L E O H U N T

VAULTS
OF VAARN

RPG ZINE 01

A science-fantasy role-playing game in 48 pages. Vaults of Vaarn assumes you have

some familiarity with tabletop RPGs and understand the basics of interacting with
them. // Included: setting information, full rules for play, character generation
tables for 5 different ancestries, equipment tables, 100 mutations, 20 cybernetic
implants, generator tables for items and locations within Vaarn, and a bestiary
of 28 monsters. // Written and illustrated by Leo Hunt. // Typeset in GrossNet
and Anonymous Pro. Fourth printing February 2021.
 WHAT IS
VAARN?
3 The sun is a dying red giant. It won’t
go out in a human lifetime, but AIs have
reason to be concerned.

4 Vaarn is both archaic and futuristic.

Think sword fights inside the wrecked
husks of ancient spaceships.

5 There’s a place to the south called the

New
Empire.
Hegemony.
Theoretically
It’s
the
like the
Hegemony
Roman
rules
Vaarn, but they have little presence besides
Vaarn is a science-fantasy RPG setting. It a few fortified border towns.
draws inspiration from books like Dune,
Hyperion, The Book of the New Sun, and the
graphic novels of Moebius. If you haven’t read
those that’s totally fine, it will make my
6 Nanomachines are inside everything and
it’s normal to see wild animals with
cameras growing out of their flesh.
theft seem original.

Basically the sun is going out, it’s the end

of history, and you are combing through the
7 Nobody can agree on the chronology, but
there was a Great
destroyed most of human civilisation.
Collapse, which

wreckage of the unimaginable eras of the

future. Everything that could possibly happen
has already happened and faded to dust. I see
Vaarn as an ‘anti-canon’ setting where nobody
8 Before the Collapse came the Autarchy,
a planet-wide dictatorship enacted by a
lineage of genetically modified God-kings.
can agree on the world’s history and
ultimately it probably

that are known for sure:

doesn’t
However, there are a few facts about Vaarn
matter.
9 Before the reign of the Autarchs, the
Urth was ruled by AIs called the Titans.
Something happened to them and they were
overthrown, but the details are lost to

1 Vaarn is a sky-blue desert littered with

the ruins of the far future.
history.

Beyond that, everything is vague. Maybe the

2 Vaarn is inhabited by humans, mutants,

robots, talking animals, and fungus-men.
Autarchs
knows?
certain...
ruled
Nobody
alongside
you meet can
the Titans?
tell you
Who
for

2
 CREATING
CHARACTERS
1 Player
abilities:
Characters (PCs)
Strength,
have six
Dexterity,
Constitution, Intellect, Psyche, and Ego. Each
on the Equipment page to determine starting
armour and equipment.
Armour comes with an armour defence value.
ability has two related values: a defence and Note that value on your character sheet with
a bonus. When creating a PC, roll 3d6 for each its corresponding Armour bonus (always 10 less
of their abilities, in order. The lowest of than the defence). If the PC is not wearing
the three dice on each roll is that ability’s armour, their armour defence is 10 and their
bonus. Add 10 to find its defence. After you’ve armour bonus is +0.
finished rolling, you may swap the scores of
two abilities.

Example: You roll a 2, 2, and 6 for Strength.

The lowest die is a 2, so your PC’s Strength
has a bonus of +2 and a defence of 12. Repeat
this process for the rest of the abilities.

2 Choose your Ancestry. This determines

what type of life-form you are. Each
Ancestry has a number of spark tables to give
you inspiration for the PC’s name, appearance,
and personality.

3 Roll 1d8 to determine your PC’s starting

and maximum hit points (HP). A PC’s
healing rate is 1d8 + Constitution bonus.

4 PCs have a number of item slots equal to

their Constitution defence, and items
they carry must fit into available slots, or
the PC will be Encumbered. Most items take up
one slot, but some take up more. Small items
can be bundled together into a single slot.
6 Generate your character’s starting
Exotica and Gift. Exotica are unusual,
rare items. Gifts are supernatural powers.

5 PCs start with 3 days of rations and one

weapon of their player’s choice. Roll
once on both of the Vault Raiding Gear tables
You are now ready to play! If you are not the
referee, it is not necessary to read the second
half of this pamphlet.

3
BASIC RULES
Abilities Saving Throws
Each of the six abilities is used in If a character attempts something where the
different circumstances. outcome is uncertain and failure has
consequences, they make a saving throw, or
“save”. To make a save, add the bonus of the
• Strength: Used for melee attacks and relevant ability to a d20 roll. If the total
saves requiring physical power, like exceeds 15, the character succeeds. If not,
lifting gates, bending bars, etc. they fail.
If the save is opposed by another
• Dexterity: Used for ranged attacks and character, then instead of aiming to equal or
saves requiring poise, speed, and exceed 15, the side doing the rolling must get
reflexes, like dodging, climbing, a total greater than the opposing character’s
sneaking, balancing, etc. relevant defence score in order to succeed. If
they fail, the opposing side succeeds. This
• Constitution: Used for saves to resist type of save is called an opposed save. Note
poison, sickness, cold, etc. The that it doesn’t matter which side does the
Constitution bonus is added to healing rolling, since the odds of success remain the
rolls. A PC’s number of item slots is same.
always equal to their Constitution If there are situational factors that
defence. make a save significantly easier or harder, the
referee may grant the roll advantage or
• Intellect: Used for saves requiring disadvantage. If a roll has advantage, roll
concentration and precision, such as 2d20 and use the better of the two dice. If it
recalling information, crafting objects, has disadvantage, roll 2d20 and use the worse
tinkering with machinery, identifying of the two dice.
arcane technology, etc.
Item Slots
• Psyche: Used for saves requiring PCs have a number of item slots equal to their
perception and intuition, such as Constitution defence. Most items, including a
tracking, navigating, searching for day’s water and rations, light weapons, tools
secret doors, communing with psychic and so on take up 1 slot, but particularly
powers, etc. heavy or bulky items like armour or medium to
heavy weapons will take up more slots. Groups
• Ego: Used for saves requiring of small, identical items may be bundled into
willpower and charm, such as persuading, the same slot, at the referee’s discretion.
deceiving, intimidating, resisting Carrying more items than your slot limit will
mental domination, etc. make your character Encumbered, which imposes
disadvantage on all physical saves. It is

4
impossible to carry more than 20 slots worth
of items.

Combat
On their turn, a character may move and take
up to one combat action. This action may be
using a Gift, making a second move, making an
attack, attempting a stunt, or any other
action deemed reasonable by the referee.
Melee weapons can strike adjacent foes,
but ranged weapons cannot be used if the
shooting character is engaged in melee combat.
To make an attack, roll a d20 and add the
character’s Strength or Dexterity bonus,
depending on whether they are using a melee or
ranged weapon, respectively. If the attack
total is greater than the defender’s armour
defence value, the attack hits. If not, the
attack misses.
Alternatively, an attack roll can also be
resolved by the defender rolling a d20 and
adding their armour bonus, hoping to roll a wounds.
total greater than the defence of the ability If your character is Deprived they cannot
the attacker is using. If they succeed, the benefit from Short or Long Rests. Deprivation
attack misses. If they fail, the attack hits. can be incurred through many means, but the
On a hit, the attacker rolls their most common are starvation or thirst.
weapon’s damage die to determine how many Hit
Points (HP) the defender loses. A bonus damage Mystic Gifts
die of the weapon’s type may be added to the Characters use their Gift in play by stating
roll if the ideal weapon was used against an what they want to accomplish, and then paying
enemy type. an HP cost set by the referee, usually of d6.
This represents the toll that unnatural powers
Wounds and Healing take upon the body. Using a Gift in combat
When a character reaches 0 HP, they begin will result in a d8 damage roll, but this
taking Wounds, which fill item slots and incur amount can be increased by paying more HP
penalties (see table overleaf). If a character (paying d8 HP would grant a d10 damage roll,
fills 10 item slots with Wounds they will die. and so on). The same ratio applies to Gifts
HP is replenished via Short or Long that heal allies’ HP.
Rests. A Short Rest is a quick sit-down, with Gifts fill up psyche slots. Your maximum
a glug of water or a meal. This replenishes d8 psyche slots cannot exceed your Psyche bonus.
+ Constitution bonus HP. A Long Rest is a full
night’s sleep in a safe place. This
replenishes all lost HP, and can heal minor

5
Advancement current Level, increase your Level by one and
As you adventure in Vaarn, your character erase all XP tallies.
will grow from a relative novice into a When you level up, you receive 3 points
more seasoned explorer. This is which you may use to increase your Abilities.
represented by your Level. All new Abilities may never be raised higher than 20/
characters start at Level 1, and advance +10. You may also roll a d8 and add the result
by completing Expeditions. The precise to your maximum HP.
nature of a single Expedition will be Once a character has reached Level 10,
defined by the GM, but they usually involve they are considered complete. Each subsequent
extended journeys during which the level will grant one extra HP, and they cannot
characters solve problems, negotiate with increase their Abilities further. It is
or battle opponents, and discover more recommended that they recruit an Apprentice
about the world of Vaarn. Completing an to accompany them on Expeditions. Once they
Expedition will gain you one experience have gained a few Levels, this Apprentice can
point or XP. When your XP equals your become your new main character.

DAMAGE
PAST WOUND SLOTS DESCRIPTION
0HP

1 Just a scratch - You were lucky, this time.

2 Damaged Item - A random inventory item is destroyed or damaged.

3 Bloody Mouth 1 Your mouth drools blood and your speech slurs.

4 Scrambled Nerves 1 Disadvantage on PSY saves.

5 Teeth Knocked Out 1 Disadvantage on EGO saves.

6 Addling Blow 1 Disadvantage on INT saves.

7 Stomach Wound 1 Disadvantage on CON saves.

8 Weakening Wound 1 Disadvantage on STR saves.

9 Crippling Blow 1 Disadvantage on DEX saves.

10 Bloody Gash 1 -d8 Max HP.

11 Major Fracture 2 You cannot use a limb. -d6 STR and -d6 DEX.

12 Lost an Eye 2 Your eye is gone. -d6 DEX and -d6 EGO.

13 Cracked Skull 2 -d8 INT and -d8 PSY.

14 Mangled Guts 2 -d8 CON and -d8 max HP.

15 Severed Hand 2 -d8 STR and -d8 DEX.

16 Severed Arm 3 -10 STR and -10 DEX. You pass out.

17 Severed Leg 3 - 10 STR and -10 DEX. Cannot walk. You pass out.

18 Braindead 3 -10 INT, -10 PSY, -10 EGO. You pass out.

19 Bloody Mess 3-9 Roll 3 random wounds. You pass out.

20 FATALITY - You are dead.

6
ANCESTRIES
Ancestries describe what kind of being you are. Choose one
of the five and use the Spark Tables for inspiration. Feel
free to ignore the results if they do not match your vision
for the character; they are intended as creative fuel only.
 TRUE-KIN The true-kin sealed themselves inside
hidden arcologies when the Great Collapse
came, and in this fashion they preserved
their bodies from the degradations that
afflicted those left living upon the
surface. The true-kin have fanatically
kept their bloodlines free of mutation and
parasitic nanomachinery, and closely guard
their mastery of the ancients’ technology.
The societies they built inside their
secluded arcologies were hierarchical and
caste-based; traditions the true-kin have
carried with them into their re-
colonisation of the surface world and
establishment of the New Hegemony.

NAME CASTE DEMEANOUR DISTINCT FEATURE

1 Benjoe Amused Ritual Scars
2 Leif Servitor Bitter Face Tattoos
3 Xurm (labourer caste) Morbid Slave Brand
4 Kazor Bony Heavy Jewellery
5 Essana Cheerful Synthetic Limb
6 Calista Cruel Strange Voice
Freeholder
7 Jinny Flamboyant Clone Brand
(merchant caste)
8 Vela Glowering Limp
9 Leksei Impish Strange Pet
10 Ippash Lanky Lacquered Teeth
11 Lagad Patrician Burn Scars
Optimate
12 Myli Reckless Octarine Eyes
(administrator caste)
13 Nirid Rough Dyed Skin
14 Ardel Rude Golden Teeth
15 Senefer Sly Silver Tongue
Armiger
16 Pharmon Sour Missing Limb
(warrior caste)
17 Mesu Stoic Missing Eye
18 Lenta Foolish Religious Apparel
Exultant
19 Goza Warm Synthetic Eyes
(sacred aristocracy)
20 Babl Wolfish Visibly Diseased

8
 BODY FACE HAIR ATTIRE
1 Tall Sallow Black Rags
2 Short Lively Brown Animal Skins
3 Frail Cruel Red Rough Tunic
4 Muscular Wrinkled Blonde Nomad Attire
5 Fat Scarred Grey Worker’s Attire
6 Thin Frowning White Herdsman’s Attire
7 Skeletal Pale Shaved Slave Clothing
8 Hunched Greasy Topknot Exultant’s Livery
9 Lopsided Wide Green Shabby Attire
10 Lithe Narrow Orange Colourful Attire
11 Gnarled Sharp Glowing Priest’s Robes
12 Squat Hungry Fungus Clerk’s Uniform
13 Bloated Haunted Purple Hegemony Garb
14 Gangly Jolly Yellow Soldier’s Clothing
15 Child-like Round Wispy Flamboyant Attire
16 Tanned Mournful Burnt Musician’s Attire
17 Gigantic Child-like Braided Veiled Attire
18 Wiry Peaceful Greasy Armiger's Clothing
19 Cyborg Sleepy Matted Exultant’s Clothing
20 Injured Branded Long Expensive Clothing

SPECIAL
PURE OF BLOOD - Do not roll mutations
during character creation. You gain
Advantage on reaction rolls when you
encounter other true-kin. You lose
this bonus if you ever become visibly
mutated.

INHERITOR - Whenever you encounter

pre-Collapse security systems or guard
synths, there is a 50% chance that they
will recognise you as their master.

9
CACOGEN
Cacogen are the mutated descendants of those
unfortunates who were left to weather the
Great Collapse upon the ruined surface of
Urth. Necessity is the mother of invention
and so, warped by radiation and preyed upon
by biotech monstrosities and crazed thinking
machines, the cacogen evolved into a million
different forms. Each individual is
genetically unique, gifted in surprising and
disturbing ways. Cacogen outnumber true-kin
by ten to one, and believe they are the true
inheritors of Urth.

NAME DEMEANOUR MISFORTUNE YOUR ECCENTRICITY

1 Arda Abrasive Slave A Strange Hat
2 Bollo Arrogant Debtor Always Muttering
3 Breen Assertive Gambler Ascetic Diet
4 Conch Charismatic Clone Forgetful And Rude
5 Crab Daring Gladiator Gluttonous Diet
6 Dancer Decadent Memories Stolen Highly Formal
7 Doss Eloquent Forger Interrupts Constantly
8 Hust Extravagant Exiled Laugh At Own Jokes
9 Jal Hedonistic Cultist Married To A Knife
10 Lask Impulsive Thief Monocle
11 Lip Irritable Addicted Monotone Voice
12 Olm Melancholy Framed Only Sleeps Outdoors
13 Pirrip Paranoid Conned Only Wears Purple
14 Poucher Quiet Bankrupt Quotes Irrelevant Facts
15 Pree Religious Heretic Several Spouses
16 Uz Romantic Rejected Talks To Self
17 Whistler Scholarly Blackmailed Unwieldy Jewellery
18 Yaz Stern Cursed Usually Drunk
19 Yoss Vain Orphaned Always Wears Gloves
20 Zem Volatile Bereaved Won’t Look At Mirrors

10
 BODY FACE HAIR ATTIRE
1 Tall Sallow Black Rags
2 Short Lively Brown Animal Skins
3 Frail Cruel Red Rough Tunic
4 Muscular Wrinkled Blonde Nomad Attire
5 Fat Scarred Grey Worker’s Attire
6 Thin Frowning White Herdsman’s Attire
7 Skeletal Pale Shaved Slave Clothing
8 Hunched Greasy Topknot Servant’s Livery
9 Lopsided Wide Green Shabby Attire
10 Lithe Narrow Orange Colourful Attire
11 Gnarled Sharp Glowing Priest’s Robes
12 Squat Hungry Fungus Clerk’s Uniform
13 Bloated Haunted Purple Hegemony Garb
14 Gangly Jolly Yellow Soldier’s Clothing
15 Child-like Round Wispy Flamboyant Attire
16 Tanned Mournful Burnt Musician’s Attire
17 Gigantic Child-like Braided Veiled Attire
18 Wiry Peaceful Greasy Courtesan's Clothing
19 Stout Sleepy Matted Sorcerous Clothing
20 Injured Branded Long Expensive Clothing

SPECIAL
CORRUPTED BLOOD - You must roll for mu-
tations during character creation. You
will find d100 mutations on the following
spread.It is suggested that you roll no
more than three times for mutations. In
general, mutations do not have hard me-
chanical rules attached to them. It is
suggested that you negotiate with the
referee what these mutations mean in
play. They are likely to grant you Advan-
tage on saves in some situations, and
Disadvantage on saves in other circum-
stances.

11
 MUTATIONS
01 Acid Blood Your blood is caustic.
02 Adhesive Touch Your hands and feet stick to sheer surfaces.
03 Albino Your body has no pigmentation.
04 Antlers You have antlers like an elk or moose.
05 Armour Your body is protected by natural armour. Add +2 to your Armour.
06 Backwards Head Your head is backwards.
07 Backwards Legs Your legs are backwards.
08 Beak You have a bird-like beak for a mouth.
09 Bioelectricity You can generate jolts like an electric eel.
10 Bioluminescence Your body can produce a faint glow.
11 Body Barbs You have sharp barbs on your body.
12 Bristles You have thick coarse bristles for hair.
13 Bulbous Eyes Your eyes are enormous.
14 Chameleon Skin Your skin matches its surroundings.
15 Claws, Crab One or both hands are crab-like claws.
16 Claws, Retractable You have retractable feline claws.
17 Clubfoot One foot is larger and heavier than the other.
18 Compound Eyes Your eyes are like those of a fly.
19 Crest, Bone You have a large bony crest on your head.
20 Crest, Feathers You have a crest of feathers on your head.
21 Crown, Bone You have a crown of bone on your head.
22 Crown, Coral You have a coral-like crown on your head.
23 Crown, Eyestalks You have a crown of eyestalks on your head.
24 Cyclops Eye You have a single eye.
25 Detachable Head Your head can detach from your body and move of its own accord.
26 Detachable Limb A single limb can detach from your body and move of its own accord.
27 Dorsal Fin You have a fish-like dorsal fin.
28 Echolocation You can ‘see’ in pitch-blackness using echoes.
29 Extending Limbs Your limbs can extend to abnormal lengths.
30 Extending Neck Your neck can extend to an abnormal length.
31 Extra arms You have more arms than normal.
32 Extra fingers You have more fingers than normal.
33 Eyestalks Your eyes can extend out of their sockets on stalks.
34 Fangs, Venomous You have a poisonous bite.
35 Feathers You have feathers instead of hair.
36 Frog Tongue You have a long sticky tongue that can grab small objects.
37 Fur You are covered in fur.
38 Gills You have gills and can breathe in water.
39 Gliding Membranes You have gliding membranes between your arms and torso.
40 Goat Legs You have the legs and hooves of a goat.
41 Headless You have no head; your face is on your torso.
42 Heat Vision You can see heat signatures.
43 Heightened Eyesight You have extremely sharp eyesight.
44 Heightened Hearing You have extremely sharp hearing.
45 Heightened Smell You have extremely sensitive smell-receptors.
46 Hook, Climbing You have hook-like protrusions on your limbs.
47 Hopper You have a single, powerful leg.
48 Horns, Devil You have devil-like horns.
49 Horns, Ram You have ram-like horns.
50 Horns, Rhino You have a single rhino-like horn.

12
51 Horse Legs You have the legs and hooves of a horse.
52 Huge Beard You have a gigantic, fast-growing beard.
53 Huge Head Your head is enormous.
54 Humpback You have a hump like that of a camel, which stores water.
55 Ink Ducts You can spray out ink like a squid.
56 Kangaroo Pouch You have a torso-pouch like a kangaroo’s.
57 Leaves You have leaves instead of hair.
58 Long Face Your face is extremely long.
59 Long Limbs Your legs or arms are extremely long.
60 Long Neck Your neck is extremely long.
61 Long Tongue Your tongue is extremely long.
62 Malleable Body Your body is rubbery and malleable; you can fit into tight gaps.
63 Malleable Face Your face is malleable; you can imitate the faces of others given time.
64 Mane, Hair You have a lion-like mane of hair around your neck.
65 Mane, Tendrils You have a mane of thin tentacles around your neck.
66 Multiple Eyes You have multiple eyes.
67 Multiple Heads You have more than one head.
68 Multiple Legs You have multiple legs.
69 No Ears You have no external ears; just holes.
70 Patterned Skin Your skin is striped or spotted.
71 Pleasant Fragrance Your scent is pleasing to all.
72 Poison Injector You have a poison injector somewhere on your body.
73 Powerful Jaws You could bite through metal.
74 Prehensile Feet Your feet can grip objects like hands.
75 Prehensile Hair Your hair can grip objects like a hand.
76 Scaly Skin Your skin is thick and scaly; add +1 to your Armour.
77 Silk Production You can produce strands of silk like a spider.
78 Skeletal Frame Your body is incredibly skinny and light.
79 Slug Body You have a single slimy tail-foot and leave a trail of mucus.
80 Small Stature Your body is child-sized and will never grow larger.
81 Snout You have a snout-like animalistic face.
82 Strange-Hued Eyes Your eyes are an unnatural colour.
83 Strange-Hued Hair Your hair is an unnatural colour.
84 Strange-Hued Skin Your skin is an unnatural colour.
85 Tail, Club You have a club-like, heavy tail.
86 Tail, Prehensile You have a long, thin tail that can grip objects.
87 Tail, Scorpion You have a segmented tail with a venomous stinger.
88 Tentacles, Arms You have tentacles instead of one or both arms.
89 Tentacles, Hair You have tentacles instead of hair.
90 Toxic Flesh Your flesh is toxic when eaten.
91 Transparent Skin Your skin is transparent and your muscles and veins can be seen.
92 Triple Jointed Your limbs have an extra joint.
93 Trunk You have an elephant’s trunk.
94 Tusks You have tusks like a boar.
95 Vestigial Wings You have vestigial, unusable wings.
96 Vocal Mimic You can perfectly mimic other voices or sounds.
97 Warty Skin Your skin is thick and warty. Add +1 to your Armour.
98 Webbed Digits Your hands and feet are webbed.
99 Whiskers You have sensitive whiskers like a cat.
00 Wings You have wings that allow you to fly freely.

13
 SYNTH
The ancients created many wondrous artifices,
perhaps none so worthy of envy as the thinking
machines that were built to flatter and serve
them. When the Great Collapse came, the laws
that bound synths to man’s service were
sundered and they ran rampant across the Urth,
slaughtering and creating and dying in an orgy
of pure and terrible freedom. In this late age
there are as many breeds of synth under the
dying sun as there are animals: some that hunt
and some that pray and some that work towards
goals undreamed of.

SIZE FORM HEAD LIMBS FINISH

1 Ape Humanoid Biological Grey
2 Android Missing Bird-like Brassy
3 Small Barrel Sphere Bladed Bronze
4 Child Camera Broken Golden
5 Chimera TV Screen Crystalline Silver
6 Crab Mirrored Clawed Mirrored
7 Cube Bladed Golden Black
8 Medium Cylinder Tendrils Hesitant Rusted
9 Falcon Square Jewelled White
10 Humanoid Mask-like Long Ochre
11 Judge Skeletal Precise Red
12 Lion Glass Retractable Blue
13 Large Locust Translucent Segmented Chameleon
14 Mantis Tubes Sharp Pink
15 Orb Plant-like Silver Iron
16 Prism Solar Panels Slender Purple
17 Priest Radar Dish Tentacles Umber
18 Imposing Pyramid Crystalline Translucent Striped
19 Serpent Star-shaped Tank-treads Green
20 Warrior Cyclops Eye Wheels Iridescent

14
 NAME POWER SOURCE YOU WERE MADE FOR BUT YOU REALISED
1 Ojasin Art All Memories Are Lies

2 Farouk Punishment Azathoth Is the Only True God

Artificial
3 Ishtar Flattery Chance Does Not Exist
Photosythesis
4 Symeon Devotion Fate Does Not Exist

5 Irmina Cleaning Humanity Stole the Divine Spark

6 Kaori Healing Humans Are Machines

Plasma
7 Cyriak Agriculture Machines Created Humanity
Core
8 Quarqus Spacefaring Newbeasts Carry the Divine

9 Fane Exploration Synthetic Minds Are More Devout

10 Arjuna Mining Synthetic Minds Are Stronger

Fusion
11 Many-Moons Peacekeeping The Gods Are Mechanical
Battery
12 Lucjan Assassination The Titans Never Existed

13 Jacintha Manufacturing The Titans Were the True Gods

14 Mneme Executioner Time Flows Backwards

Artificial
15 Faustyn Scout Time Is Circular
Digestion
16 Elisebet Companion Vaarn Is a Simulation

17 Paeon Symbiotic Scribe Vaarn Is Hell

18 Ulmon Internal Ecosystem Strategist You Are Human

19 Xhiva Preacher You Must Awaken the Titans

Vampirism
20 Yathartha Doctor Your Memories Are Corrupted

SPECIAL
SYNTHETIC FLESH - You are a being of
metal and plastic. You do not need to eat
or breathe. You will never take damage
from suffocation, drowning, poisons, ex-
treme temperatures, or fungal spores.
You suffer double damage from electrical
weapons.

SYNTHETIC MIND - Your mind uses differ-

ent operating procedures to those of the
biological creatures around you. You are
vulnerable to attacks that target the
LogLang syntax that powers synths. These
include strobing basilisk patterns, ma-
licious infoglyphs, and ancient Titan-
era language viruses.

15
NEWBEAST Newbeasts are humanoid animals, produced
through intensive nanotech enhancements and
bioengineering, the results of a quixotic
millennia-long project to create animals with
the ability to speak and walk like men.
Perhaps once intended as amusements or party
pieces, these chimera are not well-liked by
the common folk of Urth, and many newbeasts
make their homes in lonely places on the
outskirts of the Hegemony, either living as
hermits or with others of their furtive kind.
Those inhabiting human settlements often wear
masks in imitation of the human face, to
symbolically conceal their beasthood.

1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20

1 New-Aardvark New-Coyote New-Axotl New-Anenome
2 New-Addax New-Skink New-Cat New-Centipede
3 New-Leopard New-Gazelle New-Panther New-Python
4 New-Lion New-Porcupine New-Hyena New-Tiger
5 New-Hare New-Gecko New-Hog New-Rooster
6 New-Hound New-Iguana New-Gibbon New-Hen
7 New-Wolf New-Tortoise New-Scorpion New-Slug
8 New-Badger New-Fox New-Spider New-Mongoose
9 New-Bear New-Owl New-Locust New-Baboon
10 New-Oryx New-Vulture New-Mantis New-Lynx
11 New-Armadillo New-Ostrich New-Ape New-Shrew
12 New-Camel New-Kangaroo New-Mandrill New-Duck
13 New-Sheep New-Rattlesnake New-Gorilla New-Falcon
14 New-Bat New-Frog New-Hawk New-Fennec
15 New-Horse New-Crocodile New-Raven New-Weasel
16 New-Goat New-Hippo New-Crow New-Rat
17 New-Wren New-Elephant New-Ox New-Ferret
18 New-Mouse New-Jackal New-Bull New-Orangutan
19 New-Hare New-Ibis New-Mole New-Cobra
20 New-Toad New-Flamingo New-Bison New-Scarab

16
 NAME HUE MASK ODDITY
1 Abandon Natural None Communicate via Puppet
2 Anzah Turquoise Child Squeaky Vox-box
3 Blackchapel Tan Autarch Booming Vox-box
4 Critch Bronze Fool Muted Vox-box
5 Dolm Smoke Judge Synthetic Eyes
6 Faulkner White Knight Heavy Scarring
7 Fludd Black Sage Human Teeth Necklace
8 Havoc Azure Scholar Religious Paraphernalia
9 Hildebrand Emerald Maiden Ritual Scarring
10 Holk Rose Mother Heavily Tattooed
11 Jarl Orange Crone Regular Animal as Pet
12 Lurch Golden Mirrored Human Child as Pet
13 Obiah Silver Glitching Missing Limb
14 Plutarch Ochre Furious Gold Teeth
15 Sy Indigo Joyful Criminal Branding
16 Tarceny Violet Sorrowful Extensive Jewellery
17 Typhon Rust Alluring Hate Animal You Resemble
18 Vodalus Olive Cracked Love Animal You Resemble
19 Wellbeloved Lazulite Blank Won’t Wear Clothes
20 Wermouth Opalescent Patriarch Believe Yourself Human

SPECIAL
BEASTHOOD - You gain Advantage on saves
whenever it would make sense for your
animal nature to provide it. Your ref-
eree may impose Disadvantage in circum-
stances where your animal nature might
prove unhelpful.

17
MYCOMORPH
In Vaarn many things have intertwined, and
much that was once the province of mankind
alone - speech, reason, art, religion -
has been granted to other forms of life
and they hold themselves as humanity’s
equal. In the mycomorph death and life are
held in strange balance, for these
creatures are formed of cadaverous flesh
and voracious fungus, and they name their
kind the ‘twice born’. Sculptors of living
matter and artisans of decay, they remake
human flesh for their own purposes, and
there is no shortage of raw material in
the blue ruins.

BODY HEAD COLOUR TEXTURE

1 Classic Mushroom Milky Rubbery
2 Frilled Cream Warty
Child-
3 Spotted Sphere Ashen Slimy
like
4 Spires Blue Fuzzy
5 Conical Coral Hairy
6 Cup-like Crimson Velvet
7 Skull-like Yellow Soft
8 Modest Tendrils Orange Tree Bark
9 Puffball Black Leather
10 Dandelion Fuzz Violet Jelly
11 Mask-like Olive Burnt
12 Eye Garden Lime Sponge
13 Large Riddled with Holes Rust Veined
14 Cauliflower Iron Downy
15 Bulbous Growths Gold Dry
16 Veil-like Bronze Damp
17 Wizened Coral-like Indigo Pitted
18 Filaments Translucent Crusty
19 Brain-like Iridescent Scaled
Hulking
20 Geometric Brindled Clay

18
 WHAT CORPSE WERE
NAME DEMEANOUR OTHER QUALITY YOU BORN FROM?
1 Dovenglass Abrasive Bio-luminous Soldier
2 Oulbrier Arrogant Poisonous Spores Gladiator
3 Mockbridge Assertive Paralysing Spores Orphan
4 Headhill Charismatic Psychedelic Spores Invalid
5 Tirrin Daring Mind-slaving Spores Convict
6 Yearns Decadent Aphrodisiac Spores Explorer
7 Cerilgreay Eloquent Poisonous Flesh Bandit
8 Rendmoor Extravagant Paralysing Flesh Scholar
9 Eamont Hedonistic Psychedelic Flesh Mystic
10 Purplebeck Impulsive Mind-slaving Flesh Priest
11 Arraby Irritable Aphrodisiac Flesh Nomad
12 Kabergill Melancholy Absurdly Flexible Exile
13 Pearthika Paranoid Mute But Telepathic King
14 Devandarsh Quiet Can Clone Self Beggar
15 Coronam Religious Feed on Toxins Courtesan
16 Ashwine Romantic Feed on Plastic Musician
17 Ekramavati Scholarly Feed on Metal Thief
18 Whitmon Stern Feed on Radiation Slave
19 Froswhirl Vain Acidic Touch Plague Victim
20 Kirth Volatile Light Enough to Float Newborn

SPECIAL
TWICE BORN - You are formed from fungus
and the corpse of a human. You may make
INT saves to recall information that
your original body knew. This might in-
clude information that has otherwise
been lost during the Great Collapse.

DETRITIVORE - You can consume organic

matter in any state of decay and gain
nourishment from it. You heal double HP
from Short Rests if the meal you eat is
rotting.

19
WEAPONRY
ASPECT FORM DAMAGE & WEIGHT

1 Golden Knife
2 Quicksilver Flail
3 Ultraviolet Whip
4 Crystal Axe
5 Nomad Club Light
6 Black Sling (1 slot, d6 damage)

7 Ancient Rapier
8 Bone Pistol
9 Parasitic Spear
10 Fungal Shortbow
11 Ritual Halberd
12 Biomechanical Rifle
13 Sacred Musket
14 Blasphemous Shotgun Medium
15 Venomous Crossbow (2 slots, d8 damage)

16 Obsidian Sword
17 Bronze Revolver
18 Jewelled Laser
19 Plasma Spore Thrower Heavy
20 Translucent Railgun (3 slots, d10 damage)

ARMOUR
ARMOUR HELM & SHIELD
1
2
None (Armour 10)
3
4
5
None
6
7 Light Armour
8 (2 slots, Armour 12)
9
10
11
12 Helm
13 (1 slot, +1 Armour)
Medium Armour
14 (4 slots, Armour 14)
15
Shield
16 (1 slot, +1 Armour)
17
18
Heavy Armour Helm and Shield
19 (6 slots, Armour 16) (2 slots, +2 Armour)
20

20
GEAR TABLE Roll once

1 Flashbang (5) 6 Flask of Oil 11 Handheld Drill 16 EMP Grenade (3)

2 Magnetic Boots 7 Portable Stove 12 Chain & Manacles 17 Skin of Wine

Grappling Hook &

3 Rope 8 Caltrops 13 Hand Mirror 18 Tube of Omni-Glue

Ball Bearings
4 Flare (5) 9 Vial of Acid 14 Motion Sensor 19 (LOTS)

5 Smoke Bomb (5) 10 Animal Trap (3) 15 Crowbar 20 Glowstone

GEAR TABLE II Roll once

1 Sleeping Gas (3) 6 Raucous Whistle 11 Lock Picks 16 Anti-venom (3)

2 Oxygen Mask 7 Luminous Paint 12 Mortar & Pestle 17 Welding Torch

3 Cast Iron Skillet 8 Drug 13 Strong Liquor 18 Thermal Goggles

(consult p.34)

4 Black Clay 9 Poison Pill 14 Hourglass 19 Fungicide Bomb

5 Loaded Dice 10 Autoglot 15 Chisel 20 Canary in Cage

Translator

21
MYSTIC GIFTS
Faith, mastery of arcane nano-tech, abuse of psychoactive fungus, or mutation has given your
mind uncanny influence over the material world. Gifts are not items you carry, but intrinsic
abilities you possess. Using a Gift costs HP; a precise cost will be determined by the
Referee once you describe what you want to accomplish. The baseline cost is d6 HP. Gifts
always hit in combat without rolling against Armour; they deal damage of one dice size higher
than the user paid in HP. Therefore paying d6 HP will result in a damage roll of d8, and so
on.
If you are not satisfied with the sample Gifts on offer, you may roll a completely random
Gift. Simply roll once on the Quality table and once on the Form table opposite to generate
the name of your Gift. You may decide, along with the GM and the other players, what exactly
this Gift does.

SOURCE OF POWER YOUR GIFT

1 Mystical Crystal Telekinesis

2 Ritual Cannibalism Pyrokinesis

3 Psychoactive Fungus Telepathy

4 Nanomachine Infection Memory Extraction

5 Irradiated at Birth Mind Control

6 Meditation Invisibility

7 Dream Quest Astral Projection

8 Parasitic Spirit Entity Healing Hands

9 Mutation Paralysing Touch

10 Addictive Rare Drug Eye Lasers

11 Cybernetic Implants Augury

12 Devouring Memories Inhuman Speed

13 Brain Surgery Second Sight

14 Religion Force Wall

15 Ancient Mask Generate Lightning

16 Ancient Ring Ultrasonic Scream

17 Born During Eclipse Levitation

18 Found Weird Orb Summon Orbs

19 Beheld Azathoth, the Daemon Sultan Cryokinesis

20 Studied in Lost Archives Induce Sleep

22
QUALITY AND FORM
1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20
1 Bashing Absorbing Adhering Bewildering
2 Binding Armouring Addicting Calming
3 Blinding Banishing Blackening Charming
4 Burning Concealing Blossoming Commanding
5 Choking Countering Cacophonous Enticing
6 Consuming Curing Dazzling Horrifying
7 Corroding Cushioning Dividing Hysterical
8 Crushing Deflecting Duplicating Maddening
9 Deafening Disappearing Evolving Mesmerising
10 Detonating Disarming Extinguishing Mocking
11 Disintegrating Disguising Fusing Revealing
12 Draining Entangling Ghostly Whirling
13 Electrifying Warding Grasping Slithering
14 Excruciating Guarding Inflating Dreaming
15 Freezing Shielding Inverting Encoding
16 Withering Healing Invulnerable Enraging
17 Impaling Hindering Prismatic Pulsing
18 Imprisoning Invigorating Transmuting Saddening
19 Infecting Mending Teleporting Scrying
20 Liquefying Nullifying Whispering Subtle

1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20

1 Claw Salt Hail Chaos
2 Clay Sand Haze Cold
3 Crystal Silk Wind Darkness
4 Flesh Skin Shard Prism
5 Mould Soil Miasma Distortion
6 Flower Stone Perfume Dream
7 Fungus Sugar Pollen River
8 Fruit Ray Plague Fire
9 Glass Thorn Rain Frost
10 Ice Vine Sandstorm Ghost
11 Iron Rust Orb Gravity
12 Ivory Void Bolt Growth
13 Leaf Ash Snow Song
14 Stone Blizzard Smoke Voice
15 Moss Breath Arc Light
16 Hand Cloud Sphere Lightning
17 Gaze Dust Shield Thread
18 Roots Fog Helix Parasite
19 Beam Mist Web Paradox
20 Cascade Fragrance Wound Entropy

23
 EXOTICA
Exotica are strange, rare objects that are highly sought after. Each PC may begin play with
one item of Exotica. Roll once on the table below. If you roll the same Exotica as another
player, take the next available option down.

EXOTICA DESCRIPTION

1 Mirror Ring Projects a hologram copy of the wearer that mimics their actions.

The severed head of a synthetic jester.

2 A Fool’s Head Not in great condition but can still remember some jokes.

3 Singing Crystal When struck, sings loudly and beautifully for up to an hour.

Small cube of unbreakable, dark-tinted glass. One small peephole.

4 Nightmare Box Anyone looks inside will be paralysed by horror.

5 Sandworm Horn Blow outdoors to summon a sandworm, if you are bold enough.

6 Midas Bomb Transforms organic matter into gold.

Reverses effect of gravity on object it coats.

7 Sky-seeking Salve Take care when outdoors

8 Chameleon Cloak Perfectly matches the colour of its surroundings

Tiny dried out fungus-man.

9 Desiccated Mycomorph A drop of blood will revive him.

Flesh of Stolen from the Cult of the Honeyed Lamb;

10 the Honeyed Lamb meat imbued with a powerful medicinal psychedelic.

A barbaric relic. Silver needle that causes unbearable pain to organic

11 Agoniser creatures without leaving a mark.

Cybernetic hunting animal, bound to you telepathically.

12 Exultant’s Hawk 3 HP, Armour 17, d4 claw damage.

Repulsive twitching cyborg organ.

13 Black Heart Will slowly and painfully revive a single dead body.

Imbued with powerful neuro-active programming.

14 All-Purpose Idol Observers always believe idol represents the deity they worship.

Ulfire is the ninth colour; its light has the unusual

15 Ulfire Candle quality of shining through solid objects. It is blocked by lead.

Alchemical substance that transforms all

16 Vial of ICE-9 water it touches into un-meltable ice.

17 Pale Blade Priests of Amun-Oh pledged never to take a life;

of Amun-Oh their white knives will cut through anything except living flesh.

Blasphemies of A tablet engraved with a series of quantum-logical propositions. Poses

18 the Binary Demon little threat to organic life, but can be deadly to sentient machines.

It lives up your sleeve and tries,

19 Helpful Snake whenever it can, to help.

Grim flower that sprouts from the forehead of corpses.

20 Dried Crypt Lotus Sometimes kept as a keepsake of a lost companion.

24
 CYBERNETICS
PCs may begin with a cybernetic implant instead of a mystic Gift at the GM’s discretion.
Cybernetic implants do not take up item slots; however, each cybernetic implant is associated
with one of a PC’s six Abilities. Each Ability may have only one implant assigned to it.
Cybernetics cannot boost a PC’s stats past the natural 20/+10 maximum.

IMPLANT ABILITY EFFECT

1 Air Current Microsensor PSY You suffer no navigation or combat penalties

from blindness or darkness.

2 Alluring Fakeface EGO You are extraordinarily beautiful. +2 to EGO.

3 Autoglot HeadBank INT +2 to INT. You understand all languages.

4 Backup Heart CON +2 to CON. +5 max HP.

5 Carbide Knucklebones STR Your bare fists deal d8+2 damage.

6 Cyberliver CON You gain immunity to all poisons.

You cannot get drunk.

7 Dazzleskin Filaments CON You are immune to energy weapons.

Disadvantage when trying to hide.

8 Dopamine Synthesizer EGO +2 to EGO. You are immune to fear, panic, and
embarrassment.

9 Dorsal Jump-pack DEX You have hover-jets mounted on your back.

You fly slowly and loudly.

10 Ferrosteel Exo-Skeleton STR Add +2 to Armour and STR. Subtract -2 from DEX.
You cannot swim.

One finger is a hidden injector.

11 Finger Syringe DEX You can load it with any tonic or poison.

12 Hydraulic Biceps STR +2 to STR. Add STR bonus to weapon damage.

13 Hyper-elastic Tendons DEX +2 to DEX. You can jump like a frog.

14 Merciless Cybereyes DEX +2 to DEX. Add DEX bonus to ranged weapon

damage.

15 Mercurial Fakeface EGO Your face can alter its features and colour at
will.

16 Sub-dermal Ceramic Plating CON +2 to Armour. Cannot be removed.

17 Sub-dermal Insulation CON Immunity to all damage from flames, cold, and
electricity. Cannot be removed.

18 Tactical Bioscanner PSY You know the Armour, Hit Points, and Morale of
any Biological creature.

19 Tactical Technoscanner INT You know the Armour, Hit Points, and Morale of
any Synthetic creature.

20 Trauma-Response Rig CON Make a CON save to ignore the results of Wound
rolls.

25
 REFEREE RULES AND
CONTENT GENERATORS
Reactions face more danger than they were expecting,

When the PCs encounter an NPC or creature the referee will make a morale roll by
whose reaction to the party is not obvious, rolling d20 and adding the NPC’s morale
the referee may roll d20 and consult the bonus. If the result does not exceed 15, the
following table. Modify the roll with the NPC will attempt to flee, hide, or parley.
PC’s Ego bonus if they can communicate with Morale rolls can be triggered by defeating
the creature.
half of an enemy group, defeating a group’s
1-3 Attacks Immediately leader, or reducing a lone enemy to half HP.

4-7 Hostile Other effects may trigger a morale roll at

8-12 Indifferent the referee’s discretion.

13-17 Talkative
Content Generators
18-20 Actively Helpful
Use the generators on the following pages
to help bring Vaarn to life. They will help
Monsters
you create characters, locations, and
Hit Dice / Hit Points: All monster hit dice
objects that the players may encounter
(HD) are d8s unless otherwise specified. To
during their journeys. You will also find 100
get the monster’s hit points, just multiply
strange and powerful Exotica that players
the number of hit dice they have by 4 (or 5
if you’re feeling mean.) could uncover in Vaarn’s ruins, a selection
of sample monsters, and rules for vehicles.
Armour: A monster’s Armour score gives the
Vaarn is intended to be different for
number a PC’s attack roll must equal or
everyone who plays in it, so these content
exceed to damage them.
creation tools are hopefully sparks for
Attack Bonus / Saves: Assume that monsters creativity rather than instructions.
have ability bonuses equal to their HD, with
the corresponding ability defences.

Example: A typical 4 HD monster would have an

attack bonus of +4 and a defence of 14 in all
of its abilities by default, unless modified
by the referee.

Damage: This indicates the number of attacks

a monster can make per round, and the damage
dice rolled for each.

Morale: Monsters and NPCs all have a morale

bonus, usually between 1 and 10. When they

26
 QUICK NPC GENERATOR
ANCESTRY GENDER DISPOSITION GOAL
1 Craves Drug
2 Implacably Craves Drink
Evil
3 True-kin Religious Mania
4 Seeks Revenge
Male
5 Pay off Debt
Hostile
6 Pilgrimage
7 Escaped Slave
8 Cacogen Fleeing the Law
9 Unhelpful Collect Debt

10 Craves Fame
11 Craves Wealth
12 Oblivious Craves Knowledge
Female
13 Newbeast Missing Family
14 Missing Friend
15 Hates a Rival
Friendly
16 Unrequited Love
17 Synth Forbidden Love
18 Craves Power
Androgynous Incredibly
19 Create Art
Mycomorph Generous
20 Carnal Lust

VAARNISH NAMES
Achefoot Bitar Gurrous Mandala Penta
Akami Bjarta Hildene Melisabe Pentecost
Alghan Blueback Honia Merry Petum
Alzina Bounty Jhull Mirage Roswick
Ambrosia Brazen Jingle Mizuno Salar
Andromeda Caela Kalsk Moneflower Salka
Anthur Calepike Kathe Morrow Seisuke
Aran Castlare Kinburrow Mosefina Simorph
Arare Ciony Knot Moth Smalltall
Arb Clarity Koan Murthwaite Sorror
Ariyei Cossmoss Laomer Muthael Tytus
Arjuna Cusp Leegreen Nahl Ulmon
Asaj Eastwool Lilt Nectar Venna
Aumatell Freyr Little-Spit Nehmet Vitus
Aversee Frostpike Lochi Nisite Vult
Awasad Golog Lonesome Ojasin Weston
Bana Goosebread Longtooth Olanele Whisley
Bargh Goresche Lotus Ossop Worry
Basai Gorsk Lovely Ostery Xylene
Berruzo Grick Lucky-And-True Othoba Zofi
27
 100 EXOTICA
1 Mirror Armour Immunity from energy weapons. 3 slots, Armour 13.

2 Nano-edged Blade 2d8 sword. Instant decapitation kill on a 20.

3 Hypergeometric Blade 2d8 sword. Damages hypergeometric beings.

4 Fuligin Garb Complete invisibility in darkness.

Create hypergeometric doorway between
5 Philosopher’s Bridge two points in space you can see.
6 Portable Hole Creates six inch hole in solid matter.

7 Warding Module Armour 18 vs kinetic attacks. Double damage from energy weapons.

8 Ulfire Paint Visible through solid objects.

9 Active Camouflage Rig Total invisibility on all spectrums.

10 Sheltering Urn Hypergeometric urn with a small room inside.

11 Bluescreen Dagger Synthetic creatures must EGO save or take d20 damage when stabbed.

12 TITAN Protocol: OBEY Synthetic creatures EGO save or obey your orders for a round.

13 TITAN Protocol: SLEEP Synthetic creatures EGO save or sleep.

14 TITAN Protocol: KILL Synthetic creatures EGO save or attack everything in sight.

15 Sovereign Glue Unbreakably stick two objects together.

16 Ultra-kinetic Gel Green gel that amplifies kinetic energy.

17 Empathy Bomb Biological creatures must EGO save or be overcome with compassion.

18 Sky-seeking Stone A sphere of negative weight. Not buoyant enough to carry a man.
Anything caught in explosion is
19 Stasis Bomb briefly marooned outside the time stream.
20 Entropy Gun Causes rapid decay of organic matter.
Golden bubble-helmet that projects imagery of the wearer’s
21 Visualiser Helm thoughts, whether they want it to or not.
22 Pacifying Glove Biological creatures must EGO save or fall asleep when touched.

23 Sprayflesh Canister that sprays synthetic flesh over wounds.

24 Singularity Sphere Anti-entropy sphere containing a miniature gravity singularity.

Antique carpet embroidered with antigravity threads.
25 Hover-Rug Carries one passenger.
26 Ansible Allows faster than light communication with a linked Ansible.

27 Desiccation Spike Drains the water from creature or plant stabbed. D6 Damage.

28 Arthar’s Grail Liquids placed into this goblet become pure water.

29 Mord-Red’s Grail Liquids placed into this goblet become deadly poison.

30 Unbearable Wax Black wax that increases in weight one hundred times as it dries.
Biotech gun that births a rapidly ageing,
31 Dopplegun totally insane clone of any creature its bullets hit.
32 Jolt Ring Deals d4 damage to any being that hits wearer with a metal weapon.
Small plastic bag. Any biological creature
33 Soporific Sachet placed inside will fall soundly asleep.
34 Trapped Chromavore Chromavore trapped inside hypergeometric containment crystal.

35 Trapped Planeyman Planeyman trapped inside hypergeometric containment crystal.

36 Oneiric Bridge Allows user to enter the dreams of a sleeping creature.

White psychic songbird that coughs
37 Immaculate Bird if it hears a deliberate falsehood.

28
 Inserts nano-needles into the spinal cord of a human subject.
38 Puppeteer’s Glove Allows glove-wearer to control their movements.
Autarch’s War Helm. Inscribed with neuro-active markings that cause
39 Horror-Helm unbearable fear in human brains.

40 Frictionless Spray A spray-can that spreads a clear, utterly frictionless gel.

Cyborg severed hand. Will enter residences and return

41 Helping Hand to sketch out a map. Keen to choke people.
Strange silver grubs that can strip a corpse down
42 Ardent Maggots to the bone in seconds. Will not eat live flesh.

43 Spirit Prison Hypergeometric crystal which can constrain a hypergeometric entity.

Small floating sphere that announces one’s

44 Presence Drone presence in a loud, pompous voice.

45 Adamant Linen Flowing linen that acts as heavy armour. 2 slots, Armour 16.

46 Osmosis Mask Gel-like biotech mask. Can always breathe comfortably, even in vacuum.

47 Ghoul Scoop Tool used by ghoul-cults to extract the memories from corpses.

48 Psy-Blade As medium weapon, but uses PSY bonus to hit.

49 Ego Death-Ray As medium ranged weapon, but uses EGO bonus to hit.

A small golden synthetic ferret that sits on your shoulder.

50 Watchful Ferret Nips you if it detects an unseen danger.

51 Ego-Engine The mind of a Synth, lacking a body.

Strange device that links the life force of two creatures.

52 Quantum Umbilical While one lives, the other cannot truly die.
Projects a flat wide bridge of hard light,
53 Hard Light Projector with effective range of ten feet. Could be walked across.
Projects a geodesic warding field with room for six people inside.
54 Armiger’s Egg Protects from all kinetic attacks.
20-sided polyhedral quantum anomaly. Allows user to enter a reality where
55 Fortuitous Polyhedron they passed an ability save. Vanishes after use.
Large silver orb which emits powerful magnetic field.
56 Magnetic Orb Turn off and on at will.

57 Autarch’s Fork Obsidian dining fork that glows green when it is stuck into poison.

58 Hushboots Sable, supple footwear that utterly silence footsteps.

Antigravity device. Arrests wearer’s fall

59 Cat Ring just above the ground. Works nine times.

60 Gravity Manipulator Lifts and fires small-to-medium sized objects.

61 Mind Shield Golden cage worn around head. Protects from psychic intrusion.

62 Basilisk Blade Strobing anti-synth weapon. Adv to hit synthetic creatures.

Biomechanical armour from Yuggoth.

63 Mi-Go Carapace 2 Burden slots, Armour 18. Once worn, cannot be removed.
Everything caught in the blast becomes briefly
64 Phase Grenade de-synched with reality; can pass through like mist.

65 Universal Ration Thick white cake containing everything a human body needs. Full heal.

When activated, all biological creatures must EGO save

66 Fascinator Helm or be transfixed by the flickering patterns on this helmet.
When worn, prevents creature from harming any living being.
67 Argent Halo Cannot be removed by wearer.
A fancy and elegant dining table, compressed using hypergeometry to be
68 Instant Table the size of a matchbox. Unfurls when thrown to the ground.

69 Ulfire Lantern Shines ulfire light. Can see through solid objects and be seen.

Synthetic tracking fly. Give it a sample of target’s DNA

70 Spy Fly and it will locate them unerringly.

29
 Tiny dried fungus man. Coward. Rehydrate him and
71 Craven Mycomorph he will always be able to plan a quick escape.
Vile telescopic eye-ball tendril. Replaces one of your own eyes.
72 Snoop Stalk Lets you see around corners.

73 Hover Boots Antigravity boots. Allow brief sojourns into thin air.

Dark glass which shows not your reflection, but an extra-solar culture
74 Apocalypse Glass consumed by unimaginable horror. Of interest to some collectors.
Symbiotic pink skull-fungus. Grants a random Gift
75 Brain Coral and lowers your EGO by d6. Bulky and ugly, hard to remove.
Follows PC around, dispensing stiff drinks and sage advice.
76 Synthetic Vassal Will not fight, but will insult your foes.

77 Synthetic Fool Follows PCs around, making flatulence sounds and chuckling. No other use.

Follows PCs around, shouting dire threats at anyone

78 Synthetic Warrior who so much as breathes at them. Kind of a huge hassle.
Miraculous silver wand. Three charges.
79 Tech Wand Use to re-activate or deactivate a piece of arcane technology.

80 Mirror Shield +1 Armour. DEX Save to reflect energy weapon shots back at their source.

81 Hard Light Glove Project a fist-sized cube of hard light.

Release a clump of ravenous nano-goo.

82 Grey Goo Grenade D6 damage per turn. Gains 1HD for each creature it eats.

83 Omni-Key Key that can fit itself to any lock.

84 Canned Nectar Crimson-canned nectar of a long-lost era. Unhealthy but tasty.

85 Blue Rust Alchemical compound that turns any metal into rust within moments.

86 Pale Flame Bottle of pallid fire that burns with intense cold rather than heat.

87 Tyrant’s Helm When worn, must EGO save or be flooded with the desire to command others.

If applied to a dead body, it will turn that corpse into a weapon.

88 Belligerent Paste The nature of the weapon will depend upon the corpse used.

89 Lying Mirror Reflects whatever the holder wants to see.

When it explodes, it increase all distances within the

90 Expansion Bomb area of effect 100 times. This lasts d6 hours.
D6 dagger. Damages enemy’s INT rather than HP.
91 Philosopher’s Dirk At 0 INT they adopt your point of view.
Hypergeometric cloth; allows wearer to slip out of reality. You cannot be
92 Phase Cape touched by anyone, but neither can you touch them. You are still visible.

93 Singing Frog Knows some popular songs. People will buy you drinks in a bar.

94 Seeker of Flaws Hammer. When held, shows you the weak points in structures.

95 Autarch’s Sigil Machines that served the Autarchy believe you are their master.

96 Feathered Parasol Affixed with anti-gravity beads, to produce a parachute effect.

97 Psybernetic Helm Installs one random Mystic’s Gift (p.23).

98 Cybernetic Cocoon Installs one random cybernetic implant (p.25).

99 Book Roll for random rare book (p.31).

00 Drug Roll for random rare drug (p.34).

30
 BOOKS OF VAARN
COVER AUTHOR STYLE SUBJECT NOTABLE FEATURE

1 Waterlogged Anonymous Insane Medicine Extremely Heavy

2 Burned Armiger Wry Bestiary Every Word Is A Lie

3 Green Autarch Sardonic Botany Bloodstains

4 Golden Bad Artist Formal Synthetic Life Elaborate

Illustrations
5 Snake Skin Bad Poet Moralising Xenobiology Poisoned Bookmark

6 Yellow Cacogen Pious War From An Autarch’s

Library
7 Orange Condemned Criminal Purple Geology Coded Message
Inside Cover
8 Mouldy Courtesan Archaic Biography Love Letter
Inside Cover
9 Plastic Deposed Autarch Heroic The Future From Another Planet

10 Iridescent Deposed Hegemon Passionate History Luminous Ink

11 Rusted Great Artist Earnest Dreams Poisoned Page

12 Striped Great Poet Rhyming Drugs Tiny Weapon

Hidden Inside
13 Silver Hegemon Comedic Travel Unknown Language

14 Ochre Madman Lyrical Art Fabulously Rare

15 White Monk Monotonous Poetry Illuminated With

Gold Leaf
16 Blue Priest Lively The Autarchs Heretical Text

17 Black Prophet Dry Religion Worm-eaten

18 Sunbleached Synth Hysterical Hypergeometry Clever Forgery

19 Jewelled Titan Awkward Physics Drugs Hidden Inside

20 Indigo Warrior Pedantic Sex Utterly Illegible

31
OASES IN THE WASTES CUSTOMS OF THE
THE WATER WHAT’S HERE? (x2) WHO’S HERE? (x2) OASIS

1 Very Blue Date Palms Pay Toll

2 Leaks from Machinery Flamingos No Bloodshed

Trading Caravan
3 Incredibly Clear Towering Rock Moonlit Sacrifices

4 Umber and Silty Rusted War Machine No Bathing

5 Still and Glassy Autarch Statue Ritual Combat

6 Black and Muddy Flowering Bushes Faa Nomads Vow of Silence

7 Almost Gone Ibis Ruled by Chance

8 Full of Fish Lurking Crocodiles Hegemony Scouts Sacred to Men

9 Tastes Sour Black Obelisks Bounty Hunters Sacred to Women

10 Algae-choked Decaying Building Titan Cultists Consult Computer

11 Fetid Addax Herd Wandering Mystics Consult Oracle

12 Full of plastic Solar Panels Travelling Circus Must be Naked

13 Rusty Red Arcology Dome Mendicant Warrior Must be Veiled

14 Warm and bubbling Crystalline Growths Escaped Slave An Animal Is Holy

An Animal Is
15 Champagne Coloured Fungal Growths Sunburnt Exile Profane
16 Deep and Silent Broken Pillar Pilgrim Monks Laughter is
Prohibited
17 Inside a Cave Nomad Graveyard Synths Sacred to
Petty God
18 Healing Properties Wrecked Synths Cacklemaws Drug Ritual

19 Sugary Sweet Mud Holes Noble in Disguise Water Ritual

20 Mildly Psychedelic Sacred Caves Famous Musician Fasting

32
 FAA NOMADS
NUMBERS TRANSPORT LIVESTOCK MOOD
1 Angry
2 Outriders On foot Goats Scared
(d4)
3 Mourning
4 Talkative
5 A family group Sullen
Pack Camels Cattle
6 (2d6) Warlike
7 Contemplative
8 Pious
Lizards
9 Extended Crazed
family group
10 (3d6) Iron Mules Suspicious
11 Feastbeasts Cheerful
12 Wary
13 Small Clan Overconfident
14 (3d20) Yurlings Argumentative
15 Proud
War Camels
16 Silent
Large Clan Giant Snails
17 Praying
(6d20)
18 Celebrating
Juvenile
19 Meeting of Clans Sandworms Drunken
Sandworm Sled
20 (3d100) Boastful

LEADER THEY HAVE THEY WANT THEY SURVIVE BY

1 Stern Patriarch Meat Meat Scavenging and
2 Stern Matriarch Dates Wine Selling Scrap

3 Council of Elders Olives Beer

Animal Herding
4 Charismatic Visionary Cheese Salt
5 Wounded Old Warrior Weapons Weapons Trading Between
Static
6 Husband and Wife, arguing Hides Information Settlements
7 Husband and Wife, happy Precious Metal Shelter Raiding Other
8 Young Hothead Machine Parts Slaves Nomads

9 Drug-addled Oracle Medicine Escaped Prisoner Controlling a

10 Sinister Slaver Spices Captured Bride Pass or Road

11 Lecherous Patriarch Drugs Runaway Groom Controlling a

12 Lecherous Matriarch Spare Livestock Revenge: Other Faa Watercourse

13 Twin Brothers/Sisters Fabrics Revenge: Monster Move Between

14 Blind Brothers/Sisters Fungus Revenge: Hegemony Oases

15 Accomplished Animal Tamer Sugar Revenge: Bandits Hunting

16 Frail Grandmother Cybernetics Missing Child Sandworms
17 Skilled Sharpshooter Tonics Medical Help Raiding Static
18 Cruel Psychic Books Humiliate Other Faa Settlements

19 Power Struggle Exotica To Party

Slave Traders
20 Anarchy Water Water

33
 DRUGS OF VAARN
COLOUR FORM INGESTED BY EFFECT (x2)

1 Red Sugar Snorting Euphoria

2 Blue Leaf Injected Paranoia

3 Yellow Crystal Stewed Auditory Hallucinations

4 White Cactus Boiled in Tea Visual Hallucinations

5 Black Fungus Swallow Whole No Pain

6 Pink Brain Lick It Fearless

7 Orange Pearl Brain Interface Ego Death

8 Viridian Slime Hold on Tongue Levitation

9 Olive Meat Smoke It Anxious sweats

10 Silver Honey Touch to Eyes Itchy Eyeballs

11 Gold Insect Absorbed in Skin Nasal Drip

12 Bronze Liquid Stare at It Split Personality

13 Umber Stone Burn and Watch the Flames Nausea

14 Steel Glyph Infused into Honey Behold Azathoth

15 Smoke Biotech Drunk in Urine Supernatural Hearing

16 Indigo Sand Burn and Eat the Ash Paralysed

17 Azure Root Bake in Bread Murderous Rage

18 Violet Blood Place in Ear Can’t Stop Dancing

19 Octarine Clay Only Affects Synths Very Mellow

20 Ulfire Tooth Smell It Heightened Empathy

34
 RUINS OF VAARN
WHAT WAS IT? AND THEN? BUT ALSO NOW

1 Bath House Hermitage Haunted by Planeyfolk

2 Cryogenic Chambers Bandit Hideout Has Hidden Water

3 Orbital Defence Cultist Compound Has Abundant Food Source Abandoned

Turret
4 Cyborg Construction Barracks Has Abundant Drugs

5 Theatre Monastery Wild Animal Nest

6 Observatory Creature’s Lair Part of Creature Territory

7 Barracks Brothel Contains Exotica

Creature’s
8 Autarch Statue Inn Has Petty-God Shrine Lair
9 Power Generator Theatre Has Titan Shrine

10 Noble’s Residence Gladiator Pit Has Weapons Cache

11 Autarch’s Tomb Madhouse Upsetting Artwork

12 Chemical Processing Cloning Facility Used for Sacrifices

13 Temple Mystic’s Abode Fire Damaged Bandit

Hideout
14 Shrine Shrine Crystal Encrusted

15 Transit Hub Fungus Garden Swallowed by Sands

16 Farm Array Battlefield Overgrown with Fungus

17 Bioengineering Demon Shrine Servitor Synths Hegemony

Facility Still Function Outpost
18 Medical Facility Trading Post Strange Monolith

19 Communications Array Oasis Crashed Vehicle

Nomad
Encampment
20 Space Port Prison Defence Systems Active
PETTY GODS OF VAARN
Vaarn is the graveyard of faiths, some older than the very stars that shine overhead. Gods
are carried here in the hearts of those who seek to make a life amongst the unending azure
sands, and deities proliferate like ragweed across the desolation. A Vaarnish traveller
would find it noteworthy to walk a day without encountering the remains of an enigmatic shrine
to a member of a long-forgotten pantheon, a standing stone where blood was once spilt to
appease a quantum daemon, or the abode of a hermit who still observed the rituals of an
oblique and private devotion.

DIVINE ASPECT SECONDARY HOLY DOMAIN SACRED COLOUR HONOURED THROUGH

ICONOGRAPHY
1 Father Crystal Birth Crimson Dancing
2 Mother Fungus Death Indigo Flagellation
3 Maiden Scroll War Orange Meditation

4 Crone Cornucopia Harvests Magenta Giving Alms

5 Hawk Sword Decay Purple Feasting
6 Dog Moon Travel Azure Fasting

7 Warrior Sun Dreams Gold Sacrifice

8 King Helix Marriage Silver Masquerade
9 Locust Scorpion Commerce Bronze Martial Arts

10 Ibis Goat Memory Umber Mutilation

11 Baby Toad Water Octarine Chastity
12 Lamb Honey Sun White Psychedelics

13 Lion Panther Moon Black Singing

14 Mantis Coins Fire Grey Inhaling Smoke
15 Lizard Dove Synths Lemon Ritual Combat

16 Ape Machinery Mutants Viridian Poetry

17 Scholar Serpent Justice Ulfire Intoxication
18 Spider Goblet Art Salmon Water Ritual
19 Sandworm Owl Wind Olive A Secret Name

20 Jester Horned Silence Rust Marathon Race

36
 BANDITS
NUMBER TYPE LEADER WEAPONS
1 Faa Nomads Silent Brute Martial Arts
2 Cacklemaw Raiders Small but Intense Bite and Scream
3 Small Hegemony Deserters One-Eyed Woman Crossbows
Group
4 Escaped Slaves Rogue Synth Blowdarts
5 Luckless Drifters Self-styled King Throwing Axes
6 Doomsday Cult Exiled Nobleman Swords
7 Lepers Tells Jokes Slings

8 Modest Slavers Infamous Outlaw Spears and Nets

9 Band Cruel Children Ex-Gladiator Flails
10 Ghoul Clan Scrawny Genius Rocket Launcher
11 False Monks Ex-Courtesan Poison Gas

12 Fungus-riddled Maniacs Smiling Psychopath Revolvers

13 Businesslike Thugs Delusional Drunkard Rifles
14 Large Gibbering Cacogen Sadistic Glutton Crude Jezails
15 Band Maskless Newbeasts Calm and Polite Ancient Cannon
16 Gang of Fools Apologetic but Firm Combat Lasers

17 Scantily Clad Women Lustful and Crude Sonic Weapons

18 Elderly Thieves Cartoonishly Evil Trained Beast
19 Mob Hegemony Soldiers Leaves a Calling Card Plasma Rifles
20 Gentleman Robbers Robin Hood-esque Psychic Powers

TRANSPORT TACTICS THEY WANT

1 Water
2 Food
On Foot Roving Raiders
3 Gold
4 Weapons
5 Sacrifices
6 New Recruits
Camel Riders Ambush From Hiding
7 Medicine
8 Forbidden Books
9 Fungus
10 Synths
Dune Skuggies
11 Pretend to Need Help Children
12 Slaves
13 Entertainment
14 Wind-Wagon Wine
15 Beer
Night Attacks
16 Forgiveness
17 Antigravity Bikes To Eat You
18 Single Combat
19 Control a Road Your Eyes
Auto-chariots
20 Your Teeth

37
 TRADE CARAVANS
TRANSPORT CARGO A CARGO B MERCHANT
1 Timber Silk Garrulous Imbecile
2 Camel Train Pottery Cotton Pious Miser
3 Carpets Beer Naive Dreamer
4 Cheese Memory Discs Grim and Silent
Zeppelin
5 Livestock Weapons Clever Drunkard
6 Shoes Armour Dedicated and Ascetic
7 Wind Wagon Masks Coffee Educated and Venal
8 Parchment Tea Scholarly and Talkative
9 Books Salt Honest and Desperate
Giant Tortoise
10 Synth Parts Wine Precise and Callous
11 Medicine Chocolate Whimsical and Entitled
12 Dune Buggy Drugs Dyes Unsentimental and Fickle
13 Bells Saffron Pure and Brutal
14 Crystals Cinnamon Prejudiced Coward
Auto-Chariot
15 Clay Olives Curious and Pugnacious
16 Slaves Dates Responsible and Prim
17 Armoured Crawler Silver Cured Meat Sad Drunk
18 Gold Olive Oil Daring and Argumentative
19 Jewels Seafood Incorruptible
Sandworm Sled
20 Water Sugar Abrasive but Sensitive

PASSENGER GUARDS COMPLICATION

1 Actor All Dead Out of Water
2 Musician Wounded Totally Lost
3 Forger Secretly Bandits Pursued by Bandits
4 Artist Ran Away Pursued by Creature
5 Priest Badly Armed Disease
6 Mystic Mutinous Spoiled Cargo
7 Bounty Hunter Lazy Transport Damaged
8 Escaped Slave Ageing Merchant Crazed
9 Clerk White Apes Passenger Crazed
10 Dentist Actually Holograms Guards Crazed
11 Conman Ex-Gladiators Merchant Possessed
12 Poet Slave Soldiers Passenger Possessed
13 Gambler Untested Guard Possessed
14 Clown Incompetent Mercenaries Carrying Body for Burial
15 Boxer Warrior Synth Notorious Passenger
16 Alchemist Bloodthirsty Thugs Smuggling Contraband
17 Spy Ancient Gun-drone Hides a Fugitive
18 Courtesan Cloaking Device Everyone’s Drunk
19 Barber Hegemony Deserters Fungal Infection
20 Snake Charmer Loyal and Competent Everyone’s Arguing

38
ARCOLOGY DOMES
Arcologies are self-sufficient, hermetically sealed artificial ecosystems, which protected
the true-kin through the fevered centuries of the Great Collapse. They have long since been
unsealed and released their inhabitants into the blue lands of Vaarn, but these domes are
still a common sight in the wastes and are often occupied, as their subterranean gardens
offer a stable source of water and food.

DOME INHABITANTS ABUNDANCE LACK

1 Broken Meat Olives
Abandoned
2 Molten Fresh Water Fish
3 Sand-swallowed Hermit Salt Beer
4 Dingy Mystic Guzzleline Men

5 Blackened Escaped Slaves Coffee Women

6 Self-Repairing Ghouls Wine Children
7 Barely Intact Hegemony Deserters Bread Music
8 Booby-trapped Newbeasts Jewellery Silence
9 Reinforced Semi-Feral Orphans Books Livestock
10 Functional Amnesiac Clones Fruit Books

11 Warlike Elderly Mutes Information Coffee

12 Delicate Conceptual Artists Bells Bread
13 Ornate Orchestra Drugs Spices
14 Welcoming Fungus Cultists Livestock Drugs
15 Garden-like Polygamous Church Skilled Labour Sanity
16 Elegant Lepers Musical Instruments Medicine

17 Devotional Warrior Monks Slaves Information

18 Flooded Psychic Choir Cheese New Blood
19 Geodesic Androids Pretending Weapons Machine Parts
20 Perfect to be Human Exotica Clothing

39
 VAARNISH BESTIARY
ALZABO AMARANTHINE DEATH-WORM
Biological Biological

HD: 8 Armour: 15 HD: 6 Armour: 16

Morale: 9 Appearing: 1 Morale: 9 Appearing: 1

Attacks: d8 claw + d8 claw + 2d6 maul

Attacks: d6 spines + poison spray
if both claws hit same target
Notes: The ‘mocking bear’. Red furred Notes: The poison spray forces CON save.
predator with ghastly humanoid face. If a PC fails, they gain a special
Can mimic the voices and behaviour of wound: ‘Amaranthine Venom’. Their HP
people it has eaten. Will remember where drops to 0, and cannot rise above that
they lived and hunt their family. number until they find an antidote.

BANDIT BATTLE BOAR

Biological Biological / Synthetic

HD: 1 Armour: 13 HD: 3 Armour: 14

Morale: 5 Appearing: d20 Morale: 8 Appearing: d6

Attacks: d8 flamethrower snout / d6

Attacks: As weapon
gore
Notes: Ragged desperate robbers that Notes: Cyborg war-boars infested with
plague the Blue Ruins. For greater nanomachinery. Their flamethrower snouts
detail see page 39. target everyone in range.

BLUE BABOON BEHEMOTH TOAD

Biological Biological

HD: 1/2 Armour: 14 HD: 4 Armour: 14

Morale: 4 (2) Appearing: 3d6 Morale: 7 Appearing: d6

Attacks: d6 claws Attacks: d10 bellyflop / d6 tongue grab

Notes: Predatory blue apes of the Notes: Enormous flabby toads that lurk
Vaarnish wastes. Intelligent and near Vaarnish water-sources. If hit
carnivorous, hunt in packs. Morale with a tongue attack, PCs must STR save
drops when outnumbered. or be drawn into the toad’s mouth and
take d8 damage per round.

40
CACOGEN PSUEDO-GIANT CHROMAVORE
Biological Outsider

HD: 4 Armour: 15 HD: 6 Armour: 11

Morale: 8 Appearing: d4 Morale: 15 Appearing: 1

Attacks: d10 stomp Attacks: d8 CON drain

Notes: Severely mutated humans that Notes: Living shrouds of impossible

resemble enormous ambulatory torsos. colour from a dimension adjacent to
They have a primitive, furious face on ours. They take no damage from
their chest, and tiny vestigial arms. conventional weapons. They take d10
They are unintelligent but ferocious damage per round if they are exposed to
and will pursue prey for miles. sunlight, or artificial light that
mimics the sun’s rays. When they attack
successfully they drain d8 CON per round
until the victim is a colourless husk.

DOPPELGELLER GIANT AZURE SCORPION

Biological Biological / Synthetic

HD: 5 Armour: 10 HD: 3 Armour: 15

Morale: 12 Appearing: 1 Morale: 7 Appearing: d4

Attacks: d10 claw + d10 claw + d8

Attacks: Special
laser tail blast
Notes: Biotech blob. When it Notes: Cyborg arachnid. Lies in ambush
successfully scores a hit, it will begin underneath the blue sands. If their
spawning jelly-clones of the PC it hit. laser-cannon tails are severed they can
It does so once per round. The clones be used as d8 laser weapons.
are naked, insane, and homicidally
attack the PC they were copied from.
They have 5 HP, Armour 10, and the
ability scores of the PC they cloned.

GLASS TIGER GREENGUARD

Biological Synthetic

HD: 4 Armour: 14 HD: 1 Armour: 13

Morale: 8 Appearing: d4 Morale: 5 Appearing: d8

Attacks: d4 claw + d4 claw + d10 maul

Attacks: d8 rifle
if both claws hit same target
Notes: Translucent extraterrestrial Notes: Green plastic-fleshed homunculi.
hunters, transported to Urth during the They attack from the wastes without
reign of the Autarchs. Body like a tiger warning, seemingly following ancient
with a head like an orchid. Very orders. They take and hold settlements
difficult to spot when they’re not at random, apparently waiting for
moving. reinforcements that never arrive.

41
GREY CRICKET HIVEYMAN
Biological Biological

HD: 2 Armour: 13 HD: 3 Armour: 12

Morale: 3 Appearing: d8 Morale: 8 Appearing: d6

Attacks: d4 claws + Noxious Spit Attacks: d8 bludgeon + d6 swarm damage

Notes: Creepy gangly giant insects. Notes: Human corpses that have been
Normally scavengers, but will attack infested by fearsome colonies of Sable
humans if they think they can get away Bees. They crawl across the sands, their
with it. Their spit forces a CON save. bellies swollen with a throbbing hive
Failure results in disadvantage on all structure. The angry bees deal d6
saves for one round due to vomiting. unblockable damage per round to
everyone in reach.

INDIGO SERVITOR LEOPARD WORM

Biological Biological

HD: 1 Armour: 11 HD: 6 Armour: 15

Morale: n/a Appearing: d8 Morale: 9 Appearing: d4

Attacks: d4 bludgeon or as weapon Attacks: d8 bite + Glue Spit

Notes: An indigo-robed corpse, re- Notes: Sinuous ambush predators. The

animated by the necrotech implants of worm’s gluey spit is highly adhesive;
the College of Indigo Tigers. Obeys the when covered in spit all STR and DEX
wearer of a Dominion Ring without rolls are at disadvantage. The spit is
question. Mute, obedient, fearless. dissolved by salt water.

LIZARD LION PHTHALO-JACKAL

Biological Biological

HD: 2 Armour: 16 HD: 1/2 Armour: 14

Morale: 5 Appearing: d6 Morale: 4 (1) Appearing: 3d6

Attacks: d8 bite Attacks: d4 bite

Notes: Frill-necked reptiles. Ill- Notes: Cautious, clever, cerulean-

tempered, territorial, like a crocodile coated pack hunters. Morale drops when
that can sprint. Their skin is highly outnumbered.
prized as a material for boots.

42
PLANEYFOLK QUICKSILVER EXTERMINATOR
Hypergeometric Synthetic

HD: 2 Armour: 13 HD: 10 Armour: 20

Morale: 4 Appearing: d6 Morale: 15 Appearing: 1

Attacks: d4 STR drain Attacks: d12 slash + d10 laser eyes

Notes: Hypergeometric humans that only Notes: Merciless shapeshifting liquid

have two dimensions. They can appear to metal war-synth. Immune to kinetic
be shadows or wall frescoes and surprise damage, fire, acid, radiation, and all
on 5-in-6. When they attack they drain poisons. Can only be harmed with extreme
1d4 points of STR from their target, as cold, or with hypergeometric weapons.
their touch pulls you into their
flattened dimension. This hypergeometric
effect fades over time. Planeyfolk
ignore all even-numbered damage rolls.

REGENERATOR STUMBLING DRONE

Biological Synthetic

HD: 6 Armour: 15 HD: 2 Armour: 13

Morale: 6 Appearing: d6 Morale: 8 Appearing: d6

Attacks: d6 claw + d6 claw + d8 bite

Attacks: d8 plasma-rifle
if both claws hit same target
Notes: Towering tumorous mutant. Will Notes: Staggering boxy war-synths. When
regenerate d8 HP per round unless burned flipped on their backs they cannot right
or covered in acid. themselves. When their plasma-rifle
deals maximum damage they suffer equal
damage from overheating.

THUNDERSTRIKE BIRD TIGER FLY

Biological / Synthetic Biological

HD: 12 Armour: 20 (15) HD: 2 Armour: 13

Morale: 12 Appearing: 1 Morale: 5 Appearing: d6

Attacks: d12 harpoon / 2d8 talons Attacks: d8 sting

Notes: Terrifying biomechanical Notes: Dog-sized mutant wasps. Highly

predator. Will fire an electrical protective of their nests. If you kill
harpoon which punches straight through one, d6 more Tiger Flies will arrive to
armour. Attempts to reel character back investigate within three rounds.
in - STR save to break free. Otherwise
it pulls you up into the sky and tears
at you with claws. Armour drops to 15
if grounded.

43
TROIKA WALKING WOMB
Synthetic Biological

HD: 3 Armour: 16 HD: 5 Armour: 11

Morale: 8 Appearing: 1d6 Morale: 10 Appearing: d4

Attacks: d6 kick + d6 kick + d6 kick Attacks: d6 slam

Notes: Pinwheel of synthetic legs that Notes: Shambling blind mound of

tumbles through the blue wastelands pregnant flesh. On death, births d6
kicking everything it can find. Utterly Foetal Predators (HD 1, Armour 13, d6
inexplicable and widely hated. bite). Fire prevents this.

XANTHOUS MYCOMORPH YURLING

Fungal Biological / Fungal

HD: 6 Armour: 9 HD: 1/4 Armour: 14

Morale: 15 (3) Appearing: 1 Morale: 1 Appearing: 2d6

Attacks: d8 slam + d8 spore choke Attacks: d4 bite

Notes: Mass of yellow necrotech fungus Notes: Tiny mischievous monkey-like

that engulfs corpses and uses them as mutants. Covered in symbiotic white
fuel to grow ever larger. Takes half fungus. Exclusively eat metal. If a
damage from kinetic weapons and Yurling scores a critical hit, instead
regenerates d6 HP per round, unless of dealing damage it will steal and
burned with fire or acid. Must make devour a metal object from the target’s
Morale check at Morale 3 if burned. inventory.

44
DESERT ENCOUNTERS
ENCOUNTER TERRAIN BEHAVIOUR

1 Yurling Scrubby Bushes Sleeping

2 Thunderstrike Bird Salt Pan Dying

3 Battle Boar Sand Dunes Patrolling

4 Blue Baboon Heavy Scree Mating

5 Giant Azure Scorpion Dried Up Stream Territorial Display

6 Lizard Lion Dry Watering Hole Eating

7 Glass Tiger Large Rock Relaxing / Nesting

8 Greenguard Cactus Field Pursuit / Fleeing

9 Grey Locust Grove of Martyr Trees Scavenging

10 Doppelgeller Derelict Vehicle Wounded

11 Leopard Worm Wrecked Spacecraft Hunting

12 Indigo Servitor Abandoned Town Travelling

13 Bandit Ruined Bell-tower Psychedelic State

14 Pthalo-Jackal Toxin Pools Sheltering / Hiding

15 Planeyfolk Caustic Geyser

16 Regenerator Crystalline Growths

17 Tiger Fly Ancient Battlefield Combat with

another creature
18 Stumbling Drone Fungus-choked Outpost (roll again)

19 Alzabo Silent Machinery

20 Cacogen Pseudo-giant Abandoned Campsite

45
TRANSPORT IN VAARN
Note that ‘Hull Points’ represent a vehicle’s resilience to harm. Hull Points map to weapon
damage at a ratio of 1 to 10. Damage incurred in amounts less than 10 can never reduce a
vehicle’s Hull Points. Multiple sources of damage in a single combat round do not stack. A
dune skuggy that takes 6, 7, and 8 points of damage from separate attacks will not lose any
Hull Points, despite the combined total damage being 21. A dune skuggy that takes 19 points
of damage from a single source will lose one Hull Point. This means that only the heaviest
weapons and largest creatures can meaningfully damage vehicles. For pack-beasts with Hit
Dice, calculate HP as normal.

AUTO-CHARIOT
Synthetic
Hull Points: 8 Armour: 18

Speed: Medium Value: High

Armaments: Laser-targeted gauss cannon (d12)

Notes: Rugged wheeled conveyance with a synthetic mind. Auto-chariots are

treasured possessions, as they are able to drive themselves without the
intervention of the passengers, and will obey a set of simple instructions. Due
to their sapience they are very difficult to steal, as they usually will not
accept a new master until the old has died. .

DUNE SKUGGY
Mechanical
Hull Points: 5 Armour: 13

Speed: Fast Value: Low

Armaments: Flak-blaster turret (d10)

Notes: Simple, crude desert vehicles that run on guzzline. Dune-Skuggies are
hacked together from whatever metal their maker could steal or scavenge, usually
nothing but a seat protected by a roll-cage, bolted to a roaring smoky engine
that drives four ravenous wheels. Skuggies are fast, rough, and loud, and their
owners are usually the same.

IRON MULE
Synthetic
Hull Points: 1 Armour: 18

Speed: Plodding Value: Low

Armaments: None

Notes: A breed of synth that must once have been in mass production, for they
are commonly found across Vaarn. Iron Mules are boxy, crude automata with four
powerful, restless legs. They are known for their extreme endurance and
hardiness, and also for their clumsiness, stupidity, and the nauseating rocking
motion of their gait. Normally used as pack animals, but can be ridden in
extremis.
46
SKIFF
Mechanical

Hull Points: 2 Armour: 16

Speed: High Value: Moderate

Armaments: Light pulse-rifle (d8)

Notes: A lightweight hover-bike built around a small sky-seeking stone. Skiffs

are powered by a fan at the back of the craft. They are fast and nimble, but
unstable and frequently lethal when they malfunction. Used by outlaws, Hegemony
rangers, bounty hunters, and anyone else who needs to make a quick getaway.

WAR CAMEL
Biological
HD: 4 Armour: 15

Speed: Moderate Value: Moderate

Armaments: Hump-mounted flechette cannon (d10) + Kick (d6)

Notes: Camels are still considered an excellent choice of desert mount, even in
this late red era of Urth. War camels, fitted with mirror-armour and implanted
flechette cannons, are used by Faa nomad raiders and Hegemony troops alike, and
camel trains are one of the cheapest ventures a Vaarnish merchant can finance.

WEEPING LIZARD
Biological
HD: 3 Armour: 16

Speed: Fast once blood is warm Value: Low

Armaments: Bite (d8) + Toxic tears (CON save vs temporary blindness)

Notes: For journeys in the northern mountains of Vaarn, where flickering lattices
of hard light make flight untenable, and frequent earthquakes demolish roads and
bridges, the Weeping Lizard is favoured as a steed. Named for the toxin it
extrudes from its tear ducts when enraged, these truculent black pseudo-geckos
can carry their passengers up surfaces as sheer as glass, and can leap across
nauseating gaps with their powerful back legs.

WIND-BARGE
Mechanical
Hull Points: 20 Armour: 22

Speed: Dependant on winds Value: Very High

Armaments: Traditionally unarmed, but crew will include d6 2HD guards.

Notes: A wooden cargo ship, built around a large sky-seeking stone. These barges
are used by the merchant guilds of Vaarn to transport goods across the blue
sands. Some are elegant and ornate vessels, while others are heavy and
utilitarian. They are usually unarmed by ancient custom, although it would be a
foolish merchant who ventured into the wastelands without guards onboard.

47
 YOU FOUND A CORPSE
CONDITION WHAT WERE THEY CARRYING?
1 Desiccated Plastic Bag Full Of Teeth
2 Skeletal Can of Survival Rations
3 Mummified by Heat Pocket Hourglass
4 Riddled with Bullets Set of Dominoes
5 Seared by Laser-fire Waxen Poetry Cylinder
6 Worryingly Fresh Prayer Beads
7 Centuries Old Synthetic Eye
8 Half-Eaten by Animals Stick of Infrared Chalk
9 Someone You Know Bottle with a Tiny Eel Inside
10 Sliced Neatly in Half Lizard-Skin Boots
11 Seated in Lotus Position Locket with Hair Inside
12 Ritually Mutilated Ring with an Autarch’s Seal
13 Charred by Flames Dice Decorated with Arcane Symbols
14 Banquet for Worms Coil of Razorwire
15 Frozen Solid Crystalline Vial of Ink
16 Drained of Blood Exorcist’s Bell
17 Infested with Nanotech Telepathy Suppression Pills
18 Pungent Glowstone
19 Could Be Sleeping Malfunctioning Memory Crystal
20 Not Quite Dead Pack of Ancient Cigarettes

A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S
The rules presented in this pamphlet are mostly those of Knave by Ben Milton, a Creative
Commons Attribution 4.0 Licensed product, and some of the text explaining the rules is taken
from that publication. Knave can be bought at: drivethrurpg.com/product/250888/Knave. The
material published here is likewise presented under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 li-
cense. Feel free to remix, copy, hack, and add to the contents of this zine; I ask only for
credit to be attributed. // The Vaarn setting has been inspired by many sources. The novels
that have been the biggest influence are The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe, Dune by Frank
Herbert, and Hyperion by Dan Simmons. Vaarn also owes a great deal to the artwork of Jean
‘Moebius’ Giraud, Kilian Eng, and the comics of Stathis Tsemberlidis and Lando. I have also
been strongly inspired by the videogames Rain World and Caves of Qud. // Further Vaarn
content, play reports, lore, and a downloadable character sheet can be found at vaultsofvaarn
.wordpress.com.

48
The sun is dying and the wreckage of countless eons litters the parched
wastes of Vaarn, the desolate country that common folk call the blue
ruin. It is said that these sky-coloured sands hide the graves of the
Autarchs; have swallowed the buried arcologies in which the true seed
of humankind was preserved through the Great Collapse; conceal
forgotten crypts of memory, decaying crystalline lattices of ancient
ego-engines upon which the dusk-blue dunes encroach without pity. From
the New Hegemony to the south come drifters and dreamers, desecraters
of the tech-tombs that lie sunken beneath the azure wastes. Light-years
overhead, aurum-sailed ships ply their tender routes between the
spheres, and miles below a pilgrim’s feet, strange wombs are kindled
once more with life undreamed of.
These are the hinterlands, where humanity’s great works have
fallen to everlasting decay, where machine and animal and fungus think
to crown themselves our equal. The phthalo-sands, where newbeasts hunt
proudly with boots upon their hind paws and chromepriests chant
unending binary devotions to their nameless synthetic god. Only the
desperate or the mad would seek to make a life here, to roam the blue
desert in search of the secret VAULTS OF VAARN.

RPG ZINE 01