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TRANSCRIPT
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Chapter 1 - Welcome to 54 – Fantasy! ......................4 What is a Role-playing Game?..............................4 What Do I Need to Play?.......................................4
The Basics .........................................................4 Extras.................................................................4
How Do I Play? .....................................................4 How Do I Win? .....................................................5
Chapter 2 - Character Creation..................................6 Steps to Create A Character...................................6 Choose A Concept .................................................6
Background .......................................................6 Generate Abilities ..................................................7 Select Race ............................................................8 Select Profession ...................................................8 Select Skills ...........................................................9 Select Maneuvers and Spells .................................9 Select Starting Equipment .....................................9 Play! ....................................................................10
Chapter 3 - Race ......................................................11 Draemani .........................................................12 Dragonfolk.......................................................13 Dwarf...............................................................14 Elf ....................................................................15 Gnome .............................................................16 Hellchilde ........................................................17 Hillenfaey ........................................................18 Human .............................................................19 Mageborn.........................................................20 Orkan ...............................................................21 Titanborn .........................................................22
Chapter 4 - Profession .............................................23 Making Your own Professions ............................23 Making Your own Specialties .............................24 A Final Word.......................................................24 Professions...........................................................24
Arcanist ...........................................................25 Dilettante .........................................................29 Expert ..............................................................31 Priest................................................................33 Rogue ..............................................................36 Warrior ............................................................39
Chapter 5 - Skills .....................................................42 Skill List ..............................................................42
Alphabetic List ................................................42 Skills by Group................................................43
Skills Overview ...................................................43 Selecting Skills ................................................43 Using Skills .....................................................44 Untrained Skills ...............................................44 Ranked Skills...................................................44 Trained Only Skills..........................................44
Skill Descriptions ................................................45 Acrobatics........................................................45 Armor ..............................................................45 Athletics...........................................................45 Craft.................................................................46 Deception.........................................................47 Disable Device.................................................47 Endurance ........................................................47
Evade ...............................................................47 Handle Animal.................................................47 Knowledge.......................................................47 Language .........................................................49 Linguistics .......................................................49 Perception........................................................50 Perform............................................................50 Persuasion........................................................50 Spellcraft .........................................................51 Stealth..............................................................51 Survival ...........................................................51 Weapon Group.................................................52
Chapter 6 - Equipment.............................................53 Armor & Shields..................................................53
Armor Descriptions .........................................54 Weapons ..............................................................56
Melee Weapons ...............................................56 Ranged Weapons .............................................60
Equipment ...........................................................62 Clothing ...........................................................62 Daily Food and Lodging..................................63 Transport .........................................................63 Miscellaneous Equipment................................64 Special Services...............................................68
Masterwork/Inferior Items...................................68 Creating Magic Items ..........................................68
Armor ..............................................................70 Jewelry.............................................................71 Potions .............................................................71 Scroll ...............................................................71 Staff .................................................................72 Wand ...............................................................72 Weapons ..........................................................73 Miscellaneous Magic.......................................73
Chapter 7 - Expertise ...............................................76 Item Equipment Lists ..........................................76 Do-It-Yourself Crafting.......................................76
Determine Difficulty .......................................76 Completion Time.............................................76 Getting Help ....................................................76 Making the Check............................................76 Completing the Item ........................................77 Selling..............................................................77 Levels of Expertise ..........................................77
Chapter 8 - Maneuvers ............................................79 Building Maneuvers ............................................79
Skill Level .......................................................79 Special Actions................................................80
Reading the Maneuvers .......................................81 Attack Line ......................................................81 Untrained Maneuvers (No ranks) ....................82 Initiate Maneuvers (Rank 0) ............................82 Novice Maneuvers (Rank +1)..........................82 Apprentice Maneuvers (Rank +2) ...................83 Journeyman Maneuvers (Rank +3)..................85 Master Maneuvers (Rank +4) ..........................86 Grand Master Maneuvers (Rank +5) ...............88
Chapter 9 - Spells ....................................................91 Types of Magic....................................................91
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Arcane............................................................. 91 Divine ............................................................. 91 Primal.............................................................. 91 Runecasting..................................................... 91
Sources of Magic ................................................ 91 Channeling...................................................... 91 Runecasting..................................................... 92 Sorcery............................................................ 92 Wizardry ......................................................... 92
Learning Spells and Runes ................................. 92 Seizing Spells.................................................. 92 Trading/Buying Spells .................................... 93 Researching Spells .......................................... 93
Runecasting......................................................... 93 Creating A Rune ............................................. 93 Using a Rune................................................... 93 Multiple Copies .............................................. 93 Destroying Runes............................................ 93
Reading Spell Entries.......................................... 94 Circles of Power ............................................. 94 Casting ............................................................ 94 Schools of Magic ............................................ 95 Range .............................................................. 96 Duration .......................................................... 96
Repeated Casting ................................................ 97 Stacking Effects .................................................. 97 Building Spells.................................................... 97
Skill Level....................................................... 97 Spell Abilities ................................................. 99
Arcane Spells .................................................... 102 0th Circle Arcane Spells ................................ 102 First Tier Arcane Spells ............................... 102 Second Tier Arcane Spells............................ 104 Third Tier Arcane Spells............................... 106
Divine Spells..................................................... 108 0th Circle Divine Spells ................................. 108 First Tier Divine Spells................................ 108 Second Tier Divine Spells ............................ 109 Third Tier Divine Spells ............................... 110
Primal Spells ..................................................... 112 0th Circle Primal Spells ................................. 112 First Tier Primal Spells ................................. 112 Second Tier Primal Spells............................. 114 Third Tier Primal Spells ............................... 115
Runes ................................................................ 116 0th Circle Runes............................................. 116 First Tier Runes ............................................ 116 Second Tier Runes ........................................ 118 Third Tier Runes........................................... 119
Chapter 10 - Hazards ............................................ 120 Disease.............................................................. 120
Contracting a Disease ................................... 120 Overcoming a Disease .................................. 120 Treating a Disease......................................... 120
Falling............................................................... 121 Natural Healing................................................. 121
Advanced Wounds........................................ 121
Natural Hazards ................................................ 122 Buried ........................................................... 122 Fire................................................................ 122 Suffocation/Drowning .................................. 122
Poison ............................................................... 123 Traps ................................................................. 123
Building Traps .............................................. 123 Noticing a Trap ............................................. 124 Triggering A Trap......................................... 124 Disarming or Bypassing A Trap ................... 124 Sample Traps ................................................ 124
Chapter 11 - Game Set Up and Play ..................... 126 Session Preparation........................................... 126 Scene Sequence ................................................ 126 Round Sequence ............................................... 127 End of A Scene ................................................. 128 End of Session .................................................. 128
Chapter 12 - Action Resolution ............................ 129 Standard Action Resolutions............................. 129
Static Difficulties .......................................... 129 Combat / Skill Modifiers .............................. 130 Persuasion Modifiers .................................... 130 Stacking Bonuses.......................................... 131
Describe Your Action ....................................... 131 Making the Check............................................. 131
Players Making the Check ............................ 131 Game master Making the Check.................. 131
Defending ......................................................... 131 Resolving the Action ........................................ 132
Successes ...................................................... 132 Attacking and Damage.................................. 132 Playing Multiple Cards ................................. 133 Aces .............................................................. 133
Move Action resolutions................................... 134 Movement Types .......................................... 134 Move Actions................................................ 134 Ranges .......................................................... 135
Presence Checks ............................................... 135 Chapter 13 - Running the Game ........................... 136
The Rules .......................................................... 136 Learning the Rules ........................................ 136 Using the Rules............................................. 136 House rules ................................................... 137
Players .............................................................. 138 Player Types ................................................. 138 Play Styles .................................................... 139 Handling Difficult Players ............................ 140
Campaigns ........................................................ 140 Campaign Arcs ............................................. 140 The World..................................................... 140 Stories ........................................................... 141 Adventures .................................................... 141 NPC’s............................................................ 142 PC’s .............................................................. 143
Awards.............................................................. 144 Treasure ........................................................ 144 Experience .................................................... 145
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An Example of Play...........................................148 Chapter 14 - Monsters ...........................................153
Creating Monsters .............................................153 Size Effects....................................................153 Reading the Entries........................................153
Preconstructed Monsters....................................155 Animal ...........................................................155 Basilisk ..........................................................157 Demon ...........................................................158 Doppelganger ................................................160 Dragon ...........................................................160 Dragonfolk.....................................................164 Dwarf.............................................................165 Elemental.......................................................165 Elf ..................................................................166 Genie .............................................................168 Ghoul .............................................................172 Ghost .............................................................173 Giant ..............................................................173 Gnome ...........................................................176 Goblin............................................................176 Griffon ...........................................................180 Hellchilde ......................................................181 Hillenfaey ......................................................182 Human ...........................................................182 Kobold ...........................................................183 Liche..............................................................185 Lizardman......................................................186 Lycanthrope...................................................186 Mageborn.......................................................187 Mummy .........................................................188 Orc.................................................................188 Skeleton .........................................................189 Summoned Animals and Creatures ...............190 Taurii .............................................................192 Titanborn .......................................................193 Troll ...............................................................193 Unicorn..........................................................194 Vampire .........................................................194 Wyvern ..........................................................195 Zombie...........................................................196
Chapter 15 - Sample Adventure ............................197 The Goblin Tourney ..........................................197
Background ...................................................197 Start ...............................................................197 What to Do – Non-Tourney Events ...............197 The Tourney ..................................................197 Uninvited Guest.............................................199 Spicing Up the Dragon Fight.........................199 Final Reward .................................................199 Failure?..........................................................199 Further Adventures ........................................200
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CChhaapptteerr 11 -- WWeellccoommee ttoo 5544
–– FFaannttaassyy!! Welcome to the 54 Fantasy game. This
game is a role-playing game that is designed to let you play in a world of dragons, giants and deadly dungeons in search of fame, glory and gold.
WWhhaatt iiss aa RRoollee--ppllaayyiinngg GGaammee?? Have you ever sat down and watched a
movie or read a book, either wishing you could be the dashing hero (or heroine) or find yourself shaking your head at the decisions made by the characters, knowing you wouldn’t make the same mistakes?
Well, in a role-playing game, you take on the role of an imaginary hero (or anti-hero) as you lead them through a series of narrative adventures. Now, it’s your turn to make the decisions as the story unfolds around you.
Normally, one person in the role-playing game acts as the story narrator and referee. Referred to in this book as the game master, it is the duty of the game master to present the situation and make the decisions for the villains and supporting cast. In many ways, the game master is the director, though the players aren’t given a script they have to work from, and can go in just about any direction they want.
Meanwhile, you and several others of your friends take on the role of the main characters in the story. Each of you makes the decisions for what your character does and how they act. To reflect how good (or bad) your imaginary character is, each character is defined by a set list of traits and abilities. For example, you might have a character who is a powerful warrior, and how powerful he is will be reflected in statistics like his Strength score, while how well he can fight on the battlefield might be determined by his Melee Combat skill.
When a situation occurs where the outcome needs to be determined impartially – such as in combat or when making a death-defying leap across a bottomless chasm, you and the game master play cards from a deck of playing cards to determine if your action is successful or not. In many ways, your character has an advantage as the players of the heroes get to choose from a hand of cards, while the game master simply flips over a random card.
Its possible your character may succeed or fail due the outcome directed by the cards; though you have some control over this, you won’t always have complete control, which helps to lead to dynamic tension and ongoing interest in the story. Will your character succeed? Or will the evil baron
triumph, leaving your hero broken and battered and in need of rescue by an as yet-unplayed next character?
WWhhaatt DDoo II NNeeeedd ttoo PPllaayy??
TThhee BBaassiiccss All you need to play this game is one person
willing to take on the role of the game master, one or more players, this rulebook and deck of cards for the game master and each player. You also need an extra “community” deck.
You will also need a sheet of paper with your imaginary character’s information and a few pencils (and erasers). You can write up your own sheets or print out the sheets at the back of this book.
EExxttrraass These are all items that may help the game,
but are not necessary. It can also be helpful to have a gridded mat
(called a battle mat) for mapping out combats and miniature figures to represent the player characters.
Players who have characters that can cast spells might find it useful to have (index) cards with their spells printed on them.
Also, some players may want cards for their magical and/or mundane gear for quick reference.
Player handouts are always fun ways of immersing players into the game. Whether it is a crumpled copy of the character’s treasure map, a rendering of the room they’ve entered, a picture of evil baron they’re facing or some bronze tokens to represent the gold they’ve just won, these props are always great ways to remember the action in a game.
The game master might want a screen of some sort to conceal his story notes and any other information he does not want the players to accidentally see during the game.
The game master is encouraged to make his own adventures and campaign world (see Running the Game), but may choose to buy pre-made adventures or campaign worlds – such as The Dark Summit campaign world.
HHooww DDoo II PPllaayy?? First, you have to make your imaginary
character through whom you will interact with the game master’s story. Most of the rest of this book is dedicated to the system of creating your character and the rules for interacting with the fantasy world. Don’t worry though; the basic rules are fairly simple and quick to learn. The rest is information you only
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need a portion of for any single character, and most of the rest is information the person presenting the story (known as a game master) needs to know. Your first character may take longer to make because you’re still learning the rules, but making a character usually takes 10-15 minutes or less.
Once your character has been created and equipped, the game master will present the story to get things rolling. This will either be a pre-made story created by others or made up by the game master himself.
Once the game master has presented the opening scene, everything else is up to you and your friends. If there is a question whether or not something you want to try will be successful, you use cards to help determine if your action is successful. The more successes you gain, the more skilled and powerful your character becomes.
Will you undertake the quest presented to you and face the dangers it presents? Will your name ring down through the ages with your victory, or will your names simply join the long lines of the forgotten who tried and failed?
HHooww DDoo II WWiinn?? Unlike most other games, a role-playing
game isn’t about winning so much as telling a story and having a good time. It’s always nice when the heroes win the day and defeat the bad guy’s plan, but sometimes things go wrong. But in a role-playing game, that isn’t necessarily the end. Perhaps you will struggle on with your character, attempting to escape the dungeons of the bad guys to try again, or you’ll make new characters to make the attempt anew, or have to endure the aftermath of the bad guys succeeding in their plan.
Even when the heroes “win the day” and save the world, it doesn’t have to end there. Your characters may undertake a new quest – much like the sequel of a movie – or perhaps it will be time to retire the old characters and start anew, perhaps even with the offspring of the old heroes.
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CChhaapptteerr 22 -- CChhaarraacctteerr
CCrreeaattiioonn
SStteeppss ttoo CCrreeaattee AA CChhaarraacctteerr
1. Choose a concept for the character (i.e., what do you want to play?)
2. Generate ability scores and record them on your sheet.
3. Select your race and record the special abilities and traits for your race.
4. Select your profession and an optional specialty. Record the special abilities for your profession.
5. Select your skills 6. Select your maneuvers and/or spells 7. Select your starting equipment 8. Record your attribute derived abilities 9. Start adventuring!
CChhoooossee AA CCoonncceepptt Before you begin generating a character,
you’ll probably want to think about what sort of character you want. Do you want a dashing rogue who is quick with a saber and a jibe at his enemy? Or do you prefer a hulking barbarian who beats his opponent into the ground in a spray of gore? Perhaps you fancy a silver-tongued diplomat or a minstrel who can woo the ladies with the strumming of his lyre. You might want to play a reclusive sorcerer whose blood boils with magical might or a bookworm of a wizard who can always be found with an old tome in one hand and a ball of brilliant flame in the other.
Once you have your concept, its time to start putting that concept together into a character.
BBaacckkggrroouunndd As part of your character concept, spend
some time working up a background. You can wrap your background up in a simple sentence or two or write out a detailed background for your character if you like.
Sample Backgrounds 2. You recently returned home from military
service to find someone or something terrorizing your neighborhood. You’re not willing to stand still for it.
3. The roguish caretaker who taught you all of the scams you know was recently apprehended for his deeds. You decided it’s probably a good time to skip town – and if you’re kind-hearted enough, you’ll do it after you break your patron free.
4. You have just completed your seminary training, and the church is eager for you to take your newfound skills on the road for the benefit of the faithful. (This works for non-clerical characters as well).
5. After years of study, you have finally learned enough that your master has released you from his apprenticeship to continue your studies on your own.
6. You’ve spent your childhood fantasizing battling dragons and other foul creatures. You stumbled on a cache of weapons and armor and now you have a chance of making your dream come true.
7. You’ve been raised as a slave under a master who taught you the ropes of your profession when others weren’t looking. He’s just given you your freedom and now you’re striking out on your own.
8. As the child of a wealthy noble, you’ve lived in the lap of luxury. However, a recent indiscretion has cast you out of the family home, and you’ve got to find a way to make it in this world.
9. You’ve been raised all your life for this day. All your life, those who have cared for you and trained you have spoke of the day you would face the greatest of challenges and overcome it. Armed and armored, you are now ready to begin your journey to your destiny.
10. Screw the hard work. Kill a few monsters, strike it rich and retire is what you’re planning.
Jack. You survived the slaughter, just barely. Now, you plan to train and gather some help to get your revenge. It will be bloody.
Queen You were born into a life of luxury and it bored you, so you decided to run away, adopt a pseudonym and undertake a grand adventure.
King Your family was wronged, and imprisoned or enslaved. Only you escaped, and you had to go underground to clear it and free your family.
Ace Somehow you got swept up into this mess. Everyone keeps calling you by some name you’ve only heard in legend, and keep looking to you for help – and they won’t let you be until you comply.
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Joker Someone, or something wants you dead, and they want some item from you that you never even heard of. The only way to escape is to get very far away, or find what they’re looking for first – and get your enemies out of the way.
Mysteries And Hooks One of the more advanced techniques to
building a character involves building a bit of the unknown into the character’s past, or elements that the game master can draw on to help flesh out the group’s stories.
A mystery is simply an unknown factor or feature that you leave open to be revealed at a later date. It might be, for example, a sackcloth hooded swordsman who slew your father for a perceived insult – the force that drove you to take a sword of your own to discover his identity and kill him.
A hook is like a mystery, but is simply an element the game master can bring up at a later date. For example, if as a part of your background, you have a brother serving in the local military, the game master might use it to draw you to visiting your brother before he is sent off to battle against the armies of the evil baron you’re attempting to thwart.
GGeenneerraattee AAbbiilliittiieess Take your deck of cards and temporarily
remove the jokers, tens, jacks, queens, kings and aces (or simply ignore them and redraw until you don’t get one of those cards). Shuffle the deck and draw 5 cards. Select 4 of the cards and assign them as you see fit to the four primary scores. Note both the value and the suit (C = clubs, D = diamonds, H = hearts, S = spades). If the total of your kept cards is less than 20 or greater than 32, reshuffle and draw again.
If you wish to use a point buy method, start your character with 26 points to distribute between the four primary abilities, and assign one of the four suits to each ability (one clubs, one diamonds, one hearts, one spades). No ability score can be greater than 9 or less than 2, before racial modifiers.
Primary Abilities Strength: This score is a representation of physical, raw strength and healthiness. A character with a high strength can pick up and carry heavy things and can use their strength to deal out a lot of punishment in hand-to-hand combat. A person with a high strength is also healthy and generally tone of body.
Dexterity: This score is a representation of how nimble a character is, as well as hand-eye coordination. A character with a high dexterity has good balance, maneuverability and will likely be very accurate with ranged weapons. Intelligence: This score is a representation of both how smart, and how quick of a learner a character is. A character with a high intellect is quick to catch on and may understand the complexities of magic. Presence: This score is a representation of a character’s ability to forcefully present themselves. A character with a high Presence can easily make themselves heard and is not someone easily ignored.
Secondary Abilities Melee Combat: To determine your Melee Combat skill, add half your Strength + half your Dexterity and divide by 2, rounding down. Your Melee Combat skill has no suit; it will gain the suit of the weapon you use in melee combat. Your Melee Combat skill is your ability to strike your opponent accurately, as well as deliver a blow forcible enough to injure the opponent. Ranged Combat: To determine your Ranged Combat skill, add half your Dexterity + half your Intelligence and divide by 2, rounding down. Your Ranged Combat skill has no suit; it will gain the suit of the weapon you use in ranged combat. Your Ranged Combat skill is your ability to predict a target’s motion and then strike it in a crucial location to bring it down. Magic Aptitude: To determine your Magic Aptitude ability score, add half your Intellect + half your Presence and divide by 2, rounding down. Your Spellcasting ability has no suit; it will gain the suit of the spells you cast. Your Magic Aptitude ability is your ability to manipulate and control the forces of magic. However, without knowing the formula of a spell to call up magic in the first place, there is no magic to manipulate. Defense: To determine your Defense skill, add half your Dexterity + half your Intelligence and divide by 2. Your Defense ability has no suit. Your Defense skill is your innate ability to avoid incoming melee and ranged attacks directed at you. Resistance: To determine your Resistance skill, add half your Presence + half your Strength and divide by 2. Your Resistance ability has the same suit as your Presence. Your Resistance skill represents your ability to protect yourself from harm.
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Tertiary Abilities Resolve: Add Strength + Intelligence + Presence and divide by 3. Resolve is your ability to resist persuasion attempts and to mitigate harmful effects. Wounds: Add Strength + Dexterity + Presence and divide by 3. Wounds is your ability to take physical damage as well as your ability to avoid or turn a deadly wound into a less debilitating wound. Example: Jim has decided he wants to make a swashbuckling rogue who has some magic abilities named Gerard. Encompassing all of those traits into a starting character is likely to make him ineffective at all three areas, so Jim decides first to concentrate on Gerard’s fighting ability and working outward from there. With a concept in mind, he starts constructing Gerard. First, Jim decides to draw a card for
Gerard’s background. He draws a 4♥ - a seminal background, which is certainly odd for his character concept, but decides to roll with it. So Gerard has had ecclesiastical training and church support at one time, but obviously something didn’t quite sit right with him. Gerard’s falling out with the church will probably be something to develop in-game. Next, Jim draws 5 cards for Gerard’s
primary abilities: 9♣, 2♠, 6♥, 8♣, and 5♠. Not a bad draw, overall. Discarding the 2, Jim decides to give
Gerard the following primary abilities: Strength 8♣,
Dexterity 9♣, Intelligence 5♠, Presence 6♥. This gives Gerard the following secondary abilities: Melee Combat 4, Ranged Combat 3, Magic Aptitude 2, Defense 3, and Resistance 2. Gerard also has the following tertiary abilities: Resolve 6, Wounds 7.
SSeelleecctt RRaaccee Once you have derived your basic ability
scores, select the race of your character. The basic playable races are listed below. The game master may have more or alternate races available. Dragonfolk: slim and exotic humanoid dragons who
usually avoid contact with others. Dwarves: short and stout, dwarves are underground
dwellers who often venture in search of riches. Elves: tall and lithe, elves are forest dwelling
carefree spellcasters and warriors. Draemani: Half elf and half human, draemani are
caught between the two worlds of their joint parentage.
Gnomes: Short and mischievous, gnomes have a strong affinity for the earth and the wilderness.
Hillenfaey: About half the height of a human, hillenfaey are agile folk who delight in carefree pleasures.
Hellchilde: Near-albino humans, hellchilde hide an infernal ancestry that causes a diabolic transformation when they use magic.
Humans: The most prolific and diverse of humanoids, humanity has spread across the world, seeking to dominate it.
Mageborn: The offspring of wizards and sorcerers, the very blood of mageborn burns with magical ability.
Titanborn: The mortal offspring of the primordial titans, these powerful and tall individuals seek a way to survive in the world of man.
Example: Jim, still creating his character Gerard, decides to make him human. This gives him a +1 bonus to one primary ability, and a –1 penalty to one ability. Jim decides to give the +1 to Dexterity, and take the –1 to Presence. This gives Gerard a
Dexterity 10♣ and Presence 5♥. His Magic Aptitude remains at 2. His other secondary scores do not change. His tertiary abilities do not change either.
He also writes down the Destiny and Adaptable ability on his character sheet under abilities.
SSeelleecctt PPrrooffeessssiioonn After you have determined your basic
abilities and selected your race, you next choose your profession, and if you desire, your specialty within that profession. Your profession provides you with a package of skills and special abilities, along with some possible drawbacks. Example: Though Jim could start Gerard off as a Warrior with the Swashbuckler specialty, he decides instead to pick Dilettante and Noble as his specialty. He writes down the Dabble ability and Sheltered consequence on his sheet, and makes a mental note of
Less Experienced Characters If you’re new to roleplaying, or want a
greater challenge, you may want to consider starting characters out as Novices. To represent Novice characters, a character should not be allowed to start with greater than Rank 1 in a given skill (overlapping skill points should be applied to a different skill as approved by the game master), and instead of buying broad skills, the character should buy each subskill individually.
Finally, start the character with only 20 gp (50 gp for nobles).
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the skills for both profession and specialty for the next step.
SSeelleecctt SSkkiillllss Each profession gives you access to one or
more broad skills that you gain automatically. Next, select five broad skills for your character. You cannot start any skill at greater than Rank 2 (excluding languages).
If you plan to participate in combat, there are three skills you should invest at least one rank in – any one Armor skill, any one Weapon skill and the Evade skill. As a fourth choice, the Endurance skill can be helpful against many environmental effects and magic. Most of the time, your profession will grant some ranks in these skills, but you might want to boost them with some of your starting five skill ranks.
Example: Jim decides to take Deception (Sleight of Hand) as his human racial skill and notes that he has Endurance 0, Language (Common) 2, Perception (Listen, Spot) 0 and Weapon Group (Blade) 1.
Jim picks for his profession and specialty skills the following: Armor (Light) 2, Knowledge (Nobility) 1, Persuade (Diplomacy) 1 and Weapon Group (Blade) 2. Jim puts one of his two broad skill choices from his class into Spellcraft (Arcane). He puts the other broad skill into Stealth 1. Also, since being human gave him a rank in Blades already, he puts one into Weapon Skill (Blade) and one into Weapon Skill (Crossbow).
From here, Jim picks five additional broad skills for Gerard. He chooses Deception 1, Evade 2, Persuasion 1 and Stealth, giving him Stealth 2. Because Gerard already has Diplomacy, he gains Persuade (Diplomacy) 2, though all his other Diplomacy skills are only Rank 1. The same occurs for his Deception (Sleight of Hand) skill. Gerard’s skill list looks thus:
Armor (Light) 2 Deception 1 Deception (Sleight of Hand) 2 Endurance 0 Evade 2 Knowledge (Nobility) 1 Language (Common) 2 Persuade 1 Persuade (Diplomacy) 2 Spellcraft (Arcane) 1 Stealth 2 Weapon Group (Blade) 2 Weapon Group (Crossbow) 1
Later on, after gaining some experience, Jim hopes to improve his combat and spellcasting ability to round out his character concept, and then will likely start working on improving his ranks in his other skills.
SSeelleecctt MMaanneeuuvveerrss aanndd SSppeellllss Once you have finished with your skills,
select your starting assortment of maneuvers and any spells that you may begin the game with.
Example: Gerard begins with the combat maneuvers Avoid, Defend, Strike (all Rank 0 maneuvers), and chooses One-handed Weapon Style (a Rank 1 maneuver) and Dual Engagement (a Rank 2 maneuver). Gerard can use all of his maneuvers (since he is Rank 2 with Blades), including the Dual Engagement maneuver with any Blade, but can only use Avoid, Strike and Defend with any other weapon (since he is Rank 0 with all other weapons). Gerard also gains a 0th circle spell, and decides to take Legerdemain as his spell. His Dabbler Spellcasting ability for his profession allows him to use any card to attempt to cast the spell, even though he is only Rank 1.
SSeelleecctt SSttaarrttiinngg EEqquuiippmmeenntt Once you have finished with your skills,
purchase your equipment. You start with 50 gp for your starting gear. Note that this is not necessarily gear you physically purchase – you may have gained it from previous employment, have worked for it, gained it as a family heirloom or even received it as a gift for a job well done.
Example: Because Gerard is a noble, he actually will start with 150 gp worth of gear. With the extra money, Jim hopes to outfit Gerard with some magic armor – a gift courtesy of the church. The game master agrees to let Jim acquire the armor at the base creation price, and Jim happily adds it to Gerard’s starting gear. Thus, Jim outfits Gerard with a Rapier (5 gp), Stiletto (5 sp), Heroes Armor (105 gp), Breeches (2 cp), Adventurer’s Belt (3 sp), Low hard boots (2 cp), Good cloth cloak (8 sp), Soft leather gloves (5 cp), and a Large belt pouch (2 sp). Gerard’s Heroes Armor will give him a +3 equipment bonus to Evade, a +1 equipment bonus Armor, and a +1 equipment bonus to Endurance (Physicial) skill checks. It also gives him a +1 magic bonus to Armor and a +1 magic bonus to Resistance (Endurance). Likewise, Gerard’s Rapier and Stiletto will grant an equipment bonus to his Weapon Skill,
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though they will be independent of each other – they do not stack. Thus, Gerard’s enhanced skills appear as follows (note that ability scores have not been added to these totals): Armor (Light) +4 Evade +5 Endurance +0 Endurance (Fortitude) +2 Weapon (Blade – Rapier) Attack +6/Damage +4 Weapon (Blade – Stilleto) Attack +7/Damage +2 Note that the equipment and magic bonuses do not change the number of Ranks Gerard has with a skill, but only the final bonus for skill checks.
Being that Gerard is a noble, Jim asks the game master if he can hire a manservant to carry any heavy gear; it would be beneath Gerard’s dignity to be seen loaded up with gear, and thinks it would be a great plot device for instigating combat banter and the like. The game master agrees, notifying Jim that the manservant will be able to do little more than defend himself if attacked, but that he would be a “Right jolly addition” to the party. Jim plunks down one month’s pay for a porter (15 sp) to represent the manservant. All said, Jim has spent 113 gp, 3 sp and 9 cp, leaving Gerard with 36 gp, 6 sp and 1 cp. Obviously, Gerard is not adventuring for lack of money…
PPllaayy!! At this point, you should have a completed
character. Now go out there and make a name for yourself!
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CChhaapptteerr 33 -- RRaaccee Once you have assigned your basic ability
scores, select a race from the list below. You are not restricted to the races below; your game master may have additional races available, or you can make your own with your game master’s approval. Draemani: Half elf and half human, draemani are
caught between the two worlds of their joint parentage.
Dragonfolk: slim and exotic humanoid dragons who usually avoid contact with others.
Dwarves: short and stout, dwarves are underground dwellers who often venture in search of riches.
Elves: tall and lithe, elves are forest dwelling carefree spellcasters and warriors.
Gnomes: Short and mischievous, gnomes have a strong affinity for the earth and the wilderness.
Hillenfaey: About half the height of a human, hillenfaey are agile folk who delight in carefree pleasures.
Hellchilde: Near-albino humans, hellchilde hide an infernal ancestry that causes a diabolic transformation when they use magic.
Humans: The most prolific and diverse of humanoids, humanity has spread across the world, seeking to dominate it.
Mageborn: The offspring of wizards and sorcerers, the very blood of mageborn burns with magical ability.
Titanborn: The mortal offspring of the primordial titans, these powerful and tall individuals seek a way to survive in the world of man.
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DDrraaeemmaannii Also known as half-elves, draemani are the
offspring of star-crossed human and elf parents. Draemani gain some of the grace of elves and the robustness and adaptabilities of humans. Unfortunately, they do not gain the immortal lifespan of the elves, but they are likewise gifted and cursed to outlive their human counterparts.
Physical Qualities Draemani have human-like frames, though
they tend to be slightly slimmer. Height averages 5’ 10” to 6’ 2” with females being about an inch shorter. Weight averages 160-190 lbs., with females about 60 lbs. lighter. Draemani skin color tends to favor the human parent, though generally a shade lighter. However, draemani are never albino, thanks to elvin parentage. Eye color is the human norm, with purple or silver eyes showing up on occasion. Likewise, draemani hair color tends to favor the human parent and color norm, though white hair pops up on occasion. Unlike their elvin forbearers, draemani cannot change their hair color by will alone, nor does their eye color fluctuate with their mood.
Draemani males only grow beards if they willfully choose to do so. It takes the normal amount of time for a beard to grow, but if a draemani desires, they may cause their beard to wither away to a clean-shaven face after a night’s rest.
Culture Draemani are individuals, born singly to an
unusual union of human and elf. As such, most draemani tend to live within human or elvin communities, where they are often outsiders among their own kind.
However, a draemani’s upbringing in a dual heritage household often makes them far more understanding towards others. It is not uncommon for draemani to be somewhat diplomatic towards others and this openness can often overcome barriers of prejudice and standoffishness among others.
Racial Traits Vision: Normal Speed: Normal Ability Modifiers: +1 Presence, -1 Resistance Skills: Endurance R0, Language (Common) Ranks =
½ Int + 1 rank, Language (Elvin) Ranks = 1/3 Int, Perception (Intuition, Spot) R0, Weapon Group (Bow) R1 or Weapon Group (Blade) R1
Diplomatic: Up to once per scene, when using enchantment magic or attempting to influence or negotiate with others, you may draw an extra card from the top of your deck and compare it to the difficulty of the action for an extra chance of success.
Adaptable: Learning new skills cost 1 less point than normal.
Between Two Worlds: Up to once per scene, when you are engaged in a non-hostile social situation with individuals who might be prejudiced towards humans or elves, the game master may choose to draw a card and require you to make a Presence check. On a failure, you must use the lowest card from your hand for any action in the scene until you beat the Presence test or the scene is over. You are not required to use your lowest card when attempting to make the Presence check.
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