wlb core rules

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What Lies Below Core Rules

By: Troy M. Costisick

Copyright 2012

Chapter 1: Introduction

What is this game about?

What Lies Below (WLB) is all about tactical problem solving in a fantasy universe. This game hearkens back tothe early days of RPGs where ingenuity and setting design were regarded as essential roleplaying skills. Expect

to be challenged. Expect to triumph. Expect defeat. Expect glory, riches and heartache. Most of all expect tohave fun as you plumb the depths of Underearth.

This game is about exploring underground networks full of evil monsters, insidious traps, and untold riches.

Play is very focused on this single aspect of adventuring. There are no rules for exploring the wilderness,hobnobbing with lords in their castles, or exploring the astral planes. This game is about dungeon delving:

pure, simple, and fun.

Each major delve into an underground lair is called a campaign. The campaign will begin at a fortress where

the characters can rest and resupply before traveling beneath the world to throw themselves again the forces ofevil once more. Campaigns can be strung together, if the characters survive them, to form an epic narrative ofadventure and courage.

What do the players do?

There are two types of participants in What Lies Below. The first and largest group is the players. Players will

greater a Troupe of characters that all belong to a guild of guardian adventurers. Players will choose a singlecharacter from this Troupe to portray as his or her main character. Players will then guide their characters

through the lairs of the Accursed: wicked creatures who inhabit the Underearth, seeking fame fortune and safety

for their country.

While playing WLB, players will be given several extra responsibilities. One player will be assigned as the

mapped, another as the backup mapped, and a third as the party leader. These responsibilities should rotate

among the players each session. Creating the maps and organizing the group's tactics are Jobs important toeveryone, so they should be shared by everyone. The full natures of the mapped and leader roles will be

explained later in the Player Roles section.

The second group of participants consists of a single person called the Game Master. The Game Master (GM)

actually has a lot of responsibilities in this game. First, the GM is the one charged with creating the lairs the

characters will explore. Second, he is the referee and arbiter of disputes among all participants. Third, he willportray all the non-Player characters (NPCs) and roll for them when necessary. Finally, the GM must push the

game forward by pressuring the Players and their characters to explore, fight, steal, and innovate. The fullnature of the Game Master role will be further detailed in the GMs Guide section. As the GM is expected to befamiliar with all the rules for What Lies Below, GMs are encouraged to read each of the manuals contained in

this game.

What do the characters do?

Characters in WLB are guardians of light. The PCs are descended from the freedom fighter who bought with

their blood and tears a chance to rebuild the world. They are heroes, not ordinary men and women. Theirbodies are stronger, faster, and bigger than the average peasant. Their minds are keener and more cunning than

the various scribes and artisans hired by the Guild. They spend their lives protecting the civilized world that


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In response to this mounting thread, the Council of Fire (the ruling body formed by the surface dwellersfollowing the war) had conscripted thousands of able-bodied young men and women into guilds. These guilds

built powerful keeps near the entrances of the Underearth. Guild members now travel daily into the dark,

interlacing lairs of the Accursed foiling their dark plans and retrieving the valuables that were looted fromchurches, treasuries, and mead halls toward the end of the war.

Times are getting desperate. The Council knows that the Demons are anxious to renew hostilities. However,

they arent sure how eager their allies are to take up arms. As a result, the guild members are pushed to godeeper into the Underearth and gather all the knowledge, treasure, and armaments they can in case there is a

sudden onslaught of doom from below.

What is the immediate setting for this game?

All characters will start out at their guilds keep. There is a generic keep map in the Players section that can beused, or they can create their own using the Guild Creation rules. The keep will likely be set in on some raised

area near a coast, mountain range, or forest. Within the surrounding landscape will be dozens of openings into

the ground. These are the entrances to the Underearth.

The Underearth is where most of the action in What Lies Beneath will take place. Each complex of tunnels andcaverns is called a Lair. This is where goblin slaves farm iridescent fungus to feed their overlords. Wherecorrupted halflings make a living as thieving parasites on adventurers and Accursed ones like. Where vampires

plot there revenge. Where sphinxes scheme.

The GM will create the Lairs for the PCs to explore. There is a small, sample Lair included in the GM section.

This will give you a good idea of what the a typical setting for conflict in What Lies Beneath will look like, but

a large part of this game is about celebrating the skills of setting creation. It was once very common for GameMasters to have to create original challenges for the players to face. This practice is not as prevalent as it used

to be, but What Lies Beneath embraces this ancient methodology. Game Masters will find plenty of tools to

help them and players will find plenty of challenges to keep them entertained. [THIS PARAGRAPH FEELS

OUT OF PLACE]

Civilization is sparse where Guild Keeps are located. It is far too dangerous to establish a town or city near

openings to the Underearth. If a large city is nearby, it would surely still be at least a weeks journey from thekeep. Some brave farmers, miners, or villagers may try to eke out some type of living in these wilderness areas.

These stout folk understand the importance of the guild and have been known to offer small amounts of aid to

adventurers to need rest and shelter.

What is needed for play?

You will need several supplies before you start playing What Lies Below. First, you will need copies of the

character record sheets located at the end of the Guild and Character Creation Guide. I recommend makingmore copies than you think your group might need. I have found that its always handy to have a few extralying around in case someone wants to start over or makes a mistake. Second, you and your friends will need

two sets of six-sided dice. These will hence forth be referred to as d6s. They can be picked up in hobby and

game stores. Ive also found them at teacher stores. I also recommend having at least extra just in case, and

having multiple sets of 3d6 may be a welcome convenience. This game does require the use of maps so youand your group may find props like graph paper, miniatures, and writing utensils useful during play.

Whats Next?


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If you are a player, your next move is to find the Guild Creation Guide and start creating your Troupe. Youll

be making several characters, inventing a guild, and formulating what type of campaign you would like to play.If you are a GM, you will need to ready to assist the players as they go through this character creation process.

You should keep your GM Handbook and the Core Rules nearby for easy reference in case any questions come

up. Once the Troupe, Guild, and Campaign are settled, all participants may want to return to examining thisbook to learn how to use the rest of the system.

Chapter 2: Equipment and Fatigue

If you are reading this chapter while making your character according to the rules in the Character and Guild

Creation Guide, here is the equipment table mentioned there (rules for Fatigue and Encumbrance follow after):

Fatigue Points

Every heavy object that a character wears or carries has the potential to wear the character down or get in theway during challenging maneuvers. These items are rated with Fatigue Points (see Equipment Table above).

Fatigue Points (FPs) represent the physical toll carrying equipment and doing work takes on a character.

Characters accumulate FPs by carrying gear, moving, and fighting. As long as the number of FPs a characterhas is less than his or her Body Stat, the character does not suffer any penalties.

However, if the number of FPs a character has accumulated is ever greater than the Body Stat, the character isconsidered encumbered. For each FP over the characters Body Stat, the Default Difficulty for any action is

increased by 1 for the next round (rounds are 5 second increments of time in which characters take action). So

if Ryan the Paladin has a Body Stat value of 6 and is carrying eight items with a total FP value of 10, he thetarget value (called the Default Difficulty) he must roll against to swing his sword, Parley with an adversary,

disarm a trap, use a cleric power, or anything else that requires a roll is increased by 4 the next round. Rolling

to complete actions is discussed in the next chapter: Resolution. For now, just remember that having moreFPs than your Body Stat means your character will have some penalties as he or she tries to act.

Fatigue Points are not cumulative from round to round. So if Johnny the Thief has 4 FPs in round 1, he will

only have 4 FPs in round 2, round 3, and so on. The next few sections in this chapter talk about how variousobjects and actions can add or subtract Fatigue Points from your character.

Containers

Containers use the bodys natural carrying capacity to offset the tiresome drudgery of having to lug gear

through the uneven caverns in the Underearth. Each container has a certain capacity. The characters can fill thecontainer to capacity without adding any additional Fatigue points to what the container ordinarily has. So for

instance, a Backpack can contain six items. It can be any six items you want regardless of their size and weight

However, once you go one item over the containers limit, that item then counts against the total amountcharacters Body Stat can handle. A characters Body Stat is what his or her carrying capacity is. So if the

number of containers plus items outside containers is greater than the characters Body Stat, you add a numberof Fatigue Points to the characters total equal to that objects FP value.

Characters may have only one of each container on their person. So they could wear one backpack, one quiver,

one left belt pouch, one right belt pouch, one satchel, etc. Containers may be loaded up beyond their capacity

within reason. The GM will decide whether or not something can fit inside a container. Also, just because acontainer can hold one item, doesnt mean it can hold any item. You cant stuff a claymore into a scroll case for

instance! When in doubt, defer to the GM on this matter.

Items


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Items are any objects that cant contain another object unless it is very small. Each item has a Fatigue Point

value. Consult the Equipment Table on Page XX. If the characters come across some item that is not listed onthat table, the GM should use the Equipment Table as a reference for assigning the new object an FP value.

Once an FP value is established for an object, that will thence forth be the FP value for all objects of the same

type and size. Small objects such as coins and gems do not count as items for the purposes of Fatigue. Theyare explained in the next section.

Coins, Gems, and Pellets

Very small objects do not have individual FP values. Objects like coins, gemstones, and small ammunition like

stones or pellets for a sling only give FPs if there are 100 or more of them. For every 100 small objects (total) acharacter is carrying, that character adds one Fatigue Point. So a character with 388 coins would have 3 Fatigue

Points. A character with 138 coins, 29 gems, and 45 stones for his sling would have 2 Fatigue Points.

Slowing You Down

For each item a character carries beyond the capacity of his or her containers and his or her body, the maximum

movement rate for the character is reduced by one. So, for instance, if Melinda the Wizard has one item morethan her carrying capacity can handle she can no longer Retreat (see character record sheet and Movement

section below). If she has two more items than her carrying capacity, she can no longer Sprint. If three more,then she cannot Run. No matter what, however, a character can always crawl.

Fatigue from Movement

Moving around causes fatigue just like carrying objects. On the character record sheet you will notice a

movement table on the right hand side. There are seven speeds at which a character can move: Crawl, Creep,

Walk, Jog, Run, Sprint, and Retreat. Each has an associated Fatigue Point value. These are added to whateverFatigue Points the character has accumulated through any other means. Fighting also causes fatigue. Each

round of fighting gives the character 3 Fatigue Points. HOWEVER, like all Fatigue Point values, these are not

cumulative. The maximum amount of FPs a character can ever have from fighting is 3, no matter how many

rounds the fight takes.

To review, for each FP beyond a characters Body Stat that he or she accumulates, the Default Difficulty is

raised by 1. So if Harris the Human Thief has 8 FPs and a Body of 5, the DD would be raised from 13 to 16.

Lack of Rest

If characters do not get rest daily, they will tire out. Humans, Half-Elves, Half-Dwarves, and Ogres require 8

hours of sleep every 24 hours. Elves, Dwarves, and Satyrs require 4. Angels require 2. If a character does not

get his or her daily allotment of sleep, then he or she gain +1 Fatigues Points for each day without sleep. So ifMaxine the Human Fighter has gone three days without sleep, she has 3 Fatigue Points added to her total.

These points will not go away unless the character gets his or her allotment of sleep PER POINT. So inMaxines case, she would need 24 hours of sleep to eliminate her 3 FPs from lack of rest.

Things that Dont Give Fatigue Points

Clothing, jewelry, tattoos, hair, spectacles, and other small adornments do not give fatigue points unless thecharacter just loads up with it. The GM has the authority to decide if someone has enough bling to warrant a

fatigue point or two.

Getting Rid of Fatigue Points


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Getting rid of Fatigue Points is fairly simple. If a character has FPs from gear he or she is carrying, then the

character just simply needs to drop the gear, and the points will disappear after the next round. If the characterhas FPs from lack of sleep, the character needs to sleep. If the character has FPs from walking, running, or

sprinting, then the character just has to stop moving and the FPs go away after the next round.

Special Equipment

As you read over the equipment list on page XX, you probably noticed several that an (*) after them. Items

marked with an (*) are items that have special rules because their uses may not be obvious or they have tacticalimplications during combat. Each of these items is described below along with how to use the special rules that

make them fun and useful down in the depths of the Underearth.

Bear Trap

Bolo

BowCaltrops

Candle

CologneCrossbow

Grappling HookHelmetHoly Symbol

Holy Water

LanternLantern Oil

Mule

ShieldSnare Net

Torch

Chapter 3: Resolution

The resolution system in What Lies Below is simple and a bit unique. When in a contest, whether it is against

another person, an inanimate object, a supernatural power, or a force of nature, the player must draw upon theresources their characters have at hand and make a roll to achieve success. All rolls use three six-sided dice

(3d6) unless otherwise stated. The exact process is detailed in this chapter and then further expanded in the next

chapter on Combat.

Deciding What Counts as a Contest

Not everything the characters try to do should require a roll. The characters trained heroes and so are generally

capable people. The Game Master is the person who will decide if a roll is needed or not, but there must be acompelling reason for a roll. Is there something important at stake? Is an action a character wants to performparticularly difficult or meaningful? If so, then the GM should call for a roll; otherwise, the GM should just

say, Yes, you succeed and then move on. Simple tasks such as walking in a tunnel, opening an unlocked

door, lighting a fire, sharpening a weapon, and the like should never require a roll.

Deciding What Type of Contest It Is

If you notice on the Character Record Sheet each character has three Stats: Body, Mind, and Soul. These arethe three arenas in which all contests will take place. When the player-character enter some sort of challenge

where a roll is called for, that challenge must be labeled by the GM as a physical, mental, or spiritual challenge.


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Players are encouraged to give the GM their input as to which type of challenge they think it is, but in the end,

this is done totally at the GMs discretion. One the GM decides what Stat will be used, the player will roll.These rolls are called Stat Checks or Ability Checks.

Game Masters are not locked into using the same stat for the same type of challenge every time. For instance,say Galadin the Elven Cleric wants to woo one of the barmaids at the Keep. This could be considered a

romantic challenge which could mean the Galadins player must use Galadins Body Stat for the roll. Later, if

the relationship between them deepens, the GM could tell Galadins player to use his Spirit Stat instead.

Initiating and Completing a Contest

Once a player has decided on an action for his or her character, that decision must be communicated to the

Leader (see Chapter 2 in Character and Guild Creation Guide). The leader will then declare it to the GM. Once

the GM accepts the declaration, the player will roll three six-sided dice. If the result plus all modifiers (see

below) is equal to or greater than the target number for the contest, the character succeeds. If it is less, thecharacter fails. On a success, the player can describe how the character succeeded or the payer can defer to the

GM and allow him or her to describe the success. On a failed roll, the GM always gets to describe the effect.

Calculating the Duration of a Contest

Most actions are short. They can be completed in a single round (5 seconds). However, some actions takelonger. They can sometimes take a few rounds, or they can sometimes take a few days. The GM will determine

what duration the players will use when attempting one of the three classifications of an action: Short Actions,

Tasks, and Projects.

Short actions are things like swinging a sword, tying a knot, casting a spell, shouting a sentence, or picking

something up off the ground. These will always take one, 5 second round. Tasks are more complicated thingslike picking a lock, arranging a bookshelf, covering your tracks, setting a trap, or sharpening a sword. Unless it

is a thief with a specific skill (such as Pick Pocket, Set Trap, Read Languages, Pick Lock, etc.) it will take

longer than one round to complete. In these cases, the GM should roll 3d6. The total is the number of rounds it

will take to complete the action. The final classification of contests is Projects. Projects are what you wouldexpect: the PC is making something. This might be a weapon, a piece of clothing, a magic item, or a gift for a

lover. Again, the GM should roll 3d6. However, in this instance, the result will tell the number of days it will

take to complete the project, not the number of rounds (assuming the character works 10 hours per day). Oncethe duration is determined, the player may roll to see if his or her character succeeds.

Calculating the Difficulty of a Contest

All contests, regardless if they are mental, physical, or spiritual challenges, are given a target number that the

player must try to meet or beat with their roll. The starting target number for all contests is 13. This is calledthe Default Difficulty. There can be modifiers to the default difficulty that raise or lower the number the

players must roll equal to or over. The next few section detail the most common modifiers and how the GMand players can use them.

PC Stats

A player-characters Stats lower the Default Difficulty. So if Johan the Templar has a Mind of 6 and he istrying to cast an arcane spell, the number his player must match or beat with his 3d6 roll is a 7.

NPC Stats


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Sometimes two characters will square off against each other. If so, the others Stat actually adds to the Default

Difficulty. So in the above example, Johans player had to roll a 7 to cast. But lets say he was casting his spellon Mathias the Orc. Mathias has a Mind Stat of 5. Therefore Johans new number to beat is 12. The GM will

tell that players what their opponents Stats are in a contest (GMs see the Game Masters Hand Book for more

details about NPC Stats). The important thing to remember is that all combatants in a contest must usewhatever Stat the GM chose set as the arena for the contest (Body, Mind, Soul). You should never have a Body

vs. Soul contest or a Mind vs. Soul contest.

Tier Modifiers

As the player-character get deeper into the Underearth the power of evil grows. This translates into modifiersthat raise the Default Difficulty. For each tier below the third tier of a Lair, the Default Difficulty is raised by 1.

So if we continue with the above example, Johan the Templar was casting a spell on Mathias the Orc in the

sixth tier of a Lair, the target number he must meet or beat with his Stat Checks becomes 15. It is important to

note: the Tier Modifier only applies to characters from the surface worlds. Denizens of the Underearth areunaffected by Tier modifiers.

Terrain Modifiers

The Game Master is also allowed to add modifiers to the Default Difficulty based on the terrain in a lair.Terrain modifiers are only minor inconveniences for the character and not seriously threatening to their safety.These modifiers cannot exceed the Tier Modifier in a Lair (remember that modifiers do not come into play until

after the third tier). So lets say that in the above example there were a lot of echoing noises that disrupted

Johans concentration. The GM may assign anywhere from a +1 to +3 modifier to the Default Difficulty.Johans GM decides the echoes are only a minor annoyance and assigns it a +1 modifier. Johans player now

must meet or beat a 16 on his roll.

Here are some example environmental conditions that are common in the Underearth which GMs can use to

generate modifiers along with the arenas they might modify:

Echoing Sounds (Mind)Hexed (Body, Mind, Spirit)

No Light (Body, Mind)

Noxious Fumes (Body, Mind)Uneven Ground (Body)

Unhallowed Ground (Spirit)

Very Low Light (Body)Wet Floor (Body)

The exact nature of each of these terrain modifiers is further detailed for the GM in the Lair Creation Guide.

Special Modifiers

Some modifiers are caused by things that are rather uncommon. Unlike GM Modifiers or Tier Modifiers, the

penalties and bonuses from Special Modifiers can apply at any time and in any tier.

Difficult Maneuvers

Sometimes players will want their characters to pull of some spectacular yet complicated maneuver. Thats

terrific, but it shouldnt be something characters can do at a whim. They should have to earn it. A GM mayapply a +1 to +3 penalty to the Default Difficulty according to how difficult he judges the action to be. For

instance, a Mike might announce that his character, Jax the Dwarf, is going to slide under a trolls legs to get


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through the door on the other side. For a dwarf, this wouldnt be too hard. Mikes GM gives it a +1 penalty.

Later, Mike announces that he wants Jax to quickly scramble up a nearby wall, jump to a stalactite, and attack askeleton from above with his warhammer. The GM wisely assigns this a +3 penalty in addition to any other

penalties that might apply.

Professional Skills

The player-characters are trained heroes. They know how to explore, fight, and protect. They dont know how

to forge a sword, transcribe a scroll, or cut a gemstone. Any action taken by a player that the GM feels fallsoutside the scope of a hero and within the scope of a trained artisan can be assigned a penalty by the GM. The

penalty can range to +1 to +7 to the Default Difficulty depending on how difficult or intricate the GM believesthe action to be.

Characters can receive training from an artisan on a particular skill if he or she so desires. Artisans will charge

for their tutelage though: usually 20-50 silver pieces (SP). Once the character is trained in the skill, he or shecan use it without penalty any time the appropriate tools and resources are handy.

There are certain things, though, that a Game Master should not consider professional skills. These includemaintenance and simple repair to weapons and armor, making improvised traps and tools, and performing basic

reading, writing, speaking, or mathematical skills. These are endemic to the hero profession and all player-characters are well versed in them.

Magic Items

As lairs get deeper it is likely that the PCs will find that magic items make their way into their loot bags. Magic

items will often provide a bonus to some Ability Stat or to weapon damage. There are two types of magic

items: those you use and those you wear. We know this is intuitive, but just in case: examples of items you usebut dont wear are things like weapons, tools, books, and orbs. These must be held in your hand and actively

used in order to provide their bonus. A sword with a +1 to Body bonus only gives that bonus if you are using it

against an enemy. A lock pick with +1 to Thieves Lock Picking Ability only gives that bonus if the thief is

using it to pick a lock.

Examples of magic items you wear but do not use are clothing, armor, jewelry, imprints (magical tattoos), and

accessories. Magic items you wearalways give their bonus. So a belt with +1 to Body will always provide thatbonus so long as the character is wearing it. A circlet with +1 to Thieves Lock Picking Ability always gives

that bonus so long as the character is wearing it.

Shields, Holy Symbols, and Helmets

There are some items that arent magical but still provide conditional bonuses. Shields, holy symbols, andhelmets can help protect a character from harm by giving bonuses on defense. Shields provide a +1 bonus to

Body if the character is the target of a physical attack (i.e. defending). Helmets provide a +1 bonus to the MindStat if the character wearing is the target of some kind of mental attack or arcane spell that affects his mentalcapabilities. Holy symbols provide a +1 bonus to Spirit if the character is the target of an attack by some

supernatural force or cult figure who is trying to corrupt the characters soul.

Tactical Advantage

The GM may assign bonuses to any character who has some type of significant tactical advantage over his

target. This could be during a debate, during courting, or during a fight. The bonus can range from +1 to +3depending on the situation. Certain tactical advantages (such as Flanking and Rear Attack) can also increase the


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amount of damage dealt by weapons during combat. These are explained further in the combat chapter that

follows this one.

Fatigue Points

As mentioned in the Equipment and Fatigue section in the previous chapter, the Default Difficulty is raised by 1

for the next round for each Fatigue Point a character accumulates beyond his Body Ability Stat. So if Quellus

the Elven Bard has a body of 10 but has accumulated 12 FPs this round, the DD for all his Stat checks will be

increased by +2 next round.

Starvation or Dehydration

If the PCs run out of food and/or water, they begin to suffer penalties. For each day they go without one or the

other, apply a +2 modifier to the DD. So if they are out of food and water for one day, all DDs will be modified

by +4. For three days of no food, the modifier would be +6. If the PCs go five days without water or ten dayswithout food, they die.

Cramped Quarters

Sometimes the PCs will walk through very tight spaces in a lair or have to crawl to get from one place toanother. In these cases, a +3 modifier will be added to the Default Difficulty and all damage from weapons willbe halved. Armor still protects as normal and damage from spells and special capabilities such as feats or

secrets will work as normal.

Reactions

Up until now, we have only presented you with circumstances where players make a roll when their charactersare actively doing something. However, these are not all the types of rolls that will be used in What Lies

Below. There is another type called Reactions. These types of rolls are made when something unexpected or

unwanted happens to a character, but he or she has enough awareness to try to do something about it.

There are several common instances when Reactions come into play. For instance, say Angel the Dwarven

Thief accidentally set of a trap where the floor caved in from under her. As long as she was not asleep,

unconscious, or incapacitated in some other way, she may make a Reaction roll. Making a Reaction roll is justlike any other roll. The Default Difficulty is 13. Penalties and bonuses for Lair Tier, Stats, Magic Items,

Terrain Modifiers, etc. still apply. So in this case, Angel would make a Body Reaction Roll. She could apply

her Body Stat (which is a 5) to lower the DD to 8. If her player rolls an 8 or higher on 3d6, then she catchesherself on the edge of the pit and doesnt fall in. If the roll fails, then she falls in and suffers whatever damage

or inconvenience is associated with the trap.

Any time a character casts an Arcane spell on another character, the target of the spell may make a Mind

Reaction. It would work just as above. The DD would be 13, all modifiers include the NPCs Mind Stat wouldapply. The roll would have to meet or beat the modified DD. If the Reaction Roll succeeds, the character doesnot suffer the effects of the spell (including damage). Same goes for Cleric Powers, except the Spirit Stat is

used. There may be other instances when Body, Mind, and Spirit Reaction rolls are made due to conditions in

the Lairs or abilities of the NPCs in the Underearth. The GM is charged with letting the players know which

Stat is in play and why a Reaction roll is needed.

Rolling Triples

On very rare occasions, a player may roll the same result on three dice. For instance, he or she may roll a 4, 4, 4

on 3d6. If the roll would produce a success the character gets a triple result. The GM will describe what the


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triple result is and the player may offer suggestions or modifications to what the GM describes. The player may

always decline some or all of the triple result if he or she desires. If the roll would produce a failure, then thecharacter suffers three bad things. The player may not decline any part of a failed triple roll. The GM is at

liberty to kill the character if it would follow logically that a failure at whatever the character was doing at the

time would produce a lethal result.

Example: Rushana is having James her Satyr Thief attack Mix the Kobold. She rolls a 5, 5, 5, which is a

success. The GM says, you deal triple damage. Rushana accepts.

Example Two: Rob is having his Ogre Fighter jump from one ledge to another. He rolls a 4, 4, 4 which is a

success. The GM says, you can jump triple the distance. Rob looks at the map and notices that triple thatdistance would put his character into the middle of another chasm. Rob replies that he will have his Ogre jump

only twice the distance instead to the third ledge in the succession.

Example Three: Ellen is having her Human Templar make the same jump as Rob. She rolls a 1, 1, 1. Thats afailed roll. In consequence, the GM declares that her character missed the ledge. If there were another

character near the ledge Ellens character missed, the GM should allow that character to make a Body Reaction

to see if he or she can grab Ellens character. If no one is there to help, the character would then plummet to hisdoom.

A single effect may only be tripled (or doubled) once. If some other ability, rule, roll, or effect would triple aroll or result again, ignore it. For instance, there are several combat options presented in the next chapter that

double or triple damage on a successful strike. If a player rolls triples while using one of those abilities, damage

is not multiplied by a factor of 9. It will only be multiplied by 3 (or two as the case may be, the GM will makethe call).

Chapter 4: Combat

Combat in What Lies Below is really a sub-section of the Resolution mechanics. It works in much the same

way: the Default Difficulty is 13, its modified by the defending NPCs Body Stat, your characters Body Stat,

Tier modifiers, terrain modifiers, and so on. However, there are many additional rules for combat relating totactical decisions players may make. These tactical decisions are what really bring the combat in WLB to life.

They are the heart and soul of the classic dungeon crawl. The following sections discuss many common

circumstances that will come up during combat as you play. It isnt possible to create rules for all conceivablesituations the players and GM may encounter, so if you ever find yourself in some tactical situation not covered

by the rules, discuss it amongst the group and submit it to the GM for a final decision. Ideally, everyone will

come to a consensus on how to treat the situation, but the final choice is left to the GM in such matters.

The Combat Round

All rounds in WLB are five seconds long. In that five second span of time, characters will move, dodge, parry,

feint, and look for openings to attack. Each character will usually get one opening to attack per round. Theorder in which these attacks are resolved becomes very important when characters get so few actions. Thecombat round is broken up into X steps. Each one has its own unique set of rules that govern what can and

cannot be done.

Step 1: Declare Intents

Each player declares what his intentions are for his or her characters action that round. Players are encouraged

to coordinate their actions with each other in order to form a coherent attack strategy. Once the players havedecided what they want their characters to do, they will tell the player who is designated as the Leader for that


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session (see Chapter 2 in the Character and Guild Creation Guide). The Leader will then inform the GM of the

players plans.

Step 2: Initiative

Unless it is an ambush round (which is covered in a later section), the player-characters will always go first in

combat. The Leader will designate what player-characters first, second, third, and so on. The Leader may opt

to hold a character in reserve until all other characters have gone. If so, the character in reserve goes at the

very end of the combat round, even after the non-player characters controlled by the Game Master.

Step 3: Execution

In this step, characters will make their attack rolls. All physical attacks are treated as Body Stat Checks. PCs

always go first. Each player will roll in the order the Leader communicated to the GM. Rolls for attack use the

Body Ability Stat. Calculate the target number each player has to roll applying all modifiers to the DefaultDifficulty of 13 like NPCs Body Stat, PCs Body Stat, Tier Modifier, Terrain Modifier, Shields, and so on.

Once the number is properly calculated, roll. If the result is equal to or higher than the final target number, the

attack succeeds. The weapon deals damage according to its type (see Weapon Damage below). Once the PCshave all completed their attacks, the NPCs may counter-attack. Once all characters involved in combat have

had their turn, move to step 4.

Step 4: Effects

After damage has been dealt, compare the amount of damage a character has taken to his or her Body AbilityStat. If the damage is equal to or greater, then the character falls unconscious. A character that is unconscious

because of combat damage can be killed with an additional attack roll. The unconscious characters Body and

other bonuses such as shields and magic items do not apply toward the Default Difficulty for such a roll.

Step 5: Repeat as Necessary

If the combat is not ended after the first round, return to step 1. Repeat this process over and over until one sidehas retreated or been killed.

What a Character May Do in a Combat Round

During a combat round, a character may make take one action and perform any number of movements. Actions

are gross uses of the body that may take a character a moment or two to set up. Such things are not limited tobut do include making an attack, moving the characters full movement, using an ability/power/feat, casting a

spell, reading a scroll, drinking a potion, moving at creep speed or faster, or activating a magic item.

Movements are fine uses of the body such as drawing a weapon, aiming, looking from side to side, talking,moving at crawl speed, and whistling. If there is a dispute over whether something is an action or a movement,

the group should discuss it and try to come to a consensus. If no consensus is possible, the GM will make aruling that will be in effect until a consensus can be reached after the session.

Combat Tactics

Attacking ones enemies is a major part of play in What Lies Below. There are any number of innovative waysplayers can go about planning the demise of their foes. A few are listed in this section with accompanying

rules. These rules cover most situations in combat you will find yourselves, but if a situation comes up that is

not covered here, the group should try to come to a consensus as to how to resolve that situation. If the groupcannot, then the GM is empowered to make a final decision for that session. Participants are then encouraged to


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continue discussing the situation after the session to see if a consensus can be built in case the situation comes

up again.

Weapons and Armor

In What Lies Below there are there types of weapons and three types of armor. Weapons are divided into three

categories: Light, Medium, and Heavy. Light weapons are small, concealable weapons that dont do much

damage in a fight but can be deadly in the hands of assassins. Weapons that fall into this category are things

like daggers, pistol crossbows, short bows, darts, slings, boot knives, clubs, short swords, knuckle dusters, andthrowing knives. Light weapons deal 2 points of damage on a successful hit. Medium are heavier and deal

more damage. They would include broadswords, long swords, hand axes, maces, morning stars, compositebows, throwing axes, light crossbows, rapiers, and javelins. Medium weapons deal 4 points of damage on a

successful hit. Heavy weapons are large and melee varieties require two hands to wield. For instance,

claymores, battle axes, flails, pole arms, and spears fit into this category along with heavy crossbows and

longbows. These weapons deal 6 damage on a successful hit.

Similarly, armor is divided into three categories: Light, Medium, and Heavy. Light armors prevent 1damage

from weapons that successfully hit. Light armors are things like heavy cloth armor, soft leather armors, andrigid leather armors. Medium armor prevents 2 damage and includes armors such as splint mail or chain mail.

Finally, heavy armors like field plate, full plate, and composite plate prevent 3 damage from successful weaponstrikes.

Ambush Rules

In the first part of chapter 4 the basic combat round was explained, but it may be very rare for some groups to

have both sides in a fight aware of each other when combat begins. More often than not, one side will be

surprising the other. Surprising your enemy is called Ambushing.

When a character or characters ambushes an enemy, they get one full round of attack before starting the first

combat round. In other words, that character or group of characters gets to make one attack before the GM

starts an official combat round. If the group doing the ambushing was the player-characters, they will- in effectget two attacks before the NPCs get to attack. If the ambushing party was the NPCs, they will get a swing

before the player-characters can respond. The target of the ambush is still able to use his or her defenses (such

as shields, helmets, and armor) and make Reaction rolls so long as they were conscious and so equipped whenthe ambush began.

Making a Charge Attack

Normally, a player has to make a choice between a characters full movement or a characters chance to attack

once per round. However, these can be combined into a single action. A character may jog/run/sprint his or herentire movement in a round and make one attack. This is called a charge attack. The target of a charge attack

gets once chance to attack the charging characterfirstif he or she has not attacked anything else that round.Damage to a character making a charging attack and damage from a charge attack is doubled.

Death from Above

Lairs are three-dimensional spaces. As such, attacks can come from almost any direction. One tactic that canprove devastating in an enclosed area is leaping down from a high point onto an enemy and striking hard with

your weapon. In order to pull this maneuver off, more than likely your character will have to climb to a higher

spot. This requires a simple Body Stat Check. Once there, you will have to make two rolls to attack. The firstroll will be leaping accurately down to attack your enemy. This roll is not modified by the targets Body


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Ability Stat. The second roll is a standard attack roll. If either roll fails, the attack fails. If both rolls succeed,

then the attack deals double damage to the target.

Ranged Weapons

Certain weapons can be used from a distance to strike an opponent. These are called ranged weapons. All

bows, crossbows, throwing axes, throwing knives, slings, and javelins are considered ranged weapons. Ranged

weapons have an effective range based on their type (Light, Medium, and Heavy). Light weapons have an

effective range of 30. Medium ranged weapons have an effective range of 100, and large ranged weaponshave an effective range of 200. The range for bows (but not crossbows) is halved in a Lair unless the GM

designates it has a high ceiling. Most tiers in most Lairs have high ceilings, but not all of them. Ask yourGM if you are unsure if a tier your character is exploring has a high ceiling.

Reload Time

Ranged weapons need to be reloaded. Some reload faster than others. Thrown ranged weapons like throwing

knives, throwing axes, javelins, and spears can be launched every round. Bows like the short bow, composite

bow, and long bow can be fired every other round. Crossbows can be fired once every three rounds.

Firing a Weapon into a Crowd

Sometimes it may be necessary to fire a ranged weapon into a melee. If a character does, then there is a chance

that the ranged weapon misses its intended target and hits something else. If an attack roll fails, it hits a random

target of the players roll came up even. If the roll came up odd, it misses everything. The GM will determinewhich random target is hit by rolling an appropriate number of d6s.

Retrieving Ammunition

Arrows, stones, and bolts can be retrieved from a corpse or from the ground most of the time. If your character

is using a ranged weapon, look at your attack roll. If there is a 1 on any die, then the ammunition shattered on

impact. However, if you do not roll a 1 on any die, the ammo may be retrieved and reused.

Multi-Shot Attacks

It is possible to load two or three stones, bolts, or arrows into a weapon and then fire it. However, the accuracy

really drops off quickly. If you want to try a multi-shot attack, roll one few die for each additional

stone/bolt/arrow you have loaded. So if you put two stones into your sling, roll 2d6 to attack rather than 3d6.If you put three arrows into your bow, roll 1d6 to attack instead of 3d6. If the attack succeeds, then your

character deals the full damage to a single target for each round of ammo he or she used in the attack.

Dual Wielding

Some characters may want to use two light or medium melee weapons rather than a heavy melee weapon or alight/medium melee weapon with a shield. If so, that character may make one additional attack each combat

round. However, the player must divide the Body Ability Stat the character has between the two attacks. For

instance, say Xarb that Dwarven Paladin wants to attack with two broadswords. He has a Body of 5. He

decides to assign 4 of his Body bonus to his first attack and 1 of his Body bonus to his second attack. Thatwould mean he would have to roll a 9 or better for his first attack and a 12 or better for his second attack before

other modifiers are applied.

Parrying


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Going into a situation with swords blazing isnt always the best course of action. Sometimes, the best offense is

a good defense. Players may sacrifice some of their characters bonus from his or her Body Stat on offense tohelp on defense. This is called parrying. A player must declare his or her character will parry during the

Declare Intentions phase of a combat round. The player must also declare how much of the characters Body

will go toward defense instead of offense. For every 2 points of Body the player sacrifices on offense thatround, the characters Body Ability Stat is raised by 1 on defense for that round. So if Amilee the Satyr Bard

has a Body of 5 and her player, Jenna, declares that Amilee will put 4 Body into parrying that round, then

anyone making a physical attack on Amilee will have the DD raised by an additional 2 points for that attack.

However, when Amilee goes to make a physical attack, she will only get to lower her Default Difficulty for theattack by 1 due to Stat bonus since her Body Stat on offense is now reduced to 1.

Raging

Raging is the opposite of parrying. Like parrying, the player must declare if a character will rage that round and

how much Body will be used. But instead of being a defensive maneuver, raging is offensive. For every 2points of Body the player sacrifices on defense, the character gains +1 to his or her Body on offense. So this

time, Jenna declares that Amilee will rage for 4 points of Body this round. That means on offense Jenna will

treat Amilees Body as if it were actually 7 and on defense if it were actually 1 that round. In a pinch, wheneverything is on the line, raging can be a very useful tactic.

Called Shots

Combat in WLB assumes that combatants make a strike at whatever body part is most vulnerable at the time.

Sometimes, however, it may be beneficial to attack a certain part of an enemy. For instance, you may just wantto disarm or handicap your foe rather than kill him or her. So you might aim for an arm or a hamstring. You

may want to attack the head of an enemy for a quick kill or cut a chain that holds a locket or jewel around an

opponents neck. If you want to make a called shot, apply the following modifiers to the Default Difficulty:

Targeting a Limb: +3 to DD

Targeting a Small Object (worn): +4 to DD

Targeting a Handheld Object: +5 to DDTargeting a Head: +6 to DD

If a strike succeeds, the targeted are is severed in half or, in the case of an object, knocked to the ground. If thetarget was a limb, the victim will bleed to death in 1+1d6 rounds without medical attention. During that time,

however, the victim will be able to attack, move, and cast spells. If the target was a head, the victim is killed

instantly.

Healing (Natural and Mystical)

Heroes bodies recover from wounds quite quickly in What Lies Below. Down time is boring, so it has been

reduced in this game significantly. There are two ways in which a character can be healed: natural regenerationand mystical powers.

Natural Healing:

When you made your characters, each one had a ROH. This was equal to one-third of your characters BodyAbility Stat (rounded up). For each hour of complete rest-that means no walking, reading, researching,

repairing, playing, singing, or much beyond talking really-the character heals 1 damage. So if Horus the

Human Fighter has taken 8 damage, it will take him 8 hours of rest to recuperate. Rest does not necessarilymean sleep. Characters can be awake while resting and converse with other characters. There is no healing


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bonus for being asleep. However, just as a reminder, characters that go without sleep accumulate fatigue points

(see Chapter 2 in Core Rules). So sleeping while you rest is not a bad idea.

Mystical Healing:

Many classes have access to spells, powers, feats, or songs that can help remove damage from a character.

Each one has its own unique properties. When one of these mystical abilities is used, follow the guidelines

described in the Players Hand Book.

Character Death

Characters are going to die in What Lies Below- a lot. The heroes are up against almost impossible odds. The

Underearth is filled with fearsome monsters; all of which are seeking bitter revenge for their displacement as

overlords of the surface dwellers. They have barricaded themselves in, trapped every hallway, trained their

bodies to withstand pain, and their minds to inflict harm in the most devastating ways. Heroes do not feardeath. They embrace it.

When a character (a player-character or a non-player character) takes damage equal to or greater than his or herBody Ability Stat, that character drops unconscious. Killing that character is then a simple matter. The

opposing character must make a Body Stat Check that is unmodified by anything except the Dungeon Tier (ForNPCs, the Dungeon Tier modifier does not apply). If the check succeeds, the character dies.

There is little coming back from a death in What Lies Below. No cleric or wizard possesses the power to bring

someone back from the other side. It is rumored that diamonds may hold the key to bringing a soul back to itsmortal form, but diamonds are ever so rare and desperately guarded by the people who live in the deep.

Chapter 5: Spells, Feats, Abilities, Songs, and More

Many classes in What Lies Below possess mystical qualities that give them access to special capabilities they

can use in the Underearth. While a few may share certain special abilities, most classes are unique and work in

unique ways. Each type of special power is described below. Players can examine the Special CapabilitiesAppendix in the Players Hand Book for lists of spells, powers, feats, etc. along with explanations of how they

affect the game. The Core Rules just presents how to use these exceptional features. IMPORTANT: aside from

Arcane Spells and Thief Skills, all Powers, Songs, Feats, and Secrets may only be used once per session unlessotherwise noted. Also, the range for all of these special capabilities is Line of Sight. As long as the PC can see

the target, the target is considered in range.

Arcane Spells

Bards, Elementalists, Templars, and Wizards all cast Arcane Spells. Spells are described in the Magic chapterin the Players Handbook and the GMs Handbook. Casting an Arcane Spells requires a Stat Check using the

characters Mind Stat. If a spell is being cast on another, unwilling character, then the Default Difficulty ismodified by the targets Mind Ability Stat. So, for example, Jelinda the Elf Wizard wants to cast the Slowspell on Herria the Halfling. Herrias Mind Stat is 4, Jelindas is 7. So the target number Jelinas player must

roll is a 10, barring any other modifiers.

Arcane Spells require mana to cast. Each spell has a mana cost associated with it. Each time a character castsan Arcane Spell, he or she must subtract that amount of mana from his or her mana pool. As long characters

have enough mana left in their mana pools to cast a spell, the spell can be used. Characters cannot have

negative mana in their pool.

Cleric Powers


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Cleric Powers work similarly to Arcane Spells, except they are cast using the characters Spirit Ability Statinstead. Cleric Powers dont use mana, but they can only be utilized once per session unless the GM grants

otherwise. These special abilities are very powerful. Use them wisely.

Thief Skills

Thieves and bards have special abilities that enable them to do things that other characters would find

impossible. When a thief wants to use a skill, the player must roll 1d6. This is not a Stat Check. The roll is notmodified by the Lair Tier, the targets Ability Stats, Shields, Magic Items, or anything else. On a roll of 1, the

ability succeeds. Each thief starts with three skills and bards start with one. Each has the opportunity to learnnew ones and advance the number on which they succeed as he or she advances. Character Advancement is

explained further in the Advancement chapter in the Players Handbook.

Songs

In addition to Thieves Abilities, bards can sing magical songs. These songs have can affect anyone within

earshot of the bards voice. To start a song, a bard must make a successful Spirit Check. The character maycontinue singing as long as the player wishes. However, after every hour of singing, the bard must make a

successful Body Check to maintain his voice and stamina. Bards may perform other actions while singing suchas running, fighting, crafting, or other activity that does not involve his mouth or voice. Bards are not affectedby their own songs, only those who are listening.

Beastmaster Feats

Beastmasters gain feats as they advance. These feats help them control, heal, protect, and train their animals.

To use a feat, the Beastmaster must make a successful Spirit Check. Feats may only be used once per sessionunless the GM grants otherwise.

Ancient Secrets

A very select few species and classes gain access to Ancient Secrets. These abilities come from ancient times

when magic was more powerful and the inhabitants of the world were much closer to nature. Ancient Secrets

are incredibly powerful and rare. They should not be used lightly. Ancient Secrets require a successful SpiritStat Check to activate. There can be no Reaction Rolls if a character (PC or NPC) is targeted by an Ancient

Secret. If the check is successful, it automatically works.

Chapter 6: Perils of the Underearth

Moving around in the lairs is difficult. Little natural light can be found. Vicious monsters and insidious trapsare everywhere, and finding solace is a luxury few expeditions ever experience. There are three aspects that the

players should beware of as they explore: vision, resting, and sudden death.

Limits of Vision

Most player-characters cannot see in darkness. Only Angels, Elves, and Dwarves are blessed with such sight.

As a result, the others will need some sort of light source. There are three common types of light sources PCscan choose from: candles, torches, and lanterns. These objects are explained in the Players Handbook that you

read as you bought your equipment, but to review, candles light a 10 radius, torches light a 20 radius, and

lanterns light 40 in front of a character and one foot behind the character holding it. While a character ismaking a map, he or she must have a light source of some kind or be able to see in the dark.


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Rest and Recuperation

At some point, the PCs will have to spend time resting and/or sleeping in the Underearth. This is necessary, but

very dangerous. Every hour there is a chance that a monster will come wandering by. Characters need to take

precautions to either protect themselves from attack or conceal their presence from casual observers. The GameMaster Handbook has rules for how to handle wandering monsters. While in the Underearth, the PCs heal 1

damage or regain 1 mana point for each point in their Rate of Healing (ROH) per hour just like they do at the

Keep.

Sudden Death

The most common way for a character to die in What Lies Below is through combat. Orcs, Dark Elves,

Goblins, and Halflings would love nothing more than to cut your characters down, one by one, and use their

corpses to fertilize their subterranean farms. However, there are some things below the earth that can kill a

character instantly or, at least, nearly instantly.

Magma and Myconid Caps

Deep below the mountains run veins of blood-red magma. This molten rock can be useful as a light source or

heat source. At the same time, it can be fatal. Any character who falls into magma or becomes covered inmagma by some type of trap instantly dies. No Body Reaction is possible.

Myconids are a humanoid species of fungus. They live in the damp places of the Underearth. Tehir bodies are

nutritious to most other species, but their caps are deadly. Anyone surface dweller who ingests even thesmallest amount will die an immediate and painful death. Dark Elves often use Myconid caps to execute

prisoners since they, like all other denizens of the lairs, are immune to its toxin.

Drowning and Falling

Traps and hazards infest the tunnels in the Underearth. Many of them try to kill interlopers by dropping them

into a deep pit filled with sharp debris or dank water. When it comes to falling, for every 10 a character falls,he or she suffers 1 damage. If the surface the character hits upon landing is lined with sharp objects, the

damage is doubled. If the character lands in water, the damage is halved.

When it comes to drowning, a character can hold his breath for 3 rounds per point in his or her Body Ability

Stat. So if a character has a body of 10, he or she can survive under water for two and a half minutes without

air. For every round after that, the character suffers 1 damage.

Chapter 7: Optional Rules

The rules presented in the four books of What Lies Below are considered the standard rules for play. However,

during playtesting some rules that were initially part of the game were eliminated- not because they werent fun,but because they didnt nail the style of game we were going for. We did not want to include them in theregular rule set because delivering a consistent and reliable rule set was our first priority. Despite that fact,

though, we felt that these misfit rules might appeal to many people who try What Lies Below. As a result, we

have included an optional rules section in the Core Rules.

Optional rules provide a different play experience from the standard rules. Each group should discuss if they

will be using any optional rules or not before character creation even begins if possible. Any optional rules up

for consideration should be read aloud to the group and the floor should be open for comments and questions.Finding a consensus is important. Some people will not like a campaign that is more deadly or having to keep

track of multiple characters at once. All participants who have concerns about an optional rule should be


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listened to carefully. If a consensus cannot be found, it is probably best to not include the optional rule in

question.

There are three different sets of optional rules. They are explained below.

Playing Multiple Characters at Once

After making ones troupe, players are instructed only to play one character at a time. They are free to switch

out characters at will, but they can only portray one at a time. Under this rule, characters may portray anynumber of characters they made during the character creation process both in the Keep and in the lairs. The

Game Master is at liberty to set a new limit on the number of characters players may use at once. For instance,Frank the GM may opt to only allow his players to use three at once.

If this optional rule is adopted, the Game Master should adjust his lair calculations accordingly (See Creating

your Lairs in the Game Master Handbook). Players must designate which characters will be their startingcharacters. When calculating the EXP per level, the GM should add together ALL the EXP/Level values for all

the starting characters, not just the players main character.

This rule is especially beneficial to play groups that have only one or two players and a GM. Such groups are

very small and thus the lairs created by the GM are greatly constrained. Allowing the players to controlmultiple characters at once will give the GM more freedom to design challenging and creative dungeons.Conversely, these optional rules are not at all recommended for larger groups of six players or more.

Coordinating the actions of six people in a cramped dungeon is hard enough. Having to figure out what to do

with twelve to eighteen characters would take a very long time. Thus, the enjoyment that normally comes fromplaying out a combat and planning a groups tactics would likely be diminished for everyone.

Making a Campaign More Lethal and Challenging

Starting characters in What Lies Below are very capable heroes. They arent farmboys plucked off the ranch

and pressed into service. They know what they are doing and can hold their own against smaller foes. For

some people, though, this aspect of play in WLB is not in the spirit of early dungeon delving in the 1970s. So,if the group can come to a consensus, players should replace Step 4 in the character creation rules in the

Character and Guild Creation Guide with the following:

Look at the Character Stats section. Just to the right of the Total you will see a column marked Base.

These are the minimum amount your stats can ever be reduced to by any spell or effect. Each character begins

with a 0, a 1, and a 2 for his or her Stat Bases. You may choose to arrange these values in any order you like.So for instance, Cindy who is playing Makinna the Elf Wizard chooses to put a 1 in Body, a 0 in Soul, and a 2

in Mind. Robert who is play Grayson the Dwarf Paladin decides to put a 0 in Mind a 2 in Body and a 1 in Soul.

For a hint at which stats are important to a character, see where he or she got her Stat Modifiers from his or herClass. Generally speaking, those stats will be the most important to have a high value. You may not combine

these values into a single stat nor trade points from one stat to another during this step. There should be a 0, a 1,and a 2 on the first page of each of your character record sheets under the Base column for Stats. Ask your GMfor assistance if you need it.

Facing

There are no official facing mechanics in the standard rules for play. However, many games in the past have

included such rules, and players who enjoy more tactical options in a game might like to include such

mechanics. If the group agrees to adopt Facing rules, they may use the following paragraphs along with allother rules in the Combat Tactics section of chapter 4.


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Flanking

Characters may maneuver into a flanking position during combat. Putting yourself into a situation where you

could attack the left or right of an enemy adds an additional +2 to the Default Difficulty. This maneuver may

only be performed if there is another character engaging the target as well. For example, Keriss the HumanFighter and Warren the Dwarf Fightr are taking on Merrina the Goblin. Kerisss player wants her to flank

Merrina. The Leader must then inform the GM that Warren will engage Merrinas front while Keriss attempts

to attack the flank. Merinna has a Body of 4, Keriss has a Body of 8. Flanking adds 2 to the Default Difficulty,

so Kerisss player must roll an 11 or better to hit Merinna on the flank. If Kerisss hit succeeds, she will dodouble damage.

Up to two characters may flank a single target per round unless the target is unusually large like a dragon or a

sphinx. In those cases, up to six characters may flank.

Backstabbing

Backstabbing works just like flanking except the modifier to the DD is +6 instead of +2. Also, there must

already be at least 3 characters engaging the target before a backstabbing attack may be made. If a backstabattack succeeds, the damage is tripled. Only one character may make a backstab attempt per round, regardless

of the size of the target.

These rules are good to use with the above rules for making a campaign more lethal. The facing mechanics

increase the players options during combat as well as the GMs since both can use facing. If you and your

group really like fast and deadly combat, then including both sets of rules will deliver the kind of game youwant.

Making a Campaign More Epic

If character death is not something your group wants to be a major part of the campaign, then you can adopt a

more epic style of character creation. Replace Step 4 in the character creation rules in the Character and Guild

Creation Guide with the following:

Look at the Character Stats section. Just to the right of the Total you will see a column marked Base.

These are the minimum amount your stats can ever be reduced to by any spell or effect. Each player should roll3d6. Examine the results. Place one die next to each Stat, then write that value in under the Base column. You

may arrange these dice in any order. For example, Mark who is playing Kyvin the Elementalist rolls a 2, 5, and

6. He choose to put a 6 in Kyvins Mind Base, a 5 in Kyvins Spirit Base, and a 2 in Kyvins Body Base.

For a hint at which stats are important to a character, see where he or she got her Stat Modifiers from his or her

Class. Generally speaking, those stats will be the most important to have a high value. You may not combinethese values into a single stat nor trade points from one stat to another during this step. Ask your GM for

assistance if you need it.

Using a Dry Erase Board

To make mapping more efficient, the GM may opt to use a dry erase board to sketch out and quickly label the

section of tunnel the PCs can see. The mapper and backup mapper (if there is one) may then copy the GMsdesign. Once they are finished, the GM should then erase his drawing. A section of the lair drawn in this way

should not be redrawn for the players. They have one chance to get it right. That is enough. These rules may

be helpful for GMs who have trouble communicating exactly what they want or for new GMs who are justgetting used to the idea of drawing and describing subterranean maps.


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Moral Dilemmas

Rampaging and trashing the Underearth is great fun, and tactical challenges have provided gamers with endless

entertainment for over 100 years. But have you ever stopped to think about the cultural toll heroes may be

taking on the Underearths inhabitants?

Some groups enjoy the combat when necessary, but they also enjoy examining the moral complications

dungeon delving can inspire. Is it right to attack an orc clan just because its there? If another group of heroes

touched off a war between the kobolds and goblins because of a misunderstanding, is it right to not interveneand let them kill each other over nothing? If the halflings are massacring myconids and destroying the

underground ecology, should the PCs step in to help them even though the Myconids likely consider themenemies? How can the PCs balance their duty to the Guild, their allegiance to other surface dwellers, and the

imperative for bloodshed below?

These and other moral question can easily crop up during play. For some groups, its a non-issue, and thatsfine. For others, it can be an incredibly fun line of play to pursue. If moral dilemmas are going to be introduced

during play and seriously examined, then the entire group needs to be on the same page about it. Be sure to

discuss the ramifications of adventuring in that type of campaign versus a more traditional campaign witheveryone before starting.

Quickplay

If you want to get down to the bare bones of this game and start playing as fast as possible, you and your group

can use the quickplay rules. The character creation rules instruct each player to make 1 + 1d6 characters.Eschew that. Each player should make one character instead. Dont Also, players should skip the guild

creation rules and use the sample guild in this book.

GMs, if you know that youll be using the quicklplay rules, you can go ahead and make several smaller lairs

prior to the players making their characters. Use a rough estimate of 1600 EXP per Double Tier (see Lair

Creation Guide) when designing your lairs. Alternatively, you can use the random lair creation tables in the

GMs Guide to make up a lair as you go.

If you employ these rules, you should have the campaign up and running in less than half an hour after character

creation begins.

Making Extra Maps

The standard rules for play suggests that there should only ever be two maps in existence to which the PCs have

access: the one made by the mapper and the backup mapper. There are times, though, that this could be

horribly inconvenient and not very realistic. If the group agrees, players can make extra maps to leave with idlecharacters at the guilds Keep. This way, if a spare character is ever needed due to another characters death or

capture, the new character will have a good idea of how to catch up. Also, if the map should ever be destroyedby fire or water, the PCs will not have to start over from scratch. For some groups, this optional rule would ruinthe visceral experience of map making. For others, it is a hassle saving device. Each group will have to decide

for itself.

Trading Characters

The standard rules for play provide no option to trade or loan characters. However, it is possible that a player

might run out of characters during the campaign. If the group ascents, then players may trade or loan charactersfreely amongst themselves at any time. This may mean that one players characters arent played for a session

or two, and that is fine if the group agrees to it. Some groups believe that the players should be empowered to


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make the best tactical decisions at all times. That includes taking the most effective collections into the lairs to

strike an enemy.

Making Extra Characters after the Campaign Starts

Somewhat related to trading characters, a group might allow players to make extra characters if all of their

original ones die. This will happen, especially if a player rolls low during Step 1 of character creation.

Ignoring Fatigue

Some play groups do not like having to keep up with a characters encumbrance and fatigue. For them, it is toomuch bookwork for too little reward. Fatigue is a balancing mechanic that forces the players to think ahead

about what gear and weapons they will need to tackle an encounter. Having to economize ones possessions is

a facet of good play. However, if the entire group feels that the fatigue point rules are too arduous to keep up

with, then they may be replaced by GM fiat. GM fiat in this instance means that the GM, at his or her owndiscretion, may deem a character overburdened. If the GM does, then the character needs to lighten his or her

load before moving on. The GM may opt to never deem a character overburdened. However, the GM should

apply his or her discursion uniformly among the characters.

Putting Inactive Characters in Danger

If the group agrees to this, the inactive PCs in the Troupe can be fair game for the GM. Inactive PCs can be

kidnapped, involved in Keep intrigue, or threatened with assassination by the Accursed. Involving the inactive

player-characters in this way can open up new avenues for quests and investigations by the main characters. Itcan add a sense of urgency to the exploration of a dungeon or uncovering of a plot within the guild. This is one

of the more high risk/high reward optional rules presented within this text. Participants who are new to WLB

might want to forego using this optional rule until they get more experience with the standard rules for play.

Chapter 8: Creating Magic Items

Wizards, Templars, and Bards all gain the ability at some point to create magic items. Creating a magical itemis fairly straightforward. There are recipes and procedures that have been perfected by alchemists for hundreds

of years. If your character can gather these components, get access to a workshop or alchemists lab, and make

the necessary skill checks, he or she can quickly and easily create a basic magic item. There are two types ofitems that your characters can make: utility items and weapons/armor. Each is described in its own section in

this chapter.

Utility Items

Utility items are items that can cast spell-like effects. These items have charges that are expended, and onceexpended the item cannot produce the effect anymore. It takes both the right components and the right process

to create a magical utility item.

The Components

There are two things that are needed for item creation. First, you will need a gemstone, and not any gemstone,

but a specific type of gemstone. So far, alchemists have discovered only thirteen gems that possess magicalproperties. These gemstones range in price from a few bronze pieces to an entire fortune! Below is a list of the

gems, their powers, and their cost if you were to buy one from a merchant or alchemist.

Amethyst (50BP): Heals 2 damage per use.

Turquoise (75BP): Cures any single poison or disease per use.


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Topaz (150BP): Heals 4 damage per use.

Garnet (400BP): Grants +3 to a single stat for 24 hours per use.Amber (800BP): Deals 6 damage to a single target within line of sight per use.

Peridot (1200BP) Heals 6 damage per use.

Pearl (1500BP): Grants the target one extra action per round for five rounds per use.Emerald (2000BP): Removes all magical properties from a single magic item per use.

Ruby (3000BP): Deals 8 damage to a single target within light of sight per use.

Sapphire (5000BP): Grants the target two extra actions per round for ten rounds per use.

Jet (7000BP): Gain control of target monster with an EXP value of 100 or less for 5 rounds per use.Opal (10000BP): Deals 10 damage to all Accursed within line of sight per use.

Diamond (20000BP) Brings a character back from the dead with his/her stats all reduced by 2 per use.

Gemstones are found in lairs. Sometimes they can be dug from the walls, but usually they are within the

treasure horde of some kind of monster. Finding one is rare, but once you have a gemstone, it can last a

lifetime.

Next, you will need some type of metal to affix the gem. There are five metals that can provide charges for

your magic item. The gems tell you what effect can be provided; the metal decides how many times you canuse that effect. Below is a list of metals that are naturally charged with magic and how much a unit of that

metal would cost:

Bronze (5BP per unit): Holds 1 charge.

Silver (50BP per unit): Holds 2 charges.

Gold (500BP per unit): Holds 4 charages.Platinum (5000BP per unit): Holds 10 charges.

Mithril (50000BP per unit): Holds 25 charges.

As a metal expends charges, it degrades to the next lower. So after you spend 6 charges on a platinum object, it

degrades into a gold object. Once you spend two more charges, it degrades to a silver object. Once all charges

are spent, the metal turns to lead.

This is why, for so many years, alchemists searched for ways to turn lead into gold. They needed ways to

recharge their magic items. Finally, after centuries of secret research, they discovered it. For a price equal to

one fourth of the metals value (round up), any alchemist and restore it to its original state. So if you bring analchemist a lead wand that once was made of platinum, he will charge you 250BP. If you pay him, he will

restore your wand to platinum and it will have a full 10 charges once again. Only alchemists can do this.

The Process

Creating a magic item requires hard work and concentration. A character must successfully make three AbilityStat Checks. The first check is a Body check to form the metal. The second check is a Mind check to cut the

gem. The third is a Spirit check to infuse the item with magic. If the first check fails, the metal is mangled anduseless. You can sell it for half-price and start over with new material. If the second check fails, the gemstoneis crushed. It loses all its magical properties permanently. If the third check fails, the item disintegrates into its

component parts. You must start over from the beginning, but you may reuse these same materials.

There are seven different types of magic utility items a character can make. Each requires a different amount ofmetal. Below is a list of these items with how many units of each metal they would take to create.

Ring: 1 UnitNecklace: 3 Units

Bracelet: 5 Units


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Circlet: 10 Units

Wand: 20 UnitsPommel/Handle: 30 Units

Staff: 50 Units

Remember, each unit can hold a charge according to its metal type. So a bronze staff could hold 50 charges. A

silver staff could hold 100.

Magic Weapons

Infusing weapons with magical properties works in a similar way to utility items. You need to have the rightcomponents, the right workstation, and the requisite stat checks.

The Components

Weapons require units of magic minerals to be enchanted. There are three types of magic minerals:

magnesium, cobalt, and adamantium. Each has its own cost and bonus to a single stat.

Magnesium (50BP per unit): +1 to any single Ability Stat.

Cobalt (500BP per unit): +2 to any single Ability Stat.Adamantium (2000BP per unit): +3 to any single Ability Stat.

It only takes one unit of mineral to enchant a weapon, regardless of the size.

The Process

The process for making magic arms is nearly identical to utility items. The character must make a successfulBody check to create the item, a successful Mind check to add the mineral into the object, and finally, a

successful Spirit check to infuse the weapon with magic.

Magic Armors and Containers

Components

Light armor and containers can be made from the skins of specific Accursed from the Underearth. Dire Bats,

Orcs, Trolls, and Dragons all have hides that can be used to create magic items the PCs will no doubt find

useful while delving. Below is a brief chart for each hide detailing its resale value and bonuses.

Dire Bat Hide (10BP per unit): Increase armor protection by 1; reduces FP value of items it holds by 10%.

Orc Hide (40BP per unit): Increase armor protection by 2; reduces FP value of items it holds by 25%.Troll Hide (100BP per unit): Increase armor protection by 3; reduces FP value of items it holds by 50%.

Dragon Hide (1000BP per unit): Increase armor protection by 5; reduces FP value of items it holds by 90%.

Round up all fractions for FP values for containers. All armors made from these hides give Fatigue Points like

light armor. Below are the number of units of each hide required to make a container or armor.

Backpack: 20 Dire Bat units, 10 Orc units, 5 Troll Units, 1 Dragon UnitChange Purse: 4 Dire Bat Units, 2 Orc Units, 1 Troll Unit, 1/2 Dragon Unit

Large Bag: 15 Dire Bat units, 8 Orc units, 3 Troll Units, 1 Dragon Unit

Left Belt Pouch: 4 Dire Bat Units, 2 Orc Units, 1 Troll Unit, 1/2 Dragon UnitLeft Scabbard: 8 Dire Bat Units, 4 Orc Units, 2 Troll Unit, 1/2 Dragon Unit

Left Sheath: 4 Dire Bat Units, 2 Orc Units, 1 Troll Unit, 1/2 Dragon Unit


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Medium Bag: 6 Dire Bat Units, 3 Orc Units, 1 Troll Unit, 1/2 Dragon Unit

Right Belt Pouch: 4 Dire Bat Units, 2 Orc Units, 1 Troll Unit, 1/2 Dragon UnitRight Scabbard: 8 Dire Bat Units, 4 Orc Units, 2 Troll Unit, 1/2 Dragon Unit

Right Sheath: 4 Dire Bat Units, 2 Orc Units, 1 Troll Unit, 1/2 Dragon Unit

Satchel: 6 Dire Bat Units, 3 Orc Units, 1 Troll Unit, 1/2 Dragon UnitSmall Bag: 4 Dire Bat Units, 2 Orc Units, 1 Troll Unit, 1/2 Dragon Unit

Suit of Armor: 30 Dire Bat units, 15 Orc units, 7 Troll Units, 1 Dragon Unit

The Process

Much like making a magic item, there are three Ability Stat checks a character must make to create a magiccontainer or suit of armor. First, the PC must make a Body check to successfully harvest the best piece of hide

for the armor. Second, the PC must make a Mind check to successfully stitch together the hide units. Finally,

he or she must make a successful Spirit check to infuse the item with magic. If the first one fails, the hide unit

is ruined. If the second fails, half the hide units are ruined (round up). And if the final check fails, all the hideunits used to make the item disintegrate into dust.

Chapter 9: Sample of Play

Chapter 10: Sample Guild and Keep

wlb core rules

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