ROLEPLAYING IN THE GRIM DARKNESS OF THE GREAT WHEEL

Brought to you by:LawfulNice

This is intended as a work of parody and should not be mistaken for a real roleplayinggame. It’s a monster made from the corpses of a dozen roleplaying games, animated by

a vital spark that knows only darkness and terror.

That said, everything in here is copyright LawfulNice. If it’s orginal. If it’s shamelesslystolen, then I take no credit. All credit goes to orginal source, etc.

Anyway, have fun, and don’t take roleplaying too seriously!

Special Thanks:Gary Gygax - Your rapidly-spinning corpse is providing megawatts of clean electrical

power, helping us create a greener, better future!

Jane, James, Tony, Ai, and Michael

Chapter 1: Introduction 7What is a Roleplaying Game 7The Roll and Keep System 8

Chapter 2: Character Creation 9Creating a Hero 9

Chapter 3: Characteristics and... 15Characteristics 15Specialties 16Skills 17

Chapter 4: Races 23Racial Traits 23Human 24Aasimar 25Tiefling 26Eldarin 27Dark Eldarin 28Elf 29Ork 30Dragonborn 31Squat 32Halfling 33Tau 34Gnome 35

Chapter 5: Exaltation 37Exalted Powers 38The Tell 38Vampire 40Werewolf 42Atlantean 44Paragon 46Chosen 48Promethean 50Daemonhost 52

Chapter 6: Classes 55Chapter 7: Feats, Assets, and ... 83

Feat List 84Feat Descriptions 86Racial Feats 94Assets 96Hindrances 103

Chapter 8: Magic 107Casting Spells 109Spells 111Spell Combos 112List of Spells 113Psychic Phenomena 114Perils of the Warp 115

Chapter 9: Sword Schools 129Special Attacks 129

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Sword Schools 130

Chapter 10: Backgrounds 141Chapter 11: Alignment 145

Degeneration 146Deities 148

Chapter 12: Equipment 153Availability 153Weapons 155Armor 168Gear 170Cybernetics 172

Chapter 13: Artifacts 175Magical Weapons and Armor 177Wonders 180Hearthstones 182

Chapter 14: Playing the Game 185Tests 185Hero Points 188Combat 189Actions 191The Attack 198Combat Situation 200Injury 202Conditions 208Movement 211Social Combat 212Fear and Insanity 216

Chapter 15: Setting 219History of the Wheel 219The Great Wheel 222Sigil 225Notable Crystal Spheres 230

Chapter 16: The Story Master 273Themes 274Game Styles 275Running the Game 278

Chapter 17: Antagonists 281Traits 281Dramatis Personae 283

Guidelines and Glossary 304

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

If you cry when you lose a character,get lost - you're going to cry. If it hurts yourfragile sensibilities to see your favorite charac-ter get pounded unmercifully by horrorterrorsfrom beyond the Crystal Spheres, you'd betterlook the other way. If you've ever whined thewords "That's too powerful," then put thebook down slowly and walk away before mak-ing eye contact with anyone or they'll realizeyour voice hasn't changed yet.

This game is about aggression. Thisis the game of Immortal on Immortal combat.This is magic power hopped up on steroids.This is DUNGEONS THE DRAGONING -the roleplaying game that kicks so much assit's accidentally branded every donkey fromhere to the Shire.

We didn't set out to reinvent thewheel with this game - we just covered it inskulls and eagles, threw it into space, and usedit to slay a Void Dragon.

DUNGEONS THE DRAGONINGis simple. It's easy to learn. It has no THAC0,no heavy arithmatic, and doesn't require con-stant trips to the rule book. At the same time,the options it gives you give it great depth. Theability to unlock combinations of abilities andspells and skills is practically limitlesss. Forevery perfect strategy, there is a foil. For everyimmovable object, there is an unstoppableforce. Just when you think you've got it allworked out, you'll be blindsided by somethingyou never saw before. The more you dig, themore you'll find.

DUNGEONS THE DRAGONINGfavors the aggressor. You've got to fire the firstshot if you want to land on top! Too manygames set players up to be timid, afraid of alittle insanity or resting every few minutes torest in a secret tent. Players are afraid to go allout and use their big powers just in case theyneed it later.

Not in DUNGEONS THE DRAG-ONING! If you wait for your opponent tocome to you, you're going to get purged andcleansed. You've got to have balls to play this

game! You've got to charge your opponent andhang it all out there1 You've got to break hisformations. You've got to be relentless. Showthem what a really pissed off immortal herocan do. Anything less, and you'll be ham-burger.

You're playing with power now. Don'tbe afraid - Few things are more sarisfying thantearing apart an entire army with an Aasimarin powered armor, or slaying a dragon withdeath-defying acrobatics and sword skills. Trychaining together the special abilities of a fewSwordsman Schools, or abusing Porte for funand profit. It's almost more fun than youshould be allowed to have with a roleplayinggame.

The rules in this book deliver on everylevel. Your character will radiate power likenone other. We're pouring so much badassinto this book that if you bump it too hard, VinDiesel will fall out of solution.

This is a new era in tabletop roleplay-ing games. This is a game made for you, bypeople like you. It's not a load of sterilizedmass market drek designed by a room full ofcorporate meatplows. This is raw. This is bru-tal. This is DUNGEONS THE DRAGO-NING.

So play like you've got a pair or putdown the dice and go find a My Little Ponydoll.

5

INTRODUCTION

For ten thousand years, the Lady of Pain has silentlyruled the city of Sigil, master of the hub of the Portalnetwork despite the petty wars of the gods. The city ofSigil is the largest metropolis in the Astral Sea, untoldmillions making sacrifices to sustain it and ensure thecontinued survival of their people in the face of a hostilemultiverse. From hundreds of Crystal Spheres, teemingwith the Clueless and monsters, refugees and opressorsalike come to find their place in a larger galaxy, to find

treasure fame and fortune amongst the planes. Beset onall sides by foes of such malice it would sear a man's soul

to know but a fraction of their blasphemies, only thestrongest and most ruthless survive. Foes from withinand without seek to overthrow the Lady's rule, throw-

ing themselves on the Throne of Blades in vain efforts todestroy in a moment the eons of her rule. The Great De-vourer comes from the Far Realm beyond the Astral Sea,driven to consume all before it and Ork savages surge

from their barbaric empires to pillage and slaughter. Thevengeful Eldarin cite prophetic visions as they raid and

destroy even their own cousins, and an ancient evilarises from tombs sealed at the dawn of creation.

In the grim darkness of the great wheel, there is onlywar.

elcome, friends. You hold in yourhands a roleplaying game, one that asks you avery important question. Is a man not entitledto the grandest of adventure? 'No!' says theman with the neckbeard, 'it would be unbal-anced.' 'No!' says the man in the high heels, 'itwouldn't be deep enough.' 'No!' says the manon the internet 'the new edition ruins every-thing forever.' I rejected those answers; in-stead, I chose something different. I chose theimpossible. I chose... DUNGEONS THEDRAGONING, a game where the fighterwould not fear the wizard, where the clericwould not be nerfed, where the great wouldnot be constrained by the small! And with theroll of your dice, DUNGEONS THE DRAG-ONING can be your game as well.

WHAT IS A ROLEPLAYINGGAME?

Right about now you might be won-dering just what a roleplaying game is, andwhat you need to jump into the action. Well,it's part creative workshop, part improvisedtheatre, and part game of wits. There is no

board or play pieces (though sometimes youmight use a play mat to better illustrate com-plex areas in the game world). Most of thetime, the action takes place in your mind,which is why a Roleplaying Game is so special.You aren't limited to the spaces on a board -you can go anywhere and do anything you canthink of.

This book will show you everythingyou need to know to build a Hero, so you cantake on his role at the center stage of a dra-matic story. You are always in control of yourcharacter - what they say, what they do, howthey look, those are all things that are ulti-mately up to you.

Before you begin, you and your role-playing group have to make a very importantdecision: who is going to be the Story Master?The Story Master (referred to as the SM) isthe referee and the lead storyteller, the personin charge of running the game. The SM doesnot play as others do. Instead, he presents thestories and situations, describes the wondersand perils of the Great Wheel, plays othercharacters and adjucates the rules. The SM isthe most important member of your group, sochoose wisely. The SM ought to be fair-minded, well spoken and imaginative.

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IINTRODUCTION

W

THE ROLL AND KEEP SYSTEM

D:TD uses ten-sided dice. Wheneverthe Story Master tells the player to make aTest, the player rolls a number of dice, throwsthem, and counts up the results. You almostalways want to roll high, so rolling more diceis good.

There are two kinds of dice you'llneed to keep track of: Rolled and Kept. Tomake a Test, you roll a number of dice andthen keep only some of them. For example, aTest might ask you to roll five dice and keepthree. You'd roll a total of five dice and keepthe highest three, adding them together. Thetwo lowest dice would be discarded. Theshorthand for this is XkY. For Roll five, Keepthree, it would be 5k3.

Whenever you roll a 10 on a die, thatdie explodes. You reroll the die and add it tothe result. For example, if you roll a 10, thenreroll it and get a 6, that single die rolled a 16.If you roll consecutive 10s, continue rollinguntil you get a result other than 10, then addall the results together for the total. No matterhow mant times it explodes, it only counts asone die for the purposes of number of die kept.

All Tests are made against a targetnumber. If the result is greater than that targetnumber, then the Test is successful. If not, theaction fails.

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CHAPTER I:INTRODUCTION

WHAT YOU NEED TO PLAY DUNGEONS THE DRAGONING

When you're ready to start playingDUNGEONS THE DRAGONING,you'll need a few things:

*This Rulebook*Three or more people to play thegame*A quiet place to play*Three or four hours of gaming time*Some ten-sided dice.*Paper*Pencils and an eraser

In the back of this book is a charactersheet which is ideal for use with thissystem. You might want to make a fewcopies of it, enough for everyone tohave one, though it's easy enough tojust write things down without one ifyou don't have a spare sheet handy, soit's not essential.

n DUNGEONS THE DRAGO-NING, you take the role of a hero, someonewho has been put at the reigns of destinythanks to the circumstances of their birth, thepatronage of dark gods, or simply dumb luckand an ability to capitalize in it. You are onein a million, with abilities and powers beyondthose most can even imagine. Perhaps you'llseek out justice, or power, or just the coldcomfort of gold.

You and your Party, your fellow He-roes, will be faced with some of the greaTestchallenges in the Great Wheel, quests and op-ponents that would crush lesser men and na-tions alike. There is no hero who is unwillingor unable to use the power they wield - some-one who shirks away from their desires andtheir destiny is unworthy of being called aHero.

Despite all of your power and abili-ties, though, remember that it is not going tobe an easy task to achieve your destiny. At theearliest stages, you will be little better than anexperienced warrior, scholar, or thief. You'llneed to use your wits, luck, and the skills ofyour companions to survive. The longer thelast and the stronger you become, the greaterthe foes you will be asked to face. There has

never been a hero who has known peace.When you die, you will be remem-

bered. Perhaps for great deeds, perhaps forterrible ones, but there will be those who knowyour name. Your struggle, your triumph, yourfailure - these are the things that will becomethe legends of the next age.

CREATING A HERO

To get started on your quest, youneed to make your Hero, also known as yourcharacter (or Player Character, or PC). Cre-ating your Player Character is a simple processthat many people find fun in itself. As you gothrough this chapter, you'll find the tools toconstruct an interesting persona with a history,attachment to the world, and beliefs. Beaware, there may be many unfamiliar termsahead, but have no fear - everything will getexplained, if not here then in a later chapter asyou explore the rest of this rulebook.

Before you get started, you'll want togather some supplies - a character sheet, apencil, and an eraser. It's best to write every-thing in pencil to start with, as it's likely you'llend up changing or scrapping things as you goalong. You may also like to have some sparescraps of paper to take notes. It's also useful to

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CREATION

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get together with the group you'll be playingwith when you make your character, so youcan make sure your Heros all complement oneanother.

There are a number of simple stepsyou should follow whenever you are creatinga new Hero. Each step is relatively simple,consisting of making a few choices and record-ing your selections onto your character sheet.Each stage in the character creation process isas follows.

Step Zero: Character ConceptBefore filling in even a single dot on

your character sheet, think of a concept. Youdon't need to know every detail of your hero'slife right now, just a general feel for who theyare and their current place in the world. De-cide on something you'll enjoy playing for thelong haul. As you progress through charactercreation, you may alter this concept to suityour needs or wants, but it's a good idea tostart somewhere instead of just picking thingsat random. Your Story Master may restrictsome options, for example disallowing someraces or Exaltations, so make sure they ap-prove your concept.

Step One: Starting ScoresNow it's time to actually get some

dots down on that sheet. The first step in de-termining a character's primary numeric traitsis to prioritize their Characteristics. Charac-teristics are the natural abilities and raw 'stuff'the character is made of. How strong is a char-acter? How smart? How quick? Characteristicstake all these and more into account. AllDUNGEONS THE DRAGONING charac-ters have nine Characteristics, which are di-vided into three categories: Physical (Strength,Dexterity, Constitution), Social (Charisma,Fellowship, Composure), and Mental (Intel-ligence, Wisdom, Willpower).

First the player must select whichgroup of Attributes is his character's strongsuit (primary). Then select the group at whichthe character is average (secondary). Finally,

the remaining group is designated as the char-acter's weak point (tertiary). Is your charactera gruff lone wolf, strong but silent? Is she aflirty sorceress that's great with people but ter-rible at heavy lifting? This is the time to de-cide.

All DUNGEONS THE DRAGO-NING characters start with one dot in each ofthe nine Characteristics. A character's priori-ties determine how many dots the player mayallocate to that cluster of Characteristics. Aplayer may put six dots in his primary group,four dots to the secondary group, and two intheir tertiary group. You may not bring anyCharacteristic to five in this step, though othersources - like a racial bonus to a Characteristic- can increase it later during character cre-ation.

Next come skills. They are also di-vided into three groups, Mental, Physical, andSocial. Mental skills are modified by MentalCharacteristics and represent knowledge andlearning. Physical Skills represent inherentskills and training. Social skills are, of course,all about your ability to deal with people.

Like Characteristics, skills are alsoprioritized during character creation. Selectprimary, secondary, and tertiary groups here.Note that they don't have to be the same asyour Characteristics - a character with a terti-

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CHAPTER II:CHARACTER CREATION

ary Physical Characteristics can have a pri-mary Physical Skills, for example. All skillsstart at zero dots. The primary group getseight dots to distribute, the secondary gets six,and the tertiary gets four dots.

No skill can be raised above threedots during this step - experts don't grow ontrees, not even among starting heroes. You cannaturally raise them later, of course.

Step Two:Choose your RaceNow you'll want to choose a race.

There are a number of different races inDUNGEONS THE DRAGONING, eachone with a unique ability and bonuses to Char-acteristics and Skills. Any race can do wellwith any Exaltation and Class, though someare obviously better than others. Halflings, forexample, can make excellent fighters, but theirsmall size will naturally make them more frag-ile than a Dragonborn fighter.

Your character's race gives you plentyof clues as to what sort of person they are, howthey feel about characters of other races, andwhat kind of motivations they might have. Re-member, however, that each character is morethan just a member of their race. A Hero is bydefinition removed from the norm of their so-ciety, and so regardless of what their race maybe like, they can be and do anything.

A quick rundown of the Races:Humans - Newcomers to the Great

Wheel's larger scene. Reckless, brave, and ver-sitile.

Aasimar - Servants of the BlessedPantheon, created through their blessings.

Tieflings - Twisted mirrors of theAasimar created by the powers of Chaos.

Eldarin - Among the oldest of races,wise wanderers with no homeland.

Dark Eldarin - Raiders and piratesthat live in a hidden city in the Warp.

Elves - Distant relatives of the Eldarinthat have grown close to nature.

Orks - Brutal warlike people whowage war unending against all that they can.

Dragonborn - Proud and vain ser-vants, the remnants of a lost Empire of Drag-onkind.

Squats - Tough and stocky folk whobelieve in tradition and drinking.

Halflings - Small people who havegotten everywhere and take all your things.

Tau - Mysterious people from a tinyEmpire that is cut off from the rest of theWheel.

Gnomes - A race with a supernaturalability to work with machines.

Step Three:Choose your ExaltationA hero can be many things. But one

thing a real Hero isn't is a mere man. Even thenewest hero has been touched by the super-natural. Like Races, there are a number ofchoices. Any Race can develop any sort of Ex-altation. Most Exaltations are better at onetype of role than another - Atlanteans are ex-cellent mages, for example - but they don't re-strict your choices.

Your Hero's exaltation says a lotabout him, as much or more than his race.Each Exaltation has a special list of abilitiesand powers that can improve over time. It'sworthwhile to spend some time reading overthem in their own chapter before deciding.

A quick rundown of the Exaltations:Vampire - Cursed by the spilled blood

of Khaine, they feed upon the living.Werewolf - Blessed or cursed by

Luna, Werewolves can change their shape andwalk the spirit world.

Atlantean - One of the Syrne, reincar-nated in a new body with shadows of their oldmemories.

Paragon - Simply the best and thebrighTest of their race, demigods and kings.

Chosen - Those who have devotedthemselves fully to a god, or simply givenpower at a whim.

Promethean - A created being, theessence of a person in a body of iron.

Daemonhost - One of the poor soulswho have had their spirit torn out and a dae-mon take its place.

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CHAPTER II:CHARACTER CREATION

Step Four: Starting ClassWhere your Race and Exaltation are

who and what you are, your Class is whatyou've learned to do. It's the skills and tricksyou've picked up, representing training as awarrior, wizard, priest, and so on. Each Herobegins play in a Class. Your choice of class isvery important - you can only use ExperiencePoints to purchase Advances that are on yourClass List.

Classes are gone into in more detail intheir own section, including taking multipleclasses, advancing to higher class Levels, andjust what classes really mean. Each class,though, offers a host of abilities and powers foryour character. Most come in the form ofFeats, Magic, and Fighting Styles. Look overthings carefully before making a decision.

Step Five: BackgroundsBackgrounds are just what they sound

like, a quantification of a character's backstory.They can include the ties a character has withan organization, people that they talk to or gethelp from, pure fame, and so forth. Each char-acter begins with seven dots to spend on back-grounds. No background may be raised abovethree dots without spending ExperiencePoints, and Experience Points may only bespent to improve Backgrounds during charac-ter creation.

The Backgrounds are:Allies - People willing to help you.Artifact - Your character has a pow-

erful magical item.Backing - Being a ranking member in

an organization.Contacts - Being able to find someone

to help you, at a price.Fame - How well people know of you.Followers - Loyal assistants who are

devoted to you.Holdings - Owning large property like

a business or ship.Inheritance - Having the epic loots.Mentor - Unlike most, you actually

have someone who is guiding you on the

Hero's path.Status - Other Heros have heard of

your deeds.Wealth - Having liquid resources, and

your expected lifestyle.

Step Six:Alignment

Every character has an alignment to agod. Maybe they're truly devoted to that god.Maybe they just think he has some good ideas.Whatever god your character chooses as hisalignment, that decides the moral code he livesby, his Devotion. Your devotion starts at 6.Things are more fully explained in the appro-priate section, but here are the basics on eachgod:

THE RUINOUS POWERSKhorne - The blood god, he fights for

honor, glory, and the love of battle.Slaanesh - A god of excess and per-

sonal enjoyment.Tzeentch - The god of change and

hope, but mostly pretending you plan things.Nurgle - The god of decay and de-

spair. He loves his followers.Malal - Self-destuctive god of unfo-

cused devistation.

THE BLESSED PANTHEONSigmar - Crusading god of protection

and smiting evil.Bahamut - The god of nobility, the

Divine Right, and bravery.Pelor - Mercy, kidness, helping others

at your own expense. The god of healing.Moradin - The patron of measured

creation and the forge.Cuthbert - God of responsibility and

oaths.

THE GRAY COUNCILAcerath - The god of magic, secrets,

and lost knowledge.The Raven Queen - Death god, who

makes sure things die at the right time.Luna - Fickle god of shapeshifting

and independence.Corellon - The excellent god of excel-

lence and success.

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CHAPTER II:CHARACTER CREATION

Vectron - A totally real and not pre-tend god that exists!

Step Seven:Experience

With your class chosen and mostbasic information recorded, it's time to spendyour starting Experience Points (XP). Allcharacters begin play with 600 XP which theymay use to increase Characteristics, acquire orimprove skills, buy new Feats, and so on. Thetable below describes how to spend your ex-perience.

* Your Power Stat, Magic Schools,and Fighting Style ranks are all capped at yourcurrent level.

** You can only buy Assets and newBackground dots at character creation. Back-ground dots above 3 cost double.

Remember that you can only spendXP on skills, talents, and characteristics fromyour Class. Additionally, there are some featsthat you can only purchase during charactercreation. Look in the feats section to take alook at those.

Step Eight:Equipment

Of course, it's not like your characteris coming onto the scene naked and unarmed.Even Dark Eldar don't do that (often). Thereare five basic starting packages of equipment.Choose one of the following packages, help-

fully codenamed with one of the five elements:

EARTHHand Weapon, Autopistol OR Bow, Lasgun,Knife, Flak Jacket OR Chain Coat, UniformOR Street Clothes, Rations.

AIRHand Weapon, Las Pistol, Knife, QuiltedVest, Robes OR Bodyglove (Common qualityclothing), Implement OR Charm, book of Po-etry OR deck of cards OR dice.

FIREHeavy Wrench (club), Las Pistol, Knife, FlakVest, Combi-Tool, Data Slate, Torch, Bag ofRandom fiddly bits, Robes or overalls (GoodQuality clothing).

WATERShotgun OR Autopistol OR Laspistol, Fenc-ing Weapon, Mesh Vest, Street Clothes(Common quality clothing), Chrono, flask ofbrandy.

VOIDKnife, Implement OR Magnoculars, Voidsuit,Autogun OR Pulse Rifle, Charm, Sunglasses,Classy outfit (Good quality clothing).

Descriptions for equipment and howto get more (aside from the usual method ofstabbing things) is in the appropriately-namedequipment section.

Step Nine:Finishing Touches

There are a few other spots to fill inon your character sheet. Let's take care ofthose really quickly before we move on.

SizeHow big you are. Six is average for a

human. Whenever you take damage, you di-vide it by your size to determine how many HitPoints you lose. (For example, take 13 damagewhen you have size 6, you lose 2 Hit Points. Ifyou're size 4, you lose 3 instead.)

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CHAPTER II:CHARACTER CREATION

Improve a Characteristic 100 x Current Rank

Improve Devotion 50 x Current Rank

Improve a Skill 50 x Current Rank

Improve your Power Stat 200 x Current Rank*

Improve a Magic School 100 x Current Rank*

Improve a Sword School 100 x Current Rank*

Buy a Feat 100

Buy an Asset 100 **

Buy a Background 50 per dot **

New Skill 100

New Sword or Magic 200

Hit PointsHow much damage you can take be-

fore you start going into critical damage. Acharacter's hit points are equal his Constitu-tion + Willpower

ResolveWhere hit points are about how much

damage before you die, Resolve is about howmuch it takes to convince you of things. Re-solve is calculated by adding a character'sWillpower and Composure together.

Static DefenseYour character’s normal Static De-

fense is equal to 10, plus five for every dot hehas in Dexterity. Bigger characters are easierto hit, though, so you take your Size as apenalty to your static defense.

SpeedStrength + Dexterity - this is how

many meters you can move in a half action.You move six times this distance with a runaction.

Hero PointsHero points are essentially plot armor.

You begin play with 2. Only very special peo-ple have Hero Points. They can be used to doa variety of things, and are explored in moredetail later.

BRINGING YOUR CHARACTER TO LIFE

So what you've got now, the dots andnumbers on your sheet, are the nuts and boltsthat define your character's capabilities. Theydon't say much about your character's appear-ance, age, and other personal details that helpyou and others visualize your Hero. The chap-

ter on Races will go into detail about that,since there's no single table that can help de-termine the appearance of both a noble El-darin and a tough Ork.

Here are a few ideas to get you startedthinking about your character, some questionsto keep in mind when considering a backstory.You might want to give the Story Master theanswer to them before the game starts - a littlecharacterization and attachment to the worldcan lead to a very compelling story.

* What was your family life like? Wereyou raised by both parents? Did one or bothof them die? Do you have brothers or sisters?Are you married?

* Where are you from? Where yourcharacter is from can have a huge effect on hisappearance, his native language, and manycustoms and attitudes.

* How did you become a Hero? Whatwas your Exaltation like? Did you get training,or did you learn your skills on your own?

* When did you meet your compan-ions? Do you get along with your Party? Howlong have you known them? How did youmeet? Did you know any of them before youbecome a Hero? Do you share any goals? Arethere rivalries between you?

* How has power changed you? Borna mere mortal, you now command vast power.How have you reacted to that?

* What do you think of mortals? Nowthat you command great power and might livefor a millennium or more, what do you thinkof ordinary mortals? Are they less powerful be-ings under your protection? Pawns? Prey?

* What motivates you to be a Hero?Do you seek riches? Glory? Do you just enjoyusing your power? Is your agenda based on re-venge, loyalty, a sense of social justice?

* What will you sacrifice? How far willyou go to do your duty?

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CHAPTER II:CHARACTER CREATION

n the last chapter you heard a lotabout Characteristics and Skills, but not ex-actly what they are or what they can do. Justabout everything you do will rely on theseCharacteristics, Skills, or both. The standarddice roll is presented in the form of a skill anda characteristic (For example, Academic Lore+ Intelligence or Acrobatics + Dexterity). Inthese cases, unless the specific effect tells youotherwise, you roll dice equal to the skill andcharacteristic added together and keep diceequal to your characteristic. So remember thatwhile skills are cheaper and can do a lot to im-prove your chances, your Characteristic, yournatural talent, puts a limit on just what youcan accomplish.

CHARACTERISTICSCharacteristics represent your Hero's

innate physical, social, and mental capacities.Don't look at the numbers first. Rather, thinkabout what your character can do, then workout her Characteristics. Ordinary folk have be-tween one and three dots in all of their Char-acteristics, and most just have two dots in allof them. Of course, heroes are not averagefolk. They can have up to five dots in theirCharacteristics and, in some cases, six dots.

Physical CharacteristicsPhysical Characteristics simply meas-

ure the capabilities of the character's body -how strong, fast, nimble, and tough they are.

StrengthStrength describes physical prowess,

including the capacity to lift objects and causedamage. This Attribute is used to resolvejumping, lifting, and other actions that drawon raw physical might. Strength is also used todetermine the base dice rolled for successfulphysical attacks.

Specialties: Iron Grip, Reserves ofStrength, Fists Like Anvils, Hurting People* Poor: You can lift 80 lbs.** Average: You can lift 120 lbs.*** Good: You can lift 250 lbs.**** Exceptional: You can lift 400 lbs.***** Outstanding: You can lift 650 lbs.

and crush skulls like grapes.

DexterityDexterity measures agility, hand-eye

coordination and reflexes. It describes every-thing from how quickly a character moves,how precisely he aims his blows and every-thing else that relates to physical speed, grace,

IIICHARACTERISTICS

& SKILLS

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and control. Dexterity is used to determine thebase number of dice rolled to hit in combat.

Specialties: Fast Movement, FelineGrace, Lightning Reflexes, Perfect Aim* Poor: You are clumsy and awkward.

Stop tripping over your own feet!** Average: You're no clod, but don't ex

pect to win any awards.*** Good: You show some potential.

You're above-average.**** Exceptional: You could be an acrobat

if you wanted.***** Outstanding: Backflips everywhere,

running on walls, being awesome.

ConstitutionConstitution is a measure of a charac-

ter's health, well-being, and general toughnessand resistance. It covers how long they cankeep going before getting tired. It also covershow many hit points they begin with.

Specialties: Tough as Nails, Tireless,Resolute, Stoic* Poor: You bruise in a stiff wind.** Average: You're moderately healthy

and can even withstand a punch or two.

*** Good: You're in good shape and rarely fall ill.

**** Exceptional: You can run in marathons - and win!

***** Outstanding: You almost never get sick and don't get tired.

Social CharacteristicsWhere physical characteristics are

about your body, social characteristics areabout how your character acts around otherpeople.

CharismaCharisma measures how innately like-

able someone is. It reflects an air of confidenceand social grace, force of personality, and theability to force their point of view into a con-versation

Specialties: Eloquent Speaker, Catch-phrases, Genteel, Cutting Wit* Poor: Stop picking your nose.** Average: You're generally likable and

have several friends.*** Good: People trust you implicitly.**** Exceptional: You have significant per

sonal magnetism.***** Outstanding: Entire cultures could

follow your lead.

FellowshipFellowship measures a character's ap-

pearance and ability for self-expression. Thecapacity to purposefully coerce, manipulate,and bully others. It covers everything fromleading people to tricking them, from being slyto being domineering.

Specialties: Persuasive, Seductive,Well-Reasoned, Charming Rogue* Poor: A person of few (often ineffec

tual) words and plain face.** Average: A normal looking man who

isn’t too bad at talking to people.*** Good: You never pay full price. One

way or the other.**** Exceptional: You could be a politi

cian. Or a cult leader.***** Outstanding: People will live and die

on your word.

ComposureComposure is the ability to remain

calm and appear - and actually be - unfazed insocial and threatening situations, usually har-rowing ones. This Characteristic is a measureof emotional fortitude, restraint, and calm.

Specialties: Poise, Dignity, Unflap-pable, Fearless

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SpecialtiesEvery Skill and Characterization gains a Spe-cialty at four dots. A Specialty gives the user abonus in certain situations. The SM must ap-prove a given Specialty - even the ones listed asexamples are subject to his approval - and de-cides when that Specialty applies. Generally,while it should be applicable often, it shouldn'tbe simply a given that it will apply. Each spe-cialty is a tool, and not every tool can be usedto do everything. When your Characteristicspecialty applies, you can keep an extra die(though note it doesn't just add a die, so ifyou're doing a straight characteristic Test, it'swasted). Skill specialties let you roll an extra

unkept die.

* Poor: You fold to peer pressure like origami paper.

** Average: Once in a while you manageto stand up for yourself.

*** Good: You speak your mind when you need to and can control yourself.

**** Exceptional: Others look at you and see only calm.

***** Outstanding: You've probably never been afraid of anything.

Mental CharacteristicsMental Characteristics cover a char-

acter's perception, mental capacity, imagina-tion, and quick thinking. Creative andintellectual individuals have high MentalCharacteristics.

IntelligenceIntelligence covers memory, under-

standing, reasoning and imagination as well asthe ability to correlate information and makedeductions. Intelligence also covers a charac-ter’s starting languages. A character beginsplay knowing the local language from wherethey grew up (usually their racial language)and Trade. If a character begins with three ormore dots of intelligence, he gets one extraspoken language for each dot above two.

Specialties: Triva, Puzzle Solver,Book Knowledge, Creativity.* Poor: Not the sharpest knife in the

drawer.** Average: Smart enough to realize

you're normal.*** Good: More enlightened than the

masses.**** Exceptional: You're not just bright,

you're brilliant!***** Outstanding: Certified genius.

WisdomWisdom covers both alertness and

comprehension. It determines not only howwell a character notices the world around him,but also how well he interprets what he seesand hears.

Specialties: Attentive, Insightful, Ex-perienced, Discerning* Poor: Perhaps you're self-absorbed.

Or an airhead. Details elude you.

** Average: You're oblivious to the verysubtle, but not the big picture.

*** Good: You can read the environmentlike a book.

**** Exceptional: Almost nothing evades your notice.

***** Outstanding: You instantly observe things others would easily overlook.

WillpowerWillpower describes how strongly

your character can hold onto her own ideasand resist mental commands from others. Thisattribute is used to resist many supernaturaleffects and, as they say, willpower is nine-tenths of effort.

Specialties: Getting the jump on oth-ers, Mental Resolve, Meditation, Ambushes* Poor: You're a follower, not a leader.** Average: You can hold out as long as

the average person.*** Good: You're seldom left surprised or

speechless.**** Exceptional: You can look death in

the eye and make it blink.***** Outstanding: You are a bastion of

mental power.

SKILLSThe different ways in which a charac-

ter can apply his characteristics are determinedby his skills. A character's skills reflect the ed-ucation and training he's acquired over thecourse of his life and are a reflection of his ori-gins and interests. Skills can be acquired inany number of ways, from institutionalizedlearning to hard, hands-on experience. Ayoung recruit with the guard is trained to usedeadly weapons, while a punk living on thestreets learns as a matter of survival.

Like Characteristics, Skills are brokendown into three categories: Mental, Physical,and Social. These groups tell you what char-acteristics will generally be rolled with eachskill. There are two types of skills - Basic andAdvanced. Basic skills can be attempted atzero dots with a -1 to your characteristic. Ad-vanced skills cannot be attempted without atleast one dot in the appropriate skill.

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Academic LoreMental Skill(Advanced)The Academic Lore skill grants you

knowledge of scholarly subjects. SuccessfulTests enable you to recall pertinent facts and- if you have access to the right facilities andresources - to do research. Academic Lore rep-resents a depth of learning beyond the averageCommon Sense and requires extensive study.

Specialties: Archaic, Astromancy,Beasts, Cryptology, Heraldry, History, Law,Occult, Philosophy, Psychology, etc.

AcrobaticsPhysical Skill(Advanced)The acrobatics skill encompasses a

variety of movement techniques unavailable toless flexible Acolytes. From performing som-ersaults to tumbling, from flipping through theair to daring leaps and jumps, this skill ex-pands your movement options.

Specialties: Jumping, Backflips, To-tally Cool Awesome Gymnastics, etc.

Animal KenSocial Skill(Basic)You can understand an animal's be-

havior patterns. This lets you predict how ananimal might react in a given situation, train adomesticated creature, ride a domesticatedanimal or even try to calm down an angry orfrightened animal.

Specialties: Riding, Animal Training,Big Cats, Horses, Farm Animals, etc.

ArcanaMental Skill(Advanced)The Arcana skill reflects a character's

knowledge and experience with the world'svarious legends and lore about the supernatu-ral. A character with the skill not only knowsthe theories, myths, and legends about the oc-cult, but can generally tell 'fact' from rumor.

Specialties: Cultural Beliefs, Ghosts,Magic, Monsters, Superstitions, etc.

AthleticsPhysical Skill(Basic)Where acrobatics is all flashy maneu-

vers, Athletics is basic ability, covering allforms of running, jumping, throwing, swim-ming, sports and the like. However, it doesn'tcover things like trying to hit a target (whichis Ballistics or Weaponry) or anything else cov-ered by another Skill.

Specialties: Swimming, Climbing,Endurance Running, Specific Sports, etc.

BallisticsPhysical Skill(Basic)When a sword is too close and explo-

sives aren't an option, there is the grand tradi-tion of firearms. This skill represents broadfamiliarity with guns and how to operate them,but doesn't cover specific training with aweapon - without the appropriate weapon pro-ficiency feat, you don't have the practical train-ing to apply your skill.

Specialties: Fast Draw, Pistols, Snip-ing, Shotguns, etc.

BrawlPhysical Skill(Basic)Brawl is the skill used with unarmed

attacks. Brawl is used any time your characterdoesn't have a weapon and is attempting tostrike in melee. Brawl covers all the variousfighting styles - martial arts, simple grappling,and so forth. Once you have a speciality inBrawl of any kind, your basic unarmed dam-age goes from +0k1 to +0k2.

Specialites: Kung Fu, Karate, JeetKun Do, Solar Hero Style, Do, etc.

CharmSocial Skill(Basic)The Charm skill is used to befriend

others. You test Charm when you want tochange the minds of individuals or smallgroups, to beg, or seduce. You don’t make aCharm Test every time you talk to an NPC,only when you want to change their opinionsof you or convince them to do something for

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CHAPTER III:CHARACTERISTICS

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you, like give you a tip, a dance, or a kiss.Specialties: Seduction, First Impres-

sions, Begging, etc.

CommandSocial Skill(Basic)Command is used to make subordi-

nates follow your oders. You may only use thisSkill on those who are under your authority -Charm or Persuasion checks would be appro-priate for others. Failing with the Commandskill, your subordinates might misinterpretyour command or do nothing at all - or evengo against orders.

Specialties: Oratory, Compelling,Open, Noble, Military, etc.

Common LoreMental Skill(Advanced)Use the Common Lore skill to recall

the habits, institutions, traditions, public fig-ures, and superstitions of a particular world,cultural group, organization or race. This Skilldoes not represent scholarly learning (thatwould be Academic Lore) nor obscure forbid-den knowledge (that is Forbidden Lore), butrather the basics you learn by growing up ortravelling extensively through a region.

Specialties: Sigil, Underworld, War,Tech, Animals, Specific Crystal Spheres, Spe-cific Races, etc.

CraftsMental Skill(Basic)Crafts represents a character's training

or expertise in creating works of art or con-structin with his hands, from paintings to carengines to classical sculpture. Characters typ-ically have the skills, but may not have the fa-cilities or material. A character may be anexceptional mechanic, but still needs tools anda place to work in order to fix a transport.

Specialties: Forging, Painting, Sculpt-ing, Sewing, Ship Repair, Jury-Rigging, etc.

DeceiveSocial Skill(Basic)The Deceive skill is used to lie and

con others. You make deceive Tests wheneveryou would convince others of something thatis not necessarily true, want to dupe them orotherwise swindle and mislead them.

Specialties: White Lies, Con Jobs,Lying, Misdirection, etc.

DisguiseSocial Skill(Basic)The disguise skill allows the hero to

mask his features and even assume another'sappearance. The difficulty of the Test dependsupon the materials available, the differencesbetween the character and the desired appear-ance, and any other elements that would affectthe deception. Perception checks can be usedto see through a disguise.

Specialities: Mimicing Voices, Man-nerisms, Mask of a Thousand Faces, etc.

DrivePhysical Skill(Basic)This skill is used to control autos,

trucks, landspeeders and other land-based orhover vehicles. Driving under normal condi-tions doesn't require a Test. However, Testsmay be required for bad terrain, excessivespeed, or when attempting dangerous maneu-vers. Opposed checks are used during a chase.

Specialties: Ground Vehicle, HoverVehicle, Walker, etc.

Forbidden LoreMental Skill(Advanced)Forbidden Lore represents dangerous

and often illegal knowledge gleaned from amyriad of unconventional sources a Herooften finds in his possession. This skill repre-sents a combination of scholarly learning andknowledge gained through practical experi-ence. Simply possessing the skill is oftenenough to warrant death in the eyes of many.

Specialties: Cults, Daemonology,Warp, Heresy, etc.

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IntimidationSocial Skill(Basic)You use Intimidation to scare people.

Unlike most Social skills, Intimidation can re-ally be used with almost any Characteristic,depending on the exact circumstances. Dis-plays of physical might are quite effective atscaring folks, after all.

Specialties: Bluster, Physical Threats,Stare-Downs, Torture, etc.

LarcenyPhysical Skill(Basic)Larceny is used to palm objects, pick

pockets, picking locks, concealing stolengoods, and everything in between. Most char-acters obtain this skill the hard way - commit-ting crimes and often paying the price for theirmistakes. Some, like locksmiths and specialagents, might recieve actual formal training inbypassing security systems and stealing assets.

Specialties: Lockpicking, Pickpocket-ing, Prestidigitation, Security Systems, Safe-cracking, etc.

M edicaeMental Skill(Advanced)The Medicae skill is used to treat in-

juries, closing wounds and restoring the bal-ance of the body's humors. It's a vital skill tostabilize allies in combat and to help them re-cover from their injuries when they rest. Anydoctor will have medicae, and it's requiredtraining in many organizations.

Specialties: First Aid, Pathology, Sur-gery, Pharmaceuticals, etc.

PerceptionMental Skill(Basic)The Perception skill reflects your abil-

ity to perceive hidden dangers and to noticesmall details about your physical surround-ings. You use the Perception skill to noticeambushes, spot traps and discern other threatsto you and your allies. It isn't tied to any onesense; it encompasses them all.

Specialties: Spot, Listen, Search,Taste, Touch, etc.

PerformerSocial Skill(Basic)Use the performer skill to entertain

and enthrall crowds of spectators. Or at leastcarry a tune. The more Raises you have onPerformer Tests, naturally, the better you'vedone. It's pretty easy to make a living with agood Performer skill.

Specialties: Dancer, Musician,Singer, Storyteller, etc.

PersuasionSocial Skill(Basic)This is your ability to get your point

across clearly, whether through conversation,poetry or even magical means. Characters withhigh persuasion can phrase their opinions orbeliefs in a manner that cannot be ignored.They may also be talented actors, skilled atconveying moods or feigning emotion withevery gesture.

Specialties: Acting, Poetry, Fiction,Impromptu, Conversation, etc.

PilotPhysical Skill(Advanced)The Pilot skill is used to fly anything

from small atmospheric craft all the way tospelljamming ships. Piloting a ship under nor-mal conditions doesn't require a Test, justwhen making a dangerous maneuver or flyingin bad conditions.

Specialties: Civilian Craft, MilitaryCraft, Spelljamming ship, etc.

PoliticsMental Skill(Advanced)Characters with this skill are not only

familiar with the way the political processworks, they're experienced with bureaucraciesand know exactly who to call in a given situa-tion in order to get something done. Yourcharacter keeps track of who's in power andhow they got there, along with any potentialrivals.

Specialties: Bribery, Elections, Spe-cific Crystal Sphere, Local, Scandals, etc.

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ScrutinySocial Skill(Basic)Use the Scrutiny Skill to make assess-

ments about people you encounter, to deter-mine if someone is lying to you, to senseulterior motives and generally appraise theworth of another being. Note that this isn'ttelepathy (only telepathy is telepathy!) and soit can't reveal secrets - just a general idea ifsomeone is telling the truth.

Specialties: Spotting Lies, Motives,Personalities, Emotion, etc.

StealthPhysical Skill(Basic)Stealth is used whenever you're ac-

tively attempting to hide from someone orsomething. To use this, you must have appro-priate terrain or some concealing effect like fogor darkness. Otherwise, with nothing to hidebehind, you simply appear very suspicious. It'salways an opposed Test against the Perception+ Wisdom of viewers.

Specialties: Concealment, SilentMovement, Shadowing, Crowds, etc.

Tech-UseMental Skill(Advanced)Tech-Use allows the Hero to use or

repair complex mechanical items or fathomthe workings of unknown technical artefacts.Using a basic piece of equipment under typicalcircumstances requires no Test, such as usinga vox-caster or opening a shuttle hatch. Tech-Use Tests are necessary for unusual or unfa-miliar gear, malfunctioning or broken items,and when conditions are less than ideal, suchas attempting to use the same vox-caster neara plasma core or coaxing a strange vessel'swarp drive to reignite its fires.

Specialities: Computers, RepairingMachines, Reverse Engineering, etc.

WeaponryPhysical Skill(Basic)Sometimes a gun is too loud or you're

in too close to use it. Or you just want to putyour muscle to the Test. This skill representsbroad skill with weapons, but doesn't coverspecific training with a weapon - without theappropriate weapon proficiency feat, you don'thave the practical training to apply your skill.

Specialties: Knives, Swords, Impro-vised Clubs, Martial Arts, Axes, etc.

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"Pardon me, good travellers... I don't mean to interrupt, but I am Gregory, the elder of this village.You look familiar, and I just wanted to ask if you are, by any chance, the renowned sorceress MistressScarlet."

"As a matter of fact~ Did the outfit give you a clue?"

"Please, our village is in great danger! We have need of the famous bandit killer, the Dragon SPOOKRMustress Scarlet! You must use your magic power to save us!"

"I'm okay with this bandit killer thing, but what's with 'Dragon SPOOKR'?"

"It means dragons 'Step Past Out Of Klear Repulsion!"

"WHY YOU LITTLE-!"

"Wait, I didn't mean to offend you! Please, we need your help!"

"Rrrr... Okay... What did you want from me?"

"The people of this village are being terrorized by a filthy gang of bloodthirsty bandits!"

"The name of this gang wouldn't happen to be the Dragon Fangs, would it?"

"Oh, you've heard of the Dragon Fangs?"

"If you're worried about the Dragon Fangs, don't worry."

"And why not?"

"I got rid of most of them yesterday, and the rest tried to ambush me on the way into town."

"You have saved our village from the curse of the black dragon! Those bandits were keeping that blackdragon as a pet and our village's soldiers couldn't fight it! While the dragon lived we were slaves to thebandit gang! But now we have been freed by the great and mighty sorceress Mistress Scarlet."

"I didn't know they had a dragon."

"W-what?"

"I said I got rid of the Dragon Fangs, not the dragon."

"Now the dragon is running out of control! We're all doomed!"

"Maybe I can help you out. How much is it worth to you if I get rid of this dragon?"

"We can afford to pay you twenty Thrones!"

"Make it thirty!"

huge variety of cultures and soci-eties populate the Great Wheel, some made upof humans but most of a fantastic races suchas Aasimar, Eldarin, and Orks. Adventurersand heroes can arise from any of these people,often from the most unlikely places. Yourchoice of character race provides you with abasic set of advantages and special abilities.

Your racial abilities and characteristicbonuses will say a lot about your character.Two heroes with the same class will still bevery different if they have chosen differentraces. Will your fighter be a graceful Eldarin,a brutal Tiefling, or a tough and stoic Squat?Will your magic-user be a clever Gnome, asadistic Dark Eldarin, or a versitile and unpre-dictable human?

Each race (aside from human - you’reprobably familiar with what humans are likealready) has a few common physical and per-sonality traits listed. Take these not as hardrules but just as some ideas as a starting point.Not every squat is a drunken, bearded littleman, nor is every Tiefling a terrible person justlooking for trouble to cause and someone totorment. Each race also has a few examplenames in case you get stuck when trying tocome up with one or just need one on the fly.

Racial Traits

Each character race offers the follow-ing types of benefits.

Characteristic Bonus: Your characterrace offers you a bonus to one of your charac-teristics. For most races, they must choose be-tween one of two characteristics. Rememberthat you only get a bonus to one of the listedcharacteristics unless the entry specifically saysotherwise.

Skill Bonus: Each race gives a bonusto a few skills. This usually represents trainingcommon in their culture, but also the race'snatural inclinations and ability. Even ifbrought up in a different culture, the race willfind that they have natural ability in theseareas.

Power: Every race has a special talentor power that only they can use. This might beanything from a bonus feat to an immunity toa special movement mode.

Size: A character's size is used to de-termine how badly injured they become fromattacks and how hard they are to hit - a char-acter with a large size loses fewer Hit Pointsfrom attacks but is hit by more of them, whilea character with a small size is in danger of los-ing more hit points but is far harder to hit.

IVRACES

A

23

Human

Humans are a young race. Very youngand for the most part, clueless. They exploreincessantly and fight amongst themselves forland, for love, for their gods. Thankfully, hu-mans adapt extremely quickly and seem tohave a knack for surviving in even the worstplaces to live. In the short time they've beenon the scene, they've managed to go to warwith the Eldarin over the - in the views of theEldarin - dangerous practice of reopening dor-mant Portal Relays. The dominant view ofHumanity is as a race rushing to disaster be-cause of impatience and reckless behavior.

Relatively short-lived, most humansview life in the Great Wheel as an adventure,an undiscovered country to explore. Humansblaze new trails every day - going places noone else dares or wants to go, often finding

ways to live in crystal spheres otherwise hostileto all life. They usually don't have time or pa-tience to deal with the problems of others,though humans come in all types, some evenmanaging to not be self-centered.

Characteristic Bonus: +1 to any oneCharacteristic.

Skill Bonus: +1 to any two skills.Power: Bonus Feat - Humans begin

play with any one feat that they meet the pre-requisites for.

Size: 6

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CHAPTER IV:RACES

AasimarThe Aasimar exist to serve the

Blessed Pantheon. They are tall, averaging al-most seven feet, strong, and are almost inhu-manly beautiful, often having golden or silverhair, glowing eyes, or other signs of their su-pernatural origins. Their history suggests thatthey are the descendants of humans who es-caped their crystal sphere long ago and madethe long journey across the Astral Sea. Theydo not reproduce like the other races - theychoose from among the best and the brighTestof other races to join their ranks, intense in-doctrination, training, and the blessings of thegods turning them into Aasimar.

Aasimar don't have a culture as muchas they have religion. They're servants first andforemost, warrior-monks and priests. Mostdon't have much of a social life, at least outsideof small circles of respected friends and com-rades in arms. Most see Aasimar as being stoicand rather humorless, focused only on theirmission. It's certainly not too far from thetruth.

Common Personality Traits: Stoic,focused, quiet, loyal, obedient.

Common Physical Traits: Greatheight, long face, metallic hair, glowing eyes,exceedingly tough.

Example Names: Antonius, Caecilia,Eligius, Junia, Leontius, Rhea

Charateristic Bonus: +1 to Wisdomor Constitution

Skill Bonus: +1 Command and Bal-listics

Power: And They Shall Know NoFear - Aasimar are immune to Fear.

Size: 7

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CHAPTER IV:RACES

TieflingThe Tieflings are the mirror image of

the Aasimar, a people made to serve Chaos.They are far more varied in appearance thantheir counterparts, typically having multiplemutations that mark them as servants ofChaos - hooves, a tail, claws, horns, all of theseare common. While many closely follow thewhims of their gods, a sizable portion of themsimply do as they wish, which suits the pur-pose of Chaos quite well. Like the Aasimar,Tieflings increase their number by inductingother races, though in the case of Tieflingsthere is no orderly indoctrination or training,just torturous warping of the body and prom-ises of power.

As befitting their brith, Tieflings tendto not really have any kind of society. Most arebarbaric, living for their own desires and noth-ing else. They're creatures that indulge theirevery whim. Which makes them extraordinar-ily dangerous - a gang of tieflings might tearthrough a street, robbing a few homes, settingfire to more, painting beautiful murals on therest and turning one man's lawn into a beauti-ful garden.

Common Personality Traits: Passion-ate, flighty, loud, magnetic, untrustworthy.

Common Physical Traits: Dark eyes,intimidating height, sharp teeth, inhuman mu-tations, powerful build.

Example Names: Criella, Linaera,Verstaadt, Kiltre, Marchaud Vinton, Liera

Characteristic Bonus: +1 to Dexterityor Constitution

Skill Bonus: +1 to Intimidate andWeaponry

Power: Bloody Minded - You mayreroll damage dice that land on a 1.

Size: 7

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CHAPTER IV:RACES

EldarinThe Eldarin were created by the

Syrne as soldiers in their ancient war. After theSyrne were destroyed, they were left scatteredthroughout the various Crystal Spheres, withnowhere to call home. The Eldarin choose tocreate vast worldships large enough to houseentire ecologies and wander the Astral Sea, oc-casionally opening a Portal Relay after longstudy and maintaining the relays themselveswith what little knowledge remains of theirconstruction.

Eldarin do not have home towns.They have home ships. Most Eldarin that arein good standing among their kind use thename of their native worldship as their secondname. Because of their fragile artificial envi-ronments, Eldarin are very careful and conser-vative in their thoughts and motions, notdoing anything to upset a balance. Manyyoung Eldarin are sent on pilgramages toprove their self-sufficiency. Those that returnwith something of worth become adults. Therest die, all part of their planned populationcontrol.

Common Personality Traits: Quiet,careful, mysterious, secretive, restless.

Common Physical Traits: Willowybuild, fragile bones, sinewy build, birdlikemovements, pale skin.

Example Names: Aurian, Farendis,Khiraen, Krullagh, Macha, Eldrad

Characteristic Bonus: +1 to Wisdomor Intelligence

Skill Bonus: +1 to Academic Loreand Arcana.

Power: Warp Step - Once per scene,you may teleport up to twice your speed as ahalf action. You must be able to see your des-tination.

Size: 5

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CHAPTER IV:RACES

Dark EldarinThe Dark Eldarin found protection

from the Fall in the Spider-Daemon Lolth.They are a depraved people marked by theirpact with pitch-black skin and bone-whitehair. They are as lithe and graceful as theircousins, but their sense of style leans far moretowards the fetishistic and irrationally danger-ous. They exist as raiders and pirates strikingfrom their hidden city via Lolth's hidden Web-way of tunnels through the Warp.

Dark Eldarin suffer from a terriblethirst, a consuming and ever-increasing needto find greater emotional highs in themselvesand others. Some say this is part of their pactwith Lolth, either feeding her that emotionalenergy or propping up the substance of theirown souls with it as she leeches them dry.

Common Personality Traits: Sadistic,seductive, dangerous, relentless, insane.

Common Physical Traits: Nimble, in-tense gaze, pitch-black skin, white hair, spikybits.

Example Names: Alaurirra, Belaern,Dhaunae, Gwylyss, Ilharess, Jaezred.

Characteristic Bonus: +1 to Charismaor Dexterity

Skill Bonus: +1 to Deceive and For-bidden Lore

Power: Warp Miasma - Summoninga burst of raw warp power, the Dark Eldarincreates a 4m radius sphere of darkness. Thisblocks line of effect and anyone within thesphere is blind. The sphere lasts for one roundper level.

Size: 5

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CHAPTER IV:RACES

ElfDistant relatives of the Eldarin, the

Elves settled down instead of escaping into theAstral Sea. The Eldarin pity the Elves, sayingtheir cousins have lost their way, their soulsweighed down by gravity. Elves live in har-mony with the lands, living what most see assimple lives with little industry, but which theysee as respectful of the land.

Elves usually feel a strong responsibil-ity to preserve and pass on the old ways,though some see their methods as primitiveand useless in the modern age. They see thesame skills as being necessary for personalgrowth and respect of the natural world, andtypically treat those who feel the same wayvery well.

Common Personality Traits: Respect-ful, patient, modest, peaceful, observant.

Common Physical Traits: Thin build,tanned skin, sharp eyes, simple clothing, quietfootfalls.

Example Names: Garryth, Kaelyssa,Ravyn, Ossyan, Rahn, Vyros.

Characteristic Bonus: +1 to Wisdomor Dexterity.

Skill Bonus: +1 to Perception andCharm

Power: Elven Accuracy - Once perscene, an Elf may reroll a failed Weaponry orBallistic skill Test.

Size: 5

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CHAPTER IV:RACES

OrkLike the Eldarin, the Orks were cre-

ated by the Syrne as warriors. However, wherethe Eldarin were created as agile warriors withgreat magical talent, the Orks were created asbrutal troops that can withstand almost any-thing and keep fighting. They breed quicklyand are probably the most successful race inthe galaxy, infesting nearly every crystal sphereknown. Thankfully, their constant infightingand love of combat will likely keep them busykilling each other until the end of time.

The Orks live in roving warbands,going from place to place in search of a goodtime. They're one of the fewraces of peoplethat are gen-uinely almost al-ways having agood time,especiallyw h e ntheyf i n d

some tough fighting and good opposition.While they have a reputation for being blood-thirsty, they only tend to kill unworthy oppo-nents - the ones that put up a good fight, or atleast try, they let live so they can fight again.

Common Personality Traits: Argu-mentative, foolhardy, individualistic, impa-tient, fun-loving.

Common Physical Traits: Manyscars, pointed tusks, mottled green skin,blood-curdling roar, bulky physique.

Example Names: Waagrot, Duffthug,Ogork, Ugurty, Naznob, Skabbad

Characteristic Bonus: +1 to Strengthor Willpower

Skill Bonus: +1 to Intimidation andScrutiny

Power: WAAAAAGH! - At the begin-ning of each combat, heal hit pointsequal to your level.

Size: 6

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DragonbornOnce, long ago, Dragons ruled the

Astral Sea. The dragonborn were their chil-dren and soldiers, their true origins lost to timeand legend. They forged a great empire fromthe ashes of the Syrneth's defeat and sought tounify all of the Crystal Spheres under theirrule. Defeat for the Dragons came fromwithin, a powerful warlord known as Tiamatled a campaign against even the gods them-selves, seeking to replace Bahamut. The Tia-mat Heresy was a bloody war that shatteredthe dragon empire, ending only on Mount Ce-lestia itself as Bahamut and Tiamat fought tothe death. To this day, dragons are found inevery known Crystal Sphere, and the Drag-onborn are in nearly as many, proud warriorsclinging to past glories.

Dragonborn, often masterless in thisage, often seek out a cause or worthy hero toserve. Tradition typically has them challengeskilled warriors to single combat and, if de-feated, serve and learn under that person for a

time to improve themselves. Most seek a greatpurpose in life, something to spend their liveson. The ones who have found such a purposeare the most common targets of the traditionalchallenges, though it's not uncommon to seea Dragonborn studying under any particularlypowerful (or lucky) warrior.

Common Personality Traits: Proud,wise, straightforward, watchful, grandstand-ing.

Common Physical Traits: Hissingvoice, shimmering scales, darting eyes, mas-sive form, sharp teeth.

Example Names: Thuath, Shaan,Arark, Thaash, Shysik, Arima.

Characteristic Bonus: +1 to Strengthor Charisma.

Skill Bonus: +1 Command and In-timidation

Power: Dragon Breath - Once perscene, you may make an attack with yourbreath weapon. It uses the same weapon pro-file as a Flamer.

Size: 7

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SquatA proud people, the Squats come

from a hostile world, the surface almost unliv-able. They quickly developed mining skills andbegan living underground, a tradition thatcontinues on almost every world they live on.They are deeply tied to their families and theirsocial position, with tradition and their castestructure forming the base of their lives. Theyhave a longstanding hatred of the Orks, whoinfest the surface of their homeworld and arealmost a constant threat.

Squats are a creative people, mostwith at least some skill at a trade and a keensense for the joy of a job well-done. Mostsquats have an appreciation for beautifulthings, though the way they express this mightseem gruff and ungrateful to others. They'resome of the fasTest adopters of new technolo-gies and innovations, and are well-known forquickly finding ways to turn even seeminglyuseless things into useful tools.

Common Personality Traits: Brave,gruff, persistent, reliable, stubborn.

Common Physical Traits: Beard, bar-rel chest, sturdy build, drunk, incredible en-durance.

Example Names: Hrothgar, Durik,Snorl, Durgen, Gorten, Gudrun.

Characteristic Bonus: +1 to Constitu-tion or Willpower

Skill Bonus: +1 to Crafts and Com-mon lore.

Power: Dwarven Toughness - Doublea Squat's starting hit points.

Size: 5

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HalflingShort, lazy, and generally a criminal

element in many societies they become in-volved in. Halflings are often seen in the samelight as rats and other parasites that live on thefringes of a city. They managed to find theirway onto spelljammers in one way or anotherand now are located in pretty much anywhereanything is going on, ready to snatch a purseor scavenge something useful when no one islooking.

Most Halflings are insular and neversee much of the outside world. They'd gener-ally prefer to sit in a comfortable chair andhave as many meals as they can manage to getin a day, followed by some napping. Even themost heroic halfling often has simple desires,finding great joy in the easy things in life -food, friendship, and family. Homesickness isthe most common affliction of the travellinghalfling.

Common Personality Traits: Easygo-ing, spiritied, laid back, sneaky, clever.

Common Physical Traits: Hairy feet,fast hands, childlike appearance, expressivefeatures, surprisingly quick.

Example Names: Angol, April, Au-tumn, Banin, Bradoc, Jasmine, Mallin, May,Rose.

Characteristic Bonus: +1 to Intelli-gence or Fellowship

Skill Bonus: +1 to Larceny and De-ceive.

Power: Shifty - Shift as a free actiononce per round.

Size: 3

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TauA mysterious race, the Tau have little

magical talent and less presence in the affairsof the Astral Sea than even the humans. Theyhave not expanded beyond their home CrystalSphere, and visitors are almost unknown -they have not activated their Portal Relay andtheir Crystal Sphere is protected by an auracalled the Wall of Fire that makes such a jour-ney almost suicidal.

Every Tau is humanoid in shape, withtwo arms, two cloven feet, and a single head.Their gray-blue skin is leathery and tough andexudes no moisture, owing to the generally dryconditions of their homeworld. Their faces areflat, wide around the eyes, and their olfactoryorgans are located inside their mouths. Theireyes can see into the infrared and ultraviolet.Tau eyesight is good, but they focus on distantobjects more slowly than humans.

Common Personality Traits: Under-standing, tolerance, honor, diplomatic, naive.

Common Physical Traits: Frail build,farsighted, mobile, enduring, light-fingered.

Example Names: Aun'va, Shaserra,Shovah, Shas'La, Dynerah, Kais.

Characteristic Bonus: +1 to Intelli-gence or Composure

Skill Bonus: +1 to Common Lore andPersuasion

Power: Fall Back - Whenever yousuccessfully dodge a melee attack, you maymake a free withdraw action, but you may onlymove half of the normal distance.

Size: 6

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GnomeA race with a religious reverence for

technology, especially the artifacts of theSyrne. They were created as engineers andjanitors for the ancient race, with an inbornknowledge of how to repair Syrneth artifacts.They are excellent at maintenance, managingto keep many artifacts running even with nospare parts. But their innovative abilities are...somewhat lacking, the fact they don't actuallyunderstand how to build or repair anything ex-cept through muscle memory meaning thattheir experiments usually turn out badly.

Gnomes can be found in some of themost unlikely of places, outposts among ruinsor floating rocks that they found insterestingfor one reason or another. Their tolerances fordangerous radiation leaks, substandard livingconditions, and environmental pollution aresomewhat staggering.

Common Personality Traits: Curious,creative, impressionable, pensive, reckless.

Common Physical Traits: Dirty skinand clothes, scrawny build, hyperactive mo-tion, surprisingly tough.

Example Names: Snorrig, Noblar,Grazbaag, Rord.

Characteristic Bonus: +1 to Intelli-gence or Fellowship

Skill Bonus: +1 to Crafts and Aca-demic Lore

Power: Improvise - You don't take theusual penalties for not having the appropriateproficiencies with weapons or armor.

Size: 4

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"THE PIT, THE PIT!"They threw the stranger into the pit. He had appeared from the sky with strange

lights and sounds. He was clearly another Daemon, appear to plague them from thewarp, or a dark sorcerer in their service. He had already been injured when they foundhim, and hadn't put up much of a fight, though he was clearly a surly and spiteful type.

The pit was the only place for him, a dry well that had been warded by the prieststo contain daemons such as him. The horrors trapped there would make short work ofhim. The stranger had argued, tried to convince them not to throw him in the pit, butthe arguments had fallen on deaf ears amd they had pushed him into the pit at sword-point.

From above, the villagers watched as the daemon in the pit appeared. It had killedcountless men in seconds. The stranger, though, proved to be made of stronger stuff,pushing back the daemon with surprising strength.

"Give him the spikes," ordered the town magistrate. An ancient mechanism slowlycame into motion, the spiked sides of the pit slowly grinding closed like huge jaws. Thestranger cursed, an oath terrible enough to make the women watching blush.

Against the magistrate's orders, the King's sage appeared, carrying the strangesword the stranger had been wearing when they captured him. He threw the sword downinto the pit. The stranger caught it before it hit the mud that lined the pit's floor, andwith the press of a switch, the chainsword roared to life. The stranger let loose a battlecry and decapitated the daemon with one swing. Foul black blood flew into the air.

The stranger used the moments of peace he bought himself to climb above thepit's closing walls, and then above the lip of the pit itself. Battered and bloody, he walkedup to the town magistrate, looked him in the eye, then looked down at his feet. The mag-istrate's gaze followed his, and in that moment of distraction he slugged him in the face,knocking the man over.

"All right, who wants some?" The stranger asked, looking at the silenced crowdthat had just been baying for his blood. "Who's next? Huh? How about it? Who wantssome?!" The men shied away from him. He sneered at them and pushed them away,then turned to the other prisoners who had been due to be executed.

"Get on those horses and get out of here," he said. He looked at the men holdingthem. "Let them go!" They released the prisoners.

"Halt!" the magistrate yelled, getting to his feet. He drew his sword, just a plainsteel blade. The prisoners got on the loose horses and rode off laughing. The magistratebrandished his sword at the stranger. "For that arrogance, I shall see you dead."

There was a crack-roar like some strange thunder. The magistrate's sword ex-ploded in his hands, shattering into metal fragments. The stranger raised the aim on theweapon he was suddenly holding.

"Yeah. Alright you primitive screwheads, listen up. See this?" He raised hisweapon into the air. "This... is my BOOM STICK! It's a .75 gauge standard patternbolter, top of the line. This sweet baby was made in the forge city of Gunsmoke on By-topia-1. Retails for about 500 Thrones. It's got a plasteel stock, engravings and a hairtrigger. Ya got that?! Now I swear, the next one of you primates even touches me-"

The stranger turned and fired his bolter twice in quick succession, blasting thedaemon crawling unnoticed out of the pit. The shots tore its body apart, knocking itscreaming back into the pit. The stranger blew smoke away from the barrel of theweapon, then lowered it.

"Now, let's talk about how I get back to my ship."

very Hero is more than just a manwith training. A real Hero is more than that,with abilities beyond even the greaTest normalman. A Hero might have a great blessing, or agreat curse. Maybe he was aware of his greatpotential since childhood. Maybe he only dis-covered it in a time of great need.

What a Hero finds, his source ofpower, is his Exaltation. It's more than just an-other tool or some training. It's an intrinsicpart of who he is. Exaltations are rare, literallymore rare than a one in a million. It's not evenall that uncommon for there to be only one ortwo exalts on a world at a time.

How a person becomes Exalted de-pends greatly on what type they become.Some types of exalted - Werewolves, the Cho-sen - depend on the blessings of the ficklegods. Others, like Atlanteans and Paragons,must be born into. Daemonhosts are more ofa curse than anything else, taking over thedying in some of the darkest corners of theworld. In theory, anyone can become aPromethean, but it requires an expenditure ofcapital and resources that take a nation to sup-port. Vampires are the only type of exaltedthat anyone really could become, and they'reblood-sucking monsters that feed on mortals.

One important thing to note aboutthe Exalted is that fate and destiny have astrong hand in their creation. Each of the Ex-alted is someone willing and able to use theirpowers. There is no such thing as a Vampireunwilling to drink blood, or a Chosen thatdoesn't follow the god that has given thempower. Destiny seems to work against 'wasted'exaltations.

It's impossible to sever the Exaltationfrom someone. Despite rumors and experi-ments, there is no way to turn a Vampire backinto a mortal, or to neuter a werewolf's abili-ties, or cause an atlantean to forget. An Exaltcan be killed - though that's not easy - but it'sbeyond even the abilities of the gods to makethem merely mortal again. If someone wantsto take down one of the Exalted, they have todo it the hard way.

Exalts are functionally immortal.Until someone goes out of their way to killthem, they won't die. They'll seem to be in theprime of their life for a very, very long time -when an Exalt starts to look old, they're at anage where entire nations and great empires arefleeting moments that come and go. Diseasedoesn't touch them, and all but the most pow-erful poisons fail to affect their bodies.

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EXALTED POWERSThe Exalted have a great variety of

powers. In general, you can divide these intothree parts. First, there are the Exalt's staticpowers, the abilities shared by all of their kind.These are not always strengths, but also weak-nesses that they share. While Exalts are farstronger than mere mortals, some have super-natural weaknesses - a vampire's weakness tosunlight, a werewolf to silver, and so forth.

Secondly, there is the Power Stat.This is the measure of just how powerful agiven Exalt is in the powers of their kind. LikeMagic and Sword Schools, its maximum indots is equal to the character's levels. A char-acter begins with one dot in their Power Stat.As they grow in power, most of them changephysically.

Third, and possibly most importantly,there is the resource stat. While each of theExalted has a different resource stat, beingable to hold different amounts of these re-sources and recover them in different waysand at different rates, they can be expendedfor the same effects for all Exalts. By spendingone Resource Point, an exalt may:

* Heal 1 Hit Point.* Gain +1k0 to a skill Test.* Gain a reaction action.* Recover from being Stunned* Recover from being DazedAn Exalt can only spend a few re-

source stats in a given round. The number ofpoints they may spend per round is equal totheir Power Stat. Healing hit points with yourresource points can only be used out of com-bat during a period of relative rest and relax-ation.

THE TELLAll of the Exalted have a Tell, some-

thing that marks them as more than merelymembers of their respective races. While itmight seem odd, the sheer variety of races,cultures and technology means that even themost bizarre first impression an exalt leaves,even ones as unusual as Prometheans andDaemonhosts, can be matched by the moreextreme fashions of mortal society. However,a Tell is blatantly strange and supernatural.

Each type of Exalt has a different type of Tell.Vampire - A vampire grows more

pale, and his fangs become more and moreprominent.

Werewolf - Develops patches of furand grows wolflike ears and a tail. Tattoosglow brightly with silver light.

Atlantean - Begins glowing goldenwith Syrneth magic and an avatar of their pastlife appears around them.

Paragon - No blatantly visible effect,but a noticible charisma that draws the eye ofmore and more people.

Chosen - The symbol of their god ap-pears, and an aura forms around them in thefavored colors of their diety.

Promethean - More gadgets appear,and obvious mechanisms and crackling powerappear from their bodies.

Daemonhost - Vile marks appear ontheir skin and their forms twist with mutation.

Tells are not present all the time. It'sonly when an Exalt uses their power andspends Resource Points that the Tell appears.The number of points that an exalt spends ina given scene determines how strong their Tellis. When an Exalt spends even a single point,their Tell becomes faintly visible to careful ob-servers (Perception + Wisdom against TN 20to notice). With two to three points, the Tellbecomes impossible to miss and their true na-ture is on display. With four or five points, thecharacter radiates an aura of power, lightbright enough to read by or darkness enoughto smother campfires. At six or more pointsspent in a single scene, the Exalt's display ofpower becomes truly epic - they might be sur-mounted with a glowing avatar, be visible formiles, cause mortals to fall silent and simplywatch, or send them screaming in terror.

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Captain Gabriev fired as the next target walked into the corridor. Hislasgun beeped as the power pack hit critical levels. His hand went to his belt.Only one pack left. He reloaded and looked back at his teammates.

"How's Talieer?" Gabriev asked, looking back. Wrecka glanced down atthe prone form of the wounded Eldarin. She had taken a hit from the pink-haired clones that had gone right through her void suit and out the other side.

"Da panzee's all urty," Wrecka said. Gabriev sighed. That wasn't exactlythe answer he had been hoping for. The Ork was a pretty good healer, but hewas nearly tapped at this point.

"I-I am fine," Talieer said. "I have not been injured in a way that willimpede the completion of this mission." She sat up, blood still dripping fromher wound. She put a patch over the hole in her void suit.

"Did any of their... stuff get to you?" Gabriev asked. He glanced backdown the corridor. Nothing yet.

"No. I do not beleive so." She sealed the patch. Wrecka, surprisinglygentle, helped her seal the hole on her back. The Eldarin nodded her thanks.

"No sudden love for the damned little pink things?" They were all iden-tical, clones created by some damned mad scientist trying to create a god orbring back her dead daughter or both. They were a perverse mixture of humanand some bizarre alien life form, all of them with pink hair, an empty smile,and emitting pheromones that made people fall in love with them. Worse, theyseemed to be able to change their shape and turn their limbs into twisted bladesof red crystal.

"No. Their pheromones do not infect through blood contact. I believeI will be fine as long as my suit does not become further compromised." Shestood up, shakily. "I will require my weapon."

"Oy gotz yer dakka," Wrecka said. He rummaged around in his beltpouch and produced an inferno pistol. Talieer took it, checked the advancedweapon, then holstered it, nodding her thanks.

"...kekahi mau pipi..." came an echoing call from down the corridor.Gabriev turned back to the corridor. Glowing red eyes. He leveled his lasgun.

"We've got more Kiiha clones incoming!" Gabriev warned. "Goddamn,I hate these things."

VampireVampires are undead creatures, hor-

rors that drink the blood of the living. Theyare cursed to a half-life by a plague stemmingfrom a small number of people who drank theblood of the dying Elven god of war, Khaine.

Vampires are generally feared andpoorly understood by mortals, and are oftenconsidered among the weakest of the Exalta-tions. However, any mortal can become avampire - you have to be born a Paragon, at-tract the notice of a god to become one of theChosen, but all that is required to become avampire is to make yourself useful enough toanother vampire that they are willing to turnyou.

Most vampires spend decades or cen-turies paying off this initial blood debt. How-ever, during this time the elder vampire shieldsthe younger one, teaching them how to controland use their powers. Because of their age andtheir attachment to a local community, theyalso tend to be very well connected.

Vampires come from all walks inlife. There is no single class or race that ismore strongly represented than any other -the promise of immortality tempts nearlyevery mortal. A vampire's powersmake them fairly hard to kill,and they can replenish theirstores of blood quickly in a well-populated area. Additionally, avampire's thirst runs deep, andthey can have more stored intheir Resource Pool than mostImmortals. In many situations, avampire can tap more fully intotheir store of power than anyoneelse, since they can easily recoverthemselves after a fight.

POWERS:Old Money - A Vampire

begins play with 4 additional dots toplace into backgrounds. They'vesimply had a long time to inte-grate themselves into society, andcan reap the benefits.

Undead Resilience - A Vampire maynot be killed by critical damage unless thatdamage comes from an E, X, silver, or magicalsource. Impact and Rending damage thatwould otherwise kill a vampire merely leavesthem unconsious. And since a vampire doesn'tbreathe and has no heartbeat, this may lead acareless opponent to think they've finished himoff. A vampire in this condition will remainunconsious until they spend enough blood toheal their Critical Damage past the pointwhere they would have been fatal.

Sunlight Weakness - A vampire auto-matically loses 1k1 Hit Points per roundthey're exposed to sunlight. Critical damageuses the E chart and automatically goes to the

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body. A vampire killed by sunlight damage isreduced to dust and cannot be returned fromthe dead.

Blood Dependency - A vampire mustspend 1 Vitae every day in order to remain ac-tive. If they choose not to, or can't, they lapseinto a coma. When making unarmed brawl at-tacks, a Vampire may choose to bite his vic-tims, getting +1k0 to damage. The vampiremay choose to drain one resource point ofblood from a bitten victim, which gives the vic-tim a level of fatigue (this replaces the normallevel of fatigue gained from an unarmed at-tack.) A vampire may also, of course, feedfrom a willing target. A vampire who is uncon-scious or in a coma may be fed blood by an-other. If a vampire attempts to feed fromsomeone who has already been knocked un-consious by fatigue, they may only safely drain1 Vitae, with the next feeding killing the vic-tim.

POWER STAT: BLOOD POTENCYBlood Potency is a measure of how

strongly the blood of Khaine resonates withinthe vampire. It gives a vampire most of theiriconic powers - the ability to see in the dark,to inspire fear, superhuman speed andstrength, and finally the power to controlminds. When a vampire increases their BloodPotency, it means they are drawing farther andfarther away from the mortality they once had.While a vampire with low blood potency caneasily pass for a mortal (if a pale one), one withhigh blood potency will find it more difficultas they become more corpse-like. A vampirethat cares much for their appearance oftenfinds it difficult to connect to the undeadpower within them, though there are excep-tions - for every shrivelled corpse, there is abeautiful, secuctive vampiress.

Resource Stat: Vitae - A vampire's maximumVitae are equal to five times his Blood Po-tency.

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B l o o dPotency

Power Gained

* Auspex - The Hero can see in the darkand +1k0 to all perception checks.

** Dread - The Hero may spend 1 Vitaeto gain Fear 1 until the end of thescene.

*** Celerity - The Hero may spend 1 Vitaeto double his Dexterity until the end ofthe scene.

**** Potence - The Hero may spend 1 Vitaeto double his Strength until the end ofthe scene.

***** Dominate - The Hero may use Domi-nate as the spell, using Blood Potency+ Charisma instead of the normalMagic Test.

WerewolfWerewolves are blessed by Luna with

the ability to change shape. Or at least that'show some of them see it. Others call it a curse.It may well be both - a curse for those whodon't appreciate the gift and a blessing for theones who revel in it.

The way werewolves are seen variesgreatly from culture to culture. Typically, themore stable, advanced, and monolithic a cul-ture, the more werewolves are seen as a threat.They are typically outsiders, rebels fighting forthe rights of the average person. Most ofLuna's chosen are interested in saving peoplefrom tyranny and oppres-sion - not to rule over thembut to give them a chance torule for themselves.

Werewolvesdon't have a largeoverarching society,but they do form smallpacks and tribes. Oneof the primary respon-cibilities of these tribesis finding new were-wolves soon after theirfirst change and bring-ing them into the fold.It is traditional formost werewolves to re-cieve tattoos in magi-cal silver (one of thefew inks that won'tsimply be healed overor expelled) to marktheir deeds.

Werewolvesare dangerous andtenacious adversaries.Their ability to changeshape gives them anedge in many circum-stances, especiallyagainst anyone foolishenough to go intomelee combat withthem. They're alsostrongly attuned to the

spirit world, able to walk the Warp in waysthat none other can do safely. They call thelayer of the warp they are able to access theUmbra, a relatively stable part of the Warpwith few dangers compared to the rest of thechaotic dimension.

POWERS:Shifting - The most obvious power of

the Werewolf is the ability to change shape. Asa full action, the werewolf may change intotwo forms - a normal-sized wolf and a massivehalf-wolf half-man warform.

Wolf form: Obviously, in wolf formthe character cannot speak, manipulate all but

the simplest objects, or do otherthings most humans take forgranted. However, they gain +1k1to all perception checks involvingscent. +2 to Dexterity, -1 to Size,

and a bite attack for 1k1damage.

Warform: A horror,a werewolf in warform is amassively destructive force.A Werewolf in Warformmay only make attack ac-

tions or move towards anopponent. A Werewolfmust spend 1 Rage to enterwarform and may onlymaintain Warform for anumber of rounds equal tohis Constitution + Feral

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Heart. While in warform, the werewolf gainsStuff Of Nightmares, Strength +3, Size +2,Constitution +2, and has claws that count asa 1k1 weapon and bite that is a 2k2 weapon.A werewolf's bite and claws in warform countas magical weapons.

Lycan Resilience - A Werewolf maynot be killed by critical damage unless thatdamage comes from an E, X, silver, or magicalsource. If a werewolf suffers enough damagefrom another source that it would normally killthem, they are instead knocked unconsiousuntil they regenerate all critical damage. Awerewolf may spend Rage to recover HitPoints in combat as a free action.

Spirit Tongue - Werewolf begins playwith the feat Speak Language (Spirits)

Silver Bane - A Werewolf halves theirsize when calculating Hit Points lost fromdamage from a silver weapon.

POWER STAT: FERAL HEARTFeral Heart is the measure of just how

close the character is to the ancient and wildpower within him. The higher the measure ofthe character's Feral Heart, the more they be-come like a wolf themselves, cunning and in-stinctual. Their connection to the spirit worldalso grows more solid, until they can actuallyenter the Umbra on their own. As a Werewolfincreases his Feral Heart, his tribemates typi-cally give him more tattoos (or he inks his ownbody) describing the great deeds he has ac-complished.

Resource Stat: Rage. A werewolf regains Rageequal to their Feral heart at the beginning ofeach combat and once each night when themoon (or moons, or local equivalent) rises. Awerewolf may have rage equal to his Compo-sure + Willpower + Level.

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F e r a lHeart

Power Gained

* Fast Healing - The werewolf heals 1Hit Point per round, as long as thatwound was not caused by E, X, silver,or magic. Critical damage is healedmore slowly, recovering only one pointper hour.

** Spirit Sight - The werewolf may seeinto the spirit world, viewing the localumbra. This requires making a FH +Wisdom check to activate, and lastsuntil deactivated or the end of thescene. By viewing the local umbra, thewerewolf may see any lingering magicalauras and traces of major events thathave taken place there.

*** Quick Shift - The werewolf may shiftas a half action instead of a full action.

**** Sacred Hunt - By preforming a ritualthat lasts six hours (on average - rarerprey takes a longer time and it's impos-sible to hunt an animal that simply isn'tin the area), a Werewolf may hunt andkill a superlative example of a particu-lar animal. Once the Werewolf beginsthe hunt, they cannot rest or pursueany other goal until it is complete.When they have completed the hunt,they taste the heart's blood of theirprey. From that time on, they may as-sume the form of that precise animal(including scars and distinguishingmarks) by spending two points of Rageand then Shifting.

***** Spirit Walk - By making a FH + Wis-dom check (Typically against TN 20,though this varies depending on thearea), the werewolf may attempt toenter the Umbra through a reflectivesurface. Anyone holding his hand maycome along. The Umbra is a dangerousplace, a rough parallel to the real worldbut infested with spirits and daemons.

AtlanteanWhen the Syrne vanished from this

world, they didn't even leave corpses behind.The popular theory is that they used a weaponthat actually blasted the souls of their entirerace free of their bodies. Ever since then, somehave been born with the same kind of amaz-ing, universal magic that the Syrne practiced.The rumor is that they're being born with thesouls of the lost Syrne race.

While the Atlanteans are indeed beingreborn with the souls of the Syrne, they do nottypically come into realization of this untillater in their lives. They usually have normalchildhoods - at least as normal as they can befor someone with an amazing inborn talentwith magic and surprising instinctual knowl-edge. However, there is typically some trigger-ing event that brings old memories surgingback to them. For most it is something simple- the play of light on water, the sound of a bell- but for some it is more dramatic, from anepiphany in the middle of a duel to stumblingover one's own grave.

Atlanteans do not have all of thememories from their former lives. Most onlyhave flashes and vague memories like a long,detailed dream. Others remember a fewevents or days extremely well and have therest of their memory a total blank. All thatthey can remember for sure is that somethingterrible happened, a curse that still rests ontheir power to this day in the form of Paradox.

Unlike some other Exalts, Atlanteanshave no society at all. They may have mem-ories of being someone else, but they are stillultimately who they were before they awak-ened. They may have sudden shifts in person-ality, and an even greater grasp of magic thanbefore, though. Most Atlanteans choose aclass with at least some ability to learn magic- most of their inborn ability improves theirability to use magic, and they are little betterthan the average mortal without that advan-tage.

POWERS:Magical Aptitude: You begin play

with one free rank in any Magical School. The

character may purchase ranks in that MagicalSchool as if they appeared in any class progres-sion he possesses.

Prestidigitation: The character maypreform minor magical tricks. As a half actionthey may do any of the following:

* Move up to 1 pound of material* Create a harmless sensory effect,

like a shower of sparks, faint music, or anodor.

* Color, clean, or soil small items.* Instantly light small (Torch, candle,

small campfire) fires.* Chill, warm, or flavor up to 1 pound

of nonliving material.Past Lives: An Atlantean may treat all

skills as Basic.Paradox: Whenever an Atlantean

spends a Mote, he gains 1 paradox. The onlyway to regain spent motes is to eliminatethe paradox caused by their use. Unrav-elling one paradox (turning it back into amote) gives the Hero onelevel of fatigue and causesthem to roll for WarpPhenomena. Whilethe Hero has

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paradox, a 9 on any die when making a magicTest forces the character to unravel one para-dox immediately. (Multiple 9s stack!)

POWER STAT: ARCANAThe Arcana of an Atlantean is a com-

bination of several factors. First, the awaken-ing memories within them coming alive,memories of that first age blooming in theirminds and carrying with them training andtechniques that have been lost to time. Ofcourse, secondly, there is the soul within themgrowing in power. The Syrneth were knownfor their talents with magic, and this was notjust because of their extensive knowledge, butbecause of a well of power within them thatAtlanteans also share. While Atlanteans neverreally become inhuman, they do tend to with-draw from their societies over time, becomingmore reclusive as they feel alienated by others.

Resource Stat: Motes. The character has max-imum Motes equal to charisma and Intelli-gence plus double their Arcana score.

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Arcana Power Gained

* Ancient Style - The vague memories ofthe atlantean's past can greatly influ-ence his present. Some know ancientfighting styles, lost spells, or even fash-ion and style. Choose any three skills.You may go to six dots in those skillsand gain the specialty (Syrneth) ineach, replacing any existing specialty.

** Empower Spell - by spending 1 Mote,the character may reroll any 1s rolledon his next Magic check.

*** Excellence - You may spend two motesinstead of a Hero Point to reroll anyskill in which you have a specialization.

**** Maximize Spell - The Hero may spendany number of motes. For each motespent, one dice in a spell's Magic checkis counted as a 10. (despite being 10s,these dice do not explode - they are justcounted as 10.)

***** Quicken Spell - By spending one mote,the Hero may cast a spell as a free ac-tion.

ParagonA Paragon is, simply put, the best of

their race. The kind of person born with a su-pernatural level of talent and raw ability. Per-haps only one in a thousand is born with thispower, and fewer still come to recognize it.

Paragons are perhaps the most subtleof all Exalts. They don't have blatant super-natural abilities. They can't change shape orkill people with special mind bullets (just thesame mind bullets as anyone else). They aresimply at the top end of the normal bell curveof talent, so many standard deviations fromthe norm that they're an entirely different typeof people.

Anyone who is a Paragon almost in-evitably rises to the top in their society.They're the best of the best, and nearly everyone has a story to tell about coming from someunlikely background and rising to meet everychallenge put in front of them.

However, it's important to rememberthat a Paragon isn't just someone who is goodat what they do. There are a lot of people whoare good at their chosen field. A Paragon is aperson born with literally unlimited potential.For the average person, competing with aParagon is simply impossible. Even the greaT-est mortal expert would find the playing fielddrastically tilted in the Paragon's favor.

POWERS:Destiny: A paragon begins play with

2 additional Hero points.Statuesque: Each race gives a choice

of +1 to two stats. Choose one of those statsyou have not chosen before. You gain +1 tothat stat.

Flash: You are never surprised andare aware of every attack that is directed atyou.

Perfection: You gain one feat that hasyour race as a prerequisite.

POWER STAT: PRESSUREWhen a Paragon sets his mind to

something, it can be very difficult to opposehim. Each one has a dominating presence, apressure that gives them an edge against every-one else. Others can feel it, a psychic force ra-diating from them and crushing resistance. It'ssaid that some very powerful Paragons can ac-tually move things with their minds, see the fu-ture, and preform all sorts of tricks - withoutusing any magic at all.

At the beginning of each scene, yougain a number of points equal to three timesyour Pressure. You may use these points tomodify any roll directly - spending one pointimproves the final total of the roll by 1. Youmay spend any number of these points perround, using all of them in a single roll if youwish. Whenever an opponent spends a Re-source Point, a point of Pressure, a HeroPoint, or you lose one or more Hit Points, yourecover a point of Pressure.

Resource Stat: Action Points. You have anumber of Action points equal to your Level+ Pressure. They are regained at the beginningof every session.

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CHAPTER V:EXALTATION

47

CHAPTER V:EXALTATION

ChosenThere are those who worship the

gods, and there are those who are chosen bythem. The Chosen gain power from their con-nection to the divine, becoming less humanand more a devil or god themselves. Many aredevoted worshippers of their chosen diety, andwhile all of the Chosen have great power, onlythose that embrace their calling can really as-cend to the higher ranks of might.

The way the Chosen are seen de-pends greatly on their patron. Given that theRuinous Powers and the Blessed Pantheon aremortal enemies, it should be obvi-ous that just by being one of theChosen, you'll have some enemieswaiting for you. Granted,the Grey Council hasfewer enemies than theother options, but thatcan lead to even moretrouble from radicalsfrom all sides.

A Chosen'spower is largely focusedon chan-neling themight oftheir god.They havevarious abili-ties to use theirfaith as a fuelsource, especially asprotection - it's almostimpossible to kill one aslong as they're in good favorwith their god. Even whenyou're sure they're deadthey can just pop back upto life.

A Chosen is notsimply someone deeply in-volved with a god. They'vebeen chosen as a cham-pion, among the greaT-est and mostimportant of a god'sservants. They

shouldn't be taken lightly, and will often oc-cupy the highest ranks of a church's organiza-tion.

POWERS:Conviction: Your power stat (Faith)

is capped at 1/2 of your Devotion (roundedup) as well as your level. If you lose points indevotion sufficient to bring the cap on yourpower stat down below the level you have ac-tually purchased it at, you lose access to thepowers granted by higher ranks in the powerstat until you have increased your devotionsufficiently.

Redeemed: As long as you have atleast 2 Faith, you are never in danger ofdeath. Whenever you would burn aHero Point to survive, you may instead

permanently lose 1 Faith. Youmay buy it again as normal.

Divine Power: The Chosenmay spend a Favor to re-place any one rolled diewith his Devotion. He maynot use this power onAlignment Checks.

Leeway: As long asthe Chosen is doing some-

thing to advance the plans ofhis God, or is on a mission di-rectly from them, he gains abonus on Alignment checksequal to his Faith.

POWER STAT:FAITH

The Faith that aChosen has is different fromthe type of the average per-

son. Wherethe typical be-

liever has only prayer,the Chosen have bless-

ings sent down directly, andvisibly, from their patrons.They enjoy a level of powerthat few can match thanks to

this Faith. While theirabilities may not seem

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CHAPTER V:EXALTATION

flashy, they're undeniable and extremely pow-erful and versatile.

Resource Stat: Favor. The Chosen may pre-form a special ritual once per day which re-stores all of their favor. The maximum favor aChosen can have is equal to his Devotion.

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CHAPTER V:EXALTATION

Faith Power Gained

* Second Chance - Whenever the Cho-sen would burn a hero point to survive,he immediately is returned to fullhealth and put in the nearest safe place(how safe, exactly, depends on thewhims of the gods).

** Divine Protection - Whenever you re-ceive critical damage you may make anAlignment check. If it is successful, youprevent the critical damage.

*** Auspicious Success - Whenever youspend a Favor to add dice to a roll, youmay add +2k0 to your roll per Favorspent instead of the normal +1k0.

**** Prayer Strip - A Chosen may, whenpreforming the ritual to restore his orher favor, choose to create a PrayerStrip. A Chosen may only create onePrayer Strip per day, and may have anumber equal to their Faith in exis-tance at any time. A Prayer Strip mayused at any time as though it was apoint of the Chosen's Favor (includingall special modifiers such as from Aus-picious Success), and may be used byanyone holding it as long as the Cho-sen considers them an ally.

***** Miracles - A Chosen does not have totrust to luck. A Chosen makes theirOWN luck. Rather than adding +2k0to a roll when spending a Favor, theChosen simply adds 10 to the result.

PrometheanHeroes can be born or chosen by fate,

but a Promethean is made by the hands ofmortals. They are created by the tireless workof mortals, the fortunes of entire crystalspheres sunk into their creation to forge themout of the most perfect materials and magics.Each one is a device created to bring about achange, machines built to bring freedom, mencreated to save the Great Wheel.

The body of a Promethean is anundying form of metal and magic, a work ofart with incredible detail and care. Magical flu-ids, dissolved quintessence and other more ex-otic alchemical concoctions. Each one isunique. Most are beautiful, some because oftheir graceful forms and others with slablikeforms of simple shapes. The one constantamong Prometheans is that they have a heart,a core that is the center of their magical life.

This heart, the Promethean Core,pulses with incredible power, a glowing reac-tor burning with a magical radience calledPyros. This energy can do the impossible, let-ting them exceed what few limitations theirenhanced bodies still have. This Core alsohosts the soul of the Promethean, which mustcome from a willing subject with an excep-tionally strong willpower and drive to live.

Prometheans are typicallyrevered by their creators, icons, perfectmen, unbeatable machines, designedto destroy every evil standing be-tween their people and freedom.They are usually thought of in thesame way that people think of flag-ships in a navy or walking nuclearweapons - respect and fear, butpurely as a weapon. It can be hard toget people to see past their appear-ance to the very real person still in-side them who sacrificed themselvesto become something greater.

POWERS:Living Construct: A

Promethean is immune to Fa-tigue, Poison, and Disease.They are not subject to the

same frailties as their fleshy companions. Theyalso have no need to Eat, Drink, Sleep, orBreathe though they can still do so if theywant.

Refitting: A Promethean doesn't healnaturally over time. A Promethean must be re-paired. Repairing a Promethean takes a Craft+ Int Test. The TN for this Test is 15 if thePromethean is lightly wounded, 20 if heavilywounded, and 25 if the Promethean has takencritical damage. A successful Test recovers 1Hit Point and takes one hour. A Prometheancannot spend Pyros to heal Hit Points.

Disquiet: A Promethean generates anaura of subtle wrongness. He takes -2k1 to allsocial rolls against non-exalts. Partly this is be-cause of their status as living weapons and ma-

chine-like appearance. Thisis also, though, a partly

magical effect.Superlative Consti-tution: APromethean doesn'tsuffer Critical Dam-age like others. It's ex-

tremely difficult to killone. Even critical dam-

age won't necessarilykill them. Each

of theirl i m b st r a c k s

c r i t i c a ld a m a g eseparately.They donot use theC r i t i c a lcharts for

d a m a g e ,but at 5c r i t i c a ldamage the

limb is de-stroyed. If the damage is tothe gizzards or head, thePromethean is killed.Other limbs being de-stroyed merely results inthe loss of said limb.

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CHAPTER V:EXALTATION

POWER STAT: GENERATIONAs a Promethean's Generation in-

creases, he swaps out older equipment withnewer gear. Most Prometheans must return totheir place of birth in order to increase theirGeneration, despite spending XP. As theirgeneration goes up, most Prometheans alsobecome more and more ornate in appearance,with extra components and gadgets beingadded over time. Every ability, spell, and feata Promethean has might well come from theseinstalled components.

Resource Stat: Pyros. The Prometheans regainone Pyros per hour as their internal reservoirsof magical essence generate power. They canhold Pyros equal to three times their Genera-tion.

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CHAPTER V:EXALTATION

Generation Power Gained

* Integrated Armor - A Prometheanhas integrated armor equal to hisGeneration +3. He may not weararmor, and counts as wearing lightarmor for the purposes of determin-ing static defence.

** Integrated Weapons - A Prometheancan integrate a number of weaponsinto his body equal to his Generation.These weapons are effectively con-cealed and can't be found by a nor-mal search. He can draw them as afree action.

*** Transhuman Potential - APromethean may spend Pyros toboost his characteristics, spending 1pyros for every +1 bonus up to a limitof his Generation. This bonus lastsonly for one turn.

**** Alchemy - Spend a Pyros and rollGeneration + Crafts against a TN of15. On a success, he reshapes matterinto a simple object (a club, a simpleshape, etc). With one or more raiseshe may create more complicated ob-jects - one raise will allow movingparts for hinges or linked chains, tworaises allows him to repair or createsimple mechanical devices, and threeor more will allow for intricate objectslike firearms or clocks.

***** Warstrider - A Promethean may as-sume a massively powerful anddeadly form. For one scene per day,the Promethean doubles his size andgains +3 dots to all physical charac-teristics. Integrated weapons deal anadditional +1k1 damage because oftheir increased size.

DaemonhostA Daemonhost is what most people

are really afraid of when they're thinking aboutthe Exalted. Whereas most of the Exalted aresimply people with supernatural ability, Dae-monhosts are truly monsters. Most are peoplewho, at the verge of death, were willing to giveup anything to live, even if it meant allowing amonster to dominate and warp their body.

There is great debate about just howmuch control the original soul still has overtheir actions. It's undeniable that there aremajor changes in the person's ac-tions, personality, taste, and soforth, but it's similarly un-deniable that the Dae-monhost retains all oftheir memories andoften appears moresimilar than differ-ent at first glance.

The truth isthat there is no simple an-swer. When a Daemon-host is created, a warp entityescapes from that chaotic di-mension and uses the bodyof one of the dying as ahost. It doesn't just takeover the body, though - itfuses with the soul of the hostand they become, essentially,an entirely new being. Itseems that the most im-portant factor in de-termining how thehost actsafter thechange isthe strength of theirwillpower andp e r s o n a l i t y ,with par-t i c u -l a r l ydomi-natinga n dself-con-

fident types changing the least from the dae-mon's influence and the easily led and submis-sive changing the most.

A Daemonhost's power is often com-pared to that of an Atlantean. And not withoutcause. The two have very similar origins, anancient and powerful soul in a fresh body.Some races are unwilling or unable to see thedifference between the two. But one is a rein-carnation, a fresh start for a cursed people,while a Daemonhost is a parasite that bringsthe living back from death purely to escape itsown torment and to exert its power over a

world it does not belong in.

POWERS:Demonic Tutor:

You begin play with onefree rank inany MagicalSchool. Youmay purchase

ranks in thism a g i c a l

school as if itappeared

in yourc l a s sprogres-

sion.U n h o l y

Might: Byspending oneEssence, youmay add your

Arcanoi rank to the rankof your Magical Schoolfor a single Magic Test.

Rejected by Cre-ation: Whenever a Daemonhost spendsEssence, he gains Resonance. The only

way to regain spent Essence is toeliminate the Resonance causedby its use. Resonance Erup-tions (turning the resonance

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CHAPTER V:EXALTATION

back into essence) are made by TestingWillpower against a TN equal to 10+5/totalresonance. For every degree of failure on thisroll, the hero suffers one wound. For every de-gree of success, the hero loses one Resonanceand gains one Essence. While the Hero hasResonance, a 9 on any die when making amagic Test forces the character to cause a Res-onance Eruption immediately. (Multiple 9sstack!)

Feeding: A Daemonhost may feed onthe living to fuel his power. By consuming theflesh and blood of an living creature, the Dae-monhost may recharge their horrid abilities.Daemonhosts can make bite attacks with aBrawl attack. For every wound they inflictwith these bite attacks, they regain oneEssence.

POWER STAT: ARCANOIAs the Daemonhost increases in

power, the Daemon draws more power out ofthe Warp and into the real world. This perva-sive wrongness that warps and empowers theDaemon is their Arcanoi. As a Daemonhost'sArcanoi grows, they begin to warp away fromtheir previous forms, often taking on unnaturalcoloration, growing horns or claws, havingtheir eyes become flat black or begin glowing,and so forth. Daemonhosts are hard to cate-gorize in any simple way. They can be beauti-ful, terrible, or anything in-between.

Resource Stat: Essence The character beginsplay with Essence equal to Willpower +Charisma, plus double their Arcanoi.

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CHAPTER V:EXALTATION

Arcanoi Power Gained

* Daemonic - Daemonhosts reducedamage they take from every source byan amount equal to their Constitutionexcept for damage inflicted by magicaleffects or silver weapons.

** Unnatural Characteristics - Daemon-hosts may go to six dots in any of theirCharacteristics.

*** Scorn Earth - You no longer need totouch the ground of creation, holdingyourself above it with your massivepower. A Daemonhost may hover atwill, allowing them to move at theirnormal speed in all three dimensions.

**** Not Of This World – You do not sufferthe effects of results from the CriticalDamage charts unless they wouldcause death.

***** Black Miracle - Killing a Daemonhostat this level of power merely forces theDaemon inside back into the warp fora short time. Unless a ritual is pre-formed to prevent it (and a Daemon-host can burn fate to foil this ritual) theDaemonhost simply reforms later,spending one week for every point ofResonance they have in the warp be-fore finding a new vessel.

"You can't tell me you're comfortable travelling with her," Iniga said. "She'sa werewolf!" The werewolf in question was getting another round of drinks at thebar. The man Iniga was speaking to, an Aasimar that almost glowed with how muchshine and polish he had, glanced back to look at her for a moment, then back atIniga.

"You're a Dark Eldarin," Jacov pointed out. "And a vampire. Either of themwould be more than enough to make most uneasy. Traya isn't so bad."

"That's different!" Iniga folded her arms. "We just have a bad reputation be-cause of a few outlying rogue elements that have given the whole an overall poorpublic image. There are many, myself included, that do not fit into the general per-ception of my kind as predators or sadists."

"...Your kind being Dark Eldarin or Vampire? I've heard pretty much thesame about both and-"

"That's not the point!" Iniga hissed. "Don't you see those tattoos?!" Shepointed at the werewolf's arm. She was a tiefling, and on her red skin were the mys-tical tattoos that marked her as a werewolf. Many of the silver markings had becometarnished and twisted into black spirals.

"What about them?" Jacov asked. Iniga sighed. The Aasimar was just so stu-pid sometimes.

"Do I have to explain everything? That means she's a Black Spiral Dancer!A berserker!" Jacov shrugged. Iniga groaned. "She'll kill us all!"

"I'll take care of it if there's trouble," Jacov said. The tiefling werewolf re-turned to the table with the next round of drinks, smiling.

"Hah! I got this round for free!" Traya was almost purring as she put theglasses down.

"How did you do that? Not with underhanded methods, I hope." Iniga asked.Traya smiled at the vampire.

"Well, you wouldn't know about it, but we tieflings have these mind controldevices." She adjusted her very low shirt to show off her cleavage. She looked atIniga's chest. "I guess you just don't have that power."

"Are you calling me flat?!" Iniga demanded, standing up. She was a foot anda half shorter than the tiefling, but she was trying her best to look imposing. Trayasmiled, showing rather more fangs than Iniga's delicate set.

"No fighting," Jacov said, quietly. Traya looked at him and sighed, thenstopped. "Look, Armstrong's back." He waved. The human wizard smiled andwalked over to the table.

"I think I got us a ship," Armstrong said. "Small freighter with a human cap-tain and an orc first mate. It's called the Thousand-Year-Eagle."

"Wait... that pile of junk docked in the Hive?!" Iniga asked. She sat downand started drinking again.

"He says he can get us to Carceri without any entanglements from the Coun-cil or Imperial fleets," Armstrong said, with a shrug. "It'll cost us, though. He wantsten thousand thrones."

"I could almost buy a ship for that," Iniga complained."And who would pilot it?" Traya asked. "You?!""Yeah, me." She folded her arms and smiled. "I happen to be a pretty good

pilot, you know.""Tell him we'll pay him two thousand thrones now and fifteen thousand

when we arrive," Jacov said, finishing his ale. ""I think we have ourselves a ship," Armstrong said, smiling.

lasses are packages that representyour character's training and work. Your classis the primary definition of what your charac-ter can do in the extraordinary magical land-scape of the DUNGEONS THEDRAGONING world.

A class is more than just a profession:it defines the power and skills that the charac-ter is focused on learning while they adventureacross a spell-tangled, monster-ridden, battle-torn fantasy world. You can be a gutsy sword-master, a spellcaster with questionable ties, agun-toting soldier with dead aim, a skilled as-sassin for hire. The choice is yours.

The primary focus of a class is deter-mining just what a character may spend XPon. It can be difficult for a wizard to suddenlylearn how to use a sword like an expert, andsimilarly difficult for a gunslinger to just pickup the basics of sorcery over a long weekend.

As such, when spending XP, a char-acter may only improve characteristics andskills that are allowed by the class. These rep-resent the kind of things the character can ex-pect to improve while exercising the talents ofthe class. Each Class also has a list of feats thatare available for purchase, and many also in-clude one or more Sword or Magic Schools.

These are the meat of each class, the abilitiesthat go above and beyond mere skills.

Each class has a list of prerequisites,skills, characteristics, and occasionally classesthat the character must have in order to be al-lowed to go into the class. Without meetingthese prerequisites, a character may not evengo into the class.

A character may only be in one classat a time. In order to finish the class he is in acharacter must purchase every non-optionalfeat in the class. Once a character has pur-chased the non-optional feats in a class, hemay choose a new class and begin spendingXP on it's advances. Once a character hasmoved on to another class, he cannot purchasethe Characteristics, Skills, Sword Schools,Magic Schools, and any optional feats theypassed over from the old class.

Each class has a Level. This level de-termines the effect of many spells and feats,but more importantly, the highest rank a char-acter may have in their Power Stat, theirSword Schools, and their Magic Schools iscapped at the character's level. A character'slevel is equal to the level of the highest levelclass they have. For example, a character withFighter 4, Bard 2 is a Level 4 character.

VICLASSES

C

55

This chapter describes the following classes:Fighter - A master of weapons, armor,

and melee training.Magic User - A versitile and powerful

wizard or warlock.Rogue - A combatant who uses

stealth and slyness to thwart enemies.Cleric - A divinely inspired warrior.Peasant - A very basic class that any-

one can enter.Mercenary - A basic fighting class for

anyone who wants to learn to fight.Ratcatcher - Sneaky buggers with

basic stealth skills.Scholar - A basic class that teaches

the basics needed to learn magic.Initiate - Healers and the faithful, low

ranking members of religious organizations.Bard - Versatile jack-of-all-trades with

the potential to do anything.Assassin - They're not mass murder-

ers. It's a profession, not a mental illness.Guardsman - A class that's good at

shooting things.Paladin - Holy warriors with talents at

healing and smiting. Lots of smiting.Barbarian - Wild and tough warriors

with amazing talents.

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CHAPTER VI:CLASSES

THE LEVELING PROCEDURE1) Choose a class. This is your char-

acter's starting class. In order to go into aclass, you probably have to meet some prereq-uisites, so make sure you do.

2) When spending XP, what you canspend it on (the class' Advances) is deter-mined by your class:

a - Each class has a level. A charac-ter's level is equal to the level of the highestlevel class they have. For example, a characterwith Fighter 4, Bard 1, Wizard 3 is a Level 4character.

b - Each class has a list of Character-istics. You may only buy improvements forthe class' listed characteristics.

c - Each class also has a list of skills.These are the only skills you may spend XPon while working on the class.

d - The core of every class is a list offeats. These feats come in two types, manda-tory and optional.

e - A class can also have MagicSchools and Sword Schools. The maximumrank of your character's Magic and SwordSchools is capped at your character's level.

f - You may also buy ranks in yourExaltation's Power Stat. The maximum rankof your character's Power Stat is also cappedat your character's level.

3) Until you have purchased allmandatory feats in a class, you may notchange classes. Most feats can only be takenonce. If you already have a feat that's in a classlist, and it can't be taken more than once, youdon't have to purchase it again. Some classeshave the option of taking one feat or another.When you choose one of these feats, you can-not get the other feat from this class, thoughyou can get it from another class that has thisfeat in its class progression.

4) When you change classes, you canno longer purchase the advances from yourold class unless they appear on your new classlist.

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CHAPTER VI:CLASSES

Fighter 1Level: 1

Prerequisites: Weaponry 2, Athletics 1

Characteristics: Strength, Constitution

Skills: Crafts, Athletics, Brawl, Drive, Ballistic, Weaponry, Intimidation

Feats:HardyArmor Proficiency (light)*Armor Proficiency (medium)Power AttackWeapon Proficiency (any)*Weapon Proficiency (any)*Shield Proficiency

Sword Schools:Iron HeartWhite Raven

Fighter 2Level: 2

Prerequisites: Weaponry 3, Athletics 2, Fighter 1

Characteristics: Strength, Constitution

Skills: Crafts, Athletics, Brawl, Drive, Ballistic, Weaponry, Intimidation

Feats:Blind FightingJadedQuick DrawArmor Proficiency (medium)*Armor Proficiency (heavy)Weapon Proficiency (any)*Weapon Proficiency (any)Weapon Focus (any)

Sword Schools:Iron HeartWhite Raven

Optional feats are marked with an asterisk (*). Choice feats are marked with OR.

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CHAPTER VI:CLASSES

Fighter 3Level: 3

Prerequisites: Weaponry 4, Athletics 3, Fighter 2

Characteristics: Strength, Constitution

Skills: Crafts, Athletics, Brawl, Drive, Ballistic, Weaponry, Intimidation

Feats:Crushing Blow OR Crack ShotCombat InsightSwift AttackArmor Proficiency (heavy)*Armor Proficiency (extreme)Weapon Proficiency (any)*Weapon Proficiency (any)Weapon Specialization (any)

Sword Schools:Iron HeartWhite Raven

Fighter 4Level: 4

Prerequisites: Weaponry 5, Athletics 4, Fighter 3

Characteristics: Strength, Constitution

Skills: Crafts, Athletics, Brawl, Drive, Ballistic, Weaponry, Intimidation

Feats:FearlessIron JawArmor SpecializationCombat MasterWall of SteelArmor Proficiency (extreme)Weapon Proficiency (any)*Weapon Proficiency (any)*Weapon Focus (any)Improved Weapon Focus (any)

Sword Schools:Iron HeartWhite Raven

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CHAPTER VI:CLASSES

Fighter 5Level: 5

Prerequisites: Weaponry 5, Athletics 5, Fighter 4

Characteristics: Strength, Constitution

Skills: Crafts, Athletics, Brawl, Drive, Ballistic, Weaponry, Intimidation

Feats:Counter AttackTrue GritBlademasterLightning AttackWeapon Proficiency (any)*Weapon Proficiency (any)*Weapon Specialization (any)Improved Weapon Specialization (any)

Sword Schools:Iron HeartWhite Raven

Magic User 1Level: 1

Prerequisites: Academic Lore 2, Arcana 3

Characteristics: Intelligence, Charisma

Skills: Arcana, Academic Lore, Common Lore, Forbidden Lore, Scrutiny, Deceive

Feats:Obtain Familiar OR Implement FocusEidetic MemoryForesightSpell MightTested*Weapon Prof (Ordinary)

Magic Schools:AbjurationEvocationIllusionEnchantmentDivination

Optional feats are marked with an asterisk (*). Choice feats are marked with OR.

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CHAPTER VI:CLASSES

Magic User 2Level: 2

Prerequisites: Academic Lore 3, Arcana 3, Magic User 1, any two Magics at rank 1.

Characteristics: Intelligence, Charisma

Skills: Arcana, Academic Lore, Common Lore, Forbidden Lore, Scrutiny, Deceive

Feats:Spell BookSpell FocusImprovisational MagicStrong MindedWizard Tradition*Skill Focus (Any Lore)

Magic Schools:AbjurationEvocationIllusionEnchantmentDivination

Magic User 3Level: 3

Prerequisites: Academic Lore 3, Arcana 4, Magic User 2, any two Magics at rank 2.

Characteristics: Intelligence, Charisma

Skills: Arcana, Academic Lore, Common Lore, Forbidden Lore, Scrutiny, Deceive

Feats:Spell BookSpell PenetrationTouch Spell SpecializationWizard Tradition*Skill Focus (Any Lore)

Magic Schools:AbjurationEvocationIllusionEnchantmentDivination

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CHAPTER VI:CLASSES

Magic User 4Level: 4

Prerequisites: Academic Lore 4, Arcana 4, Magic User 3, any Magic at rank 3, any two Magicsat rank 2.

Characteristics: Intelligence, Charisma

Skills: Arcana, Academic Lore, Common Lore, Forbidden Lore, Scrutiny, Deceive

Feats:Spell BookGreater Spell FocusMental FortressWizard Tradition*Skill Focus (Any Lore)

Magic Schools:AbjurationEvocationIllusionEnchantmentDivination

Magic User 5Level: 5

Prerequisites: Academic Lore 5, Arcana 5, Magic User 4, any Magic at rank 4, any two Magicsat rank 3.

Characteristics: Intelligence, Charisma

Skills: Arcana, Academic Lore, Common Lore, Forbidden Lore, Scrutiny, Deceive

Feats:Spell BookArchmage TraditionGreater Spell PenetrationSpell Mastery*Skill Focus (Any Lore)

Magic Schools:AbjurationEvocationIllusionEnchantmentDivination

Optional feats are marked with an asterisk (*). Choice feats are marked with OR.

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CHAPTER VI:CLASSES

Rogue 1Level: 1

Prerequisites: Larceny 2, Stealth 2

Characteristics: Dexterity, Intelligence, Fellowship

Skills: Perception, Common Lore, Acrobatics, Ballistic, Larceny, Stealth, Weaponry, Scrutiny,Persuasion, Charm, Deceive, Pilot, Disguise, Tech-Use

Feats:Danger SenseFast ReflexesBlind FightingImproved Feint*Weapon Prof (Ordinary)Weapon Prof (Fencing)*Weapon Prof (Throwing)

Sword Schools:Shadow HandDiamond Mind

Rogue 2Level: 2

Prerequisites: Larceny 2, Stealth 3, Rogue 1

Characteristics: Dexterity, Intelligence, Fellowship

Skills: Perception, Common Lore, Acrobatics, Ballistic, Larceny, Stealth, Weaponry, Scrutiny,Persuasion, Charm, Deceive, Pilot, Disguise, Tech-Use

Feats:Sneak AttackArmor Prof (Light)CatfallEvasionSkill Focus (any)*Skill Focus (any)

Sword Schools:Shadow HandDiamond Mind

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CHAPTER VI:CLASSES

Rogue 3Level: 3

Prerequisites: Larceny 3, Stealth 3, Rogue 2

Characteristics: Dexterity, Intelligence, Fellowship

Skills: Perception, Common Lore, Acrobatics, Ballistic, Larceny, Stealth, Weaponry, Scrutiny,Persuasion, Charm, Deceive, Pilot, Disguise, Tech-Use

Feats:Fleet of FootQuick DrawBack StabWeapon Focus (Fencing)Skill Focus (any)*Skill Focus (any)

Sword Schools:Shadow HandDiamond Mind

Rogue 4Level: 4

Prerequisites: Larceny 4, Stealth 4, Rogue 3

Characteristics: Dexterity, Intelligence, Fellowship

Skills: Perception, Common Lore, Acrobatics, Ballistic, Larceny, Stealth, Weaponry, Scrutiny,Persuasion, Charm, Deceive, Pilot, Disguise, Tech-Use

Feats:Improved Sneak AttackHard TargetLuckJadedSkill Focus (any)*Skill Focus (any)

Sword Schools:Shadow HandDiamond Mind

Optional feats are marked with an asterisk (*). Choice feats are marked with OR.

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Rogue 5Level: 5

Prerequisites: Larceny 5, Stealth 5, Rogue 4

Characteristics: Dexterity, Intelligence, Fellowship

Skills: Perception, Common Lore, Acrobatics, Ballistic, Larceny, Stealth, Weaponry, Scrutiny,Persuasion, Charm, Deceive, Pilot, Disguise, Tech-Use

Feats:Step AsideFearlessImproved Back StabDevastating CriticalSkill Focus (any)*Skill Focus (any)

Sword Schools:Shadow HandDiamond Mind

Cleric 1Level: 1

Prerequisites: Academic Lore 2, Forbidden Lore 2

Characteristics: Willpower, Wisdom, Composure

Skills: Medicae, Academic Lore, Forbidden Lore, Arcana, Weaponry, Intimidation, Persuasion,Command

Feats:Pure FaithPowerful ChargeHatred (Heretics)Armor Prof (Light)Weapon Prof (Ordinary)Weapon Prof (Flail)

Magic Schools:AbjurationConjurationDivinationEmpowerment

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Cleric 2Level: 2

Prerequisites: Academic Lore 2, Forbidden Lore 3, Cleric 1, Empowerment or Conjuration atrank 1.

Characteristics: Willpower, Wisdom, Composure

Skills: Medicae, Academic Lore, Forbidden Lore, Arcana, Weaponry, Intimidation, Persuasion,Command

Feats:Peer (Religious Order)Spell Focus (Any)Sound ConstitutionArmor Prof (medium)Virgil’s Guidance*Weapon Prof (any)

Magic Schools:AbjurationConjurationDivinationEmpowerment

Cleric 3Level: 3

Prerequisites: Academic Lore 3, Forbidden Lore 4, Cleric 2, Empowerment or Conjuration atrank 2.

Characteristics: Willpower, Wisdom, Composure

Skills: Medicae, Academic Lore, Forbidden Lore, Arcana, Weaponry, Intimidation, Persuasion,Command

Feats:Shield ProficiencyDivine MinistrationTrue GritSpell Focus (Any)Channel Energy*Weapon Focus (any)

Magic Schools:AbjurationConjurationDivinationEmpowerment

Optional feats are marked with an asterisk (*). Choice feats are marked with OR.

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Cleric 4Level: 4

Prerequisites: Academic Lore 4, Forbidden Lore 4, Cleric 3, Empowerment or Conjuration atrank 3.

Characteristics: Willpower, Wisdom, Composure

Skills: Medicae, Academic Lore, Forbidden Lore, Arcana, Weaponry, Intimidation, Persuasion,Command

Feats:Armor Prof (Heavy)AbsolutionGood Reputation (Religious Order)Sound Constitution*Skill Focus (Any)Improved Spell Focus

Magic Schools:AbjurationConjurationDivinationEmpowerment

Cleric 5Level: 5

Prerequisites: Academic Lore 5, Forbidden Lore 5, Cleric 4, Empowerment or Conjuration atrank 4.

Characteristics: Willpower, Wisdom, Composure

Skills: Medicae, Academic Lore, Forbidden Lore, Arcana, Weaponry, Intimidation, Persuasion,Command

Feats:FearlessArmor of ContemptPurge the UncleanGreater Spell Focus

Magic Schools:AbjurationConjurationDivinationEmpowerment

Optional feats are marked with an asterisk (*). Choice feats are marked with OR.

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PeasantLevel: 1

Prerequisites: -

Characteristics: -

Skills: Crafts, Common Lore, Animal Ken, Scrutiny, Performer

Feats:LuckCommon Sense*Skill Focus (any)*Sound ConstitutionUnremarkable

MercenaryLevel: 1

Prerequisites: -

Characteristics: Strength, Constitution

Skills: Command, Scrutiny, Common Lore, Athletics, Ballistic, Weaponry, Perception, Brawl

Feats:Armor Prof (light)*Armor prof (medium)Speak Language (Any)*Peer (Mercenary Organization)Sound ConstitutionWeapon Prof (Ordinary)

RatcatcherLevel: 1

Prerequisites: -

Characteristics: Dexterity, Composure

Skills: Crafts, Animal Ken, Common Lore, Perception, Larceny, Stealth, Deceive, Performer,Disguise

Feats:Common Sense*Fast ReflexesBlind FightingLight Sleeper*Weapon Prof (Ordinary)Weapon Prof (Sling)Weapon Prof (Entangling)

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ScholarLevel: 1

Prerequisites: -

Characteristics: Intelligence, Willpower

Skills: Arcana, Academic Lore, Common Lore, Forbidden Lore, Politics, Tech-Use

Feats:Eidetic MemorySpeak Language (Any)Skill Focus (Any Lore)Peer (School)Expanded Knowledge

InitiateLevel: 1

Prerequisites: -

Characteristics: Wisdom, Fellowship

Skills: Academic Lore, Forbidden Lore, Medicae, Crafts

Feats:Divine MinistrationHatred (Heretics)Minor MagicPeer (Religious Organization)*Weapon Prof (Ordinary)

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Bard 1Level: 1

Prerequisites: Charisma 3, Common Lore 3, Performer 1

Characteristics: Charisma, Fellowship, Dexterity

Skills: Academic Lore, Common Lore, Medicae, Politics, Arcana, Acrobatics, Larceny, Per-former, Persuasion, Charm, Deceive, Disguise, Tech-Use

Feats:Speak Language (Any)LuckJack of All TradesPeer (Any)Weapon Prof (Parrying)Weapon Prof (Fencing)

Sword Schools:White RavenDiamond Mind

Magic Schools:EnchantmentIllusion

Bard 2Level: 2

Prerequisites: Charisma 3, Common Lore 4, Performer 2, Enchantment or Illusion at 1, Bard1

Characteristics: Charisma, Fellowship, Dexterity

Skills: Academic Lore, Common Lore, Medicae, Politics, Arcana, Acrobatics, Larceny, Per-former, Persuasion, Charm, Deceive, Disguise, Tech-Use

Feats:Speak LanguagePeer (Any)CatfallArmor Prof (Light)Skill Focus (Any)

Sword Schools:White RavenDiamond Mind

Magic Schools:EnchantmentIllusion

Optional feats are marked with an asterisk (*). Choice feats are marked with OR.

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Bard 3Level: 3

Prerequisites: Charisma 4, Common Lore 4, Performer 3, Enchantment or Illusion at 1, Bard2

Characteristics: Charisma, Fellowship, Dexterity

Skills: Academic Lore, Common Lore, Medicae, Politics, Arcana, Acrobatics, Larceny, Per-former, Persuasion, Charm, Deceive, Disguise, Tech-Use

Feats:Speak LanguagePeer (Any)Weapon Focus (Fencing)DecadenceSkill Focus (Any)

Sword Schools:White RavenDiamond Mind

Magic Schools:EnchantmentIllusion

Bard 4Level: 4

Prerequisites: Charisma 4, Common Lore 4, Performer 4, Enchantment or Illusion at 2, Bard3

Characteristics: Charisma, Fellowship, Dexterity

Skills: Academic Lore, Common Lore, Medicae, Politics, Arcana, Acrobatics, Larceny, Per-former, Persuasion, Charm, Deceive, Disguise, Tech-Use

Feats:Speak LanguageFearlessGood Reputation (Any)Spell Focus (Enchantment or Illusion)Skill Focus (Any)

Sword Schools:White RavenDiamond Mind

Magic Schools:EnchantmentIllusion

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Bard 5Level: 5

Prerequisites: Charisma 5, Common Lore 5, Performer 5, Enchantment or Illusion at 3, Bard4

Characteristics: Charisma, Fellowship, Dexterity

Skills: Academic Lore, Common Lore, Medicae, Politics, Arcana, Acrobatics, Larceny, Per-former, Persuasion, Charm, Deceive, Disguise, Tech-Use

Feats:Expanded KnowledgeHeightened Senses (Hearing)Sound ConstitutionSpeak LanguageSkill Focus (Any)

Sword Schools:White RavenDiamond Mind

Magic Schools:EnchantmentIllusion

Assassin 1Level: 1

Prerequisites: (Weaponry or Ballistics) 2, Stealth 2

Characteristics: Dexterity, Intelligence, Fellowship

Skills: Perception, Common Lore, Acrobatics, Ballistic, Larceny, Stealth, Weaponry, Scrutiny,Persuasion, Charm, Deceive, Athletics, Pilot, Disguise

Feats:Fast ReflexesBlind FightingImproved FeintCatfall*Weapon Prof (Any)Weapon Prof (Any)

Sword Schools:Shadow HandSetting Sun

Optional feats are marked with an asterisk (*). Choice feats are marked with OR.

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Assassin 2Level: 2

Prerequisites: (Weaponry or Ballistics) 2, Stealth 3, Assassin 1

Characteristics: Dexterity, Intelligence, Fellowship

Skills: Perception, Common Lore, Acrobatics, Ballistic, Larceny, Stealth, Weaponry, Scrutiny,Persuasion, Charm, Deceive, Athletics, Pilot, Disguise

Feats:Sneak AttackArmor Prof (Light)CatfallFar Shot OR Furious AssaultSkill Focus (any)*Skill Focus (any)*Weapon Prof (Any)

Sword Schools:Shadow HandSetting Sun

Assassin 3Level: 3

Prerequisites: (Weaponry or Ballistics) 3, Stealth 3, Assassin 2

Characteristics: Dexterity, Intelligence, Fellowship

Skills: Perception, Common Lore, Acrobatics, Ballistic, Larceny, Stealth, Weaponry, Scrutiny,Persuasion, Charm, Deceive, Athletics, Pilot, Disguise

Feats:Fleet of FootQuick DrawSwift Attack OR Deadeye ShotBack StabWeapon Focus (Any)Skill Focus (any)*Skill Focus (any)Weapon Prof (Any)

Sword Schools:Shadow HandSetting Sun

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Assassin 4Level: 4

Prerequisites: (Weaponry or Ballistics) 4, Stealth 4, Assassin 3

Characteristics: Dexterity, Intelligence, Fellowship

Skills: Perception, Common Lore, Acrobatics, Ballistic, Larceny, Stealth, Weaponry, Scrutiny,Persuasion, Charm, Deceive, Athletics, Pilot, Disguise

Feats:Crack Shot OR Crushing BlowHard TargetLuckJadedSkill Focus (any)*Skill Focus (any)*Weapon Prof (Any)

Sword Schools:Shadow HandSetting Sun

Assassin 5Level: 5

Prerequisites: (Weaponry or Ballistics) 5, Stealth 5, Assassin 4

Characteristics: Dexterity, Intelligence, Fellowship

Skills: Perception, Common Lore, Acrobatics, Ballistic, Larceny, Stealth, Weaponry, Scrutiny,Persuasion, Charm, Deceive, Athletics, Pilot, Disguise

Feats:Step AsideAssassin StrikeCounter AttackImproved Back StabDevastating CriticalSkill Focus (any)*Skill Focus (any)*Weapon Prof (Any)

Sword Schools:Shadow HandSetting Sun

Optional feats are marked with an asterisk (*). Choice feats are marked with OR.

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Guardsman 1Level: 1

Prerequisites: Ballistics 2, Athletics 1

Characteristics: Strength, Dexterity

Skills: Perception, Athletics, Drive, Ballistic, Weaponry, Command, Pilot

Feats:Sound Constitution*Sound ConstitutionArmor Proficiency (light)Quick DrawWeapon Proficiency (any)*Weapon Proficiency (any)*Shield ProficiencyJaded

Sword Schools:Iron Heart

Guardsman 2Level: 2

Prerequisites: Ballistics 3, Athletics 2, Guardsman 1

Characteristics: Strength, Dexterity

Skills: Perception, Athletics, Drive, Ballistic, Weaponry, Command, Pilot

Feats:Sound Constitution*Sound ConstitutionBlind FightingCrack ShotFar ShotArmor Proficiency (medium)Weapon Proficiency (any)*Weapon Proficiency (any)Weapon Focus (any)

Sword Schools:Iron Heart

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Guardsman 3Level: 3

Prerequisites: Ballistics 4, Athletics 3, Guardsman 2

Characteristics: Strength, Dexterity

Skills: Perception, Athletics, Drive, Ballistic, Weaponry, Command, Pilot

Feats:Sound Constitution*Sound ConstitutionHip ShootingFast ReflexesDeadeye ShotArmor Proficiency (heavy)Weapon Proficiency (any)*Weapon Proficiency (any)Weapon Focus (any)

Sword Schools:Iron Heart

Guardsman 4Level: 4

Prerequisites: Ballistics 5, Athletics 4, Guardsman 3

Characteristics: Strength, Dexterity

Skills: Perception, Athletics, Drive, Ballistic, Weaponry, Command, Pilot

Feats:Sound Constitution*Sound ConstitutionFearlessIron JawArmor SpecializationHard TargetArmor Proficiency (extreme)Weapon Proficiency (any)*Weapon Proficiency (any)*Weapon Focus (any)

Sword Schools:Iron Heart

Optional feats are marked with an asterisk (*). Choice feats are marked with OR.

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Guardsman 5Level: 5

Prerequisites: Ballistics 5, Athletics 5, Guardsman 4

Characteristics: Strength, Dexterity

Skills: Perception, Athletics, Drive, Ballistic, Weaponry, Command, Pilot

Feats:Sound Constitution*Sound ConstitutionTrue GritSharpshooterSwift AttackArmor Proficiency (Power)Weapon Proficiency (any)*Weapon Proficiency (any)

Sword Schools:Iron Heart

Paladin 1Level: 1

Prerequisites: Weaponry 2, Forbidden Lore 2

Characteristics: Willpower, Wisdom, Constitution

Skills: Medicae, Academic Lore, Forbidden Lore, Arcana, Weaponry, Intimidation, Persuasion,Command

Feats:Pure FaithSound ConstitutionPowerful ChargeHatred (Heretics)Armor Prof (Light)Shield ProfWeapon Prof (any)

Sword Schools:White RavenDevoted Spirit

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Paladin 2Level: 2

Prerequisites: Weaponry 2, Forbidden Lore 3, Paladin 1

Characteristics: Willpower, Wisdom, Constitution

Skills: Medicae, Academic Lore, Forbidden Lore, Arcana, Weaponry, Intimidation, Persuasion,Command

Feats:Peer (Religious Order)GuardianSound ConstitutionArmor Prof (medium)Divine BondDivine Grace*Weapon Prof (any)

Sword Schools:White RavenDevoted Spirit

Paladin 3Level: 3

Prerequisites: Weaponry 3, Forbidden Lore 4, Paladin 2

Characteristics: Willpower, Wisdom, Constitution

Skills: Medicae, Academic Lore, Forbidden Lore, Arcana, Weaponry, Intimidation, Persuasion,Command

Feats:Sound ConstitutionDivine MinistrationTrue GritArmor Prof (heavy)*Weapon Focus (any)Swift Attack

Sword Schools:White RavenDevoted Spirit

Optional feats are marked with an asterisk (*). Choice feats are marked with OR.

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Paladin 4Level: 4

Prerequisites: Weaponry 4, Forbidden Lore 4, Paladin 3

Characteristics: Willpower, Wisdom, Constitution

Skills: Medicae, Academic Lore, Forbidden Lore, Arcana, Weaponry, Intimidation, Persuasion,Command

Feats:Armor Prof (Extreme)Sound ConstitutionGood Reputation (Religious Order)Sound ConstitutionWall of SteelBlademaster*Skill Focus (Any)

Sword Schools:White RavenDevoted Spirit

Paladin 5Level: 5

Prerequisites: Weaponry 5, Forbidden Lore 5, Paladin 4

Characteristics: Willpower, Wisdom, Constitution

Skills: Medicae, Academic Lore, Forbidden Lore, Arcana, Weaponry, Intimidation, Persuasion,Command

Feats:Armor Specialization (Any)Sound ConstitutionFearlessArmor Prof (Power)Armor of ContemptDeath Before Defeat

Sword Schools:White RavenDevoted Spirit

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Barbarian 1Level: 1

Prerequisites: Weaponry 2, Athletics 1

Characteristics: Strength, Dexterity

Skills: Crafts, Athletics, Drive, Weaponry, Intimidation, Animal Ken, Brawl

Feats:FrenzyDanger SenseArmor Proficiency (light)Power AttackWeapon Proficiency (any)*Weapon Proficiency (any)

Sword Schools:Stone DragonTiger ClawDesert Wind

Barbarian 2Level: 2

Prerequisites: Weaponry 3, Athletics 2, Barbarian 1

Characteristics: Strength, Dexterity

Skills: Crafts, Athletics, Drive, Weaponry, Intimidation, Animal Ken, Brawl

Feats:JadedQuick DrawLight SleeperPowerful ChargeWeapon Proficiency (any)*Weapon Proficiency (any)Weapon Focus (any)

Sword Schools:Stone DragonTiger ClawDesert Wind

Optional feats are marked with an asterisk (*). Choice feats are marked with OR.

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Barbarian 3Level: 3

Prerequisites: Weaponry 4, Athletics 3, Barbarian 2

Characteristics: Strength, Dexterity

Skills: Crafts, Athletics, Drive, Weaponry, Intimidation, Animal Ken, Brawl

Feats:Crushing BlowFurious AssaultSwift AttackArmor Proficiency (medium)Weapon Proficiency (any)*Weapon Proficiency (any)

Sword Schools:Stone DragonTiger ClawDesert Wind

Barbarian 4Level: 4

Prerequisites: Weaponry 5, Athletics 4, Barbarian 3

Characteristics: Strength, Dexterity

Skills: Crafts, Athletics, Drive, Weaponry, Intimidation, Animal Ken, Brawl

Feats:Battle RageFearlessIron JawCleaveWeapon Proficiency (any)*Weapon Proficiency (any)*Weapon Focus (any)

Sword Schools:Stone DragonTiger ClawDesert Wind

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Barbarian 5Level: 5

Prerequisites: Weaponry 5, Athletics 5, Barbarian 4

Characteristics: Strength, Dexterity

Skills: Crafts, Athletics, Drive, Weaponry, Intimidation, Animal Ken, Brawl

Feats:Devastating CriticalTrue GritLightning AttackArmor Proficiency (Heavy)Weapon Proficiency (any)*Weapon Proficiency (any)

Sword Schools:Stone DragonTiger ClawDesert Wind

Optional feats are marked with an asterisk (*). Choice feats are marked with OR.

"Strangers from distant lands... friends of old. You have been sum-moned here to answer the threat of Mortarion. Terros stands upon the brinkof destruction. None can escape ot. You will unite... or you will fall. Each raceis bound to this fate... this one doom."

A council had gathered in that small forest. The elven elder stood be-fore a group of just over twenty that represented the free peoples of Terros.He nodded to a halfling.

"Bring forth the ring, Prefect," the elder said. The young halflingstepped forward and put a simple gold ring on the stone plinth that was thefocus of the gathering, then returned to his seat.

"So it is true," Brother Boromos of the White Templars muttered, hisvoice raspy through the filter of his power armor's ventilator.

"Saurious' ring! The ring of power!" Megablos, one of the local elves,exclaimed. One of the squats looked at the ring and shook his head.

"The doom of man," the squat muttered."It is a gift," Brother Boromos said. "We can use this ring to strike at

the enemy, if it is such a powerful artifact.""You cannot wield it," Walker said, gruffly. He brushed his hands over

his denim pants, dislodging road dust. "None of us can. The one ring answersto the daemon Saurious alone."

"And what would a ranger know of this matter?" Brother Boromosasked, turning to face Walker. Walker just fixed him with a level gaze. The airfilled with unspoken threat.

"He is no mere ranger," Megablos said, trying to defuse the situation"He is Walker, son of Tecksas."

"Walker?" Boromos asked, quietly. "Norris' heir?" There was a gentlecough as a man dressed in strange robes, the robes of the Syrneth, spoke up.

"Walker is right... we cannot use it," the wizard said."We have only one choice," said the elven elder. "The ring must be de-

stroyed." The squat suddenly stood up, bringing his meltagun to bear."Then... what are we waiting for?" He asked. He fired the meltagun.

There was a crack as the superheated air washed over the group. The stoneplinth vanished, turning into ash and molten stone. The ring hung suspendedin midair for a moment, then landed on the ground with the tone of puremetal, unharmed. Pentagrammatic wards flared on its surface, an evil and ar-cane script.

"The ring cannot be destroyed," the elder said, to the suddenly silentchamber, "Cheri, son of Chearwin, by any craft that we here possess. The ringwas made in the fires of Mount Kismet... only there can it be unmade. It mustbe taken deep into Mortarion, and cast back into the firey chasm from whenceit came. One of you must do this."

"One does not simply walk into Mortarion," Brother Boromos said. "Itsblack gates are guarded by worse than just orks. There is evil there that doesnot sleep and the Great Eye is ever watchful." He paused. "We will need totake drop pods. We shall not fail in this. Before this day is done, the evil ofMortarion will fall."

eats are the bread and butter ofclasses. Raw talent and skill is always good,but the difference between a good swordsmanand a great swordsman is that the greatswordsman knows more techniques and whento use them.

Whereas Skills represent abilitiesgained through learning or training, Feats areproficiencies gained through intrinsic charac-teristics and experience over time. A Clericmight gain additional graces from his God, aMagic User might further hone his sorcerousabilities, and a Guardsman would becomemore adept with his weapons after survivingmany combats.

From the exploration of unchartedcrystal spheres to wiping the monsters fromtheir surface to negotiating trade agreementswith the survivors, Heroes need every ounceof their abilities to emerge victorious and writetheir legend across the stars.

Planning out effective and flavourfulcombinations of Feats and Skills that match acharacter's background can be an enjoyableprocesss for the entire game group, and canprovide interesting ideas for the SM or otherplayers to further cement their relationshipsand adversaries. Perhaps two characters

trained under the same teacher to get a certainfeat, or a player might use the Hatred feat toinspire him about events in his character’sbackstory.

FEAT GROUPSSeveral feats represent a general abil-

ity that can be applied to a specific categorywithin that group. As some of these groupshave man sub-categories, they have been col-lected into related groups. When selecting oneof these feats, the player chooses one of the en-tries from the group. Thus, when selecting thePeer feat, the Hero would also choose a spe-cific group or organization from the feat groupsuch as Peer (Mercykillers). Each time theHero gains the talent, he may choose a differ-ent specialisation, so the next time he selectsit, he might opt for Peer (Elves).

In many cases a class will have thefeat's group already chosen for you - a Paladindoesn't have just Peer, but Peer (ReligiousOrder). In this case, you do not get to make achoice as to the group the feat applies to.Often, group listings are representative as op-posed to all-inclusive. Consequently, eventhough "Clan Jade Falcon" isn't specificallylisted in the Peer feat group, it can still be cho-sen with SM approval.

VIIFEATS, ASSETS,

AND HINDRANCES

F

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HINDRANCES

AbsolutionYou can preform incredible feats of healing, removing diseases and poisons alikewith a touch.

Archmage Tradition Your mastery of magic has reached its peak, giving you more control over it.

Armor Proficiency (-)* You may use a given armor type with fewer penalties.

Armor Specialization* The chosen armor type provides more armor.

Assassin Strike Whenever you make a melee attack, you may make an acrobatics check to move.

Back Stab If you are ganging up on your opponent, you gain a bonus to damage rolls.

Battle Rage While using Frenzy, you may make parry actions.

Blademaster You may reroll a missed melee attack once per round.

Blind Fighting Take only a small penalty to attacking while blind.

Catfall Halve falling distance when calculating damage, always land on your feet.

Channel Energy You can channel raw magical power to heal or harm.

Cleave When you kill someone, you have enough power to get the guy next to him.

Combat Master Opponents gain no bonuses for outnumbering you in melee combat.

Common Sense Whenever you're about to do something stupid, the SM can tell you.

Counter Attack When you parry an attack, you may make an attack against that opponent.

Crack Shot Ranged attacks you make deal more damage.

Crushing Blow Melee attacks you make deal more damage.

Danger Sense May act normally in a surprise round.

Deadeye Shot You take a smaller penalty to your attacks for making a called shot.

Death Before Defeat You may spend a Hero point to ignore the effects of a single critical hit.

Decadence You are never affected by drugs or alcohol.

Defensive Mobility The TN to hit you with opportunity attacks is increased by 5.

Devastating Critical Whenever you deal critical damage to an opponent, deal an additional wound.

Divine Bond You gain a holy steed that can be summoned at will.

Divine Grace You can resist some magical effects with the force of your personality.

Divine Ministration Spend a Hero point to heal a target and remove fatigue.

Eidetic Memory You have total recall.

Evasion When making a dodge check, you may move a short distance.

Expanded Knowledge You are treated as having a specialization in all lores.

Far Shot You don't suffer penalties for firing at Long Range.

Fast Reflexes You may reroll your initiative.

Fearless You are immune to all fear effects.

Fleet of Foot You're fast on your feet, but prone to tire yourself.

Foresight You may spend time examining a problem to get a bonus to your next Int Test.

Frenzy Work yourself into a frothing rage and you get stronger and stupider.

Furious AssaultIf you take an All Out Attack and the attack is successful, you may make a sec-ond attack with the same bonuses and penalties.

Good Reputation* You gain a bonus to social rolls with a group you have as a Peer.

Greater Spell Focus Gain an additional free raise to magic rolls with a specific school of magic.

GuardianYou may use Parry actions against attacks made by or against targets withinmelee range of you, allowing you to protect others.

Hard Target Whenever you charge or run, opponents find it harder to shoot at you.

Hardy You heal one additional Hit Point per day.

Hatred* You gain a bonus to Weaponry against members of a certain group or race.

Heightened Senses* Gain a bonus to all checks made using one of your senses.

Hip Shooting You may take a Full Move and make a single attack with a Pistol.

Impliment Focus When using an Impliment, you may reroll one die on your Magic Tests.

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Improved Back Stab If you are ganging up on your opponent, you gain a bonus to damage rolls.

Improved Feint Even when you don't quite succeed at a feint, it still has some effect.

Improved Sneak Attack Ignore the armor of targets unaware of your attacks.

Improved Weapon Focus* Gain a bonus to attacks made with a specific type of weapon.

Improved Weapon Specialization* Gain additional damage done with a specific type of weapon.

Improvisational Magic You may spend a Hero point to try casting spells you don't even know.

Iron Jaw Whenever you become stunned you may make a Con Test to shrug it off.

Jack of All Trades You do not suffer penalties for making skill checks untrained.

Jaded You never need to roll fear checks against normal scenes of gore and death.

Lightning Attack As a full action, you may make three attacks at a penalty to hit.

Light Sleeper You are always counted as awake, even when asleep.

Luck You may reroll one roll per day.

Minor Magic* Your training has given you a small amount of magic ability.

Obtain Familiar You get a small friend who can do your bidding.

Peer* You gain a bonus to Social rolls with a certain group.

Power Attack Hit less often, but do more damage.

Powerful Charge You gain a bonus to damage rolls on a charge.

Pure Faith You have easier Alignment checks.

Quick Draw You may ready a weapon as a free action.

Sharpshooter You do not take a penalty to attacks when making a Called Shot.

Shield Proficiency You may use Shields with no penalty.

Skill Focus* Gain a skill speciality.

Sneak Attack Halve armor of targets unaware of your attacks.

Sound Constitution* Gain 1 additional Hit Point.

Speak Language* Learn to speak one additional language.

Spell Book*Choose a school of magic. You may learn one additional spell from that schoolat a rank you already possess.

Spell Focus* Gain a free raise to magic rolls with a specific school of magic.

Spell Mastery* You may reroll magic Tests with one spell.

Spell MightYou can put more power into your spells, making them more difficult to castbut with a better payoff.

Spell Penetration Tests made to resist your spells need an additional raise to succeed.

Spell Specialization* Once per scene you may reroll a failed magic check from a chosen school.

Step Aside You may Dodge one extra time per round.

Strong Minded You may reroll failed Willpower Tests made to resist magic.

Swift Attack As a full action, you may make two attacks at -2k0 to hit.

Tested You have been Sanctioned, making your magic safer.

Touch Spell Spec You gain a bonus to hit with all spells that require you to make an attack.

True Grit Take less critical damage from attacks.

Two Weapon Fighting Hold two weapons in order to attack more often.

Unremarkable Attempts to pick the character out of a crowd or describe him are at a penalty.

Virgil's GuidanceYou can get away with more than most people can, making it easier to keepyour devotion high.

Wall of Steel You may Parry one extra time per round.

Weapon Focus* Gain a bonus to attacks made with a specific type of weapon.

Weapon Proficiency* Use a category of weapons with no penalties.

Weapon Specialization* Gain additional damage done with a specific type of weapon.

Wizard Tradition*Wizards have many secret methods and traditions. You happen to know someof them.

* this feat may be taken more than once. If it has groups, you must choose a different group each time.

RACIAL FEATSRacial feats are special feats that, in-

stead of being purchased for a character'sclass, are purchased by virtue of being of a par-ticular race. You can purchase these feats atany time, spending the normal amount forthem, as though they were part of your char-acter's class list.

ASSETSAssets are a special type of feat that

can only be taken during character creationand at no time afterwards. More than otherfeats, they represent something that is a coreof your character. You may spend any amountof your starting XP on buying Assets.

EXALTED ASSETSEach of the types of Exalt have a

number of Assets they can purchase to im-prove their base powers as Exalted or to showthat they belong to a certain tribe or castewithin their society. With the exception ofParagon Assets, taking an Exalted Asset meansthat you cannot take a second Exalted Asset.

HINDRANCESHindrances are something like the op-

posite of assets. Where an asset is somethingyou spend XP on during character creation toget a bonus, Hindrances are a penalty you takein order to get 100 bonus XP to spend duringcharacter creation. A character can take up totwo hindrances during character creation, butcan't just decide to pick one up later and getsome free XP. While it is possible to get an ad-ditional Hindrance during play - it's certainlyeasy to get a new Enemy or to become Wanted- Hidrances gained during play are at the dis-cretion of the SM and don't give XP, just thepenalty.

FEAT DESCRIPTIONSFollowing is the full rules text of the

general feats list. Note that if there is a discrep-ancy between the text in this listing and thetable on the previous pages, the text should beconsidered correct.

AbsolutionYou can preform incredible feats of healing,removing diseases and poisons alike with atouch. By spending a hero point, you maytouch a target and remove one ongoing effect.If that effect comes from a source greater thanyour own power - an Exalt with a higher level,a god, or another being of similar power, thisability might not work at the SM's discretion.

Archmage TraditionsYour mastery of magic has reached its peak,giving you real mastery over it. Choose one ofthe following options:

Arcane MasteryWhenever you cast a spell, you may spend ahero point in order to copy it on his next turn.You may cast the same spell without rolling amagic check, using the same result as you hadon this turn.

SpellbloomWhenever you cast a spell, you're surroundedby an aura of energy that makes it easier forothers to cast. When you cast a spell for thefirst time each round, all allies who cast a spellwithin 3m have the TN of that spell's magiccheck reduced by 5.

Armor ProficiencyGroups: Light, Medium, Heavy, Ex-

treme, PowerIt takes training to wear armor without it get-ting in the way. You can use armor with fewerpenalties. With light and medium armor yousuffer no penalties at all, and with heavy, ex-treme, and power armor you reduce thearmor's penalty to your static defense by 3.Without the appropriate feat, you apply thearmor's AP as a penalty to your static defense.

Armor SpecializationChoose a particular category of armor (light,medium, heavy, extreme, or Power). Thanksto your extreme training the chosen armortype provides +1 armor.

Assassin StrikeOne of the most important things about beingan assassin is getting away after doing thedeed. Whenever you make a melee attack, you

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may make an Acrobatics Test against a TN of20 to move at your Half Move rate as a freeaction. Your opponent does not get a free at-tack against you for disengaging.

Back StabYou have a talent for finding the best place tostab someone when they're busy with someoneelse. If you are ganging up on your opponent,you gain +1k0 to damage rolls.

Battle RageEven when you're in a blind rage, you've gotenough skill with a sword to surprise most.While using Frenzy, you may make parry ac-tions.

BlademasterYour mastery of sword and knife is unsur-passed and your blade always strikes true. Youmay reroll a missed melee attack once perround.

Blind FightingThrough years of practice and training with ablast shield down, you can fight without hav-ing to use your eyes. Take only -1k0 to hitwhile blind instead of the normal penalties.

CatfallYou are nimble and balanced, like a cat, andare able to fall much greater distances un-harmed than others might. Halve falling dis-tance when calculating damage, always landon your feet.

Channel EnergyYou can channel raw magical power to heal orharm. As a half action, you may touch a targetand spend up to twice your level in resourcepoints. For every two resource points youspend, you may heal the target of one HitPoint or damage it for one wound.

CleaveWhen you kill someone, you have enough fol-low-through to get the guy next to him. Thefirst time you kill an enemy with a melee attackin a round, you may spend a reaction actionto make a melee attack against another enemy

within your reach.

Combat MasterThrough a combination of reflex and percep-tion you're able to keep many more opponentsat bay in melee than someone with only aver-age skill. Opponents gain no bonuses for out-numbering you in melee combat. Not onlydoes this include the normal bonuses for gang-ing up, but also bonuses from talents like BackStab.

Common SenseThere are many times in which a player mightbe about to do a stupid and not quite know it.With Common Sense, the SM can ask theplayer to make a Wisdom roll against TN 15in order to pick up on the fact.

Counter AttackWhile it can be dangerous, the best opportu-nity to hurt someone can be when they've leftthemselves open attacking you. When you suc-cessfully parry an attack, you may make an at-tack against that opponent with the weaponyou used to parry, taking -2k0 to that attackbecause of the awkward nature of the blow.

Crack ShotYou are able to target your shots at the placeswhere they're really going to do some harm.Ranged attacks you make deal +4 damage.

Crushing BlowYour melee strikes land with force enough toshatter bone. Melee attacks you make deal +4damage.

Danger SenseYou are never surprised. While you might betaken unaware, you may act normally duringthe surprise round regardless of if your partyis taken by surprise or not.

Deadeye ShotYou always hit an opponent right between theeyes. Or wherever else you're aiming. You takeonly -1k0 to your attacks for making a calledshot. Without this feat, you take -2k0 to yourattacks for making a called shot.

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Death before DefeatAll you need is some pure bloody-mindedstubbonness to push through the worst pain.You may spend a Hero point to ignore the ef-fects of a single critical hit as long as that hitwould not cause death.

DecadenceEither through mental and physical training...or more likely, through years of experimentingwith mind-altering drugs, you've built up a tol-erance even above the average Hero. You arenever affected by drugs or alcohol, or at leastyou can sober up quickly enough to do what-ever you need to do.

Defensive MobilityYou present a hard target to catch unawares.Even when you leave yourself open to an at-tack you aren't easy to hit. You get a +5 bonusto your static defense against opportunity at-tacks.

Devastating CriticalWhen you're putting someone down, they godown hard. Whenever you deal critical dam-age to an opponent, deal an additional wound.

Divine BondYou gain a holy steed that can be summonedat will. This typically takes the form of awarhorse, but depending on the culture of theuser, it can form any other appropriate ridinganimal or small ground vehicle. It takes a fullaction to summon the steed, and it can remainfor a full day. If it is lost or destroyed, the char-acter is unable to use this feat for three dayswhile the bonded steed reforms.

Divine GraceYou can resist some magical effects with theforce of your personality. You may use yourCharisma in place of your Willpower when at-tempting to resist enemy or enironmental ef-fects.

Divine MinistrationSome can lay hands on someone suffering andremove their wounds. You may spend a hero

point to touch a target and remove a level offatigue and heal the target for 1d5 Hit Points.

Eidetic MemoryYou have perfect recall. As long as you'veheard or read something, you can reproduceit in detail with no real difficulty.

EvasionWhen you get out of the way, you really getout of the way. When making a dodge check,you may move a distance equal to your Dex-terity in meters. You don't provoke an oppor-tunity attack from the enemy whose attack youdodged, though you provoke opportunity at-tacks from other enemies as normal.

Expanded KnowledgeThere's knowing things and there's reallyknowing things. You may gain an additionalspecialty for all of your Lore skills. This does-n't have to be the same specialty for each loreskill, and this doesn't prevent you from gettinga specialty later if you don't have one whenyou take this feat.

Far ShotYou can lead a shot like a pro. There are fewwho can surpass your sniping skills. You don'tsuffer penalties for firing at Long Range. Youstill suffer the same penalties for firing at Ex-treme range.

Fast ReflexesYou always expect trouble, even in the mostinnocuous situations, allowing you to actquickly when needed. You may reroll your ini-tiative dice. If you choose to do so, you musttake the result of the reroll, even if it would beworse.

FearlessThrough hard experience with horrifying sit-uations, fear no longer commands your ac-tions. You are immune to all fear effects.Disengaging from combat or backing downfrom a fight requires a successful willpowerTest (TN 15).

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Fleet of FootYou're quick on your feet and can push your-self to be even faster. When making a FullMove action, you may move an additional dis-tance equal to your Dex in meters. When run-ning, you may double your movement for oneround. Using this talent two turns in a rowgives you one level of fatigue.

ForesightLogic and analysis do for you what divinationand luck do for others. You may spend 10minutes examining a problem to get a freeraise to your next Int Test.

FrenzyYour temper and passion boil just below thesurface of your mind, mostly held in check buteasily released when it's time to ride the beast.By spending one full action to work yourselfinto a rage, you gain +1 to your strength andconstitution, -2 to your intellegence and wis-dom until the end of combat, and you mustmake a melee attack or move closer to anenemy on each of your turns. You may notmake parry actions.

Furious AssaultYour speed and martial prowess allow you toland several blows where lesser combatantscan land only one. If you take an All Out At-tack and the attack is successful, hitting thetarget and dealing at least one wound to it, youmay make a second attack with the samebonuses and penalties.

Good ReputationGroups: Academics, Sigil's Factons,

Churches, Specific Races, Government, TheMilitary, Middle Classes, Nobility, the Insane,Underworld, Workers, etc.Your reputation precedes you in interactionswith a specific group or faction, opening doorsthat might otherwise remain closed. You gain+0k1 to Charm, Persuasion, and Commandrolls with a group you have as a Peer.

Greater Spell FocusYou have focused your efforts on casting spellsfrom a specific school of magic. If your magic

Test is successful when casting spells from acertain school of magic, you may apply anextra raise to that magic Test for the purposeof determining the spell's effect. This stackswith Spell Focus.

GuardianYears of serving as a bodyguard allow you toput yourself in the line of fire or take a mur-derous attack that was meant for another. Youmay use Parry actions against attacks made byor against targets within melee range of you,allowing you to protect others. If the parry ac-tions are unsuccessful, you are hit by the at-tack instead of the intended target.

Hard TargetLight on your feet, you dodge and weave asyou move, skills learned from long years in theline of fire. Whenever you charge or run, op-ponents take -2k0 with Ballistics skill Testsmade to hit you with a ranged weapon untilyour next turn.

HardyYou rebound quickly from shock or injury.You are always counted as Lightly Woundedwhile recovering from injuries.

HatredGroups: Criminals, Rival Group (spe-

cific), Pirates, Race (specific), Magic Users,Heretics, etc.A group, organization, or race has wrongedyou in the past, fueling this animosity. Yougain +1k0 to Weaponry rolls made to attackmembers of a certain group or race. You mustbe aware the enemy is of that group or race togain the bonus.

Heightened SensesGroups: Sight, Sound, Smell, etc.

Either genetics or augmetics have made one ofyour senses superior to others. Gain +1k0 toall checks made using a chosen sense. Thisability cannot give a bonus to attack rolls, butif there is a penalty due to environmental con-ditions (fighting in darkness, for example), thebonus can be applied to reduce the penalty ifit would be applicable.

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Hip ShootingYour prowess with ranged weapons is suchthat he can still fire accurately without usingthe sights. You may, as a Full Action, take aFull Move and make a single attack with aranged weapon. This attack can only be a sin-gle shot - no automatic fire.

Impliment FocusYou've trained long and hard with using a wiz-ard impliment, a wand, rod, staff, or Orb.When using an Impliment, you may reroll onedie on your Magic Tests.

Improved Back StabYou can slide your blade between someone'sribs like no one else. If you are ganging up onyour opponent, you gain +0k1 to damagerolls.

Improved FeintEven when you don't quite succeed at a feint,it still has some effect. Even on a failed Feintattempt, the target suffers -1k0 to reactions.

Improved Sneak AttackWhen someone doesn't notice one of your at-tacks coming, it's usually the last thing theydon't hear. Ignore the armor of targets un-aware of your attacks. They still take penaltiesto their Static Defense, if they don't have theappropriate feats, but gain no damage reduc-tion from the armor.

Improved Weapon FocusYou can hit the bull's eye every time you throwa dart. Gain an additional +0k1 to attacksmade with a specific type of weapon. Youmust choose a specific weapon type - not just,say, Bolt Weapons, but specifically a HeavyBolter. While this bonus will apply to allweapons of the appropriate type regardless ofmake or quality, it will not apply to others evenif they have the same proficiency.

Improved Weapon Specialization

Long training and careful study have let youbecome adept at putting the hurt on with your

chosen weapon. Gain an additional +0k1 todamage done with a specific type of weapon.You must choose a specific weapon type - notjust, say, Las Weapons, but specifically a Las-gun. While this bonus will apply to allweapons of the appropriate type regardless ofmake or quality, it will not apply to others evenif they have the same proficiency.

Improvisational MagicYou may spend a Hero point to cast one spellof any school that is of a lower rank than thehighest rank of Magic you possess. For exam-ple, if you have Evocations at rank 4, you mayspend a hero point to cast a rank 3 Conjura-tion effect, a rank 3 divination effect, and soon. You still use that spell's normal magiccheck, so attempting to cast Necromatic spellswhen you aren't a vampire is going to end infailure before you even try.

Iron JawYou've taken blows from Orks and given backas good as you got. Whenever you becomestunned you may make a Con Test (TN 10 +5 x Number of rounds you'd be stunned) toshrug it off. You may only make this checkonce, at the time you become stunned.

Jack of All TradesThere's nothing you can't try your hand at andhave at least a chance at success. You may at-tempt to use Advanced skills with no ranks inthem, just like basic skills. If you have zeroranks in a basic skill, you get +1k0 when usingthat skill.

JadedYour wide travels have shown both wondersand horrors beyond the ken of most. TheGreat Wheel has thrown its worst at you andyou have yet to flinch. You never need to rollfear checks against normal scenes of gore anddeath. Supernatural effects will still cause youto roll fear normally.

Lightning AttackYour speed with weapons is legendary, allow-ing you to launch flurries of attacks. You maymake three melee attacks at -2k0 to hit with

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the multiple attacks action. If you also haveSwift attack, it's important to note that thesetwo feats do not stack - you can choose to usethe multiple attacks action to use LightningAttack or Swift Attack, but not both at once.

Light SleeperThe slighTest change in conditions or distur-bance brings you from sleep to full awareness.You are always counted as awake, even whenasleep. You don't count as helpless whileyou're resting, though it's possible someonewill still sneak up on you. You are consideredto be aware of what's going on around you,though stealth will work normally.

LuckIs it better to be lucky or good? You've cer-tainly got the luck part down. You may rerollone die per day. This can be any die, even analignment check.

Minor MagicYour training has given you a small amount ofmagic ability. You gain a single level in anymagical school in which you have no levels.

Obtain FamiliarYou get a small animal companion like a rat,toad, or raven. It can follow simple orders,carry messages, and so forth. In some cultures,this may not be a real animal, but instead asimple robot or magical servant.

PeerGroups: Academics, Sigil's Factons,

Churches, Specific Races, Government, TheMilitary, Middle Classes, Nobility, the Insane,Underworld, Workers, etc.You're adept at dealing with a particular socialgroup or organization. You gain +1k0 toCharm, Persuasion, and Command rolls witha certain group.

Power AttackYou can really put your back into it and cut.When making a melee attack, you may take -1k0 to hit in order to deal +1k0 damage. If youmake multiple attacks during a round, youmust decide to use this ability before making

any attacks, and it applies to all of your attacksthat round.

Powerful ChargeWhen you throw yourself into a fight, you getto put your body weight behind your swings.You gain +1k0 to melee damage rolls on acharge.

Pure FaithThanks to your true faith, you know what youcan get away with. You gain +1 to all align-ment checks.

Quick DrawYou've practiced so frequently with yourweapons that they practically leap into yourhands, ready for action. You may ready aweapon as a free action.

SharpshooterYour steady hand and eagle eyes allow you toplace shots exactly where you like. You do nottake a penalty to attacks from making a CalledShot.

Shield ProficiencyYou can use a big sheet of metal to protectyourself without it getting in the way. You mayuse Shields with no penalty. Without this feat,the -1k0 penalty a shield has for being a de-fensive weapon applies to all attacks.

Skill FocusWhile everyone has something they're focusedon, you put forth an effort to be really good atsomething in particular. Gain an additionalskill speciality. You do not need to have 4ranks in that skill in order to gain this special-ity, and you still get the normal speciality at 4ranks.

Sneak AttackWith long training, you know how to get to thetenderest part of a person's body when theyaren't protecting themselves. Halve armor oftargets unaware of your attacks, rounding up.The targets still take their normal penalty tostatic defense (if it applies).

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Sound ConstitutionThanks to being as tough as iron, you can takemore hits than most. You gain one additionalHit Points.

Speak LanguageGroups: Human, Elven, Squat,

Trade, Syrneth, Gnomish, Celestial, Infernal,Eldarin, Dark Eldarin, Clawspeak, Draconic,Orkish, etc.It can take a lot to learn a new language. Learnto speak one additional language of yourchoice.

Spell BookMost of the time, a person can only learn asmall fraction of the spells in a particular spellschool. But with this feat, you have expandedyour talents to learning more tricks. Choose aschool of magic. You may learn one additionalspell from that school at a rank you alreadypossess. Without this feat, you may only learnone spell from a school at a given rank.

Spell FocusMost mages are best in one particular area. Ifyour magic Test is successful when castingspells from a certain school of magic, you mayapply an extra raise to that magic Test for thepurpose of determining the spell's effect. Thisstacks with Greater Spell Focus.

Spell MasteryBy practicing the motions of a spell over andover again, you can make sure you'll be able tocast it even in the worst circumstances.Choose a single spell of the third rank orlower. You may reroll failed checks to cast thatspell.

Spell MightYou can put more power into your spells,making them more difficult to cast but with abetter payoff. You may take -2k0 to a MagicRoll in order to add 5 to the final result.

Spell PenetrationIt's harder to resist your spells, the energyblasting through defenses both mental andphysical. Tests made to resist your spells need

an additional raise to succeed.

Spell SpecializationMost sorcerers are best with a certain type ofspells - blowing things up, healing, seeing thefuture, whatever. Choose a school of magic.Once per scene you may reroll a failed magiccheck from that school.

Step AsideYou are quick at getting out of the way of at-tacks. You gain an additional reaction actionevery round which may only be spent in orderto use the Dodge action.

Strong MindedYour mind is like a fortress guarded againstpsychic attack. You may reroll one failedWillpower Test made to resist magic perscene.

Swift AttackYour skill with a blade lets you attack morequickly than average. With the multiple attackaction, you may make two attacks at -2k0 tohit. If you also have lightning attack, it's im-portant to note that these two feats do notstack - you can choose to use the multiple at-tacks action to use Lightning Attack or SwiftAttack, but not both at once.

TestedYou have been Sanctioned by an official or-ganization, Tested and found to be stable.You count as a Sanctioned Sorcerer whenrolling magic Tests. Without this feat, youcount as an Unsactioned Sorcerer, which canbe bad.

Touch Spell SpecializationAiming a spell is almost exactly unlike aiminga gun. That doesn't mean you can't get betterat it and you're living proof. You gain +1k0 tohit with all spells that require you to make anattack.

True GritYou can shrug off wounds that would felllesser men. Whenever you suffer critical dam-age, you may halve the result (rounding up).

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Two Weapon FightingWhen armed with two weapons of the sametype (melee or ranged), you gain adittional at-tack with the second weapon when making amultiple attack action at -2k0 penalty to hit.Normally this allows you to make two attacks,but if you have Swift or Lightning attack, youcan make three or four attacks, respectively.

UnremarkableYou have a forgettable face and are able toblend in with a crowd. Attempts to pick thecharacter out of a crowd or describe him areat -2k0 penalty. This is partly a supernaturaleffect, so even with eidetic memory, thepenalty still applies.

Virgil's GuidanceYou can get away with more than most peoplecan, making it easier to keep your devotionhigh. You can buy Devotion at only half of thenormal cost.

Wall of SteelYour blades are so quick that they form a wallof impenetrable steel. You gain an additionalreaction action every round which may onlybe used to Parry an attack.

Weapon FocusYou've focused your training on a singleweapon. Gain +1k0 to attacks made with aspecific type of weapon. You must choose aspecific weapon type - not just, say, OrdinaryWeapons, but specifically a Shotgun. Whilethis bonus will apply to all weapons of the ap-propriate type regardless of make or quality, itwill not apply to others even if they have thesame proficiency.

Weapon ProficiencyChoices: Ordinary, Parrying, Cavalry,

Flail, Fencing, Two Handed, Bows, Slings,Entangling, Throwing, Las, Plasma, Melta,Syrneth, Exotic, Flame, Unarmed.Training can show a person just how to use aweapon properly - not shooting a las weaponat a mirror, for example. Without this feat, youmay not apply your Weaponry or Ballistic skill

when making attacks with the weapon type,but instead must merely roll your Dexterity.

Weapon SpecializationYou've got a real knack for putting the pain on.Gain +1k0 to damage done with a specifictype of weapon. You must choose a specificweapon type - not just, say, Exotic Weapons,but specifically a Needle Gun. While thisbonus will apply to all weapons of the appro-priate type regardless of make or quality, it willnot apply to others even if they have the sameproficiency.

Wizard TraditionsWizards have many secret methods and tradi-tions. You happen to know some of them.Whenever you take this feat, choose one of thefollowing. You may not choose the same op-tion twice.

Hidden FlameWhenever you cast an illusion spell, you canthrow on a minor rider effect. All enemieswithin 5m of the illusion's effected area whenthe spell is cast become Dazzled.

Iron SigilWhenever you cast an abjuration spell, youmay choose to gain Aura equal to 5 plus yourrank in Abjuration that lasts until the begin-ning of your next turn. Aura reduces damageyou take from magical sources (like armordoes for all damage) but only affects magicalsources.

Golden WyvernWhenever you cast an divination spell, thenext time you roll initiative, you get a bonusto the roll equal to your ranks in divination.

Emerald FrostWhen casting an Evocation spell, choose onetarget hit by your Evocation attack and reducetheir armor when calculating damage by anamount equal to twice your rank in Evocation.

Serpent EyeWhenever you cast and Enchantment spell,the target's Static Defense is reduced by 2 untilthe end of your next turn, even if the spell hasno effect on the target.

StormwalkerWhenever you cast an Evocation spell, youdeal additional damage to all targets hit by itequal to your level.

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RACIAL FEATS

Able DrinkerSquats can hold their booze like no one else.When you drink, not only do you not sufferany penalties from being drunk, but whileyou're drunk you gain +1 to your size for thepurpose of determining Hit Points lost from

damage.

Able LearnerHumans are good at picking up new skills.You need to pay only half the normal cost forthe first rank of a skill.

Celestial WrathStars shine, the wind blows, birds sing, and

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Racial Feats

Human

Able Learner You pay less to pick up new skills.

Human Perseverance It's harder to oppose your actions.

Elf

Elven Precision You're not just a good shot, you're even better than the average elf.

Light Step You can move around like a ghost, barely touching the earth.

Squat

Able Drinker Drinking is in your blood. Or maybe that's the ale talking.

Squat Stability Being low to the ground makes it hard to knock you over.

Halfling

Second Chance Even a sure hit can somehow miss one of the sneaky hobbits.

Halfling Agility You gain a bonus to your agility that makes it hard to fail.

Dragonborn

Dragonborn Frenzy A smart man wouldn't get you riled up. Getting hurt makes you angry.

Dragon Sight You can see in the dark with the senses of your draconic ancestors.

Eldarin

Guess Destination When you move through the warp, you can move out of line of sight.

Extra Warp Your warp step can be used more often.

Dark Eldarin

Dark Cruelty Some people are really into the black leather and whips.

Warp Fire Dark Eldarin don't just create patches of darkness, but also of dancing light.

Tau

Farsighted You've got discipline, making it harder to manipulate you against your will.

Move And Shoot As long as you keep on the move, it's hard to take you down.

Gnome

Tinker I never knew you could turn a toaster into a plasma cannon.

Eureka! You've got a gadget for every situation. If it's working and you can find it.

Ork

Mobbing Up When an Ork is afraid, he doesn't just run - he goes to get a friend.

I’m Da Boss! Orks always know who's in charge. The biggest guy around.

Tiefling

Mutation Your mutations aren't just for show - you can do damage with those hooves.

Outsider You're not normal at all on the inside. You're better than normal.

Aasimar

Terminator Honors You have been honored for your devotion with a power to protect yourself.

Celestial Wrath Sometimes you've just got to Smite Evil.

brother - you hurt people. Once per scene, addyour Charisma dice to a damage roll.

Dark CrueltyYou've got a kind of dark charisma that man-ages to both repulse and fascinate. You gain+1k1 to Intimidation and Charm checks.

Dragonborn FrenzyWhen you hurt a Dragonborn, it just makesthem more angry. As long as you have at leastone point of critical damage, your attacks dealextra damage equal to the amount of criticaldamage you've taken.

Dragon SightDragons are known for seeing in the dark,sensing the heat of their prey. You may rerollone failed perception check per scene and cansee in the dark.

Elven PrecisionElves have an ability to make even the mostimpossible shot look easy. Whenever you useElven Accuracy to reroll a failed Weaponry orBallistics Test, you gain +1k0 to the reroll.

Eureka!Gnomes tend to have tools and junk on themthat can solve any problem. And typicallybreaks immediately afterwards. A Gnomemay, once per scene, make a Crafts check inplace of any other check, pulling out some de-

vice or trinket to solve a problem.

Extra WarpSome Eldarin can slip in and out of the Warpeasily. You may use Warp Step one additionaltime per scene.

FarsightedYou've got a wide view of things, or you're dis-ciplined enough to resist charms. Attempts touse Charm, Command, Decieve, or Persua-sion against you need an additional raise tosucceed.

Guess DestinationYou don't need to see the target of your WarpStep, you've got enough experience with it tojust make a good guess. If you cannot teleportinto that space, you're shunted to the nearestsafe spot.

Halfling AgilityWhen you're as small as a halfling is it's likegravity isn't even there. You may reroll 1smade on acrobatics checks, including thedodge action.

Human PerseveranceHumans have an innate talent to put forth anextra effort when they're challenged. You gain+1 to the final result of an opposed roll.

I'm Da Boss!There is nothing quite like physicalstrength and size in ork politics. Youmay add your size as a bonus toCommand checks.

Light StepElves are great at moving silentlyand seemingly only barely touchingthe ground. You gain +1k0 to all ac-robatics and stealth rolls.

Mobbing UpOrks believe in strength in numbers.Whenever you fail a Fear check, youmay choose to retreat towards anyally rather than suffering the normal

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consequences of that check. Once you are ad-jacent to that ally, you may stop fleeing.

Move And ShootTau have an ancient fighting style where theymostly avoid getting close to anyone and runaway while shooting. Whenever you attackwith a ranged weapon and move in the sameturn, your static defense increases by 5.

MutationOften, Tieflings have cloven hooves, claws, ortearing horns. You're one of them, and youcan kick some ass with them. Your unarmedattacks do 2k2 damage.

OutsiderTieflings have strange internals that don'tquite match up with what you'd expect - theyhave redundant organs, thick blood that clotseasily, and so forth. The first time you wouldsuffer critical damage in a scene, you insteadtake only one point of critical damage. Obvi-ously, if you'd only be taking one point any-way, this ability has no effect.

Second ChanceHalflings are so slippery that it's more than justskill, it has to be luck. Once per combat, youmay force an opponent to reroll one attack rollmade against you.

Squat StabilitySquats don't really get knocked on their asses.They tip over, but don't fall down. Wheneveran enemy would force you to move or knockyou prone, you may ignore that effect.

Terminator HonorsOne of the greaTest things an Aasimar canhope for is to be selected for the elite Termi-nator units. Aasimar with this special trainingmay spend a Hero Point to negate an amountof damage from an attack equal to their size.

TinkerGnomes can make almost anything givensomething to work from. By sacrificing anitem of average or better quality, the Gnomemay create another item of the same or less

rarity with one less level of quality. This takesone hour.

Warp FireYou may outline a target with a kind of sicklymulticolored light once per scene. For the restof that scene, attacks against that target are at+1k0 to hit.

ASSETS

AcademyYou may purchase Weapon Proficiencies at alesser cost. New weapon proficiencies costonly half of the normal amount for your char-acter to buy, generally fifty experience pointsinstead of a hundred.

AmbidextrousYou're just as good with your left hand as withyour right. You're deadly in a fight and evenworse with cards. When attacking with twoweapons at once, reduce the penalties by -1k0.

AndrogynousYou could pass for a male or a female. If you'rea boy, you're a pretty one. If you're not, youget mistaken for a pretty boy anyway. You canpass off as being a boy or a girl as long as thesituation doesn't get too... intimate. You get afree raise on all Tests made to disguise your-self.

AppearanceThey say an ugly fellow can stop a bullet withhis face. A good-looking one might not getshot at in the first place. A character with Ap-pearance may add +1k0 to all social rollswhere her good looks might come into play.

BraveMost people aren't really brave - they're justtoo stupid to know better. Maybe you're dif-ferent, but it's doubtful. If you fail a fear check,you may subtract 2 from the result on the feartable.

Dangerous BeautyYou have a certain something about you that

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attracts members of the opposite sex. Andsometimes members of the same sex. You get+2k0 to seduction attempts.

DrivenYou refuse to surrender, even in the face of ad-versity. You gain a conditional hero point thatmay only be spent in situations to overcomeincredible odds or when refusing to back downfrom a superior enemy. It may never beburned, and must be announced as being usedspecifically.

EducationThere are a number of excellent schools, somewith reputations that are known throughoutthe Wheel. You get a free number of Lore spe-cialities equal to your starting Intelligence.

Eagle EyesSharp-eyed folks can spot a fly on a raisin cakeat 20 paces. Others just wonder at what's sochewy. You gain two free raises to perceptionchecks to see something far away.

FastThere comes a time in every Hero's life whenit's time to hightail it away from somethingthat's more trouble than he expected. If that'sthe case, you only need to be able to outrunthe slowest person. You may count your Dex-terity as being two dots higher for the purposesof determining your speed.

GiftedYou're able to advance one of your character-istics more quickly. Choose a characteristic.You pay 100 XP less than the normal amount

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Assets

Academy You may purchase Weapon Proficiencies at a lesser cost.

Ambidextrous A real two-fisted action hero, you can use two weapons easily.

Androgynous You've got one of those faces that could pass for a boy or a girl.

Appearance You're more appealing to others.

Brave You can handle your fear better than most people.

Dangerous Beauty You have something about you that gets a lot of attention.

Driven You refuse to surrender, even in the face of adversity.

Education You've had a real education, full of facts and trivia.

Eagle Eyes Sharp-eyed folks like you can see trouble coming a mile away.

Fast You're quick on your feet, almost enough to outrun bullets.

Gifted You're able to advance one of your characteristics more quickly.

Large You're a big fellow, and that means you've got big guts.

Left Handed Opponents are often taken by surprise with your southpaw style.

Level Headed Nothing keeps a person alive longer in a gunfight than staying calm.

Linguist You begin play speaking one additional language.

Magic Resistance You have an innate resistance to spells.

Nerves o' Steel Even when you get scared, you can hold your ground.

Nine Lives Some say you lead a charmed life, or that something won't let you die.

Sand You're the kind of tough bastard that will keep going no matter what.

Spirit Mentor You have a ghostly companion and guide.

Tough as Nails You can tough out losing blood and getting banged around when oth-ers are already gone.

Veteran o' the Wheel You've been around for a while, and you're still kicking.

every time you spend XP in order to improveit.

LargeSome people think a fellow as big as you is asdumb as a post. They sometimes change theirminds when you let them know what it feelslike to be a post. You gain +1 to your Size andtake -1k0 to all Stealth checks

Left HandedNot so much the inability to weild a weaponwith your right hand, but proficiency at usingyour left. Since other fighters (even othersouthpaws) are trained to fight right-handedswordsmen, they have a bit more trouble deal-ing with you. Opponents get -1k0 to rolls toparry your attacks.

Level HeadedNothing keeps a person alive longer in a gun-fight than staying calm. A hothead who runsinto trouble too fast soon finds themselves sixfeet under. Immediately after all participantshave rolled initiative in combat, you maychoose to switch places in the initiative orderwith the person immediately ahead of you -probably a good idea if that person is anenemy.

LinguistYou have a natural ability with languages.You're invaluable as an interpreter, if nothingelse. You begin play speaking one additionallanguage.

Magic ResistanceYou have an innate resistance to spells. TheTN of all spells directed at you - for good orill - is increased by 5.

Nerves o' SteelSome heroes are too stubborn to run evenwhen their boots are filled with 'liquid fear'.No matter how badly you fail a fear check, youmay choose to stand your ground instead offleeing. You still suffer any other penalties.

Nine LivesFate has granted you the opportunity to come

closer to death as anyone can get and still sur-vive. The first time you would burn a heropoint to survive, you lose this Asset instead.

SandYou're the kind of tough bastard that will keepgoing no matter what. You can take two addi-tional levels of fatigue before passing out.

Spirit MentorYou have a ghostly companion and guide. Theidentity and exact powers of this spirit are upto the SM, but it can be called upon in diffi-cult situations for help and guidance.

Tough as NailsYou can tough out losing blood and gettinghurt when others are already gone. If youhaven't lost any Hit Points, the most criticaldamage you can take from an attack is 1.

Veteran o' the WheelYou've been around for a while, and you're stillkicking. You begin play with one extra dot toput into any characteristic and another dot toput into any skill. Extra dots sound great, huh?They are, but the hero's past experience does-n't come without a steep price. The SMshould assign your hero a few haunting re-minders of his past. It might be as simple asan additional hindrance, like an Enemy orsome hideous scar. More often, the price ismuch higher. Give your SM a good back-ground so whatever he comes up with fits yourhero and makes him a more interesting char-acter.

VAMPIRE CLAN ASSETS

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Vampire Clan Assets

Brujah The Brujah are good at resolving so-cial situations with violence.

Malkavian You need fear no madness. You justenjoy it instead.

Toreador Clan Toreador has amazing skill witharts and crafting items.

Tremere Clan Tremere, in addition to beingfairly creepy guys, are also experts atmagic.

Ventrue Ventrue owns you, the building you'restanding in, and most of the planet.

BrujahTo the Brujah clan, the best kind of philoso-phy is the type where you hit the other guywith a club until he agrees with you. Whenevera character fails a social roll against you, yougain +1k0 to damage on all attacks madeagainst that character until the end of thescene.

MalkavianMalkavians are crazy. Really crazy. But nomatter how crazy they get they can somehowfunction in the world. Begin play with a MinorDerangement. You are not removed from playfor having 100 or more IP, though you con-tinue to gain derangements every 20 IP.

ToreadorThe Toreador clan is known for their focus onperfecting arts and crafts with the kind ofknowledge and training you can only get bybeing alive (well, undead) for a few hundredyears. Gain Kept dice equal to your Blood Po-tency on Crafts and Performer checks.

TremereThe Tremere are masters of vampiric magic,the only ones with the ability to really tapdeeply into it. Gain one rank of the BloodMagic magical power. You may purchase thispower as if it was part of any class you belongto.

VentrueThe Ventrue are a tightly-knit clan that keepin touch with one another and lend aid to eachother in times of trouble. You begin play withPeer (Ventrue) and gain +10 to all Wealthchecks.

WEREWOLF TRIBE ASSETS

Black Spiral DancersSome say that Black Spiral Dancers are a signof Chaos' taint in Luna. Or that they're just abunch of crazy bastards that like killing things.You gain +1k1 damage to claw and bite at-tacks in warform, but cannot distinguish

friend from foe unless you make a WillpowerTest at the beginning of each round.

Get of FenrisThe Get of Fenris are Luna's warriors, solvingproblems the way any wolf would solve them- with crushing force. The Hero may spend 1Rage. If he does, he increases his Strength, Ac-robatics, and Athletics by 1 until the end of thescene.

Iron MastersIron Masters are werewolves that haven'tabandoned their ties to civilization. They pridethemselves on adaptation. While most of thetime, a character cannot purchase optionalfeats that he has passed over, Iron Mastersmay purchase optional feats from classes hehas already exited.

Red TalonsRed Talons are closer to animal than person,and they get along better with animals, too.They can actually speak with animals. TheHero takes -2k0 to social rolls against hu-manoids, but may use social skills on animalswhile he is in wolf form. He can understandtheir speech, if crudely.

Silent StridersThere are subtle magics that only werewolvesknow, forging the art of their own shapechang-ing into a magical skill that only the Tribeknown as the Silent Striders are privy to. Gainone rank of the Transmutation magical power.

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Werewolf Tribe Assets

Black SpiralDancers

You can tear people apart withyour talons and aren't particularwho those people are.

Get of Fenris Spend Rage to increase somecharacteristics.

Iron Masters You can purchase optional talentsfrom classes you've exited.

Red Talons You can speak to animals, butyou're not very good at speakingto people.

Silent Striders Experts at special werewolf magic,mostly about changing things.

You may purchase this power as if it was partof any class you belong to.

ATLANTEAN CASTE ASSETS

Dawn CasteThe Dawn Caste were soldiers in the old Syr-neth empire, and still have that training.Whenever the Hero spends a Mote, for the re-mainder of the Scene he gains +1k0 to all In-timidate and Weaponry rolls.

Zenith CasteThe Syrneth Zenith caste were priest-kings,prophets, and mystics in their empire. When-ever the Hero spends a Mote, he reduces dam-age done to him by an amount equal to hisAmina rating until the end of the scene.

Twilight CasteThe Twilight Caste were once scholars, sor-cerers, and craftsmen. The Hero may spend amote to add your Anima rating as unkept diceto any Parry or Dodge roll.

Night CasteOnce the spies, assassins, and thieves of theSyrneth, they retain their abilities to be subtlein surprising ways. By spending 1 Mote, ob-servers cannot tell the caster of the next spellused by the character - it seems to come outof thin air.

Eclipse Caste

The Eclipse caste were once the very publicface of the Syrneth, diplomats and bureau-crats. By spending 1 or more Motes, the Herocreates a binding oath. If the oathsworn indi-vidual breaks their oath, they suffer terribleluck, automatically failing at a critical mo-ment. This repeats once for every mote spentby the Hero.

PARAGON ASSETS

Action HeroAt the beginning of each combat, recover 1spent action point. If you have not spent anyaction points this session, you don't gain anextra action point.

Extra ActionYou gain 2 additional Action Points at the be-ginning of each session.

High PressureYou gain additional points of Pressure equalto your Level.

Legendary TraitOne of the Paragon's Characteristics may bepurchased up to rank 6. This ability is alwaysconsidered to be available to improve as if itappeared in your class. This Asset may betaken multiple times, applying to a differentcharacteristic each time.

CHOSEN MARK ASSETS

Mark of AcererakAcererak allows his followers to subsist only

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Atlantean Caste Assets

Dawn Caste Spending motes allows you to getan aura of leadership.

Zenith Caste Spent motes form a kind of magi-cal armor around you.

Twilight Caste You can spend motes to becomemore slippery and faster.

Night Caste You can spend motes in order todisguise your spellcasting.

Eclipse Caste You can seal oaths with your ownpersonal power.

Paragon Assets

Action Hero You never run out of action pointswhen there's trouble.

Extra Action You begin each session with extraaction points.

High Pressure You have additional Pressure pointsto spend.

L e g e n d a r yTrait

One of the Paragon's Characteristicsmay be purchased up to rank 6.

on faith and magic. You do not need to eat,sleep, or breathe as long as you have 1 or morefavor.

Mark of BahamutBahamut's chosen have a presence and voicethat carries over others. You gain a free raiseon Command, Intimidate, and Persuasionchecks.

Mark of CorellonCorellon is a god of excellence. He can extend,if not that excellence, at least a buffer awayfrom the greaTest failure. You may reroll upto one die that comes up as a 1 made in anyskill or characteristic Test once per round

Mark of CuthbertYou know what Cuthbert hates? Criminals.And there's no faster way to bring them to jus-tice than to do it yourself. Attacks madeagainst those you have seen commit a crimehave a free raise to hit.

Mark of KhorneKhorne wants you to Be Aggressive. Aftermaking a charge or an all-out attack, you mayspend 1 favor to make an extra basic attack.

Mark of LunaLuna is an everchanging goddess with as manyfaces as there are moons in the Great Wheel.She gives her followers the gift of change. Byspending 1 favor and 1 Hero point, you mayduplicate the effects of any other Mark. Youmay use that effect until the end of the scene.

Mark of MalalThere are many who call Malal a team-killingbastard. That's not inaccurate. Attacks madeagainst neutral or allied targets deal +1k1damage.

Mark of MoradinMoradin doesn't want his chosen to take shitfrom anyone. Especially when they have thegall to be bigger than you. You gain a free raiseon Weaponry skill Tests made to parry attacksfrom creatures with a size greater than yours.

Mark of NurgleNurgle can protect you. Well, protect is thewrong word. You'll still get hurt. You'll justcare less. Ignore effects of critical damage untilit exceeds your Faith.

Mark of PelorPelor, as the god of the furnace of light andstars, allows you to shine like starlight. Youmay produce bright light (equal to a campfire)at will.

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Chosen Mark Assets

Mark of Acererak You do not need to eat, sleep,or breathe as long as you have1 or more favor.

Mark of Bahamut You gain a free raise on Com-mand, Intimidate, and Persua-sion checks.

Mark of Corellon Protect yourself against thegreaTest failures.

Mark of Cuthbert Attacks made against those youhave seen commit a crime havea free raise to hit.

Mark of Khorne Khorne gives you additional at-tacks when you charge.

Mark of Luna Replicate the blessings fromany other Mark.

Mark of Malal Attacks made against neutral orallied targets deal more dam-age.

Mark of Moradin You gain a bonus on Testsmade to parry attacks fromcreatures bigger than you are.

Mark of Nurgle Ignore effects of critical damageuntil it exceeds your Faith.

Mark of Pelor You may produce bright light(equal to a campfire) at will.

Mark of The Raven No one is safe from your gift ofFinal Death.

Mark of Slaanesh You may spend a favor to alteryour appearance.

Mark of Sigmar Gain extra damage against tar-gets that damaged one of yourallies in its last action.

Mark of Tzeentch By spending 1 favor you mayreroll a failed Magic Test.

Mark of Vectron Praise Vectron! By his kindlyclaw we have regained moreFavor!

Mark of The RavenThe Raven Queen's chosen give true death totheir enemies. Any creature that is reduced to5 critical damage by your attacks is killed un-less they burn a Hero point, even if they wouldnormally not be in danger of death (for exam-ple, using R damage to a vampire).

Mark of SlaaneshSlaanesh is great for party tricks. And turningtricks. You may spend a favor to alter your ap-pearance to another member of your race (typ-ically an ideal form) for the duration of thescene. You gain +2k0 to all seduction at-tempts.

Mark of SigmarSigmar lets you protect others by making theones who would hurt them very sorry about it.Gain +0k1 to damage rolls made against tar-gets that damaged one of your allies in its lastaction.

Mark of TzeentchTzeentch gives his followers skill with magic.That includes you. By spending 1 favor youmay reroll a failed Magic Test.

Mark of VectronVectron only cares about worship. And tohim, the best kind of worship is the kind whereyou praise him by name a lot. You may regain1 favor per scene by loudly praising Vectronfor something within the hearing of others.

PROMETHEAN MATERIALASSETS

OrichalcumOrichalcum is a mystical golden metal that en-hances the effects of spent Pyros. For everytwo unkept die you add to a roll by spendingpyros, add an additional kept die.

MithrilMithril is silvery and clean, glowing in moon-light. It lends the speed of quicksilver toPrometheans made of it. Spend a Pyros to takea full action as a half action.

DarksteelDarksteel is, perhaps, the strongest metal thereis, a heavy black material that is almost impos-sible to shape. Double the armor granted toyou by Integrated Armor. Your integratedarmor has a Max Dex of 3.

WraithboneWraithbone is a bone white ceramic thatgrows and flows like it's alive, easily healingover damage and repairing itself. You mayheal one Hit Point by spending a Pyros.

NecrodermisNecrodermis is an unusual metal, a silverymetal that, horribly, is somehow alive. Spenda Pyros to gain Fear (with a rating equal toyour generation). This lasts until the end ofthe scene.

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Promethean Material Assets

Orichalcum You get more effect from spentPyros.

Mithril By spending Pyros you can accel-erate to incredible speeds.

Darksteel Double the armor granted to youby Integrated Armor.

Wraithbone You may heal wounds with yourPyros, unlike other Prometheans.

Necrodermis You gain a fear aura that sendsmen screaming.

Daemonhost Sin Assets

Desire You can sense the thoughts of others,when you aren't lost in your whims.

Hunger You will feed while your target is stillscreaming, and you're always hungry.

Pride You always rise to a challenge, evenwhen it's something you're awful at.

Rage You are filled with burning, boundlessrage that hurts your foes.

Sloth You are slow to take action, but you'retough enough to deal with it.

DAEMONHOST SIN ASSETS

DesireYou are able to sense the desires of thosearound you, allowing you to use Perception +Charisma checks to sense a target's thoughts.However, it can be difficult to resist your owndesires - you must Test Willpower against(TN Arcanoi x 5) in order to avoid fleetingwhims and pretty faces.

HungerA terrible hunger feeds you. You may feed notonly on the living, but the recently dead, gain-ing one Essence fron eating a corpse. You findit difficult to resist the temptations for materialgain, though, and must make Willpower Tests(TN Arcanoi x 5) to resist such charms.

PrideYou cannot stand being second best. When-ever someone claims to be the best at any-thing, or otherwise says they're better thanyou, you must Test Willpower (TN Arcanoi x5) in order to resist challenging them. Yougain a free raise to all opposed Tests andwhenever opponents are ganging up on you,you gain a free raise to hit them.

RageWhen you are enraged, which is pretty muchall the time, you literally burn with anger, andyou may choose for your attacks to deal E-typedamage. But the rage within you burns hot,and you've got a short fuse. Whenever some-thing is provoking you to violence, you mustroll Willpower (TN Arcanoi x 5) in order toresist attacking the source of your ire.

SlothYou can't be bothered to move quickly, evenpain doesn't motivate you much. You gain twoadditional hit points. However, getting your-self motivated to do anything is particularlydifficult. Whenever you encounter somethingthat isn't immediately life threatening andwould require you to make an effort, rollWillpower (TN Arcanoi x 5) or you can't bebothered to deal with it.

HINDRANCES

Ailin'You are dying of something. And since you'rean Exalt, that means something very unusual.At the beginning of each session, Test Consti-tution (TN 15). If you fail, you suffer -2k0 toall Tests this session.

All ThumbsYou don't like machines and they don't likeyou much either. Scientific and mechanicalskills cost twice the normal points to learn orimprove. All rolls made to use or repair ma-chinery are made at -1k0.

Bad LuckBad luck is an often-fatal condition in the dan-gerous lifestyle of adventure. You may notspend Hero points to reroll Tests.

Big BritchesIt's good to be confident, but only a foolcharges 600 Guardsmen into a horde of 5,000Orks. You're severely overconfident. You be-lieve you can do anything and you never turndown a challenge.

CluelessBerks using two-Throne words are a copper adozen in the Great Wheel now that so manynew worlds have been opened up. The cuttersthat live and work in the dark places of thegalaxy don't take kindly to these clueless sodstalking big about their back end of nowhere.The Clueless are big talkers, usually fromsome underdeveloped Sphere. They don't getthe big picture and tend to brag about thingsmost take for granted.

DeathwishSometimes a berk just doesn't want to go on.Maybe his family has fallen victim to some ter-rible fate. Maybe he's got the Rot and wantsto go out in a blaze of glory. Or maybe he's ayoung cutter who knows just enough to bedangerous. Regardless, your character wantsto die for some reason (dark or otherwise), butonly under certain circumstances. Most wantto go out in a blaze of glory. Your cutter won't

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just throw his life away for any little thing (sui-cide is easy, after all).

EnemyYou've wronged someone, and they are com-ing to collect. This isn't the normal sort of per-son you've angered, either. By taking thishindrance, you're saying the enemy you haveis the type who is not only insatiable, but ispowerful enough to actually do somethingabout it.

GeezerYou may not have teeth, but you've still got abite. Not all older characters have this Hin-drance - some folks are old at 50 and othersare still young at 1,000. Reduce your charac-ter's Hit Points by 2 and he cannot take therun action.

Grim Servant O' DeathPeople die around you. A lot. Maybe you'renot a bad berk, but you're still trouble lookingfor a place to happen. As long as it's self-de-fense, you usually don't get into too muchtrouble for it. If the SM is looking for some-one's lap to drop trouble into, you are the des-ignated target.

High-Falutin'Your character has no tolerance for those of alesser class. Those who notice your upturnednose don't like you much either. You get -1k0to all social rolls you make towards those whoknow your hero thinks they're beneath him insocial stature.

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Hindrances

Ailin’ You're dying of something. And given what you are, that's strange.

All Thumbs You don't like machines and they don't like you much either.

Bad Luck You may not spend Hero points to reroll Tests.

Big Britches It's good to be confident. You went past good and right into foolish.

Clueless You're new to the Great Wheel. Everyone can tell.

Deathwish You have a suicidal streak to you.

Enemy You've wronged someone, and they are coming to collect.

Geezer You're practically a fossil, old even compared to most Exalts.

Grim Servant O’ Death You're almost always at the wrong place at the wrong time.

High-Falutin’ You turn up your nose so high you're in danger of drowning when it rains.

Illiterate You can't read a damn word. Better hope that Tattoo really says 'courage'.

Impulsive You're a doer, not a thinker. There's a time for action and it's every time.

Intolerance There's some folks you just can't stand.

Kid Don't let that face fool you. A kid with a gun can blow your brains out.

Law O’ The Stars You've got a code of honor that you just can't break.

Loco No one in their right mind would go off and be a hero.

Night Terrors Each night, you suffer terrible nightmares that could stop a man's heart.

Slowpoke You better learn to fight, 'cause you ain't gonna run.

Small You're smaller than the average person of your race.

Ugly as Sin There's orks with a prettier mug than yours.

Vengeful The world needs to be taught a lesson and you're the person to do it.

Wanted You are wanted by the law, dead or alive.

IlliterateYou can't read a damn word. It'd cost 200xpto learn how. This is more common thanyou'd think - there are quite a few CrystalSpheres and quite a few social situations whereeven an Exalt wouldn't learn to read.

ImpulsiveImpulsive characters are doers, not thinkers.They tend to go off based on their ownhunches even when the rest of the party makeselaborate plans and preparations. Of course,sometimes quick action saves the day, but thishindrance also gets your character into a lot ofthe trouble, which the rest of the party maynot feel obligated to help her out of.

IntoleranceThere's some sods you can't stand. Your char-acter does not get along with certain kinds ofpeople (Orks, sorcerers, politicians, and so on)and has nothing to do with them if possible. Ifforced to work with them, he insults and pro-vokes them whenever he gets the chance.

KidMany Heroes are young, but you're evenyounger. He's not an adult in his culture(Something like 8-15 to put it in humanterms), and most people don't take him seri-ously and call him "sawed-off," "runt," or "halfpint." As your character grows up, you mustbuy this Hindrance off with XP (which takes200 XP). Until you do, he doesn't age, whichcan be a real social issue for someone trappedin the middle of puberty for a hundred years.

Law o' the StarsA true gentleman of the Great Wheel won'tdraw down on an enemy until the foe drawsfirst. Most honorable people end up beingquickly put into honorable graves. Your heromust live by a code of honor that not everyoneelse subscribes to. He treats women with re-spect, won't draw his gun on unarmed men,and refuses to shoot someone in the back.

LocoNo one in their right mind would stand up tosome of the monsters lurking in the Wheel.

Maybe that's why there are so many kookswandering the Galaxy. You begin play withone minor derangement.

Night TerrorsWhen you go out to face the greaTest dangersin the Universe, sometimes they come backand stay with you. Each night, you must makea fear Test (TN 20). If you fail, you gain alevel of fatigue. Even fearless characters mustmake this Test.

SlowpokeYou better learn to fight, because you ain'tgonna get away from anything that's chasingyou. You're faster than a dead turtle. Barely.Halve your dexterity for determining yourSpeed.

SmallYou're smaller than the average for your race,more fragile and thinner. You have -1 to yoursize and +1k0 to all stealth checks

Ugly as SinYou're not the ugliest person in the universe.There's probably at least one or two people inthe far reaches of the galaxy that look worsethan you. I've never seen them myself. Youtake a -1k0 from social rolls whenever yourcharacter's bad looks might intervene. Intimi-date probably won't suffer at all, but it's hardto attract the ladies when you look like ham-burger.

VengefulThe Great Wheel needs to be taught a lesson,and you aim to be the cutter to teach it. Yourcharacter must always attempt to right awrong committed against her. Whether thisrevenge is violent or not depends on her na-ture.

WantedYou are wanted by the law, dead or alive. Thisisn't for some small crime. This is for the kindof thing that's given you the death penalty in adozen Crystal Spheres, gotten bounty hunterson your tail, and worse.

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Lucien stepped forward, power sword in hand. He had no idea how hisenemy could remain so quiet. The tyrant had so many augmatics that he was moremachine than man, and his augmented lungs alone should have been enough tomake it easy to find him with their wheezing.

Then the glow of a power sword appeared at the edge of his vision, andthe young warrior stepped back to parry the blow. The dark lord stepped forwardwith his lunge, a massive metal form. Lucien was forced back as the Dark Mecha-nius Verturabo's greater strength overpowered his guard.

"You are beaten," Verturabo said. His mechendrites twitched as he spoke."It is useless to resist. Don't let yourself be destroyed as Oberon did."

Lucien answered by rolling sideways and thrust his power sword at Ver-turabo, surprising him and tearing one of the Dark Mechanius' mechendrites free.The black metal sparked and smoked. Verturabo roared, a burst of static, painedat the feedback. He immediately recovered and swing again.

Lucien backed away along the narrow end of the gantry as Verturabo cameat him, slashing at the young man with his sword. Lucien's vague Syrneth mem-ories snapped into focus for a moment, and he blocked the deadly attack with acomplex block that was somehow second nature to him. Verturabo's attack wasdeflected into an instrument complex attached to the gantry, cutting it loose.

Lucien glanced down as it fell in the station's artificial gravity, and in thatinstant of distraction, Verturabo's power sword came down on Lucien's right arm,cutting off his hand and sending his sword flying. Lucien screamed and fell back,across the narrow gantryway over the abyss. Verturabo couldn't follow him acrossthe thin pipes to the extreme end of the gantry. The Dark Mechanius was toobulky and clumsy to manage the balancing. But there was nowhere for Lucien torun.

"There is no escape," Verturabo said. "Don't make me destroy you. Youdo not yet realize your importance. You have only begun to discover your power.Join me and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we canrebuild the Syrneth Emprire, and bring order to the galaxy!"

"I'll never join you!" Lucien gasped."If only you knew the power of the C'tan. Oberon never told you what hap-

pened to your father.""He told me enough! He told me you killed him!" Lucien held on for his

life as another gust of wind cycled through the cavernous space. Verturabo shookhis head, servomotors whining.

"No. I am your father." Lucien stopped moving entirely, almost stoppedbreathing for a moment.

"No. No! That's not true! That's impossible!""Search your feelings. You know it to be true.""No! No! No!""Lucien. You can overthrow the Factons. They have forseen this. It is your

destiny. Join me, and we can rule the galaxy as father and son. Come with me.It's the only way." Verturabo put his sword away, a mechendrite taking it fromhis bionic hand and whisking it away under his black robes. The hand extendedout to Lucien, offering salvation.

Lucien looked at the hand, and a calm came over him, lifetimes of experi-ence in dealing with dark powers at the back of his mind. He stepped off the gantryand into freefall. Verturabo looked after him, the wind whipping at his robes. Hehad lost him again.

ithin the Great Wheel, some peo-ple are born different. Some fickle turn of fateor chance twist of destiny has seen them jointhe growing ranks of sorcerers within thegalaxy. These sorcerers labour under a bless-ing and a curse. They have the rare talent todraw power from the Warp, the hidden di-mension of Chaos that lurks beneath the fabricof reality, and shape it into all manner ofstrange and supernatural effects.

Sorcerers are regarded in many differ-ent ways across the Wheel's countless CrystalSpheres. On the more primitive planets, theyare thought of as shamans, witches, and war-locks. More sophisticated societies are usuallyaware of magical abilities and refer to psykersby other titles such as "gifted" or "thetouched". But in almost all cases, and on allworlds, they are feared for the supernaturalabilities they can bring down on those aroundthem.

There are many that believe sorcerersrepresent a gross perversion of the naturalorder, and a constant reminder of the terriblepowers of the warp. This idea has led to sor-cerers often being kept tightly under control,with most races having a government-con-trolled organization in place to control and

train those with magical ability. Those whocan master magical ability become a prized, ifdangerous, commodity to their people.

TYPES OF SORCERERThere are many roles within the many

societies of the Great Wheel that utilize sor-cerers in some way or another. Some of theseroles are revered and vital while others are re-viled utterly. However people feel about sor-cerers they are a vital part of the trade and warpotential of all races within the Great Wheel,and are intrinsic to the societies on almost allworlds.

AstropathsThese sorcerers are capable of trans-

mitting messages across the vast distances ofspace. Though often inexact, arriving too late,or lost all together in the turbulence of warpspace, they represent the best means that hasbeen found to communicate across the vast-ness of the Great Wheel at speeds greater thanlight. At times the availability of an Astropathhas determined whether entire worlds havelived or died.

Astropaths spend years of training tobe able to send messages to the correct recip-ient and to recognize from whence messages

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they recieve come from. They must learn toignore the dangerous calls and temptationsthat whisper to them from the warp. Most arewatched carefully, lest they become driven in-sane or corrupted by the terrible things that liebeyond.

Sanctioned SorcerersThese sorcerers are individuals

deemed strong enough to serve their peoplewithout significant dangers to others. Theyserve most of the various and miscellaneousfunctions a sorcerer can, from serving in vari-ous militaries to within merchant houses oreven for personal servants. Sanctioned Sorcer-ers have gone through whatever process theirrace uses to train Sorcerers to safely use theirpowers, almost always belonging to either anarcane academy or religious organization.Many races have somewhat extreme methodsfor assuring that the Sorcerers of their kinddon't go rogue. There are entire organizationsdedicated to hunting down spellcasters thathave evaded official training and sanctioning.

NavigatorsThese powerful sorcerers have the

ability to navigate the precarious tides of theWarp with the aid of their magical abilities.Most Navigators are blind, a side effect oftheir intense training and a symbol of theirdedication. Men go mad or worse to stare intothe face of the warp, and so only those alreadymade blind can safely find their way throughit. In most cases, their abilities more thanmake up for this deficiency, and others mightnever know, but for their disturbing whited-out eyes or in some cases, empty, shrunkeneye sockets.

ApostatesThere are sorcerers who manage to

exist, unsanctioned and in many cases un-trained. Some simply evade the authoritiesand others are born either in outlaw or isolatedcommunities or in Crystal Spheres as yet un-opened. The majority of these die through theperils of their burgeoning condition, but somefew manage to survive the full manifestationof their powers and gain some measure of con-

trol. Known by many names; warlock, rene-gade, apostate, wyrd, darkspawn and worse,these psykers rarely can match the control ormental stability of those who have benefitedfrom sanctioning, but some are frighteninglypowerful, and their services are often highlysought after by those of nefarious purpose.

UntouchablesThe Untouchables are strange people,

individuals with no warp presence. They arenot sorcerers - in fact, they are completely theopposite. Their presence frequently acts as adamper on magical activity, lessening or evencompletely halting its effects. Untouchables,like sorcerers, have different grades of 'ability',though few scholars have actually been able tostudy them closely thanks to their extreme rar-ity. Their strange aura makes most uncomfort-able around them and for this reason they areoften loners, outcasts, and pariahs.

MAGICAL ABILITYLearning the secrets of sorcery is a

process of initiation. The prospective sorcerermust overcome five trials - which is either con-sidered part of the 'training time' or played out,as the SM and player feel appropriate. Mostsorcerers in the modern age are carefullyguided through these often harrowing trials aspart of their Sanctioning. Sorcerers who de-velop their abilities away from the guidance ofmore experienced spellcasters must gothrough these trials on their own.

The first trial is humility. The initiatemust learn to see beyond his own hubris, oftenin the course of challenges impossible to fin-ish, deliberate humiliation by a mentor or con-templation of past failures. SMs mightencourage players to take the lead in describ-ing this initiation, as players can be (rightfully)resentful when their character is humiliated atthe Story Master's hands.

The second trial is tutelage. The ini-tiate must find a teacher - not necessarily amentor as such, but as person or spirit able togive them a new insight. It is easy for an initi-ate to find tutelage in this age - nearly everymilitary or church is more than willing to takethem in and give them over to a more experi-

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enced spellcaster for training. Those who seekmore independence or who are on the wrongside of the law (such as most apostates) canfind a teacher in many places. Other apostatesorcerers, spirits from the Warp, and even sim-ple wisdoms from surprising sources.

The third trial is a journey. The initi-ate must wander and, through wandering,learn appreciation for the Wheel as it is. Thepower of magic may remake entire worlds andgive almost impossible power, but the presentmatters as much as the future. The third trialis as much about understanding the impor-tance of each moment of life as it is about ex-panding one's views.

The fourth trial is fear. The initiatemust learn mastery over their darkest fear -whether a fear of lowing her way, of causingothers' deaths, of claiming her true power, offinding herself powerless or simply of "drown-ing". Many sanctioned sorcerers have beenpushed through the third and fourth trials atonce in a harrowing ritual that has becomecommonplace - sending the initiate into theUmbra alone and unprotected and havingthem find their own way out.

The fifth trial is sacrifice. To becomea sorcerer, one must make a terrible sacrifice.A sorcerer might cut off a finger or abandon abrother to learn the basics of sorcery, and whata character has given up, what it matters tothem, represents their ultimate ability to learnsorcery. The greaTest spellcasters have madeterrible sacrifices - giving up true love, castingaway their ability to feel happiness, or evenlosing portions of their sanity.

CASTING SPELLSSpells are one-time magical effects.

Whenever a sorcerer casts a spell, he attuneshis will to the warp to fuel his magical abilities.While the sorcerer draws out this energy, hehas a chance of causing disturbances in thewarp that can have undesired side effects, evenup to opening an uncontrolled rift between re-ality and warpspace with potentially fatal con-sequences. By minimising the amount ofpower a sorcerer draws, he can all but elimi-nate the chance of these side effects - in somecases.

When a sorcerer casts a spell, he hasa choice of using it at Fettered MagicalStrength (rolling fewer dice but not riskingdangers), Unfettered Magical Strength (rollingtheir full array of dice), or he may try to Pushit for greater effect but increased danger.

When casting a spell at Fetteredstrength, the caster halves the number of un-kept dice on the roll. This may also reduce thenumber of kept dice on the roll.

Each of these choices carries with it aset of consequences. If a sorcerer casts a spellat less than full power, it may not be enoughto achieve the desired outcome, but if he ex-ercises Unfettered Psychic Strength or greater,he risks potential calamitous attention fromthe warp. Depending on the strength used,consult the following chart and apply the ap-propriate result.

Note that Warp Phenomena and evenPerils of the Warp don't necessarily mean thespell has failed - as long as you've beaten thespell's TN it still (probably) goes off. However,given how dangerous some of the results forPerils of the Warp can be, you might havemore to worry about than just if you've man-aged to put a charm on someone.

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Psychic StrengthFettered Unfettered Push

Sanctoned Sorcerer No roll for psychicphenomena.

If the sorcerer rolls doublesduring the focus power Test,roll on the psychic phenomenatable.

Make a check on the psychicphenomena table at +5 perdot desired, up to a maxi-mum of +3/+15

Unsactioned Sorcerer No roll for psychicphenomena.

If the sorcerer rolls doublesduring the focus power Test,roll on the psychic phenomenatable at +5 per dot of the spellcast.

Make a check on the psychicphenomena table at +10 perdot desired, up to a maxi-mum of +4/+40

Pushing SpellsWhenever a sorcerer successfully

pushes a spell, he gains an enhancement to hiseffective Magic School rating of that spell forthat use. Sanctioned sorcerers may add up to+3 to their Magic School rating when deter-mining the final pushed strength of the power.Other sorcerers have a deeper connection tothe wild surges of the warp and may add up to+4 to their final Magical School rating but ateven greater risk. Any push can result in aschool rating greater than 6, but if a sorcererhas more than one source increasing the finaleffective Magic School rating, only the highestis applied.

Focus PowerAny use of a spell starts with the

Focus Power Action. This is a Test, using thespell's Magical School and a Characteristic, tomake the power function or to generate suc-cess. Focus Power is the catch-all phrase usedto encompass the many Tests that may be re-quired - varying by the action it takes to use,the characteristic required, and occasionallyother factors. As with all other Tests, the char-acteristic determines the number of kept dice.Some spells require a Magic School and aPower Stat. Whenever you cast one of thesespells, the Power Stat is what determines thenumber of kept dice.

Cumulative EffectsModifiers, Characteristic Bonuses,

and other effects generated by spells do notstack, only the highest applies.

Range and Line of SightUnless noted in their descriptions,

spells that are targeted directly against otherindividuals require the sorcerer to either haveline of sight or otherwise be 'aware' of the tar-get of his powers, as well as the target to be in-side of the power's stated range.

Detecting Magical EffectsSorcerers are attuned to the warp

around them and that includes the currentsand eddies caused by other sorcerers dippinginto the flow of the warp. All sorcerers can

Test Arcana + Wisdom (TN 20) when spellsare in effect in their presence in order to de-termine their source.

Magical SchoolsThere are many different spells that a

sorcerer can possess, for the mutability of thewarp is as limitless as imagination itself. Someexamples range from creating illisions, to firingbolts of energy, to seeing the future, to rarerarts like animating the dead, summoning dae-mons from the warp, and the transmutation ofmatter. These abilities usually begin as a basic,almost rudimentary form of the power - thefirst level of spells in each Magical School.Over time, a sorcerer can learn more ways tofine tune that power for a greater variety of ef-fects.

This chapter represents nine MagicalSchols in detail which are most prevalentamong the Sanctioned Sorcerers through theGreat Wheel.

*Abjuration: Abjurations are protec-tive spells. They create magical or physicalbarriers, negate magical or physical abilities,harm trespassers, or even create a point foryour own magical effects to trigger off on later.

*Conjuration: Conjuration is the artof moving objects, creatures, or some form ofenergy through the warp. A creature or objectsummoned with a conjuration effect cannotappear inside another creature or object, norcan it appear floating in an empty space. Itmust arrive in an open location on a surfacecapable of supporting it.

*Divination: The art of reading thepast, present, and future. In addition, this dis-cipline also encompasses the art of influencinganother's mind.

*Enchantment: Enchantment spellsaffect the minds of others, influencing or con-trolling their behavior. Many attempt tocharm or force an individual to do something,and can be resisted by those with enoughwillpower.

*Evocation: Evocation spells manip-ulate energy or tap an unseen source of powerto produce a desired end. In effect, they createsomething out of nothing. Many of these spellsproduce spectacular effects, and evocationspells can deal large amounts of damage.

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*Healing: Healing spells enhance asubject's abilities, often granting them super-human strengths and curing them of even themost deadly wounds.

*Illusion: Illusion spells deceive thesenses or minds of others. They cause peopleto see things that are not there, not see thingsthat are there, hear phantom noises, or other-wise experience things that are unreal.

*Necromancy: Necromancy spellsmanipulate the power of death, unlife, and thelife force. Spells that enhance the powers ofvampires are obviously common, as Vampiresdeveloped and exclusively use the school ofNecromancy.

*Transmutation: Transmutationspells are about change, both in the caster andin the world around him. The school of trans-mutation relies on the caster's own ability tochange shape, drawing on that mutable coreto power its effects.

LEARNING SPELLSWhenever a character gains a dot in a

spell school, he learns one of the spells in thatschool of the appropriate level. Most of thetime, this will mean making a choice as towhich spells you want to learn and whichyou're willing to give up. Some feats mightallow you to choose additional spells to learn.Once you've chosen which spells to learn, youmay not change these spells later - each oneisn't just a representation of effort, but of themagic becoming an intrinsic part of your char-acter.

SPELLSThe spells available to characters are

listed and described below. The description ofeach spell is presented in a standard format.Each category of information is explained anddefined below.

NameThe first line of every spell description

gives the name by which the spell is generallyknown.

School (Level)Beneath the spell name is a line giving

the school of magic that the spell belongs toand the level of that spell.

Focus Power TestThe type of Test the spell requires.

This will typically be the spell school and acharacteristic or a power stat. Remember thatrolling doubles on the focus power Test in-vokes psychic phenomena unless the power isbeing used at fettered psychic strength.

Target NumberThe TN is the threshold to activate

the spell. Many powers gain in strength as youget raises above the spell's base TN.

ActionMost spells have a casting time of a

half action. Others take a full action, and oth-ers take a reaction action or merely a free ac-tion.

KeywordsThese rules use the following key-

words to describe qualities of a spell.Attack: This spell counts as an attack

against the target.Combo-OK: You can use this spell to

build a Combo.Focus: This spell requires a focus, a

material object that, if destroyed, instantlyends the spell.

Language Dependent: In order forthis spell to function, the caster and targetmust share a common language.

Material: When casting this spell yourequire some material components which areconsumed in casting the spell.

Mind-Affecting: This spell affects themind of the target, and so can only be used ontargets that are sentient.

Ranged Touch: To affect a targetwith this spell requires hitting the target witha ranged attack (Dexterity + Ballistics).

Saving Throw: This spell allows thetarget to make a Test to resist its effects. If thetarget does resist its effects, they becomeaware of the spell, even if it has the Subtle key-word. Unless otherwise listed, the TN of theSaving Throw is 10+5 per level of the spell.

Social: This spell is often used in so-cial situations and cannot be used during com-bat.

Somatic: This spell has Somatic com-ponents. It cannot be used if the caster isbound, grappled, or otherwise unable to movefreely.

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Subtle: The effects of this spell are notimmediately obvious. Other spellcasters canTest Arcana + Wisdom (TN 20) to noticethem.

Touch: A touch spell requires thecaster to touch the target in order for the spellto take effect. Touching an unwilling target re-quires an unarmed attack Test (Dexterity +Brawl).

Verbal: The spell has verbal compo-nents. It cannot be used if the caster cannotspeak, and the caster must speak in a clear,loud voice for the spell to take effect.

DurationThe length of time the spell lasts.

Spells can measure their duration in real units,such as days, or game units, such as rounds orscenes. Indefinite spells have no fixed duration- they last until the caster cancels the effect.Instant spells happen in an instant, like the ex-plosive burst of a fireball. When a spell's du-ration is listed as Concentration, it will includethe action that the caster must spend eachround in order to maintain its effect. An (E)after the spell duration means that the spellcan be expended, and how it can be expendedwill be listed in the spell description.

DescriptionThis portion of a spell description de-

tails what the spell does and how it works. Ifone of the previous entries in the descriptionincluded "see text" this is where the explana-tion is found. If the spell you're reading aboutis based on another spell, you might have torefer to a different spell for the "see text" in-formation.

SPELL COMBOSWith long practice and focus, it's pos-

sible for a spellcaster to combine spells to-gether, becoming able to cast multiple spellsat once. For example, A sorcerer who has mas-tered the combo of Stun and Energy Burst canblast a target for damage and reduce his ac-tions. Combos represent a level of magicalpower above simple spells, and are more dan-gerous for the spellcaster to use, but far moreeffective.

Developing CombosCharacters develop combos through

long exercise of their powers, devoting hoursof effort toward integrating their abilities andunderstanding their spells and how they inter-act. Because of the sheer amount of effort anddanger required to make a Combo,

During play, a character can developcombos through arduous practice. The expe-rience point cost of Combos developed duringplay is equal to 50 xp per level of each spell inthe combo. However, Story Masters don'thave to let a character learn a Combo just be-cause the player has enough XP saved up.Combos are hard - they're less a studiedmethod of using the power of the warp andmore trying to manipulate it on the fly.

General GuidelinesUsing a combo allows a character to

use two, three, or more spells with a single ac-tion. Don't worry if this seems like it could getconfusing. This section will go over the rulesfor using combos in detail.

The Test for using a combo uses thelowest of the characteristics and magicalschools that apply to the spells in the combo.Here's an example, with a Stun and Invisibilitycombo. Stun uses Enchantment andCharisma, while Invisibility uses Illusion andIntelligence. Let's say the sorcerer using thecombo has an Intelligence of 3, a Charisma of2, an Enchantment of 4, and an Illusion of 2.Charisma os the lowest characteristic he hasto apply, so he Tests that along with Illusion,the lowest skill that applies to spells in thecombo.

The TN of the combo is that of thehighest TN spell in the combo, plus five forevery spell beyond the first. Stun has a TN of20, while Invisibility has no minimum TN.Therefore, the TN for this combo is 25 (20from stun, plus five for the second spell in thecombo).

A Combo cannot be used with a Fet-tered focus power Test. Most of the time, acombo will need to be Pushed to have muchchance of success. If psychic phenomenaoccur, add +5 to the roll for every spell in thecombo, in addition to any additions to the rollfrom Pushing the power or being Unsac-

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tioned.A Combo takes an action equal to the

longest action of spells in the combo. WhereStun is a half action, Invisibility is a full action.Casting the example combo therefore takes afull action.

Duration and range of the spells inthe combo are handled seprately. In the exam-ple combo, The stun still affects a creaturewithin 10m as an instant effect, whereas Invis-ibility hides the caster for the normal duration.

If one spell requires a Focus, Verbal,Somatic, or Material components, then theentire combo will fail if the caster can't providethose components. Language Dependency,Mind-Affecting, and being an Attack are han-dled per effect rather than on the combo as awhole, and if a Saving throw would negate onepart of a combo, it doesn't negate the entirething. Attacks are rolled seprately for each partof a combo, and a miss doesn't cause thewhole combo to collapse. Unless all spells in acombo are subtle, the combo is not subtle as awhole.

List of Spells

ABJURATION SCHOOL

ShieldAbjuration 1Focus Power Test: Abjuration + WisdomTarget Number: 10Action: Reaction ActionKeywords: SomaticDuration: InstantYou may use the result of this spell as a parryTest.

LockAbjuration 1Focus Power Test: Abjuration + WisdomTarget Number: 10Action: Half ActionKeywords: Somatic, TouchDuration: Indefinite (E)You lock a door with a magical seal. The resultof your magic Test is the strength of the lock.If the lock is picked or opened, the spell ends.

KnockAbjuration 2Focus Power Test: Abjuration + WisdomTarget Number: 20Action: Half ActionKeywords: Somatic, TouchDuration: InstantYou unlock a touched door, disabling all non-magical locks on it.

DispelAbjuration 2Focus Power Test: Abjuration + WisdomTarget Number: 15Action: Reaction ActionKeywords: -Duration: InstantYou may use this spell as a reaction to countera spell being cast, with the target number ofthis spell equal to the Magic roll of the casterof the target spell.

WardAbjuration 3Focus Power Test: Abjuration + WisdomTarget Number: 25Action: Full ActionKeywords: Verbal, Social, SomaticDuration: One day per caster levelThis spell creates a protected area with a ra-dius of 10m from the casting spot. Anythinglarger than a cat, and not named as 'safe' dur-ing the casting of this spell, sets off an alarm.This alarm can be loud, alerting everyone inthe area, or silent, alerting only the caster.

GlyphAbjuration 3Focus Power Test: Abjuration + WisdomTarget Number: 25Action: Full ActionKeywords: Focus, Somatic, TouchDuration: One dayYou touch an object or person and create aGlyph. You may cast spells at the glyph with-out having line of effect, though it must stillbe within range of the spell. For example, youcould put a glyph on a rock, throw it over awall, then cast fireball targeting the glyph, ex-

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PSYCHIC PHENOMENA (1D100)

01-03 Dark Forboding: A faint breeze blows past the sorcerer and those near him, and everyone gets the feelingthat somewhere in the galaxy, something unfortunate just happened.

04-05 Warp Echo: For a few seconds, all noise causes echoes, regardless of the surroundings.

06-08 Unholy Stench: The air around the sorcerer becomes permeated with a bizarre and foul smell.

09-11 Warp Mind: The sorcerer suffers 1 Insanity Point as his own inherent phobias, suspicions, and hatreds surgeto the surface of his mind in a wave of negative emotion.

12-14 Hoarfrost: The temperature plummets for an instant, and a thin coating of frost covers everything within3d10 meters.

15-17 Aura of Taint: All animals within 1d100 meters become spooked and agitated.

18-20 Memory Worm: All people within line of sight to the sorcerer forget something trivial.

21-23 Spoilage: Food and drink go bad in a 5d10 meter radius.

24-26 Haunting Breeze: Wind whips up around the sorcerer for a few seconds, blowing light objects about and gut-tering fires within 3d10 meters.

27-29 Veil of Darkness: For a brief moment (the remainer of the round) the area within 3d10 meters is plungedinto immediate darkness.

30-32 Distorted Reflections: Mirrors and other reflective surfaces within a radius of 5d10 meters distort or shatter.

33-35 Breath Leech: Everyone (including the sorcerer) becomes short of breath for one round and cannot makeany Run or Charge actions.

36-38 Mask of Fear: For a fleeting moment, the sorcerer takes on a terrible appearance and gains a Fear rating of1 for the rest of the round.

39-41 Unnatural Decay: All plant-life within 3d10 meters of the psyker withers and dies.

42-44 Spectral Gale: Howling winds erupt around the sorcerer, requiring him and anyone within 4d10 meters tomake a TN 10 Dexterity or Strength Test to avoid being knocked to the ground.

45-47 Bloody Tears: Blood weeps from stone and wood within 3d10 meters of the sorcerer. If there are any picturesof statues of people inside this area, they appear to be crying blood.

48-50 The Earth ProTests: The ground suddenly shakes, and everyone (including the sorcerer) within a 5d10 meterradius must make a TN 15 Dexterity Test or be knocked down.

51-53 Psy Discharge: Static electricity fills the air for 5d10 meters around the sorcerer causing hair to stand on endand unprotected electronics to short out.

54-56 Warp Ghosts: Ghostly apparitions fill the air for 3d10 meters around the sorcerer, flying about and howlingin pain for a few brief moments. Everyone in the radius must Test against fear 1.

57-59 Falling Upwards: Everything within 2d10 meters of the sorcerer (including him) rises 1d10 meters into theair as gravity briefly disappears before falling to the ground after a second or two.

60-62 Bahsee Howl: A deafening keening sounds out across the immediate area, shattering glass and forcing everycreature in the area to make a Constitution Test (TN 15) or be defened for 1d10 rounds.

63-65 The Furies: The sorcerer is assailed by unseen horrors. He is slammed to the ground and loses 1d5 hit pointsand must Test against Fear 2.

66-68 Shadow of the Warp: For a split second the world changes in appearance and everyone within 1d100 metershas a brief glimpse of the shadow of the warp. Everyone in the area (including the sorcerer) must make a TN20 Willpower Test or gain 1d5 insanity points.

69-71 Tech Scorn: The electromagnetic discharge created by the spell causes all tech devices within 5d10 metersto malfunction momentarily and all ranged weapons jam. Characters with cybernetic implants (andprometheans) must pass a TN 15 Constitution Test or lose 1d5 hit points.

72-74 Warp Madness: A violent ripple of tainted dischord causes all creatures within 2d10 meters (with the excep-tion of the sorcerer) to become Frenzied for a round unless they pass a TN 20 Willpower Test.

75+ Perils of the Warp: The warp opens in a malestom of energy. Roll on the Perils of the Warp table instead.

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PERILS OF THE WARP (1D100)01-05 The Gibbering: The sorcerer screams in pain as uncontrolled warp energies surge through his un-

protected mind. He must make a TN 20 Willpower Test or suffer 1d5+1 Insanity points and isstunned for 1d5 rounds.

06-09 Warp Burn: A violent burst of energy from the warp smahes into the sorcerer's mind, sending himreeling. He loses 1d5 Hit Points and is stunned for 1d5 rounds.

10-13 Psychic Concussion: With a crack of energy, the sorcerer is knocked unconsious for 1d5 rounds,and everyone within 3d10 meters must make a TN 15 Willpower Test or be stunned for oneround.

14-18 Psy-Blast: There is an explosion of power, and the sorcerer is thrown 1d10 meters into the air,falling to the ground.

19-24 Soul Sear: Warp power courses through the Sorcerer's body, scorching his soul. The sorcerer can-not use any powers for one hour.

25-30 Locked In: The power cages the Sorcerer's mind in an ethereal prison. The Sorcerer falls to theground in a catatonic state. Each round thereafter, he must spend a full action to Test Willpower(TN 15) On a success, his mind is freed and restored to his body.

31-38 Chronological Incontinence: Time warps around the sorcerer. He winks out of existance and reap-pears in 1d10 rounds and suffers 1d5 Insanity Points.

39-46 Psychic Mirror: The Sorcerer's power is turned back on him. Resolve the spell's effect as normal,but the spell targets the Sorcerer instead. If the spell is beneficial, it instead makes the sorcererlose 1d5 Hit Points and the beneficial effect is cancelled.

47-55 Warp Whispers: The voices of daemons fill the air within 4d10 meters of the sorcerer, whisperingterrible secrets and shocking truths. Everyone in the area must make a TN 25 Willpower Test orsuffer 1d10 Insanity Points.

56-58 The Darkness: The area is cloaked in terrible screaming darkness, rendering everyone within 5d10meters of the sorcerer blind and deaf for the next 1d10 rounds.

59-67 Teleport Storm: Mystical lightning strikes the ground in a terrible displacement storm. Everyonewithin 3d10 meters of the sorcerer switches places with someone else at random.

68-72 Rending the Veil: The air vibrates with images of cackling daemons and the kaleidoscopic taint ofthe warp is rendered visible. All sentient creatures within 1d100 meters must Test against Fear 3.This effect lasts for 1d5 rounds.

73-78 Blood Rain: A magical storm erupts, covering an area of 5d10 meters in which everyone must passa TN 15 Strength check or be knocked to the ground. The skies rain blood and any Spells cast inthe area automatically invoke a Perils of the Warp check for the next 1d5 rounds.

79-82 Cataclysmic Blast: The sorcerer's power overloads, arcing out in great bolts of energy. Anyonewithin 1d10 meters (including the sorcerer) loses 1d5+2 Hit Points. The sorcerer may not castany spells for 1d5 hours.

83-86 Power Drain: The sorcerer's power glitches and tries to draw power from the spirits of others.Everyone within 3d10 meters of the sorcerer lose all unspent fate points.

87-90 Reality Quake: Reality buckles around the sorcerer, and an area raditing out 3d10 meters fromhim is sundered: everything rots, burns, and freezes, and everything in the area takes 3d10 Rendingdamage.

91-99 Lost to the Warp: The sorcerer must make a TN 30 Willpower Test or he is gragged into the warpby a daemon immediately for purposes unknown. He reappears 1d10 weeks later on an inhabitedplanet with only dim, horrific memories of what happened. He suffers 3d10 Insanity Points andall future Perils of the Warp Tests are made at +10.

00 Destruction: The sorcerer is sucked screaming into the Warp, never to be seen again. He is nomore.

ploding anything behind the wall without pok-ing your head over to look.Focus: A small gem.

Exploding RunesAbjuration 4Focus Power Test: Abjuration + WisdomTarget Number: 30Action: Full ActionKeywords: Social, Somatic, TouchDuration: Indefinite (E)You inscribe a series of runes on an object. Ifanyone except you and anyone else you nameas safe during the casting of this spell readsthese runes, they explode, dealing 4k4 damagein a Burst 3 and ending the spell.

ContingencyAbjuration 4Focus Power Test: Abjuration + WisdomTarget Number: 30Action: Full ActionKeywords: Social, Somatic, TouchDuration: Indefinite (E)On the completion of this spell, you must im-mediately cast another spell. That spell doesnot take immediate effect. Under a conditionchosen at the time of casting, that spell takesimmediate effect. Targets must be chosenwhen the spell is cast, though they may be leftsomewhat vague (for example, you might castfireball and set the target at 'whatever I ampointing to').

DisjunctionAbjuration 5Focus Power Test: Abjuration + WisdomTarget Number: 20Action: Reaction ActionKeywords: -Duration: InstantThis spell functions as Dispel, but if you suc-ceed on the counter attempt, the target cannotcast spells until the end of your next turn.

CONJURATION SCHOOL

Invisible ServantConjuration 1Focus Power Test: Conjuration + Wisdom

Target Number: 15Action: Full ActionKeywords: Social, VerbalDuration: One hourYou summon an invisible roaming animatingforce. It can preform any task that doesn't re-quire a skill check, and has effective rating of1 in each characteristic. It lasts for one hour,and is often used for cleaning and other simpletasks.

BlinkConjuration 1Focus Power Test: Conjuration + WisdomTarget Number: 15Action: Half ActionKeywords: Combo-OK, SomaticDuration: InstantYou instantly teleport to a spot you can seewithin your run distance.

Lesser ServantConjuration 2Focus Power Test: Conjuration + WisdomTarget Number: 20Action: Full ActionKeywords: Material, Somatic, VerbalDuration: One minute per caster levelYou summon a weak creature to aid you. Ithas a rating of 2 in all characteristics and 2ranks in any relevant skills. The Servant re-mains for one minute for every level you have.Material: A candle

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Call ItemConjuration 2Focus Power Test: Conjuration + WisdomTarget Number: 20Action: Full ActionKeywords: Touch, SocialDuration: IndefiniteYou cast this spell on an item you can hold inone hand. You may teleport that item intoyour hand at any time, from any distance, as afree action. You may have only one item pre-pared in this way at a time.

PorteConjuration 3Focus Power Test: Conjuration + WisdomTarget Number: 20Action: Half Action or Reaction ActionKeywords: SomaticDuration: One day per Caster level.You create a portal large enough for a personto walk through in a place you can see within100m. The portal must be placed on a rela-tively flat surface, but can otherwise be set atany angle. If the surface moves, the portal van-ishes instantly. You must cast this spell twicefor it to have much effect. The portals are likea doorway - there's no real space betweenthem, entering one immediately puts you outthe other. You can hang halfway through aportal, though if one is closed you're expelledthrough the open side. Momentum is con-served through the portals. You may have onlytwo portals open at once. If you attempt toopen a third, you must choose which of yourexisting portals closes.

JauntConjuration 3Focus Power Test: Conjuration + WisdomTarget Number: 25Action: Reaction ActionKeywords: Combo-OKDuration: InstantYou instantly teleport up to 10m away. If usedin reaction to an attack, you can use this as adodge attempt.

Greater ServantConjuration 4Focus Power Test: Conjuration + WisdomTarget Number: 30Action: Full ActionKeywords: Material, Somatic, VerbalDuration: One minute per caster level.As Lesser Servant, except the summoned crea-ture has 4 in all characteristics.Material: A candle

TeleportConjuration 4Focus Power Test: Conjuration + WisdomTarget Number: 30Action: Full ActionKeywords: Combo-OK, Somatic, VerbalDuration: InstantAs Blink, but with no maximum distance, andyou may teleport anywhere you have seen be-fore. Unless you are extremely familiar withthe destination, you must make a Widom +Perception check against TN 25 (The SMmay raise the TN for locations you've onlyseen once or have seen only from a distance orthrough divination spells).

GateConjuration 5Focus Power Test: Conjuration + WisdomTarget Number: 35Action: Full ActionKeywords: Social, SomaticDuration: One day per Caster Level.As Porte, save you don't need to have line ofeffect to the target for the portal opening. Thisportal counts as one of the two open portalsyou may have and otherwise follows all therules of Porte. Unless you are extremely famil-iar with the destination, you must make aWidom + Perception check against TN 25(The SM may raise the TN for locationsyou've only seen once or have seen only froma distance or through divination spells).

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DIVINATION SCHOOL

AguryDivination 1Focus Power Test: Divination + WisdomTarget Number: 20Action: Full ActionKeywords: Material, SocialDuration: InstantYou get a general idea of if your current ac-tions are wise or not. If you fail casting thisspell, it still functions, but you get a false re-sult.Material: Dice, cards, runes, or some othermeans of telling a fortune.

WhisperDivination 1Focus Power Test: Divination + WisdomTarget Number: 15Action: Free ActionKeywords: Combo-OK, SubtleDuration: InstantYou send a short message (a sentence or so)to a target you can see. No one but the targetcan hear the message.

ForseeDivination 2Focus Power Test: Divination + WisdomTarget Number: 15Action: Reaction ActionKeywords: SomaticDuration: InstantYou may use this spell in place of a dodge at-tempt.

LuckDivination 2Focus Power Test: Divination + WisdomTarget Number: 20Action: Half ActionKeywords: Combo-OK, SubtleDuration: One scene (E)Until the end of the scene, you gain 1 extra'floating' unkept die that you may apply to oneroll per turn. For every raise you get, you gainone additional floating die. You may use anumber of these floating die up to your levelon any one roll.

ScryDivination 3Focus Power Test: Divination + WisdomTarget Number: 25Action: Full ActionKeywords: Focus, Social, Somatic, VerbalDuration: Concentration (Half)To cast this spell, you must have an object thatbelongs to the target you wish to scry, or a partof their body (like a lock of hair). The targetmay roll Arcana + Willpower to resist. If thisspell is successful, you can see and hear thetarget and their surroundings out to about 10meters. You must spend a half action everyround to maintain this effect.Focus: A mirror or still pool of water.

PrecognitionDivination 3Focus Power Test: Divination + WisdomTarget Number: 25Action: Half ActionKeywords: Combo-OK, SubtleDuration: One scene (E)You may reroll one failed roll. For every raiseyou get on this spell's magic Test, you get oneadditional reroll. You may use these rerolls inaddition to any other rerolling ability and mayuse as many of these as you like on a givenTest.

Mind NetDivination 4Focus Power Test: Divination + WisdomTarget Number: 30Action: Full ActionKeywords: Mind-Affecting, SubtleDuration: One sceneYou create a telepathic network between yourallies. Until the end of the scene, you and anyallies you name on casting this spell can speakthrough this network silently and instantly.

UnluckDivination 4Focus Power Test: Divination + WisdomTarget Number: 30Action: Half ActionKeywords: Attack, Combo-OK, Saving

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Throw, SubtleDuration: One sceneChoose a target within 10m. He loses one un-kept die from all rolls, plus one for every raiseon the magic Test. The target may resist withArcana + Willpower.

CommuneDivination 5Focus Power Test: Divination + WisdomTarget Number: 30Action: Full ActionKeywords: Focus, Language Dependent, Ma-terial, Mind-Affecting, Social, VerbalDuration: One minute per level.You begin a conversation with anyone youname, regardless of distance or barriers be-tween you. The target may end this conversa-tion at any time. It lasts for a maximum of fiveminutes.Focus: A scrying pool or mirror.Material: Incense.

ENCHANTMENT SCHOOL

Charm PersonEnchantment 1Test: Enchantment + CharismaTarget Number: 15Action: Half ActionKeywords: Mind-Affecting, Social, SubtleDuration: One scene.The target likes you for no reason at all, treat-ing you like an old friend and granting +2k0to all social rolls. The target may resist withArcana + Willpower. If you treat a charmedtarget well, they might just continue to thinkof you as a friend.

CommandEnchantment 1Test: Enchantment + CharismaTarget Number: 15Action: Half ActionKeywords: Attack, Combo-OK, LanguageDependent, Mind-Affecting, Saving Throw,VerbalDuration: Instant

Deliver a one-word command to the target,which they must attempt to obey with theirnext action if they fail an Arcana + Willpowerroll. Targets will automatically resist obviouslyself-destructive commands like 'Suicide' or acommand to jump from a bridge. If they can-not complete the action with their next actionin combat, they will attempt to do their bestgiven the time they have.

StunEnchantment 2Test: Enchantment + CharismaTarget Number: 20Action: Half ActionKeywords: Attack, Combo-OK, SavingThrow, SomaticDuration: InstantThe target, a creature within 10m, may onlytake a half action on his next turn. He may re-sist this effect with Arcana + Willpower. If hefails by 5 or more, he loses his entire action in-stead.

AttractionEnchantment 2Test: Enchantment + CharismaTarget Number: 20Action: Full ActionKeywords: Mind-Affecting, Saving Throw,Social, Subtle, TouchDuration: One hour.The touched object or person generates anaura that just draws attention from everyonearound. Creatures passing within 30m can'thelp but stop and look. If it's a person, theyhang on his every word, giving +1k1 to all so-cial rolls. People will attempt to interact withthis object - opening doors, reading signs, andso forth. This effect lasts up to one hour, andmay be resisted with Arcana + Willpower.

DominateEnchantment 3Test: Enchantment + CharismaTarget Number: 25Action: Full ActionKeywords: Attack, Combo-OK, LanguageDependent, Mind-Affecting, Saving Throw

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Duration: Concentration (Half)You control the actions of target creaturewithin 10m. You must spend a half actionevery round to maintain this effect. The crea-ture may Test Arcana + Willpower to resist. Ifyou ask the creature to do something outsideof its nature, it gets a free raise to that roll. Ifyou force it to do something self-destructive orviolent towards an ally, it gets three free raises.

AweEnchantment 3Test: Enchantment + CharismaTarget Number: 25Action: Full ActionKeywords: Attack, Combo-OK, SavingThrow, SomaticDuration: InstantThis works as Stun, except on all creatureswithin a 10m radius.

EncoreEnchantment 4Test: Enchantment + CharismaTarget Number: 30Action: Half ActionKeywords: Mind-Affecting, VerbalDuration: One round per level. (E)The target must Test Arcana + Willpowerevery turn, or else he must repeat the same ac-tions he took in his last turn if possible.

BlindnessEnchantment 4Test: Enchantment + CharismaTarget Number: 30Action: Half ActionKeywords: Attack, Combo-OK, SavingThrow, SomaticDuration: One day.The target touched becomes blinded if theyfail to resist with Arcana + Willpower. This ef-fect lasts for one day.

GeasEnchantment 5Test: Enchantment + CharismaTarget Number: 20Action: Half ActionKeywords: Attack, Combo-OK, Language

Dependent, Mind-Affecting, Saving Throw,Subtle, VerbalDuration: One Scene. (E)This works as Command, save the target willfollow suicidal commands if they fail their Testto resist and the target may undertake ex-tended actions rather than just using their nextaction, up to the duration of the scene.

EVOCATION SCHOOL

Magic MissileEvocation 1Test: Evocation + CharismaTarget Number: 15Action: Half ActionKeywords: Attack, Combo-OK, SomaticDuration: InstantOne target within 10m takes 1k1 damage. Forevery raise you gain on this roll, you may copythis spell and attack the same or a different tar-get. The target may not dodge this attack. Themaximum number of copies of this spell youmay make is equal to your level.

Energy BurstEvocation 1Test: Evocation + CharismaTarget Number: 15Action: Half ActionKeywords: Attack, Combo-OK, RangedTouch, SomaticDuration: InstantMake a Burst 2 attack that deals 2k1 damage,plus 1 damage per level, at a range of up to30m.

Energy GraspEvocation 2Test: Evocation + CharismaTarget Number: 20Action: Half ActionKeywords: Attack, Combo-OK, Touch, So-matic, VerbalDuration: InstantYour hand glows with an awesome power.You may make an unarmed melee attack(Dexterity + Brawl). Roll Evocation +Charisma as damage.

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Energy RayEvocation 2Test: Evocation + CharismaTarget Number: 20Action: Full ActionKeywords: Attack, Combo-OK, RangedTouch, SomaticDuration: InstantMake a ranged attack with a maximum rangeof 20m per level. This attack deals 3k3 dam-age.

EnergyballEvocation 3Test: Evocation + CharismaTarget Number: 25Action: Half ActionKeywords: Attack, Combo-OK, Material,Ranged Touch, SomaticDuration: InstantMake a Burst 10 attack that deals 1k1 damageper level, at a range of 30m.Material: A pinch of gunpowder.

Energy AuraEvocation 3Test: Evocation + CharismaTarget Number: 15Action: Reaction Action

Keywords: Attack, Combo-OK, Focus, So-matic, VerbalDuration: One scene.Create an aura that deals 1k1 +1 damage/levelto everyone in melee range of you at the endof your turn or who you hit in melee whichlasts until the end of the scene.

Energy WallEvocation 4Test: Evocation + CharismaTarget Number: 25Action: Full ActionKeywords: Attack, Material, SomaticDuration: One sceneCreate a wall that is 10 meters long, plus fivemeters for every raise you get on this roll. Peo-ple can see and target through this wall. Any-one who passes through this wall takes 2k2damage. This wall lasts until the end of thescene.Material: A vial of oil.

Energy BitsEvocation 4Test: Evocation + CharismaTarget Number: 5Action: Full ActionKeywords: Attack, Combo-OK, Ranged At-tack, Somatic, Verbal

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Duration: One Scene (E)Create one sphere of energy plus one for everyraise you get on this roll. These spheres lastuntil the end of the scene. You may expendany number of these spheres at the beginningof your turn as a free action. For each sphereyou expend, make a ranged attack that deals2k1 damage. You may not attack the same tar-get with more than 2 spheres per turn.

Energy MeteorsEvocation 5Test: Evocation + CharismaTarget Number: 30Action: Full ActionKeywords: Attack, Combo-OK, RangedTouch, Somatic, VerbalDuration: InstantMake a Burst 10 attack that deals 4k4 damageat a range of up to 40m. Copy this spell foreach dot you have in Evocation.

HEALING SCHOOL

Cure Light WoundsHealing 1Test: Healing + WisdomTarget Number: 15Action: Half ActionKeywords: Combo-OK, Somatic, Touch,VerbalDuration: InstantYou may spend one resource point (Vitae,Rage, etc). If you do, the target touched ishealed of one hit point.

BoonHealing 1Test: Healing + WisdomTarget Number: 15Action: Half ActionKeywords: Combo-OK, VerbalDuration: One Minute (E)All allies within 10m get +1k0 on their next at-tack roll. This bonus is lost if it isn't usedwithin one minute.

RegenerationHealing 2Test: Healing + WisdomTarget Number: 20Action: Full ActionKeywords: Social, Somatic, TouchDuration: InstantYou touch a target. You may spend three re-source points. If you do, that target regrows asevered limb.

BoostHealing 2Test: Healing + WisdomTarget Number: 20Action: Half ActionKeywords: VerbalDuration: InstantChoose an Ally within 10m. That ally may im-mediately take a half action. This does notchange that ally's place in the initiative order.

Cure Moderate WoundsHealing 3Test: Healing + WisdomTarget Number: 25Action: Half ActionKeywords: Combo-OK, Somatic, Touch,VerbalDuration: InstantYou may spend one resource point (Vitae,Rage, etc). If you do, the target touched ishealed of up to three hit points.

RebukeHealing 3Test: Healing + WisdomTarget Number: 25Action: Half ActionKeywords: Attack, Combo-OK, VerbalDuration: InstantChoose a target within 10m. If that target wor-ships the same god as you, this spell has no ef-fect. Otherwise, the target automaticallysuffers one wound and loses one unspent heropoint.

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ConsecrateHealing 4Test: Healing + WisdomTarget Number: 30Action: Full ActionKeywords: Material, Somatic, VerbalDuration: See text.You create an area 5m in radius. Those withinthis area who worship the same god as thecaster gain +1k0 on all rolls. By spending anadditional full action in his next round, thecaster increases the radius of this area by 5m,to a maximum of 50m. The caster may insteadspend a half action every round to merelymaintain this area. This area's size degrades by5m every minute after the caster stops main-taining it.Material: Holy water or incense.

Holy WeaponHealing 4Test: Healing + WisdomTarget Number: 30Action: Half ActionKeywords: Material, Somatic, Touch, VerbalDuration: One day.The touched weapon deals +1k1 damage toenemies of your god. This effect lasts for one

day. The caster may only have one of theseweapons at a time.Material: A sharpening stone.

RessurectionHealing 5Test: Healing + WisdomTarget Number: 35Action: Full ActionKeywords: Social, Somatic, Touch, VerbalDuration: InstantThe caster spends five resource points. If hedoes, the touched corpse is returned to life at0 hit points. The subject loses one dot of Con-stitution. If they had only one dot of Consti-tution to begin with, the spell fails and theycannot be returned to life.

ILLUSION SCHOOL

ImageIllusion 1Test: Illusion + IntelligenceTarget Number: 15Action: Full ActionKeywords: Combo-OK, SomaticDuration: Concentration (Half)You create an image up to 3m cubed within10m. You must spend a half action on each ofyour turns after the first to maintain it. If youspend a full action, you may make the imagemove, though it cannot leave the 3m cube itwas created in - an illusion of a man could bemade to blink and shift his weight, for exam-ple, instead of being static. A Wisdom + Per-ception Test allows viewers to tell it as unreal.

DisguiseIllusion 1Test: Illusion + IntelligenceTarget Number: -Action: Half ActionKeywords: Material, Social, SomaticDuration: Concentration (reaction)You may use this spell instead of the DisguiseSkill in order to disguise yourself, the result ofthe Magic Test being the quality of your dis-guise. You must spend one reaction action perturn to maintain this disguise.Material: A pinch of rouge.

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InvisibilityIllusion 2Test: Illusion + IntelligenceTarget Number: -Action: Full ActionKeywords: Combo-OK, SubtleDuration: One minute per level.You become invisible, and may use the resultfrom this magic Test in place of stealth rollsinvolving sight. This effect lasts up to oneminute per level, but ends immediately if youmake an attack.

Ghost SoundIllusion 2Test: Illusion + IntelligenceTarget Number: 20Action: Half ActionKeywords: Combo-OK, SubtleDuration: InstantYou create a sound from a source up to 20maway an in your line of sight. If you get at leastone raise on this roll, you can create intelligiblespeech. If you get two raises, you may mimica specific person's voice. This sound can befrom as quiet as a whisper to as loud as ashout.

SilenceIllusion 3Test: Illusion + IntelligenceTarget Number: 25Action: Half ActionKeywords: Combo-OK, Somatic.Duration: One minute per level.A touched object or person radiates an aura ofsilence out to 5m. Stealth Tests involvingsound within this area automatically succeed,and sounds from outside the area simply stopat the border. This effect lasts for up to 1minute per level.

Mirror ImageIllusion 3Test: Illusion + IntelligenceTarget Number: 25Action: Full ActionKeywords: Combo-OK, Somatic, VerbalDuration: One scene (E)

You create duplicate images of yourself thatdistract enemies. These images remain closeto you. You create one image on a success atcasting this spell, plus one for every raisegained, to a maximum of your level. Wheneveryou are attacked, the attacker must roll ran-domly between you and your images to seewhat he hits. An image struck by an attack isdestroyed. All images vanish at the end of thescene.

Improved InvisibilityIllusion 4Test: Illusion + IntelligenceTarget Number: -Action: Full ActionKeywords: SubtleDuration: One minute.This funtions as Invisibility, save its maximumduration is only one minute and making an at-tack does not immediately end the spell.

Programmed ImageIllusion 4Test: Illusion + IntelligenceTarget Number: 30Action: Full ActionKeywords: Social, Somatic, VerbalDuration: One hour per level.This works as Image, but it lasts for up to onehour per level, and you may program it toreact to a number of stimuli up to your Intel-ligence. This spell may also produce sounds,including intelligible speech.

Permanent ImageIllusion 5Test: Illusion + IntelligenceTarget Number: 35Action: Full ActionKeywords: Somatic, VerbalDuration: IndefiniteThis works as Image, but you do not need tomaintain it. It lasts until dispelled.

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NECROMANCY SCHOOL

Flush of LifeNecromancy 1Test: Necromancy + Blood PotencyTarget Number: 15Action: Half ActionKeywords: Social, SubtleDuration: One scene.Until the end of the scene, you breathe, lookless pale, and otherwise seem to be alive toeven detailed examination.

RotNecromancy 1Test: Necromancy + Blood PotencyTarget Number: 15Action: Half ActionKeywords: Attack, Combo-OK, Somatic, Ver-balDuration: InstantThis causes items to age and rot. You may tar-get a 1m cube within 20m. Items within thatcube are subjected to terrible powers. Foodspoils, water becomes stagnant. If you get oneraise, wood crumbles and rots. Another raise,and even metal rusts and flakes away.

Speak with DeadNecromancy 2Test: Necromancy + Blood PotencyTarget Number: 20Action: Full ActionKeywords: Focus, Language Dependent, So-cial, Somatic, Touch, VerbalDuration: InstantThe touched corpse answers one question. Itcan only answer one question per day in thismanner. While the answer must be truthful, itcan be vague or obfuscated.Focus: A metal disk inscribed with runes.

Draining TouchNecromancy 2Test: Necromancy + Blood PotencyTarget Number: 20Action: Half ActionKeywords: Attack, Combo-OK, Somatic,TouchDuration: Instant

Make an unarmed melee attack that deals 2k2damage. If you are a vampire, you gain oneVitae for each Wound this attack causes.

TormentNecromancy 3Test: Necromancy + Blood PotencyTarget Number: 25Action: Half ActionKeywords: Attack, Combo-OK, SavingThrow, Somatic, VerbalDuration: InstantAll creatures within 10m lose half of their re-maining Hit Points. This includes the casterand his allies. Creatures may roll Arcana +Constitution to resist. Undead creatures(Vampires, skeletons, zombies, etc) get a freeraise on their rolls to resist.

Raise DeadNecromancy 3Test: Necromancy + Blood PotencyTarget Number: 25Action: Full ActionKeywords: Material, Social, Somatic, Touch,VerbalDuration: IndefiniteSpend a Vitae. The touched corpse becomesa terrible undead creature, a mockery of life.If it is in good condition, it can pass for a(VERY SICK) living creature for a short time.Regardless of the creature that it comes from,it acts as though it has 2 in all characteristicsand 1 in any skills it used often in life.Material: A black gem.

Corrupted EarthNecromancy 4Test: Necromancy + Blood PotencyTarget Number: 30Action: Full ActionKeywords: Material, Somatic, VerbalDuration: See text.You create an area 5m in radius. Those withinthis area who don't worship the same god asthe caster suffer -1k0 on all rolls. By spendingan additional full action in his next round, thecaster increases the radius of this area by 5m,to a maximum of 50m. The caster may insteadspend a half action every round to merely

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maintain this area. This area's size degrades by5m every minute after the caster stops main-taining it.Material: Holy water or incense.

Consume SoulNecromancer 4Test: Necromancy + Blood PotencyTarget Number: 30Action: Full ActionKeywords: Attack, Combo-OK, Somatic,TouchDuration: InstantWhen this spell is cast on a recently (less thanone minute) deceased creature, you consumeits soul, making it impossible for that creatureto be brought back with ressurection spells foras long as you're alive (or, well, an undeadmockery of life).

DaywalkerNecromancer 5Test: Necromancy + Blood PotencyTarget Number: 35Action: Full ActionKeywords: Focus, Social, SubtleDuration: See text.The caster becomes immune to the usualweaknesses of Vampires - sunlight no longerburns him, and any special restrictions fromdrawbacks or other sources do not impedehim. This effect lasts for one hour, plus onehour for each raise on the casting roll.Focus: A medallion inscribed with a symbol ofa solar eclipse.

TRANSMUTATION SCHOOL

Swift ChangeTransmutation 1Test: Transmutation + Feral HeartTarget Number: 15Action: Free ActionKeywords: Combo-OK, SomaticDuration: InstantYou may use Shifting once as a free action.

TreesongTransmutation 1Test: Transmutation + Feral HeartTarget Number: 15

Action: Half ActionKeywords: Somatic, Touch, VerbalDuration: InstantYou shape living wood into a simple shape,such as what you could form out of clay. Youmay effect up to 1 cubic meter of wood, and itremains in the shape you form it into perma-nently.

DedicationTransmutation 2Test: Transmutation + Feral HeartTarget Number: 20Action: Full ActionKeywords: Material, Somatic, Touch, VerbalDuration: IndefiniteThe caster touches an item and a characterwith an ability to change shape. While nor-mally items are dropped or shredded when thecharacter changes shape, the dedicated iteminstead transforms with them.Material: A pinch of Silver dust.

Animal PowerTransmutation 2Test: Transmutation + Feral HeartTarget Number: 20Action: Half ActionKeywords: Combo-OK, Somatic, Touch,VerbalDuration: One scene.The target creature gets +1 to one physicalcharacteristic (Strength, Dexterity, or Consti-tution). For every two raises on this roll, thecreature gets an additional +1 to the statistic.

Magic FangTransmutation 3Test: Transmutation + Feral HeartTarget Number: 25Action: Half ActionKeywords: Combo-OK, Somatic, Touch,VerbalDuration: One scene.The touched creature's natural weapons dealan additional kept die of damage and count asmagic weapons.

PolymorphTransmutation 3Test: Transmutation + Feral HeartTarget Number: 25

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Action: Full ActionKeywords: Material, Somatic, Touch, VerbalDuration: One scene.The touched target temporarily shares yourability to shapeshift. The target gains yourShifting ability until the end of the scene.Material: A lock of your hair.

Primal PowerTransmutation 4Test: Transmutation + Feral HeartTarget Number: 30Action: Half ActionKeywords: Material, Somatic, Touch, VerbalDuration: One scene.This works as Animal Power, except insteadof choosing a characteristic, the bonus appliesto all three physical characteristics.Material: A tooth from a predatory animal.

Earth SongTransmutation 4Test: Transmutation + Feral HeartTarget Number: 30Action: Half ActionKeywords: Somatic, Touch, VerbalDuration: InstantYou shape stone into a simple shape, such aswhat you could form out of clay. You may ef-fect up to 1 cubic meter of stone, and it re-mains in the shape you form it intopermanently.

ShapechangeTransmutation 5Test: Transmutation + Feral HeartTarget Number: 35Action: Half ActionKeywords: Focus, Somatic, VerbalUntil the end of the scene, you may use shift-ing as a free action.Focus: A jade circlet.

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Lance stepped out of the elevator, checking left and right with his laspistols.Glass shattered as another volley of fire came at him from below. Lance took coverbehind a support beam and threw a grenade blindly towards the gunner. The blastshattered the rest of the windows on that floor. He spotted movement out of thecorner of his eye and fired, arrows of light streaking towards the guard as bothmen fired on each other.

The guard dropped, a pool of bright red blood spilling under him. Lancedropped one of his laspistols as the pain hit him. Blood trickled down his left arm.The wound staggered him, the pain almost making him black out. The elevatorbehind him pinged. He turned, bringing his gun up. A plasma pistol was alreadyaimed at him. And holding it was...

"Jim!" Lance said, surprised. The dragonborn gunman stepped around himand fired a bolt of white-hot plasma at another guard as he appeared behindLance. The bolts blasted through the man's light armor and sent him to the groundin a cloud of fire and smoke.

"Where's Kharne?" Lance asked."Top floor. This way!" Jim led the way, Lance nursing his injury and watch-

ing the massive dragonborn's back. He tossed another grenade back the way theyhad come, collapsing the corridor on two unfortunate men who had been follow-ing.

Jim unlocked the express elevator with his multitool. As Lance caught upto him, a dark shape appeared at the end of the hallway, hefting a heavy weapon.

"Jim!" Lance screamed. The dragonborn turned just as the heavy bolteropened up, filling the air with screaming steel. Lance threw himself to the groundand fired wildly. The bolter fell silent as Lance's shots struck true. Lance ran overto Jim as the dragonborn collapsed, split open by the explosive shells of the heavybolter.

"Kharne... he's got to be stopped..." Lance gasped. He smiled through thepain. "I was waiting... for you to come back and take over." He dragonborn wentlimp as he finally bled out.

Lance took the express elevator up. There were no guards on the top floor.He could feel Kharne waiting for him. A blast rocked the station. The entire pent-house roof disinegrated. Force fields snapped into place, just barely holding backthe vacuum.

"So," Kharne said. "You're finally awake." Lance stepped through thesmoke and rubble. The Mark of Bahamut on his chest burned. He could makeout the crimson light shining from the Mark of Khorne that Kharne bore. "I toldyou before, Lance. I'm the only one who can kill you and set you free."

"Those words apply to you as well, Kharne." Lance smiled grimly. "Eitherway, it's going to end here." He raised his laspistol, his vision blurry with fatigue.Kharne's chainaxe rumbled. It would all be over soon, one way or the other.

he Sublime Way. The Nine Disci-plines. Blade Magic. All of these are terms thathave been used to describe the almost super-human fighting abilities that are the hallmarkof heroic combat. The uncanny power of theSublime Way springs from a blend of physicalskill, mental self-discipline, and adherence todistinct martial philosophies. Many of the Ad-vantages of the various martial disciplinesaren't magic at all - they are simply demonstra-tions of superhuman skill and training. Al-though many of the Advantages and methodstaught by the Sublime Way are mundane inexecution and effect, their results can some-times rival spells.

The warriors who study the Nine Dis-ciplines are Martial Adepts, capable of battle-field feats beyond those that a traditionallyschooled and trained warrior can home to ac-complish. The typical fighter mgiht displaygreat skill in a weapon's basic cuts, thrusts, andparries, but a student of the Sublime Way be-lieves that mastering a weapon requires self-discipline and spiritual austerity in addition tolearning the correct postures and movements.

MARTIAL ADEPT LEVELSome effects of Advantages and Re-

strictions will reference a character's MartialAdept level. A character's martial adept levelis equal to the number of dots he has in hishighest level Sword School. Where MagicSchools have little overlap (as represeted bythe way that each magical school is rolled asits own skill), the sword schools can be usedtogether, and so a character's full MartialAdept level is always used regardless of fromwhence a particular advantage came from.

Special AttacksSpecial Attacks are the core of the

Sublime Way. Unlike spells, which are codi-fied and separate effects that can be combinedby a skilled spellcaster, the skills of swords-manship flow into one another, build on oneanother, with Martial Adepts adapting ele-ments of each Sword School they know intotheir own personal fighting style.

The maneuvers of the Sublime Wayare not given as simple combat actions. Eachschool teaches special Advantages and Restric-tions that can be used to create your own spe-cial attacks.

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Advantages are special bonuses thatare applied to an attack action. It might givean enemy a Condition, apply a property to theattack, or just increase the damage dealt by theblow. Advantages from different schools canbe used together to build attacks that tran-scend the nine schools and are truly a 'stylewithout style'.

Restrictions are flaws in an attack -this may represent overextending yourself tostrike deeply at an opponent's most vulnerablelocation or striking lightly with extra precision.No matter how skilled a martial adept be-comes, the more specialized they make theirattacks, the more flaws they're forced to ac-cept.

Special Attacks take the same amountof time and effort as any action of their basetype - a Special Attack based on a StandardAttack uses a half action, one based on aCalled Shot uses a Full Action, and so forth.

HOW TO BUILD A SPECIALATTACK

Special Attacks start with choosing anaction to base it on. You add Advantages andRestrictions to increase the power and utilityof said attack, buying it with XP. There aresome Universal Advantages and Restrictionsthat can be used by any Martial Adept, but themajority of Advantages and Restrictions comefrom the Nine Disciplines.

Each attack is built on a specific ac-tion using a specific weapon. As a base, for ex-ample, you might select making a normalattack with a fencing weapon. The types ofweapon you may select to use are restricted bythe Sword Schools you have learned. Whichactions you can use are similarly restricted bythe Sword Schools you know.

At the first level of any sword school,a martial adept gains access to the UniversalAdvantages and Restrictions, and may useStandard Attack actions to build Special At-tacks. These represent the basic training anduniversal abilities that all adepts can access.

Every Advantage on an attack costs acertain number of Style Points. While a Mar-tial Adept has Style Points equal to their Mar-tial Adept level to use on attacks he buys,

going beyond that requires him to gain stylepoints by adding Restrictions to his attack.Where an Advantage gives an attack additionalability or utility, a Restriction imposes apenalty on the attack - this might be less dam-age, less accuracy, or a number of other things.You can gain extra style points equal to yourMartial Adept Level with restrictions - if therestrictions you’ve chosen are worth more thanthat, the ‘extra’ points are lost.

It's important to name and keep trackof each of your character's special attacks.What your character calls his attacks is almostas important as the effects they have in deter-mining what sort of warrior he is - someonewho numbers their attacks might be extremelyserious with no flair for the dramatic, whilesomeone who uses overblown attack namesmight shout them out in battle and draw at-tention with his reckless firey temper.

It's possible to both buy and improveattacks. Buying an attack is fairly inexpensive,costing fifty XP per Style Point of the attackwith a minimum cost of fifty XP. Improvingan attack you already have costs, naturally,fifty XP per style point you're adding to it.

Sword SchoolsThere are nine Sword Schools in the

Sublime Way. These same schools and tech-niques have been discovered and rediscoveredin different places and times throughout his-tory. Some have even unlocked their secretsthrough intense personal meditation andstudy, with no teacher to guide them save theirown desire to be the best, like no other warriorever was.

There are five levels of mastery toeach school, represented by the number ofdots you have in the school. The five levels ofmastery are, in order, Apprentice, Initiate,Journeyman, Master, and Grandmaster. Ateach level of mastery, the Martial Adept un-locks new secrets of the Sword School.

At the first stage of mastery, the Ap-prentice learns the use of the school's chosenweapon type and combat action. A martialadept can only use the weapons and actions hehas unlocked in this way in order to build spe-

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cial attacks - without this level of training, hesimply doesn't have the true zen of it.

At the second stage of mastery, theInitiate begins learning the true secrets of theschool. He learns the school flaw, a Restrictionthat is exclusive to that particular swordschool, and the first school Advantage, whichtends to be a core part of the school's style andteachings.

In the third stage of mastery, the Jour-neyman learns to incorporate the school's fa-vored skill into his techniques, allowing him touse a skill Test with that skill as a restrictionon his attacks. He also learns the secondschool Advantage, which further solidifies thestyle of the school.

In the fourth stage of mastery, theMaster is just that, as master. They learn aspecial Mastery ability that they can alwaysuse, even if they're not making a Special At-tack, that represents the sheer amount of train-ing they've put into the Sword School. Theyalso learn a new Advantage for their school, apowerful ability that even most martial adeptsnever see.

Finally, if a Martial Adept manages toget to the fifth stage of mastery, they gain theschool's ultimate secret technique, the mostpowerful Advantage that the school can give.There are almost no Grandmasters to learnthis secret technique from, and nearly everyperson who has achieved this level of masteryhas done so through their own training andpersonal perfection of the school's teachings.

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Universal AdvantagesName Cost Effect

Extra Damage 1/3*

For 1 Style point, add+1k0 to damage. For 3,add +0k1. You can addup to +2k2 in this way.

More Accurate 1/2*

For 1 Style point, add+1k0 to attack. For 3,add +0k1. You can addup to +2k2 in this way.

More Pen 1*

For every style pointyou spend, add 2 to theattack's Penetration.

Universal RestrictionsName Cost Effect

Limited Use (-1/2)

For -1 Style point, youmay not use this attackif you used it in the lastround. For -2 stylepoints, you may onlyuse it once per scene.

Less Damage (-1/2)*

For -1 Style point, thisattack deals -1k0 dam-age. For -2, it deals -0k1. You may subtractup to -2k2 in this way.

Inaccurate (-1/2)*

For -1 Style point, thisattack is made at -1k0to the roll. For -2, it ismade at -0k1. You maysubtract up to -2k2 inthis way.

Non-Penetrat-ing

(-1)This attack has 0 pene-tration.

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Desert WindSpeed and mobility are the hallmarks of the Desert Wind discipline. Desert Wind ma-

neuvers often involve blinding displays of sword skill, quick charges, and agile footwork. Somemaneuvers from this school, however, draw power from the supernatural essence of the desertand allow and adept practitioner to scour his foes with fire.

The key skill for Desert Wind is Athletics. The odd weapons of the Syrneth are the tra-ditional weapons used in Desert Wind special attacks. It's thought that the Syrneth were the firstto use this fighting style, which isn't unlikely given the supernatural effects of the school.

Name Cost Effect

Level 1: Apprentice

Weapon (Syrneth) - Use Syrneth weapons with your martial maneuvers.

Action (Called Shot) - Use Called Shot actions in martial maneuvers.

Level 2: Initiate

Empty Hand (-2)

Do not add your weapon's damage to this attack. Itdeals no damage. You may only apply this to actionsthat include an attack with a weapon - you cannot applythis to an Aim action, for example.

Blistering Flourish 1If this attack hits, the target is dazzled for one round forevery raise you get on the attack roll.

Level 3: Journeyman

Skill (Athletics) (-1)As part of this attack, make an Athletics check againstthe static defense of the target. If it fails, the attack fails

Burning Blade 1Your attack deals E type damage instead of theweapon's damage type.

Level 4: Master

Mastery (Zephyr Dance) -When making a charge attack, you do not need to movein a straight line.

Leaping Flame 1You may teleport 5m either right before or right aftermaking this attack.

Level 5: Grandmaster

Holocaust Cloak 4

As part of this attack, everyone within 2m of you takes2k2 E damage. If you move during this attack, this af-fects everyone that you come within 2 meters of. A tar-get can only be affected by this effect once per round.

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Devoted SpiritFaith, piety, and purity of body and mind are the wellsprings of a warrior's true power.

Devoted Spirit attacks harness a practitioner's spiritual strength and her zealous devotion to acause. This Sword School includes energies baneful to a creature opposed to the Martial Adept'scause, abilities that can keep an adept fighting long after a mundane warrior would fall to hisenemies, and strikes infused with vengeful, fanatical power.

Medicae is the key skill for Devoted Spirit. Devoted Spirit adepts are trained in the useof the Flail, an difficult and awkward weapon for most to use. It has been suggested that theoriginal masters of the Devoted Spirit school were taught by their gods themselves.

Name Cost Effect

Level 1: Apprentice

Weapon (Flails) - Use Flail weapons with your martial maneuvers.

Action (Aid Another) - Use Aid Another actions in martial maneuvers.

Level 2: Initiate

Devotion (-2)Make an alignment check with a +2 bonus as part ofthis attack.

Revitalizing Strike 1/3For 1 point, heal an adjacent ally for 1 Hit Point. For 3points, heal the ally for 2 Hit Points.

Level 3: Journeyman

Skill (Medicae) (-1)As part of this attack, make a Medicae check against thestatic defense of the target. If it fails, the attack fails.

Foehammer 2If you roll a 10 on damage with this attack, roll an ad-ditional 2 dice for the exploding die instead of just one.

Level 4: Master

Mastery (Ox Body Technique) - Your maximum Hit Points increases by 2.

Covering The Phalanx 1*

For every time you take this advantage, an adjacent allygains +2 to their static defense until your next turn. Thisbonus can be applied to one ally or divided among asmany as can fit in melee range with you.

Level 5: Grandmaster

Castigating Blow 4If this attack hits the head or gizzards it deals additionaldamage equal to your devotion.

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Diamond MindTrue quickness lies in the mind, not the body. A student of the Diamond Mind disci-

pline seeks to hone his perceptions and discipline his thoughts so that he can act even in sliversof time so narrow that others cannot even perceive them. A corollary of this speed of thoughtand action is the concept of the mind as the battleground. An enemy defeated in his mind mustinevitably be defeated in the realm of the physical as well.

Scrutiny, the ability to read another person, is the key skill for Diamond Mind. MartialAdepts focused in Diamond mind use Fencing weapons, light and fast enough to move as fastas their user. It's said that this Sword School was developed by a Mortal as a means to defendhimself from and even defeat the Exalted.

Name Cost Effect

Level 1: Apprentice

Weapon (Fencing) - Use Fencing weapons with your martial maneuvers.

Action (Feint) - Use Feint actions in martial maneuvers.

Level 2: Initiate

Backhanded Blade (-2)This technique can only be used either as a free strikeor a delayed action.

Dipping Swallow 2Gain a free raise on all parry attempts made until yournext turn.

Level 3: Journeyman

Skill (Scrutiny) (-1)As part of this attack, make a Scrutiny check against thestatic defense of the target. If it fails, the attack fails.

Flurry of Blows 3*Make an additional attack with your weapon as part ofthis attack.

Level 4: Master

Mastery (Open Form Motion) -You may use any sort of attack after a successful feint,not just a standard attack action.

Weakening Grip Technique 4If this attack hits, the opponent must make a Dex check(TN 20) or drop whatever they're holding.

Level 5: Grandmaster

Essence Draining Strike 2*

You may take advantage up to five times on one attack.An opponent hit by this attack loses 1 resource point forevery level you have of this advantage.

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Iron HeartAbsolute mastery of the sword is the goal of the Iron Heart discipline. Through unending

practice and study, the Iron Heart adept achieves superhuman skill with her weapons. Iron HeartSpecial Attacks are demonstrations of uncanny martial skill - weaving patterns of steel that dizzy,confuse, and ultimately kill with no recourse.

The key skill for Iron Heart is Perception, the ability to see the flaws in your own stanceand the defenses of others. Iron Heart weapons are Ordinary weapons, and like the school itself,what seem like ordinary attacks are polished and brought to supernatural levels.

Name Cost Effect

Level 1: Apprentice

Weapon (Ordinary) - Use Ordinary weapons with your martial maneuvers.

Action (Aim) - Use Aim actions in martial maneuvers.

Level 2: Initiate

Opening the Path (-2)After making this attack, your static defense is loweredby 10 until your next turn.

Steel Wind 2 Your attack gains the Tearing property.

Level 3: Journeyman

Skill (Perception) (-1)As part of this attack, make a Perception check againstthe static defense of the target. If it fails, the attack fails.

Hammer of the Emperor 2This attack deals X damage instead of the weapon's nor-mal damage type.

Level 4: Master

Mastery (Mithirl Blade) -Opponents get -1k0 on all of their responses to your at-tacks.

Exorcism of Steel 4 This attack gains the Power Field property.

Level 5: Grandmaster

Strike of Perfect Clarity 5 This attack becomes a Perfect Attack.

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Setting SunStrength is an illusion. Adherents of the Setting Sun philosophy understand that no war-

rior can hope to be stronger, quicker, and more skillful than every one of her enemies. Therefore,this discipline includes Advantages that use an adversary's power and speed against him. SettingSun maneuvers include weakening blows and the ability to stun and distract an opponent. Thehighest forms of the Setting Sun allow you to turn an opponent's weapon against him, turningthe strongest opponent into the most vulnerable.

Deceive is the key skill for the Setting Sun discipline, the ability to trick and outmaneuveran opponent with fast hands. The weapons of the Setting Sun school are no weapons at all, usingunarmed strikes to damage an opponent. It's said that the Setting Sun school was founded byhalflings who were facing extermination and oppression.

Name Cost Effect

Level 1: Apprentice

Weapon (Unarmed) - Use Unarmed attacks with your martial maneuvers.

Action (Fight Defensively) - Use Fight Defensively actions in martial maneuvers.

Level 2: Initiate

Eagle's Claw (-2) You may only use this attack as part of a grapple.

Knockout Blow 2*Anyone hit by your attack takes a level of fatigue, evenif they lose no hit points.

Level 3: Journeyman

Skill (Deceive) (-1)As part of this attack, make a Deceive check against thestatic defense of the target. If it fails, the attack fails.

Distraction Method 2Anyone damaged by this attack takes -1k0 to all rollsuntil your next turn.

Level 4: Master

Mastery (Wind Step) - Gain a free raise to all initiative checks.

Shocking Bullet Fist 4 This attack gains the Shocking property.

Level 5: Grandmaster

Fool's Strike 2You may use your opponent's weapon as the base dam-age of this attack.

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Shadow HandNever show an adversary what he expects to see. The Shadow Hand discipline empha-

sizes deception, misdirection, and surprise. The most effective blow is one struck against anenemy who does not even know he is in danger. Because the study of the deceit as a philosophyoften leads into darker practices, some Shadow Hand maneuvers employ supernatural effectssuch as the manipulation of shadows.

The key skill of the Shadow Hand school is Stealth, hiding your own attacks and sur-prising your enemy. Shadow Hand weapons are parrying weapons, small and easily-concealedweapons that can be carried almost anywhere. The original practicioners of the Shadow Handschool were assassins, using the attacks of the school to disable and kill their enemies before theyeven knew they were in danger.

Name Cost Effect

Level 1: Apprentice

Weapon (Parrying) - Use Parrying weapons with your martial maneuvers.

Action (Ready) - Use Ready actions in martial maneuvers.

Level 2: Initiate

Death Blow (-2)This attack may only be used on someone unaware ofyou or helpless.

Mosquito's Bite 1Delay this attack's effect for up to one minute. The tar-get is unaware of the attack until it effects him.

Level 3: Journeyman

Skill (Stealth) (-1)As part of this attack, make a Stealth check against thestatic defense of the target. If it fails, the attack fails.

Ring The Temple Bell 1*This attack’s range increases by 5m for every time youtake this Advantage.

Level 4: Master

Mastery (Sheathed Blade) -Attacks made with a weapon you drew this turn aremade at +2k1.

Curving Shadows Attack 3 This attack gains the Flexible property.

Level 5: Grandmaster

Cobra’s Venom Technique 3 This attack gains the Toxic property.

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Stone DragonThe strength and endurance of the mountains epitomize the Stone Dragon discipline.

The methodical and relentless application of force allows a student of this philosophy to defeatany foe. Strikes of superhuman power and manifestations of perfect, idealized force make upthe Stone Dragon's Advantages.

Intimidate is the key skill for the Stone Dragon, overwhelming others with the force ofyour personality as well as the strength of your blows. Two Handed weapons are the most com-mon in use among Stone Dragon adepts, as they're extremely efficient at the hurting of people.Dwarves, with their strong ties to the earth, were the first to develop the Stone Dragon school.

Name Cost Effect

Level 1: Apprentice

Weapon (Two Handed) - Use Two Handed weapons with your Special Attacks.

Action (Bull Rush) - Use Bull Rush actions in martial maneuvers.

Level 2: Initiate

Weight of the Mountain (-2) When you use this attack, you gain one level of fatigue.

Foot-Trapping Blow 3 This attack gains the Snare property.

Level 3: Journeyman

Skill (Intimidate) (-1)As part of this attack, make an Intimidate check againstthe static defense of the target. If it fails, the attack fails.

Stone Skin Concentration 1*Gain 1 armor until your next turn for every point of thisadvantage.

Level 4: Master

Mastery (Strength of Granite) -You are considered one size larger while your feet arefirmly planted on solid earth or rock.

Felling Giants Blow 6Treat your opponent as two sizes smaller than he is forthe purpose of determining damage from this attack.

Level 5: Grandmaster

Earth Shattering Attack 1*This attack gains Blast (X), where X is twice the num-ber of times you take this Advantage.

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Tiger ClawConsciousness is the enemy of instinct. The Tiger Claw discipline teaches that martial

superiority can be achieved by discarding the veneer of civilization, along with the higherthoughts that fetter a warrior's actions. Tiger Claw maneuvers emulate the strikes, leaps, andpounces of animals. Tiger Claw strikes are explosively powerful and variable, as wild and ener-getic as the adepts of the style.

The key skill of the Tiger Claw style is Acrobatics, required for the intensely physicaland always-moving style. Chain weapons, with their rows of sharp teeth, are the favored weaponsof the style. Tiger Claw is one of the most wide-spread styles, as many of its practitioners learnthe movements from watching animals in the wild.

Name Cost Effect

Level 1: Apprentice

Weapon (Chain) - Use Chain weapons with your martial maneuvers.

Action (All Out Attack) - Use All Out Attack actions in martial maneuvers.

Level 2: Initiate

Death From Above (-2)If this attack misses, or it is dodged or parried, you fallprone.

Razor Sharp 2If you hit with two or more raises, double this attack'sPenetration.

Level 3: Journeyman

Skill (Acrobatics) (-1)As part of this attack, make an Acrobatics check againstthe static defense of the target. If it fails, the attack fails.

Unstable Sword Skill 2

After you roll damage for this attack, roll 1d10. On a 1,this attack deals half damage. On a 10, this attack dealsdouble damage.

Level 4: Master

Mastery (Brutal Reserve) -After making an All Out Attack you may still use reac-tions, but at a -2k2 penalty.

Demonic Weapon Attack 5

You may spend a hero point when making this attack.If you do, ignore any effects (such as armor) that wouldreduce damage from it and halve the target's size for thepurpose of determining Hit Points lost from the attack'sdamage.

Level 5: Grandmaster

Blood In The Water 4The dice from this attack's damage explode on 9s and10s.

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White RavenNo warrior fights in isolation. Cooperation, teamwork, and leadership can give two war-

riors the strength of five, and five warriors the strength of twenty. The student of the WhiteRaven masters techniques that combine the strengths of two or more allies against a commonfoe. Shouts and battlecries to draw the attention of enemies and get them into the perfect spotto finish them off.

Command is the key skill of the White Raven school, giving orders to others and know-ing which orders are the right ones to give. The White raven school focuses on Cavalry weapons,which are good for those on the move or charging. The White Raven school originally developedamong the commanders of infantry groups on the battlefield.

Name Cost Effect

Level 1: Apprentice

Weapon (Cavalry) - Use Cavalry weapons with your martial maneuvers.

Action (Charge) - Use Charge actions in martial maneuvers.

Level 2: Initiate

Perfect Positioning (-2)You may not use this attack unless your target movedsince your last turn.

Road-Clearing Technique 2*

Allies who attack this enemy gain +1k0 to their attacksuntil your next turn for every time you take this advan-tage.

Level 3: Journeyman

Skill (Command) (-1)As part of this attack, make a Command check againstthe static defense of the target. If it fails, the attack fails.

Knight's Movement Concentra-tion

2If you move as part of this attack or after it, you do notprovoke opportunity attacks.

Level 4: Master

Mastery (Marked Target) -Opponents within melee range of you get -1k0 on at-tacks made against allies.

Attention Drawing Strike 3Opponents hit by this attack cannot make parry ordodge actions until their next turn.

Level 5: Grandmaster

Wolf Pack Technique 5Opponents hit by this attack provoke an opportunity at-tack.

ackgrounds tell a lot about a char-acter. They tie him to the world and describeadvantages of birth, circumstance, and oppor-tunity. Material possessions, social networksand the like. Backgrounds are external to yourcharacter. You should always rationalize howyour character came to have the backgroundsthey possess and what they represent.

You can't improve backgrounds withXP (except at character creation). If they goup or down is up to the SM and what yourcharacter does to earn them through play.

ALLIESAllies are close friends and trusted

companions. Unlike Followers, allies are nevermere faceless NPCS. Most are Exalted (of anytype), Daemons, or other magical beings thatare at least as powerful as a starting character.They may alternatively be exotic beings likeintelligent animals, rogue AIs, or exceptionallyskilled or powerful mortals. Characters don'thave to buy Allies to represent the rest of theparty - allies are always NPCs. Also, allies areindependent people with their own lives andgoals. If your character constantly asks for helpand gives nothing in return, they will abandonher. Allies do what they can to help, but they

won't risk their lives. And they'll almost alwayswant something in return.

Background Effects: Each dot in thisbackground typically represents one ally ap-proximately equal to a starting character inpower. More powerful allies require higherratings.

ARTIFACTIn both the distant past and the mod-

ern day, sorcerers created all manner of itemsof power, ranging from magical weapons andarmor to flying vehicles or enchanted dis-guises. A character with the Artifact back-ground possesses one or more such items.Most Syrneth artifacts were lost or destroyedmillenia ago, and much of the knowledge ofhow to make such items has also been lost.Today, all artifacts are rare and precious.

Consider carefully how your characteracquired her artifacts. She may have been richor powerful enough before hearing the call ofa hero to have some trappings of the glory ofthe old empires. Or perhaps she followedprophetic dreams after rising to power andfound the artifacts in some lost fortress-tomb.Perhaps she stole it or took the artifact fromthe body of one of her foes.

Background Effects: Your character

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can purchase this Background multiple times,once for each artifact she owns. Each artifacthas a rating between 1 and 5, and this is thebackground cost of that particular artifact. Ar-tifacts with ratings of 4 and 5 are now excep-tionally rare and will be coveted greatly by theHero's foes.

BACKINGYour character is an important mem-

ber of an organization, such as a government,an army, the Harmonium or a powerful un-derground Syndicate such as the Doomguard.The higher your character's Backing, thehigher her rank is in this organization. At yourSM's discretion, you may take Backing multi-ple times for rank in different organizations.Neglecting duties can easily result in demotionor worse.

Background Effects:Backing1: Your character is a lower

officer or a minor functionary.Backing2: Your character is a mid-

level officer, the head of a small department orsome similarly intermediate position.

Backing3: Your character is moder-ately powerful and has many people workingunder her.

Backing4: Your character is ex-tremely powerful, often directly reporting tothe highest ranking of power in her organiza-tion.

Backing5: Your character is one ofthe leaders of her organization, a general oradmiral, a Factol of one of Sigil's 15 factions,or a similarly powerful position.

CONTACTSIn addition to friends and Allies,

many characters know people in various sec-tors of society. Contacts use their talents, in-formation, or resources to help your character,but they'll always expect a similar favor in re-turn. Where an Ally will help you out offriendship as long as it doesn't put their liveson the line, a Contact won't work for free.

Each dot in this background repre-sents both minor and major contacts. Majorcontacts are individuals you are on a first-

name basis with, people in positions wherethey are useful. High-ranking military officers,powerful courtiers, faction members in posi-tions of influence, and so forth. Minor con-tacts simply represent overall connectedness.They aren't as useful, but you can use Con-tacts + (Charisma or Fellowship) to gather in-formation and find minor help.

Background Effects: Each dot of thisBackground provides one major contact andone dice for finding minor ones.

FAMEYou enjoy widespread recognition in

society, for better or worse. People know yourname and face and they may enjoy just beingseen with you. This will open a lot of doors insome places, but also means that it can be dif-ficult to avoid attracting attention. It's defi-nitely a mixed blessing in some ways,especially if you've made enemies.

Background Effects:Fame 1: You're known to a select

subculture or city.Fame 2: You have nationwide

renown. Perhaps you're a politician or a minorstar.

Fame 3: Nationally famous, every-body knows something about you.

Fame 4: You're an internationallyfamous media icon.

Fame 5: You're so famous that evenother crystal spheres buzz with news aboutyou.

FOLLOWERSYour character has one or more loyal

assistants, oathbound warriors, devotedacolytes, or similar companions. These peopleare exceptionally devoted to her. They mightworship her, might regard her as their besthope to achieve some lofty goal, or they mightsimply be willing to follow her to have somefun. Followers are almost always merely mor-tals.

Regardless of exactly what they do fora living, they're always exceptionally loyal.Poor treatment or neglect will strain and breakthat loyalty quickly, and will end in abandon-ment or revolt. However, with care and re-

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spect, most will gladly lay down their lives foryou. Part of treating them well is caring fortheir needs. Your character needs Wealth,Backing, or Holdings equal to her dots in Fol-lowers in order to support them all.

Background Effects:Followers 1: Provides up to 5 follow-

ers.Followers 2: Provides 20 followers.Followers 3: Provides a loyal band of

100 followers.Followers 4: Provides a small army of

1000 followers.Followers 5: Provides a mighty force

of 10000 followers.

HOLDINGSYou own property or a spelljamming

ship. This might be a family or business hold-ing, but it is both a potential base of operationsand a resource by itself. A holding is always asafe place to rest, a home that many of the Ex-alted simply don't have. To support a Holding,you'll need to hire staff or crew, requiring Fol-lowers, Backing, or Wealth equal to the Hold-ings in order to support it.

Background Effects:Holdings 1: Your character owns a

very small spelljammer (as large as a shuttle-craft, for example) or an average house or asmall local business (a repair shop or restau-raunt, for example)

Holdings 2: Your character owns asmall spelljammer (a smuggling ship, per-haps?) or a small manor home or a successfullocal business (a major local construction firm,a repair dock for ships, or so forth)

Holdings 3: Your character owns amedium ship (like, say, a Bird of Prey) or asmall castle or a large business with some off-world contacts (an importing company ormining operation for example)

Holdings 4: Your character owns alarge ship (think the Enterprise or a WhiTestarship) or a huge castle or a corporation with op-erations on several worlds.

Holdings 5: Your character owns apowerful and ancient ship (think a mile-longbattleship) or a massive castle or a megacor-poration with ties on many worlds (like Exo-Geni Corporation or Weyland-Yutani)

INHERITANCEYou begin play with something be-

yond your means to normally aquire. Thereare many things that are almost impossible fora normal person to get their hands on - Syrneartifacts, power armor, deadly weapons - andyou've somehow gotten one of these rare andprecious items.

Consider carefully how your characteraquired her Inheritance. Perhaps an ancestorpassed it down to her, or she looted it from aforgotten ruin on some lost world floatingaround a dead star, or maybe she stole it, ortook it from the body of a foe.

Background Effects:Inheritance 1: You begin play with

one Common-Quality Rare item.Inheritance 2: You begin play with

one Good-Quality Rare item, or two com-mon-quality Rare items.

Inheritance 3: You begin play withone Best-Quality Rare item, or two choicesfrom level 2.

Inheritance 4: You begin play withone Common-Quality Very Rare item, or twochoices from level 3

Inheritance 5: You begin play withone Good-Quality Very Rare item, or twochoices from level 4

MENTORAlthough most Exalted meet their

new life without a guide, you found one. Thementor is a patron, a teacher, a defender, anda friend. However, the mentor expects yourcharacter to obey her, though they will alwaysact in what they see as your character's best in-terests. Your character is the mentor's student,ward, or apprentice, not her equal.

Background Effects:Mentor 1: Your character's mentor is

just a bit more worldly and wise than her.Mentor 2: Your character's mentor is

someone of minor note or an exceedingly im-portant individual who has little time for yourcharacter.

Mentor 3: Your character's mentor iswise, influential, and considerably more pow-erful than your character.

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Mentor 4: Your character's mentor isan exceedingly important individal whosewords and deeds shape the course of history.

Mentor 5: Your character's mentor isexceedingly powerful and he takes great inter-est in your welfare. However, he expects muchfrom you and his enemies will likely see you asa way to get to him.

STATUSYou have something of a reputation

and a standing (earned or not) within the com-munity of Exalts. This may be for great deeds,prophesy, or simply because you've madeyourself well-known at gatherings. This does-n't cover rank in an organization or fameamong the wider population.

Background Effects:Status 1: Known by some, even if

they haven't met her before.Status 2: Respected, her words carry

weight in serious discussion.Status 3: Influential, the character is

often asked to consult.Status 4: Powerful, other Exalts may

flock to you and follow your lead.Status 5: Luminary, there are few who

can match the respect that goes with yourname.

WEALTHYour personal financial resources, or

your access to such. A hugh Wealth reflectsyour liquid assets, how much cash flow yougenerate. This background also describes your

standard of living, your possessions, and yourbuying power. No dots in wealth means thatyou have the clothes on your back and notmuch more, and probably rarely eats well.

Where your wealth comes from issomething you should detail. It may be a trustfund, income from a job, or income fromholdings. Depending on events, it may be in-creased, reduced, or cut off entirely. Likefame, few Exalted have problems aquiringwealth, through one means or another.

Background Effects:Wealth 1: Middle class, your charac-

ter lives comfortably if not particularly well.He rarely has spending money in any signifi-cant amount.

Wealth 2: A larger savings means thatyou have quite a bit more leeway in yourlifestyle. You likely have a domestic servant ofsome kind and can afford to eat what you like.

Wealth 3: Being actually wealthy iseven better. You probably have several ser-vants and life a life of luxury, dining in finerestauraunts if you don't have a private chefand having more than enough left over for anysort of entertainment.

Wealth 4: This is where you becomefabulously wealthy - a merchant prince, a ban-dit king, a mercenary lord, you have vast richesand if you don't have an army at hand you canrent one at need.

Wealth 5: You have so much moneythat there are no longer little things like limits.You have only your imagination and a nearlyendless supply of wealth to support your de-sires.

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hen you choose an alignment,you're indicating your character's dedicationto a set of moral principles. In a cosmic sense,it's the team you believe in and fight for moststrongly. There are three main forces in theGreat Wheel: The Ruinous Powers, TheBlessed Pantheon, and The Gray Council.

Alignments are tied to universal forcesbigger than deities or any other allegiance youmight have. They are an intrinsic part of theuniverse, as real as gravity, time, or magic.Most of the people in the Great Wheel don'tworship any one diety in particular, but theydo devote themselves to one of the broadideals. In a galaxy at war, there is no place forthose who believe in nothing.

When you choose an alignment foryour character, you'll want to make sure thatyou read over the description for that align-ment. Every alignment has a set of guidelinesto help guide roleplaying and let you knowwhen you're pleasing your god or properlyholding your ideals.

Check with the other players whileyou're deciding on an alignment for your char-acter. While a good group can make nearly anycombination of alignments work in a party,having a character of wildly different align-

ment than the others can disrupt a party of he-roes and, frankly, make the game less fun foreveryone involved.

DEVOTIONHow dedicated you are to your ideals

is determined by your Devotion score. Everycharacter starts with a Devotion of 6 beforespending starting experience. The higher yourdevotion, the more is expected of you in keep-ing up your ideals and standing for them.Whenever you go against the commandmentsof your alignment, the DM can call for anAlignment Check.

An Alignment Check is made byrolling one die and comparing it to your De-votion score, adding any bonuses you havefrom class feats or assets. If you match or ex-ceed your Devotion score, you pass the Align-ment Check and nothing bad happens. If youfail, however, you permanently lose one pointof Devotion. This can be bought again withXP, but as you can imagine, the greater a char-acter's devotion the more is expected of themand the harder it is to maintain it.

Given that it's difficult for most tokeep their Devotion high unless they walk theline carefully, it may be tempting to just letyour Devotion slip. However, that is a danger-

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ous prospect. As your Devotion falls you riskDegeneration, a type of terrible corruption.

DEGENERATIONWhenever you fail an Alignment

Check, you risk something even worse, De-generation. Degeneration represents the waythat going against their moral code can breakand eventually destroy someone. When youlose that Devotion point, if it brings you to 6Devotion or less, make a second alignmentcheck against your new score. If you pass, youdon't suffer Degeneration. You got off lightly.If you fail this second check, you don't lose an-other point of Devotion. That would be tooeasy. Instead, you suffer Degeneration.

When you suffer Degeneration, rollon the Degeneration chart to determine its ef-fects, then write the result down next to yournew Devotion score. For example, if yourcharacter manifests a Palsy when she dropsfrom 6 to 5 Devotion, write 'Palsy' on the lineassociated with 5 Devotion. This will help youkeep track of what Degenerations you haveand, more importantly, let you know whenyou've overcome them.

Repeated Degeneration and Align-ment rolls that fail cause your character toincur more and more or worse and worse con-ditions. If you roll the same Degenerationtwice, reroll that degeneration until you get adegeneration you don't already have. When-ever a degeneration indicates a reduction inone of your characters Characteristics, thisdoesn't simply reduce the character's dots inthat characteristic. It represents a more seriousaffliction. While a character has a characteris-tic reduced by Degeneration, it's impossiblefor the character to improve that characteristicwith experience points until he rids himself ofthat degeneration.

If your character descends so far thather Devotion drops to zero, she is immediatelyremoved from play. The curses of the godshave fallen too heavily on her, either killing herirrevocably or else driving her irrevocably in-sane or even mutating her into some terriblechimaeric horror.

RAISING DEVOTIONIt's possible to reverse your character's

slide into damnation and insanity throughconcerted effort and contrition. A character'sDevotion can be increased primarily by spend-ing XP, but Devotion can only be increased bya maximum of one point at any given time.SMs are encouraged to require that charactersdemonstrate the desire to redeem themselveswith concrete acts of contrition before a De-votion increase is warranted.

When a Degeneration is assigned to aDevotion point, that ailment is overcomewhen the next, higher point is gained. The ex-perience spent to gain a Devotion dot repre-sents your character's efforts to come to termswith her sin and thus free herself of her condi-tion. She might also undergo a ritual of cleans-ing or simply forgive herself.

CHANGING ALIGNMENTIt may come to pass that a character

wants or needs to change their alignment. Thisisn't something that should be taken lightly - acharacter's alignment says a lot about theirworldview and the way that the world seesthem, not to mention the patronage of a pow-erful warp entity that probably won't take wellto a character going and playing for anotherteam.

If a character switches from one dietyto another in the same pantheon, they lose twopoints of devotion, to a minimum of Devotion1. Thankfully, though, the fact that the godsare at least vaguely on the same side and havebigger things to worry about means that theirnew patron can shield them from the wrath oftheir old diety. They're on shaky ground for awhile, but it's not too difficult to recover.

On the other hand, if the character'salignment switches so drastically that the newdiety isn't even in the same pantheon, well,that's when the character starts to have somereal issues. First, his devotion is set to 4. Nomatter how well or poorly he served his lastpatron, he's starting from square one (and asa former heretic) with this new god. Secondly,they cannot escape the wrath of their old diety.Roll on the Degeneration Chart and write inthat Degeneration next to Devotion 7. To be

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cured of this affliction, a character will have toprove themselves worthy of their new god'spersonal attention.

Regardless of how drastically a char-acter switches alignment, a character can onlydo so once. The gods do not take well to

someone betraying their own again and again.A ST should only allow a character to changealignments for strong In Character reasons. Aquest for their new patron is appropriate, withthe theme based on how much the charactermust change to serve their new diety.

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DEGENERATION CHART

Roll(1d100)

Effect

01-07Palsy: The character suffers from numerous minor tics, shakes, and tremors with no med-ical cause. Reduce his Dexterity by 1.

08-11Dark-Hearted: The character grows increasingly cruel, callous, and vindictive. Reduce hisFellowship by 1.

12-21Ill-fortuned: The SM may force you to reroll any one roll per session that isn't an Align-ment Check.

22-28Skin Afflictions: The character is plagued by boils, scabs, weeping sores, and the like. Hetakes a -2k0 to all social Tests.

29-32

Morbid: The character finds it hard to concentrate as his mind is filled with macabre vi-sions and tortured, gloom-filled trains of thought. The character's Intelligence is reducedby 1.

33-41Witch-mark: The character develops some minor physical deformity or easily concealablemutation. It is small, but enough to mark him as cursed.

42-45Wasted Frame: The character's pallor becomes corpse-like and his muscles waste away.The character's Strength is reduced by 1.

46-54Horrific Nightmares: The character is plagued by visions in his sleep. He gains the NightTerrors hindrance. If he already has it, reroll this result.

55-58Poor Health: The character constantly suffers petty illnesses and phantom pains, and hiswounds never seem to heal fully. The character's Constitution is reduced by 1.

59-62Malign Sight: The world seems to darken, Tarnish, and rot if the character looks too longat anything. The character's Wisdom is reduced by 1.

63-69

Ashen Taste: Food and drink hold disguisting tastes and offer little sustenance for thecharacter, and he can barely stomach eating. The character doubles the effects for levelsof Fatigue.

70-76Blackouts: The character suffers from inexplicable blackouts. When they occur and whathappens during them is up to the ST.

77-80Distrustful: The character cannot conceal the distrust and antipathy he has for others. Thecharacter's Charisma is reduced by 1.

81-85Fell Obsession: The character is obsessed by a strange or malign focus that occupies hismind at all times. The character's Willpower is reduced by 1.

86-90Mood Swings: The character's mood rapidly and unpredictably swings from one extremeto another. The character's Composure is reduced by 1.

91-00Blighted Mind: The character's mind snaps under the weight of his sins. He gains a newminor derangement.

DEITIESDeities are the most powerful immor-

tal creatures, powerful entities of the Warp.They are created and sustained by the emo-tions and souls of every living creature of thematerial universe. Of course, they also claimto have created those same living creatures,leading to something of a paradox. They ap-pear in dreams and visions to their followersand wear countless different faces, and art-work depicting them shows them in a varietyof forms. Their true nature is beyond anyphysical form. Corellon is often depected asan Eldarin, but he is no more an Eldarin thanhe is a fey grox - he is a god, and he transcendsthe physical laws that bind even Daemons totheir concrete forms.

The Deities can be divided into threegroups (pantheons) depending on their gen-eral views, though it should be noted that sim-ply being in the same pantheon doesn't meanthat the gods necessarily work towards thesame ends or even get along. Many dietieshave contradictory versions of how the Wheelshould turn, and even worshippers of the samedeity can come to blows over different inter-pretations of their god's will.

Most people revere more than onedeity, praying to different gods at differenttimes and generally follow the teachings ofwhatever pantheon goes along with their cul-ture or basic morality. Adventurers, on theother hand, are more likely to worship a spe-cific god, enjoying the greater benefits of thatpersonal attention along with the greater risk.

THE RUINOUS POWERSThe Ruinous Powers of Chaos are

powerful and devisive. By the standards ofmost societies, the anarchic and random be-havior of Chaos worshippers is seen as danger-ous at best and a crime in some places. Whilethe powers of Chaos don't necessarily encour-age their followers to go out and hurt people,they do encourage their followers to do whatthey want, and not worry about how it effectsothers. The gods of Chaos are almost con-stantly at war with one another within theWarp, vying for power admid the immaterialplanes.

Khorne - The god of battle. Theblood god. He enjoys killing dudes. Khorne isa god of honorable combat and slaugter. Ofbattles fought for glory alone and for dirty,drawn out fights for life and country. Khorneloves every type of warfare found in this world.Worship of Khorne is purely through blood-shed, either from one's enemies in victory orone's own through earnest struggle. Khornehas only a few simple commandments for hisfollowers:

* Spill blood in his name. It can beyour blood or the blood of your enemies, butdo not shy from violence.

* Do not trust in sorcery, and do notseek to learn its secrets - magic is the way ofthe weak.

* Fight in honorable combat, notagainst the weak or helpless.

Slaanesh - The god of excess. Sex,drugs and rock and roll. Slaanesh is all aboutdoing what you enjoy, and not holding backfor anyone. The drive to be perfect, the loveof doing something just to do it. The excite-ment of the novel. The joy of art. That's whatSlaanesh is about. Worship of Slaanesh is ex-tremely varied, ranging from simple hedonismto elaborate and exacting rituals that take daysto complete. Slaanesh orders its followersthus:

* Turn away from no new experience,

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unless it would kill you - try everything once.* Stand out from those around you.

To blend in with the crowd is to lose who youare.

* Tempt others with what you enjoy -share drink, invite them to lavish meals, andturn them to hedonism.

Tzeentch - The god of change.Change we can believe in. Tzeentch is also thegod of hope, because hope is nothing morethan wishing for the future to change. In hismind Tzeentch listens to the hopes and plansof every mortal and every nation; and throughhis own complex plots and manipulation he al-ters the course of history to achieve some greatplan beyond mortal knowledge. Tzeentch asksfor his followers to do the following:

* Be flexible with your plans. Youmust always be open to change as it is needed.

* Change what you don't like in your-self. Use sorcery! All the sorcery!

* Follow your own goals. Take com-mand of your destiny.

Nurgle - The god of despair. He caresabout you and all your diseases. Seriously. Heloves you. He's like the lazy, smelly grandpawho is always there with a smile, who makesyou laugh, and is there to hold you when youneed a shoulder to cry on. He also dabbles abit with death, rot, disease, and so forth. Nur-gle doesn't interfere with his followers toomuch, but he does have a few simple things heasks of his worshippers:

* Don't bother seeking help. Fail orsucceed through your own perseverance.

* You can only escape sufferingthrough faith.

* Be kind to those who are facingdeath. They cannot be saved, but there's noreason not to make them more comfortable.

Malal - The only sane thing to do isto BLOW IT ALL UP! Malal is a renegadegod, the embodiment of Chaos' indescrimi-nate destructive urge, even of itself and its ownagents. He is hated by the other gods, andspits in their faces, feeding off their own powerand turning it against them. Malal has a fewcommandments for his follows, which they are

generally expected to follow until they self-de-struct:

* Hate gives you strength. Learn totruly hate those that oppose you. No mercy.

* Destruction is the fate of all that ex-ists. Destroy all that is.

* Betrayal can get you what you want.If people can't defend themselves, that's theirown problem.

THE BLESSED PANTHEONWhere the Ruinous Powers represent

Chaos, the Blessed Pantheon represents theforce of Law and Order. They are a stabilizingforce that promotes civilization and commu-nity where chaos is more about self. TheBlessed Pantheon could roughly be called'good', if you want, but some consider theirteachings to be stifling and oppressive. TheBlessed Pantheon are the most tied to thephysical realm. Where the Chaos gods seek tobring the change and power of the Warp intothe real space of the Wheel, the Blessed Pan-theon oppose this and would prefer to seal theWarp off for all time.

Sigmar - A wrathful and vengful god,protector of his followers. He is a warrior kingand a great unifier, the god of stable civiliza-

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tions and of putting the common good aheadof yourself. He is the most commonly wor-shipped god among humans, and has a largenumber of dwarf followers as well. He com-mands his worshipers to:

* Work with others to achieve yourgoals. Community and order are alwaysstronger than the disjointed efforts of long in-dividuals.

* Tame the wilderness to make it fitfor habitation, and defend the light of civiliza-tion against the encroaching darkness.

* Seek out new ideas, new inventions,new lands to inhabit, new wilderness to con-quer. Build machines, build cities, build em-pires.

Bahamut - God of nobility and thejust use of power. He is known as the platinumdragon and worshipped by those in power.Once, Bahamut sought to unite the stars in hisname, but now his ambitions are cooled tomerely guiding civilizations. Monarchs arecrowned in his name, and his worship is mostpopular among the Dragonborn. He com-mands his followers to seek out power, and touse it for the right reasons:

* Uphold the highest ideals of honorand justice.

* Be constantly vigilant against eviland oppose it on all fronts.

* Protect the weak, liberate the op-pressed, and defend just order.

Pelor - God of mercy and kindnessand turning the other cheek. Associated withthe sun, and bringing light into dark places.Pelor encourages people to make the world abetter place with acts of kindness, and gener-ally to not be a dick. That is actually more rad-ical an idea than you think. Pelor directs hisfollowers thus:

* Alleviate suffering wherever youfind it.

* Bring Pelor's light into places ofdarkness, showing kindness, mercy, and com-passion.

* Be watchful against evil.

Moradin - Stoic, loyal, big on familyand bigger on hard work. Moradin is a creativegod, and his followers are encouraged to makea mark on the world by making somethinglasting. He expects loyalty to family, friends,and leaders, in that order. He's stoic and tena-cious, like the very rock itself. Dwarves fromall walks of life follow him. He demands thesebehaviors of his followers:

* Meet adversity with stoicism andtenacity.

* Demonstrate loyalty to your family,your clan, your leaders, and your people.

* Strive to make a mark on the world,a lasting legacy. To make something that lastsis the highest good, whether you are a smithworking at a forge or a ruler building a dy-nasty.

Cuthbert - He will track you downhimself if you break a promise. That's not athreat, that's a fact. Cuthbert is a god of eter-nal bonds and trust, of promises and the waythat entire cultures are built upon the trust be-tween people. Common superstition holdsthat if his name is invoked in a contract, he willpersonally curse anyone who breaks from thecontract. He is strict with his followers, andorders them to do the following:

* Your word is your bond. Neverbreak it for any reason.

* Never allow your fear to gain mas-tery over you, but drive it into the hearts ofyour foes.

* Repay betrayal with the sword.Trust others until they break that trust, andonly give them that trust again when it is re-paid.

THE GRAY COUNCILThe Gray Council is something of a

catchall for the gods that don't align them-selves with the Ruinous Powers or the BlessedPantheon, remaining mostly neutral from theconflict of law and chaos. Most ultimatelyserve only their own goals, like any other god.The powers of the Gray Council are some ofthe most worshipped gods in the Great Wheel,as they don't urge their followers to actionagainst the other gods, and so can be found in

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nearly every corner of the Great Wheel andnot face opposition.

Acerath - A God of Magic itself. Leg-end says he gave away his body piece by pieceto learn all the secrets of the world, leavinghim only a skull. He knew the secret to im-mortality and godhood at that point, of course,so it didn't really inconvenience him as muchas you'd expect. His commandments are alsoteachings:

* Seek the perfection of your mind bybringing reason, perception, and emotion intobalance with one another.

* Accumulate, preserve, and keep se-cret knowledge in all forms. Pursue education,build libraries, and seek out lost and ancientlore.

* Never reveal all that you know.

The Raven Queen - Things die all thetime. When they die, the Raven Queen is thereto handle it. She pulls souls into the Warpwhen its their time, and lets them out when it'stime for them to be born again. She isn't toofond of letting them out, but it's still part ofher job. And she's very serious about it.Deadly serious. She expects her followers toabide by these commandments:

* Hold no pity for those who sufferand die, for death is the natural end of life.

* Bring down the proud who try tocast off the chains of fate. As the instrumentof the Raven Queen, you must punish hubriswhere you find it.

* Keep to the shadows, avoiding theblazing light of zealous good and the utterdarkness of evil.

Luna - Luna is a fickle and everchang-ing diety. It can be impossible to tell just whatshe'll do. She can be savage, loving, violent, allthe true faces of people behind the masks theywear for society. Luna commands people tofollow their own paths and not to let othersrule them, no matter where that path takesthem, and especially no matter what socialconventions would demand. Her strictures arethese:

* Change is inevitable, but it takes the

work of the faithful to ensure that change is forthe better.

* Strike back against those who wouldrob you of your freedom and urge others tofight for their own liberty.

* Do not fear or condemn the sav-agery of nature. Live in harmony with thewild.

Corellon - He is essentially the god ofexcellence, and one of the very few living El-darin gods. He cannot abide failure in anyform - but constantly reminds his followersthat they haven't failed until they refuse to tryagain. He asks those who worship him to al-ways be willing to try no matter the odds, andto never quit. He urges his followers thus:

* Cultivate beauty in all that you do,whether you're casting a spell, composing asaga, strumming a lute, or practicing the artsof war.

* Seek out lost magic items, forgottenrituals, and ancient works of art. Corellonmight have inspired them in the world's firstdays.

* Show neither pity nor mercy tothose who are caught underfoot as you climbyour way to power. Failures do not deservecompassion.

Vectron - By his golden wings, praisehim! Vectron is a very real and not completelymade up god who has worship going backfifty- no, a THOUSAND years! Yeah! Andand... he's really awesome. What is he the godof? Well, conveniently, he is the god of what-ever seems like you need help with right now,so get in there and yell some praises! Vectron'scommandments are vague and often change,but are generally agreed to be something likethis:

* Do not question the validity of Vec-tron as a god. He's the biggest, best god, andthat's all there is to it.

* There is no problem that cannot besolved by praising Vectron loudly enough andgiving it another go.

* Make sure to let people know Vec-tron helped you. Try and convert others intothe flock.

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"So bear with me here," Armstrong said, adjusting his grip on his staff."That archdaemon over there-" He nodded behind the group, indicating thegiant draconic thing overflowing with the powers of the Warp that was leadingthe army of incarnate daemons flooding the Crystal Sphere they had becometrapped in.

"Can I wolf with you instead?" Traya asked, holding back a giggle.Iniga's eye twitched.

"That was a bad pun and you should feel bad for making it," Inigasaid. "Can we maybe finish this soon? It's almost dawn and I don't want toburn to death."

"Can I finish?" Armstrong asked. "Anyway, like I was saying, to banishthe archdaemon we need to complete some ritual that involves human sacri-fice, according to the old book I found."

"Pfft. Books. I don't trust books." Traya folded her arms. "Let's justgo krump it." Jacov nodded.

"I have to agree," Jacov said. "We aren't going to sacrifice anyone.We'll find another way to deal with this thing." He adjusted his plate armor.They were all covered in muck and blood. Traya was the only one who didn'tseem to mind. The tiefling was almost always covered in muck and bloodanyway.

"We at least need some kind of plan," Iniga said. "If we just go at thatthing screaming we'll end up splattered across six dimensions. Or worse! Youhave no idea what a greater daemon could do!"

"How about we throw a rock at it?" Traya said, excited. Three pairsof eyes turned to give her blank looks. "A big rock?" She looked down. Trayawas not exactly known for her great planning ability.

"The ship we hired doesn't have anything that will reach from orbit,"Armstrong muttered. "I hope the captain hasn't just buggered off and left ushere after the trouble started."

"Anyway, here's what I'm thinking," Iniga said. "I'll toss down a coupleof fireballs to get its attention, then you can go all wolfy and- Jacov! You'rethinking about sacrifing yourself!"

"Well I wasn't necessarily..." Jacov looked down. "If someone needsto die, I can't let any of you make that sacrifice." Iniga facepalmed.

"Idiot," Iniga said. "Now, like I was saying- Where the hell is Traya?""She went all wolfy and ran off," Armstrong said. He pointed. There

was screaming as a very large and angry werewolf was busily and happily tear-ing apart dozens of lesser daemons.

"Raven Queen help me... doesn't anyone respect my plans?!"

he darkened era of the 41st Millen-nium can be the stuff of nightmares as hellishwar, predatory xenos, insurrection, and con-flict threaten those who live in the Great wheelon all sides. These and other threats can beeven more dangerous for those who seek outadventure, as explorers face not only theknown and catalouged dangers of the variouscrystal spheres but also a host of new threatsunimagined save for the ravings of derangedseers and other madmen.

The better armed and equipped aparty, the better their chances of survival indread voids - and the better their prospects forachieving the quests they set for themselves.This chapter outlines some of the many typesof weapons, armor, and gear existing in theGreat Wheel, ranging from standard muni-tions to rare and magical weapons.

AVAILABILITYDesired goods or services are not al-

ways immediately at hand. Squalid medievalworlds are a lot less likely to offer rare goodsand services than the sophisticated markets ofan industrialized city-world. Moreover, find-ing a high-quality weapon on a backwaterplanet is far more difficult than locating such

a weapon in a teeming metropolis. Each pieceof equipment or service has an associateedAvailability, raning from Very Common toVery Rare. SMs can use the following guide-lines as a starting point for determiningwhether a world's traders possess a particularitem or not. If the present location does notoffer an item or service, then a Hero must ei-ther arrange passage to a world whose marketsdo offer it or else go on a quest in search of it- and either option turns a simple purchase atmarket into an adventure.

Some things are not just hard to findon certain worlds, but impossible. For in-stance, while a lasgun might be a commonpiece of equipment in most parts of the Wheel,you are unlikely to find one anywhere on aferal world. The SM can decide to either makean item harder to find or even impossible toacquire because it uses technology not readilyavailable at the present location.

Characters searching for a particularitem must make a Wealth Test. A Wealth Testis made by rolling dice equal to your wealth -and yes, if you have zero dots in wealth itmeans that you can't afford anything beyondthe bare necessities. The TN of the WealthTest is determined by the rarity of the item:

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T

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It's possible to retry a failed wealthTest. However, looking again can mean thatyou end up dealing with people who knowyou're desperate or are only willing to partwith the item in question dearly. It may be afamily heirloom, something passed downthrough the centuries, or just something withsentimental value. It could also be in a mu-seum or otherwise difficult to get exceptthrough unsavory means. Regardless of thewhy, every time you retry a wealth Test theTN to find the item increases by 5.

Of course, just because the markets ofa community offer an item or service doesn'tmean that the goods are easy to locate, or easyto arrange purchase. Larger communities havebetter and more accessable markets, but theyare also a challenge to search well, and locallaws impede rapid transactions. Mercantilenegotiations become more drawn-out incivilised surroundings, where merchantguilders puff themselves up with self-impor-tance, and where the goods offered grow invalue. It may take more time than desired toboth locate a seller and complete a deal, or todetermine that a community really has no sell-ers for the desired item or service.

The following table shows the time ittakes to search a market, and the maximumTN of the items that that market supports,sorted by the population. The times listed onthe table are under the assumption that theHero is looking for an item at the market'smaximum TN. If he's looking for something a

bit easier to find, with a lower TN, use thetime listed next to that TN. It certainly doesn'ttake months to find a flashlight in a metropo-lis!

This table further assumes that theHero is taking an active hand in searching forthe item in question. If he employs servants,negotiators, or factors who are skilled in suchmatters rather than putting forth the efforthimself, increase the time taken by one step -from weeks to months and from days to weeks.

Acquisitions of new services andequipment are probably best made in thedowntime between game sessions for mostgroups rather than allowing time spent at themarket to take time away from plot, battle,and excitement. Mercantile dealings can cer-tainly take centre stage when the plot demandsit, but for the most part purchases are one ofthe many chores that a Hero's trusted servantsorganise in his stead.

Note that once a service or purchaseof equipment is agreed upon, signed, andsealed, it may still require further time to com-plete! Much toil likes between signing theparchment that seals the contract for the con-struction of a new spelljamming ship and thatship first taking flgiht, for example. The SM isencouraged to use common sense when deter-mining additional time taken for a new acqui-sition.

When you pass a Wealth Test, itmight have a lasting effect on your wealth

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AVAILABILITY

Rarity TN Examples

Very Com-mon

5A simple gun, a knife, alow-quality chrono

Common 10A laspistol, a basicsword, a microbead

Uncommon 15An autogun, a flakjacket, a multikey

Rare 20A meltagun, platearmor, a good camera

Very Rare 25A bolter, poweredarmor, a best-qualityauspex

Aquisitions by Population and Time

Size Population TN Time

Village < 1000 5 One Hour

Small Town 1000-10.000 10 1d10 Hours

Large Town 10.000-100.000 15 One Day

Small City100 .000-OneMillion

20 1d10 Days

CityOne to Ten Mil-lion

25 1d5 Weeks

Metropolis > Ten Million 30 1d10 Weeks

score, depending on how badly you strainedyour wealth. If the item's TN is more thanyour Wealth x 5, buying it strains your re-sources. Consult the following chart to seewhat happens:

For every raise you get on the Wealthcheck, reduce the penalties by one level. Theseraises represent finding a great deal on the ex-pensive item - which may well mean thatyou've found yourself with stolen goods.

CRAFTSMANSHIPNot all goods and services are of the

same quality. In the vastness of the Wheel andmyriad crystal spheres within it, the Crafts-manship of items can vary widely - everythingfrom crude mass-produced materials of Poorcraftsmanship to handcrafted masterpieces ofBest craftsmanship can be found for sale. Un-less specifically stated, the Craftsmanship ofan object or retainer providing a servide is con-sidered Common.

Items of Poor craftsmanship are gen-erally more prone to failure and breakage,while items of Good and Best Craftsmanshipare more durable, though it is up to the SMhow and when these effects might enter play.

In the case of weaponry and armor,effects on an item's performance or weight aredetailed later in this chapter, but for othergoods differences of quality are merely de-scriptive. This isn't just build quality, either -a poor quality torch might be a literal torch,oil-soaked cloth on a stick, were a better qual-

ity one would be a flashlight. The SM may re-duce the Difficulty of some Tests involvingitems of better Craftsmanship but that is en-tirely at his discretion.

Services are more affected than goodsby the craftsmanship of the retainers who pro-vide them. The quality of the service can de-termine skill levels, willingness to toil, andloyalty of the retainers, as well as other aspectsat the choice of the SM.

Craftsmanship also affects the diffi-culty of finding goods or services. It's a lot eas-ier to find someone offering a badly-madeknife than one hand-forged by a master. TheTN to find the item is adjusted according tothe following table.

WeaponsWeapons are divided into several

groups covering a plethora of ranged weapons,dealing with everything from crossbows toplasma cannons, and melee weapons coveringall manner of close combat weaponry. Unlessthey are of Poor craftsmanship, all weaponscome with the appropriate holster or carryingstrap as part of their cost.

All weapons have a profile that is pre-sented using the following statistics, providingplayers and SMs with all the relevant informa-tion needed to use them.

Name: What the weapon is called.Type: Describes what type the

weapon is, either Melee, Thrown, Pistol,Basic, or Heavy weapon.

* Melee weapons can be used in closecombat. When using a melee weapon you addyour Strength as unkept dice to the weapon's

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WEALTH STRAIN

Difference* Effect

5You suffer -1 to your Wealth forone week.

10 You permanently lose 1 Wealth

15 You permanently lose 2 Wealth

20+You are beggared by your item,losing ALL of your Wealth.

(*Between the item's TN and your Wealth x 5)Craftsmanship

Quality TN Modifier

Poor -5

Common +0

Good +5

Best +10

damage.* Thrown weapons cover anything

propelled by muscle power alone and coversthrowing knives, spears, and the like. Unlessthey are also classed as melee, thrownweapons cannot be used in close combat (ifthey are, they count as improvised weapons).When using a thrown weapon you add yourStrength as unkept dice to the damage you in-flict (with the obvious exception of explosivessuch as grenades).

* Pistol weapons are fired one-handedand can be used in close combat. However,when a pistol is used in close combat, the firergains no bonuses or penalties to hit for rangeor targeting equipment.

* Basic weapons normally require twohands, but can be used one-handed with -2k1to hit.

* Heavy weapons always require twohands and must be braced in some way, usu-ally either on a bipod or tripod but equally itcould be a windowsill or sandbag (or the firer'sshoulder in the case of missile launchers), tobe fired without penalties. Firing a heavyweapon without bracing incurs a -3k1 penaltyto hit and prohibits Full Auto fire.

Damage: The Damage the weapondoes and the type of damage it inflicts for thepurpose of Criticals: E (Energy), X (Explo-sive), R (Rending), I (Impact).

Pen (Penetration): Reflects how goodthe weapon is at cutting through armor. Whena shot or blow from this weapon hits a target,reduce the target's Armor Points by theweapon's Penetration, with results of less than0 counting as 0 (i.e. the armor provides noprotection at all). Then work out Damage asnormal. So, for example, if we weapon with aPenetration of 3 hits a target with 5 armorpoints, the target will only count as having 2armor points against any damage that hitcauses.

ROF (Rate of Fire): This tells you ifthe weapon can be fired on Full Auto and howmany rounds it expends when doing so. Aweapon's RoF has two entries to indicate themodes a weapon can be fired in. The firstentry indicates whether the weapon can befired singly (with an S). The second entry de-scribes if the weapon can be fired on full au-

tomatic, and how many shots are fired whenthis happens. If the weapon cannot be fired ineither mode, it will be indicated by a "-". If aweapon can be fired in both modes, a charac-ter must choose which mode they are firingtheir weapon in before making their attack.

Range: This number is used to deter-mine how far the weapon can be accuratelyfired in meters. A weapon's short range is halfthis number, while its long range is double thisnumber. Weapons cannot be fired at targetsmore than four times their range distanceaway.

Clip: How many rounds the weaponholds when fully loaded.

Reload: How many actions theweapon takes to reload. This is generally Half(for a Half Action) or Full (for a Full Action).Some weapons can take a number of Actinsover several Rounds. The number of Roundsis given as a number, for example 2 Full meansthat reloading takes 2 Full Rounds.

Avail (Availability): This identifies theweapon's availability.

Special: This tells you if the weaponhas any special qualities, such as creating ablast when fired or needing to recharge be-tween shots.

WEAPON SPECIAL QUALITIESSome weapons possess special quali-

ties to represent such things as special damageor unusual effects. The following is a list of themost widely used weapon qualities:

AccurateGet an additional +1k0 bonus to hit whenusing an Aim action. If this is a basic weaponfiring on single shot, it deals +1k1 damage forevery two raises you get on the roll to hit.

ArmouredArmoured weapons grant a +2 armor bonusto the arm of the hand that’s holding them.

Balanced+1k0 to Tests made to parry.

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Blast (X)When working out a hit from a Blast weaponanyone within the weapon's Blast radius inmeters, indicated by the number in parenthe-sis, is also hit. Roll hit location and Damageindividually for everyone affected from a blast.

Defensive+2k0 when used to parry, -1k0 when used tomake attacks. If you aren't proficient with theweapon, the -1k0 applies to all attacks youmake, instead of just the ones with thisweapon.

FlameThese weapons project a cone of flame out tothe range of the weapon. They can't be firedout to long or extreme range. You don't needto roll to hit with a Flame weapon - you justfire the weapon. The path is a cone shapedarea in a 30 degree arc. All characters in thisarea must make a Dexterity Test (TN 10 for aPoor quality weapon, 15 for Common quality,20 for Good and Best quality) or else be struck

by the flames and take damage normally.When fired by someone that isn't proficient,reduce the difficulty of the Test made to avoiddamage by 10. Flame weapons Jam if the firerrolls a 9 on his damage dice.

FlexibleThese weapons may not be parried.

InaccurateYou get no bonus for using the Aim actionwith such weapons.

OverheatsWhenever you roll a 9 on a damage roll withan Overheating weapon, the weapon... over-heats. The user takes E damage equal to theweapon's damage to one of his arms (the firingarm if the weapon is used one-handed, a ran-dom arm if fired two-handed). The wieldermay choose to drop the weapon to avoid thedamage. Dropping the weapon is a Free ac-tion. A weapon that has overheated must bereloaded.

Power FieldWhen such a weapon is used to parry, or isparried by, a weapon that lacks this quality,you may roll a d10. On a 4+, the parriedweapon is destroyed. Natural and Artifactweapons are immune to this effect.

RechargeThe weapon needs time between shots torecharge. The weapon must spend the Roundafter firing building up a charge and cannot befired. In effect, you can only fire the weaponevery other Round.

ReliableReliable weapons seldom fail. If it would Jam,the shot instead just misses.

ScatterIf fired at a foe within Point Blank Range, eachtwo raises the character gets on the attack in-dicates another hit. At long range, the sprayreduces its effectiveness. All armor points aredoubled against hits from scatter weapons atlong or extreme ranges.

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Weapon Quality:All of the weapons detailed here are of

Common craftsmanship. For weapons of betteror worse manufacture use the following modi-fiers:

Poor - These cheaply constructedranged weapons are more prone to malfunction.Poor ranged weapons gain the Unreliable qual-ity. If it has Relible already, the two cancel eachother out. Melee weapons of Poor craftsmanshipincur -1k1 penalty on Tests made to attack andparry.

Good - More carefully constructed andfinished, these weapons are consequently morereliable. Good quality ranged weapons gain thereliable quality. If it was already reliable, then itmerely has obviously good craftsmanship. Meleeweapons of good quality give +1k0 on Testsmade to attack.

Best - These items are crafted by arti-sans and are often centuries old. Rangedweapons of best craftsmanship never jam oroverheat, simply missing if these results shoutoccur. Melee weapons of best quality add +1k0to Tests made to attack and +2 to damage theyinflict.

ShockingWhenever someone takes a wound from aShocking weapon, he must make a ToughnessTest (TN 15) or be stunned for one round.

SmokeThese weapons throw up dense clouds ofsmoke to create cover. When a hit is scoredfrom a weapon with the Smoke quality, it cre-ates a smokescreen 3d10 meters in diameterfrom the point of impact. This screen lasts for2d10 rounds, or less in adverse weather con-ditions.

SnareOn a successful hit, the target must make aDexterity Test (TN of the roll that hit him) orbe immobilized. He can attempt no actions onhis turn other than trying to escape the bonds.He can attempt a Strength or Dexterity Teston his turn (TN 10 for a poor-quality weapon,15 for common, 20 for good or best)

TearingTearing weapons always deal at least onewound when they deal damage, regardless ofthe target's size.

ToxicAfter taking damage from a Toxic weapon, thetarget must make a Constitution Test (TN 15)or else suffer 1 additional wound to the body.

Two HandsThis melee weapon requires both hands touse.

Unbalanced-1k0 to all Tests made to parry.

UnreliableWhenever you attack with this weapon, treatyour level as being halved (rounding down)for the purpose of checking for Jams.

UnwieldyThis weapon may not be used to parry.

GunsOrdinaryOrdinary projectile weapons are the

ones you're probably most familiar with.They're exceedingly plentiful and can befound on all but the most primitive worlds.Every race has developed slug-throwers at onepoint or another and citizens of all types com-monly carry one kind or another for their basicprotection or livelihood.

Autopistol - Compact and rapid-firing, au-topistols are favourites of gangers and outlaws.

Revolver - Based on an ancient and well-Tested design, the stub revolver is an idealbackup weapon.

Hand Cannon - A variant of the Revolver, thishuge hand cannon fires enormous rounds de-signed to not only take down a target but makea loud and intimidating noise while doing so.These weapons produce ferocious recoil, andimpose a -1k0 penalty on Tests made to attackunless the firer uses both hands to brace theweapon.

Autogun - Cheap and easy to produce on eventhe lowest-tech planets, autoguns are a stapleweapon. Durable, rugged and easily stockedwith readily available ammunition, theseweapons are a common sight, especially in therougher parts of the Great Wheel.

Hunting Rifle - Hunting rifles can be found inthe hands of a former hunter or carried by awealthy sportsman in the pursuit of prey.Highly accurate in the arms of a trained user,even at extreme long ranges, a hunting riflecan bring down its target be it man or beast.

Shotgun - Even the lowest-tech factories canproduce these weapons, making them a com-

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GUNSName Type Damage Pen ROF Range Clip Reload Avail Special

Ordinary

Autopistol Pistol 2k2 I 0 S/6 30m 12 Full Com -

Revolver Pistol 2k2 I 0 S/- 30m 6 2Full Com Reliable

Hand Cannon Pistol 3k2 I 3 S/- 35m 6 2Full UnCom -

Autogun Basic 2k2 I 0 S/10 90m 30 Full UnCom -

Hunting Rifle Basic 2k2 I 0 S/- 150m 5 Full Rare Accurate

Shotgun Basic 3k2 I 0 S/- 30m 2 2Full Com Scatter, Reliable

Pump Shotgun Basic 3k2 I 0 S/- 30m 8 2Full UnCom Scatter

SAW Heavy 3k2 I 5 -/10 120m 100 Full Rare -

Las

Laspistol Pistol 2k2 E 0 S/- 30m 30 Full Com Reliable

Pulse Rifle Basic 2k2 E 2 S/4 100m 40 Full UnCom Reliable

Lasgun Basic 3k2 E 0 S/3 60m 60 Full Com Reliable

Long Las Basic 3k2 E 0 S/- 150m 20 Full Rare Reliable, Accurate

MP Lascannon Heavy 5k4 E 10 S/- 300m 5 2Full VRare Recharge

Plasma

Plasma Pistol Pistol 3k3 E 8 S/- 30m 10 4Full VRare Recharge, Overheats

Plasma Gun Basic 3k3 E 8 S/2 90m 20 8Full VRare Recharge, Overheats

Melta

Inferno Pistol Pistol 4k3 E 12 S/- 10m 3 Full VRare -

Meltagun Basic 4k3 E 12 S/- 20m 5 2Full Rare -

Bolter

Bolt Pistol Pistol 4k2 X 6 S/- 30m 8 Full Rare Tearing

Boltgun Basic 4k2 X 6 S/3 90m 24 Full VRare Tearing

Heavy Bolter Heavy 4k2 X 8 -/10 120m 60 2Full VRare Tearing

Syrneth

Null Ray Heavy 6k3 E 20 S/- 10m 4 2Full VRare Recharge

Lightning Gun Basic 4k2 E 4 S/2 30m 6 2Full VRare Scatter, Shocking

Exotic

Needle Pistol Pistol 2k2 R 0 S/- 30m 6 Full VRare Accurate, Toxic

Needle Gun Basic 2k2 R 0 S/- 180m 6 2Full VRare Accurate, Toxic

Web Pistol Pistol - 0 S/- 30m 1 Full Rare Snare

Heavy Webber Basic - 0 S/- 50m 1 Full Rare Blast (5), Snare

Flamer

Hand Flamer Pistol 3k2 E 4 S/- 10m 3 2Full VRare Flame

Flamer Basic 3k2 E 6 S/- 20m 3 2Full Rare Flame

mon sight in the Wheel. Favoured for urbanand shipboard combat, where their short rangestopping power comes into play, shotgunshave found their way into the arsenal of manyorganizations.

Pump Shotgun - Favored by law enforcement,the pump-action shotgun has all the strengthsof its double-barrelled cousin with the addedbenefits of increased clip capacity. There arefew things as distinctive (and intimidating) asthe sound of a pump-action shotgun chamber-ing a shell.

SAW - A mainstay support weapon on lower-tech planets, and also popular with outlawsand hive gangers, the SAW (Squad AutomaticWeapon) is ideal for fighting off large numbersof enemies or even lightly armored vehicles.

LasLaser or 'Las' weapons are the most

numerous weapons found in the Wheel. Basedon reliable technology, they are cheap to man-ufacture and easy to maintain. Las weaponswork by emitting short, sharp pulses of laserenergy from high capacity fast-discharge ca-pacitors, with a flash of light and a distinctivesnap like the cracking of a whip as the triggeris pulled.

Laspistol - The laspistol is a light, compactand reliable weapon common throughout theWheel. Designs vary widely and can rangefrom elaborate heirloom devices inscribed withornate carvings and gold filigree, to simplisticbut brutally robust weapons used by gangsand criminals.

Pulse Rifle - A light, cut down las weapon de-signed for longer range and more volume offire than the standard Lasgun. Pulse rifles canbe fired in one hand with only a -1k0 penaltyrather than the normal penalty for basicweapons.

Lasgun - Produced in a multitude of differentstyles and patterns, the lasgun can be found inalmost every Crystal Sphere, where its robustdesign and dependability make it a favoredweapon of armies and adventurers alike.

Long Las - Favoured by snipers, the long lasis a specially modified version of the lasgunconstructed for added range and accuracy. Asits name implies, a long las also has a muchlonger barrel than a lasgun, sometimes beingup to twice the length, making it unwieldy inclose quarters.

MP Lascannon - Built for war, lascannons usehuge power packs that provide enough energyto punch holes in the thickest armor even atvery long ranges. Lascannons also require sep-arate power packs, which is why they are oftencrewed by two or more people.

PlasmaPlasma weapons work by using hy-

drogen fuel suspended in a photonic state ineither fuel flasks or backpack containers. Asthe fuel is fed into the miniature fusion coreinside the weapon the hydrogen energises intoa plasma state, held in the core by powerfulmagnetic containment fields. When fired, thefields dilate open and the plasma is ejected asa bolt of superheated matter.

Plasma Pistol - Few pistols are deadlier thanthe plasma pistol, and those willing to take therisk of using one possess a weapon capable oftaking down almost any foe at close range.

Plasma Gun - An uncommon weapon, even inthe military, plasma weapons are as unstableas they are deadly, occasionally overheatingand venting superheated air back on theirwielder.

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MeltaMelta weapons emit devastatingly in-

tense but short-ranged blasts of heat whichcan melt through almost any material. Meltausage is accompanied by a distinctive hissingsound as the beam boils away the water in theair, then a roaring blast as the beam reducesthe target to charred scraps or molten slag.Meltas are excellent anti-armor weapons andfew things can withstand their power.

Inferno Pistol - The inferno pistol representsvery specialized and ancient technology, hardto reproduce and making these weapons ex-ceptionally rare and expensive. Owning an in-ferno pistol is a sign of status, but usually onlypowerful and influential individuals have thehonour of owning one of these relics.

Meltagun - Meltaguns are the most commonform of melta weapon, coveted by soldiers fortheir massive close-range destructive power.There are also few things as good at cuttingthrough armor as a meltagun, and they areoften pressed into service for breaching bulk-heads.

BolterThe bolter is an ancient and respected

weapon, a sign of status and respect. Most aremade for the Aasimar and Tieflings, thoughsome are constructed with smaller grips andlighter construction for smaller people. Bolterweapons fire self-propelled mass-reactiveshells called bolts, set to explode just after pen-etration for maximum lethality. Overall theyare superb if temperamental devices requiringskilled maintenance. Bolter ammunition is ex-pensive and difficult to manufacture, and onlythe elite have ready access. The standardbolter round is .75 calibre with a super-densemetallic core and armored tip.

Bolt Pistol - Carrying a bolt pistol is a sign ofhigh status, one that only a minority can afforddue to the high cost of maintenance and am-

munition. However, few can argue with theirdestuctive power in combat and after experi-encing their potent capabilities a man mightbeggar himself to own one.

Boltgun - Boltguns are known for the uniqueroar they make when fired, as the propellantin their shells ignite, followed shortly by theexplosive detonation as they hit their target. Itis an experience only slightly less satisfyingthan seeing the results of such a weapon in ac-tion.

Heavy Bolter - A larger support version of theboltgun, the heavy bolter is seldom seen out-side military organizations. Jamming is often aproblem due to their high rate of fire, andwhen used in two-man teams the loader canexpect to be clearing shells as well as loadingnew ammunition packs or feed belts.

SyrnethWeapons of the ancient Syrneth em-

pire, they remain in as good condition todayas when they were manufactured. While it'scertainly possible to damage or even destroythem, it's thought that some element of theirmanufacture repairs itself over time, which iswhy even in ruins tens of thousands of yearsold, they seem as good as new.

Null Ray - The Null ray is a terrible and an-cient weapon that uses complex enchantmentsand arcane science that cannot be replicated.These glossy black rifles emit a ray of cracklingpurple light that tears open solid mass. There

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is almost no way to defend against theseweapons, and in the very rare occasions whenthey appear on the market, they are traded forvast sums.

Lightning Gun - One of the simpler and morecommon Syrneth weapons, the Lightning gunfires a wide cone of electrical potential, almostlike a shotgun firing crackling bolts of thun-der.

ExoticSome weapons are so rare that even a

seasoned warrior might never have seen one,while other weapons are of such secret or spe-cialized purpose that only one inducted intothe correct secret society or with the propertraining can ever expect to hold one. Suchweapons require specialised training, and each

must be mastered separately with a differenttalent.

Needle Pistol - Needle pistols use a low-powerlaser beam to propel small slivers of crystalcoated in viral toxins. Enemies wounded bythem are almost instantly paralyzed or deadwithin moments. As they are virtually silentand have no muzzle flash, needle weapons areideal for assassins.

Needle Gun - Prized by snipers, the needlerifle offers the perfect combination of range,stealth and deadliness. The only argumentagainst these exquisite weapons is that they arenext to useless against heavily armored targets.

Hand Webber - Hand webbers fire masses offilaments which expand in the air to form a

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OTHER RANGED WEAPONS

Name Type Dam Pen ROF Range Clip Reload Avil Special

Primitive

Bow Basic 2k2 R 0 S/- 30m 1 Free Com Reliable

Crossbow Basic 3k2 R 0 S/- 30m 1 2Full Com -

Hand Bow Pistol 2k2 R 0 S/- 15m 1 Full Rare -

Musket Basic 3k2 I 0 S/- 30m 1 5Full Com Unreliable, Inaccurate

Sling Basic 1k1 I 0 S/- 15m 1 Full VCom -

Bolas Thrown - 0 S/- 20m - - UnCom Snare, Inaccurate

Launchers

Grenade Launcher Basic ** ** S/- 60m 6 2Full Rare **

Missile Launcher Heavy ** ** S/- 200m 1 Full Rare **

Grenades and Missiles

Smoke Grenade Thrown - 0 S/- S*3 - - Com Smoke

Frag Grenade Thrown 4k2 X 0 S/- S*3 - - Com Blast (4)

Frag Missile - 4k2 X 5 - - - - UnCom Blast (6)

Krak Grenade Thrown 4k2 X 10 S/- S*3 - - Rare -

Krak Missile - 5k4 X 12 - - - - VRare Blast (1)

Photon Flash Thrown - 0 S/- S*3 - - Rare -

Plasma Grenade Thrown 3k3 E 10 S/- S*3 - - VRare -

Stun Grenade Thrown - 0 S/- S*3 - - VRare Blast (1)

Grav Bomb Thrown - 0 S/- S*3 - - VRare Blast (5)

** - Varies with ammunition

web of sticky, near-unbreakable material. Tar-gets are quickly entangled in a painful em-brace; if they attempt to stuggle the filamentsconstrict even more, further entrapping them.The webbing breaks down on its own andflakes away after 1d10 rounds.

Heavy Webber - The most commonly usedweb weapon, it is often called into play to sub-due lawbreakers without killing them. Theyhave a longer range and each shot can cover asmall group of people, incapacitating entirecrowds when used in large numbers. The web-bing breaks down on its own and flakes awayafter 1d5 hours.

FlameAs the name suggests, these weapons

operate by firing gouts of flame at the target,not only serving as an effective means of smit-ing the enemy but also making disposal oftheir corpses a much easier task. Flameweapons function by firing gouts of an ignitedfuel that can be hard to extinguish, with somemodels even able to fire underwater or in vac-uum.

Hand Flamer - Flame pistols or hand flamersare designed for personal combat at closerange where their very short range and pooraccuracy are not an issue.

Flamer - Flamers are terrifying and indiscrim-inate weapons ideal for attacking enemies incover or confined spaces.

PrimitiveEven in the 41st millennium there is

a call for low-tech weapons, found on feral,undeveloped planets or post-apocalyptic envi-ronments where technology has collapsed, or

on vicious worlds where even in the heart ofcities combat rages. Though these weaponsmay be hopelessly outdated by more advancedfirearms, in the hands of a skilled user they canbe just as deadly.

Bow - Bows have changed little throughouttheir many countless centuries of usage, andcan be found across the Wheel in a variety ofdesigns of constructions. Even on high-techworlds, these weapons, like hand bows, are afavorite amongst assassins and gangers fortheir silence and reliability.

Crossbow - Crossbows are less common thanbows as they require more advanced mechan-ical fittings, but they are equally as deadly.

Hand Bow - This weapon offers the hittingpower of a crossbow but in a pistol grip, suit-able for one-handed operation but at shorterranges. The ease at which they can be brokendown and concealed, as well as their silent op-eration, makes them a favoured weapon of as-sassins.

Musket - These crude devices can only fireonce before reloading, are prone to failure,and only the most low-tech savage or desper-ate renegade would generally fight with one.When they do strike, however, they are deadlyagainst unarmored foes.

Sling - Slings are a difficult weapon to master,but can be used to throw anything from rockspicked off the ground, to specialised metallicballs, to even grenades. When using a sling tothrow grenades, replace the sling's damagewith the effects of the grenade but retain theweapon's range.

Bolas - Bolas are normally non-lethal and assuch can be seen employed by bounty huntersor local law enforcement, where the swirling

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balls (some styles have up to eight of thesedense objects) can entangle a target with heavycords or wire.

LaunchersThe Great Wheel is raked by war and

disorder, and there's a high demand for ex-tremely destructive ordnance. To that end theforge worlds of the Imperium send out asteady stream of explosives, grenades and sim-ilar weaponry, some of which may find its wayinto the hands of Heroes and their foes.

Grenade Launcher - The standard grenadelauncher uses compressed gas to launch a va-riety of grenade types at the enemy. Theseshots can be arced high into the air as suppres-sive fire at unseen targets as well as being usedindirectly against foes.

Missile Launcher - Like the grenade launcher,missile launchers fire a variety of explosiverounds at long distances. A missile is fittedwith stabilisation and guidance systems to aidin their accuracy, which is excellent at longranges. Most launchers are shoulder-mountedtube-like weapons that fire a single round atgreat accuracy.

Grenades and Missiles

Smoke Grenade - Smoke grenades explodewith a dense black smoke which obscuresbasic eyesight and optical based systems. De-pending on the quality of the grenades, theymay also block heat or other spectral bandsoutside of normal human eyesight.

Frag - Fragmentation or frag grenades andmissiles are filled with shot, heavy wire, ormetallic shards to create high velocity shrapnelfragments when they explode, making themdeadly when used against infantry.

Krak - Krak grenades and missiles use concen-trated explosives to punch holes in armoredtargets such as vehicles or bunkers. The pow-erful detonations do not produce a blast effecthowever, making them impractical for useagainst most infantry or other moving targets.

Photon Flash Grenade - Photon flash or sim-ply flash grenades detonate like a small star,blinding anyone nearby and overloading mostvision protection systems such as visors. Thosecaught without eye protection are usually lefttemporarily blinded and defenceless.

Plasma Grenade - These use a deliberateplasma containment failure, causing a blast ofheat and light to burst forth like a miniaturesun. They are highly lethal against almost alltargets.

Stun Grenade - Stun grenades use a combina-tion of a loud explosive and a flash of light tomomentarily incapacitate targets before an as-sault is launched. They are designed for non-lethal uses and generally cause no lastinginjury. Anyone caught in a stun grenade's blastmust pass a TN 15 Constitution Test or be-come stunned for 1d5 rounds. Proper eye andear protection reduce the TN to 10.

Grav Bomb - An extremely rare grenade type,the gravity bomb creates a burst of gravitons.All targets in the blast area of a Grav Bombmust Test Dex against a TN of 15. Those whofail are drawn to the center of the blast radius,taking damage as if they had fallen that dis-tance.

MeleeDespite the wide range of ways avail-

able to kill the enemy at a distance, there is al-ways a demand for weapons designed for closeand personal combat. For some it is a matterof honor to look their foe in the eye, for othersa way to prove their skill at superhuman swordability. These kinds of weapons range fromcrude lengths of metal to exquisitely con-structed artefacts from ages gone by, deviceswhich could never be created again in this darktime.

OrdinaryOrdinary weapons are among the

most widely used weapons. They range fromcommon broadswords and axes to simpleheavy sticks and the like.

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Daiklave - Elaborately decorated and with adouble-edge design, daiklaves are the signa-ture weapon of Heroes. They are forged from

steel alloyed with magical materials and areimproperly balanced for mere mortals.

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MELEE WEAPONS

Name Type Damage Pen Avail Special

Ordinary

Daiklave Melee 4k2 R 4 Rare -

Hand Weapon Melee 3k2 * 0 Com -

Power Sword Melee 4k2 R 4 VRare Power Field

Club Melee 1k2 I 0 VCom -

Parrying

Knife Melee, Thrown 1k2 R 0 VCom -

Katar Melee 0k2 R 3 Com -

Main Gouche Melee 1k2 R 0 UnCom Balanced

Cavalry

Lance Melee 3k2 R 4 Rare Two Hands, Unbalanced

Spear Melee, Thrown 2k2 R 3 UnCom Two Hands

Shortspear Melee 2k2 R 3 UnCom -

Flail

Flail Melee 3k2 I 0 Rare Flexible

Dire Flail Melee 2k3 I 3 VRare Two Hands, Flexible

Electro-Flail Melee 2k2 I 0 Rare Flexible, Shocking

Fencing

Fencing Sword Melee 2k2 R 0 Com Balanced

Officer’s Cutlass Melee 2k2 R 0 Rare Balanced, Shocking

Phase Sword Melee 3k2 R 7 VRare Balanced, Power Field

Two Handed

Great Weapon Melee 2k2 * 4 UnCom Unbalanced

Grand Daiklave Melee 4k3 R 2 Rare Unwieldy

Goremaul Melee 4k3 I 2 Rare Unwieldy

Syrneth

Scythe Melee 4k2 R 8 Rare Power Field

Gryspike Melee 5k1 R 6 VRare Flexible

Grimscythe Melee 6k2 R 8 VRare Power Field, Unbalanced

Chain

Chainsword Melee 3k2 R 4 Rare Tearing

Chain Axe Melee 2k3 R 4 Rare Tearing

Shields

Shield Melee 0k1 I 0 Com Armoured, Defensive

* - This weapon can deal either R or I type damage, decided at the time of purchase.

Hand Weapon - A hand weapon is kind of acatch-all category for the huge variety ofweapons this can cover. A hand weapon canbe a broadsword, an axe, a mace, a hammer,and so forth.

Power Sword - A much more modern anddangerous version of the standard handweapon, the Power Sword uses a power fieldgenerator to create deadly arcs of energyacross the blade. Many are centuries old andhanded down from father to son.

Club - This can be pretty much anything that'sgot some weight to it and can be used to bashsomeone over the head. Most improvisedweapons count as clubs, but there are speciallymade clubs as well.

ParryingParrying weapons are made specifi-

cally to be small and easy to use defensively.While they may not be powerful weapons ontheir own, they can be worn (or at least hid-den) in polite society.

Knife - This is pretty much the most commonweapon there is. Many are really more toolsthan weapons at all. Nearly all knives made forfighting are balanced so they can be thrownwith a range of 5m.

Katar - Also known as the punch dagger, it's asingle-bladed knife with a hilt assembly per-pendicular to the blade. Held in a closed fist,the blade juts from the front of the character'sfist so that his punches deliver deadly stabs.

Main Gouche - A special parrying dagger witha basket hilt that makes it excellent for block-ing attacks but not quite as good as a normal

knife for hurting people.

CavalryCavalry weapons are called such be-

cause they are most often used either by oragainst cavalry. They're typically long weaponsthat can be braced against a charge or stabbeddown from horseback.

Lance - The lance is a strong-shafted spear de-signed to be used from horseback, they're nottypically used against other infantry but to ridedown cavalry. When used from horseback, aLance is at +0k1 damage.

Spear - One of the most versatile and simpleweapons ever produced, the spear is a foot-long head attached to the end of a five to sixfoot long pole. Spears are inexpensive and ef-fective, and as a result are one of the mostcommon armaments of soldiers on primitiveworlds.

Shortspear - A short-hafted weapon used pri-marily for stabbing, the short spear often hasa long head so it can be usef for slashing andchopping in a pinch.

FlailFlails consist of one or more heavy

spiked balls attached to the weapon's pole(with lengths of chain or metal rods), andwhile difficult to wield, they are capable of in-flicting terrible wounds.

Flail - A typical flail is a single spiked ball at-tached to a bit of chain and a handle. Oncesomeone actually becomes trained in its use,it becomes a deadly weapon for getting aroundan enemy's defenses.

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Dire Flail - Much larger than the standardflail, the Dire flail can have a head as big as theperson using it, swinging dangerously on along chain. It's a dangerous weapon both toenemies and everyone around you.

Electro-Flail - Electro-flails are groups of ten-dril-like lashes, attached to a short staff or han-dle. These flails have a short reach but as theystrike in devistating masses of hits they can beextraordinarily effective at incapacitating a foe.

FencingFencing weapons come in many

shapes and sizes, but almost all are light andfast weapons that are designed to be easy touse. However the light weight of the weaponscan make them hard to master as killing tools.

Fencing Sword - A standard fencing swordcan come in quite a few forms, from rapiers tosabres or even longer curved blades likekatanas.

Officer's Cutlass - A version of a fencing swordenhanced with a shock generator, the batteriesthrow off the balance of the weapon, but itsability to disable an opponent without killingthem can be worth the trade.

Phase Sword - One of the most deadlyweapons a person can wield, forged from mag-ical materials and dark magic that is kept adeadly secret, it's said the edge of this bladeonly half-exists, letting it slip through armorand cut the flesh inside without scarring thearmor.

Two HandedTwo Handed weapons are, as you can

guess, all weapons that can be used in twohands. Not all weapons that require bothhands are part of this weapon category - otherweapon types require more specialized train-ing that is better represented in their own pro-ficiency type.

Great Weapon - A standard great weapon canbe anything from a two-handed axe to a largesword or glaive or even a huge iron club. Theyall do about the same amount of damage -which is a lot - and use the same stat line.

Grand Daiklave - Sometimes called a battle-blade or foecutter, the grand daiklave is the ul-timate expression of the philosophy behind thedaiklave - one needs no defense against a deadopponent. They can be six feet long withblades a foot wide, and only the enchantmentswithin them allow them to be used at all.

Goremaul - Massive hammers that requiretwo hands to wield, Goremauls require greatstrength to use but deliver crushing blows thatcan deal horrifying damage with every attack.

SyrnethSyrneth weapons are of extremely

strange design and manufacture, appearing tobe overly ornate or badly thought out, as if notdesigned for fighting as much as display. How-ever, they are among the most dangerousweapons available, their basic power eclipsingthat of even some of the greaTest weaponsmade in modern times.

Scythe - A Syrneth scythe resembles a farmer'ssickle, a short, semicircular blade. Its appear-ance is decieving - the curved blade isn't whatdoes the cutting. There's an invisible line offorce that runs from the curved tip of the bladetowards the handle, forming a cutting edgethat can slice even through steel.

Gyrspike - An awkward weapon, a Gryspike isa combination of a sword and a flail, extraor-dinarily deadly. Especially to an untrainedwielder. Once mastered, though, it's great atgetting through an opponent's defences. It'slikely they've never even seen one before.

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Grimscythe - A much larger versionof the Syrneth scythe, the Grimscytheis designed to be used with bothhands and, while even deadlier thanthe smaller version, is somewhatslower on the defense.

ChainChain weapons are popular

amongst most warriors, as most racesand planets have the basic technologyto produce these brutal weapons.They all have fast-moving chains ofserrated metallic teeth running acrosswhat would normally be the weapon'sbladed edge. Even the slighTest hitcan rip open flesh, and solid strikescan cut through armor. Most are loudand all are visibly dangerous, and thesight of one can demoralize even themost fanatical opponent.

Chainsword - Chainswords areroughly sword-like in shape as thename suggests, with a large flat hous-ing containing the chain. Generallyonly the forward curved section isopen, and is thrust at the enemywhere the spinning chain teeth canbite into flesh and bone.

Chainaxe - Chain axes are heavy, bru-tal weapons that can deliver hideousdamage with each blow. Like a regu-lar axe, these can have one edge or betwo-sided. Each open edge containsits own chain loop, meaning that the double-sided version can still operate if one side isfouled.

ShieldsShields are tools used to block at-

tacks. They vary in size and shape, but they allhave the same functionality - they're strappedto a character's arm and interposed betweenthe character's body and attacks. Shields makepoor weapons, though all but the heaviest canbe used to at least bash an enemy.

Shield - The basic shield, which can be madeof a variety of materials, from improvisedwood or plastic sheets to advanced metal orarmorplas plates. Sizes range from light buck-lers to full-body shields as large as a man.

ArmorGiven the numerous weapons avail-

able in the Great Wheel as well as their sheerlethality, it is no wonder that personal armorand protective energy fields are commonplace.Most important civilians always wear somesort of body armor when in public, and some

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ARMORName AP Max Dex Avail Loc. Covered

Light

Leathers 2 - UnCom Arms, Body, Legs

Heavy Leathers 3 5 Com Arms, Body, Legs

Quilted Vest 3 - Com Body

Mesh Vest 4 - Rare Body

Mesh Cowl 4 - Rare Head

Mesh Gloves 4 - Rare Arms

Medium

Chain Coat 5 5 UnCom Arms, Body, Legs

Chain Hood 4 - UnCom Head

Flak Vest 5 5 UnCom Body

Flak Jacket 5 4 UnCom Arms, Body, Legs

Flak Gauntlets 5 5 UnCom Arms

Flak Helmet 4 - UnCom Head

Heavy

Banded 6 3 UnCom Arms, Body, Legs

Full Helm 6 - UnCom Head

Carapace Chest 7 3 Rare Body

Carapace Helm 7 - Rare Head

Carapace Gloves 7 3 Rare Arms

Carapace Legs 7 3 Rare Legs

Extreme

Plate 8 2 Rare Arms, Body, Legs

Plate Helm 8 - Rare Head

Storm Carapace 8 3 VRare All

Power*

Light Power 10 3 VRare All

Power Armor 12 2 VRare All

*Power Armor provives a +1 bonus to Size and Strength.

of the more paranoid (or well prepared) alsouse them in private. Military personnel andHeroes are always equipped with some sort ofarmored protection, ranging from cheap lay-ered padding to highly sophisticated armoredshells built to withstand almost any attack.

Armor provides Armor Points to var-ious locations on your body. In addition, somekinds or armor have special properties that arenoted in their description.

Type: The type of armor it is.Location(s) Covered: What locations

the armor covers, a combination of arms, legs,body and head. Any armor that provides pro-tection to the body also protects the gizzards.Some armor covers all these locations and isnoted as covering "all".

AP (Armor Points): How manyArmor Points the armor provides for the loca-tions covered.

Max Dex: The character’s maximumusable dexterity score while wearing thearmor. This affects speed, skill tests, and char-acteristic tests.

Availability: How rare the armor is.It takes training to wear armor with-

out it getting in the way. Without the appro-priate feat, you apply the armor's AP as apenalty to your static defense.

MIXING ARMORYou can mix pieces of armor. How-

ever, their protective qualities do not stack. Incases where an area which is covered by mul-tiple pieces of armor is struck, the highestArmor Points is used. For example, if a char-

acter wearing Leathers and a Flak Vest is hitin the body, the lower armor points of theLeathers (AP 2) are ignored and the ArmorPoints of the Flak Vest (5) are used for thepurposes of calculating damage.

Primitive ArmorIt might be leather or classically-fitted

metal plates, but primitive armor is still quiteprotective. Most of what's still in use today isenchanted and practically dripping with magicenough to deflect bullets.

Leathers and Heavy Leathers are justwhat you expect. Most heavy or thick clothingcan be considered roughly the same as leathersin a pinch. Quilted Vests are much the same,thick padded clothing that really wouldn't lookterribly out of place as normal clothing.

Chain armor is one of the most com-mon types of armor on feral worlds, interlock-ing rings of metal that soften and deflectblows. A step up from chain armor is Bandedarmor, which is made of horizontal strips ofsteel allowing a lot of movement but not quiteas full protection as the next step up, Platearmor, which is made of thick plates of metalarticulated for movement.

Mesh ArmorOf advanced design, and sometimes

ancient manufacture, mesh is formed fromthousands of thermoplas cells linked togetherto create a fabric-like material. It is lightweightand can withstand most impacts or heat en-ergy by becoming momentarily rigid, spread-ing and dissipating the attack.

Flak ArmorComprised of layers of ablative and

impact-absorbent material, flak armor is effec-tive against small arms, shrapnel, and proxim-ity blasts. Flak armor doubles its AP againstweapons with the Blast quality, provided thewearer was not subjected to a direct hit by theweapon.

Carapace ArmorCarapace armor is made of densely

layered plates of armaplas, ceramite or someother kind of highly durable material. It is

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ARMOR QUALITYAll the types or armor detailed here

are of Common craftsmanship. For armor ofbetter or worse manufacture use the follow-ing modifiers.

Poor - Badly fitted, Poor qualityarmor is difficult to wear and imposes a -1penalty to Dexterity.

Good - Well made, the armor is easyto wear. Against the first attack in any round,the armor increases its AP by 1.

Best - The very best there is, likedonning a second skin, it gets a +1 bonus toAP. The armor’s Max Dex is increased by 1.

heavy to wear and cannot easily cover flexibleareas such as joints, but it offers significantlybetter protection than lighter kinds of armor.

Storm CarapaceStorm Carapace comes as a single

sealed suit, and counts as a voidsuit as long asall parts are worn. The protection of StormCarapace is slightly better than normal cara-pace armor thanks to its better, sealed jointsand tough underlayer.

Power ArmorThe heaviest and most sophisticated

kinds of armor use their own power source in-creasing the user's strength. Power Armoradds 2 to the wearer's Strength Characteristicand increases his size by 1 (so while wearingpower armor, a human, whose average size is6, takes damage as if they were size 7, and op-ponents add 7 to their attack roll for his size).

GearOther gear is, of course, available.

The SM should use her best judgement for theavailability of other items. In general, mostvery basic gear, as people could expect to usein their daily lives, should be Very Commonor Common. If you're unsure of how to pricesomething, it's usually better to go too highthan too low.

Note there is no listing for ammuni-tion, basic food and water, and so forth. Thecharacters are assumed to be able to take careof such things for themselves. The purchase ofa gun is assumed to be accompanied by thepurchase of a reliable source of ammunition.A character can take as much ammo as theywant with them (within reason - a person canonly carry so much!), replenishing it wheneverthey get back to their base of operations. Ifthey don't hase a base of operations, well, thenthey just get it during any significant down-time. Let's be honest - the necessities are onlyremoved when it's important for the plotANYWAY, so it's one less thing to be kepttrack of.

AuspexThese devices are used to detect en-

ergy emissions, motion, and biological lifesigns. A character using an auspex may makeTech-Use Tests to use an auspex to spotthings not normally detectable by humansenses alone, such as invisible gases, nearbybio-signs, or ambient radiation. The standardrange for an Auspex is 50m, though wallsmore than half a meter thick and certainshielding materials can block the scanner.

BackpackA personal carrying device can take

many forms, but is usually some kind of bagwith attached straps for ease of carrying. Abackpack can usually carry approximately 50kilograms.

CharmA charm is a keepsake, holy relic, or

good luck token that is intended to draw thebenevolent eye of the gods to the wearer. They

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GEAR

Name Avail

Auspex UnCom

Backpack VCom

Charm Com

Chrono Com

Climbing Kit Com

Clothing VCom

Combi-Tool UnCom

Data Slate Com

Impliment UnCom

Magnoculars UnCom

Medkit UnCom

Micro-Bead Com

Multikey Rare

Pict Recorder UnCom

Rebreather UnCom

Torch VCom

Void Suit UnCom

Writing Kit Com

take myriad forms including such things assaintly finger bones, fragments of blessedbolter casings, water from holy rivers, andeven corpse hair woven into significant pat-terns. Throughout the Great Wheel, there isno shortage of folks who will sell such items,though discerning true relics from the false isan almost impossible task.

Charms have no tangible benefits.However, when the unfolding plot calls forsomething bad to happen to a random charac-ter, at the SM's discretion a character with acharm will be exempt. If all the characterscarry charms (as most wise adventurers do)then it is up to the SM to choose whichcharms are the most potent.

ChronoChronos are hand-held or wrist-worn

timepieces, generally dependable and simpleto use.

Climbing KitA compact spool-stored safety line,

with a magnetic or hooked clasp. A characterusing a climbing kit to descend a vertical sur-face is in no danger of falling.

ClothingIt's a very simple

matter to find clothing,and the forms clothingcan take are nearly infi-nite, from literal rags tobodygloves, suits, practi-cal work clothing, mili-tary uniforms, religiousgarb, and so forth. TheSM is free to set anyavailability for a givenitem of clothing, andthere's always a way tospend more and find yetmore exclusive fabrics,clothiers, and jewelers.

Combi-ToolCommonly found in

the hands of experiencedengineers, combi-tools

are versatile if somewhat bizarre mechanicaldevices. A character using a combi-tool is con-sidered properly equipped for almost anyTech-Use Test.

Data SlateData Slates are commonplace in the

great wheel as the primary means of storingand reading printed text and other media suchas video or audio recordings. They are cheapand easy to make, and many only contain asingle media recording, such as text, and canonly play that single file. Others can re-recordnew information and transmit and receive datafrom other devices.

ImplimentCommonly used by sorcerers and

clerics to focus and enhance their magicalpower, Impliments come in a huge variety ofshapes and sizes - wands, rods, staffs, orbs,holy symbols, and so forth. A sorcerer doesnot need to have an impliment to use most ofhis power, but depending on their training andtaste, it may form an important part of theirstyle.

MagnocularsThese are powerful vision aids, which

magnify distant objects. More advanced,higher-quality magnoculars can also do suchthings as give range read-outs, detect heatsources, calculate target location positioningand take image snapshots for later analysis.

MedkitThis is a vital bit of equipment for any

medic. A typical medikit contains various cat-aplasm patches, contraseptics and synth-skin.A character that has a medikit at hand whenusing the medicae skill gains a free raise on theTest.

Micro-BeadA micro-bead or comm-bead is a

short-range communication device worn inthe ear, good out to about one kilometer. Suchthings as bad weather, dense terrain and inter-vening rock or plasteel can greatly reduce thisrange, however.

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MultikeyAs it can open most standard locks,

the multikey is not a standard item for mosthonest citizens. For the same reason, though,they are widely sought after by criminals andother disreputable elements.

Pict RecorderPict recorders are relatively simple

live-media recording devices and some haveholographic capabilities. Most also allow forplayback as well as recording, and some areeven built into special robotic frames so theycan capture important archaeological tech-quests, weapons Tests, interrogations andother possibly dangerous events.

RebreatherConsisting of a mask or helmet, re-

breathers contain their own air supply and aredesigned to preserve the user in even the mosttoxic atmospheres. A character wearing a re-breather is immune to the effects of gases andcan even survive underwater. However, re-breathers typically have air canisters that lastfor about one hour and then must be replaced.

TorchDepending on the quality of its man-

ufacture, a Torch might be able to emit vari-ous levels of light, change the color of its beamof light, and so forth.

Void SuitThese sealed suits are intended to

perserve the wearer in the most hostile envi-ronments. A void suit incorporates a re-breather and in addition allows the wearer tosurvive in a vacuum.

Writing KitA writing kit contains various papers,

inks, and quills.

ServicesServices indicate those things that are

often essential to a Hero's life, such as findinga place to sleep, food to eat, and some foolwith a ship willing to transport them to sometomb world, ash waste, drifting space hulk, orsome other equally dangerous locale.

Heros are not expected to actuallyhave to roleplay and struggle to find food orlodging - the character's wealth or backinggives a good idea of what kind of lifestyle theyhave. A character with one or two dots inWealth has a far more modest lifestyle thansomeone with five dots. Most services - findingsomewhere to sleep and eat - don't take nearlyas long to arrange as an aquisition. However,finding transport, getting long-term medicalcare, and so forth can take some time.

CyberneticsBionic implants and cybernetic aug-

mentation are a fact of life in the Great Wheel.They enable damaged or diseased parts of thebody to be replaced, improving on the abilitiesand power of the body and, in certain cases,extending life. There is a price to be paid forsuch improvements, and this cost is measurednot simply in in flesh but, it can be argued, inhumanity and even sanity.

Thanks to superstition and the un-even level of technology across the Wheel, thesophistication and use of bionics varies wildly.Each different kind of cybernetic grants theuser different benefits (and sometimes penal-ties) depending on its craftsmanship. The ex-ception to this is Best quality cybernetics thatprovide no additional benefits beyond those ofGood quality, but are more impressive in theirconstruction and design.

BIONIC REPLACEMENT LIMBS AND BODY PARTS

Bionic replacement limbs are as-sumed to operate at the same level of strengthand dexterity as the body they are attached to(rather than risk ripping themselves out oftheir host through overpressure), though their

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robust construction does add +2 to theowner's AP against hits scored to that particu-lar location. Damage taken to these locationscounts towards damage to the character andCritical Damage dealt to these locations func-tion as normal. However, any result thatcauses bleeding or some other inappropriateresult renders the bionic limb useless. Criticaldamage to a limb that results in death has thefull effect as it can be assumed that the limbexplodes into shrapnel, incinerates, or dis-charges stored energy through its owner withlethal effect.

Note that bonuses and penalties relateonly to Tests made using the bionic limb andcharacters that have two bionic limbs do notgain double the bonus, but rather they mayapply the bonus regardless of which bioniclimb they are using.

ATTACHING BIONICS ANDIMPLANTS

Implants and bionics are only avail-able if the character has access to both the re-sources and skilled labour to have theminstalled: commonly this is only available insubstantial medicae facilities and worlds witha very high technological base.

If a character can find a doctor willingto install a bionic or implant than the processtakes 2d10 days, minus one day for each dothe has of Constitution (to a minimum of 1day). How difficult it is to attach a bionic or

implant is up to the SM. He may decide thatgiven enough time, and in an advancedenough facility, it is automatic, or he may callon the doctor to make a series of Medicae oreven Tech-Use Tests that could lead to suchthings as permanent crippling or blood loss.

Bionic ArmCommon versions of these systms

mirror the function of the owner's arm andhand exactly, retaining strangth, dexterity, andsense of touch.

Poor versions halve the user's Dexter-ity score when matters of fine dexterity are in-volved and Weaponry and Ballistics Tests takea -2k0 penalty when using the limb.

Good bionic arms provide a +1k0bonus on Dexterity Tests requiring delicatemanipulation (such as Sleight of Hand) andadd +1k0 to Strength Tests using that arm.

Bionic HeartThe paranoid (or prepared) are ever

willing to replace crude flesh with moredurable, armored materials. The light armorshielding of a bionic heart provides one lastline of defense against attacks. Superior mod-els can be triggered to pump more rapidly toincrease physical capacity, though this risksstroke or other catastrophe as the rest of thecirculatory system is put under pressure. Acharacter with this implant fains +2 armor tothe gizzards - which stacks with any armorworn - and gains the Fleet of Foot feat.

Bionic LocomotionCommon locomotion bionics must be

fully integrated into the spine and nervous sys-tem to function properly; basic models accom-plish this without any loss of function over thenorm.

Poor versions halve the character'sSpeed (rounding up) and such characters thatattempt to run must succeed on a DexterityTest (TN 10) or fall at the end of their move-ment.

Good versions of these systems grantthe owner the Fleet of Foot talent. In additionthey add a +2k0 bonus to Athletics and Acro-batics checks made to jump or leap.

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CYBERNETICS

Name Avail

Bionic Arm UnCom

Bionic Heart Rare

Bionic Locomotion UnCom

Bionic RespiratorySystem

Rare

Cybernetic Senses Rare

Mind Impulse Unit Rare

Bionic Respiratory SystemCommon bionic lungs and implanted

respiratory systems mimic the action of lungsand keep the body supplied with oxygen. Suchcharacters gain a +2k0 bonus to Tests madeto resist airborn toxins and gas weapons.

Poor bionic lungs offer the same ben-efits as the Common system. However, theyare raucously loud affairs and characters takea -2k0 penalty to all Stealth checks involvingsound. A generally poor oxygen supply to thebody means all Tests involving strenuousphysical activity require an extra raise to suc-ceed.

Good bionic lungs count as a full lifesupport system (thus if for any reason theuser's own respiratory system fails, his bioniclungs will keep his blood oxygenated), andtheir presence may be unnoticable if designedto be so.

Cybernetic SensesSight, hearing, and even touch and

taste may be duplicated artificially, and moreesoteric senses may be added. Common sys-tems, while usually very obviously artifical andofen oversized, manage to more or less dupli-cate the approximate human range of sensesadequately and have no further game effects.

Poor cybernetic senses are trouble-some and poor imitations of the real thing(hearing may be troubled by static, visionglitches or is randered in low-resolutionmonochrome, and so on). A character withthis system takes a -2k0 penalty to Tests madethat involve the sense.

Good cybernetic senses grant theHeightened Senses talent for that particularsense, and a +2k0 bonus to Tests made to re-sist attacks on the sense itself (deafeningnoises, blinding flashes and so on). Basic andadvanced cyber-eyes may also incorporate tel-escopic sighs, a full photo-visor, and/or a sys-tem allowing the ability to see in the dark.Likewise, basic or advanced cybernetic hear-

ing may also include an internal micro-beadsystem. Each of these 'extra' upgrades countsas a separate implant for the purposes of cost.

Mind Impulse UnitThese devices, also known as sense-

links, allow the owner to directly interface witha machine or technological device, seeing verywidespread use among the military and engi-neers, who regard them as objects almost in-despensible for troubleshooting and repairingdamaged machines. A basic or crude MIU riginvolves a simple universal serial port either inthe spine or wrist.

Common models add a +1k0 bonusto Tech-Use, Pilot, or Drive Tests used inconjunction with devices capable of MIU link-ing.

Poor MIU systems require an Intelli-gence Test (TN 15) to use because of theircrude interface, but otherwise work the sameas a Common MIU.

Good models grant a +1k0 bonus toTech-Use, Pilot, Drive, Logic, and InquiryTests when interfaced with MIU systems andoften have wireless links that allow them toconnect without need of direct plugs.

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rtifacts play many roles in DUN-GEONS THE DRAGONING. You can ap-proach Artifacts' roles from the character'sperspective and the game's perspective. Sev-eral approaches are given below as extremes,but none of them are exclusive of any others.

Artifacts as equipment. They aremagical tools, and that's about it. To a char-acter, this makes an Orichalcum Sword is justa better sword and a Rod of Might just a usefultool. This sort of Hero doesn't need to beburied with his equipment, and probably alsowon't respect the equipment of others, whichmight leave some unsettled spirits behind him.

When a player follows this standard,artifacts are things for players to pick out andgive to their characters. There may be an ex-cuse for that Darksteel Heart, but there is noreal reason for it: players don't care muchabout their tools' origins or destinies. Andthat's okay. You can tell a thousand differentstories in the Great Wheel without tying themto the character's artifacts.

Artifacts as legacies. Remnants of agreater past lure characters to greater heightsand sadden them at what was lost. Every arti-fact tells a story. This motivates a character,driving her to seek out lost treasures not (just)

for power but for their legends. It colors theway she uses artifacts, because each has a spe-cial meaning to her and to history.

Games that use this role make arti-facts' histories important to the story. Whereit came from, who wielded it in what battleand when it was buried or lost are all relevant,perhaps clues in a grand mystery. The groupcan also use artifacts to play with themes onloss.

Artifacts as objectives. Acquiringthem is a goal in itself, or an important meansto another end. A character can have manyreasons to make an artifact an objective. Seek-ing something that belonged to an ancestor ora famous hero is common. Artifacts can bemysteries to be discovered and solved. Char-acters can also seek an artifact that will helpthem defeat enemies or keep them safe. Thisapplies equally to characters on a mission tocreate or repair an artifact.

This is one of the easiest roles for aStory Master to invoke, but it works betterwhen the players are also interested. Artifactscan be classic, plot-driving MacGuffins - getenough of the ancient plot coupons and re-deem them for one world saving! - and tied toGalaxy-spanning quests. Take care not tooveruse this role, though; one treasure hunt

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after another can get old.Artifacts as companions. They have a

character all their own that comes out in play.This doesn't refer to intelligent artifacts andmagical automatons (though both are certainlypossible), but to artifacts that color the waythey are used and affect the nature of theirwielders. A warrior might pull steel at the dropof a hat until she recovers a NecrodermisDaiklave that demands death every time it'sdrawn. A bard might go to great lengths to re-cover his stolen sitar because it is as dear tohim as a sister. Many characters of legend hadtools that became almost as famous as thecharacters themselves.

Most games need to apply a speciallevel of importance to artifacts in order to givethem character. Some players do this on theirown, and some do not. It's not a problem un-less you want to establish an overarchingtheme involving artifacts. Because the natureof an artifact is reflected in the character thatbears it, players can easily make an artifact aspecial companion without assistance; theyonly need to make it a part of the character'sattitude.

Most games mix and match these dif-ferent roles for artifacts without a thought.Thinking about what you want artifacts to beabout in your game allows you to fine-tune ar-tifacts' involvement and themes until you'resatisfied.

SCRIPT IMMUNITYA Story Master is usually free to

arrange the theft of a character's assets, kidnaphis family and kill off friends and allies, all inthe name of story. Many players feel more pro-tective about their characters' artifacts. Maybethey like having "stuff" or maybe they resentthe loss of something they paid points at char-acter generation to have. So, what's a StoryMaster to do?

Figure out which artifacts meansomething to their players and which don't be-fore you start messing with them. Don't starta new campaign and yoink magical weaponsfrom the players' hands - play a few sessions(at least) to see which players (characters also,but players especially) feel strongly about theirartifacts. All you really need to do is make sure

that anything you do with an artifact is re-versible. Create a story: hunt down the thiefor find a Syrneth workshop to effect repairs.

This applies more to artifacts pur-chased at the start of the game with back-ground points than to artifacts found duringplay, with exceptions. The weapons and armortaken from the bodies of some well-equippedbut ultimately unimportant enemies are easycome, easy go (unless someone becomes reallyattached to one as a great trophy). After theinfiltration of a planetary armory to 'liberate'the weapon of a legendary hero (in addition toany earlier buildup to the theft), though, aplayer may be less willing to lose her new ac-quisition.

GAME IMPACTAn artifact is only as useful as you

allow it to be. A piece of paper that can changeto look like any document is rather worthlessif the entire campaign takes place in thewilderness. A magical sword is only useful inbattle, and in a few additional circumstances(like intimidation or blowing your cover). Whoneeds a stone to repel animals when the gametakes place entirely on a space station?

Players and Story Masters shouldboth be aware of the game. Players shouldknow better than to spend all their points onarmor and weapons in a series about court in-trigue. Story Masters should warn playersagainst taking useless traits. On the otherhand, Storytellers should also recognize thatputting points into combat means the playerwants to see her character kick butt.

A player might intend to take an arti-fact she never uses - like being the bearer of amystical talisman or hearthstone but swornnot to use it, which is a story hook that theStory Master should seize like a pit bull. Ifthere's no such intention, then somethingshould change to bring unused artifacts intoplay.

Conversely, artifacts may be very,very useful. This can be a case of a man witha hammer seeing only nails, but it's also up tothe storyteller to make sure that no single arti-fact dominate's the game's conflicts. If a singleartifact solves all the characters' problems, ei-ther it is too powerful or the characters are

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meeting too limited a range of challenges. Asoul-eating sword can't make the space pirateprincess fall in love with you or repair a hullbreach before the air runs out.

COMMON TRAITS OF ARTIFACTSUnless noted otherwise, all artifacts

share a number of general traits.* Artifacts register as magical. They

may be detected by the flow of warp-energyaround them. Any effect that reveals magicalflows. A character with the Arcana skill canmake a Test (TN 20) to identify an object asan artifact.

* Artifacts are eternal. Wonders donot wear down, wear out or break accidentally.A very few artifacts are, of necessity, fragileenough to shatter or tear if they are not welltreated. Even these artifacts never just wearout, assuming they are not ill-used. The powerof an artifact is bound into it forever and doesnot need maintenance.

* Artifacts are difficult to break. Cre-ation of a magical wonder solidifies magicalflows in a harmonious manner, making arti-facts difficult to break. Most require either avery specific ritual to break them or a truly ex-traordinary environment such as the heart ofa star.

* Artifacts cannot easily be boughtand sold. While they do occasionally go on themarket - low-powered artifacts are often madeto turn a profit rather than for personal use,and there's sometimes a successful tomb raiderlooking to retire - Artifacts are far beyond thereach of most. Even the most common artifactwould take Wealth 4 or 5 just to consider as apurchase. Finding a broker to sell an item isdifficult. Finding a buyer even more so. Find-ing someone selling the artifact you want? Amiracle.

Magical Weaponsand Armor

Almost all weapons of better thancommon quality have at least some enchant-

ment to them. Artifact weapons, though, areextremely powerful, typically ancient, andmade of one of the five magical metals. Theartifact level of magical weapons and armordepends on the base rarity of the weapon it-self.

The bonuses listed for magical weapons andarmor replace the normal bonuses for quality- each of these artifact weapons is already con-sidered to be of best quality owing to the en-chantments used to forge them. Only armorthat is primarily made of metal can benefitfrom magical materials. while it's certainly pos-sible to have, say, buckles or buttons made ofone of the magical materials, this won't reallygive their intrinsic properties to the leatherthey're attached to.

It's similarly possible to create somebionics out of these magical materials. Theyfollow the same general guidelines for pricingas weapons and armor, but only a few types ofbionic are commonly made out of the magicalmaterials: Bionic arms, locomotion and, veryrarely, hearts. The bonuses they give, likeweapons and armor, replace those normallygiven for quality.

ORICHALCUMA golden magical material, with a

sheen that bears the warmth and light of thesun, even when lit by as little as a candle or adisplay screen. People mistake it for gold onlywhen the light is dim or they cannot touch itto feel its inner fire. It is hard to mine andharder still to forge. Once incorporated into anartifact, orichalcum represents strength, supe-riority, order, glory and (to a degree) perfec-

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Rating by Availability

Item Availability Rating

Very Common Artifact 1

Common Artifact 2

Uncommon Artifact 3

Rare Artifact 4

Very Rare Artifact 5

tion or striving for the absolute.Weapons and armor that are made of

Orichalcum don't particularly excel in any oneway. They're just generally better at everythingthey do.

Melee Weapon: +1k0 to all Testsmade to attack or parry, +3 to damage they in-flict.

Ranged Weapon: +1k0 to Tests madeto attack, +10m range, will never jam or over-heat.

Armor: +2 AP.Bionic Arm: Provides a +1k1 bonus

on Dexterity Tests requiring delicate manipu-lation (such as Sleight of Hand) and add +1k1to Strength Tests using that arm.

Bionic Locomotion: Gives the user+2 to Speed, +2k1 to Athletics checks.

Bionic Heart: +2 Armor to the giz-zards, and +2 Hit Points.

MITHRILThis magical material forms only in

the wild and undeveloped spaces, mostly onmoons and in other areas with low gravity. De-posits of mithril look like normal silver, butthey run through exposed surfaces in smooth,flowing patterns that veins of silver couldnever match unless melted and sculpted.Under the moonlight, mithril reflects thingsthat aren't there, dreams and illusions sublim-inating from their owners.

Weapons and armor made of mithrilare exceptionally light for their strength, em-phasizing movement and fluidity over bulky

strength.Melee Weapon: +2 to your Static De-

fense, +2 to damage inflicted.Ranged Weapon: Double the

weapon's range, no penalties for firing heavyweapons without bracing or using a basicweapon in one hand.

Armor: Except for Power armor,Mithril armor counts as one armor categoryless for determining proficiencies. MithrilPlate would count as Heavy armor, MithrilChain armor would count as light armor.

Bionic Arm: You may make oneReady action as a free action each round. Gain+1k1 bonus on dexterity checks and checksmade to parry.

Bionic Locomotion: The user gains+4 to Speed, +1k0 to Athletics checks, and+2k2 to Acrobatics checks.

Bionic Heart: The user is immune tothe Toxic weapon effect, gains +1 armor to hisgizzards, and gains the Fleet of Foot feat.

DARKSTEELThere is a substance so hard that it

can only be shaped by the magic of the mostpowerful artificers. It is so durable that it neverdegrades, Testing the patience of Time itself.Traditional weapons are useless against it; it iseasier to put dents in the laws of physics thanin its surface. It is the metal that is innocent ofdeath. It is called darksteel. Darksteel is amagical, dark gray or black metal. Motes ofmagical energy orbit artifacts made from dark-steel. The trajectories of the energy motesform golden-yellowish streaks around the ar-tifact.

Weapons of Darksteel are heavy andoften somewhat rough around the edges - youcannot sand down imperfections or burrs indarksteel. All items made of darksteel, no mat-ter how great or small, are absolutely inde-structible.

Melee Weapon: +8 to this weapon'sPen except against Darksteel armor.

Ranged Weapon: +8 to this weapon'sPen except against Darksteel armor.

Armor: Ignore the Pen value ofweapons striking you, except for Darksteelweapons.

Bionic Arm: This arm cannot be dis-

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abled or destroyed by critical damage. If thedamage would kill you, it still does, but thearm is fine. Gain a +2k0 bonus to strengthTests made using that arm.

Bionic Locomotion: Your legs cannotbe disabled or destroyed by critical damage. Ifthe damage would kill you, it still does, butyour legs are fine. Gain a +2k0 bonus to Testsmade to stay on your feet.

Bionic Heart: Ignore the effects ofcritical damage to your Gizzards. +3 Armor tothe Gizzards.

WRAITHBONEWraithbone is a form of crystallized

magical energy that can exist as a solid in real-space brought forth from the Warp andshaped by sorcery. It can only be shaped usingsorcery, but is extremely malleable and can bemade into any shape the magic-user desires. Itis also very tough and resilient - despite ap-pearing like porcelain, and often created in themost delicate forms, it is stronger than steeland quickly repairs itself. It is a natural con-ductor of magical energy, spells flowing alongthe surface of wraithbone constructs like waterover glass.

Weapons and armor of Wraithboneare typically made of curved, sloping singlepieces, as it's easier to form wraithbone intocurves than angles, and there's no need formultiple parts where one can flow into anyform.

Melee Weapon: You can delivermelee-range spells using this weapon, TestingDexterity and Weaponry rather than Dexterityand Brawl. If the spell has a casting time ofone half action or more, you may choose toadd an attack with this weapon to the spell.

Ranged Weapon: Once per scene, thewraithbone may be formed into additional am-munition for this weapon, or the magicalcharge within it used to fire it. A wraithboneweapon essentially recharges its own ammuni-tion, providing one clip per scene (or three ar-rows or bolts, if using more primitiveweapons). If the weapon would jam or over-heat, it instead misses. Jams clear themselvesin one round.

Armor: This armor provides +4 Aura.

Bionic Arm: A wraithbone bionic armhas a simple but powerful ability - it can beused to Parry any spell with Touch or RangedTouch targeted at the bearer. If the parry issuccessful, the arm completely absorbs thespell, and the spell has no effect.

Bionic Locomotion: Once per scene,you may use the magical energies in theWraithbone to walk on air for a single round.While using this ability, you can move at yourfull speed in all three dimensions.

Bionic Heart: A wraithbone heartprotects the soul of its bearer. Whenever yousuffer a Perils of the Warp roll, you may rolltwice and choose between those results.

NECRODERMISNecrodermis is a grey, dull metal.

Most people become uncomfortable whenthey're in the same room as the metal, oftenwithout quite knowing why, like there's a chillin the air or they're being watched. Necroder-mis is a metal that can entrap souls, lendingits terrible properties to various works of deathand destruction. And yet, the most horriblething about Necrodermis is that it isn't simplya metal. It lives. The Metal Lives.

Weapons and armor of Necrodermisare always cold to the touch, not dangerousbut uncomfortable. They can seem to move orpulse, more like a worm or some kind of foulthing than a wholesome living creature.

Melee Weapon: Opponents take -2k1to attempts to parry or dodge this weapon andit deals +1k0 damage.

Ranged Weapon: Opponents take -2k1 to attempts to parry or dodge this weaponand it deals +1k0 damage.

Armor: Opponents take -2k1 to hit.Bionic Arm: At the beginning of each

round, all critical damage on this arm is re-moved as the metal heals itself. The arm alsogrants +1k0 to all Strength Tests.

Bionic Locomotion: At the beginningof each round, all critical damage to your legsis removed as the metal heals itself. You maystand up from prone as a free action at the be-ginning of your turn without provoking Op-porunity Attacks - the legs just stand you up,not taking effort or thought on your part.

Bionic Heart: A bionic heart made of

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necrodermis is among the rarest of all artifacts,and among the most dangerous. If you wouldburn a Hero Point to survive, roll 1d10. On a5 or lower, the hero point is not burned andyou lose 1 point of Wisdom as the horrid arti-fact forces your body back to life.

WondersThere's a lot more to artifacts than

just swords and platemail. Most artifacts incirculation and use, and by far the most com-monly found in Syrneth ruins, are tools andclothing left behind that has long outlived itsbearers. Not all of these artifacts are ancient,but the Syrne were a people more advancedthan even the most modern technology - theirwork is generally smaller, more reliable, andof finer design.

Aetheroscope (Artifact 3)There are many variations of Aethero-

scope, the most common simply being a spy-glass made of orichalcum, but with somevariants using thin panes of precious stone aslenses in goggles or glasses. The Aetheroscopeallows the user to see magical auras as a glowin the air. This enhanced vision goes out toabout 10m. If the user does nothing in a roundbut steady the Aetheroscope and study whatthey see, they can determine the relativestrength of the auras they're seeing and theirsource.

Black Prism (Artifact 1)Made from an impossibly tough black

stone in a tall prism shape, the Black Prism isstudded with holes that twist and turn insideit, making them impossible to follow. Theseholes constantly emit a low-pitched growlingsound that only animals can hear, discourag-ing and driving off normal animals. The prismonly emits this sound while it's standing, butthe odd balance of the stone makes it difficultto knock over by accident.

Rod of Might (Artifact 2-4)This small rod can be found in many

variations of style, from extremely simple toextremely ornate. They're rare but useful tools.

They typically have between two and fourfunctions. The two most common being ex-tending to several meters in length and grow-ing rungs and growing a short blade(sometimes of force or magical energy) that al-lows it to be used as a fencing weapon. Othertypes can be fixed in space, becoming almostimmovable until deactivated. A few rare onescan turn into spears or other weapons. ThisArtifact's cost depends on how many functionsit has.

Silvery Box (Artifact 1)One of the most simple and direct of

all magical items, the silvery box is a small box(like a jewelry box or the like, only largeenough for a few small objects) that can onlybe opened by its owner. When the box is with-out an owner, the first one to pick it up be-comes the new owner. The current ownerdoes not have to die to lose his connection toit, he can also willingly abandon it. All at-tempts to open or destroy the box automati-cally fail.

Collar of Dawn's Cleansing Light (Ar-tifact 1)

A useful magical item, the Collar ofDawn's Cleansing Light keeps its wearer clean.As long as the Collar is worn, dirt and muckare almost instantly cleaned off, even the worststains vanishing and mud simply sliding away.Different varieties of this collar create variouspleasant scents.

Hearthstone Amulet (Artifact 1)These simple amulets can be made in

a large variety of shapes and sizes, from ex-tremely ornate baubles and pendants to verysimple wireframes just large enough to servetheir purpose - to hold a hearthstone and en-able the wearer to use its abilities.

Dragon Tear Tiara (Artifact 2)These Tiaras are forged from magical

materials and enhance the perceptions of thewearer. Each has a setting for a hearthstone di-rectly on the forehead of the wearer. Whileworn, in addition to the normal benefits for

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the hearthstone, the wearer gains +1k0 to allPerception checks. On Arcana checks made todetect spells or determine magical effects, thisbonus increases to +3k0.

Hearthstone Bracers (Artifact 2)Hearthstone Bracers are another fairly

common magical item, each set containing aslot for a single hearthstone and proving theirwearer significant defensive bonuses, giving+2 Armor Points that stack with any wornarmor.

Hat of Disguise (Artifact 2)The Hat of Disguise is a simple mag-

ical device that enables the wearer to changehis appearance as he wishes. This gives a freeraise on all disguise checks and means thewearer never needs to find makeup or otheraids to use for his disguise. The hat itself willalso change, and can assume the form of acrown, hairpin, hat, or headwear of any sort.However, the hat only changes the appearanceof the wearer, not his clothing, so he may needto find a change of clothes if he wants to lookappropriate.

Perfected Boots (Artifact 2)These boots are extremely comfort-

able, sizing to fit anyone that puts them on.They are always warm and dry, no matter theconditions, and the wearer finds that theydon't tire as easily, never getting blisters. Thewearer can move overland at surprising speed,averaging twenty kilometers an hour, and theirSpeed is increased by 2.

Fire Pearl (Artifact 1)Fire pearls are small orange gems,

about a centimeter across, that glow faintlylike warm coals. They can be used to startsmall fires by holding it tightly in one's palmand concentrating on something flammablewithin 3m. The Fire Pearl can be used in thisway once per hour. If placed in a fire, it willcause that fire to burn for twice as long as itnormally would. These are prized by thoseoften in the wild as a way to start campfiresand conserve fuel.

Resplendent Personal Assistant (Arti-fact 2)

A device much like a large wristwatch,the Resplendent Personal Assistant serves avariety of functions. Its simplest function is toaccurately tell the time. Most are set to thecurrent time in Sigil, though more purpose-built ones might be set to a particular planetor ship. The Resplendent Personal Assistantalso serves as a compass and altimeter, bothfunctions relying entirely on magic in order tofunction in the huge variety that exists in var-ious Crystal Spheres.

Bag of Holding (Artifact 2)One of the oldest and most widely-

used magical items, a Bag of Holding is simplya bag that's larger on the inside than the out-side. While they come in a huge variety ofstyles, shapes, and sizes - from simple sacks toelaborate backpacks or beltpouches - they'reall extremely useful, especially since the ex-tradimensional properties of the space insidethe bag mean that anything placed inside doesnot add to the weight of the bag. Most looklike they can hold about a quarter of a cubicmeter but can actually hold two cubic meters.

Essence Union Dart (Artifact 1)The Essence Union Dart is a small

dart covered in runes. The primary functionof the dart is to use it as a tracking device.Each dart comes with a matching ring. As longas one is within a short distance (typically akilometer or two), the ring pulses and indi-cates the direction to the target. If used incombat to hit a target, unless the target spendsa half action to tear out the dart (assumingthey even know what the dart does), thewearer of the matching ring can ignore penal-ties from not being able to see his target, suchas from darkness or smoke.

Jump Pack (Artifact 3)A Jump Pack is a complex and arcane

device that can be used to move at high speedover and around rough terrain. Anyone wear-ing a Jump Pack may, once per scene, use it totake a Run action as a half action instead of afull action. While making this special run ac-

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tion, the character gains the power of flight,allowing them to move that run distance in allthree dimensions.

Psychic Paper (Artifact 2)This paper is amazingly useful and,

like all amazingly useful things, it is extremelydangerous if you aren't careful with it. Thispaper can assume the form of any documentthe user has seen or can imagine, taking theform of an official document of the correcttype, already filled out and with the correctstamps and signatures. It will pass any cursoryinspection, since it really becomes that docu-ment in every way. However, the change in thepsychic paper only lasts for one scene, so if thedocument is taken away for processing or ex-amination, its true properties become readilyapparent.

HearthstonesHearthstones are talismans of power,

growing and forming naturally in wellspringsof great geomantic power. They are solid ac-

cumulations of pure magical power, usuallyabout the size of a large chicken egg. Suchcrystals are of unearthly beauty, forming withtheir beautiful cuts already formed. Yet it isnot for merely their luster that they are soprized.

Many magical items have sockets inthem that permit the mounting of these crys-tals. When a hearthstone is placed within anopen socket in a magical item, the hearthstoneresonates along with the enchantment in theitem. Such a resonant hearthstone has a ben-eficial effect on the person carrying it. This ef-fect is determined by the type of stone that isinserted into the item. Some provide minorbonuses, while more powerful hearthstonesgrant great magical powers.

Gemstone of Aura Detection (Artifact 2)This round, light-blue gem allows the

bearer to read someone's aura. He just has toconcentrate on his target, who must be within20m, and the target's aura slowly comes intofocus around them. The bearer rolls Wisdom+ Perception against TN 10. The more raiseshe gets on the roll, the more detailed the in-formation he gains. Just passing the roll willgive vauge impressions of the person'sstrongest emotion. Two or more raises will notonly show the target's emotions but also revealif they are of the Exalted. If the target suspectswhat is happening, they may resist withWillpower + Arcana, their result replacing theTN to use the stone.

Windhands Gemstone (Artifact 3)This hearthstone is perfectly clear - so

clear that it becomes invisible if submerged inclear water. A character bearing this hearth-stone has his reflexes enhanced, allowing himto knock aside or dodge arrows and thrown at-tacks with casual ease. When this character issubject to a ranged attack, they may use astunt in order to parry that attack rather thandodge it.

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Gem of Adamant Skin(Artifact 4)This hearthstone is a glittering, flaw-

less black ovoid. The character who bears it isdifficult to cut, and her bones are virtually un-breakable. Whenever the bearer loses HitPoints, reduce the number of Hit Points heloses by one (to a minimum of zero) and thebearer gains a level of fatigue as the normallydangerous blows rattle him around.

Gem of Immortality(Artifact 4)This hearthstone is a smooth, darkest

black, with the fainTest rainbow sheen playingacross its surface. While he bears the stone, thecharacter does not age, nor does he suffer fromthe infirmities and illnesses of old age, shouldhe already be old when he gets the stone. Hecannot die of old age or illness, but he can beharmed and killed through other means. If thestone is lost or given away, the bearer merelybegins aging where he left off - the years don'tsuddenly catch up to him.

Gem of the Calm Heart(Artifact 1)This hearthstone is teardrop-shaped,

and the bright red of heart's blood. It serves tobank the fires of the character's heart, allowinghim to act out of reason rather than anger.The character gains the Common Sense feat.

Jewel of the Hungry Fire(Artifact 2)This gem is a bright orange-red

around the edges, deepening to a glowingbrick red at the center, like the coals of abanked fire. This hearthstone draws heat andflame into itself, protecting the character. Thecharacter can comfortably live in temperaturesfar above the norm, with deserts posing noproblem. The character reduces all damage hetakes from fire by 5.

The Freedom Stone(Artifact 3)This stone is a murky blue-black, full

of shifting colors. A character who bears this

hearthstone can never be physically restrained.Shackles and ropes will fall away, knots andnooses will come undone. All grapple maneu-vers attempted against the bearer are automat-ically parried unless they are part of a PerfectAttack. Note that while the character cannotbe restrained, he can still be confined - thishearthstone does nothing to counter lockeddoors and barred gates.

Seacalm Gemstone (Artifact 3)In appearance, a fist-sized drop of

brilliant azure seawater caught in perfect sta-sis, this hearthstone brings the character greatprotection against the dangers of the sea. Thecharacter may breathe water as though it wereair, and so is never in danger of drowning. Inaddition, the character is protected against theother, less obvious ways the ocean can kill -unless he descends to truly stygian depths, thepressure of the sea will not harm him, and thecold will not chill his bones.

Stone of Healing (Artifact 1)This hearthstone is a healthy earth-

brown, mottled with spots of green. It is roundin shape and could have come from the bot-tom of any common streambed, were the col-ors not so vibrant. The stone enhances themedical talents and knowledge of any charac-ter who bears it, making an unskilled characterinto a skilled surgeon and a gifted physicianinto a brilliant healer. A character bearing thisstone gains +2k0 to all medicae rolls made bythe player.

The Monkey Stone (Artifact 2)This hearthstone is a rich reddish

brown, with a surface that looks like bark. Itgives the bearer the agility of an arboreal pri-mate. Any character who posesses such astone reduces the difficulty of all Athletics andAcrobatics rolls involving balance, jumping orclimbing by 5 (to a minimum difficulty of 5).

The Speech Gemstone(Artifact 1)This common hearthstone is cobalt

blue and perfectly egg-shaped. It constantlyseems to whisper, and someone listening care-

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fully to it can hear words in a langauge theydon't understand. When worn, the stone en-ables the bearer to speak and understand onespecific language. A Speech Gemstone hasbeen found for every langauge save Syrneth -the curse of that ancient race seems to haveeven eradicated their tongue from the stars.

Gem of Sending(Artifact 2 for a pair)This common hearthstone appears as

half of a cloudy white sphere. It is alwaysfound in pairs, which remain mysticallybonded to one another. The two halves of aGem of Sending can be used to pass messagesthrough any distance of space, but with somelimitations - the gems can only send messagesto the other half of their pair, both gems mustbe placed in settings in order to work at all,and the messages they pass on can be nolonger than a sentence or two at a time.

Dream-Stone (Artifact 4)This hearthstone is a smooth black

stone with abstract white markings. When itsbearer remembers her dreams, they will alwaysbe prophetic in some way. Once each session,the bearer's player may make a Wisdom +Scrutiny Test (TN 15) upon her character'swaking. Any success at all causes her to re-member a dream from the night before thatgives some indication of events to come. Themore raises on the Test, the clearer the dream.

Golden Marble (Artifact 1)This hearthstone appears to be a sim-

ple overlarge golden marble. It has an abilityto remember a location. If the bearer concen-trates and taps the gem, it will memorize itscurrent location. After that, the gem is subtlyattracted back to that place. The bearer is ledback along the path it has traveled since thenat a slow walking rate.

Wilderness Gem (Artifact 3)This hearthstone is pale purple and

rough in texture. Regardless of the environ-ment, this gem will allow its bearer to survivein the wilderness. This gem gives the bearer aninstinctive knowledge of where safe shelter andcampsites can be found, what plants and ani-mals are safe to eat and how to recognize thesigns of the onset of dangerous weather.

The Gem of Day's Light(Artifact 4)This hearthstone is a yellow gem

burning with an inner light that seems almostinfinitely bright, as if the longer you stare at itthe brighter it becomes. The bearer may con-centrate on the gem in order to set it glowingbrightly, illuminating everything within a kilo-meter with a light as bright as broad daylight.The effect lasts for as long as needed and canbe ended in an instant.

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ungeons the Dragoning providesa rich game experience where players use cre-ative thinking, tactics, strategy, and total over-whelming force to overcome a huge breadth ofchallenges. Life in the Great wheel can be ex-citing, but it is seldom easy. Innumerable dan-gers, from untimely mechanical failures andbloodthirsty aliens to teacherous warp stormsand deadly trapped ruins, await those daringenough to explore the cold, uncharted CrystalSpheres in deep space. This chapter discussesthe fundamental rules of how such situations(and many others) are resolved.

TestsTests are the basic way of determining

success or failure in a game of DUNGEONSTHE DRAGONING. When a hero performsany task that could have dramatic conse-quences - affecting the story, a character'shealth, a leader's reputation, the safety of theship, and so on - a Test must be performed.

Exploding DiceTen-sided dice generate numbers

from one to ten. Generally, the ten on a die isindicated with a zero. Whenever a die rolls 10,

you may roll that die again and add the resultto the 10. This is called an exploding die. Ifthe hero rolls again and gets an additional 10,he may add that 10 and continue rolling untilhe doesn't get an additional 10.

Rolling More Than Ten DiceWhile most gamers like rolling lots of

dice, ten is about as many as you can reason-ably be expected to throw down at once andkeep the game moving at any reasonable kindof speed. Therefore, in DUNGEONS THEDRAGONING, whenever you are rollingmore than ten dice at once, drop the excessdice and change them into Kept dice. Thus, ifyou were rolling 12k6, you would drop the twoextra unkept dice and Keep two extra dice, fora roll of 10k8. Should you reach 10k10 andstill have extra dice left over, each additionaldie (whether it's Kept or unkept) becomes abonus of 10 to the roll. Thus, 15k10 becomes10k10+50, and 11k11 becomes 10k10+20.

SKILL TESTSThe most common type of Test. Each

of the three main branches of skills is governedby the appropriate stats. You simply roll anumber of dice equal to the appropriate skilland characteristic and keep a number of dice

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equal to the characteristic. The SM will set aTarget Number for this Test. The base TN foran ordinary skill Test is 15.

Success is more likely to occur in askill Test where the character has training inthe skill. An explorer can attempt a Skill Testwith an untrained Basic skill, but in suchcases, it becomes a characteristic Test with a -1 penalty to the characteristic. If an untrainedbasic skill Test involves situational modifiers,they apply as normal after the penalty to thecharacteristic. A character cannot attempt askill Test with an untrained advanced skill.

CHARACTERISTIC TESTSIf what you attempt isn't covered by a

skill, the SM may ask you to make a charac-teristic Test. The SM determins the most ap-propriate characteristic for the Test, and theappropriate TN for the Test. Unlike a skillTest, you just roll dice equal to your charac-teristic and total them against the TN.

Intelligence : Solve puzzles, play games likechess, etc.Strength : To move heavy objects, bend bars,smash doors open.Charisma : Getting attention, beauty pagents,etc.Wisdom : Understand a hidden message.Dexterity: Maintain balance on a narrow sur-face, navigate treacherous terrainFellowship: Make a good impression, inspire

confidence, seduce a targetWillpower: Resist torture or fearConstitution: Resist poison or disease, toleratetemperature extremes, stave off hungerComposure: Refrain from reacting to shock,resist secuction

Rank 0 CharacteristicsIt's possible, due to penalties or

curses, to end up with zero dots in a Charac-teristic. This mean that you're pretty muchcrippled in that aspect. A hero with a Rank 0Dexterity may be literally crippled, while ahero with Rank 0 Strength might be sickly andweak.

A Hero who must make a roll basedon a Characteristic in which he has a 0 alwaysrolls one die for the characteristic, applyingskills and specialities as normal, but if he rollsa 10 on any of his dice, they count as 0 andnot as 10, and the die never explodes.

Raises and ChecksFor most Tests, it's just enough to

know if you succeeded, but sometimes it'sgood to know just how well you succeeded orfailed. This is particularly important with so-cial skills, such as Charm and Persuasion, aswell as certain combat situations, such as firinga gun capable of automatic fire.

Measuring raises is straightforward.After the roll is made, compare the totalagainst the Target Number of the Test. Foreach 5 points by which the TN was exceeded,one raise is achieved. Conversely, for each 5points by which the Test failed, you have aCheck.

OPPOSED ROLLSSometimes you'll need to Test your

skill against another's. This is known as an Op-posed Test. For example, if an explorerneeded to hide from a guard, he could Test hisStealth skill against the guard's Perceptionskill.

In an opposed skill Test, both partic-ipants make Tests normally. Whoever suc-ceeds at his Test wins. If both participantssucceed, the participant with the highest totalroll wins.

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TARGET NUMBER

5 Mundane

10 Easy

15 Average

20 Hard

25 Very Hard

30 Heroic

35 Never Done Before

40 Never to be Done Again

Should both parties fail, one of twothings occurs. Either there is a stalemate andnothing happens or both parties should rerolluntil there is a clear winner.

For example to dodge you'd need toroll Dexterity + Acrobatics agaist the oppo-nent's Dexterity + Weaponry. The process issimple - each participant rolls, and the highestroll wins. If there's a tie, the character with thehighest applying Characteristic wins.

STUNTINGThe rules of DUNGEONS THE

DRAGONING reward players with dramadice, additional unkept dice granted for goodroleplaying, for describing their characters' ac-tions in an evocative manner. The out-of-game rationale for a stunt bonus is thatwell-described dramatic actions keep the gameinteresting for everyone and help the StoryMaster set the scene. In game, stunts representthe capacity of epic heroes to be truly spectac-ular when they take risks and act like heroes.

At the lowest level, one-drama diestunts require a good description of an action,

adjudicated by the Story Master. In return, theplayer gains one drama die to use as an unkeptdie on that roll and the character may performfeats that border on impossible (such as run-ning across the heads of people in a crowd, de-flecting a blade barehanded and so on).

Example: Lyra snaps her switchbladeopen behind her back with a soft click, swipingit across the guard's throat in the same mo-ment. She folds it back up as she watches himcollapse in a gurgling heap at her feet.

Two-die stunts require that the char-acter interact with the environemnt in somenotable fashion, taking advantage of thescenery that the Story Master has provided.This can be physical environment or things thecharacter knows about the world, like anenemy's phobias or a lover's favorite flower.The player gets two bonus dice and may per-form limited dramatic editing. No detail of thescene may be contradicted, but minor detailsmay be 'revealed' in the context of the charac-ter's actions. For instance, a character mightleap off a parapet to escape a hail of arrows,and the player could use a two-die stunt to re-veal a banner fortuitously hung on the wall,which the character grabs to save himself. TheStory Master may veto any editing that he feelsstrains belief or is otherwise inappropriate(such as an edit that contradicts a major detailhe has not yet revealed). Players cannot gen-erally use a stunt to draw a "hidden" weaponfrom nowhere, though some assassins mightwell have knives or other small weapons hid-den all over your person, leaving exact place-ment vague until a good stunt opportunityarises.

Example: Lyra watches the twoguards charging her from each side, intendingto flank her. At the last moment, she crouchesand flips back against the wall. In the instantshe stands horizontal, she aims and fires attheir knees with her twin bolt pistols held outto either side. The bolts tear through theirlegs, and both men collide with each other onmomentum alone as she lands catlike leavingthe two collapsed behind her.

Three-die stunts are singular acts ofgreatness, stunning bravado and visual poetry,defined by their capacity to leave the otherplayers slack-jawed in astonishment. If any

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doubt exists as to whether a stunt merits threedrama dice, it isn't a three-die stunt. In addi-tionto providing three drama dice, these featsallow for the same measure of dramatic editingas two-die stunts.

Example: The daemon swings hisburning fist at Lyra, and she leaps straight upin a somersault, balancing in a tentative hand-stand on his massive hand. Her feet connectwith a lighting fixture above, breaking it awayfrom the ceiling and causing it to swing intothe daemon's head, the fluorescent lights shat-ter against the warp horror's head, not hurtingit but distracting him long enough for her torelease a hand and grab a bolt pistol from herbelt. Still balanced on the monster's swingingarm, Lyra shoves her bolt pistol into the dae-mon's eye, firing directing into its skull.

Players should note that the precedingexamples set the scene as well as providing theaction. In the first, the stunt is the descriptionof the attack as something more than "I hithim." In the second, the stunt is Lyra's use ofthe wall as a springboard and arranging for heropponents to crash together. In the final ex-ample, it's her audacity to perform acrobaticfeats while perched on her enemy as she setshim up to expose a point of vulnerability. Dur-ing play, the Story Master should have alreadyset the scene by the time a character acts, so astunt does not need to be a five-minute narra-tive. Without exception, short and flowing isalways better than long and clunky. Merelystringing adjectives and adverbs together isn'tgood enough. The description must be inter-esting without interrupting the flow of play.

Important Story Master charactersmay also use stunts to benefit their actions butthey should only do so sparingly since theStory Master is the final authority on allstunts. Unimportant characters should nevergain the advantage of stunts, no matter howwell the Story Master narrates their actions. Ingritty games, Story Masters may limit the ef-fect of stunts for all characters.

Hero PointsHeroes are unusual people, individu-

als with abilities, backgrounds, and experi-

ences well beyond those of ordinary citizens ofthe Wheel. More than anything, it's the hero'stie to fate that separates him from the masses.All adventurers begin play with a number ofHero Points. For some, these Hero Points rep-resent destiny, a sign that the gods havemarked them for greatness. For others, theyrepresent simple luck.

USING HERO POINTSHero Points allow an adventurer to

manipulate situations by mitigating bad resultsor turning a mishap into fortune. Among otherthings, this allows players to take more risks,which makes the game faster and far more ex-citing. A hero has a limited pool of HeroPoints, and when a Hero Point is spent, thatpool is reduced by one. Spent Hero Points arerestored at the beginning of the next gamingsession, or possibly under special circum-stances in the middle of a game session thatthe SM deems appropriate. A Hero Point canbe used at any time, either on the character's

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own turn or in reaction to the action of an-other character. Spending a Hero Point is aFree Action.

Spending a Hero Point allows for oneof the following effects:* Reroll a failed Test once. The results of thereroll are final.* Reduce the TN of a roll by 5. This must bechosen before dice are rolled.* Add an extra raise to an already successfulTest.* Count as having rolled a 10 for initiative.* Instantly recover from being stunned.

BURNING HERO POINTSBurning Hero points is much more

severe. When you absolutely need to, you canburn a Hero point, permanently reducing thepool by one. The result is that the charactersurvives whatever would have killed him. Mostof the time it's just that the attack wasn't fatalbut leaves you out of the fight, more compli-cated situations (being trapped in a collapsingchamber) might require some working thingsout with the SM. The consequences of burn-ing fate should largely be in the hands of theplayer - there might be no consequences, orthe character might end up losing an arm orbecoming heavily scarred or something of thesort. A Hero point may be burnt even if it hasalready been used for that gaming session.

Gaining Additional Hero PointsCharacters are awarded additional

fate (or are allowed to replenish burnt fatepoints) at the SM's discretion. Such awardsshould be given out only for reaching mile-stones, accomplishing major goals, etc.

CombatThe galaxy is a dangerous place, es-

pecially for those who choose to leave behindthe relative safety of established CrystalSpheres and explore the unknown. Over thecourse of a Hero's journey, they're bound toencounter all manner of people, aliens, andworse that would see them dead. Unless theyplan to spend their lives running away fromtheir enemies (and they aren't very good he-

roes if that's all they do), they will have tofight. As a result, combat can form a key com-ponent to a game.

Narrative Time vs Structured TimeThe passage of time is flexible in a

game of DUNGEONS THE DRAGONINGand subject to the SM's discretion based onthe needs of the story and the choices the play-ers make. Sometimes the SM only needs toconvey a very loose sense of time, which isknown as narrative time. In other situations,especially combats, more precise time keepingis necessary, and the SM should adopt what isknown as structured time.

Narrative TimeMost of the time, you don't need to

worry about exact timing, and it just passes asneeded for the story. It's usually enough toknow if a certain action takes a few minutes,or about an hour, or several weeks, or anythingin between. Narrative time is most often usedoutside of combat and other situations wherethe precise order of actions is unimportant.

Structured TimeIn contrast to the abstract approach of

of narrative time, structured time is importantfor resolving complex encounters, such ascombat, where every second counts and theorder in which things happen is crucial. Struc-tured time is divided into Rounds, Turns, andActions.

*A Round consists of every characterparticipating in the encounter taking one turneach. It is assumed that characters act more orless simultaneously in an encounter, so around is approximately five seconds long, re-gardless of how many characters are involved.

*Each character in an encounter getsone Turn each round. During a character'sturn, he can perform one or more actions.While character's turns overlap each otherslightly, Turns are resolved in a specific orderknown as Initiative order.

*Actions are what a character does. Acharacter can preform one or more actions onhis turn. A character can take one reaction ac-tion per round, any number of free actions,

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and one full action OR two half actions. Acharacter may not take the same half actiontwice in one turn (a character couldn't useStandard Attack twice, for example, but coulduse a Standard Attack and a Bull Rush).

COMBAT OVERVIEWCombat is usually resolved using

structured time divided into Rounds, Turns,and Actions. Each character, including NPCs,takes one Turn each round. The order inwhich turns are resolved depends on initiativeorder. When a new combat begins, followthese steps to determine what happens.

Step 1: SurpriseAt the beginning of a combat, the SM

determines if any characters are Surprised.This can only happen once at the beginning ofa combat, and there will be many combatswhere nobody is surprised. A surprised char-acter loses his turn on the first round of com-bat because he has been caught unawares byhis enemies.

Step 2: Roll InitiativeAt the start of the first Round, partic-

ipants roll initiative to determine turn order.Just roll 1d10 and add Dexterity and Compo-sure. Highest result goes first. If two peopleare tied for result, the character with thehigher die roll wins. If they're still tied, highestdex wins. If still tied, roll again, winner goesfirst. The results of this roll apply for all suc-cessive Rounds in this combat.

Step 3: Determine Initiative OrderThe SM ranks all the Initiative rolls,

including those of the NPCs, from highest tolowest. This is the order in which the charac-ters take their turns during each round of com-bat.

Step 4: Combatants Take TurnsStarting with the character at the top

of the initiative order, each character takes aturn. The character currently taking his turnis known as the active character During histurn, the active character can perform one ormore actions. Once his actions have been re-

solved, the next character in the initiativeorder becomes the active character and takeshis Turn, and so forth.

Step 5: Round EndsThe round ends when everyone has

taken their turn, and any effects that last untilthe end of the round now end.

Step 6: Repeat Steps 4-5 as needed.Continue to play through combat

rounds until the combat is resolved.

SURPRISESurprise only affects the beginning of

a new combat. It is up to the SM to decide ifany of the combatants are Surprised. Ulti-mately, this comes down to a judgement callon the SM's part, based on the circumstancesand the actions of the various combatantsleading up to the encounter. The SM shouldtake the following into account when deter-mining surprise:

* Is anyone hiding? Successful stealth

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checks may mean that some combatants arehidden.

* Are there any unusual circum-stances that would mask the approach of at-tackers? This can cover nearly anything, frompouring rain to whining engines to nearby ex-plosions.

* Are there any distractions? It's pos-sible that something quite distracting is goingon. A cultist's attention may be so fixated onthe sermon of his confessor that he doesn't no-tice his attackers approaching.

Bearing all of this in mind, the SMmust decide which combatants are surprised.Whilst it's often the case that one entire sideor the other is surprised, there can be individ-ual exceptions.

If no one is surprised, proceed withthe combat as normal.

A surprised character loses his Turnin the first Round. he can do nothing exceptstand dumbfounded. Furthermore, he grantscombat advantage to all non-Surprised attack-ers. After the Surprise round completely re-solves, all surprised characters recover theirwits and can act normally.

ActionsDuring each normal round, every

character gets a Turn to act. On his Turn, acharacter can take one or more action. Thereare five types of actions in DUNGEONSTHE DRAGONING, and every action alsohas one or more subtypes.

TYPES OF ACTIONSEvery action is categorized into one of

the following types: Full actions, half actions,reactions, free actions, and Extended actions.

Full ActionsA full action requires a character's

complete attention to accomplish. A charactercan take one Full Action on his turn and can-not take any Half Actions. Grappling an op-ponent is an example of a Full Action.

Half ActionsA half action is fairly simple; it re-

quires some effort or concentration, but not somuch that it consumes a character's entireturn. A character can take two different HalfActions on his turn instead of taking one fullaction. A character cannot take the same halfaction twice in the same turn. Readying aweapon or making a Standard Attack are bothexamples of Half Actions.

ReactionsA Reaction is a special Action made

in response to some event, such as an attack.A character receives one Reaction eachRound, which may only be used when it is nothis turn. Examples include making a DodgeTest or parrying an attack.

Free ActionsA free action takes only a moment

and requires no real effort by the character.Free actions may be performed in addition toany other Actions on a character's turn, andthere is no formal limit to the number of FreeActions one character can take. The SMshould use common sense to set reasonablelimits on what can be done in a few seconds.Examples of Free Actions include dropping anitem or speaking a few words.

Extended ActionsSome actions take more than a single

round to complete. Once a character commitsto an Extended Action, he is considered to beworking towards completing it for as long asnecessary. If the character abandons the Ex-tended action, or is interrupted, all progresstowards completing the Extended Action islost.

Action SubtypesIn addition to its type, every action is

also categorized into one or more subtypes.Action subtypes don't do anything in and ofthemselves, but they are used to clarify what acharacter is and is not allowed to do in a vari-ety of special circumstances. For example, acharacter that is Immobilized cannot performany Actions with the momement subtype.

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ACTIONS IN COMBAT

Name Type Description

Aid Another H Give another character +1k0 on their next Test.

Aim H/F+1k0 to hit on a half action aim or +2k0 to hit on a full action, ap-plying to your next attack.

All-Out Attack F +2k0 to hit, cannot Dodge or Parry.

Brace H Brace a heavy weapon to fire it normally.

Bull Rush H Test opposed Strength, move target 2m, plus 2m for every raise.

Called Shot F Attack specific location on your target for -2k0 to hit.

Charge F Must move 4 meters before attack, +1k0 to attack.

Delay H Before your next turn take any half action.

Disarm H Test opposed Weaponry + Dex, disarm opponent on success.

Dodge R Test Dex + Acrobatics to negate a hit.

Feint HOpposed Weaponry + Dex Test, if you win your next attack cannotbe dodged or parried.

Fight Defensively F -1k0 to hit, +1k0 to parry and dodge

Focus Power V Cast a spell.

Full Auto Burst F +2k0 to hit, additional hit for every raise.

Full Defense F Improve your Static defense, gain an additional reaction.

Grapple H/F Affect a grappled opponent or escape from a grapple.

Knock Down H Try and knock an opponent to the ground.

Move H/F Move up to your speed as a half action or double it as a full action.

Multiple Attacks FAttack more than once in the same round - requires two weaponsor a talent.

Opportunity Attack Fr Attack a target that has left itself open.

Overwatch F Shoot targets coming into a set kill zone, -2k0 to ballistics.

Parry R Test Weaponry + Dex to negate a hit.

Ready H Ready a weapon or item.

Reload V Reload a ranged weapon.

Run FMove a long distance, enemies attack you at -2k0 on ranged attacksand +2k0 on melee attacks.

Shift H Make a small movement that doesn't provoke attacks.

Stand H Stand up from being prone.

Standard Attack H Make one melee or ranged attack.

Suppressing Fire F Force opponents to take cover, -2k0 to Ballistics.

Tactical Advance F Move from cover to cover.

Use a Skill V You may use a skill.

Withdraw F Break off from melee and move.

USING ACTIONSDuring his turn, a character may per-

form one Full Action or two different half ac-tions. A character could, for example, make acharge attack (Full action) or aim and shoot(two half actions). It's important to rememberthat a round is only a few seconds long, so thecharacter's turn within that round is but a fewmoments.

Any action can be combined withtalking, banter, battle cries, and other shortverbal expressions - these are considered freeactions. It is left to the SM to decide what aplayer might be able to say in that amount oftime. A wry aside to a companion or a terse in-sult to an enemy is always reasonable, but re-counting the intimate details of one's sevenduels-to-the-death between swings of adaiklave should probably count as somethingmore than just a Free Action.

Most actions are started and com-pleted within the active character's same turn.For example, a character does not begin acharge one one Turn and then finish it on alater turn; he performs the entire Charge(which is a full action) at once on his turn.But, there are two exceptions. Reactions arealmost always performed when it is not the re-acting character's turn, and Extended Actionstake more than one Round to complete.

AID ANOTHERHalf ActionSubtype: MiscellaneousThe character creates an opportunity for an-other character. By working together withthem, the active character gives them +1k0 totheir next Test. If the Test is to be a skill, thecharacter must have at least one dot in thatskill or this Aid Another bonus does not apply.Supernatural template abilities and spells can-not get bonuses via this method. The activecharacter must be adjacent to the characterperforming the Test. The Aid Another bonuscannot be used on Free Actions, and thebonus cannot be given on Tests made to resistdisease, poison, Fear, or anything else the SMdeems inapporopriate, and no more than twocharacters may attempt to assist another on asingle Test.

AIMHalf or Full ActionSubtype: ConcentrationThe active character takes extra time to makea more precise attack. You may take a half ac-tion to get +1k0 on your next attack or a fullaction to get +2k0 on your next attack. Thenext action the aiming character performsmust be an attack or the benefits of aiming arelost. Aiming benefits are also lost if the char-acter performs a reaction before making his at-tack. Aiming can be used with both melee andranged attacks.

ALL-OUT ATTACKFull ActionSubtypes: Attack, MeleeThe character attacks with everything they'vegot, making a melee attack with a +2k0 bonus.However, the active character loses the abilityto use reactions until their next turn.

BRACEHalf ActionSubtype: MiscellaneousHeavy weapons must be braced before firing.Bracing a heavy weapon can involve using astand, propping it up on a windowsill or sand-bags, or simply assuming a wide stance orkneeling. The firer cannot move after bracingwithout losing the benefits, and depending onhow it's braced, may be unable to traverse theweapon very far. If a heavy weapon is firedwithout bracing, the firer takes -3k0 to his at-tack roll.

BULL RUSHHalf ActionSubtypes: Attack, Melee, MovementThe character body slams into an opponentand attempts to move him. The character anda target in melee range make opposed strengthTests. If the active character succeeds, shemoves the target 2m, plus 2m for every raiseshe gets on this opposed Test.

CALLED SHOTFull ActionSubtypes: Attack, Concentration, Melee or

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RangedThe active character attempts to attack a spe-cific or vulnerable area on his target. The at-tacker declares a location on his target (Head,Body, Left Arm, Right Arm, Gizzards, LeftLeg or Right Leg), then makes an attack at -2k1. However, isntead of Testing randomlyfor a hit location, if the attack is successful hehits the desired location.

CHARGEFull ActionSubtypes: Attack, Melee, MovementThe character rushes at his target and deliversa single melee attack. The target must be atleast four meters away, but still within the at-tacker's Charge Move. The movement of thecharge must be in a straight line so the attackercan build speed and line up with his target.The attacker gains a +1k0 bonus on the attackmade at the end of the charge. If the chargingcharacter is unarmed, he can attempt to grap-ple his opponent instead of inflicting damage.

DELAYHalf ActionSubtype: MiscellaneousInstead of acting immediately, the charactersaves an action for later. At any time beforeher next turn, she may take any half action. Ifthe character uses this stored action in re-sponse to someone taking an action, this ac-tion occurs first.

DISARMHalf ActionSubtype: Attack, MeleeThe character attempts to disarm an oppo-nent. Both the active character and her targetmake opposed Dexterity + Weaponry checks.If the active character gets two or more raiseson this opposed check, the opponent dropstheir weapon.

DODGEReaction ActionSubtype: MovementDodge is a Reaction that a character can per-form when it is not her turn. After a character

is hit, but before Damage is rolled, the char-acter can attempt to avoid the attack by mak-ing a dodge Test (Dexterity + Acrobatics). Acharacter must be aware of the attack in orderto make the Test. The TN For this test is theattacker’s roll to hit the character usingDodge. If the Test succeeds, the character getsout of the way at the last moment and the at-tack is considered to have missed (and thus nodamage is rolled). If the Dodge Test fails, theattack connects and deals damage normally.Dodge can be used to avoid both melee andranged attacks.

Dodging Auto-Fire and Area EffectAttacks

Some attacks, such as those madewith grenades, flamers, or guns firing on au-tomatic are especially difficult to avoid.

When dodging an area effect weapon(such as a flamer), a successful dodge Testmoves the character to the edge of the area ofeffect, as long as it is no further away than thecharacter's dexterity in meters. If the characterwould need to move further than this to avoidthe attack then the Dodge Test automaticallyfails.

When dodging fully automatic fire,each raise on the dodge Test negates one ad-ditional hit.

FEINTHalf ActionSubtype: Attack, MeleeThe character attempts to use guile and com-bat training to trick her opponent into a mis-take. The character and her target make anopposed Weaponry Test. If the active charac-ter wins, her next melee attack against thatsame target cannot be dodged or parried. Ifthe active character's next action is anythingother than a standard attack, the advantage offeinting is lost.

FIGHT DEFENSIVELYHalf ActionSubtype: Attack, Concentration, MeleeThe character performs a careful attack, mak-ing sure she remains well poised to defend her-self. The character suffers a -1k0 penalty toher Weaponry Test, but she gains a +1k0

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bonus to all dodge and parry Tests until thestart of her next turn.

FOCUS POWERVariable ActionSubtype: Varies by power, ProvokesThe character casts a spell. The spell will listthe target difficulty and the skill Tested. If thecharacter succeeds, the spell works. If not, thespell fails.

FULL AUTO BURSTFull ActionSubtype: Attack, Ranged, ProvokesThe character hurls a roaring burst of fully au-tomatic gunfire at her enemies. The attackermust be wielding a ranged weapon capable offully automatic fire to take this action. If thecharacter has a pistol in each hand, both ca-pable of fully automatic fire, she mat fire bothwith this action.

The attacker makes a Ballistics Testwith a +2k1 bonus. If she succeeds, the attackscored a hit normally. Furthermore, each raiseon the Ballistics Test scores an extra hit. Thenumber of extra hits scored in this mannercannot exceed the weapon's automatic rate offire. Extra hits can either be allocated to theoriginal target or any other targets within 2meters, provided none of the new targerswould have been harder to hit than the originaltarget. Determine hit locations normally. Acharacter using this action with a pistol orbasic class weapon may also move up to hisDexterity in meters. However, if he does so,he gains no bonus to his Ballistics Test and in-stead suffers a -1k0 penalty.

FULL DEFENSEFull ActionSubtype: Concentration, MeleeThe character makes no attacks and insteadconcentrates entirely on self-defense. Until thestart of her next turn, the character can makeone additional reaction and gains a +10 bonusto her static defense.

GRAPPLEHalf or Full ActionSubtype: Attack, MeleeIf the character is not in a grapple, she may usethe Grapple action to enter a grapple with tar-get opponent. Make a Brawl Test. If it is suc-cessful, she begins grappling the target as thecontroller of the grapple.The controller of a grapple must spend a fullaction every turn to maintain this grapple. Ifshe doesn't, the grapple immediately ends. Shemay then make an opposed strength Test. Ifshe succeeds, she may take one of the follow-ing actions:

Attack with Weapon: The controllerof the grapple can attempt to damage the op-ponent with your fists or a held weapon. Theopponent cannot make any reactions to thisattack. Roll damage normally. You cannot useweapons that require both hands in a grapple.

Throw Down Opponent: The con-troller of the grapple can wrestle the Grappledopponent to the ground. The grappled oppo-nent becomes prone.

Push Opponent: The controller of thegrapple makes a bull rush attempt. The

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pushed distance cannot exceed the activecharacter's half move distance. The activecharacter must move with her grappled oppo-nent in order to maintain the grapple or shecan choose to let go of her opponent, whichends the grapple, but allows the active charac-ter to keep her ground.

Ready: The controller of the grapplecan ready one of her own items. Or if the SMallows, she can use the Ready action to graban item belonging to her grappled opponent.

Stand: If both grappling participantsare on the ground, the controller of the grap-ple can regain her feet with this action. Shecan also attempt to drag her grappled oppo-nent up with her. If she so desires, both par-ticipants stand.

Use item: The controller of the grap-ple can use a readied item.

If the active character is the target of the grap-ple the first thing she must do on her turn isdeclare Grapple as a half action - this is partof the penalty for being grappled. After that,she may choose one of the following options:

Break Free: The grappled target canattempt to break free of the grapple by makingan Opposed Strength Test with the controllerof the grapple. If the active character wins, she

breaks free and may perform any half actionSlip Free: The grappled target can at-

tempt to wriggle out of the grapple by makinga Dexterity check against TN 15. If she suc-ceeds, she slips free and may perform any halfaction.

Take Control: The grappled targetcan attempt to take control of the Grapple bymaking an opposed strength Test with hergrappling opponent. If the active characterwins, she becomes the controller of the grappleand her opponent becomes the grappled tar-get. The active character may then immedi-ately perform one of the controller grappleoptions, but cannot take any other half action.

KNOCK DOWNHalf ActionSubtype: Attack, MeleeThe attacker smashes her opponent in thehopes of knocking him off his feet. Make anOpposed Strength Test. if the attacker wins,the target is knocked prone and must make aStand action on his turn to regain his feet. Ifthe target wins the opposed strength Test, hekeeps his footing. If the target wins with twoor more raises, the attacker is knocked proneinstead.

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MOVEHalf or Full ActionSubtype: Movement, ProvokesThe active character can spend a Half Actionto move a number of meters equal to theirSpeed. As a Full Action, she may move twicethat distance. If the active character ends hermovement adjacent to an opponent, she mayengage that opponent in melee. If the activecharacter moves away from an opponent withwhom she is engaged, that opponent maymake a free Standard Attack against the activecharacter.

MULTIPLE ATTACKSFull ActionSubtype: Attack, Melee or RangedThis action allows the character to make morethan one attack on his turn, provided she hasan appropriate feat to use, such as Swift At-tack, Lightning Attack, or Two WeaponFighting.

OPPORTUNITY ATTACKFree ActionSubtype: Attack, MeleeWhenever an character uses an action with theprovokes keyword while engaged in meleewith an opponent, she provokes an Opportu-nity Attack. All opponents in melee range ofthe Provoking character may use this action inorder to make a Standard Attack against theProvoking character. This is a special free ac-tion that you can use once per turn, during anycharacter's turn.

OVERWATCHFull ActionSubtype: Attack, Concentration, RangedThe active character guards a specific area ortarget, poised to shoot at an opportune mo-ment. When Overwatch is declared, the activecharacter establishes a kill zone, which is anygeneral area, such as a corridor or tree line,which encompasses a 45 degree arch in the di-rection the active character is facing.

The active character then specifies ei-ther Full Auto Burst or Suppressing Fire,along with the conditions under which she willperform the chosen attack. At any time the

specified conditions are met before the start ofthe character's next turn, she can perform thatattack. If a character on Overwatch performsany actions or reactions, such as dodge, heroverwatch immediately ends. Note this doesnot include free actions such as speech.

PARRYReaction ActionSubtype: Defence, MeleeIf the character is wielding a melee weapon ca-pable of parrying, she can attempt to thwartan incoming melee attack by making aWeaponry Test with a TN of the attack in-coming on the character. If the Test succeeds,the incoming attack is considered to havemissed. If the Test fails, the attack connectsand damage is rolled normally. Parry can onlybe used to negate a melee attack.

READYHalf ActionSubtype: Miscellaneous, ProvokesThe active character draws a weapon or re-trieves an object stowed in a pouch or pocket.A weapon or item can also be properly stowedaway with this action (but note that simplydropping an item is considered a free action).This action can also be used to do things suchas apply a bandage, coat a blade with poison,and so forth. Ready can be declared twice inthe same turn if it is used on two differentweapons or items.

RELOADVariesSubtype: Miscellaneous, ProvokesThe active character can reload a rangedweapon. The amunt of time the reload actiontakes depends on the weapon. Note that anyreload action that is spread across more thanone round is an extended action.

RUNFull ActionSubtype: Movement, ProvokesThe active character runs, covering a distanceequal to her Run Movement. This makes thecharacter harder to hit with ranged weapons,but easier prey for melee attacks. Until the be-

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ginning of the character's next turn, ranged at-tacks made against her suffer a -2k0 penalty,while melee attacks gain a +2k0 bonus.

SHIFTHalf ActionSubtype: MovementThe character moves a distance equal to herdexterity in meters.

STANDHalf ActionSubtype: Movement, ProvokesIf the active character is on the ground, shecan stand.

STANDARD ATTACKHalf ActionSubtype: Attack, Melee or RangedThe active character makes one melee attackby Testing Dex and Weaponry or one rangedattack by Testing Dex and Ballistics.

SUPPRESSING FIREFull ActionSubtypes: Attack, RangedThe active character unleases a devastatinghail of firepower to force her opponents to takecover. This action requires a weapon capableof full automatic fire. When Suppressing Fireis declared, the active character establishes akill zone (or uses one previously established,such as through overwatch), which is any gen-eral area, such as a corridor or tree line, thatencompasses a 45 degree arch in the directionthe active chracter is facing. Then, the activecharacter fires a Full Auto Burst and expendsthe appopriate ammo.Targets within the kill zone must make a Pin-ning Test or become Pinned. The active char-acter makes a Ballistics Test against TN 20 todetermine if her wild spray of gunfire hits any-one, friend or foe, within the kill zone. If theTest succeeds, the SM assigns one hit to a ran-dom target within the kill zone. For every tworaises on the Test, the SM assigns another hit,up to the weapon's automatic rate of fire. Theactive character cannot choose to fail this Test.

TACTICAL ADVANCEFull ActionSubtype: Concentration, MovementThe active character moves from one positionof cover to another positon of cover. In sodoing, she may cover a distance up to her FullMove. For the duration of the move, she isconsidered to benefit from the cover she left,even though she is moving in the open for abrief time.

USE A SKILLVariable ActionSubtypes: Concentration, MiscellaneousThe active character may use a skill. How longthis takes and what kind of check they need tomake are covered in the descriptions of the in-dividual skills.

WITHDRAWFull ActionSubtypes: Concentration, MovementThe active character breaks off from meleecombat and may make a half move.

Other ActionsIf a player wants to take some action not cov-ered in the rules, the SM should make a judge-ment about how long this will take and anyrelevant checks. Generally most actions shouldbe resolved with some sort of Test: Character-istic Test, skill Test, or opposed Test. Keep inmind that a round is only a few seconds long,which is a very limited amount of time to ac-complish a task.

The AttackThe most common action in combat is the at-tack - the characters are fighting, after all.Whether armed with a melee or rangedweapon, the process is the same. Before an at-tack is made, the SM should verify that the at-tack is even possible by checking the basicrequirements for the attack.

Melee attacks require the attacker tobe engaged in melee combat with his target.Ranged attacks cannot be made if the attackeris engaged in melee unless he is firing a pistol

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class weapon. In either case, the attacker mustbe aware of his target.

Assuming the attack is possible, fol-low these steps

Step One: Apply Modifiers to the At-tack Test

Step Two: Attacker Makes a TestStep Three: Attacker Determines Hit

LocationStep Four: Attacker Determines

DamageStep Five: Target Applies Damage to

Hit Points

Step One: Apply Modifiers to the At-tack Test

A melee attack requires the attackerto make a Dex + Weaponry Test. A ranged at-tack requires the attacker to make a Dex +Ballistics Test. There are many instanceswhere circumstances and factors will make theattack easier or more difficult than normal.For example, using the All Out Attack optiongives +2k0 to the roll.

If a situation calls for two or morebonuses or penalties, simply combine all mod-ifiers together and apply the total to the appro-priate roll.

If a character aren't proficient with theweapon they're using, they don't use yourWeaponry or Ballistics skill. Instead, they rolla base Characteristic Test.

Step Two: Attacker Makes a TestAfter the modifers have been deter-

mined, the attacker makes his attack Test.These Tests are made like any other Test,made against a TN of the target's static de-fense.

Dodge and Parry ReactionsIf a character is hit by an attack, they

have an opportunity to make a Dodge or Parryreaction as an opposed roll against the attack.If successful, the attack is negated and nodamage is dealt.

Step Three: Attacker Determines HitLocation

On a successful hit, the attacker needs

to determine where the hit landed. Simply rollon the following chart to determine hit loca-tion:

Step Four: Attacker Determines Dam-age

After the hit location has been deter-mined, the attacker determines the damagedealt by his attack. Each weapon has a damagelisting, usually a given number of kept and un-kept dice. Melee weapons add the user'sstrength as unkept die on the damage roll. Rollthe appropriate dice and apply any indicatedmodifiers. The result is the damage total.

Step Five: Target Applies DamageFrom the damage total, the target

subtracts any Armor Points that protect the lo-cation hit by the attack. If the target is hit by aspell, Armor Points do not apply, but the tar-get may instead subtract his Aura value fromthe spell's damage. If this reduces the damageto zero or less, the target shrugs off the attack.

Any remaining damage is comparedagainst the target's size. For every multiple ofthe target's size he takes in damage, he recievesone wound. For example, if the target is an av-erage human (size 6) and he takes 16 points ofdamage from a sword attack, he loses 2 HitPoints. (16 divided by 6 is 2, with 4 left over.The left over damage is simply wasted.)

If the target has run out of Hit Points,he begins taking Critical Damage.

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HIT LOCATIONS

Roll (1d10) Location

1 Left Leg

2 Right Leg

3-6 Body

7 Gizzards

8 Left Arm

9 Right Arm

10 Head

UNARMED COMBATNot every fight in DUNGEONS

THE DRAGONING requires bolters anddaiklaves. Some conflicts can be settled theold-fashioned way with fists (not to mentionfeet and, if you're the bloodthirsty type, teeth).

Unarmed attacks are resolved in thesame way as any other melee attack, with somedifferences. Unarmed attacks can be used forany Melee combat action, but wherever thenormal combat action calls for the use of theWeaponry Skill, an Unarmed attack usesBrawl instead.

Unarmed attacks cannot be used toparry attacks made with weapons except witha Stunt. Unarmed attacks typically deal 0k1damage, adding the character's Strength as un-kept dice as normal for melee attacks. If thecharacter has a speciality in Brawl, the basedamge of their unarmed attacks increases to0k2.

If an Unarmed attack deals at leastone Wound to the target, the attack also in-flicts one level of Fatigue.

Combat SituationsDUNGEONS THE DRAGONING

offers endless potential for gripping, dramatic,white-knuckle action. Combat is an essentialelement for such action, and each combat,from simple corridor shoot-outs to titanic civ-ilization-crushing battles, should offer uniqueexperiences. The combat circumstances de-scribed in this section offer many ways to helpmake every combat exciting, varied, and dan-gerous.

Combat circumstances can be used toreflect the effects of terrain, the weather, tac-tical situations, and a variety of other factors.Many circumstances alter the difficulty oftasks by providing bonuses or penalties toTests, while others provide opportunities forcharacters to leverage good fortune, or exploitmisfortunes that befall their enemies. Adven-turers should make as much use of beneficialcircumstances as possible. A good plan, suit-able equipment or skillful use of tactics canoften mean the difference between life and

death for a hero. The following circumstancesare some of the most common ones encoun-tered in combat. For situations not coveredhere, use these as a guide. Remember, the SMhas the final say about the difficulty of any par-ticular Test or the outcome of any unusual sit-uation.

Combat AdvantageOne of the most common attack

modifiers is combat advantage. Combat ad-vantage represents a situation in which the de-fender can't give full attention to defense. Thedefender is pressed by multiple enemies at thesame time, stunned, distracted, or otherwisecaught off guard. When you have combat ad-vantage against a target, you get a free raise tohit them.

CoverCover is a vital part of surviving a fire-

fight and a good Adventurer knows that yougo for cover first and draw your gun second.There are no penalties to Ballistics Test madeto attack targets standing partly behind cover.However, there is a chance that the shot mayhit the cover rather than the target. It is up tothe Adventurer to decide which parts of hisbody he is exposing when behind cover, but asa general rule, a character firing around orover cover will have his body and legs con-cealed. If the shot would hit a body locationthat is concealed behind cover, work out thedamage against the Armor Points of the coverinstead, with any excess being applied to thetarget as normal.

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COVER EXAMPLES

Cover Type AP

Armor-glas, Pipes, Thin Metal 4

Flakboard, Storage Crate, Sandbags, Ice 8

Computer bank, stasis pod 12

Rockcrete, hatchway, thick iron, stone 16

Armaplas, bulkhead, plasteel 32

Damaging CoverCover is not invulnerable. Attacks can

damage or destroy the protection afforded bycover. Each successful hit against cover thatdeals any amount of damage in excess of theArmor Points it provides reduces the cover'sArmor Points by 1.

ConcealmentConcealment can be provided by a

variety of sources. Darkness, fog, foliage,smoke, and harsh weather can all provide con-cealment for participants. Whenever a charac-ter has concealment, his static defenseincreases. The default amount of this increaseto a character’s static defense is 5, but at theSM’s option, particularly dense concealmentlike a blizzard or the like can increase a char-acter’s static defense by more.

Difficult TerrainMelee attacks and dodge Tests made

while standing in difficult terrain, such asmud, are made at -1k0. Tests made whilestanding on arduous terrain, such as deepsnow or slick ice, are made at -2k0.

Engaged in MeleeIf the attacking character is adjacent

to his target, both the character and his targetare considered to be engaged in melee. Ballis-tics Tests made to hit a target engaged inmelee combat require two additional raises to

hit. If one or more characters engaged in themelee is granting combat advantage, thispenalty is ignored.

Extreme RangeTargets that are at a distance of more

than three times the range of a character'sweapon are at Extreme Range. Ballistics Testsmade to hit targets at Extreme range requirethree additional raises to hit.

FallingCharacters can fall off things for any

number of reasons, though the results are usu-ally the same. A character takes one wound forevery two meters they fall - characters with alarger size may be able to take more damageper wound, but they also fall harder. A char-acter may Test Acrobatics against TN 15 toreduce falling damage. On a success, they takeone fewer wound, and every raise further re-duces damage taken by a wound. If a characterintentionally drops down, they may fall 2m perdot of their Acrobatics rating before takingdamage.

Ganging UpA character has an advantage when he

and his allies engage the same foe in meleecombat. If a group of characters outnumbertheir opponents by two to one, their melee at-tacks gain an +1k0 to hit. If a group of char-

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acters outnumber their opponents by three toone or more, their melee attacks are at +2k0to hit instead.

Higher GroundCharacters standing on higher

ground, such as standing on a table, hill, oratop a mound of slain enemies and/or deadpuppies, have an advantage. Melee attacksmade by these characters are at +1k0.

Long RangeTargets that are at a distance of more

than double the range of a character's weaponare at Long Range. Tests made to hit thosecharacters with attacks require an additionalraise to hit.

Point Blank RangeWhen a character mades a ranged at-

tack against a target that is two meters awayor closer, that target is at Point Blank Range.Tests made to hit a character at Point Blankrange are made at +2k1 to hit. This bonusdoes not apply when the attacker and the tar-get are engaged in melee combat with eachother.

Short RangeTarget that are at a distance of less

than half the range of a character's weapon areat short range. Tests made to attack targets atshort range are made at +1k0.

Two-Weapon FightingMany warriors fight with a weapon in

either hand. There are some important advan-tages and disadvantages to this style of fight-ing. Unless the two-fisted fighter hasAmbidextrous talent, it is imporant to con-sider which is his primary hand and which ishis off hand.

A character fighting with twoweapons may attack with either weapon whenmaking attack actions. If he is able to makemultiple attacks, he may split up his attacksbetween the two weapons if they are applicable(one can't use Lightning attack with a pistol,for example). Attacks made using the off-handare made at -2k0.

A character fighting with two meleeweapons gains +2 to damage when making asingle standard attack with his main hand.

Weapon JamsUnfortunately, no weapon is perfect.

Sometimes a weapon will jam, either throughage, neglect, or simply poor design. Whenevera character rolls more 1s on a roll to hit withtheir weapon than their level (2 1s at level 1, 3at level 2, etc.) than the weapon has jammed.A Jammed weapon cannot be fired until it iscleared, though if the Test to hit was success-ful on the jamming shot, the weapon jams onthe recoil - the shot is good but the weapon isnow fouled.. Clearing a Jam is a full actionthat requires a TN 15 Tech-Use or BallisticsTest. If the Test is successful, then the Jam hasbeen cleared, though the weapon needs to bereloaded and any ammunition in the weaponis lost. If the Test fails, the weapon is stilljammed and the character may attempt tounjam the weapon next round.

InjuryA natural consequence of pushing

one's luck in far reaches of the Wheel is gettinghurt. Adventurers can get into fights with anendless array of enemies, machinery can mal-function, pilots can discover exciting new waysto land that don't involve leaving their craft inone piece, and careless sorcerers can invite allsorts of horrors from the Warp to show up andruin everyone's day.

Common physical injuries to DUN-GEONS THE DRAGONING characters arerepresented by Damage and Fatigue. Addi-tionally, characters can also experience severaltypes of conditions and special dmage such asfire, suffocation, being stunned, and the am-putation of limbs. With all these differenttypes of punishment waiting to befall charac-ters, it's important to know how much physicalabuse a character can take and a key measure-ment of this is how many Hit Points he pos-sesses.

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Energy Critical Effects

Critical Effect

Energy Arm

1 A blast to the arm leaves it numb. All Tests using the arm are made at -2k0 for one round

2 The energy leaves the target's arm burned and useless for 1d5 rounds and the character takes one level of fatigue.

3The attack wreathes the arm in flame, scorching clothing and armor. The target's attack rolls require two additionalraises to hit for one round and the target takes 1d5 levels of fatigue.

4Energy sears through the arm at the shoulder, causing the limb to be severed from the body. The target suffers 1d10levels of fatigue and is inflicted with Blood Loss.

5 The attack reduces the arm to a cloud of ash and sends the target to the ground where he immediately dies from shock.

Energy Body

1 The blast takes the breath from his lungs. He can only take a single half action on his next turn.

2 The target is burned badly, cooking the flesh on his chest and abdomen, and suffers 1d5 levels of fatigue.

3Struck by the full force of the attack, the target is sent reeling to the ground, smoke spiralling out of the wound. Thetarget is knocked prone and stunned for 1d10 rounds.

4The attack blackens and burns off the target's skin. The target is stunned for 2d10 rounds, and his Str, Con, and Dexare halved until the critical damage heals.

5The target is completely encased in fire, melting his skin and popping his eyes like superheated eggs. He falls to theground a blackened corpse.

Energy Gizzards

1 Ripples of heat make the character stumble and vomit. The target is stunned for one round.

2 The target falls to the ground screaming and suffers 1 level of fatigue.

3 The intense power of the energy attack scorches the target's heart and lungs. The target is stunned for 2d10 rounds.

4 The character's flesh and organs are cooked completely through. He falls to the ground, splitting open and steaming.

5The target falls to the ground in a heap of burning flesh. Any grenades or missiles on the character's body detonate.The character is very dead.

Energy Head

1 A grazing blow to the head dazzles the target for one round.

2 All of the target's hair is burned off, and he is blinded for 1d5 rounds.

3The attack cooks the target's face, melting his features and damaging his eyes. The target is blinded for 1d10 hoursand reduces Fellowship by 1 permanently.

4In a gruesome display, the flesh is burned from the target's head, exposing charred bone and muscle underneath. Hedoes not survive.

5Superheated by the attack, the target's brain explodes, tearing apart his skull and sending flaming chunks of meat flyingat those nearby.

Energy Legs

1 A grazing strike against the leg slows the target for a bit. The target's movement is halved for 1 round.

2A solid blow to the leg sends electric currents of agony coursing through the target. Target's movement is halved for1d5 rounds and suffers 1 level of fatigue.

3The attack burns the target's foot, charring the flesh. The target must successfully Test Constitution (TN 20) or losethe foot. On a success, the target's movement is halved until he recieves medical attention.

4Energy sears through the bone, causing the leg to be severed. The target must Test Constitution (TN 20) or be stunnedfor 1 round. The target gains 1d10 levels of fatigue and is suffering from blood loss.

5In a terrifying display of power, the leg immolates and fire consumes the target completely. The target dies in a matterof agonizing seconds.

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Explosive Critical Effects

Critical Effect

Explosive Arm

1 The target's arm fractures, making the character's hand spasm in pain. The character drops anything he is holding.

2The blast causes the target to scream in agony. The target is stunned for 1 round and the limb is useless until thecritical damage is healed.

3Fragments from the explosion tear into the target's hand, ripping away flesh and muscle. He must Test Constitution(TN 20) or lose the hand. The target takes 1d5 levels of fatigue.

4In a violent burst of shattering power, the target's arm is mangled. He must make a TN 20 Constitution Test or elsedie from shock. He suffers Blood Loss.

5The arm disintegrates into a red mist, taking a good portion of the shoulder and chest with it. The target is sent scream-ing to the ground, dying in a pool of his own blood and organs.

Explosive Body

1 The target is blown backwards 1d5 meters and takes 1 level of fatigue per meter travelled. He lands prone.

2As above, but if the character was wearing any armor, the armor is breached and no longer protects the body until ithas been repaired.

3Chunks of the target's flesh are ripped free by the force of the attack, leaving large weeping wounds. The target isstunned for one round, takes 1d10 levels of fatigue, and is now suffering blood loss.

4 Pieces of the target's body fly in all directions as he is torn into giblets by the attack.

5As above, and anyone within 1d10 meters of the target is drenched in gore and must make a TN 20 dexterity check orelse become dazzled for one round as blood fouls their sight.

Explosive Gizzards

1 The target is blown backwards 1d10 meters, taking one level of fatigue for ever meter traveled.

2 The explosion sends the target sprawling to the ground. He takes 1d5 levels of fatigue and becomes prone.

3Concussion from the explosion knocks the target to the ground and tenderizes his innards. The target falls downStunned for 1 round, takes 1d10 levels of fatigue and is now suffering Blood Loss.

4 The target's chest explodes outwards, disgorging a river of cooked organs onto the ground, killing him instantly.

5 As above, and in addition if the character was carrying any ammunition or exploves, they detonate.

Explosive Head

1 The flash and noise leaves the target Blinded and Deafened for 1 round.

2 The detonation knocks the target to the ground and stuns him for one round. The target takes two levels of fatigue.

3The target's head explodes under the force of the attack, leaving his headless corpse to spurt blood from the neck forthe next few minutes. The target takes -1k0 to all perception checks for one round and, worse, is killed instantly.

4In a series of unpleasant explosions the target's head and torso peel apart, leaving a gory mess on the ground. Youdon't get much deader than this except...

5As above, except such is the unspeakably appalling manner in which the target was killed that any allies of the targetwho are within 2m of where he once stood must Test against Fear 1.

Explosive Legs

1 A glancing blast sends the character backwards one meter.

2The concussion cracks the target's leg, leaving him stunned for one round and halving all movement for 1d5 rounds.The target takes 1 level of fatigue.

3Explosive force removes part of the target's foot and scatters it over a wide area. The target must make a TN 20 Con-stitution Test or permanently lose the use of his foot, inflicting 1d5 levels of fatigue.

4The explosion reduces the target's leg into a hunk of smoking meat. The target must make a TN 20 Constitution Testor die from shock. On a successful Test, the target is merely stunned for 1d10 rounds, takes 1d10 levels of fatigue, andsuffers Blood Loss. He now has only one leg.

5The leg explodes in an eruption of blood, killing the target immediately and sending bloody bits of him in all direc-tions.

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Impact Critical Effects

Critical Effect

Impact Arm

1 The attack numbs the target's limb, causing him to drop anything held in that hand.

2 The impact leaves crushing pain and the target takes one level of fatigue.

3The attack pulverises the target's hand, crushing and breaking 1d5 fingers (a thumb counts as a finger). The targettakes 1 level of fatigue and loses the use of his hand until he gets medical attention.

4With a loud snap, the arm bone is shattered and the limb is left hanging limply. The arm is broken and useless untilhealed. The target also takes two levels of fatigue.

5In a rain of gore, blood, and met, the target's arm is removed from his body. He screams incoherently for a few secondsbefore collapsing to the ground and dying.

Impact Body

1 The target is momentarily knocked off balance by the attack, and can take only a half action on his next turn.

2 The attack breaks a rib and inflicts two levels of fatigue. The target is also stunned for one round..

3A solid blow to the chest winds the target and he momentarily doubles over in pain, clutching himself and crying inagony. The target takes 1d5 levels of fatigue and is stunned for two rounds.

4With an audible crack, 1d5 of the target's ribs break. The target can either lay down and stay still awaiting medical at-tention or continue to take actions, though if he takes any actions he begins suffering Blood Loss.

5The target jerks back from the force of the attack, throwing back his head and spewing out a jet of blood before crum-pling to the ground dead.

Impact Gizzards

1 The impact punches the air from the target's body, inflicting one level of fatigue.

2 The blow batters the target, almost stopping his heart. The target takes 1d5 levels of fatigue and is stunned for 1 round.

3The attack knocks the target to the ground, sending him flying 1d5 meters away and falling prone. The target takes1d5 levels of fatigue and is stunned for 2 rounds.

4The force of the attack ruptures several organs and knocks the target down gasping in wretched pain. The target suffersBlood Loss and takes 1d10 levels of fatigue.

5The target's organs are turned into a fine paste. While this would be great for spreading on crackers, it's not so greatfor being alive. The target dies instantly.

Impact Head

1 The attack causes the target to see stars. The target takes one level of fatigue and becomes dazzled for one round.

2 The target's nose explodes in a torrent of blood, blinding him for one round and dealing two levels of fatigue.

3The target's head is snapped back by the attack, leaving him staggering around trying to control mind-numbing pain.The target is stunned for 1d5 rounds and takes 2 levels of fatigue.

4 Blood pours from the target's nose, mouth, ears, and eyes as the attack pulverises his brain. He does not survive.

5 The target's head explodes like an overripe fruit and sprays blood, bone and brains in all directions.

Impact Legs

1 A light blow to the leg leaves the target stumbling. His movement is halved for one round.

2The blow breaks the target's leg, leaving him stunned for one round and halving all movement for 1d5 rounds. Thetarget takes one level of fatigue.

3Several if the tiny bones in the target's foot snap like twigs with cracking noises. The target must make an immediateConstitution Test (TN 20) or permanently lose the use of his foot. On a success, halve all movement until medical at-tention is received. The target takes two levels of fatigue.

4The force of the attack rips the lower half of the leg away in a stream of blood. The target must make a TN 20 Con-stitution Test or else die from shock. On a success, the target is stunned for 1d10 round, takes 1d5 levels of fatigueand suffers blood loss. He now only has one leg.

5The hit rips apart the flesh of the leg, causing blood to spray out in all directions. Not only does he not even have a legto stand on, but he also dies horribly in a spreading pool of gore.

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Rending Critical Effects

Critical Effect

Rending Arm

1 The slashing attack tears anything free that was held in this arm.

2 The shredding attack sends the target screaming in pain. As above, and the target takes 2 levels of fatigue.

3The blow mangles flesh and muscle as it hacks into the target's hand, liberating 1d5 fingets in the process. The targettakes 3 levels of fatigue and must make a TN 20 Constitution Test or lose the use of his hand.

4With an assortment of interesting wet ripping sounds, the arm flies free of the body, trailing blood behind it in a crimsonarc. The target is now missing an arm and suffering blood loss.

5 The attack slices clean through the arm and into the torso, drenching the ground in gore and killing the target instantly.

Rending Body

1If the target is not wearing armor on this location, he takes 1 level of fatigue from a painful laceration. If he is wearingarmor, there is no effect.

2The attack rips a large patch of skin from the target's torso, leaving him gasping in pain. The target is stunned for oneround and takes 2 levels of fatigue.

3The blow opens up a long wound in the target's torso, causing him to double over in terrible pain. The target takes1d5 levels of fatigue.

4 The target is sent screaming to the ground, clutching at his wounds. He goes prone and takes 1d10 levels of fatigue.

5 The powerful blow cleaves the target in twain. Unfortunately, he doesn't survive the experience.

Rending Gizzards

1The attack hits a weak point on the target's armor, tearing at straps or between joints and reducing its Armor Pointsby 1 until it is repaired. The target takes one level of fatigue.

2 A torrent of blood spills from the deep cuts, making the ground slick with gore. He takes 1d5 levels of fatigue.

3The attack cuts open the target's abdomen. The target suffers from blood loss and can either use one arm to holdhimself together or else roll twice for blood loss each turn. He also takes 1d5 levels of fatigue.

4 The target is rent into several bits. He is now quite dead.

5 As above, except the area around the target is awash in gore and counts as difficult terrain for the rest of the fight.

Rending Head

1 The attack tears skin from the target's face dealing 1 level of fatigue. If the target is wearing a helmet, there is no effect.

2 The attack scoops out one of the target's eyes, inflicting 1d5 levels of fatigue and leaving the target stunned for 1 round.

3The attack opens up the target's face, leaving him stunned for 1d5 rounds and inflicting 1d5 levels of fatigue. If thetarget is wearing a helmet, the helmet is torn free.

4With a sound not unlike a wet sponge being torn in half, the target's head flies free of its body and sails through the air,landing harmlessly 2d10 meters away. The target is instantly slain.

5 As above, only blood spews out in a torrent, drenching all those nearby and dazzling them as gore fills their eyes.

Rending Legs

1 The target's kneecap splits open. He must make a TN 20 Dexterity Test or fall prone. He takes 1 level of fatigue.

2The attack rips a length of flesh from the leg, causing blood to gush from the wound. The target takes 1 level of fatigueand suffers Blood Loss.

3The blow slices a couple of centimeters off the end of the target's foot. The target must make a TN 20 ConstitutionTest or lose the foot. In either case, movement is halved until the character receives medical attention and takes 1d5levels of fatigue.

4In a single bloody hack the leg is lopped off the target. The target must immediately make a TN 20 Constitution Testor die from shock. On a success, the target is stunned for 1d10 rounds, takes 1d10 levels of fatigue, and suffers BloodLoss. He now has only one leg.

5 With a meaty chop, the leg comes away. The target pitches to the ground howling, before dying moments later.

HIT POINTSHit Points are a measurement of how

much punishment a character can take beforesuffering debilitating effects and, ultimately,death. Every character in DUNGEONS THEDRAGONING has a specified number of HitPoints. When you create your character, youdetermine his Maximum Hit Points, which ishis Constitution plus his Willpower. Theremay be feats, racial abilities, or effects fromyour character's template that add to yourmaximum hit points as well. Whenever a char-acter loses Hit Points, they are subtractedfrom the character's Current Hit Points. Oncea character's current Hit Points drop to zeroor below, he is in real trouble.

DAMAGEDamage is physical trauma dealt to a

character. Characters can suffer damage inany number of ways - being shot by a boltgun,lacerated by daemon claws, falling into a lava-filled crevasse, exposure to the vacuum ofspace, and worse.

When a character suffers Damage,compare the damage he takes against his Size.For every multiple of his size, the charactertakes one wound. For example, if a human(size 6) takes 20 damage from an attack, hewould lose three Hit Points. (20 divided by 6is 3. The remainder of two is simply wasted.)An Elf (size 5), would lose four Hit Points

from the same amount of damage.Each time a character suffers damage,

there may be an opportunity to reduce it.Armor Points reduce damage taken from mostsources, but are ineffective against distinctlymagical effects like spells. Aura, on the otherhand, reduces damage from spells but isworthless against things like, say, bullets.

Some effects, such as fire and falling,can directly wound a character regardless oftheir size.

Damage TypesAll damage is divided up into four

types: Energy (lasers, fire, plasma), Explosive(grenades, bolt rounds), Impact (clubs, bul-lets, falling), and Rending (swords, claws). Ifa source of Damage does not specify a type,treat it as impact. Damage type is usually onlyimportant for determining Critical Effects re-sulting from Critical Damage.

CRITICAL DAMAGEWhenever a character runs out of Hit

Points, he begins to take critical damage. Eachtime a character suffers Critical Damage, healso suffers one or more Critical Effects. Theseare determined by consulting the appropriateCritical Effects Table based on the affectedbody location (Arm, Body, Gizzards, Head, orLeg) and the type of damage (Energy, Explo-sive, Impact, or Rending).

As with normal damage, Critical

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Damage is cumulative and remains with thecharacter until he either heals naturally overtime or receives medical attention. Each criti-cal effect also has its own duration (includingpermanent). If a Critically Damaged characterloses more Hit Points, the amount is added tohis existing critical damage and a new set ofcritical effects are applied based on his CriticalDamage.

HEALINGA character who has gotten injured

will probably like to get healed at some point.As a character takes wounsd, he progressesthrough three different states: LightlyWounded, Heavily Wounded, and CriticallyWounded. Characters naturally recover fromwounds at a slow rate that varies depending onthe character's state. Rest, medical attention,and a few spells can speed up wound recov-ery.

Lightly WoundedA character is considered Lightly

Wounded if he has lost Hit Points equal to orless than his Willpower. A lightly woundedcharacter recovers 1 hit point per day throughnatural healing. If a lightly wounded characterdevotes an entire day to bed rest, he recoversa number of hit points equal to his Constitu-tion.

Heavily WoundedA character is Heavily Wounded

whenever he has lost Hit Points greater thanhis Willpower. A Heavily Wounded characterrecovers 1 hit point per week through naturalhealing. If a heavily damaged character de-votes an entire week to complete rest, he re-covers an amount of hit points equal to hisConstitution. Once a Heavily Wounded char-acter's hit points are equal to or less than hisWillpower, he becomes Lightly Wounded.

Critically WoundedA character is Critically Wounded

whenever he has lost Hit Points in excess ofhis hit points. Critical Damage does not healon its own - it requires medical attention. Withrest and medical attention, a character re-

moves 1 point of Critical Damage per week.After all Critical Damage has been removed,a character becomes Heavily Wounded in-stead.

ConditionsCommon injuries are far from the only formsof bodily harm facing those who dare to ven-ture into the unknown. Spells, monsters,traps, and the environment can all afflict yourcharacter with various conditions. A conditionimposes a penalty, a vulnerability, a hindrance,or a combination of effects.

AMPUTATED LIMBSA character that loses body parts (ex-

cept for the head, which almost certainlymeans death) is also affected by Blood Lossand must be treated for it quickly. If the char-acter lives, someone with the medicae skillmust be found to ensure that it heals well. Ifno medic is available, the character becomesDiseased. Assuming the character survives theBlood Loss, he'll also have to cope with thedisagreeable side-effects of the lost limb,which are explained below.

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Lost HandThe character suffers a -2k1 penalty

on all skill and characteristic Tests that rely onthe use of two hands and she cannot wieldtwo-handed weapons. A shield can bestrapped to the injured arm, however. Shouldthis be the character's primary hand, she mustcope with the customary -2k0 penalty toWeaponry using his secondary hand. Forevery 100 xp she spends, she can reduce thispenalty by 1k0.

If a character loses both hands, sheshould either secure at least one replacementor get someone to sharpen her teeth.

Lost ArmAs with a lost hand, but a character

cannot strap a shield to the arm since he nolonger has it. Losing both arms is bad, plus it'sa bit difficult to reach those hard-to-cleanspots. Once again, look into replacementlimbs or consider rolling up a new character.

Lost EyeLosing one eye permanently haves the

effective range of all ranged attacks the char-acter makes. In addition, he suffers a -2k1penalty to all Skill and Characteristics Teststhat rely on sight. Should a character have themisfortune to lose both eyes, he becomesBlinded.

Lost FootThe character permanently reduces

all his movement by half (round up) and suf-fers a -2k0 penalty to all movement Actions aswell as Skill and Characteristic Tests that relyon mobility, such as Stealth. Losing both feetmakes it hard to walk. Perhaps the ship's En-gineseer has some spare wheels lying around...

Lost LegTreat this as a lost foot, but the char-

acter cannot use the Dodge action. Lostingboth legs renders the character half the personhe was, but the good news is he also becomeshalf the target for his enemies.

BLINDEDA blind character automatically fails

all Tests based on vision and automaticallyfails all Ballistics Tests. She also suffers a -2k1penalty to Weaponry Tests and most otherTests that ordinarily benefit from vision.Blinded characters grant Combat Advantage.Needless to say, most heroes find blindnessvery inconvenient.

BLOOD LOSSBlood Loss is an effect that can result

from Critical Damage. Characters sufferingfrom Blood Loss are in danger of death at anymoment. Each round a character is sufferingfrom blood loss, she rolls 1d10. On a roll of 1,the character dies. If the suffering character isconsious, she may attempt a TN 20 MedicaeTest each Round to staunch the bleeding. Ifthe character is also trying to simultaneouslyengage in strenuous activity, such as runningaway from whatever caused the blood loss, at-tempts to staunch the bleeding instead re-quires a TN 30 Medicae Test. If the sufferingcharacter is not conscious, or doesn't fancy herchances, another character may attempt theTest.

DAZZLEDA Dazzled character has been dazed

and confused. He takes -1k0 to all Tests andan additional -1k0 to all Tests based on sight.

DEAFENEDThe character cannot hear at all, or at

least not well enough to communicate withothers. Until the character recovers or has hisdisability repaired, he automatically fails anySkill or Characteristic Test that relies on hear-ing. Apart from having trouble communicat-ing with his fellow Adventurers, the SM is freeto decide what effects a deaf character willhave on the game.

FIREA character suffers damage from fire

each round she is exposed to it. At the begin-ning of each round after the first in which acharacter is exposed to the same source of

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flames (or if he is hit by a weapon with theFlame special quality) she must make a TN 15Dexterity Test or catch on fire.

Once a character is on fire, she takesone wound and one level of fatigue each rounduntil the fire is extinguished. All damage fromfire is treated as Energy damage for the pur-pose of determining Critical effects - if the lo-cation is not otherwise specified, use the bodylocation.

A character that is on fire may try toextinguish the flames herself by droppingprone and making a TN 20 Dexterity Test,which counts as a full action. The SM canmake this Test easier or harder depending onenvironmental conditions and whether theblazing character is able to recieve any helpfrom nearby allies.

FATIGUENot all injuries in DUNGEONS

THE DRAGONING are lethal. Exhaustion,combat trauma, or swapping licks with barefists can all leave a character battered, butmore or less intact. Fatigue measures theamount of non-lethal injury a character cantake over the course of game play. Charactersgain Fatigue from certain types of attacks,some critical effects, and some weapons andfeats.

Fatigue is measured in levels. A char-acter can take a number of levels of Fatigueequal to his Constitution score and still func-tion, albeit with some side-effects. Should acharacter take a number of levels of fatigue inexcess of his Constitution, he collapses, un-consious, for 10-Constitution hours. After thecharacter awakens, his levels of fatigue revertto a number equal to his Constitution.

Characters suffering any level of fa-tigue suffer -1k0 to all Tests. A character re-covers one level of fatigue per hour as long asthey can rest and relax.

HELPLESSTests made to hit a sleeping, uncon-

sious, or otherwise helpless target automati-cally succeed. When rolling damage againstsuch a target, roll twice and add the results.

IMMOBILIZEDCharacters who have been Immobi-

lized have some serious problems moving. Animmobilized character cannot use any actionwith the Movement subtype.

PINNEDBeing shot at is a terrifying experience

at the best of times, and even the most inex-perienced Adventurers know to keep theirheads down when the bullets and bolt shellsstart flying. Pinning represents a character'ssurvival instincts telling him to stay in cover.When a character is on the receiving end ofsuppressive fire, even if he isn't hit, he mustmake a Pinning Test. This is a Willpower Testmade at TN 20. On a success, the charactermay act normally. On a failure, the characterbecomes Pinned.

A Pinned character may only takeHalf actions. If a Pinned character is in coverrelative to the attacker that Pinned him, hemay not leave it except to retreat (provided hecan remain in cover while doing so). If he isnot in cover when Pinned, he must use hisnext turn to reach cover. If there is no covernearby, he must move away from the attackerthat Pinned him.

A character can make a Pinning Testat the end of his Turn to escape Pinning, inwhich case he may act as normal on his nextturn. This Test is made against TN 10 if thecharacter is no longer under fire. A characterengaged in melee combat automatically es-capes Pinning.

PRONEA Prone character grants Combat ad-

vantage against melee attackers and ranged at-tackers within point blank range. Rangedattackers beyond point blank range need anextra raise to hit his Static Defense. A pronecharacter suffers -1k0 to all melee attack Testsand -2k0 penalty to all dodge Tests. A char-acter may drop prone as a free action.

RESTRAINEDIt's easy enough for a character to end

up restrained. Perhaps he's gone and gotten

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himself arrested, or he's having to fight off at-tackers in the middle of something intimate in-volving fuzzy handcuffs. Either way, arestrained character grants combat advantage.If his legs are bound, he's also immobilized.All attack rolls he makes are at -1k0.

STUNNEDIn addition to Damage and Fatigue,

characters may also become Stunned. Astunned character grants combat advantageand cannot take actions. A stunned characteris not helpless or unaware.

SUFFOCATIONThere are many ways to suffocate, in-

cluding drowning, smoke inhalation, and ex-posure to certain toxins. The rate ofsuffocation depends on the character's activitylevel. If a character is actively trying to con-serve oxygen, he can hold his breath for anumber of minutes equal to his Constitution.If a character is instead engaged in strenuousactivity (combat, swimming, etc) he may holdhis breath for a number of rounds equal totwice his Constitution.

While holding his breath, a charactermust make a TN 10 Con Test each minute (ifconserving oxygen) or each round (if gettingbusy). If he fails, he suffers one level of fatigue.If the character has not gained a fresh sourceof oxygen by the end of the allotted time heautomatically falls unconsious regardless of hislevels of Fatigue.

If a character is both unconsious anddeprived of a fresh source of Oxygen, he losesone Hit Point per round until he dies.

SURPRISEDWhen you're surprised or taken un-

awares, you grant combat advantage.

UNCONSCIOUSNESSUnconsiousness is usually a tempo-

rary state that typically results from excessivelevels of fatigue or critical damage. The dura-tion of a state of unconsiousness is usually in-cluded in the description of the effect thatcaused it, but if no other duration is given, un-consiousness lasts for 10-Constitution hours.

An unconsious character is com-pletely unaware of his surroundings and can-not take any actions. His is also treated asbeing Helpless.

MovementIn many game situations, it is unnec-

essary to worry about how fast a character canrun or how long it takes him to walk from hisprivate quarters to the ship's armory. On theother hand, there are many situations thatcome up during a game, such as combat,where knowing how far a character can moveover a given period of time becomes very im-portant.

During a combat round, a charactermay take a specific action to move at one offour speeds: Half Move, Full Move, Charge,or Run. The number of meters a charactertravels per Round at these various speeds isdetermined by, well, his Speed. See the de-scription of the actions for their special condi-tions and how far they allow a character tomove.

Narrative Moment and TerrainTerrain conditions affect how fast a

character can cover ground during NarrativeTime. Obviously, slogging through a waist-deep death world swamp is far more laboriousthan strolling through the steel corridors of anorbital space station. If you're moving through

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difficult terrain, you can only cover half of thenormal distance in a given amount of time.The SM has the final decision about what, ifany, modifers apply to Narrative Time causedby the environment.

A character may hurry - either be-cause they're running or because they're on aforced march - and cover more ground. Char-acters may double their movement during nar-rative time, but for every hour spent doing thisthey must make a TN 10 Constitution Test ortake a level of fatigue, with the TN increasingby 5 for every hour after the first.

In general, a character may move 20xtheir speed per minute, a number of kilome-ters equal to their Speed per hour, and tentimes that per day.

ClimbingClimbing an object requires Athletics

rolls. Under most circumstances, as long as acharacter has both hands free, has a dot inAthletics, and isn't being distracted (by, say,being shot at), a character can automaticallysucceed at simple climbing tasts like fences,trees, boulders, and the like.

If he's trying to move quickly or isbeing distracted, he needs to make an Athlet-ics Test to climb. On a successful Test, he canascend up to half of his Speed. For every raiseon the Test, he can move an additional meter.If he fails, he falls, and might take damage.

The SM can adjust the difficulty ofthe Test based on the nature of the climb, andcan rule that certain surfaces, like sheer sur-faces like building faces and cliffs, requireTests and can't be attempted automaticaly.The default difficulty of most climbing Testsis TN 15.

JumpingA jump is, well, you should be famil-

iar with this one. If a character gets a runningstart of at least 4m before his jump, he makesan Acrobatics and Strength Test against TN10. On a success, he leaps a number of metershorizontally equal to his Strength, plus an-other meter for every degree of success. On afailure, he only leaps a number of meters equalto half his Strength (round up). He can

achieve a height of one half of this distancetravelled in meters (round down). If he's justmaking a vertical leap, make the Test as nor-mal and simply ignore the horizontal distancetravelled. A character can attempt to make thesame jumps from a standing start, but the ini-tial Test is made against TN 15 instead of TN10.

SwimmingA character doesn't need to make a

Swim Test (Athletics and Strength) underideal circumstances, but hazardous conditionssuch as rough waters, hands being tied, orswimming while fighting all require SwimTests to move. A successful swim Test allowsthe character to move at half speed throughthe water. Normally, swim Tests are madeagainst TN 10, but difficult conditions mightincrease the TN. A failed Test means the char-acter doesn't get to move that turn. Heavyequipment, especially armor, makes swim-ming extremely difficult. Swim Tests madewhile wearing Medium or heavier armor ismade against TN 20. A character must, nor-mally, hold their breath if they're completelysubmerged.

Social CombatOf course, Heroes don't always need

to solve problems and differences by punchingeach other in the face, launching bolts ofplasma, and accidentially opening a gate to theWarp because someone rolled *really* badlyon a Perils of the Warp check. There is alsothe option to simply talk things over.

Any great heroic epic has heroes whocan motivate a nation through force of person-ality, making speeches to open up the hardestheart, wooing the princess, and so forth. Whilesimple skill checks might be enough to pass fora lie or two, important debates and social sit-uations with far-reaching implications should-n't be left to succeed or fail on the basis of asingle roll - or at least no more so than com-bat.

A really serious social situation shouldbe handled with the same seriousness anddepth as a fight to the death - especially since

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death might really be on the line!For the most part, Social Combat is

handled like real combat. Initiative is rolled,actions are taken, and then people take turnsuntil the situation is resolved.

SOCIAL COMBAT OVERVIEWJust like regular combat, social com-

bat is resolved with structured time. Socialcombat rounds, however, are considerablylonger than normal rounds - social combatrounds can be a minute or more long, thoughreally they just take however long is requiredfor the actions people are taking. If someoneis making a particularly long speech or mono-logue, a round might be several minutes ormore. Social combat works in the same way asnormal combat with the following notes:

A character can be just as surprised ina social situation as anywhere else - someonemight just walk right up to a hero and try topersuade them to do them a favour or invitethem into the back room. A character who issurprised loses their first turn in the combat.

A character uses their Fellowship andComposure to modify their initiative rollrather than Dexterity and Composure. Beingquick on your feet isn't all that impressive in abattle of wits.

Social combat can be resolved in anumber of different ways, not just killingeveryone involved. Make sure to read over theresolution phase to understand how social

combat can end.

ResolveResolve is a character's defense

against social attacks. Resolve is calculated byadding a character's Willpower and Compo-sure together. Resolve recovers more quicklythan Hit Points. Each morning, the charactermay roll her Composure against TN 10. If theroll succeeds, she regains one point of Resolve,plus one for every raise on the roll. The char-acter gains a point of resolve if they perform astunt that furthers their Alignment (at theSM's discretion).

Mental DefenseJust as a character's static defense in

normal combat is determined by their Dexter-ity, a character's Mental Defense is deter-mined by their Composure. A character's baseMental Defense value is 5 + (5 x Composure).

SOCIAL COMBAT ACTIONSThe list of actions in a social situation

are somewhat different from the actions takenduring normal combat - you'll find a distinctlack of options that involve stabbing someone.If a character does decide to use the point ofhis sword rather than his argument, then socialcombat ends rather abruptly and normal com-bat takes its place - possibly with one very sur-prised person who came expecting a debate.

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SOCIAL COMBAT ACTIONS

Action Type Description

Monologue/Study H/F Take time to make your next social attack more effective.

Move Fr Move around the area.

Poker Face F Focus on defending yourself from social attacks.

Refute R Negate someone's social attack.

Social Attack H Make a social attack.

Speak Carefully F Make a social attack while preparing a defense.

Support H Provide wingman support for someone.

Wordplay H Catch someone off-guard with tricky words.

Monologue/StudyHalf ActionThe active character takes some time to pre-pare himself, building a fortress or words orconsidering carefully the arguments of anotherfor flaws. You may take a half action to get+1k0 on your next social attack or a full actionto get +2k0 on your next social attack. Thenext action the monologuing character per-forms must be a social attack or the benefits ofthis study are lost. These benefits are also lostif the character performs a reaction beforemaking his attack.

MoveFree ActionUnlike in a normal combat situation wherebullets are going all over the place and coveris a very nice thing to have, movement duringsocial combat is more for flavor than anythingelse. Unless someone is specifically making awithdraw action or otherwise fleeing the scene,movement is a free action that is simply takenwhile making other actions.

Poker FaceFull ActionThe character makes no social attacks and in-stead concentrates entirely on self-defense.Until the start of her next turn, the charactercan make one additional reaction and gains a+10 bonus to her static social defense.

RefuteReaction ActionRefuting a social attack can be done in a num-ber of different ways. The two main methodsof social refuation are as follows, though giventhe variety of social situations the SM mayallow a character to use a stunt to Test otherskills and characteristics:

Wisdom and Scrutiny - By Testingwisdom and scrutiny a Hero is seeing throughthe arguments people are making. A wisdomand scrutiny Test can be made against any so-cial attack.

Intelligence and Lore - The last thingan adventurer wants to do is debate an experton their chosen topic. Whenever a Lore wouldbe appropriate, an Intelligence and Lore Testmay be used to refute social attacks, and gainsa free raise on his Test (he's got the facts onhis side, after all).

Social AttackHalf ActionMaking a Social Attack depends on a numberof factors. A hero must choose exactly whichtactic they'll be using in order to determinewhat they'll be rolling. First, the charactermust decide if they're using Charisma (forhonest persuasion) or Fellowship (for guileand seduction). A hero then selects fromCharm (for seduction and simply improvingdisposition), Command (for giving orders),Deceive (for attempting to get their way

through lies), Intimidation (for scaringthe hell out of people), Performer (forinfluencing large crowds), and Persua-sion (making an honest attempt to talkto someone).

Speak CarefullyFull ActionThe character presents a careful argu-ment, making sure she remains wellpoised to defend herself. The charactersuffers a -1k0 penalty to her social at-tack Test, but she gains a +1k0 bonusto all Refute Tests until the start of hernext turn.

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SupportHalf ActionThe character creates an opportunity foranother character. He might support his ar-gument, present more facts, or simply addanother voice. By working together withthem, the active character gives them +1k0to their next social skill Test. It cannot beused on any actions the SM deems inap-poropriate, and no more than two charac-ters may attempt to assist another on asingle Test.

WordplayHalf ActionThe character attempts to use guile and de-bate training to trick her opponent into a mis-take. The character and her target make anopposed Test, the active character using De-ceive and the defending character usingScrutiny. If the active character wins, her nextsocial attack against that same target cannotbe refuted. If the active character's next actionis anything other than a social attack, the ad-vantage of wordplay is lost.

EFFECTS OF SOCIAL ATTACKSSocial attacks don't reduce a target's

Hit Points. At least not under normal circum-stances. The effects of a social attack are ac-tually much more subtle, attacking a target'sResolve. The TN of a social attack is madeagainst a target's Mental Defense.

Whenever a character is overcome bya social attack, he has two options: he mayspend a point of Resolve to resist the effects ofthe social attack or he may consent to the at-tack, performing the behavior described in theinitial attack declaration. Keep in mind thatadditional raises on the social attack have noeffect - one that hits with ten raises has thesame effect as one with no raises at all.

In a given scene, a character can suf-fer only two points of Resolve drain from so-cial attacks. Once this has happened, thecharacter becomes jaded and suspicious. Anyfurther attempts at persuasuion automaticallyfail unless the attacker uses a stunt to try a new

approach. Whenever a social attack wouldmake a character act against their alignmentthey must spend a Resolve point in order toresist.

Social attacks can impose a range ofpossible effects:

Building/Eroding Dispositions: Themost basic type of social attack effect, buildingand eroding dispositions simply makes a char-acter like or dislike a given cause, belief, orother character. The results of a single socialattack aren't going to win an enemy over as alover or turn a patriot against their nation,though - whenever a character consents to thiseffect, their disposition only moves one place,and the change is typically temporary unlessthe same effect has been used a number oftimes equal to the defender's willpower (theaverage person with Willpower 2 would needto be subject to this effect twice for it to be-come permanent).

Typically characters will spend re-solve to resist having existing loyalties eroded,but they are less likely to oppose attacks on adifferent front targeting causes and peoplethey don't have strong feelings for already.

Compelling Behavior: Characterswho don't or can't resist a social attack can beconvinced against their better judgement tospend the rest of the scene doing any one task,provided that doing so doesn't violate theirAlignment. Typically a character will resist anycourse of action that violates their normal be-havior, but they are not required to do so - ahusband may have a loving wife and still ac-cede to the proposition of a beautiful concu-bine, for instance.

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Breaking Alignment: If a character isreduced to zero Resolve through social attacksand she is prevented from regaining their fullResolve for a number of days equal to theirDevotion, her will is broken. In this state(which lasts until the character has fully recov-ered their Resolve), successful social attacksmay compel her to take actions betraying herAlignment. Storytellers should be wary of in-flicting such a dire fate on a protagonist.

DISPOSITIONThe disposition of a character deter-

mines the general difficulty of influencing theiractions, as well as just what they're likely to do.A low disposition (like Hostile) is likely to beless than helpful, whereas a high dispositionmight see you getting favors and even some as-sistance. The following table shows the generalattitudes of disposition as well as the effectsthey have on Mental Defense to change theseattitudes and what they mean.

Fear and InsanityThe Great Wheel is a dark and terri-

ble place where billions inhabit a universefilled with unnumbered horrors and countlessdangers. The rules presented here reflect thesemany threats to the mind and soul, and howthe player characters interact with them. They

are separated in two distinct sections: Fearcovers a character's immediate reaction tofrightening events and creatures and Insanitydetails the long term effects of trauma on acharacter. During combat encounters, theonly rules that will be used from this chapterare those for fear. The effects of Insanity aredealt with in the aftermath of a battle ratherthan during it.

FEARFear comes into effect when the char-

acters are confronted with scenes of atrocity orhorror, or when they are called on to battleagainst terrifying aliens, insane perversions ofscience, and nightmarish entities from thewarp. When a PC is confronted by such afrightening event or adversary, he must makea Fear Test. This is a Willpower Test, with theTN determined by how frightening the thingis. If the PC passes this Test, then he may con-tinue to act as normal. If he fails, however, hesuccumbs to fear.

If a character fails the fear Test in acombat situation, he must immediately roll onthe Shock Table, adding +1 to the result forevery Check on the Test. The effects listed areapplied immediately to the character. If thecharacter fails the fear Test in a non-combatsituation, the character becomes unnerved andsuffers a -1k0 penalty to any skill or Test thatrequires concentration on his part. Thispenalty lasts while the character remains in thevicinity of the object of his fear. In addition, ifany non-combat fear Test is failed by 10 ormore, the character also gains +1d5 InsanityPoints.

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DISPOSITION

Attitude TN Means

Kismesissitude +10FROM HELL'S HEARTI STAB AT THEE.

Hostile +5 Will take risks to hurt you.

Unfriendly 0 Wishes you ill.

Indifferent 0 Doesn't much care.

Friendly 0 Wishes you well.

Helpful +5 Will take risks to help you.

Fanatical +10There is only the Emperor,and he is our shield andprotector.

FEAR TEST DIFFICULTIES

Severity of Fear TN Examples

Fear 1 - Disturbing 15 Walking Dead

Fear 2 - Frightening 20 Ebon Wraith

Fear 3 - Horrifying 25 Incarnate Daemon

Fear 4 - Terrifying 30The King in Ragsand Tatters

Shock and Snapping Out of ItCharacters may be able to shake off

some of the effects of fear after the initial shockhas worn off. Where on the Shock Table thata character may 'snap out of it', a character canmake a Willpower Test (TN equal to the ini-tial fear's TN). If this succeeds, then he regainshis senses, shrugs off the effects, and may actnormally from then on. If he fails this Test, theeffect continues. A character may Test againat the beginning of each of his subsequentturns until he succeeds.

GOING INSANECharacters in DUNGEONS THE

DRAGONING face things in their travels thatmost people will forever remain unaware of,spending prolonged periods in the warp, visit-ing ancient and terrible worlds, and dealingwith treacherous aliens are just a few of these.Such are the stresses and horrors of these tasksthat the slow slide into insanity is a constantthreat. No mind, not even one hardened bythe harsh rigors of life in the Great Wheel, is

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SHOCK TABLE

Roll(d10)

Result

1-2The character is badly startled. He may onlytake a half action on his next turn, but after-wards he may act normally.

3-4The character is gripped by fear, shaking andtrembling. He is dazzled until he can snapout of it.

5-6

Reeling with shock, the character backs awayfrom the thing that confronts them. Thecharacter cannot willingly approach the ob-ject of his fear, but may otherwise act nor-mally until the end of the encounter. He alsogains 1 insanity point.

7-8

The character is frozen by terror. The char-acter is Stunned until they snap out of it, andthen act at -1k0 to all Tests until the end ofthe encounter. The character gains 1d5 In-sanity Points.

9

Panic grips the character. He must flee thesource of his fear, if able, as fast as he can,and if prevented from doing so, he may onlytake Half Actions and is at -2k0 to all Tests.The character gains 1d5 insanity points.Once away from the danger, he may attemptto snap out of it to regain control.

10

Fainting dead away, the character keels overand remains unconsious for 1d5 rounds.Once he regains consiousness, he is stillshaken, taking -1k0 to all Tests until the endof the encounter and gaining 1d5 insanitypoints.

11

Totally overcome, the character screams andvomits uncontrollably for 1d5 rounds. Dut-ing this time he is helpless. Afterwards, thecharacter may only take a half action eachturn until he can rest. The character gains1d5 insanity points.

12

The character crumples to the ground weep-ing. For 1d10 rounds they may do nothingexcept sob, babble, and tear at their ownflesh. Even after returning to his senses, thecharacter is at -2k0 to all Tests for the rest ofthe encounter and gains 1d10 insanitypoints.

13+

The character's mind snaps. She becomescatatonic for 1d10 hours and may not beroused. The character gains 1d10 insanitypoints.

immune to the slow erosion of sanity by thehorrors of the galaxy, and a party of Heroes isno exception.

In DUNGEONS THE DRAGO-NING, these dangers are represented by in-sanity points. Insanity points represent thestrain put on a character's mind by his experi-ences; the more Insanity Points a characterhas, the more fragile his mind. The cumulativeeffects of gaining Insanity Points are dividedinto traumas, which represent the short termafter-effects of particularly terrible experiencesand Disorders, which are permanent mentalafflictions that sign-post a character's slide intototal madness.

Mental TraumaMental Trauma represents the rela-

tively short-term damage to a character's stateof mind that he suffers after experiencing ahorrific or supernatural event. Each time thecharacter gains 10 Insanity Points he mustmake a Trauma Test. This is a Willpower Testwith a variable difficulty. The Target Numberfor this Test is 10, plus one for every fivepoints of Insanity the character has accumu-lated (12 at 10 Insanity Points, 20 at 50 Insan-ity Points, etc). If the Test is failed, roll on theTrauma table, adding one to the roll for everyCheck on the roll.

GAINING MENTAL DISORDERSMental disorders reflect the perma-

nent, long-term effects on a character's mindas a result of exposure to things horrific andunnatural. A character automatically gains anew disorder (or a more severe version of anexisting disorder) each time he acquires a cer-tain number of Insanity Points. A charactergains one Minor Disorder when he gains 40Insanity Points, one Severe Disorder when hegains 60 Insanity Points, and one Acute Dis-order when he gains 80 Insanity Points. If acharacter reaches 100 Insanity Points, they areremoved from play - they’ve completelycracked and are now under the control of theSM.

Disorders can be selected by the SM,or the SM can allow the player to select one if

he prefers. Some disorders would be phobia,obsessions and compulsions, hallucinations,and horrific ngihtmares. The exact effects of adisorder should be decided on by the SM.Rolls made to resist the effects of a disorderdepend on their difficulty - Minor Disordersrequire a TN 10 roll, Severe Disorders requireTN 15, and Acute Disorders require TN 20.

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MENTAL TRAUMASRoll(1d10)

Result

1-2The character becomes withdrawn and quiet,suffering -1 to Charisma for 3d10 hours.

3-4

The character must compulsively perform an ac-tion such as fevered praying, frantically cleaninga weapon, reciting verse, and so on, and pays lit-tle attention to anything else. All Tests that arebased on Intelligence, Fellowship, or Compo-sure suffer a -1k0 penalty. This effect lasts for3d10 hours.

5-6

The character is constantly fearful, seeing dan-ger everywhere and extremely jumpy. The char-acter gains a +1k0 bonus to all Perception-basedTests and is at -1 to his Willpower for the next1d5 days.

7-8The character suffers from a temporary severephobia. This effect lasts for 1d5 days.

9

The character reacts to the slightest stress orpressure by becoming extremely agitated.Whenever the character is annoyed or stressed(such as, for example, by combat), all Tests hemakes are at -1k0. This effect lasts for 1d5 days.

10

The character suffers vivid and extreme night-mares whenever he tries to sleep. For the next1d10 days, he is unable to recover Hit Pointsthrough bed rest.

11The character is struck dumb is unable to speak.This effect lasts for 1d5 days.

12

Extremely distressed and unfocused, the char-acter refuses to eat or drink and looks in a terri-ble state. The character takes a -1 penalty to allcharacteristics for 1d10 days.

13The character temporarily becomes hystericallyblind or deaf. The effect lasts for 1d10 days.

14+

The character becomes completely traumatizedand virtually unresponsive. He can't initiate ac-tions but may be gently led. This effect lasts for1d10 days.

he history of the Great Wheel is agreat sprawling tapesty, embroidered in bloodand steel and gold, stretching from the furthestreaches of the distant past to the current hour.Near-immortal wizard kings once shaped theWheel to their will and made it a place ofmiraculous splendor. Today, men fight withsword and bolter in the ruins of ancient glory.The implacable Lady of Pain rules over Sigiland the Factions that founded themselvesthere constantly work to stab each other in theback. The forces of Law and Chaos make waron each other, the Warp presses against thefabric of reality, and newly reborn Heroesfrom the ancient past return to save the world- or doom it.

HISTORY OF THEWHEEL

THE WAR IN HEAVEN - 40,000 YEARS AGOLong ago, a great race known as the

Syrne emerged, the first race to progress in

magic and technology enough to become partof the larger universe. They were almost im-mortal, patient and wise. They are thought tobe directly responsible for the uplifting of mostof the currently active intelligent species in theAstral Sea, including the Eldarin, the Orks, theGnomes, and the Dragons. The Syrne werepotent mages who routinely used the powersof the warp for a large variety of applications,constructing the Portal Relays.

Eventually, a great conflict laterknown to the Eldarin as the War in Heavenarose between the C'tan, immensely powerful,incorporeal beings composed of pure energywho existed solely in the material universe,and the Syrne. The Syrne, physically weak andfew in number, uplifted the Eldarin to serve astheir soldiers. In response, the C'tan enslavedthe Modrons, almost elemental creatures ofpure order, bonding them within geometricalarmored shells of a living metal called necro-dermis. The C'tan directed the Modrons intoGreat Marches of all intelligent life. In re-sponse to this threat, the Syrne created theOrks and, finally, the Dragons to act as theirgreatest weapons.

How the war ended isn't known. TheModrons were forced into stasis in Mechanusand other forgotten clockwork worlds. The

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C'tan were put into hibernation. The Syrnewere rendered completely extinct, the PortalNetwork shut down. The only clues left to theSyrneth mystery are among the most ancientrecords of the Eldarin, as much myth as his-tory, speaking of Great Devourers that cameto destroy and consume all life. No evidenceof these so-called "Reapers" actually exists be-yond this near-mythological record.

THE DRACONIC ASCENDENCY - 10,000 YEARS AGOWhen the Syrne were lost, their cre-

ations were left to their own devices. The Orksimmediately turned on themselves, the joy ofcombat all they desired in life. Some of the El-darin escaped their Crystal Spheres and con-structed giant worldships, Craftworlds, to sailthrough the astral sea. They repaired andopened many Portal Relays, and found the cityof Sigil. The Lady of Pain was, even then, theruler of the city, already sitting on the throneof blades before the Eldarin arrived.

But the Dragons were not content towar among themselves, or to play at beingmere caretakers of the Syrneth ruins. TheDragons spread out into the Astral Sea, theirpersonal power and their own uplifted sol-diers, the Dragonborn, allowing them to con-quer many worlds. They forged an empire,seeking to unite all worlds under the guidanceof their ruler, the god Bahamut.

But nothing lasts forever, and the egosof the Dragons meant that it wasn't long be-

fore someone rose to challenge Bahamut'spower. In a war known as the Tiamat Heresy,a warlord named Tiamat waged war on Ba-hamut, nearly half of the living dragons sidingwith her. The two armies clashed, and on theslopes of Mount Celestia itself, Tiamat wasstruck down. But the Draconic empire wasshattered. The only legacy it managed to leavewas spreading Dragons to nearly every CrystalSphere.

THE WAR OF THE MONSTER'S FALL - 7,000 YEARS AGOFew details survive from this era, but

it marked the beginning of the end for the El-darin. The Dragon Empire was fragmentedand lost, the Eldarin the dominant force in theuniverse. They continued their work of re-opening Portal Relays until one day they dis-covered something horrible, something thathad been locked away so long that even theSyrne had nearly forgotten about them.

At some point in their history, beforethe Eldarin had been uplifted, the Syrne had

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encounted a race so hostile and dangerous thatthey felt the need to seal it off from the rest ofthe universe. This crystal sphere that theysealed off is today known as Pandemonium, aplace forbidden entrance by all. The PortalRelay was not merely shut down, but com-pletely disabled. It was nearly beyond theknowledge of the Eldarin to repair it. When itopened, the Eldarin were not prepared forwhat came out, a terrible enslaving race ofabominations known as the the Aboleth.

The War of the Monster's Fall wasended by the creation of the first Aasimar andTieflings, supersoldiers moulded like clay bythe Gods and forged in the fires of war. Theywere clad in great armor and armed with themightiest blades. They were divinely inspiredwith tactics, strategies, and artifacts such thatno foe could best them in battle. They werethe bulwark against the terror, the defendersof all. Knowing no fear, they pushed back theAboleth and sealed them back into Pandemo-nium, deactivating the Portal Relay onceagain. It became law that no Portal Relayshould be opened without careful study of theCrystal Sphere it accessed. The Eldarin wereleft with no purpose.

THE FALL OF THE ELDARIN - 5,000 YEARS AGOThe Eldarin were left the dominant

race in the universe after the fall of the Drag-ons. With little to challenge them, they de-scend into decadence. Their extremehedonism destroys what little government is

left on their homeworlds. The craftworlds cutoff contact with the homeworlds.

The corruption of the Eldarin be-cames a religion of its own. After centuries offeeding the fledgeling god with prayers madefrom extreme experiences and twisted ritualsof self-indulgence, the Chaos God Slaaneshwas born. The violence of Slaanesh's birthturned the Eldarin Homeworlds and theirCrystal Sphere into the terrible rip in realitytoday known as the Abyss. Most of the Elvengods died save Corellon, who either fought offSlaanesh or hid himself, depending on thestory and who is telling it. Kaela MenshaCaine was the last of the gods to fall, in a battleso violent it sent his blood spilling throughoutthe cosmos.

The Eldarin were destroyed as a peo-ple. Now they are split into three groups. The'true' Eldarin, who remained in their Craft-worlds safe from the corruption and nowtravel in great migrant fleets. The Elves, nowso distinct from the Eldarin that the Eldarinconsider them lost, their souls weighed downby gravity and their powers lost. Finally, thereare the Dark Eldarin, protected by oaths to thedemon spider queen Lolth, striking as raidersand pirates from their hidden enclaves.

THE COUNCIL ERA - 1,000 YEARS AGOAfter the Fall of the Eldarin, much

space was left open for other races to flex theirmuscles. The Elves, Dwarves, Dragonborn,and Eldarin formed a Council, ruling fromSigil, under the watchful eye of the Lady ofPain. The Aasimar and Tieflings became en-

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forcers for the Council, though the disputes oftheir gods meant that they were often at eachother's throats more than any potential enemy.

The city of Sigil prospered, and fourrepresenatives became a dozen as Factions or-ganized along philosophical lines became theruling forces of Sigil and, thus, the entire uni-verse. Of course, divided as they were, theFactions accoplished little more than justcountering each other's moves.

THE AGE OF THE IMPERIUM - CURRENT DAYThe emergence of Humanity into the

Great Wheel is considered the beginning ofthe modern era. Humanity escaped their Crys-tal Sphere on their own. Syrneth ruins on theirhome world of Théah gave them the clues tobuild their own spelljamming ships. Theyemerged from their world into the GreatWheel. At first, the travels were slow and dan-gerous, requiring years and often ending indisaster. Eventually, they learned to activatethe Portal Relays and use the Warp for fasttravel, establishing a small empire for them-selves.

The Eldarin encounter humans forthe first time by finding them opening up anunknown Portal Relay. This led to a short, butviolent war between a splinter fleet of the El-darin and the humans. The Eldarin splinterfleet is wiped out by a human counterattackafter occupying only a single Crystal Sphere.Before the weight of the Eldarin can bebrought to bear on the humans, the Councillearned of the events and humanity was intro-duced to the wider universe, the true expanseof the Astral Sea. War was cancelled on ac-count of massive culture shock.

Today, Humans are still finding theirway in the Astral Sea. They are explorers andrisk takers, and the engine of much change inthe universe. Several of the Factions in Sigilhave had humans elected as their leaders, andthe young race holds a very important place inthe Council, something that other races occa-sionally look on with jealousy.

Many threats to the relative stabilityof the Council loom. Ork warbands, Eldarin

pirates, and Dragon attacks have becomeminor issues. The Modrons are reported to beawakening again, prehaps preparing anotherGreat March against all life. Crystal Sphereshave been lost, all the worlds within strippedbare. Whispers speak that the planets were sostripped by the Reapers who destroyed theSyrne. And as always, the forces of Law andChaos wage their eternal Blood War.

In the grim darkness of the greatwheel, there is only war.

THE GREATWHEEL

The Great Wheel is the galaxy, full ofthousands of Crystal Spheres floating in thevastness of the Astral Sea. They're arranged in

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a spiralling wheel, with Sigil at its hub. TheGreat Wheel is the ultimate frontier, a vast seaof darkness studded with outposts of civiliza-tion. There are an almost infinite variety ofstories and peoples to be found, and most ofthe Great Wheel lies unexplored, entire Crys-tal Spheres like vaults - potentially ful of treas-ure, death, or, in most cases, plenty of both.

THE ASTRAL SEAThe Astral Sea is an empty place, as

still empty and cold as death itself. But it isstudded with bright lights, bubbles of safetylarge enough to contain worlds. Some containonly one or two worlds, others with dozens ormore. These bubbles are known as CrystalSpheres. They present a formidable barrier totravel, spelljamming ships crashing into themif they don't know the safe routes.

Ships crossing the Astral See facemassive, often impenitrable barriers of time.There are no shortcuts to be had, no quickroute or tailwind to speed your way. There isonly distance, an endless road. The distancebetween Crystal Spheres is almost incalcula-ble, taking years in even the fastest ship. Butaside from the sheer emptiness, the Astral Seais safe, simply because there is nothing in it tobe deadly.

THE PORTAL NETWORKThankfully, most are not reliant on

the Astral Sea for their travel. The Portal Net-work connects many crystal spheres, made ofPortal Relays, giant constructs built by theSyrne before the dawn of man's civilization al-lowing fast travel through The Warp. TheWarp is a roiling sea of chaos, a limbo betweenstates, shaped by stray thoughts and desires, aswirling storm of earth, air, fire, and water.Unprotected people and matter quickly dis-solve in this storm, torn to pieces.

But despite the danger, Warp travelreduces travel time between crystal spheresfrom years to mere weeks. Sigil serves as a bea-con for ships in the Warp, a fixed point eventhere that allows navigation. For this reason,Sigil is considered the hub of the Portal Net-work.

SPELLJAMMING SHIPSIt would be very difficult to get

around the Great Wheel without Spelljam-ming ships. Very few beings can simply leavea gravity well under their own power, muchless crack a crystal sphere or travel through thewarp (true dragons, naturally, being the excep-tion to those rules). A spelljamming ship is amix of technology and sorcery, the exact mixdepending on the skills of its builders and theculture it comes from.

A Spelljammer ship can travelthrough the vastness of space under its ownpower, but without using a Portal Relay toenter the Warp, their effective range is ex-tremely low - even travel between two veryclosely-spaced Crystal Spheres might takedecades.

Each race and culture has its ownstyle and construction methods for ships.From the thickly-prowed human vessels of thewarlike human Imperium, to the gracefulskeletal shapes of Eldarin wraithbone ships, tothe bashed-together mess that defines an Orkship.

THE WARPThe Warp, Limbo, the Immaterium.

It is a co-existing universe that underlines thephysical universe, an endlessly broad and infi-

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nitely deep sea of energyand churning elementalmatter. It carries within itthe random thoughts, un-fettered emotions, memo-ries, and unshakable beliefsof those who live in the ma-terial universe.

The Warp is thesource of magic in the uni-verse, providing power tospells and magic. Somethink that sorcerers, strain-ing the fabric of reality bycasting spells and draggingthe power of the warp intothe real world, are a dangerto the universe itself, andthat the power of sorcerywas what led to the fall of the Syrneth.

The most important thing about theWarp, to the Wheel, is that it allows ships totravel from one Crystal Sphere to another inthe span of weeks instead of generations. Totravel through the Warp, a ship uses one of thePortal Relays to breach a hole into the Imma-terium and travel into it. With the help of aNavigator, a ship in the warp can be directednearly anywhere in the Great Wheel. Sigil pro-vides a point of reference, a shining beaconthat can be seen from anywhere in the Warp.

Warp travel is not without its dangers.It could be considered the most dangerousthing in the universe, in fact, which is hardly atitle given to something that is safe. The mostobvious danger in the warp is the roiling en-ergy of the Warp itself, which can tear at ships.More pressingly, anyone looking into theWarp without protection can be driven insane,possessed, or worse. If the protective fields ofthe ship fail, warp creatures can invade theship and corrupt or kill everyone on board.

Without a navigator, Warp travel canonly be attempted in short jumps of five lightyears or so - any more than that and the un-predictable currents of the Warp make it im-possible to tell where or when a ship willappear.

During a Warp jump, something liketwo weeks will pass for the ship and its crew,but how long this travel takes in the real uni-

verse is quite another matter. Most warpjumps take months, and a year or so is averagefor widely-placed points. With the unpre-dictable currents of time and space in theWarp, it is impossible to really predict the timetaken, and travellers have no idea how longtheir journey has taken until their ship has fin-ished its jump. Travel through the stars is notsomething to be undertaken lightly.

THE UMBRAThe Umbra is a kind of shallow end

of the warp, an intermediary between the fullchaos of the warp and the real universe. It issomething like a shadow, not really a trueplace or thing, just an image of the real uni-verse that exists alongside it, separated by athin barrier. The geography of the Umbra is adark mirror of the real universe, warped by theemotions and history of the place, empty ofpeople and changing to reflect the real worldwhen no one is looking.

Many supernatural beings and spiritscan cross between the Umbra and the realworld. Ghosts and weaker daemons can usethis shadowland to cause havoc. Damage doneto things in the Umbra does not cause imme-diate harm to anything in the real world,though there are some odd parallels - some-thing being destroyed in the warp tends to giveit bad luck in the real world, as an example.

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SIGILThe City of Doors. The Greatest Me-

tropolis. The Hub. Sigil is the center point ofths cosmos. The city itself is a beacon in theWarp, a bright light that remains as fixed as anorth star, allowing travel through the infini-ties. Some say the light comes from the Ladyof Pain, the city's silent eternal ruler. TheLady, naturally, has been mum on the matter.She does not pass many decrees down throughher servants, the dabus, but when she does herword is absolute and disobedience is met withswift death. Even the gods themselves are notimmune - no God may manifest in Sigil. It issaid by the Eldarin that only one has tried intheir living memory, a god of travel whosename is lost and whose worshippers were allfound flayed with even their souls lost one day.

Sigil is a free-floating space platform,shaped something like a gigantic floating toruswith tightly-packed structures lining its innersurface. It is located outside the CrystalSpheres, just like the portal relays, and sharesa lot of technology with them. It is consideredthe greatest creation of the Syrne and acts as

the political, cultural and financial capital ofthe Great Wheel. It is, in theory, completelyneutral ground - no wars are waged there andno armies pass through. However, it's hardlypeaceful. Violence is common, usually be-falling the foolhardy, the incautious, or thepoor.

Anything can be found in Sigil. Any-thing. And peace is kept, strictly and ab-solutely, by the Harmonium, an armydedicated to law and order. Declared neutralground by all, even direst enemies like Aasi-mar and Tiefling can be found sitting side byside in taverns and sharing tales. Far from abright and shining city, though, Sigil is a studyof barely controlled anarchy, too many differ-ent ideologies and peoples coming though forthe city to be anything but a melting pot, con-fusing and disorienting to outsiders.

SIGIL'S FACTIONSThe Factions of Sigil are something

like political parties or philosophies, people or-ganized along the lines of their beliefs and al-legiances. While the Factions are, in many

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ways, the rulers of theWheel, it's important tonote that they do notrepresent specific racesor governments on theirown. Most governmentsare officially unaligned,donating military menand equipment to theCouncil forces to use asa whole rather than toany one faction. The re-cent appearance of Hu-mans into the generalpopulation of the Wheelhas had a somewhatdestabilizing effect onthings as faction ranksswell and power bases change.

What most find out, very quickly,though, is that the Council and the Factionsdo not hold true power here. The Lady of Painultimately has control. She would take actionagainst any real threats to the security of Sigil,but allows the Factions to handle the day-to-day running of the place. However, there arethings she just won't tolerate - someone tryingto summon powerful Warp entities, slaughter-ing the dabus, attempting to tear down the sta-tion, or inciting general rebellion against herrule. People who try those things end up dead,and quickly. Even the Factions aren't safe - ifthey go too far or overstep their bounds, she'dcrush them like ants. And she has, in the past.There were fifteen factions at one point. Someof them got a bit too uppity. They're gonenow, each one vanishing overnight with all itsmembers when it became a threat.

Most of the factions run a particularpart of the station, as it keeps them in theLady's good graces. Some are better at it thanothers. No faction fully trusts another, no mat-ter how noble or trustworthy their goals mightseem, which makes the station's offices ratherdivided.

Within the RanksThe Namers of a Faction are the low-

est level of the Faction that's really part of thegroup, with a grasp of the philosophy andideals that they've been able to embrace as

their own. They serve the faction in an auxil-lary function most of the time: they usuallyhave other jobs outside of the faction that con-flict with their loyalty to that group. However,they quite often are hired to do simple, mun-dane tasks: delivering parcels, asking a fewquestions, passing along a message, that sortof thing. None of these are really mandatory,but shying away from aiding the faction is asure sign that they aren't going to get to thehigher ranks.

Higher up on the ladder are the Fac-totums. They work full-time for a faction, get-ting their salary from them and their very wayof life. They deliver the more important mes-sages, contact people of interest to the faction,serve as guards, and do almost anything thattheir faction asks of them. At this rank, theirloyalty is noted and they can easily rise withinthe ranks to gain weath, fame, and other re-wards. The life of a Factotum is never dull.

Those that gain enough influence andprestige throughout their faction rise to therank of Factor. These are the highest up of thehighups, right next to only the factol them-selves. They have great sway in Sigil and oftenrepresent their faction in a public and officialmatter.

At the very top of the line is the Fac-tol. Leader and guider of the entire faction,they set the tone for their members. Factolsare the representatives of their groups: to geta basic idea about the current nature of a fac-

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tion, one only has to look at their factol. Whenit comes time for factols to be replaced,whether it is through natural death or somefoul play, a factol is chosen from among theavailable factors by a group decision.

Believers of the SourceTo these people, all things are godly.

All things can ascend to greater glory - if notin this life, then in the next. Patience, that's allit takes. They see the universe as a giant test,where those who pass ascend and those whofail get reincarnated to try again. It's a simplephilosophy, and very straightforward. Theyhaven't figured out exactly what the tests areor how to beat them (should a person be good,evil, or what?), but they keep trying. Eventu-ally, they believe everyone will ascend, and theWheel will empty out and crumble as it stopsbeing needed. The leader of the Godsmen isFactol Ambar. Anyone is welcome to join theBelievers of the Source, though the fact thatthey ultimately lack utmost faith means theirDevotion typically never gets very high. The

Godsmen are headquartered in the GreatFoundry, and serve to settle disputes betweenpeople, keeping peace between warring faiths.

Bleak CabalThe Bleakers believe that there's no

greater meaning to the universe. It doesn'tmake sense, and it isn't supposed to, and thepeople running around looking for meaningare just wasting their lives doing it. Things justare, and whatever meaning there is in theWheel is what each being imagines into thevoid. Bleakers believe in the hard truth, thatthey live in a universe with no 'truth' and thatthey're the only ones able to face it. FactolLhar keeps them moving, working through thedeep melancholy that most of the memberssuffer through. He believes that since there isno meaning in the universe, no plan, that peo-ple have only each other to count on. Underhis leadership, everyone is welcome to join theBleak Cabal and the Cabal makes itself usefulrunning orphanages, charities, soup kitchens,and sanitariums.

DoomguardEverything dies. People, places, and

things. Entropy is a one-way street, and the ul-timate fate of everthing. They believe the pur-pose of the universe is to simply run to its end.And when it's all over, it will finally be the endof toil and pain. People who try to fix things,stop the decay and put things back together,they've got it all wrong. They're fighting thenatural goal of the multiverse. It's importantto note they don't just tear down everythingthat's built up. Building a house means quar-rying stone, cutting down trees, and eventuallytermites get into the beams and the placecomes down on its own. There's a long viewto things. It'll all happen in time. Factol Pentarruns the faction from Sigil's armory, and shemakes sure weapons get where they can dotheir work best.

DustmenThe Dustmen don't believe in life.

Everyone is already dead, even if they don'tknow it yet. There wouldn't be such terriblepain and misery in the universe if it was a place

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for living creatures. Some people - the oneswho have gone all stiff and cold - are moredead than others, but everyone is just as dead.The thing everyone should strive for is to ap-preciate Death, to explore one's so-called 'life'and understand it and all its trials before mov-ing on. Factol Skall is said to be a Vampire, asclose to true Death as anyone can come andstill talk about it. They care for the dead ofSigil, taking their bodies to their headquartersin the Mortuary until they're claimed, and dis-posing of the bodies that aren't.

FatedThe universe belongs to those who

can take it. Everyone makes their own fate andthere's no one else to blame for it. People whowhine about their luck are just weaklings - ifthey were meant to succeed, they could have.Everyone has the potential to be great but thatdoesn't mean it's going to happen.It takes sweat and blood forthings to come true, not just a lotof hoping. Those that work hardget what they deserve. Nothing'sfree in this life or any other. TheTakers handle the most hatedand needed task in the city - theycontrol the Hall of Records. It's avital piece of city administrationthat records all the deeds, births,and deaths in the station. Whatmakes them hated, though, is thatthey're the tax collectors. DukeRowan Darkwood is the Factol ofthe Fated, and he's had the kindof hard life that shows he knowshow to rebound from being re-duced to nothing.

Fraternity of OrderThe universe has laws.

Mankind has laws. Sigil's gotlaws. Even the Abyss has laws.Once someone learns the laws, hecan use them to his advantage,and learn how to use loopholes inthe laws, how to bend them to getan edge. If someone could learnall the laws of the universe, thepower he had would make sor-

cery look like mere parlour tricks. Of course,that's not easy. The universe keeps its lawsdark, and finding all of the laws isn't an easytask. It doesn't matter what it all means, justhow it all works. Knowledge is power. It takesstudy, searching, and looking for the right an-swer. Factol Haskar is a man who has heldonto his office for a very long time, after thelast Factol apparently found exactly the loop-hole he was looking for and vanished withouta trace. The Guvners run the city courts, fromthe small courts of the station's wards to theHigh Court of the Council. They also have allthe best lawyers.

HarmoniumThe Harmonium have a simple phi-

losophy: The Harmonium is always right. Thegoal of every enlightened being in the multi-verse is to live in perfect harmony with all oth-

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ers. Sharing the same views means that peopledon't have anything to fight over, and that's thesecret to peace. And the only way to havepeace is to get rid of opposing views. They'drather people just followed orders, but they'llhappily crack a few skulls to make thingspeaceful. It's all for their own good anyway.The Harmonium runs Sigil's city watch underFactol Sarin. They're always happy to crushcrime, but because the Doomguard has con-trol of the Armory, the tools to run the stationthe Hardhead way are kept out of the Harmo-nium's hands. That suits everybody but themjust fine.

MercykillersJustice is everything, and there is no

one beyond its reach. The reason laws and so-cieties exist is to see that justice is carried out,to purge the evil in folks and make them bet-ter, fit to belong in the multiverse. And onceeverything has been made just, once everyonehas been cleansed, the Wheel will be a perfectplace. The only tricky part of justice is makingsure it's correctly applied. A body's got toknow the criminals from the innocent so hedoesn't make a mistake. Mercy's an excusecreated by the weak and criminal, and everycrime must be punished. The Factol, AlisohnNilesia, is barely more than a child, and is oneof the cruelest and most bloodthirsty factolsthe Mercykillers have ever had. If not for someof the more level-headed people serving underher, things could go very badly.

Sign of OneEvery person is a unique and special

individual. This is the greatest glory of theWheel, that each creature living and dead isdifferent from all others. It's obvious, then,that the universe centers arounds the self.Each person is the most important person inthe universe, because the world only exists be-cause the mind imagines it. Each Signer be-lieves they are the one dreaming the universe,but of course it's impossible to tell. The Sign-ers' confidence that each person is the centerof their own universe makes them probably theonly folks who can internally govern Sigil, atleast as much as the place can be governed.They run the Hall of Speakers, where the

high-ups meet to make the laws of the city,and the settle feuds, handle treaties, and do allthe other little things that keep Sigil running.Factol Darius is well-respected by other fac-tions for her ability to keep city business on thetable and avoid personal interests.

Society of SensationThe Sensates are one of the most im-

portant and influential Factions, with a mas-sive membership. According to them, theuniverse is known only by the senses. Withoutexperience, without sensation, a thing isn't. Apoem about a rose isn't a rose. Picking a rose,feeling its thorns, smelling its fragrance, seeingits color, that's real, and the only way to knowit is to experience it. Until you've experiencedeverything, you can never know the secret ofthe universe. Factol Erin leads the Society ofSensation, a recent arrival in Sigil who has ex-perienced a meteoric rise to power. The Sen-sates don't really have an official role, but thecity would go mad without them. They runthe Civic Festhall, a place where an incrediblevariety of experiences can be had, fromTiefling Ballet to debates between dragonsand dragonslayers. The Sensates ensure thatentertainment and diversion flow into the city.

Transcendent OrderTo become one with the universe, one

must stop thinking and act. Action withoutthought is the purest form of thought. Whena cutter can know what to do without eventhinking about it, then he has become onewith the universe. It is not enough to act with-out thinking - anyone can do that, especiallywhen they're drunk. One must work hard tolearn himself, learn his own mind and instinctsuntil the right action comes automatically,training the body and mind to be one - thehand moves before the thought reaches it.Factol Rhys is a tiefling who epitomises actionwithout thought. No one knows much abouther, and her motivations can only be describedas following the flow of the universe. The Ci-phers are the truest diplomats of Sigil, advisorsaccepted almost universally, even if not every-one takes their advice.

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The Verdant GuildThe wilderness is the foundation of all

life. The wild places have existed for eons, andshould continue to flourish for untold ages.Without the resources of the wilderness, civi-lization itself is doomed. Therefore, thewilderness must be preserved from the forcesof civilization, evil, and destruction. All mem-bers of the sect wear some type of animal maskas a badge of office and sign of their reverencefor nature. The Verdant Guild takes charge ofSigil's marketplace and customs, making surepeople aren't trading in rare or illegal animalsand plants. The Factol, an elf named Strong-bow, feels trapped and rumors say he'd behappy to leave the leadership to someone elseif there was anyone he trusted to do a goodjob. Their headquarters, the Sorting House, istypically the first place anyone sees of Sigil, astheir luggage and posessions are scanned byauspexes for contraband.

CRYSTAL SPHERESA Crystal Sphere is a kind of natural

barrier existing between planetary systems andthe void of the Astral Sea. They are thought torepresent barriers between different sets ofphysical laws, perhaps arising from some sortof energy or friction between those differentsets of physics. Others think the Astral Sea it-self is somehow alive, and the Crystal Spheresgrew like pearls in an oyster as it protected it-self from irritants.

Within a Crystal Sphere, the laws andphysics of the universe itself can change. Inmost Crystal Sphere, the changes are too smalland unimportant for all but the most scientif-ically inclined to notice, but some have wildlydiffering physical laws - there have been Crys-tal Spheres containing light years of fluidicspace that somehow resisted gravitational col-lapse, Crystal Spheres where the flow of timewas different or reversed, and even a CrystalSphere where matter cannot exist, quicklybreaking down into absolute nothingness.

Most Crystal Spheres contain only asingle planetary system, centered on the starand with a diameter double that of the largestorbiting planetary body. The barrier of the

Crystal Sphere is dangerous to even attemptto cross without a proper navigator and spell-jamming ship.

NOTABLE CRYSTALSPHERESWhile there are countless crystal

spheres in the sky, there are a few that trulystand out from the rest.

AbyssOf all the Crystal Spheres, none is

more recognized than the Abyss. It loomsbright in the sky, a huge blight like a diseasedeye visible in every corner of the Astral Sea.The Abyss is by far the largest Crystal Sphere,uncounted, perhaps uncountable, worldswithin the roiling storms of glowing gas andvapor within. Every world is mutable, horrible,and different. The natives are the servants ofthe Ruinous Powers of Chaos, barely re-strained from overrunning the Astral Sea be-cause of a fortress-world known as Cadia builtaround the only Portal Relay out of TheAbyss. Some ships still manage to escape fromthe Abyss' crystal sphere, but the chaotic cur-rents around it make a journey near-suicidalfor those not blessed by the gods of Chaos.

PHYISCALCONDITIONS

The Abyss is an extraordinarily hostileenvironment. A person would have to be in-sane to want to go there, but there's always

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someone who's just dumb enough to think itcan't be all that bad. Truthfully, it isn't all thatbad. It's worse. The Abyss is much larger in-side than outside, as vast as imagination andas timeless as infinity. Where the Warp over-laps and bridges the real world, the Abyss islike a vast knot that twists in on itself, a spacethat may truly be infinite in size and cruelty.

Unfortunately, it's almost impossibleto predict what any part of the Abyss will belike. Some parts have been mapped (to someextent or another), but there is always infi-nitely more in every direction. The laws ofphysics and magic change from place to place,sometimes over distances so short that a per-son can walk from one set of physical laws toanother. Still, there's bad and worse. Mostplaces in the Abyss are desolate and danger-ous, but not unlivable to someone with thepower of an Exalt and a bit of magic, no worsethan some normal planets. Trouble is, even-tually a person's bound to wander off and findthemselves somewhere they can't survive.

Not every place is hostile in an obvi-ous way; some places steal memories, othersrot bodies from within, and some places (es-pecially near the realms of the Ruinous Pow-ers, but also near some of the more powerfulDaemons) slowly corrupt a person's mind andturn him towards worship of the residing dark-ness. Rumors on Cadia and in Sigil tell storiesabout planets that are just swarms of hungryinsects, where a person's soul comes on displayfor all to see in its beauty or twisted horror, orwhere the cold doesn't just steal heat butfreezes your thoughts.

Most of the Abyss could best be de-scribed as a thick nebula in riotous colors thatmakes it difficult to see just what trouble you'llget into next. Small stars provide illuminationfrom all directions, with flows of the often-poi-sonous nebula vapors making the light incon-stant and difficult to navigate by. Most of theplanets in the Abyss orbit these stars, througha fair number are rogue wanderers that floatthrough the aether.

Because the Abyss is a giant puddle ofwarp energy, there is no real Umbra to speakof. Any effect that would allow travel to orfrom the Umbra doesn't work here. Or moreproperly, it does work but simply doesn't seem

to do anything. Incorporeal creatures aretherefore quite solid here, with nowhere tohide.

In the Abyss, the best thing to do is toact quickly. There's no way to predict whatmight happen, and being ready for anythingjust leads to being caught unaware by the onething you forgot. Anyone in the Abyss has tobe ready to make life-or-death snap decisionsand to trust their gut instinct.

ABYSSALINHABITANTSWhile the mix of creatures that inhab-

its the abyss is vast beyond understanding,there are some things that are the same onmost planets. As the Abyss is a twisted realmthat has the very warp itself hemmoraging intoit, it is effectively entirely within the Umbra.Ghosts, Elementals, and Daemons are allquite common, far more easily found than inany wholesome place. There are no nativemortal sentients. While there are someTieflings, they're typically recently born,changed in a pilgrimage to bathe in the rawpower of the Warp. Most newborn Tieflingsdon't survive to escape the Abyss.

ABYSSIALLOCATIONSThere are countless worlds floating in

the Abyss, so trying to name them all wouldbe foolish. Here are a few of the more impor-tant worlds and systems in the Abyss:

CadiaCadia isn't a world, though it's as

large as one. Layer upon layer upon layer offortification and armor built right on top of theonly known safe rout out of the Abyss' CrystalSphere. Some of the deeper parts of Cadia aretens of thousands of years old. It has been overa decade since the last major attempt by warp-creatures to escape the Abyss, the fourteenthsuch attempt since the latest ruler, GerrardInkheart, took power. The place is a last rest-ing point before the chaos of the Abyss. En-forcers are on hand at all times to give lastrights to those going into the abyss and to

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carefully inspect those coming out. Despitebeing a military outpost, the place has a sur-prising amount of civilian life, an industry andculture that formed around selling suppliesand comfort to the garrison. Things there aregenerally clean, but confusing to outsiders asthe millenia of construction have made theplace a maze in three dimensions.

The Fortress of KhorneKhorne's realm within the Abyss is a

monument to fury and bloodshed built onfoundations of murder and conflict. Theblood-soaked realm echoes constantly withKhorne's bellows and the clash of weapons. Atthe center of this mighty fortress lies the BrassCitadel, where Khorne's mighty throne re-sides. There, on a mountain of skulls in hiscastle of pain sits the God of Blood. Aroundthe citadel flows a moat, and it is filled notwith water but with the boiling blood of thosewho have lost their lives to war. Beyond thismoat lies league upon league of cracked land,littered with the ravaged bones of those whohave fallen in battle. Many champions and as-piring lesser gods of war have journeyed thereto test themselves against Khorne's prowess,and just as many now lie dead, for he hasnever known defeat.

The Battlefield of MalalMalal's realm is one of stark opposi-

tion and paradox, just like the betraying godhimself. What one finds within the battlefieldof Malal is no less than what one brings withthem. The Daemons that reside there take onthe aspects and powers that the intruders mostprize, and even the very worlds shift andchange to become familiar and deceptive.Everything in Malal's realm exists to destroyand betray, and the more an intruder cares forsomething the more dangerous it becomes.Worse of all, the more that seek to intrude inMalal's realm, the stronger each of his servantsbecomes. Only by going alone does anyonehave a chance of reaching The Tumor a placeof broken doomsday devices and world-endingweapons where the God of Destruction waitsfor his chance to strike out any anyone andeveryone.

The Garden of NurgleNurgle's realm within the Abyss is an

unwholesome realm home to every pox and af-fliction imaginable and alive with the stench ofrot. It is not a barren wasteland, but rather amacabre paradise of death and pestilence. Athick sheet of buzzing swarms of black, furryflies litter the sky, and twisted, rotten boughsentangled with grasping vines cover the moul-dering ground beneath an insect-ravagedcanopy of leaves. Defiled fungi both plain andextraordinary break through the leaf-strewnmulch of the forest floor, puffing out vileclouds of spores. Muddy rivers slither across

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the bloated landscape. Nurgle's Mansion ofrotted timbers and broken walls resides at theheart of the garden, decrepit and ancient, yeteternally strong at its foundations. It is withinthese tumbling walls that Nurgle toils at hiscauldron, a receptacle vast enough to containoceans.

The Palace of SlaaneshSlannesh's realm takes the form of a

number of worlds which must be visited in acertain order to proceed, each stop on thejourney posing a greater and greater risk ofleaving the traveller trapped forever. Each ofthe six worlds tempts the traveller, first withgreed, then gluttony and carnality. The fourthworld tempts with roars of adultation and thepromise of ultimate power over others. Thepenultimate planet is that of vainglory, tempt-ing with an ideal self-image - and even an in-stant of pride leaves one trapped there for alleternity. The last circle is the most perilous, aheavenly place seemingly perfect in every way.Every second fills the intruder with bliss, buta moment of rest or enjoyment results infalling into a coma and eventually dying in idlebliss. If one is able to successfully pass throughthe circles, he comes before the palace andSlaanesh himself. It is impossible for mortalsto look upon the god without instantly losingtheir soul, for all who see her become willingslaves to the Dark Prince.

The Maze of TzeentchThe realm of Tzeentch is a maze

woven of portals, magic, space and time. Ofall the realms of the Ruinous Powers, this do-main is the most bizarre and incomprehensi-ble. The Maze's presence is felt throughout allof the infinite space of the Abyss. Hiddenpathways built from lies and schemes lead outfrom the maze and weave themselves every-where in the Abyss, gateways that bend spaceconnecting them. There are no daemonic de-fenders in the maze, the realm's own illusorypassages enough of a barrier to any intrudernot possessed of the strongest mind imagina-ble. Its glittering, everchanging corridors re-flect not only light but also hope, misery,dreams, and nightmares. At the center of themaze, hidden from those who have not the in-

sane insight to find it, stands the ImpossibleFortress, a constantly changing fortress whichconstantly replaces its own archetecture withnew and ever more maddening spires, gates,and walls. Mortals find the fortress impenetra-ble. Only Tzeentch's most powerful servantscan tread the secret paths that lead to the innersanctum of the fotress, the Hidden Library,where Tzeentch, the puppet master himself re-sides, eternally plotting.

ADVENTURE SEEDS* There are things, artifacts, coming

out of the Abyss that break every law ofphysics and magic, and no one can explainhow they work except with a guess that they'resome form of solidified warp energy. Smug-glers have been going into the Abyss to gatherthese artifacts and sell them for vast sums. Butis this get-rich-quick scheme merely as dan-gerous as it sounds or do these artifacts repre-sent something even worse just starting to rearits ugly head?

* Cultists to one of the major Chaosgods have kidnapped one of their god's ene-mies alive and are dragging him through theabyss to sacrifice directly to their god. If theheroes can't stop them in time, the poor man(and probably the cultists as well) will suffer afate infinitely worse than death and, worse, themagical significance of the act will allow theWarp-entities to launch another attack onCadia, one that the fortress is ill-prepared for.

* A second Portal Relay has been dis-covered near the Abyss. While it is currentlyinactive, it is also totally undefended, and itwould be short work for some misguided soulto bring it online and give the Abyss a backdoor hanging wide open.

* One of Cadia's most impressive fea-tures are the gigantic black pylons that jutthrough it. They are some of the oldest partsof Cadia, and no two are alike. No one hasever managed to discover just what they are orhow they work, but they suppress Warp energyaround themselves, making it difficult formagic to work anywhere near them.

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ArboreaArborea is a Crystal Sphere that pulls

in an incredible tourist trade. Ossa, once a dis-mal, rain-soaked and unstable planet, was ter-raformed with a sophisticated weather controlnetwork that provided nearly constantly desir-able weather and seismic regulators to elimi-nate the geological instability. Today, Arboreais known for its beautiful tropical resorts, theabundance of pristine beaches, and the hospi-tality of its natives.

PHYSICALCONDITIONSArborea is a system that clearly has a

long history of interesting events. The Spherecontains a planetary system that maintains astable, but complicated, orbit between twostars. The natives name the two stars as Rahand Risa. Rah is the larger of the two stars, apure-white sphere of flame. Risa is muchsmaller, burning orange like a hot coal. Spec-tral analysis has shown beyond a shadow of adoubt that Risa is billions of years youngerthan Rah - impossibly young, in fact. Syrneruins and some legends from the Elves and El-darin bear out the theory that Rah was a gasgiant not too long ago (in cosmological time)and was ignited into a star by the Syrne.

Many think that the Syrne ignitedRisa to make terraforming three of the planetsin the system an easier task. It's certainly truethat three planets in-system are habitable, butonly the middle planet of the three, Ossa, isvisited by tourists. Its tropical beaches andislands make it a beautiful place with ex-tremely friendly natives who live to servethe tourists that come here. The sea overthe planet is rarely more than a meterdeep, though remnants of its geologicallyactive past have left it with many rifts in thesea, most of which are dead rock but someof which have molten magma sizzling intheir depths.

The other two planets are not sofriendly. The first planet, Arvandor, is off-limits even to Elves from other systems. It'sa very private planet that the natives arenot willing to share with anyone. Now

that's not to say that people don't go there any-way, but they're typically sorry once the Elvescatch up with them, and they tend to find outvery quickly. Only those who are specificallyinvited to Arvandor are really welcome here,and the number of people who get invited aresmall. The place is a forest grown to impossi-ble scale, everything twice the size or morethat it should be. Even animals grow to sur-prising size, with trout the size of a man andwolves standing two meters tall at the shoul-der.

The third planet is one that doesn'treally get mentioned much by anyone. It's notthe kind of place that even the curious wouldgo - the entire planet is swirling dust stormsand thin air. A body can breathe it, but it's dryas a bone and the dust will leave him chokingfor days afterwards and spitting up thin mud.There's a quarantine around the place, onethat is surprisingly well-enforced. The Elveshave some kind of large settlement here, butwhat they do is kept a secret from everyone.Rumors say it's connected to the reason theplanet's terraforming failed, that they're pro-tecting something of terrible power.

The rest of the system is a place ofbeauty. The night sky is dominated by a neb-ula of multicolored gas that makes the dark-ness shine like a rainbow of diamonds. Thefirst planet has a single, large moon that hangslike an eye above the planet, whereas the othertwo inhabited worlds have a multitude of smallmoons that only serve to provide something tolook at. The remaining gas giant in the systemhas a ring system considered a wonder of na-ture all on its own.

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ARBOREANINHABITANTSThe Elves are the true natives of Ar-

borea, Eldarin who long ago decided to settlehere. Few can blame them for not wanting toleave again. The worlds are amazingly beauti-ful, after all. What most don't notice, at leastnot at first, is that they're alive with naturespirits. Faeries and elementals can be found allover the place in the system. The native elvesmake small sacrifices to the nature spirits toappease the elementals, and many of the cer-emonies and parties that take place on the sec-ond world exist to keep visitors on the goodside of these creatures - when the natives sayyou simply must give the Limbo a go, they re-ally mean it.

ARBOREANLOCATIONS

Realm of CorellonHidden away on the Arvandor, and

one of the reasons the Elves don't allow otherson the planet, is the Realm of Corellon.There's no proper boundaries or even build-ings to show the extent of his domain. Corel-lon is a wandering god, appearing andvanishing like the faeries. It's considered verybad luck to praise anyone's skill too highly onArvandor because there's always a chance it'lldraw Corellon's attention and he'll appear justto show off that he's better than everyone else.While that sort of thing is really impressive thefirst few times, natives have gotten tired of

being outdone all the time. It's rumored thatCorellon is restless, which is why he badgersthe natives from time to time, but some forceor perhaps simply fear keeps him from leav-ing.

AumaanAumaan is the most heavily defended

point in Arborea, hidden away on Pelionamong the swirling dust and broken mesas. Itis a military facility, created by the Elvesaround a massive Syrne ruin that containedtechnology, weapons, and materials that otherraces would dearly love to have. The most im-portant thing they've got is raw Metatron ore,a radical isotope that has psychoactive proper-ties and is used in Portal Relays. The Custo-dian of Aumaan, Nephythys, is an Elvenwoman with a brilliant mind that has been re-portedly using the Metatron ore to constructmassive humanoid war machines with capabil-ities unmatched by anything built since the fallof the Syrne. The Elves have been keepingthese machines secret, and it's unknown forwhat purpose Nephythys' creations will even-tually be put.

Gilded HallThe Gilded Hall is a structure of su-

pernatural beauty on Ossa, a golden palace ofachingly beautiful spires and gracefully curvinghalls. Describing the beauty of the place is athankless task, an overwhelming, thunderingglory that stops viewers in their tracks andstrikes each heart in a different light, as if itwere magically tailored to appeal to each eyedifferently. The Gilded Hall's beauty seems tobring out the best in everyone, and all arewelome as long as the follow the same rules ason the rest of Ossa - no compulsions, only per-suasion. Some have trouble leaving the GildedHall, and it's said that some visitors find them-selves unable to leave, like flies caught in a spi-der's web spun of beauty and vice.

Tribe of TribesOn Arvandor, there is a secret society.

Well, secret from outsiders. Everyone on theplanet seems to know about it. Arvandor hasthe single largest society of werewolves any-

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where in the Wheel, and it's here that they in-duct new werewolves into the tribes and meetto resolve situations. The ruler of all were-wolves, the Marrok, lives here and spends al-most all his time keeping people from tearingeach other's throats out. Pretty much everywerewolf comes to Arvandor to spend timehere learning how to use their power and con-trol their instincts.

Master Weather ControlThe Master Weather Control system

is the most important place on Ossa. It is con-stantly manned by a team of thousands. Nau-tilla Colchea heads the department of weather,maintaining constant pleasant conditions allover the planet, a demanding task that requiresconstant small adjustments. Even a few min-utes without attention could cause a massivestorm to form, and given that the planet hasno real solid structures aside from a few emer-gency shelters, this would cause massive de-struction. Nautilla has apparently beengrowing bored with her position, though - notsurprising considering her mastery of magic.Rumors say she's considering abdicating herpost and setting out into the wider universe.

ADVENTURE SEEDS* Ossa isn't quite as innocent and nice

as it seems. One of the major species of plantlife, a type of strange flower with an almostchoking scent, is said to have a psychoactiveeffect on some, making emotions and passionsrun wild. The Elves encourage these plants fortheir own reasons, apparently to get blackmailmaterial or just to have their own kind of fun.A major meeting of Faction heads is scheduledon Ossa, and with the influence of the elves,things might go poorly, or better than ex-pected.

* Somewhere on Arvandor is said tobe a pool of pure glowing gold, a magicalfountain of youth that restores health and lifeto all those who drink from it. It is said to re-verse the aging process, which makes it wortha fortune to mortals. The fountain is said tomove around the planet, and finding it is morethan just a matter of knowing the location - ru-mors say it only appears to the worthy after

they've quested enough for it.* The Elves have experimented with

various ways to make Ossa more appealing toboost the tourist trade. One of the most prom-ising methods was to give the visitors exactlywhat they wanted, a perfect paradise tailoredto each person. Using holofields and nerve in-terlinks, they managed to do just that. And fora while, it seemed like it was working. Butsomething has gone wrong, and thousands aretrapped in a pleasant hell that kills them uponawakening. Unless someone can go inside andresist the temptations therein, they may neverawaken.

* Some reports from nearby systemshave mentioned attacks from pirates that don'tmeet any known criminal organization, usingflying humanoid war machines with weaponsand equipment that are impossibly advanced.Some fingers are beginning to point to theElves, though the government of Arborea isdenying any involvement. Has Nephythysgone rogue, or have some of her prototypesbeen stolen?

ArcadiaArcadia is one of the most important

breadbasket Crystal Spheres. The two habit-able worlds within Arcadia's Crystal Spherehave both been terraformed to the point thatany original features have been completelyerased and the worlds leveled so that only gen-tle hills and plains exist where once there weremountain ranges. Even the seas have beencarefully regulated. The entire land mass ofboth worlds have been turned into endlessfarms, shipping out grain and produce acrossthe Great Wheel.

PHYSICALCONDITIONSArcadia is one of the most predictable

and stable crystal spheres. The planets movein nice predicatable orbits, there aren't anyhuge changes to normal physics, and even thesun is a nice happy yellow color. Even better,the natives are welcoming and the wildlife istame. Of course, there are some small, minorcaveats. They're really no big deal.

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The main one is that if you step outof line, you're going to be in more trouble thanyou can handle. The planetary militias are ex-traordinarily strict, with no tolerance for any-one who doesn't fit in. And fitting in isn't justa matter of getting along with people, it's fol-lowing every rule, even the ones that don'tseem significant. A native of Arcadia wouldnever think to disobey a posted sign, leavemarked roads, or overstep their authority.

Well, that last one isn't quite true.Lately the militia has decided they need tokeep a firmer grasp on things. They've chosento go with the firm grasp of an iron fist ratherthan a velvet glove. Sorcery, for example, isfrowned upon. And it's very unwise to do any-thing that is frowned upon on Arcadia.

Physically speaking, the system hasthree planets. Had three planets. Of course,ask a native and they'll tell you there have al-ways only been two planets. The fact that thethird orbit around the star has a debris fieldthat hasn't even managed to spread out en-tirely, and is still glowing with residual heat, isjust a strange but perfectly natural event.

Rumors that the third planet was de-stroyed by some mismanaged working of sor-cery designed to make sure no one could eventhink out of order... those rumors are of coursesimply wrong. The militia ships around thedebris field are merely keeping others safefrom dangerous, but perfectly natural, ra-dioisotopes and micrometors. So no ships mayapproach within several light-seconds underpenalty of death.

Besides, the other planets are muchmore interesting. They're all flat land with only

a few gentle slopes, shallow seas fullof fish, and happy natives. All so veryhappy. And anyone is welcome tostay, as long as they can follow therules. Why, the people here are sohappy they never want to leave! Can'tblame them - the Wheel is a danger-ous place.

ARCADIANINHABITANTSThere are all sorts on Arca-

dia. Humans, Elves, Squats, evenHalflings and Aasimar. The people all

work together to support the greater good.Even the animals seem to do their part for thebenefit of all - the livestock of the farms is al-ways cooperative, with animals actually liningup on their own to be slaughtered. To an out-sider seeing it, it's a horrifying sight, but to thenatives it makes perfect sense - that's what theanimals are for, so of course they're happy todo it.

ARCADIANLOCATIONS

AbellioAbellio is a vast, flat grassland. Long

ago, it was terraformed to be almost as flat asa cue ball. It's easily one of the smoothest plan-etary masses in the Wheel, the difference be-tween the highest and lowest points on theplanet a matter of only a hundred meters orso. Every tree is part of an orchard. Every fieldhas grazing livestock. Every centimeter ofAbellio's surface is made purposeful. Even theoceans hold great stocks of fish, with reefskeeping schools neatly separate from eachother. The place runs like clockwork, andfrom the way the animals act, one gets the im-pression it would continue to do so for sometime even without the people there.

BuxenusThe second planet in the system,

Buxenus, is more tightly controlled than Abel-lio. While the first planet is open to visitors (aslong as they follow the rules), to get access to

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Buxenus requires all sorts of passes and per-missions, which makes it a really trying expe-rience for anyone attempting to get there.Frankly, unless a person is sent an invitationalong with clearance, they'll just be given therunaround and thrown at so much red tapethat they drown in it until they lose interestand find something else to do. The militiakeeps its headquarters here, and there are sup-posedly reeducation camps for troublemakersthat are more like dog kennels, but proving thestories has been impossible and natives simplydon't care.

Great MirrorA massive construction with a diame-

ter measured in thousands of kilometers, theGreat Mirror is a framework supporting hugesheets of a reflective material designed to pro-vide additional sunlight to Abellio. Thanks tothe Great Mirror, there is no real night, just asecond sunrise following a short dusk. Work-ers are constantly replacing panels in the GreatMirror as they tear or lose their reflective coat-ing, but the increased crop yields have beenincredible.

NemaususNemausus was the name of the third

planet in the system. Now it's a slowly expand-ing cloud of debris tained with sorcery thatcreates dancing shows of violet energy throughthe rubble. A militia fleet keeps a full-time cor-don around the area and gives people exactlyone chance to turn away before firing on them.All official records within Arcadia say that theplanet has been like that for billions of years.

Official records outside Arcadia haverecords showing Nemausus as a tradingpost only two centuries ago.

ADVENTURE HOOKS* The planets of Arcadia are just a lit-

tle too regular. Too well-defined and or-derly on every level. When people canactually make detailed observations - andthe militia usually kicks them out for dis-rupting things - the actions of the peopleand animals of Arcadia seem to approxi-mate logic gates. It can't be proven, butsome think the planets of Arcadia are

some kind of massive computer. What they'recomputing is anyone's guess.

* The destruction of Nemausus was-n't an accident. It was done very deliberately,and as a last resort after everything else hadfailed. Something terrible happened there -and reports say that something terrible wasmodrons awakening and deciding to clean theplace up a bit. It's entirely possible that mod-rons are sleeping in other places as well, andunless a better way can be found to deal withthem, there might be more asteroid fields inthe future.

* Buxenus is so well protected be-cause the crops they grow there are extraordi-narily valuable. There are medicinal herbsand, well, the other sort of medicinal herbs.The drug trade may seem like an odd thing tosee in such a law-abiding place, but it seemsthat most of the drugs go to the native popu-lations. New settlers sometimes have troubleadjusting, you see, and they're given certainmedications to calm them and... erase thoseemotions and feelings that don't fit well withthe way things are normally done here.

* Maybe the mortal mind can onlytake so much law and order before it snaps.Maybe there's something dreadfully wrongabout Arcadia. Rumors say that once everyseason, the farmers of Arcadia get together forbig festivals. Festivals that involve sacrificesburned to the gods. Farmers offer some oftheir crop, an animal, or best of all, someonewho isn't fitting into their perfect order.

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AcheronA Crystal Sphere that holds an im-

mense Ork empire, Acheron is a place of eter-nal warfare, Ork tribes fighting each other inan endless brawl between worlds so close to-gether they occasionally collide and scrapeagainst one another. While it's incredibly dan-gerous to visit, many smugglers bring endlesscaches of weapons that give one Ork tribe oranother a momentary advantage in the warthat consumes their lives. That said, the na-tives are content with their lot, Orks enjoyingfighting more than anything except fightingand winning.

PHYSICALCONDITIONSIt would be wrong to say Acheron is

unlivable. The place is a huge crystal sphere,not as large as the Abyss - not that anythingcould be - but still larger by an order of mag-nitude than the average Crystal Sphere. In-

side, it isn't filledwith vaccum but in-

stead an airy voidthat grows colder

and colder the deeperyou get towards

Acheron's center. The entire sphere is lit by adim grey light like twilight, not enough to readby but not so dark a man can't see his hand infront of his face. The source of this illumina-tion has never been found.

The most striking and obvious featureof Acheron are its many, many worlds, hugecubes of iron dozens of kilometers across.Gravity here doesn't draw towards the centerof the cubes, but just perpendicular to theirsurfaces. And on almost every cube can befound Orks. Now, there's only one thing thatcan happen when you have a bunch of Orks inone place, and that's fighting. The Orks spendalmost all of their time forming into warbandsand fighting each other in an endless self-con-suming war. Despite the sheer number of sol-diers, there are surprisingly few leaders. AnyOrk who really has what it takes to lead typi-cally leaves to find someone more interestingto fight.

Deeper into Acheron, and the cubeschange, becoming pockmarked blocks likecubic meteors, the pits in their surfaces leadingkilometers down inside, where they are filledwith the broken scraps of thousands of devices

like some giant's toy box. Great shipsthat have been lost to the Warp,toppled buildings, and weaponsof every kind find their way

here. Everything is inopera-tive, turning to the same iron-like stone as the rest of thecubes here over time. Thereare few orks here except forscavengers looking for a bit ofextra dakka or choppy to takeback with them. Deeper yet,and things get more and morehostile. Even the Orks don'tgo all the way down intoAcheron's depths.The most obvious danger in

Acheron, aside from the na-tives, is the threat of collisons

between the cubes. While thecubes are rarely damaged be-yond a few dents and scrapes,but those dents and scrapesare in kilometers of solid iron

- anyone caught between two

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colliding cubes is as good as dead.Of course, the cubes aren't alwaysentirely solid. Some cubes are rid-dled with tunnels, which makethem favorites for permanenthabitation since cities or struc-tures built on the surface of a cubewill eventually be crushed.

The tunnels are also cru-cial sources of food and water, forthey support humid, fertile mush-room beds and a strange form ofwoody, black, earthy fruid calledprovender stones. Provenderstones are edible, barely, and re-semble square black blocks that siton the iron plains and grow con-stantly, some reaching the size ofa house or larger. Ice and sleetfrom blizzards fall into the tunnelsand pool in caverns, providing a source offoul-tasting but live-giving water.

The most terrible danger of Acheronis one that only the most learned scholarsknow of - time on the cubes of Acheron simplystops if they sail through the void without col-liding with another cube. While this does keepsomeone stranded on a cube from starving todeath, anyone who can will get away beforethis happens before centuries pass back home.

ACHERONIAN INHABITANTSAcheron is the home of battalions and

armies constantly at war. To most, this wouldbe a place of oppressive death and encroachinghorror, but to the native Orks it is nearly a par-adise. They care not for glory or honor, justthe sheer excitement of a battle well-fought,victory or death. Even the sides and comradesconstantly change - an Ork might fight for onewarband one day and against it the next.When a battle isn't on, the orks can be surpris-ingly cheerful and even good company. Thereare a surprising number of soldiers from otherraces as well, most of them dispossessed sol-diers with nothing left to fight for. They don'ttypically last long, but most of them are justseeking a place to die anyway. There's no realnative wildlife to speak of.

ACHERONIAN LOCATIONS

Istvarhan, the Moving FortressIstvarhan is the kind of fortress that

only an Ork would think to build. It's a hugeplace made of the only two resources that canbe found in Acheron in vast quantity - ironand manpower. The walls of Istvarhan are lit-erally made of armor and slaves, and the entirefortress can be set into motion on their backs.The jerky, bouncing motion of the fortressmakes anything besides sitting still a difficulttask. The Warboss commanding the fortress isGrazdeff the Wise, an Ork with a surprisinggrasp of tactics and an ability to put peoplewhere they can do the most good. Which isquite unfortunate for those who can do themost good bolted into the walls of the fortress.He allows anyone who wishes to join to be-come part of his warband, and has assembleda grand fighting force of blood brothers. It'ssaid that he'll be the next to escape Acheronand head out in a WAAAAAGH to fight thegreater foes of the Wheel, and his skill at diplo-macy and technology will make him a danger-ous foe when he does. For now, his main goalis to assemble a ship to effect such an escape.

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HammergrimAn inward-turned realm of Squats

and ironlike stone, Hammergrim is a dourrealm of grey light, grey stone, and somberclothing. Even the squat festivals are grim,with much sonorous chanting and invocationsof protection against the threat of the Orks.Hammergrim was founded long ago as arefuge and striking point against the Orkhordes of Acheron - the Squat's ancient hatredfor the greenskins demanded they have afoothold against them. It is one of the bestplaces in the Wheel to have a blade forged,and the squats there will do so (not happily,though - they're never happy) for a price. Theruler of Hammergrim is currently the LivingAncestor Branka, though no ruler of Hammer-grim has ever ruled alone - the Court of Mem-ory, where the ruler resides, is haunted by thespirits of rulers past. Every ruler of Hammer-grim goes insane over time, losing themselvesto the possession of these spirits and becominglittle more than a limp doll when not beingused by them. Branka has only ruled for ashort time, so the ill-tempered squat has notyet lost herself to the whispering voices.

The Mines of MarsellinThe mines are a treasure-trove of ar-

tifacts, magic, and strange jeweled machines.Heaps of spacefaring ships, enormousweapons, and steam-driven carriages are scat-tered everywhere. Unfortunately, most ofthem have been fused into lumps of solid blackiron. The mines seem to generate new mate-rial daily, though no one has ever learned why.The mines include hundreds, even thousandsof strip mines and bottomless well-like shafts.The best kept secrets are which mineshaftslead to the interior caverns, those echoing hol-low spaces filled with the cast-offs of the uni-verse. Most are dead ends, sunk into the blackiron cubes by hopeful prospectors who soonturned to iron themselves. The area is over-seen by an ancient dragon with rust-coloredscales who calls herself Coirosis who hatestheieves and claimjumpers and punishes themwith swift death. Even the threat of thedragon, though, can't keep people away fromthe untold riches of the mine. Wise men dowell to buy a deed from the dragon before at-

tempting to do any mining themselves - thereare enough threats from scavengers and jeal-ous miners, and no one needs an angry dragonadded to that list.

TintibulusDeep, deep within Acheron, things

start to change. In the area known as Tintibu-lus, cubes give way to other geometric shapes,pyramids and prisims and octrahedrons andshapes that have no name. The shapes here aremuch smaller than the iron cubes before, mostscarcely larger than a house. The material ofthe bodies here is also different, not the ironof the first layer of cubes or the ironlike stoneof the second, but dull volcanic rock that frac-tures when collisions occur, cracking alongnatural fault lines. The place is empty, evensounds hardly carrying at all. It mostly resem-bles a very thick asteroid belt, with little to rec-ommend it except as a place to hide.

OcanthusThere are very few reports from this

part of Acheron. There are no cubes or shapesto find here. Instead, there are razor-thinshards of black ice, some barely an inch across,others miles in width. Their collisions breakthem into progressively smaller shards, even-tually into needles and then dust. The shardsmust all come from some single source,though the night-black space filled with flyingrazors doesn't lend itself well to exploration.Rumors speak of some bottom to Acheron, acentral sea of black ice as large as a sun. Theonly ones who have claimed to have gonethere and come back are insane and otherwiseuntrustworthy - but you'd have to be insane towant to make the trip in the first place. Talesof creatures made entirely out of blades aresimilarly almost certainly false, and even ifthey were true, who would want to go toOcanthus to find out?

ADVENTURE SEEDS* The most powerful ship ever con-

structed, The Emperor's Wrath, has beenfound floating in Acheron after thousands ofyears lost in the warp. There may be survivors,but more importantly the ship included an-

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cient Syrneth technology that made it invinci-ble in combat. The ship must be recovered be-fore it can fall into the wrong hands or turninto stone, and it's quickly turning into a racebetween the Orks and everyone else in theWheel.

* Orks just seem to be everywhere inAcheron. The rumors say that they aren'tborn, but simply seem to come up out of thetunnels in some of the cubes. Are the cubes ofAcheron some kind of massive farm of the Syr-neth designed to produce warriors for their an-cient war? And if so, what would happen ifsomeone managed to get them up to full pro-duction - or stopped them in their tracks?

* The Living Ancestor Braska will paya high price to anyone who can find a way tokeep her sane despite the spirits haunting herpalace. While it is forbidden in her society toactually destroy the ghosts, she is more thanwilling to look the other way if it will meanshe isn't doomed to insanity. However, theruthless ruler isn't beyond selling out thePCs to her people if they're caught in theact.

* The ocean at the very center ofAcheron isn't just a rumor - it's a real thingand it isn't just a puddle of water. It's hold-ing back some horror from ancient times. Itis the reason for the cubes existing in theircurrent state of disrepair, its power flingingthem out of perfect geometric alignments.The shards of ice in Ocanthus are symptomsof its awakening, and it might take morethan all the Orks working together to put itdown.

BaatorNine worlds, each different and

each one sinister yet far from lawless. Thechain of command here is absolute, and dis-cipline is enforced as much to crush thespirits of those who don't conform as tomaintain order. The natives here plot andscheme against one another, vying forpower. It is a place of great opportunities tothe ruthless, but the price of failure is ab-solute.

PHYSICALCONDITIONSBaator is a fairly normal-looking place

by most standards. One star, a red giant thatlooks like a diseased and dying thing, and nineplanets. It's a dangerous place by anyone'sstandards, but compared to some of the reallyawful places in the universe, Baator's creepingevil and sinister tones can seem downrighthomey.

Baator is safe for ships to travelthrough, following the normal laws andphysics of the Wheel at large. Of course, thoseships had best pay very careful attention to theorders of the local traffic controllers - Baatorattracts a surprising number of visitors fromall parts of the Wheel and so traffic can bequite thick. Naturally, Baator being what it is,anyone breaking those orders has more to

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worry about than just some minor fender-ben-der. The might of Baator's armies come downon those that dare break the law here, thoughfor the right price it's possible to get them tolook the other way.

BAATORIANINHABITANTSBaator attracts all the wrong sort of

people. The natives here have a long history ofsorcery, the dangerous kind. Pacts with dae-mons are the only way to ascend in society,testing not only a person's ability to call on thedaemons but also their cunning and ability tocut deals that leave them ahead (and alive).The more politically influential people in Baa-tor are effectively immortal, with overlappingcontracts and deals that have left them withlittle humanity in body or soul. Mutation andcorruption are common among Baator's in-habitants. Most worlds of Baator have little inthe way of wildlife - almost everything hasbeen subjugated and planned, used up inquests for power. What there is was probablyonce human but fallen to mutation to becomesomething less than a man.

BAATORIAN LOCATIONS

AvernusAvernus is the world closest to Baa-

tor's sun, a parched world of blasted, rock-strewn fields. The atmosphere is a thick hazethat turns the sky into a smear of glaring red.There is no real water here, just dried upriverbeds and dust. The greatest danger toanyone coming here is the ever-present threatof fireballs - seeping gasses from below waitingfor the slightest spark to erupt into an explo-sion that can burn a man to ash. One of thefew things to recommend on this world are thequality of its gemstones, mined in a city of de-praved halflings called Draukari. The stonesare all of the highest quality, often in shadesand colors that seem totally unreal. The rulerof Avernus is a Tiefling named Bel. It's ru-mored that Bel runs training camps for thearmies of Chaos beneath the haze of Avernus'

sky, though anyone who has learned the truthof it has ended up dead.

DisDis is the second world of Baator, and

the destination that most travellers to Baatorend up. The entire world is more or less a gi-gantic city, spires of blackened iron thrustingtheir way into the ashen skies in the few openareas surrounding the core of civilization onthis world, the city of Dis, a place so nice theynamed it twice. The city is like a hive, crowdedand dirty, made of darkened iron that turnsred hot in the glare of the sun. The city of Disis a tightly controlled place, with passesneeded for almost everything and the activitiesof visitors being strictly recorded and theirmovements controlled. Most never leave thePort Quarter of the city, though that's wherealmost all the services for vistors are locatedanyway. At the center of Dis, looking overevery part of the city from a tower so high itreaches nearly into orbit, is the Iron Tower.Edicts from the city's ruler, Dispater, comedown from on high like iron slabs hitting con-crete.

MinaurosMinauros is best described as a stink-

ing bog. Polluted acid rain washes down froma leaden sky like the burning tears of a god.The atmosphere is so thick and hot that leadruns like water, and the surface is a bog of acidmuck and misery. Some very, very tough veg-etation hangs on to life here, but nothing thatwould really resemble life can survive outsideof Minauros' few cities. The most major cityis, perhaps unsurprisingly, both simply calledMinauros and also sinking into the swamp.Rumors persist that the swamp of Minauroshas no bottom, and that you can sink foreverwithout ever hitting bedrock. Minauros' ruler,Mammon, is terribly warped from the bar-gains he has made. His greed is said to be al-most infinite, and he is willing to give upalmost anything to sate his avarace. The factthat he has already given up his humanity (orwhatever race he was - being that he's fifty feettall with the lower body of a snake means thatit's anyone's guess at this point) speaks vol-umes.

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PhlegethosPhlegethos is, like most

of Baator, a quite unpleasantplace to live. Some quirk of plan-etary formation left it with a vol-canic cycle that causes massiveupheval of the entire surfaceevery few thousand years. Theplace is currently in the beginningof another of these cyles, and theentire surface is cracked andflooded with rivers of magma andseas of flame. It may seem likethis would be the last sort of place aperson would want to be, but thesame quirk of planetary formation that createdthis cycle of volcanic activity also left theplanet with an incredible mineral wealth thatreplenishes itself every cycle. The ruler ofPhlegethos is technically Lady Fierna, thoughmost in the know are aware that her father,Lord Belial, runs most of the planet from be-hind the scenes. Both have little to do with themining operations directly, just managing themanagers, and spend their lives in incrediblehedonism.

StygiaA place that seems like a refreshing

change from the heat-blasted first few worldsof Baator, Stygia is a water world, a greatfrozen sea, a place of crushing ice floes andmammoth icebergs. Floating plants of severaltypes form floating swamps and forests on thewater, places that are fairly hospitable. Con-stant storms and lightning make the sky a dan-gerous place to be, though strong currentscreate clear paths through the ice for thosewilling to risk them. Ice floes are the dominantsurface here, upon which castles and cities arebuilt. The ruler of this layer is rumored to havebeen imprisoned deep in the ice of a massiveiceberg, trapped and unable to die by somebadly-made contract with a daemon. Theplanet has reverted to a sort of controlled an-archy, with private armies enforcing the lawsof their masters with an iron fist in the now-fractuous city states.

MalbolgeMalbolge is a gas giant, standing out

among the other planets like a festering soreand looking like a diseased boil. While theplanet itself is uninhabited, there are a numberof small moonlets and stations around it thatdraw off valuable gasses from the planet. Themost interesting feature of Malbolge are themassive corpses that orbit it, remnants of aspecies that is likely long dead, space whaleshundreds of kilometers long. Their bone andivory are a fair bit of the trade from Malbolge,the sheer size of the corpses meaning that thesupply is almost inexhaustible. The ruler ofMalbolge, Glasya, has only very recently beeninstalled, and is said to be the daughter of thesoverign of Baator itself.

MaladominiMaladomini is a planet of ruins, a

world of hard labor under a blood-black sky.Granite and wasted cities scatter the surface ofthe planet, polluted canals clogging up andspilling waste across the scarred surface of theplanet. Everything natural has been defaced ordestroyed. Strip mines, slag heaps, landfills,and crumbled ruins are the terrain of thisplanet. The ruler, Triel, is an Aasimar who hasapparently been driven insane (or worse) bythe pressures of Baator. No one has seen himin person in decades, and his orders havegrown more and more insane - he demandsperfection from all endevors, and this is most

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evident in the construction of his captial city.He has demanded that workers restart the ef-fort again and again, always displeased. Theentire planet has been torn apart and half-re-assembled under his orders.

CaniaWhere Stygia is a frozen sea, Cania is

a place of ice and land even harsher than thatplanet. Here the ice isn't just water, but the airitself freezing in the almost-perfect cold. Theworld has a unique industry, producing someof the finest plasma weaponry there is. Theruler of the planet, Mephistopheles, is a manwho displays a facade of charm, civility, andwit. In reality, he has a terrible temper withendless ambition. He is a powerful sorcerer,and has recently developed a way to create atype of warp plasma with his spells. He hasopenly stated he intends to rule the entire sys-tem, and no doubt he intends to use this newpower to fuel that ambition.

NessusThe final planet of the system, and

one of the best-protected places in the entireWheel. An armada of ships prevents anyonefrom getting close. It is from here that Baatoris ruled. Nessus is a black planet crisscrossedby rifts and trenches, some little more than afew meters deep and others extending hun-dreds or even thousands of miles into thedepths. In the deepest pit, of incalculable andimpossible depth, broods Asmodeus, the rulerof Baator. He is, from reports, soft-spoken, ar-ticulate, chillingly reasonable, and so powerfulas to defy comprehension.

Adventure Hooks* The ruler of Stygia, Prince Levistus,

is only allowed one day of freedom every yearfrom his prison of ice. He is willing to give theheroes almost anything if they can find a wayto free him, a task that may require the slayingof a Daemon before the more mundane taskof cutting him free can even begin.

* An assassination attempt has re-cently been aimed at Glasya, and failed. Nowthe entire crystal sphere is on lockdown andmartial law is getting worse and worse. Unlesssomeone can find the assassin soon, the para-noia and twistings of betrayal of the system

will erupt into a real war. Fortunately,the heroes are beyond suspicion andhave been hired - apparently by As-modeus himself - to take care of theproblem. Or else.

* A warp storm has been buildingaround Baator for some time now, andships are finding it more and more dif-ficult to get into the crystal sphere andout again. While this has driven theprices of Baatoran goods up, it appearsthat this may not be a natural warpstorm, but an attack from one of Baa-tor's enemies.

* A man approaches the heroes beg-ging for help - his child has been se-duced and lured to Baator by thepromise of wealth, wine, and women.The rumors suggest that this is a plotby a high-ranking Baatorian to gather ahuge number of unwitting people toserve as a sacrifice to ascend to some

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higher power. Other rumors say that the offeris just what it seems, an attempt to boost thetourism trade.

BeastlandsThe Beastlands are a mysterious

Crystal Sphere. There are a number of planetscircling the star that are habitable, each onecovered in wilderness and with astoundinglydeadly wildlife. There are some ruins on theplanets and mysterious power signatures, butattempts to investigate the ruins or establish acolony have all met with failure as the fauna -and even flora - turned actively hostile,demonstrating abilities impossible for normalplant and animal life that only increased in re-sponse to resistance.

PHYSICALCONDITIONSTo a casual observer, the Beastlands

seem like a fairly normal system, if one com-pletely untouched by industry and the trap-pings of civilization. Someone more observantmight note that the worlds in the Sphere areunusually flush and full of life, with every sin-gle solid surface - and even the system's solegas giant - supporting an advanced ecology.The system has seven planets, and there's littlepoint in describing each of them in detail -they are all nearly the same.

The sameness of the worlds is actuallyquite startling. Very nearly the same ecosys-tems exist in every world, just adapting to sur-vive in the conditions present on each of theplanets. From what few samples scholars havebeen able to gather, the native organisms de-veloped an astounding ability to survive innearly any environment, possibly thanks to amassive planetary disaster. There's little evi-dence to support that theory, though. With theactive ecosystem on each system, findingcraters and other signs of disaster are difficult.Any kind of active scan is almost inevitablymet with a response from the planet.

Naturally, it's this response that is ofgreatest interest to people. Mostly because it'swhat ends up killing just about everyone. The

ecosystems are astoundingly deadly to out-siders, functioning almost like a massive de-fense system at every scale from microscopicto even defending from orbital threats. Thethings that the life forms on these planets cando border on the supernatural in scope, yetthere doesn't seem to be much actual magic toit at all, merely biology so incredibly advancedthat it seems impossible, from trees that growas armored shells around high-energy hydro-carbons - firing upward as ballistic missilesthat can even achieve orbit - to plants withleaves with almost perfectly reflective surfacesthat they use to focus ambient light into deadlybeams of heat.

The fauna is even worse than theflora. Dragons can't even compete with them,mostly because they all seem to work togetherwhen intruders are around. When observedfrom a great distance, the ecology seems tosettle and act like a fairly normal world, the lifeforms preying on one another and so forth. It'sonly when someone from the outside comes inand disturbs things that they seem to sponta-neously form an army. There doesn't seem tobe any central planning or hivemind effect - allof the behavior seems to be emergent, devel-oping from their normal behaviors.

Because of the sheer danger of the

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ecologies, settlements are more-or-less impos-sible. One attempt was made to terraform themost temperate of the planets. The attemptended badly, and the tales the few survivorstold were enough to make sure a second mis-sion was never launched. To date, the Beast-lands lie relatively untouched, left to thedangerous animals within.

BEASTLANDSINHABITANTSThe only real inhabitants are the

strange, extremely advanced life forms. Noth-ing else can really survive for long, either end-ing up becoming food or being torn apart andthen food. A few (very well armed) scientistsstill study the local life forms, but their expe-ditions have to be very fast and unobtrusive -even a slight disturbance can start the wildlifeon a killing spree.

BEASTLANDS LOCATIONS

The MothershipThe remains of the first terraforming

attempt are still floating in-system. The mas-sive ship is several kilometers long, and had acrew numbering in the tens of thousands.Had. Only a tiny fraction of the crew managedto escape, and the rest became food and bio-

mass for a growing infectionthat started after life formsfrom the planet got onboard.The Mothership has sincebecome a crumpled wreckovergrown with tough fun-gus and massive vines thathave developed thick skinsthat use metal drawn fromthe ship to form radiation-resisting hulls. Animals,most of them smaller andstranger than in the rest ofthe system, prowl thewarped hallways which havebecome more like caves orthe bowels of some massivebeast.

The Sargasso AsteroidsSupporting the idea that the life forms

here spread through space via some kind ofimpact event, asteroids have become collectedin most of the stable Lagrange points and, overtime, life has grown there. Weedy strings ofplant matter and bacteria have joined the as-teroids that fall here into loose nests and webs.They're one of the few places that are relativelysafe to collect samples from, as there isn'tenough biomass to create anything really dan-gerous, though occasionally asteroids willbreak free on suspiciously precise trajectoriesto hit ships that approach too closely.

The Great CircleThe Great Circle is the name given to

the only ruins that have ever been discoveredon any of the planets of the Beastlands.They're the only structures that aren't over-grown or destroyed quickly by invading plantsand animals. The ruins are in the form of aring, twenty miles around and a mile and ahalf thick. Several expeditions have tried to ex-plore the ruins, but there doesn't seem to be away inside the structure. For now, it remainsone of the greatest mysteries in the Sphere.

Variable Gravity WellOn one of the moons of the system's

sole gas giant (which itself harbors floating

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plants and animals like gliding wings andbaloons) is a spot that's unique in the system.Something buried deep within the moon isemitting a high amount of warp energy that'swarping space around the moon, the effectmost strongly felt as a, well, variable gravitywell that changes in shape and power overtime. The corpses of many thousands of thelargest variety of predatory native are in a mas-sive pile over the site of the gravity well, theirhardened shells forming a tough barrier thatwould take battleship-level weapons to breakthrough. Even approaching this moon is dan-gerous - it seems to represent a sore spot orsensitive zone for the wildlife, always drawingfire.

Adventure Hooks* Recently, humanoid creatures have

been spotted on one of the planets in-system.They didn't quite match the description of anyknown race, but seem to combine featuresfrom all of them. Are they intelligent life formsthat have somehow escaped detection untilnow, a new development that has only recentlyevolved, or are they part of a rumored cult ofsurvivalists that is said to have come to theBeastlands to escape the sprawl of civilization?

* Some of the scientists returningfrom studies of the Beastlands have been van-ishing after returning home. At the same time,there are reports of creatures that resemble thenative life of the Beastlands appearing on theirhomeworlds. Is there some new disease or in-fection that is lying dormant in researchers andwaiting to spread the taint of the bizarre lifehere across the Wheel?

* Increasingly, as research efforts be-come more uncommon and unmanned probesbecome the norm, strange malfunctions andglitches have been occuring. Probes arerecording passages of time that don't matchthe time that passes outside the Sphere. It ap-pears as though the longer that the Spheregoes without being opened, the faster timepasses inside it. Some have suggested that thistime warp might be the cause for why the lifehere is so evolved - it's had many more billionsof years without extinction-level events or out-siders becoming involved to become intercon-nected.

* Reports speak of strange ships beingseen around the Beastlands, both inside andoutside of the Spheres. The ships don't matchany known class or even general design philos-phy of the known races. At least one of theships was destroyed after firing strange plasmaweapons on a human ship. The debris recov-ered - and there wasn't much - was almost en-tirely non-metallic, made of strange polymersand plastics that seem organic in nature. Arethese ships connected to the reports of spacemonsters attacking nearby Crystal Spheres?

BytopiaBytopia is a place of intense industry,

a pair of worlds that are covered in forges andfactories, industrial complexes soaring into thesky and mine workings burrowing deep intothe crust. Bytopia boats the most impressivefactories in known space, its massive produc-tion able to supply armies throughout theWheel. Entire fleets are devoted to bringingraw materials to Bytopia and bringing con-sumer goods away. The very void within theCrystal Sphere of Bytopia is contaminatedwith enough industrial pollution and smoke togive it a thin atmospheric haze.

PHYSICALCONDITIONSBytopia is an old and used-up system.

There are only two planets left, encrusted withfactories and landing facilities for ships. Spaceelevators hang down from artificial, solid, ringsaround each planet that serve both as dockingports for massive freight ships and mass accel-erators for launching cargo loads to waitingnets and waste loads into the sun. The planetsare only barely habitable, wastelands of indus-trial waste and mining debris. The vast major-ity of the large populaton spends their livesinside, many never seeing the light of day.

Bytopia's system is thankfully free ofmagical hazards. The place operates much asyou'd expect a space to, with few surprises interms of the actual physical laws. The compo-sition of the plane might surprise a person,though. As noted above, there's so much pol-lution and industrial waste floating around in

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the sphere that it's actually somewhat pressur-ized, thicker than a nebula and made entirelyout of pollution.

There's plenty of evidence that therewere a number of other worlds in the system.The mined-out remnants of no less than threegas giants and two other rocky planets float inlazy orbits. There's little left now except an-cient scaffolding from when they literally tookthe planets apart, too old and in much disre-pair, everything of value already taken away.The only thing left are frameworks of metaltoo difficult to work or scrap.

The first planet of Bytopia, Dothion,is all rust-colored landscapes and tarnishedmetal. Most of the natives live in massive ar-cologies that supply all their needs. Monorailsand moving walkways are the norm - there arealmost no personal transports except for thevery rich. Most live within walking distance oftheir jobs, only know their neighbors andworkmates, and never even think about travelor the outside world. Va-cations are spent in pur-pose-built recreationzones which offer somemodest simulation of na-ture, albeit one crowdedshoulder-to-shoulderwith other people.

The secondplanet, Shurrock, is farless forgiving. It pro-duces many items thatare restricted or illegal onother worlds - lockpicks,weapons, military armor,and spelljammer compo-nents. The natives don'thave the same sort offreedoms enjoyed on thefirst world - because ofthe dangerous nature ofmany of the items andthe value of them all,they're constantlywatched, searched, andscreened for dangerousideas. Outsiders areviewed with suspicionand kept away from the

general population, distracted by areas setaside for just that purpose. Going outsidethese areas carries the threat of immediate andoften deadly police action.

Ships are constantly moving in andout of the system, making the traffic a hazardin its own right. Thankfully, the traffic controlagents of Bytopia are excellent - the combina-tion of Virtual Intelligence and extreme skillthey use combines the best aspects of logic andinstinct. The trade in raw materials and orehas priority over almost all other traffic, fuelfor the furnaces of creation.

BYTOPIANINHABITANTSThe major inhabitants of Bytopia are

Squats and Humans. Halflings are found ingreat numbers as well, though they typicallylive in the underbelly of the factory-cities, sur-viving on scraps and cunning. Gnomes can be

found as well, workingon the more arcane andancient machinery andkeeping it running fromday to day. There is nowildlife to speak of,though there are someworking animals used ina few factories, and petskept by the affluent.

BYTOPIANLOCATIONS

Ring 0One of the oldest

parts of the system, Ring0 is the scaffolding rem-nant of one of the innerrocky planets. It was oneof the first planets com-pletely strip mined, anoverbuilt prototype thatwas refined as the By-topians tore the rest ofthe system apart. Thescaffolding surrounds auseless core of slag rock

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that no one has (yet) found a use for. What re-mains of Ring 0 is what they couldn't easy re-cycle - the mass driver and damaged parts thatjust weren't worth saving. It has become some-thing of a tradition for the smaller independenttraders to stop at Ring 0 at the end of a suc-cessful run. A bar has been built there, and theancient Ring 0 docks are more than sufficientto handle the light traffic. The bar, AbsoluteZero, is an inflatable structure that looks outinto the void with transparent walls. It hasbeen destroyed and rebuilt several times now,but the bartender, an Eldarin exile who goesby Moondog, refuses to make the structuremore sturdy or quit. He says he enjoys thedanger and excitement.

The Last Ruby Rays of DawnA wrecked ship, the Last Ruby Rays

of Dawn was carrying extremely hazardouscargo that broke containment and left every-one onboard ship dead. For over a century,the Dawn has floated in an extremely ellipticalorbit that keeps it away from all other trafficlanes. No one has tried to salvage the ship -the filed reports say that it'll be another hun-dred centuries before anyone can go aboardwithout melting into a puddle of radioactiveooze. Or that's what the reports say. No one iswilling to chance it. The ship floats with ahundred thousand kilometer no fly zonearound it, though rumors say that transmis-sions and even running lights have been seencoming from the wreck.

GWOTT HeadquartersA government building as large as a

city, the Great Wheel Order of Trade and Tar-iffs is the organization that polices economicactivity and acts as a kind of police force toprotect the stability of the Wheel's economyand to curtail trade in illegal goods and serv-ices. GWOTT keeps its headquarters separatefrom Sigil to keep a distance both politicallyand literally from the interests of the Factions.The chief of GWOTT is a strict and collectedwoman named Eclipse who makes few publicappearances. Rumors say that the GWOTTemploys teams of Exalts to take on the mostdifficult and sensitive missions, often breakingor ignoring local laws for a greater good.

Solar Observatory #14A very plain title for one of the best-

kept secrets in the system. For thousands ofyears now it has been watching a very strangeobject - a station orbiting the sun at extremelyclose range. Impossibly close. The station hasbeen seen passing through arcs of solar plasmawith no change to the structure. Ships haven'tbeen able to get close enough to actually dockwith it. The assumption among most scholarsis that it's Syrneth in nature, a relic of theirgolden age. Of course, it hasn't been proven,and some of the latest scans have presentedsomewhat worrying evidence of growing activ-ity lately. The truth may never be known at all,as the orbit is slowly decaying and within ageneration or so it is expected to simply dropinto the sun and never be seen again.

ADVENTURE SEEDS* In one of the best protected factories

of Shurrock is a legion of massive war ma-chines, titanic walking tanks called Warstrid-ers. Whoever gets their hands on them canconquer entire Crystal Spheres, carve out em-pires among the stars. Next week, the biddingis due to start. Now, though, they're vulnera-ble (relatively) and an extremely tempting tar-get. A surprising amount of information ontheir location and the security forces has beenleaked to the wrong people, almost as if they'retempting someone to try taking them...

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* The inhabitants of Dothionare used to excavating geofronts, hugecaverns underground, to house peopleand industry. However, in one of thelatest excavations, the miners discovereda cave complex that was certainly notnatural. Before contact was lost, they re-ported strange power sources, halls ofblack metal staring into them, stasisbanks with sleeping things the refused todescribe, and, towards the end, thesense that something was awakening,that the entire place was alive and full ofhate for them, endless ancient hate.

* The GWOTT would like outsidersto think that it is a perfect organization with-out any internal troubles and unparalleled au-thority throughout the Wheel. However,recently two very important high-ranking op-eratives went rogue, claiming that theGWOTT is being controlled by a cabal ofmerchants and aristocracy that have some ne-farious plan. While the rogues might be right,unconfirmed internal reports suggest that theymight be high-level exalts, and perfectly capa-ble of doing a lot of damage on their own.

* Shurrock has been experimentingwith something extremely dangerous - a kindof mind control agent of extreme and subtlepower delivered over multiple means. Thefood, water, and entertainment of the planetare all tainted with this system, and it has beenvery effective in keeping worker unrest downand happiness high. However, it appears long-term use of the drugs and psychological pro-gramming has a detremental effect. An effectthat drives people to murder everyone aroundthem.

CarceriCarceri is an unusual formation, a

matryoshka doll of Crystal Spheres nested oneinside the other. Each layer contains equip-ment of incredible age - most assume that it'sSyrneth, but some scholars claim that it seemseven older, though that is of course impossi-ble. The center has never been reached, eachCrystal Sphere proving to be more and moredifficult to breach. But each new Crystal

Sphere opened has also had prizes, technologythat even the most clever looters had been un-able to claim. Despite the signs that Carceriwas constructed to contain something terriblydangerous, the lure of Syrneth technology hasfunded countless expeditions.

PHYSICALCONDITIONSCarceri is located in the scenic middle

of nowhere. It's not only out of the way, butthe crystal sphere is shrouded in a dark nebulathat makes it invisible until a spelljammer getsclose to it, when it suddenly looms up out ofthe gloom. The portal relay that servicesCarceri is well outside the nebula, making thejourney to the crystal sphere a trying task. Theoutermost crystal sphere is easy to breach fromthe outside. From the inside, though, theonce-easy navigation becomes a trying task,the structure of the crystal sphere serving tofunnel ships inside.

As already mentioned, Carceri is aunique structure, as far as is known. Inside arenested crystal spheres - the exact number ofwhich aren't known. The first open area is themost well-known, especially by treasurehunters, as it's their first stop (and often thelast place they're seen alive). The space be-tween the spheres on the first layer is quitesmall, only a few kilometers like a shallow seaof space with crystal spheres above and below.

Even on the first layer of Carceri, theSphere's various hazards appear. The twomost obvious are the massive storms andclouds of floating debris. Because of a kind ofstrange extradimensional friction, massive

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electrical storms roil across space, strangelighting striking out in all directions in unpre-dictable patterns. These bolts have beenknown to wreck smaller ships and slag electri-cal systems on larger ships. The debris is evenworse, everything from ships wrecked by thestorms to clouds of razor-sharp hull fragmentsthat can cut through void suits (and the peoplewearing them) like a sword through butter.

There are other dangers as well, someof them less obvious. The first few layers havebeen relatively well-explored, and it has be-come quite clear that space is warped here,compressed so that impossible gulfs of spacespan the layers between the spheres. It seemsto grow at an exponential rate, so where onlya few kilometers are in the first layer, there arehundreds in the next, then tens of thousands.Always at the center, though, is the next layerof Carceri's crystal sphere. Exacting measure-ments have shown only a tiny decrease in thecentral sphere's diameter with each layerdown. There might be hundreds of layers.

Syrne ruins are the main attraction forvisitors. And the only visitors are foolish treas-ure hunters. There's a long history of treasurehunting here, thousands of years of peoplethrowing their lives away for Syrne artifacts.All of the ruins that are easy to get to havebeen picked clean, driving the hunters deeper

and deeper in to find anything worth selling.Still, it's said that even one good find can set aman up for life, so those looking to get richquick typically can't resist.

There are other, less obvious dangersto Carceri. While there's no atmosphere, thereare occasional rains and snows of a black acidthat can eat through unprotected starshiphulls. Some kind of Warp turbulence makes itso that no one can manage to get sleep withouthaving horrible nightmares that stay with themfor the rest of their lives. Worst of all, the com-pression of space in the lower layers of Carcericarry with them a compression of time. Notjust time flowing at a different rate, but causeand effect jumbling together, events beingforced closer together even as perception oftime stays the same and struggles to catch up.

CARCERIANINHABITANTSNo one sane would call Carceri

home, which means that humans have natu-rally tried to colonize the place. The attemptshave been universally met with failure. No onewants to stay here. The creatures that seemtruly native to the place are among the worst,and toughest, known to exist. Aside fromcrawling things like giant bugs that scavenge

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wrecked ships for anything they can eat, thereare predators like large flying jellyfish that haveproven resistant to even concentrated attacksand seem to drain the very life from their vic-tims.

CARCERIANLOCATIONS

The VaultCarceri is a place that's hard to get out

of, with no helpful natives and nowhere to re-ally run. It's a great place to build a prison, orat least so thought some of the Factions. Whensomeone really, really needs to disappear, thisis where they're sent. It's a structure that re-sembles nothing so much as a blank sphere ofiron, with just one dock for a ship, no win-dows, and no lights, guide beacons, or any-thing else to draw attention. The warden,named Staccato Thaman, is a man with a hardhead and an iron fist. No one has ever escapedfrom the vault. As long as he's in charge, he'sgoing to make sure no one ever does.

RostokRostok is one of the very few places in

Carceri that offers travellers any services. It'sa space station bodged together with scrappedhulls of ships and garbage, giving it a ram-shackle and overall dirty appearance. For thegatecrashers who attempt to penetrate deepinto Carceri's layers, though, it's the place theycome for supplies and the latest information.While no one is really in charge here,Sidorovich is an old gatecrasher who has re-tired here, and has ended up keeping the placerunning with repairs and patches. Anyone whocomes here can find things to buy, people will-ing to buy almost anything even a little useful,and the occasional artifact brought back by alucky adventurer who managed to find a scrapof Syrneth technology that hadn't been scav-enged yet.

Shipyard X-18Another highly defended point, X-18

is located three layers deep in Carceri, far fromprying eyes. The place is extremely difficult toapproach, as any unauthorized attempts to

close with it end in being fired on. Rumors saythat the shipyard isn't government work, andthat pirates run the place, but that seems un-likely given some of the ships seen there unlessthe pirates and government are working to-gether - a theory only a conspiracy theoristwould believe. What is certainly true is that theshipyard is building prototype ships designedto penetrate the extremely dangerous CrystalSpheres of the lowest Carceri layers, completewith a new and unique type of navigation sys-tem.

AgathysAgathys is the name scholars have

given to the sixth layer of Carceri, the deepestone that has been reliably penetrated andpartly mapped. While some gatecrashers tellstories of navigating through the crystal sphereat its center and reaching another layer full ofruins, but this is almost certainly nothing morethan just stories or dumb luck. Current think-ing is that no human can actually penetrate theCrystal Sphere here - the course changesneeded are too much for anything but a com-puter, but actually building the program thatcan manage it and the ship that can fly thecourse have proven difficult.

ADVENTURE HOOKS* The unique properties of the plane

have inspired a group of mages to create aunique form of magic that affects time itself.They're not willing to just teach these secretsto anyone, but if someone was persuasiveenough or managed to do some pretty impres-sive things for them, they might just be willingto give him a hint or two.

* Beyond Agathys, in the deepest partof Carceri, is a thing, a monolith or obeliskthat can grant wishes to anyone with what ittakes to get to it. Many have tried to reach it,and almost all of them have failed. Their am-bitions were mountains of artifacts and gold,and anything else their greedy minds couldthink of. Of course, it extracted from them aprice, and some people tell horror stories ofpeople who got exactly what they wanted.

* In the void between the spheres, im-possible music sometimes finds its way to peo-

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ple, carrying promises and power in exchangefor terrible sacrifices, always involving the be-trayal or murder of someone close to the lis-tener. There aren't many that can resist thesecalls, not because of any mind-controlling ef-fects, but just because what they offer is tai-lored to the person that hears it.

* Some very wild and unconfirmedrumors say that what the Syrne were protect-ing deep inside Carceri wasn't some amazingartifact or powerful weapon but the future oftheir race. Some of the more barmy and un-trustworthy types have claimed to meet withreal, living Syrne. But that is, of course, totallyimpossible. And you'd have to be even barmierthan they are to go looking.

CommorraghNot a real Crystal Sphere, the city of

Commorragh is a dark parallel to Sigil, a hid-den place lying in the Warp itself, a place ofanarchy and terror ruled by the Dark Eldarinand their dark god, Lolth, a demon spiderqueen who protects them from the ravages ofthe warp. Their depravity knows no bounds,and what happens to the slaves and captivesthey take is... unspeakable.

PHYSICALCONDITIONSCommorragh is a difficult city to find,

existing in the Warp itself. It is built in and ona massive series of constructs called the Web-way, secret invisible passageways that create aspace not unlike the Umbra - not quite the realworld, but not quite the Warp either. It is aplace of shadows, the color drained out ofeverything and leaving it black and white.

The Webway itself is akin to a giantspider's web woven out of a strange materialthat is rumored to be the lost souls of thosewho have been captured by the Dark Eldarinand sacrificed to the daemon Lolth. Lolth isthe weaver of the Webway, either having de-veloped the technique herself or learned it insome ancient time. Some parts of the Webwayseem quite different from the chaotic tanglethat Lolth has created, surprisingly orderlyand structured, hinting at another weaver.

Within the city of Commorragh, it ismuch like being inside an immense cavern.The temperature is mild at all times but neverquite comfortable, ranging from just a little toohot to just a little too cold. The air is dampand dank, gray fog rolling through the citydaily. The light is inconstant and dim, thoughthe bright neon lights of the city provide garishillumination at street level.

It is difficult to comprehend the sheerscale of Commorragh. When someone pic-tures a city, they typically think of some meremetropolis. Perhaps if they're well-travelled,they may think of a world entirely covered inconstruction like Dis. Commorragh is somuch larger than that. The city is a megastruc-ture that reaches for literally billions of kilo-meters. In the real universe, such a structurewould collapse in on itself, but in the warp ithangs like a tumor in the endless expanse,growing and changing at the behest of Lolth.

The megastructure of Commorragh isconnected and built around the webway like aparticularly tasty morsel trapped in a spider'sweb. Because it is located in the Warp, shipscan travel directly to it without ever exiting theWarp, making it almost impossible to trackthose ships or find the city. It's said that onlythe Dark Eldarin can truly find the city, theirpact with Lolth giving them an internal com-pass centered on the Dark City.

The half-reality of Commorragh hasstrange effects on people. While the shadowyreality of the webway is fairly safe, certainlymoreso than the Abyss that it shields from, itisn't quite the same as normal reality. Lightdoes not travel as far, liquids seem thicker andichorous. Even emotions are affected - within

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the webway not only are lights and flamedimmed, but also anger, joy, and sadness.This is something of a boon for the Dark El-darin, as outside of the webway they are con-trolled by their powerful emotions - thoughsome say that their powerful emotional dis-plays are a reaction to the webway itself, over-compensating for the normally muted feelings.

COMMORRAGHANINHABITANTSThe most common inhabitants of

Commorragh are, of course, the Dark Eldarin.They are the masters of the city, decadent andfull of terrible lusts. Slaves of all shapes andsizes can be found everywhere, outnumberingthe Dark Eldarin but broken by the toturesand horrors they've experienced. Lolth's dae-monic minions wander the streets, toying withthe Dark Eldarin as they toy with others. Al-most any kind of person or creature could befound here, especially if one of the cruel mis-tresses of the Dark Eldarin would find it amus-ing.

COMMORRAGHANLOCATIONS

Daemonweb PitsThe domain of Lolth herself, the Dae-

monweb pits are said to exist near the veryheart of Commorragh, a tangle of webs in aspace tens of thousands of kilometers wide.There, Lolth and her most trusted servants(who rarely last long before they're sus-pected of betrayal and replaced with newtrusted servants) plot from a massive mov-ing palace of darksteel and mithril shapedlike a vast spider crawling across the webstrands. Lolth herself is rumored to be arogue or fallen pattern spider, one of theweavers of destiny. Lolth, of course, hasanyone killed if they speak of her as lessthan a god, so the wise would take care tokeep these rumors to themselves.

Erelhei-CinluErelhei-Cinlu is one of the largest Ka-

bals in Commorragh, a self-governingsocio-economic paramilitary organization.Commorragh is simply too large for any singlegovernment to control it, and so the Kabalsformed out of the old noble familes and pleas-ure cults. Erelhei-Cinlu is... calling it safewould be improper, but it is slightly less dan-gerous than some of the other Dark EldarinKabals. The Dark Eldarin here have recentlyrecovered from one of the civil wars commonto their kind, and have become increasinglyaware that they don't exist in a vacuum, andthat the Great Wheel can offer them morethan just slaves and toys. Outsiders are becom-ing increasingly common in Erelhei-Cinlu,merchants and mercenaries who have swornblood oaths to obey the Kabal. The survivalrate for outsiders is surprisingly high, and peo-ple have actually been known to come backfrom Erelhei-Cinlu. Few desire to return tothe Dark City, but the lure of wealth and un-told pleasures tempts many.

MenzoberranzanOne of the oldest Dark Eldarin Ka-

bals, Menzoberranzan is an archetypical Dark

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Eldarin city-state, with huge numbers of slavesexisting only to serve the needs of their mis-tresses. The city is a matriarchy where themost powerful rise to the top through assassi-nation and torture. They say that visitors arewelcome here, and that's certainly true. Whatmost visitors learn quickly is that they're wel-come as tools and playthings. Anyone visitingMenzoberranzan will quickly become part ofthe endless game of politics and death that un-derlies everything in the city. Because the cityis so old, it is deeper within the megastructureof Commorragh than other Dark Eldarin Ka-bals, often finding itself under siege from theterrors of the Underdark. Menzoberranzan'sruler is Triel Baenre, a priestess of Lolth whocommands great respect and fear for her pactswith the Spider Queen. She doesn't rule withan iron fist but a cloaked blade, her enemiessimply vanishing.

UnderdarkVast spans of Commorragh are

labyrinths of steel and mist, entire worldsworth of artificial caverns and illogical con-structions that seem almost random in formand completely without function. They areoften pitch-black, and in the vastness of thesespaces, strange forms of life encouraged by theunderlying taint of the warp and the raditationof its mutating energies grow into strangeecologies. There are nameless seas as wide anddeep as entire worlds that no mortal eye hasever seen, endless twisting passagewaysthrough the dark, forests of fungus and vines,half-starved cannibalistic monsters descendedfrom escaped pets and experiements of theDark Eldarin, and roaming undead. There arerumors of grand treasures in the Underdark,of hordes of gold, weapons, and data that liefor the taking, abandoned or hidden in somelost scheme by one of the Dark Eldarin. Life-times could be spent wandering the Under-dark, meeting no one, seeing nothing, justalone in the utter darkness and silence.

Adventure Seeds* The population of an entire Crystal

Sphere has vanished in a single day. Evidencesuggests that the Dark Eldarin have takenthem for some terrible purpose. But what

could the Dark Eldarin need with such a vastnumber of slaves, and how were they taken soeasily? To find the answers, the heroes willneed to find a guide who can lead them to theDark City - and unless they hurry, there's notelling just what will happen to the captives.

* A powerful merchant has made con-tacts in Commorragh. He's accepted their in-vitation to meet and discuss a trade agreementto use him as a front to sell their goods andbuy what they want from the outside world.He is no fool, though, and requires powerfulbodyguards in case this is just an elaborateplan to betray him. Anyone he hires will haveto be careful not to anger or offend the DarkEldarin, lest they decide to turn on the of-fender and make an example of him.

* A recent slave revolt in Erelhei-Cinlu has made it clear that there is someoneorganizing the slaves to rise up and fight the

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Dark Eldarin. The Dark Eldarin have put anextraordinary price on the head of the instiga-tor. It has become a deadly race to find him,and the heroes might find themselves on eitherside of the conflict.

ElysiumA small group of worlds, Elysium is a

Crystal Sphere that almost seems an un-touched paradise. Each world is blessed withfertile richness and unsurpassed naturalbeauty. However, these worlds are claimed bythe Eldarin, and those who seek to settle theremust take care not to disrupt the land or breakany of the Eldarin's mysterious laws.

PHYSICALCONDITIONSThere are a half dozen worlds in the

Elysium system, each one beautiful in its ownway. The system is somewhere between a gar-den and a wild paradise, the ancient Eldarinallowing it to grow and trimming away unde-sirable growths. Speaking purely in terms ofnatural hazards, Elysium is one of the safestplaces in the Wheel. There are no deadly pred-ators here (at least none that will attack peo-ple, anyway), no poisonous plants, and nomassive rivers of fire or atmospheres of poisongas. The void between the planets is clean, freeof all debris both natural and artificial. Therearen't even micrometeorites here to scar aship's paint.

However, there is one extremely realthreat here. The Eldarin. While most Eldarinlive their livesaboard world-shipsand rarely even setfoot on a planet,they still find plan-ets useful for somethings, and theworld-ships of theEldarin occasion-ally need repair.They jealouslyguard Elysiumagainst all whowould dare to

enter. There are no permanent settlements onany of the planets. The Eldarin do not want tolive on the surface, even here, and space sta-tions and remaining onboard ship are thenorm.

The six worlds of Elysium are eachsuited to a different climate, though all are eas-ily habitable. The first world is a desert, butwith surprisingly abundant plant and animallife that makes survival easy for those whoknow how to look. It is a place of harsh beauty,perfect for those seeking a quiet place to med-itate. The second world is a lush jungle burst-ing with life, hot and steaming and filled withcolor. Thousands of years of breeding haveturned the animal life here tame - they preyupon each other as in a normal ecosystem, butthey would never harm the Eldarin (or mostsentients, who don't look terribly different intheir eyes).

The third world is a hilly grasslandwith fields of boulders and creeping vines.There are small trees that dot the landscape,each one twisted and stunted and shaped intoa pleasing form. Small songbirds and flying in-sects with glowing wings flitter through thesky. The fourth world is a broadleaf forest, aplace of flowing rivers, streams, and wideoceans, with the sound of flowing water cas-cading everywhere.

The fifth world is much like thefourth, but where the fourth world is temper-ate, the fifth is chilled, with light snowfalls andneedle-bearing trees. The temperature variesjust enough to get a freeze and a thaw, allow-ing for beautiful ice formations and then awarming spring. The last of the worlds of Ely-

sium is a frozentundra, windsweptfields of glaciersand pilliars of icelike some naturalcity carved by ero-sion. Just like thefirst world, this is aplace of quietmeditation, withall the tools of sur-vival easily athand.

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ELYSIANINHABITANTSElysium has a large amount of

wildlife, the Eldarin having chosen only themost beautiful and interesting animals to placeon their Maiden Worlds. Of course, there arealso the working animals that keep the ecosys-tem working - earthworms and ants, for exam-ple. There are always Eldarin in the system,and it's one of the few places that Eldarin fromdifferent craftworlds are likely to meet. Visitorsfrom other races are rare, as the Eldarin dis-courage other races. Violently. With lasers.Still, if one is a true ally of the Eldarin, beingallowed to see Elysium is the greatest privilagethey can offer, and so even if it is rare, otherraces can be found here (typically beingwatched at all times from a polite distance).

ELYSIANLOCATIONSThe names of most of these locations

have been shortened from their extremely longand poetic Eldarin names to shorter terms thathave roughly the same meaning.

The World HarbourThe only docking platform large

enough to accomodate a world-ship, this mas-sive, skeletal space station floats beyond thesixth planet. While skiffs and smaller vesselsare typically used to resupply world-ships, oc-casionally one will need refitting or massive re-pair work due to some accident or attack. TheEldarin preform all of their repair work here,away from prying eyes. The world-ships aretheir homes, and so they treat them with greatcare. This is also the birthplace of new world-ships, built here by sorcery and careful work,growing like a living thing of wraithbone. Theprocess is said to take centuries, and nonehave been built in living memory.

The ArrayA massive solar array like a net

around the sun, The Array provides powerthroughout the system. The main target forthis power grid is to power weather-control de-vices buried beneath the crust of the six

maiden worlds, keeping them at the samebiome from pole to pole all year long. TheArray is maintained by a special sect of Eldarinthat never leave the system. They are theyoungest and the oldest of their race, thosewith much to learn and those who can teachand have left adventures behind them. Almostall Eldarin serve here, at least for a short time.

The AxisA massive space station built out of a

massive asteroid, Axis is the closest thing to areal government capital of the Eldarin. It is ameeting place where Eldarin from differentcraftworlds come to meet and discuss events,trade agreements, and plans for the future.The tone of these meetings is always extremelyformal, something like a ball crossed with apolitical debate. These formal meetings arewhere many young couples and political al-liances are formed. The current commanderof Axis is a young Eldarin named HamanKarn. She has distinguished herself as a fighterand a charasmatic leader, and rumors say thatshe Exalted shortly before assuming leader-ship. She is a dangerous woman, who has avery dim view of the other races and would assoon have them exterminated.

The CradleThe Eldarin reproduce only slowly

and require time and great care to bear young.The Cradle is a place they built specifically forthe purpose. It is a large space station that isextraordinarily well defended. Outsiders arenot allowed in under and circumstances, andautomated systems ensure that even if every

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defender should fall, the developing Eldarinwill be taken care of. Rumors say that inside,The Cradle is just row after row of artificialwombs, countless millions of them. And de-spite this, the Eldarin are still slowly declining,losses from wars too much for them to bear.

ADVENTURE HOOKS* Elysium isn't just where the Eldarin

come to have children, but also where theycome to die. Under the surface of the worldsare massive catacombs where the bodies andbelongings of the most powerful Eldarin lie. Agraverobber could make a fortune in a day ifhe could find his way into these catacombs, ifhe could somehow get in and out without get-ting killed in seconds.

* The Eldarin have been keeping it asecret even from most of their race, but theirability to control the six Maiden Worlds hasbeen slipping. Most recently, a terrible preda-tor spawned on the second world, and hasslain dozens of brave Eldarin warriors and onlygrown stronger from the experience. The El-darin will reward anyone who can destroy thiscreature extremely well, though anyone takingthe job had better make sure to get a promiseof safe passage in and out of Elysium.

* The Eldarin despirately need tobring some fresh blood into the fold. Elves andDark Eldarin, though both are distasteful, areperhaps the only answer. The heroes are goingto have to escort an Elven Prince and a DarkEldarin Archon to Elysium and get them boththere alive and happy - while defusing what-ever plots they have.

GehennaGehenna is a Crystal Sphere of mas-

sive volcanic activity - some obscure change tothe laws of reality have made every planetarybody turn into geothermal furnaces, with fourmain planets like twin volcanoes hundreds ofthousands of miles tall and joined at the base.Countless mountain-sized burning rocks orbitand float with these 'earthbergs'. The closerthe 'earthbergs' are to their central star, themore intense their geological activity, with the

innermost constantly erupting and the outer-most a cold, almost dead place aside from ge-othermal vents and cracks.

PHYSICALCONDITIONSThere's nowhere flat on Gehenna.

That's inevitably the first thing anyone noticeson entering the sphere, because it isn't just theplanets that are affected, even artifical gravitysystems can't compensate. Something aboutthe place makes it utterly impossible for any-thing to stay stable and perpendicular to grav-ity. Most ships seem to 'list' at somewherebetween ten and forty-five degrees, thoughsome go nearly vertical. This makes gettingaround the system annoying, since most shipsare forced to turn off their gravity - and theones that can't are stuck with a hill climb justto get around.

There are four main earthbergs, hun-dreds of thousands of kilometers tall, far largerthan a normal planet. Each is a hotbed of vol-canic turmoil. Each has mostly cleared thespace in its orbit, though it's not uncommonfor smaller rocks to tumble out and smash intothe earthbergs. The dark void between the or-bits of these primary earthbergs is dark and al-most impenetrable, a minefield of hot rocksand, away from the central sun, ice. It's impos-sible to see from one berg to the next, andeven trying to get a glimpse of the central sunis difficult - not that anyone would want to.Gehenna's sun is a sickly, half-dead thing thatproduces dim red light and smoulders withdark shadows like a coal.

The first berg is called Chamada, andis pretty much the most hostile place inGehenna. In addition to the heat it gets fromthe sun - the only berg to get much heat fromit at all - it also steams with heat from the in-ternal volcanic activity. Though really, littleenough of the geological activity here is inter-nal. Most of it seems ready to escape at anymoment, and very good at it. At any giventime, about half of the surface area of the bergis molten rock.

The second berg is considered to bethe most gentle of the four. And it surprisessome to think that Khalas would ever be con-

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sidered gentle, considering the ground is hotenough to burn unprotected feet. Even so, it'sone of the few places with running water. Ofcourse the water runs in great rivers that cutcanyons and ravines into the rock. The thirdberg is a place of ice and fire, occasional riversof burning rock streaming through glacierstainted foul and black with ash. It's always toohot or too cold on Mungoth, with nothing inbetween.

The berg farthest from the sun isSoltheim, a rough place of ice. The volcanicactivity here is long dead, and any warmth ithad is once gone. It's a brutal, dark place, to-tally inhospitable to life. Even the tough nativelife doesn't extend to this location. It's just anempty, dead rock.

GEHENNANINHABITANTSThe main inhabitants of Gehenna are,

surprisingly, Dark Eldarin. Just as the Eldarinneed somewhere in a gravity well to do theirthing, the Dark Eldarin do as well - and Com-morragh is in the middle of the warp, makingit less than ideal for quite a few things.Gehenna isn't well-traveled otherwise, makingit useful for them. The native plant and animallife here is limited to fungus and insects of sur-prising size, some of which are dangerously ag-gressive. There isn't much here that isn't tryingto kill someone.

GEHENNANLOCATIONS

VivecVivec is the largest Dark Eldarin set-

tlement, a sprawling complex of small arcolo-gies over roaring rivers, connected withbridges deliberately unsafe bridges. The DarkEldarin decided long ago that safety railingswere a lot less entertaining than making theedges of the bridges slippery and razor-sharp.Elite warriors called Mandrakes patrol the ar-cologies and dispense their own brand of swiftand typically instantly-deadly justice. Ofcourse, as to what crimes the people actuallywere guilty of, well... typically it's merely

catching the interest of the Mandrakes. A mas-sive temple to Lolth dominates Vivec, and it'ssaid that one of her most powerful servants,half Eldarin and half Daemon, lives there anddispenses orders directly from her dark mas-ter.

Rura PentheRura Penthe is a prison built on

Soltheim by the human Imperium. The placehas some of the harshest prison conditions inthe Wheel. There are no walls, few guards,and a lot of cold, ice, and cliffs. Unlike mostprisons, plenty of people have tried to escapeRura Penthe. The guards don't even give chasewhen people leave the perimeter - the cold ismore than enough to take care of all but thehardiest escapees, and the fact that there'snothing to eat usually takes care of the rest. Afew prisoners are wise enough to return.They're beaten, though it's more of a formalitythan anything else, and put back in their cellswith no other mention made of the attempt.

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Noone is sure why the

Dark Eldarin permit this, though the commonbelief is that they're given a suitable number ofprisoners themselves to use as toys.

Tower of the GeneralOne of the few services that can be

had here is mercenaries. There's never a short-age of people willing to hurt other people fora bit of money. The mercenaries here work fora mysterious figure known as the General ofGehenna, and they're some of the best that canbe found anywhere, willing to take any job ifyou can meet their price. Of course, the trou-ble with mercenaries is that they're, well, mer-cenary. They'll turn against their employer forthe right amount of coin, and they're far toowell informed. For a mercenary band, theyseem to have their eyes and fingers in every-thing. Some suggest they've been drummingup their own business and playing both sides.

NimicriNimicri is an extraordinarily strange

place. At some distant time in the past, somerace (possibly the Syrne, though it doesn't re-semble any other examples of their technol-ogy) developed self-replicating machinesabout a centimeter across. What they weremade for has never been proven, but Nimicriis a planetoid made entirely of them. They'veformed into roads, terrain, buildings and evencrude replications of people made out of smallblocks of metal. The place is safe enough, and

the micromachines have surpris-ingly adept skill at making goods.While the rumors say that thereplicators consume people,enough have returned from Nimi-cri speaking of its wonders andwith goods that they got merely forinformation that occasionally mer-chants make the trip. And really -

considering the number of Dark El-darin in the system, it would be fool-

ish to think that the place is muchmore dangerous than anywhere else in

Gehenna.

Acerath's TombAcerath makes his realm here on

Gehenna. It is not a place where people arewelcome. Magic - powerful magic - is requiredto get around. The place is a dusty tomb, withmany sections sealed off and filled with deadlyguardians. There is no air, water, or food. Justdry bones and dust, stone and silence. Thosewho come seeking knowledge find themselvesfaced with test after test, with deadly conse-quences for those who fail and knowledge -gained in the passing of the test - for those whosucceed. Acerath does not meet with people.He merely tests them, and lets them learn forthemselves.

ADVENTURE SEEDS* On Mungoth, there is supposedly a

secret temple, a massive structure designed toentrap a Daemon named Hircine. It's full oftraps, mazes, and lesser daemons - eitherHircine's servants or spawned from his power.It's said that every hundred years, Hircine hasa chance to escape, but that someone calledby destiny always appears to gain entrance tohis prison and defeat him, sealing him awayagain for another century.

* Though it seems impossible, rumorssay that there is someone living on Soltheim -a tribe of werewolves that have gone totallyferal, preying on the prisoners of Rura Penthelike cattle in a pen. The guards either don'tknow, don't care, or they have some connec-tion to the wolves that runs even deeper. Pris-oners say that the guards *are* the wolves, and

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stalk the corridors of the prison every nightlooking for food.

* There's something actually worthhaving on Chamada, huge veins of raw dark-steel ore. Of course, they're extremely difficultto get to, since the molten surface sometimesmanages to smelt it into its pure form andleave misshapen, unchangable messes ofmetal. Anyone who could manage to set up amine to get at the ore would become rich, butthe Dark Eldarin native to the area don't careto have people intruding on them, and have al-ready destroyed one expedition sent by the hu-mans.

* Under the Arcologies of Vivec, thereare caverns driven into the rock that providedirect access to Commorragh, passagesthrough the webway that a person can simplywalk down them. They're a tempting target toinvaders, especially the Eldarin, since theywould provide an easy way to get to the darkcity. However, the defenses around the web-way passages are said to be some of the cru-elest and most terrible known to exist, justdeathtrap after deathtrap, designed so there'salways the sense the person can escape, but it'sjust an illusion to make their torturous deathsmore painful.

The Grey WasteThe Grey Waste is a large and easily-

navigated Crystal Sphere helpfully locatedright between Mount Celestia and the Abyss.It consequently is almostconstantly turned into abattleground betweenthe forces of Order andChaos. There mighthave been life here once,but all of the planetswithin the CrystalSphere have beenblasted into grey rocksover time, and floatingbands of asteroids pro-vide even more pointlessstrategic points to takeand retake in the endless

Blood War, as well as serving as a grim re-minder of the forces at work.

PHYSICALCONDITIONSThe Grey Waste contains three star

systems, though there isn't really much left ofthem. Endless war has reduced what planetsthere are to shattered husks, gravel and rocksfloating around the three pale white stars ofOinos, Niflheim, and Pluton. There isn't ahint of color here - everything is a shade ofgrey ranging from charcoal to off-white.

What people learn, very quickly, isthat this isn't a trick of the light or the materialof the system. The physical laws of the GreyWaste simply don't allow for color. Even themost vibrant colors are reduced to shades ofGrey. The effect is draining, emotionally andmentally. Worse, losing the ability to see colorsis very bad on many ships that use colors todisplay things like, oh, warnings, damage, en-gine condition, and so forth. A ship that goesin unprepared can find itself with a number ofmeters and displays that are simply useless.

Worse, the lack of color does some-thing to a person, emotionally. People juststart losing hope, forgetting dreams and goals,like the Waste is just training them of every-thing that they ever wished to be. For the mostpart, the symptoms of this 'Waste Syndrome'resemble post-traumatic stress. Which is cer-tainly something else common enough here.The Grey waste is a battleground, one that hasbeen fought over again and again.

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It's because of this constantwarfare that almost nothing is left ofworth here. The planets have beenblasted to rubble, fortresses built andtaken and lost and destroyed. Shipscome fresh off of the assembly lines tomeet their end here. The place is just anmeatgrinder, turning men and machinesinto dust. And yet neither side will stopfighting, or can stop fighting. TheBlessed Pantheon and the RuinousPowers both want this place because theother also wants it.

Most of the fighting here takesplace on massive floating rocks, somestill bearing the marks of once having beenlife-supporting planets. The largest are a fewthousand kilometers across, but most are onlya dozen or so. Armies meet in the colorlessdust, in the silent void, and fight battles thatmean nothing. Untold billions have wastedtheir lives here.

GREY WASTEINHABITANTSThere are only two permanent inhab-

itants of the Grey Waste. The dead, and lar-vae, and it's hard to know which of the two ismore numerous. Larvae are a type of parasitethat somehow survived the destruction of theirplanet and survived on the only kind of foodthat was in great supply - the corpses (mostlyAasimar and Tiefling) of the fools and soldierswho come here. They're relatively harmlessthings.

GREY WASTELOCATIONS

The Port at the CenterThere's a point right at the middle of

the Waste, where the gravitational forces aremostly stable and the orbits of the outermostrocks overlap. A massive spaceport was builtthere, and the owner and operator, DandyWill, has worked hard to keep it as neutralground. Mostly he does this by making theplace useful to both sides at once - especiallywith medical technology. He's managed to ex-

tract treaties from both sides of the Blood Warto make fighting here illegal, and he doesn'thold to any particular god worship, thoughVectron seems to have a major following here,making this sort of an unofficial pilgramagestop for Vectron's flock to come and see thatVectron is the only sane and stable god, or sothey say.

Khin-OinThis place is a massive tower, going

right through the middle of an asteroid andout the other side. It looks like nothing morethan a spine almost eighty kilometers tall. It'sthe most important fortress in the entire Crys-tal Sphere, and has traded hands over and overagain in massive battles. The only ones thathave held the tower for any significant lengthof time are mercenaries, though who they wereaccepting pay from changes fairly often.

Death of InnocenceThe Death of Innocence is a small

town, made of scavenged supplies and emer-gency shelters joined up together on a mid-dling sized rock (a kilometer or so across)that's well out of the way of the fighting or any-thing interesting. Death of Innocence is ahaven for deserters and war criminals. Peoplewho have grown disillusioned of war or simplyso shell-shocked they can't take any more. Theruler of the town, Viliki Cainor, is a humanwho signed up to help one side (she doesn'tsay which, and here it doesn't matter much)and found that it wasn't at all the glorious bat-tle she ahd been expecting. She keeps the

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place holding together, with a kind and gentleoptimism that comforts and makes thingswork.

AeaeaAeaea is the one remaining intact

planetoid. In most other systems, the formermoon would be an uninteresting lifeless rock,but here it's one of the most dominating fea-tures of the system. Aeaea is never held byanyone for long. There's always some fightinghere, and more of the craters come from or-bital bombardments than asteroid impacts - animpressive feat considering the Waste is filledwith chaotic orbits.

ADVENTURE SEEDS* There is a strange group that shows

up to the largest and most important battles ofthe Blood War and bets on the outcome of thefighting. And when they fighting isn't interest-ing enough, the meddle to make things moreexciting. No one is sure just who they are, butthey must be extremely rich and extremelypowerful. And very interested in the ebb andflow of the war.

* The native Larvae are more danger-ous than they look. If they're left alone longenough, they metamorphize into strange andunique creatures, beautiful and utterly deadly.They're hateful things, and rumors say they'repartly made of the anger and wasted lives ofthe corpses they feed on, their faces twistedparodies of the fallen and with wings reflectingthe moments of their lives they regret most.

* The Grey Waste is a place of con-stant decay and death. Because of the BloodWar, so much death occurs here that it wouldhave been impossible for there not to havebeen some sort of major plague. There's awasting sickness going around that completelydestroys a person, body and mind (and, if therumors are correct, it even eats the soul). Peo-ple would pay a lot of money for the man whocan cure the wasting sickness. Even more if,as the rumors say, it's a weapon that got out ofcontrol and someone could find the one whomade the thing.

* There are some exceptionally cre-ative people in the Wheel, and some of them

are just a little too creative. With all thecorpses in the Grey Waste, it was only a matterof time before a necromancer showed up tohave some fun. But no one expected him tobuild a city out of the undead. Literally, out ofthe undead - walls, floors, furnishings, all of itmade from corpses returned to a horrible half-life and melded together. Corpus is a fairlysafe place, but it's said that the mysterious manwho made it has an artifact of extraordinarypower that's letting him do all of this.

MechanusThe Dead Worlds. Mechanus is or-

dered and set like clockwork, entire worldsmerely gears within a great machine. It is alifeless place of constant machine motion andcold law. This is not a place for living crea-tures, all traces of life quickly eradicated by theModrons, horrible immortal things of livingmetal, nearly mindless, just cogs in the ma-chine themselves. Where once they were justrumor, the Modrons are awakening from theirgreat slumber. Some scholars warn of a greatMarch that will see them eradicating all lifefrom the Astral Sea, leaving it barren and pris-tine again.

PHYSICALCONDITIONSAlmost none have returned to speak

of it, but the inside of the sphere of Mechanusis one great machine, a Dyson Sphere thatpresses against the confines of the CrystalSphere. Gears the size of worlds turn in space,pistons pump, and everything is bathed in ter-rible green light. The Modrons are not yetfully awake, and so Mechanus is merely asdangerous as being inside of an engine whileit's running, rather than actively attempting todestroy everything that infests it.

Mechanus is a hellish place, beyondthe imaginings of most. It is like a vast clock-work tomb, lifeless and yet full of movement.Necrodermis forms the bulk of the structuresof the realm, that nightmare metal that some-how lives. Warp energy simply does not func-tion in Mechanus. Spells fail, enchanted

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weapons dull, and magical protections vanish.The deeper one tries to go into Mechanus, themore powerful this effect. On the outskirts,only those effects needing the most magicalenergy fail, but eventually even the simplespell becomes too much.

Should someone be foolish enough togo deep into Mechanus, they will find seas ofblack oil, forests of pipes and chimneys, andarcs of terrible green energy like impossiblelightning. It is an utterly hostile place, wherenothing natural is wanted or permitted to existfor long. Merely being here can quickly drawthe notice of whatever foul systems run thisSphere, defense systems coming online withenough power to destroy anything that standsagainst them.

The whirling gears and moving ma-chinery of Mechanus pose their own threat toanyone hoping to explore the place. The sheersize and hostility of Mechanus means that noone has really been able to sit and map out saferoutes through the gears. The smallest, mostmaneuverable ships can get quite a long waysin, though the ones that dare to almost neverreturn.

MECHANIANINHABITANTSModrons, and nothing else. And the

gods themselves can't help you if you run intoa significant force of Modrons. Turn tail andrun and hope that you're very quietor you're with someone you don'tcare much for and can easily outrun.Fighting the Modrons here is a fool'stask - not only will they just comeback almost instantly, but every sec-ond a berk fights, more and more ofthe damned things will wake up tokill him.

MECHANIANLOCATIONS

Black Oil SeaOne of the most obvious fea-

tures in Mechanus are the seas ofglistening black oil. The stuff seems to be as

alive as the rest of the realm, horrible in itsown way, pouring and pooling in ways thatjust don't seem natural, waves breaking inways that are terribly wrong, and currents andflows like countless worms slithering aroundand over each other. The oil is dangerous onits own, carrying a terrible disease that de-stroys living tissue. Rumors say that it caneven convert manchines into Modron technol-ogy, the metal itself festering and turning tonecrodermis, but no proof has ever been foundto the wild stories.

The Pylon ForestA perfectly regular forets of identical

and bizarre machines, all standing perfectlystill. The Pylon forest seems like it should bejust a note on a map, but the pylons them-selves seem to somehow distort magic aroundthem, like lightning rods or mirrors. No onehas discovered just what they are for, or howthey are able to achieve this effect, thoughsome suggest that the pylon's branches mightextend not just through three dimensions butinto the warp or some other higher dimension,and serve as some kind of beacon for the Mod-ron's unexplained ability to teleport withoutusing spellcraft.

The AfterlifeIt's where you end up if you spend too

bloody long here.

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ADVENTURE HOOKS* A worried scholar thinks that the

Modrons are awakening, very soon. He needshard data to back up his theories, though, andthere's only one place he knows to get it. Heneeds the heroes to capture a modron alive (orwhatever you call one that's still kicking) andextract the data from its clockwork shell.

* The black oil of Mechanus is a pow-erful poison, one that can even fell one of theExalted, and this fact is not lost on those whodeal in death. An alchemist is willing to paythrough the nose for raw Mechanus Oil, espe-cially if the heroes can find a large supply forhim. Getting in and out is only half the dan-ger, though. Who knows what it might do, justsitting around. Or worse, if even a drop gotinto the workings of the ship...

* It's a dangerous job, but someoneneeds to destroy the Mechanus Portal Relay.While it could serve as a way to mount an of-fense against Mechanus, the risk of the ma-chines escaping is simply too great to ignore.The heroes must find a way to take the PortalRelay offline forever - no easy task whenthey've been running for tens of thousands ofyears with no sign of wear.

Mount CelestiaAn impossibly giant mountain, larger

than worlds, rising from an ocean that fills halfof a Crystal Sphere, Mount Celestia is thehome turf of the Blessed Pantheon in the sameway The Abyss is to the Ruinous Powers. Nomortal has ascended to the top of the moun-tain and returned to tell what he found at itsglittering peak. Aasimar call this place home.

PHYSICALCONDITIONSMount Celestia is one of the

more impossible places in the Wheel.While some other impossible places areroiling chaos or great machines, MountCelestia looks fairly normal at first. It'ssimply a mountain rising up out of theocean. The problem is that the moun-tain is the size of a solar system, and

the ocean fills half of a Crystal Sphere. Gravityhere, as you might expect, isn't quite normal.

Gravity, in fact, is the most interestingthing about Mount Celestia. It seems to varynot with time or place but with each person,as if they're weighed down by their guilt.Scholars have named the phenomenon 'Intel-ligent Falling'. It seems to be some form ofWarp phenomenon, as anyone with sufficientmagical resistance reduces the effect or evenbecomes next to weightless. Objects are all af-fected as though they were in a normal gravitywell of average strength. The notable excep-tion is that nothing can fly up the mountain.The only way to ascend Mount Celestia is bywalking the paths or climbing the sheer clifffaces. Ships can only hover slightly above 'sealevel'.

Natives divide the mountain intoseven Traverses, starting at the seashore ofwhite sand that marks the sea's end. The layersare like huge terraces the size of planets, yetthe next highest is always just barely visibleand shining brightly. Climbing from one Tra-verse to another is difficult, and dangerous forthose who are feeling the effects of theSphere's gravity. The next Taverse alwayslooks beautiful and inviting, but the higher abody goes up the mountain, the farther off andmore difficult they are to reach. Thin mist andhaze prevents anyone from getting a good lookat what lies ahead, though the glimpses andimagined sights are impressive indeed.

Mount Celestia contains the domainsof the Blessed Pantheon. They make theirhomes at the very top of the mount, makingthem almost completely inaccessable to mor-tals. No one has ever conquered the mountand returned to speak of it. Whatever is up

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there is either so beautiful that no one wishesto return or else so deadly that anyone whobreaks into it is put down before they can es-cape with the secrets. Those who worship theBlessed Pantheon will assure you it's the for-mer, but the dark of it is that the latter is morelikely - no matter how much they might pres-ent themselves as benevolent, Mount Celestiais the center of the Pantheon's war effort, andit's likely they're doing something there thatthey don't want anyone to know about. Thewise don't ask questions.

Justice and law here are meted out bythe Aasimar. As servants of the Pantheon, theyrule by divine will and make sureeveryone knows it. Justicetends to be fair but imme-diate - the Aasimar hereare ready for actionand take it wherethey can find it.Death isn't the onlyp u n i s h m e n t ,though it comespretty quickly if thecriminal isn't will-ing to pay their fineor get thrown in jailor exile.

It's a niceplace, really, de-spite the Aasimaroccasionally takinga bolter to some-one's skull. Theweather is alwayspleasant and warm,with light rains thatare more refreshingthan annoying.

CELESTIANINHABITANTSAlmost any sentient race can be found

on Mount Celestia. Almost any. Tieflings arenot welcome, and any Tiefling that does hap-pen to find their way here are kindly asked toleave. Asked once and then exiled. Animalshere are universally tame and small, with noth-ing larger or more dangerous than the sheep

some of the farmers here raise on the lowerTraverses. Aasimar are born here, and form akind of upper class (though they'll deny thatand say everyone is equal).

CELESTIANLOCATIONS

The Fortress of SigmarSigmar's realm on Celestia is a mas-

sive palace the size of a continent, centered ona golden throne that wouldn't fit in many na-tions. Sigmar's most trusted servants, the Cus-

todes, are all Aasimar Chosenwith thousands of years of

experience. Sigmar has alarge personal army,

though they're al-most always outamong theSpheres, on onecrusade or an-other. He isn'tthe type to havean army and notactively use it.Anyone ap-proaching Sig-mar's fortressfinds that everystream and hill,every tree androck, everythingis purposeful andplanned. There isnothing here thatis untouched andmade useful, andthat includes thepeople. Any he-

roes entering his realm find that they're di-rected where they need to go rather than hisfortress, and can only approach if Sigmar al-lows.

Bahamut's PalaceBahamut's Palace is a glittering won-

der built entirely out of treasure, with windowsof gemstones in settings of gold and silver,walls of inlaid copper and ivory, and floors of

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jade and beaten electrum. It moves from placeto place, and is one of the few realms of theBlessed Pantheon that mortals have much ofa chance of really seeing, though approachingit would be foolish. Bahamut has the smallestpersonal army of any of the Blessed Pantheon,but the quality of that army is exceptional, ashe leads a force of dragons, each one worthdozens of the best soldiers. This is also an ex-ceptional way to discourage thieves. No onewould be so foolish as to steal from Bahamut'sPalace with guards like that. Well, no one whowasn't sure they could get away with it.

The SoulforgeMoradin's realm is a gigantic forge,

with an anvil forty meters high and a river ofpure divine energy. Moradin creates greatwonders here. The Squats say that the souls oftheir race are forged here, each one personallymade by Moradin. It's also said that this is theplace where the Aasimar are born, reforgedfrom what they were before into their newforms, like tempering a sword. No one is surejust what the process entails - the Aasimar losealmost all their memories of their former livesand all memory of whatever is done to them.General concensus is that it's probably betterthat they don't remember. The process is likelya long and painful one, given the massivechanges made to their bodies.

The Unconquered SunPelor's palace sits at the very highest

point of Mount Celestia, providing the lightthat shines down over the rest of the Sphere.The palace shines like the Sun itself, blindinganyone who looks at it for too long. Most haveto wear blindfolds here, as even a glimpse ofthe inside of Pelor's realm will render a mansightless forever. His servants are so familiarwith the palace that they can guide visitorsaround without having to see their path, butto those who seek to invade the palace be-comes a terrible maze that the unworthy can-not navigate. Thieves and spies find that everystep twists and turns, and they soon find theground under them changed to soft loam asthey turn a corner and are abruptly outside ofhis realm. The entire structure is shaped likea sphere of orichalcum, glowing with heat and

yet never hot, just comfortably warm. Pelor'ssanctum is said to be at the very center of thepalace, a place of pure light, beauty, and hope,where he bathes in the light of all the stars ofall the Crystal Spheres.

The Halls of JusticeCuthbert's Realm is not located on

the seventh Traverse, but on the very first. Heprefers to keep his distance from the othergods. His realm is a gigantic prison, where heseeks to 'reform' captives to the worship ofmore proper gods and ways of life. There's akind of aura about this place that makes it dif-ficult to resist following the orders of theguards, and most of the countless prisonersjust kind of mill about, confused and lost,when they're not being told what to do. It's apeaceful place in its own way, just horribly op-pressive and not a very nice place. No one getsto see Cuthbert. He deals with everyonethrough underlings, locked away readingthrough his giant book said to contain everytransgression and broken promise.

ADVENTURE HOOKS* There's a man willing to pay a small

fortune to anyone who can get one of hisfriends out of Cuthbert's prison. The chapseems to know the location of some hiddentrove of relics from a massive theft before get-ting locked up on Mount Celestia for someminor crime. Getting him out is only going tobe half of the problem - the heroes are goingto have to find some way to deprogram him,and he doesn't want to return to his old ways.

* One of the Traverses of Mount Ce-lestia has taken to worship of the Grey Coun-cil. The Blessed Pantheon is having the entireTraverse purged, and evidence suggests thatthis isn't the first time it has happened. Theheroes are caught in the middle, and must finda way to escape or somehow stop this purge.

* On the first Traverse, an under-ground trade in a strange new drug has sur-faced. Apparently someone has managed toget their hands on some of the divine energythat Moradin uses to forge his wonders, and isusing it as an ingredient in this new, highly-addictive drug. If they can find the alchemist

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mixing it, the heroes could become rich. Orthey could stop him from getting thousandsaddicted to his vile poison. Whatever floatstheir boat.

* There are countless minor holy sitesscattered throughout Celestia. The steward-ship of one of these sites belongs to followersof Pelor, a small group of female paladins whoare willing to lay down their lives to protect theshrine. A group of knights from another holyorder has come to challenge their right to theshrine, as it is an important site to their god aswell. Unless someone intervenes, and quickly,it will erupt into a holy war.

PandemoniumWe don't go to Pandemonium any-

more. Not since the reports came out. Endlessscreaming tunnels in the blackness. Madnessand death are all that await here. Don’t go toPandemonium.

PHYSICALCONDITIONSSo for some reason you're stupid

enough not to follow my good advice and stayaway. More's the pity. The three things a per-son has to get used to in Pandemonium are

deafness, madness, and blindness. The veryfirst thing more people notice about theSphere of Pandemonium is the noise. Ofcourse that's like saying the most noticeablething about fire is that it's hot. In most places,the winds of Pandemonium blast with hurri-cane force, a deafening roar through the end-less black caverns. There are some placeswhere the wind is just a nerve-wracking moan-ing, but they're few and far between.

At this point one might wonder howwinds can howl that strongly in space. Pande-monium is one of the stranger Crystal Spheresin structure. There's no planetary system, nogiant megastructures. Just massive caves, start-ing as miles wide and enough for ships to findsomewhere to dock and eventually narrowingto cracks in the endless black rock, windmoaning and pouring through them.

And that wind is the most dangerousthing in the sphere. It doesn't just blow airabout and make noise, there's somethingabout it that will drive a person completely in-sane. The constant howling is enough to drivea person barmy, sure, but everyone who hangsaround the place long enough eventually goescrazy. Some are lucky and manage to go onlya little insane, but spending any time here iscall for a long session of therapy later.

The next thing most people will no-tice about the place is that it's dark. Pandemo-

nium is utterly andcompletely withoutlight sources. Theonly light anywherein the sphere is thatmaintained by thosevisiting or livinghere. Most wouldthink that the lackof light would bethe first thing mostpeople notice, giventhat most folks relyon sight as theirnumber one sense.But that just goes toshow you howthroughtly noisyPandemonium is.

C a r r y i n g

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around a light source in Pande-monium has its own dangers - itmakes the person carrying it anobvious target, and in a place fullof crazy people, whatever mon-sters are lurking in the dark, andthe nameless horrors of the end-less caverns, well, being a targetmight not be a wise idea. Luckily,actually traveling the tunnels ofPandemonium bears some re-semblances to actual spelunking.Gravity here points towards someunseen center of the sphere. Noone has found their way to thecenter (or at least no one has returned saneenough to talk about it).

Travel through Pandemonium's end-less caverns is further complicated by the foulwater flowing here. Most passages have astream of one size or another, whether it's abare trickle or a raging torrent. If they're mov-ing very fast, these streams can throw up aspray that fills the air with an oily mist andmakes footing horribly slippery.

The last effect that Pandemonium hasis one that people don't typically notice at first- lights just won't go as far. They're as brightas ever, illuminate just as well, but at less thanhalf the distance they should go... they juststop, like they're hitting a wall of shadow. Thedarkness here is almost a physical force. Andspeaking of that, anyone going into the Umbrahere will quickly learn that that's a bad idea.The Umbra's psychic landscape is not afriendly place in a sphere that is all darknessand madness. The number of predators thereis very high, and they are so very hungry.

PANDEMONIUMINHABITANTSPandemonium isn't some summer re-

sort where people go to spend holiday. Thereare not a lot of people who want to come hereand spend any amount of time. It's one of theleast populated Crystal Spheres, especiallyafter some of the recent events. See, not toolong ago one of the few permanent cities inPandemonium was destroyed by something -no one knows what - and what was left behind

was so unspeakable that almost all of thosewho were sent in on the rescue operation werelost to the horror as well. Something lurks inPandemonium's depths. Something horrible.

PANDEMONIUMLOCATIONS

The Black FlagThe one thing Pandemonium is really

good for now is as a place to hide from the restof the Wheel. There aren't many groups that'dpursue someone here - a thief would have tohave something damned important for a gov-ernment to consider the risk worthwhile. TheBlack Flag is the name of a huge pirate base,where pirates and crooked merchants meet totrade goods, stories, and to hide from the law.The exact location is a closely kept secret - theBlack Flag is careful about just who is allowedto dock at their station. The place is built likean armored space station, airtight and withbaffles and insulation to keep the worst of thenoise out. The owner of the Black Flag is a pi-rate king named Atomsk, said to have suchamazing skill as to steal entire planets.

RavenholmRavenholm used to be the largest city

in Pandemonium. Used to be. It was estab-lished to act as a mining camp, with some de-gree of success. The most attractive part of thecity, for most, was that absolutely anyone waswelcome. They would take people in, findthem work, and let them forget about their

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past as long as they behaved themselves in thepresent. It was the kind of place where a per-son could redefine themselves and escape thehorrors of their past. But a few years ago,something terrible happened. No one knowsif it's the result of some daemon infestation oran artifact that was supposed to be sealed awayor some kind of contagious psychosis, butevery single person living in Ravenholm waskilled in a single night, just a few hours of ter-rible violence. Or at least it's assumed thateveryone died. The rescue effort turned upmostly fragmentary bodies, people torn limbfrom limb, before the rescue team succumbedto the same psychosis and contact was lost.

PhlegethonPhlegethon is a region of rare beauty

in Pandemonium. This part of the Sphere issurprisingly cold, like the composition of thewalls leeches heat away, but the walls arebeautiful, dripping water giving rise to greatcolumns, stupendous stalactites and stalag-mites, and incredible curtains of rock in mag-nificent variations of color. The colors of thisplace make it great for sightseeing, but thereare stories that there's something terrifyinghere, spirits of earth and air and cold, phan-toms and faeries that lure people deeper intothe tunnels where they're never seen again.

AgathionSomewhere close to the core of Pan-

demonium is an area that explorers callAgathon, where the passages stop, and cavernsare sealed away, bubbles in the endless rock.Where breaches exist, the wind howls into

miniature tornadoes. Bubbles without abreach are utterly still. Only about half haveair, the rest merely vacuum. They're obviouslyincredibly hard to find, and it's rumored thatthe gods themselves use them as vaults to hideaway things they don't want stolen, things theydon't want running loose. It's certainly truethat things are found in the bubbles, thingsthat couldn't possibly be there.

ADVENTURE SEEDS* The eldest daughter of a royal line,

next in line for their throne, left her homeCrystal Sphere and became a pirate. Unfortu-nately, her father has just found his way intothe next world thanks to an assassin, and evenif she isn't a fan of the idea she's needed backat home. Someone is going to have to go to theBlack Flag and find her - before the assassincan.

* Whatever happened to Ravenholm,it's spreading. Several other small outpostshave stopped responding after transmittingmessages of such horror and fear that it's beenhard to find anyone to even fly over the sites.Unless the cause of these disasters can bestopped, the entire place might become a char-nel house. The last thing Pandemonium needsis to be an even worse place than it is.

* Rumors say that Aboleth and MindFlayers have a massive city here, hidden some-where in some massive underground sea. Ifthere's truth to these rumors, then this hiddencity represents a grave threat to the GreatWheel.

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Marina Pheonix waited, perfectly still, behind the chest-high wall of reinforced concrete.She had only noticed the trouble moments after she had entered the room and her sensors picked upthe fresh exhaust fumes. She had only just barely managed to get her light-bending implants activebefore the walking tank locked onto her. The thing was just waiting for her to leave cover now.

And she didn't have much choice. Her target was down there, the tank standing over it like amountain of steel. She checked her rifle. She wasn't sure why she was checking her lasgun. It'd be aseffective as shining a flashlight at the hulk of metal. She was really starting to wish she'd brought abigger gun.

"Marina, can you read me?" came the whisper on her comm implant. It was Chief Anya. Ma-rina touched her chin, a reflex from when she had been merely human and wore a radio instead ofbeing one.

"Yeah," Marina subvocalized."We have your transponder location again. What's the situation?" Marina quickly glanced over

the wall. She was able to look for half a second before a hail of fire from the tank's heavy machinegun blasted into the concrete of the wall. She ducked down as the bullets tracked up and nearly hither.

"He's in the back of a ground transport. There's a spider-tank covering him. It's going to behard to get to him like this."

"The ship will be directly overhead in thirty seconds. If you can get it out in the open and giveus a firing solution, we can give you fire support." The sound was nearly drowned out by the thun-dering impact of the shells against the concrete. Marina wondered how long it would hold out. Shefelt it crack. Not long enough.

Marina activated her Veil system, and light bent around her as she channeled warp energythrough her artificial body. She got up and ran for it just as the barrier shattered. The tank must havehad one hell of a sensor suite - the bullets started tracking her motions after just a moment. She'dhave only one chance.

The arcane pyros flowing through her mechanical heart flared, and power surged into her legs.The promethean jumped down to the lower level of the room, level with the tank, and ran serpentinefor it. A lucky shell bounced into her left arm, shredding her artifical flesh and exposing orichalcumbones to the air. Marina ignored the warning alerts flashing in her vision and jumped again, coolingvanes on her body springing out and flaring with discharge as the Pyros surged through her again.

She landed on top of the car, and with another quick motion as the tank scrambled to get afiring solution that didn't include the thing it was trying to protect, she got on top of it. The tankstumbled off to the side, confused, and got right under the shattered skylight.

Marina grabbed the hatch with both hands, pulling with all her might. The hatch popped, andher damaged left arm went with it. She swore, then drove her right hand into her chest, tearing hertransponder free.

"I want you to fire directly on my transponder signal!" Marina shouted, forgetting to subvo-calize. She threw the transponder into the tank's hatch, then jumped away, rolling as she hit theground. The tank spun to face her. The gun started tracking her. She had landed wrong. She had nospeed. She couldn't run.

"Understood. Firing lance battery." Just as Marina was looking into the black void of a gunbarrel, a blinding red light struck down from the heavens, and a hole was burned right through thetank. There was a crack as the superheated air expanded. The tank shook like a leaf for a moment asthe VI systems inside it crashed. The beam drifted slightly, cutting the tank in two. Molten steeldripped to the floor.

"I think you got it.""Is the target still in one piece?" Marina walked over to the transport, a mixture of machine oil

and blood dribbling from her severed arm. She opened up the back door and unzipped the black bagthere. A blank face stared up at her. She smiled.

his chapter offers guidance for youto share stories about grand Heroes moldingthe fate of the Great Wheel and provides ad-vice for running a game of DUNGEONSTHE DRAGONING. You will learn the prac-ticalities of running a DUNGEONS THEDRAGONING game, how to create your owncampaign and how to simplify bookeeping.You will also find some rules for character ad-vancement and tips on the tone and themes ofthe game. Take what you need, ignore whatyou don't, and run the best damn DUN-GEONS THE DRAGONING game you andyour players can come up with.

GETTING STARTEDAs Story Master, your first goal is to

focus the options for the DUNGEONS THEDRAGONING game. You need to createsome general parameters for your game, andthe players need to do the same for potentialcharacters. Next, you need to figure out thestyle of game you're trying to run and where itwill occur in the Great Wheel. Finally, youneed to work with your players so they can fig-ure out how their characters interact with yourcampaign.

Initial QuestionsBefore you begin a DUNGEONS

THE DRAGONING campaign, you and yourplayers need to answer some basic questionsabout the characters, the setting and the rules.Story Masters need to figure out the follow-ing:

* Are there any elements of the settingthat you want to explicitly avoid? Will youneed to change or ignore any of the rules be-fore you play?

* Who are the direct antagonists andrecurring characters the Heroes will encounterthroughout the campaign? With what allies dothe heroes begin, or what aid can they initiallyprocure? How far across the Wheel do you ex-pect the game to span?

* Where are the characters from?How did they arrive at the game's starting lo-cation? How do they know one another?

* What areas of knowledge and ex-pertise does each character bring to the party?Are there any hooks characters should possessor avoid? Should the characters have vastly dif-ferent capabilities, or is it okay to overlap?

* Should the characters form a bal-anced party with healing, skills, fighting, andmagic? Can they possess similar Backgroundssuch as belonging to the same organization or

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matching artifact armor?Use these questions to get started. If

you like to plan ahead, come up with usefulquestions of your own for current or futuregames.

CHANGING THE RULESYou are in complete control of your

game and can change any rule you want, atany time, for any reason. However, DUN-GEONS THE DRAGONING rules often in-terlock with others, so be sure you understandwhat the rule affects before making changes.Players who find their spells and special at-tacks invalidated by your changes can becorefrustrated, particularly if they discover thisduring play. Be flexible in each case, and al-ways apply the rules consistently.

KEEPING CHARACTERS UNIQUE

It's okay if characters have similarCharacteristics and Skills or have the samerace or Exaltation. If players have characterideas that overlap, have them work together tomake sure their concepts aren't too similar. Aslong as nobody feels her character is overshad-owed by another (whether by numbers on asheet or involvement in the story), each shouldbe able to fill her own niche. Character choicesare broad and customizable enough that notwo characters need be alike.

THEMES INDUNGEONS THE

DRAGONINGThe universe of the Great Wheel, and

the DUNGEONS THE DRAGONINGgame which resides within it, are differentfrom any other science fiction setting. To bet-ter evoke this universe and weave its flavourand colour into his games, the Story Mastershould become familiar with its key themes.Being able to add these themes to a game willhelp to make it undeniably set within the

realms of the Great Wheel, and by extension,help the players to better sink into the roles oftheir characters.

The Ancient and the ForgottenThe Great Wheel's standard calendar

runs from the disappearance of the Syrne over40,000 years ago. There is an incredible depthof time, tens of millennia, ages of galactic his-tory that lie forgotten and lost, either de-stroyed in war or simply forgotten over time.The Great wheel is filled with mysticism, fear,and superstition, and people survive huddledtogether away from the darkest parts of theuniverse. Crystal Spheres lie unexplored, Syr-neth ruins dot the stars, and the golden age ofthe galaxy is long past.

Into the UnknownEvery hero has their quest, goals for

their gods or their avarice or their own per-sonal moral values. These quests drive themto become prolific explorers, some of the fewin the Great Wheel willing to take on the dan-gerous task of charting pathways into CrystalSpheres and breaking the ancient laws to opennew paths on the Portal network. Such is thevast scope of the Galaxy that entire empires ofaliens, lost worlds, and never-before-seen ce-

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lestial phenomena have all been found hiddenwithin the folds of the known stars or on theiredges.

Points of LightCivilization is not the norm in the

Great Wheel. Most of the galaxy is unexploredwilderness and the centers of civilization arefew and far between. There are great empiresand powerful worlds, but the void and the un-known dangers in it separate them by hugegulfs of time and space. Anything could belurking off the beaten path, and any journeycarries with it the inherent dangers of WarpTravel. Almost anything could happen to aworld without anyone noticing for a long time.

One Minute to MidnightThe galaxy is tottering on the brink of

ruin and disaster. There are enemies aroundevery corner, from daemons to the ancientnightmare automatons of the modrons to thevile aliens that lurk in the shadows. Across theGreat Wheel, there is a constant struggle tosurvive. Doom fills the air, and the end is nigh.

Game StylesThere is no one true way to play

DUNGEONS THE DRAGONING, butthere are basic assumptions many players

bring to the table. if you need inspiration, orif your players want to try something different,use these style summaries for ideas. Each in-cludes a 'focus' a general recommendation forbuilding characters to suit that style.

"Vanilla" Dungeons The DragoningThe most obvious DUNGEONS

THE DRAGONING game involves the He-roes returning to the world, confronting theirenemies, establishing a power base, conquer-ing the surrounding regions and becominggod-kings. Their grand conflict could involvedrawing a line in the sand and fighting anyonewho dares cross it. It could mean working be-hind the scenes to spy and assassinate. It couldeven mean actively seeking to bring down theFactions, either from within or without.

The players' characters eventually endup calling the shots in their own empire carvedin the stars, defending their people and theGreat Wheel from all who oppose them. Thisstyle can emphasize rebuilding and restorationof society from the tragic mess of things madeby the Factions, or it could focus solely on thelong, hard road to seizing Sigil itself.

Focus: No change.

By Your Powers CombinedDUNGEONS THE DRAGONING

is usually over-the-top, but this style cranks itto eleven and poursenough excess overit that Slaaneshwould be pleased.This game might in-volve Heroes withcolor-coded pow-ered armor ridingdrop pods downinto a hot battlezone where theyfight hundreds ofenemies then returnhome to be em-broiled in melodra-matic, soap-operarelationships withstoryteller charac-ters (or each other).The players' charac-

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ters may sport Lascannons, Null Rays, and theability to call down orbital strikes upon theirenemies. Powerful individuals and organiza-tions will have complicated, intricate plots thatmight inadvertently destroy the world.

This style of game harks back to howthe Wheel looked back when the Syrne werein charge, the golden age of the galaxy, but itcan be really fun if you're going for a more ex-treme vibe. Be sure to throw in a vengefulDragon Empire, an enraged behemoth that isslowly eating Crystal Spheres, and mysteriousdead ship floating between the stars made ofsome terrible living metal.

Focus: Artifact Background.

OutlanderPerhaps the known Crystal Spheres

don't intrest you much at all. Whether the callof the stars has lured the characters to a life ofsearching out lost treasure or simply exploringto see what lies at the second star on the right,there are alien ways of living and surviving inthe stars that might appeal to the Heroes. AnOutlander game brings the character in closecontact with these foreign elements, lettingthem boldly go where no man has gone before.

The Storyteller should concentrate onthe differences between the new expanses theplayers are exploring and the familiar placesthey come from, highlighting the peculiardenizens and the strange logic by which theyoperate. Remember that the Heroes are pow-erful on a large scale, so even in these alienworlds they represent a force to be reckonedwith - don't make them the smallest fish in avery big pond.

Focus: Lore skills.

The ClansSimilar to a standard

game of DUNGEONS THEDRAGONING, this style of gamefocuses more on a single commonbackground. Each character be-longs to the same race or has thesame Exaltation, allowing them tofocus on the internal politics ofthat group.

This style of game can en-compass smaller and more focused

problems, and typically sllows characters tocome together and focus because of theirshared background. They might be seen asheroic special agents of their government, aspecial team of experts, or members of thesame vampire clan or werewolf tribe. By hav-ing one element be the same for all characters,it gives everyone common ground to workfrom.

Focus: Social Backgrounds, Differingskillsets.

MiscellanyThere are many other game styles you

can apply to your DUNGEONS THEDRAGONING game. Here are a few moresuggestions:

Bolter and Chainsword with Daiklaveis a lighthearted, goofy take on the DUN-GEONS THE DRAGONING setting. Per-haps the characters are all teenagers in a Sigilacademy or must prove their worth to be aruler by finding the Lady of Pain a date for anexclusive ball. This style doesn't take much ofanything seriously and is mostly played for thelulz.

Invasion! presents your standardDUNGEONS THE DRAGONING gamewith a massive influx of otherworldly beingsbent upon conquering, enslaving, or destroy-ing the Great Wheel. The characters attemptto fight, delay, or flee from the seemingly un-stoppable enemy, be they Daemons, thearmies of the Modrons, terrible beings frombeyond the stars, aliens from a newly-openedCrystal Sphere, angry ghosts, or anything else.

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Perhaps the characters can stop the invasionwith some form of Syrneth superweapon afterfinding allies among those who would nor-mally seek to destroy them.

The Hero Who Came in from theCold assumes a game of intrigue and espi-onage, perhaps with the characters working forone of the Factions, a powerful Rogue Trader,a particularly important government, or evena god. The characters won't always know whoto trust, but they must rely on brains, skills,and cunning to survive rather than their com-bat capabilities.

Sorcery & Sorcery is simiar to a stan-dard DUNGEONS THE DRAGONINGgame, except every character plays a sorcerer.Should the players wish to emphasize this as-pect, the game can take on a life of its own asthe Story Master plays to their sorcerous am-bitions.

Walk the Earth is perhaps the sim-plest form of game, for it follows the charactersas they wander around the Wheel with nooverriding purpose beyond a desire to see theuniverse and have unique escapades in newplaces. This style of game is a DUNGEONSTHE DRAGONING travelogue, allowingStory Masters to alter the Wheel as they see fitto share cool, standalone stories set in a per-sonalized backdrop.

FORMING A PARTYThere are many reasons why a group

of Heroes might form a party. Some of themost common are these:

The Enemy of my EnemyThe easiest way for characters to en-

counter one another is when they're workingagainst a common menace. They might be onthe run from some terribly powerful evil, orthey may simply be out to take down the samedark overlord or oppressive tyrant. Characterscan come from almost anywhere in the GreatWheel, and even if they don't necessarily knoweach other, by the end of the first adventurethey should decide to stick together for theirown safety, at least for the time being.

The Gods Will ItIf the characters have similar align-

ments, they may have been thrust together bythe will of the gods themselves. The RuinousPowers, the Blessed Pantheon, and the GreyCouncil can all exert an otherworldly impetusto unite the characters. If this pull is not sub-tle, the Heroes might recieve prophetic dreamsfull of places they have never been. The He-roes travel to find one another, for their visionsclearly indicate the importance of the othercharacters to the accomplishment of their di-vine task. This backdrop works well in a gamewith an emphasis on the more mystic elementsof the setting.

Supernatural ConspiracyThere is no shortage of people looking

to improve their position, and naive Heroescan make perfect tools if properly controlled.At least, that's how the ambitious and the ar-rogant view it, be they one of the Factions ofSigil, a collection of daemons, an ambitiousgovernment, a cunning Pirate Prince or anynumber of supernatural movers and shakers.While the characters begin the game serving apower they are told is greater than their own,they should have many opportunities to disa-buse their controllers of this notion.

Beyond the Call to ActionThe characters knew one another be-

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fore they became Exalted. Perhaps they wereall close friends. Whatever their backgrounds,they are now Heroes who stick together be-cause of their previous connections. The im-plications of so close a group all ascending tobecome Exalted at the same time could easilybecome a major plot point.

RUNNING THEGAME

DUNGEONS THE DRAGONINGis unlike a lot of roleplaying games when itcomes to to the level of control provided to theplayers. This can be daunting to even the mostexperienced Story Masters, to say nothing ofthose running a roleplaying game for the firsttime. The important thing for both you andthe players to realize is that the characters con-trol the direction of the game. While they reg-ularly react to circumstances you providethem, you will just as often be the one impro-vising a response to what they are doing.

The PreludeYou might want to run a short session

called a prelude as the players get a feel fortheir characters' personalities. We recommendyou do this with each player individually be-fore the first session. A prelude should be ashort session focused more on roleplaying andinvolve few, if any, dice rolls. They provide away to explore a character outside of the nor-

mal pressures of the game. These minisessionsare also useful for deciding exactly what char-acters do during their downtime and as some-thing to do if not everyone can show up for afull session.

The First SessionThe first session of the campaign in-

troduces your players to the game. Do every-thing you can to start it with a bang. Insteadof the characters meeting in a dive onboardsome space station before leaving to searchthrough some ancient ruins for an artifact,have them start the game with the artifact inhand, escaping from the collapsing ancientruins and being chased by beastmen hordes,then end it with a relaxing tavern visit.

Think of the opening to a James Bondmovie - you see the action-packed culminationof an exciting adventure that seems unrelatedto what comes next, but later on ties into theplot. Aim for this by setting an over-the-topscene and asking your players to describe ex-actly how they got into thie predicament. Cutthem some slack and let them get creative, be-cause you can tie that into the ongoing cam-paign later.

If this is your first time runningDUNGEONS THE DRAGONING or if youhave players who are new to the game, youshould primarily use this session to test out thelimits of the system and show the players' char-acters exactly how cool they can be. Go lenientwith stunt requirements to get people in themood, giving examples of the kinds of things

they can do before letting themrun with it. Encourage them tofocus on the basics, to test outany rules they don't fully under-stand and to use any powersthey're itching to try out.

While the characters shouldfeel threatened in dangerouscircumstances, killing off acharacter in the first session isdiscouraged. The point is notto show the players how easilyyou can destroy their charac-ters, but for your players to testout what does and doesn'twork. Should your players be

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very timid and hesitant to put themselves intodangerous situations, you might want to tellthem flat out that if they 'die' in this sessionyou won't force them to Burn any HeroPoints, but they'll just be incapacitated in-stead, maybe ending up with a cool scar fortheir troubles. Only do this if the charactersare being too timid - DUNGEONS THEDRAGONING is a game about heroes, andknowing you're invincible doesn't make youbrave.

Reworking the CharactersYou might want to allow players who

were unsatisfied with the way their characterperformed in the first session to rework theircharacters. If any player finds a character fun-damentally boring to play or poorly balanced,now is the time to change it. However, be sureto take an active role with the player to smoothout the rough spots. Some players might wantto completely remove non-combat skills infavor of ass-kicking. If your first session wasmostly action, encourage them to keep anynon-combat skills you forsee coming up inyour game. While combat skills can certainlytip the balance in a fight, non-combat skillscan sway whole nations.

Beyond the First SessionThe first session lays the groundwork

for your first DUNGEONS THE DRAGO-NING campaign. It is vital to recognize thatthe campaign itself is a shared experience. Youare not dicating an unchangeable narrative,displaying the elaborate schemes of antago-nists and extras punctuated by the occasionalinterruption of the players' characters. Instead,you are crafting a fun experience based aroundthe characters themselves. Talk frankly withyour players about what they want out of thegame, and make sure you get their feedback,or you'll never be able to give them what theywant.

EXPERIENCECharacter growth is measured with

numerical points provided by the Story Masterto the players, known as Experience Points.There are two kinds of experience points:

banked and total experience. Banked experi-ence is any experience stored by the player forfuture improvement of a character's traits.Players who spend experience in this mannerreduce their banked experience by the amountspent.

Total experience is the total amountreceived from the Story Master and is neverspent or reduced. When the Story Masterawards experience, the player adds thisamount to banked and total experience. Keep-ing track of total experience gives you a goodidea of the overall power level of your charac-ter, and makes sure you have the same amountas the other characters in the campaign.

There are two main ways for the SMto award experience to his players: the Ab-stract Method and the Detailed Method.

Abstract MethodThis is the easiest and recommended

(certainly for beginning SMs) way to awardexperience. It relies simply on the amount oftime spent gaming and ensures a steady andsmooth rise in power for the characters. Foreach game session each player should receive500 xp. The SM can adjust the reward forlonger or shorter sessions.

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Detailed MethodA more detailed method of awarding

experience is also possible, in which each re-ward is broken down on a case-by-case basisand players gain experience for completingspecific tasks. For this method to work, how-ever, the SM must assign a value to each en-counter. For example, he might have a sessionthat includes a dangerous journey through thewarp, a space battle against orks, and a tensenegotiation with some hostile natives. In thiscase, each of the three encounters would beworth a set amount of XP that would beawarded to the players when the encountersare completed or overcome.

The Encounter Difficulty table givesexamples of encouters based on difficulty. Towork out the difficulty of an encounter, con-sider how much it taxes the resources of thegroup and what it costs them in Hit Points,equipment, or time.

When using this method, it is impor-tant to remember to award experience for onlymeaningful encounters and obstacles, lest theplayers embark on the wholesale slaughter ofworlds simply for the 'experience'. Likewise, asthe player characters gain in power, some chal-lengers will be so easily overcome as to beworth little or no experience.

Spending ExperiencePlayers can spend a character's

banked experience to purchase new traits orincrease existing ones. Increasing a trait costsbanked experience equal to a multiple of itscurrent rating. This is the value of the trait be-fore it is raised. Players should always bring up

the desired increase with their Story Master.The rank of some abilities - your Power Stat,Magic Schools, and Fighting Styles - arecapped by your character's level.

Example: Mistress Scarlet wants toincrease her Charisma from 3 to 4. Charismais a characteristic, so it costs (100 x currentrank) to increase. Her current rank is 3, so itcosts (100 x 3), or 300 xp. Should her StoryMaster approve, Mistress Scarlet can subtract300 from her banked Experience and fill inone more dot of Charisma.

New Characters in Old GamesOccasionally it may become necessary

to bring a new character into an existing game.Perhaps a previous character died, or maybeyou've decided to add another player to thegame. In general, it is best to keep all charac-ters at the same level of experience. Bookkeep-ing is easier when all characters are on thesame level, and it becomes easier to balanceencounters.

Talk with your players. Soem mightresent having a new character show up whodidn't 'earn the experience', and they mightwant the player to come up with a startingcharacter. Others might want any startingcharacter to start on an equal footing, as He-roes often need all the help they can get. Youmust also be sure the player of the new char-acter doesn't feel hobbled or powerless. Ulti-mately, your decision is final, but be sure youget player input before you make it. It's gener-ally better to do this before a game begins soit doesn't cause problems later on.

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Encounter Difficulty

Difficulty Award

Easy 50

Routine 70

Ordinary 100

Average 130

Challenging 170

Hard 200

Very Hard 250

Spending Experience

Improve a Characteristic 100 x Current Rank

Improve Devotion 50 x Current Rank

Improve a Skill 50 x Current Rank

Improve your Power Stat 200 x Current Rank*

Improve a Magic School 100 x Current Rank*

Improve a Sword School 100 x Current Rank*

Buy a Feat 100

New Skill 100

New Magic or Sword 200

* Your Power Stat, Magic Schools, and FightingStyle ranks are all capped at your current level.

he galaxy of the Great Wheel is astrange and limitless place, filled with horrorsand wonders in equal measure. So too are theindividuals, creatures, and alien races in it.From the spires of Sigil to the darkest depthsof Pandemonium, Heroes can encountercountless different fores, from mortal soldiersto otherworldly beasts and the most hideousterrors imaginable. The trick, of course, is toknow which one is which...

TraitsSkills and Feats represent ability and

knowledge gained over a character's life.Traits, then, are innate abilities gained byvirtue of birth and racial circumstance. Theymay be gained through other means later inlife, but almost never by choice. Racial abilitiesare one example of traits, albeit extremely spe-cific ones that are limited just to their givenraces. Other characters can have various traits,features inherited from their particular type ofspecies or their environment.

TRAIT DESCRIPTIONS

AmphibiousAmphibious creatures are more suited

for underwater movement than crawlingaround on the ground. When moving under-water, Amphibious creatures never need tomake tests to advance through less-than-idealconditions like rushing water. They also dou-ble their listed speed while swimming.

AmorphousAmorphous creatures don't have body

structures that lend themselves to easy under-standing. All hits on an amorphous creaturego to the body. An Amorphous creature dou-bles its hit points.

Armor Plating (X)Creatures with armor plating have a

natural armor rating because of their toughskin, bone ridges, scales, or just generallybeing a tough bastard. The rating of a crea-ture's armor plating is always listed, and by de-fault protects all parts of a creature's bodyunless otherwise listed.

XVIIANTAGONISTS

T

281

Aura (X)As armor reduces damage from phys-

ical sources, Aura reduces damage from mag-ical ones. Aura always protects all hitlocations. Creatures with this trait typicallyhave great magical power of their own, or arewarded against spells.

Auto-StabilizedThe creature always counts as braced

when firing heavy weapons and may fire onfully-automatic mode as a half action.

CasterA creature with the Caster trait can

cast a number of spells. Their effective ranksin magic schools are listed after caster. Theyfollow all the normal rules for casting spells. Acreature with Caster always counts as beingsanctioned.

CrawlerWorms, serpents, and similar crea-

tures crawl and slither rather than walk. Thebase speed for a creature with this trait ishalved, but they don't take any penalties dueto terrain.

DaemonicDaemonic creatures are creatures of

the Warp, but can manifest in real-space through sheer strength of will,hunger, or occult rituals. Creatureswith this trait gain extra hit pointsand armor equal to their Constitu-tion score. This armor stacks withall other sources of armor.

Dark SightA creature with this trait

sees normally even in areas of totaldarkness, and never takes a penaltydue to lighting conditions.

FearCreatures with a fear rating

are horrifying things that can inspireterror in all those who see them.They gain the listed fear rating.When a hero encounters a creature

with this trait, they must roll against it as listedin the Fear and Insanity section.

FlyerA creature with this trait has the nat-

ural ability to fly, whether with broad leatherywings, strange Warp energies, or inflatable gassacs. This trait typically includes a number toindicate the Speed it uses while flying. If nototherwise listed, this Speed is double the crea-tures normal movement speed.

MachineA creature with the machine trait is

fashioned from inorganic materials and is gen-erally more hardy than real people. Machinesdo not breathe, are immune to the effects of avacuum, extremes of cold, any mind-influenc-ing psychic effect, and they gain a number ofarmor points that apply to all of their body lo-cations.

MindlessMindless creatures have no Charisma,

Fellowship, Composure, or Intelligencescores. They automatically fail all social skilltests, are immune to social attacks, and are im-mune to any attempts to control their mind,since they don't have anything there to con-trol.

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PhasingA creature with this trait can trans-

form its body into an insubstantial state, pass-ing ghostlike through solid objects or barriersof any sort. A creature may change to andfrom corporeality as a half action. An incorpo-real creature gains two extra raises on Stealthchecks when hiding inside an object and areimmune to normal weapons. Magic weaponsand weapons with the Power Field propertycan affect them normally.

QuadrupedQuadrupeds are much quicker over a

distance than their bipedal counterparts. Theirground speed is doubled as they can use allfour legs to sprint.

RegenerationCreatures with this trait heal very

quickly. Every round, at the start of its turn,the creature may regain a number of lost hitpoints equal to its regeneration score.

Resource StatA creature with a resource stat has a

pool of points to pull from, just as an Exaltdoes. These follow all the normal rules for re-source stats. The type and number of resourcestats the creature has to spend are listed withthe trait.

Stuff of NightmaresSome warp entities and bizarre crea-

tures are so terribly powerful that the will per-patuating their bodies in our reality is almostimpossible to break or disrupt. Such entitiesare completely immune to the effects of poi-sons, diseases, the need to breathe, most en-vironmental hazards, bleeding, stunning, andany critical result other than one that woulddestroy them outright unless caused by aSpell, Power Weapon, or similarly unusualsource.

UndeadAn undead creature isn't really alive.

They're animated by terrible forces of sorceryand warp energy. They don't need to breathe,eat, drink, or really to do anything. Mindless

undead creatures can just stand in one spotuntil they rot away. They don't suffer bloodloss and ignore stunning effects.

Unnatural ToughnessCreatures with Unnatural Toughness

are almost impossible to put down. Their hitpoints are doubled, including from sourceslike Sound Constitution.

Dramatis Personae

There are a lot of berks out therelooking to hurt someone because they’re in abad mood, they’re on the wrong side of a fight,or just because someone slipped them a fewThrones to do it. Or maybe they’re just hun-gry. Here are statistics for a few sample ene-mies to get you started.

General NoncombatantThe Wheel contains countless billions

of men and women, from the hab-workerstrudging to and from factories day after day,to the ratings that blister their hands workingimpossible hours onboard military ships, toore miners providing fuel and raw material tofuel the galaxy's lust for wealth.

Skills Common Lore 1, Perception 1, Craft 1

Speed 4Size 6Static Defense 14HP 4Feats NoneArmor NoneAttacks UnarmedGear Drab garb, a few coins.Threat Rating Very Low

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Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

Green Troops/Common OutlawsThe lowest of the low, these men rep-

resent barely trained conscripts and thieves.They present little threat to anyone armed orready for them, preying upon the weak andafraid. Every day, wars and hardship drivemore people to these extremes - many are noteven bad people, just hungry and not able tosee any other way out.

Skills Acrobatics 1, Perception 1, Common Lore 1, Intimidate 2, Scrutiny 1, Weaponry 1, Ballistics 1.

Speed 5Size 6Static Defense 14HP 5Feats Weapon Proficiency (Ordinary, Parrying)Armor Leathers (2 AP; Arms, Body, Legs)Attacks Knife (4k2 R; Pen 0),

Autopistol (30m; S/6; 2k2 I; Pen 0; Clip 12; Reload Full)

Gear Threadbare clothing, leathers, 2 autopis-tol clips, a few coins.

Threat Rating Very Low

Regular Troops/RebelsA common, every day soldier, armed

with standard service weapon and armor.They've gone through basic training, unlikeconscripted soldiers forced into service, andcan present an actual threat if there are enoughof them around to concentrate fire.

Skills Acrobatics 1, Perception 1, Common Lore 1, Intimidate 2, Scrutiny 1, Weaponry 2, Ballistics 2.

Speed 6Size 6Static Defense 19HP 7Feats Weapon Proficiency (Ordinary, Parrying,Las). Sound Constitution x 2, Jaded, Armor Profi-ciency (light, medium)Armor Flak Vest, Gauntlets,(5 AP; Arms, Body)

Helmet (4 AP; Head)Attacks Knife (4k2 R; Pen 0), Lasgun (60m; S/3;3k2 E; Pen 0; Clip 60; Reload Full)Gear Uniform, Flak Armor, Lasgun, 2 EnergyPacks, Micro-bead, Torch

Threat Rating Low

Elite Soldiers/RaidersElite Soldiers are special forces, dis-

tinct not just in having somewhat better equip-ment, but also in having better training andexperience. They tend to not only preformbetter in combat than the standard soldier, butalso know when it's time to leave.

Skills Acrobatics 1, Perception 2, Common Lore 1, Intimidate 2, Scrutiny 1, Weaponry 2, Ballistics 3.

Speed 7Size 6Static Defense 15HP 8Feats Weapon Proficiency (Ordinary, Parrying,Las). Sound Constitution x 2, Jaded, Armor Profi-ciency (light, medium, Heavy)Armor Carapace Armor (7 AP; Arms, Body,Legs, Head)Attacks Knife (5k2 R; Pen 0), Lasgun (60m; S/3;3k2 E; Pen 0; Clip 60; Reload Full)Gear Uniform, Carapace Armor, Lasgun, 2 En-ergy Packs, Micro-bead, Torch, Rebreather, 2 FragGrenades

Threat Rating Low

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Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

4 3 3 2 2 3 2 2 2

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

3 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2

Mortal HeroThe mortal hero represents a warrior

near the very peak of mortalability, armed with someof the best equipmentand training that a per-son can get. To anewborn exalt, theypresent a threat inone-on-one com-bat, pure luck andbloody-minded-ness taking theplace of su-pernaturalpower.

Skills Acrobatics 2, Perception 2, Common Lore 2, Intimidate 2, Scrutiny 1, Weaponry 3, Ballistics 3.

Speed 9Size 7Static Defense 16HP 10Feats Weapon Proficiency (Ordinary, Parrying,Las, Chain). Sound Constitution x 2, Jaded, ArmorProficiency (light, medium, heavy, extreme,power), True Grit, Blind Fighting, LuckyArmor Light Power Armor (10 AP; All)Attacks Chainsword (8k2 R; Pen 4, Tearing), Las-gun (100m; S/4; 2k2 E; Pen 2; Clip 40; ReloadFull)Gear Flashy clothing, Light Power Armor,Pulse Rifle, 2 Energy Packs, Micro-bead, Torch,Rebreather, 2 Frag Grenades

Threat Rating Moderate

Sabbat ThugThe Sabbat is a kind of vampire

mafia, an organization whose tendrils reachinto many major planetary cities and with po-litical influence that stems from simply beingaround for over a thousand years and gaininglots and lots of wealth. The lowest membersof the Sabbat are thugs, soldiers and enforcerswho are at the bottom rung of the organizationwith nowhere to go but up.

Skills Acrobatics 1, Athletics 1, Ballistics 1, Brawl 2, Drive 1, Intimidation 1, Perception 2, Weaponry 2

Speed 6Size 6Static Defense 19HP 6Feats Sound Constitution, Weapon Proficiency(Ordinary)Armor NoneAttacks Bite (4k1 R, Pen 0), Brass Knuckles (3k2,Pen 0), Hand Cannon (35m; S/-; 3k2 I; Pen 3; Clip6; Reload 2 Full)AbilitiesUndead Resilience - As the Vampire power.Sunlight Weakness - As the Vampire power.Blood Dependency - As the Vampire power.Traits Resource Stat (Vitae; 5), Dark SightGear Dark clothing, Brass Knuckles, HandCannon, Chrono, 5 reloads for the Hand Cannon.

Threat Rating Low

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Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

3 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 2

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

5 4 4 3 4 3 2 2 4

Sabbat PrinceA Sabbat Prince is considerably

higher up in the organization than the thugsthey command. They have a huge amount ofpersonal power, not just from their undeadabilities, but also because they're so well con-nected with the local political scene. They arerarely seen alone or in any kind of vulnerableposition, usually accompanied by bodyguardsand hired thugs.

Skills Acrobatics 2, Athletics 3, Ballistics 2, Brawl 4, Drive 1, Intimidation 3, Perception 3, Politics 3, Weaponry 4

Speed 9Size 6Static Defense 24HP 12Feats Sound Constitution x 3, Weapon Profi-ciency (Ordinary), Quick Draw, Swift Attack, Fear-less, Wall of SteelArmor NoneAttacks Bite (6k2 R, Pen 0), Brass Knuckles (5k3,Pen 0), Hand Cannon (35m; S/-; 3k2 I; Pen 3; Clip6; Reload 2 Full)AbilitiesUndead Resilience - As the Vampire power.Sunlight Weakness - As the Vampire power.Blood Dependency - As the Vampire power.Traits Resource Stat (Vitae; 15), Dark Sight,Fear 1Gear Sharp black suit, Brass Knuckles, HandCannon, Expensive Chrono, 5 reloads for the HandCannon.

Threat Rating Moderate

Zoanoid ThugWerewolves are a divided group, and

Zoanoids are the worst of the worst, changedand mutated by the powers of the Warp.They're barely distinguishable from daemonsin their warforms, and it's entirely possible thatthey'll have abilities and traits that aren't listedhere as a consequence of these mutations.

Skills Brawl 2, Perception 3, Intimidate 2, Weaponry 2

Speed 5 [8]Size 6 [8]Static Defense 14 [12]HP 6 [8]Feats Furious Assault, Heightened Senses(smell), Iron JawArmor NoneAttacks [Claws (7k1 R), Bite (8k2 R)]AbilitiesShifting - As the Werewolf power. Stats in bracketsare for Warform.Lycan Resistance - As the Werewolf power.Silver Bane - As the Werewolf power.Traits Resource Stat (Rage; 6), Regeneration 1Gear Torn street clothing.

Threat Rating Low

Zoanoid HeavyMore powerful than the standard

Zoanoid, these monsters are deadly, some-times simply berserk monsters that go wild inthe streets but occasionally one with excep-tional power or charisma will form a gang ofmutant monsters and terrorize a city. Most ap-pear as horrible abominations in their war-form, a mix of insect and aquatic features thatlook unreal and terrible.

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Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

3[6] 2 4[6] 2 1 3 2 2 2

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

5 4 5 4 2 4 2 3 4

Skills Brawl 4, Perception 3, Intimidate 4, Weaponry 4

Speed 8 [11]Size 6 [8]Static Defense 19 [17]HP 11 [13]Feats Sound Constitution x 2, Furious Assault,Power Attack, Heightened Senses (smell), Iron JawArmor NoneAttacks [Claws (9k1 R), Bite (10k2 R)]AbilitiesShifting - As the Werewolf power. Stats in bracketsare for Warform.Lycan Resistance - As the Werewolf power.Silver Bane - As the Werewolf power.Traits Resource Stat (Rage; 10), Regeneration 1Gear Expendable suit, sunglasses.

Threat Rating Moderate

Monodrone ModronModrons. The very name causes

some of the bravest heroes in the Wheel toshudder in terror. They are immortal things,battle shells of an unholy living metal. Theirweapons fire beams that tear their targets apartlayer by layer. They slowly and methodicallyseek out living things and destroy them, im-placable and terrible. Monodrones are themost common Modron, simple creatures likemetal spheres of skeletal metal with balefuleyes and long, birdlike legs.

Skills Weaponry 3, Ballistics 3, Brawl 3, Perception 3

Speed 3Size 7Static Defense 13HP 10Feats True GritArmor Armor Plating 4 (All)Attacks Gauss Flayer (80m; S/-; 2k2 X; Pen 12;Clip -; Reload -; Tearing), Melee Attachment (8k3R; Pen 4)AbilitiesGauss Weapon - Whenever a creature takes damagefrom the Modron's Gauss Flayer, they suffer 1 crit-

ical damage to that location even if they have HPremaining.Frightful Presence - Whenever this creature chargesor makes an all out attack, all creatures withinmelee range of it must test against its fear rating.We'll Be Back - When 'killed', roll 1d10 at the startat each of its turns. On an 8+, the creature fadesaway, teleporting somewhere else. After threerounds, the creature comes back to life at 0wounds.Traits Armor Plating (4), Aura (4), Crawler,Fear 2, Mindless, Regeneration 1, Stuff of Night-maresGear -

Threat Rating Moderate

Duodrone ModronDuodrones are more advanced and

powerful than monodrones, capable of notonly destroying life, but seeking out new tar-gets when they have eliminated their targets.They have even more deadly weapons thanmonodrones, and are even tougher andstronger.

Skills Weaponry 4, Ballistics 4, Brawl 4, Perception 4

Speed 4Size 8Static Defense 17HP 16Feats True Grit

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Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

5 3 8 - - - - 4 8

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

4 2 5 - - - - 4 5

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

5[8] 3 5[7] 2 1 3 2 2 4

Armor Armor Plating 6 (All)Attacks Gauss Blaster (80m; S/3; 2k2 X; Pen 12;Clip -; Reload -; Tearing), Melee Attachment(10k3 R; Pen 4)AbilitiesGauss Weapon - Whenever a creature takes damagefrom the Modron's Gauss Flayer, they suffer 1 crit-ical damage to that location even if they have HPremaining.Frightful Presence - Whenever this creature chargesor makes an all out attack, all creatures withinmelee range of it must test against its fear rating.We'll Be Back - When 'killed', roll 1d10 at the startat each of its turns. On an 8+, the creature fadesaway, teleporting somewhere else. After threerounds, the creature comes back to life at 0wounds.Traits Armor Plating (6), Aura (6), Crawler,Fear 2, Mindless, Regeneration 1, Stuff of Night-maresGear -

Threat Rating High

CultistA cultist is, naturally, a member of

one of the more extreme arms of a religion.They're not any stronger, faster, or smarterthan the average person, but they've got justenough crazy to make them really dangerousand the blessings of their gods mean that theyshouldn't be underestimated.

Skills Academic Lore 2, Forbidden Lore 2, Arcana 2, Weaponry 2, Persuasion 2

Speed 4Size 6Static Defense 14HP 5Feats Lucky, Powerful Charge, Weapon Profi-ciency (Ordinary)Armor NoneAttacks Hand Weapon (5k2 R; Pen 0)Traits Resource Stat (Favor; 6)Gear Tattered Robes, Hand Weapon, HereticalWritings, Charm

Threat Rating Low

Arch-HereticA dangerous and fanatical champion

of their god, typically the leader of a radicalsect. They might even worship a daemon di-rectly. Regardless of their cause or master,they are dangerous, not just because they havemagical blessings but because they cannot bereasoned with.

Skills Academic Lore 2, Forbidden Lore 4, Arcana 3, Weaponry 3, Persuasion 3, Ballistics 3

Speed 4Size 6Static Defense 14HP 11Feats Lucky, Powerful Charge, Weapon Profi-ciency (Ordinary, Flail, Flame), Armor Proficiency(Extreme), Sound Constitution x2, True Grit, Di-vine MinistrationArmor Plate Armor 8 (Arms, Body, Legs)Attacks Dire Flail (6k2 I; Pen 3; Two Hands,Flexible), Hand Flamer (10m; S/-; 3k2 E; Pen 4;Clip 3; Reload 2Full, Flame)Traits Resource Stat (Favor; 8)Gear Ornate Robes, Dire Flail, Hand Flamer,extra fuel tank, Plate Armor, Heretical Writings,Charm

Threat Rating Moderate

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Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

3 3 4 3 4 4 3 3 5

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 3

HeretekA Heretek is a failed promethean, a

being more machine than man and oftendriven insane by the bionic upgrades and sur-geries that they've suffered in their attempt atimmortality. Some are the poor victims of madscientists, others are the mad scientists them-selves, men with the will and drive to experi-ment even on themselves.

Skills Academic Lore 3, Ballistics 2, Drive 2, Forbidden Lore 3, Pilot 2, Tech-Use 3

Speed 5Size 6Static Defense 14HP 7Feats Weapon Proficiency (Las, Ordinary)Armor Subdermal Plating (2, All)Attacks Laspistol (30m; S/-; 2k2 E; Pen 0; Clip30; Reload Full; Reliable), Wrench (4k2 I)AbilitiesMan of Iron - The Heretek ignores critical effectsthat would cause death except for effects resultingfrom critical damage to the gizzards or head.Traits Armor Plating (2), Stuff of Nightmares,Resource Stat (Pyros, 3)

Gear Tattered robes, Combi-tool, Data Slatefilled with illegal data, Chrono, Laspistol, 2 powerpacks, Heavy wrench

Threat Rating Low

Dark MechaniusA powerful and dangerous opponent,

the Dark Mechanius is almost everything theHeretek wants tobe, merely thebarest traces offlesh remaininginside a ma-chine shell.Nearly everypart of themhas been re-placed withbionics, andmany are lit-tle more thana few scrapsof brain tis-sue control-ling amachine.

Skills Academic Lore 3, Ballistics 2, Drive 2,Forbidden Lore 3, Pilot 2, Tech-Use 3

Speed 8Size 6Static Defense 19HP 14Feats Weapon Proficiency (Las, Ordinary,Plasma), Crack Shot, Sound Constitution x3, IronJawArmor Subdermal Plating (4, All)Attacks Integrated Plasma Gun (90m; S/2; 3k3 E;Pen 8; Clip -; Reload -; Recharge), Power Sword(9k2 R; Pen 4; Power Field)AbilitiesMan of Iron - The Dark Mechanius ignores criticaleffects that would cause death except for effects re-sulting from critical damage to the gizzards or head.Mechendrites - The Dark Mechanius has a number

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Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

5 3 6 3 2 4 5 2 5

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

3 2 4 2 2 3 4 2 3

of extra mechanical limbs. These allow him to takean extra half action on each of his turns that canonly be used for something those extra limbs coulddo, such as a ready action or attack.Traits Armor Plating (4), Stuff of Nightmares,Resource Stat (Pyros, 9)Gear Tattered robes, Combi-tool, Data Slate

filled with illegal data, Chrono, Power Sword

Threat Rating High

Incarnate Lesser DaemonA daemon brought from the warp and

into the real world, the incarnate daemonpresents a deadly threat. They're almost im-possible to kill by normal means, made moreout of warp stuff than any real matter. A lesserdaemon is little more than an animal, cleverand dangerous but not truly intelligent or withmuch magical ability.

Skills Perception 1, Arcana 2, Brawl 3Speed 6Size 6Static Defense 14HP 9Feats NoneArmor Daemonic Toughness (3, All)Attacks Claws and Teeth (5k2 R; Tearing)Traits Daemonic, Dark Sight, Fear 1, ResourceStat (Essence; 7)Gear None

Threat Rating Low

Incarnate Greater DaemonWhere the lesser daemon is essentially

a wild animal, the greater daemon is an intel-ligent opponent that uses its abilities to theirall. With its massive size and sheer toughness,the Greater Daemon can shrug off all but themost impressive attacks.

Skills Perception 1, Arcana 2, Brawl 4Speed 10Size 10Static Defense 20

HP 17Feats Frenzy, Swift AttackArmor Daemonic Toughness (6, All)Attacks Claws and Teeth (8k3 R; Tearing), WarpFire (50m; S/-; 4k3 E; Flame)Traits Daemonic, Dark Sight, Fear 2, ResourceStat (Essence; 14)Gear None

Threat Rating High

Beast of BurdenThis stat block represents a great va-

riety of creatures. From oxen to heavy horsesor grox, the Beast of Burden takes as manyshapes as there are worlds. They're hardly dan-gerous, but they're usually stubborn.

Skills Perception 2, Athletics 2, Brawl 1Speed 8Size 10Static Defense 10HP 6Feats -Armor NoneAttacks Kick (5k2 I)Traits QuadrupedGear -

Threat Rating Very Low

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3 3 3 3 1 3 1 3 3

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

6 4 6 3 1 3 3 3 5

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

4 2 4 1 1 1 1 3 2

Ferocious CreatureA predatory creature much more dan-

gerous than the simple beast of burden, theFerocious Creature is typically cat- or wolf-like. They tend to be much less fearful thanmost animals, and many are not afraid to huntpeople for food. Or sport.

Skills Perception 3, Athletics 3, Acrobatics 2,Stealth 2, Brawl 3

Speed 12Size 6Static Defense 24HP 6Feats Heightened Senses (Scent), Step AsideArmor NoneAttacks Bite (6k3 R)Traits Quadruped, Dark SightGear -

Threat Rating Low

Flying CreatureFrom large hawks to severely pissed

off swans, there are plenty of things that flyaround that might give a Hero some trouble.They are more dangerous because their mo-bility and agility makes them difficult to hitthan be-cause oft h e i rl o wdamagepotential.

Skills Perception 3, Athletics 2, Acrobatics 1,Brawl 1

Speed 7Size 4Static Defense 31HP 4Feats Swift AttackArmor NoneAttacks Claws (3k1 R)Traits Flyer (14)Gear -

Threat Rating Very Low

Slithering CreatureMost worlds have some form or an-

other of sneaky ambush predator that uses poi-son and stealth to get to its prey. Snakes are asurprisingly common type of creature, withvariants throughout the stars. This stat blockrepresents something like a large rattlesnake orviper with a dangerous enough bite to provetoxic even to a Hero.

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Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

2 4 2 1 1 1 1 4 2

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

2 5 2 1 1 1 1 4 2

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

4 4 3 1 1 1 1 3 3

Skills Perception 2, Stealth 3, Brawl 2Speed 3Size 3Static Defense 27HP 4Feats NoneArmor NoneAttacks Bite (4k2 R; Toxic)Traits CrawlerGear -

Threat Rating Very Low

Walking CreatureA primitive humanoid creature like a

gorilla or vegetarian, these beasts are fairly rarecreatures on most worlds, but are sometimessurprisingly intelligent and capable of learninglimited speech.

Skills Brawl 4Speed 7Size 8Static Defense 17HP 6Feats NoneArmor NoneAttacks Fist (4k2 I)Traits -Gear -

Threat Rating Very Low

Combat ServitorA robot designed to kill, the Combat

Servitor is a dangerous machine with an inte-grated multi-barrel las weapon that can putdown an impressive volley of fire. It isn't a ter-ribly intelligent machine, however, and its pro-gramming typically has it do little else but keepan overwatch over an area and fire at anythingthat moves.

Skills Brawl 1, Crafts 1, Tech Use 1,Ballistics 3

Speed 9Size 9

Static Defense 21HP 14Feats -Armor Machine Toughness (6, All)Attacks Claw (6k2 I; Snare), Multilas (60m; S/8;3k2 E; Pen 0; Reliable)Traits Machine (6)Gear -

Threat Rating Moderate

Industrial ServitorA more modest machine, the indus-

trial servitor is designed to work in environ-ments where people would be put too muchat risk. They have hardened plating designedto stand up to the difficulties of an industrialworkplace and an arc welder that can be set toan amazingly dangerous power level if it is pro-grammed or ordered to defend itself.

Skills Brawl 1, Crafts 1, Tech Use 1Speed 6Size 7Static Defense 13HP 8Feats -Armor Machine Toughness (2, All)Attacks Claw (6k2 I; Snare), Arc Welder (10m;S/-; 3k3 E; Flame)Traits Machine (2)Gear -

Threat Rating Low

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Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

4 3 3 1 1 1 1 3 3

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

5 4 6 1 1 3 1 1 2

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

4 2 5 1 1 3 1 1 1

DragonGiant killing machines made of scales,

wings, and fire. They're also smarter than youare, centuries old, and with more magic intheir fingernail than the typical wizard has inhis entire body. The stats presented here areonly representative of a fairly small and youngdragon. Ancient wyrms can be far, far morepowerful.

Skills Academic Lore 3, Acrobatics 2, Arcana 4,Athletics 2, Ballistics 3, Brawl 4, Charm 3, Command 5, Common Lore 2,Forbidden Lore 2, Intimidation 5, Perception 3, Politics 2, Scrutiny 4,Weaponry 3

Speed 11Size 15Static Defense 15HP 22Feats Danger Sense, Eidetic Memory, Iron Jaw,Power Attack, Powerful Charge, Strong Minded, Armor Iron Scales (10, All)Attacks Claws and Teeth (10k3 R; Tearing),Dragon Fire (80m; S/-; 6k3 E; Flame)AbilitiesFrightful Presence - Whenever this creature chargesor makes an all out attack, all creatures withinmelee range of it must test against its fear rating.Traits Flyer (22), Unnatural Toughness, ArmorPlating (10), Dark Sight, Caster (Evocation 3, Div-ination 4), Fear 2Gear -Threat Rating Very High

LichNot everyone can become an immor-

tal Exalt. That doesn't mean there aren't otherpaths to immortality. Well, being a Lich isn'tquite immortality - being an undead horror ismore accurate - but it's a pretty attractive op-tion for a sorcerer getting on in his years andfeeling mortality creeping up on him. Becom-ing a lich is a terrible process that involves thedeath of someone the lich deeply cares aboutas a sacrifice.

Skills Academic Lore 3, Acrobatics 2,Arcana 5,

Athletics 2, Brawl 4, Charm 3, Command 5, Common Lore 2, Forbidden Lore 5, Intimidation 2, Perception 3, Politics 2, Scrutiny 4

Speed 5Size 6Static Defense 19HP 7Feats Wizard Tradition (All), SpellSpecialization (All), TestedArmor NoneAttacks Unarmed

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Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

7 4 6 6 3 4 5 5 5

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

2 3 3 5 1 4 5 4 4

AbilitiesPhylactery - Every Lich has hidden their deathsomewhere safe. They cannot be killed as long astheir Phylactery exists. A lich's phylactery is invari-ably a constructed and typically valuable item.Traits Undead, Dark Sight, Caster (Evocation 4,Illusion 3, Abjuration 3, Conjuration 3)Gear Musty but expensive robes, staff, ancientgems and jewelry.

Threat Rating High

Mind FlayerMind Flayers are some of the most

dangerous creatures in the Wheel. They areevil, mind-controlling things with only simpledesires. Desires like the subjugation of all liv-ing things, brains to eat, and countless slaves.They're humanoids with slick slimy skin, longfingers, and tentacles sprouting around abeaked mouth. They use those tentacles to pryopen skulls from their victims and extract theirbrains.

Skills Academic Lore 4, Acrobatics 2, Arcana 4,Athletics 2, Brawl 4, Command 3,Common Lore 2, Forbidden Lore 5,Perception 3, Scrutiny 5

Speed 5Size 5Static Defense 20HP 7Feats Danger Sense, Eidetic Memory, StrongMindedArmor NoneAttacks Tentacles (2k2 I; Snare)AbilitiesMind Blast - The mind flayer may spend a half ac-tion to fire a 60' cone of psychic power. All targetswithin the cone must make a TN 25 Willpower testor else become stunned for one round.Eats Your Goddamn Brain - A mind flayer's attacksin a grapple always hit the head. While grappling, amind flayer's tentacles gain Tearing.Traits Dark Sight, Caster (Divination 3, En-chantment 3, Illusion 3)Gear Blasphemous Robes

Threat Rating Moderate

AbolethAboleths come from the same blasted

and forsaken place as the Mind Flayers.They're even more powerful and evil thanMind Flayers, if that's possible. They'rebloated, scaled fish things with bony ridgesand four powerful tentacles. They don't eatbrains with them. They just poison with thebarbs on them, and anyone who dies from thispoison turns into a sludge that the abolethconsume. They typically have a few slaves onhand to deal with interlopers.

Skills Academic Lore 4, Acrobatics 2, Arcana 4,Athletics 2, Brawl 4, Command 3,Common Lore 2, Forbidden Lore 5,Perception 3, Scrutiny 5

Speed 4Size 10Static Defense 15HP 10Feats Danger Sense, Eidetic Memory, StrongMinded, Swift AttackArmor Bone Ridges (3, All)

294

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2 3 2 3 2 4 5 5 5

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

5 3 4 4 1 4 6 5 6

Attacks Tentacles (4k2 I; Snare, Toxic)AbilitiesMindslaver - An Aboleth can concentrate to main-tain Enchantment spells as a free action, and targetsdo not get extra dice to resist the effects of thosespells based on the orders given.Traits Dark Sight, Caster (Divination 4, En-chantment 4, Illusion 4), Crawler, Amphibious,Armor Plating (3)Gear Slime

Threat Rating High

ElementalElementals are spirit creatures that

create and inhabit bodies made of one of the

four primary primal elements - Earth, Air,Fire, or Water. They're not really properly lifeforms, and are quite common in the Umbraand places where one of the elements is found

in exceptional natural purity. They're typicallynot dangerous as long as they're left alone.

Skills Perception 3, Brawl 3Speed 6Size 8Static Defense 17HP 6Feats NoneArmor NoneAttacks Slam (6k3 I)AbilitiesElementals get one of the following, dependning ontheir composition:Earth - An earth elemental gains 6 armor to all lo-cations.Air - An air elemental gains Phasing.Fire - Fire elementals deal E damage with their at-tacks and all targets within melee range must testConstitution against TN 15 every turn or gain apoint of fatigue from waves of heat.Water - Water elementals gain Regneration 1.Traits Amorphous, Stuff of NightmaresGear None

Threat Rating Low

The Walkin' DeadZombies. Shamblers. They go around

biting people and eating their flesh. Some-times they're caused by a plague or curse, butthey're more often the result of evil sorcery andwarp energy. While they only really pose athreat in huge numbers and to ill-preparedpeople, they still manage to cause a lot of trou-ble on more primitive or run-down worlds.

Skills Brawl 2, Perception 2Speed 5Size 6Static Defense 14HP 4Feats NoneArmor NoneAttacks Claws and Teeth (3k1 R)Traits Undead, MindlessGear Bloody and torn clothing.

Threat Rating Very Low

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Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

3 3 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

3 2 2 - - - - 2 2

GhostWhen someone dies, their spirit can

linger, vengeful and angry. A ghost is just sucha spirit, a warp echo of someone who has died.They're most commonly seen in the Umbra,but their influence can extend to the real worldin places where the veil is thin.

Skills Brawl 2, Perception 2, Arcana 3Speed 5Size 6Static Defense 14HP 4Feats NoneArmor NoneAttacks NoneAbilitiesPossession - The Ghost may test Charisma and Ar-cana to affect a target as the Dominate spell.Traits Undead, Flyer (10), Phasing, Fear 1Gear None

Threat Rating Low

Fire WarriorFire Warriors are the Tau's standard

military force, armed with better weapons andexcellent training. They're somewhat shorterand stockier than the average Tau, and mostare trained from birth for their expected life-time of fighting for the Greater Good.

Skills Acrobatics 1, Perception 1, Persuasion 2,Common Lore 2, Scrutiny 1, Weaponry 2, Ballistics 2.

Speed 6Size 6Static Defense 19HP 5Feats Weapon Proficiency (Ordinary, Parrying,Las). Sound Constitution x 1, Armor Proficiency(light, medium), Deadeye ShotArmor Flak Vest, Gauntlets,(5 AP; Arms, Body)Helmet (4 AP; Head)Attacks Knife (4k2 R; Pen 0), Pulse Rifle (100m;S/4; 2k2 E; Pen 2; Clip 40; Reload Full; Reliable)AbilitiesFall Back - As the Tau racial power.

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Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

3 2 2 4 1 2 2 2 2

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

3 3 2 2 2 3 2 2 2

Gear Uniform, Flak Armor, Pulse Rifle, 2 En-ergy Packs, Micro-bead, Torch

Threat Rating Low

RatlingHalflings typically live their life on the

wrong side of the law. They've fallen throughthe cracks in modern society, and Ratlings arejust such halfings, thieves and pickpockets thatprey on unsuspecting people to survive in theslums and gutters of the Wheel.

Skills Acrobatics 2, Perception 2,Common Lore 3, Deceive 2, Scrutiny 1,Weaponry 1, Larceny 3, Ballistics 1.

Speed 5Size 3Static Defense 22HP 5Feats Weapon Proficiency (Ordinary, Parrying),Sneak AttackArmor Leathers (2 AP; Arms, Body, Legs)

Attacks Knife (3k2 R; Pen 0), Autopistol (30m;S/6; 2k2 I; Pen 0; Clip 12; Reload Full)AbilitiesShifty - As the Halfling racial power.Gear Threadbare clothing, leathers, Autopistol,Knife, 2 autopistol clips, a few coins.

Threat Rating Very Low

SlayerWhen a Squat does something truly

disgraceful and dishonorable, there is only oneoption left for them in their society. They goto find an honorable death, taking only themost basic equipment - an Axe, their bodymarked with the traditional paint used to blessthose who are already dead, and a grenade togive them a way out that can take an enemywith them.

Skills Athletics 2, Crafts 2, Intimidation 2,Weaponry 3, Common Lore 2

Speed 5Size 5Static Defense 15HP 12Feats Iron JawArmor NoneAttacks Axe (6k2 R)AbilitiesSquat Toughness - As the racial abilityGear Axe, boots, loincloth, body paint, meanlook, Frag Grenade.

Threat Rating Low

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Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

3 2 3 2 2 3 2 2 3

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

2 3 2 2 2 2 2 3 2

Living AncestorA wise and respected member of

Squat society, the title of Living Ancestor isonly given to those with wisdom and abilitythat comes only once in a hundred years. Allother Squats try to emulate the Living Ances-tors, and whenever a Squat is declared a Liv-ing Ancestor, they become the head of a newnoble house founded in their name. Whilethey have no special political position save asthe head of their noble family, they have greatpull in Squat society thanks to the respect oth-ers give them.

Skills Athletics 3, Crafts 4, Intimidation 2,Weaponry 4, Common Lore 2,Command 3, Academic Lore 2

Speed 6Size 6Static Defense 5HP 20Feats Iron JawArmor Power Armor (12, All)Attacks Power Axe (8k2 R, Power Field),Plasma Pistol (30m; S/-; 3k3 E Pen 8; Clip10; Reload 4Full; Recharge, Overheats).AbilitiesSquat Toughness - As the racial abilityGear Power Axe, Power Armor, PlasmaPistol, 2 extra plasma charges, mean look, beardjewelry, embroidered clothing

Threat Rating Moderate

Talon of TiamatTiamat's followers have never died

out. Some dragonborn carry on in her name,seeking to destroy Bahamut and avenge theirfallen lord. Some rumor that Tiamat is stillalive, taking a hundred centuries to recoverfrom her wounds, almost ready to resume herwar against Bahamut and forge a new Dra-conic Empire in her fivefold image.

Skills Command 2, Weaponry 3, Intimidation 2, Ballistics 2, Brawl 2,Athletics 2. Acrobatics 2, Perception 2

Speed 6Size 7Static Defense 13HP 6Feats Armor Proficiency (Medium), WeaponProficiency (Ordinary, Fencing)Armor Flak Jacket (5; Arms, Body, Legs)Attacks Fencing Sword (6k2 R; Balanced), PumpShotgun (30m; S/-; 3k2 I Pen 0; Clip 8; Reload2Full; Scatter)AbilitiesDragon Breath - As the Dragonborn racial abilitiesGear Flak Jacket, Pump Shotgun, 24 extrashells, Fencing Sword, Micro-Bead, Tough cloth-ing

Threat Rating Low

Dragonfire AdeptSome Dragonborn focus on the

power within themselves, training themselvesin magic. Especially fire magic. And when thatdoesn't work, they carry a really big gun thatthey can use to shoot people to death. Typi-cally one or the other will work in any givensituation.

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Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

5 2 5 4 2 5 2 4 5

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

4 2 3 4 3 3 2 3 3

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

4 3 4 5 3 4 2 3 4

Skills Command 2, Weaponry 3,Intimidation 2, Ballistics 3, Brawl 2,Athletics 2. Acrobatics 2, Perception 2,Arcana 2, Academic Lore 2

Speed 7Size 7Static Defense 18HP 8Feats Armor Proficiency (Medium), WeaponProficiency (Ordinary, Fencing), Spell Focus (Evo-cation)Armor Flak Jacket (5; Arms, Body, Legs)Attacks Fencing Sword (6k2 R; Balanced), Melt-agun (20m; S/-; 4k3 E Pen 12; Clip 5; Reload2Full)AbilitiesDragon Breath - As the Dragonborn racial abilityTraits Caster (Evocation 3)Gear Flak Jacket, Meltagun, 2 extra reloads,Fencing Sword, Micro-Bead, Brightly coloredrobes

Threat Rating Moderate

TinkererGnomes are generally hamless people,

more concerned with playing with new tech-nology (and fixing old technology) than hurt-ing anyone. Sometimes, though, they have todefend themselves against thieves or, worse,saboteurs.

Skills Academic Lore 3, Acrobatics 2, Arcana 2,Ballistics 1, Common Lore 3, Drive 2,Perception 2, Pilot 3, Scrutiny 1,Weaponry 2

Speed 5Size 4Static Defense 21HP 4Feats Blind Fighting, Evasion, FearlessArmor Mesh Vest (4, Body)Attacks Laspistol (30m; S/-; 2k2 E Pen 0; Clip 30;Reload Full; Reliable), Web Pistol (30m; S/-; Clip1; Reload Full; Snare), Katar (2k2 R, Pen 3)AbilitiesImprovise - As the Gnome racial abilityGear Laspistol, 3 energy packs, Web Pistol, 2web loads, Katar, Mesh Vest, Auspex, Backpack,Chrono, Combi-Tool, Data Slate, Torch, VoidSuit, Clothing with a lot of pockets.

Threat Rating Low

Ork FreebootaOrks love nothing more than a good

fight. An Ork freeboota is a fairly typical orkwarrior with little experience, almost no scars,and all his own teeth. All of which mark himas being very low on the totem pole indeed.

Skills Intimidation 2, Scrutiny 2, Ballistics 1,Weaponry 3, Brawl 2

Speed 6Size 7Static Defense 13HP 6Feats Cleave, Crushing Blow, Power Attack,Fearless, Armor Proficiency (Light), Weapon Pro-ficiency (Ordinary)Armor Heavy Leathers (3, Arms, Body, Legs)Attacks Choppa (7k2 R), Autogun (90m; S/10;2k2 I Pen 0; Clip 30; Reload Full)AbilitiesWAAAAAGH! - As the Ork racial ability.Gear Charm, Heavy Leathers, Choppa, Auto-gun, 3 clips, Patchwork clothing

Threat Rating Low

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Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

2 3 2 2 3 2 3 1 2 Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

4 2 3 3 2 2 2 3 3

Ork NobAn Ork Nob is much larger than a

mere freeboota, with the scars and a fewbionik bitz to prove it. They're good at yellin'really loud and givin orders to make sure noone is muckin' about. Most Ork Nobs lovenothing more than gettin' stuck in, and so theycan be found in the very thickest fighting.

Skills Intimidation 3, Command 4, Scrutiny 2,Ballistics 3, Weaponry 4, Brawl 3

Speed 8Size 8Static Defense 17HP 8Feats Cleave, Crushing Blow, Power Attack,Fearless, Armor Proficiency (Light), Weapon Pro-ficiency (Ordinary)Armor Heavy Leathers (3, Arms, Body, Legs)Attacks Big Choppa (9k2 R; Pen 4), Autogun(120m; -/10; 3k2 I Pen 5; Clip 100; Reload Full)AbilitiesWAAAAAGH! - As the Ork racial ability.Gear Charm, Heavy Leathers, SAW, Autogun,3 belts of ammunition, Patchwork clothing

Threat Rating Moderate

Aspect WarriorAspect Warriors are Eldarin warriors,

members of one of their great fighting schools.Many fighting schools have extremely special-ized equipment or tactics - the following is akind of baseline warrior type with standard(very deadly) weapons and armor.

Skills Academic Lore 2, Acrobatics 3, Arcana 2, Athletics 2, Ballistics 2,Common Lore 3, Deceive 2,Perception 3, Scrutiny 2, Weaponry 4

Speed 7Size 5Static Defense 25HP 5Feats Blademaster, Armor Proficiency (Light),Blind Fighting, Catfall, Defensive Mobility, Fleetof Foot, Swift Attack, Weapon Proficiency (Fenc-ing, Syrneth)Armor Mesh Overcoat (4, All)Attacks Fencing Sword (5k2 R; Balanced), Light-ing Gun (30m; S/2; 4k2 E Pen 4; Clip 6; Reload2Full; Scatter, Shocking)AbilitiesWarp Step - As the Eldarin Racial ability.Gear Lightning Gun, 2 Lighting Charges, 3Photon Flash Grenades, Fencing Sword, MeshOvercoat, silk suit.

Threat Rating Moderate

Eldarin FarseerEndarin Farseers are leaders in their

race, using powerful divinations and othermagics to see through the veil of the warp anddetermine the best course of action. They'rereally too valuable for the Eldarin to lose, butbecause their powers are so useful they end upin all sorts of dangerous situations. Most El-darin have the sense to start running once theysee the Farseer absconding.

Skills Academic Lore 1, Acrobatics 3, Arcana 4,Athletics 2, Ballistics 2, Common Lore 3,

300

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Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

5 3 4 4 2 2 2 3 4

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

2 4 2 4 4 2 4 3 4

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

3 4 2 3 4 3 4 4 3

Deceive 2, Forbidden Lore 3,Perception 3, Scrutiny 3, Weaponry 2

Speed 6Size 5Static Defense 25HP 6Feats Common Sense, Danger Sense, DefensiveMobility, Fast Reflexes, Foresight, Spell Might,Spell Penetration, Strong Minded, Weapon Profi-ciency (Fencing, Syrneth)Armor Leathers (2, Arms, Body, Legs)Attacks Fencing Sword (5k2 R; Balanced), AbilitiesWarp Step - As the Eldarin Racial ability.Traits Caster (Divination 4, Enchantment 2, Il-lusion 3, Evocation 2)Gear Fencing Sword, Staff, Leathers, Elaboraterobes

Threat Rating Moderate

Space MarineArmed with the best weapons, the

thickest armor, knowing no fear and with thesole purpose of bringing the forces of Chaosto their knees. These are the Space Marines.They are Aasimar who are part of the eliteforces of the Blessed Pantheon, going out intothe Wheel to smite the enemies of their gods.

Skills Acrobatics 2, Athletics 3, Ballistics 3,Common Lore 2, Perception 2,Scrutiny 3, Weaponry 3

Speed 8Size 8

Static Defense 8HP 12Feats Sound Constitution x3, Combat Master,Armor Proficiency (all), Weapon Proficiency (all)Armor Power Armor (12, All)Attacks Chainsword (8k2 R; Pen 4; Tearing),Boltgun (90m; S/3; 4k2 X Pen 6; Clip 24; ReloadFull; Tearing)AbilitiesAnd They Shall Know No Fear - As the Aasimarracial abilityGear Power Armor, Chainsword, Boltgun, 2Bolt clips, Plain clothing, charms

Threat Rating Moderate

Grey KnightIf the Space Marines are the best of

the best, the Grey Knights are the best of thebest of the best. They are issued relics andequipment that is of such value that it mustonly be given to those who can make the bestuse of it. They have training superior even tothat of a Space Marine, and are sent to carryout missions with nearly no chance of successbut which they cannot afford to fail.

Skills Acrobatics 3, Athletics 4, Ballistics 4,Common Lore 3, Forbidden Lore 3,Perception 3, Scrutiny 4, Weaponry 4

Speed 9Size 8Static Defense 8HP 15Feats Sound Constitution x5, Combat Master,Armor Proficiency (all), Weapon Proficiency (all),

Blind Fighting, Danger Sense,Luck, Strong MindedArmor Power Armor (12, All)Attacks Power Sword (9k2 R;Pen 4; Power Field), Boltgun(90m; S/3; 4k2 X Pen 6; Clip24; Reload Full; Tearing)AbilitiesAnd They Shall Know No Fear- As the Aasimar racial abilityGear Power Armor, PowerSword, Boltgun, 2 Bolt clips,Plain clothing, charms

Threat Rating High

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Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

5 3 5 3 3 4 3 5 4

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

6 3 5 4 3 5 3 5 5

Chaos MarineAs the Space Marines serve the forces

of the Blessed Pantheon, the Chaos Marinesserve the Ruinous Powers of Chaos. They area more varied lot than the Space Marines,their armor altered to serve the various muta-tions each Tiefling gains over time, and cov-ered in spiky bits and garish colors for goodmeasure.

Skills Acrobatics 2, Athletics 3, Ballistics 2,Common Lore 2, Perception 2,Intimidate 3, Weaponry 4

Speed 8Size 8Static Defense 13HP 12Feats Sound Constitution x3, Armor Profi-

ciency (all), Weapon Proficiency (all), FrenzyArmor Power Armor (12, All)Attacks Chainsword (8k2 R; Pen 4; Tearing),Boltgun (90m; S/3; 4k2 X Pen 6; Clip 24; ReloadFull; Tearing)AbilitiesBloody Minded - As the Tiefling racial abilityGear Power Armor, Chainsword, Boltgun, 2Bolt clips, Plain clothing, charms

Threat Rating Moderate

ObliteratorThere is a kind of curse or magic or

virus (or all three) that infects some Chaosmarines. They become one with their weaponsand armor, mutating to become a mass ofweaponry with flesh stretched over gunmetal.They've almost all been driven insane by thetorment of their condition, but serve well asengines of death and destruction.

Skills Acrobatics 2, Athletics 3, Ballistics 3,Common Lore 2, Perception 2,Intimidate 3, Weaponry 3

Speed 10

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5 4 5 3 3 4 3 4 4

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

6 4 6 3 1 4 2 1 4

Size 10Static Defense 20HP 15Feats Sound Constitution x5, Armor Profi-ciency (all), Weapon Proficiency (all), FrenzyArmor Armor Plating (10, All)Attacks MP Lascannon (300m; S/-; 5k4 E Pen 10;Clip -; Reload -; Recharge), Heavy Bolter (120m; -/10; 4k2 X Pen 8; Clip -; Reload -; Tearing),Crushing Fist (6k3 I).AbilitiesBloody Minded - As the Tiefling racial abilityIntegrated Weapons Array - The Obliterator cancreate nearly any weapon from its body. In additionto the listed attacks, it can generate nearly any Or-dinary, Las, Plasma, Melta, Bolt, or Flame weaponit needs to. An obliterator has effectively infiniteammunition with all of its weapons. It requires afull round action to shift weapons, and can have anytwo at a time.Traits Auto Stabilized, Machine (10)Gear -

Threat Rating High

Dark Eldarin RaiderThe Dark Eldarin have a culture of

slavery, sacrifice of souls to the Daemon Lloth,and incredible decadence that would makeeven the most jaded whore blush. They oftensend raiding parties out to capture fresh preyto bring, screaming, to their hidden dark cityof Commorragh. Those that they take are typ-ically never seen again.

Skills Academic Lore 1, Acrobatics 3, Arcana 2,Athletics 2, Ballistics 2, Common Lore 2,Deceive 4, Forbidden Lore 2, Perception 3, Scrutiny 2, Weaponry 4

Speed 8Size 5

Static Defense 30HP 5Feats Blademaster, Armor Proficiency (Light),Backstab, Catfall, Defensive Mobility, Decadence,Fleet of Foot, Sneak Attack, Weapon Proficiency(Fencing, Exotic, Parrying)Armor Mesh Overcoat (4, All)Attacks Officer's Cutlass (5k2 R; Shocking), Nee-dle Gun (180m; S/-; 2k2 E Pen 0; Clip 6; Reload2Full; Accurate, Toxic)AbilitiesWarp Miasma - As the Dark Eldarin Racial ability.Gear Needle Gun, 2 Needle Packs, 3 SmokeGrenades, Officer's Cutlass, Mesh Overcoat, spidersilk suit.

Threat Rating Moderate

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CHAPTER 17:ANTAGONISTS

Str Dex Con Cha Fel Cmp Int Wis Wil

3 5 2 4 4 3 3 3 3

General Guidelines andGlossary

Some general rules and simple rules quandriesare sorted out in this section, along with a glossary, anda guide to the slang of Sigil.

RULE ZEROIt bears repeating that this is a game. It's about

having fun. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If it is broke,though, don't be afraid to nudge things around to solvea problem.

ROUNDING FRACTIONSIn general, if you wind up with a fraction,

round down, even if the fraction is one-half or larger.

CHARACTERISTIC CHANGESIf a character's characteristics change because

of magical effects, transformations, or so forth, it canhave an effect on more than just their rolls. For exam-ple, a bonus to strength or dexterity will increase a char-acter's speed. More interesting is when a character'sconstitution or composure changes, which affects acharacter's hit points. If a character's maximum hitpoints would increase, they get the additional hit pointsright away. If a character's maximum hit points woulddecrease, though, things get dangerous for them. Theamount of damage they've taken has *not* decreased,so they lose hit points immediately. This can put a char-acter into critical damage or even kill him.

GlossaryAction: A character activity. Actions are di-

vided into the following categories, according to thetime required to perform them: Full Action, Half Ac-tion, Reaction Action, and Free Action.

Adventuring Party: A group of characters whoadventure togther. An adventuring party is composedof player characters plus and followers, familiars, pets,hirelings, minions, cohorts, or mercenaries they mighthave.

Alignment: The character's morality base,based on which diety is closest to his personal views onthe universe.

Ally: A creature friendly to you. In most cases,references to 'allies' includes yourself. A character mayfreely designate creatures as allies or enemies at will.

Armor Defense Penalty: The penalty wearinga suit of armor gives to your static defense. Without the

correct proficiencies, the penalty is equal to the armorpoints the armor provides.

Armor Points: The amount a suit of armor re-duces damage taken. Armor Points are not appliedagainst purely magical effects like spells.

Artifact: A magical item or weapon. They're ofhigher quality or have effects that can't be matched bystandard gear.

Astral Sea: The void of space that lies betweencrystal spheres. There is no air, almost infinite room,and the general kind of unpleasantness that one wouldexpect from outer space.

Attack: Any of numerous actions intended toharm, disable, or neutralize and opponent. The out-come of an attack is determined by an attack test.

Attack Test: A test made to determine whetheran attack hits. The test is made with Dexterity. If you'reproficient with the weapon you're using, you addWeaponry (for melee attacks) or Ballistic (for rangedattacks) as unkept dice.

Aura: Armor reduces damage from physical at-tacks, Aura reduces damage taken from magic attackslike spells but has no effect on physical effects like beingstabbed or shot.

Blinded: Blind characters fail all tests based onvision and automatically fails all Ballistics tests, suffersa -2k1 penalty to Weaponry test and most other teststhat benefit from vision. They also grant Combat Ad-vantage.

Blood Loss: When someone's suffering BloodLoss, they're in great danger of death. They must roll1d10 every round, and die if they roll a 1 on it. Medicaetests can be made to staunch the bleeding.

Bonus: A positive modifier to a test, expressedas +XkY, where X is the number of extra unkept dicethe bonus gives and Y is the number of extra kept dice.Some bonuses modify the end result of a roll rather thanthe number of dice, and are instead expressed as +Z.

Character: A fictional individual within theconfines of the game. The words character and creatureare often used synonymously within these rules, sincealmost any creature could be a character and everycharacter is a creature (as opposed to an object).

Characteristic: One of the nine numerical sta-tistics that define's a character's physical, mental, andsocial abilities.

Characteristic Test: A test made that uses onlya character's characteristics, almost always with thesame number of kept and unkept dice.

Charisma (Cha): A character's force of person-ality and how good they are at making first impressions,their personal magnetism and persuasiveness.

Check: A check is missing the target numberby 5 points. For every additional 5 points you miss thetarget number by, you get another check.

Class: A package of skills, feats, and abilitiesthat defines what a character is studying and workingtowards. Most characters will change class at least onceduring their career as a Hero.

Composure (Cmp): A character's ability tocontrol themselves and their emotions and remainstrong in the face of challenges to their beliefs.

Concealment: Something that prevents an at-tacker from clearly seeing his or her target. Conceal-ment makes it more difficult to hit a target, increasingtheir static defense.

Concentration: Some effects, especially spells,require that a character spend actions on each of theirturns in order to maintain the effect.

Constitution (Con): A character's sheer tough-ness and physical health and stamina. It helps deter-mine hit points and resist some deadly effects.

Cover: Cover is what helps you survive a fire-fight. It's been said that the only way an army canachieve victory in the modern age is through the use ofchest-high walls.

Creature: A living or otherwise active being, asopposed to an object. The terms 'creature' and 'charac-ter' are sometimes used interchangeably.

Critical Damage: Wounds that have lasting,sometimes deadly, effects on a character. A characterstarts taking critical damage after they've lost all theirhit points and someone is still pounding on them.

Crystal Sphere: A crystal sphere is the barrieraround a star system that makes entry difficult. A shipmust find a way through it like they'd find a waythrough a reef at sea. A crystal sphere looks like a kindof dull hazy glass from outside, and it's difficult to makeanything out on the inside.

Current Hit Points: The number of hit pointsa character currently has remaining, as opposed to theirnormal full maximum hit points.

Daemon: One of the terrible creatures of theWarp, made of magic, thoughts, and emotions. Theytake many forms and are almost impossible to under-stand.

Damage: Hurt incoming on someone. Damagecomes in several forms - Impact, Rending, Energy, andExplosive. When a character takes damage, their hitpoints are reduced. Characters determine just howmany hit points they lose by dividing the damage bytheir size - larger characters take more to hurt.

Dazzled: Dazzled characters are dazed andconfused. They take -1k0 to all tests and an additional-1k0 to all tests based on sight.

Dead: A character dies when they take enoughcritical damage for the critical damage charts to say he'sdead. Dead characters really can't do much, what withbeing corpses, though others might manage to use themas decorative pieces, doorstops, or interesting furniture.

Deafened: Deafened characters can't heal.They automatically fail any test based on hearing. Theyalso have quite a lot of trouble with understanding whatpeople are trying to tell them.

Dexterity (Dex): Dexterity is the measure of acharacter's nimbleness, agility, and reflexes.

Dodge: A defensive action that can be made tocounter any attack, ranged or melee.

Engaged: Characters are engaged once they'rein melee combat with each other characters in meleecombat are kind of stuck there unless they take a with-draw or shift action to end their engagement.

Exalt: One of the Exalted.Exalted: The champions of destiny, with power

beyond that which any mortal can hold, near limitlesspotential, and abilities that make them unmatched. Themost prominent types of Exalted are

Atlanteans - People with the reincarnated soulsof the Syrneth. They have the elder secrets of sorceryand skill flowing through them.

Chosen - The Chosen are given their power bythe gods, their souls elevated to be divine in their ownright.

Daemonhosts - Daemonhosts were peoplethat, on the edge of life and death, allowed the powersof the warp to get a hold on their souls in exchange forlife.

Paragons - Paragons are people who were bornwith exceptional ability, that top one percent of one per-cent of one percent, the one in a million chance.

Prometheans - Prometheans are very expensiveand very powerful cyborgs using the best and newesttechnologies to create a perfect being.

Vampires - Vampires are cursed by the bloodof the fallen Eldarin god of war, filled with blood lustand predatory power.

Werewolves - Werewolves are those blessed byLuna to have the ability to change their form, to becomeand be whatever they want.

Experience Points (XP): A numerical measure-ment of a character's personal achieve-ment and advancement. Charactersearn experience points by over-coming challenges and defeat-ing opponents. At the end ofeach adventure, the SM as-signs XP to the charactersbased on what they have ac-complished. XP are spent tobuy new feats, and improveskills and characteristics.

Exploding Dice:Whenever a die comes up asa natural 10, the dice 'ex-plodes'. Roll an additional die and add it

to the first die's result. If this second die also comes up10, roll a third. Continue rolling dice until they comeup with something other than 10.

Failure: An unsuccessful result on a check, sav-ing throw, life, or other determination involving a dieroll.

Fatigue: Tired to the point of impairment.Many critical effects, as well as some weapons, cancause fatigue effects. When a character gets enough fa-tigue, they call unconscious and become helpless. Evenif they have only one level of fatigue, suffering -1k0 toall tests.

Fellowship (Fel): The measure of how attrac-tive and expressive a character is, and their power to co-erce or manipulate others.

Free Action: A free action is a type of actionthat takes almost no time at all. During their turn, acharacter may preform any number of free actions, toreasonable limits of what the SM allows, and no morethan one action of a given type per turn.

Full Action: Full actions take up a character'sfull concentration. When a character takes a full action,it pretty much takes their entire turn aside from free ac-tions.

Half Action: Most common actions are half ac-tions. A character may preform two half actions insteadof one Full Action. A character may not take the samehalf action twice in a turn.

Hero: A Hero is a character with heroic traitslike an Exaltation or Hero Points.

Intelligence (Int): The measure of how good acharacter's memory, understanding, reasoning and de-ductive ability.

Kept Dice: How many dice are kept from aroll. Typically this is equal to the characteristic used inthe roll.

Level: A character's level could be said to be ameasure of his mastery and focus rather than raw abilityor experience. The more a character devotes himself toa single path, the faster a character's level increases. Thevery best characters gain all the levels. All of them.Yeah!!!!!!!!

Grapple: Engaging in wrestling or some otherform of hand-to-hand struggle with one or more attack-ers. Grappling and being grappled reduces the types ofactions you can take.

Great Wheel: The Galaxy. The collection ofcrystal spheres spinning together in the Astral Sea likea big spiral wheel.

Helpless: A helpless character is effectively atthe mercy of his opponents. A helpless target is in greatdanger of death.

Hit Points (HP): A measure of a charactersheath, luck, skill and divine favor, all the factors thatcombine to protect a character from getting seriously

hurt by an attack (getting seriously hurt would be Crit-ical Damage).

Immobilized: Unable to use movement actions.Incorporeal: Incorporeal creatures aren't solid.

They can move through and inside objects and can't behurt by normal weapons. Only artifact weapons andweapons with the Power Field property can hurt them.

Initiative: A system for determining the orderof actions in battle. Before the first round of combat,each participant makes a single initiative check. Eachround, participants act in order from the highest initia-tive check to the lowest.

Initiative Check: A check used to determine acreature's place in the initiative order for a combat. Aninitiative check is made by rolling 1d10 and adding thecharacter's Dexterity and Composure scores.

Maximum Hit Points: A character's maximumhit points is how many hit points they have when they'refully healed and rested.

Melee: Melee combat consists of physicalblows exchanged by opponents close enough tothreaten one another's space, as opposed to rangedcombat.

Melee Weapon: A handheld weapon designedfor close combat.

Nonplayer Character: One of the charactersthat's controlled by the Story Master.

Opportunity Attack: A single extra melee attackper round that a combatant can make when an oppo-nent within reach takes an action with the Provokes key-word.

Parry: A defensive action that can be used tonegate a melee attack.

Party: A group of Heroes that adventure to-gether.

Penalty: A negative modifier to a die roll. Typ-ically they're noted as -XkY, where X is the reducednumber of unkept dice and Y is the reduced number ofkept dice. Some penalties apply to the end result of aroll rather than the number of dice, and are expressedas -Z.

Perfect Attack: A perfect attack automaticallyhits. There is no need to roll. The only way to stop aperfect attack is with a perfect defense.

Perfect Defense: A perfect defense automati-cally stops any attack, even a perfect attack. No rolls aremade.

Player Character: A character controlled byone of the players.

Prone: A prone character has been knocked ontheir ass. They have to spend an action to stand up anduntil they do, they have a variety of penalties, though itdoes make them a bit harder to hit with rangedweapons.

Raise: Beating the target number by 5. You get

an additional raise for every 5 you beat the target num-ber by. If an ability says you get an additional raise ona test, you simply add 5 to the result.

Range: Guns and other ranged weapons havea given range. Beyond this range, they're less likely tohit, and past a certain point they simply become inef-fective. At short range, it's easier to hit with weaponsand at point blank range you get big bonuses. Ofcourse, at point blank range you're also more likely tohave the enemy walk up and stab you.

Ranged Attack: Ranged attacks are attacksmade with guns, bows, and missile launchers (amongother things). They're made with the Ballistics skill, andcan't be used in melee range.

Ranged Weapon: Ranged weapons are theguns, bows, and missile launchers mentioned above,ideal for putting someone down without getting yourhands dirty.

Reaction Action: A reaction action is the efforta character keeps in reserve to deal with problems asthey come, their reflexes and reaction time. Typically,Reaction Actions are made to dodge or parry attacks,but there are other actions that use up Reaction Actionsas well.

Resolve: Resolve represents how well a charac-ter can resist charms, arguments, and the points of viewof others.

Restrained: A restrained character has man-aged to get himself tied up, figuratively or literally. Theygrant combat advantage and take -1k0 to attack rolls.If someone has thrown him in leg irons, he's also im-mobilized.

Result: What you determine by rolling dice. It'scompared against a Target Number to see if you suc-ceeded or failed.

Rogue Trader: One of the insanely rich andpowerful merchants who plies their trade across thestars.

Size: How big a creature is, which determineshow many hit points they lose from damage.

Skill: One of the many fields in which a char-acter can apply his characteristics. They represent edu-cation and training they've acquired.

Skill Test: A test made using a skill and char-acteristic, the most common type of test a character willbe asked to make.

Sorcerer: A character with the ability to castspells. A Sorcerer is viewed with respect, or at least fear,in most places.

Sorcery: Spellcasting ability. Sorcery is a raretalent, since not everyone has the ability or talentneeded to rip power out of the Warp and bend it to theirown ends. Most Heroes at heast have some ability tolearn the basics.

Speed: How quickly a character moves.

Spell: A one-time magical effect cre-ated by a Sorcerer. Aspell is powered by warpenergy and controlledby the will of the Sor-cerer using it.

Spelljamming:The process of sailing aspelljamming shipthrough the void. It'smore a traditional namethan anything else, asvery few ships are purely driven on spells.

Spelljamming Ship: A ship that moves throughthe Astral Sea. Also called starships, voidships, space-ships, and so forth.

Static Defense: How difficult it is to hit some-one. A person's static defense is the Target Numberneeded to hit them.

Strength (Str): How physically strong a char-acter is, how much they can lift and how much damagethey do when they hit something.

Stunned: A stunned character grants combatadvantage and cannot take actions. They are neitherhelpless nor unaware.

Success: The opposite of a failure. The goodkind of opposite! Try to get lots of these.

Syrne: The Syrne were one of the first races inthe Great Wheel, and most of the great artifacts andruins are attributed to them. While some claim there isevidence of even earlier civilizations, there is almost noevidence.

Syrneth: The descriptor attached to what's leftof the Syrne's works. Syrneth ruins and artifacts are wellrespected and extremely valuable.

Target: The intended recipient of an attack,spell, supernatural ability, or magical effect.

Target Number: The number that one needsto reach for a test to be successful. Don't get up to thetarget number, and you fail.

Tell: The supernatural appearance or aura thatan Exalt gets when he overextends his power. It's dif-ferent for each type of Exalt, and even with individualExalts.

Test: A roll made to see if a character succeedsor fails at a given task. Tests are made whenever deter-mining failure is important. Most everyday tasks don'trequire tests.

Threaten: To be able to attack in melee with-out moving from your current space. You threaten allcharacters you're engaged in melee with. You can makeopportunity attacks if people you threaten take actionswith the Provoke keyword.

Throne: A throne is the most standard cur-

rency in the Wheel, issued by the Council and with thebacking of Sigil's economy behind it.

Turn: The point in the round at which you takeyour actions. On your turn, you may perform one ormore actions, as dictated by your current circum-stances.

Umbra: A shallow part of the Warp, existing asa shadow parallel to the physical universe. Werewolvesand many spiritual creatures can enter this place.

Unarmed Attack: A melee attack made usingfists, kicks, or headbutts instead of weapons. Unarmedattacks use the Brawl skill instead of Weaponry.

Unconscious: A character who accumulatesenough levels of fatigue falls unconscious. Unconsciouscharacters are helpless and can't take any actions. Betterthan being dead, though.

Unkept Dice: The first number in the equa-tion, the X in the XkY that tests are ex-pressed as. This is how many dice you rollduring a test, rather than how many diceyou keep. This is usually the sum of thecharacteristic and skill used in a test.

Warp: The Warp is an alternatedimension of chaotic raw matter and en-ergy. Because space and time work differ-ently here, it's the only way known forships to get around the Wheel in a reason-able amount of time.

Willpower (Wil): A character'sstrength of will and their ability to resistmental commands and magic.

Wisdom (Wis): Alertness andcomprehension, how well a character no-tices the world around him and interpretswhat he sees and hears.

Knowing the cant: A guide to Sigil's slang

Addle-Cove: A not-particularly friendly way tocall someone an idiot. "Did you hear what that addle-coved commissar wanted us to do?"

Bar That: An almost-polite way to say "shutup" or "don't talk about that." it's quick and to the point,and it can be used as a warning: "Bar that, Nicodemus,there's Space Marines over there."

Barmies: The insane folks, especially those inSigil, who've been "touched" by the impossible vistas ofthe Wheel.

Basher: A neutral reference to a person, usuallya thug or fighter.

Berk: A fool, especially one who got himselfinto the mess when he should have known better.

Birdcage: A cell or anything that compares to

it.Bleaker: A faction, one of those dispondent

members of the Bleak Cabal.Blood: Anyone who's an expert, sage, or a pro-

fessional at his work. A champion gladiator can be ablood, just like a practiced sorcerer. Calling somone ablood is a mark of high respect.

Bob: The business of cheating someone,whether it's of their cash, honor, or trust. A good guideto Sigil will warn a cutter when someone's bobbing him.Thieves boast that they "bobbed some leatherhead onthe street."

Bone-box: The mouth, named because of itsteeth, fangs, or whatever. "Stop rattling your bone-box,"is telling a berk to lay off the threats or bragging.

Bub: Booze, wine, or ale that's usually cheapand barely drinkable.

Bubber: A drunk, especially if he, she,or it has fallen on hard times. Bubbersdon't get any sympathy from most folksin Sigil.Burg: Any town smaller than Sigil, ei-

ther in size or spirit - at least that's howfolks from Sigil see it. Other bodiesdon't always agree.Cage, the: This is a common nick-

name for Sigil, used by locals. It comesfrom Birdcage, so it's a pretty harshjudgement on this place.Case: The house or place where a cut-

ter lives.Cipher: A faction nickname of the

Transcendent Order, because mostfolks don't know what they're talking

about.Clueless, the: The folks who just don't get it,

usually someone who's never been off-world. Use thison an experienced traveller and it's likely there'll be afight.

Chant, the: An expression that means news,local gossip, the facts, the moods, or anything else aboutwhat's happening. "What's the chant?" is a ways of ask-ing what's the latest information a basher's heard.

Cross-trade: The business of thieving, or any-thing else illegal or shady. "A cross-trading scum" is athief who's probably angered the Mercykillers.

Cutter: A term that refers to anybody, male orfemale, that a person wants. It does suggest a certainamount of resourcefulness or daring, and so it's a lotbetter than calling somebody a berk.

Dark: Anything that's secret is said to be a dark."Here's the dark of it," is a way of saying "I've got a se-cret and I'll share it with you."

Doomguard: One of the factions in Sigil. Theythink everything's going to run down and decay, and

want to help it along.Dustmen: One of the factions of Sigil. They be-

lieve everybody's dead.Fated, the: A faction of Sigil which holds that

if they've got something, it's because it belongs to them.This doesn't always sit well with others.

Garnish: A bribe, as in "Give the irritating pettyofficial a little garnish and he'll go away."

Give 'em the Laugh: Escape or slip through theclutches of someone. Robbing a tiefling's house and notgetting caught is giving him the laugh.

Give the Rope: What happens to condemnedcriminals who don't manage to give the law the laugh.Usually thieves are the only folks who use this term.

Godsmen: A faction of Sigil that believes every-body's got the chance to ascend to godhood.

Greener: A nickname for the Verdant Guild,one of Sigil's factions. They have very strong views onthe way people treat animals.

Guvner: A faction in Sigil that believes know-ing physical laws will give a cutter power over every-thing. Not the kind of folks to argue logic with.

Harmonium: A faction of sigil. "Do it our wayor no way," could be its slogan.

High-up Man: This is what everybody - man,woman, and thing - in Sigil wants to be: somebody withmoney and influence. It's bad form to call one's self this;it's a phrase others bestow.

Jink: The goal of the poor; money or coins."That's going to take a lot of jink!" for an expensive bitof garnishing.

Kip: Any place a cutter can put up his feet andsleep for a night, especially cheap flophouses. Landlordsof good hotels get upset if a fellow calls their place a kip.

Knight of the Post: A thief, cheat, and a liar -clearly not a compliment unless, of course, that's whatthe basher wants to be.

Long Walk: Being pushed out an airlock, whichis where some berks wind up after they've beenscragged.

Leatherhead: A dolt, a dull or thick-witted fel-low. Use it to call somebody an idiot.

Lost: Dead. "He got lost," means he ain't com-ing back.

Mercykillers: A faction of Sigil that believesthere is an absolute justice.

Music: The price a cutter usually doesn't wantto pay, but has to anyway. "Pay the music or you'll neverfind your way out of here."

Out-of-Touch: Outside of the material uni-verse. A body is said to be "out-of-touch" when he'straveling through the warp. It derives from the fact thata spelljammer in the warp can't be contacted by anynormal means.

Out-of-Town: In a different Crystal Sphere.Peel: A swindle, con, or a trick is the peel. It's

often used as a verb. Peeling a Space Marine is usuallya bad idea.

Pike It: A useful, all-purpose phrase, as in,"Take a short stick and pike it, bubber."

Put in the Dead-book: Dead. Some peoplehave others "put in the dead-book."

Scragged: Arrested or caught.Sensates: Nickname for the Society of Sensa-

tion, a faction. It's members believe life's got to be ex-perienced to be understood.

Signers: A faction nickname for the Sign ofOne. Its members figure everybody is the center of theirown universe

Sod: A poor, unfortunate soul. Use it to showsympathy for an unlucky cutter or use it sarcastically forthose who get themselves into their own mess.

Turn Stag: To betray somebody or use treach-ery. Saying "he's turned stag" is about the worst thingthat can be said about a cutter.

There was a scream. Princess Claudia was used to hearing screams inthe dungeon. That scream sounded different, though. Someone was walkingup to her cell now. The footsteps were light, not at all like the heavy boots ofthe guards.

"Princess Claudia?" Asked a voice at the door. A woman's voice. Thatwasn't normal. All the guards here were men. And totally resistant to hercharms. She had heard a woman could use feminine wiles to get out of any jail,but they hadn't helped her one bit.

"Ah... yes?" Claudia said. There was a pause from outside."Please stand away from the door and close your eyes." Claudia frowned.

What was that supposed to mean? Before she could ask, there was a blindingflash of light and the door was punched inwards by a blast from outside. Theprincess screamed. The lights flickered as the explosion damaged power leads.

Before the smoke could clear, someone was already stepping into herroom. Claudia coughed on the dust and looked at them. The girl there couldn'thave been any older than she was, though her tone suggested she was athletic.A sword was strapped to her side and she wore a flak jacket.

Princess Claudia took a step back. She didn't like the person looking ather. There was something about the way she was staring, like the Princess wasbarely a person at all. It was a... very hungry look. Claudia swallowed. Therewas a moment when she wasn't sure if the person was going to attack her. Thestrange woman held out a hand.

"Come with me if you want to live." Claudia hesitated, then took thehand. The woman smiled. Claudia saw fangs. Lots of fangs. Just for an instant.The woman half-dragged her outside, past two dead guards. Claudia tried notto look at them. The looked like they had been... eaten. They ran out into acourtyard.

"STOP RIGHT THERE CRIMINAL SCUM!" Spotlights bloomed,blinding Claudia for an instant. A VTOL swung over them, dust kicking up.The woman let go of Claudia's hand. As the Princess' eyes adjusted to the light,she could see Harmonium guards, weapons drawn, in a semicircle around thedoor.

"Oh my~" the strange woman said, laughing. "All this for little old meand a princess?"

"YOU WILL COME PEACEFULLY WITH US OR PAY THEPRICE!" The speaker gave the impression that they really, really hoped thewoman would chose the second option. "YOU CAN'T ESCAPE THIS TIME,HARUHARA!"

Name: Race: XP:

Age: Exaltation: Chronicle:

Player: Alignment: Faction:

ATTRIBUTES

Power Intelligence Strength Charisma

Finesse Wisdom Dexterity Fellowship

Resistance Willpower Constitution Composure

SKILLS

Mental

Academic LoreArcanaCommon LoreCraftsForbidden LoreMedicaePerceptionPoliticsTech-Use

Physical

AcrobaticsAthleticsBallisticBrawlDriveLarcenyStealthSurvivalWeaponry

Social

Animal KenCharmCommandDeceiveDisguiseIntimidationPerformerPersuasionScrutiny

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Languages

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Allies and Contacts

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Description

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Spells and Special Attacks

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ROLEPLAYING IN THE BRIGHT NOBILITY OF THE 41ST MILLENIUM

Prepare to venture forth with your bold companions into a world of heroic fantasy. Withinthese pages, you’ll discover all the tools and options you need to create characters worthy ofsong and legend for the Dungeons the Dragoning game, and how to create adventures to showthem the horrors and wonders of the Great Wheel.

Wars rage over airless moons, in the dark, twisted depths of hive worlds and in the cold wasteof the Astral Sea. From the immaterial realm of the Warp, malicious entities send their un-speakable horrors to corrupt the universe. Terrible beings from the depths of ancient timeawaken to begin their March. The Blood War between the forces of Law and Chaos leaves onlyruin and death in its wake. Even the bastion of galactic civilization, Sigil, isn’t safe.

There is no time for peace.

No respite.

No forgiveness.

There is only adventure.