This section is designated as Open Content.
All characters and creatures have seven Characteristics.
Strength (STR): A character's brute force, Strength affects the amount of damage he deals, what weapons he can wield effectively, how much he can lift and so on.
Constitution (CON): A measure of the character's health, Constitution affects how much damage he can sustain in combat, as well as his general resistance to disease and other illnesses.
Dexterity (DEX): A character's agility, co-ordination and speed, Dexterity aids him in many physical actions, including combat.
Size (SIZ): This is an indication of the character's mass and, like Strength and Constitution, can affect the amount of damage a character can deal and how well he can absorb damage. Unlike most other Characteristics, a high score in Size is not always an advantage. While a large character can take more damage, a small character will have a much easier time when sneaking around in the shadows.
Intelligence (INT): A character's ability to think around problems, analyse information and memorise instructions. It is a very useful Characteristic for characters interested in becoming accomplished spellcasters.
Power (POW): Perhaps the most abstract Characteristic, Power is a measure of the character's life force and his personal force of will.
Charisma (CHA): This quantifies a character's attractiveness and leadership qualities.
These are a set of secondary scores that define exactly what the character is capable of.
Combat Actions (CA): This is the number of actions a character can perform in each combat round.
Combat Actions
DEX | Combat Actions |
6 or less | 1 |
7-12 | 2 |
13-18 | 3 |
19 or more | 4 |
Damage Modifier (DM): The Damage Modifier applies whenever the character uses a melee or thrown weapon.
Damage Modifier
Total of STR and SIZ | Damage Modifier |
1-5 | -1D8 |
6-10 | -1D6 |
11-15 | -1D4 |
16-20 | -1D2 |
21-25 | +0 |
26-30 | +1D2 |
31-35 | +1D4 |
36-40 | +1D6 |
41-45 | +1D8 |
46-50 | +1D10 |
51-60 | +1D12 |
61-70 | +2D6 |
71-80 | +2D8 |
81-90 | +2D10 |
91-100 | +2D12 |
101-120 | +3D10 |
121-140 | +3D12 |
141-160 | +4D10 |
161-180 | +4D12 |
181-200 | +5D10 |
Hit Points (HP): These determine how much damage the character can sustain before reaching unconsciousness or death. Hit points are located in certain areas of the character's body, representing exactly how much damage he can sustain.
Hit Points
Location | Total SIZ + CON | ||||||||
1-5 | 6-10 | 11-15 | 16-20 | 21-25 | 26-30 | 31-35 | 36-40 | +5 | |
Each Leg | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | +1 |
Abdomen | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | +1 |
Chest | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | +1 |
Each Arm | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | +1 |
Head | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | +1 |
Magic Points (MP): These are used to activate any spells the character knows. The character's starting Magic Points will be equal to the character's POW.
Strike Rank (SR): This determines how quickly the character acts in combat. Strike Rank is determined by adding together the character's INT and DEX, and halving the result.
Every character has a range of Basic skills that allows him to perform a variety of actions with varying degrees of expertise.
Each Basic skill is set by the total of one or more Characteristics. Some skills will also suffer a penalty from other Characteristics.
The Starting Skills table lists all the Basic skills every character possesses and the Characteristics used to determine the skill's base score. If a Characteristic is listed as a penalty, deduct it from the skill's base score.
Starting Skills
Basic Skills | Bonus | Penalty |
Acrobatics | DEX | |
Athletics | STR+DEX | |
Boating | STR | |
Dodge | 10+DEX | -SIZ |
Drive | 10+POW | |
Evaluate | INT | |
First Aid | INT | |
Influence | 10+CHA | |
Lore (Animal) | INT | |
Lore (Plant) | INT | |
Lore (World) | INT | |
Perception | INT+POW | |
Persistence | 10+POW | |
Resilience | CON+POW | |
Riding | DEX+POW | |
Sing | CHA | |
Sleight | DEX | |
Stealth | 10+DEX | -SIZ |
Throwing | DEX | |
Unarmed | STR | |
Weapon Skills | Bonus | Penalty |
All Close Combat | STR+DEX | |
All Ranged | DEX |
There are three stages involved in determining the character's previous experience. First the player must pick the character's cultural background. This provides certain starting skill bonuses that reflect this upbringing. Second, the player must pick a profession and gain further associated skills with that profession. Thirdly, the player spends the character's free skill points.
The player is free to choose the background the character comes from (with Games Master approval), which determines skill bonuses, starting money and which Advanced skills are available. The backgrounds available are listed here:
The Cultural Background table shows all the various bonuses each background bestows on a character. Basic Skill Bonuses are added straight onto the character's Basic skill scores.
Advanced skills start at their base Characteristic score, plus any indicated bonus.
Cultural Background
Background | Basic Skill Bonuses | Advanced Skills | Starting Money |
Barbarian |
Athletics +10% Pick Two +5% Boating, Lore (Animal), Lore (Plant), Riding Pick Three +10% 1H Axe, 1H Hammer, 2H Axe, 2H Hammer, Blowgun, Bow, Dagger, Shield, Sling, Spear, Staff, Throwing, Unarmed |
Language (Native) +50% Pick One Craft |
4D6x20 silver |
Peasant | Athletics +5% Pick Two +10% Boating, Dodge, Driving, First Aid, Persistence Pick Two +10% 1H Axe, 1H Flail, 1H Hammer, 2H Axe, Dagger, Sling, Spear, Staff, Unarmed |
Language (Native) +50% Lore (Regional) Pick Two Craft |
4D6x25 silver |
Townsman | Evaluate +10% Pick Two +10% Boating, Driving, Persistence, Resilience, Sleight, Stealth Pick Two +10% 1H Hammer, 1H Sword, Dagger, Crossbow, Polearm, Shield |
Language (Native) +50% Lore (Regional) Streetwise Pick One Craft |
4D6x50 silver |
Noble | Influence +10% Pick Two +5% Evaluate, Dodge, Perception, Riding Pick Two +15% 1H Sword, 2H Sword, Dagger, Rapier, Shield |
Language (Native) +50% Lore (Regional) Pick Two Craft |
4D10x100 silver |
The Professions table shows all the various bonuses each profession bestows on a character. Basic Skill Bonuses are added straight onto the character's Basic skill scores. Advanced skills start at their base Characteristic score. If the character already possesses the indicated Advanced skill, they instead gain a +10% bonus to that skill.
If a Profession indicates that a character starts play with the Runecasting skill, that character knows one spell per Runecasting skill known. Spells known must be relevant to the runes the character has integrated.
Professions
Profession | Cultural Background | Basic Skill Bonuses | Advanced Skills |
Acrobat | Barbarian Peasant |
Acrobatics +10% Athletics +10% Dodge +10% Throwing +10% Sleight +10% |
|
Alchemist | Townsman | Evaluate +10% First Aid +10% Lore (Plant) +10% |
Lore (Alchemy) Runecasting1 |
Animal Trainer | Barbarian Peasant |
Driving +5% First Aid +5% Lore (Animal) +20% Persistence +10% Resilience +5% Riding +5% |
|
Bard | Barbarian Peasant Townsman |
Influence +10% Lore (World) +10% Perception +5% Sing +10% Sleight +5% |
Pick One Dance |
Blacksmith | Barbarian Peasant Townsman |
1H Hammer +10% Evaluate +5% Resilience +5% |
Craft (Blacksmith) Lore (Mineral) Pick One Engineering |
Courtier | Townsman Noble |
Influence +15% Lore (World) +5% Perception +5% Sleight +5% |
Dance
Pick One Lore (Art) |
Craftsman | Barbarian Peasant Townsman |
Evaluate +20% Influence +5% Persistence +5% |
Craft
Pick One Craft (other) |
Diplomat | Townsman Noble |
Influence +20% Perception +10% Lore (World) +10% |
Pick One Dance |
Explorer | Barbarian Noble |
Lore (World) +20% Perception +5% Resilience +5% |
Pick Two Language |
Farmer | Barbarian Peasant |
Athletics +5% Driving +5% Lore (Animal) +15% Lore (Plant) +15% Resilience +10% |
|
Fisherman | Barbarian Peasant |
Athletics +5% Boating +20% Lore (Animal) +5% Resilience +10% Throwing +10% |
|
Herdsman | Barbarian Peasant |
First Aid +5% Lore (Animal) +20% Resilience +5% Sling +10% |
Survival |
Hunter | Barbarian Peasant |
Bow +5% Lore (Animal) +10% Spear +5% Stealth +10% |
Survival Tracking |
Lord | Noble | 1H Sword +10% Influence +20% Persistence +10% Riding +10% |
|
Mercenary | Barbarian Peasant Townsman |
Lore (World) +10%
Pick Two 1H Axe +15% Pick Two Athletics +5% |
|
Merchant | Townsman | Evaluate +20% Influence +10% Lore (World) +10% |
Pick One Language |
Militiaman | Peasant Townsman |
1H Axe +5% Athletics +10% Dodge +5% Resilience +5% Shield +10% Spear +10% Unarmed +5% |
|
Miner | Peasant | 1H Axe +10% 2H Axe +10% Athletics +10% Resilience +10% |
Lore (Mineral) |
Physician | Townsman Noble |
Evaluate +5% First Aid +20% Lore (Plant) +10% Perception +5% |
Healing |
Priest | Peasant Townsman |
Influence +15% Lore (World) +5% Persistence +10% |
Lore
- (Theology) Runecasting2 |
Ranger | Barbarian Peasant |
1H Sword +5% |
Lore (Regional) Survival Tracking |
Sailor | Peasant Townsman |
Acrobatics +10% Athletics +10% Boating +10% Lore (World) +5% Resilience +5% |
Shiphandling |
Scholar | Townsman Noble |
Evaluate +5% Lore (World) +5% Persistence +10% |
Lore
Pick Two Engineering |
Shaman | Barbarian | First Aid +5% Influence +10% Lore (Animal) +5% Lore (Plant) +5% Persistence +5% |
Runecasting3
Pick One Healing |
Soldier | Barbarian Peasant Townsman Noble |
Dodge +5% Lore (World) +5% Resilience +5% Unarmed +5% Pick Three 1H Axe +10% |
|
Spy | Townsman Noble |
Acrobatics +5% |
Pick One Disguise |
Thief | Barbarian Peasant Townsman |
Acrobatics +5% |
Pick One Disguise |
Town Guard | Townsman |
1H Hammer +5% |
Streetwise |
Witch | Barbarian Peasant |
First Aid +5% |
Runecasting4
Pick Two Healing |
Wizard |
Townsman Noble |
Evaluate +5% |
Runecasting5 Pick One Language |
Woodsman | Barbarian Peasant |
1H Axe +5% 2H Axe +10% Athletics +10% Lore (Plant) +10% Resilience +5% |
Survival |
1 Choose one of the following: Metal, Motion, Plant or Stasis. The character has integrated that rune and has that rune's Runecasting skill.
2 Choose one of the following: Communication, Law, Man or Spirit. The character has integrated that rune and has that rune's Runecasting skill.
3 Choose one of the following: Beast, Earth, Man or Spirit. The character has integrated that rune and has that rune's Runecasting skill.
4 Choose one of the following: Fertility, Luck, Moon or Shadow. The character has integrated that rune and has that rune's Runecasting skill.
5 Choose one of the following: Air, Cold, Earth, Fire, Heat or Water. The character has integrated that rune and has that rune's Runecasting skill.
Every character receives 100 additional skill points. The player can add these free skill points to his skills in the following ways:
¬ Add to a Basic or Weapon skill score.
¬ Add to an Advanced skill score, as long as the character already possesses the skill.
¬ Purchase an Advanced skill. This costs 10 free skill points and the Advanced skill starts at its basic Characteristic-derived score.
No single skill can benefit from more than 30 free skill points. The Advanced skill of Runecasting may not be purchased. An Advanced skill purchased with free skill points cannot be increased by more than 20 points.
Movement: Human characters have a Movement of 4 metres (4m).
Hero Points: Every character starts with two Hero Points.
Age: The character may start out at any age between 18 and 30.