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NEOCLASSICAL GEEK REVIVAL

ZZARCHOV KOWOLSKI SCRAP PRINCESS
 NEOCLASSICAL
GEEK REVIVAL

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1: INTRODUCTION.............................3 3: ADVENTURING ..............................37

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Foreword..................................................4 Going Out and Adventuring.................38
The Basics ...............................................4 Keeping Your Cool.................................38
Rolling the Dice......................................4 Attribute Checks......................................39
Common Terms......................................6 The Venerable Saving Throw...............40
The Known Rule....................................6 Damage & Other Accrued Points........41
Luck Points .............................................45
2: CHARACTER CREATION................7 Investigations............................................45
How to Create a Character....................8
Attribute Modifiers & Dice ..................8
e Regaining Luck, Health, and Mana.....46
Healing Injuries.......................................46
Attribute Overview..................................9 Dying While Travelling..........................46
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Species.......................................................10 Regaining Luck........................................ 46
Mankind ..................................................10 Parties, Celebrations, Ho-Downs,
Dwarves ...................................................10 Shindigs, and Box Socials......................47
Elves .........................................................10 Regaining Mana.......................................48
The Dead ................................................11 Types of Dangerous Obstacles.............48
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The Wee Folk..........................................11 Diseases.....................................................50

Wodewose ...............................................12 Rodents of Unusual Size........................52
Schrodinger’s Character.........................12
Mmmmm... Pie.......................................13 4: CONFLICTS......................................53
The Hall of Warriors .............................15 The Mechanics of a Conflict.................54
Den of Thieves .......................................17
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Initiative....................................................54
The Wizard’s Tower ..............................19 Weapon Reach.........................................55
The Temple of the High Priests .........22 Actions......................................................55
The Forum of the Bards ......................25 Successes...................................................57
The Ship of Fools...................................28 Lucky Numbers.......................................59
Character Traits........................................29 Areas..........................................................58
Skills and Knowledge.............................30 Types of Conflict.....................................59
Creating a Group Template...................31 Social Conflict..........................................60
Starting Equipment.................................33 Covert Actions ........................................61
Character Morality...................................34 Combat.....................................................63
Luck be a Lady Tonight…....................34 Common Sense.......................................66
So This Book Seems to Special Considerations............................66
Keep Going... .........................................35 Securing The High Ground.................66
The Moral High Ground.......................66

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 Mighty Steeds and Fancy Ships.............67 Learning & Memorizing Spells...............109
Things that Fly, Swim, Etc.....................67 The Wizard’s Grimoire.............................110
Mass Combat...........................................68
Morale........................................................ 70 8: THE HOLY SCRIPTURES................. 125
Blinding and Fighting Unseen Foes....70 The Game Mechanics of Miracles...........126
Immunity to Normal Weaponry...........70 Creating a Patron........................................126
Battling the Ethereal and Immaterial Accumulating Piety....................................127
Beings........................................................71 The Scriptures.............................................128
Getting Too Close For Comfort..........71
Sway and Favours....................................71 9: END OF THE SESSION.................... 137
Trials..........................................................72 Fate and Destiny!........................................138

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Exorcisms and Banishing the Destiny Points.............................................138
Unclean.....................................................72 Fate Points...................................................139
Spiritual, Psychic or Demonic Rolling for Awesomeness.........................139

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Possession.................................................73 Electing an MVP.......................................140
Bickering Over Price While the Experience Points & Levels......................140
World Burns.............................................73 Milestones....................................................141
Between Light and Shadows.................73 Intelligence & Experience.........................142
Blinded by the Light..............................74 Gaining Luck Points..................................142
Gaining Mana.............................................142
5: EQUIPMENT .................................... 75 Sources of Experience Points...................143
The Value of Gold.....................................76
e Travelling: It’s Not About the
Destination..................................................143
Encumbrance - The Dot System.............76
Containers....................................................77 Exploration: Ok, Sometimes it is
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Armaments for War...................................78 About the Destination...............................144
Basic Armour..............................................78 Dungeons and Ruins.................................144
Helms...........................................................79 Defeating Minions.....................................145
Shields..........................................................79 Slaying Monsters........................................145
Basic Weapons............................................80 Vanquishing Villains..................................146
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Weapon Tags...............................................80 Outsmarting the Opponent......................146

Armour Tags...............................................85 Puzzles, Traps and Riddles.......................147
Shield Tags..................................................86 The Big Score.............................................147
Items of Differing Materials.....................88 An Epic Quest............................................148
Stealth and Equipment..............................89 Rolling “the 2d6”.......................................148
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End of the Campaign................................148

6: THE DRAGON SCROLL.................... 93 Retiring From Active Adventuring..........149
Combat Tricks............................................95 Moving on to the Afterlife........................149
Learning Combat Tricks...........................94
The Dragon Scroll.....................................95
WRITING
7: THE GRIMOIRE................................ 105 ZZARCHOV KOWOLSKI
The Game Mechanics of Sorcery............106
Cost..............................................................106 ART
Mana.............................................................106
SCRAP PRINCESS
Magic Components...................................107
Defences Against the Dark Arts..............107
LAYOUT AND DESIGN
Mystical Failure...........................................108
ALEX MAYO & ZZARCHOV KOWOLSKI

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 INTRODUCTION

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INTRODUCTION
FOREWORD To help with learning rules, sections
Neoclassical Geek Revival (NGR) is of this book will be identified as either
what many people would call a Fantasy Basic or Fiddly.
Heartbreaker. Its a game about adven-
turing in a world of magic, swordplay, Basic rules are used in 99% of the
and monsters. You probably have like

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cases and are not specifically called out.
20 on your shelf already. But NGR does
have its charms, with a heavy focus Fiddly rules are for when you want

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on the game being a complement to those extra knobs and dials to play
social gathering. This book will focus with and are identified by Ω
on the rules as written, but keep in
mind it is still assumed that every Rules are generally set up so that
GM is going to immediately begin they have a pro and matching con,
house-ruling these rules to fit their
campaign. It would be kind of a bad
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no big deal if you forget them.
sign if they didn’t.
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This latest version, put out in 2020,
is my Hindsight edition. The last
THE BASICS
version in 2018 was a bigger hit than
anticipated and also took over a year ROLLING THE DICE
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to finish rolling out as I did 6 differ- Roll the dice and add the modifiers.
ent artist versions. This new edition One might assume it’s pretty simple,
is reverse compatible but includes a yet this does lead to a host of familiar
random spell generation system, a new gaming situations:
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option for mass combat, and the big

one is a change to luck and healing. Recounting the modifiers for 20 minutes
The hidden roll
This version includes art from famed The roll off the table
Antipodean Scrap Princess. I have The ‘after the fact’ forgotten modifiers
worked with Scrap before on “The
Gem Prison of Zardax” and “Going Here instead are the general rules for
Through Forbidden Otherworlds”. rolling dice. If you have house rules,
I adore her art and I am really glad write those down instead.
to be able to pair it with this ruleset.

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 All of the modifiers are to be mentioned in no more than two statements
▶ before the roll: either the total modifier or the total bonus and the total
penalty. If a modifier is forgotten, it does not apply.
Cocked dice, dice outside of the rolling area, and dice off the table get re-
▶ rolled.
If the player has any positive or negative re-rolls to dice use the notation
▶ ++ or -- respectively. If they have both combine the numbers and use the
remainder.
A repeating or exploding die means that if a die rolls its maximum value

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another die is rolled and added to the total until a result below the maximum
is rolled. This all counts as one die. A repeating d6 that rolls a 6 would then
roll an additional d6 and combine the results. If the second roll was also a 6

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▶
this would keep going until a result other than a 6 was rolled. A lucky streak
could result in rolling 38 on a d6 with this method. It can be annotated as
!d# (so !d6 for a six sider)
The total modifiers to any non-d20 die roll (technically on a dX roll, more
on that later) cannot do more than double the roll of the die itself. I.E,
▶
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should someone roll a d8+4 for damage and roll a natural 3, the maximum
bonus applicable is +3 resulting in a score of 6.
Any dice notation of ?d# (where # is a number) refers to requiring the
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maximum roll. Someone stuck in mud might be out of commission for ?d6
▶ rounds. At the start of each round a player would roll a d6, and unless the
player rolled a 6 the character would remain stuck.
Any mentions of dice steps, or increasing/decreasing the die size uses the
▶
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following steps: d2 – d4 – d6 – d8 – d10 – d12 – nada nada nada d20

Attribute scores have dice associated with them. A strong character might
have a d12 for a Strength Die, another a d4. For notation purposes a capital
▶ letter of an attribute means the associated die. dS (Strength), dA (Agility),
dH(Health), dI(Intelligence), dP (Perception), dC (Charisma), and dW
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(Will). A Luck Die can be noted as dL.

Any time a die is refereed to as inverted it is something simple in practice
but difficult to explain. In practice it means you invert so that the total of the
original die and the inverted die are 16. A d12 inverts to a d4, a d4 inverts to
a d12. D6 and 10, and d8 stays a d8. A d20 inverts with 0. This will usually
come up in rulings where you don’t want to invoke a long drawn out series
▶ of minor actions. A character might run a mile barefoot down streets strewn
with glass and leaping over barbed wire. You could make dozens of checks
or the GM might say “take an inverted agility die of damage”. The better a
character’s agility, the better their agility die. When inverted this means a
more agile character would take less damage. Simple in practice, useful in
some off the cuff rulings, takes way too long to explain.
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COMMON TERMS THE KNOWN RULE
Some common terms that will arise NGR contains a large number of
are cumulative and doubling: rules, and in the end it is not likely
someone will have them all mem-
Cumulative refers to a value orized. The rules of this game are
increasing in the following only applicable if someone involved
manner: 1,3,6,10,15. The actually knows the rule or claims to.
pattern is adding the integers If no party involved knows the rule
then they obviously did not choose
▶ of the previous numbers:

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1, 1+2, 1+2+3, 1+2+3+4, their course of action based on the
1+2+3+4+5. A rate listed as mechanics. In such a case, the GM
‘3 cumulative per interval’ should issue a ruling and move on.

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would go 3,9,18 etc. You should never be looking up
rules during play. Doing so results
Doubling refers to each in- in –1 awesomeness for a player
terval being double the pre- or +1 awesomeness to all players
vious. For simplicities sake, if the GM looks up a rule (per oc-
it is suggested you turn any currence). Awesomeness is covered
▶
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instance of 128 into 125. near the end of the book in the End
Unless you have program- of the Session section.
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mers in your midst 125 will
be easier to calculate.
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 CHARACTER
CREATION

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CHARACTER CREATION
Perception (previously awareness),
HOW TO CREATE Intelligence, Charisma (previously
A CHARACTER social), and Will (previously spirit).
The first thing most players will need
to do is create characters. This is done If you are already seated at the table,
by creating what is known as “Schro- an alternative method is rolling a

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dinger’s Character”. The player will character. Do this by rolling 3d6 for
select a name, species, gender, and each attribute, in order, and then
distribution of attributes. As the first assigning 10 discretionary points as

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game progresses the character will you see fit to customize your character.
have skills, traits, class, and starting This allows for both very competent
inventory developed during the course and very incompetent characters. This
of play. This allows a new character to method should only be taken if you
be generated in a few moments while are willing to take the risk of playing
play continues. an incompetent character. If you are
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unwilling to play an incompetent
You will first need to assign a few character, assign 80 points between
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basic things like Name and Gender. the attributes. In no cases may an
The next step is to assign attributes; attribute be above 20 or below 1.
80 points are distributed amongst the
7 attributes: Strength, Agility, Health, Every attribute is useful, but in dif-
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ATTRIBUTE MODIFIERS AND DICE

Score Modifier Die Score Modifier Die
1 3 d4 11 0 d6
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2 -2 d4 12 +1 d8
3 -2 d4 13 +1 d8
4 -2 d4 14 +1 d8
5 -2 d4 15 +1 d8
6 -1 d4 16 +2 d10
7 -1 d6 17 +2 d10
8 -1 d6 18 +2 d10
9 -1 d6 19 +2 d12
10 0 d6 20 +3 d12
*Any Attribute listed as Supernatural has a Score of 30. S(30)* +7 d20

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 ferent circumstances. A quick primer
is shown opposite. An important
note is that the scores from 1–20
represent functional human ranges.
Someone with an intelligence of 1 is
not a vegetable, but would make a good
caveman or football star turned war
hero turned shrimp mogul. Likewise
someone with a strength of 1 could

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still move on their own, but would be
a nice imitation of Mr. Burns.

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ATTRIBUTE OVERVIEW
STRENGTH INTELLIGENCE
Score used for Maximum damage limit, Score used for Starting skill points
Encumbrance, Starting Modifier used for Bonus to occult,
Inventory Reduced XP costs
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Modifier used for Bonus damage for melee Die used for Scoring influence in
Die used for Stun attacks social conflicts, Optional
initiative die
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AGILITY
Score used for Maximum suspicion CHARISMA
limit Score used for Maximum Infamy limit
Modifier used for Bonus to combat Modifier used for Bonus to presence
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Die used for Initiative die Die used for Luck points regained
with a Party

HEALTH
Score used for Healing, Maximum, WILL
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poison and illness limit Score used for Maximum Stress /

Modifier used for Nothing Influence limit.
Die used for Nothing Modifier used for Bonus to faith
Die used for Mana per level for some
wizards
PERCEPTION
Score used for Nothing
Modifier used for Bonus damage for
missile attacks, Bonus to
Stealth
Die used for Accruing suspicion in
stealth conflicts

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 and gemstones. Their eyesight also
SPECIES allows dwarves to see only half as
All characters must select a species.
Some species may have additional far as humans in bright light (double
benefits or drawbacks. For example, any distance penalties at 0 darkness),
dwarves are colour-blind and elves though they can see four times as far
cannot eat meat. If you want to make in low light conditions (light sources
a new species like a squirrel or a repti- are four times as effective for dwarves
loid, keep in mind that their attributes when negating darkness). This suits
should not be impacted; that is lazy the biology of dwarves quite well as

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and boring. Things that fly, things that dwarves only age when exposed to
are wildly different than humanity in sunlight. This process slowly turns
scale or things that are adjectives for them to stone over the course of a

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other species are likewise probably normal human lifespan if a dwarf
pretty boring and shouldn’t be done. doesn’t carefully control their levels
Try to avoid making every new culture of sun exposure. A dwarf who never
a new species while you are at it. As sees the sun could expect to live thou-
always disregard this rule if you think sands of years, perhaps even forever.
When a dwarf dies they do not rot,
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it’ll be awesome, but I have my doubts.
instead they slowly turn to stone. The
Below are some standard races.
oils in their body often calcify their
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funeral clothing. If you don’t wish to
MANKIND have Dwarves you could relabel them
If you are reading this and expect-
Morlocks, Troglodytes or Molemen
ing great insight into the biology of
without much effort. When paying the
mankind, please stop reading until
cost of spells, dwarves suffer illness
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you can find an appropriate safety

instead of stress.
helmet to wear.

ELVES
DWARVES Elves are supernatural fae creatures.
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Dwarves are eusocial creatures of the

They are relatives of pixies, fairies,
earth, very closely related to some
trolls and other such creatures. Like
forms of giants. Dwarves are excep-
all fae creatures elves have a natural
tionally hairy, muscular and stout
weakness to iron which both deals
beings. While dwarves have a large
double damage and may poison them if
variety of hair and eye colours, match-
ingested. Elves are virtually immortal
ing the variety found in mankind,
when it comes to age, so long as they
dwarves pay no heed to it as they are
are in a magic-rich area. Should the
almost completely colourblind.
magic fade from an area due to the
Dwarves see the entire world in gray
encroachment of civilization the elves
scale with the exception of gold, silver
present will grow sterile and age as
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 humans do unless they leave to more mana pool. When paying the cost of
distant areas. Elves breed very slowly spells Elves suffer mutation instead of
near civilized lands and take some time stress. This mutation is into a misshap-
to mature. As elves age they begin to en monstrous version of themselves
sleep more and more, sometimes for sometimes called a fomorian, an alter
weeks at a time. When in a dream ego with opposing aims like a Mr.
state these ancient elves cannot easily Hyde to their Dr. Jekyll. You could
be awoken, but can easily be sent into also make them mutate into humans
a form of sleepwalking, a state that or something else, this is a book not

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when combined with their magical your boss.
powers makes them quite dangerous.
THE DEAD

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Most Elves are vegetarian creatures I don’t anticipate that The Dead (or
and can only handle small amounts of the undead) will be a standard option
meat or other animal products without in most campaigns, but hey maybe
becoming ill. Different bloodlines of they will. This species will probably
Elves may have different dietary re- be used most often for creating ad-
quirements. Some graze on grasses,
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while others can only eat honey. All
versaries. The corporeal dead are all
considered supernatural and suffer
elves innately know a spell specific to from an aversion to fire (which deals
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their bloodline. Usually this is cantrip, double damage to them). Those created
but it could be anything. If it is cantrip by mortal magic suffer 1 (cumulative)
the elves tend to have a somewhat damage per round from direct sunlight.
standard appearance of being tall, pale All of the living dead can avoid mortal
and pointy eared. The more powerful
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concerns such as breathing, disease,

or unusual their innate spell the more and toxins, but they can be poisoned
bizarre they may both appear and be. by things like salt, sanctified oils, or
Among other options antlers, wooden other mystic substances.
bones, and the habit of turning to salt Many undead also know an innate
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upon death are all possible elf traits spell which they may use to replicate
depending on their innate spell. The themselves. Powerful undead may also
elf cannot explain this spell to others have other innate spells for a variety
though a ‘sage’ may be able to fatally of purposes.
pry it from them; an important reason
that elves tend not to mingle in other
THE WEE FOLK
communities. An elf casting their in- Wee folk is a generic term used for
nate spell always ignores the difficulty. a physically slight humanoid species.
While they may treat the difficulty as These species tend to stand at only
zero others do not. Elves also have an half to three quarters the height of
additional health die of mana in their a human and show greater aesthetic
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diversity. Various types of wee folk Wodewose are considered to have a
have a vast number of hair, eye and size modifier of 2. You may wish to
skin colours far exceeding mankind, mix “Wodewose” with another species
including some garish colours. The such as Dwarf or Elf to play something
reduced height makes these species such as a stone giant or troll.
lead lives slightly longer than humans,
often by a good twenty years.
SCHRODINGER’S
Wee folk are considered to have a size CHARACTER

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modifier of 1/2. You may wish to mix Often the problem with creating a
“Wee Folk” with another species such character is that he or she doesn’t live
as Dwarf or Elf to play something such through the first adventure. This is

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as a Gnome or Brownie. normal, which is why heroes are rare;
most adventurers die. But playing a guy
WODEWOSE who dies, then starts over, then dies
This species includes not just wode- again isn’t always fun (but sometimes
wose, but also ogres, half-giants, and it is hilarious).
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any other larger than man sized goon.
The wodewose themselves are far This is where Schrodinger’s Character
larger than a man and covered in a comes into play. The characters just
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layer of fur. A larger body results in a happen to be the perfect heroes for
shorter lifespan while their great size their first adventure. The first session
and thick fur often make clothing or is ‘character creation’; this session starts
armouring such a character impos- with all players naming their character,
sible. They will also frequently have assigning a species and assigning or
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problems moving about in buildings rolling their attributes. The players

meant for smaller folk. then proceed with their character by
filling out aspects of their character
Biologically, a wodewose is immune when required and after any rolls
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to any sickness from rancid meat, are made. This requires some record
stagnant water or other natural hazards keeping on the first game but allows
that plague civilization. Wodewose for a more organic character creation.
get sick from eating cooked meat or
processed foods such as bread. This is
also true of the very nature of civili-
zation being poison to the wodewose.
A wodewose automatically critically
fails any healing or travel checks while
living in a city or town, taking at least
one point of damage.
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 As they need them, players can select:
MMMMM… PIE
Many RPG’s feature a class or archetype
a number of skills equal to their In- based system where a set of abilities
•
telligence score, is selected to match a class. NGR dif-
an inventory of items equal in dots to fers from this system; it uses the ‘pie
•
their Strength score, system’. Everyone loves pie, right?
• 2 traits,
• 2 or more relationships, Each character in NGR normally has
3 pie pieces to define her class or 2 if

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• a major and minor morality, and
you want to start at level 0. At 10th
• 3 pie pieces for class. level a character may choose another
pie piece.

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Speaking of pie…

Each pie piece within a class gives a

character a larger mechanical benefit
by both giving modifiers that increase
per level, and by granting new powers.
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Each class increases a different one of
the five modifiers.
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Warriors improve Combat modified
•
by Agility
Wizards improve Occult modified by
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•
Intelligence
Rogues improve Stealth modified by
•
Perception
Bards improve Presence modified by
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•
Charisma
• Priests improve Faith modified by Will

Even if you have no pie pieces in a

specific class, you will still slowly
advance in that area.

A character also gains powers from

their class, and may choose 1 class
power if the character has one pie
piece in that class. The character may
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choose 3 if she has two and all 6 if A final option is that a character can
she has all three pie pieces in a single spend pie pieces in the “fool” class.
class. If the character has 4 pie pieces This gives no powers and increases
she receives the locked power for the no stat. It also has no special item to
class. Note that a power may only be roll for the on the 2d6 on the end
taken once. of the night. So why would a player
waste one (or more) of her pie pieces
The final benefit is that each character on this class? Each pie piece spent on
class has its own type of ‘personal items’ the fool class increases the luck die

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that characters can develop. These and luck bonus of the character. This
are methods that allow characters to in general makes the character more
naturally develop magic or magic-like durable, the exact mechanics will be

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items through adventuring. A char- explained in the fool section.
acter may be able to have personal
items of multiple types with training
in more than one class.

For those who prefer formula to tables.

At zero pie pieces the base modifiers
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are one third of the character’s level.
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At one pie piece the modifier is two
thirds of the character’s level. At two
or more pie pieces the base modifier
is equal to the character’s level though
there may be an additional bonus per
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milestone of the character at three or

four pie pieces.
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Pie Modifiers by Level Powers

- 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -
0 0 0 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 Zero
1 0 1 1 2 3 3 4 5 5 6 7 One
2 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Three
3 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Six; +1 modifier per milestone
4 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Seven including locked power;
+1 modifier per milestone
At zero pie pieces a modifier is 1/3rd of your level (round off). At one pie piece it is 2/3rds of
your level (round off). At two or more pie pieces it is equal to your level.

14
 THE HALL OF WARRIORS
“GLORY THROUGH BATTLE” fered from successful attack rolls. A
Powerful warriors are a staple of most warrior who failed to defend against
myths and legends. Warriors are a poisoned arrow for 3 damage and 6
powerful individuals trained in the arts poison could cash in 5 luck points to
of combat. Knights, samurai, shaolin avoid the blow. If a poison arrow trap
monks, hoplites and swashbucklers caused the same damage and poison,

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are all at least partially considered the warrior with this power would still
warriors. need to pay 9 luck as normal. It must
be the direct result of an attack roll.

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The warrior’s power is based on qual-
ity equipment and training in special MARTIAL ARTIST (COMBAT TRICKS)
manoeuvres. Finding fabled teachers, This power allows a warrior to learn,
battling new warriors and gaining teach and use combat tricks without
mythical arms and armour are the the use of skills. See the combat tricks
drive for a warrior’s adventure.
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WARRIOR POWERS WEAPON SPECIALIZATION

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This power allows a warrior to spe-
cialize in one weapon or fighting
GUARD style per milestone. If a character
This power allows a warrior a single
specializes in a weapon, it must be a
free ‘block’ action each round.
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specific weapon. Being specialized in a

katana would not help with a scimitar.
DUAL WIELD Being specialized in a weapon allows
This power allows a warrior to wield the warrior to re-roll damage from the
another weapon in their off-hand. weapon and choose the better result.
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This weapon gains its own free attack

when the warrior attacks with her
main weapon. If it is a small weapon DODGING
The warrior has honed her footwork
it may be against a different target,
to the point she can easily dance like
otherwise it must be against the same
a butterfly while stinging like a bee.
target.
By knowing what position to be in
before the opponent attacks she is
COMBAT AWARENESS (VETERAN) able to regain any actions spent on a
This power allows a warrior to cash successful dive.
luck points in at a two for one ratio
in response to points the warrior suf-
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 A trademark item increases the war-
LOCKED POWER: rior’s ‘awesomeness’ score by 1 per
benefit level; it also gives a bonus of
WEAPON MASTERY
The warrior may choose to master a +1 presence per benefit level in mili-
specific weapon. This is not merely tary or combat matters. If the warrior
a category of weapon but a specific reaches level 10, the trademark item
weapon. If this weapon were ever automatically counts as at least a +1
destroyed, the character would be magical item from that point on, even
intimately familiar with it to the point if lost or the warrior dies.

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that she could forge a copy of it. Having
mastered a weapon allows the character *The trademark item will only increase
to alter any die roll of the weapon by 1. if its current modifier is equal to or less

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This means a 19 on an attack roll could than the session’s strongest opponent’s
be modified to count as a natural 20. level or size modifier.

PERSONAL ITEM:
TRADEMARK ITEM
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For an item to become a trademark
item, a warrior must score a 4 or less
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on the 2d6.*

Any time a warrior completes a par-

ticularly impressive battle there will be
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a small chance of one of the warrior’s

easily visible items turning from a
mundane item into a ‘Trademark Item’.
If the battle was particularly epic, the
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warrior will automatically have an item

become a trademark item. A warrior
can only ever have 1 trademark item
at a time. If a warrior already has a
trademark item, it’s benefit is increased
by one. If a warrior loses a trademark
item, she may not gain another one
until the previous trademark item
has been utterly destroyed or a new
milestone is passed.

16
 THE DEN OF THIEVES
“THE WORLD OWES YOU allows a rogue to add their stealth
A LIVING ” modifier to any movement based at-
Rogues encompass more than mere tribute checks. This power also allows
thieves, a better term may be ‘special- a rogue to “Defend Oneself” as a free
ist’. Rogues are individuals trained in action when moving.
bypassing problems and well trained

e
in stealth. This includes characters DETECT TRAPS
such as cat burglars, treasure hunters, This power represents a rogue always
assassins, hunters, and detectives. being on alert for traps. The rogue may

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wait until after the effects of any trap
Rogues adventure for standard rea- are revealed before announcing their
sons: wealth, fame, to save/destroy saving throw and may negate up to
the world. Rogues gain in power by two accrued points for each point of
finding artisans to create the precision luck they spend as a result of a trap.
tools they need to better do their job,
e
and gaining the money to pay for them.
If a rogue with detect traps suffered
5 poison from a toxin smeared on a
door latch she would only need to
pl
spend 3 luck to avoid it. This could
ROGUE POWERS include things like natural quicksand,
sniper killzones, and awkward social
SPECIALIST situations where the rogue would be
This power relates to the rogues abil-
m

trapped by social convention.

ity to notice and deal with even the
most trivial or minuscule details of a
situation. They may negate up to two EXPERT
points of suspicion from a successful This power grants the rogue a +5
bonus when employing skills on at-
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detection roll per luck point spent. If

a rogue who is a specialist suffered 5 tribute checks and +2 on attribute
suspicion from a watchman, she would dice as compared to the normal +2
only need to pay 3 luck to avoid it. and +1 bonus respectively.

PARKOUR THE WATCH

Everyone may be able to run, climb This power represents rogues who
trees or leap across a ledge but a rogue are adept at seeing the unseen such as
with this skill can run along a tightrope, detectives, hunters, and snipers. The
scale a brick wall and leap between rogue may re-roll her Perception die
buildings in a few seconds. This power after a successful detection roll and
choose the best result.
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QUICK WITTED PERSONAL ITEM:
This power represents the rogue’s LUCKY ITEM
ability to think on her feet faster than For an item to become lucky the rogue
the average bear and ideally faster than must roll 7 on the 2d6.
any rivals, opponents, or consequences.
The rogue may roll both her Intelli- Any time a rogue completes a par-
gence AND Agility die for initiative ticularly impressive stealth mission
and choose the preferred result. She there is a small chance of one of the
will also defend herself by default rogue’s personal items turning from

e
even when using her Intelligence die. a mundane item into a ‘lucky item’.
Heists, assassinations, and surviving
LOCKED POWER: a dungeon with treasure are all com-

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PROFESSIONAL mon examples of a stealth mission. If
This power allows the rogue to become the task was epic in scope, the rogue
calm (rather than on edge or reckless) automatically gets a ‘lucky item’.
at the beginning of each round. Lucky items increase the value of an
item by giving the rogue bonus luck
e points when carrying the item. A lucky
item can be upgraded to have more
than one benefit. Each benefit level is
pl
worth 1 extra luck point per milestone
the rogue has passed, awarded at the
beginning of every game session. Only
the rogue may gain the benefit of his
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or her own lucky item until the rogue

reaches 10th level. After that point
they also apply to anyone the rogue
has gifted the item to, as they have
become genuinely magical artifacts
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blessed by the trickster deities.

18
 THE WIZARD’S TOWER
“I AM BECOME DEATH, cantrips, competent magic, powerful
DESTROYER OF WORLDS ” enchantments, or ancient sorcery.
Wizard characters are those who On a success they learn what spells
seek to empower themselves directly are at work on the item or creature.
through arcane lore. They are occult- They may use this same mechanism
ists, astronomers and mystics seeking to decode a cipher or cryptic text and

e
to bend the universe to their own will. discern if it contains an underlying
spell such as a text in an unknown
A wizard’s power is based upon know- tongue, coded scrolls, pictographs, or

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ing arcane spells and having access to stellar constellations. Success allows
useful ingredients and supplies. Due the wizard to translate the spell into
to the nature of counterspells, wizards her language.
do not freely share their magic with
others. Wizards are thus driven to The wizard may also make a check
seek out long forgotten libraries, hi- to reverse engineer a totemic spell,
e
eroglyphs and cave paintings to search a magical item that has already been
for new spells as a drive to adventure. identified, or a creature’s innate spell
pl
and in doing so learn one relevant spell
of her choice. The item or creature is
WIZARD POWERS destroyed in the process regardless
of success. For a creature, using a
SAGE fresh corpse gives an additional –5
m

This power allows the wizard to dis- penalty while an ancient one gives
cern the magic involved in mystical an additional –20 penalty.
artifacts and creatures. A sage may
study an individual or item and attempt Having a laboratory allows the wizard
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to discern what spells are influencing to roll to reroll the ?d6 once for each
the item or creature, permanent or additional skill related to her work.
otherwise.
PSYCHIC POTENTIAL
The wizard may spend ?d6 days to This power grants the wizard a mana
examine an object or creature. They pool equal to the roll of a Will die per
then pay a cost of 1 and roll a dX and level. This is re-rolled each level as
add their Occult as a bonus against a described in Chapter 9. When regain-
the sum difficulty of all spells impacting ing mana through rest, a wizard with
the target added to the roll of a d20. this power may multiply the amount
If as the GM you don’t know, assume gained by her level.
modifiers of 2, 5, 10, or 20 for minor
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ANTI-MAGIC FAMILIAR
This power allows the wizard the This power grants the wizard the
ability to more easily undo the works ability to call forth a familiar or spir-
of other magicians. For each milestone it animal as an action at a cost of
the wizard has passed she may improve 2. The wizard determines the exact
her standing with one of the following: appearance of the familiar when it is
Counterspells, Wards, or Dispelling. summoned for the first time, often
A wizard with four milestones can unconsciously. It is almost always a
create amulets, which are wards that small animal. A familiar has a mana

e
are not destroyed when triggered. pool equal to the wizard’s occult,
but it is always fully depleted when
A wizard with improved counterspells summoned. The wizard may trans-

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may attempt counter spells she does not fer any of her mana to or from her
know, and may automatically counter familiar by touch. The familiar may
spells she does know as a free action memorize up to one spell per point
(scoring an automatic “Epic Success”). of the wizard’s occult and recite them
Improved wards will allow the wizard back to the wizard, acting as a living
e
to craft wards against spells she does
not know (but must still identify in
grimoire. The familiar can understand
the wizard and will carry out tasks
some manner such as “a fire spell”) assigned to it.
pl
and causes any wards crafted against
a spell she does know to likewise When the familiar is harmed it forces
automatically succeed. Improved dis- the wizard to pay a cost of 1 per point
pelling allows the wizard to attempt of damage in its stead or the famil-
m

to dispel enchantments she does not iar is dispelled until the wizard next
know and allows automatic success dreams. The wizard may spend an
against a spell she does know. action to dismiss a familiar until it is
summoned again. A familiar disappears
when a wizard dreams. A wizard may
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MYSTICISM
This power grants the wizard the technically control up to one familiar
ability to meddle with powers beyond per milestone, but other familiars
her understanding. She may spend must be found or bound by rituals.
one action to convert any amount of The look and abilities of additional
piety to mana on a one to one basis familiars may vary depending on how
and may substitute her occult for faith the wizard acquired them. If you want
with either miracles or exorcisms. to go hardcore, make a wizard bind
her first familiar too.

20
 DEGENERACY PERSONAL ITEM:
The wizard has become adept at func- TALISMAN
tioning in altered states. For each For a talisman to increase in power the 2d6
milestone the wizard may choose one score must show connectors such as a 5-6
of the following: Eccentric, Withered, or 3-4.*
Corrupted, or Doomed. A wizard may attempt to personally craft a
talisman to aid in their sorcery and then im-
Eccentric wizards add their total ac- prove it upon it by imbuing it with additional
crued stress as a bonus to casting spells. This is often a staff, wand, orb, book

e
rolls and anti-magic rolls. Withered or even something such as a skull or amulet.
Every time the wizard chooses to imbue a new
wizards add their total accrued illness and distinct spell into a talisman for the first
to their maximum Mana Pool. Cor-

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time there is a chance it will increase in power.
rupted wizards add their total accrued
mutation to the amount of Mana they The talisman will give opponents attempting
regenerate with sleep. Doomed wiz- to counter, spell, or ward against any of the
wizard’s magic cast through it a -1 penalty per
ards add their total accrued damage benefit level. It also has its own mana pool
as a bonus to all dice they roll on a of 1 per benefit level for use when casting
successfully cast spell.
e spells through the talisman. When used by
the wizard, the talisman itself will also count
as a magical item with a bonus equal to the
pl
LOCKED POWER: number of milestones the wizard has passed.
The nature of the talisman will often limit
ARCHMAGE its potential uses. Casting charm through a
The wizard has honed her talent in at sword would be quite difficult, but swaying
least one particular spell. This spell is a pedant for the effect of hypnosis would
altered to be a new spell named by the be much easier to justify. Using specialized,
m

wizard, with a few minor tweaks that important or otherwise exotic components
should allow the talisman to also be used as
generally follows the same function or
a spell component, without being expended
uses the same template(s). This spell for the spell. A wizard cannot have more than
counts as having a complexity of zero one such object at a time. It takes a month
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for the wizard and is considered an of full time work to forge a new one. If a
innate spell that only the wizard knows. talisman is broken, the wizard must pass a
health check or be knocked unconscious. A
The wizard is also technically an elf
wizard may choose to abandon a talisman by
with the usual benefits of immortality crafting a new one. Until the new talisman
and pitfalls of iron. They may pay cost gains a benefit level, the previous talisman
as either their original species or as an still counts as the wizard’s talisman. Once
elf. Unlike most Elves the wizard has abandoned, a wizard cannot return to a
previous talisman though it may be used as
the ability to write down her innate spell
a spell component.
(or spells) and teach them to others.

21
THE TEMPLE OF THE HIGH PRIESTS
“ MY GOD IS A WRATHFUL GOD ”
Any character can have faith and
PRIEST
religion. Taking a pie piece in the POWERS
priest class represents a different level
of commitment to one’s supernatu- DOGMA
ral patron. Clerics, shamans, druids, This power represents the strength

e
witches and cultists all fall under the of a priest’s conviction. A priest with
purview of the priest class. Anyone this power reduces the influence,fear,
who deals with supernatural forces or stress scored against her in a social

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as an intermediary to power or to conflict by 2 per die. The priest also
protect against such a thing would be gains an additional amount of XP
well suited to a priest class. equal to her faith for each point of
In terms of game play, the priest is a piety she earns.
class that requires long-term resource
allotment. When a priest adventures,
e
it is far more important to appease the
MIRACLES
A priest with this power can summon
priest’s deity or patron than collect miracles at the base piety cost. This
pl
gold. Building temples, converting the does not stack with the benefit for
masses, and destroying heretics among summoning miracles on holy ground.
other things will earn a priest the piety While I could have had all the piety
needed to receive miracles. Having costs in the “Scriptures” portion of
followers from two opposing deities
m

this book be multiplied by 100 and

in one group may cause problems. said this power gives you the ability
to summon miracles at 1/100th of
These ‘piety points’ that fuel the priest’s the normal cost that seemed kind of
powers represent the favour a priest inane considering priests with this
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holds with their patron and is used power will be the ones summoning
to call forth miracles. Proactively miracles 99% of the time if your game
spreading ones faith is the priest’s is anything like mine.
drive to adventure.
TRUE BELIEF
A priest with this power can enter
a state of grace upon accumulating
500 piety. A priest in a state of grace
is permanently considered ‘blessed’;
this means a priest counts all attacks
as being magical and receives a dam-
22
 age reduction of +1 against magical Supernatural creatures may have a
attacks. Such a priest is also immune version of this power (haunting) which
to diseases and possession merely allows them to instead cause stress to
causes insanity instead (note they can mundane beings through social conflict
suffer points of illness, they can’t catch leading to possession. They also gain
a disease). Dead priests in a state of luck point benefits against exorcism.
grace do not deteriorate. How these
effects represent themselves varies FERVOUR
based on the patron. A holy bishop This power represents a priest’s ability

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may simply not rot and instead smell to lash out in a religious frenzy. A priest
of flowers, never having been able gains +1 damage in combat against
to contract disease in life. A warlock sentient or supernatural enemies per

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may have her body remain a withered cumulative faith point if the priest
husk, while in life she contracted the views them as religious enemies. This
diseases but simply would not suffer means at 1 faith, a priest would gain
from them. a bonus of +1, but at 3 faith a priest
Whether or not the priest is in a state would gain a bonus of +2.
of grace, a priest with ‘True Belief’
e
may add her faith to her awesomeness
PROVIDENCE
score for a single d20 roll each session This power represents the protective
pl
(chosen after the roll). blessings of their patron (or a guardian
angel, spiritual pact, or similar super-
EXORCISM natural event). The priest is restored
A priest with this power is able to to her maximum luck points after
m

perform exorcisms without either a night’s rest provided she prays or

the aid of a holy symbol or spending otherwise praises her patron before
piety. The priest may negate up to sleeping.
two points for each luck point spent
against the result of a successful su-
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pernatural mental assault against the LOCKED POWER:

priest (possession, words of power, CHOSEN ONE
psychic assaults, etc). Thus if the priest This power represents the extreme
suffered 5 stress from an appeal by favouritism of the priest’s patron. The
a demon attempting to possess the priest gains 1 temporary piety per level
priest, the priest could pay 3 luck per day. This temporary piety is lost
to negate the stress rather than 5. If at the end of the day, and so should
the priest fumbled an exorcism and be spent daily. This allows a priest a
suffered 7 damage, the priest would constant supply of power but it does
need to spend 7 luck to negate the not grant XP though Dogma.
damage as normal.
23
PERSONAL ITEM: RELIC
To gain a relic, the priest’s player must
roll doubles on the 2d6.

Any time a priest completes a large

task of faith, there is a small chance
of one of the priest’s personal effects
turning from a mundane item into a
holy relic. If the priest completes an

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epic task of their faith, then an item
automatically becomes a relic.

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Relics increase the effectiveness of the
item in a way similar to magic items
with a numeric bonus, and the item
reduce the piety costs of summoning
specific miracles. It is also possible that
an existing relic will be ‘upgraded’.
For each benefit level the relic will
e
reduce base piety cost of any miracle
pl
performed “through” it by 1 (minimum
of 1). The item will count as having
a magical bonus of 1 per cumulative
benefit level of the relic when wielded
m

by any member of the priest’s faith

against supernatural or otherwise
mystical beings. These benefits do
not apply on unholy ground. The
item transformed should be the one
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most crucial to completing the task, if

there is no clear item to fit that role,
the player should choose the item.

24