epées & sorcellerie, english version

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A role-playing game inspired

by the rules of 1974

from the original idea

of Dave Arneson & Gary Gygax

uthor: icolas Dessaux | Corrections and suggestions: Leandre Bernier,Antoine Fournier, Celine Pauvros, Fabrice Philibert-Caillat, Laurent Tarlu-ne | Translator and editor: David Macauley | Playtesters: eline Pauvros,Theodore Latorre, Morgan Shay, as well as the team of Thugs, Elves & Cru-saders | Illustrations: All illustrations are from Historia de Gentibus Septen-trionalibus by Olaus Magnus, published in 1555. Cover by Viktor Vasnetvov.t is in the public domain and is sourced from commons.wikimedia.org /|pes & Sorcellerie is published under the OGL license.

First Edition, Revised February 2009

English version published June 2011

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Epes & Sorcellerie is a role-playing game inspi-red by the very first one, published in 1974 by

ave Arneson and Gary Gygax. This is not a

translation, far from it, but a French adaptationof a game that has never been published in thatlanguage. If you are used to later versions of thegame, the original rules are confusing in theirsimplicity and vagueness. There is no real canon-ical version, only a rereading filtered through thehistory of the role-playing game, the memories ofolder players, or wise interpretations too manyto mention.

he 1974 rules were themselves based on a war-game of miniature figurines, Chainmail, fromwhich all role-playing games are descended. I

have, after much study of Chainmail abandonedthe use of the twenty-sided die, the famous d20,which has become iconic of the game, in favor ofd6 for which it was originally designed. In par-

ticular, the capabilities of character classes andcertain creatures differ from those of later gamesin the same family.

or many of the elements absent or barely out-lined in the original rules, I have added somethings while trying to preserve the general prin-ciples and simplicity of play. I have somewhatexpanded the list of spells, magical items, and

monsters, from those in the original text of 1974,which were presented with little detail. Finally, Ihave combined a number of mechanics, hackingthe original principle that each rule should in noway resemble the previous one: it is undoubt-edly a minor betrayal, but it makes the gamemore accessible to players of 2008, without alte-ring the original Sword & Sorcery spirit.

Epes & Sorcellerie can be used in any medievalfantasy world, with a variable amount of adapta-tion depending on the specifics of each universe.

he simplicity of the rules makes it possible toquickly add the elements and creatures that youneed. It is particularly suitable, as the title sug-gests, for use with any Sword & Sorcery world,but works equally well for playing in a Wu XiaPian style, for example.

he methodology does nothing but follow,with different conclusions, those of Matt Finchfor Sword & Wizardry, Jason Vey for Spellcraft& Swordplay of Dan Proctor for Labyrinth Lord,

tuart Marshall for OSRICand the whole ensem-ble of the retro-clone movement and more gene-

rally, the old school renaissance. The sites andforums devoted to OD&D were helpful. I thinkin particular the careful reading of the originalrules made by David Bowman aka Sham, Nathan

. Mahey and naturally Philotomy. The sugges-tions and comments of Antoine Fournier, Celine

auvros, Fabrice Philibert-Caillat and LaurentTarlune were particularly useful, as well as

the encouragement of JeePee, Ganeesh, DavidGreyharp Macauley and Salanael.

reg Backus launched the idea of a translationand did the first draft. Finally, I wish to thank

ohn Adams, who immediately agreed to pu-blish this game under the label Brave Halfling Pu-blishing.

ublishing your own material (scenarios, gameuniverse, creatures, rules, etc.) for Epes & Sorcel-lerie is free, subject to compliance with the OGLlicense. That constitutes an encouragement topromulgate the game.

icolas Dessaux

INTRODUCTION


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How to play ?A role-playing game is a shared adventure. Theprinciple is rather simple: each player creates acharacter in an imaginary world, while the re-feree of the game describes this world and thebeings that live there, and offers the characters ascenario with which they will be able to interact.

xplaining the rules of a role-playing game isvery complex, but it only takes a few minutes ofplaying one to understand the basic principles.

nly the game master needs to know all of therules, although his imagination and instinctsmay allow him get by without them. The playerscan be happy just gradually learning that whichdirectly affects their characters.

he rules establish a framework and a style of play,easily changeable and adaptable to the needs of thegame. The referee or game master (who will be cal-led GM in the remainder of the book) has the free-dom to choose those rules he will keep, those he willdiscard and those he will add to achieve a style ofplay that suits him. Their importance is secondary,but they form part of the pact the players enterwith the GM: which is something to remember.

ost important, the focus of the game, are theplayers characters (which we call PC) and theadventures they experience. It is the co-operationbetween the players and the GM which creates thealchemy necessary for a good role-playing game.

The dicenly one type of dice is used in this game: six-

sided dice (d6). The number of dice is sometimesspecified. For example, 2d6 means two six-sideddice. A number is sometimes added afterwards:d6+2 means that it is necessary to add 2 to the

result of 2d6.

Character creationhe first stage of the game consists of each player

imagining the character he will play in the courseof his adventures and assigning a certain numberof characteristics to him.

o create a character, a player must define whatit is, its history, its appearance, its name, its tem-perament, its aspirations and its capabilities, ac-cording to the tastes and desires of the player,and according to the campaign proposed by the

M. In addition to that, the technical stages ofcharacter creation are as follows:

- Randomly roll bilities

- Note any resulting modifiers

- Choose a race

4 - Choose a lass

- Determine hit points

- Choose equipment

7 - Determine armor class and movement

The Characters

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nce these steps are completed, record all resul-ting scores (ability modifiers, armor class, move-ment, saving throws) on a character sheet. Then,finalize it by giving it a name, an appearance, apast, a temperament, aspirations. This last part isdone without reference to the rules, but must bediscussed between the player and the GM.

Abilitieshe characteristics help to define your character

and affect the majority of its actions. They are cal-culated by a score between 2 and 12.

Strength represents physical and muscularpower. It is used for all actions based on physi-cal force, like running, swimming, lifting a heavyload. It is also used in hand-to-hand combat. It isthe principal ability of warriors.

ntelligence symbolizes reasoning and learningcapacity. It is especially used to evaluate the know-ledge and the culture of the character, or to analyzea situation. It is the principal ability of orcerers.

Wisdom covers the will, good sense, degree ofperception and intuition. It measures the capa-city to perceive danger, to remain calm in the faceof adversity. It is the principal ability of priests.

Dexterity measures agility, reflexes and balance.t is useful for any action based on stealth, speed

or flexibility, such as acrobatics, stunts or dod-ging. It is also used in missile combat and to de-

termine armor class

Constitution represents health and tamina. Itis used to check resistance to physical attacksand injury, as well as the capacity to run, swimor walk over a long period, or with resistance tosleep.

Charisma measures the power of persuasion,magnetism, the ability to lead others and physi-cal appearance. It is used in all ocial interactions,from charm to intimidation through speech andlies.

Methodhere are many ways to determine the abilities; it

is up to the GM to choose one that is suitable forhis campaign.

eep in mind that the verage score of a humanbeing in each ability is 7. The traditional methodconsists in rolling 2d6 six times and assigning

the scores in the following order: Strength, Intel-ligence, Wisdom, Dexterity, Constitution, Cha-risma.

f the GM allows it, a player can distribute thescores in any order desired, in order to obtaina character that best suits. He can also allow aplayer to start again if the total of all abilities is

lower than 36.

eroic characters

o obtain a heroic character, within the frame-work of a particular campaign, simply raise oneability to 12.

Group haul

his method seeks to balance the characters ina party, so that none of them is more powerfulthan another.

ach player rolls 2d6 and notes the total. If thereare less than six players, each rolls again untilthere are six numbers. Or you can let each playerroll the dice the same number of times and choo-se the best scores.

hen, each player chooses how to distribute thescores for his character. Every character in thegroup will thus have the same numbers, but notin the same abilities.

Modifiersharacters with very low or very high ability sco-res have modifiers, positive or negative, whichapply in certain situations. These modifiers willbe used often during the course of play.

Score Modifier

2-3 -2

4-5 -1

6-8 0

9-10 +1

11-12 +2

he Strength modifier applies to attack and da-mage rolls in melee combat, and the charactersmovement rate.

he Intelligence modifier applies to rolls relatedto knowledge, such as the counter-spells of sor-cerers.

heWisdom modifier applies to all rolls relatedto perception and intuition.

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he Dexterity modifier applies to attack and da-mage rolls in missile combat and with certain sa-ving throws. It also affects the characters armorclass.

he Constitution modifier applies to hit pointsadded to, or subtracted from each hit die, andcertain saving throws.

he Charisma modifier applies to the reactionsof non-player characters (NPC) at the time of anencounter.

Classesach player must choose a class. There are three:

warrior, priest and sorcerer. These classes arevery broad and do not represent precise trades,but rather are general stereotypes, having somecommon characteristics.

ach character starts at level 1 and can continuehis career up to level 12. The number of experien-ce points needed to increase to higher levels islisted for each class in a table.

igher levels improve attack rolls, saving throwsand the number of spells that can be cast per dayby a priest or sorcerer. It also changes hit points,magical and special abilities of each characterclass.

ual-class characters

A character can be both a warrior and a priest orwarrior and a sorcerer, if he has a score of at least0 in the two main abilities (Strength for warriors,

Wisdom for priests, Intelligence for sorcerers).

lves can always choose to be both sorcerers andwarriors, whatever their ability scores.

ach time they increase in level, these characterschoose one or the other class. They take the high-est attack and special abilities of each class forthe level reached. Their total levels should neverexceed 12.

WarriorA warrior is a person accustomed to handlingweapons and armor. He may be a bandit, knight,scout, mercenary, pirate, soldier, thief or gene-rally any person not employing magic.

Weapons and armor

he training of a warrior allows him to carryany type of shield, weapon and armor (althoughheavy armor may adversely affect his stealth andmobility).

Hit dice

he warrior gains 1d6+1 additional hit points perlevel up to level 12. However, certain races stopgaining extra hit dice before this level.

Warrior

evel xperience Attacks Hit dice Special

1 0 +1 1d6+1

2 2 000 2d6+2 Multiple Attacks

3 4 000 3d6+3

4 8 000 +2 4d6+4 Courage

5 16 000 5d6+5

6 32 000 6d6+6

7 64 000 +3 7d6+7

8 120 000 8d6+8 Instinct, Terrifying Presence

9 240 000 9d6+9

10 360 000 +4 10d6+10

11 480 000 11d6+11

12 600 000 12d6+12

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Fighting multiple opponents

uring melee combat, a warrior can attack a num-ber of adversaries equal to his level each round,as long as they are within range of his weapon.f they are of a higher level, he can only attack

one of them.

or example, a warrior of level 4 could fight 4

orcs (1st level creatures), or two ghouls (level 2),but only one troll (level 6). He could also attacka worg (level 3) and an orc, but not two worgssimultaneously.

Courage

rom level 4, a warrior is immune to fear, evensupernatural or magic.

nstinct

rom level 8, a warriors instincts enable him tosense invisible or hidden creatures close by.

errifying presenceAt level 8, the warrior is so impressive that mons-ters and NPCs of level 1 must immediately checkmorale at the beginning of the combat.

PriestA priest is a character who receives his abili-ties from a deity, demon or some other externalpower, sometimes an impersonal force like Law,

haos or Nature. He may be a bard, druid, exor-cist, monk, paladin, shaman, scald, templar, or

any other character that fights and employs ma-gic of divine origin, or reputed as such.

epending on the campaign, priests will drawtheir power from the gods and their faith, or sim-ply, their incantations awaken ancient pacts si-gned with creatures, gods, goddesses or demons.n a world of Sword & Sorcery the gods tend to

be remote, deaf to the prayers of men, deman-ding sacrifices to spare them much more thanthey do to protect them. Rather than a well or-ganized pantheon, every race, every country willhave one or two gods of its own. Finally, there isnothing preventing the use of monotheistic reli-gions.

Weapons and armor

he training of a priest enables him to use ar-mor and a shield without being prevented fromcasting spells, to wield weapons and use spellscalled Invocations. He generally uses weaponsprescribed by his religion.

Hit dice

he priest gains 1d6 additional hit points perlevel up the level 8. However, certain races stop

gaining extra hit dice before this level.

riest Spells

Level xperience Attacks Hit dice 1 2 4

1 0 +0 1d6 0

2 1 500 2d6 1

3 3 000 3d6 2

6 000 4d6 2 1

5 12 000 +1 5d6 2 2

6 24 000 6d6 2 2 1

7 48 000 7d6 2 2 2

8 96 000 8d6 2 2 2 1

9 192 000 +2 2 2 2 2

10 280 000 2 2 2 2 1

11 340 000 3 3 3 2 2

12 436 000 3 3 3 3 3

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Fanaticism

A priest gains a +1 bonus to all saving throwsagainst fear, spells and supernatural effects af-fecting the mind, such as charms, illusions andmagical sleep.

Spells

he progression table of the priest indicates thenumber of spells he can prepare for an adven-ture, which is also the number of spells he cancast in the same day.

or example, if a level 4 priest prepared Sanct-uary and Light, he could use Sanctuary twicein the same day, rather than casting each spellonce.

ach priest has his own list of invocations, cho-sen from among those allowed to priests. Theplayer selects them, in agreement with the GM,according to his characters religious and moralprinciples.

Exorcism

riests can repel or destroy one type of creature:undead, lycanthropes, elementals or animals, ac-cording to the selection made during charactercreation.

his power affects 2d6 creatures, but to know if itsucceeds, the priest must first roll 2d6 + his level,against 10 + the level of the monster. Moreover,if the level of the monster is less than one third ofthat of the character, it is destroyed rather than

repelled.

Additional spells

f you want the characters to have a greater num-ber of magic spells or invocations, add their Intel-ligence (sorcerer) or Wisdom (priests) modifierto the number of spells they know per level. Forexample, upon reaching level 4, a priest with a

isdom of 9 would have 3 spells of 1st level and

of 2nd level.

SorcererA sorcerer is able to cast magic spells. He can be aconjuror, enchanter, illusionist, necromancer andothers besides.

Weapons and armor

A poor combatant, he finds wearing armor andcarrying a shield too constraining for castingspells, but he can handle a one-handed weapon

of his choice. His principal power lies in magicspells.

Sorcerer Spells

evel Experience Attacks Hit dice 2 4 6

1 0 1d6 1

2 2 500 2

3 5 000 2d6 3 1

4 10 000 4 2

5 20 000 3d6 4 2 1

6 40 000 +1 4 3 2

7 80 000 4d6 4 3 2 1

8 160 000 4 3 3 2

9 320 000 5d6 4 3 3 2 1

10 480 000 4 4 3 3 2

11 640 000 +2 6d6 4 4 4 3

12 800 000 4 4 4 4 1

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Hit dice

A sorcerer gains 1d6 additional hit points everytwo levels up to level 11. However, certain racesstop gaining extra hit dice before this level.

Spells

he progression table of the sorcerer indicatesthe number of spells he can prepare for an ad-

venture, which is also the number of spells hecan cast in the same day.

or example, if a level 3 sorcerer prepared Sleepand Jump, he could use Jump twice in the sameday, rather than casting each spell once.

Counter-spells

A sorcerer can try to cancel or lessen a spell orinvocation, at the time it is cast or while the spellis in effect. To succeed, he must achieve a score of

+ the level of the spell on 2d6 + his Intelligencemodifier. If he fails, he will not be able to try a se-

cond time to counter the same spell, at least untilhe took the time to return to his laboratory (orequivalent) to study the problem.

f the caster of the spell to be countered is of alevel lower or equal to his, the spell is cancelledor stopped. If he is a higher level, his level is de-creased by that of the sorcerer in order to eval-uate the duration, range and power of the spell.

he dark side of magic

Sorcerers are creatures of the shadows, which gi-ves them a sinister reputation. From level 2, theypass completely unseen when they are in sha-dows or darkness as if they were invisible, andthey are able to see in the dark. Creatures whichsee the invisible can locate them, but not thosewhich see in the dark.

Elemental forces

Sorcerers can, at will, use magic as a weapon,either from a distance, or in close proximity, byemploying occult forces, based on one of the fiveelements (generally fire or lightning).

As far as the rules are concerned, this effect isidentical in all respect to normal weapons, exceptthat it is the Intelligence modifier which is usedas the attack and damage bonus. The sorcerer canuse this power to parry attacks in combat, bothmelee and missile.

acesn a game based strictly on Sword & Sorcery, cha-

racters will generally be humans, in all their di-versity. Some campaigns allow other races, suchas elves, halflings, dwarves or orcs. It is up to the

M to define the races playable by the players inhis campaign.

ome races have special abilities, explained intheir description. If the descriptions of the appea-rance, size or other characteristics are not suit-able for your campaign, do not hesitate to mo-dify them, or to rename these races. For example,

replace elves with men from the jungle, halflingswith hunters of the savannah, dwarves withcavemen, it will give your campaign apulp feelwithout modifying the rules.

lflves are fey creatures, of human appearance,

approximately four and a half feet tall. Thereare two main types, forest elves and those of themeadows, whose lifestyles differ appreciably.

hey generally live in their own lands, well awayfrom humans, and show great detachment. Theirlongevity is at least double that of humans, some-times much more. Fairies and related creaturesare considered to be like elves in game terms.

Hit dice

lves are frail and not very robust. After 4th le-vel, they cease gaining hit dice. A priest or a war-rior can be up to 4th level, but a sorcerer level 2only. Since elves can go warrior-sorcerers, theycan in this case rise to 4th level.

Fairyhood

lves can be both warriors and sorcerers at thesame time, whatever their ability scores. Never-theless, they cannot use their magic spells whilewearing armor.

ision

lves see in the dark as well as in full daylight,as long as there is at least a weak source of light(moon, candle).

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Stealth

n their native environment, elves can camouflagethemselves and walk in silence while wearingtheir elfin cloaks. They are then considered to beinvisible and can only be located if they attack ormake sudden movements.

Languageslves have a gift for languages, undoubtedly be-

cause of the complexity of their own. As well astheir own elvish language, they can speak 4 lan-guages over and above those granted to them bytheir Intelligence.

rchery

Very quick and agile in missile combat, elvescan fire a bow at any time during the movementphase, rather than just during the missile phase.

heir shooting range is increased by a quarterwhen they use a bow.

Heightened perception

lves have sharper senses than most others racesand can observe details that generally go unno-ticed. They get a +2 bonus to all rolls related toperception. They use this acuity to track or locatetraps and secret doors.

Resistance

lves are naturally resistant to the paralysis cau-sed by certain undead. From level 4, the simpletouch of an elf on a creature paralyzed has the

power to deliver it.

Halflingalflings are people of small size, averaging two

feet eight inches tall. They like tranquility andprivacy, which does not prevent them from beingformidable fighters when they make an ambush.

heir longevity is about the same as the humanrace.

nder the name of halfling can be grouped allkinds of races of little people who share same

the characteristics, such as goblin or kobold cha-racters.

Hit dice

alflings are small and not very robust. After 4thlevel, they cease gaining hit dice. A priest or awarrior will be able to rise to 4th level, a sorcerernd level only.

Stealth

heir small size enables them to hide and movesilently, to the point where they are almost invi-sible in tall grass and brush as long as they dontmake any sudden movements or attack.

Combat

alflings gain a +2 bonus when they attack withmissile weapons. Their shooting range is in-creased by a quarter when they use a sling.

Resistance

ery resistant to magic and supernatural powers,halflings have a +2 bonus to their saving throwsagainst these powers.

Dwarfwarves are a small race, around three feet eight

inches tall, with a more solidly built frame thanhumans. They usually live in subterranean citiesand are adapted to life under ground. Their lon-gevity is at least double that of humans, someti-mes much more.

Although they are a different race, the characte-ristics of gnomes are identical to those of dwar-ves.

Hit dice

warves are robust, but not as much as humans.After 7th level, they cease gaining hit dice. A

priest or a warrior is able to reach 7th level, a sor-cerer up to 4th level only.

ision

warves see in the dark as well as in full day-light, as long as there is at least a weak source oflight (moon, candle).

Languages

warves have a gift for languages, undoubtedlybecause of the complexity of their own. As wellas their own dwarvish language, they can speak 4languages over and above those granted to them

by their Intelligence.

Resistance

ery resistant to magic and supernatural powers,dwarves have a +2 bonus to their saving throwsagainst these powers.

Protection

gres, trolls, giants and similar creatures causeonly half damage against dwarves.

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Practical Sense

warves are very aware of abnormal architecturalor geological features. They receive a +2 bonus toany related rolls.

ffinity with animals

ears and wolves wont attack dwarves unlessthey are controlled by magic. This affinity doesnot apply to blood wolves and worgs.

Endurance

aving great endurance, dwarves can work, walkor ride twice as long as others before becomingtired.

Orchese humanoids with leathery skin, twisted

limbs, broad mouths and narrow eyes, are rela-ted to goblins. Their blood is a dark color, almostblack. You can use the same characteristics to re-present hobgoblins.

Hit dice

rcs are as strong as humans. They can thus reachthe maximum hit dice in their character class.

Vision in darkness

rcs see perfectly in the dark. When they areexposed to a strong light however, they receivea penalty of -1 to their attack, damage, savingthrows and morale rolls.

echnology

An orc character may be able to comprehend the func-tion of any mechanism, trap, machine of war or wea-pon, because of his predilection for military techno-logy. They receive a +2 bonus when detecting traps.

Hit pointsit points (hp) measure the capacity of a creature

to receive physical damage, blows, wounds anddeprivations. An ordinary human being has 1d6hit points. That is also true for 1st level PCs, ex-cept for the warrior. Then, at certain levels, theyreceive an additional die of hit points. Dont for-get that the Constitution modifier applies to eachhit die.

ach time a character reaches a new level, theplayer once again rolls the total amount of hitdice and adds the cumulated modifiers. If the re-sult is higher than the current hit points, the totalis modified. If not, the old total is kept.

A character who has reached the level at whichhe no longer increases his hit dice, may still rollthe dice at each level in order to improve his hitpoint total. For example, a warrior halfling canre-roll 4d6+4 upon reaching each level after the4th, until he has reached 28 hit points. The sameapplies to sorcerer characters: they re-roll their

hit dice upon reaching each new level, even whenthe number of hit dice does not increase.

f a character loses levels, because of the undeadspecial attack for example, he re-rolls his hitpoints according to the same principle, but auto-matically takes the worst score instead.

Languages and skillsharacters can learn a number of foreign langua-

ges, living or dead, equal to the number of pointsabove 7 of his Intelligence score. The player is notobliged to select them all when creating the cha-racter, but can if he wishes choose to learn someduring the course of his adventures. Some raceshave additional languages, which are in additionto this total.

urthermore, if a character has an Intelligence sco-re greater than or equal to 8, he can also read andwrite: dont forget that Intelligence is foremost ameasure of learning and not just that which is com-mon knowledge in a world of Sword & Sorcery

he languages which can be learned vary according

to the campaign proposed by the GM. They can betongues spoken in other countries, dead languages,dialects peculiar to a religion or an alignment, orspecific languages of various humanoid races.

Special skills

f the GM desires, any particular skill, like navi-gation, picking locks and so on, can count as alanguage slot. This enables him to limit the num-ber of skills available to the characters.

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Familiar terrainA character is especially familiar with his nativeterrain (mountain, forest, jungle, steppe, etc.). Insuch an environment he is never lost, can alwaysfind food, is never surprised, and has a +2 bonusto rolls related to survival.

Armor classArmor class (AC) determines the degree of pro-tection worn by the character and his capacity to

dodge blows. The more this protection is raised,the higher the armor class score increases. Armorclass is quite simply the number that must be rol-led on 2d6 + combat modifiers, when attemptingto hit an opponent.

Every character has a base armor class equal tois Dexterity. If he wears armor, the number gi-

ven in the Armor table replaces Dexterity as hisAC. In other words, a character with low Dex-terity would benefit from the protection of wea-ring armor, while another, faster and more agile,would lose this advantage when dressed in such.

A shield confers a +1 bonus to AC, whether thisis one based on armor or Dexterity.

Movementt is sometimes necessary to know the movement

rate of the characters, especially in combat. Thisdepends on the armor they wear and their en-cumbrance.

he base movement rate is determined by the ar-mor type worn, to which is added the Strengthmodifier. This gives the number of yards a cha-

racter can move in a melee combat round.

inally, this number represents walking speed,expressed as miles/hour. Thus, a character thatmoves 3 yards per round can walk, on average,

miles/hour. The length of a running jumpis equal to the movement rate, with half thatamount being the height reached.

f a characters movement rate is very low or 0, hecan still move around but not to any significant

degree in combat. This is why very weak charac-ters cant wear heavy armor.

quipmentach character carries equipment in his travels.he GM is encouraged to compose his own list of

weapons, armor and equipment correspondingto the theme of his campaign. The GM and theplayers can discuss the subject of equipment be-fore the characters set off on an adventure.

enerally, characters start with a backpack, per-sonal possessions, a dagger, a blanket and somefood.

f he is a warrior, leather armor (or equivalent),unless he prefers not to wear armor. He also hasa missile weapon and either a one-handed wea-pon and shield, or a two-handed weapon.

f he is a priest leather armor (or equivalent),unless he prefers not to wear armor, his chosenweapon and a shield, if the weapon is one-han-ded, as well as a book of invocations.

f he is a sorcerer, a one-handed weapon of his

choice, as well as a book of spells.

e also has any equipment required by his classand trade (musical instrument, rope,). Lastly,he has 3d6 gold coins (gp). The GM may allow ahorse or an animal companion if it fits the cam-paign or scenario.

Alignmenthe term alignment is used in role-playing ga-

mes to represent the moral stance chosen by

the player for his character. It is up to the GMto decide if he wishes to use this system or not,depending on the style of his campaign. He isfree to choose his own philosophies, morals andreligions for his campaign. The suggestions pre-sented here are just one example of a simple andeasy system. The principal axis of division is thatbetween Law, Neutrality and Chaos. These divi-sions have nothing to do with Good and Evil andmust be adapted according to the style of cam-paign chosen by the GM.

rmor Armor class ovement

No armor Dexterity 4

Leather, thick furs 8 3

Chainmail, banded armor, scale mail 10 2

Plate mail and barding 12 1

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Alignments (Law, Neutrality, Chaos) are notonly moral rules, but above all cosmic forces thatgovern the stability and movement of the uni-verse. They cannot be identified directly with thegood and the evil. Basically it is a matter of defi-ning the camp chosen by the characters andthe creatures which they meet, rather than a way

to define their personality by a simple classifica-tion.

aw can represent an absolute dictatorship, anoppressive bureaucracy and meddling by totalorder in which the unforeseen has no place - asmuch as by a feeling of justice and peace. Con-versely, Chaos can represent selfishness withoutscruples, dangerous unpredictability, orgiasticdecadence - just as much as the spirit of freedomand equality. But generally, Law represents sta-bility, even immobility, just as Chaos representschange, both as a renewal and destruction.

ach GM must choose the meaning he gives tothese terms, or simply not use them: a very dis-tinct axis of Good/Evil will function just as well, aswill the absence of alignment altogether in a worldwhere the adventurers are plunderers withoutshame, or ruthless mercenaries without a cause. Inthe literature of Sword & Sorcery, the oppositionof Barbarism/Civilization is another variant ali-gnment system that can easily be used in a role-playing game.

Lawaw represents order, justice and stability. Its fol-

lowers believe that the social order is guaranteedonly by strict obedience to the laws and existingauthorities. They prefer written laws, clearly esta-blished, applied strictly but fairly. They are waryof change, innovation, and all that deviates fromthe norm or existing customs. They consider thatauthority and Law are the best safeguards forthe welfare and preservation of society and thatauthority has all power, in any matter, to solveproblems. For them, Law is the only good, be-

cause it guarantees justice for all and the preser-vation of society.

Chaoshaos represents change, innovation and indi-

viduality. Its supporters believe that the indivi-dual takes precedence over the group, that therealization of their own happiness takes prece-dence over any other consideration, and often,

that their own happiness takes precedence overevery other moral point of view. They prefer thatevery situation is examined according to the cir-cumstances and the people involved, rather thanaccording to a strict standard. They rely on indi-vidual initiative more than anything else to re-solve important matters. For them, Chaos is the

only good, because it guarantees the happinessof every individual.

Neutralityeutrality is a philosophy which tends to regardaw and Chaos as two opposing poles of same

reality, which must be kept in perpetual balance.ts partisans believe that each person must mo-

derate himself, his desires and his needs, in or-der to respect the rights and freedoms of others.

or them, Neutrality is the only good, because it

reconciles Law and Chaos and moderates theirmutual excesses. Neutrality also corresponds to

ature and its Five elements which compose theworld: Air, Water, Lightning, Fire and Earth.

Descriptionhe technical part of character creation is now

finished. We know the race and the class of thecharacter, his abilities and his capabilities. Butwe are still missing the essence: his name, his

personality, his history.t is up to the player to decide all that, in accor-

dance and agreement with the GM and his cam-paign world. It isnt necessary to create an extra-vagant or very detailed history: what matters isthe future of the character more than his past. Butto know his cultural background and his trade orthat of his parents, to define his personality, qua-lities, defects with a few adjectives (friendly, mi-serly, etc.), to have a simple physical description,makes it easier to know how to play the characterat beginning of the game.

ome questions to consider when creating a cha-racter: his height, his weight? The color of hishair, his eyes? What is his social standing, that ofhis family? What is his trade, or what did he stu-dy before becoming an adventurer? What are hislikes and dislikes, his fears and his weaknesses?

ypically, many of the characters traits and as-pects come into being during the course of play.

he name chosen should reflect the character andhis cultural background.

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SkillsEpes & Sorcellerie does not use a skill system.

hat does not mean that the characters can donothing but fight or cast spells, quite the contrary.

asically, their abilities, their experience andtheir good sense are enough to deal with the ma-ority of situations.

he characters are heroes, not ordinary people.hey know how to hide, disguise themselves,

climb, swim, move in silence, lie in ambush, ridea horse, sail a small boat, survive in hostile en-vironments, and so on. They can also leap andhang from a chandelier, fight balanced on abeam, perform incredible feats. All these actionsare directly related to their abilities.

urthermore, warriors have military skills, knowhow to rouse their troops, priests have theologicalknowledge and sorcerers have occult knowledge.All this is part of their character class.

astly, if a character was a sailor in his youth, hecan sail perfectly, if he started as a burglar, he canpick locks as a result. That is all part of the historyof character. Its up to the GM to decide what isreasonable and the player to create a history bothsimple and coherent: no 1st level character hasexperienced everything

As a general rule, its not useful to roll the dicefor all actions. So the characters hide behind a

large rock in middle of the night to let a patrolpass by, why roll the dice? On the other hand,if the patrol is actively searching, well, thats adifferent matter.

t is up to the GM to decide if a character willlikely succeed at any given task, or have certainknowledge, according to his history. A dice rollmay be convenient, but the GM must remember

that it is better to provide the player with usefulinformation for the scenario than render it inac-cessible because of a failed dice roll.

Managing actionsor common actions in adventures, such as

stealth, climbing, horsemanship and so on, theappropriate ability is used. For social interac-tions, such as eloquence, bluff or intimidation,first take into account the performances of theplayers, dice rolling being only a convenience

when it comes to resolving secondary issues.

Th Adventure

ifficulty table

ifficulty Minimum roll

Easy 5

Moderate 7

Hard 9

Very hard 11

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he most common method is to roll 2d6 plus theability modifier, plus the level modifier (see be-low), above the difficulty of the action, as indica-ted on the following table:

Level modifierf the action is within the scope of the characters

competence (by his class, race or past experi-ence), he gains a +2 bonus. Moreover, all cha-racters gain a bonus of +1 for every three levels,starting from level 4.

evel modifier

Level Skill bonus

1-3 +0

4-6 +1

7-9 +2

10-12 +3

Opposing rollsWhen there is active opposition between twocharacters or creatures, it is the character withthe higher ability score that rolls the dice first. Ifhe succeeds, the other fails without having to rollthe dice.

f he fails, the opponent can roll and if successful,overcomes the opposition. If he fails, it is still theone with the highest score that succeeds.

t is also possible to use the opponents ability asa difficulty roll.

Group actionsn a group, only one person rolls the dice (or

doesnt roll them, if success is automatic) for agiven action.

epending on the situation, it will be he who hasthe best chance of success (for example, an elfto locate some hidden thing or to hear a strange

noise, a sorcerer to call upon his knowledge andso on) or he that has the worst (for example, themost clumsy or heavily encumbered characterwho is most likely to make noise, for a stealthyapproach).

his system makes it possible to avoid rolling thedice multiple times, and at the same time pre-serves the speciality of the characters, both goodand bad.

Common actionshe following table summarizes the abilities com-

monly used for most actions during the course ofthe game. If you wish, you can use it as a skillsystem. The functions of some of these actionsare described below.

Common actions

Action Ability

Acrobatics Dexterity

Sprint Strength

Run, long distance Constitution

Disguise Charisma

Stealth Dexterity

Climb Strength

nstinct Wisdom

Deceive CharismaMusic Charisma

Swim Strength

Perception Wisdom

Track Wisdom

Knowledge Intelligence

ump Strength

Survival Wisdom

tealth

Adventurers will often hide or walk quietlywhen making an ambush, but their armor mayclatter noisily. To succeed in such a stealthyoperation, such as walking up behind a sentrywithout being noticed, or walking on a crackedfloor past a sleeping monster without waking itup, it is necessary for a character to successfullyroll 2d6 + Dexterity modifier above his AC, ormake a difficulty check whichever is higher. Inother words, the lighter the armor, the better thechance of success. If the character is wearing ma-gical armor, his bonus is not counted, since it isnot heavy or encumbering.

tuntsAll acrobatic-type actions involving jumping,running and climbing are dealt with in the samemanner: the character must successfully roll 2d6

the Dexterity or Strength modifier above his ACor make a difficulty check, whichever is higher.

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PursuitAll pursuit on foot, horseback or boat is resolvedby making an opposing roll, but in this case themovement rates are compared rather than theabilities, with 2d6 added to the amount. Diffi-culty depends on the terrain (slope, vegetation,etc.). The GM will determine, depending on thedistance separating the two parties, the numberof successive successful rolls needed to catch upwith or outdistance the other party (if in doubt,this number is equal to 1d6).

Saving throwshe saving throw is a last resort. It represents the

chance heroes have when faced with extreme si-tuations: to resist a magic spell, to escape poison,to survive the breath of a dragon, etc. Generally,a successful saving throw annuls the effects ofsuch a power if no damage is caused, or halvesthe amount of any damage inflicted.

General principleA characters saving throw is equal to his attackbonus. There may be, in some cases, an addition-al bonus due to ability or race. To successfullysave the character must roll at least 10 on 2d6.

hese roll are modified by abilities, race, and cer-tain spells.

he Constitution modifier is added to any savingthrow intended to resist poison, spells or powersthat cause instant death, paralysis, petrification,disease, hunger, thirst and exposure.

he Dexterity modifier is added when attempt-ing to leap out of the way of a Fire Ball spell,

one of Frost or lightning, to escape a dragonsbreath, to avoid a trap or a fatal fall.

Other usest is possible to use the saving throw in many

ways, particularly when a character falls in a trap,or over a precipice, and in any situation where hemay be killed.

Since the saving throw also represents luck, it canbe used even when the survival of the characteris not an issue: to meet by chance in a city street aperson he is seeking (or his worst enemy) can bethe result of a saving throw.

roup saving throwsf a large number of NPCs (monsters, followers)

need to roll saving throws, you might considerthat for every +1 to the saving throw, one crea-ture in six automatically makes a successfulsave.

hus, if six ogres are victims of a Fire Ball, withtheir saving throw of +2, two ogres will succeedand four will fail.

oreover, if a character is mounted on a steed (beit horse, griffon, wyvern, etc.), the saving throwwill be that of the rider. You can thus charge adragon riding a horse!

Dangersn this section are presented some of the dangers

that threaten the characters and ways of dealingwith them using simple rules.

emember that the rules should not spoil the en-oyment of the adventure. Danger to the charac-ters can be exciting, but to kill them for no reasonalso kills the scenario you have prepared.

ave a few surprises ready should the charac-ters fail. A fall over a cliff can make it possible tofind a hidden cave entrance, on a ledge placedconveniently so. Poisoned, they wake up chai-ned to their worst enemies, among cannibalisticmonsters, or wrapped in cobwebs. Drowned,

they wake up the captive of a nixie. And so on...f course, dont just allow them to get away withanything they want, just because they believetheyll survive it: in order for them to find the li-mits, you must find the right balance.

Poisonoison can either have a specific effect (sleep, sic-

kness), or more often be fatal. Unless it says othe-rwise, especially in the description of a spell or amonster, consider the poison to be fatal.

his type of poison causes a number of d6 dam-age dice equal to half the level of the monster orspell. The total is halved on a successful savingthrow.

or poisons of plant origin, consider the defaultdamage to be 1d6.

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allsalls cause 1d6 points of damage every ten feet.f the fall is cushioned (water, vegetation, etc.),

subtract 1d6 points. A successful saving throwhalves the damage.

ireurns caused by flames inflict 1d6 points of damage

every round of exposure. More intense sources ofheat, such as molten metal, cause 2d6 points ofdamage.

atiguet is considered that a character can walk, ride, sail

up to 8 hours a day. Any more and he will becomefatigued. This will have an adverse affect in com-bat. All dice rolls will then have a penalty of 1, in-cluding saving throws, attack and damage rolls.

Hunger and thirstvery day a character fails to eat or drink, or is

exposed to cold, snow, rain or the desert, he mustmake a saving throw (with Constitution modi-fier). If he fails that, he loses 1 hit point. Underthese conditions the character is considered fati-gued (see above).

Drowningor each round of drowning a character loses 1

hit point and must make a saving throw (withonstitution modifier) in order to avoid losing

consciousness.

Agingrom 40 years of age, characters lose 1 point of

Strength, Dexterity or Constitution (randomlydetermined) every five years. If an ability reaches

they become an invalid, at 0 they die. For dwar-

ves and elves longevity is doubled and aging ef-fects slowed by half.

Healingf a person receives proper care and rest, he reco-

vers 1 hit point per day. Without care or rest hiswounds become infected and he loses 1 hit pointper day, regardless of his level.

Climatef the GM wants to take into account the climate,

he simply rolls the dice for each day. Generally,on the first day, he considers the weather to betypical for the season. Then it changes accordingto the results rolled: 2-5 the weather worsens, 6-8it remains the same, 9-12 it improves. If he wantsto refine things further, he can make separaterolls for temperature, wind and rain. This systemmakes it possible to create atmosphere and unex-pected difficulties.

ncountersuring their adventures, characters meet manyPCs. There is no general rule concerning them,

since they are a logical part of the GMs campaignand the needs of his scenario. Nevertheless, the-re are some things that can make the GMs jobeasier.

nitial attitudehen the characters meet an NPC whose behavior

is not determined by the scenario, or by the logicof the situation, you can roll 2d6 to determine hisattitude:

nitial reaction of NPCs

Roll* Attitude

2-5 Negative, aggressive

6-8 Neutral

9-12 Positive, friendly

Take into account the Charisma modifier of the

character doing the speaking.

HenchmenA character can attract a number of henchmento his service. They take part in his adventures,

faithfully serve and receive a part share of histreasure. Their master must equip them and pro-vide for their needs.

hese henchmen start at 1st level and then pro-gress 1 level for every 2 that the character in-creases. They are usually ordinary warriors, butthis is not obligatory: they can be monsters (serv-ing as a henchman for life), priests, or sorcerers.t is up to the GM to decide what is allowable.enchmen can never be a higher level than their

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chief. Their number can never exceed the cha-racters Charisma score plus his level. The GMcan play the henchmen or allow the character todo so if he wishes, while reserving the possibilityof regaining control at any time. In combat it isgenerally the player who throws the dice for theactions of the henchmen.

ike all NPCs, henchmen are subject to moralechecks. They add their masters Charisma modi-fier, plus one for every four levels that their lea-der has.

oreover, at level 9, a character can attract to hisservice a band of 5d6x10 1st level men-at-arms,with an average morale score. They may be hu-man, but can also be elves, dwarves, orcs and soon. It is up to the GM to decide, after discussionwith the player.

he rules for henchmen are optional, but they arepractical in adventures centered around combat,organizing thieves guilds, spy networks, mer-chant houses and so on, but can slow down playby multiplying the number of NPCs.

xperienceAt the end of game session, the GM assigns eachcharacter a number of experience points, basedon what they have done.

ach monster defeated is worth 100 experiencepoints per level.

efeat does not necessarily mean kill: persua-sion, evasion by ruse, rout, knock unconscious,etc., are equally valid and effective methods forthis purpose.

his total is divided between the characters. If theaverage level of the characters is higher than thatof the monsters, an equivalent ratio is applied.

or example, if 3 characters of 3rd level escapefrom 6 orcs (thats 9 levels against 6), they receiveonly 2/3 of the 600 experience points, which is400, or 133 each.

f your campaign is based on plundering oldtemples, daring burglaries and hunting for richtreasures, you can choose to allow one plunde-red gold piece to equal one experience point. Ifyou want to go further, you can rule that the trea-sure must be spent, preferably by feasting anddrinking, before it is converted into experiencepoints.

here are other opportunities to grant experiencepoints: good role-playing, instilling passion andtension into the character, a clever or daring idea,the conclusion of an investigation or a scenario,to some degree. A simple method is to assign 100experience points per character level, wheneversuch an occasion arises.

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he following rules are used to manage combatsituations. They dont claim to reach a high levelof realism, but rather are to be used to supportthe imagination of the GM and players, whileallowing fast combat, efficacious and rich in re-turn.

ne of the key principles is that all weapons dothe same damage. It is up to the GM to manage,

when necessary, the tactical nuances and possibi-lities of each weapon; the general idea is to makeit possible for the players to equip their charac-ters according to their own style rather than tech-nical considerations.

his also applies to firearms, if you want to includethem they work marvelously in the history ofpiracy, for example) or technological equipment,since the boundary between Sword & Sorcery andscience fiction is very fuzzy. A laser pistol, anenergy lance and a sword will, therefore, all dothe same damage, which explains why they all

can coexist quite happily in the fantasy universe.ont try to explain this complex coexistence. It

is just part of the decor...

Combat sequenceurprise

A group or a creature that is surprised cannotmove or attack during the first round. If theydont have weapons in hand, they wont be ableto attack during the second round either. They can

defend themselves in all cases. If in doubt aboutthe surprise, consider the probability of surprisein an unexpected meeting to be 2 chances in 6.

Actions in a roundhile battle takes place simultaneously between

combatants or opposing parties, the order of ac-tions is defined by some rules.

he duration of a round is rather relative, sinceit is a series of movements and maneuvers withweapons of variable length. In theory, its consi-

dered to be about 10 seconds. There are thus sixrounds per minute and 60 rounds per turn.

he sequence of a round proceeds in the fol-lowing manner:

Movement

Spells

Missile attacks

4 Melee attacks

Morale

mbat

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Movementombatants may move their full combat move-

ment rate, or twice that speed if not engaged. El-ves can fire a bow during this phase while mov-ing, which gives them a certain advantage.

2 SpellsSpells and counter-spells are cast. They take effectimmediately. If two casters launch their spells atthe same time, both spells apply simultaneously.A spell caster wounded during phase 1 cannotcast a spell.

3 Missile attacksissile attacks are launched. Stationary comba-

tants who already fired during the movementphase can do so again. Ranged attacks are notpossible if engaged and the combatant mustawait the start of the next round before drawinga melee weapon.

4 Melee attackselee attacks are made. Motionless targets who

have already struck during the movement phasemay do so again. Warriors and monsters withmultiple attacks continue until all have comple-ted their attacks.

5 M ralef it is necessary, morale checks are rolled. If fighting

continues, return to phase 1.

attackWhen attacking, the combatant rolls 2d6 + attackmodifier + Strength modifier (melee) or Dexte-rity modifier (missile). If the result of the diceis higher than the targets AC, the attack is suc-cessful. If the amounts are the same, the targetis not injured but pushed back or thrown to theground. On the next round the attacker will have

1 and the defender -1 to their rolls.

oth combatants roll their dice simultaneously,but only the one who rolls the highest hits, pro-vided his roll exceeds his opponents AC.

f both fail to roll higher than the others AC,neither managed to find a gap in the opponentsdefenses.

f both combatants roll the same score on theattack roll, they both roll for damage. Whoeverrolls the highest breaks the weapon or shield of

his opponent (losers choice). If the damage rollsare equal, both weapons break. Magic weaponsnever break.

f one of the combatants has exhausted his num-ber of attacks in a round, he can no longer inflictany damage, but may defend himself and con-ti-nue making attack rolls, i.e. if his score is higher

than that of his adversary, he parries the blow butdoes not cause any damage. The risk of breakingweapons is still the same.

Damagef an attack is successful, the attacker rolls dam-

age: 1d6, plus the Strength modifier if applicable,1 if using a two-handed weapon. The amount

of damage is subtracted from the defenders hitpoints. Reaching 0 hit points causes uncons-ciousness.

f a character loses more hit points he immediate-ly dies. If not treated after battle, he must makea saving throw to regain consciousness, or die ifit fails.

amage by level

n this option, the attack bonus is also added todamage to make high level combatants moredangerous.

amage by armor

eapons vary in effectiveness against differentarmor types. A blunt weapon (mace, hammer,club, stick) will cause one point of damage lessagainst leather armor, which absorbs shocks well,and one point extra against plate armor, whichpasses the shock onto the wearer. Conversely,thrusting weapons (spear, lance, arrow, quarrel)will do an extra point against leather armor, butone less against plate armor. Finally, the damageinflicted by slashing weapons isnt modified byarmor type.

Styles of combateapon and shield

n addition to the +1 a shield bestows on AC inmelee combat, a combatant can use his shield toparry a ranged attack, as if fought face-to-face,by rolling 2d6 + attack modifier, and if the rollis higher than that of the attacker, the projectile

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embeds itself into the shield rather than the de-fender.

oreover, if a PC (or major NPC) receives a mor-tal blow, he receives no damage but instead hisshield splinters (or weapon if he does not havea shield). Obviously that happens only once incombat: the next blow will indeed be mortal.

eath is the most likely outcome for most cha-racters. A new character is weak and vulnerable,he may die from just one blow, exactly like anyordinary being. Do not see this as a handicap, butas a normal feature of a Sword & Sorcery world.

Two-weapon combatf a combatant wants to use two weapons in me-

lee combat, such as a sword and a dagger, hemust decide whether to master a defensive oroffensive style.

he defensive style enables him to use his secondweapon in defense (+1 bonus, like a shield).

he offensive style enables him to strike simulta-neously with a single attack roll, as if he foughtwith a two-handed weapon (1d6+1 points of da-mage).

Unarmed combatf a character attacks with his bare hands (or with

feet, elbows, knees, head, etc.), any damage in-flicted is not fatal. Opponents who reach 0 hp or

less have fallen into unconsciousness.An attacker may choose to knock down, throw orimmobilize his opponent, but he must announceit before his attack roll. In this case, he does notroll damage, but makes a successful maneuver.

his sort of attack can only be carried out againsta single opponent of similar or smaller size andequal or lower level.

ighting bare-handed against an armor-wearing

opponent who is armed, or a non-humanoid, isconsidered to be unfavorable circumstances (-1to attack and damage).

Missile weaponshe weapon table shows normal firing distance.

his is the effective range and not the maximumrange. Whenever this range is doubled, subtractone from attack and damage rolls.

sing ranged weapons in melee combat is dan-gerous. If the missile misses its target, the GMwill randomly determine another nearby, friendor foe, and ask the player to throw another attackroll against this new target. If successful, damageis rolled normally.

issile weapons

Weapon ange of fire

Short bow 15

Long bow 21

Light crossbow 18

Heavy crossbow 24

Throwing axe 3

Sling 12

avelin 6

Spear 3

Throwing knife 3

Maneuversavorable situations

henever a combatant is in a situation that is fa-vorable compared to his opponent, he receives a

1 bonus to his attack and damage rolls. Conver-sely, in an unfavorable situation he receives a -1penalty to attack and damage rolls. These bonus-es and penalties also apply to saving throws andmorale rolls.

avorable situations include, attacking an oppo-nent from behind, one already engaged in com-bat, one who is prone, who is obstructed in hismovements, charging on a horse, etc.

nfavorable situations include, having move-ment obstructed, in darkness (or in the light forcreatures of the underworld), in retreat.

f an action is inevitable (kill an opponent whois asleep or unconscious) or impossible, its notnecessary to roll the dice.

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Camouflagef a defender is camouflaged or partly shielded

by a wall, a tree, or any obstacle, even in the caseof a fire ball, he is only hit if the attacker throwsan even number on his attack roll.

Against several opponentsighting against several is not always easy. A

maximum of 6 people of human-size can sur-round another, but they can rarely all attack atthe same time. Generally, 1d6 will try to do soeach round. The GM will be careful to adapt thisrule to the situation (respective size of the com-batants, topography) and the PC can attempt tolimit the number of attackers by skillfully usingthe terrain.

Moralet is up to the players to decide when their cha-

racters attempt to flee or withdraw from a fight.or NPCs and monsters, it is possible for them to

decide to flee or retreat if the situation is danger-ous, only to return later or take refuge in a placethat is easier to defend. A morale roll allows theGM to know whether or not NPCs or monsterswill flee.

A morale roll is a roll of 2d6 + the level of themonster or the most powerful NPC (for instance,

if there is one ogre with a group of orcs, theirmor-ale will be +4). If the result is below 7 theybeat a retreat. The GM secretly throws a moraleroll when one of the following situations occur.With each successive morale roll, the score nee-ded to succeed increases by two (for example, thethird morale roll must be 11 or higher).

hen to check morale? The current combat is manifestly unequal

(marked inferiority in numbers or weapons...)

The leader of the group, or the most powerfulcreature, is killed.

Half of the combatants in the group are killedor out of action.

4 A spell of level 5 or 6 has just been cast.

Some creatures devoid of intelligence need nevercheck morale. If circumstances favor NPCs ormonsters (favorable terrain, superior numbers),they gain a +1 bonus to their morale.

ailed moraleA failed morale roll doesnt mean they flee reck-lessly, simply that they try to withdraw to a sa-fer position or more favorable ground, or try tonegotiate. What they do must be decided by the

M based on the intelligence of the creatures,their combat experience, discipline and so on. Asecond failed roll may possibly trigger a veritabledisorderly rout.

Balancing combateep in mind that a creature of a level equal to

that of a character has a one in two chance of kil-ling him. This could rapidly undermine the con-tinuation of the scenario. In general, it is betterif combat is planned in such a way that the totallevel of adversaries is half that of the characters.

igh level warriors and spell casters can fighta number of powerful adversaries. Throwingenough 1st level monsters or NPCs at them toplace them in peril, will enable them to use theircapabilities to their full potential.

n a scenario, it is important to ensure that the firstfight is neither too hard nor too easy, a situationwhere the characters can easily withdraw shouldthings go badly. This makes it possible to gaugetheir capabilities and continue to adapt. This is

even more important if the characters have re-cently gone up a level, or if you havent playedfor a long time: it makes it possible to judge theabilities of the players themselves.

Managing mass combatt is sometimes necessary to manage combat

between a large number of adversaries, whethera small skirmish or large battle. The combat rulescan manage it easily. Treat each group of fightersas an individual, choose a suitable scale (1 to 10,

to 100, etc.), and treat the combat as if it werestandard combat. At the end of each round, rolla morale check for each side to see if they keepfighting or withdraw. The percentage of hit pointslost indicates the percentage of losses suffered.

reat the terrain and circumstances (ambush,siege, etc.) in the same manner as standard com-bat, i.e. a bonus/penalty of +1 to attack and da-mage. Same thing if a commander has achieved abrilliant maneuver. The duration of a round can

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22

vary according to the extent of the battle from afew minutes to a complete day.

f the PCs are involved in a battle, assign 1d6 or-dinary soldiers to each one, or a particular mon-

ster. The impact of their actions can influence theenemys morale and thus give them a decisiverole in the battle. In this manner, you can movequickly between mass combat and role-playing.

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General principlesagic can take forms and effects that are extremely

varied. The few principles which follow applyequally to priests and sorcerers.

Preparation of spellshe number of spells per level indicated in each

character class description represents the spellshe can prepare for a given adventure. These in-deed require long preparation in a quiet place,a place of prayer and meditation, a library or awell-equipped laboratory. He also needs rarecomponents, ancient books, sometimes sacrificesor the assistance of disciples.

Generally, its considered that the preparation ofa spell or invocation takes one day per spell level.

hen, this spell is ready to be cast at the desiredtime, very quickly, in the matter of a moment. Itremains ready indefinitely, until it is cast.

At dawn or at the dead of night (decided bythe player when he creates his character), spellsalready cast become available once again for cas-ting. This doesnt allow the priest or sorcerer tochange his list of spells: if he wants to do that, hemust once again go through the process of prepa-ration in his temple or laboratory.

ormally, variations and reversed versions ofspells are considered to be different spells and

must be prepared separately. evertheless, togive more flexibility, the GM may permit the casterto choose which version he wants to use at the timeof casting.

Choosing lower level spells

A priest or sorcerer can choose spells of a lowerlevel than those he is entitled to, without thischanging the amount. For example, a 4th levelsorcerer may select 5 spells of 1st level and one ofnd level, instead of 4 and 2. It is not possible to

change in the other direction.

aving throwenerally, unless stated otherwise, it is possible

for a victim to make a saving throw which can-cels the effect, or reduces the damage by half.

his saving throw takes a round, during whichthe victim resists or tries to dodge the spell. He

can defend himself but not attack until the endof the round.

Releaseasting a spell is very quick, since it is ultimately

releasing a spell that was prepared long before.hat implies the use of a magic formula, which

can be shouted or whispered.

or spells aimed at people or an area, the caster must

gic

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be able to manually nominate the victims or benefi-ciaries, unless releasing the spell totally randomly.

inally, as a general rule, detection spells andthose affecting the mind can be cast discretely,by mere concentration.

econdary effectsach caster has his own style, which is reflected

in his spells. Even though the technical charac-teristics are the same, the embellishments, suchas colors, sounds, visual or olfactory side effectsdepend on the priest or sorcerer. The player mustspecify these aspects during character creationand they apply to all spells as a kind of signa-ture.

oreover, when a spell is prepared, the caster

can at will use small visual special effects, oreven real ones, depending on the spell. These ef-fects never cause damage.

or example, a sorcerer who has prepared Fireall can light a small fire or pipe in this way, one

who chose Summon Monsters could summon amouse. The player can propose all kinds of ef-fects of this type, but it is up to the GM to decideif they are appropriate.

pell booksSorcerers and priests usually keep all of their spellsin a collection of manuscripts, called a spell book.

t may actually be a book, but also scrolls, papy-rus, engraved or incised tablets and a number ofother methods depending on the cultural back-ground of the priest or sorcerer.

his book is an extremely valuable object, be-

cause it contains all the formulas necessary forthe preparation of their spells. Carefully hiddenand protected, it is almost never taken on a jour-ney for its loss would be irreparable.

opying a spell into a spell book or inscribingone onto a scroll takes one whole week per spelllevel, during which the sorcerer or priest cannotengage in any other activity.

pells knownuring character creation, a sorcerer knows one

spell per point of Intelligence and a priest one in-vocation per point of Wisdom, chosen from thelist of 1st level spells. Thereafter, he will have todiscover them or invent spells of his own.

pell creationA sorcerer or priest may create a new spell or in-vocation. The player and the GM must agree onits characteristics and level, by comparison withexisting spells. The level must naturally be onethat is available to him. The creation of a spelltakes one month per level of the spell and costs

,000 gp per spell level in strange components,

Duration

Rounds 10 seconds/caster level

Turns 10 minutes/caster level

Hours 1 hour/caster level

Days 1 day/caster level

Range

Touch Direct physical contact. In combat, requires a successful attack roll

x1 1 yard/caster level

x10 10 yards/caster level

x100 100 yards/caster level

Creating magic items

Item ime/level Cost/level

Scroll 1 week 100 gp

Potion 2 weeks 200 gp

Wand 1 month 1,000 gp

Permanent item 1 year 10,000 gp

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ceremonies and sacrifices.

ote that nothing, in theory, stops a member ofone class imitating the spells of another, so thatthe lists proposed for each class correspond totraditions rather than limitations.

t is customary to name any spells created. Thus,

a spell called Primal Creation of Xylarthen in-dicates that this famous sorcerer is the author ofthe spell in question.

Creating magic itemsA priest or sorcerer can manufacture magic itemsbased on the spells he knows. The manufacturingtime and the cost per spell level depend on thetype of object (see table above).

pell parameters

n the description of each spell, the duration andrange (or area of effect) are shown (see tables).

hey usually vary according to the level of thecaster. In addition, certain spells, indicated by anasterisk (*), have several variants.

he range can either be linear, or take the form of

an area of effect, depending on the description. Ifin doubt, its up to the GM to choose what seemsmost appropriate for each spell.

rolonged duration

n this option, spells are prolonged for a period

equal to the initial duration, as long as the victimwasnt lucky enough to make a successful savingthrow. At the end of each duration, he may tryhis luck again. This option makes spells morepowerful and more random.

Priest invocationsLevel 1 invocations

Courage*

Level: 1 / Range: x10 / Duration: Turns

he beneficiaries, a number equal to 1d6 percaster level, suddenly feel extraordinarily coura-geous. They no longer suffer from the effects ofmagical or supernatural fear and no longer needto make morale checks.

riest invocations

evel 1 evel 2 Level 3

1 Courage Bless Continual light

2 etect evil etect traps Control animals

3 etect magic aralyze Control undead4 ealing ower Cure disease

5 ight rotection from lycanthropes Locate object

6 rotection from evil esist fire Panic

7 rotection from undead Speak with animals Remove curse

8 urify food and water Snake

9 Sanctuary Speak with dead

evel 4 evel 5

1 Apostasy Aging

2 Circle of protection from evil Control dragons

3 Control giants estroy evil

4 Control plants estruction

5 Create food and water ivine message

6 eutralize poison Quest

7 rotection from elementals esurrection

8 Spark of life Swarm

9 Speak with plants

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he reversed version, Fear, routs 1d6 of the cas-ters opponents (saving throw allowed). Onlycreatures of a level less than or equal to the priestare affected. They cannot return in his directionat the end of the spell effect.

etect evil


sed to detect the presence of creatures, locations,or objects that are hostile or dangerous within therange of the spell and to gauge its potency withsome accuracy. Note that evil is used here in avery generic way, as any potential danger to thespell caster, without any moral connotation.

etect magic*


an detect the presence and potency of spells,

monsters and magical objects within the spellsarea of effect. This spell can also be used on anobject, spell, or specific location to determine itsproperties.

ts reversed version, Hide magic, can hide themagical aura of an object or spell in order tomake it undetectable.

ealing*

Level: 1 / Range: x10 / Duration: Immediate

eals 1d6 hit points for every 3 levels of the cas-ter. Its baneful version, Harm, causes the same

amount of damage on a successful attack roll.his spell can also be cast before combat, taking

care of damage received at a rate of 1d6 for every4 levels. The effect disappears after one turn.

ight*

Level: 1 / Range: x1 / Duration: Hours

reates a magical light that illuminates the spellsarea of effect. This Light can be fixed on an area,person or object. Its color and appearance (lumi-nescence, cold flame,...) are chosen by the spellcaster.

ts reversed version, Darkness, creates an area ofdarkness or fog, casters choice. To fight in thisarea attracts a -1 penalty to attack and damagerolls and makes missile combat impossible.

rotection from evil

Level: 1 / Range: Touch / Duration: Turns

rotects against conjured creatures (elementals,

demons,...), which cannot attack the recipient ofthe spell (but can seek to harm him indirectly).

his spell also grants a +1 bonus to saving throwsand a -1 penalty to the attack rolls of other ad-versaries. Note that evil is used here in a verygeneric way, as any potential danger to the spellcaster, without any moral connotation.

rotection from undead


he undead cannot approach within the spellsarea of effect.

urify food and water*

Level: 1 / Range: x1 / Duration: Permanent

enders any spoilt food or poisoned water withinthe spells range safe to consume. The reversedversion, Spoil food and water, makes it unsuit-

able for consumption causing pain and sicknessfor 1d6 days (saving throw allowed). A sick per-son receives a penalty of -2 on all rolls.

anctuary


he priest gains a +1 bonus to his AC and savingthrows for every 4 levels.

Level 2 invocations

less*Level: 2 / Range: x1 / Duration: Turns

rants the recipients a +1 attack bonus for theduration of the spell and +1 to morale if they are

PCs or monsters. The spell must be cast beforecombat. Its reverse version, Curse gives the op-posite effect to adversaries.

etect traps*


Allows the detection of traps, trap doors and

dangerous zones in the spells area of effect andassesses their potential risk. This spell can alsobe used to analyze a particular trap and discoverhow to avoid or deactivate it. It can also locatesecret doors and similar mechanisms. The reverseversion, Hide traps, can make them undetectableby natural and magical means.

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aralyze*


aralyze a number of victims equal to the level ofthe spell caster (saving throw allowed). The re-versed version, Release, simply makes it possibleto cancel the effects of the spell, or any other form

of paralysis or temporary unconsciousness. Thevictims must be at least partly humanoid and ofa level equal to or lower than the caster.

ower

Level: 2 / Range: x1 / Duration: Rounds

Adds an extra 1d6 of damage to a weapon.

rotection from lycanthropes


ycanthropes cannot approach within the spells

area of effect.

esist fire


he priest is invulnerable to ordinary fires. Formagic or supernatural fires, he gains a +2 bonusto his saving throws and takes 1 point of damageless per die.

Speak with animals


Allows speech with animals that are of normal orgiant size. These creatures have their own way ofreasoning and their own areas of interest, so theirresponses can be disconcerting.

Level 3 invocations

Continual light*


reates an area of light equal to that of the spellof the same name, except that it is permanent and

can only be cast on an area, not on a person orobject. This explains why temples are frequentlymagically illuminated. A reverse version of thisspell, Continual darkness, also exists.

Control animals


Animals with a number of hit dice equal to orlower than the level of the priest will obey him.

he maximum number of animals controlled is

equal to the level of the priest. The animals retaintheir personality, only obey simple commandsand make a morale roll if asked to attack some-one.

Control undead


ndead with a number of hit dice equal to orlower than the level of the priest will obey him(saving throw allowed). The maximum numberof undead controlled is equal to the level of thepriest. The undead obey orders, but the more in-telligent ones will not always be happy about it.

Cure disease*

Level: 3 / Range: Touch / Duration: Immediate

ures all forms of natural or magical disease. Thereversed version, Disease, confers an infection

which inflicts the victim with a -2 penalty to allof his rolls for 2d6 days (saving throw allowed).A successful attack roll is necessary to use it incombat.

ocate object*


sed to determine the approximate distance anddirection of a specific object, if the spell casterknows it, knows what it looks like, or else the cat-egory of the object or a given material.

he reversed version, Hide object, makes an ob-

ect naturally or magically undetectable: one sim-ply does not pay attention to it.

anic


auses one adversary per caster level to flee inpanic. Creatures of a lower level than the priestare not entitled to a saving throw, while those ofan equal or higher level are. They cannot returnin the casters direction at the end of the spellsduration.

emove curse*Level: 3 / Range: Touch / Duration: Immediate

emoves a curse from a person or object, provi-ded that he who cast the curse is of an equal orlower level. The reversed version, Damn inflictsa permanent penalty of -2 to attack rolls, savingthrows, or of one ability, spell casters choice.

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Snake

Level: 3 / Range: Touch / Duration: Rounds

he priests weapon is transformed into a snake,which can be used as a whip with a +1 bonus toattack and damage. The bite of the snake is poi-sonous (2d6 damage, save halves damage). The

priest can also have the snake attack on its own.n which case, the snake is regarded as a normal

snake.

Speak with dead

Level: 3 / Range: Touch / Duration: Special

ermits three questions to be asked of a deadbody which is at least partially preserved (skele-ton, corpse, mummy, etc.). The dead will answerthe first three questions asked, but can neveragain be questioned by the same priest. It cannotlie, but can omit important details.

Level 4 invocations

Apostasy*


he victim adopts the dogmas, beliefs and con-victions of the priest, though he understandsthem only very vaguely and interprets them inhis own way (saving throw allowed). e becomesan ally of the priest and defends his new faith withmuch enthusiasm. A reverse version of this spell

exists, Forgiveness, which brings back a victimof Apostasy to his former convictions.

Circle of protection from undead

Level: 4 / Range: x1 / Duration: Special

rovides the same protection as Protection fromndead, except that it protects all those who were

within the spells area of effect at the moment ofcasting and are still there. If the caster takes thetime to draw a circle of protection on the ground,the duration is calculated in hours. If the circle ispatiently carved into the stone, it is permanent.

Control giants


Giants (including ogres, trolls, cyclops and ti-tans) with a number of hit dice lower than that ofthe priest, will obey him (saving throw allowed).

ne giant per level of the priest will be affected.he giants will obey their orders, but will not

always be happy to do so.

Control plants


he surrounding vegetation, in the spells area ofeffect, obeys the commands of the priest and canattack to capture or kill creatures within its area(attack as the priest, 1d6 damage). The same spell

makes it possible to control plant monsters (likents) whose level is equal to or less than that of

the priest (saving throw allowed). The maximumnumber of plants controlled is equal to the levelof the priest. The creatures obey his orders, butare not always happy doing so.

Create food and water


reates enough food and water for 10 creaturesper caster level. The ingredients, taste and uten-sils are the casters choice, while the quantity

adapts to the size of the creatures.

eutralize poison*

Level: 4 / Range: Touch / Duration: Immediate

eutralizes the effects of a poison on an objector trap, or even treats a victim of poison (neutra-lizes the damage or effects of the poison). If heis dead less than one hour per level of the spellcaster, he is brought back to life if he successfullyrolls under his Constitution.

he reversed version, Poison, allows the poison-

ing of an object, liquid or person touched, eitherto render unconscious or kill. A fatal poison in-flicts 1d6 points of damage per caster level (sav-ing throw allowed, damage halved).

Another alternative, Immunize, protects againstthe effects of poison for a duration of one turnper level of the priest.

rotection from elementals


lementals (including Djinn and Efreets) cannotcome within the spells area of effect.

park of life

Level: 4 / Range: x1 / Duration: Rounds

Any spell or effect causing immediate death willbestow, in its place, 1d6 hit points to the priest. Ifhe is killed by a weapon, he is only unconscious.

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Speak with plants


Allows communication with normal or animatedplants. The central interests and mode of reason-ing of plants are, however, very distant from thatof humanoids, which doesnt make conversation

easy.

Level 5 invocations

Aging*


he victim ages (or rejuvenates, the priests choi-ce) 4d6 years (saving throw allowed, decrease byhalf). For every 10 years the victim loses 1 point ofStrength, Dexterity and Constitution. Moreover,if he exceeds his maximum age, he immediately

dies and instantly decomposes. he reverse ver-sion of this spell, Longevity, makes it possible forthe priest to rejuvenate (or to age, more rarely)4d6 years. He regains ability points lost due tonatural or magical aging.

Control dragons


ragons, hydras or chimeras with hit dice lessthan that of the priest will obey him. One crea-

ture per level of the priest will be under his con-trol. The dragons will obey their orders, but willnot always be happy to do so.

estroy evil


ancels an evil spell cast by a priest of an equalor lower level, or returns an evil conjured crea-ture to its world of origin. This spell also allowsthe interruption of a place or objects evil effectsfor a number of turns equal to the casters level.

estruction


n one terrifying roar, the buildings in the areaof effect collapse, walls fall down, all creaturessuffer 2d6 points of damage and are completelydeafened for a turn (saving throw allowed).

ivine message

Level: 5 / Range: x1 / Duration: Special

Allows a priest to ask his god three questions.hey will answer, but often in a way that is

terse, cryptic or obscure, depending on the im-portance of the questions. If they are offended,the priest will become completely insane (no sa-ving throw).

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Quest*Level: 5 / Range: x1 / Duration: Special

he caster imposes a quest on his victim. It cantake a very long time, but should in principlebe feasible. Each month that passes without thevictim accomplishing the quest reduces all hisabilities by 1 point each. While there is no pos-sible saving throw against the spell itself, a sav-ing throw can prevent the effects worsening for a

week. The reverse spell will Deliver one personfrom the quest.

esurrection

Level: 5 / Range: Touch / Duration: Special

esurrects a person who has been dead for lessthan one day per caster level and whose body ispresent and even damaged. It is not unusual forpeople brought back to suffer as a consequence

Sorcerer spells

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3

1 Charm Container Breathe water

2 Detect enemies Detect invisibility Clairvoyance

3 Detect magic Displacement Cone of frost

4 Detect treasure Gallop Conjure monster 5 Diminution Giant strength Continual light

6 Hold portal Illusion Dispel magic

7 Jump Invisibility Fire ball

8 Light Levitation

epées & sorcellerie, english version

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