EARTHDAWN COMPANION

SECOND EDITIONLIVING ROOM GAMES

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TABLE OF CONTENTSINTRODUcnON

Character PowerGamemaster Responsibility

DISCIPLINESNew CharacteristicsBonuses

DiScipline f.\bilitiesKarma Bonus

Discipline Descriptionsf.\ir Sailorf.\rcherBeasbnaster

CavalrymanElementalistIllusionistNethermancer

SroutSky RaiderSwordmasterThiefTroubadourWarrior

WeaponsmithWizard

~LENTS

ConflictingTalentE~Earthdawn TalentsSpecial Talents

f.\ttribute PatternLeadershipTalent Pattern .

~LENT KN~CKS

LearningTalent KnacksUsingTalent KnacksCreatingTalent Knacks (Optional Rule)

Talent Knack DescriptionsM~GICITEMS

Thread ItemsLearning Key KnowledgeCreating MaSical Treasure

Thread WeaponsThread ~rmorand ShieldsThread ObjectsCommon MSSlc ItemsPrice Ust

~D\f]l.NCEDM~GICUSEMulti-Discipline Spells

Spell Matrices and Multi-Discipline MaSiciansHumans,Versatilityand Spellcasting

Named SpellsCasting Permanent Named Spells

HiSh-Circie SpellsSpell Matrix Objects

UsinsSpell Matrix Objects

5667

888889

1011121314151617181920212223242525444444444546464647606161616265

677273747S7S7S7S767671

71

Ritual MaSicRitual Masic BasicsRitual Spell MasicRitual Thread Ma,3ic

Optional Half-MaSic RulesMakins Half-MaSicTestsSpecial Uses ofHalf-Masic

Optional Talent Crisis RulesDeeds off.\tonement

Optional Raw MSSlc RulesOptionalE~ofWarpingRaw Masic and Horror-Marks

MaSlcians and GrimoiresDivination

Bibliomaney

Bone CastinSElement ReadinSMetal ReadingVisionsFate and Destiny in Earthdawn

The Passions and MSSlc~ST~LSP~CE

Det'ini"S ~stral SpaceMral and Physical Forms

GeoSraphyofMral Space~tral Sensl"S

Usinsf.\stral Sensingktral SensinS Methods

Exp1ori"S ~stral SpaceEnteringf.\stral SpaceTravel in f.\stral Space

Mral ReSionsName-Givers in f.\stral SpaceSpells in f.\stral Space

~stral DenizensSpiritsHorrorsOther f.\stral Denizens

~n ;A.stral Space GazetteerNamed Mral LocationsThe Netherwolds

Elemental PlanesPlaneoff.\irPlaneofEarthPlaneofFirePlaneofWaterPlaneofWood

SUMMONINGSummonl"S Spirits

SummoninsbySpellSummoninSbyTalentSummoningbyWillforce

SummoninSby Half-MasicBlood Masic and SummoninS

787878797979797980808080808181818181818282838484868686879090919192

939393949595

9595W989898989899

100101101102102102

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Ritual SummoningSummoningTests

SpiritsThe Spirit's FormSpirit ServicesContestofWillsA Friendlier Approach

Repeat Summoning

Dangers of SummoningDefining Spirits

Motivations, Attitudes and PersonalitySpiritStrength RatingsSpirit PowersTasked Spirits

Elemental Spirits and ElementalsSummoning Elemental SpiritsElemental Spirits and NamesAir Elemental SpiritEarth Elemental SpiritFire Elemental SpiritWater Elemental SpiritWood Elemental SpiritGreat Form Spirits

~lIySplrlts

SummoningAllySpiritsAllySpirits and NamesStrength1Ally SpiritAssi,gningAllySpirit Powers

Named SpiritsTypesofNamed SpiritsSummoning Named SpiritsControllinga Named Spirit

Familiars

AcqUiring FamiliarsFamiliar ExperienceFamiliar Benefrts

BLOODM~GIC

HistoryThe DisseminationResearchProtection

Types ofBlood MesicNature and Uses of Blood Mesic

GamemasterConsiderationsPoweringTalents, Spells, and KnacksPowering Blood Charms and UvingArmorRitual Blood MagicPushingTalents and AbilitiesBlood OathsBlood OathWoundsBlood PeaceBlood PromiseBloodSwom

Group True Patterns and Thread MesicCreatinga GroupTrue PatternCharacter Death orSeparationAdding New Members

102103104104104104104105105105105106106109110110110110111111112112113113113113113114114114114115115115115116117118118118118119119119

120120120120120121121122122123123125125

Key Knowledges ofGroup Pattern ItemsWeavingThreads to GroupTrue PatternsSpending Legend PointsWeavingThreads

Death MesicRaw Magic FilterKarma BoostDamageShift

SPELLM~GIC

New SpellsSpells ~bove 10th Circle

FormatElementalist Spells

illusionist SpellsNethermancer Spells

Wizard Spells

QUESTORSBecoming a Questor

The Mad Passions and OutsidersQuestor Rules

The QuestorTalentActs ofDevotionFailingtoActFallingOutofFavorQuestor Powers

Passion DescriptionsAstendarChorrolisDis (Mad Passion)FloranuusGarlenJaspreeLochostMynbrujeRam>k(Mad Passion)ThystoniusUpandalVestrial (Mad Passion)

~RGESC~LECOMB~T

Ship ~ttrlbutes

SpeedManewerabilityFirepowerHullDamageCrew

Ship Travel, Speed, and HazardsRiverboatsAirships

Shlp-to-Shlp CombatScalePursuitand EngagementCombatDeclarationInitiativeResolve ActionsShip Maneuvers

125125125125126126126126127128128128128139148161171172172173173173174174174175175176178179180181182183184185186187188189189189189189189190190190191192192192193193193193193

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UsingTalents in Ship-to-Ship CombatGrounded Ships

Ship DamageEffectsofDamageRepairing Damaged Ships

Ship MaintenanceShip Descriptions

Airships'Water Ships

Mass CombatScalePu~u~andEng~ment

Combat ProcedureManeuve~

UnitTypesOPTIONJ>.L RULES

Optional RulesCombatMovementDamageDam~furCrossbows

Special EffectsofDam~Dam~toWeapons and ArmorCharacterAbilitiesSkillsObsidiman Skin ArmorKarma

Supporte~

RITUJ>.LS OF J>.DVJ>.NCEMENTSTEP / J>.CTION DICE TJ>.BLECR~TURE/CHJ>.~CTERLOGSHEET

INDEX

195'195195195196197197197199199199199199

200201202203203203204204204205206206207207207210216217219

~RTHDfi\WN COMPfi\NIONWriting

Companion First EditionGreg Gordon, Louis J. Prosperi, Christopher Kubasik, AllenVarney

Magic: A ManualofMystic SecretsLoren Coleman, Steve Kenson, Angel Leigh McCoy, Louis J.Prosperi

ArcaneMysteries ofBarsaiveRandall N. Bills, Jennifer Brandes, Zach Bush, Kathleen E.Czechowski, Robert Fulford, Keith Graham, Achim Held,Chris Hepler, Michael L. Jacobs, Steve Kenson, Jay Krob,NealA Porter, LouisJ. Prosperi, Chris Ryan, RichardTomasso,Daniel Vitti

Companion SecondEditionJoe Chan, Damon Earley, Gary McBride, Chris Palomares,Pat Quarrels, Aaron Robb, F. Bert Sanders, Mike Williams,T.R Williams

Earthdawn Line DeveloperMike "Woodchuck" Williams

Editorial StaffSenior Editor

Aaron JohnsonAssociateEditor

Scot Greisch

PlaytestersJeff Bartolin, Dennis Burns, Allwyn Cole, Rafael Diaz, Keith

Graham, Kevin Hallock, Attila Hatvagner, Greg Less, John Schloe,Shanna Schmiesing, Mark Spriggs, Ryan Sweeder

FARTHDAWN® is a Rogisre,ed T",demark of FASA Corpo""ion. BARSAlVETM is a T",demark of FASACorpo",cion. Copy,ight<i:l 1993. THE FARTHDAWN COMPANION SECOND EDITION"" is aT",demarkoffASA Corpo",cinn.

Copy,ight<i:l 2001 FASA Co,po",cion. All Righrs ReselVed.

Published by Living Room Garnes116 W. WiUiarnsburg Mano,Arlington, TX 76014

E-mail: info@lrgames.comVisit us on the World Wide Web at hcrp:/lwww.lrgames.com

lJt Printing Novnnbu 2001

Production DepartmentArtDirector

Shirley SotoCoverArt

Carl McBrideCover Design.

ShirleySotoInterior Illustrations

Steve Bryant, James "Cheshire" Clayton, Stephanie Folse,Daniel Fu, DeniseJones, JeffLaubenstein, Mark Mandolia,Jacob Minor, Matthew Minor, Mat Nastos, Robert Nelson,Mike Nielson, Shirley Soto, lnge Vermeylen, Karl Waller

LayoutMarcoSoto

ProofReadingJoe Chan, Joseph Chang, Christy Cooper, Scot Greisch,Aaron Johnson, Jason Middleton, Marco Soto, Shirley Soto

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INTRODUCTION

Never think thatyour learning ends.There is no limit to howfaryour knowledge can expandandgrow.

- Master wizard Relaan

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The Earthdawn Companion is a rules expansion for theEarthdawn game system. The information in this book allows playersand gamemasters to make their characters more powerful. Gamemastersand players will need the Earthdawn Second Edition (E02) rulebookin order to use this book. This book was not, however, designed to bea second edition of the Earthdawn Companion. Instead, it is thecompanion to Earthdawn Second Edition. While these two ideas arevery similar, it is the differences between them that have shaped thefinished product ofthis book.

This book picks up where the Earthdawn Second Editionrulebook ended. The Companion expands the 15 Disciplines presentedin the E02 rulebook to 15th Circle and provides talents and spells forthose Circles. The Companion also provides rules for additional uses ofmagic in your Earthdawn game and describes many new types ofmagical items. Also included in this book are rules for playing questors,people who have devoted their lives to a single Passion. Large ScaleCombat gives rules for resolving combat betweenships and large groups.Also, Optional Rules, offers ways for players and gamemasters to tailorEarthdawn to better suit their style ofplay.

CHA~CTER POWERThe world of Earthdawn is a dangerous and wondrous place

where powerful magic abounds. The information in the EarthdawnCompanion allows Earthdawn characters to reach levels of powerunattainable in most fantasy role-playing games. The talents and spellsthat appear in this book show that as characters advance beyondTenthCircle, they acquire truly staggering powers and abilities. For example,Illusionists can learn to engulfa specific area in darkness for days at atime, Archers can summon the forces ofnature to create abowcomposedofwind, and Sky Raiders can call storms to their aid. Questors ofthePassions can construct buildings from nothing and cause plant life togrow at tremendous rates. Characters of all Disciplines learn to usesignificant knowledge ofpeople and places to enhance their magicalabilities, and to form groups capable ofextending individuals' magicbeyond known limits. These fabulous powers make it possible forplayer characters to become, and live up to the name of, Barsaive's nextlegendary heroes.

GAMEMASTER RESPONSI BILlTYAs characters become more powerful, gamemasters face the task of

creating adventures difficult enough to challenge the adventurers. Themost"minor part ofthis task is creating tough combat situations. TheEarthdawn rules make it easy for the gamemaster to create or grouptogether sufficient opposing creatures to defeat even the most powerfulcharacters. Some ofthe creatures in the E02 rulebook, particularly thedragons and Horrors, are so powerful that it is unlikely that charactersofany Circle could defeat them. Verjigorm offers a prime example ofanearly unbeatable monster.

The real challenge in creatingadventures for high-Circle characterslies in inventing situations that will challenge the players to use all theircharacters' abilities in a responsible, creative fashion. That is, the playersshould feel challenged to use their powers when necessary, but not toabuse them. For example, if the leaders of a small village insult theplayers' characters, itwould be inappropriate for the characters to retaliateby destroying the village, even though they may possess the power todo so.

The responsibility inherent in possessing great power is avoidingthe temptation to solve every problem by using that power. Ifthey donot control their powers, the adventurers may become little more thana band ofthugs that takes whatever it wants and kills whoever standsin its way. This should not become the characters' standard operatingprocedure; the world ofEarthdawn needs heroes to solve its problemsand help reclaim its lands, and a group ofcharacters motivated only byexpedient self-interest has no place in the grand scheme ofthings. Thegamemaster should encourage the players to solve problems and meetchallenges with the minimum force necessary.

This does not mean that the characters should avoid combat.After all, what betterway for a hero to earn fame and adulation than todefeat a worthy foe? But if the residents of a small village refuse tocooperate with the adventurers, killing the villagers one by one untilthey cave in to the adventurers' greater might does not qualify as heroicbehavior.

Though powerful characters may feel capable ofdefeatingvirtuallyany opponent they face, other people and groups wielding equivalentpower also live in Barsaive. For example, a group ofThirteenth toFifteenth Circle characters maydecide to journey to aTheran-controlledcity and rid the area ofits oppressors. This maybe a completelyaltruisticaction, a sincere effort to help rid Barsaive ofthe evils ofTheran rule.The adventurers may even accomplish their goal. But they would notbe able to prevent the Therans from retaliating, and on a grand scale.The Theran Empire could wipe out a group ofeven the most powerfulcharacters with little effort. A few kilas and vedettes armed with firecannons, accompanied by a mere thousand troops would reduce thecharacters to Thirteenth- to Fifteenth-Circle corpses in short order.The Therans may decide simply to ignore the characters and insteaddecimate a number of small towns, villages, or cities, killing entirepopulations in payment for the slaughter oftheir troops. The charactershave used their power to create a no-win situation.

Again, ifa group ofhigh-Circle characters decided to act againstthe Elven Court in Blood Wood, they could not predict how QueenAlachia and her Blood Warders would retaliate. Because high-Circlecharacters possess extraordinary power, the gamemaster must challengethe players to use that power wisely. Gamemasters may find thefollowing suggestions helpful for running campaigns featuring high­Circle characters.

The GM maydecide to involve the characters in high-level politics.Ifthey become the leaders ofa small city or town in Barsaive, or ofoneof the cities within Throal, the situation itselfwould encourage thecharacters to use their skills to negotiate treaties or trade agreements,rather than for combat. Another type of political adventure couldinvolve the characters being hired by the Kingdom ofTheoal to travelto BloodWood to establish trade relations between the elves andTheoal.

The gamemaster may manipulate events so that the charactersdecide to form an organization dedicated to some noble goal, such asridding the world of the effects of the Scourge. The player charactersmay also decide voluntarily to devote their efforts to traveling Barsaivein search ofHorrors to slay. Again, high-Circle characters may end anadventure or campaign so successfully that their exploits bring them tothe attention ofthe great dragon Icewing, or a council ofdragons, whomay commission the characters to seek out and destroyVerjigorm, theHunter ofGreat Dragons. Apitched battle between Verjigorm and agroup ofThirteenth- to Fifteenth-Circle characters and a few greatdragons would fuel stories and legends for years to come.

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