circe fantasy role-playing system

8/4/2019 Circe Fantasy Role-Playing System

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&LUFHRelease 1.9

A Fantasy Role-playing System

Copyright 1997-2000 Bryce Harr ington

INTRODUCTION ..................................... 4

New Additions................................................4

About the Game.............................................4

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................... 6

GLOSSARY............................................... 6

PART I: CHARACTER STATISTICS .... 7

Chapter 1: Circe Points ................................7

Chapter 2: Attributes....................................7Strength............................................................. 7

Agility ............................................................... 8

Precision ........................................................... 8

Perception ......................................................... 8

Health................................................................ 8

Willpower.......................................................... 9

Intelligence........................................................ 9

Charisma........................................................... 9Luck .................................................................. 9

Essence ............................................................. 9

Chapter 3: Traits ........................................10Reputation....................................................... 10

Piety ................................................................ 10

Social rank ...................................................... 11

Military rank ................................................... 11

Chapter 4: Damage Ratings ......................11Fatigue............................................................. 11

Pain ................................................................. 12

Consciousness................................................. 12

Sanity .............................................................. 12

Hit Points ........................................................ 13

Chapter 5: Races ........................................13Humans 0 ........................................................ 13

Hobbit -5 ......................................................... 14

Dwarves 25 ..................................................... 15

Elves 50........................................................... 15Goblins -10...................................................... 16

Orcs 0.............................................................. 17

Mantis 25 ........................................................ 18

Protoglathi 25.................................................. 18

Ogre 10 ........................................................... 18

Chapter 6: Vital Statistics .........................19Height.............................................................. 19

Weight............................................................. 19

Age.................................................................. 19

Gender............................................................. 20

Chapter 7: Professions...............................20Barber-Surgeon 0 ............................................ 22Bard 25............................................................ 23

Beggar 0 .......................................................... 25

Burglar 10 ....................................................... 26

Camp Cook 75 ................................................ 27

Cavalier 50...................................................... 29

Craftsman 0..................................................... 31

Dilettante 25.................................................... 32

Diplomat 50 .................................................... 34

Guardsman 0................................................... 35

Healer 50......................................................... 37

Hermetic Wizard 25........................................ 38


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Merchant 0 ...................................................... 40

Physician 25.................................................... 41

Penemunde Wizard 50.................................... 43

Priest of Unar 25 ............................................. 45Ranger 50........................................................ 49

Scout 0 ............................................................ 52

Slayer 50 ......................................................... 54

Soldier 0 .......................................................... 56

Sorcerer 50...................................................... 58

Tinker 0........................................................... 60

Troubadour 0 .................................................. 62

Wanderer 25.................................................... 63

Chapter 8: Skills .........................................64Skill Ratings.................................................... 64

Initial Skills ..... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Skill Scores ..................................................... 64Skill Checks .................................................... 64

Success Knowledge......................................... 64

Animal Skills (Willpower) ............................. 65

Athletic Skills (Agility).................................. 66

Communication Skills (Intelligence) ............. 67

Craft Skills (Precision)................................... 69

Labor Skills (Strength)................................... 71

Lore Skills (Intelligence)................................. 72

Melee Combat Skill (Agility)............... ......... 75

Missile Combat Skills (Precision).................. 77

Observation Skills (Perception) ..................... 78

Secrecy Skills (Agility) ................................... 80

Social Skills (Charisma).................................. 80

Chapter 9: Background History ...............81Events.............................................................. 82

Family ............................................................. 82

Friends, Peers, and Contacts........................... 82

Enemies........................................................... 83

Chapter 10: Party Establishment.............83Player Characters ............................................ 83

Hirelings.......................................................... 83

Employees....................................................... 84

Henchmen....................................................... 84

Followers......................................................... 84

Chapter 11: EquipmentError! Bookmark not defined.Starting Funds. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Equipment PurchasesError! Bookmark not defined.

Chapter 12: Character Advancement......84Training........................................................... 85

Practice ........................................................... 85

Insight ............................................................. 86

Kudos.............. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Professional Advancement ............................. 87

PART II: COMBAT SYSTEM............... 88

Chapter 1: Core Combat Rules ................88The Attack Roll............................................... 88

Actions ............................................................ 88

Combat Time .................................................. 89Initiative .......................................................... 90

Movement Rates ............................................. 91

Position ........................................................... 91

Knockdown..... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Constrainment................................................. 93

Facing.............................................................. 93

Enhanced and Weakened Effects, and Types of

Damage........................................................... 93

Chapter 2: Actions .....................................95Movement ....................................................... 95

Attacks ............................................................ 96

Defenses........................................................ 103Offhand Weapon........................................... 104

Area of Effect and Missed Shots .................. 104

Fatigue........................................................... 104

Damage......................................................... 105

Pain ............................................................... 105

Consciousness............................................... 106

Chapter 3: Units .......................................106Theory........................................................... 106

Synopsis .......... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Unit EffectivenessError! Bookmark not defined.

Command and Morale .................................. 107

Blast vs. Field Damage ................................. 108

Physical Damage to Units............................. 108

Other Kinds of Health Loss to UnitsError! Bookmark not defin

Chapter 4: Astral Combat.......................109

PART III: MAGIC................................110

PART IV: RELIGION ..........................110

Chapter 1: Ordination and The Calling 110

Chapter 2: Belief and Piety .....................110

Chapter 3: Prayers and Spellcasting .....111Mechanics..................................................... 111

PART V: PSIONICS.............................112

Psionics......................................................... 113

Psychokinetics .............................................. 113

Psychometabolics.......................................... 113

Telepathics.................................................... 113

Teleportics .................................................... 113

Temporics ..................................................... 113

Energetics...................................................... 114

PART VI: ADVENTURING.................115

Chapter 1: Travel .....................................115


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Chapter 2: Detection ................................116Eyesight......................................................... 116

Chapter 3: Feats .......................................116

Chapter 4: Equipment .............................117Armor............................................................ 117

Chapter 5: Dangers ..................................118Blindness....................................................... 118

Falling ........................................................... 118

Storm Effects ................................................ 119

Heat............................................................... 119

Cold............................................................... 119

Poison ........................................................... 119

Drowning ...................................................... 120

Fire - Engulfed .............................................. 120

Impacts.......................................................... 120Crushing........................................................ 120

Suffocation...... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Starvation...................................................... 120

Thirst............................................................. 120

Organ damage............................................... 120

Disease.......................................................... 121

Chapter 6: Healing...................................122Rest vs. Activity............................................ 122

Infection........................................................ 122

Toxicosis....................................................... 122

Nursing.......................................................... 122

Herbalism...................................................... 123

Minor Surgery............................................... 123

Major Surgery............................................... 123

Medical Aide................................................. 123

Chapter 7: Meteorology ..........................124Weather, Mana, Cosmos, and Luck .............. 124

PART VII: TRAINING &

ADVANCEMENT..................................126

How to Become More Powerful ................... 126

PART VIII: BUSINESS DEALINGS...127

Todo.............................................................. 127

Types of Enterprises ..................................... 127

Starting a Business........................................ 128

Business Operations...................................... 128

Documentation.............................................. 129

PART IX: RESEARCH ........................131

PART X: GAMES AND CONTESTS...132

APPENDIXES .......................................135

Headings ....................................................... 141

Notes ............................................................. 141

INDEX ...................................................142


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INTRODUCTION

Release 1. 3/ 31/ 00~ 4 ~

INTRODUCTION

New Additions

Chan ges since 1.8 are d riven mostly by use of

these ru les for the WorldForge online gaming

system.

Several new thief-like professions hav e been

add ed, providing interesting alternatives to the

trad itional burglar. The spy is a master of

observation and information brokerage, andskilled w orker of the shadow s. The cutpu rse is

a trad itional thief, an opp ortun istic pilferer and

pickpocket, oft descending to mugging to make

a living. The swind ler is a confid ence artist and

cardsharper who uses charm, slight-of-hand

and clever decep tion to divest a mark of his

money. A rogue is a brigand or h ighw ayman,

the counterpoint to the ranger, engaging in

band itry either for profit or guerrilla p olitics;

the rogue sees the law as flexible, letting h is

own principles guide his actions. The lawyer

profession (larval politician) has also been

added.

Many new warrior professions have been

add ed. The swashbu ckler is a man of style and

stealth, relying on agility and qu ick wits over

brawn y muscles and heavy armor. The thug is

the an tithesis of the cavalier, being simp ly an

unp rincipled m ercenary to w hom violence and

mu rder is as natur al as buying a pair of shoes.

The pirate is a freebooter and bu ccaneer w ho

preys off the sea lanes or assau lts small

commun ities from the sea in qu ick raids.

Sailors are knowled geable in the w ays of thesea, with a wid e variety of skills.

Necromancers are those wh o speak with the

dead. Alchemists dabble in chemistry and

mans soul. A sage is a highly knowledgeable

researcher, typically widely based in a va riety of

lore skills.

The beggar profession has been removed . The

farmer profession has been ad ded; a base

laborer, this is intend ed for p lain vanilla

peasants and land holders. The Constable of

the People is a w arden of the law charged w ith

protecting the p opu lation from criminals; it

differs from the gu ard in being m ore focused on

information collection th an combat; it also costs

more CPs.

Concrete examp le of skill calculations and

better terminology.

The character generation system ha s been

reorganized a bit to lay it out in a more

utilitarian mann er.

For combat, several new rules have been ad ded

in support of firearm u se. Some rules are added

for au tomatic gun fire. Op portu nity fire is

add ressed, and in general the m issile combat

rules are cleaned up . The sanity system is

extended to supp ort the notion of panic.

Direct fire vs. ind irect fire. Rate of fire is the

max nu mber of attacks the character can make;

his agility may also limit this. The skill is

redu ced in a similar fashion as in the regu lar

rules - the more targets, the lower the chan ce to

hit each of them .

About the Game

Circe (pronounced sir-see) is a skill based

gaming system d esigned for medieval fantasy

game worlds w here magic is pow erful but rare.

This system is inten ded to realistically model

life as an adventu rer in a med ieval world in

wh ich monsters an d magic really do exist, and

gods do look dow n from the heavens.

Circe is also the first Comp uter Aided

Roleplaying Game. This gam e need s the use of

a compu ter by players and referee to generate

characters and adventu res. The use of a

comp uter is by no means required, however.

Nearly all of the math is simp le arithmetic. The

reason so many equations are u sed is to make it

simpler to mod el all of the ru les in a comp uter

program. Because it was designed w ith

compu ters in mind , its being used in the

WorldForge online gaming system.


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INTRODUCTION About the Game

Release 1. 3/ 31/ 00~ 5 ~

This system is sup erior to many others becau se

it allows and encourag es players to use strategic

thinking. Combat is more than just swing,

swing, swing, for examp le. It requires asophistication of thought; the player must judge

the opp onent h e is up again st: Will he fall for

a feint again this roun d, or shou ld I go for an all

out shot right off? Perhaps I should sw itch to a

more d efensive style.

Much care has gone into seeking the prop er

balance in the weapon and arm or numbers. I

think you ll find th at p layers will find ben efits

in different features of the different weapons,

and w ill natu rally diversify their choices. One

player may pr efer the weap ons that enable

great amoun ts of damage, w hile another likesthe staff because of its du al use in attack as we ll

as defense, and a third p layer chooses to take a

dagger and w restling approach with the intent

of getting inside an opponen ts reach and thu s

preventing counter attacks. Similarly, one

player may choose an armor w ith a high

defense score, while another places more

importance on freedom of movement.

As a result, you will see your combats natu rally

become mor e colorful and more realistic-

seeming. Feints, wrestling, and maneu vering

grow in import ance. On average, battles will go

to the side with the greater nu mbers, but there

is grand room for crafty tactics that can turn the

tide of combat. And because the benefit of

defeating a foe is mu ch less than th e pena lty of

receiving d amage, players will realize that

dealing with a foe through n egotiation, bribery,

trickery, or simp ly runn ing away is sometimes

better than taking a severe beating.

The profession system used in this game is

different than the class system used in other

games. Ones profession colors the character at

the start of the game, but thereafter the

characters skill development is based on a ctual

game experiences and the training appr oach

adopted by the player character.

In writing this game, each ru le was judged on

realism, simplicity, and gam e balance. Detailed

and realistic rules that bogged d own game p lay

or couldnt be remembered off the top of oneshead were chucked. Rules that thwa rted

physics and drew ridicule were rep laced w ith

more sensible ones. Rules that were foun d to

give exceptional, unfair, or unwarranted

advantages were toned dow n or removed.

And keep in mind that, like with all roleplaying

games, the rules that follow are simply

guidelines to h elp create a more realistic, fun

game. While a great deal of thought w ent into

every ru le, if you find th at they n eedlessly

complicate things or r esult in effects you feel to

be un realistic or un d esirable, please feel free toadjust them as you see fit!

Note: Throughout this book the male pronoun

is used; the reader sh ould su bstitute he or she,

she, or it as appropriate.


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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS About the Game

Release 1. 3/ 31/ 00~ 6 ~

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSA gam e system cannot be d esigned alone, and

this system is no different. Much of the system

was developed collaboratively du ring play, and

so the p layers deserve special mention u p front

for their patience and valuable suggestions.

Most of the players have gone beyond the call

of du ty to assist in developing some areas of the

game system. Ty Parent was of immense help

in solidifying both the character generation

system and the combat system. Tom Clymer

provided m any ideas and comments on the

magic system. David Ray, Chu ck Hale, and

Dara McGloughlin p rovided inpu t on many

comp onents of the system.

Finally Id like to thank every one w ho d id not

laugh at the id ea of developing yet an other

game system and to especially thank those w ho

expressed th eir app reciation of it.

GLOSSARYAttribute One of the prim ary ratings of a

characters ph ysical, men tal, or spiritual

capabilities.

Character Any imaginary creature that carries out

actions in the game.

Delta When making a skill or ability check, the

delta is the difference between w hat was

rolled and w hat was needed. For

example, if a character has a 17 strength

and rolls a 5 strength check, he hasachieved a d elta of 12.

Method A functional category of magical pow er.

NPC Non -player Character. Sometimes

pronounced Nipick.

PC Player Character

Player Character An imaginary creature operated by a

player.

Player A real hu man being wh o is playing the

game.

Profession A collection of skills that are used in the

pu rsuit of a particular way of life.

Skill A rating of a characters know ledge or

training.

Techniqu e A sub-pow er of a method that allows for

a specific way of interaction with matter,

energy, or reality.

Tradition A system of beliefs and practices

surrounding a set of magical methods.


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PART I: CHA RACTER STATISTICS Chapter : Circe Points

Release 1. 3/ 31/ 00~ 7 ~

PART I: CHARACTER STATISTICSDesigning a character in Circe is pretty

straightforw ard. You first generate your set of

attributes, then p ick a race and p rofession, and

then pick the skills your character excels in.

Skilled players will recognize tha t since their

characters cannot learn every skill the party

needs, they should focus on being very good at

a few u seful skills, and rely on the other p layer

characters to fill in whatever is missing.

Below is the character d esign process:

1. Determine num ber of Circe Points available

2. Roll attr ibutes

3. Choose race

4. Determine racial abilities and skills

5. Select vital statistics

6. Select profession and determine skills and

powers

7. Get starting equipm ent

Chapter 1: Circe Points

A n ew character begins w ith 25 Circe point s

(cps). These points allow pu rchasing of

benefits above and beyond w hat is norma lly

available. Players w ith left-over Circe p oints

from their last character can use th ese points in

designing their new character. Each race and

class is given a Circe point cost; the p layer mu st

expend this num ber of points in ord er to select

that race/ profession/ option for his or hercharacter.

Its okay to ha ve negat ive Circe Points at an y

point d uring the character design process, as

long as the player ends up with zero or greater

points at the start of the game.

During play the p layer will have the

opp ortunity to earn more points through good

roleplaying, accomp lishing goa ls, doing h eroic

things, and br avely sacrificing oneself. These

points m ay be spent to increase ones attributes,

gain skills or reputa tion, and so forth.

Unlike other character traits, Circe points

remain w ith the player, not with the character.

Thus w hen a p layers character is killed, the

Circe points it earned can be carried over to th e

next character. Referees can aw ard Circe points

at will, but th ey are not allowed to take them

away from a player after theyve been awa rded.

Some p rofessions an d races will be too

expensive to buy the first time the p layer plays.

This is to encourage the p layer to run a variety

of different kind s of characters, and to give

them something to work toward s, and to look

forward to once their current character d ies or is

retired. This also encourages p layers to role-

play and to set goals for their character other

than just hacking and slashing.

Chapter 2: Attributes

There are eight attributes tha t describe a

characters mind, spirit, and body. All of these

attributes are imp ortant. Most adventurers will

have scores in the 10-14 range, bu t its en tirely

possible to hav e scores of 1 or 21.

Roll on 4d6 and d iscard th e lowest die. Total

the dice and record for strength. Continu e for

each attribute in order. As many sets may be

generated as d esired, but each six full sets

generated cost 1 CP. This meth od generat es an

average value of 12. All brand s of hu man s,

elves, hobbits, and d warves u se the same types

and nu mbers of dice to roll attributes; some of

the odder character races have bonuses or

pen alties to the d ice rolls. These are listed in

chapter 4.

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Strength is a measu re of mu scular ability and

general endu rance. It determines the amount of

force a character can ap ply in a given situation.


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PART I: CHA RACTER STATISTICS Chapter : Attributes

Release 1. 3/ 31/ 00~ 8 ~

High strengths are required to w ield larger

weap ons that do larger amounts of dam age.

Characters with high strengths are also able to

get better use of their weap ons through strengthenhanced attacks, which increases the average

dam age a particular weap on does.

High strength helps for feats like bending bars

and su ch. In wrestling or hand to hand

fighting, high strength is vital for dam aging the

opp onen t. Strong characters are also able to fire

bows w ith higher string tensions, thus

increasing the maximum ran ge. Characters

with high stren gths are also less easily fatigued

and can wear heavier armor in battle and travel

for longer d istances without tiring.

Characters reduced to 0 strength mu st make a

health check each day or lose a point of health.

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A characters quickness an d d eftness is

measured by the agility attribute. This is a very

impo rtant statistic, as it controls a characters

ability to defend h imself and how fast they can

go in a dead sp rint. It is the basis of all the

melee combat skills, and is used w hen training

these skills.

Characters redu ced to 0 agility will be un able to

stand u pright or even sit without aid.

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Missile weap on skills, including man y spells,

are based up on the precision attribute. This

governs how careful and meticulous a character

is. Precision also plays into all of the craft skills

and is thus an important statistic for craftsmen,thieves, and healers. Precision is a measu re of

ones eyesight and hand -eye coordination. A

highly precise character can carry ou t very

detailed tasks, such as gem cutting or m ap

making, with a high degree of qua lity.

Characters reduced to 0 precision m ust m ake a


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A characters genera l awareness of his

surround ings is measured by their perception

attribute. This is a vital statistic for guards ,

scouts, and thieves for obvious reasons. A

highly perceptive individual can find hidden

things easier and m ore reliably than a less

perceptive person. Having at least one person

with high p erception in a party is useful for

detecting and avoiding ambu shes. Psionicists

also benefit from havin g high percept ion

ratings.

Characters redu ced to 0 perception will lose a

level of sanity each da y unless a willpow ercheck is mad e.

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Arguably the most imp ortant attribute for an

adventu rer is health. Health is a measure of the

bodys resistance to poisons an d d iseases, but it

comes into play mos t directly in hea ling battle

wou nds. Characters with high health scores

will heal battle wou nd s quickly and will be able

to continue adventuring wh ile they recover.

Low h ealth characters have much m ore

difficulty and n eed more time recovering, and

they are forced to remain bed ridden for the

process.

A characters minimu m starting h it po ints is his

health. If the characters health score increases,

then h is total hit points will increase by that

same amoun t. The converse is not true,

however; when the health score is reduced the

hit points are notredu ced. There are plenty of

other wa ys a character can p ermanently lose hit

points!The basic amou nt of hit points recovered for a

days rest is equal to the d elta of a healing check

divided by four; if the num ber is negative it

represents lost hit points. Herbs, magic, and

healing skill all play into helping cha racters heal

faster, or to avoid taking as mu ch dam age in the

first place.

Characters redu ced to 0 health w ill die within

an hou r from natural causes.


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PART I: CHA RACTER STATISTICS Chapter : Attributes

Release 1. 3/ 31/ 00~ 9 ~

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Willpower represents mental stability and

determination. Long term tasks that require

dedication and concentration are easier to

perform by characters with high w illpower

attributes.

No really imp ortant skills are based off of

willpower, and it doesnt directly affect combat,

but it is an important factor in maintaining

control of ones character. Chara cters with low

willpower are m ore likely to become insan e, be

affected b y psionic attacks, or simp ly fail to

hav e the d edication to stick to a difficult task.

Characters reduced to 0 willpow er w illacciden tally do themselves in at th e first

opportunity.

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This ability score determin es how quickly a

character can learn and is very impor tant for

gaining skills. Wizards need high intelligence

attributes to be able to quickly decide on the

prop er phr ases, symbols, and gestures to use in

casting their spells. In psionic attacks, thehighly intelligent character stan ds a better

chance of finding a w ay throu gh his opp onents

defenses.

Characters redu ced to 0 intelligence will go into

a coma and die within a d ay un less artificially

sustained.

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A characters ability to lead an d to positively

interact with other beings is measured by the

charisma attribute. The reaction of other

creatures to the character can be p ositively

reinforced with high charisma scores.

Characters reduced to 0 charisma m ust make a


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The luck attribute is a measure of how well

things just fall into place for a character. The

referee may call for luck checks to determine th e

whims of Chance.

Luck can also be burn ed to reroll bad d ie or

dice rolls. At any po int and for any roll, the

player can red uce his characters luck attribute

by one point an d force a reroll of the most

recent die or dice combination.

Characters redu ced to 0 luck will suffer a

sudden, inexplicable, unavoidable death by the

end of the day.

For examp le, Grishnak the Giant a ttacks Bruce

the Elf with a tr ee, rolls a 3 on his attack roll

(succeeding by on ly 5 p oints) and th en rolls 3d6

for 14 points of dam age, exactly enough to

bring Bruce to 2 hit points an d p utting him in

such agonizing pain he can do nothing. Bru ces

player, realizing th at the rest of the pa rty is

doomed without Bruces pow erful sword arm,

decides to burn a luck point for an attemp t to

avoid fate. He cant force a reroll of the attack,

only the damage, so he does so. Unfortunately,

Grishnak rolls an 18 this time and knocks Bru ce

un conscious. Bru ces player could continue

burn ing luck points, if he wan ted...

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This is a measur e of a characters poten tial for

wielding su pernatur al pow ers, either m agical or

psionic. This is a measure of a characters

inner strength from w hich they may d raw

energies to fuel spells and p sionics. Many

mages will sacrifice their essence to gain m ore

magical pow er, wh ile psionicists pre fer to keeptheir essence levels as high as p ossible so that

they can use their pow ers at full strength . Some

of the non -human races have intrinsic pow ers

that require minimum essence scores, dedicated

essence, or essence sacrifices. Hu mans benefit

in that their essence is not tied u p in these

du biously usefu l racial abilities.

During initial design of a character, 3 points of

essence may be trad ed for 1 point in any other

attribute, 6 points of essence can be tr aded for 1


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PART I: CHA RACTER STATISTICS Chapter : Traits

Release 1. 3/ 31/ 00~ 10 ~

point in tw o different attributes, 9 points for 1

point in three d ifferent attributes, and so forth.

Characters with essence scores of 0 become

undead, typically zombies or ghouls.

Chapter 3: Traits

In ad dition to all of the other tr aits a character

has, there are certain intangible ratings that ar e

imp ortan t characteristics. The player should

choose a ranking for his character wh en he

designs it. Thereafter, the referee will

determine wh en the character goes up or down

in those measures.

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This is a measu re of how well known (famously

or infamously) a character is in his society. A

character w ith a high repu tation w ill have better

luck recruiting followers.

Unknown

0

Known on ly to friends and

family.

Indifferent

5

People have vaguely heard of

the character, but so w hat?

Hero / knave

10

Name and deeds are known in

a few town s and cities, and a

small group of people highly

respect or desp ise the character.

Famous/

infamous

25

Known throughou t a small

kingdom or prin cipality. Many

peop le look to the character as

a role mod el or a symbol of all

that is wron g with the world.

Celebrity /

villain

50

Well known through out a

kingdom and to a lesser extent

in surrou nding nations. People

become obsessive about thecharacter.

Renown /

archvillain

100

Well known through out the

world. Chara cters name is a

household word. Characters

day to day activities are

discussed in idle chit-chat.

Moving up to a new repu tation level improves

ones charisma by one point. If the repu tation

rating decreases, then the charisma rating will

drop accordingly.

Higher reputation levels can benefit the

character or can lead to trouble. The king may

be more inclined to enh ance ones social ran k,

or might become wo rried and send a fewassassins. Peasan ts might seek the character out

(for better or for w orse).

Renown characters and celebrities attract

followers w hether they want them or not.

Specific Reputation

Sometimes a char acter can develop a

particularly strong reputation for a given trait.

For examp le, a character could b e part icu larly

well know n for th eir acts of charity, or of

bruta lity. Some examp les are listed below:

Figh ting skill

Justice / mercy

Military prowess

Generosity / credit

A characters repu tation in each of these areas is

expressed as a p ercentage of between 0% and

100% of their normal rep utation. This isapp lied to their reputation score for any

relevant activities.

3LHW\

This is how religious a character is. The higher

the piety rating, the m ore likely a character will

be able to call upon his god for favors.

There are several piety ranks. A characters

piety rank governs the maximum num ber of

piety points he can have at any on e time:

Piety Level Na me Rank Max PPs

Unbeliever 0 0Lay 2 4

Believer 4 16

True believer 6 36

Disciple 8 64

Devotee 10 100

Revered Father/ Mother 12 144

Saint 16 256

Demigod/ angel/ martyr 20 400


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Release 1. 3/ 31/ 00~ 11 ~

All characters begin the gam e with a p iety score

of zero, except as n oted in th e profession

descriptions.

The character has a pool of Piety Points th at are

gained and expended th roughout the game; at

no time may th e character have m ore than their

maximum amou nt, and if their current score is

zero or below, they are not allowed to spend

more p oints. The following actions can raise or

lower a characters piety points:

Gain ded icated convert to the

religion

+5

Gain fair weather convert +2

Worship on gods day +2

Comp lete pilgrimage +5 to 15

Recover a holy relic +10 to 20

Other m inor tasks (religion

dependent)

+1

Comm itted sin -1 to -5

Comm itted major sin -5 to -20

Priests have man y uses for piety points, but lay

folk can spen d the ir piety points to gain their

god s favor. Any per son can pray to their god

to gain favor; each piety point sp ent gain a +1

on th e next die roll.

6RFLDOUDQN

Players mu st select the position in society that

their character begins the game. Chara cters

wh o know a trade at a level of 15 or higher can

begin as a tradesman. Soldiers and other ex-

military chara cters can begin the gam e at the

yeoman ran k. Clergy are considered separately

from the social ranking system as long as th ey

remain m embers of their respective church.

Slave (-15 cp) Esquire (25 cp)Pau per (-10 cp) Knight (50 cp)

Serf (-5 cp) Baron (100 cp)

Yeoman (0 cp) Earl (200 cp)

Tradesm an (5 cp) Coun t (300 cp)

Guildsman (10 cp) Duke (400 cp)

Magna te (20 cp) Archd uke (500 cp)

Plutocrat (30 cp) King (1000 cp)

Emperor (1500 cp)

Independ ent adven turers, thieves, and travelers

are considered to be pau pers. Adventu rers

with a n ominal allegiance to a lord a re

considered to be serfs. Members of well-known

and respected ad venturing fellowships and

established m ercenary companies areconsidered to be yeomen; party leaders are

treated as tradesmen.

0LOLWDU\UDQN

This is a measure of advan cement in the armed

forces.

The following is a list of army enlisted an d

officer ranks:

Private (0 cp) Lieuten ant (10 cp)Lance Corp oral (1 cp) Cap tain (20 cp)

Corp oral (2 cp) Major (30 cp)

Lance Sergea nt (4 cp) Lieut. Colonel (40 cp)

Sergeant (8 cp) Colonel (50 cp)

Sergeant Major (16

cp)

Major General (60 cp)

Lord Sergeant (32 cp) Gen eral (70 cp)

Chapter 4: Damage Ratings

There are several different kind s of damage a

character can sustain. Each is trackedseparately and is measur ed in levels. A starting

character w ill begin at fu ll un less the referee or

player wishes otherw ise.

)DWLJXH

The most common form of damage is simply

getting worn ou t. The most common w ays of

becoming fatigued a re travel, labor intensive

work, and combat in heavy armor.

Energized Benefits and pen alties of

quick and deliberate ph ases

halved . Use better of two

initiative rolls.

Rested No effect.

Light fatigue No effect.

Moderat e fatigue All skill rolls (except

fatigue checks) suffer -2.

Extreme fatigue All skill rolls (except

fatigue checks) at -4.


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Release 1. 3/ 31/ 00~ 12 ~

Exhau stion All skill rolls (except

fatigue checks) at -8.

At any p articular time, a character will hav e amaximu m fatigue level. Normal characters

have a m aximu m fatigue level of rested. Drugs,

magic, psionics, and m ania can increase the

maximum fatigue level to energized . Illnesses,

poisons, drugs, magic, psionics, and depression

can redu ce the ma ximu m fatigue level.

3DLQ

Pain levels are typ ically unimp ortant for

fighters; they simp ly suffer on. But for mag esor peop le attempting to concentrate it can m ake

a big difference. Pain does not equate with

dam age; someone can be und er extreme p ain

but suffer little or no p ermanent d amage.

Ecstasy Highly distracting pleasant

sensation.

Pleasure Good feeling, easy to ignore.

No pain

Discomfort Minor irritant, a du ll ache. Easy

to ignore.

Hurt Pain is very noticeable but

character can do other actions

without too much difficulty.

Suffering Character has trouble

concentrating, walking, and

doing most norm al tasks.

Typically is bent over ho lding

injured part of body.

Agony Character can do little else but cry

in pain.

Shock Character una ware of pain, but

has trou ble thinking or m oving.

&RQVFLRXVQHVV

Super-

conscious

High level of aw areness. Ha lf of

characters essence score is

add ed to all perception-

depend ent skill or attribute

checks.

Conscious Character can act norm ally.

Dazed Characters actions are don e at

half strength.

Stunn ed Character can do nothing but

wan der aimlessly.

Unconscious Character cannot do anything.

6DQLW\

Used to measure a characters control of

himself. The severity of the illness is measu red

as shown in the table below.

Sane

Unbalance

d

Character is no ticeably eccentric,

weird, or loony. Prone to do

absu rd or illogical things. Maybelieve imp ossible things (such as

being the king) or hav e odd

phobias. May be paran oid,

extremely frightened , suicidal, or

fanatic.

Deranged Character is hysterical, w ild or

maniacal. Lacks full control over

his actions. Can be calm for

periods, but every so often erup ts

in un controlled fits.

Insane Character is fully off the deep

end . He acts in a mindlessmanner , in some cases becoming

catatonic, in other cases simp ly

babbling incoherently.

There are many different forms of insanity. The

forms th at norm al characters can develop are

listed below.

Melancholy Character is always in a very

poor m ood, pessimistic, tired,

and even suicidal. Most comm on

mental illness among hum ans.Lunacy Wide swings of mood from

extreme m ania to deep

dep ression. In man ic state

character is energized but has

little self-control. Common

illness amon g elves.Delirium Hears voices. Often suffers

from de lusions. Very difficult to

concentrate on any task. Can be

irrational and impu lsive, and

sometimes insan ely violent.Tormented Fears rule the chara cter. Usua lly

character is afraid of just a few


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PART I: CHA RACTER STATISTICS Chapter : Races

Release 1. 3/ 31/ 00~ 13 ~

particular things. Fear can be

irrational, misplaced, and

paralyzing. Common illness

among halfling.Crazed Add ictions are a minor form of

this illness. In severe cases

character must irrationally repeat

an action such as han d-washing

uncontrollably. Common illness

among dw arves.Berserk High-energy, manic type illness.

Character is very hyperactive and

constantly getting into trouble.

Cant focus on details.

Aggressive, drawn to fighting

and battle. Impu lsive andimpatient.

Madness Uncontrolled anger. Impulsive,

competitive, and painfully

sensitive. Must be the hero at all

costs. Com mon illness amon g

orcs.

Other san ity traits: Senility, paranoia, frenzy ,

violence, imbecility, foolishness.

The referee will require the chara cters to make

sanity checks from time to time. Each time a

check is failed, the characters sanity check is

red uced by one. These checks can be requiredwhen, for example, the character has been

und er an extreme amou nt of stress or constant

stress for a long period, when h e or she does or

is forced to experience som ething comp letely

out of synch with their personality (committing

mu rder , seeing a hor rific sight, etc.)

A character regains sanity through overcoming

obstacles, achieving goals, and cond ucting

himself produ ctively in his profession. In game

terms, the character can regain lost sanity

through expenditure of Circe points.

+LW3RLQWV

Roll 5d6 for hit po ints. If the tota l is less than

the char acters health score, reroll the lowest d ie

until it isnt.

The player may sp end 5 cp to re-roll his hit

points du ring the design process.

Chapter 5: Races

In game terms, all of the standar d r aces have thesame basic game characteristics. They all use

the same d ice for attributes, hit points, and so

forth. Some races have intrinsic ad vantages; to

be one of these races the player mu st spend the

nu mber of Circe points ind icated n ext to the

races nam e. Races with disadvantages p rovide

Circe points back to the player that can be

retained for other uses.

There are no h ard and fast rules for ability score

limits or requirements, but because of obvious

differences in p hysical stature the t ypical scores

for a given attribute may d iffer. For example,hobbits are mu ch less likely to have an 18

strength than a hum an.

Race Bonuses or Penalti es

Goblin -1d6 intelligence

-1d3 stren gth

Protoglath i +1d6 agility

-1d6 h ealth

Ogre +1d6 strength

-1d6 intelligence

-1d6 essence

Man tis +1d6 agility

-1d6 essence

Centau r Reroll one intelligence,

willpow er, or health die,

-1d6 essence

+XPDQV

Hu mans a re known for their ability to adapt to

a range of different environments. Hu mans are

a lot like ants: they are found from the poles tothe equator, both above and below ground. As

a race, they have a fast enough r eprodu ction

rate to be able to outgrow the longer lived races

such as the elves and dw arves, but their life

spans are long enough to allow am ple

individu al growth an d p assing on of

knowledge. Hu mans are more deeply religious

than an y other race; no matter w hich god they

worship, hum ans w ill die by the thousan ds to

prove some theological point or other.


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Release 1. 3/ 31/ 00~ 14 ~

One of the most significant strengths of humans

is their grouping tend ency. This behavior has

allowed th em to form na tions of millions of

individu als. With this sort of organization thehum ans can overwh elm smaller but

individu ally more pow erful creatures. The one

draw back of this trait is that hu mans can also be

very xenop hobic, often exterminating

individu als on the basis of race alone. This trait

is so strong th at lacking som e racial foe, the

hum ans will turn on each other over some

obscure issue such as ha ir texture or religious

differences.

Hu mans take up a lmost any profession, though

they are most commonly found as farmers,

shopkeepers, and such. The moreadventu resome human s usually become

warriors or clerics.

FREE SKILLS

One Language: # p oints equal to intelligence.

Brawling or Swimming: d6 points

Fire Use: d8 points

Melee Combat: d4 points

Rope Use: d6 points

Food Preparation: d6 points

Riding, Land: d6 points

Any Survival Skill or Reading/Writing : d6

points

Voice: d4 points

Persuasion or Negotiation: d6 points.

+REELW

Many p eople think h obbits are closely related to

hu mans because of the phys ical similarities.The main d ifference is the size, and thu s they

are often referred to as halfling. But the

individu als in question vehem ently deny this

label, insisting We aren t half of anyth ing!

Were just as comp lete as anyone else, and well

bite the kneecaps off anyone wh o says

otherw ise. But the hobbits have been called

halfling for so long that m any accep t the term ;

some even prefer that to the more up pity

hobbits.

Hobbits are much more consigned to peaceful

existence than hu mans, though there are always

a few w ho seek the adventu rers life. Invariably

even these w ild ones w ill settle down andbecome innkeepers or m ayors or some such.

Hobbits are known for being very d exterous

both with missile weap ons and with d etail

work. Hobbit gemcutter s, jewelers, and

locksmiths are usu ally the best in the city,

second only (sometimes) to the dw arves.

Hob bits usua lly live in hum an cities and only

rarely form their own coun tries and cities. They

usually stay with the m ore lucrative trades such

as jewelry manufacturing and sales, and

banking, though they also are well known for

their cooking skills and can be found as bakers,innkeepers, and brewers.

Traditionally, the more sp irited an d

adventu resome hobbits take up the thieving

profession, but u nlike hum ans, not in a

malicious sort of way. All hobbit thieves follow

codes of ethics, some re fusing to rob from

fellow h obbits, others refu sing to kill; they tell

themselves that they arent really true th ieves

but of a nobler sort. Because hobbits are

generally opp ressed by the hu mans th ey live

with, the hobbit commu nity often looks with

pride and envy on their fellows w ho find ways

around the laws and lawmen.

Hobbits do not look favorably about those w ho

acquire and flaunt sheer wealth. Even the

wea lthiest hobbits are expected to live plainly.

Excess wealth is to be distributed to family and

followers; the true wealth of a man is measu red

by the prosperity of those around h im.

Hobbits tend to h ave the h ighest precision

attributes of any of the other races, and have

better perception scores than an y of the other

races except for elves. On average, hobbits havelower strength a nd health scores than an y of the

races. And in spite of their repu tation as the

hap py-go-lucky halfling, hobbits luck h as its

highs an d lows just like everyone else.

FREE SKILLS


Missile Combat: d6 points

Rock Throw ing: d6 points


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Release 1. 3/ 31/ 00~ 15 ~

Secrecy: 2d6 points

Reaction: d6 points

Fire Use: d3 points

Fabric Working or Woodwo rking: d6 points

Food Preparation: d8 points

'ZDUYHV

The dw arf accepts his hu man-given label of

dw arf grud gingly, often espou sing that,

Well, at least were not as short as th e

halfling. Dwa rves are short and stocky,

stubborn and serious, but always strong and

stout-hearted. They love the land and hate thesea, thou gh there are always exceptions. As a

race, they value gold an d gem s higher than an y

other creature save, perhaps, dr agons.

Hu man settlements often boast a dw arf or two,

almost alw ays filling in as a blacksmith or

weapo nsmith. Their talents for working metals

are w orld known , and their stone w orking skills

are so highly respected th at hu mans consider it

bad lu ck to begin m ajor constru ction p rojects

without one onsite. While dw arves are capable

of using magic and casting spells, they have a

severe distru st of it and rarely practice it. Whenthey d o use m agic, it is typically to create a

magic item or a particularly impor tant p iece of

jewelry. In their habitations, called holds,

dw arves w ill fill in all the other tasks requ ired

by civilization: shop keeping, farm ing, and even

politics, but their most respected profession is

mining. Few other races are capable of creating

and m aintaining the vast und erground

enterp rises needed to find the lucrative riches of

the deep. Dwarves despise thievery as being

against their very na ture, yet there are just as

many d warven thieves as of any other race,perhap s even more, due to the greed that

pervad es the race.

While dwarves h ave religions and always

worship som e god or another, they are not as

vehem ent abou t it as other races, thu s the few

dw arven clerics seen wan dering the lands are

invariably attached to one of the more militant

hum an churches. True dw arven clerics only

leave their holds on the most urgent of

business.

Dwarves are driven by two desires: wealth and

reputation. In dwarven land s, reputation is a

function of how mu ch wealth one p ossesses, so

that simp lifies the choices one has to make. Butdw arves not associated w ith a dw arf clan will

sometimes spend much effort trying to build

their nam e into something bigger, often

sacrificing vast sum s to do so.

Attributes that dw arves excel in a re strength,

willpower, and hea lth. They generally are not

as agile as the oth er races and are typ ically

pretty unlucky. Many dw arves are deaf or have

vision pr oblems du e to the various h azardous

careers they pu rsu e, and so they typically arent

terribly perceptive individuals and m ust m ake

up for this by training their observation al skills.Charisma is another trait the dw arves need to

work on, they dont just get along very w ell,

most being individualists and introverts.

FREE SKILLS


Melee Combat: d3 points

Mining: d6 points

Earth Lore: d6 points

Stone Working: d6 pointsObservation Skills: d6 points

Animal Skills: d6 points

Animal Lore: d6 points

Labor Skill s: d6 points

Voice: d6 points

(OYHV

Long, long ago, the lan ds of the planet A llel

were domina ted by elven civilizations. Butaround two thousan d years ago changes took

place that doom ed the elves to near extinction.

Being skilled w ith magic (some sa y better

skilled than any other r ace ever known on Allel)

the elves began m anipulating genetic structures

of living beings, culminating in severa l chan ges

to their own makeu p. Desiring for longer,

healthier lives, they discovered a w ay to remain

youth ful for centu ries. Some say it was

arrogan ce, others the w ill of the god s, but wh ile

this chan ge worked as plann ed on m en, it failed


16/143


Release 1. 3/ 31/ 00~ 16 ~

to affect the women in the same way. A few

female elves were born w ith this trait, but all

became infertile soon after reaching pu berty.

And a mu ch larger percentage of the femalesdied in infancy or durin g birth.

The consequences were not expected, but they

were very extreme. Fewer women meant fewer

babies, and so over a period of several hun dred

years the elven popu lation dwind led. Wars

with the mantis took heavy tolls on the elven

men, and w ars with orcs, human s, and other

uncivilized mon sters drained the culture of

resour ces. Soon the civilization was eclipsed by

new civilizations of human s and d warves an d

gradu ally the elves retreated into the dark

forests.

Elves today are m uch different than they w ere

thou sand s of years ago. They are typically very

wild at heart yet still possess the haughty

attitud e of a once suprem e race. Hated by most

of the other races of the plan et, the elves often

disgu ise themselves or remain in isolated

hiding.

All male elves have adapted to the dearth of

female elves by partn ering with other m ale

elves. While this seems to satisfy their need s

quite well, it resulted in the cur rent badconnotations of the w ord fairy, and it has only

exacerbated the pop ulation problems. Female

elves are often ostracized or d riven from their

tribes and seek mates with m ales of other

species; un fortuna tely, many of these pairings

are un prod u ctive or result in sterile offspring.

One major d ifficulty that elves face is the

num ber of creatures bearing them strong

enm ity. The ancestors of todays elves brough t

this upon them selves through their poor

treatm ent of inferior races like orcs and

hum ans, their repu tation for possessors andcreators of mag ical treasu res, and their foolish

creation of mons ters specifically designed to

seek out an d kill other elves.

All of the h u man -like creatu res shar e ill-will

tow ard elves: hu man s, orcs, goblins, giants,

dw arves, and ogres to name just a few. Of the

most voracious m onsters tha t favor elvish flesh

are manti.

ELF, HUMANIZED


Begging: d6 pointsConcealment: d6 points

Fire Use: d6 points

Rope Use: d6 points

Scrounging: d6 points

Voice: d8 points

ELF, N ATURAL OR TRIBAL

Aelneish: # points equ al to intelligence.

Dancing: d12 points

Music: d6 points

Performing: d6 points

Sex Appeal: d8 points

Singing: d6 points

Voice: d6 points

*REOLQV

Who in their right mind w ould w ish to be a

goblin when they could be an orc? Please skip

this section and proceed on to the orc section.

Everyone know s orcs are more than severaldegrees better in every wa y than w impy

goblins. Goblins are fools. They think that by

living among hu mans they can acquire wealth,

protection, and education. Weaklings! Sure,

the hu man s don t kill off the goblins nearly as

mu ch as the orcs do, but come on, at least with

the orcs they can participa te in battles and are

usually allowed honorable positions at the head

of the army. And the orcs always pa y great

attention to th e goblins; with the hu mans,

theyre always ignored an d left to hav e to do

everything themselves.

In the good old days, goblins were mu ch truer

to form. Theyd live in the wood s and h ills

und er the benevolent guidance of orcs or the

occasional ogre, but tod ay th eyre more often

found in hum an cities doing chores for hu mans,

carting garbage, cleaning sew age, even being

barbers! Now adays most goblins have given up

the ways of the warr ior and ra rely lift their

weapon s to fight for their freedom , relying all

too navely on the hu man legal system.

Fortunately th e race is not en tirely lost, a few


17/143


Release 1. 3/ 31/ 00~ 17 ~

have kept to their ancestral ways a nd em ploy

themselves as protectors of the people or serve

as security troubleshooters for the hum ans,

often doing this without even being asked!More goblins have been getting involved in the

study of magic right under th e nose of the

hum ans, something that us orcs cant condone

but mu st applaud for its bravery and aud acity.

And , well, everyone knows goblin men ar e the

best hung of any of the human oid races

(cepting trolls, of course.)

FREE SKILLS

Lowspeak: # p oints equal to intelligence.

Any hand w eapon: d6 pointsAny one l abor skill : d6 points

Mini ng or Fire Us e: d6 points

Observation: d6 points

Scroungi ng or Begging : d6 points

Secrecy or Riding, Land: d6 points

+DOI*REOLQV

The offspr ing of a goblin and a h um an, the half-

goblin is a sterile mu le. Typically, half-goblinsare stronger, more agile, and of a higher

constitution than either h um ans or goblins, but

they are as ugly as sin. Ha lf-goblins only

man age to live if their mothers h app en to d ie in

childbirth because if not, the mother (goblin or

hum an, either w ay) will strangle the

abomination as soon as they can get their hands

around its neck.

Throughout life, half-goblins are shunned,

stoned, and add ressed as dambastard. Half-

goblins frequently turn to adventu ring as a

profession because, as theyve learn ed aga inand again, money does buy you love sometimes.

FREE SKILLS


Reaction: d6 points

Any one labor skill: d8 points

Fire Use : d6 points

Observation: d6 points


Secrecy: d6 points

2UFV

Amon g all of the races, orcs are, by some

counts, the most noble and p ure. They refuse to

live in the filthy cities of the hu man s, yet they

are not as afraid of show ing themselves as the

elves are. They dont hang onto the hum an race

like the pa rasitic hobbits and goblins, and wh ilethey ap preciate gold and s ilver, they don t

expend every last ou nce of their life acquiring

such transitory things. Orcs are more

concerned abou t the truly natural

Not to be outd one by the other races, orcs, too,

have thieves, yet they d o not m ake it a virtual

profession and lifelong study ou t of it like the

less advan ced h um ans, dwar ves, elves, and

halfling. When an orc is required to perform

thieving tasks, it is generally cond ucted on his

own time ou tside his trad itional calling. Orcs

do n ot have the wide var iety of practicedthieving method s and techniques of the more

experienced thieving races like hum ans, so

when they mu st do a thieving action they are

more straightforward and up front.

Orcs rarely engage in ma gic or psion ics, though

among the elders there is always someone wh o

know s the spells necessary for assisting the orcs

in the struggles of everyday life. Most orcs are

ded icated in the ir religious beliefs, and

sometimes this causes hear twrenching conflicts

with their otherwise peaceful dem eanors

towards other races.

As orcs are more interested in the outd oors and

in feats of ph ysical prow ess, they h ave, on

average, excellent attribu tes of strength and

health, though other attributes, most notably

intelligence and willpower, are often derided by

other races; the truth is that throughout orcish

history there hav e been well over seven orcs of

very above average intelligence. And th e so-

called low willpow er of orcs is a disservice to

the race; the m any activities believed to be v ices


18/143


Release 1. 3/ 31/ 00~ 18 ~

by other races are considered by orcs to be

highly desired and respected traits, and it takes

a good d eal of fortitude and will to und ertake

the marath on imbibing of near poisonousquantities of beverages and herbal medications,

the p hysically exhau sting activities of

procreation (often d isplaying their desire for

racial harmony by allowing participation of

other races in this behavior), and the constan t

tests of orchood through one-on-one

recreational activities that true orcs must

partake.

FREE SKILLS

Lowspeak: # p oints equal to intelligence.Brawling : d6 points

Spe ar, Axe or Club: d6 points

Any thrown weapon: d4 points

Animal Skills: d6 points

Wilderness Survival: d6 points

Fire Use : d6 points

Cheating : d4 points

Mining: d6 points

0DQWLV

This is a very d ifficult race to play. Mantis get a

nu mber of benefits primarily of a combat

nature, but they mu st suffer a nu mber of

roleplaying pen alties, the most notable of which

is that they more than likely will be killed on

sight if they are ever foun d near or in a hu man

inhabited city. Besides this, they are incapab le

of making hum an vocal sounds and have

difficulty hearing the lower pitched sounds of

the male hu man voice; hum ans, in turn, are

una ble to d iscern the m any variations in pitchesand timbers that the Mantis produ ces so are

nearly incapable of und erstanding man tis

speak. There are many social differences

between mantis and hu man cultures, such as

the formers prop ensity for eating hum ans.

Mantis always eat their dead, wh ich is a p oint

of contention in an y group of travelers or

adven turers that include mantis, as hum ans

always wan t to waste their meat by burying or

burning it.

FREE SKILLS

Noisy clicking language: # points equal to

intelligence.Leg Strength: d6 points

Tightrope w alking: d6 points

Stringed Instrument: d6 points

Butchering: d6 points

Wilderness Survival: d6 points

Claw: d3 points

Bite: d3 points

3URWRJODWKL

Protoglathi? Nop e, never heard of it. You

haven t hea rd of it, either, not u ntil 1109

anyway.

2JUH

Hm m, are you sure? I guess if you really wan t

to have the big mu scles, but are you certain its

worth it? Ogres are hunted by many human s,

and while the ogres try to eat all of the hu mans

they can find, it barely den ts the tide of heroes.Some ogres give up an d just travel around w ith

the hum ans and h elp them out lifting very heavy

things, but the p oor ogres often slip u p an d eat

someone, and then th e hum ans make a big

stink, and, well, at least evolution is hard at

work with ogre-kind and one day perh aps

theyll get smarter.

In the w ild, ogres are the free children of natu re,

going wher e they wish, eating things, breaking

things, and procreating w ith anything large

enough. A few ogres have taken up living with

hum ans, often allowed to wear pr ized metal

chains and collars. Still, these ogres are

dissatisfied w ith their lives and seek to imp rove

them in any way p ossible. They may suggest

architectural changes to the bu ildings or w alls

they are assisting with that the builders never

dreamt of. Sometimes the ego clashes are so

strong tha t the ogres leave in a huff for other,

more fundamental projects like mining and

road bu ilding.


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PART I: CHA RACTER STATISTICS Chapter : Vital Statistics

Release 1. 3/ 31/ 00~ 19 ~

7URRJUH

The sterile offspring of a troll and an ogre (since

trolls are big enough, and ogres are open-

minded ), the troogre is as strong an ox and

fights like one too. Smells like one, too, bu t

nevermind th at. Theyre smarter than either

trolls or ogres, but that s not sayin g mu ch, is it?

Unlike trolls or ogres, troogres are extremely

extroverted and friendly, and care a great deal

about other people. Neither ogres nor trolls

will have anything to do w ith the troogre, so

they often end up in a hu man settlement, acting

as strongmen and w orkers. This interaction

with hu mans will often d rive them to actuallybathe an d restrict their eating habits to things

that are dead and cooked. Er, non-human

things...

FREE SKILLS

Lowspeak: # p oints equal to intelligence.

Any one spoke n language: d6

Any one l abor skill : 2d4 points

Brawling : d6 points


Leg Strength: d4 points

Rope Use: d6 points

Singing: d6 points

Chapter 6: Vital Statistics

+HLJKW

Characters can be any height they w ish, within

racial norms. Height has no impact on any of

the characters attributes. Tall characters tend

to be more respected in most cultures, but they

hav e trouble fitting into small tunne ls.

:HLJKW

The player should p ick a w eight that is

app ropriate to the height. The weight has no

impa ct on character attribu tes. Overly large

characters tend to be less fit than their scrawn ier

friend s, but th ey are stronger an d better able to

take blows, too, so it balances ou t.

The degree of obesity affects how peop le view

the character. Characters that are much wider

or thinner than the racial norm will be taken

less seriously, especially if theyre short.

$ JH

All characters are assum ed to begin the gam e as

young adu lts. The player may choose to make

his character older; this provid es the player

with ad ditional Circe points to sp end elsewhere

in the chara cter design. For each decad e of age

beyond the young adu lt category, the character

gains 1d10 cp.

The following table show s four of the five age

groups that characters will pass throu gh.

Race

Young

Adult M ature Old Ancient

Human 16-25 26-50 51-70 71-120

Dwarf 21-50 51-150 151-300 301-400

Elf 31-250 251-400 401-500 501-650

Hobbit 20-35 36-70 71-100 101-150

Orc14-20 21-40 41-60 61-80

Goblin 12-20 21-35 26-40 41-60

Ogre 16-25 26-40 41-55 56-70

The table below show s the effects of aging on a

characters attr ibutes.

Attribute

Young

Adult M ature Old Ancient

Int. +d3-2 +d3-1 +d3

Will. +d3-2 +d3-1 +d3

Per. +d3-d3 +d3-d3 +d3-d3

Char. +d3-2 +d3-1 +d3

Str. -d3+2 -d3+1 -d3

Agl. -d3+2 -d3+1 -d3

Health -d3+2 -d3+1 -d3

Aging through th e use of magic causes any

penalties to be app lied, but d oes not provide

any benefits. Thus, if an increase in a attribute

is ind icated, it should be ignored .

When u sing magic to restore youth, app ly the

nu mbers above, but in reverse. Magical


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PART I: CHA RACTER STATISTICS Chapter : Professions

Release 1. 3/ 31/ 00~ 20 ~

restoration of youth provides both the benefits

and pen alties. For examp le, a 30 yr old ogre

drinks a p otion of youth and becomes 7 years

younger, moving him from the mature categoryto theyoung adultcategory. H is intelligence

changes by -d 3+2 points; he rolls a 3 and loses 1

point of intelligence. H is agility chan ges by d3-

2; he rolls a 3 again and gains 1 point of agility.

*HQGHU

The characters sex will not affect his or h er

attributes.

Chapter 7: Professions

Each starting character p icks one of the listed

professions as a guide for selecting skills an d

character goals. The choice of pro fession does

not restrict w hat the character can and cannot

do in the future, it merely indicates what h e or

she d id in the past. Thus it is not critical that

one select a profession optimal for combat; one

can choose a mu ndan e profession and learn

magic, combat, or other necessary skills later.

How ever, it takes a long time to build u p apar ticular sk ill, especially ones tha t are

infrequen tly used . So characters that begin the

game w ith a few u seful skills at high levels

seem to do better than characters with a w ide

variety of low skills.

It is very impor tant to realize that your

character is part of a team, so rather than being

so-so at a lot of skills, it is better to specialize in

an area not already covered, letting the others

make u p for your characters w eaknesses.

The exact makeup of the party shou ld bedesigned to mesh w ith the type of camp aign

being played, but in general a party sh ould

include one or two excellent fighters, a person

capable of healing, someon e able to detect traps

and other dan gers, someone able to carry out

reconnaissance and a p erson good at

commun ication. It helps to have coverage of

some of th e craft skills, a var iety of langu ages,

and a few survival oriented skills.

PROFESSION SKILL LISTS

In the profession descriptions on the following

pages, the first list gives a specific skill or achoice of several specific skills, and a d ie type or

dice combination. The player rolls these dice

and receives that m any p oints in the given skill.

The second list gives skill grou ps an d th e

num ber of points that can be distributed to

skills in the group s. Each paragrap h begins

with a m ultiplier and an attribute. Multiply the

attributes score by the mu ltiplier to determine

the nu mber of skill points that can be

distributed to the skill families listed in the

remainder of the paragrap h. In parenthesis is

indicated the maximum num ber of skill pointsthat can be distributed into those skills. If the

player has spent or received p oints on one of

the skills in the group previously, he m ay add

more p oints at this time. In a given skill grou p

the player m ay choose the skill matching the

given nam e or any skill der ived from it.

PROFESSION-BASED EXPERIENCE

Each p rofession has listed with it a set of actions

that p rovide benefits such as Circe points,

repu tation, or piety points. These actions areminor accomplishments that the character is

encouraged to perform . In a sense, these

activities are wh at makes th e profession wh at it

is.

In most cases, the activities are intend ed to be

extraordinary or d ifficult; things that go far

beyond every d ay events or involve dedicated

effort on the p art of the player.

DESIGNING NEW PROFESSIONS

In designing th e pr ofessions, given skills andchosen skills were balan ced against other

benefits and d raw backs. The following ru les

were followed to app roximate the cost in Circe

points for each profession:

For given skills, the cost for a given die

combination were calculated from the followin g

table:

d3 3 2d3 7 3d3 11

d4 4 2d4 9 3d4 16

d5 5 2d5 13 3d5 19


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Release 1. 3/ 31/ 00~ 21 ~

d6 6 2d6 15 3d6 22

d8 8 2d8 19

d10 12

d12 14

For chosen skills, each 1 pt attribute m ultiplier

cost 25 cp.

For starting funds an d equipment, up to 100

core requ ires 5 cp, u p to 200 requ ires 10 cp.

Each profession w as allowed to hav e 200 Circe

points worth of given and distributed skill

points and of money, starting equipment, and

special abilities.

Referees may wish to u se these rules of thumbwh en designing new p rofessions, but players

should n ot be perm itted to create professions

this way because of the d angers of over-

optimization.


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Release 1. 3/ 31/ 00~ 22 ~

%DUEHU6XUJHRQ

Cost Breakdown:

Given skills 40

Distribu ted skills 150

Starting fund s 10

The barber-surgeon is a common an d imp ortant

mem ber of the comm un ity, for he has the skills

to repair the human bod y. Learned doctors and

physicians look dow n on the barber-surgeon as

only a step above the butchers and horse

groomers, but all call upon h im to knit the

wou nds of the injured.

Medical Aid ................................................. d6

Surgery ........................................................ d6

Grooming .................................................... d6

Knife/ Dagger ............................................. d6

Nurs ing ........................................................ d6

Herbalism ..................................................... d6

Physiology ................................................... d4

1 x Agility in any Melee Combat skills (5 pts

max), any Missile Com bat skills (3 pts m ax),

an y Secrecy skills (3 p ts max), or an yAthletic skills (5 pts max)

2 x Precisi on on an y Craft skills (5 pts m ax)

1 x Intelligence on any Communications skills

(8 pts m ax) or Lore skills (5 pts m ax)

1 x Charisma on any Social skills (5 pts max) or

Observa tion skills (5 pts m ax)

1 x Willpower on an y Labor skills (3 pts max)

or An imal skills (5 pts max)

STARTING EQUIPMENT AND FUNDS

Barber-surgeons begin with a comp lete set of

operating tools. They tend to have a few

valuab le herbs or poisons (of the players

choice).

Barber-surgeons that tu rn to ad venturing

generally do so either because they wish to

garn er the riches of the lifestyle, or to escap e

retribution from prior mistakes. Thus

adventu ring barber-surgeons begin the game

with only 30-180 (3d6*10) core.

ADVANCEMENT

Barber-surgeons follow the standard craftsman

promotion path:

Apprentice: To be called a barber-surgeon a

character mu st have th e following skills at the

levels ind icated:

Medical Aide-6 Grooming -6

Nu rsing-4 or Physiology-4 Surgery-6

Add itionally, the character mu st be sp onsored

by a journeym an barber-surgeon and

recommend ed by a master.

Journeyman: To be a journ eyman Barber-

surgeon, a character must have the following

skills:

Med ical Aide-8 Sur gery-12

Grooming-12 Nursing-6

Physiology-6

The character must also perform a nu mber of

successful su rgeries of different sorts - setting

broken bones, stitching u p various kinds of

wou nds, removing d iseased organs, etc.

Additionally, the journeyman barber-surgeon

must p ass an accredited board of review

consisting of not less than five ma sters of theart.

Master: At a minimu m, a master barber

surgeon mu st qualify to be a journeyman , must

pass apeer review, and m ust have a total of 50

points in t he following skills:

Diagnosis

Medical Aide

Physiology

Surgery

It is also expected th at the barber-surgeon make

a d iscovery or invent a p rocedu re w hich w ill

advance the art.

EXPERIENCE

Like all craftsmen, barber-sur geons ga in Circe

points for extraordinary achievements:

Extraord inary shave an d a haircut ........ 1 cp

Cond uct su ccessful major surgery ........ 1 cp

Extraord inary su rgery ............................. 5 cp


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PART I: CHARACTER STATISTICS Chapter : Professions

Release 1. 3/ 31/ 00~ 23 ~

%DUG

Cost Breakdown:

Given skills 36


Starting fund s 19

Spell abilities 20

The bard is a practitioner of music and m agic.

While not as pow erful as raw ma ges, bards

hav e a variety of comm un ication skills that give

them an edge in political matters. Because of

this, bards are universally respected even inregions tha t dislike or disallow spell casting.

Lyrism ........................................................... d6

Mu sic ............................................................ d6

Oratory ......................................................... d6

Voice ............................................................. d6

Singing .......................................................... d8

Ancient or Modern History ....................... d 4

1 x Agility in any Melee Combat skills (3 pts

max), any Secrecy skills (5 pts max), or any

Athletic skills (8 pts max)

1 x Perception on an y Observat ion skills (5 pts

max)

2 x Intelligence on any Communications skills

(8 pts max), Lore sk ills (5 pts max), Lyrism

meth ods (5 pts m ax), or formulated sp ells (8

pts max).

1 x Charisma on any Social skills (8 pts max)

1 x Willpower on an y Labor skills (5 pts max),

Animal skills (3 pt s max), or Craft skills (5

pts max)

STARTING EQUIPMENT AND FUNDS

A bard alw ays begins the game w ith any one

instru men t of his or her choice and 10-200

(10xd20) core. Ad dition ally, becau se of the

nature of the profession the bard will start the

game w ith a gift, chosen rand omly from the

following list:

1. Trained horse: know s a few entertaining

tricks. Smarter than average.

2. H igh quality mu sical instrum ent: +2 on

playing skill.

3. Follower: Youn g boy or girl who idolizes

the character.

4. Extra fine dress or suit: Worth about 500

core, but custom -tailored to PC.

5. Patron : Person who will grant mon ey to

fund end eavors and wh o is enamored with

the character and / or the characters talent.

6. Magical mu sical item with some odd minor

pow er chosen ran domly by referee.

7. Famed mentor: Chara cters trainer is/ was a

very well respected, pop ular bard, and

characters association p rovides instan t

credibility and tru st.8. Fleeting fame: By hap pen stance, one of

characters songs, stories, or skits is the h it-

of-the-mom ent. Itll be forgotten soon, but

for the next few mo nths , the characters

work is in high demand .

SPELL ABILITIES

ADVANCEMENT

Apprentice: To become an apprentice bard, a

character must be m entored by a journeyman or

master bard, and must h ave a score of 8 in any

mu sical instrum ent or a score of 10 in singing.

Journeyman: To become a journeym an bard , it

is necessary to achieve a rep uta tion score of 15

or higher, wr ite at least one original ballad , and

achieve a total score of 100 in the following

skills:

Singing Percussion Instru men t

Modern History String InstrumentAncient History Whistling

Oratory Chanting

Heraldry Wind Instrument

Master: A master bard mu st be recognized by

his fellow bard s as such. There is no official

procedure for d eclaring a bard as such, but after

achieving all of the followin g requirements the

bard will most likely have entered master

status.


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Release 1. 3/ 31/ 00~ 24 ~

The bard mu st achieve a total of 100 points,

comp rised of the sum of the following skill and

trait scores:

Reputat ion String Instrum ent

Singing Percussion Instrum ent

Oratory Wind Instrument

EXPERIENCE

Bard s gain experience through th e art of song.

Sing 5 round song in combat, resulting in

victory: 1 cp.

Teach another in the u se of song or in playing

an instrum ent (i.e. increase their skill in an y

mu sic-related skill by one p oint): 1 cp.

Change som eones m ind, or convince someone

to do something against their nature through

the use of song: 2 cp.

Invent a n ew song (player must w rite lyrics or

demon strate melody): 5 cp.

Overcome a powerful foe exclusively through

use of song (e.g. bypass dragon by singing a

son g of its glory): 10 cp.

Influence a sufficient nu mber of peop le to

dr astically chan ge the course of a cultu re: 20 cp.


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Release 1. 3/ 31/ 00~ 25 ~

%HJJDU

Cost Breakdown:

Given skills 50


Starting fund s 0

Spell abilities 0

Scrounging ................................................... d8

Sneak or Con ceal ......................................... d6

Shadowing ................................................... d6

Social Skill .................................................... d6Performing ................................................... d6

Begging ......................................................... d6

Streetw ise ..................................................... d6

Detection ...................................................... d6

1 x Strength on any Labor Skills (8 pts max) or

Ath letic Skills (5 pts m ax)

1 x Agility on Melee Combat Skills (3 pts m ax),

or Secrecy Skill

circe fantasy role-playing system

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