with a melee
weapon or Dodge (DO) to simply evade the attack.
If an opponent succeeds with an attack, you may try
to defend yourself. You can only dodge ranged attacks,
not parry them.
If you are attacked more than once in a combat turn,
there is a penalty of 3 for each defense you make after
the first. If your defense value drops to 0 or less, you can
no longer defend during this combat turn. In the next
combat turn, you may again use your full defense value.

Ranged Combat: Range and Reload Time

Ranged weapons have three Ranges (RA): short, medium, and long; which applies depends on where the target is. If the RA is medium, the roll is not modified. For
short range, you get a bonus of 2 to your RC value, for
long range you suffer a penalty of 2.
Ranged weapons have a reload time. Some weapons
require more than one action to reload.

Damage

If an attack, a ranged attack, or a damage spell is successful and the targets defense fails, the target is hit.
Every weapon has a damage value, called Damage
Points (DP). For example, 1D6+4 means that you roll one
six-sided die and add 4 to the result to get the damage
points.
After rolling the DP, subtract the Protection (PRO) of
the target from the total.
If there are DP remaining, deduct them from the targets life points (LP).
If a creatures life points drop to 0, it is dying.

Magic
For heroes using magic there are some additional rules.

Arcane Energy
Every spell costs a certain number of arcane points (ArP).
When a character casts a spell, deduct the number from
the spellcasters arcane pool. If the spell check fails, pay
half the cost (rounded up).

Casting Time, Range, and

Duration
Casting a spell also costs a certain number of actions.
After performing the last action needed for the spell,
make your skill check.
To cast a spell successfully, the target of the spell
must remain in the spells range for the whole casting
time. If the target moves outside the spells range, the
spell fails.
A spells duration may either
depend on the QL, be sustained
(by spending additional ArP
as listed), or have an immediate effect.

Spells
Armatrutz
Effect: The spellcasters skin hardens and provides additional PRO. The spellcaster decides how much PRO
before casting the spell, up to 3 points.
Casting time: 1 Action
ArP Cost: 4 ArP for PRO 1, 8 ArP for PRO 2, 16 ArP for
PRO 3 (you cannot modify the cost)
Range: Self
Duration: QL x 3 minutes

Balsam Salabunde
Effect: The spellcaster decides how many ArP to spend
before casting the spell. The target of the spell receives
LP equal to the ArP spent. The spellcaster can spend no
more ArP than the SR of the spell.
Casting time: 16 Actions
ArP Cost: 1 ArP per LP, at least 4 ArP
Range: Touch
Duration: Immediate

Ignifaxius

Fate Points
Fate Points (FtP) are a measure of a heros luck and the
gods influence. FtP are the little bit of luck separating
heroes from everyone else.
How Can I Spend Fate Points?
Reroll: To reroll one, two, or all three dice for a skill
or an Attack, Defense, or Ranged Combat roll, you can
spend 1 FtP. It doesnt matter if you need to reroll one,
two, or all three diceyou still spend only 1 FtP. You
must make your roll before you use this option, to see
if you botch the roll or something similar, and you must
use the second result. You can spend only 1 FtP per
check this way.
Reroll Damage: By spending 1 FtP you can reroll 1D6
of damage. You may reroll only your damage roll, not
your opponents roll. If your weapon inflicts more than
1D6 damage, you may only reroll one of those D6s, not
two or more.
Defense: To strengthen your defense in combat, you
can spend 1 FtP and receive a bonus of 4 to all defenses
until the end of the turn. This can be done anytime in
the combat turn (but before rolling a Defense).

Effect: A lance of flames shoots in a straight line from

the spellcasters fingers and hits a target. The spellcaster does not need another action after casting the spell
to aim it. Aiming is included in the casting time. The target suffers 2D6+(QLx2) points of damage. The flame jet is
considered a ranged attack with a projectile weapon. If
the target doesnt dodge, the lance hits automatically.
Casting time: 2 Actions
ArP Cost: 8 ArP
Range: 16 paces
Duration: Immediate

Visibili
Effect: The spellcaster becomes invisible. Only the spellcaster is invisible, not clothing or equipment. To attack
an invisible target, you must roll against half your Attack stat. Ranged attacks hit only if you roll a 1 on the
D20.
Casting time: 4 Actions
ArP Cost: 8 ArP (activation of the spell) + 4 ArP per 5
minutes
Range: Touch
Duration: Sustainable

THE SLAVERS OF THE REICHSFORST

A SHORT SCENARIO
Alriksforda small, placid, Aventurian village. The Alriksforders live in modest wealth, but their village is not
far from the Reichsforst, a forest about which many legends are told. They say ghosts, faeries, and monsters live
in the Reichsforst and protect it from human encroachment. Many of these tales are probably superstition,
but the Reichsforst is home to many gangs of brigands,
among them Kurgh Yellowtooth. This orc specializes in
kidnapping human children and selling them to slavers.
This time he has chosen Severin Thalbach, the ten-yearold son of the female Alriksforder blacksmith Gisla.
Mother and son were attacked while taking a walk at the
edge of the Reichsforst, and even though Gisla fought
back, she could not stop Kurghs orcs from taking her
son. Badly wounded, Gisla managed to return to Alriksford. There she informed village mayor Malor about the
tragedy. Malor is desperate. He knows how dangerous
the orcs are and doesnt think anyone in the village is
capable of tracking the kidnappers and bringing back
young Severin. Luckily, the heroes arrived in Alriksford
and heard that Gislas son has been taken. Without hesitation they decide to help and go hunt the orcs.

Time Points and Looking for

the Boy
Of course, its a matter of honor for the heroes to bring
back the boy, but they must hurry. Kurghs orcs have
taken Severin to their hideout in the forest and wait for
their leader. The heroes have no time to waste. In some
scenes of the adventure, the heroes may receive time
points. If they collect 4 or more time points, Kurgh has
already reached the hideout when the heroes get there.
If they have fewer than 4 time points, they only have to
deal with Kurghs orcs.
As game master (GM), feel free to simply jump from
scene to scene if you just want to give a quick impression
of the games rules. However, you should read the scenario beforehand. In some places, we give you options
you can present to the players or choose from yourself.

The Trail

At first, the heroes must find the orcs trail and follow
it. They search the path Gisla and Severin took to find
footprints or other clues. For this, they need to make a
cumulative group check using Tracking (Courage/Agility/
Constitution). The heroes need 3 QLs. For each QL under
three they receive a time point (even if they all fail their
checks, they find the trailbut they need more time and
therefore collect more time points).

The Slope

The heroes follow the trail and enter the forest. This
part of the Reichsforst is spooky and filled with scary
sounds. A storm from a few days ago left the ground soft
and broken. The orcs path leads past a dike that slides
away beneath the heroes weight. Luckily, they drop
only about two paces.
The GM rolls for damage using 2D6. The heroes may
roll to try to reduce or avoid the damage. Each player
should make a check with Body Control (Courage/Agility/
Strength). If successful, the hero lowers the damage by
1 for each point of SR remaining (a SR of 0 counts as 1).
PRO doesnt help against this damage!
If at least one hero is hurt, continue with Looking for
Herbs; if not, go to The River.

Looking for Herbs

The Reichsforst is not only the home of orcish brigands;

many healing herbs grow here. The heroes know this
and have to decide if they want to look for healing herbs
to cure the damage suffered from falling, or if they want
to ignore their wounds and press on.
The search takes time. The heroes have to make another
cumulative group check. This time, they use Plant Lore
(Courage/Agility/Constitution). If no hero succeeds, the
group receives 3 time points and their search is in vain.
Each QL the heroes get may be used to either reduce the
time (to a minimum of 1 time point) or to increase the
number of doses of healing herbs found. The herbs heal
1D6 points of damage per dose, but each hero can benefit only once per day.
Option 1: If the heroes simply want to push on, continue with The River.

Option 2: The heroes might look for another bridge.

This takes time (+3 time points), but is probably the easiest way.

The Orcs Hideout

The heroes find the orcs hideout in a small glade. There

is a single tree in the middle, to which Severin is bound.
He is gagged and crying. The orcs are near the tree, frying a duck over a small fire. The tree is 30 paces from the
edge of the glade. Of course, the heroes must somehow
fight the orcs and free Severin. How they do that is their
decision. Before they start they have several options to
make their lives easier.
Option 1: They might try to intimidate the orcs with
a successful cumulative group check using Intimidate
(Intuition/Charisma/Charisma). If the heroes manage to
gather at least 3 QL, the orcs lose 2 points each from AT/
RC and 1 point from DO/PA.
Option 2: A spellcaster might use the Visibili spell to
become invisible and free Severin.

The Orc Band

The orcs are a group of exiles who have banded together to form a small gang of brigands. All told, the heroes
have to deal with three orcs. All are armed with sabers,
and one of them carries a short bow (hes the guard who
is supposed to be on watch).
If the heroes attack without being noticed, the orcs are
so surprised that they can only use defenses and free actions in the first turn of combat. They can act normally
in the second turn.

Option 2: Instead of looking for healing herbs, the

spellcaster among the heroes could use the spell Balsam.
This option accrues no time points.

The River

The heroes follow the trail and find a new problem.

They are standing in front of a river that had a bridge
until recently. The orcs destroyed the bridge to foil any
pursuers. The heroes may swim across the river. They
need to make a check using Swimming (Courage/Agility/
Strength). Successful heroes reach the other side; otherwise, they lose 1D6 life points from inhaling water.
Option 1: The heroes might try to improvise a bridge
using the remaining wood from the old bridge, and other materials. This takes time. The heroes suffer 4 time
points for doing this, but they can lower the time by 1
for each QL (to a minimum of 1) with a cumulative group
check using Woodworking (Dexterity/Dexterity/Constitution).

When all orcs are dead, the heroes free Severin and take
him back to his mother. If the heroes arrive early at the
glade and want to wait for Kurgh, he arrives about an
hour later. The heroes may decide if they want to fight
him or set a trap. If the heroes collected 4 or more time
points, Kurgh has already reached the hideout by the
time the heroes arrive.

Orc

Courage 12 Cunning 10 Intuition 13

Charisma 10 Dexterity 13 Agility 13
Constitution 13 Strength 13
Life Points 32 Arcane Energy - Karma Energy Initiative 12+1D6
Dodge 7
Movement 7
Sabre: AT 13 PA 7 DP 1D6+3
Short Bow: RC 13 RT 1 DP 1D6+4 RA 10/50/80
PRO 1 (heavy clothes, they suffer additional penalties of -1 MOV and -1 INI, already included in the
stats above)
Skills: Body Control 4 (Courage/Agility/Strength),
Perception 5 (Courage/Agility/Strength)
Behavior in Combat: The melee fighters among
the orcs concentrate on the most dangerous melee
fighter among the heroes. The ranged combatant
first tries to take down the spellcaster and then
any ranged combatants among the heroes.
Escape: The orcs dont try to escape, they fight to
the death.
Note: Kurgh has the same stats, but with AT+2 and
PA +1.

10

The End of the Story

Hopefully, the heroes defeat Kurghs orcs and maybe
Kurgh, too. They have only to take the boy Severin back
to his mother. The smith is overjoyed about her sons
safe return and solemnly swears on Ingerimm, the god
of smiths, that she will craft them a weapon or a piece
of armor of excellent quality. Village mayor Malor also
thanks them. The Alriksforders have had trouble with
orcs, bandits, and kidnapped children often enough. He
invites the heroes to a big celebration. The victory over
the kidnappers must be properly celebrated, and theres
good Ferdoker ale in the inns cellars.

Geron Bladebreaker
Geron is named after one of historys greatest heroes,
Geron the One-Handed. When he was born, an ominous,
strong storm gathered over his home village of Silkwiesen. And so his parents chose to name him after a saint
of the Holy Goddess of Storms. He spent his happy childhood among his family. They werent rich, but they made
do. Their happiness ended with the Orc Storm. When the
orcs attacked the Middenrealm, Geron lost his family. He
hid in a tree and escaped their fate. Geron vowed to take
his revenge against the coalpelts, but it would take him
years to make it come true.
After the war he had no choice but to move to Gareth and
take an apprenticeship as a tailor with a friend of his father. But he soon realized that the craft was not what he
wanted to do. He only stayed in Gareth because he didnt
know what else to do.
As a young man, he met mercenaries in the infamous
neighborhood of Southquarter. They impressed him with
their bravery and their tales of slain orcs. Geron was
young, but he was already muscular and agile enough to
catch the eye of the mercenary captain, who took him in
as a fresh recruit. For many years, Geron led an adventurous life as a sellsword. He gave up his surname Bunsheimer and named himself after the mercenary company he served the longest, which grew to be his new
family: the Bladebreakers. Since then, combat and warfare ruled his life. Despite hard times, he kept to the ideals
he learned from his parents: Geron showed mercy to de-

Courage 15
Dexterity 12
Cunning 10
Agility 13
Intuition 13
Constitution 12
Charisma 12
Strength 13
Life Points 29
Dodge 7
Arcane Points - Movement 8
FtPs 2 Initiative 14+1D6
Advantages: Ambidextrous, Luck I, Weapon Aptitude (Swords)
Disadvantages: none
Special Abilities: Alertness, Area Knowledge (Gareth), Combat
Reflexes I, Defensive Posture, Feint I, Forceful Blow I, Leader,
One-Handed Combat, Skill Specialization Warfare, Two-Handed
Combat, Used to Encumbrance I
Languages: Native tongue Garethi III, Oloarkh II
Scripts: Kusliker Signs
Combat Techniques: Chain Weapons 6 (AT 8 / PA -), Daggers 10
(AT 12 / PA 6), Fencing Weapons 6 (AT 8 / PA 4), Impact Weapons
6 (AT 8 / PA 4), Lances 6 (AT 8 / PA 4), Polearms 6 (AT 8 / PA 4),
Shields 6 (AT 8 / PA 4), Swords 12 (AT 14 / PA 7), Two-Handed
Impact Weapons 6 (AT 8 / PA 4), Two-Handed Swords 6 (AT 8 / PA
4), Crossbows 12 (RC 13), Bows 6 (RC 7), Thrown Weapons 6 (RC 7)
Skills:
Physical (Courage/Agility/Strength): Body Control 7, Carousing 5,
Climbing 6, Dancing 0, Feat of Strength 6, Flying 0, Gaukelei 0,
Perception 0, Pickpocket 0, Riding 0, Self-Control 6, Singing 0,
Stealth 0, Swimming 4
Social (Intuition/Charisma/Charisma): Disguise 0, Empathy 6, Etiquette 0, Fast-Talk 5, Intimidate 0, Persuasion 0, Seduction 0,
Streetwise 5, Willpower 4
Nature (Courage/Agility/Constitution): Animal Lore 4, Fishing 0, Orientation 4, Plant Lore 1, Ropes 0, Survival 5, Tracking 4
Lore (Cunning/Cunning/Intuition): Astronomy 0, Gambling 0, Geography 0, Gods & Cults 3, History 0, Law 0, Magical Lore 0, Maths 0,
Mechanics 4, Myth & Legend 5, Sphere Lore 0, Warfare 10
Crafts (Dexterity/Dexterity/Constitution): Alchemy 0, Boats & Ships
0, Clothworking 7, Commerce 5, Drawing & Painting 0, Leatherworking 0, Metalworking 4, Music 0, Pick Locks 0, Prepare Food
0, Stoneworking 0, Treat Disease 0, Treat Poison 0, Treat Soul 0,
Treat Wounds 6, Vehicles 0, Woodworking 4
Equipment: Dagger (DP 1D6+1, AT 12, PA 6), light crossbow (DP
1D6+6, RT 8, RC 13, RA 10/50/80), leather armor (PRO 3), ammunition (bolts, 10), sword (DP 1D6+4, AT 14, PA 7), 18 silverthalers

feated enemies and was not interested in cruelty, pillaging, and murder. Too often he argued about his principles
with other members of his unit. These arguments reached
their climax when Geron was forced to badly hurt some of
his companions to protect innocent villagers while pillaging. Since then, Geron turned away from the mercenarys
life in disgust. He travels Aventuria as a soldier of fortune
and sells his services to those who pay him most.
Even though Geron has a reputation as a ladies man and
is infamous for his lewd comments, in his heart he is a shy
man who has problems opening up to women.
Species: Human
Culture: Middenrealmer
Profession: Mercenary
Experience level: Experienced

11

Layariel Treelight
It is said that nobody is better with bow and arrow than the
elves. When talking about the wyldrunner Layariel from
the elvish Treelight tribe, the rumors are not exaggerated.
In the northern meadows and forests Layariel learned to
find her way in nature and developed great skills in archery and hunting. Ever since she saw a human for the first
time, she has been curious about the strange race with the
rose-ears. Their customs disgust and fascinate her at the
same time. Her curiosity has grown over the years, and,
when her parents allowed it, she traveled to the nearby human town Donnerbach to study the rose-ears.

Courage 11
Dexterity 14
Cunning 10
Agility 15
Intuition 15
Constitution 11
Charisma 13
Strength 11
Life Points 24
Dodge 8
Arcane Points 35 Movement 9
FtPs 1 Initiative 15+1D6
Advantages: Age Resistance, Beautiful Voice, Darksight I, Good
Looks I, Nimble, No Sleep, Range Sense, Spellcaster, Two-Voiced
Singing
Disadvantages: Afraid of confined spaces II, Annoying Minor Spirits, Bad Luck I, Incompetent (Gambling and Carousing), Personality Flaw (Unworldly regarding religion), Sensitive Sense of Smell
Special Abilities: Area Knowledge (Donnerbach), Skill Specialization Tracking, Song of Friendship, Tradition Elf
Languages: Native language Isdira III; Garethi I
Scripts: none
Combat Techniques: Chain Weapons (6 (AT 7 / PA -), Daggers 8
(AT 9 / PA 6), Fencing Weapons 6 (AT 7 / PA 5), Impact Weapons
6 (AT 7 / PA 4), Lances 6 (AT 7 / PA 4), Polearms 6 (AT 7 / PA 5),
Shields 6 (AT 7 / PA 4), Swords 6 (AT 7 / PA 5), Two-Handed Impact Weapons 6 (AT 7 / PA 4), Two-Handed Swords 6 (AT 7 / PA
4), Crossbows 6 (RC 8), Bows 12 (RC 14), Thrown Weapons 6 (RC 8)
Skills:
Physical (Courage/Agility/Strength): Body Control 10, Carousing 0,
Climbing 0, Dancing 0, Feat of Strength 0, Flying 0, Gaukelei 0,
Pickpocket 0, Perception 8, Riding 0, Self-Control 2, Singing 6,
Stealth 5, Swimming 4
Social (Intuition/Charisma/Charisma): Disguise 0, Empathy 0, Etiquette 0, Fast-Talk 0, Intimidate 0, Persuasion 0, Seduction 1,
Streetwise 0, Willpower 2
Nature (Courage/Agility/Constitution): Animal Lore 6, Fishing 3, Orientation 5, Plant Lore 6, Ropes 0, Survival 10, Tracking 10
Lore (Cunning/Cunning/Intuition): Astronomy 0, Gambling 0, Geography 0, Gods & Cults 0, History 2, Law 0, Magical Lore 2, Maths 0,
Mechanics 0, Myth & Legend 0, Sphere Lore 0, Warfare 0
Crafts (Dexterity/Dexterity/Constitution): Alchemy 0, Boats & Ships
1, Clothworking 0, Commerce 0, Drawing & Painting 0, Leatherworking 2, Metalworking 0, Music 6, Pick Locks 0, Prepare Food
0, Stoneworking 0, Treat Disease 0, Treat Poison 0, Treat Soul 0,
Treat Wounds 0, Vehicles 0, Woodworking 5
Spells: Armatrutz (Cunning/Intuition/Dexterity), Balsam (Cunning/Intuition/Dexterity) 5
Equipment: Dagger (DP 1D6+2, AT 9, PA 6), elf bow (DP 1D6+5, RT
1, RC 14, RA 50/100/200), clothes (normal), ammunition (arrows,
20), quiver, 2 silverthalers

12

A major milestone in her life was her brother Edorions disappearance ten years ago. Back then, he and Layariel had
traveled to Donnerbach to trade pelts for goods. During
their stay in the town, her brother disappeared without a
trace. Edorions disappearance led to great grief in Layariels
tribe. Because all attempts to find him failed, the Treelight
tribe gave up the search after some days. But Layariel didnt
give up. She has left her family and moved south. She followed every clue and had many adventures on her journey.
Her brother is still missing.
Layariel does not want to return to her tribe. She resents
them for giving up on Edorion. And the world beyond her
home promises so many wonders that she still wants to experience. Her travels led her to Gareth, where she saw more
humans than anywhere else in her life. There she met other
adventurers and decided to stay with the rose-ears. In return for her help, the humans promised to help her look for
her brother.
The last clue indicates that maybe slavers have kidnapped
and sold Edorion. This is a terrible crime to Layariel and she
wants to punish those responsible. Like all elves, she loves
freedom and she cannot imagine an elf in captivity. Despite
her troubles, she begins to understand that she cannot return to her family, even if she finds her brother. She is too
far away from being an elf. The rose-ears she calls friends
are a lot closer to her than her estranged family.
Species: Elf
Culture: Meadow elf
Profession: Wyldrunner
Experience level: Experienced

Arbosh, Son of Angrax

Arbosh is the eldest of the quadruplets of the famous
forge dwarves Angrax, a fungus farmer, and Valoshgra,
the renowned smith. A strange omen heralded his birth.
His three brothers came into the world with black hair,
but Arbosh was born with white hair, a sign the blessed
ones of his god Angrosh interpreted as beneficial. Today,
people even say that Arbosh grew a beard as an infant.
In truth, he was beardless until his 25th year and really
suffered for his smooth cheeks.
After his Baptism of Fire, which made him an adult, Arbosh
learned the smiths craft from his mother. When his beard
started to grow, so did his confidence. Despite his large
hands he was very dexterous, capable, for example, of producing chain rings or creating fine mechanical devices.
But his profession did not fulfill him. Since childhood, he
had devoured all stories about the brave heroes of the
Iron Age of dwarves. He wanted to explore the world beyond the halls of his home. Arbosh dreamed about traveling through Aventuria and having adventures, at least
for a few decades, to return as a self-made dwarf to court
a dwarf woman. From a trader who sometimes visited Arboshs family, he learned about the human tradition of
the journey men. Fascinated by this custom, he decided to
leave his home after his apprenticeship ended and travel
the world.

Courage 14
Dexterity 13
Cunning 10
Agility 11
Intuition 13
Constitution 15
Charisma 9
Strength 15
Life Points 38
Dodge 6
Arcane Points - Movement 6
FtPs 1 Initiative 12+1D6
Advantages: Darksight I, Difficult to Enchant, Immunity to Tulmadron, Real Fighter
Disadvantages: Bad Attributes (Avarice, Short Temper), Bad Luck
I, Incompetent (Swimming), Principles (dwarvish warriors honor),
Special Abilities: Alertness, Area Knowledge (home mine), Feint I,
Foray, Forceful Blow I and II, Shield-Splitter, Skill Specialization
(Warfare), Used to Encumbrance I,
Languages: Native language Rogolan III; Garethi III
Scripts: Kusliker Signs, Rogolan Runes
Combat Techniques: Chain Weapons 6 (AT 8 / PA -), Daggers 6
(AT 8 / PA 4), Fencing Weapons 6 (AT 8 / PA 4), Impact Weapons
12 (AT 14 / PA 8), Lances 6 (AT 8 / PA 5), Polearms 6 (AT 8 / PA 5),
Shields 6 (AT 8 / PA 5), Swords (AT 8 / PA 5), Two-Handed Impact
Weapons 12 (AT 14 / PA 8), Two-Handed Swords 6 (AT 8 / PA 5),
Crossbows 12 (RC 13), Bows 6 (RC 7), Thrown Weapons 6 (RC 7)
Skills:
Physical (Courage/Agility/Strength): Body Control 7, Carousing 8,
Climbing 0, Dancing 0, Feat of Strength 10, Flying 0, Gaukelei 0,
Perception 6, Pickpocket 0, Riding 4, Self-Control 7, Singing 0,
Stealth 6, Swimming 0
Social (Intuition/Charisma/Charisma) Disguise 0, Empathy 2, Etiquette 5, Fast-Talk 0, Intimidate 5, Persuasion 0, Seduction 0,
Streetwise 0, Willpower 8
Nature (Courage/Agility/Constitution): Animal Lore 0, Fishing 0, Orientation 1, Plant Lore 0, Ropes 0, Survival 0, Tracking 0
Lore (Cunning/Cunning/Intuition): Astronomy 0, Gambling 0, Geography 0, Gods & Cults 3, History 7, Law 0, Magical Lore 0, Maths 4,
Mechanics 3, Myth & Legend 3, Sphere Lore 0, Warfare 10
Crafts (Dexterity/Dexterity/Constitution): Alchemy 0, Boats & Ships
0, Clothworking 0, Commerce 0, Drawing & Painting 0, Leatherworking 0, Metalworking 10, Music 0, Pick Locks 0, Prepare Food
0, Stoneworking 2, Treat Disease 0, Treat Poison 0, Treat Soul 0,
Treat Wounds 2, Vehicles 0, Woodworking 0
Equipment: Dagger (DP 1D6+2, AT 8, PA 4), chain mail (PRO 4),
dwarf-cudgel (DP 1D6+7, AT 14, PA 7), 25 silverthalers

On his travels, Arbosh joined other adventurers and occasionally worked for the dwarvish High King Albrax, who
valued the smith not only for his excellent weapons and
armor, but also for his courage.
When not working for the High King, Arbosh loves to
travel Aventuria with his human friends, always looking
for challengeswhether these challenges involve combat
or creating a masterwork of the forge. He is most famous
for fighting a cyclops. Arbosh wanted to ask him about
the secrets of cyclopean smithery, but the meeting ended
with a bloody melee that the dwarf won, against all odds.
Species: Dwarf
Culture: Forge dwarf
Profession: Warrior
Experience level: Experienced

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Mirhiban alOrhima
Even though the magical academies of the city of Fasar try
to find all children with a magical talent to develop their
potential, in Mirhibans case it was the guildless mage Halid abul Ketab who recognized her talent. Nobody in her
home village would have imagined that a child of rice
farmers would study the art of magic in the mages luxurious house. The first exercises showed that Mirhiban had
a special aptitude for the element of fire. She could light
candles and snuff the flames, cast a flame lance on her first
try (she burned the housecats tail), and soon showed that
she was more skillful with summoning fire elementals than
her master.
In the years after her graduation, she studied the history of
the legendary Mage Moguls of Gadang, whose secrets had
Courage 14
Dexterity 12
Cunning 15
Agility 12
Intuition 14
Constitution 10
Charisma 14
Strength 9
Life Points 25
Dodge 6
Arcane Points 35 Movement 8
FtPs 2 Initiative 13+1D6
Advantages: Improved Regeneration (Arcane Energy) I, Spellcaster
Disadvantages: Personality Flaw (Vanity)
Special Abilities: Area Knowledge (Fasar), Binding of the Staff,
Tradition (Guild Mage)
Languages: Native language Tulamidya III; Garethi II
Scripts: Kusliker Signs, Tulamidya Signs
Combat Techniques: Chain Weapons 6 (AT 8 / PA -), Daggers 6
(AT 8 / PA 4), Fencing Weapons 6 (AT 8 / PA 4), Impact Weapons
6 (AT 8 / PA 3), Lances 6 (AT 8 / PA 3), Polearms 8 (AT 10 / PA 5),
Shields 6 (AT 8 / PA 3), Swords 6 (AT 8 / PA 4), Two-Handed Impact Weapons 6 (AT 8 / PA 3), Two-Handed Swords 6 (AT 3 / PA
3), Crossbows 6 (RC 7), Bows 6 (RC 7), Thrown Weapons 6 (RC 7)
Skills:
Physical (Courage/Agility/Strength): Body Control 0, Carousing 0,
Climbing 0, Dancing 0, Feat of Strength 0, Flying 0, Gaukelei 0,
Perception 5, Pickpocket 0, Riding 0, Self-Control 0, Singing 0,
Stealth 0, Swimming 0
Social (Intuition/Charisma/Charisma): Disguise 0, Empathy 2, Etiquette 0, Fast-Talk 3, Intimidate 0, Persuasion 0, Seduction 0,
Streetwise 3, Willpower 8
Nature (Courage/Agility/Constitution): Animal Lore 0, Fishing 0, Orientation 0, Plant Lore 0, Ropes 0, Survival 0, Tracking 0
Lore (Cunning/Cunning/Intuition): Astronomy 0, Gambling 8, Geography 5, Gods & Cults 4, History 7, Law 0, Magical Lore 10, Maths 0,
Mechanics 0, Myth & Legend 6, Sphere Lore 6, Warfare 0
Crafts (Dexterity/Dexterity/Constitution): Alchemy 0, Boats & Ships
0, Clothworking 0, Commerce 4, Drawing & Painting 0, Leatherworking 0, Metalworking 0, Music 0, Pick Locks 0, Prepare Food
0, Stoneworking 2, Treat Disease 0, Treat Poison 0, Treat Soul 0,
Treat Wounds 0, Vehicles 0, Woodworking 0
Spells: Ignifaxius (Courage/Cunning/Charisma) 8, Visibili (Cunning/Intuition/Constitution) 5
Equipment: Amulet, necklace, belt pouches (2), mage robe, mages
long staff (DP 1D6+2, AT 9, PA 7), 14 silverthalers

14

fascinated Mirhiban in her youth. But a mage cannot live by

studying and air alone; to earn money, Mirhiban took assignments from time to time, and sometimes they led her
to faraway countries. Luckily, her master taught her more
than fire magic. She also knows a small set of other spells,
because, like her, he was a traveling mage in his youth and
knew which magical powers would be useful.
Besides studying the Mage Moguls, Mirhibans other passion is her search for a Dark Eye. As a child, she listened to
the fairy tales told by the storytellers in the bazaars about
these legendary artifacts, and she would do anything to examine one.
Her companions value the mage for her depth of knowledge, but like all fire elementalists Mirhiban has something
of a temper. She may not know how to use a weapon, but
her magic can be deadly, and this has taught many a villain
the meaning of fear. When she senses injustice, she steps in
without hesitation. When she argues, she argues with fire.
And if she likes you, you can trust her with your life.
Species: Human
Culture: Mhanadistani
Profession: Mage
Experience level: Experienced

15

Europes most popular fantasy RPG,

The Dark Eye, will soon be available
in America!
The Dark Eye (TDE) has enthralled players across Europe,
and soon you will have a chance to see why. The world of
Aventuria allows you to play every style of fantasy: epic high fantasy, medieval intrigue, barbaric adventures
in the wilderness, or a classic pirates tale, just to name
a few. Aventuria is the perfect setting for your stories
and visions. Soon the world of Aventuria and the latest
edition of the fantasy RPG The Dark Eye will be published
in English!

People have been playing

The Dark Eye for over 30 years!
Over 30 years. Hundreds of thousands of players. The
Dark Eye has the largest active community of any European roleplaying game. The editors of TDE are all roleplaying veterans and fantasy writers who started playing
TDE as children. Years of gaming and stories provide a
depth to the world not commonly found in other games.

An established game from an

established publisher
Ulisses-Spiele is already well established. We have plenty of support, supplements, and adventures for The Dark
Eye already, and weve had time to fine-tune the rules.
Weve hired native English speakers to make sure our

translations meet your expectations. Once your campaign begins, well support it thoroughly with exciting
new products for years to come.

The Dark Eye Rulebook:

gateway to Aventuria!
The Dark Eye core book is a glorious 400-page masterpiece! There are color illustrations on almost every
page, immersing you in the world of Aventuria. You also get reference cards to keep track of things like spells
and liturgical chants during play. Color coding helps
you stay on top of the rules, and the layout is tailored
for ease of use at the gaming table.

Follow the progress of the English-language edition of The Dark Eye!

Visit us at http://www.ulisses-us.com/the-dark-eye
Follow The Dark Eye on Facebook at

http://www.facebook.com/thedarkeyegame
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