Monsters and Magic (Updated)
Monsters and Magic (Updated)
Monsters and Magic (Updated)
TM
Monsters & Magic written and developed by Sarah Newton. Distributed by Modiphius Entertainment Ltd,
35 Harwood Road, London, SW6 4PQ.
Cover Art by Jason Juta.
Publicity and Promotion by Modiphius Entertainment Ltd.
Interior Art by Jennell Jaquays, Linda Jones, Eric Lofgren, For publicity and promotion details contact
Bradley McDevitt, Gillian Pearce. [email protected]
Find out more about Monsters & Magic and other Mindjammer Press games and fiction at
www.mindjammerpress.com & www.facebook.com/mindjammerpress
Contents
Foreword 2
Chapter 1
Introduction 3
Chapter 2
Character Creation 7
Chapter 3
Equipment 29
Chapter 4
Playing The Game 34
Chapter 5
Advancement 56
Chapter 6
Running The Game 74
Chapter 7
Magic 92
Chapter 8
Monsters 101
Chapter 9
Silvermoon 112
1
Foreword
THE IDEA FOR this game began at Christmas 2012, during one of my periodic nostalgic re-
reads of the treasured classic fantasy supplements, scenarios, and campaign packs which stack
my gaming shelves. I’d been reading through some Old School Renaissance games, trying to
find a rules set to scratch that itch. I was looking for something which oozed with classic fan-
tasy atmosphere, was easy to play, yet which extended its playability into areas usually covered
by more modern games — personality conflicts, playing with scenic and thematic aspects,
exploiting the narrative tropes of classic swords and sorcery adventure. More than anything,
I wanted to use the many supplements and scenarios I’d collected over the years — to play
them again, without having to laboriously convert them to this or that ruleset. Try as I might,
I couldn’t find a game to suit.
It was a lightbulb moment. Why not write one? I’d been toying with a rules system for a
year or two — something which gave players a stack of points they could spend to do cool
in-game stuff. Not just whittling away an opponent’s endurance, but changing the world,
doing genre-specific acts of heroism and amazing feats. Was there a way I could use those
rules here, to play these ancient dungeons and much-loved wilderlands, without having to do
loads of work?
The game you hold in your hands is the fruit of that Christmas nostalgia — Monsters &
Magic. You’ll see all kinds of echoes in these pages — I’m a huge fan of games like Fate and
HeroQuest, and you’ll see their influence; but also I love those original, first edition games,
with their bestiaries, grimoires, and encounter tables, their progression from humble 1st level
to the dizzy heights of world-shattering 20th level and beyond. We’ve enlisted some wonderful
artists, including Jennell Jaquays, whose work in the early 1980s helped define the very mean-
ing of “old school” for many of us, as well as splendid industry artists such as Jason Juta, whose
gorgeous cover inspired us all, Eric Lofgren, Linda Jones, Brad McDevitt, and Gill Pearce —
beautiful artwork richly laden with that old school feel. With these rules, we’ve opened up new
worlds, and visited some old ones. Around my table we’ve fought giants, tunnelled beneath city
states, had sea battles with vikings, and run (not always successfully!) from enormous dragons.
Our first printing of Monsters & Magic sold out rapidly, and for several years this game was
only available in PDF. Since then several supplements have appeared, including the Collectanea
Creaturea and Aperita Arcana from Ebon Gryphon Games, and a physical version of the core
rulebook has sorely been needed. So here it is at last!
We hope you’ll have as much fun with Monsters & Magic as we’ve had.
Sarah Newton
Normandy, April 2017
2
- Chapter 1 -
Introduction
WELCOME TO MONSTERS & MAGIC, a complete fantasy If you’re familiar with those games, you’ll feel right at home here:
roleplaying game combining the atmosphere of classic fantasy games Monsters & Magic consciously tries to re-create the atmosphere of
with innovative modern mechanics. In these pages you’ll find rules those early games. In some ways it’s a reaction against today’s rules-
for playing fierce warriors, mighty wizards, holy clerics, and cunning heavy, complex games, in favour of a looser, more free-form, and less
thieves, exploring trackless wildernesses, mysterious labyrinths, and rules-oriented style of play. Its rules are intended to be familiar, flexi-
ancient cities, in search of treasure, secrets, and adventure! ble, and easy to remember.
This book contains all the rules you need to play. You’ll also want
pencils and scratch paper, and at least one of each type of the poly-
hedral hobby dice — four-sided, six-sided (ideally at least three of
these), eight-sided, ten-sided, and twelve-sided, abbreviated d4, d6,
Modern
d8, d10, and d12 respectively. Additionally, you’ll want at least two
or three players — one to play the role of game master (or GM), the Roleplaying Games
referee and story teller of Monsters & Magic, and at least one or two
(preferably more) players, to take on the roles of the heroes in the ROLEPLAYING AS A hobby is forty years old, and over its history
fantasy world you’re about to enter. — since the “old school” days — there have been many innovations.
These include: unified mechanics; rules for addressing character per-
sonality, social themes, and even plot and narrative structure; and an
Roleplaying emphasis on flexible, collaborative, and improvisational play. Role-
playing games have their roots in tabletop miniatures gaming, and
early rules systems emphasised tactical movement and combat. Since
WE’RE ASSUMING YOU have at least a passing familiarity with the original classic fantasy games, roleplaying games have matured,
roleplaying games; you probably have a lot more. Even if you’ve not and now offer many more avenues for exciting and challenging play.
played a tabletop roleplaying game before, chances are you’ve played
one on a games console or online. Or you’ve heard of the concept
from the media and mass culture. If none of the above applies, and
you’re standing with this book in your hand, wondering what you’ve
What’s Special About
got yourself into — welcome! We have a treat for you… But before
you go any further, find yourself a computer connected to the internet This Game?
and google “What is Roleplaying?” Read a bit about this amazing
hobby, and when you feel like you’ve got a handle on it, come back MONSTERS & MAGIC is the child of these two parents, with two
and carry on reading. We’ll wait. specific goals. First, to allow you to use your classic fantasy gaming
material, of any edition, with little or no conversion. Once you’ve
learned the simple yet flexible rules in this book, we believe you’ll be
The Old School able to run any classic fantasy module (and even some of the newer
adventures) or use any classic fantasy supplements, on the fly. And, most
Renaissance importantly, you’ll be able to do things with those materials you never
could with their original rules, using the Monsters & Magic system.
That’s where our second goal comes in. With Monsters & Magic,
MONSTERS & MAGIC is proud to belong to the “Old School we didn’t just want to update, streamline, or reorganise the classic
Renaissance” (“OSR” for short) — a broad school of roleplaying fantasy rules; we wanted to create a game incorporating the latest
games dedicated to preserving and re-assessing the original, first, and cutting edge RPG concepts, allowing you to do all manner of cool
second editions of the classic fantasy roleplaying game, focussing on things, while remaining backwards compatible with classic fantasy
their lightweight rules, fast pace of play, and short preparation times. and OSR material.
3
CHAPTER 1
4
INTRODUCTION
effect points. Effect points can be negative — such as minor — perhaps you lose balance — while others
when you fail a check, getting a lower result than you are major, or even extreme, like striking your ally in
need: these are sometimes called consequence points. combat. Usually, when you fail a check badly, your
Rolling 7 against a resistance of 10 nets you 3 conse- opponent gets to choose the consequence you face.
quence points. That’s the Effect Engine in a nutshell. The follow-
You use effect points to buy effects, defining ing chapters expand on these basics.
exactly what your success means. An effect can be as
simple as physical harm in a melee, or mental harm
in a war of words; or as complex as leading a warband OTHER TERMS
into battle or knocking back your opponent and skew- Here are some other Monsters & Magic concepts
ering their fellow. If you apply an effect to an opponent which it’s helpful to understand before you go further.
(like a wound, or knockback), that’s called a conse-
quence. The more powerful the effect, the more effect
points it costs. Usually you choose your own effects. Hero Points
Effects describe the game-level bonuses, penalties, Monsters & Magic players have one or more hero
and modifications to your situation which reflect the points which they can spend to make greater or lesser
results of your actions. Perhaps you impress a crowd interventions in the flow of the game. These may be
with your oratory, or gain a superior tactical position “in character”, allowing a player to decide how his
in battle, gaining a bonus to subsequent action checks. character rolls with a blow inflicted by an opponent;
Effects can be minor, major, and extreme. or they may be “out of character”, allowing a player to
You can also suffer a consequence if you fail one of declare how a monster usually under the GM’s control
your own checks. Its seriousness depends on the conse- reacts to his character’s action.
quence points generated by your failure — how much Some uses of hero points are optional, but taken
you missed the resistance by. Some consequences are together allow for a variety of play styles.
5
CHAPTER 1
(...CONTINUED FROM THE PREVIOUS PAGE.) Round: a one-minute period. Usually the amount of time for a
group of combatants to land at least one good blow on their
Effects: properly refers to both the positive and negative results opponents.
of an action check, although it’s usually used to refer to only Scenario: also known as an adventure, a scenario is a single
the positive result. story line built around a common theme or location,
Effect Points: properly refers to the number of points your usually played in one or at most a handful of sessions.
action check is above or below the resistance, although it’s Silvermoon, on page 112, is an example scenario.
usually used to refer to the points above. You spend effect Scene: an informal term referring to a period of play structured
points to create effects. around a single location or interaction between two or more
Hit Die: the type of die you roll to generate your hit points at characters, monsters, or NPCs. There will likely be several
level 2 and above, ranging from a d4 to a d10 and some- scenes in a game session, and many scenes in a scenario.
times higher. Monsters roll d8 for both physical and mental Session: the time taken for a single period of playing Monsters
hit points. & Magic. Usually between 2 to 6 hours, or sometimes more.
Hit Points: a numeric indicator of the physical or mental Stance: an optional way of making action checks in combat,
damage a character can sustain. There are two types: physi- based on different offensive or defensive techniques.
cal hit points and mental hit points. Your hit points increase Statistics: a collective term for the hit points, levels, and other
when you level up. information describing an NPC or monster. The short ver-
Level Up: the process of moving up from one level to another sion is called a stat strip; the long version is a stat block.
(so, from level 1 to level 2). You level up by accumulating Trait: a single word or short phrase describing something cru-
experience points, or XP. Your character improves in power cial about your character, like an ability, background story
and ability when he levels up, and gains advancements. detail, or personality aspect.
Monster: a kind of NPC (non-player character) which isn’t Trait Bonus: the bonus you add to your action or resistance
human or a character race. Chapter 8: Monsters gives check as a result of describing how your trait or traits affect
several examples. your action. Equal to your level, +1 for each additional trait
NPC: a non-player character. A character, often with a level, described after the first.
race, and character class just like a player character (PC), Turn: a ten-minute period (comprising ten one-minute
but controlled by the GM. They can be allies or enemies of rounds). Often used for tracking movement at small scales
the PCs. such as in a dungeon.
6
- Chapter 2 -
Character Creation
AS A PLAYER, the first thing you’ll need to do in Monsters & Magic Chapter 7: Magic, as indicated in his character class write-up.
is to create one or more characters with which to play the game. This 11. Roll the dice to determine your character’s starting money in gold
chapter shows you how. pieces (gp), as indicated in his character class write-up.
12. Finalise your character (page 24), choosing his alignment, goal,
first (and possibly second) advancement, hero points, starting
The Character equipment, and armour class; and also by filling in his age, height,
weight, sex, weight carried, and maybe a physical description.
Creation Checklist 13. You’re ready to play!
3. Write down your character’s racial traits (pages 10-13), or use the
PHYSICAL H.P. MENTAL H.P.
CLASS HERO
POINTS
appropriate racial traits card from the appendices (page 127). STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
4. Write down your ATT modifiers (page 8). Double the ATT mod- Modifier Modifier Modifier Modifier Modifier Modifier
ifier for your character’s prime attribute, determined by his class TRAITS
Minor (+2)
EFFECTS
(page 14).
Major (+4)
Extreme (+6)
5. Write down your character’s level: characters begin at level 1. Minor (-2)
Major (-4)
CONSEQUENCES
OTHER ADVANCEMENTS
Treasure Points
8. Write down your character’s class traits (pages 15-24), or use the Item
ITEMS
Focus:
Goal:
10. If your character can cast spells (ie is a magic user or cleric), work
out how many spell levels he has, and choose his spells from
7
CHAPTER 2
8
CHARACTER CREATION
Using My Classic Fantasy Character 5. Recalculate your armour class (page 35); it may not be that
different.
If you’re like us, you probably still have your favourite char- 6. Jot down on your character sheet your racial and character
acters from previous classic fantasy campaigns. Maybe you’re class traits, or use the trait cards from the appendices (page
still playing one now, or would like to bring one back for new 127).
adventures. 7. Select an advancement (page 56) for your character, or 2 if
In Monsters & Magic, that’s easy; you can use your charac- he’s human.
ter mostly without change. Here’s what to do: 8. If you’re higher than 1st level, select one advancement for
each additional level. Be sure to choose advancements
1. Keep your attributes, character race and class, alignment, which reflect how you imagine your character.
level, spells, equipment, languages, unchanged. 9. If you have any magical or significant items (even strong-
2. Make sure your ATT modifiers tally with those on page 8. holds if your character is high enough level), check with
Be sure to double the ATT bonus for your prime attribute your GM to see if there’s anything specific you need to
(determined by your character class — see page 8). describe about them. For example, if you have a castle, your
3. Check your hit points: these are called physical hit points GM might decide to give it hit points, an armour class, and
(PHP) in Monsters & Magic. Add your Constitution score even some traits.
to your old hit points to get your PHP score. 10. Test your character out in play — if anything seems out
4. Using your level, and your hit die as indicated in your of focus or inappropriate, change it (with your GM’s
character class description, calculate your mental hit points approval). Otherwise, play on — adventure awaits!
(MHP) as shown on page 14.
CONSTITUTION
Constitution represents your endurance, stamina, and overall health.
Use it for running distances, staying awake, resisting poisons and dis-
eases, and figuring out how many physical hit points you have (page
14). Constitution is the secondary attribute for monks.
INTELLIGENCE
Intelligence represents your reasoning ability, memory, and ability to
make sense of the world. Use it to figure out puzzles, remember infor-
mation, know an obscure fact or item of lore, read and write, and cast
magical spells. Intelligence is the prime attribute for magic users.
WISDOM
Wisdom represents your judgement, willpower, and perception. Use
it to see hidden things and hear noises you’d otherwise miss, make
judgements, resist attempts to deceive you or sway your mind (includ-
ing magic), see through illusions, use clerical magic, and figure out
how many mental hit points you have (page 14). Wisdom is the prime
attribute for clerics.
CHARISMA
Charisma represents the force of your personality. Use it to charm and
persuade, intimidate and terrify, lead warriors in battle, calm a crowd,
and generally make yourself attractive, imposing, or impressive. Cha-
risma is the prime attribute for bards, and the secondary attribute for
paladins and druids.
9
CHAPTER 2
WHAT NEXT?
The Chronicles of High Fantasy You’ll now either have a set of 6 numbers, ready to assign to your
attributes, or you’ll have assigned them already and be looking for a
Throughout this book we refer to an example Monsters & character class to best suit them. Before that, though, you’ll need to
Magic game to show you how things work. We’ve called select your character’s race.
it “The Chronicles of High Fantasy”; it’s a classic fantasy
campaign of deadly dungeons, unexplored wilderlands,
and teeming cities. We think you’ll recognise the place…
There are five player characters in our game, all begin-
Character Races
ning first-level characters:
IN MONSTERS & MAGIC, the term race refers not to your char-
CC Felix Pook, aka Pook i’the Hood, a male halfling thief. acter’s ethnicity, but to which of the traditional fantasy species he
CC Gramfive the Grim, a male human fighter. belongs to. In this section, we present character creation details for
CC Guido of Gramarye, a male human bard. humans, elves, dwarves, halflings, gnomes, half-elves, and half-orcs.
CC Shamira Sunfire, a female human cleric. Each race has racial traits: these are things you can describe your
CC Xiola Zenwaith, a female elven magic user. character doing because he’s a member of that race (like seeing in
the dark, or finding secret doors). When you create a character, write
In this chapter, we’ll focus on a couple of them to these traits down on your character sheet, or photocopy or print out
illustrate how to create characters. the appropriate racial trait card from the appendices (page 127).
You don’t have to write your racial traits out exactly as written —
you can customise the wording to more closely fit your character. Try
to capture the essence of the trait, and not to add any features. For
example, you could re-word the Highly Adaptable trait to something
Xiola’s Story like Loves Trying New Things, but not Great At Everything He Does. If
in doubt, check with your GM, or just use the traits as given.
Xiola’s player has decided in advance the kind of character Races often give bonuses or penalties to your attributes; some also
she wants to play, with an “unworldly elven sorceress” limit your choice of character class, unless your GM approves other-
character concept. She opts to assign points to her attri- wise. These are called racial adjustments. Modify the attribute scores
butes as follows: Strength 8, Dexterity 12, Constitution and their ATT modifiers on your character sheet as appropriate.
12, Intelligence 16, Wisdom 15, and Charisma 10.
HUMANS
Gramfive’s Saga Humans are the baseline from which other character races are mea-
sured. They’re the “common folk” — most people in your game will
Gramfive’s player doesn’t have a character concept, so probably be human.
opts to roll his attributes. He gets: Strength 16, Dexter- Within the human race, your game world may contain many cul-
ity 13, Constitution 15, Intelligence 8, Wisdom 9, and tural and ethnic backgrounds, with different appearances, beliefs, and
Charisma 12. attitudes. Humans are the most variable and adaptable of the Mon-
Looking over the available character races and classes, sters & Magic races.
he decides he’s rolled a human fighter.
Human Traits
CC Highly Adaptable.
CC a cultural trait, such as Open-Minded, Warlike, Cosmopolitan.
CC a background trait, such as Herbalist, City Boy, Apprentice.
CC Quick Learner.
Human Adjustments
CC gain an additional bonus advancement at 1st level (see page 24).
You don’t have to choose this right now — in fact, you’ll probably
want to wait until you’ve selected your race and class.
10
CHARACTER CREATION
ELVES
Elves are an ancient and noble race, with magical Describing What You’re Doing
natures. Called the “fair folk”, they have young faces
and ageless, wisdom-filled eyes. There are several dif- Monsters & Magic lets you describe what your character’s doing any
ferent types of elf, including wood elves, grey elves, way you like. There’s no set of fixed “actions” or “moves” you must select
and high elves. Legend also speaks of a race of evil when it’s your character’s turn to act. Instead, you describe what you’re
elves dwelling deep beneath the earth — the dark doing, then work out how to represent that in the rules. If you can justify
elves, or drow. why your character can do something, then your GM will let you try that
as an action.
Elven Traits
All elves get the following traits:
Elven Adjustments
CC +2 bonus to Dexterity.
CC -2 penalty to Constitution.
11
CHAPTER 2
DWARVES HALFLINGS
Dwarves are the Stonefolk; short, stocky, massively powerful and Halflings are the “little people” — diminutive pastoral folk living
with enormous beards. They’re longer-lived than humans, and have peaceably in the quiet corners of the world. Great lovers of comfort
an affinity with all things to do with stone. Many dwarves have an and domesticity, halflings nevertheless sometimes head off into the
ancient enmity with elves. wider world on perilous adventures, when their natural stealthiness
and small size stand them in good stead.
Dwarven Traits
CC Stonecraft: understand mining, hewing stone, and building stone Halfling Traits
structures. CC Small and Stealthy: adept at sneaking, hiding, eavesdropping, and
CC Stonesense: instinctively know how far underground you are, being inconspicuous — the big folk often treat you as a child!
whether you’re going up or down, and identify pit-traps and fall- CC Hardy: naturally resistant to poisons, charms, influence, and magic.
ing masonry. CC Speak Halfling: in addition to the Common tongue. You may
CC Speak Dwarven: in addition to the Common tongue. You may speak one additional language per point of INT bonus from:
speak one additional language from Orcish, Goblin, and Kobold Elven, Dwarven, Orcish, Goblin.
per point of INT bonus. CC Homeloving: you have a natural understanding of gardens, cook-
CC Hard as Granite: you’re highly resistant to poison and magic. ing, livestock, and pipeweed.
CC Hammer Kenning: you have a natural proficiency with hammers. CC Prodigious Appetite: yes, you do eat that many breakfasts.
CC Infravision: see in the dark to 60ft.
CC Drawn to Treasure: you love — often covet — gold and gems, and
have an uncanny ability to find them. Halfling Adjustments
CC +2 Dexterity.
CC -2 Strength.
Dwarven Adjustments CC may not be a magic user, cleric, or bard.
CC +2 Constitution.
CC -2 Charisma.
CC may not become a magic user. GNOMES
Gnomes are woodland folk, dwelling in forested hill country. Though
kin to dwarves, they have a reputation for being tricksy, and some
say they’re faerie folk. They display an affinity for illusion magic, but
equally may be tinkerers, armourers, and makers of devious traps and
mechanisms. They are great foes of goblinkind.
Gnomish Traits
CC Diminutive: you’re smaller than the Big Folk.
CC Speak Gnomish: as well as Dwarven and the Common tongue.
CC Woodland Lore: know the woodland and its denizens.
CC Communicate with Snuffling, Burrowing Creatures.
CC Resistant to Poisons and Magic.
CC Affinity with Deceitful Magic and Mechanisms.
CC Infravision: see in the dark to 60ft.
CC Feeling for Underground Places: as dwarves.
CC Skilled Miner: understand mines and minerals.
CC Hate Evil Humanoids: you’re especially effective when fighting or
working against orcs, goblins, trolls, bugbears, etc.
Gnomish Adjustments
CC +2 Constitution.
CC -2 Strength.
CC may not be a cleric or magic user (except for illusionist).
12
CHARACTER CREATION
HALF-ORCS
HALF-ELVES The human side of your mongrel ancestry lets you appear sufficiently
Half-elves share characteristics with both their human and elven par- non-orcish to be accepted in human societies. Nevertheless, you’re
ents, being a long-lived, handsome, and magical folk. They are found rough-looking: strong, twisted, and likely very ugly, and wracked with
most frequently in mixed or human communities; those among the rage and dark bestial urges. Half-orcs are frequently multi-class char-
elves tend to emphasise their “elvishness”. Their versatile natures mean acters like fighter / thieves or cleric / assassins.
half-elves are frequently multi-class characters like fighter / magic
users or even fighter / magic user / clerics (see page 59).
Half-Orcish Traits
CC Torn Between Two Natures.
Half-Elven Traits CC Speak Orcish: as well as the Common tongue.
CC Two Kin But No Home: torn between your human and elven CC Infravision: see in the dark up to 60ft.
natures, you find no peace with either. CC Brutish and Strong.
CC Resist Charm: you’re especially resistant to Sleep and Charm spells. CC Savage and Intimidating.
CC Speak Elven: in addition to the Common tongue. You may speak
one additional language from Gnollish, Gnomish, Goblin, Hal-
fling, Hobgoblin, and Orcish per point of INT bonus. Half-Orcish Adjustments
CC Infravision: see in the dark up to 60ft. CC +2 Strength.
CC Spot Hidden Things: particularly secret doors. CC -2 Intelligence.
CC -2 Charisma vs non-orcs.
CC may not be a magic user or bard.
13
CHAPTER 2
using weapons and armour, and will be strong, breaking down doors
The Character Sheet Custom Box and bending bars. As with racial traits, you can customise the wording
of these traits to suit your character (page 10). You can write the class
The character sheet on page 126 contains a single box traits on your character sheet, or use the appropriate class trait card
with a blank space instead of a header. This is your custom from the appendices (page 128).
box, which you can use for annotating different things, Some class advancements are only available after you’ve reached a
depending on your class. It may contain special effects and certain level — what we call a scale. You begin play at the adventurer
stances if you’re a fighter, spells if you’re a magic user, etc. scale, and may advance to heroic (5th level), epic (10th level), leg-
The write-ups below include suggestions for using this part endary (15th level), and mythic (20th level). See page 62 for more.
of the character sheet. We also provide a list of other advancements: these are freely
available advancements which any character class can take, but which
are particularly appropriate to your class.
Finally, your class indicates your prime attribute (page 8), your
Character Classes secondary attribute (if applicable — see below), and your starting
money for buying equipment (page 27). A character must have a
minimum prime attribute score of 9 to belong to a given character
WHEN YOU CREATE a character, you must select a character class; if it’s 15 or higher, you get a +10% increase in any experience
class, and optionally a sub-class. Character classes represent broad points you earn (page 56).
fantasy archetypes — fighter, cleric, magic user, thief, bard — and
help determine the things your character can do.
When you select a character class, the sections below will tell you SUB-CLASSES
what hit dice you roll for your character’s physical and mental hit As well as a character class, you can also select a sub-class. A sub-class
points at each level. Note that at 1st level, when you create your char- is a specialised character class, and is based on one of the five character
acter, you don’t roll at all, but simply take the maximum hit points classes. For example, sub-classes of the fighter class include paladins
you might have rolled, and add your Constitution score (for physical (holy warriors) and rangers (outdoor and woodland specialists).
hit points) or your Wisdom score (for mental hit points). At each Sub-classes have the same hit dice and prime attributes as their
level after 1st, roll your hit die and apply your CON or WIS modifier “parent” character class, but differ in starting money and class traits,
(as appropriate, with a minimum of 1pt), and add that to your total. restrictions, and advancements. This means sub-classes have differ-
Your character class may also have restrictions: perhaps you must ent lists of traits and advancements from the parent class. Sub-classes
belong to a certain alignment, or commit to certain behaviours. Note also have a secondary attribute, required for some of their specialist
those on your character sheet. abilities. A sub-classed character must have a minimum secondary
Your class also determines your class traits and class advance- attribute of 9, and 15 in order to get the +10% experience bonus.
ments. These indicate the activities you are (or may be) good at Sub-classes may also have other restrictions or requirements.
because you’re a member of that class. You get all of the class traits The ATT bonus of a sub-class’s primary attribute is doubled, as
immediately at 1st level, and may pick from the class advancements as usual; the ATT bonus of the secondary attribute is not. A character
you level up (you get one or two advancements at 1st level anyway — needs a good secondary attribute score to function well as a member
see page 24). So, if you’re a 1st level fighter, you’ll be good at fighting, of that sub-class.
14
CHARACTER CREATION
CLERIC
Prime Attribute: Wisdom
Physical Hit Points: 1d8
Mental Hit Points: 1d6
Starting Money: 3d6 x 10gp
Clerics are the priests of the world’s deities, channelling their powers
and working miracles. You protect your flock, heal the sick, and carry
out your god’s will. You can also banish the undead and other unquiet
spirits by brandishing your holy symbol, or perhaps work other mir-
acles specific to your god. Evil clerics command undead instead of
turning them, and cause harm instead of healing.
Restrictions: you may be any alignment except Neutral (but see
“Druid”, below).
Cleric Traits
CC Turn Undead: see below.
CC Religious Lore: you’re schooled in temple matters and the affairs
of the gods.
CC Clerical Magic: cast clerical spells and counterspells. See below.
CC Use Temple Weapons: use the weapons espoused by your temple.
CC Wear Light and Medium Armour and Use Shields.
CC Devotion to Deity: acquire a specific trait representing the beliefs
and attitudes of your deity’s worshippers. See “Gods and Demi-
gods” below.
Cleric Advancements
CC Perform Ceremonies: see below.
CC Temple Traits: gain additional traits associated with your deity’s
worship. See “Gods and Demigods”. Turn Undead
CC Followers (heroic scale): attract a number of followers of your reli- You can use Turn Undead in a mental attack using WIS against
gion (page 70). undead; they usually resist using Wisdom, plus their level. On a suc-
CC Place of Worship (epic scale): build and preside over a temple or cess, you cause effects like knockback, dazed, knockdown, or mental
other place of worship (page 62). hit point damage. This is an area attack (page 59), and pretty much
CC High Priest (legendary scale): become the leader of your deity’s the only way you can do mental damage to most undead.
temple in your land, using your temple as a construct in legendary
actions (page 62).
CC Cult Hero (mythic scale): become your deity’s representative in Clerical Magic
mortal form, using your religion as a construct in mythic actions You can pray for and cast clerical spells, each of which is a given level
(page 62). in power (1st level spells, 2nd level spells, etc). Depending on your
level, you may cast a number of spells of a given level per day, as
shown on the table below. You must select which spells you can cast
Other Advancements each day in the hour of preparation and prayer after you wake. You
CC Exhort the Faithful: use WIS instead of CHA to encourage and may select any spell available to worshippers of your deity of your
inspire others. Affects a single target, although you can spend an level. Once you cast a spell, it’s gone, until you pray for it again, usu-
advancement to make it an area effect (page 59). ally after another night’s rest.
CC Healer: you’re skilled at all types of healing. In addition to the spells indicated on the table, you may cast a
CC Stalwart Defence stance. number of bonus spells equal in total spell level to your WIS modifier.
CC Signature Item: you possess a special holy symbol or weapon with If you have a WIS modifier of +6, you may pray for 6 additional 1st
1 advancement (page 56), perhaps containing a temple spirit or level spells, or 3 2nd level spells, or a combination. You must be able
other power. to cast at least 1 spell of a level to prepare bonus spells of that level.
15
CHAPTER 2
The above table shows how many spells you can cast, up to the 4th
level of experience; for higher levels, see “High-Level Play” on page Cleric Sub-Class:
62. You can use any classic reference for clerical spells: a selection of The Druid
1st and 2nd level spells is provided in Chapter 7: Magic. Secondary Attribute: Charisma
Starting Money: 1d6 x 10gp
Spellcasting Checks Druids are a special kind of priest, revering the gods and spirits of
To cast a spell, make a spellcasting check. This may be a rolled or nature, the woodlands, and the outdoors. Like a cleric, your calling
static check, depending on the GM’s decision and the circumstances is to heal and protect, but you do so as part of your sacred duty to
in which you’re using your magic. Clerical spellcasting is a class trait “the Natural Balance”. You cast nature-oriented spells using WIS like
using a WIS action check. On a success, you cast the spell and lose clerics.
the use of it until the next time you pray after your next rest period Sub-class Restrictions: You must be Neutral alignment; your
(usually overnight). On a spellcasting failure, a minor consequence or alignment focus is something like Preserve the Balance or Protect Trees,
less means you still remember the spell and may cast it again; a major Plants, and Animals. At epic scale and higher, there may be limited
consequence or higher may mean you incur your deity’s disfavour and numbers of druids protecting a given campaign area, and you may
may no longer cast the spell until after your next rest period. have to engage in druidic “duels” to oust and replace others to assume
Spellcasting includes counterspells, allowing the cleric to pray to their level or scale.
resist magic, adding his trait bonus to his resistance (page 41).
Druid Traits
Ceremonies CC Sylvan Sympathy: you’re attuned to nature, trees, and woodlands.
In a ceremony, a number of clerics work together, providing helping CC Resist Fire and Lightning.
bonuses (page 39) to a single ceremony leader making a spellcasting CC Druidic Magic: cast druidic spells and counterspells. See “Cleric”,
check. This allows large numbers of effect points to be generated, at above.
the cost of more time and greater organisation. When you’re a cer- CC Use Leather Armour and Wooden Shields.
emony leader, you receive a helping bonus from other participants; CC Druidic Weapons: you’re skilled with daggers, darts, scimitars, shil-
you may only have as many helpers as your level, and none of them lelaghs, and staves.
may be higher level than you (or, if they are, they may not act above CC Revere Trees: revere all trees, and oak and ash in particular.
that level). The difficulty (page 37) of all checks is increased by +1 for CC Revere the Sun and Moon: revere the sun and moon as deities.
each helper. Ceremonies take a minimum of 1 hour per level of spell, CC Nature Lore: identify plants and animals, and know their natures
+1 hour per helper. Only the ceremony leader need have prepared the and habits; find food and water in the wild.
spell in question; the helpers need not even know it.
For example: Gramfive the Grim was reduced to 1 PHP in a battle Druid Advancements
with a troll in the Shamish Marshes. Shamira Sunfire enlists the help CC A trait from a Sacred or Totem Animal.
of an acolyte of her temple in a healing ceremony. The ceremony takes 2 CC Animal Companion: attract a woodland creature as a sidekick
hours; the acolyte rolls 11 +6 +1, 18, against a difficulty of 11 (Average (page 70). Uniquely, you may take this at any level.
(10) +1), giving a +7 helping bonus to Shamira’s Cure Light Wounds CC Shapechange (heroic scale): change your shape to that of any reptile,
spellcasting roll of 10 +7 +5, for a total of 29 vs difficulty 12. After the bird, or mammal. This is an action, requiring a minor effect on
2-hour ceremony, Gramfive is healed up to 18 PHP. a WIS action check. You gain the creature’s natural abilities; any
16
CHARACTER CREATION
17
CHAPTER 2
Table 3: Monk Unarmed Damage CC Followers (heroic scale): attract a number of followers (page 70).
CC Sidekick (heroic scale): attract a sidekick (page 70).
Level Open Hand Damage CC Stronghold (epic scale): build and rule a stronghold like a castle
(page 62).
1 1d3
2 1d4
Other Advancements
3 1d6
CC All-Out Attack stance.
4 1d6+1 CC Damage Focus stance.
CC Resist Mind Attacks (epic scale): you’re highly resistant to mental Fighter Character Sheets
attacks such as mind blasts, intimidation, and fear attacks. Use the custom box to list your stances and special effects.
CC Immunity to Poison (epic scale): automatically achieve a simple
success (page 42) when resisting poisons.
CC Resist Geases (legendary scale): you’re highly resistant to attempts Fighter Sub-Class:
to place a geas on you. The Paladin
CC Quivering Palm (mythic scale special effect): on a successful attack Secondary Attribute: Charisma
action with sufficient effect points, place a Quivering Palm mythic Starting Money: 5d4 x 10gp +100gp
consequence (page 63) on a target. At any moment thereafter, no
matter how long, as long as the quivering palm is still in effect, The paladin is the holy warrior, the noble knight who defends the
you may will the target to die; at which point the target must temple and protects the innocent from evil. You belong to a temple,
make a check to throw off the mythic effect, or die immediately. like a cleric, facing religious restrictions on your behaviour. In return,
your temple supports you and gives you good equipment. Unlike a
cleric, your holiness is a feature of your force of personality — your
Other Advancements Charisma — rather than your Wisdom; you may resemble a holy
CC Hear Noise: develop sharpened hearing. fool, who gains supernatural powers simply by virtue of his goodness.
CC Resist Disease: you have an increased ability to resist disease. Restrictions: You must be Lawful Good alignment (page 25), and
must be human; you lose your paladin status if you drift from that
alignment, instead becoming a fighter. You only associate with charac-
FIGHTER ters of good alignment through choice, although you may work with
Prime Attribute: Strength non-evil neutral characters for a single mission, quest, or adventure.
Physical Hit Points: 1d10 You must tithe 10% of any treasure you receive to your temple, and
Mental Hit Points: 1d6 give away any gold you do not need to the poor.
Starting Money: 5d4 x 10gp
The fighter is the archetypal combat specialist: soldier, warrior, fighter Paladin Traits
of battles, defender of home and family. If you want your character CC Armour Training: as fighter.
to wield mighty weapons, wear heavy armour, and excel at physical CC Weapons Training: as fighter.
combat, choose this class. CC Lay On Hands: make a CHA check to perform first aid (page 38);
on any consequence, you lose the ability until the next day.
CC Protection From Evil: your goodness wards you and allies in a
Fighter Traits 10-foot radius from physical attacks by evil-aligned creatures, like
CC Armour Training: wear all types of armour and shields. a static check (page 35) of the cleric spell (page 94) constantly in
CC Weapons Training: use all types of weapons. effect. Add your Charisma and level: on a 12-15, gain a +1 momen-
CC Fighting Lore: know about weapons, styles of fighting, famous tary advantage (page 43) to resist evil opponents; on a 16-20, a
warriors, battles, and foes. minor effect (+2); on a 21-25, a major effect (+4); and so on.
CC Feats of Strength: break down doors, lift heavy objects, etc. CC Detect Evil: as the cleric spell (page 93), using CHA instead of
WIS. Do this as often as you like, but it requires an action check.
CC Cure Disease: Lay on hands to remove a disease (page 78) from a
Fighter Advancements victim once per week; twice a week at the heroic scale (page 62);
CC Leadership in Battle: give helping bonuses (page 39) to multiple three times at the epic scale; and so on.
people in battle, dividing your effect points between them.
18
CHARACTER CREATION
Paladin Advancements
CC Leadership in Battle: as fighter.
CC Turn Undead: as a 1st level cleric, +1 level per level thereafter,
except you use CHA instead of WIS. This may optionally be
another holy power bestowed by your deity (see “Cleric” above).
CC Warhorse (heroic scale): any time after reaching 5th level, you may
summon your paladin’s war horse. This is a sidekick (page 70)
with 1d8 hit points instead of 1d4; you may have a warhorse in
addition to a normal sidekick.
CC Clerical Magic (epic scale): begin to acquire clerical spells as a 1st
level cleric (page 15), increasing by 1 level per level thereafter. This
is not multi-classing (page 59). This time, you do use WIS instead
of CHA to cast spells.
CC Stronghold (epic scale): you may build and rule a stronghold like a
fortified temple (page 62).
Other Advancements
CC All-Out Attack stance.
CC Fighting Lore: as fighter.
CC Feats of Strength: as fighter. a fighter. Rangers are solitary folk, almost never working with other
CC Devotion to Deity: as cleric. rangers, and have few belongings. You may keep only the treasure and
CC Other Traits from Deity: as cleric. equipment you and a mount can carry.
CC Squire (heroic scale): take a squire as a sidekick.
Ranger Traits
Paladin Character Sheets CC Use Light and Medium Armour and Shields.
Use the custom box to list special effects, clerical spells, and other CC Use 1-handed Swords and Bows.
advancements. CC Enemy of Humanoids and Giant-kind.
CC Follow the Trail: you’re skilled at tracking and hunting.
CC Solitary: you work best on your own.
Fighter Sub-Class: CC Woodcraft: you’re skilled in natural lore, survival skills, and living
The Ranger off the land.
Secondary Attribute: Dexterity CC Scouting and Spying: you’re an expert at stealthy reconnaissance.
Starting Money: 2d6+2 x 10gp
The ranger is a woodland and outdoor specialist, skilled in tracking Ranger Advancements
and pursuit, a master of hunting and the bow. You have an affinity CC Infiltration: infiltrate enemy camps.
with elves and woodland creatures, and at high levels may cast magic CC Followers (heroic scale): attract a number of followers — see page
user and druid spells. You’re an enemy of goblins, orcs, and other 70.
humanoids, and of giant-kind. CC Companion Animal (heroic scale): attract a natural woodland
Restrictions: You must be any good alignment, and lose your animal as a sidekick — see page 70.
ranger status if you drift to a different alignment, instead becoming CC Druidic Magic (epic scale): begin to acquire druid spells as a 1st
19
CHAPTER 2
Other Advancements
CC Eyes In The Back Of Your Head: you’re constantly alert and diffi-
cult to surprise.
CC Steady Aim stance
Ranger Character Sheets
Use the custom box to list special effects and druidic and magical spells.
MAGIC USER
Prime Attribute: Intelligence
Physical Hit Points: 1d4
Mental Hit Points: 1d10
Starting Money: 2d4 x 10gp
20
CHARACTER CREATION
CC Enchant Items (epic scale): enchant magical items (page 88). Table 4: Magic User Spells
CC Stronghold (epic scale): build and rule a stronghold like a wizard’s
tower (page 62). Number of
Number of 1st
Level 2nd level
level spells* spells*
Other Advancements
CC Stalwart Defence stance. 1 1 —
CC All-Out Attack stance.
CC Damage Focus stance. 2
3
2
2
—
1
4 3 2
Magic
You can memorise and cast magical spells, each of which is a given *Plus bonus spells equal to your INT modifier in spell levels.
level in power (1st level spells, 2nd level spells, etc). Depending on
your level, you may cast a number of spells of a given level per day, as can cast (so, at 3rd level, you may add a 2nd level spell to your spell-
shown on the table below. You must select which spells you can cast book). You may also find spells on your adventures, and even buy
each day in the hour you spend studying your spellbook and memo- them (pages 87-88). You can copy a spell from a magic scroll into
rising spells after you wake. Once you cast a spell, it’s gone, until you your spellbook; doing so uses up the scroll.
study again, usually after another night’s rest.
In addition to the spells indicated on Table 4: Magic User Spells,
you may also memorise a number of bonus spells equal in total spell Magic User Sub-Class:
level to your INT modifier. If you have an INT modifier of +6, you The Illusionist
may prepare 6 additional 1st level spells, or 3 2nd level spells, or a Secondary Attribute: Dexterity
combination. You must be able to cast at least 1 spell of a level to Starting Money: 2d4 x 10gp
prepare bonus spells of that level.
Table 4: Magic User Spells shows how many spells you can cast up Illusionists are magic users specialising in the arts of illusion. Much
to the 4th level; for higher levels, see “High-Level Play” on page 62. more than shadow images and sleight-of-hand, illusion is the art of cre-
You can use any classic reference for magic user spells: a selection of ating temporary realities in accordance with the illusionist’s will. While
1st and 2nd level spells is provided in Chapter 7: Magic. low-level illusions may be ephemeral and ineffectual, higher-power ones
can have real substance, and directly affect the material world. The most
powerful illusionists can weave illusory dragons that can level cities…
Spellcasting Checks Restrictions: you may wear no armour.
To cast a spell, make a spellcasting check. This may be a rolled or
static check, depending on the GM’s decision and the circumstances
in which you’re using your magic. Magic user spellcasting is a class Illusionist Traits
trait using an INT action check. On a success, you cast the spell and CC Illusion Magic: cast magic user spells and counterspells of illusion
lose the use of it until the next time you study your spellbook to re- — see “Magic User”, above.
memorise your spells after the next rest period (usually overnight). CC Illusion Lore.
On a spellcasting failure, a minor consequence or less means you still CC Read and Write.
remember the spell and may cast it again; a major consequence or CC Use Quarterstaffs and Daggers.
higher may mean you forget the spell as if you had successfully cast it. CC Perform Rituals of Illusion: as clerical ceremonies, above.
Spellcasting includes counterspells, allowing the magic user to CC Prestidigitation: use DEX to make mental attacks, confusing and
use magic to resist other spells, adding his trait bonus to his resistance befuddling targets with your sleight-of-hand.
(page 41).
See also “Spell Loss Through Consequences” (page 44) for an
optional way of tying spellcasting more closely into the Effect Engine. Illusionist Advancements
CC Scribe Scrolls (heroic scale): inscribe magical scrolls with illusion
spells you know (page 88).
Spell Books CC Sidekick (heroic scale): attract an apprentice or student as a side-
You can only learn spells which you have in your spell book. You kick (page 70).
begin the game with a number of 1st level spells in your spell book CC Followers (heroic scale): attract a number of followers (page 70).
equal to your INT + level, and may select 1 additional spell as an CC Create Spell (epic scale): create your own spell of illusion (page
advancement (page 56) each time you level up, of a spell level you 72).
21
CHAPTER 2
Thieves live by their wits — urban specialists who require a certain Thief Advancements
population density to prey upon with their antisocial trade. You’re a CC Decipher Languages (heroic scale).
pickpocket, a burglar, a cutpurse; someone who exists on society’s CC Decipher Magical Writings (epic scale): if you’re reading a magical
fringes, ever watchful for the long-arm — and the even longer noose scroll, use this as your spellcasting check.
— of the law. It’s likely you’ve put much of that life behind you, CC Thieves’ Guild (heroic scale): use the thieves’ guild in heroic scale
though; these days, the life of a tomb robber or a dungeon delver actions against other guilds, communities, gangs, etc (page 62).
has entranced you with promises of riches, and your skills at picking CC Followers (heroic scale): attract a number of followers (page 70).
locks, detecting traps, and sneaking through monster-filled tunnels CC Sidekick (heroic scale): attract an apprentice as a sidekick (page
stand you in better stead. 70).
Restrictions: You must be neutral or evil alignment, and may not CC Stronghold (epic scale): you may build and rule a stronghold like a
be lawful (page 25); on rare occasions, you may be Neutral Good. safe house or thieves’ den (page 62).
22
CHARACTER CREATION
Other Advancements CC Followers (heroic scale): attract a number of followers (page 70).
CC Steady Aim stance: you can also use this for backstab attacks. CC Sidekick (heroic scale): attract an apprentice as a sidekick (page 70).
CC Use Longswords. CC Stronghold (epic scale): build and rule a stronghold such as a secret
CC Listening at Doors. assassins’ training camp or hideaway (page 62).
CC Guildmaster (legendary scale): become the leader of the Assassins’
Guild of your land, using it as a construct against other legendary
Thief Sub-Class: scale targets (including other lands!).
The Assassin CC Grandmaster of Assassins (mythic scale): become the Perfect Assas-
Secondary Attribute: Strength sin, the leader of all the Assassins’ Guilds of the world, using
Starting Money: 2d6 x 10gp them collectively as a construct against other mythic scale targets
(including other worlds!). At this level, even the gods take notice.
Assassins are killers — whether for hire, or working for mysterious
and often ideological reasons. Almost all are members of a great,
shadowy guild, rumoured to span the known world. You’re cold and BARD
calculating, and an expert in your grisly craft. You have access to poi- Prime Attribute: Charisma
sons, traps, and other unusual ways to kill. Physical Hit Points: 1d6
Restrictions: you must be evil alignment (page 25). If you shift Mental Hit Points: 1d8
to a non-evil alignment, you cease being an assassin and become a Starting Money: 2d6 x 10gp
normal thief.
Bards are master-singers, travelling minstrels, troubadours at the
courts of kings and queens and skalds in the halls of heroes. You know
Assassin Traits all the great songs, and can hold an audience in the palm of your hand
CC Weapons Training: as fighter. as you enthrall them with music and tales of adventure. Your powers
CC Wear Light Armour and Use Shields. of persuasion and charm are magical, and you can calm fearful hearts
CC Hide and Sneak. and even speed the healing of the injured. You are a great supporter
CC Cold and Intimidating. of fellow adventurers — and you have to be, for how else would you
CC Plan Assassinations: case buildings, work out security measures, get to know their songs?
understand timetables of guards and patrols. Restrictions: You must be neutral alignment (page 25), although
CC Backstab: as thief. you may be Neutral Good, Chaotic Neutral, Neutral, Neutral Evil,
CC Assassinate: if you get an extreme effect on a backstab, you kill the or Lawful Neutral.
target. You must be using a backstab weapon (page 32).
CC Assassin’s Gear: you possess a special “signature” item of equipment
with 1 advancement (page 56), like a hand crossbow, silken gar- Bard Traits
rotte, or poison powder ring. CC Bardic Lore: you have an encyclopaedic knowledge, usually with a
specialty like Magical Beasts, Legends and Myths, etc.
CC Play Music and Perform: you may entertain and distract people,
Assassin Advancements earning your food and board.
CC Disguise: usually a CHA check if interacting, or a DEX or even CC Use Magical Songs To:
INT check if you’re only being seen or heard.
CC Spying. •• Heal: you may use your songs to give someone first aid
CC Stealing. (page 38). Unlike the normal first aid action, you may do
CC Detect and Disarm Traps: as thief. this at range, using your CHA instead of WIS.
CC Open Locks: as thief. •• Help Others Fight or Face Danger.
CC Assassins’ Guild (heroic scale): use the assassins’ guild as a construct •• Resist Enchantments.
in heroic scale actions against other guilds, communities, gangs, •• Persuade and Charm People: see page 39.
etc (page 62). •• Terrify People: this is a fear attack (page 40).
CC Learn Alignment Tongues (epic scale): learn the secret language of
another alignment (page 58). CC Wear Light Armour.
CC Use Simple 1-handed Weapons and Bows.
CC Well-travelled.
Other Advancements
CC Climb.
CC Brew Poisons: see page 88.
23
CHAPTER 2
24
CHARACTER CREATION
Example Focus: Help others achieve happiness while ignoring the law.
Example Drift: You wish you could forbid people from some behav-
iours (Neutral Good).
25
CHAPTER 2
Lawful Evil
Signature Items Your character believes laws are needed to keep people under control.
He advocates onerous domination and merciless punishment of those
Signature items are things like heirloom weapons, your who transgress those laws.
father’s (or mother’s) armour, and the ancient magical
staff given to you by your old mentor. They’re a great way Example Focus: Dominate others, be cruel and uncaring, but
to spend that initial free advancement; you can load up a always follow the law.
signature item with various bonuses and advantages. When Example Drift: I’ll do whatever I must to impose the law
you take a signature item, it comes with one advancement (Neutral Evil).
for free.
Item advancements can give you protection against
damage, or bonuses to action checks or resistances. They Neutral Evil
may be items of personal value, well-crafted equipment, or It’s important to always get what you want — other people don’t
even magical heirlooms. Examples include: Grandfather’s matter. Sometimes laws help you do that; sometimes they get in the
Masterwork Longsword (+1 damage), a Guild Wizard’s Staff way with their notions of “justice”, and must be ignored.
(+1 spellcasting bonus), Lens of True Seeing +1, Unguent
of Healing +2, Rope of Climbing +3, or even items which Example Focus: Do whatever you must to get what you want.
give you traits, like Helm of Telepathy, Gloves of Spider Example Drift: Do unto others before they do unto you
Climb, etc. At higher levels — especially epic scale and (Chaotic Evil).
beyond (page 62) — signature items can be longships,
castles, and entire domains!
Find out more about signature items on page 86. Chaotic Evil
You have to take what you want in this world, and those who are too
weak to stop you don’t deserve anything. No one can tell you what to
do — and you’ll kill anyone who tries.
Lawful Neutral
Your character believes in the law above all. She’s the ultimate neutral Example Focus: Spread chaos, death, and disorder.
arbiter — for her, there is no spirit of the law, only the letter. Example Drift: Sometimes you want to destroy just to be left alone
(Chaotic Neutral).
Example Focus: Enforce the law whether it’s fair or not.
Example Drift: You have to be harsh — everyone’s always trying to
take advantage (Lawful Evil). Alignment Focus
Your Alignment Focus measures the types of behaviour that show
you belong to your alignment. It pushes you towards conforming
Neutral to that alignment more closely. Decide on something you do which
The world is what it is because of the constant battle between good shows you belong to your alignment; you gain experience points (XP)
and evil, law and chaos, in which none must ever be allowed to win. whenever you engage in that behaviour, and if you epitomise it you
Sometimes, one force may become dominant; your job is to redress may become an alignment champion (page 90).
“the Balance”.
Example Focus: Try never to take a moral stance other than keep- Alignment Drift
ing the balance. Your Alignment Drift measures the temptations, urges, and drives which
Example Drift: You have to allow people the freedom to choose pull you away from your current alignment. It has a direction — it pushes
(Neutral Good). you towards another alignment. Decide on a behaviour which does this:
you gain experience points (XP) when you engage in that behaviour, and
if you epitomise it you may even change to the new alignment.
Chaotic Neutral
Freedom is everything — you must be yourself, and damn what
everyone else wants. Follow your instincts — they’re never wrong. 3. CHOOSE YOUR GOAL
A goal is something you’re trying to achieve. It can be a behaviour
Example Focus: Be free — no matter the cost. (“Be merciful”), or a specific milestone you want to reach (“Gain
Example Drift: We should all be free to be free 1000 gold pieces”). Achieving goals earns you XP (page 91), which
(Chaotic Good). helps you level up (page 56).
26
CHARACTER CREATION
27
CHAPTER 2
Gramfive’s Saga hit points are 25 (Constitution 15 + 10 maximum hit die), and
his mental hit points are 15 (Wisdom 9 + 6 maximum hit die);
After thinking it over, Gramfive’s player opts to spend his two he has 1 hero point.
free advancements on a signature item — a sharp and serrated For gold, Gramfive rolls 90gp, and buys scale armour and a
longsword he calls “Cutter”. Using the “Special Items” rules medium shield, 5 days’ trail rations, and a pack of adventurer’s
on page 86, he spends 1 advancement on a +1 bonus to his gear. He doesn’t pay the 15gp cost for his signature longsword,
attack action checks, and 1 advancement on a +1 bonus to his “Cutter”, as the GM rules that’s covered by the advancements.
damage die. He figures his armour class as 19 (Dexterity 13 +5 armour bonus
He selects Lawful Good as his alignment, with a Focus of +1 level), or a bonus of +7 (+1 DEX +5 armour bonus +1 level).
Defend the Weak and a Drift of Love of Fighting (Neutral). For Finally, he decides Gramfive is male, about 5’10”, and 200lbs,
his goal, he selects To become a grand lord of Koth. His physical and roughly 25 years old. His total weight carried is 26lbs.
28
- Chapter 3 -
Equipment
ADVENTURERS DON’T GO into dungeons unprepared — coils
of rope, mallets and spikes, and 10-foot poles are their stock in trade.
Encumbrance
Equipment lets you describe your character doing things he couldn’t
otherwise do — lassooing a rocky outcrop, peering into a pitch- NO CHARACTER CAN carry an infinite amount of equipment; at
black cavern holding a smoking torch, jamming a door closed with some point all those weapons, magic items, and sacks of gold and gems
a well-placed spike. Some equipment may give you a bonus or other mount up and leave you staggering under their weight. This is called
game-related effect. encumbrance.
Classic fantasy games often feature extensive equipment lists — Characters carrying large amounts of equipment incur conse-
weapons, armour, adventuring gear, even ships, castles, and riding quences (page 43). A character may carry up to his Strength x10 in
animals. We’ve presented some key items below. pounds (lbs) weight, after which he becomes over-encumbered, incur-
Equipment can usually be bought in settlements (villages, markets, ring an extreme consequence (page 44). That Strength x10 limit is
cities) using the gold and silver you find on adventures. You don’t usu- known as his maximum encumbrance.
ally need to make action checks (page 35) to acquire it, unless the GM Optionally, you can also track your character’s encumbrance up to
rules you’re in a place where the item you’re looking for is particularly that level. This requires a little more book-keeping, but can be fun when
hard to get. characters are trying to balance staggering out of the dungeon loaded
If you want an item of equipment to give you a bonus or ability with treasure against keeping their arms and armour where they might
in addition to those listed below, you can take it as a signature item need them.
(page 26).
CC A character carrying up to 1/3 maximum encumbrance is unen-
cumbered, and incurs no penalty.
CC A character carrying 1/3 to 2/3 maximum encumbrance is lightly
encumbered. He incurs a minor consequence to appropriate
A Note on Currency actions (including defence in combat).
CC A character carrying 2/3 to full encumbrance is heavily encum-
Like many classic fantasy games, Monsters & Magic bered, incurring a major consequence.
uses a broadly-defined currency system comprising coins
of various metals of increasing value. Your game might
give these coins specific names: groats, shillings, guilders,
sovereigns, royals, to name but a few. Here we simply refer Equipment Depletion
to them as “pieces” (ie “gold pieces”, or “gp”). Ten coins of
one denomination are worth a single coin of the next most Some equipment may have only limited usability. A back-
valuable metal up, as follows: pack of 7 days’ rations, a quiver of 12 arrows, or a set of
delicate lockpicks may all eventually be exhausted through
10 copper pieces (10cp) = 1 silver piece (1sp) repeated use. The Effect Engine rules detailed in Chapter
10 silver pieces (10sp) = 1 gold piece (1gp) 4: Playing The Game sometimes call for your equipment
10 gold pieces (10gp) = 1 platinum piece (1pp) to be depleted. This may involve using up a spell, scroll,
or potion, or a charge in a wand; but equally it may be
50 coins of any denomination weigh roughly 1lb; not a one of the “uses” of your equipment. Eventually, your gear
problem for beginning characters, but definitely something will be used up through adventuring, and you’ll have to
to think about when trying to get all that treasure out of replace it. Just hope that doesn’t happen deep underground
the dungeon (see “Encumbrance” below). surrounded by monsters!
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CHAPTER 3
General Equipment
GENERAL EQUIPMENT COMPRISES items other than weap-
ons and armour. It’s fairly specialised, and can be difficult to acquire in
smaller settlements. It also often has uses (see “Equipment Depletion”,
above).
*See Chapter 4: Playing The Game for more on minor and major consequences.
30
EQUIPMENT
31
CHAPTER 3
1
Ranges are H (hand), C (close), and R (reach); see page 51.
2
See page 59 for Finesse Attacks.
3
Cannot be used against opponents wearing armour covering the neck (plate armour, etc).
4
See “Mounted Combat” on page 83.
32
EQUIPMENT
1
Attacks from the right flank and rear ignore the shield armour bonus.
2
Added to defence checks, including armour class (page 35).
33
- Chapter 4 -
Playing The Game
IN MONSTERS & MAGIC, your characters will fight monsters, jump Sometimes things your character does are easy, with no chance of
across spike-filled pits, pick locks on booby-trapped treasure chests, failure; or impossible, with no chance of success; or just not exciting
cast powerful spells, and more. Whenever you attempt something enough to be worth rolling the dice for. In those cases, the GM can
whose outcome appears uncertain, you’ll usually roll dice, add modi- simply say you automatically succeed or fail.
fiers, and compare the total to another number to see if you succeed.
Rolling the dice like this is called an action check. An action is For example, Gramfive the Grim wants to open a door in a dungeon
any interesting, uncertain task you can describe your character doing corridor. There’s nothing special about the door, so the GM says there’s no
— it could be sneaking around in the shadows, persuading a guard to need for an action roll — the door simply opens. However, doing so trig-
look the other way, or hitting a monster with a sword. Anything you gers a deadfall trap, bringing the ceiling down! That’s a real danger, so
can describe can potentially be an action — we’ve provided a list of the GM says Gramfive must make an action check to get out of the way.
typical actions below (page 38), but they’re not exhaustive. This chap-
ter tells you how to make action checks for any action you describe. You describe your character’s actions based on his attributes and
The GM is always the final arbiter of what constitutes an action. traits — his physical and mental prowess, and the things he can do.
You can describe your character balancing along a ledge or jumping
clear of a deadfall trap, then make an action check based on your Dex-
terity attribute; or you can describe how you smash down a door or
lift a heavy weight, and make an action check based on your Strength.
Your character is particularly good at some things, perhaps because
he belongs to a certain character class or race, or because he has a per-
sonal ability. These facts about your character are described by traits,
and allow you to add a bonus to your action check. There are class
traits, racial traits, and personal traits. If you’re a thief sneaking
around in the shadows, you can make a Dexterity action check and
get a bonus from your Hide and Sneak class trait.
As long as you can describe how you do it, you can use more
than one trait in an action check. The first trait you describe gives
you a bonus equal to your level; any subsequent traits add an addi-
tional +1. This is known as your trait bonus. The GM should ensure
the traits you use are appropriate — it’s relatively rare for multiple
traits to apply. Your maximum trait bonus is equal to twice your level.
In an action check, you aim to get as high a result as you can,
equal to or higher than a target number called the resistance. Equal-
ling or exceeding the resistance means your action has succeeded; the
amount by which you exceed the resistance tells you how success-
ful you’ve been. The points by which you exceed the resistance are
called effect points, and are your currency in the Effect Engine: you
can spend them to achieve effects. These may include damaging your
opponent — 1 effect point can cause 1 mental or physical hit point
of damage — but equally you can use effect points to put yourself in
an advantageous position, perhaps giving yourself a bonus (called an
effect), or to put your opponent at a disadvantage, incurring a penalty
(called a consequence).
The sections below explain these elements in detail.
34
PLAYING THE GAME
35
CHAPTER 4
36
PLAYING THE GAME
Trait Bonuses compares the total against the orc’s armour class, which is the orc’s
As mentioned above, if you can describe how a trait helps you in an Dexterity (12) + its armour bonus (+1) + its trait bonus (its level, +1),
action, you add your level to your check. If you can describe more than for a total AC of 14.
one trait contributing to what you’re doing, you get a +1 bonus for each
trait after the first, to a maximum trait bonus equal to twice your level.
Effects & Consequences
For example: Gramfive the Grim is chasing a pickpocket through When you succeed at an action check, one option is to create an effect
the alleyways of Koth. He’s rolling a MOV action check (page 53), and or impose a consequence on your opponent. Effects include advan-
adds his level because he has the Ex-Member of the City Guard of tages like superior positioning or increased morale; consequences may
Koth trait, which helps him find his way through its warrenous streets. be the opposite, or even represent physical wounds. Effects and con-
However, his player also describes how his Highly Adaptable trait lets sequences can give you a bonus to your action checks, or force your
him instinctively take shortcuts and inspired diversions. The GM agrees, opponent to accept a penalty on his; see page 44.
and allows Gramfive a +2 trait bonus on his check.
DIFFICULTIES
Damage Dice & Armour Bonuses Resistances don’t always represent someone trying to avoid some-
Damage dice and armour bonuses are modifiers used in conflicts to thing you’re doing; they can also be an abstract representation of how
increase your chance of attacking and defending respectively. They difficult something is to do. For example, the difficulty involved in
represent something you have or know — a piece of equipment, a climbing a steep cliff is expressed as a resistance; so is finding a trap
spell or technique. hidden in a dungeon. Resistances like this are known as difficulties.
In physical combat, you may get a damage die from a weapon, a Difficulties can be rolled or static. As they aren’t associated with a
magical technique, or a particular unarmed strike; an armour bonus character attribute, the GM sets their values based on how objectively
might come from a suit of armour, a shield, or a magical defence. difficult she considers the action to be. An “Average” difficulty is a
In mental combat, a damage die might come from sorcerous robes static resistance of 10, or a +0 modifier if rolled; a “Tough” difficulty is
(guaranteed to make anyone think twice...), a fearsome magical aura, a static resistance of 15, or a +5 modifier. A player facing a Tough dif-
or a rank in a guild or the army; an armour bonus might come from ficulty must usually get 15 or higher on his action check; or the GM
a cossetted social class, or a magical glamour. may roll 3d6 +5, and the player must match or exceed that.
Damage dice add to your result on an action check, and armour Static (unrolled) difficulties are written Tough difficulty (15) or
bonuses add to your result on a resistance check. Unlike traits, whose Tough (15); rolled difficulties are written Tough difficulty (+5) or
bonuses are based on your level, damage dice and armour bonuses Tough (+5).
may be rolled using dice (in the case of weapons, for example) or may
be fixed bonuses (in the case of armour or social class).
You’ll find damage dice and armour bonuses throughout this book, Table 11: Damage Dice & Armour Bonuses
and in particular in the equipment lists in Chapter 3: Equipment. See
Table 11: Damage Dice & Armour Bonuses for some examples. Damage dice / Description
Type Armour bonus
For example, 1st level fighter Gramfive the Grim attacks an orc with
his signature longsword, Cutter. He rolls 3d6 + his STR bonus (+6) + Golden Damage die +1d6 bonus to action checks to
his trait bonus (his level, +1) + his signature weapon bonus (+1), and carriage impress, influence, or intimidate
also rolls the damage die for his signature longsword (+1d8+1). He Longsword Damage die +1d8 bonus to attack checks
Magic Missile Damage die +1d4+1 bonus to spellcasting
spell checks
Difficulties and Concentration Member of Armour bonus +4 bonus to mental resistance
the Nobility checks against social
intimidation or humiliation
Many actions are easiest to accomplish in a safe place with
no pressure. For such actions, increase the difficulty by +5 if Open-hand Damage die +1d3 bonus to attack checks
you’re in a dangerous environment (ie somewhere combat is strike
occurring), or even by +10 if you’re actually threatened (ie Ostentatious Damage die +1d3 bonus to action checks
someone is attacking you). Casting spells and administering clothing to charm, impress, or socially
first aid (see below) are common examples of actions where intimidate
concentration is a key factor in determining difficulties.
Scale mail Armour bonus +4 bonus to armour class or
physical resistance checks
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CHAPTER 4
38
PLAYING THE GAME
may heal mental hit points this way, too; no healing kit is required, Picking Someone’s Pocket
but difficulties are automatically 1 step harder unless the target is far Roll DEX, usually resisted by the target’s Wisdom. If you’d prefer to
removed from immediate threats. You can also use healing to remove be unnoticed, but want to succeed regardless, consider a combined
consequences: see “Removing Effects and Consequences” (page 48). check (page 49).
See “Healing” (page 50) for how often you can heal someone.
Shooting a Bow
Helping or Hindering Someone Roll DEX and add your weapon damage die, doing physical hit point
The ATT modifier used in an action check to help or hinder someone damage if successful (page 49). Targets resist with armour class or
depends on your description. Helping smash a door might be STR, DEX. You must be at short range or greater (page 51) to shoot a bow
whilst helping seduce someone might be CHA. The difficulty is usu- at a target.
ally Average (10) if the target accepts the help or hindrance, or the
higher of Average (10) difficulty or an appropriate resistance if they
don’t. The target adds your effect points to his own check result if
being helped, and subtracts them if hindered. You can help someone Other Actions
make a resistance check as long as you can describe it. The number
of people helping or hindering is at the GM’s discretion, but in the There are many other actions, of course: crafting weapons
case of helping may not exceed the target’s level. and armour, appraising treasures, identifying potions or
magic items, dancing, singing, jumping. Use the examples
above to help you improvise new actions.
Hiding or Sneaking
The flipside of finding hidden things; roll DEX to hide or sneak,
either against a difficulty, or Wisdom to avoid someone detecting you.
Intimidating Someone
Roll STR, INT, or CHA, depending on your description. You do
mental hit point damage if successful (page 50), and may create
consequences. Targets resist with Wisdom, or as described. You can’t
intimidate unintelligent creatures (less than 3 Intelligence). See page
51 for the range of intimidation actions.
Making Camp
Usually a WIS or sometimes an INT roll; making camp lets you
regain hit points overnight (page 50), and rest enough to regain your
spells in the morning. Also, it gives you a chance to avoid surprise
from night-time encounters by posting guards, etc.
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CHAPTER 4
40
PLAYING THE GAME
Engagement
Characters in conflict are engaged; locked in battle, watching for Typical Resistances
openings, ready to strike. An engaged character has few options other
than to attack or defend; he may only shift a few feet, and turning his Resistances are often improvised on a case-by-case basis,
back on his opponent is suicide… or specified by the actions they resist. Here are some of the
When two characters are adjacent and at least one wants to attack most common.
the other, both sides are said to be engaged in combat. They may take
attack actions, and some other actions, and may defend themselves.
A character wanting to flee or otherwise withdraw from combat Defending in Melee Combat
must disengage if the other side isn’t willing to let him go. There are You resist melee attacks using your armour class (page
two ways to do this. 35), or you may roll DEX + armour bonus. You must roll
First, if the character takes no other action, he may make an ATT if you’re surprised (page 41).
roll against the opponent’s normal attack action. The attribute used
depends on the conflict: STR or DEX in a physical melee; INT or
WIS in a magical duel or a clash of wills or intellects (such as with- Resisting a Magic Spell
drawing from the king’s court without losing face). If the character You resist spells using your Wisdom (or roll WIS), or as
succeeds with even a simple success (page 42), he may disengage and described by the spell.
act freely the next round; if physical position is an issue, he also with-
draws 5 feet. If he wants to flee, he may move up to his effect points
in 10-foot units (page 53) over the rest of the current round, but no Resisting a Poison
more than his Movement score in 10-foot units. If he fails, he incurs You resist poison using your Constitution, or as specified
consequences, and may still disengage if the opponent is unable or by the poison (page 78).
unwilling to follow; otherwise, the opponent follows and the charac-
ter is still engaged.
Secondly, a character may disengage as part of a normal attack
action, if he has sufficient effect points. The character must create opponents, or perhaps one initiative check per group of opponents.
at least a minor effect to withdraw one range band (page 52). If the If the PCs are facing 6 orcs and 2 ogres, the GM can make just two
opponent chooses not to follow — or doesn’t have the effect points initiative checks; one for all the orcs, and one for both ogres.
— the character has disengaged. The highest initiative check result gets to make the first action
check in the round, the next highest acts next, and so on.
Usually you only make one initiative check for an entire conflict.
Rounds & Turns Unless circumstances change, use the same initiative order each round
A round (or combat round) represents one minute, the amount of until the conflict is resolved. However, if you change your attack
time in which every participant in a conflict can make a single action action, perhaps from using a weapon to casting a spell, you must re-
check. This doesn’t just mean a single swing of a sword or point in an roll your initiative using the new ATT modifier (INT instead of DEX
argument; it represents multiple jabs, slashes, and feints, adding up in this case).
to a substantial attack.
You can make as many resistance checks as you need in a round,
whether rolled or static. Surprise
Ten rounds make a turn, lasting 10 minutes. A turn is the time it Sometimes, you’re unaware of your foe’s presence until the last
normally takes to make an action check when not in a conflict. moment, allowing him to make a devastating initial attack. This is
known as surprise. Surprise happens when one side of a combat has
successfully hidden from the other, or detects the other at a range
Initiative where he remains undetected (see “Starting Range” on page 52).
As mentioned above, initiative is a ranked check (page 36). Before a A character with surprise may make a free action check; his oppo-
conflict, all participants make initiative checks, using DEX if they’re nent may not resist with a static check, but must roll the dice. When
making physical attacks, or INT for mental attacks (including casting surprised, random chance often determines your fate.
magical spells); clerics casting spells may use WIS instead. Characters
may add their trait bonus if appropriate; a magic user casting a spell or For example, Xiola Zenwaith stands in the Court of the Wood Elf
wielding a staff would add his trait bonus; one flailing around with a King to explain her party’s failure to retrieve the Circlet of Arelian from
longsword would not (unless he had a trait allowing him to wield it). the citadel of Athax the Black. She fails a WIS roll to notice the king’s
The GM may make static or rolled initiative checks for opponents. xenophobic advisor, Sirith Third-Eye, becoming increasingly hostile, and
Generally, it makes sense to make only one initiative check for all is completely surprised when he launches a vitriolic attack, demanding
41
CHAPTER 4
Xiola be banished from the elven treegarth! The GM rolls for Sirith’s attack action checks. You automatically act last in initiative order,
mental attack, rolling CHA + his trait bonus; Xiola cannot use her 15 incurring a penalty to resistance checks (including armour class)
Wisdom to resist, but must roll instead. The dice come up 6, +2 for her equal to the bonus you received. You can use less than the maximum
WIS bonus, and Xiola stammers at Sirith’s sudden attack, losing 10 bonus if you wish. You must already be using your trait bonus on your
MHP and incurring an open-mouthed and unprepared minor conse- action check to use this stance.
quence. The GM calls for initiative…
Damage Focus
STANCES Usable in physical conflicts only with close or reach weapons (when
Stances change the way you make one or more of your action checks. you swing your weapon around your head wildly!) or in mental con-
Stances are alternative ways of rolling action and resistance checks flicts when you overextend yourself in a risky gambit to hit your
in conflicts. They can be bought as advancements (page 56). When opponent where it hurts.
you begin a conflict, you declare your stance; changing your stance Roll your damage die twice, and add the higher result to your
is a minor effect (page 44). You can also create your own stances attack action check. If you fail, you automatically incur at least a
(page 58). minor consequence of your opponent’s choosing. You automatically
act last in the initiative order.
Default Stance
This is the stance characters use unless they declare otherwise. Actions Stalwart Defence
are made as described above. You focus on defence rather than attack, losing any ATT bonus to
your attack action check, and receiving a +4 resistance bonus in
return. If you have no ATT bonus, there is no downside to this stance,
All-Out Attack making it a good choice for non-combat specialists.
This stance is usually the domain of fighters in physical conflicts, and
magic users in mental conflicts. Whether wielding a sword, casting a
spell, or terrorising minions, you rely on attack rather than defence, Steady Aim
gaining half your level (round up) as a bonus to melee or mental If you take two rounds to make a ranged attack, you get double your
trait bonus on your action check. This may also apply to ranged spell
attacks, at the GM’s discretion.
Results
ANY ACTION HAS a result. When an action check equals or over-
comes the resistance (or you roll a “natural 18”), the action succeeds;
when it’s less than the resistance (or you roll a “natural 3”), it fails.
If you’re climbing a Tough difficulty (15) wall, and you roll a 16 on
your DEX action check, you climb the wall. These results are known
as simple successes and simple failures respectively. You simply roll
the dice, take the result, and move on.
Sometimes, though, there’s more to it than that. Sometimes you
want to know how well you succeeded — maybe you smashed that
orc with your longsword. Did you stun it, or wound it? Maybe you
even killed it? Or how badly did you fail? Did you simply fail to land
a blow, or did you drop your sword and maybe even leave yourself
wide-open to counterattack?
When you make an action check, you get a result less than, equal
to, or above the resistance. The points you get above the resistance are
called effect points; they’re crucial for working out the effect your
action has. Effect points you get below the resistance are also called
consequence points; they tell you how bad the consequence of your
failure is.
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PLAYING THE GAME
For example, let’s go back to our 1st level fighter, Gramfive the Grim, *but see “Hero Points”, below.
attacking that orc. We know the orc has an armour class of 14, and
Gramfive is attacking with a +6 STR bonus and a longsword with a +1
to hit bonus doing 1d8+1 damage. He rolls 3d6 +6 (for his STR) +2 (for
his level and the longsword bonus) +1d8+1 (for his longsword). If he rolls any case, you can do no more physical damage than the maximum
10 on the 3d6 and 4 on the d8+1, that’s a total result of 22. That’s 8 points result of your damage die, plus your level. You can do no more
more than he needed, so he gets 8 effect points. If he rolls a 3 and 2, he gets a mental damage than your appropriate ATT or damage die (if you
total result of 13, which is 1 less than he needed; that’s 1 consequence point. have one), plus your level.
We’ll see what you can do with these effect points and consequence For example: Gramfive the Grim gets 9 effect points on an attack
points below. action check with his signature longsword (damage 1d8+1). His player
chooses to inflict a minor consequence on his opponent (costing 5 effect
points), and uses the remaining 4 effect points to do 4 physical hit points
WHAT TO DO WITH of damage. No matter how many effect points he has, at 1st level Gram-
EFFECT POINTS five can do no more than 10 damage with his signature longsword.
You spend effect points to create effects. At its simplest, an effect can
be physical damage; if you succeed by 3 effect points, you can do 3
points of damage (page 49). Effects are bonuses, penalties, or other MINOR, MAJOR, &
modifications which reflect the results of your actions. EXTREME EFFECTS
If you fail, your opponent may spend your consequence points There are three main types of effect: minor, major, and extreme. A
to impose consequences on you — to describe how you fail. Alterna- minor effect is low-key, temporary, and quickly removed; it may be a
tively, your GM may also spend your consequence points on her own small-scale morale boost or showy but inconsequential flesh wounds.
special effects, known as GM reactions (page 46). Equally, when an A major effect is more long-term and significant — perhaps a domi-
NPC fails an action check, you get to narrate how it fails, too. That’s nant position on a battlefield, or a painful wound. Finally, an extreme
some powerful juju! See “Describing Consequences” (page 45). effect is a drastic change — something with a considerable impact,
As you advance in level, you succeed at action checks more often, so and which in some cases (depending on its description) may not be
that they become less a question of “do you succeed?”, and more “what removed without great effort. It may be perfect expertise and perfor-
do you do with your success?”. How you spend your effect points is key; mance, or a disabling wound.
it’s not enough just to succeed, if your opponent places consequences Each type of effect costs a different number of effect points, as
on you or uses the environment to his benefit and your detriment. follows:
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PLAYING THE GAME
and so on; this is why using hero points to seize descriptive control
Higher-level Effects of effects is so important. See “Duration of Effects” and “Removing
Effects and Consequences” on page 48 for more.
There are higher-level effects beyond extreme, includ- Here are some suggestions for describing effects:
ing heroic, epic, legendary, and mythic effects. These are
detailed in “High-level Play” (page 62).
Minor effect
You press the advantage, find an improvised weapon, get good footing
or a tactically advantageous opening, a “magic boost”, or you surge
Similarly, you may only suffer a single consequence penalty of a forwards, or are encouraged by your success.
given level at a time; if you incur a second consequence of the same
level, the GM must select a consequence other than a numeric pen-
alty, or declare that the new penalty replaces the old. Major effect
You get up from a fallen position, find yourself inspired, emboldened,
For example, Gramfive has incurred a minor consequence off-bal- gain a superior tactical position, experience a “magic surge”.
ance and a major consequence blinded by blood in combat with the
orc, and has a cumulative -6 penalty to his attacks and armour class.
The orc strikes him again for 8 effect points; the GM would like to Extreme effect
impose an agonising blow minor consequence (a -2 penalty), but as You’re “in the zone”, achieve a perfect success, gain a dominant posi-
Gramfive is already suffering a minor consequence penalty, the GM tion in battle, are on a roll, find yourself in a magical locus or nexus
must choose something else. She could simply describe the attack doing of power.
8 PHP damage, but instead describes a knock back, forcing Gramfive
back one range band, and using the remaining 3 effect points to do 3
PHP damage. Gramfive is now too far from the orc to strike with his DESCRIBING CONSEQUENCES
longsword, and must try to close range. Consequences are negative effects; they happen to you when you fail
an action check, or when an opponent succeeds in an action check
You can only take advantage of one minor, major, and extreme against you. The GM describes any consequences which affect you;
effect in a given action check, no matter how many are in play. Again, likewise, you describe consequences you inflict on your foe (but see
you may add their bonuses together, if appropriate. You may take “Hero Points” below for how this can change). Consequences may
advantage of effects created by others, if you can describe how you be described as the results of a failed action check, or as a monster or
do so. NPC action made in reaction to that failure (often a GM reaction
— see below).
Here are some suggestions for describing consequences:
DESCRIBING EFFECTS
When you create an effect, you must describe how you take advantage
of the game mechanical bonus, etc, it provides. This description must Minor consequence
make sense in terms of your capabilities and the action you took, but You’re sickened, off-balance, demoralised; inconvenience someone you
is otherwise up to you; the GM may veto anything too ridiculous, or meant to help; suffer from adverse environmental conditions, a tacti-
may suggest changes if your description doesn’t fit the magnitude of cally disadvantageous moment, magic drain or minor spell backfire;
the effect. or are knocked back or unnerved.
Describing an effect is a very powerful thing: not only does it
define the effect’s nature, but it also limits and circumscribes attempts
to use or remove it. For example, if you gain a minor effect superior Major consequence
positioning in combat against an opponent, that effect is valid against You’re knocked down, disarmed, befuddled, partially blinded, hallu-
that opponent only, and probably only on your physical attacks cinating, paralysed, immobilised, slowed, terrified; hurt someone you
and defences against that opponent, unless there’s some way you can meant to heal; forget your spell (page 44); suffer a sprain or painful
describe using it beyond that. Similarly, you may describe your oppo- wound; or are bleeding heavily.
nent’s major consequence as a gaping leg wound or knocked over: in
the first case, removing it might require a major effect from a healing
spell or possibly first aid attempt; in the second, a major effect from Extreme consequence
an ally helping them up, or themselves staggering to their feet, in the You’re maimed, concussed, staggered, totally blinded, suffer “magic
middle of combat. Extreme effects in particular can impose far-reach- block”, or one of your limbs is severed!
ing consequences, including maimed and severed limbs, blinding,
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PLAYING THE GAME
For example, Thorkarl the Intrepid, 5th level fighter, is tackling the
medusa in her lair. He has already taken a distracted by pain minor
consequence from the arrow sticking out of his leg, and the medusa has
created a hidden in darkness major effect on herself. She now looms out
of the shadows, attacking with surprise.
The medusa rolls 14, +12 for her gaze attack, and +4 for the major
effect — a total result of 30! Thorkarl has to roll his defence, as he’s sur-
prised, and rolls 10, +1 for his DEX and +5 for his trait bonus to avert
his gaze. Usually a resistance of 16 would be enough to avoid the worst,
but his distracted by pain minor consequence drags his result down to
14, meaning the medusa gets 16 effect points — enough to create an
extreme consequence! Thorkarl is turned to stone!
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CHAPTER 4
DURATION OF EFFECTS When using non-magical healing (first aid, Healer-type traits) to
Describing an effect or a consequence gives you a say in its duration. remove consequences, a successful check reduces the duration by 1
Describing a major consequence as knocked down implies it lasts until step. So, a major consequence (usually lasting several days) may be
the target gets up again; describing it as a painful leg wound implies it removed in several hours; a minor consequence (lasting several hours)
lasts until the target is healed. would be removed in several minutes.
Effects operate in the context in which they’re described; a minor Magical healing works almost immediately, but requires a spell
effect you create on yourself in combat lasts for the duration of that of corresponding power: a Cure Light Wounds spell (page 93) may
combat, whether you describe it as superior positioning, battle rage, remove a minor consequence immediately on a minor effect, but
or I see your tactics. However, that description also suggests how the has no effect on a major consequence, which requires a Cure Serious
effect may be removed (see below). Wounds spell (and a major effect), or an extreme consequence, which
An effect’s duration may not be as clear-cut. What happens if you requires a Cure Critical Wounds spell (and an extreme effect).
get a major effect when picking a lock? An ace lockpicker effect may As well as removing consequences, you can also remove effects in
last as long as the “context”; if you’re adventuring in a dungeon, that the same way. If your opponent has created a superior positioning major
could be until you return to the surface world — potentially a long effect on himself in combat, you may manoeuvre yourself into a posi-
time! However, there are two restrictions. tion to negate that effect. This requires you to create an equivalent effect
First, any effect is removed whenever you fail at an action (in this case, a major effect) on an appropriate action check (an attack
affected by that effect. You may be an ace lockpicker, with a +4 effect action would be fine in this example), and use it to remove the effect.
bonus on every lock in the dungeon, but when you snap a pick on Note that in this case both effects are gone. You don’t have to do it
the Demon-Damned Door of Doom, the wind goes out of your sails, that way; it’s possible for you and your opponent both to have major
and you lose the effect. effects in combat — perhaps his superior positioning against your ber-
Second, as noted above (page 44), you may only have one effect serk rage. But if you want to actually remove an effect, this is how you
of a given level at any one time. Your ace lockpicker won’t help you in do it. It’s a tactical decision.
your battle against the Lich King. If you generate enough effect points
to create a major effect on yourself when battling the undead lord,
you must choose: keep the ace lockpicker major effect, and not create INCREMENTAL CHECKS
a major effect on yourself in combat; or create a new combat-related Some action checks aren’t a simple question of success or failure, or
major effect, and replace the ace lockpicker. even of how well you succeed or how badly you fail, but instead are
about whether or not you have the perseverance or endurance to win
through. These are known as incremental checks.
Consequence Duration Incremental checks are a series of action checks made every round,
The context of a knocked down major consequence is obvious: it lasts or other set time period, requiring you to accumulate a fixed number
until you stand up. But what about a painful leg wound? A conse- of effect points to achieve what’s otherwise a simple success — 10
quence’s description should always be the first place to look for hints effect points is the usual number, although it may be more or less at
about its duration; but, failing that, here’s a useful rule of thumb: the GM’s discretion. Incremental checks may extend the tension of an
action check over more than one round.
CC a minor consequence lasts several hours.
CC a major consequence lasts several days. For example, while traversing the Cavern of Hell, Felix falls into a
CC an extreme consequence lasts several weeks. “hellpit” — a lake of boiling water! The GM declares he’ll take 1d10
physical hit points damage every round he spends in the water, and that
Special effects (above) can override the above durations. A shat- Felix must accumulate 10 effect points to climb out. It’s a Tough (15)
tered leg extreme consequence may take weeks of care and attention check, and Felix’s player describes him using his Climb trait to scrabble
to heal naturally; but a turned to stone extreme special consequence up the cavern wall, giving him a +1 trait bonus on a +6 DEX check.
inflicted by a medusa’s special effect isn’t going to get better on its own. On the first round, Felix gets a result of 17 (rolling 10, plus 7),
which gains him 2 effect points; he’s getting into a good position but is
still in hot water. The GM declares he takes 5 PHP damage. He makes
Removing Effects and Consequences a second roll of 14, plus 7, for a result of 21: that’s 6 effect points, taking
An important use of effects is to remove effects and consequences of him to 8. He’s hauling himself slowly out of the water, but still takes 7
equivalent level. A minor effect can remove a minor consequence. PHP damage on the 1d10. On his third roll, he gets a 12 (plus 7, so
The description must make sense; a major effect gained on a lock- 19), gaining 4 effect points — enough to take him over 10. Felix’s player
picking check just isn’t going to heal a painful leg wound major describes him dragging his scalded body to safety up the rock face!
consequence, no matter how you describe it. But, if you get the same
major effect on a first aid check or with an appropriate healing spell, Incremental checks are often used when encountering hazards
then the GM is justified in allowing it. (page 78).
48
PLAYING THE GAME
Incremental Contests Finally, succeeding in one check may make the other more likely
Incremental contests are similar to incremental checks, except more to succeed: this is an augmented check. Sneaking into an enemy
than one character makes a check. The loser — the one with the camp to gauge its strength is an augmented check; succeeding on your
lowest result on the action check each round — is considered to have sneak check gives you more information, so the effect points on your
made a resistance check; the other participants (at least one) are con- sneak check are added to your check to gather information.
sidered to have made action checks. Each winner gains effect points Remember, combined checks have to be interrelated and simul-
equal to the difference between his check and the loser’s check. The taneous, otherwise they simply happen sequentially, one round after
GM may choose to make a static check, but the point is that each the other. Although a sequential action check may create an effect
check has the potential to generate its own effect points. which can be used in a subsequent action, the two actions aren’t in
Like an incremental check, the goal of an incremental contest any sense a combined check.
is to accumulate a certain number of effect points. You continue to
make action checks until one participant in the incremental contest
has accumulated this total. The period for each set of action checks
is up to the GM, based on the description of the actions. In an arm-
Damage
wrestling contest, each set of action checks may last 1 round; in a
debating contest, they may last 1 turn (10 rounds); and in a race from WHILE CONSEQUENCES MAY represent physical and mental
a dungeon back to the city across the wilderness, each set of action injuries, properly speaking “damage” refers to the reduction of a
checks may represent a day or more. target’s physical and mental hit points. Physical hit point damage
represents physical wounds, injuries, the effects of disease, etc; mental
For example, back in our combat with the orc, the orc has turned hit point damage represents things like confusion, mental blasts, fear,
and run from Gramfive the Grim, and is high-tailing it through the psychological shock, and the results of intimidation, social embarrass-
dungeon tunnels to alert his fellows. The chase is on! ment and humiliation.
A chase uses your MOV bonus (page 53). The GM adjudicates each
set of action checks lasts 1 round, and 10 effect points are required to
win. In the first round, the orc rolls 10 -1 (for its MOV); Gramfive PHYSICAL DAMAGE
rolls 10 +1; he gains 2 effect points, closing in on the orc! The second Physical damage is mostly caused by attacks; action checks represent-
round, the orc rolls 15, against Gramfive’s poor 7 — the orc gains 8 ing weapons, claws or teeth of monsters, magical spells, poison, etc.
effect points! In round three, Gramfive rolls 11 again — but the orc Effect points generated on attack actions can reduce a target’s physical
nudges ahead with 13, gaining 2 effect points and winning the contest. hit points on a 1-for-1 basis.
Gramfive skids to a halt as he sees the orc vanish into a torchlit cavern, Sometimes, damage may occur without an attack. A spell may
and the cries of enraged orcs fill the air... cause 1d8 physical hit points damage, for example, as may physical
hazards like traps, earthquakes, etc. Usually, however, even spells and
hazards function like attacks, making attack checks against a resis-
COMBINED CHECKS tance.
Sometimes you need to do two things at once. Maybe you’re sneaking
into a shadowy cavern and scouting for enemies; you need to attempt
two separate action checks at the same time. Make one dice roll, and Effects of Physical Damage
use the result for both checks. Add the appropriate bonuses to each Physical damage reduces your physical hit points (PHP). As long as
check separately, and measure each against its corresponding resis- your PHP are above 0, there’s no additional effect (although con-
tance. This is known as a combined check. sequences may still cause you problems). However, once your PHP
You may not make a static check for either action in a combined reach 0, you’re in serious trouble.
check, but must always roll the dice. Figure the result of each action When your PHP drop to 0 or less, you fall unconscious. You
check normally; both may fail or succeed, or one succeed while the immediately fall to the ground, and remain that way until the end of
other fails. the scene, when you regain consciousness with 1 PHP, or until some-
Sometimes, one action check is dependent on the other; if one one heals you to at least 1 PHP — whichever comes first.
of them fails, the other can’t succeed. This is a dependent check. An If you drop to less than 0 PHP, your PHP become negative, and
example is balancing on a ledge while carrying a heavy weight; falling you start bleeding out. You fall unconscious, and lose 1 PHP per
off the ledge renders carrying the heavy weight moot. round. You can stop losing PHP by becoming stabilised. You can
Sometimes, failing one action check may hinder the other — be stabilised by a first aid check, or a healing spell; the difficulty is
what’s known as a hindered check. An example is trying to speak a increased by your negative PHP score.
foreign language to impress a foreign king. If you fail your language When your PHP reach -10, you’re dead. You can no longer be
check, your consequence points become a penalty to your action healed (although Resurrection spells may work…); it’s time to create
check to impress the king. a new character.
49
CHAPTER 4
MENTAL DAMAGE
Mental damage is caused by spells of befuddlement, the terrifying Strength in Numbers
presence of monsters, intimidation by powerful foes, and even social
humiliation and harassment. It gradually reduces a character’s will- Making and resisting mental attacks like fear and intimi-
power, until he gives in to the original intent of the attack. This last dation is easier when you’re in a group. You get a +1 bonus
point is key: while physical attacks generally have a straightforward to either your fear or intimidation check or your resistance
goal — to kill, incapacitate, or drive off a foe — mental attacks have against fear or intimidation for every additional person in
many aims. A monster’s terrifying roar might cause a character to flee, your group. A goblin in a group of 10 goblins gains a +9
or root him to the spot; a persuasion attempt by a honey-tongued bonus on its intimidation checks, and its resistance to fear
courtier might induce a character to do as he is told. and intimidation.
HEALING
You heal 1HP per day naturally, both physical and mental, as long
as you get decent rest, either in an inn or lodging or a proper camp
(made using the “Making Camp” action on page 39, for example).
You can also heal HP by receiving first aid (page 38), or clerical and
bardic healing magic.
You can only receive healing once after you’ve been injured,
whether from first aid, magic, or even hero points (below), and no
matter how many hit points you replace. In order to receive further
healing, you must first be injured (and lose hit points) again.
Hero Points
HERO POINTS ARE a tool for mitigating the consequences oppo-
nents or the environment place on you, or you incur when you fail an
action check, as well as modifying your circumstances in other ways.
You begin each adventure with a number of hero points equal to your
50
PLAYING THE GAME
level. Once you’ve used these up, they’re gone. At the beginning of
your next adventure, your hero points reset to your original level (ie Don’t Forget Resource Use
equal to your level).
You can spend a hero point to do any of the following: Minor and major consequences don’t just have to indicate
wounds and other disadvantages affecting your person;
CC choose the consequence an opponent imposes on you when they they can also refer to loss of equipment. On a minor
succeed at an action check (usually they get to choose). consequence, rations may be spoilt, arrows broken, torches
CC choose the consequence you suffer when you fail at an action doused; and on a major consequence, you may lose the
check (usually your opponent gets to choose). ability to light fires, or your fresh water supply, or even a
CC add +1 to your effect points only when you are 1 point from weapon or armour. The consequences of resource use must
achieving a minor, major, or extreme effect (ie you already have 4, be real — losing a day’s rations during a bar-room brawl
9, or 14 effect points, etc). is hardly a consequence — so check with your GM. But
CC instead of a treasure point (page 83), to determine the contents of losing your waterskin while traversing a desert, or your last
a treasure you find. torch while deep underground, can be just as life-threaten-
CC regain physical or mental hit points; roll your physical or mental ing as any wound!
hit die, and add that to your current total. You may not go above
your maximum hit points. You may do this at any moment,
whether it’s your turn to act or not; it doesn’t require an action.
It’s also subject to the usual restrictions on healing (above); it has
no effect on consequences.
Range & Movement
CC make a static check when you normally can’t (such as when you’re
surprised). EACH PARTICIPANT IN a conflict has a range, indicating the
distance at which it may attack. Sample creature ranges are given in
Chapter 8: Monsters, based on their size, physical attacks, and weap-
MITIGATING CONSEQUENCES ons; character ranges are usually determined by their weapons. The
When someone places a consequence on you, either as a result of range of mental attacks is contextual; usually fear and intimidation
their successful action check or your failed action check, they usually attacks must be close up to be effective — short range or less is typi-
decide what that consequence is. If you have few hit points left, or if cal. Social attacks may vary; the key is that the target must believe he
they describe an extreme consequence as a horrible wound, this can has been noticed by the attacker, and that there’s a reasonable threat
be disastrous. or chance of harm.
By spending one of your hero points, you can describe the nature The possible ranges are hand, close, reach, short, medium,
of that consequence yourself. This allows you to describe it in a dif- long, and out of range, sometimes known as range bands, defined
ferent way, usually less disastrously — perhaps you take hit point in Table 13: Ranges, overleaf.
damage instead of an extreme effect, or perhaps you decide to be Encounters occur at a given range, indicating the distance
knocked down (a major effect) instead of taking hit point damage or between the participants. You must be able to act (for example,
a wound which would require time to heal. Hero points allow you to attack) at that range, or you must change your range; the same goes
mitigate a consequence so it’s less problematic to your character. for your opponent.
If an opponent places multiple consequences on you at once, you
can spend multiple hero points to take descriptive control of each.
RANGE EFFECTS
Ranges have the following game mechanical effects:
REGAINING HERO POINTS
In addition to regaining hero points at the beginning of an adventure, CC Only hand weapons can be used at hand range. You can’t get
you may also gain them during play. First, your GM may award you enough purchase to use anything else.
a hero point for cool roleplaying, in-game immersion, witty remarks, CC In melee combat, you must close to your weapon’s range to attack.
achieving a major milestone in an adventure, or whenever you do You can do this by creating an effect (page 44).
something awesome. Second, your GM may award you a hero point CC In missile combat, you must be at short range or greater to attack.
when you describe your character getting into trouble as a result of CC For every range beyond short, you incur a -4 penalty on your
one of his traits. If you have a Brash and Boastful trait in an audience missile attack.
with a king who hates rudeness, you may be able to get a hero point CC Ranged spells and weapons have a maximum range beyond which
from the GM for describing how your big mouth gets you into dra- they’re ineffective.
matic trouble! See “Awarding Hero Points” on page 91 for more.
51
CHAPTER 4
52
PLAYING THE GAME
VISIBILITY & COVER Some traits (like the monk’s Improved Movement trait) let you add
In addition to range, a character’s ability to perceive or affect a target your trait bonus to your movement checks.
is affected by visibility. A target in semi-darkness, half-illumination, Your Movement score determines how fast you move in different
hiding in shadow, in thick fog, etc, is considered to have semi- environments, as shown in Table 17: Movement. This equates to the
concealment; this acts like a minor consequence on any character distances shown in Table 18: Distances Moved
attempting to spot or attack the target (imposing a -2 penalty). A Tactical movement is usually handled using effects. For example,
target in total darkness or who is otherwise invisible has total con- a minor effect allows you to move yourself and your opponent up to
cealment, a major consequence imposing a -4 penalty. 5 feet if you’re engaged in combat.
Targets concealed behind solid objects like walls, etc, may also If you’re not engaged, you can automatically move up to your
gain cover. Cover is an armour bonus, based on the nature of the Movement in 10-foot units per round without making a check. If
object and how much cover it provides; characters may have half- someone tries to block you, you must make a MOV check to avoid
cover, which lets them still make ranged attacks, or full cover, which the block (or possibly use STR or DEX), against their Strength or
means they may not attack at all. Armour bonuses are as shown in perhaps attack action. On a success, you avoid the block and may
Table 15: Cover Bonuses. move as intended; on a failure, you have been blocked, and are now
engaged with the blocker, who may place consequences on you.
In a chase, you roll 3d6 +MOV, either as a single action check or
MOVEMENT an incremental check (page 48).
Movement refers to physical movement made by a character, whether a
few feet or yards in combat, or miles when travelling across wilderness.
The distance you can move is determined by your Movement, a Table 17: Movement
special kind of attribute indicating the number of 10-foot units you
can advance at a very cautious walk per 1-minute round. Like an attri-
Movement Distance
per Point
Moved
of Notes
bute, Movement has an ATT modifier, abbreviated as MOV. Type
Unlike normal attributes, your Movement score isn’t rolled, but Movement
is based on your character race. Humans, elves, half-elves and half-
orcs have a Movement score of 12 (+1); dwarves and halflings have a Outdoor 2 miles per day Assumes 8 hours
movement walking per day
Movement score of 9 (-1).
Your Movement is affected by your encumbrance (page 29) or the Mapping 10 feet per Mapping,
armour you’re wearing, whichever causes the greatest reduction. speed 10-minute turn checking for traps, etc
Cautious 10 feet per round If unengaged in combat
walk
Table 15: Cover Bonuses
Normal 20 feet per round Imposes a minor consequence
walk on non-movement actions
Type of Half-cover Full Cover Examples
Cover Bonus Bonus Run 50 feet per round Imposes a major consequence
on non-movement actions
Light +2 +5 Thin wood, plaster,
Sprint 100 feet per round Imposes an extreme
cover undergrowth, branches
consequence on non-
Medium +5 +10 Thick wood, thin movement actions
cover brick or stone
Heavy cover +10 +20 Thick stone, metal
Table 18: Distances Moved
Table 16: Encumbrance Movement 12 (+1) 9 (-1) 6 (-2) 3 (-4)
Lightly encumbered Medium 9 (-1) Normal (feet / rd) 240 180 120 60
Heavily encumbered Heavy 6 (-2) Run (feet / rd) 600 450 300 150
53
CHAPTER 4
54
PLAYING THE GAME
for Stealthy, getting a 12 +7 = 19. The mummy is surprised, and so Xiola and the mummy act next, at initiative 20. Let’s take Xiola
must roll its WIS resistance, with a -2 penalty; it rolls 11 -2, 9. Felix first; she casts her Magic Missile spell against difficulty 16 (Tough dif-
succeeds with 10 effect points; he sneaks, and uses all his effect points ficulty (15) — she’s now in a dangerous environment — +1 for spell
to close range to close. level) and rolls 15 +7 +4 = 26; that’s 10 effect points. She could do
Xiola acts next. She casts her Shield spell. She’s not yet in danger, a maximum of 6 PHP damage, but decides to inflict a catching fire
so the difficulty is Average (10) +1 for the spell level. She rolls INT + minor consequence on the mummy for 5 effect points, and do 5 PHP
her trait bonus of +1 (Spellcasting), +1 for the bonus from her Staff damage. The mummy’s PHP drop from 47 to 42.
of Magic. She rolls 10 +8, total 18, for 7 effect points. She creates a Now the mummy. As this is happening at the same time as Xiola’s
magical shield minor effect, gaining a +2 defence bonus for 5 effect attack, the GM rules the catching fire consequence doesn’t yet apply
points; her AC is now 17 (+5). — but the backstabbed! major consequence does! The mummy rolls
Shamira and Gramfive both act at initiative 13; let’s take Gramfive 15 +20 +7 for its massive bash attack against Gramfive, with a -4 pen-
first. He rolls STR + his trait bonus of +1 (Weapons Training), with alty for backstabbed! — a total of 38! Gramfive’s AC is 19, increased
+1 to hit and +1d8+1 for his signature longsword. He gets 15 +8 +7, to 21 because the mummy is attacking a smaller foe: the mummy gets
total 30. The mummy’s AC is 17 (+7); as it’s surprised, it must roll its 17 effect points, increased back up to 19 against a smaller target. The
defence. It rolls 9, slightly off-guard, a total defence of 16; Gramfive GM wants to inflict an extreme effect chest bashed in on Gramfive,
gets 14 effect points, reduced by -2 because he’s attacking a large oppo- causing him long-term trouble. Gramfive’s player balks, and spends
nent. With a cry, he advances 2 range bands to close range, and inflicts his hero point to take all the effect points as PHP damage instead.
2 physical hit points damage! The mummy’s PHP drop from 49 to 47. The maximum damage is 18 (12 on the d12 + the mummy’s level of
Now Shamira tries to Turn Undead. The GM rules she can 6), so Gramfive’s PHP drop instantly from 25 to 7 — a huge blow!
attempt this at short range or less. She rolls WIS + her trait bonus of But Gramfive’s still standing and, importantly, not suffering any con-
+2 (Turn Undead, religious trait Ensure the Dead Stay in the Under- sequences.
world), getting a 7 +8 = 15 against the mummy’s rolled resistance Next come Shamira and Gramfive at initiative 13. We do Gram-
of 20 (12 +2 +6) and failing with a minor consequence! The GM five first, attacking the mummy. He rolls 14 +8 +3 = 25, against the
makes a GM reaction, choosing the mummy’s Infect with Regress- mummy’s reduced AC 11 (-4 penalty for backstabbed! and -2 for
ing Disease monster action. This attacks immediately with a +2 (the catching fire). That’s 14 effect points, reduced to 12 against the large
bonus from the minor effect which the disease derives from the target; Gramfive wants to spend 5 on a lacerated minor consequence,
minor consequence), +1d8+1 for the disease itself (page 79), against but the mummy already has a minor consequence (catching fire), so
Shamira’s Constitution of 8. The disease rolls 13 +5 = 18, for 10 effect Gramfive would have to choose something else, such as knocked back.
points, and the GM decides to inflict a regressing to ape-man major He decides instead to inflict all 12 points as PHP damage. The mum-
consequence on Shamira. As she spent her hero point earlier in the my’s PHP drop to 30.
adventure, she must accept the consequence! Now Shamira. She has the +9 bonus from Guido’s inspirational
Finally it’s Guido, singing his bardic song of inspiration. Against song on her Turn Undead check, but is suffering a regressing to ape-
Average difficulty (10) he rolls CHA + his trait bonus of +2 (Help man major consequence (a -4 penalty). She rolls a dismal 6, +8 +9,
Others Fight or Face Danger and alignment focus Use Your Music but -4 for the consequence, a total of 19 against the mummy’s 16
to Help People), getting 11 +8 = 19. He gives the whole +9 help- (the GM rules neither the backstabbed! nor catching fire consequences
ing bonus to Shamira for her next Turn Undead attempt, and marks affect the mummy’s resistance to clerical turning). That’s 3 effect
down a point of Alignment Focus — he’ll get XP for that later. points; the mummy takes 3 MHP damage, and drops to 53 MHP.
Now the mummy’s regressing disease attacks Shamira again; she
needs to accumulate 10 effect points to throw it off, and has zero so
ROUND ONE far. The disease attacks with a 15 +6 = 21, against Shamira’s Consti-
The surprise round over, the GM rolls the mummy’s initiative. It’s tution of 8 — that’s 13 effect points, which the GM decides is PHP
engaged in combat with Gramfive, so she adds its +6 trait bonus to a damage. Shamira’s 16 PHP drop straight to 3 points! Shamira needs
roll of 14, for initiative 20 — a formidable foe! help to throw off the disease — and fast!
Felix acts first. He’s in the shadows, attempting a backstab, so rolls Lastly Guido. He begins a song of healing, but decides to use it to
DEX + his trait bonus of +2 (Simple Weapons, Stealthy), +1d4 for his boost Shamira’s resistance to the mummy’s regressing disease. He rolls
dagger. He gets 15 +8 +3 = 26. The mummy’s no longer surprised, 12 +8 = 20, against Tough difficulty (15), giving Shamira a +5 bonus
so uses its AC 17, but with a -2 penalty as the GM rules Felix is to her 8 Constitution for next round’s disease attack.
still semi-concealed. Felix gets 11 effect points, reduced to 9 against a That’s the end of the first round. Things are looking tough —
large foe; his maximum damage with a dagger is 5 points (4 on a d4, although the First One mummy is already injured and suffering
+ level), but he really wants to make the backstab count, so spends consequences. But Shamira and Gramfive are in trouble — the next
his single hero point to bump his 9 effect points to 10, and inflict a combat round will be crucial!
backstabbed! major consequence, giving the mummy a -4 penalty on
its combat actions.
55
- Chapter 5 -
Advancement
AS YOUR CHARACTER gains experience, he becomes better •• add more physical and mental hit points: roll your hit die
able to handle the challenges of his danger-filled life. This chapter for each and add the result to your total. Add your CON
discusses how your character embarks on his path to greatness, and modifier to your physical hit die, and your WIS modifier to
where it may lead. your mental hit die, with a minimum increase of 1 point.
•• at 5th level, and every 5 levels thereafter (see “Scales”,
below), add +1 to one of your attributes. Your new attri-
Levelling Up bute score may exceed 18.
56
ADVANCEMENT
57
CHAPTER 5
58
ADVANCEMENT
Some actions, though, break the rules of what you can normally use target in the group. You may distribute any effect points among
attributes for. Called special actions, they let you use an attribute in an the targets. This may change a spell’s range from hand to short.
unusual way. Here are some examples: Examples: rabble rousing (use CHA to make a helping action, and
distribute the effect points among multiple targets); mass healing
CC Court Magic: use CHA instead of INT or WIS to cast a spell (use your Cure spells to affect multiple targets).
intended to impress or charm, as long as you’re a spellcaster of the CC Follow-on actions (increase cost by 1 step): lets you build a
appropriate social class performing at court. second action into a special effect, occurring after the first action if
CC Finesse Attack: use DEX instead of STR to attack in melee, as long the effect point cost is paid. Make the second action check in the
as you’re using a finesse weapon (page 32). same round, using any remaining effect points as a bonus. Exam-
CC Flashy Combat: make a physical attack action to intimidate or ples: impressive put-down (after intimidating, use effect points to
impress, using STR instead of CHA. If you also have Finesse impress another target); weapon grab (after attack, try to steal your
Attack, this can be DEX instead of CHA. opponent’s weapon).
CC Increased effect (increase cost by 1 or more steps): increases the
Special actions generate effect points like normal actions, and can magnitude of an action’s effect in a way the normal effect rules
also be modified using advancements. Flashy Combat, for example, is do not cover. Examples: heroic cleave and epic cleave (page 47),
often enhanced with the area effect special effect (see below). allowing you to make 2 or 3 additional attacks respectively.
59
CHAPTER 5
For example: a 3rd level magic user reaches 4th level, and decides 1. CREATE YOUR
to multi-class to the fighter character class. Her level as a magic user SUB-CLASS CONCEPT
remains 3; she writes down “fighter — level 1” on her character sheet, First, describe your sub-class in one or two phrases. Compare this to
and takes one of the fighter class traits as a multi-class trait. the classes and sub-classes in Chapter 2: Character Creation to make
sure it’s unique.
When you take a new class, you may also use your “Change Any
One Existing Personal Trait” advancement to acquire a trait from your For example: our berserker sub-class is “a warrior who goes berserk
new class. In your first level as the new class, therefore, you’ll function in combat, feeling no pain and entering a destructive battle madness
at less than top proficiency. That’s to be expected: classes are acquired over from which it’s difficult to calm him”. Checking Chapter 2, the GM
years, and multi-classing can’t make up for years of experience overnight. decides the berserker concept is sufficiently unique to warrant its own
sub-class.
For example: let’s say our magic user takes Weapons Training
(fighter multi-class) as her first multi-class trait, and swaps out her
Obsessed With Magical Grimoires personal trait for Armour Train- 2. FIT TO PARENT CLASS
ing. She still doesn’t know fighting lore, nor can she break down doors Next, look at the five character classes in Chapter 2, and decide which
and lift gates — that degree of muscle development will have to wait one your sub-class belongs to. The classes represent the five key areas
until next level! of character specialisation: combat, magic, religion, stealth, and social.
Because a multi-class character has two (or more!) level scores, his For example: our berserker is clearly combat-oriented, and there-
trait bonus differs based on whether he’s describing a trait from one fore a sub-class of the fighter class.
class or another. Only where both traits overlap can the total level be
used in the trait bonus.
3. DECIDE SECONDARY ATTRIBUTE
For example: our fighter / magic user has a +3 trait bonus when Every sub-class requires a secondary attribute (page 14); you already
casting spells, and a +1 trait bonus when using longswords. However, know its primary attribute from its parent class. Read through the
when using a quarterstaff, she gets a +4 trait bonus, as her trait for attribute descriptions (page 8) to review the actions the attributes
using it overlaps the two classes (Use Quarterstaffs And Daggers for cover, then fit them to what makes your sub-class unique, and differ-
magic user, and Weapons Training for fighters). ent from its parent class.
When you take a new level in a multi-class, roll the new hit die For example, our berserker’s uniqueness lies in his ability to keep
for that class. fighting regardless, ignore his wounds, and give in to the strenuous
demands of his rage. We decide that Constitution is the best fit for the
For example: our fighter / magic user now adds 1d10 (+CON) to sub-class’s secondary attribute.
her physical hit points and 1d6 (+WIS) to her mental hit points.
There’s one difference when multi-classing: prime attribute. This 4. DECIDED INHERITED TRAITS
remains unchanged; the ATT modifier of your original class remains Look at your sub-class’s parent class, and select up to half its class
doubled, and the ATT modifier of your new class’s prime attribute is traits as your sub-class traits. If you find yourself wanting to select
not doubled. However, when you’ve reached the same level in your more, your sub-class may not be sufficiently differentiated from the
new class as your old, you may double your new class’s prime attribute parent class to make a valid sub-class; instead, you may be able to get
modifier and return your old prime attribute modifier to its non- what you need just by using the original parent class with a personal
doubled score. When you gain more levels in your new class than trait or two.
your old, you must do this.
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For the berserker, we choose a Tireless trait, and the All-Out Other Advancements
Attack and Damage Focus stances. We also think the cleave special effect CC Cleave special effect.
sounds perfect. CC Damage Focus stance.
CC All-Out Attack stance.
8. DECIDE STARTING MONEY &
CC Tireless.
ANY RESTRICTIONS
Estimate how rich or poor sub-class members are, and jot down any-
thing they absolutely should not do. Don’t forget alignment.
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CHAPTER 5
We don’t think berserkers sound rich, so we figure 2d4 x 10gp Table 20: Scales
should be enough money. For restrictions, we decide berserkers can’t
be any lawful alignment; that they may not learn the Stalwart Defence Level Scale Actions affect... Actions take...
stance or parry special effect; and may never learn to make Finesse
Attacks or use bows or crossbows — although thrown weapons are defi- 1 Adventure Your fellows and Rounds and turns
nitely in character! immediate opponents
5 Heroic Reputation, group, Turns and hours
community, henchmen,
9. TEST IT OUT! gang, ship’s crew,
Now comes the important bit: create a character belonging to the family.
sub-class, and play through a few sessions. If anything feels wrong, 10 Epic Strongholds, villages, Hours and days
clunky, or unbalanced, change it. When you’re satisfied, declare your domains, ships, sieges,
new sub-class ready for business! political / diplomatic /
courtly actions.
High-Level Play
15 Legendary Kingdoms Weeks and months
20 Mythic The fates of nations, Years and centuries
peoples, worlds
THIS SECTION DISCUSSES how higher-level characters can use
their increased trait bonuses and effect points to achieve greater feats a gaggle of opponents in melee (at adventure scale) may generate
in play. very high effect numbers, allowing him to achieve effects greater than
extreme effects in magnitude. Effects of heroic scale and higher can
not only give large bonuses or penalties, or remove corresponding
SCALE effects and consequences; they can also temporarily negate or disable
Higher-level characters may act at greater scales. Beginning characters a target’s abilities. As usual this must make descriptive sense (page
are preoccupied with staying alive long enough to accumulate expe- 45), but otherwise these powerful effects may prevent characters from
rience, and interact with their fellows and individual opponents: we exercising even their class abilities until removed (page 48). Unless
call this the adventure scale. Once characters advance to 5th level, otherwise stated, a heroic consequence may last for months (or until
they may interact with communities, gangs, guilds, warbands, and removed), an epic consequence for years, a legendary consequence for
so on, and attract the attentions of followers and hangers-on; this is decades, and a mythic consequence for centuries.
the heroic scale. At 10th level, characters become leaders: lords con- See Table 21: Higher-Scale Effects overleaf for a summary of how
trolling domains, high-ranking guildmembers, upper circle wizards or those heroic, epic, legendary, and mythic effects work.
temple high priests; the epic scale.
At 15th level, characters can affect the fates of kingdoms and For example, Xiola Zenwaith, now an 11th level magic user, is
empires; and at 20th level the affairs of gods, worlds, and the planes intimidating a tribe of orcs who’ve been raiding the settled lands of north-
of existence. These are the legendary and mythic scales. western Koth. “I’m going to try and set some of the dwellings on fire,”
This section provides guidelines for running games at these scales. says her player, as the PCs ride into the orcish village. “If I can create a
It’s by no means exhaustive; each scale below is complex enough to big enough effect, I’ll get a huge modifier on my intimidation attempt.”
merit an entire book in its own right. However, what follows allows The GM rules this is a cool use of Xiola’s Fireball spell, with a dif-
you to use the Monsters & Magic rules alongside other classic fantasy ficulty of 13 (Average (10) + spell level 3). Xiola rolls 10 +11 for her
resources to take your characters to dizzying heights of power! level and +6 for her INT bonus, plus 11d6 damage dice for the Fireball
(an additional +32!). That’s a grand total of 59 vs 13, resulting in 46
effect points, way in excess of the 25 Xiola needs for an epic effect. The
HIGH-LEVEL ACTIONS & EFFECTS GM describes the flames raging from building to building, setting the
The table below summarises the actions your character may take at whole village alight! “Neat!” says Xiola’s player, “I now have a +10
each scale. It also indicates how long such actions take; while conflicts bonus on my intimidation check!”
at the adventure scale may take several 1-minute rounds to resolve,
and non-conflict actions be measured in turns, epic scale conflicts
may take many hours for the to-and-fro of assaults on castles, and CONSTRUCTS
days for the patient arts of diplomacy between domains. The GM may Sometimes, you may want to go beyond simply describing how your
rule actions take more or less time, depending on their descriptions. heroic bardic effect charms a group of tavern-goers, or how your fire-
When you reach a scale, you may act at that scale and all previous ball sets a village on fire. You may want to know if that village can
scales. You can achieve remarkable effects: an epic character attacking fight back and, if so, what it can do. In that case, you need constructs.
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CHAPTER 5
+11 for her level, +6 for her INT (intimidating the ignorant), but +10
The Hero Factor from the epic effect bonus from the blazing village. That’s 38 vs 20, 18
effect points, meaning Xiola can inflict 18 MHP damage on the village,
When a PC leads an attack made by his construct, he’s or a routed! extreme consequence and 3 MHP damage…
the hero who provides the decisive edge — with his trait
bonus, ATT bonuses, and other abilities. Without him,
the construct would be far worse off. The same goes for PC Constructs
NPC constructs; their default statistics below are no match Often, acting directly against a construct as described above means
for capable PCs, as they have low ATT bonuses and few you won’t have a specific trait (even though you may have reached the
damage dice. If you want a challenging encounter against required scale), and therefore don’t have any trait bonus. One way you
a construct, give it an NPC villain leader (page 77) to can remedy this is to buy a construct as a trait, using one of your
organise its attacks. advancements: a ship, a village, a castle, and so on. You may do this
any time after reaching a scale, even if you have moved on to the next
scale. As with any advancement, work with your GM to describe how
your character comes by it.
The character classes in Chapter 2: Character Creation include
example advancements characters may take to acquire constructs. A
How Long Do typical epic scale advancement is to build a stronghold, for example.
Constructs Take To Build? When you buy a construct, you may also have to spend resources
— usually gold or other treasure — to physically create it, unless you
The sections below give approximate costs and times for or your GM have some other story-related reason why you have come
building or creating constructs. Players may also “refur- by it (constructs can be great rewards for adventures!). For example,
bish” existing constructs, perhaps clearing out haunted building a castle requires plenty of gold pieces, and not a little time
houses or reclaiming ruined castles. GMs can provide such and influence. You can find more on the resource cost to build con-
constructs as rewards for adventures, reducing or even structs below.
removing time and costs; however, it should always cost an
advancement to acquire a construct. For example, Gramfive the Grim has reached 10th level (the epic
scale), and decides to spend his advancement to take control of a small
army of 1000 men (page 66). In addition to the advancement, he must
also pay 50,000 gp for the army’s upkeep every year — in advance!
Constructs are like characters, but rather than representing indi-
vidual flesh-and-blood people, they represent the targets you act against In some ways, a construct acts like your “substitute” or “represen-
at specific scales. So, constructs can be things like strongholds, castles, tative” in an encounter, and you can use some of its statistics instead
villages, and ships, and (at higher scales) kingdoms and worlds, and of your own. Without a stronghold, ship, or other construct of your
even the planes of existence. own, if you’re attacked by a construct, you take the damage and con-
Constructs take actions like characters, but can only interact with sequences yourself.
opponents (characters and constructs) at the same scale. Yes — this does
mean that PCs of higher scales can also be the targets of actions taken For example, back in the burning orc village, the orcs now muster
by higher-scale constructs! When your character reaches a given scale, to attack back, sending showers of barbed arrows at Xiola. Because she’s
you may describe a construct of that scale as the target of one of your on her own, and unsupported by any construct, any damage the village
actions. You must describe how you affect that construct in a believable construct inflicts will affect Xiola’s own PHP directly.
way: you may not describe yourself attacking a castle with a sword, for
example, but you may describe yourself attacking a tower with a siege However, if you have a construct as a trait, you may use its hit
engine. Likewise, you may describe yourself intimidating a village, cast- points and armour bonus instead of your own when taking damage.
ing a fireball at a ship, or placing a curse on an ancient family. You may take some of the damage yourself, but don’t have to. You
When you target a construct with your actions, you create effects may also use the construct to take 3 additional consequences at that
just as if you were targeting an NPC or monster. You may inflict hit scale.
point damage, impose consequences, and so on.
For example: Gramfive the Grim commands his small army to
Xiola now attempts to intimidate the orc village. Because she’s 11th attack the stronghold of the evil priest Turuth-Mor. His army has 30
level, she can act at the epic scale, treating the whole village just like PHP and a +6 STR bonus. Gramfive rolls for the army’s attack, roll-
another character. Using the guidelines on page 66, the GM has decided ing 15 +10 (Gramfive’s level) +6 (his army’s STR bonus), +10 for the
the village has 40 MHP and a mental defence of 20. Xiola rolls 11, army’s “Siege Engines” damage dice (page 68), resulting in 41 against
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ADVANCEMENT
the stronghold’s AC 30. Gramfive’s army inflicts 11 PHP damage on thereafter. Failure to pay the upkeep cost reduces the construct’s
Turuth-Mor’s stronghold. PHP and MHP by 1d10 each year.
When the tower attacks back, its archers inflict 10PHP damage. Dex: used for ranged attacks. Ships are usually better at ranged attacks
Rather than taking that himself, Gramfive decides his army will take a than melee attacks; castles and towers are the opposite. Dexterity
disrupted ranks major consequence; this affects any army actions Gram- may also represent a construct’s ability to manoeuvre to defend
five’s player takes, but not any actions taken specifically by Gramfive itself, including the ability of its personnel to conduct a mobile
himself. defence (of a domain, duchy, or kingdom, for example).
Int: the construct’s ability to make coherent, logical responses. A
leader may substitute his Intelligence instead.
Construct Statistics Level: for use in NPC constructs only; a PC construct always operates
Constructs are statted like characters, with levels, hit points, and at his level. Level usually indicates an NPC construct’s trait bonus
attributes. They can even have traits and advancements. NPC con- for appropriate actions, and determines its hit points.
structs have whatever level the GM gives them; the statistics below MHP: the morale of the construct’s personnel, calculated by multiply-
are examples. PC constructs are always the same level as the PC — ing its morale rating by its level. A construct may have any morale
they’re his representative for acting in certain situations at a given rating, based on circumstances and the GM’s decision: the default is
scale. green. You may upgrade a construct’s morale rating using advance-
Depending on how you describe your actions, you may sometimes ments (page 68). Morale ratings are shown in the table below.
use your own statistics when performing an action at a given scale, Move: static constructs like castles have no Movement attribute (as
or you may use those of your construct. For example, if you have a opposed to a low score): they can’t take movement actions at all.
Wizard’s Tower trait, and are casting a Fireball from its battlements For others, the score represents the construct’s overall speed.
against an army of besieging goblins, then you add your own INT PHP: a combination of the construct’s physical structure and the
bonus. However, if you describe your own epic-scale Small Army con- robustness of its personnel, calculated by multiplying the PHP
struct attacking another army, you’ll use its STR bonus rather than modifier plus the CON modifier by the construct’s level.
your own. Example attributes, armour bonuses, etc, for constructs are Size: some constructs (castles, ships, etc) may be small, medium, or
provided below. When you buy a construct, it has these statistics by large; these are for comparative purposes only, and have nothing
default; you may improve on them using advancements (page 56). to do with character sizes (page 54). You acquire such a construct
at small, and it remains small even as you level up. You may
WHAT DO THE STATISTICS MEAN? increase its size using the Size Increase advancement (page 68).
Statistics for constructs may have special meanings, as follows. Where
values aren’t given, see “Improvising Effects, Traits, and Attributes”
on page 77. Table 22: Morale Multipliers
Armour: the construct’s physical toughness; the strength of its walls, Morale Rating MHP Multiplier
defences, and so on.
Cha: a construct’s ability to sway others to its side. A leader may sub- Poor x2
stitute his Charisma instead. Green x4
Con: the sturdiness of a construct, how resistant it is to physical
Trained x6
damage.
Cost: this may be a cost in gold pieces to buy, which must be paid Veteran x8
when the character takes the advancement; or, it may represent Elite x10
the upkeep of the construct, paid on acquiring it, and every year
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CHAPTER 5
Str: used in close combat — an army assaulting a castle, one country For example, halfling thief Felix Pook has reached 5th level, and
invading another, or ships making ramming attacks. STR modi- finds himself ambushed in an alley by the Strapfoot Stabbers, one of
fiers may be doubled for particularly martial constructs. Koth’s infamous street gangs. He sweeps his cloak around him and
Wis: the alertness and mental toughness of a construct’s personnel. attempts to bluff his way through. As he’s heroic scale, his bluff action
If the construct has a leader, it will often substitute that leader’s can affect the whole gang as a heroic construct with 30 MHP.
Wisdom instead.
EPIC CONSTRUCTS
HEROIC CONSTRUCTS At epic scale, constructs come into their own, from castles and towers,
At heroic scale, a character can affect the community around him; gangs, to towns and villages, warships and trading vessels, and even armies.
groups of villagers or townsfolk, his immediate peers in a guild, tavern, Construction times may be anything from a few weeks for a house, to
or even an army. Heroic constructs are somewhat abstract, usually many years for large castles and cities. It’s more likely that a PC will
representing a group of several dozen people. They may also represent become ruler of an existing castle or city than build their own when
vehicles, vessels, or mounts, such as small longships, boats, balloons, buying one as an advancement.
large mounts like elephants or giant turtles, or even moving magical car-
riages. Heroic constructs usually take at most a week or two to assemble.
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LEGENDARY CONSTRUCTS
At legendary scale, the PCs’ deeds will be told of for centuries, the
stuff of legends, affecting the fates of kingdoms. They are counts,
dukes, kings, great emperors, generals. PCs may decide to establish
their own kingdoms; these are feats which may take years, as leg-
endary heroes gather people around them and strike out into the
wilderness. Equally, they may inherit the throne of existing kingdoms
and empires, either by right of birth, or by conquest!
For example: the Zaxilo Fastness has invaded the forests of the north-
ern wood elves and seized their lands. Quercus the Archdruid, 16th
level, defends those lands, and uses his plant-controlling magic to exhort
the trees to rise up and strangle the invading cannibal horde! The spells
Quercus uses as defender of the forest can affect the Zaxilo horde statis-
tics directly, as long as Quercus’ player describes his actions appropriately.
MYTHIC CONSTRUCTS
At mythic scale, the PCs may vanish from the perceptions of ordinary
folk, passing into worlds and adventures beyond their understanding.
Or, they may become demigods, almost deities in their own right,
defending their worlds and their worshippers against cosmic threats.
Creating mythic constructs is the stuff of divine miracles; most char-
acters will be appointed to represent mythic scale constructs which
they purchase as advancements.
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CHAPTER 5
For example: since the Hell Gate opened, the 21st Plane of Hell has Size Increase: when you buy a construct, it’s always small in size, if
manifested itself, and the world has been plagued by demons, appear- size is a factor. For an advancement, you may increase this by +1
ing in the streets, in people’s homes, possessing the bodies of the living. step. You must also pay the difference in gold piece cost, if any,
Darmalane, Champion of Ithos, 22nd level cleric and avatar of Abraxas and may have to wait a certain time period, at the GM’s discretion.
the Two-Faced God, has returned from where Golael the Impaler, lord of Threatening: you get a damage die on intimidation attacks. See Table
the 21st Plane, had imprisoned him beyond the veil, to save the world. 27: Armed Constructs for the attribute your construct is using for
He casts his Plane Shift spell, targeting the entire 21st Plane, intending its intimidation attack (page 39).
to do MHP damage to it and banish it to where it belongs.
EXAMPLE OF
Construct Advancements CONSTRUCTS IN PLAY
As you level up, so do your constructs — they always reflect your Xiola Zenwaith, our 11th level magic user, is aboard the elven seastrider
level. You may also improve your constructs by spending advance- Princess of Tarnaband, an epic-scale warship she has as a trait, and she’s
ments. Constructs may have traits, special effects, and even signature attacking the Demon Tower of Zann on Thrakos Isle. The tower swarms
item bonuses. Here are some example construct advancements. with nefarious Dark Men of the Zaxilos Cannibal Cult, who are loosing
flame arrows and catapults against the seastrider; Xiola’s crew are fight-
Armed: your construct has a specific weapon or weapons, and a ing back. Her ship has an Armed advancement (with a team of archers),
damage die modifier. A ship may have archers or a ram, a castle giving it a +1d6 damage die, as well as Independent.
catapults, a kingdom heavily-armed armies, and so on. Each The GM has statted the Demon Tower of Zann as follows:
advancement provides a single die, based on the construct’s
Strength, as shown in Table 27: Armed Constructs. A second
advancement spent on weapons gives you a larger weapon, or
Demon Tower of Zann
multiple weapons, with twice the damage dice (ie +2d6, etc). LEVEL 11 MEDIUM TOWER
Armoured: each advancement increases your AC by +1, as your con- Attacks: Archers +11 (+1d8 + fire hazard); Catapults +11 (+2d8);
struct acquires armour or other defences appropriate to its type. Soldiery +11 (+1d8)
Counter-Siege Weapons: your construct gains mobile counter- Physical Defence (AC): 31 (+21) (armour 10)
siege weapons to respond more effectively to siege attacks. Each Mental Defence: 21 (+11)
advancement increases your construct’s Dexterity by +2 against
Movement: n/a
sieges.
Range: Close (Soldiery); reach, short (Archers, Catapults)
High Morale: increases your construct’s morale rating by 1 step.
Impressive: gives you a trait bonus to make and resist charms and Hit Dice: 11 (level 11)
persuasion. PHP: 99
Independent: your construct can take an action in the same round MHP: 44 (Green)
that you act, effectively giving you 2 actions per round.
Motivation: To Infiltrate Thrakos Isle
Long Endurance: your construct is highly self-sufficient, and gives
Actions: Lead by Gargar the Cannibal Priest, Surreptitious
you a trait bonus in appropriate circumstances.
Infiltration, Terrorise the Population, Rally to Defend, Flaming
Luxurious: your construct is expensive, well-crafted, and luxurious,
Arrows, Man the Catapults, Perform Hideous Magics
giving you a trait bonus when impressing or charming targets.
Special Defences: n/a
Magical Support: this trait gives you a trait bonus on actions and resis-
Monstrous Effects: n/a
tances where you can describe magical assistance benefitting you.
Reinforced Structure: you may increase your construct’s PHP multi- Attributes: Str 10 (+0), Dex 10 (+0), Con 14 (+2),
plier by +1, ie from x3 to x4, etc. Int 10 (+0), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 10 (+0)
Table 27: Armed Constructs Xiola’s ship has the following stats:
Strength / Attribute Damage Die Princess of Tarnaband: Level 11 (as Xiola) small ship; AC 30;
PHP 33; MHP 44 (Green); Movement 16 (+3); Attacks: Archers
3-9 1d4 +14 (+1d6); Advancements: Armed, Independent.
10-12 1d6
We roll initiative, using the construct stats as appropriate. Xiola
13-15 1d8
rolls 11, +11 (for her level), and +3 for her ship’s DEX, a total of 25.
16-18 1d10 The Demon Tower of Zann rolls 12, +11 (for its level), +0 (for its
19+ 1d12 DEX), a total of 23. Xiola and the Princess of Tarnaband go first!
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ADVANCEMENT
ROUND ONE bringing order back to the deck, and inflicts 12 points of damage (her
The range starts at long. maximum damage would be 17 points — see page 43) on the Tower,
Xiola begins by attacking the Tower with her Fireball spell. She rolls whose stones slough away into mud! Its PHP drop to 55.
11 +17 (trait bonus + INT), +28 (the 11d6 damage dice), a total of 56 The Tower attacks back, this time with its catapult. It rolls 10 +11
vs AC31, for 25 effect points. She spends 10 effect points using her cast +7 (for the 2d8 damage dice), at total of 28 vs the ship’s AC30 —
at range special effect to increase the spell’s range 2 steps to long, and a momentary disadvantage (page 44); Xiola’s player describes the
does 15 PHP damage. The Tower’s PHP drop from 99 to 84. enemy having difficulty reloading the catapults, exposing themselves
The Princess of Tarnaband uses its Independent advancement to to danger. They’ll suffer a -1 penalty on their very next check.
attack separately using its archers, with a -8 penalty for attacking from
long range. It rolls 7 +14 +4, -8 for the range penalty, for a total of 17 ROUND FOUR
vs the Tower’s AC 31. That’s a failure with 14 consequence points — a The range is short.
major consequence out of control and a -4 penalty! Xiola and the ship’s crew are in buoyant mood. The ship attacks
The Tower attacks back with its own archers, rolling 10 +11 (its with its archers — but rolls 5 +14 +1, 20 vs the Tower’s AC 25 (incor-
level), +7 (the damage die), -8 for long range, for a total of 20 vs porating the -1 momentary disadvantage) — a failure with a minor
the ship’s AC 30. That’s another failure at 10 consequence points — consequence. The GM decides to use this as a GM reaction (page
another major consequence, this time chaotic response! 46), declaring that Gargar the Cannibal Priest, the 11th level vil-
lain (page 77) in charge of the Tower, has finally emerged from the
ROUND TWO dungeons to take charge of its defence. The GM improvises Gargar’s
The range is still long. The GM describes the Princess of Tarnaband stats (page 77), giving him a flat +6 competency bonus on his key
wheeling in the bay before the Demon Tower, its crew wrestling with actions (mostly evil clericky-type stuff…). His presence now boosts
the rigging to regain control as Xiola stands in the bow, preparing the Tower’s mental defence from 21 (+11) to 27 (+17).
another spell! Xiola no longer has any Transmute Rock-to-Mud spells, so she
This time, Xiola’s player manoeuvres the ship in close to shore as casts her Fear spell, rolling 10 +17, 27 vs the Tower’s resistance —
a helping action (page 39). It rolls 12, +3 (for its MOV bonus), +11 which is now Gargar’s 16 Wisdom + level 11 — a tie! Xiola gets a
(Xiola’s trait bonus), and -4 for out of control, for a total of 22 against momentary advantage (+1) on her next check.
an Average (10) difficulty. That’s a +12 helping bonus to help with Gargar now exhorts his defenders to remove the chaotic response
changing range. major consequence. This is effectively healing during combat, a Dif-
Xiola has no more Fireball spells memorised, so instead casts one ficulty (20) action (page 37); Gargar rolls 14 +11 +6, 31, and removes
of her Transmute Rock to Mud spells. The GM looks at the classic the Tower’s major consequence (and its -4 penalty).
fantasy writeup of the spell, and rules this has no damage dice, but
ignores the Demon Tower’s armour (it’s turning it to mud!). Xiola ROUND FIVE
rolls 8 +17, +12 for the helping bonus and -4 for the ship’s out of con- The range is still short.
trol. That’s a total of 33 vs the Tower’s reduced AC 17 (-4 for chaotic Xiola casts another Fear spell (her last), rolling 10 +17 +1
response, ignores armour), resulting in 16 effect points. Xiola chooses (momentary advantage), 28, this time against Gargar’s resistance of
to close 2 range bands to short range, and inflicts 6 PHP damage on 26. That’s 2 effect points, reducing the Tower’s MHP from 44 to 42.
the Tower, which drops to 78. Now that Gargar is in play, the GM could elect to have the 2 MHP
The Tower attacks back. It rolls a mere 4 +11 +5, -4 for chaotic come off his total — his presence is improving the morale of his min-
response, a total of only 16 vs the ship’s AC 26 (reduced due to out of ions in the Tower.
control), another failure with 10 consequence points. Xiola elects to The ship attacks with its archers, rolling 14 +14 +3, 31, against
impose a riposte (page 47) of 11 damage (her level) on the Tower as the Tower’s AC31 again — a tie, a +1 momentary advantage. Now
they sweep past, reducing its PHP to 67. Her crew lets out a resound- that Gargar has taken command, the Tower’s resistance is stiffening!
ing cheer! The Tower attacks. This time, Gargar tries a powerful intimida-
tion attack against the ship, marshalling his uncanny magical powers.
ROUND THREE He rolls 15 +16, 31, against the ship’s mental defence of 27, as Xiola
The range is now short. exhorts the crew to stand fast. The ship takes 4 MHP damage, reduc-
Xiola still has a Transmute Rock-to-Mud spell memorised. She ing it to 40 MHP, narrowly avoiding a consequence.
asks her crew to steady the ship — a helping action. The ship rolls 12
+3 +11 -4, a total of 22 vs Average (10) for 12 effect points — a +12 ROUND SIX
helping bonus. Xiola has no more attack spells memorised, and realises Gargar’s
Xiola casts the spell, rolling 14 +17 +12 -4, 39 vs AC17 (remem- return has made the Tower’s defences difficult to overcome with mere
ber, the spell avoids the Tower’s armour, plus the Tower has a chaotic archers and a small ship. She decides to withdraw, to prepare more
response). That’s 22 effect points. She uses 10 effect points to remove spells and return to fight another day…
the out of control major consequence, describing her commands
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CHAPTER 5
Sidekicks, Followers, can’t use a sidekick to share your own effect points among multiple
opponents: that’s what followers are for (see above).
& Hirelings You can use a sidekick to gain helping bonuses. If a sidekick helps
you while you’re in combat, it isn’t considered engaged (page 41); if
it’s attacking on its own behalf, it is.
AS YOUR CHARACTER advances in level and reputation, he may Sidekicks may use equipment; often an advancement describes
attract followers and faithful companions who will fight for him or this. They may not take consequences themselves; however, for a hero
die. Some serve for money, others for love; all can give your character point, you yourself can take the damage (or a consequence instead)
advantages he couldn’t get alone. that would otherwise affect your sidekick.
Sidekicks and followers are bought using advancements; hire- If your sidekick dies, you get the original advancement back to
lings serve for gold. All three support your character in various ways, re-use, but lose any XP invested and any advancements they’ve bought
providing traits, bonuses, and even additional actions, or taking through levelling up.
damage on your behalf.
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HIRELINGS
Hirelings are a “hired trait”. You can spend gold (or, optionally, trea-
sure points — see page 84) to hire their services for a single adventure
or task at a time. A hireling gives you access to a single trait with a
trait bonus equal to its level, usually representing a profession (sapper,
merchant, castellan, and so on).
A hireling’s cost is based on its level, as shown in Table 28: Hire-
lings. You may hire a hireling up to the lowest level of the scale below
you. ie, if you’re a heroic character, the hireling can only be level 1; if
you’re an epic character, the hireling may be up to level 5, and so on.
Hirelings may level up as you level up, but must be paid more.
Spellcasting
at Higher Levels
CHAPTER 2: CHARACTER CREATION indicates how many
spells spellcasters may cast up to 4th level. Beyond that, spellcast-
ers increase the number and magnitude of the spells they can cast as
shown on the table overleaf.
Monsters & Magic provides a selection of spells up to 2nd level in
Chapter 7: Magic; for spells beyond 2nd level, you can use any classic
fantasy spell resource.
Cast at Range
You can use spellcasting effects to increase the range of your spells.
Spells already have a default range (usually short); this effect allows Table 29: Spell Ranges
for greater ranges as shown in Table 29: Spell Ranges.
Effect Increased Spell Range
Extended Duration Minor Medium range, or +1 range band.
You can make spells last longer, again by level of effect. Each effect Major Long range, or +2 range bands.
increases the period of the spell, from rounds to turns, turns to hours,
Extreme Line of sight, or +3 range bands.
then days, weeks, months, and years.
Heroic* Anywhere within a day’s ride or so.
Epic* Anywhere in the kingdom.
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CHAPTER 5
Table 30: Spells at Higher Levels the spell’s level: a spell which damages a castle should be at least 5th
level. This is often a gut feeling; you can check out other spells to get
Scale Level Number of Spells by Level* a feel for what level a spell should be.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Heroic 5 3 2 1 — — — — — — 4. Define the Effects
6 3 3 2 — — — — — — If a spell is not scalable, you may want to define a spell’s effects in
7 4 3 2 1 — — — — — terms of special item advancements (page 86), figuring each level of
spell gives you the equivalent of 3 treasure points of advancement
8 4 3 3 2 — — — — —
bonuses, etc.
9 4 4 3 2 1 — — — —
Epic 10 4 4 3 3 2 — — — — For example, a spell giving you a +2 Strength bonus would be 2nd
level (as an item to do the same costs 6 treasure points).
11 4 4 4 3 2 1 — — —
12 4 4 4 3 3 2 — — — If the spell is scalable, decide on its most basic effect; this hap-
13 4 4 4 4 3 2 1 — — pens on a simple success. Each 5 effect points you generate allow you
to increase the spell’s effect; see the Effect Engine rules on page 44
14 4 4 4 4 3 3 2 — —
and the effect descriptions on page 45 for the sort of things you can
Legendary 15 4 4 4 4 4 3 2 1 — achieve.
16 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 2 —
For example, we decide our Wash Away Fortifications spell is 5th
17 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 2 1
level (the minimum needed to affect castle constructs). We decide its
18 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 2 effect points do damage to castles. As a simple success, this can do limited
19 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 PHP damage or a momentary advantage; at higher effect points, more
damage or greater consequences can be inflicted. It’s a scalable spell.
Mythic 20 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
*plus bonus spells equal to your INT or WIS modifier in spell levels. 5. Define the Parameters
Next, determine the area of effect, casting time, duration, resistance,
CREATING YOUR OWN SPELLS and range of the spell. Resistance is easiest; is there a target of the
Epic scale spellcasters may create their own spells using advancements spell who can actively resist its effects? If there is not, then the resis-
like Create Spell. Each time you take this advancement, you may tance is simply the difficulty to cast the spell (page 38). Otherwise,
invent a new spell. Here’s how that works. decide which attribute the target will use to resist; this may be armour
class, for a spell which behaves like a physical weapon, missile, or
other attack. Casting time is usually 1 action, unless the spell is com-
1. Create the Spell Concept plex, in which case you may make it 1 action per level of spell, or even
First, come up with a single phrase which describes the spell. For one turn. If you feel the spell should take longer to cast, you may be
example: “cause a natural rainstorm to turn to fire”. Check the spell looking at a ritual (pages 16 and 20).
resources you’re using to make sure your concept is unique; there are The area of effect of a spell is usually a single “target”; if the spell’s
many spells out there, so you may be able to acquire the spell — or a effectiveness is directly dependent on its effect points (like a Sleep
similar one — without using an advancement. spell or Fireball), you may consider making it an area effect (page 59)
at no extra cost. Otherwise, make sure area of effect is tied either into
the spell level, or into the creation of effects.
2. Is it a Scalable Spell? Most spell durations are either simultaneous, or 1 round per level
Looking at your concept, decide if the spell does one single thing of spellcaster. You can increase this for non-scalable or higher-level
(“makes it rain, right now”), or whether the spell’s effects are variable spells, but don’t go above 1 hour per level without requiring effect
over a given scale (“creates a violent rainstorm which may wash away points or an extended duration special effect (page 71). Lastly, spell
fortifications”). range is usually short, but you may increase it to medium for a non-
scalable or higher-level spell, or long for one that is both; alternatively,
use the cast at range special effect.
3. Figure out the Spell Level
Think about how powerful the spell is. Usually, even on a simple suc-
cess, a spell should do something comparable to a character of twice
72
ADVANCEMENT
6. Do the Research For example: let’s take our Wash Away Fortifications spell. It’s 5th
Once you’ve determined the parameters of the spell, you need to level, and scalable (+10), and has a long range, 2 steps above the base
research it. Add up the following: the spell level; +10 for a scalable short (so, +2). It lasts a number of hours equal to your level (the mini-
spell, or +5 for a non-scalable one; +1 for each range, duration, or area mum time scale needed to affect constructs — see page 62), which is also
of effect “step” above the base (given above). Total these up, and add a 2 step extension from the base duration of “rounds” (so, another +2).
them to an Average (10) difficulty. Adding this to an Average (10) difficulty gives us a total of +29, which
This number is first the number of treasure points (page 84) and means the spell will cost 29 treasure points and take 29 time periods
the number of time periods you need to spend researching the spell. (days, weeks, or even months, library depending) to research, at the end
The time period is in days if you have access to a great library (perhaps of which our magic user (let’s say it’s Xiola) will have to make a diffi-
the result of an extreme effect on an action check to find or gain access culty 29 research roll to create the spell. She’s going to be rolling at least
to a library?), weeks if you have access to a decent but average library +17 (her level + INT bonus), and may have other traits she can use or
(a major effect), or months if you are working with little or no library even treasure points she can spend to increase her chances.
at all (a minor effect or less).
The number is also the difficulty of the research roll you must
make to successfully create the new spell. You may gain a +1 bonus 7. Test it Out!
for each additional treasure point or time period you spend on the Now you have the spell, test it out in play. If there are any param-
research, up to your level. If you succeed in the roll, you create the eters which don’t work as expected, change them, subject to the GM’s
spell, and write it in your spellbook; if you fail, you must begin the approval. Of course, it may be that any shortcomings of the spell are
process again. On a simple failure, the spell is not created, but the “features”, rather than something you can fix — in which case you’re
treasure points are not lost; on a minor consequence or greater, the stuck with them!
treasure points are also lost. Any other consequences you generate also
apply; if the spell you’re researching is hazardous, the GM is encour-
aged to be inventive in deciding what the consequences entail!
73
- Chapter 6 -
Running The Game
THIS CHAPTER PROVIDES advice for game masters. Whether characters embark on impromptu quests for items they want; using
you’re using classic fantasy modules, supplements, and adventures, or treasure points, they sway the odds that such items will be theirs at
creating your own, this chapter discusses how to use the Monsters & the end of the day. Alignment Focus and Drift (page 89) give char-
Magic rules to run your old school game. acters incentives to play to and against their alignments, gaining XP
and generating cool drama.
Giving Players Descriptive Control But — hang on! Isn’t describing the world your job, as GM?
Here’s the rub: when a player starts describing elements of the world
Some parts of Monsters & Magic, like hero points (page to get a trait bonus, you may be tempted to refuse that description, or
50) and treasure points, give players a degree of descriptive even require an action check. Who says there are healing herbs in that
control over their characters’ environment, letting them forest? Resist this temptation.
specify, for example: Character traits are a deliberate mechanism to encourage players
to describe elements of your game’s backstory and environment as it
CC the consequences they incur (at the cost of a hero pertains to their characters. They unleash a whole fount of creativity
point) around your table, and support that old school feeling of open-ended
CC the effects an opponent creates (for a hero point) and limitless possibility. Is shutting down that player’s description of
CC the action an opponent switches to on a GM reaction his trait going to lead to more exciting play? If not, and the descrip-
(for a hero point) tion is at least reasonably plausible, then say yes. Your game will run
CC the contents of a treasure hoard (by spending hero and more smoothly, and your players be more engaged in their world.
treasure points)
74
RUNNING THE GAME
This section presents a lightweight and flexible framework for Between the start of an encounter and the destination you’ve
structuring encounters on the fly, with a minimum of preparation. chosen, you now create one or more steps (depending on the size of
It’s intended to be “self-generating”, providing hooks for immediate encounter you want). These steps may include:
play from the nature of the creature or NPC encountered and the
surrounding action and events. CC Planning: where the creature or NPC decides what it’s going to do.
CC Preparation: where the creature makes preparations for what it’s
going to do.
MOTIVATIONS & ACTIONS CC Initiation: where the creature embarks on its plans.
An encounter starts with a creature or NPC. Every creature or NPC CC Fulfilment: where the creature is busy carrying out its plans.
your players encounter has a motivation and one or more actions. CC Achievement: where the creature accomplishes its goals.
These can be implicit or explicit; you can make them up as you go, CC Aftermath: where a new status quo is established, and the crea-
or you can jot them down in advance. The creatures in Chapter 8: ture’s actions (and therefore the encounter) are over.
Monsters have ready-to-use motivations and actions to help you get
started right away. Depending on how big an encounter you want, you can include
A creature’s motivation is what it does, or what it’s trying to all or some of the above steps; you can begin the encounter with the
do when encountered, and why it’s doing it. Example motivations creature or NPC still at the “planning” step, or fast-forward right to
include: serve an evil master, defend its lair, hunt prey for food. A the “fulfilment” step and have the PCs encounter it in media res. The
creature’s actions describe what it does in pursuit of this motivation, dragon flying overhead may be in the fulfilment step of scouting the
and include things like: stage an ambush; taunt prey; scout an area; spy area; the orcs grunting in their forest lair may be in the planning step
and report back. of their ambush.
As we mentioned in Chapter 4: Playing the Game, when you as During the encounter, you may use GM reactions (page 46) as
GM describe an effect or a consequence, you may instead choose a triggers to move the encounter forwards through its steps, advancing
GM reaction. One example of a GM reaction is describing an NPC the plot. On a minor effect, you may flesh out or develop the cur-
or creature taking one of its actions to achieve its motivation. rent encounter step, including having a monster take an action; on a
major effect, you may describe whatever you need to move on to the
For example: the gargoyle on page 103 has three motivations: hunt next encounter step.
prey, serve an evil master, or love of torture. The example actions it Of course, the PCs’ actions may cause the steps to deviate — that’s
might take in pursuit of these motivations include ambush, kidnap lone where the drama comes in!
victim, spy and report back, and dive attack. As a GM reaction, you
may decide a gargoyle will kidnap a lone victim.
RUNNING AN ENCOUNTER
Here’s an overview of how you can use the encounter system in play.
ENCOUNTER STEPS & Remember, this is a lightweight framework intended to support your
DESTINATION GMing; don’t feel you have to follow it slavishly if you have a clear
Monster and NPC motivations can be complex: not every encounter idea of where the encounter is headed. It’s a tool, not a straitjacket.
has to be about monsters trying to kill PCs (or vice versa). Every
encounter has a destination. This is where the encounter is heading 1. Select the opposition: do this however you want to; random
when the PCs encounter it — what the monster or NPC is trying to encounter tables, local descriptions, or just pick a creature or crea-
achieve, the high-level “encounter plot” the encounter ends up at if tures if you know what you want. You can also use PC goals,
the PCs don’t get involved. Usually an encounter’s destination is linked traits, or augury-type spells to help you choose a good encounter.
to the monster or NPC’s motivation. 2. Check the creature’s motivation: motivation explains what the
creature is doing when encountered. The monsters in Chapter
For example, let’s say you’re creating a gargoyle encounter on the fly, 8 have explicit motivations; for other creatures or NPCs, look
in the heat of play. You look at the gargoyle’s stats, and read its moti- through their descriptions or use what you know about the loca-
vations. From these, you can immediately imagine 3 outcomes — 3 tion to come up with motivations on the fly. Motivations don’t
destinations — for your encounter, if the PCs do nothing. The gar- have to be complex: find food and defend my home are fine.
goyle could: devour the ambushed prey, report back to the evil leader, 3. Set the encounter destination: based on the creature’s motiva-
or finish scouting and return to its lair. tion, decide on a destination for the encounter — what is the
Let’s keep it simple, and say you choose the last of these as the desti- creature aiming to accomplish?
nation of your encounter: if the PCs do nothing, the gargoyle will finish 4. Choose steps: based on how large you want the encounter to be,
scouting and return to its lair. and on the nature of the creature, decide which steps you want to
use. If you already have a map (ie if you’re running an established
scenario), the steps tell you, the GM, what’s happening mostly
75
CHAPTER 6
off-screen while the PCs are exploring the map; if the encounter gargoyle suddenly flying off. You don’t have to make an action check; the
is a random encounter, the steps help define the plot, and the strength of a GM reaction is that you simply choose it happening. What
opposition the PCs are facing. do the PCs do next? Do they run away to fight another day — or is the
5. Select the current step: decide where in the encounter you want gargoyle leading them somewhere?
to begin (see above). This tells you how long you envisage the
encounter being, and the immediate context for actions (and You can also see the encounter system at work in the introductory
danger). scenario Silvermoon (page 112).
6. Choose an action: this is what the creature is doing right now to
complete the current step.
7. Involve the players: this depends on the action the creature is
taking; you may be rolling for surprise (page 41), or initiative
Creating the Bad Guys
(page 41), or simply describing the current encounter step when
the PCs appear on the scene. CHARACTERS MAY ENCOUNTER all kinds of adversaries, from
hordes of mooks and petty creatures who fall like sheaves before their
For example: back with the gargoyle, you decide you want a short but blades, to menacing monsters and lieutenants carrying out their evil
action-packed encounter, and start with the fulfilment step. You choose lord’s commands, to major villains and monstrous foes as strong as
the scout out area action, and ask your PCs for a Scouting check to — if not stronger than — the characters themselves. These are all
determine the starting range (page 52). Let’s say the PCs fail their check NPCs — non-player characters. This section discusses how to use
with a minor consequence; you can use this as a GM reaction, to have them in play.
the gargoyle take an action — in the context, ambush would be great!
Now, let’s say later in the ensuing combat one of the PCs fails a
roll with a major consequence. You could use this as a GM reaction HOW MUCH DETAIL?
to advance the encounter step from fulfilment to achievement. What The most important thing about NPCs is that you don’t need to detail
does that mean? Well, the encounter destination is finish scouting and them as much as player characters. In fact, unless an NPC appears
return to its lair, so you could use the GM reaction to describe the repeatedly in your game, you should just use whatever statistics you
need in play, and leave the rest undefined. For example, if you’re creat-
ing a monster for combat, you need its physical and mental hit points,
its level, attacks, and armour class, and maybe a few traits and actions
— nothing else. The statistics blocks in Chapter 8: Monsters provide
the maximum detail you need for an NPC of this sort.
Often in adventures NPCs have only a brief line of statistics — a
stat strip. A stat strip is easily accessible — you can include it in
adventure write-ups without disrupting the text. It contains the mini-
mum you need to run that adversary in context. Here’s an example:
That’s all you need to run that orc in combat, and you can impro-
vise the rest as you need (note the “C”, referring to close range).
NPCs also differ in power depending on the roles they play. There
are three types of NPC: rabble, henchmen, and villains.
Rabble
Rabble are the faceless minions you see in action movies and adven-
ture stories — the hordes of bad guys who fall before the heroes’
attacks and make them look awesome. Use the statistics in Chapter 8:
Monsters or any other classic fantasy bestiary for rabble — they usu-
ally have low hit points and attributes, and relatively low ACs. They
may whittle away the PCs’ hit points, but go down quickly once the
PCs concentrate their attacks. A fighter can usually plough through
rabble of the same level easily, and even other classes do significant
76
RUNNING THE GAME
damage. The werewolf servitors in Chapter 9: Silvermoon are exam- spellcasting checks for magic-using NPCs, or even movement
ples of rabble. checks for skittish herbivores. NPCs add their level as a trait bonus.
CC Give the NPC a 7 attribute score / -2 ATT penalty in their area
of weakness. This could be resist magic checks for superstitious
Henchmen bandits or goblins, attack checks for flight-oriented beasts, or
Henchmen are one step up from rabble; tough enough to give the PCs influence checks for gruff barbarians. NPCs don’t usually add their
a fight, and dangerous in numbers. Modify the statistics for rabble, trait bonus, unless they clearly have an appropriate action.
increasing their hit points by their Constitution or Wisdom values CC Other attributes are 10 / +0. NPCs add their trait bonus if the
(figure an average of 10 in each if not stated). Increase their levels to the GM thinks it appropriate.
PC average if they’re not already, updating bonuses appropriately, and
increase their AC by +2. Elgen the Wolf in Silvermoon is a henchman. For example, our gargoyle gets a +4 trait bonus (for its level) on
things like scouting, ambushing, terrifying people, spotting things, doing
diving charges, attacking with its claws and bite, and intimidating
Villains victims when causing them pain. The stat block on page 103 includes
Villains are your major bad guys — you have at most a handful in an its ATT bonuses, but if it didn’t (or if we choose not to use them), we
adventure, and they have a serious chance of wiping out one or more could decide it gets a +6 competency bonus on actions requiring massive
PCs. They’re the equivalent of PCs in power; give them close to maxi- strength, and a -2 weakness penalty on things requiring intelligence,
mum hit points, adding their Constitution or Wisdom score, and a willpower, or manual dexterity — with everything else getting a +0.
level at least equal to the best character level, plus one per additional
PC (a villain for a group of 4 PCs with a top level of 5 would be 8th
level). Increase AC by +4, add any level-up advancements as required, NPC ADVANCEMENTS
and flesh out their actions and special effects. You may even want to You can create higher-powered (or even lower-powered) versions of
create a more detailed set of statistics — a stat block rather than a stat monsters, reflecting their development as your campaign progresses.
strip. The sorcerer Haugaband in Silvermoon is a villain. Here are some ways to modify NPC abilities:
77
CHAPTER 6
Hazards even mental hit points, or may simply have a number of effect points
to avoid or disable, or both.
Examples: the Moonbreath (page 118); a mechanical warrior trap.
THE WORLD IS a dangerous place — and not just for the foul
monsters and evil villains inhabiting it. Deadly traps, insidious poi-
sons, dreadful diseases, and many other perils await adventurers at POISONS
every turn. In Monsters & Magic, these are called hazards. Poisons attack a character with a difficulty (page 37) representing
their virulence. Simple poisons make a single attack; complex poisons
attack again and again until thrown-off. Lethal poisons cause physical
TYPES OF HAZARD hit point damage; others have aims (page 40) which they achieve if
Hazards fall into three types: simple, which are resolved with a single the victim’s PHP or MHP are reduced to 0 or less. Consequences
check; complex, usually requiring multiple checks; and combat haz- taken reflect these aims. Here are some examples:
ards, which can make attacks and which may be attacked in turn. A
hazard usually imposes a consequence on a character; sometimes as CC Blade Venom: simple hazard (Tough (+5), lethal, physical)
simple as hit point damage, other times consequences like paralysed, CC Ghoul Touch: simple hazard (Difficult (+10), paralysis, physical)
sickened, or insane. CC Knockout Poison: complex hazard (Heroic (25), unconscious,
A character makes a check to resist a hazard; whether it’s static or mental, 1 round, 10 effect points)
rolled depends on the way you as GM describe it. Blade venom may
be a rolled attack check resisted by a character’s Constitution; knock- For example, a ghoul’s touch does PHP damage each time a target
out poison may require a character to roll CON against a Heroic (25) is touched. If reduced to 0 PHP or less, the target is completely para-
difficulty to resist. lysed. If the target takes a consequence instead of PHP damage, that
In the examples below, hazards which we suggest should be rolled consequence must describe the creeping paralysis overcoming the victim
have a difficulty modifier (Tough (+5), etc); those which a character (hands and feet are numb, I can’t move my legs, etc).
should roll to resist have a static difficulty (Tough (15), etc). Feel free
to change this depending on the context.
DISEASES
Similar to poisons, diseases include lycanthropy and the mummy’s
Simple Hazards rotting touch. They attack with a difficulty, or with a bonus equal to
A character makes a single resistance check to avoid a simple hazard’s the effect which exposed the victim to the disease (+2 for minor, +4
effects, or suffers the consequences. for major, etc). Diseases affect their victims in 2 stages:
Example: a deadfall trap.
CC Fighting Infection: when a potential victim first encounters a
disease, he must make a resistance check. If he wins, he success-
Complex Hazards fully shakes off the disease; if he loses, he contracts the disease
A character makes incremental checks (or even incremental contests as indicated. Contracting a disease may place a consequence on
— see page 49) to accumulate effect points to overcome a complex the character, or give him a temporary trait, depending on the
hazard. On a failure, the character incurs damage or a consequence. disease.
Some deadly hazards cause damage even if the character resists but CC Trying to Recover: once a disease has affected a character, he
doesn’t accumulate the required effect point total. may suffer an ongoing consequence, trait, or special or monstrous
Complex hazards have a period, showing how often a resistance effect, or the disease may act as a complex hazard, doing further
check must be made. Some complex hazards are open-ended, which damage. This lasts until the character recovers; every period, he
means the target cannot overcome the hazard without leaving its area must make a resistance check (usually a Constitution check), or
of effect; he can only resist its ongoing effect. Some open-ended haz- continue to suffer the ravages of the disease. A paladin may use his
ards become one step more difficult to resist with every period. Cure Disease ability instead of the resistance check.
Examples: an insidious disease; fire damage, drowning (open-ended).
Example Diseases
Combat Hazards There are many diseases; here are two notorious examples.
Combat hazards combine the features of simple and complex hazards,
and also of monsters. They may be detected as simple hazards, but LYCANTHROPY
may make attacks in any round a victim tries to avoid, disable, or The “werewolf disease”; characters attacked by lycanthropes risk
attack the hazard back. The hazard gains initiative if undetected; oth- becoming were-creatures themselves!
erwise the victim has initiative. Combat hazards may have physical or
78
RUNNING THE GAME
For example, Gramfive is attacked by a werewolf for 13 effect points. HEAT & COLD
As GM, you rule this causes 3 PHP damage, and an infect with lycan- Heat and cold are open-ended complex hazards; certain traits, spells,
thropy major effect. This attacks Gramfive with a +4 bonus (for the and special items may increase a character’s resistance.
major effect) every 4 hours; if it accumulates 10 effect points, Gramfive
will become a lycanthrope! CC Frozen Waste: complex hazard (Difficult (+10), lethal, physical,
open-ended).
ROTTING DISEASE
The terrible curse carried by mummies and some other undead, this
often affects tomb-robbers. DROWNING & SUFFOCATION
A character deprived of breathable air must make a resistance roll
CC Rotting Disease: complex hazard (bonus equal to effect +1d8+1, every round (usually CON) or take PHP damage equal to the con-
1 round, does PHP damage instead of accumulating effect points, sequence points. The difficulty begins at Easy (5), and increases by 1
resist with Constitution, 10 effect points to shake) step per round thereafter.
MADNESS
Madness attacks occur when something attacks a character’s mind,
The Environment
and he must resist or be driven insane. They do MHP damage, and
can impose consequences. YOUR GAME MAY take place in many different environments, from
impenetrable jungles to benighted underworlds and teeming cities.
CC Amulet of Insanity: when touched, this cursed item attacks the This section discusses game mastering aspects of those environments.
target’s mind every round. Simple hazard (Difficult (+10), mad-
ness, mental).
CC Viewing the Plane of Madness: one of the many planes of Hell, THE WILDERNESS
even viewing it can destroy a character’s mind. Complex hazard The wilderness is the world outside the dungeon and the city; haunted
(Epic (+20), madness, mental, 1 turn, 10 effect points). forests, forbidding mountains, scorching deserts, and turbulent seas.
The most important time period in the wilderness is the day. Usu-
ally characters march, ride, or otherwise travel overland or by oared
TRAPS transport for 8 hours a day, with 8 hours sleeping and 8 hours spent on
Traps are a special hazard with 1 or more parts. Simple traps act like other activities (eating, praying, practising, studying, tending wounds).
simple hazards; a character makes a check to avoid them. Remember: A character travels twice his Movement score in miles per day through
if a trap surprises a character, he can’t use his AC against it, but must clear terrain, modified by terrain and road quality as shown on Table
roll his defence instead. However, a character may detect a trap in 31: Wilderness Travel.
advance, disable it, and avoid its effects, all before the trap can directly As described on page 40, characters travelling in the wilderness
affect him. Traps can have traits, actions, and special effects. Here are must make 3 action checks per day.
some examples.
CC Blade Trap Corridor: complex hazard (Tough (15) to detect, dis- The Scouting Check
able; attacks +5 (+1d8); sever limb extreme effect, 10 effect points). This is usually a WIS check, with a difficulty as shown in Table
CC Deadfall Trap: simple hazard (Tough (15) to detect, disable; 32: Scouting Difficulties. On a failure, the PCs are surprised by an
attacks +5 (+2d6), all targets in 10ft area) encounter as described; on a success, the PCs spot the encounter at a
CC Mechanical Warrior: combat hazard (Difficult (20) to disable, distance, and may decide to avoid it (see “Starting Range” on page 52).
10 effect points; AC22 (+12); PHP 30; attacks +10 (+1d10), Scouting Check Modifiers: many useful traits apply to Scout-
2-handed sword). ing checks, including a ranger’s Woodland Lore, an elf ’s Excellent
CC Pit Trap: simple hazard (Detect 20, Disable 15, Avoid 25; fall 20ft Perception, and so on. Familiarity with the region is also helpful.
(+2d6) +2d6 spikes. See “Falling” below). Consequences like poor morale, hunger, tiredness, or being lost or in
79
CHAPTER 6
Mt. Groan
Landfall The Jewel Coast
Wood Elves of
the North
Helewend
Koth
Jungles of
Emeralds
Klath
Chand (Fire Elves)
Wegeha
0 1000
Darnish Miles
Dark Mormyr
“The Unknown” Mola Harappa
Land of the
Elephant Riders
Table 31: Wilderness Travel unfamiliar territory may provide penalties to the check. Encounters
with stealthy or otherwise hard-to-detect opponents may use their
Terrain Good Poor Roads Trackless trait bonus as a modifier to the Scouting check’s difficulty.
Roads or Trails Wilderness
Dense forest / jungle x1 x3/4 x1/4 The Navigation Check
Desert x1 x1/2 x1/2 This is usually a WIS check, with a difficulty based on the terrain’s rug-
Farmland x1 x3/4 x1/2 gedness and visibility, as shown in Table 33: Navigation Difficulties. On
a failure, the PCs become lost: they incur a consequence based on the
Frozen x1 x3/4 x1/2 consequence points, and also make no progress for the day; they must
Hills x1 x3/4 x1/2 use provisions (see below), and make a Scouting check for encounters.
Navigation Check Modifiers: Useful traits on Navigation checks
Moor x1 x3/4 x3/4
include the ranger’s Woodland Lore, the wood elf ’s Forest Child (in
Mountains x1/2 x1/2 x1/4 forests), the druid’s Nature Lore, and so on. Having a map is also
Plains x1 x1 x3/4 useful, as is a lodestone, compass, or other method of ascertaining
direction. Characters with spells like Find the Path may substitute
Swamp / Marsh x1 x1/2 x1/4
their spellcasting check for the WIS check. Penalties include: poor
Woodland x1 x1 x1/2 weather, travelling at night, or being disoriented or demoralised.
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RUNNING THE GAME
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CHAPTER 6
Increased Difficulties
possessions, and even your life in city adventures — and must use cun- On some planes, the laws of physics or magic are different; maybe
ning and subterfuge rather than force of arms to fight back. gravity doesn’t work as it should, or your senses are confused by weird
The most important time period in the city is the hour. PCs trav- dimensional excrescences or vibrations in the air. The difficulties
elling in a city may have to make Scouting and Navigation checks of some actions are increased by one or more steps; certain spells,
every hour, as shown in Table 35: City Terrain. potions, or devices may reduce or negate this penalty.
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RUNNING THE GAME
Fame & Fortune boast. Characters can even stage mental conflicts, slighting
one another’s honour by parading their fame and their oppo-
In many ways, a character’s level represents his reputation. nent’s infamy before a king’s court.
With appropriate traits, it can be used to impress, charm,
persuade, or intimidate. Characters can acquire traits describ- For example: as a fighter, Gramfive the Grim wouldn’t
ing their character’s reputations: Famed Swordsman, Legendary usually get his trait bonus when trying to sway a crowd with
Lover, or even Wanted Throughout the Known World! a speech — that’s more something Guido the bard would do.
A character can also fight conflicts based on fame, honour, However, Gramfive has just returned from the ruins of Silver-
and reputation. A ranked check (page 36) can determine who moon, having saved the village, and the villagers love him for
is the more famous; an incremental contest (page 49) in a it. The GM says “yes”, and allows him to add his trait bonus to
public boasting contest can decide who can make the greatest his CHA check.
or spell. A PC can still make an attack check to use his effect points level, using his Weapons Training trait, and adds +1 each for his Grim
in other ways — changing range, etc, or effects which can affect the Host (which gives him battle experience), Armour Training, Highly
target — but he may not use them to inflict damage or other conse- Adaptable, and Ex-Member of the City Guard of Koth traits. He also
quences to which that foe is immune. gets bonuses for his signature weapon, and also for his Love of Fight-
Immunities are usually the preserve of NPCs, possessed by certain ing Alignment Drift — he’ll take a point of Drift for this. His player
special and magical creatures. Be careful about allowing PCs immuni- describes how these traits help him, and rolls 3d6, +6 for his STR, and
ties; they can be very powerful. For that reason, we haven’t allowed a +16 for his total trait bonus. If he rolls 13 or higher, Gramfive gets to
PCs to select immunities as advancements. However, sometimes his headquarters unscathed; any less, and he takes 1d10 PHP damage,
magic items (page 86) may bestow immunities on their owners. accumulates successes, and must roll again.
If at any point the GM receives a GM reaction (page 46), she’s
decided she will advance the encounter step. When the encounter enters
MASS COMBAT the Fulfilment step, the Zaxilo Horde (statted as a construct) will attack
Character may use constructs like armies to engage in massed combat Gramfive’s army, whether Gramfive is in charge or not; at the Achieve-
actions against other armies, castles, cities, etc. PCs usually lead such ment step, it will achieve its goal of overrunning the fort.
armies, using them as constructs to act at scale (page 62).
In mass combat situations where the PCs do not control a larger
scale construct, you may describe the situation as a hazard. At its MOUNTED ACTIONS
simplest, a mass combat hazard is a simple hazard; a character must Characters may ride warhorses and similar mounts, often in combat.
succeed at an appropriate check (usually best combat ability or A mounted character uses his mount’s Movement instead of his own.
defence) against a difficulty to survive the battle unscathed. On a fail- A character with an appropriate trait (for mounted combat, etc) may
ure, they suffer damage equal to the consequence points. use his mount’s STR for melee combat actions, doubled if it’s his
To make more of the battle, especially if the PCs are trying to prime attribute and that of his mount. A mounted character uses the
accomplish some other goal, treat it as a complex hazard (page 78): worst of his Dexterity or his mount’s Dexterity in defence, unless he
the PCs must accumulate successes to get through the battle, but suffer has a trait for mounted combat, in which case he may use the best.
damage equal to the consequence points each time they fail. A mounted character may charge. He must start his attack at short
Lastly, you can structure the battle as an encounter (page 74), let- range or greater, and close to reach range to attack with an appropriate
ting the PCs make different actions as the encounter proceeds; tactical weapon — usually a spear or lance. In a charge, a character’s mount
helping actions during the Planning step, attack helping actions during makes a helping action using MOV, added to his effect points, which he
the Fulfilment step, and so on. You’ll probably roll for the opposing side must use to move into range. If the character also moves back to short
in the battle, too, perhaps even giving it a villain as the battle leader. range after attacking, he may make another charge the next round.
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CHAPTER 6
TREASURE TYPES
So What Are Treasure Points? Delving into dangerous dungeons and seiz-
ing gold, gems, and magic is a vital part
Think of treasure points like hero points; they’re something which belongs to the of classic fantasy gaming. The Monsters
player rather than the character; a resource to spend and manage, and an indica- & Magic treasure system lets you as GM
tor of how successful a character has been in his treasure-hunting exploits, and create custom treasure hoards; and addition-
how well-rewarded those exploits should be. Treasure points can be “cashed in” — ally provides an optional game mechanic to
exchanged for actual treasures, which then become the possession of the character. let your players influence what your treasure
Using treasure points in this way is an instance of ceding descriptive control hoards contain.
to your players, and may not suit your preferred style of play. As a result, it’s an Every creature in Chapter 8: Monsters
optional rule in Monsters & Magic: see “Giving Players Descriptive Control” (page has a treasure type, as do many classic fan-
74) for more. tasy monsters, which you can cross-reference
on the Treasure Table below to see what kind
of treasures it might possess. To physically
acquire an item of treasure indicated on the
table, you (or your players) must spend trea-
sure points.
Each treasure type provides a random
number of treasure points. These are an
abstract measure of a treasure’s value. When
characters find a treasure, the treasure points
it contains are divided between them. Char-
acters with treasure points may then spend
them to acquire items (or “lots” of items)
from that treasure. The items available are
shown in the Treasure Table. A lot of coins
may be 100gp or 1000cp; a lot of magic items
may be a potion, scroll, or magic sword.
If a treasure type has an entry for a lot
of coins, gems and jewellery, or special items
in the Treasure Table, you (or a player) may
spend a treasure point to declare an item
of that type exists within the hoard, within
the restrictions in the table. For example, a
treasure hoard of type “S” contains at least
2 potions, and possibly more, and maybe 1
scroll; but it contains nothing other than
potions and scrolls.
To define a treasure, proceed from left to
right in the corresponding row for the trea-
sure type on the Treasure Table below. You
must spend at least enough treasure points
to acquire the minimum stipulated treasure
lots indicated in each section before moving
onto the next. So, if you find a treasure
hoard of type D, and wish to see if it con-
tains a potion, you must first spend at least 3
treasure points — 2 to purchase two differ-
ent lots of coins, and 1 to purchase one lot
of jewellery — before you can spend up to
2 treasure points (and no more) on potions.
Players don’t have to spend all their trea-
sure points on a treasure: they can save them
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RUNNING THE GAME
up, and spend them on subsequent treasure hoards (which may have roll, plus a similar amount spent in hero points. For example, a type B
a greater likelihood of providing an item they want). Additionally, if treasure could contain up to 8 points of treasure, at a cost of 4 treasure
players don’t have enough treasure points for a given treasure, they can points and 4 hero points.
burn hero points on a 1-for-1 basis. The maximum points that can For determining the precise makeup of a lot of treasure, see
be spent on a treasure hoard are equal to the maximum treasure point “Spending Treasure Points and Buying Treasures” below.
Type Treasure
Points Coins Gems & Jewellery Special Items
*these treasure types always contain the minor treasures indicated, which don’t need to be bought using treasure points.
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RUNNING THE GAME
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CHAPTER 6
Pregenerated Treasures
Instead of letting the players spend treasure points to
influence the treasures they find, you can simply use them
to define a hoard in advance. This is a more traditional
approach to treasure creation, and gives you greater con-
trol when placing treasures which play an important role
in your adventure.
You can also use a combined approach, pregenerat-
ing one or more parts of the treasure, and giving the PCs
treasure points to define the rest. For example, if one of
your players says his character is looking for a magical
sword in a treasure hoard, and is willing to spend up to 3
treasure points, you can declare the hoard contains a +1
masterwork “Sword of Strength” which gives a +1 STR
bonus. This lets your players use treasure points to get spe-
cial items their characters will find useful, while keeping
ultimate control with you.
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RUNNING THE GAME
Found Items The difficulty of the search check to find a found item
depends on the location; it may be Average (10) or even Easy
The world is full of things — litter, detritus, possessions, deco- (5) in a market or packed storeroom, or Difficult (20) or worse
rations, equipment, paraphernalia — that can be used by PCs in an abandoned dungeon.
at a pinch to help them do things their own equipment can’t. Also, the nature of the item — how you can describe it
Found items are just such things: perhaps the normal contents — depends on the location. You’re unlikely to find a power-
of an area or chamber, or things which others have dropped or ful artefact in a village market, or livestock or fresh food in
lost, perhaps recently or long ago. They’re a way of PCs acquir- an ancient crypt. See Chapter 9: Silvermoon for examples of
ing equipment they need during play. found item descriptions.
In order to discover a found item, a player first declares the
sort of thing his character is looking for, then makes a suc-
cessful search check. On a success, the character finds an item Table 41: Found Items
which will do what he wants.
A found item acts like a special item, and may give a bonus, Search Check Result Item Found...
trait, etc. Its power depends on the effect generated on the
search roll, as shown below. By default, a found item lasts a Simple success Gives momentary advantage (+1).
single scene — long enough to use it for what the character Minor effect As a 1 treasure point special item.
needs it for. Thereafter, it’s no longer useful, or breaks, or the
Major effect As a 2 treasure point special item.
character discards it. To keep a found item, a character must
pay one or more treasure points, again as indicated below. Extreme effect As a 3 treasure point special item.
Although creating special items can be difficult, it has the advan- you describe it. It can even be used in combat — specifically mental
tage of giving access to precisely the item you want, when you want it, combat. It can be a powerful tool when describing a foe whose align-
without having to rifle through a treasure hoard to get it. ment is either very clear or obviously opposed to the PCs.
For example: Gramfive wants someone to craft a +2 magic shield For example, in climactic scenes where your evil villain is ranting
for him. He’s in the city of Koth, and has 3 gems he picked up during at the PCs, drawing on his evil nature to send them into the depths of
his last adventure. He visits an armourer in the Lower Jaw district, and despair, you can use alignment in a mental attack action. The villain
hires a 5th level armourer (a hireling — see page 70) for 125gp, and gloats, rants, brags, and so on, forcing the PCs in turn to draw on their
hands over the 3 gems (the equivalent of the 3 treasure points required own inner natures — their innate goodness (or whatever) — to resist
for the +2 bonus). and even fight back — or to pull out their swords and run screaming
Gramfive now has a +5 trait bonus. After 3 weeks (the time the GM to attack!
rules the armourer requires), Gramfive’s player rolls 3d6, +5, +1 for
Gramfive’s DEX, against a difficulty of 23, and gets a 16 — a failure
with a minor consequence! Not only has the armourer failed to craft the ALIGNMENT FOCUS & DRIFT
shield, he has also used up the magical ingredients required! Alignment Focus is a behaviour which pushes a character towards
conforming to his alignment more closely (Lawful Good: “Protect the
innocent”); Alignment Drift is an urge which pushes him towards
Using Alignment another alignment (Lawful Good: “You wish you could force people to
be good (Lawful Neutral)”). Both are described on page 26.
Alignment Focus and Alignment Drift combine features of traits
ALIGNMENT GIVES A character a moral code, and guidelines for and attributes: they have a score, indicating how great a role align-
his behaviour (page 25). It’s effectively a trait, which means it can ment plays in a character’s life, and as a trait they may be used (often
be used for a trait bonus under certain circumstances. This section frequently) for a trait bonus when a character acts in accordance with
discusses how to use alignment in play. them. At character creation, Alignment Focus and Alignment Drift
begin with a score of 0 points.
Whenever a character acts in accordance with his Alignment
ALIGNMENT CONFLICTS Focus or Drift, he gains a trait bonus and his score increases by 1
You can use alignment (as opposed to Alignment Focus or Drift point. The more a character uses his Alignment Focus or Drift, the
— see below) as a trait in certain action checks, depending on how stronger it becomes.
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CHAPTER 6
At the end of each session, Alignment Focus and Drift cancel out: demons, spirits, and so on. An alignment champion of heroic scale
subtract the smaller score from the higher. So, if a character gains 2 may spend an advancement to gain divine followers or sidekicks.
points of Alignment Focus and 1 point of Alignment Drift in a ses- When a character becomes an alignment champion, he must
sion, he ends up with 1 point of Alignment Focus and zero points of redefine his alignment focus to represent this. The table below gives
Alignment Drift for the next session. examples of these alignment champion traits, together with sugges-
If a character ever accumulates 10 points of Alignment Drift at tions of how they can be used.
the end of a session, he changes alignment to the new alignment By definition, an alignment champion has an Alignment Focus of
immediately. He gains a new Alignment Focus, based on his old at least 10. He may use his points of Alignment Focus as hero points
Alignment Drift, and a new Alignment Drift, probably (but not when describing his champion trait.
necessarily) based on his old Alignment Focus. This may force the
character to also change his character class (see pages 18 and 19, for LOSING ALIGNMENT CHAMPION STATUS
example). If an alignment champion drops below an Alignment Focus score
of 10 for any reason, he immediately loses his alignment champion
For example: after years of adventuring, Gramfive the Grim has status. Additionally, he may incur the wrath of any god or power
acquired 9 points in his Love of Fighting (Neutral) Alignment Drift. of his alignment, who may send agents of reprisal or other servitors
In a battle with some frost giants, he chases and cuts them down when to punish him for his transgressions. Regaining alignment champion
they try to flee, gaining a trait bonus for using his Drift, raising it to 10 status thereafter isn’t a simple matter of regaining the lost points of
points. In the rest of the session, he gains no points in his Defend the Alignment Focus: as GM, you’ll usually require a character to perform
Weak Alignment Focus, so at the end of the session he changes align- some kind of quest or act of atonement to restore his status.
ment. Starting next session, Gramfive will be Neutral alignment, with
a Fights All Comers! Alignment Focus, and a new Alignment Drift.
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91
- Chapter 7 -
Magic
MONSTERS & MAGIC spellcasters can use spells from any classic Some spells aren’t resisted when cast, but can be resisted later. A
fantasy spellbook with little or no modification. This chapter pro- good example is an illusion, where a spellcaster creates the illusion,
vides core spells for spellcasters of levels 1 to 4, tweaked to highlight then at some point someone comes into contact with it and tries to
how traditional classic fantasy spells can take advantage of the Effect “disbelieve” it. In this case, the character makes a spellcasting check
Engine rules. to cast the spell (create the illusion, etc), and notes down the result;
then when someone resists the spell, that target makes a Wisdom or
other appropriate resistance check against the original spellcasting
What Spells Do check result (or against a difficulty, at the GM’s discretion — see
below). This later resistance doesn’t usually dispel the original spell;
in the case of an illusion, for example, the resisting target may realise
SPELLS ARE EFFECTIVELY a limited use special action or even the illusion is not real, but the illusion still persists for the spell’s full
trait, letting you describe results you couldn’t ordinarily achieve. They duration.
have additional parameters reflecting range, duration, casting time,
and so on. When you cast a spell, you make a spellcasting check (page
38), and if successful describe the action you make with that spell, OPPOSING SPELLS
using the spell descriptions below. Sometimes you describe how one spell interferes with another, or even
Some spells represent attack actions, and the effect points they nullifies it completely, such as a Light spell overcoming a spell of dark-
generate can cause physical or mental hit point damage; they may even ness. In this case, both spellcasters make their spellcasting rolls, and
provide damage dice. Others generate effect points, which you can the one with the higher result successfully casts his spell, and the other
use to describe the effects you want, within the limitations of the spell fails. If one of the spell effects is already in existence (for example,
description. A Lightning Bolt spell may let you cause knockback or you’re casting a Light spell in an area affected by magical darkness),
knockdown, or give you an advantage over your target; a Repair spell then the GM gauges the resistance as a difficulty which your spell-
may restore a weapon broken as a consequence (removing that conse- casting roll must overcome. This may be the spell effect’s spellcasting
quence); a spell to create food or water may give you a helping bonus check result, if known (as above); or simply use the following rule of
on a Provisioning check (page 40), or even automatically succeed. thumb, figuring a +1 step increase (Average to Tough, etc) above the
Magic is meant to be mysterious, flexible, and powerful; use the usual difficulty (page 38), plus double the spell’s level (so a 1st level
spell descriptions below as springboards to your imagination, not as spell would be resistance 17 if cast in a safe place, or 27 if cast during
straitjackets. combat, etc). Feel free to adjust this as you see fit.
Note that opposed spells operate independently of classic Dispel
Magic spells.
Resisting Spells
SPELLS ARE RESISTED as detailed on page 41. Normally, targets
Spell Parameters
of a spell do not add their trait bonus to their resistance, except as
follows: HERE’S AN EXPLANATION of what the entries in the spell
descriptions below mean.
CC if the target is dodging the spell using Dexterity;
CC if the target is a spellcaster of the same type of magic as the spell; Area of Effect: the area affected by the spell; either a physical area or
CC if the target has a specific trait allowing him to resist the spell. volume of space, or a number of targets. A cone is a special area
of effect which expands outwards from the spellcaster in a single
Additionally, a magic user may resist any spell he knows (ie has in direction. Unless otherwise stated, at close range a cone affects 1
his spellbook) using INT instead of WIS. target or a 10 foot wide area; at short range, 2 targets or a 20 foot
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MAGIC
area; at medium, 4 targets or a 40 foot area, and so on, up to its Duration: instantaneous
maximum range. Note that spells of detection are blocked by 1 Resistance: as difficulty
yard of earth, 1 foot of wood, 6 inches of stone, 1 inch of metal, Area of Effect: 2 gallons / level
or a thin sheet of lead or specially enchanted material.
Casting Time: the amount of time required to cast the spell. This is You create clean, drinkable water, which falls to the ground unless
usually 1 action: the character may cast the spell and have it take placed in a receptacle. You can use this as a helping action (page 39)
effect at his initiative order in the current round. on any Provisioning check (page 40). The spell may not create water
Duration: the duration of a spell’s effect may be fixed, or may depend inside objects or creatures.
on the spellcaster’s level. Spell durations may be affected by special
effects (page 71).
Range: the spell’s base range (page 52). Special effects may increase Cure Light Wounds (Reversible)
this (page 71). Range: touch
Reversible: some spells are reversible; Cure Light Wounds has a Cause Casting Time: 1 action
Light Wounds counterpart, and so on. Check with your GM. Duration: instantaneous
Resistance: as difficulty
Area of Effect: creature touched
Clerical Spells You lay hands on a creature, and add 1d8 to your spellcasting check to
heal physical and mental hit point damage. The spell may be resisted.
The effect points indicate the points healed (or damaged by the
LEVEL ONE reversed Cause Light Wounds). A wounded character can only benefit
once from this spell; he must sustain another wound before it can be
Bless (Reversible) cast on him again. A minor effect on a Cure Light Wounds spell may
Range: medium also be used to remove a minor consequence instantaneously.
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: 1 round / level
Resistance: as difficulty Detect Evil (Reversible)
Area of Effect: 25ft radius circle centred upon target Range: short
Casting Time: 1 action
You fill your allies with courage, giving a +1 bonus when attacking Duration: concentration (up to 1 turn / level)
and resisting fear. You may affect 1 target per effect point. The spell Resistance: as difficulty
does not affect targets already in combat. The reversed spell, Curse, is Area of Effect: cone
resisted by Wisdom.
You sense the presence of evil, including evil-aligned creatures and
magic. With a simple success, you detect the presence of evil, taking 1
Command
Range: short
Casting Time: 1 action Table 44: Clerical Spell List
Duration: 1 round
Resistance: Wisdom Level One Level Two
Area of Effect: 1 living creature
Bless Augury
You give the target a single word command, which it obeys to the Command Delay Poison
best of its ability at the earliest opportunity, as long as it understands
Create Water Detect Alignment
the language and the command is clear and unambiguous. Undead
are unaffected by the spell. Typical commands include: flee, go, run, Cure Light Wounds Spiritual Weapon
sleep, stop, surrender. You may create consequences using your effect Detect Evil
points.
Protection from Evil
Purify Food and Drink
Create Water (Reversible) Remove Fear
Range: short
Sanctuary
Casting Time: 1 action
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CHAPTER 7
Resistance: as difficulty
Area of Effect: 1 cubic foot / level
Sanctuary
Range: touch
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: 1 round / level
Resistance: as difficulty
Area of Effect: creature touched
round; with a minor effect, you detect the number of sources of evil, You place the target in a magical “sanctuary”, with a resistance equal
and which is the most powerful, taking 2 rounds; and with a major to your spellcasting check result. Anyone attempting to attack the
effect, you detect the strength and location of each, taking 3 rounds. target must make a WIS action check greater than the sanctuary’s
An extreme effect tells you the exact alignment of each source of evil. resistance, or be unable to attack the target for the duration of the
spell. The target must not take any offensive action.
94
MAGIC
You create a weapon of divine energy, usually in the form of one Entangle Warp Wood
favoured by your deity, floating in mid-air up to the range away from Faerie Fire
you. It attacks as a magic weapon using WIS instead of STR, and
Pass Without Trace
does 1d8 damage, +1 per three levels. You can use your effect points
to create effects with the weapon, including moving it from one target Shillelagh
to another. Speak With Animals
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CHAPTER 7
You protect a target and his equipment from hot or cold environ- You transform an oaken club or staff which you wield into a magi-
ments (exposure, heatstroke, etc), from -50 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit cal weapon for the spell’s duration, with a bonus based on the effect
(-45 to 60 degrees C). You may create effects providing bonuses to points generated; a simple success gives a +1 bonus, a minor effect a
resist damage from heat and cold. +2, a major effect a +4, and so on.
You cause grasses, weeds, bushes, and trees to warp and twist them- You comprehend and communicate with animals, although they’re no
selves around targets in the area, holding them fast. Make a single friendlier or more intelligent than they’d usually be. Animals which
wrestling action (page 40) using WIS against all creatures in the area, are friendly will cooperate if they can.
representing the effects of this spell; this does no damage, but creates
effects such as entangled or immobilised. This isn’t an area effect; each
target is attacked. LEVEL TWO
Barkskin
Faerie Fire Range: touch
Range: long Casting Time: 1 action
Casting Time: 1 action Duration: 1 turn / level
Duration: 1 round / level Resistance: as difficulty
Resistance: as difficulty Area of Effect: 1 living creature
Area of Effect: 1 creature or object per effect point in 5ft radius
You toughen the target’s skin, giving it the appearance of tree bark. It
You cause a harmless pale glow of the colour of your choosing to gains an armour bonus based on the effect: +1 for a simple success, +2
surround and outline the targets, as strong as candlelight, even if the for a minor effect, +4 for a major effect, and so on.
targets are invisible or affected by concealment magic (such as Blur).
Affected targets can’t benefit from concealment, nor attempt to hide
or sneak. Cure Light Wounds
Range: touch
Casting Time: 1 action
Pass Without Trace Duration: instantaneous
Range: touch Resistance: as difficulty
Casting Time: 1 action Area of Effect: creature touched
Duration: 1 hour / level
Resistance: Wisdom As the 1st level clerical spell.
Area of Effect: 1 creature / level touched
Your target can move through any terrain without leaving footprints Fog Cloud
or scent. Tracking him is impossible without magic, and even then Range: medium
any effects he’s created may make that more difficult. Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: 1 turn / level
96
Resistance: as difficulty
Area of Effect: 20ft radius, 20ft high
Magic User Spells
You cause a bank of fog to billow out from the point of origin you
indicate, obscuring all vision (including infravision) beyond 5 feet. LEVEL ONE
Targets within 5 feet are considered semi-concealed (page 53); targets
beyond that are fully concealed. Any wind disperses the fog in 1-4 Burning Hands (Evocation)
rounds, depending on wind strength. Range: short
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: instantaneous
Warp Wood (Reversible) Resistance: Dexterity
Range: short Area of Effect: cone
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: instantaneous You cause flames to shoot from your hands, causing PHP damage
Resistance: as difficulty and consequences, and setting flammable materials on fire. Multiple
Area of Effect: 1 small wooden object or equivalent / level, within targets may be affected if they’re in the area of effect, in which case
20ft radius the attack is treated as an area effect (page 59).
You magically bend and warp wood permanently, causing doors to Charm Person (Enchantment)
spring open or become stuck, boats to spring a leak, ranged weapons Range: short
to become useless, or give melee weapons or wooden shields a conse- Casting Time: 1 action
quence (page 45). Larger objects may count as multiples of smaller Duration: 1 hour / level
objects: a medium object counts as 2 small objects, a large as 4; or Resistance: Wisdom
may be treated as constructs, incurring consequences and physical Area of Effect: 1 humanoid creature
hit point damage. You may cast this spell multiple times on a single
object. Its reverse, Unwarp Wood, can repair its effects. You do MHP damage, with a 1d6 damage die +1d6 per 3 levels,
making a humanoid creature regard you as its trusted friend and ally
if reduced to 0 MHP or less. The effect is negated as soon as you or
Table 46: Magic User Spell List an ally attack the target. If the creature is currently being attacked or
threatened by you or your allies, it receives a +5 bonus on its resistance.
Level One Level Two
Burning Hands Blur Colour Spray (Illusion)
Charm Person Detect Thoughts Range: short
Casting Time: 1 action
Colour Spray Hypnotic Pattern
Duration: instantaneous
Comprehend Languages Invisibility Resistance: Wisdom
Detect Magic Levitate Area of Effect: cone
Disguise Self Mirror Image
A cone of brightly clashing coloured light springs from your hand,
Feather Fall Touch of Idiocy causing creatures to become dazed, blinded, and even unconscious (as
Ghost Sound an extreme effect). Creatures which cannot see are unaffected.
Hold Portal
Identify Comprehend Languages (Divination, Reversible)
Light Range: personal
Casting Time: 1 action
Magic Missile
Duration: 1 turn / level
Shield Resistance: as difficulty
Silent Image Area of Effect: self
Sleep You can understand otherwise incomprehensible spoken or written
Ventriloquism languages; you must touch the speaker or writing. This doesn’t give
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CHAPTER 7
you the ability to speak or write yourself; merely understand. You Ghost Sound (Illusion)
can read about one page per round. You can’t read magical writings, Range: short
although you’ll understand they are magical, nor can you decipher Casting Time: 1 action
codes or riddles. Its reverse, Confound Languages, opposes the spell Duration: 1 round / level
or prevents comprehension. Resistance: as difficulty
Area of Effect: as sound
Detect Magic (Divination) You may create an illusory sound, either rising, falling, approaching,
Range: short receding, or fixed. You can make as much noise as four humans per
Casting Time: 1 action level. At the GM’s discretion, this may cause consequences or even
Duration: concentration, up to 1 round / level MHP damage to targets likely to be spooked by sudden sounds.
Resistance: as difficulty
Area of Effect: cone
Hold Portal (Abjuration)
You may detect magical auras and energies. With a simple success, Range: medium
you detect the presence of magic, taking 1 round; with a minor Casting Time: 1 action
effect, you detect how many magical sources there are, and which is Duration: 1 round / level
most powerful, taking 2 rounds; and with a major effect, you detect Resistance: as difficulty
the strength and location of each, taking 3 rounds. An extreme effect Area of Effect: 1 portal, up to 20 sq.ft. / level
tells you the magical type (illusion, druidic, etc) at the same time.
You can magically hold shut a door, gate, window, etc, whether
made of wood, metal, or stone. The portal appears securely closed
Disguise Self (Illusion) and locked, and has a magically locked type effect based on the effect
Range: personal points generated by the spell (+1 to resist breaking for a simple suc-
Casting Time: 1 action cess, +2 for a minor effect, etc).
Duration: 1 turn / level
Resistance: as difficulty
Area of Effect: self Identify (Divination)
Range: touch
You may change your appearance, including your clothing and Casting Time: 1 hour
equipment, to look 1 foot taller or shorter, thin or fat, a different Duration: instantaneous
sex, species, and so on. You must remain generally humanoid (or Resistance: as difficulty
whatever your original body shape). The spell doesn’t provide any Area of Effect: one object
special traits of the creature — just its appearance. Anyone inter-
acting with you gets a WIS resistance roll to realise it’s an illusion You can determine the magical properties of any 1 magic item. A
(page 92). simple success tells you its broad nature; a minor effect tells you its
precise effects; a major effect indicates how many charges it has; and
an extreme effect indicates any triggers. More powerful, complex, or
Feather Fall (Transmutation) magically masked items may be more difficult to identify.
Range: short
Casting Time: instant
Duration: until landing, or 1 round / level Light (Evocation)
Resistance: as difficulty Range: touch
Area of Effect: 1 medium creature or smaller / level, no more than Casting Time: 1 action
20ft apart Duration: 1 turn / level
Resistance: as difficulty
You cause any falling creature or object to fall more slowly (approxi- Area of Effect: 1 object
mately 1 foot per second), taking no damage when they land as
long as the spell is in effect. When the duration ends, normal falling You cause an object to glow like a torch, providing full illumination to
resumes, calculated from that point. Large objects or creatures count 20ft, and half illumination 20ft further (see “Visibility & Cover” on page
as 2 medium creatures. 53). The effect is immobile, but can be cast on a mobile object. A normal
light taken into an area of magical darkness does not function, but a Light
spell may oppose a darkness spell (see “Opposing Spells” above).
98
MAGIC
You fire one or more magical darts from your fingers and automati-
cally strike your target (assuming a successful spellcasting check).
You may strike multiple targets if you’re firing multiple missiles. For
each missile, add 1d4+1 damage dice to your spellcasting check to do
physical hit point damage. Every odd-numbered level, you gain an
additional missile (so, 2d4+2 (2 missiles) at 3rd level, 3d4+3 at 5th
level, and so on).
Shield (Abjuration)
Range: self
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: 1 turn / level
Resistance: as difficulty
Area of Effect: self
Sleep (Enchantment)
Range: short LEVEL TWO
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: 1 round / level Blur (Illusion)
Resistance: Constitution Range: touch
Area of Effect: 20ft diameter circle Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: 1 round / level
You do MHP damage to targets in a 20ft diameter circle, with those Resistance: as difficulty
reduced to 0 MHP or less falling into a magical slumber. You get a Area of Effect: 1 creature
1d6 damage die per level, and may continue to make mental attacks
with this spell for 1 round per level. This is an area effect. You cause your target’s outline to become blurred and distorted, con-
stantly wavering, giving the target a concealment bonus of +1 on a
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CHAPTER 7
simple success, +2 on a minor effect, +4 on a major effect, and so on. Levitate (Transmutation)
A True Seeing spell negates this effect. Attackers which can’t see, or Range: personal or short
which use other senses to attack, aren’t affected by this spell. Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: 1 round / level
Resistance: as difficulty
Detect Thoughts (Divination) Area of Effect: self, or willing subject (up to 100lb / level)
Range: short
Casting Time: 1 action You can move yourself or another willing creature or unattended
Duration: concentration, 1 round / level object up and down, up to 20ft per round. Although you can’t move
Resistance: Intelligence the target horizontally, a living target may be able to move itself in
Area of Effect: cone that direction. Attacking while levitating is automatically one step
harder.
You detect a target’s surface thoughts. With a simple success, you
detect the presence or absence of thoughts, taking 1 round; with a
minor effect, you detect the number of thinking minds and their Mirror Image (Illusion)
intelligence scores, taking 2 rounds; and with a major effect, you read Range: personal
the surface thoughts of any mind in the area, taking 3 rounds. Casting Time: 1 action
If you take a consequence as a result of this spell, you become Duration: 1 round / level
dazed or mentally shocked. Resistance: as difficulty
Area of Effect: self
Hypnotic Pattern (Illusion) You create 1d4 illusory doubles of yourself, plus 1 per 3 levels (to a
Range: medium maximum of 8), making it difficult for enemies to know which to
Casting Time: 1 action attack. The doubles mimic your gestures, and disappear when struck
Duration: concentration + 2 rounds with a physical weapon. When you’re attacked, roll randomly to
Resistance: Wisdom see which of you or your doubles are actually struck. A double has
Area of Effect: 10ft radius an armour class equal to your Dexterity score; if struck, it vanishes
immediately. A double struck by a spell, etc, appears to react normally,
You create a twisting pattern of shifting colours which fascinates any and it does not vanish.
seeing creatures caught within it, causing them to become dazed or
befuddled, or even doing MHP damage, depending on effect points
generated. This is an area effect (page 59); creatures with the fewest Touch of Idiocy (Enchantment)
levels closest to the caster are affected first. Range: touch
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: 1 turn / level
Invisibility (Illusion) Resistance: armour class (touch attack)
Range: personal or touch Area of Effect: creature touched
Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: 1 round / level You do MHP damage to a target touched, with a 1d6 damage die,
Resistance: as difficulty making it increasingly feebleminded. You may impose consequences
Area of Effect: self, or creature up to 100 lb / level affecting the target’s own mental faculties, including spellcasting
checks. Every even-numbered level, you gain an additional damage
You cause the target, including any equipment, to become invisible, die (+2d6 at 4th level, etc).
even to infravision. Invisible targets are treated as having total con-
cealment (page 53). Items dropped become visible again, and items
picked up become invisible. The spell ends if the target directly attacks
a target.
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- Chapter 8 -
Monsters
YOU CAN USE monsters from any classic fantasy bestiary in your you can subtract it from the monster’s physical defence if an oppo-
Monsters & Magic game, with little or no conversion. This chapter nent is making a touch attack (page 39).
presents some classic monsters, adapted to show how they can take Mental Defence: based on the standard Wisdom defence and WIS
advantage of the Effect Engine rules. For more on using classic fantasy modifier, for simplicity, and the creature’s level. Note that mental
monster statistics, see page 134. defence may use other attributes such as Intelligence or even
Constitution or Charisma, depending on the attack. Includes a -2
penalty for small creatures, and a +2 bonus for large ones.
Monster Statistics Movement: the creature’s movement rate (page 53) in 10-foot units,
with the MOV modifier in parentheses.
Range: the ranges at which the monster can make an attack.
HERE’S AN EXPLANATION of what the entries in the stat blocks Hit Dice: the number of d8 rolled for both physical and mental hit
below mean. points; this is also the creature’s level (also given separately in
parentheses).
Attacks: describes the monster’s main attacks, with modifiers included PHP: the monster’s average physical hit points when used as rabble
for appropriate ATT or competency modifiers (page 77) and / or (page 76); for tougher monsters, add its Constitution to this total
trait bonuses, as well as any damage dice. Damage dice gain a +2 and increase its hit points per hit die (page 77).
bonus for large creatures, and incur a -2 penalty for small ones MHP: the monster’s average mental hit points, again for rabble. For
(page 54). tougher monsters, add its Wisdom score and increase its hit points
Physical Defence (AC): includes armour class (page 35) and defence per hit die (page 77). For undead, you can’t usually do mental hit
roll modifier, including -2 penalties for large creatures, and +2 point damage unless you use the Turn Undead trait.
bonuses for small ones. Armour bonus, if any, is also included Motivation and Actions: tactical guidelines for what the monster is
separately (it’s already figured into AC and defence modifier), so trying to achieve and how it does so. Use these as traits, actions
and GM reactions, and descriptions of effects and consequences;
see “Encounters” (page 74).
Special Defences: special ways in which the monster can defend itself.
Using Actions to These may be stances, special effects, traits, or simple bonuses.
Modify Encounter Lethality Monstrous Effects: special effects the monster uses; more details may
be provided in the monster’s description.
Not every monster you encounter is hell-bent on murder.
Puny foes may be more interested in taking captives or
simply fleeing; others may want to drive you away or steal
your belongings.
The actions which creatures select (whether as actions, Keeping it Simple —
effects, GM reactions, etc) allow for many results other Monster Competencies & Weaknesses
than simply hacking and slashing. They’re also a way
of making an encounter more or less lethal, instead of Often — especially if you’re using monsters from other
“fudging” die rolls. GMs: use a creature’s motivation and classic fantasy resources — figuring out individual
its suggested actions when you want the creature to do attributes and ATT modifiers is overkill. Instead, use
something other than simply try to kill the PCs. Remem- the NPC competency and weakness rules (page 77),
ber: defeat can mean drama, too, especially when the orcs and give the monster a score of 16 (+6) in any checks it’s
kidnap one of the party for sacrifice to their bloody god competent in, a 7 (-2) on any checks it’s weak in, and
instead of slaying them out of hand! leave other checks at 10 (+0).
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CHAPTER 8
Table 47: Monster Attribute Modifiers Attributes: average attribute scores and modifiers for use in checks
and hit point calculations. One attribute is assumed to be the
Attribute Score Attribute Prime Attribute monster’s prime attribute (marked in bold), and its ATT modifier
Modifier Modifier is doubled. Monster attributes may run outside the usual human
ranges: see the associated modifiers in Table 47: Monster Attribute
0-1 -5 -3 Modifiers.
2-3 -4 -2 Size: whether the monster is small (S), medium (M), or large (L) —
4-5 -3 -1 see page 54 for more. Usually, small (S) creatures attack at hand
range (H), medium (M) at close range (C), and large (L) at reach
6-7 -2 +0 range (R), although this may vary.
8-9 -1 +0 Alignment: the monster’s alignment, used for providing colour to its
behaviour, motivations, and actions.
10-11 +0 +0
Treasure: the typical treasure type (page 84) the monster may possess
12-13 +1 +2 on its person or in a nearby lair.
14-15 +2 +4
16-17
18-19
+3
+4
+6
+8 The Stat Blocks
20-21 +5 +10
THE FOLLOWING MONSTERS are a small selection of example
22-23 +6 +12
creatures. You can find many more online, or in other classic fantasy
24-25 +7 +14 bestiaries.
Draconic
Attacks: Bite and Claw +16 (+1d8), Dragon Breath +8 (+2d6)
Physical Defence (AC): 28 (+14) (armour 6)
Mental Defence: 18 (+6)
Movement: 18 (+4)
Range: Hand, close (Bite and Claw); reach, short (Breath Weapon)
Hit Dice: 4 (level 4)
PHP: 34
MHP: 26
Motivation: Serve the dragons
Actions: Be inscrutable, do something bizarre, breathe upon foe, bite
and claw, lash with tail, pose a sudden riddle
Special Defences: Immune to breath weapon attack type (fire, cold,
poison gas, etc).
Monstrous Effects: Dragon breath (+2d6 damage or special
immolate-style effect; area effect)
Attributes: Str 23 (+12), Dex 18 (+4), Con 19 (+4),
Int 14 (+2), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 10 (+0)
Size: M
Alignment: As dragon
Treasure: Q
Draconics are bizarre humanoid creatures related to dragons. They
have scaled skin, dragon-like heads, and a colouration similar to
true dragons — red, green, blue, white, black, etc — with a breath
weapon to match. Some say they’re not true beings at all, but a mys-
tical manifestation of a dragon’s will — perhaps even its dreams!
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MONSTERS
Dragonet
Attacks: Bite +2 (+1d4-2), Sting +4 (+1d4-2 +poison)
Physical Defence (AC): 18 (+6) (armour 0)
Mental Defence: 12 (+1)
Movement: 6 (-2); 24 (+7) flying
Range: Hand (Bite); close (Sting)
Hit Dice: 2 (level 2)
PHP: 11
MHP: 11
Motivation: Protect lair, protect familiar ally
Actions: Attack with poison sting, blend in imperceptibly, see invisible
things, resist magic, share magic resistance by touch, communicate
telepathically (up to long range)
Special Defences: Chameleon power
Monstrous Effects: Cataleptic poison (simple hazard: Tough (+5),
catalepsy 1-6 days, physical)
Attributes: Str 6 (+0), Dex 14 (+2), Con 13 (+1),
Int 11 (+0), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 11 (+0)
Size: S
Alignment: N, NG
Treasure: —
Dragonets are miniature dragons, said to be the immature forms
of greater dragons. Highly magical, they’re often used as familiars
by magic users. They’re a foot or two in length, with a chameleon-
like power to blend into their surroundings. Their tail ends in a
poisoned sting.
Attributes: Str 10 (+0), Dex 17 (+3), Con 11 (+0),
Int 17 (+3), Wis 15 (+2), Cha 19 (+8)
Size: M
Dryad Alignment: N, NG
Attacks: Befuddle +10, Charm +10, Dagger +2 (+1d4) Treasure: L, X
Physical Defence (AC): 19 (+5) (armour 0)
Mental Defence: 17 (+4) These nature spirits are the protectresses of the forests, and are uni-
formly female. Each is the spirit of a single, magical tree; if that tree
Movement: 12 (+1) is destroyed, the dryad is killed. Dryads are responsible for the care
Range: Hand, close (Dagger); hand, close, reach, short (Befuddle, of the trees and other plants in their domain, but also protect the
Charm) wildlife living there. They have a complex relationship with druids!
Hit Dice: 2 (level 2)
PHP: 9
MHP: 13
Gargoyle
Attacks: Bite and Claw +12 (+1d6), Drop Rock +2 (+1d8)
Motivation: Protect home tree, protect the forest, drive away
Physical Defence (AC): 15 (+7) (armour 5)
intruders
Mental Defence: 11 (+2)
Actions: Charm interloper, step into tree, move between trees, step
out of tree, kidnap charmed interloper, know woodland, speak Movement: 9 (-1); 15 (+2) flying
woodland tongue, ask for help from animals, befuddle attackers, Range: Close (Bite and Claw); short (Drop Rock)
cut assailant
Hit Dice: 4 (level 4)
Special Defences: Vanish into woodland
PHP: 22
Monstrous Effects: n/a
MHP: 10
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CHAPTER 8
Motivation: Hunt prey, serve evil master, love of torture Giant Spider
Actions: Scout out area, ambush, kidnap lone victim, terrify, spy and Attacks: Bite +10 (+2d6+2 +poison), Web +5 (+entangle)
report back, dive attack, enjoy pain, perch unmoving Physical Defence (AC): 16 (+5) (armour 2)
Special Defences: Immune to non-magical weapons
Monstrous Effects: n/a Mental Defence: 16 (+6)
Movement: 18 (+4)
Attributes: Str 19 (+8), Dex 6 (-2), Con 13 (+1),
Int 6 (-2), Wis 7 (-2), Cha 2 (-4) Range: Close (Bite); reach, short (Webs)
Hit Dice: 4 (level 4)
Size: M PHP: 22
Alignment: CE
Treasure: C MHP: 18
Motivation: Stalk prey, defend territory
These monstrous humanoid creatures have bat-like wings, and are Actions: Spin webs, throw webs, cut off exits, run in and bite, terrify
apparently made out of living rock, which often causes them to be
prey, creep stealthily
mistaken for statues — they can perch unmoving for days on end.
Special Defences: Climb out of reach
They’re typically found in ruins or caverns. Intensely magical, they’re
Monstrous Effects: Poison (complex hazard: Difficult (+10),
nevertheless natural predators, and love to torment their prey. They
paralysing, physical, 1 round, 10 effect points), entangling web
have a rudimentary intelligence, and are often found serving evil
(area attack)
priests or sorcerers.
Attributes: Str 16 (+6), Dex 12 (+1), Con 13 (+1),
Int 1 (-5), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 2 (-4)
Giant Snake Size: L
Alignment: N
Attacks: Bite +15 (+1d6+2 +poison), Constrict +15 (+2d6+2),
Treasure: —
Intimidate +15 (+2)
Physical Defence (AC): 15 (+4) (armour 0) There is something terrifying about a spider the size of an ox-cart.
Mental Defence: 17 (+7) This one is a web-spinner, a dweller in deep forests and caves, with
a paralysing poison bite. Its entangling web monstrous effect inflicts
Movement: 12 (+1)
entangled-type consequences on its victim; this doesn’t do damage,
Range: Hand (Bite, Constrict); close (Bite)
but the spider’s subsequent attacks may use static checks while the
Hit Dice: 5 (level 5) target is entangled.
PHP: 28
MHP: 23
Motivation: Hunt prey, defend territory Hill Giant
Actions: Slither in hiding, intimidating hiss, body slam, drop on prey,
Attacks: Huge Club +22 (+2d8+2), Thrown Rock +7 (+2d8+2)
lightning bite, coil around prey (counts as move to hand range),
Physical Defence (AC): 15 (+6) (armour 1)
constrict
Mental Defence: 17 (+8)
Special Defences: Defensive bite (counts as riposte, can inject
poison) Movement: 12 (+1)
Monstrous Effects: Snake venom (complex hazard: Tough (+5), Range: Reach (Huge Club); short, medium (Thrown Rock)
lethal, physical, 1 round, 10 effect points), constriction
Hit Dice: 8 (level 8)
Attributes: Str 21 (+10), Dex 12 (+1), Con 12 (+1), PHP: 36
Int 1 (-5), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 1 (-5) MHP: 20
Size: L Motivation: Get food, defend lair, jostle for social position
Alignment: N Actions: Smash things, be cruel, throw something, search area,
Treasure: — knockback, knockdown.
Special Defences: Catch missile
Huge serpents abound in the wilderness, lairing in caves, forests,
Monstrous Effects: Smash (damages heroic constructs)
or simple hollows. Some kill by poison, others by constriction, and
others by both. A giant snake’s constriction monstrous effect inflicts Attributes: Str 25 (+14), Dex 8 (-1), Con 11 (+0),
a constricted-type consequence on its victim, then does damage, and Int 7 (-2), Wis 7 (-2), Cha 7 (-2)
may use static checks for its constriction attack every round thereafter.
Size: L
104
MONSTERS
Medusa
Attacks: Bite +6 (+1d4 +poison), Bow +5 (+1d6), Gaze +12 (+turn
to stone)
Physical Defence (AC): 15 (+5) (armour 0)
Mental Defence: 19 (+7)
Movement: 9 (-1)
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CHAPTER 8
Mummy
Attacks: Arm Bash +20 (+1d12 +rotting disease), Fear +12
(+paralyse)
Physical Defence (AC): 17 (+7) (armour 1)
Mental Defence: 21 (+8)
Movement: 6 (-2)
Range: Hand, close (Arm Bash); hand, close, reach, short (Fear)
Hit Dice: 6 (level 6)
PHP: 33
MHP: 39
Motivation: Destroy living things
Actions: Shun fire, infect with disease, pursue doggedly
106
MONSTERS
Ogre
Attacks: Great Club +14 (+1d10+2), Fists +14 (+1d6+2), Bully +14
Orc Champion
(+2) Attacks: Cruel Great Sword +10 (+2d6 or +2d8), Bully +3
Physical Defence (AC): 15 (+4) (armour 1) Physical Defence (AC): 24 (+11) (armour 5)
Mental Defence: 17 (+6)
Mental Defence: 16 (+4)
Movement: 9 (-1) Movement: 9 (-1)
Range: Hand, close (Fists); reach (Great Club); close, reach, short
Range: Close, reach (Cruel Great Sword); hand, close, reach, short,
(Bully)
medium (Bully)
Hit Dice: 4 (level 4) Hit Dice: 3 (level 3)
PHP: 26 PHP: 41
MHP: 18
MHP: 29
Motivation: Mercenary service, fond of treasure Motivation: Fight all comers, maintain dominance
Actions: Eat dwarves, elves, and halflings; bully slaves; be ill- Actions: Ambush, headlong attack, bully, torture, eat man-flesh
tempered; stop to feed; take prisoners Special Defences: n/a
Special Defences: n/a Monstrous Effects: All-Out Attack stance, Damage Focus stance,
Monstrous Effects: n/a Swinging Attack stance (page 58)
Attributes: Str 20 (+10), Dex 12 (+1), Con 15 (+2), Attributes: Str 17 (+6), Dex 16 (+3), Con 14 (+2),
Int 6 (-2), Wis 11 (+0), Cha 7 (-2) Int 9 (-1), Wis 13 (+1), Cha 9 (-1)
Size: L Size: M
107
CHAPTER 8
108
MONSTERS
make a second attack; and the same for a third attack. It may use any
unspent effect points as a bonus in a successive attack.
If a troll has lost limbs (usually through a major consequence or
above), it may make a separate attack with those limbs.
Trolls may regenerate 3 physical hit points as a minor effect on
any action. They must be burned or immersed in acid to stop them
regenerating.
Unicorn
Attacks: Hooves +9 (+1d6+2), Horn +9 (+1d8+4), Charm +18 (+2),
Intimidate +18 (+2)
Physical Defence (AC): 18 (+5) (armour 1)
Mental Defence: 27 (+11)
Movement: 24 (+7)
Range: Close (Hooves, Horn); reach (Horn)
Hit Dice: 4 (level 4)
PHP: 38
MHP: 38
Motivation: Shun contact
Actions: Sense enemy’s approach, move quietly, surprise opponent,
Troll befriend pure-hearted maiden, charge foe, cure poison on touch, be
charismatic and impressive, natural majesty
Attacks: Claw +18 (+1d6+2), Teeth +18 (+1d4+2)
Special Defences: Immune to poison, charms, and death magic,
Physical Defence (AC): 16 (+5) (armour 1)
protection from evil (as paladin)
Mental Defence: 16 (+7)
Monstrous Effects: Teleport within its home area (minor effect),
Movement: 12 (+1) charge (augmented check using +7 MOV)
Range: Hand, close (Claw, Teeth); reach (Claw)
Attributes: Str 21 (+5), Dex 15 (+2), Con 20 (+5),
Hit Dice: 6 (level 6) Int 11 (+0), Wis 21 (+5), Cha 25 (+14)
PHP: 63
Size: L
MHP: 21
Alignment: CG
Motivation: Hunt prey, defend lair Treasure: F
Actions: Unrelenting attack, sniff out foe, see in dark, use great
Unicorns are the perfect incarnation of the irrepressible positive life force
strength
of the world — they embody the powers of creation and vitality. Highly
Special Defences: Immune to fear, regenerate
intelligent and intensely charismatic, they protect places of great natural
Monstrous Effects: Attack three foes, severed limbs attack
beauty against the forces of evil and the encroachment of civilisation.
Attributes: Str 22 (+12), Dex 11 (+0), Con 23 (+6),
Int 6 (-2), Wis 8 (-1), Cha 6 (-2)
Size: L Werewolf
Alignment: CE
Attacks: Bite and Claw +12 (+2d4)
Treasure: D
Physical Defence (AC): 15 (+4) (armour 0)
Trolls are huge, hideous humanoids, with black and evil hearts. Pos- Mental Defence: 15 (+4)
sessed of a low cunning, they are 8-9 feet tall, terrifically strong, and
Movement: 15 (+2)
capable of sniffing out prey at great distances. They lash out in rapid
Range: Hand, close (Bite and Claw)
attacks with tooth and claw, and possess a frightening ability to regen-
erate wounds. Hit Dice: 4 (level 4)
A troll may attack up to three foes per round as a monstrous effect; PHP: 30
on the first attack, the troll may pay 5 effect points to immediately MHP: 18
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CHAPTER 8
Wolf, Dire
Attacks: Bite and Claw +9 (+2d4); Bloodcurdling Howl +9 (+2d4
+demoralise)
Physical Defence (AC): 14 (+4) (armour 2)
Mental Defence: 10 (+1)
Movement: 18 (+4)
Range: Close (Bite and Claw); hand, close, reach, short, medium
(Bloodcurdling Howl)
Hit Dice: 3 (level 3)
PHP: 17
MHP: 8
110
MONSTERS
111
- Chapter 9 -
Silvermoon
THIS SCENARIO IS an introduction to the Monsters & Magic DESTINATION
rules; if you’re familiar with classic fantasy games, you’ll find a lot Haugaband’s goal in Silvermoon is three-fold: he plans to attack Sta-
that’s familiar. Silvermoon is designed for a group of 4-5 beginning phollow and seize its villagers; sacrifice them at the altar of the ancient
characters of various classes, and should last for one or more sessions. moon temple, resurrecting its evil goddess; and then establish himself
as a new force for darkness.
112
SILVERMOON
THE LUNACY OF THE WITCH Step 5: Achievement: Opening the Second Seal
Mag the Witch (page 114) has been driven temporarily insane by Haugaband opens the Second Seal beneath the ruins and sacrifices
the Moonbreath, and faces an all-out attack from the fog. If the PCs the villagers at the hideous altar. The evil moon goddess returns to
visit her, they may be able to help; otherwise she falls to the fog and Silvermoon!
becomes one of Haugaband’s minions (page 115).
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CHAPTER 9
114
SILVERMOON
HAUGABAND’S RABBLE The rabble begin with a round or two of intimidate attacks, using
Haugaband’s rabble are less powerful versions of the werewolf on page effect points to change to were-form and place consequences on oppo-
109; each is level 2. They were originally local bandits and kidnapped nents before attacking physically. If attacked directly, they prioritise
villagers, transformed by the Moonstone ritual (page 120). There are changing to were-form.
at least ten of them: Draco, Zanagar, Vulpa, Tarbin, and Hugue, the
bandits; and Jerra, Maisa, Florin, Karga, and Brand, the villagers.
Haugaband’s rabble are your most flexible resource as GM; rough
and ready opposition when the PCs explore the Silvermoon ruins, but
Staphollow Village
also the first wave of any attack on Staphollow. Don’t forget fear and
mental attacks; some of the werewolves are known to the villagers, STAPHOLLOW IS A walled village of less than a hundred souls, in
and may even be loved ones! a lonely spot on the edge of the Moon Moor. It’s a village under siege:
The rabble know about Halika (page 118), and aren’t above using its lord has barricaded himself in his manor; the head of the guard is
her as a hostage if threatened by the PCs. How does Elgen react if gone, rumoured to be a werewolf; and its church lies abandoned, its
they do? cleric thought dead. Howling monsters haunt the moorlands, mur-
dering anyone straying abroad, and every night a mist descends from
The Werewolf Rabble: AC 13 (+2), MD 12 (+2), Level 2, PHP which deathly shadows snatch at the living. No one dares venture out;
15, MHP 9, Longsword +6 (+1d8) C (human form), Bow +2 (+1d6) and help seems never to arrive.
C S (human form), Intimidate +10 + numbers* (were-form), Bite
and Claws +10 (+2d4) C H (were-form), Infect with Lycanthropy
(as effect), suffering from extreme consequence: lycanthropy, LOCATIONS
immune to non-magical or non-silver weapons in were-form.
*add +1 per additional werewolf if they concentrate on a single 1. Staphollow Bridge
target (see “Strength in Numbers” on page 50). This closed roofed bridge has bolted gates at both ends. There’s a
guard here during the day.
6
8
To the
Dales 7
5
3
9
2
4
10 Fogwater
To the
Conqueror’s
River 1 River
To Koth N
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CHAPTER 9
6. The Storehouse
Dimandar Keeneye (a half-elf ) manages the emergency food store; 2. Lookout
he’s suspicious of Dedikar’s “guests”. Stores are running low, adding Haugaband mounts a lookout of one werewolf rabble guard (page
to the sense of desperation. 115) at the door to this columned chamber if he’s expecting trouble,
and up to 4 guards if he’s had time to prepare an ambush. Other-
wise it’s empty, except for one or two items in the debris (see “Found
7. Market Square Items”) which suggest recent use. A successful tracking check reveals
A meagre market takes place here every month — though the next is a trail from here to area 3; any noise alerts the giant snake in area 5.
long overdue. Found items: Difficult (20).
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SILVERMOON
10 1
3. Precipitous Plinth
Haugaband and any guards withdraw this way, using effects and con-
sequences to drive attackers into the giant snake’s jaws in area 5. The N
tumbledown walls are knee high, with a precipitous drop over 100
feet to the base of the crater wall. The footing around the walls has
been deliberately loosened; the GM may use GM reactions to expose
the PCs to a potential fall. one or more will appear. To the west, a doorway opens onto the crater
floor (area 10).
CC Avoid the Precipice: simple hazard (as concentration difficulty Found items: Average (10).
(page 37) to avoid, modified by consequences; fall 100ft (+10d6)).
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CHAPTER 9
sits in one corner, clearly recent. The guards have a rickety table and
The Moonbreath benches against the wall by the door to area 6, and a burning brazier.
Found items: Tough (15).
The Moonbreath issues from the lake in the middle of the
Silvermoon crater on nights when the moon is visible in
the sky, spreading over the moor and bringing madness 2. Collapsed Dais
and horror. This fog has teeth and claws! Parts of a dais are visible beneath the collapsed rubble, from which
emerges the torso of a huge draconic humanoid statue 15 feet tall,
CC The Moonbreath: combat hazard (Average (10) to broken off at shoulder height. Searching the rubble may find pieces;
outrun, 1 round, 10 effect points; AC 15 (+5), PHP treat these as effects on a subsequent check to identify the statue as
20; attacks Fear +5, Rending +7 (+1d4); immune to a giant Draconic (page 102). If reassembled, a ghostly procession of
non-silver or non-magical weapons; infect with lycan- draconics gathers, then proceeds through the First Seal (area 12),
thropy (page 78) as effect). down to the Second Seal (area 3 on Dungeon Level Two), where they
go through the motions of the Moonstone ritual before disappearing
through the solid wall of the seal. Witnessing this gives observers a
major effect to use when opening the Second Seal (page 120).
9. The Moonwater Found items: Average (10).
This strange, still lake reflects the full moon at night, and the Moon-
breath rises from here as the moon rises, flowing over the crater and
out onto the moor. If a character touches the icy water, he is beset by 3. Elgen’s Room
visions of grey-white wastes, churned by massive worms — a Difficult Elgen the Wolf (page 114), former weaponmaster of Staphollow, lives
(20) madness attack (page 79). here in brutal if squalid splendour, with the pick of loot and furnish-
Found items: Average (10), but you must dive into the water! ings. A brazier burns in one corner. Halika the Fair, daughter of the
innkeeper of the Moonwatch Inn, is chained to the wall, Elgen’s cap-
tive. Bruised and dishevelled, she’s otherwise unharmed — the only
10. The Silvermoon Crater person who’s been able to force Elgen to exercise some self-control.
The crater floor is like the surface of the moon; strange moonworms She’s fighting a losing battle, and she knows it. Formerly a feisty tav-
(page 106) burrow in the greyish dust, circling the lake but never able ern-girl, she’s terrified, but likely to find courage if presented with
to touch it. a way out. Treat her as a 0-level NPC (page 77); PCs can get a trait
Found items: Average (10), but you disturb a moonworm. bonus by appealing to her when interacting with Elgen. In addition
to Elgen’s gear, there are 4 treasure points of type D here (page 85).
Moonworm: AC 15 (+5), MD 15 (+5), Level 3, PHP 20, MHP Found items: Easy (5).
14, Bite +8 (+1d6+2) H C, Slam +8 (+1d8+2) R, Size L.
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SILVERMOON
9. Treasure Store 12
The secret door to the north is a pivoting section of stone wall hidden
behind one of Haugaband’s wall-hangings, Difficult (20) to detect. 11 9
Behind lies his treasure: 8 treasure points of type F, including an Feet 10
arcane, draconic-looking magical weapon (+1 to hit) usable by one 0 20
of the PCs. 8
Found items: none.
Found Items 6
Found items on Dungeon Level One are things belonging
to Haugaband or his minions, perhaps found here origi-
nally, or brought from outside. Here are some examples:
1 2
CC food
CC beer or wine
CC fire-making gear 3
CC rope
CC blankets 4
CC coins 5
CC an ancient draconic coin
CC a battered piece of ancient jewellery with dragon or bat
and moon motifs
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CHAPTER 9
2. Secret Room
Haugaband doesn’t know about this ancient hidden chamber. It has
the aura of an evil chapel — crystals representing the moon and stars
12. The First Seal glint in the vaulted ceiling. The walls are covered with glyphs and
This chamber is different from the rest of this level; gone are the diagrams explaining how to open the Second Seal (area 3); it’s a Tough
draconic motifs, replaced by something decidedly inhuman. Mono- (15) check to decipher, but any effect can be used when opening the
lithic stones make up the walls of this half-moon-shaped room, Second Seal.
deeply incised with indecipherable glyphs, and a Tough (15) lore Found items: none
or deciphering roll identifies images representing a mist rising from
the earth towards the moon — the Moonbreath! In the north wall,
an 8ft by 8ft area of wall is outlined by broken plaster and carved 3. The Second Seal
with images of terrible bat-like demons. It’s a secret door which is no This concave niche is inset with a circle of strange stone — the
longer very secret (Average (10) to discern), and which is still highly Moonstone — which glows with moonlight, reflecting its phases
magical — the First Seal. Any non-evil character passing through the in the surface world above. The stone is surrounded by ancient sigils
doorway must make a Tough (15) CON check or suffer magical PHP (Difficult (20) to decipher) explaining part of a ritual to transform
damage equal to the consequence points. people standing before it into lycanthropes. The ritual isn’t com-
plete — you need the writings in Haugaband’s grimoire (area 8 on
Dungeon Level One) to perform it correctly. Taken together, any
13. The Stair spellcaster can perform a ritual or ceremony “infecting” one or more
Once through the First Seal, this stair leads to area 1 on Dungeon Level targets with lycanthropy as a werewolf attack (page 109); this is an
Two. The steps are weirdly spaced and the wrong height for human area effect.
legs, making attempts to move quietly one step more difficult (+5). The Second Seal is also a door; it’s Tough (15) to work this out.
It’s complicated to open, and fiendishly trapped; anyone touching it
must make an action check (based on whatever they’re doing), and
Dungeon Level Two suffer MHP damage equal to any consequence points as the lambent
magical moonlight saps their mind. It’s a Tough (15) simple action to
detect this trap; again a failure causes the damage.
DUNGEON LEVEL TWO is much older than level one, with an To open the door, the ancient magic sealing it must be “unrav-
inhuman feel. The doors are too wide, a bit squat, the ceilings a little elled”. This is a Difficult (20) incremental action, requiring 10 effect
too low. Everything is blocky and bulky. Any secret doors are low, points; any failure again does MHP damage as the door is touched.
wide-swinging walls of thick unworked stone. There’s a feeling of The unravelling character may use any appropriate spell of opening,
foreboding and ancient evil — treat it as an Unholy and Intimidating or a “magical trap disarming” trait, or an effect gained from decipher-
location trait (page 82). ing the glyphs and diagrams in area 2.
Found items: Difficult (20).
LOCATIONS
4. The Black-Winged Guardians of Forever
1. Antechamber The area beyond the Second Seal is as stale as a tomb; it hasn’t been
This crypt-like vaulted chamber once had a dozen skeleton guardians. penetrated for centuries. The walls are covered with frescoes of endless
Haugaband dispatched all but four forcing his way to the Second Seal. processions of slaves, servitors, and demons, converging on the two
The chamber is lit by haunting “moonlight” from the Second Seal (see double doors to the south. There are 4 hideous undead; one before each
120
SILVERMOON
7
of the 2 secret doors (Difficult (20) to find), and 1 each by the double
doors. They’re hulking brutes; zombie ape-men with bat-like wings!
8
Found items: Difficult (20). 12 11
Bat-winged Ape-men Zombies: AC 12 (+2), MD 12 (+2), Level 9
2, PHP 9, MHP 9, Clawed Wings +6 (+1d8) R C, Fear +10 C R
S, Act Last.
5. Secret Room
Benches and stone pegs on the walls are the only clues that this was
once a robing room before entering the Pit of Night (area 8). Perish-
able items (including robes) have long since rotted away, but other 8. The Pit of Night
accoutrements like clasps, headdresses, etc, can still be found. A pit of darkness surrounded by a low wall occupies the southern
Found items: Average (10). alcove. It appears unfathomably deep, although in reality it’s only 20
feet; the reason for this is that the pit is the body of a Black Moon
Elemental. Anyone entering the pit who isn’t a worshipper of the evil
6. Secret Room to the Secrets of Darkness moon is “judged” by the elemental; treat this as a +10 mental attack.
Superficially similar to area 5, there’s a second secret door in the oppo- Anyone climbing up or down the pit who is judged must make a
site wall, a “short cut” to the Fane, avoiding the Pit of Night. The Tough (15) DEX roll or fall 20 feet (page 79) to the floor of area 9.
secret door opens 15 feet above the floor of area 10; whoever pushes The Black Moon Elemental can be attacked by high-level magic, but
the door open must make a Tough (15) DEX check to not stumble also by light, such as lanterns, torches, and Light spells.
through and fall to the floor below.
Found items: Average (10). CC Black Moon Elemental: combat hazard (Heroic (25) to dispel,
10 effect points; AC 15 (+5); PHP 30; attacks Judge +10; injured
only by light).
7. Treasure!
This chamber is a stark contrast to what has gone before; a verita- Found items: none.
ble treasure hoard, filled with precious items and gems — magically
untarnished silver, platinum, lapis lazuli, alabaster. All the items
are temple paraphernalia; sceptres, orbs, ankhs, headdresses, staves,
thuribles, censers, ceremonial flails, and more. There are also several
caskets of ancient coins. These are a treasure of type W (page 85).
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CHAPTER 9
CC The Urge to Know: simple hazard (Difficult (20) to resist the urge
to sit in the throne or open the sarcophagus).
The throne represents regret — not being able to have what you
can see before you. A PC sitting in the throne must face all his regrets,
or stare fixedly at the Moonstone, which lets him forget them. This
is a combat hazard: on a success, you must either forget a single trait
or flaw, or gain a The Moon Fills Me With Regret trait; on a failure,
the PC incurs consequences forcing him to gaze at the moon (or the
Moonstone) (and on a complete defeat, he does just that!).
122
SILVERMOON
123
RULES SUMMARY CC Picking Pocket: roll DEX vs Wisdom. May be combined check.
CC Provisioning Check: roll WIS vs difficulty.
CC Scouting Check: roll WIS vs difficulty.
CC Tripping Someone: roll DEX vs Dexterity.
CHECKS & DICE ROLLS CC Shooting Bow: roll DEX + weapon damage die vs armour class.
Action check: doing something. Physical attack.
Resistance check: resisting something happening to you. CC Terrifying Someone (Fear Attack): roll STR, CHA, or INT vs
Ranked check: working out who does something best. Wisdom. Mental attack.
CC Wrestling Someone: roll STR vs Strength, Dexterity, or even
Roll 3d6 + ATT modifier (+ trait bonus) Constitution.
OR
KEY RESISTANCES
attribute score + trait bonus (static check) CC Defending in Combat: armour class (Dexterity + armour
bonus) or roll DEX + armour bonus.
Compare this to a resistance: CC Resisting Spell: Wisdom or roll WIS.
CC Resisting Poison: Constitution or roll CON.
Action check >= resistance: success, effect points equal to excess.
Action check < resistance: failure, consequence points equal to
shortfall. CONCENTRATION
RESISTANCES DIFFICULTIES
CC a check (usually static, sometimes rolled); Safe place, plenty of time: Average (10).
CC or difficulty (fixed number). Hazardous place: Tough (15).
Immediate danger (combat, etc): Difficult (20).
TRAIT BONUSES
CC for each trait you describe, you get a bonus. ROUNDS & TURNS
CC first bonus equals your level. 1 round (combat round) = 1 minute.
CC each additional trait gives a +1. 1 turn = 10 combat rounds.
CC maximum trait bonus: level x 2.
STANCES
KEY ACTIONS CC All-Out Attack: +level x 1/2 to attack checks; act last; -level x
CC Attacking Someone in Melee: roll STR + weapon damage die 1/2 defence penalty.
vs armour class. Physical attack. CC Damage Focus: roll damage die twice and use higher; act last;
CC Casting Spell: roll INT or WIS vs difficulty + spell level or on failure, incur minor consequence+.
Wisdom / Dexterity, whichever is higher. CC Stalwart Defence: +4 defence bonus in combat; lose ATT bonus
CC Finding Hidden Things: roll WIS vs difficulty or Dexterity. to attack actions.
CC Giving First Aid: roll WIS vs difficulty; heal 1 physical or CC Steady Aim: 2 rounds to make ranged attack; double trait
mental hit point + 1 / 5 effect points. bonus.
CC Helping or Hindering: roll WIS vs Average (10) or resistance;
use effect points as bonus.
CC Hiding or Sneaking: roll DEX vs difficulty or Wisdom. CONFLICT ACTION SUCCESS
CC Intimidating Someone: roll STR, INT, or CHA vs Wisdom. CC Do damage equal to effect points, up to max. weapon damage
Mental attack. die + level, or ATT + level for mental attack.
CC Making Camp: roll WIS vs difficulty. CC Create effect on yourself.
CC Making “Touch Attack”: as a melee attack, but ignore armour CC Create negative effect (consequence) on someone else.
bonus in resistance. CC You decide on nature of effect (but see Hero Points).
CC Navigation Check: roll WIS vs difficulty.
CC Persuading / Charming: roll CHA vs Wisdom. Mental attack.
124
CONFLICT ACTION FAILURE HEALING
CC Incur consequence. Heal 1 PHP and 1 MHP per day in decent lodging or camp.
CC Your opponent decides on nature of effect (but see Hero Points). Minor effect: lasts several hours.
Major effect: lasts several days.
Extreme effect: lasts several weeks.
USING EFFECT POINTS
0 ep: momentary advantage +1 next check.
DAMAGE
1-4 ep: momentary advantage OR damage equal to ep. 0 PHP: unconscious until end scene, then 1 PHP.
< 0 PHP: unconscious and bleeding out, losing 1 PHP / round until
5 ep: MINOR EFFECT dead / stabilised.
CC +2 bonus / -2 penalty; <= -10 PHP: dead.
CC remove minor effect;
CC move 5 feet / 1 range band (may engage / disengage); 0 MHP: incapacitated; no actions; can defend / stagger away.
CC dismount horse, or mount if not engaged; < 0 MHP: unstable; no actions / defences; lose 1 MHP / round
CC sheath / draw weapon; until defeated / stabilised.
CC use up minor resource (arrow, charge, dropped item, single use <= -10 MHP: defeated.
of adventurer’s gear / potion);
CC change stance;
CC GM reaction: advance encounter step / describe monster action. HERO POINTS
CC choose consequence opponent imposes on you;
10 ep: MAJOR EFFECT CC choose consequence you incur on failure;
CC +4 bonus / -4 penalty; CC use as treasure point;
CC remove major effect; CC regain PHP / MHP equal to hit die;
CC move 2 range bands; may disengage / engage; CC add +1 ep when you’re 1 ep from an effect;
CC mount horse if engaged; CC make static check when normally impossible.
CC use up major resource (spell, swords, shield, lockpicks, staff,
spellbook);
CC GM reaction: move onto next encounter step. AFFECTING LARGER &
SMALLER TARGETS
15 ep: EXTREME EFFECT Physically affecting larger target: -2 AC / defence, -2 effect points
CC +6 bonus / -6 penalty; if you hit.
CC remove extreme effect; Physically affecting smaller target: +2 AC / defence, +2 effect
CC disable special effect. points if you hit.
125
TM
NAME PLAYER RACE
TRAITS EFFECTS
Minor (+2)
Major (+4)
Extreme (+6)
CONSEQUENCES
Minor (-2)
Major (-4)
Extreme (-6)
OTHER ADVANCEMENTS
Treasure Points
Focus:
Drift:
Goal:
Wt. carried: Encumbrance:
Monsters & Magic © 2013 Mindjammer Press Ltd. http://mindjammerpress.com/monstersandmagic. Permission granted to copy for personal use only.
Human Traits Elven Traits Dwarven Traits
CC Highly Adaptable. All elves get the following traits: CC Stonecraft: understand mining,
CC a cultural trait, such as Open- hewing stone, and building stone
Minded, Warlike, Cosmopolitan CC Graceful and Mysterious: you’re slender structures.
CC a background trait, such as Herbalist, and almost magically attractive. CC Stonesense: instinctively know
City Boy, Apprentice. CC Excellent Perception: easily spot how far underground you are,
CC Quick Learner. hidden things like secret doors and whether you’re going up or down,
people hiding, and hear small sounds and identify pit-traps and falling
and see at great distance. masonry.
CC Speak Elven: in addition to the CC Speak Dwarven: in addition to
Common tongue. You may learn one the Common tongue. You may
additional language per point of INT speak one additional language from
bonus. Orcish, Goblin, and Kobold per
CC Extremely Long-lived: you live point of INT bonus.
hundreds of years, and may be CC Hard as Granite: you’re highly
immortal. Your character may still be resistant to poison and magic.
young, but older than any human. CC Hammer Kenning: you have a
CC Infravision: see in the dark up to 60ft. natural proficiency with hammers.
CC Resist Charm: you’re highly resistant CC Infravision: see in the dark to 60ft.
to Sleep and Charm spells. CC Drawn to Treasure: you love —
CC Elf Weapons: you have a natural often covet — gold and gems, and
ability with longswords and bows. have an uncanny ability to find
Halfling Traits
CC Small and Stealthy: adept at sneaking, Wood elf characters get the following
them.
CC
treat you as a child!
Hardy: naturally resistant to poisons,
CC Forest Child: you’re at home in
forests.
CC
charms, influence, and magic.
Speak Halfling: in addition to the
CC Find Healing in Beauty: recover from
wounds by contemplating beauty.
Common tongue. You may speak one
additional language per point of INT High elf characters get the following
bonus from: Elven, Dwarven, Orcish, additional traits:
Goblin.
CC Homeloving: you have a natural CC The Rising of the Dark: you’re
understanding of gardens, cooking, troubled by the rising evil you see all
livestock, and pipeweed.
CC Prodigious Appetite: yes, you do eat CC
around.
From an Ordered Society: you
that many breakfasts. like things to be structured and
disciplined.
130
Table 13: Ranges Table 15: Cover Bonuses
Range Description Type of Half-cover Full Cover Examples
Cover Bonus Bonus
Hand You’re mere inches — or less! — from your
opponent. You may be grappling, hanging round Light +2 +5 Thin wood, plaster,
your opponent’s neck, or otherwise in physical cover undergrowth, branches
combat. It’s almost impossible to bring to bear
Medium +5 +10 Thick wood, thin
anything larger than a knife. Natural weapons like
cover brick or stone
teeth and claws are perfect at this range.
Heavy cover +10 +20 Thick stone, metal
Close Standard combat range — a few feet, enough to jab
with a sword or slash with an axe, or lash out with
teeth and claws.
Reach You’re circling your foe, but too far away to easily
make contact. If you have a long spear, polearm, or
great sword, then you can attack, but otherwise you
need to move to close range to be effective.
Short You can throw something at this range, or shoot a Table 16: Encumbrance
missile weapon, but melee weapons are ineffective.
You’re probably twenty or thirty feet from your Encumbrance Armour Worn Maximum
opponent. This is usually the maximum range for Movement
intimidation and fear attacks.
Unencumbered None, Light 12 (+1)
Medium You can see your opponent clearly, and you can
shout to one another, but otherwise your only Lightly encumbered Medium 9 (-1)
contact is missile weapons — you’re too far to even Heavily encumbered Heavy 6 (-2)
throw things at one another. You’re probably a
hundred or more feet apart. Over-encumbered — 3 (-4)
Long Now it’s getting silly. You can just about hear one
another if you scream, but, unless you’re a really,
really good shot, even missile weapons are going to
be a wild stab in the dark. You’re probably several
hundred feet apart.
Out of Range This is what it says — you can just about see one
another if visibility is good, but otherwise you can’t
Table 17: Movement
affect one another. This range is the maximum
possible distance for an encounter. Movement Distance
per Point
Moved
of Notes
Type Movement
Outdoor 2 miles per day Assumes 8 hours
Table 14: Maximum Encounter Range movement walking per day
Mapping 10 feet per Mapping,
Conditions Maximum speed 10-minute turn checking for traps, etc.
Encounter Range Cautious 10 feet per round If unengaged in combat
walk
Outdoors, by day, good visibility, Out of range
no obstructions. Normal 20 feet per round Imposes a minor consequence
walk on non-movement actions
Outdoors, poor visibility or obstructions Medium
Run 50 feet per round Imposes a major consequence
Outdoors, at night Short
on non-movement actions
Indoors, vast space like cathedral Medium
Sprint 100 feet per round Imposes an extreme
or huge cavern
consequence on non-
Indoors, chamber, tunnel, or corridor Short movement actions
131
Table 18: Distances Moved Table 19: Experience Points
Movement 12 (+1) 9 (-1) 6 (-2) 3 (-4) Level Experience Points (XP)
Required
Outdoor (miles / day) 24 18 12 6
1 0
Mapping (feet / turn) 120 90 60 30
2 2000
Cautious (feet / rd) 120 90 60 30
3 4000
Normal (feet / rd) 240 180 120 60
4 8000
Run (feet / rd) 600 450 300 150
5 16000
Sprint (feet / rd) 1200 900 600 300
Double for each level to 512,000, then
Per level thereafter
+500,000XP per level thereafter.
132
Table 31: Wilderness Travel Table 34: Provisioning Difficulties
Civilised lands Average (10) Civilised encounter for Tenderloin Difficult (20) Difficult (20) Thief, mugging,
terrain type. street gang.
Wilderness Tough (15) Uncivilised / wilderness Merchant’s Average (10) Tough (15) Hawker,
encounter for terrain type. Quarter pickpocket,
street walker.
Uncharted Difficult (20) Uncharted / dangerous lands
encounter for terrain type. Palace Quarter Average (10) Average (10) Guard,
aristocratic
*the specific encounter may be chosen by the GM, or rolled on a bully, courtly
random encounter table, etc. intrigue.
133
Using Classic MOVEMENT
Monsters & Magic takes a relaxed approach to movement, focus-
Fantasy Material sing more on relative positioning and engaged / unengaged status as
opposed to precise foot-by-foot positioning. Old school movement
rates can be used more or less unchanged; movement in “squares” (ie,
THERE’S A WEALTH of classic fantasy material written over the “6 squares”) can be doubled to give your Monsters & Magic move in
forty-year history of roleplaying games which can be used with Mon- 10-foot units; and movement in feet (ie, “30 feet”) can be doubled to
sters & Magic with little or no conversion. Generally speaking, the give your Monsters & Magic movement in feet.
more tolerant you are for an approximate fit, the less you need to do.
Here are some ideas.
HIT DICE
Classic fantasy monster stats usually indicate a number of hit dice;
DIFFICULTIES & RESISTANCES this gives you the creature’s level. Use this as a trait bonus for checks
More recent classic fantasy material uses “difficulty levels” or “dif- the monster is proficient in; a carnivore adds to attacks; a herbivore to
ficulty classes”; you can generally use these without change as the running away, and so on.
resistance you’re aiming to beat. This also goes for armour class,
although you may want to increase them for dextrous or competent
foes (see “Monsters” below). MAGIC ITEMS
For old school material which uses descending armour classes Use classic fantasy magic items as-is. Check out the Special Items
(starting about 9 or 10 and counting downwards), you can simply section (page 86) for cool extra things you can do with magic items.
subtract the armour class from 20 for a rough Monsters & Magic
equivalent. If you want a greater degree of accuracy, you can calculate
armour classes from scratch using the guidelines on page 35. MONSTERS
Use classic fantasy monsters pretty much as-is. Use the monster’s
description to derive some cool motivations, actions, and special effects.
SAVING THROWS You can “reverse engineer” a monster’s attributes if you want to, or
When a classic fantasy adventure asks you to “Save vs Poison”, etc, just use the competency rules (page 77).
it’s just asking you to make a resistance check. Do this based on how
you’re describing your resistance; usually, for example, a “Save vs For example, a Gargoyle is level 4, with an AC of 15. We imagine it
Poison” is about your body’s ability to resist pain or a poison’s other has pretty tough skin — maybe 4 points. Adding 4 + 4 and subtracting
effects, so a CON resistance check is appropriate. A “Save vs Dragon it from 15 leaves 7, which in Monsters & Magic terms indicates its
Breath” is probably a dodge, so that’s a DEX check, perhaps including Dexterity. That sounds about right.
your armour bonus. Dexterity 7 gives the gargoyle gets a -2 modifier, so its rolled defence
Most resistances should be at least Tough (15) — the point is that would be: DEX -2 + level 4 + armour 5 = +7.
they’re a threat. On top of that, you can increase them by either the That means our Gargoyle’s defence notification would be “15 (+7)”,
average PC level, or by the level of an agent (an NPC or monster) meaning you can roll 3d6+7, or assume a fixed AC of 15.
behind the threat. For more detail, you can improvise: for a “Save
vs Dragon Breath”, for example, you might want to roll the dragon’s Most classic fantasy monsters equate to Monsters & Magic rabble
actual attack, and have the victim roll his DEX resistance to dodge. when used unchanged: they’ll go down fast before a competent fighter
of equivalent level. Usually this is fine; but, if you want to give the
monster a greater chance of survival — for example if it’s supposed to
SPELLS play an important role in your scenario — you can stat it as a hench-
You can pretty much use the spells from your classic fantasy spellbook man or even a villain (page 77).
as-is. Remember to always require a spellcasting check: this gives you
effect points to use to derive Effect Engine effects from the textual
description of the spell — maybe doing damage, causing confu- TREASURE
sion, knockback, disarms, etc. Remember, too: the Effect Engine is Classic fantasy adventures usually specify monster treasures in detail.
designed so that spellcasters can describe what their spells do, then You can use these as-is, or you can roll dice to generate treasure points
use the rules to work out what effects that has. The spellcaster’s level as described on page 84. Perhaps the best option is a compromise: roll
and attributes plus the spell level and difficulty will restrict how many treasure points, but cherry-pick the coolest items from classic fantasy
effect points you get, and therefore the extent of the spell’s effective- hoards and either let the PCs buy them with treasure points or pro-
ness in numeric terms — the description you place on top of that is vide them up front at no cost.
where you can express the coolness of the spell.
134
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136
Index Cleave
Cleric
47
15
Encounters
Range
74-76; 81
54
Cleric Spells 93 Steps 75
Coins 29, 86 Encumbrance 29, 53
A Combat Hazards 78 Engagement 41
Action Checks 35, 43 Combined Checks 49 Epic Constructs 66
Actions 38 Complex Hazards 78 Equipment 29-33
Adding New Spells 59 Concentration Difficulties 37 Depletion 29
Advanced Actions 82 Conditions 52 Example of Play 54
Advancement 56 Conflicts 40 Constructs 68
Alignment 25-26; 89-90 Consecutive Attack 47 Experience Points (XP) 56, 90-91
Alignment Champions 90 Consequences 45 How to Award 90
Alignment Conflicts 89 Duration 48 Extended Duration 71
Alignment Drift 26, 82, 89 Constitution 9 Extreme Consequence 45
Alignment Focus 26, 89 Constructs 62-68 Extreme Effect 45
Alignment Tongues 58 Construct Advancements 68
All-Out Attack 42 In Play 68-69
Alternative Spell Loss System 16 Cover 53 F
Armour 33, 53 Creating Characters 7-28 Falling 79
Armour Bonuses 37 Creating New Sub-Classes 60 Fame & Fortune 83
Armour Class 35 Creating Special Items 88 Fear Attacks by Undead 107
Assassin 23 Creating the Bad Guys 76 Fighter 18
Attributes 8 Creating Your Own Special Effects 59 Finalising Your Character 24
Attribute Modifiers 8, 102 Creating Your Own Spells 72 Finding Hidden Things 38
Awarding Hero Points 91 Creating Your Own Traits 57 First Aid 38, 46
Cultural Traits 13 Flaws 57
Currency 29 Followers 70
B Food, Drink, & Lodging 31
Bard 23 Found Items 89, 117, 119, 121
Berserker 61 D
Broad & Narrow Traits 58 Damage 49
Damage Ally 47 G
Damage Dice & Armour Bonuses 37 Gems & Jewellery 86
C Damage Focus 42 General Equipment 30
Casting Spells at Range 71 Default Stance 42 Giving Players Descriptive Control 74
Ceremonies 16 Defending in Melee Combat 41 GM Hero Points 77
Changing Range 52 Describing Consequences 45 GM Reactions 46
Characters 7-28 Describing Effects 45 Gnomes 12
Character Background 13 Describing Failure 46 Gods and Demigods 17
Character Classes 14 Describing What You’re Doing 11 Gramfive’s Saga 10, 14, 24, 28
See also Classes Dexterity 8
Character Concept 8 Difficulties 37, 82
Character Creation Checklist 7 Diseases 78-79 H
Character Scales 26 Lycanthropy 78 Half-Elves 13
Character Sheet 7 Rotting Disease 79 Halflings 12
Character Sheet Custom Box 14 Distance Moved per Point of Movement 53 Half-Orcs 13
Character Traits 13 Divine Servitors 90 Hazards 78-79; 82
Charges 87 Doing Damage 43 Diseases 78
Charisma 9 Drowning & Suffocation 79 Drowning & Suffocation 79
Checks & Dice Rolls 35-36 Druid 16 Falling 79
Action Checks 35, 43 Druid Spells 95 Heat & Cold 79
Combined Checks 49 Duration of Effects 48 Madness 79
Incremental Checks 48 Dwarves 12 Poisons 41, 78
Ranked Checks 36 Traps 79
Resistance Checks 35 Healing 50
Static Checks 6, 36 E Heat & Cold 79
Chronicles of High Fantasy 10 Effect Engine 4; 35-55 Helping or Hindering 39
Classes 14-24 Effect Points 43 Henchmen 77
Bard 23 Effects and Consequences 37, 44-48 Hero Points 5, 50, 51, 77, 91
Cleric 15 Duration 48 Awarding 91
Fighter 18 Examples 46 For GMs 77
Magic User 20 Removing 48 Heroic Constructs 66
Thief 22 Elves 11 Hiding & Sneaking 39
137
Higher-level Effects 45 Medusa 105 Elves 11
High-Level Play 62 Minotaur 106 Gnomes 12
Actions & Effects 62 Moonworm 106 Half-Elves 13
Scale 62 Mummy 106 Halflings 12
Hirelings 70-71 Ogre 107 Half-Orcs 13
Hit Points 27 Orc 107 Humans 10
How To Award Experience Points 90 Skeleton 108 Range & Movement 51-52
Humans 10 Troll 109 Changing Range 52
Unicorn 109 Ranged Weapons 32
Werewolf 109 Ranger 19
I Wight 110 Ranked Checks 36
Illusionist 21 Wolf, Dire 110 Regaining Hero Points 51
Immunity 82 Zombie 111 Removing Effects & Consequences 48
Improvisation 74, 77 Morale Rating 65 Resistance Checks 35
Incremental Checks 48 Motivations & Actions 75 Resisting Spells 41, 92
Incremental Contests 49 Mounted Actions 83 Resisting Poison 41
Initiative 41 Movement 51-53 Results 42
Intelligence 9 Multi-Class Characters 59 Riposte 47
Intimidating Someone 39 Mythic Constructs 67 Rolling a Negative Number 43
Rotting Disease 79
Rounds & Turns 41
L N Running the Game 74-91
Languages 57 Navigation Check 80, 82
Legendary Constructs 67 NPCs 76
Levelling Up 56 Advancements 77 S
Levels 25 Henchmen 76 Saying “Yes” 74
Location Traits 82 Rabble 77 Scale 6, 62, 72
Losing Alignment Champion Status 90 Villains 77 Scouting Check 79, 82
Lycanthropy 78 Shooting a Bow 39
Sidekicks, Followers, & Hirelings 70
O Signature Items 26, 59, 86
M Old School Renaissance 3 Silvermoon 112-123
Madness 79 Open Hand Damage 18 Simple Hazards 78
Magic 21, 92 Opposing Spells 92 Size 54
Magic, Clerical 15 Optional Rule: Changing Range in Cinematic Games Social Equipment 31
Magic User 20 52 Special Actions 40, 58
Magic User Spells 97 Optional Rule: Spell Loss Through Consequences Special Consequences 47
Major Consequence 45 44 Damage Ally 47
Major Effect 45 Other Advancement Systems 56 Riposte 47
Making Camp 39 Other Planes 82 Special Effects 47, 59, 87
Making Your Own Sub-Classes 19, 60 Other Roleplaying Game Terms 5 Creating 59
Mass Combat 83 Spellcasters 71
Maximum Encounter Range 52 Cleave 47
Maximum Movement 53 P Consecutive Attack 47
Melee Attacks 38 Paladin 18 Parry 47
Melee Weapons 32 Parry 47 Special Items 86-89
Mental Damage 50 Patron Deity, Example 17 Bonuses 86
MHP Multiplier 65 PC Constructs 64 Creating 88
Minor Consequence 45 Personal Traits 57 Spell Books 21
Minor Effect 45 Persuading / Charming 39, 46 Spellcasting at Higher Levels 71
Mitigating Consequences 51 Physical Damage 49 Spellcasting 16, 21, 38, 46, 71
Modifiers to Action & Resistance Checks 36 Picking Pockets 39 Spells 71, 87, 93
Monk 17 Playing the Game 34 Adding New 59
Monster Competencies & Weaknesses 77, 101 Poisons 41, 78 Creating Your Own 72
Monsters 101-111 Potions & Scrolls 20, 87, 88 Extending 71
Draconic 102 Prime Attributes 8, 102 Parameters 92
Dragonet 103 Provisioning Check 81 Range 71
Dryad 103 Augury 94
Gargoyle 103 Barkskin 96
Giant Snake 104 R Bless 93
Giant Spider 104 Rabble 76 Blur 99
Hill Giant 104 Races 10-13 Burning Hands 97
Lizard Man 105 Dwarves 12 Charm Animal 95
138
Charm Person
Colour Spray
97
97 Monk 17
Table Index
Command 93 Paladin 18
Comprehend Languages 97 Ranger 19 Table 1: Attribute Score Modifiers 8
Create Water 93 Surprise 41 Table 2: Cleric Spells 16
Cure Light Wounds 93, 96 Table 3: Monk Unarmed Damage 18
Delay Poison 95
Detect Alignment 95 T Table 4: Magic User Spells
Table 5: General Equipment
21
30
Detect Evil 93 Terrifying Someone 40 Table 6: Food, Drink, & Lodging 31
Detect Magic 98 The Chronicles of High Fantasy 80 Table 7: Social Equipment 31
Detect Snares and Pits 95 The City 81 Table 8: Melee Weapons 32
Detect Thoughts 100 The Dungeon 81 Table 9: Ranged Weapons 33
Disguise Self 98 The Environment 79 Table 10: Armour 33
Endure Elements 96 The Hero Factor 64 Table 11: Damage Dice & Armour Bonuses 37
Entangle 96 The Wilderness 79 Table 12: Difficulties 38
Faerie Fire 96 Thief 22 Table 13: Ranges 52
Feather Fall 98 Touch Attacks 39 Table 14: Maximum Encounter Range 52
Fog Cloud 96 Traits 13, 37, 57, 86 Table 15: Cover Bonuses 53
Ghost Sound 98 Creating Your Own 57 Table 16: Encumbrance 53
Hold Portal 98 Cultural Traits 13 Table 17: Movement 53
Hypnotic Pattern 100 Traps 79 Table 18: Distances Moved 53
Identify 98 Traversing the Wilderness 40 Table 19: Experience Points 56
Invisibility 100 Treasure 83-89 Table 20: Scales 62
Levitate 100 Treasure Points 84, 85-89 Table 21: Higher-Scale Effects 63
Light 98 Treasure Types 84-85 Table 22: Morale Multipliers 65
Magic Missile 99 Tripping Someone 40 Table 23: Heroic Constructs 65
Mirror Image 100 Turning Undead 15 Table 24: Epic Constructs 66
Pass Without Trace 96 Typical Actions 38 Table 25: Legendary Constructs 67
Protection from Evil 94 Typical Resistances 41 Table 26: Mythic Constructs 67
Purify Food and Drink 94 Table 27: Armed Constructs 68
Remove Fear 94
Sanctuary 94 U Table 28: Hirelings
Table 29: Spell Ranges
70
71
Shield 99 Using Actions to Modify Encounter Lethality Table 30: Spells at Higher Levels 72
Shillelagh 96 101 Table 31: Wilderness Travel 80
Silent Image 99 Using My Classic Fantasy Character 9 Table 32: Scouting Difficulties 81
Sleep 99 Table 33: Navigation Difficulties 81
Speak with Animals 96
Spiritual Weapon 95 V Table 34: Provisioning Difficulties
Table 35: City Terrain
81
82
Touch of Idiocy 100 Villains 77 Table 36: Treasure Table 85
Ventriloquism 99 Visibility & Cover 53 Table 37: Special Items — Bonuses to Checks 86
Warp Wood 97 Table 38: Special Items — Bonuses to Attributes 86
Spending Treasure Points & Buying Treasures
86 W Table 39: Special Items — Static Resistances 87
Table 40: Special Items — Special Effects 87
Stances 42, 58 Weather Conditions 81 Table 41: Found Items 89
Adding a New Stance 58 Whether to Roll or Not 36 Table 42: Alignment Champions 90
All-Out Attack 42 Who Can Use Which Items? 86 Table 43: XP Awards 91
Damage Focus 42 Wisdom 9 Table 44: Clerical Spell List 93
Default 42 Wrestling Someone 40 Table 45: Druid Spell List 95
Stalwart Defence 42 Table 46: Magic User Spell List 97
Steady Aim 42
Starting Range 52 X Table 47: Monster Attribute Modifiers 102
Stat Blocks 102 Xiola’s Story 10, 14, 24, 27
Static Checks 6 XP Awards 91
Static Resistance 35-36, 38, 87 See also Experience Points
Staying Alive 54
Strength 8
Strength in Numbers 50 0-9
Sub-Classes 14 0-level Characters 77
Creating New Sub-Classes 60
Assassin 23
Berserker 61
Druid 16
Illusionist 21
139