F a n t a s y R o l e p l a y i n g Ciame w i t h DAVE NEWTONDangerous Journeys, Mythus, M ~ I L Il~rimc, S Advanced Mythus, Mythus Magick, Epic of A'rlh, m t l Unhallowed are Traticmarks of O m q a Hclios Limited.

Dangerous JourneysTMMultigenre Roleplaying Game System

presents

Fantasy Roleplaying Game

with

Dave Newton

This work is comprised of three parts: The MythusTH Fantasy Roleplaying Qame Module, which contains the core rules for play: book, which contains the full magick rules for the system: and the Epic o lathM f Complete Fantasy the M y t h u s Wa@ckTM Adventure Milieu, the companion volume to the roleplaying rules, detailing the fantastic world of firth. Editing: Lester Smith

Art Direction: Steve Bryant with Amy DoubetCover: Lany Bmore Interior Illustrations: Chris Appel, Janet Aulisio, Paul Daly, Daniel Qelon, Darrell Midgette, David 0. Miller, Ellisa Mitchell, Lee Moyer. Allen Nunis, and Tony Szczudlo Interior Coloring: Steve Bryant, Amy Doubet, LaMont Fullerton, Kirk Wescom Graphic froduction: Tony Cellini, LaMont Fullerton, Keith Qanski, Ami Jontz, Rob lazzarotti, Kirk Wescom, and Loren Wiseman 7)pesetting a n d Proofreading: Stephen Olle and Steve Maggi Text Processing: Anne Bedard The MyUlUsTM Fantasy Roleplaying Game0'1992 Omega Helios Limited. Made in USA. Printed in USA. All Rights Reserved. 31-5 ISBN 1-55878-1

Dedicated to loyal members of the Lodge of The Secret and Mysterious Order of the Freckled Qoldfish ...wherever they may be! This work is also dedicated to those who have waited so long for it to arrive. In particular: Gail Qygax, B n i e anax, Luke Qygax, Alex Qygax (when he's old enough to play!), Michele Newton. Christopher Newton, and all the thousands of fans who have written and asked and stayed faithful-May all your fantasies come hue1

P.O. Box 1646 Bloomington, IL 61702-1 646

TABLE OF CONTENTSW E L TO THE Mmus Q A M ~ ~ ~What Is a Roleplaying Qame? Qame Premise Qame Conventions Useful Items

........................................................... 6 ................................................................................. 7 .......................................................................... 8 .................................................................................... 9

6

The Mythus Prime Rules: Players' Sectionc 1. Determine S o d ~ o n o m l Class (SEC) 2. Qenerate TRAIT S c o w 3. Choose A Vocation 4. Select K/S Areas And STEEP Points 6 E&abllsh FInances And Possessions 7 . Anish any Miscellaneous Information

.l o .12

G I A 1: ~R A I O YOUR HEROK: C E TN PERSONA

.

...................................... 12 .............................................................. 12 .................................................................... 13 ........................................14 ........................................17 ........................................ 18.................................................................. 19 ........................................19 .............................................................. 2021 19

G I A 2 Conwcrl~aA T N ~ : CI S O

Heroic Persona Actions Using Knowledge/SkiU Areas and TRAIT3 Moving & Measuring Tlme

G I A 3: HEKA ~ MYSTICAL ~ e M A ~ I ~k~ m Lm F o OF AHeka Sources Heka Values Castings Available Casting m s And Effects e Heka Reservoirs

.

................................................................................ 21 .................................................................................. 21 ......................................................................... 21 .............................................................. 22 ............................................................................ 23

C n ~ m COMBAT 4

Combat Procedure 24 Armor In the Mythus Prime Qame 24 Armor Costs .................................................................................. 25 Weapons In the Mythus Prime Qame 26 Heka In Combat ............................................................................ 27 Healing Wounds 27

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24

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G I A 6: PLAY IN^ YWR HP ~Roleplaying Expertise Example of Play

....................................................................30 ............................................................................. 3 134

30

Difficulty Ratings and Joss Factors ................................................. 34 The Advanced HP .......................................................................... 34 Advanced Combat ......................................................................... 35 Complete Heka .............................................................................35

C~AFTEX UP~RADINOTHE ADVANCE^ RULES 7: TO

The Gamemaster's Section-----.ajClIAPTER

Uterecy By SEC Level .............................................................. 60 C W Relations .......................................................................... 60 Socio-Economk Class Mobility ...................................................62 62 SEC Outside The 'Culture Area' ................................................. 63 SEC In Relation To Vocational Choice ......................................... Heroic Persona Statistics................................................................64 'IKAITScorn8 ........................................................................... 64 Scores .................................................................. 64 CATeQORY ATnuBUre Scores .................................................................... 6 4 What The Numbers Mean ...........................................................66 aeneratlng ATIRIBUIE Scores .............................................6 7 CATBaORY end 'IRAIT Scores ................................................ 67 Standard HP Descriptions & K/S Area Bundles ............................... 70 Alchemy (Mental) Vocations ..................................................... 4 7 75 Arms (Physical) Vocations .......................................................... 7 Dweomercmft (Mental) Vocations ............................................. 8 Mysticism (Spiritual) Vocations ...............................................8 1 Outlawry (Various TRAITS) Vocations .......................................... 8 3 Priestmft (Spiritual) Vocations ................................................. 85 Primitive (Various 'IRAITS) Vocations .........................................8 7 Primitive Vocations Tables ......................................................... 87 Scholar (Mental) Vocations .........................................................89 90 Voyager (Various TRAITS) Vocations ........................................... Non-Human Herok Personas (Optional) ...................................... 94 96 The Knowledge/Skill Areas ............................................................ 96 What a K/S Area I s And Isn't ...................................................... 96 Universal K/S Areas Known To All HPs ........................................ Additional HP Knowledge/Skill Areas .......................................... 97 98 Knowledge/Skill Sub-heas ......................................................... Knowledge/Skill Area Lists by TRAIT ............................................... 99 102 More Heroic Persona Data ............................................................ Attrectiveness ........................................................................ 102 Joss 102 Birth Rank ...............................................................................102 Background And Quirks ........................................................... 104 Background Detail Creation ...................................................... 105 Quirks (Knacks and Peculiarities) .............................................105 Quirks & Counter-Quirks Tables ............................................... 106 Instant HP Information Tables .................................................... 109 Handedness ............................................................................ 109 Race ..................................................................................... 109 112 Heroic Persona Resources ........................................................... Wealth ..................................................................................... 112 Determining HP Wealth ............................................................ 1 1 3 Wealth Aaustment For Age ...................................................... 113 Net Worth ................................................................................ 114 Special Connections ................................................................115 Possessions ............................................................................. 115 Standard Items ............................................................................ 117 Special Equipment ................................................................. 117 Transportation ......................................................................... 117

........................................................................................

8: Ru~lNa Mvmus PRIME A....................... 37 mE Q ~

Using the Epic of A3th 37 Setting The Value Of The Base Unit Coin 38 Awarding Accomplishment Points 40 Creating And Using Other Personas ................................................40 Using Mythus Prime Rules In 45 Advanced Mythus Scenarios

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C~AFTERH I ~ H 9 TIMEAT m~ WIN~ED Pla

Map of the Winged Pig's Environs ............................................ 48 Map of the Winged Pig ......................................................... -55

47-55

THEADVANCED Mmus RULESGAFTER

Socio-EconomicClass .................................................................... SEC Populations a s a Percent of Total Population ........................ Working Population Vocation Distribution ................................... Occupations. Professions. Oft'ices. Titles. etc.. by Class Level .....

1 : CREATINO D V A ~~ UHPs 0 A M S

56 58 59 59 60

C n ~ m COREQAME 11: SYSTEMS........ .......... ....................... 123 The K/S Operational System ........................................................ 123 Making Rolls Against SIEEP ...................................................... 123 Rolling Against HP Statistics ................................................... 123 124 Combined Efforts .................................................................... Rolling Via Quesswork ............................................................ 124 Special S u c c w e s and hliures ................................................ 125 ...................................... 125 Determining the Difficulty Rating (DR) 127 K/S Versus KJS Rolls ......................................................... h q u e n c y of K/S Rolls ............................................................. 127 The Many Uses Of Joss .............................................................. I29 Movement And Tlme .................................................................... 130 Movement ............................................................................... 131 Qeneral Ttme ........................................................................... 133 Qame Time vs Real Time ........................................................ 133 Accomplishment Points ............................................................... 134 134 General APs (AP/Qs)................................................................. Spedflc K/S STEEP APs ............................................................136 Exceptional Performance APs ................................................... 136 The M of Studying & Training ................................................. 136

.

The KJS Area Descriptions Cross-Application of K/S Areas Mental KS Area Descriptions / Physical K/S Area Descriptions Spiritual K/S Area Descriptions K/S Area Use For Economic Qaln K/S Area Economic a a i n Classes Monetary Qain (or Loss)Procedures Sample K/S Area Breakdowns for QMs

........................................................... 137 ................................................. 137 ................................................... 137 ................................................. 162 ................................................. 175 ................................................. 201 ........................................ 1 20 ......................................... 201 ...................................... 207

Heka from Knowledge/Skill Areas ............................................ 7 7 2 Regenerating Personal Heka ..................................................... 277 S a m p k Castings ................................................................... 278-294 One Qenre Or Many7 ...................................................................295 Fantasy And Swords & Sorcery ................................................. 296 'Ihe Multi-Milieux Of Rnth ........................................................ 297 Qroup Creation Of Heroic Personas .............................................. 297 Introductory Adventure Episodes for Individual HPs ............... 297-298 FIrst Qroup Meeting In A New Campaign ...................................299 Qame Realism .............................................................................299 Realism Versus Playability ........................................................ 299 Interpretation Of Rules ............................................................. 300 Qamemaster Only Versus a r o u p Aaudication Of Questions ......300 Creating Specific Case 'House Rules' ....................................... 300 Changing Rules and Systems .................................................... 301 Roleplaying ................................................................................. 301 Campaign Accommodatlon ..................................................... 0 2 3 Care In Complete Development Of Each Heroic Persona ...........302 aamemaster Encouragement Of Players ................................... 302

G

A1 : C ~ B A T 2 ~ ................................................................ 208

PreCombat Tasks 208 %tablishing The Environment 208 Determining If There Is Surprise 208 Initiative And Persona Actions 209 Avoidance 21 1 Mental Combat 212 Attack To Drain 213 Attack To Paralyze 213 Attack To Derange 2 13 Attack To Control 214 Spiritual Combat ......................................................................... 214 Attack To Weaken 214 Attack To Demoralize 214 Attack To Confound .................................................................215 Attack To Subvert 2 15 Other Spiritual Attack Forms 2 15 Heka-Based Attacks 2 16 Heka-Based Attack Methods 216 Attack Process 2 17 Physical Combat. Non-Lethal ........................................................ 221 Attack To Overpower ............................................................... 221 Attack To Stun 222 Attack To Disable 222 Weapons To Enhance Non-Lethal Attacks 222 Physical Combat. Lethal ............................................................... 223 Weapon Information 223 Final Attack Chance (FAC) ........................................................ 226 Special Hits/Special Misses 226 Applying Difficulty Rating t o FAC ........................................ 228 Parrying ................................................................................... 228 Strike Location And Table 229 Applying Physical Damage 229 Susceptibilities ........................................................................ 230 Invulnerabilities ....................................................................... 231 Exceptional Attacks 231 Tying It All Together ................................................................. 231 Weapons And Armor Information And Tables ............................... 235 Hand Weapons ........................................................................ 235 Missile Weapons ...................................................................... 235 Weapon Descriptions ............................................................... 235 Armor Tables And Descriptions ................................................ 246 Natural Armor 247 Human(oid) Armor ................................................................... 247 Armor Descriptions .................................................................. 250 Barding For Steeds/Armor For Other Creatures 253 Barding Descriptions ................................................................ 254 Cost Of Weapons And Armor .................................................... 254 Damage To And Repair Of Armor ........................................ 254 Averaged Armor ....................................................................... 255 More On Damage To Personas ..................................................... 255 Dazing ..................................................................................... 258 Permanent Damage .................................................................. 258 Shock ......................................................................................258 Damage R o m Other Physical iqjury 258 Healing ........................................................................................ 274 Normal Physical Healing ........................................................... 274 Normal Mental and Spiritual Healing ........................................ 275 Heka-Assisted Healing .............................................................. 275 Regeneration ........................................................................... 275 Rejuvenation ........................................................................... 275 Life Restoration by Casting ....................................................... 275

........................................................................ .................................................. ........................................ ...................................................... ............................................................................... ............................................................................ ........................................................................ .................................................................... ................................................................... ..................................................................... .................................................................... .............................................................. .................................................................... .................................................... ..................................................................... ..................................................... .................................................................................................................................................. ..................................................................... ................................. ................................................................ .............................................................................................................. ........................................................

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. ............... 303 C n ~ m MORE ON PERSONAS 15: Heroic Personas .................................................................... 303 Awarding Qeneral Accomplishment Points ................................ 303 Awarding Specific SEEP Accomplishment Points ..................... 304 Awarding Exceptional Accomplishment Points .......................... 304 Changes of S o c i ~ E c o n o m l Class ................................................ 304 c Creating Other Personas .............................................................. 306 The Power of the Persona ...................................................... 307 Other Persona Statistics & Movement ....................................... 307 OP Vocation. K/S Areas. And STEEP ........................................ 3 0 8 ................................................................................... 309 OP JOSS Outstanding Resources and Possessions for OPs ...................... 309 OP Quirks & CounterQuirks ................................................ 0 9 3 OP Weapons And Armor ........................................................... 309 Creating Monstrous Things .......................................................... 1 0 3 3 Short Ust of Bestial Powers .........................................................1 0 Natural Weapons List .............................................................. 3 1 0 Heka And Heka-Uke Powers Ust .............................................. 3 1 0 Sample Monstrous Creatures ....................................................... 312 Sample Other-Planar Creatures ................................................... 3 2 0 Sample Other Personas ............................................................... 321 Animals & Like Creatures ............................................................ 322 Sample Monstrous Things ............................................................ 325 Personas & LifeForms Found o n AMh & Phaeree ......................... 327 Exterior AMJI .......................................................................... 3 2 7 Subterranean AMh .................................................................. 327 interior E i t h ........................................................................... 3 2 7 Phaxee ................................................................................... 3 2 7 Exterior Phaeree ...................................................................... 3 2 7 Subterranean Phaeree .............................................................. 327 Interior Phaeree .................................................................... 2 7 3

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C ~ ~ A ~ 7 b ~ o E r n N ~ o ALLEY SLAVES 1E R : AS ..............

339-379 The Oelleesrr Marduk ............................................................ 7 7 3 Mare Librum and Environs Map ........................................... 378

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CtIAPTEX 13: HEKA A D M~a1c-x N 276 Heka ...........................................................................................276 Demographics of Heka aeneration & Capacity ..........................276 Types And Sources Of Heka Enelay ........................................277

APPENDICES 380 Appendix A: Random Events Tables ............................................. 300 Appendix B: OP Personality Characteristics ..................................3 8 4 Appendix C: Secret Societies ....................................................... 385 J Appendix D: The Accursed in the Fantasy Milieu .......................... U G Appendix E: Creating New Vocations ............................................386 387 Appendix F: Modifications for Time and Planar Travel ................... Appendix a:Converting from Other Systems to Heroic Personas . . 3 9 1 Appendix H: The Nine Dimensions o f the Multiverse ..................... 592 Appendix I: Parallel Heroic Personas ............................................ 305 Appendix J: Heroic Persona Creation Summary ............................396 Appendix K Qlossary ................................................................... 50R : Appendix L: Vocation et el . Name Definitions ............................... 403 Appendix M Authors' Acknowledgements .................... ............. 408 : . HP Profile Sheets ................................................................ 4 0 9 4 1 1 Index of Maljor Topics ................................................................. 4 1 2 Index of Maljor Charts & Tables .................................................... 413

s 1see it, if you are reading this, you are one of two types of people. Those of the first type always read the preface and introduction to a work before launching into its main text. If you are one of those people, then what I'm going to say below will give you a mental framework upon which to hang the things you'll encounter throughout the rest of this book. Those of the second type launch right into the body of a work, beginning with those parts that first catch their eye, then working outward to related things, and soon, until they find themselves reading the preface some rainy day when it seems there is nothing else to do. If you are of this second type, you've already absorbed this work, but what I'm going to say below will help draw it all into focus, quite possibly in a way you've never thought of before. Gary Oygax is, undoubtedly, the most famous game designer on the planet. His original work on Dungeons & Dragons, with Dave Arneson, and hissubsequent creation of the first edition of Advanced Dungeons &Dragons have served to make the term "DbD' synonymous, to the general public, with roleplaying. For that reason, it is pretty much impossible to talk about the Mythus game, Gary's new fantasy RPG, without comparing it to, and contrasting it with, AD&D 1st edition. In the latter game, it seems to me, Gary set out to portray a fantasy world by creating certain generic templates. That is, a fighter in AD&D 1st ed. is a set package of capabilities, a wizard another, a thief yet athird, etc., and each package has a collection of parameters that give it definition. Thedemihuman racesalsofit this pattern, and even the background 'world' is s o r t of a template defining fantasy. The strength of this template approach is that players can quickly latch onto an image, easily distinguishing one character type from another. To borrow a concept from my English training, the template system i something Hke a Prescriptive ararns mar. It provides for smooth interaction by ensuring that everyone is using common rules. Or, to use a different metaphor, it keeps everyone in harmony by ensuring that they are all on the same sheet of music. The long popularity of AD&D 1st edition is ample testimony to the power of that design. But in the Dangerous Journeyssystem, Gary has outdone his earlier work by opting for a different approach. In this systernand hence in the Mythus game--he uses something more like a Descriptive Grammar. It tells you what people are capable of doing; and because people really d o I d s of different things, it is naturally open ended. Or, to use another musical metaphor, it is like a jam session in which one mythicvision provides the unity, but the individual musicians are free to improvise upon that theme--and any sort of musical instrument is allowed. Let's consider that mythic central vision for a moment. There are strong precedents in human histoly to describe human beings as having three mqjor aspects: body, mind, and spirit. You'll notice that this is exactly where the Dangerous Journeys character design begins its division, with Physical, Mental, and

Spiritual TRAITS. Then it subdivides each of those TRAm into two CATFXIOKIES, and each of those CATEQORIES into three AITRIBUTB. These are the innate characteristics of a Dangero u s Journeys game persona. But humans also learn various sorts of knowledge that enhance their innate abilities. That's the reason that the Dangerous Journeys system uses skills rather than 'Classes' as a way of defining what game personas are capable of. The end result of this joint attribute and skill system is an easily handled set of persona characteristics that allow for all kinds of characters and all sorts of genres equally well. In a word, in the Dangerous Journeys systern, Gary has opted for an open-ended way of quantifying persona abilities, rather than a defining of limits. Similarly, in devising the fantasy world that is the primary setting for the Mythus game, Gary has reached back into the myths that underlie our history. But he uses these sources in a way that sets up divisions without making them fences. For example, while we learn herein that the mythic world of B r t h has a counter-world called Phteree, a place of wild magick, we also learn that the boundary between those two worlds is thin, with the resultthat creatures from one frequently stumble across into the other, and vice versa. Even more significantly, we discover that among the infinite possible dimensions, there are multiple worlds like AXh and Phaeree, yet subtly different. And the magick rules provide another important example, in that while there are many different types of spellcasters, and multiple schools listed, each with their own collections of Archetypical Castings, there are also indepth provisions for the creation of brand-new 'Specific Castings,' s o that players' spellcasting personas can grow beyond the parameters of what is listed. In a nutshell, what aary has done with the Mythus game is provide a carefullythought-out system that invites considerable exploration of its own contents, and infinite expansion beyond them. The system provides all the material necessary for getting adventure campaigns started, keeping them running, and encouraging their expansion. Through these rules, players and gamemasters alike are empowered to imagine and create, but they have a firm foundation from which to do so, one that will provide for growth in any direction. By nature, an editor's job requires the taking of a purposefully critical approach when working with a project. It is my pleasure to confess that at every turn my professional skepticism has been thoroughly thwarted by the depth and breadth of the Mythus game. Thank you Gary; it has been a real joy. -Lester Smith, April 1992

Dungwns & Dragons, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, and AD&D are the trademarks of TSR,Inc. and are used without permission.

elcome to the Mythus fantasy roleplayinggame. There are magickal worlds awaiting within. There are worlds o pal f ace intrigues, subterranean adventures, places which time has forgotten, and whlmslcal "counter-worlds" where winged sprites and monstrous things of evil dwell. Swordplay and witchcraeft, dragons and giants, alchemy and coqjuration, the Seelie Court of P h ~ r e e the temples of demon-serversall these things and and more arejust the turn of a page away. While most people of our world don't know it, there is another world connected to ours by minor dimensional irregularities,weaknesses in the fabric of the multiverse, if you will. Sometimes strange things happen to pass through these portals, and thus we have tales of sea monsters, "little people," and the like. More frequently, though, people from here step into the beyond, disappearing from Earth forever, lost without a trace. Come with us now to visit the most magickal of the otherworlds connected to our own, an alternate world called Erth. It is a place of exciting adventure and wild things, but when you have concluded your sojourn there, your home dimension remains at hand, awaiting your return. First though, you must learn how to conduct yourself in realms of swords & sorcery! The Mythus roleplaying game is based on fantasy, myth, and legend. If you've ever eqjoyed reading Robert E. Howard, J.R.R. Tolkein, or myths and fairy tales, then you have an inklingof what's in store for you within. Likewise, if you've found excitement in films such as Dragonslayer, 7he Three Musketeers, Excallbur, Conan The Barbarian, Robin Hood, or Thlef Of Baghdad, then you'll love this game. If you have never played a roleplaying game before, you'll find it to be very different from any game you've ever played before (we promise!). You can be certain that you wlll be most pleasantly surprised. On the other hand, if you've already experienced the enjoyment of fantasy roleplayinggames, the Mythus game will brlng you new and innovatlve approaches to your cherished form of entertainment. There are complexities herein which will prove realistic, sophisticated, and satisfying to the most demanding expert. Yet the game is presented and explained clearly enough to b e easily learned by complete newcomers. This game is merely one of many from the Dangerous Journeys series of products. Perhaps you have played another of these modular systems already, but no matter if you haven't. Each game system module from the line focuses o n a different genresupernatural honor, science fiction, etc. But all of these different settings have a core system of rules that remains the same from genre to genre. This consistent "engine" works to carry you throughout the multiverse, allowing you to be a wizard facing down the dreaded Host of the Slaugh and their pack of Yeth Hounds in one adventure, then running to oppose the Accursed, evil foes of humanity, right here and now on Earth in the next.

W

s coordlnation-only agood imagination, which I perhaps the greatest talent of all1 N t many years ago, though, there were n o roleplaylng games o available. You could buy and pla(y a table game (such as skittles. tiddly-winks, or military miniatures), a board game (such m checkers, chess, or M o n w , or a card gamejust about anywhere. But u p until 1974, roleplaying games (or RWs for short) didn't exist commercially. lhatis now very much changed and the best evldence of that fact is what you are now reading1 ?here are some elements of the other three sorts of games In a roleplaying game, but r1 ois unique. You will have no board,need no playing pieces, have no set moves-mast of what ooaus In the cause of plqj canes d k d y from the imaglnstion and creetivity of t e partldh pants. 'lhlnk of children's games of let's pretena and then go a step hutherl In essence,roleplayinggames a e much the same mirnprovlss r & tional theater. We themembers d a drarnatfcc you and your fellow plqws each take a role within an unfolding stay. O'be role you p l q wlll be that of a @me person4 or character,you yauself create.) Tbgether, you and the ather players make up a team. None of you wlll emerge as a triumphant winner at the expeme of the other participants. Rather, you will all work tagether a@mt a common foe. Who or what is that mutual enemy? The answer to that lles withln the realm of the gamemaster, the individual who sets the stage. assists each player In determlning his or her role, and serves m the channel of Information as it is discovered through play.

The CiamemasterLet usconslderthe role of gamemaster more fully. The gamemaster M (GM for short) is the producer and director of the game action. A Q must know the game rules, the premises upon whlch they are constructed, and then prepare for play. Because a fantmy roleplaying M game (FRPG for short) is a longterm activity, a Q must have mate& als prepared for game action spanning days, weeks, months, and possibly years of roleplaying activity by the player group. Such m a t e rials, in toto, are referred to as a campaign. A play eplsode which has a start and a conclusion Is usually referred to as an adventure or scenario, while a portion of an adventure is usually called a session. As noted a campaign lasts for as long m the group Involved desires. An adventure might condude In two or three hours,or it might require 10 or 20 times that to bemolved. In part thetime required isdependent on how well the p w e r team operates, how wdl it uses Its Creetjvlty and imagination in problem sol* The-1 of an adventUte also depends on t e complexity of the particular quest or m W o n Involved. h Gamemasters know all the secrets behind each adventure s i t w tion, but they reveal information only as their players'game personas discover it through their announced actlons and 0 b s e ~ a t l o I IThus, ~. the a is not only the producer, director, and source of all InformaM tion, but also the sole player of those roles not taken by the other game wicipants. Does your character encounter a guardsman7 A Gypsy fortune tellel? A learned sage7 A powerful villeln? All of those will be played by the gamemaster. As an i r n w i a l and disinterested participant in the story, the G M

WHAT I A ROLEPLAMNG GAME? SRoleplaying is a fascinating and absorbing hobby. Unlike more traditional pastimes and sports, such as baseball, hunting, soccer, or golf, roleplayingrequires little in the way ofathleticability or excellent

QAME PREMISEYour MythuscarnpalgnIsa m m e d to take place o n the alternate world of AMh in a time line absoiutely parallel t o our own-but where maglckal power, Heha. works, and science Is rather a useless thing. ?he date Is exactly 1000 years before our own time, so years are easy to keep track of-4.e., 1992 is 992 o n firth. ?he world Is very much like our own, but its culture and socle4.y are a mix of Yedieval and Renaissance, with utter barbarism in itsout-of-theway places. AMh is more than merely one world. too. It Is filled with adventures, intrigues, and t e incrediblebut-true. h Probability dictatesthat whenever s there I s o m e radical change In the course of events, the continuum of time and space diverges. That is, thereis a branching, and where once was o n e world and one cosmos, there are suddenly two, each separated from the other, invisible to each other, but existing In the same space. Each alternate reality Is operating o n a different vibratory pattern. In a n infinite multlverse, all things are possible, for there is a n Infinity of probability. Such a split in probabilities occurred when humanlty began to examine maglckal forces in prehistoric times, for instance. Here on Earth,the force of Heka Isweak so maglck is uncertain and difncult at best. It's another story entirely o n IErth. Where there's smoke, there's flre. Slmpiy p u t the legends and myths, the body of tales and storles regarding strange races and creatures and ma@& which are occasionally related even toda(y, and the rare news reports of seemingly fantastic happenings are the smoke. The stuff gets through t o us from those weak places in the vibratory pattemsof the two worlds we told you about earlier, so what is our myth and legend Is often IErth's plain fact. Because our two worlds continue t o diverge, as Earth's science grows ever more complex, and IErth's use of Heka becomes ever more practiced, the vibratory patterns of the two cosmos grow farther apart. Once they were more nearly attuned, so there were many portals behveen the two worlds. Now these @es and doonvays are rare. A few still exist, of course. Perhaps you will choose t o play a persona from Earth who has passed through one such coterminous place to discover the realms of fantasy which lie but a step beyond. Or, on the other hand you might choose t o experience the multlverse of magi& from the perspective of a nativeoffirth. in either crrse,you wlll seethat t h e m called fables and fancies o our own world, Jhrth, are qulte literally f based on the facts and realities of the alternate world, IErth, a place so much like this one and yet so different.

selves both to help and hinder the player group. The aM lays out the scenario, provides information to the players, acts the roles of minor characters, aaudicates disputes between the players' personas and characters they meet, interprets the game rules, and critiques play after the completion of an adventure by awarding merits to individual players for the skill with which they played during the game. That brings us to just what it is you wlll do as a player in the Mythus game.

The RoleplayersBy first rolling dice to determine certain basic facts about your character, and then through the process of actually playing the role, you create a unique game persona. ORen referred to in roleplayingas a player character, this makebelieve person will become your alter ego, a brave adventurer in a world of high fantasy. Therefore, in the Mythus FRPa such an alter ego is called a Herdc Persona (or HP for short). This isn't flattery or exaggeration. Your Heroic Persona will fight against the most vile and malign forces in the multlverse. That is truly heroic! Before you begin play, you will create your HP by determining certain background facts. Some wlll be determined randomly, others by selection of a Vocation, and the rest by your own decisions. While you may still have many questions about roleplaying in general, and this game in particular, the answers will all be revealed through play and further reading. The Brst thing to learn, however, is what's going on in the world of the Mythus game.

w -

Heka-the energy that powers magickal castings and all manner of things fabulous to E a r t h i s as dear to lErth as electricity and other forms of "scientifically"developed energy are here. Erth's technolo gies revolve around Heha, so its forces are used to construct mqjor building works, cure humanity's ills, fight its wars, and explore the unknown. Ourtelevisions,radios, airplanes, automobiles, telephones, gunpowderweapons, andall manner of other "modemconveniences" would be considered fabulous there. However, we on Earth don't have the forces of Heka to serve us, either-no countering of natural diseases through the offices of priest or healer, no accurate foresee ing of events, no wonders of conjurer and hedge magician to entertain us, and no qantingof "wishes" here, to point out only a few. But they are a certainty on Wrth, if you can only obtain them. The fantasy milieu is wondrous in many ways. It provides sophisticated interpersonal actions in Renaissance-like kingdoms, castles of all sorts throughout lands such as Francia and Atlantl, and the exotic Oriental palaces of Sindrqj, Siam, and Ch'in. Then there is the maze ofplaces which honeycomb the undergroundworld knownassubterranean Wrth. And, of course, there is the expanse of Brth's hollow interior to explore, too, but those are but the beginnings of the marvels to be found in this milieu1ConsiderErth's alter-reality of wild Heka force, the counter-world of Phaeree, where elves, goblins, dragons, leprechauns, and thousands of other strange creatures inhabit realms which parallel those of humanity. The players' Heroic Personas are gathered together and charged with helping humanity and those benign "others"of the world of Phazree and elsewhere in their continuingstruggle against the forces of Darkness and thcirmalignservants--on/Erth, W r e e , orwherevertheymay be.Therearewhole states permeated by the power of Evil; thereare malign beings hidden amongst the aristocrats of the most enlightened nations; and there are demon-servers and witchesamongst freemen and peasants, of course. The fight is on all levels, in all lands and places. You see, there is a guiding force behind the machinationsof thenetherrealms, and this manifestation of benighted influence is called the Accursed. Perhaps you are already familiar with these vile ones, but if not you will be soon. (See "Appendix D: The Acc~~rscd the Fantasy Milieu" for a in brief overview.) In such a multifaceted setljng, your HeroicPersonas willventuteforth to right wrongs, gain all sorts of new knowledge, destroy evil, acquire impressive skills, and possibly become famous charnpiom, great sages, court officials, archpriests, high magcs, nobles,orevenlords oftheirownrealms.You'vealreadytaken your first steps toward the awaiting portal. Advance!

GAME CONVENTIONSAs with any other hobby, roleplaying gaming has its own jargon, abbreviatlons, and technical terms. It is a rich rnllieu, and one that you will learn through experiencingits breadth and depth. Pollowlng are a few notes regarding the way such things will be arranged throughout this work.

The Epic of f i r t h & Mythus MagickSet aside, for now, theMythus Magick book and the Epic of Xxth companion volume to these rules. The first contains expanded magick rules to the game. The latter work contains background information needed to set the stage, so to speak, for the adventures and excitement to come. it provides all sorts of fascinating details about where your Heroic Personas will adventure, whoor whatthey will encounter, and whythose creatures behave as they do. But first you must learn howto adventure. That Is the domain of the work you now hold.

Basic and Advanced GamesFirst of all, two different groups of rules (almost two separate games, in factl) are provided within this book--the basic rules and the advanced rules. 7he baslc rules are presented within Part One o thls f tome, the section called Mjthus Prlme. This sectlon is designed for those who are new to roleplayingas well as for those who want to start playing immediately. The Advanced Mythus rules--Part Two of the book-ae Intended for veterans and for newcomers who don't mind studying the game for some time before beginning play.

Common VocabularyPersonas: The Heroic Persona (or HP for short) r e f e ~ e d earlier to is an imaginary person who exists in thegame world but is controlled by a real person in theactual world, the player. An Otherpersona (or OP for short) is any persona besides an HP. Most-if not all-4Ps are controlled by the gamemaster (GM for short). One class of Other Personas consists of those which are inimical to good and right, and these personas are usually referred to as Evil Personas (or EPs for short).There are many other typesof OPsas well---seechapter 15of the Advanced Mythus rules for details. Sheets: Reference will often be made to the varlous klnds of s h c c t s a s in sheets of paper. Basically, these are preprinted items which are found in the back of this bookand may be photocopied and used in play. Glance over them when you want to take amoment from reading text. The most important type of sheet is the Heroic Persona Shcct on which you will fill in information about your HP. Thc nicthods by which the infsrrnatisn listed there is determined is discussed in Chapter 1 of the Mythus Primerules, as well a s Chapter I0 of the advanced rules, under "HP Creation." Dice: In the Mythus game, the general course of events in an adventure is determined by player decisions and their interaction with the goals of OPs. But details such as the results of a bargaining session, or the flow of a combat, often have a bit of randomness added in through the use of dice. The two types of dice used in this gamc arc those of the six-sided and 10-sided variety. Most everyone probably haveafew lyingabout is familiarwithsix-sideddice,andyou the tioi~se. not, ~ O L I get them at the same places you will find 10If can sidcd dicc, such as hobby shops, comic bookshops, specialty bookstores, and the like. Ask a sales clerk about "10-siders" if you don't know what they look like. Note that the faces on a 10-sided die are numbcred from 0 to 9. Just treat the 0 a. a 10 when you roll it. This brings up dicc notation, which is perhaps the most important type of abbreviation to be found in any RPG. Basically, dice notation consists of an uppercase letter " D with a number on one or both sides. Thc number to the rightrefers to the typeof die to roll by listing its nurntm of sides, and the number to the left refers to the number of dicc to roll. Thus the term 1D6," for example, means roll one sixsidcd dic, and 1 D 10"means roll one lo-sided die. The term "2D6" mcms to roll twosix-sided dice and add the resultstogether, while the ttwn "21) t0t5" means to roll two 10-sided dice, add the results together, and then add 5 to that-if you rolled a 5 on one die and a 9 on the other, you would have a total of 19 (5tSt5). Thcre arc also three special kinds of rolls which are frequently employed in the Mythus game. These rolls are basically variations on thc above, and come in three types--the D%, D3, and D5. The D'h roll, also known a s "percentile dice," is the most frequently made roll in the game. The way it works is you take two 10-siders, preferably of different colors, and designate one as the "tens" digit and the other as the "ones" digit. Then when you roll, you read them in such a way that the dicc yield a result from 1 to 100. For cxamplc, if the tens die came up a 6 and the ones die came up a 5, you w o ~ ~ have rolled a 6 5 . If the tens die came up a 1 and the ld a oncs die came LIP 1 , thcn the result would be an 1 1. A roll of 0 on the oncs die means that the result will be a multiple of 10 (only the" "

tens die counts). A roll of 2 and 0, for example. would thus count a s a 20. A roll of 0 on the tens die means the result will be a onedigit n u m b e r a roll of 0 and 1 would thus count a s a I --except in the special case when both dice come up 0, in which case you have rolled a 100. The second type of die roll is the D3, which is much simpler. To make this roll, you need only roll a D6, divide by 2, and round up fractions. (Note that this is nearly the only instance in the entire gamewhereyou do round fractlonsup!)The followingtablesummarizes the results:

D6 Roll

03 Result

lor2

1

The third sort of roll is theD5 roll. It is simply a halved D 10 roll, just

D9 isa halvedD6.Itsr~ul~aresummarized the followingtablc: onDl0 Roll

lor23 or 4 501.6 7 or 8 9 o 10 r

D 5 RcsuK 1 2

3 4

5

Note that it is possible to make rolls which are multiples of thcsc or to combine them with other sorts or rolls. For example: 2DC (addedto get results o 2 to 200) f 3D3 (a 3 to 9 result) 4DS (fora range of 4 to 20) 1D3 + ID5 + ID10 (a 3 to 18 spread averaging 10)

1D% + 2D10 (toget from 3 t 120) o

Qamemastersshould notethat it iseasy togain other results using the two types of dice used in the Mythus game. I f you want to get a 1 to 12 range, first roll 1D6. Then roll another die to determine whether or not to add 6 to the result-a low result on this second dic (1-3 o n 1D6, or 1-5 on 1D10) means"yes,"and a high result (4-6 on 1D6 or 6-10 on 1D10) means "no." For instance, a ID6 roll of 5. followed by a 3 on thesecond D 6 would become 1 I-but if followed by a 4 instead would remain a 5. You can get a range of 1 to 20 using ID10 and 1D6 the same way, with thesecond die dctcrmining if thc ID10 rollisto bereadasisorwith a + 10. Togcta 1 to 30result, roll 1D10, then roll 1D6 divided into three determining steps: 1 arid 2 indicate nothing is added to the 1D 10 roll, 3 and 4 mean add t 10, and 5 and 6 mean add 20. A 1 to 5 0 result can be found by rolling 1D10, then rolling a second 1 D 10 divided into five stcps. In shorl, you can get just about any random numbers you might want with ;I simple D6 and Dl 0.

USEFUL ITEMSBesides dice, pencils are necessary for play, of coursc. Acccss to i l photocopier will come in handy, as will a pocket calculator whcn generating personas for the Advanced Mytllus game.

hat is a Heroic Persona? Well, a Heroic Persona is someone very much like you and us, but there are a few very important things which differentiate an HP from other personas. First, Heroic Personas have aboveaverage potential in all attribute arcas of the Mythus game-the mind, the body, and the spirit ("heart," will, inner self, or however you would describe it). Second, Heroic Personas showed a willingness to excel in their earlier years, so that they have built up astore of abilitieswhich place them above the norm in overall knowledge and skills. Finally, Heroic Personas have a readiness to continue to "grow"and improve in all directions, have an open mind, and have that certain something which distinguishes them from the crowd and places them in the forefront. That something is the quality of heroism, the determination to pursue a course they see asjust and right, even in the face of possible loss of life. To crcate your Heroic Persona, you must follow these steps:

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Persona is-how well the HP memorizes and recalls things. Those with high Mental scores will be able to think, reason, and learn faster and better than those who are not quite as smart-This T W is often abbreviated as 'M.'

PhysicalThis TRAIT measures how strong, enduring, agile, and dexterous your persona is. HPs with a high Physical TRAIT can lift and carry heavier weights, take more physical punishment, run long distances without getting tired, dodge out of the way of flying boulders, and perhaps even draw well. This is often abbreviated as "P." How much physical punishment your HP can take before becorning dazed or dying is directly related to the Physical TfWIT. 7he measure of the first (dazing)is known as the HP's Wound Levcl (WL), and is equal to 75% (drop fractions) of the P rating. This number (whichgoes in the appropriately labeled box on the HP sheet) is used in combat and will be discussed in the Combat chapter (page 24).

SpiritualContrarytowhat you mightthinkat first, this'IRAtTisjust as important as the other two. A HPs creativity, faith, willpower, sclfdisciplinc. n determination,and even quality of personality are all rclatcd to the value of the Spiritual 'IRAIT score. This TRAIT is abbreviated as '3."

1. DETERMINE SOCIO-ECONOMIC CLASS (SEC)Socio-Economic Class is a part of real life, and it is important in all the rnilicux of the Dangerous Journeys game system. But it is particularly crucial in the Mythus fantasy roleplaying game. Why is it so important? Well, SEC in thisgame does more than provide you with financial information. Money is important in the game, but of far greater inlportance is social status. Thus (unlike other games in this system),before beginning to create a new Heroic Persona, the player must determine that individual's Socio-Economic Class. Doing so is a pretty easy matter. The player simply rolls a D6 and adds 1 ( I D6t 1).Tne Socio-EconomicClass Table is then consulted.r1 %

TRAIT LevelsYou determine your Heroic Persona's TRAIT scores by assigning a certain number of points to each. You have a total of 120 points to divide up among them however you like, though no single T f W T may have a score lower than 21 or higher than 60. A rating of 2 1 is equivalent to someone with very low-averagetalent, and a score of GO would be appropriate for someone who is close to the normal maximum levels of human ability. The table below lists what a number in any particular range would probably mean. Ascan beseen from this, your HeroicPersona will generally be supcrior to most people when it comes to scores in 'IRAITS. W~th120 points to divide, you could give 40 to each and make the HPjust above average in everything, for instance, or you a u l d give 56 to one (and be terrific in it!) and just 32 (an average score) to the others. How you divide your points will have something to do with which Knowled~e/Shill (WS)arcas (q.v.)

r

I

Socio-Ecommic a s s TableDie Roll2 3

4

56 7

Soci~nomic Class Pasant, non-free Peasant, free Fkernan, petty randowner R.eeman, landowner Freeman, gentleman Arisloclat, non-noble

Level2 3

4 5

67

TRAIT Levels Table

2. GENEKATE TRAIT SCORESAll personas in the Mythus game have three TRAITS, with a corre-

W9com 21 to 25 26 to 35 30 to 4348 to 55 56 to 60

Descn'ptk,n

Duller, weaker, or much more unslable Ulan mosl people. Averageability-wheremast people are.Abo-m

sponding number for each, representing talent in each. The higher the number you have for a TRAIT, the better you will be with it. The three TRAITS and what they stand for are described below.

abllity. S@ht& Smarter,

Wg r l e,

ormoree~~aptulan mo&Exoeptiond pmwessl Well above e e v* lncrediblelYouareassmarlasa 1~cke1scientisL as strongasa champion weight-lifter,oras fuU of faith as a saintr A

MentalThis represents how intelligent, thoughtful, logical,and bright your Heroic

J

you will want for your HP. All K/SAreasarerelated tooneTRAlToranother, s o having a high score with a certain TRAITwill help your HP to be good at theK/SArcas related toit. Havinga highSpiritualTRAfT(orS), forexample, will make it easier for the HP to become good a t writing novels, shortstories, and poerns (or even roleplaying games!). You may wish to read ahead and decide which K/SAreas you like the best before fillingout your IIP's TRAITS. Keep in mind that the numbers listed o n the above table are only approximate ranges. Just because scores o 36 and 4 5 are both defined f a s being"above average"doesn't meanthatthey representthe same level of talent! When you begin to figure out your "STEEP" ratings (q.v.) and actually set out to play, you will quickly discover that having a 45, or even just a 36, is indeed different (and obviously better) than havinga 35!

t

Optional Trait VariablesThe AdvmcedPbtbusrulesgive a player an avenge of 252 total points to spend on TRAITS. W tmk roughlyhalf t a e ht ~ ~ l 2 0 -unne up with beginning'RtW p i n t s for the t o MythusfWne rules.If you and your players wlsh to have more

base.'l"bis~U playersmole o asenseof i n d i v l d u a l i w give f to mention a few mole pdnts-end of dimding thelr HYs creation, rather than merely dividing up a given number of points between the Uvee TRA17S.

Sample Heroic Persona: CristofAs a running example, let's create a sample HP by the name of Cristof.Rolling 1D6 forSEC,wegeta4.Adding 1to thescore, we find that he is a freeman (probably the second son of a landowner). W decide that we would like him to be a tough, e swordsman type, but we also w n him to be fairly intelligent, at disciplined, and creative as well. Therefore, we assign 40 points to his M (his Mental al'lRIUT),SO points to his P (Physical TRAIT), and the remaining 30 to hlsS(SpiriUa1'lWVT). Furthermore, as his Pis50, hewill haveawound Levelof37 (50~0.75).

3. CHOOSE A VOCATIONLct's consitier the basic concept behind Vocations. It is a very simple one. You are assuming the persona of what will be your game "self" at a point which, whilc relatively early in that individual's "life span," s u b surncs a good d c ~ that has happened to the character prior to the on& 1 of adventuring. Your Heroic Persona was once a baby, then a toddler, a child, a young person, and now we arrive at the place where you, brave player, appwron U~cscene.So, prior tothat, yourHPgrew up, learned and \\,,IS tmght, expcricnced many things, and did many things. If you ol)scrve infants, you will note that they are intently watching, obsen,inc_~l ~ r t l q i ~ g that goes on around them. Parents begin to bain s all infants, of course, and eupcricr~ce teaches them, too. Along with this conics cd~rcatioti,?sthey gow, and we all prach'cewhat we have learned. An infant forms a personality, and then develops according to t h e e a r l y par;mieters. What we know now isthe resultofall such input from infancy on. Nobody springs into the world fully gown, with a brain like a blank page rmdy to receive knowledge. In generating a character, you are selecting what is the end result of y m s of yowing up and learning. In theMythus game, this is represented by a "Ixlndle" of Knowledge and Skills (K/S, remember) that are typical o f an above-average person brought up tofollowa certain coursein life. 'That isrc;~listic, andthatis tiowyou bcginparticipationinUlisgame.. .realistically. But, you might say, isn't this a sort of "me"? Isn't the Heroic Persona s ~ ~ p p o s c dbe controlled by my thinking7 Yes and no. You are you, and to the t1P is a 1~1;iie-belie~e persona. To enhance the sense of reality, however, ~ v c have c r a t e d a device which simulates actuality, and we point out that the "you" of today is absolutely different in most ways from

the "you" o infancy, childhood, prolcen ytars, clc. As r w l ~xxq)ic: f change, sotoodid and will dothe Heroic Persona. Of course, to rc:flc.c I ~hc. "you" in the HP we have made a s p c i a l provision. W hilc c x h I/tx;~tio~~,d bundleofK/Sispretty muchthesame, thedice.mrcsyou rolled will III,II\~. yourpersonaalittle betterthan average, and probably a bitdiffcrcnt IIOIII another HP with the same Vocation. There is still more. We hilvc illso l c 4 room for inclusion of many added K/S Arcis which arc unicj~lcly Ihou. o f your own Heroic Persona. When coupled with oUlcr v;~ri,~l)lc.+Sli:,r~lcl alltherest~dwhatoccursinthcco~useofpl;~y,intlivitlud l)ccmn~t:\ U IC clearly defined, and the definition is your own. Still, you must .stat with ,I standardized group of things you have lozrned. So Id's gel to t h t tic )w. Therearesevenvocations for Heroic P e r s o n s to chtxw from. (In the advanced rules there are more than five times ttuit numlxr to dltx)w from, but remember that we are keeping cornplcxitir~s ;I nlininli~itl to mcl here. Therefore, difficult Vocations and t h o x requiring I l c k ; ~ ( . ~ \ t ingsareminimizedand somewhat simplified.) .%x:itrI'x.~)rionlic.(:I,~\\\r 111 have a p r in the decision of a player, for the SIX of an I If' will l i ~ i l i t at Vocationalchoicetosomeextent 'ThcscvcnVt~~dions;uclistctl I l l ' in th: Vocationstable, alongwith their primary asxx:iatcd Il(i\l'l-.lnd nliriini~irn SEC. b c h Vocation is described s e p n ~ t c l y l o w . k

AlchemistThisvocation, which depends primarily on thc Mcril,~l I W 1 , i \ one T of philosophical and metaphysical understanding. Al(.hcmist.\ II,IL the sorbed the missile's damage completely. However, had the persona been the one hit earlier by Alyssa's Fireburst, he would really be out of luck without Heka-based armor. As the Fireburst is a mxjchlly caused explosion, Alyssa's Caa'ng uscs the "Impad" damcagetype, and f the unlucky fellow would suffer all 88 points o d a m q e from the attack-since hi armor doesn't protect against the "Impact" fomi o dani'qcl f In any case, whenever Physical damage from a Heka-based attack exceeds a target's applicable armor, that damage is subtracted from the persona's Physical TRAIT score, and the attack conics to an end. When the total Physical damage from Heka-based and/or nlysical combat exceeds a persona's Wound Level (WL)or Critical Lcvcl (CI,). that persona will definitely begin to feel the effects. The dcscriptiorls f that follow will give you a n idea o how serious the persona is irljurcd. WoundLevel: When personas are over their WL, it means that they have been seriously injured. First of all, they are subject to the effects of being Dazed, and will remain in such astate until their accurnulatctl damage has been reduced to their Recovery Level (RL). Furtherrnore. they will b e subject to the effects of Shock, and must b e trcatcd for it daily (via the fi&AidK/S, q.v.) until they have been healed u p to their Recovery Level. Critical Level: This means that a persona has sustained incapxitatingdamage and is in verypoor shape indeed. Any persona in such condition will fall immediately unconscious and will remain s o for ID6 hours. Such personas must roll for Permanent darnage, anti must likewise be treated daily for Shock until they receive bed-rcst. They will also b e Dazed until they have healed up to thcir RI,. TRAIT: If a persona takes a total amount of Physical damage which equals or exceeds the Physical TRAIT score, t h e n 4 0 put it simplythe persona is dead. Unless the persona is extremely rich, and is the subject of a successful Restoration (q.v), it's curtains for the unfortunate character1 Finally, the meanings of the terms "Shock" "Dazed," and "Permanent damage" are explained in the section "More o n Damage,' which starts o n page 256.

V

V

"YHYSICAL COMBAT, NON-LETHALThis type of combat utilizes t h e Combat, HTH (Non-Lethal) K / S Area and involves grappling, wrestling. subduing, and all other combat forms which otherwise deal with a f o e without causing serious injury o r death (or k e e p serious i d u r y to a minimurn). The Physical Combat, Non-Lethal Summary in the sidebar gives an overview of the process. As in the lethal type of Physical combat covered later, there is a Base Attack Chance (BAC) for each "weapon"-in this case the attack form. The BAC is calculated as the attacker's Combat, HTtf (Non-Letha/) STEEP plus PMCap ATTRIBUTE. The Speed Factor involved, however, varies with the attack form. There is also a Physical Resistance (PR) rating, which is calculated a s the defender's PM CATWORY plus '/z of the defender's Combat, HTH (Mon-Lethal) STEEP. Initiative is calculated normally. In combat, attackers will try t o score a "hit" by matching their BAC against their target's PR in a struggle which is resolved using the KJS vs. K J S method. One o r the other combatant must win, s o roll until there are n o "tie" results. Success for attacker results in a hit, but failure means that the attacker couldn't get his or her hands o n the target and the defender may act normally that CT. A hit, however, allowsan attacker to use immediately (in t h e x ~ n i c CT) o n e o the following three attack forms against the defender. If f the attack form fails, then the defender is considered to be freed automatically and may act normally during the rest of that CT. Also keep in mind that the range for all these attacks is ONE yard. If the target is further away, then this type of combat cannot be used until the attacker has closed the distance. In order to make things easier for you, we repeat the K/S vs. K/S Difficulty Ratings table here. Remainder is the positive or negative difference between BAC or (adjusted) STEEP and the defender's Physical Resistance (PR)factor and vice versa (for the defender's DK).w 9 . A

PHYSlCAL COMBAT, NONmLETHALSUMMARYOne: Hitting the Opponent(A) Determine Initiative with PMSpd deducted fromthe 1 D l 0 roll. Add

the appropriate Speed Pactor based on the attack form. (8) determine the Base Attackchance (BAC)of the attacker, and Next the Physical Resistance (PR) of the defender. (1) BAC is h e attachel's Comb@ Mn (IXorrLeUlal)STEEP plus PMCap and any bonus, unlessthe attack form used ls t overpower. If o so,the chance of success equals the a W e f s S'IEEP only. (2) P is the defender's P CATEClORY plus '/z Combat KTn R M (Non-Lethal) STEEP, (C) attacker must successfully match the BAC, or STEEP (8 The atlacking lo overpower) against the foe's PK If the attacker loses, the attack has missed. If the allack succeeds, the attacker may then apply a non-lethal aUack form immediately thereafter. The Speed Factor varies with the attack form chosen, and the ranges are all one yard. (D) Personas with exceptionally high sensory ability, as indicated by Perception (Physical)ETEEP and PNPow and PMSpd. gain an advanme in any form of Physical attack. This advantage is reflected in a bonus to their BAC or STEEP (if aUacking to overpower). To find the Perception (Physical) PNPow &PNSpd BAG bonus, consult the following table: Combined Percep~on Bonus t o STEEP, PNPo w & PNSpd BAC (96)71-75 76-80 81-85 86-90 91-95 96-100 101-110 11 1-1201 2 3

45 6

a10

K/S Versus K/S Difficulty RatingsFor example, an HP with such an sllack bonus based on a combined score of 114would have a BAC bonus of 10.This percentage would be added to the persona's combat, weapon, etc, facton to find the BAC.

Two: NorrLethal Attack FormsThe following attack forms may be used for non4elhal attacks. (A) Overpower?Speed Factor5. The attacker must makes successful roll against Combat, H'ZH (Nan-Lethal) K/S. The DR wiU vary with the difference beLween the attackel's and the talget's weight (see the main text for details). Success overpowers talgel for 2D6 CTs. (8) bun: speed Factor 3.~ h lscores 1D6 points of Stunningdamage s

Remainder 1 I o more r 6 t 10 o 5 to-5 -6 to-10 -1 1 t -20 o -2 1 o lower rL

Moderate

-

Attack TO Overpowerattack form h a s a Speed Factor of 5 and succeeds with a sful roll against the attacker's Combat, H 7 H Won-Lethal) K/ S Area (STEEP, not BAC).The DR will vary with how the weight of the e r compares with that of t h e attacker. Deduct the weight of nder from that oftheattacker. (Ifyoudon't know oneof their then estimate a s best you can. Just about anything that's much larger than a human is going t o be impossible to overpower anyway.) Cross-reference the result o n the Attack t o Overpower DKs

points is also scored.

aanginflim Physid

a failed attack negates previous success to Overpower or Stun. Dl* equal to lD1o points. melimbaffected houn (days if a Speclal Success). is disabled for NO

4

Asuccessful roll will overpower the target for 2D6 CTs, or double that time if the roll was a Special Success. During that time the defender will be completely immobilized, and unable even to speak if theattacker desires to prevent it. The attackerwill likewise be busy holding the target still. At the end of the above period, a new roll will be necessary if the attacker wishes to contain the target longer, but a "hit" is considered to have already been scored. Furthermore, note that an attacker can't employ a lethal attacksuch a s a knife-and attack to overpower at the same time (though one persona could hold a victim down while another persona attacked with a weapon). A failure in making a D roll frees the R defender and allows him or her t o act normally. Here's an Examnple: Dirk aalligher has run up behind an EP that he wishes to catch and tries to grapple and overpower the fellow before he can get away. Dirkgets the higher lnitiativescore, and, being able thus to attack before his victim can run, tries to score a hit. Dirk has a STEEP of 35 (no addition for PMCap, remember) for an overpower attack. If his STEEP, PNPow, and PNSpd had totaled 7 1 or more, Dirk would get a Perception bonus, but they don't s o his chance is only a total of 35%. The EP, however, has a P CATECiORY of 4 5 and a M STEEP of 39, which provides him with aPhysical Resistance of 6 4 (45 + 19). The Attack to Overpower table is consulted and he is 30 pounds heavier than the EP, s o his D is "Moderate,' boosting his R effective STEEP to 70. Dirk rolls well in the K/S vs K/S contest and wins, thus allowing him to attack the unfortunate EP.

not sit there and hold them. The attacker will, however, have to score another hit if s h e or he wishes t o increase the time stunned, but that's merely a matter of making an "Easy" roll against the attacker's BAC. (Any Special Success scored t o Stun will double the Stun point rolll) Example: Dirk aalligher decides to stun the EP after scoring a hit. HisSTEEPof 35allows him to roll 4D6, this time forawhoppingresult of 20, which exceeds the EPs PNCap 16 by 4, and thus the target is stunned for four CTs and takes 2 points of damage. Furthermore, Dirk decldes that h e would like to see the target stunned longer, and s o tries an "Easy" roll to hit with his BAC of 55. This yields a K/S Chance of 165, and he rolls a 16 which is a Special Success1 He rolls the 4D6 again, for a result of 13, w h i c h d u e to the Special Success--is doubled to 26. The poor EP takes another 3 points of damage and I stunned for another 10 CTsl s Finally, note that a stunned foe can be slain automatically in one CT by an attacker with a weapon capable of inflicting 1 8 or more points of damage in a single attack (beforeStrike Location or Expo sure rolls), or in 1D6 CTs otherwise.

A t t a c k To DisableDisabling is essentially an overpowering or stunning attack meant to dislocate, sprain, or even break an opponent's arm or leg. Attackers must flrst successfully attack and overpower or Stun their foe (seeabove). Then they must roll against their K/S again at a D of "Hard" to successfully Disable. A failed roll will negate the R success of either attack--overpower or Stun. A successful one will Disable one arm or leg (attacker's choice) for Dolo hours time. A Special Success indicates a major dislocation or broken bone. Disability time then is extended to D%+20 days! Additionally, disabling inflicts 20% of the scored Stun points on the foe in Physical damage. Example: Continuing with the situation above, let's assume that Dirk aalligher had decided to Disable the EP instead of merely Stun him. ARer scoring the hit, Dirk decides to overpower the foe. Dirk weighs about 185 pounds, and his foe somewhere around 155, which is a positive difference of 30, or a "Moderate" roll for Dirk. He makes it successfully, and manages to hold the EP steady. Now he tries another K/S roll at D "Hard." Dirk has aSTEEPof 35 in Combat, R HTH, Non-Lethal, s o he must score a 35 or less-a little better than a 1 in 3 chance. Luckily (or through Joss ...), the dice come through for him and he rolls "03." That's a Special Success. Dirk's possibly put a hammer lock or leg takedown, which struck just right1 Dirk decides it's the EP's right arm. His opponent will have it in a cast for 2 1 to 120days. Furthermore, he takes 1Dl 0 t 10 PD points. He's now unable to use his right arm and is banged up, too!

AttaGk to Overpower DRsW&@E DIffetpnce 5 1 or higher 26 to 50

DffY7culty Rahfng

Moderate

A t t a c k To S t u nThis attack has a Speed Factor 3 and involves simply knocking the defender silly. To d o so, the attacker will roll for Stun points after scoring a hit. The attacker rolls 1D6 for every 10 points or fraction thereof of STEEP possessed. Note that some individuals may have armor against Stun damage. If that is the case, treat it just like regular armor. If the Stun points scored exceed the target's PNCap, the target will be stunned for a number of CTs equal to the excess figure. If they d o not, the attack has failed and the target will be freed. In any case, the defender suffers Physical damage equal to 10% (drop fractions) of the Stun points rolled (less applicable armor). During the time that foes are stunned, treat them exactly a s if they were overpowered, but attackers need

Weapons To Enhance N o r r k t h a l AttacksCertain weapons will prove handy in a non-lethal combat situation, allowing personas to Stun an opponent more quickly, for a longer period of time, and cause more damage a s well. Small hand weapons such a s the blacwack (also known a s a s a p or cosh) and brass knuckles are easily concealed and enable personas to strike quickly, a s weapon Speed Factors are not counted in a non-lethal attack. (This is already subsumed within the non-lethal attack

/

form being used.) damage done by these weapons Is in addition to the Stun points scored as determined from STEEP. 30% of the Stun points are applied to Physical damage, and of course, Stun Points in excess of a victim's PMCap result in disabling for a like amount of BTs. Other, larger blunt weapons, such a s the bo stick and quarterstaff may also be used in non-lethal combat (provided thegamemaster is informed by the player before the attack is made). However, when the weapon'sSpeed Factor isgreaterthan 3, the higherspeed Factor should be used.

One: Hitting An Opponent(A)DetermineInEHatlvewithPMSpd (Hand Weapon)or PPlSpd (Mlsrsle) deducted from the 1Dl 0 roll. Add Speed Pactor for

a a o n and/or weapon used. (8)I"he attacker speciflea the Wget and modffies the BAC

PHYSICAL COMBAT, LETHALAnd now on to the golden rule of all mleplayinggames: When in doubt, whip out your trusty longsword and start swinging! This type of combat is probably the most common, and is certainly the most deadly. Just a few rough battles might very well teach your HP to avoid such confrontations a s much a s possible! But in any event, here are the rules for resolving regular lethal combat. A summary of the attack process is offered in the sidebar, followed by the detailed steps. Note that while these rules might seem complicated, once you get used to them they're quite easy. They are designed to simulate reality and the actual suspense which exists in combat.

eates that the attack missed. A r0U equal to o less than r 10% o the FAG I a Special Hit, a roll o 96-98 is almost f 8 f alwaysarnlm, and a roll of either 99 or 1OO usually counts as a Spednil Miss. There are exceptions to the 3@r two conditions when the FACexcxeds 100,asexpfained in the(2) When a hit Is scored. a defender m y try to pavry if a she or he hnns any unused attacks in that CT, a pn>per weapon, and the sMlt to do BQ, and If the hit fs from a weexpon which can be parried. A successful pany auto. maticallychanges the hit to amiss.ASpecial nit. however, can be panted only by aSpeciQlSuccess on the parry roll. IT a pany L succelnrrfuf, m b o ~ l attzickw and d n the e fender must make: a rolt to see If the other's weapon wsr damaged or broken by Ule psny. ff a petsom's weapon breaks, It beoomes unusable ImmediateIy, meaning that the

Weapon InformationThe very first thing you need to do is to find out some information about your HP's weapon. Write all of it down in thespace provided on the HP Profile Sheet. The following are the things that you'll need to know and record: (1)The Base Attack Chance (BAC)with Perception (Physical) bonus (if any) and that of the weapon in question. ( 2 )The number of attacks possible in a CT with the weapon. (3)The type and amount of damage the weapon does. (4)The range or reach of the weapon. ( 5 )The weapon's Speed Factor. (6)Whether or not the weapon can parry, and if so, its durability rating. (7) If a repeating weapon (such a s a cho-ko-nu), how many shots your weapon can fire before you need to reload. Base Attack Chance (BAC): This is determined by adding your HP's STEEP for that weapon to its assigned number of Weapon points, plus bonus for Perception (Physical), if any. Personas with exceptionally high sensory ability, a s indicated by either one or another sort of Perception STEEP and Physical Neural Power and Speed gain an advantage in any form of attack. This advantage is reflected in a bonus to their BAC.To find the Perception (Mental or PhysicaIjlPNPow & PNSpd BAC bonus, consult the BAC Bonuses table on the next page. For example, an HP with a combined score of 114 would have a BAC bonus of 1O0Io. This percentage would be added to the HP's combat, weapon, etc. factors to find the BAC. Here's an example of determining BAC: Alyssa has a Combat, Hand Weapons (~agger/Wnie) STEEP of 24. Her favorite dagger is a fancy boot dagger with 5 Weapon Points, and she has no PerceptionlPNPowlPNSpd bonus, s o she has a BAC of 29. Furthermore,

pemnammakeno~~ettack;rror~~thstcI', unless Me persona h a s a n o t h e r v h b d . R u ? persona m y draw another weapon, if my are posmmd, a(3)Ifa hit remains u n m e d , the attacker must then roll

a SMhe Location to see where on the target's body theattack landed. Attackem who have the Wetlpons, w d a l Mill (Specltk Twget) K/S with the weapon m y rolt a agwIn$t that KS to try b choose khe Strike Lo&ion. /

Two: Applying Physical damage

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Three: Conducting Additional AttacksRepeat the sectlons above for every attack a combatant perfom. When acornbatantis outofaUachs, thatpersona's t u n is finished and the adfons of th peraons wlth the nexthigh& bitidve score are resolved next

223

were s h e to enchant the knife for 1 5 BAC points, it would b o DAC to 44! All weapons from swords and maces to pitchforks and knives have Weapon Points, most of which aregiven in the weapon lists (page 2 3 6 and 237). The only exceptions come with martial a r t s i . ~ . the Combat, HTH (Leehal) K/S Area. None of those w e a k , ons, not even nunchakus, have Weapon points. In such cases, your BAC is exactly equal to your STEEP rating. There is a problem with weapons that personas don't know how to use, either because they don't have the proper K/S Area or merely because they lack a Sub-Area. In the former c a s e (no K/S Area), the BAC is equal to t h e number of Weapon points for the device, and in the latter (lackof K/S Sub-Area) such personas may add one-half their STEEP t o the Weapon point rating. For example, Alyssa h a s t h e Hand Weapons, Missile (Knives/Daggers, a n d Slings) KJS at a STEEP of 22. If, however, s h e needed to u s e a hand crossbow with 7 Weapon points, s h e would a d d half of her STEEP to that for a total BAC of 18, since s h e doesn't have the Crossbow

BAC BonusesCombined Perception IPhysiical) STEEP, PnPaw d ITISpd7 1-75 8185 Bonus to BAC (%) 1

23

151-175 176 & higher

Sub-Area. If s h e needed t o u s e the s a m e crossbow, and didn't have the Combat, Hand Weapons, Missile KJS at all, then s h e would only have its Weapon point rating of 7 for her BAC. Number of Attacks: Unless using a propelled (not thrown) missile wcapon, this will vary with a n HP'sSTEEP. Consult the description of the individ~~al Area for details. For missile weapons, K/S however, it varies with the weapon being used. S e e the weapons tables on pages 2 3 6 and 237. One way to increase the numberofattacksa persona hasavailable is to take the Weapons, Special Skill (Florentine) KJS with a onehanded weapon. Doing s o allows the persona to fight with o n e such wcapon in each hand, each of which is allowed its full attack rate (except for nunchakus, which each attack at 75% their full rate, o r give a total 150% increase in the number of attacks a persona has, a s opposed to the normal 200%). S e e the description of the K/S Area for more details, but keep in mind that the BAC with each weapon may rise no higherthanyourSTEEPwiththeFlorentineskill when you are s o fighting.

The amount of damage done likewise varies withtheweapon beingused,and in the c a s e of martial a r t s , with the STEEP of the attacker. Additionally, if your persona's 8 71-75 BAC with a 7680 10 weapon is A higher than 40, * Forevery5 pointsor fractionthereof t h a t HP g a i n s beyond STEEP 80, add t2. damage bonus for that BACwith all except martial arts attacks. The High STEEP Damage Bonus table illustrates the total bonus per blow. Likewise, if a persona wields a weapon covered by the Weapons, Hand KJS, a thrown weapon (or bow-not crossbow-suited to the persona's strength) covered under the Weapons, Missile KJS, or any of the martial arts, that persona will receive a damage bonus if possessing a PMYow higher than 12. Consult the Damage Bonus for High PMPow table for that. tiere's a n Exarnple: A longsword has a base damage of 4D6. If your HP had a BACof 6 0 and a PMPow of 18,that persona would have a total damage of 4D6t 1 0 ( t 4 for BAC, +6 for PMPow = t 10). Additionally, there is a damage bonus for projectiles wielded by creatures possessing size and mass much larger than human-size. These include hurled boulders o r giant-size weapons. This d o e s not normally apply to personas, but is possible for those who have been magickally enlarged or possess a large effective mass due to some magickal device to utilize these weapons. When a hit is scored by such a creature or Y u persona, consult the Weapon Dam~ a r k Bonus ~ e a g e B o n u s for for High PMPow a r e a t Mass table Damage Bonus PMPo w for the amount of 13 1 damage bonus p e r 14 2 die to add to Physi15 3 cal damage. 16 4 Another matter 17 5 is the type of dam18 6 age inflicted. The 19 7 following catego20 8 ries a r e consid21 9 ered for Physical combat, and each has its own type of * Add t1 for every 1 polnt beyond armor which PMPow 2 1. works against it:

3-r- .

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Weapon Damage Bonus for Great Mass*3 x MumanSize 6 x HumanSize

Mass O Creature f 1 x HumanSize 2(1,600-3,500s J 1 . b

24 x Muman.Size(3,600 !bs. b up)

(450=%00 b . Is)nand-Hurled This is also listed according to the weapon type. All martial arts will be "Blunt,"and,if you're wielding a bow of some sort, chances are good that the damage type will be "Piercing."Stunning damage generally knocks out the target for one D per point of damage which exceeds its PNCap in a single T altack. Only 20V0 of the Stun points inflicted, however, are counted against the target as actual damage. Fbr example, if in a single blow with a q~larterstaff did 25 points of Stun damage lo an EP with a you PNCap of 20, then you would have knocked out that persona for five BTs and inflicted 5 points of actual damage. Note that there are other forms of damage which are not covered under this typc of combat, such as "Continuing"and "lmpact."These typically fall ~Inder Heka-based Combat, but may also be due to nonmagicltal attacks from such things as catapults employing "Qreekfire" niissiles and the like. For game purposes, treat damage from sir~h attacks using the same rules as their Heka-based counterparts. Range: The reach for all martial arts and natural wcapon (claw, bite, etc.) attacks is usually one yard, but some creatures/nionsters a i d hand weapons like greatswords and pole 'arms niay have a reach of two, thrcc, or more yards. Missile weapons are, naturally, the best for striking at a distance, and their ranges are, along with the reaches of hand weapons, listed in the weapons tables. Speed Factor: If yo~lr HP'saction in a CTis toattack with a certain weapon, then you will need to know the Speed Factor for that weapon. This is found in the weapon tables. Natural weapons however, such as fists, claws, and the like have a Speed Factor of 3 for making simple attacks such as striking. or a Speed Factor of 5 for more complex attacks such as grappling and constricting. Artificial martial arts weapons, such as nunchakus and sais, likewise are Speed Factor 3. Parrying: All artificial (not hands or fists) martial a t weapons, as rs well as weapons covered under the Weapons, HandK/S, can be used to parry. A parry is an attack directed at another weapon in an attempt

(900-1,500 lb~.)

to knock it away and prevent it from hitting. Needless to say, having a weapon that can do so could come in very handy. The durability of a weapon has to do with how many parries it c m make before breaking, and is indicated b a pair of numbers with a y slash, "/," mark between thcm. Exactly what these numbers nitan will be explained later, b~lt now just find them on the Weapon for Durability table and record thcm for each weapon type of your IIP. These rat in^, as well as the weapon's price, will vary greatly with the quality of the weapon and its decoration. On that table, the ratings for "Below Average" and "Poor"qu'll~ty could also apply to weapons that were well made, but arc vcry old and/or were poorly taken care of. Price is the factor to multiply thc weapon's price b if it is bcing bought new. While q~lalityw l l l y definitely have some effect on the price of used articles, it will not be the most important factor if the weapon has some historical value and/or is a collector's item. Shields stands for shields of both the Mcdicval typc as well as other kinds of large, solid ot?jccts which you niay use to block a blow. Add the listed ftgurc to lt~c rating for the shield's material. Note that the figure before !he slash is deducted from the number before the slash for the material, and a figure after the back-slash is added to the number after the slash for the material. For example, the rating for a cornb~ndtion metal/wood item of "Unsurpassed" quality is 3/40. A shitld which fits that description has a bonus of +//LO. Thus the LotA rating for such a shield would be 3/80. A leather whip would be trcatcd as "wood." Magazine: If your t1P has a repeating missile weapon that hokh more thanone missile at a time, yo~c'll need to keep trackof how mu( h ammunition it holds and how m ~ ~ c hbeing carried aro~mdAlw. is renwnber to keep track of the arrows left in a quiver if the tip is uvny a bow or similar wcapon. See the weapons charts for details.

Weapon DurabilityPrice Metal7/10

Wood15/10

Combo10/10

Shield 41

Note: See the "Parrying"section of the main text for an explanation of the various headings.

Final Attack

Chance (PAC)All weapons use the modi-

fiers llstcd o e next page for convcrtlngthc BACratinginto ttic I AC The modifications dre expressed a s a certain the weapon from being used further until it has been repaired. In the case of nuriiber of points which are natural weapons (such as fists, claws, etc.) this may o r not mean that the added Lo or subtracted from implement has been broken. the DAC to find the final reWeapon destroyed, As above, but Ue problem is pretty much p r @ l e m ia & sult, andare listedon theFAC Mod~fi~ations tables. All of Lhcw tables apply to missile damage and Strike Location normally for the victim. wcal'ons, whctherthe impleThe weapon hcts been deunagaL and the wmng pemna has been h t i is ment In clucst~on a throwThe weapon has been destroyed, and the wrong persona has been hit. 9 1 or more Inq Itn~fv, crossbow, or whatrvcr I land wcdpons, martial arts, and natural weaponsuseonly the Attacker's Movement, Target's taking place out