141.157.188.166
141.157.188.166
Contents
Editor Adrian Bott Development and Layout Richard Neale Additional Text Alejandro Melchor Cover Art Scott Clark Interior Illustrations Eric Bergeron, Jim Brady, Stephen Cook, Anthea Dilly, Kythera, John McSweeny, Pete Slough, Ronald Smith, Sami Walu & Leo Winstead Studio Manager Ian Barstow Production Manager Alexander Fennell Playtesting Mark Gedak, Kent Little, Murry Perry, Patrick A. Kossmann, Tammy Gedak, Mark Howe, Mark Sizer, Daniel Scothorne, Mark Billanie, Micheal Young, Alan Moore, Daniel Haslam, Jamie Godfrey, James Sparling, Shannon Sparling, Shannon Sparling, Jimi Braun, Jason Thornton, Bill 'Urklore' Schwartz Proofreading Richard Ford, Ian Finch, Fred Herman, Sarah Quennell & Lucya Szachnowski
Introduction
2
Character Background
7
Classes & Vocations
28
Skills
68
Feats & Traits
CONTENTS
August Hahn
104
Equipment & Wealth 132 A World Of Adventure 166 The Power of Steam
223
The Occult
263
Index License
301 304
OGL Steampunk is ©2004 Mongoose Publishing. All rights reserved. Reproduction of non-Open Game Content of this work by any means without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden. OGL Steampunk is presented under the Open Game License. See page 304 for the text of this licence. With the exception of boxed story text and character names, character creation rules detailing the mechanics of assigning dice roll results to attributes and the character advancement rules detailing the effects of applying experience, all text within OGL Steampunk is declared as open content. Printed in Canada.
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introduction introduction
i
magine a world where computers were developed a century before their time, powered by levers and steam engines instead of microprocessors or even light bulbs; a world where the zeppelin never went out of fashion as new technology made it safer and faster; where brave men and women explored a yet undiscovered world to find the wondrous ruins of lost civilisations or entrances to entirely new worlds; where the mysterious age of magic is slowly fading away to usher in an age of jaded, even cynical reason. This is the world of Steampunk, a shadowy subgenre of fantasy and science fiction that is more devoted to marrying the possible with the improbable than to exploring the future or exploring fantastic themes. Steampunk investigates a fantasy past that might have been, had some things happened a little differently.
The Age That Never Was (And Should Have Been)
Steampunk as a genre grew from revisiting the old scientific romance novels, such as the likes of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Time Machine and The Lost World, which took the spirit of progress, exploration and exploitation prevalent during the 19th Century and translated it into stories of speculation, wonder and excitement. As literature that explored the future as moulded by progress, the scientific romance is the great-grandfather of modern science fiction. At its core, Steampunk is a look back at those times through the eye of imagination. Steampunk either takes a typical world of the fantasy genre and changes it by adding the darker elements of science and invention, or investigates alternate worlds where technology took a different turn than it has in ours. The subgenre of Steampunk fantasy adds its own ingredients of magic and mythical elements to such a world. In essence, Steampunk is about playing in an age that was not, but could have been.
Retrotech Steampunk stories are dominated by strange technology and weird science. While hard science-fiction bases its principles on proven or theoretical science in our time such as quantum physics and the advances in biotechnology, Steampunk takes a look backwards at the early advances in scientific and technological inspiration. In the Victorian epoch, phenomena like electricity are beginning to be fully understood, steam and mechanics move most of the age’s machinery and telecommunications are being born in the form of the telegraph. One can look even further back; consider that if early inventors had received sufficient funding, the first computer could have been created in feudal times, especially if a Dark Ages
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period never occurred. What kind of world may have evolved from networked computing based on clicking machines and mechanical modems? Such are the kinds of questions that you can answer in Steampunk. Technology in a Steampunk setting is either stylish and elegant or incredibly clunky, using basic mechanisms and primitive wiring to achieve the levels of performance for which modern technology would need far less space, with a wildly different appearance to boot. Brass tubes, wooden handles and incandescent lamps (also known as ‘light bulbs’) replace fibre optics, touch screens and LEDs as the materials of choice for machinery. Steam-powered cars roam the streets while monstrous airships crawl through the skies. All the while, the people lost through the cracks in the ‘modern world’ scratch out a living in the shadows of a concrete nightmare.
The Fantastic and the Occult Another common element of many Steampunk stories is the presence of magic and the supernatural. In the backdrop of scientific progress, magic begins to enjoy a renaissance, with mediums and magicians practicing a dying art while humanoids wrestle with their own inventions in the wild. Secret societies organise rituals to contact occult powers from beyond time and the stronger communication with distant lands opens the way for an influx of exotic cultural imports, including grossly misunderstood traditions and beliefs. Magic and the occult are so prevalent that they mingle with science, with the most prominent example being the mind’s psychic potential. Magic is a palpable reality that the heroes of the day must discover and contend with. Cultists seek to awaken the power of ancient races, alchemists use arcane formulae to power their infernal devices and creatures of legend walk alongside the human occupants of major cities, either adopting the science of the day or enslaved because of it.
The Great Malaise Above all, the feeling that dominates Steampunk is a sense of despair, a certainty that while any challenge can doubtless be defeated through ingenuity, this will always be achieved at a terrible cost. The scientific worldview saw Nature more as an enemy to be conquered than as an ally; in the worlds of Steampunk, this is precisely what it has done. There was a pervading sense of adventure, in which the world offered untold opportunities for discovery and exploration; in the aftermath, the great challenges have come and gone. Following a period of relative stability, the dominant people of the fantasy world had a chance to look around and see what surrounded them. They reached out their grasp to chart what had remained unexplored until,
assuming that they had discovered everything, they turned their backs on the rest of the world. In the face of infinite possibility, cities are becoming increasingly cut off.
Lastly, exploration and discovery brings the people of Steampunk into conflict with other cultures. The most common response when facing a weaker, apparently uncivilised people is, after all, to conquer them and expand the empire. In their hunger to learn about new things, the people of a Steampunk world incorporate, misinterpret and import wholesale aspects of foreign cultures, mostly in the realms of art and culture, as foreign sciences are seen as somewhat inferior if they do not offer clear advantages and improvements over the disciplines already mastered. In this way, even in the wake of amazing new sciences and inventions, the old stresses of elf versus man, man versus orc, and all versus the monsters of the night are not just perpetuated. They are heightened by science to an apocalyptic degree.
Progress and its Flipside Advances in investigation as well as invention bring forth a great number of tools and theories that optimise industry and society. Industrialists recite the word ‘progress’ as a religious mantra and it is in the name of progress that Steampunk’s most wonderful inventions emerge from their creators’ labs. The problem is that socalled ‘progress’ often has quite unsavoury consequences. Very little is shiny brass and polished wood in the world of OGL Steampunk; steeped in the advances of a medieval Industrial Revolution, this technological progress has also given rise to abuse and exploitation. Industrial machinery is hungry for labour and resources and social progress has lagged painfully behind technological advances. This clash between moral and economic principle is one with which all citizens of a Steampunk world will constantly be confronted. A Steampunk story can be about the struggle to resist the iron fangs of industry just as it can be about exploration, replacing wonder with despair, liberation with oppression, undiscovered virgin land with claustrophobic corridors. This dark contrast is also part of the genre and it usually provides the ‘punk’ factor to the ‘steam’ element. Steampunk is more often about man against the machine than man and machine in harmony.
What Empire provides is a platform for stories, a ‘safe’ place from which characters can jump into the unknown. Danger does lurk even inside the Empire, but the institution itself is what is important. If danger is outside, the Empire provides the comforting existence of King and Country. If the danger exists within, then Empire is what must be preserved against the forces of internal chaos that threaten to tear it apart. When the tables are turned and the characters are not citizens of the Empire, it then becomes the monolithic enemy, the oppressor whose ravenous advances must be stopped or at least curbed, if the characters want to preserve their way of life.
introduction
However, the tangible world is not the only one where Steampunk has spread its dark influence. Interest in magic and the supernatural has become rampant, trying to fill the remaining darkness that science cannot completely illuminate. At the same time, the power of science is swiftly crushing the life from magic by making many of the latter’s wonders easier to replicate for the ‘common man’. Why would an orc shaman waste years of its short life learning to cast a magical missile spell when it could just carry a rune cannon?
Empire and Expansion Just as the Industrial Revolution is one of the main backdrops of Steampunk, imperialism is another fundamental tenet of the old scientific romances. People the sylvan expanses of the fantasy Steampunk world with elves who refuse to give up their ancestral homes and wield magic powers beyond humans’ ken alongside mountain dwarves who compete with humans for the mining of resources; there you have all the makings of a dark epic about expansion and imperialism set amid toxic clouds of steam, smoke and burning blood.
The notion of Empire is tied with a drive for expansion and colonisation, whether the ‘colonies’ are in the jungles of some primitive nation, the canals of a distant world in another dimension, or the lost valleys of the forsaken elves. While not impacting directly on the doings of the characters most of the time, imperial expansionism will create many situations that do. Angry natives whose land Empire encroaches upon will not react well to members of the Empire, whatever their intentions.
What is a Roleplaying Game?
In general terms, it is a game where you and a group of players build a story together. Specifically, you assume the role of a character, while one of the players (which could be you as well) becomes the Games Master, the person in charge of running the narrative by playing all the secondary characters and steering the game’s story along. In OGL Steampunk, each player creates a character following the outlines in the following chapters and the Games Master prepares a story in which the characters will be the protagonists. Either as a group effort or by trusting the Games Master’s imagination, you design a setting in which the stories will take place, whether it is the darkest Steampunk era imaginable with weird scientific advances and constantly raging war, or a parallel world similar to Earth with similar developments. This book will give you all the pieces of the puzzle you need to craft your own Steampunk adventures and tell you how to mix and match them.
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What You Need to Play A roleplaying game is not like any board game. For one thing, there is no board! It is played entirely in your imagination. However, there are some things you need in order to start playing.
introduction
A copy of this book. The OGL Steampunk book contains all the rules and information you need to play. You may want to have extra copies for all players but this is not strictly necessary. One copy of the character sheet for each player. See the back of the book for this. On the character sheet, you write down all the information that defines the character, such as his abilities, skills, equipment and other special features like magic and mechanical companions, if the setting allows them. You will find the character sheet at the end of this book and you can make as many copies as you need. Dice. The main tool of a roleplaying game, you need at least one set of dice which includes a four-sided die (d4), a six-sided die (d6), an eight-sided die (d8), a ten-sided die (d10), a seldom-used twelve-sided die (d12) and the very important twenty-sided die (d20). Each player may want to have his own dice set, so that curses and maledictions due to bad luck are more personalised.
As an option, you can use figures to represent the characters, so that you know where everyone is during a combat scene. Likewise, the tactically minded may want a ‘battlemat’ or a flat grid to measure the movement of characters and vehicles. Music is likewise recommended for setting the mood and if you expect your game to last for more than a couple of hours, food and drinks are also good to have around.
Basic Rules The core of a roleplaying game is the way that characters perform tasks like climbing a rope, building a clockwork automaton, piloting an airship through a storm, reading the future with a psychic power, shooting a rune rifle at a rampaging centaur, avoiding a falling boulder, chanting the words of a magic ritual accurately or fighting with a sword. The rules of OGL Steampunk assume a standardised system for determining the success or failure of any given task. That core mechanic is: d20 + Modifiers vs. Target Number, usually referred to as Difficulty Class or DC The game uses a simple task resolution method in which you roll a d20 (a twenty-sided die) to see if the character succeeds at any sort of task. When used for resolving tasks besides attack rolls and saving throws, this test is referred to as a ‘check’ and this title is thus applied to skill checks, ability checks and caster checks, on which there will be more information later.
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The type of task determines the Modifiers and the Difficulty Class. If the result of the d20 roll plus the Modifiers equals or exceeds the Difficulty Class, the test is successful. Any other result is a failure. Other than in combat situations, a ‘natural 20’ on the die roll is not an automatic success and a ‘natural 1’ on the die roll is not an automatic failure. See the chapter titled A World of Adventure for more details on automatic hits and misses. You may also need to roll other kinds of dice as described in the rules. The game uses the following notations to determine the type and number of dice you need to roll for any given result:
d4 = four-sided die d6 = six-sided die d8 = eight-sided die d10 = ten-sided die d12 = twelve-sided die d20 = twenty-sided die d% = percentile dice
When there is a number before the ‘d’, it means that you must roll that number of dice of that type and add the results together, so 2d4 means you roll two four-sided dice, while 5d6 means that you roll five six-sided dice. When the die designation is followed by a plus or minus (+ or -) sign and a number, it means that you add or subtract that amount from the final die result. In this case, 3d8-4 means that you roll three eight-sided dice, adding together each die’s result and then subtract four. Multipliers Certain modifications to dice rolls exist within the rules that multiply the result instead of adding a set number or an addition die or dice to a roll. These are listed as ‘x2’ or some other multiplication value. Multipliers apply to every numeric modifier and to the basic dice involved in the roll but not to additional dice added as a modifier to the roll. For example, if Heshia has an runic ring of iron-biting fitted on her ornithopter’s cannon (3d6 damage) which doubles projectile weapon damage against metallic armour types, plus a special shell type that adds 2d6 explosive damage to every shot, then a single attack against an ironclad ship would do the weapon’s usual 3d6 damage multiplied by 2 plus the 2d6 explosive damage, for a grand total of 6d6 ballistic damage plus 2d6 explosive damage. Multipliers can stack but regardless of their values, they always stack in a specific way. When a check or value has two or more multipliers, the highest value multiplier is kept and every additional multiplier increases the first one’s value by 1. For example, if Gearbolt the automaton were to score a critical hit with his voltaic claws (a 1d4 +1d8 electrical attack, doubled by the critical hit) on a person armoured with a jacket that has a special vulnerability that multiplied all electrical damage by x3,
any successful attack would inflict 4 times (x3 modified to x4 by the additional x2 critical modifier) the normal damage, not 5 times.
OGL Steampunk’s Game Concepts
Ability: A quality that describes the innate talent of a character. The six abilities are Strength (Str), Dexterity (Dex), Constitution (Con), Intelligence (Int), Wisdom (Wis) and Charisma (Cha). Amazing (Machine): A piece of machinery created through revolutionary science and technology. Types of amazing machines are automata, equipment, personal weapons, structures, vehicles and vehicle mounted artillery weapons. Bonus: A positive modifier. Check: A die roll intended to resolve whether a character succeeds or fails at a given task. Ability checks roll a d20 and add an ability modifier, while skill checks roll a d20 and add the appropriate skill bonus. Challenge Rating (CR): The measure of how difficult it is to defeat a particular encounter. The higher the CR, the harder it is to overcome the encounter but the richer the rewards will be, should you be victorious. Class (character class): An archetype a character follows that describes his general aptitudes and abilities. The seven archetypal character classes in OGL Steampunk are the adventurer, the investigator, the genius, the journeyman, the occultist, the scoundrel and the noble. Class Feature/Class Ability: A special ability or power that a character gains when he reaches a particular level in a character class. Descriptor: A label that defines a particular subset of a power, a creature, a type of damage or other general concepts. Descriptors are used to determine how certain abilities affect each other. Difficulty Class (DC): The target number that a d20 roll, along with the appropriate modifiers, must equal or exceed for a task to be considered successful. Encounter: A particular challenge that characters meet and must overcome. Encounters can be combat, action or social in nature and most of them award experience points.
Feat: A special ability or quality that a character gains by virtue of his birth, talent, training or other circumstance. A character gains feats at character creation and at every three character levels. The various character classes grant additional bonus feats to characters who belong to them. Games Master: The player in charge of running the game, controlling Non-Player Characters, resolving disputes and adjudicating results. Level: A measure of advancement or power relative to other similar areas in the game. A character reaches or gains class and character levels as he gains experience.
introduction
The following is a list of the most common basic concepts used throughout this book. You will find the full explanation in the proper chapters and may reference this list for quick clarification.
Experience (and experience points, XP): A measure of what a character has learned in the course of his adventures and how much stronger in his ways he has grown. Characters gain experience points by defeating challenges, adding the points together to make a running total. When this total reaches a specific number, they gain a new level.
Modifier: A value that adds or subtracts a number to and from a die roll. Modifiers of the same kind or which have the same descriptors do not stack together; that is to say, the highest such modifier is used instead of adding them together. See Stacking, below. Non-Player Character: A character created and controlled by the Games Master, as opposed to a Player Character. Penalty: A negative modifier. Player Character: A character created and controlled by one of the players. Racial Trait: A special kind of class feature, the racial trait is an ability or power that a character chooses from a list determined by his race. He makes these choices at the class levels that indicate that he can choose either a vocation talent or a racial trait. Race (character race): A character’s race does not represent ethnicity but rather a wholesale species. In mundane Steampunk games, the only character race available is human. In more exotic settings, a character may be a hybrid, that is, a crossbreed of animal and human; a construct, or sentient mechanical creature; a revenant, such as a vampire or ghost; or even a member of the faerie race, such as an elf or dwarf. Saving Throw (save): A special d20 roll made to avoid in full or in part some sort of damage or harm. The three different saving throws are Reflex, Fortitude and Will. Skill: An area of expertise, in which a character has devoted time to learn or train, which he continues to improve with practice. A character gains skill points during character creation and every time he gains a level. These points can
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There it was again. The grinding sound of metal on metal came from close by. They could not see it, but the orc was still out there.
introduction
‘Damn it, don’t they ever get tired?’ Everyone in the tunnel was thinking the same thing but it was Heshia that gave harsh voice to their frustration. She had a hard time holding her tongue on a good day, and this was definitely not a good day. ‘I thought even orcs had to sleep sometime.’ Jerrek looked at the faces of his companions and knew what they were all thinking now. The thing stomping around outside was exactly what they were here to stop. The City Fathers had hoped to transport them here before the orcs had completed their first prototype but they had failed. So much for the elves and their vaulted ‘ripple gates’. Science in harmony with the land, his ass, he thought. All the magic had done was to save them all shoe leather. Either the gate had still lost them time or the orcs were much further ahead of schedule than the City Fathers had believed. Either way… ‘Quiet!’ hissed Knife, the team’s scout. He was so far back behind the group that even Jerrek’s goggles could only barely make him out in this gloom. ‘I thought I heard something. Hang on.’ Knife moved just out of visual range, checking out the bend in the sewage tunnel behind them. This was a tight, murky corridor with the stench of its previous purpose still lingering strong in the air. When the orcs took Helmhold seven years ago, they did so much damage with their sky-bombs that the undercity collapsed and took most of the sewers with it. That meant these tunnels were unused, giving Jerrek and his team a way in that would not be seen by the orcs’ sentinels. He chanced one more peek out of the small culvert leading into the broken street above. All he could see was the rusted iron surface of a massive metal foot inches away from his face. It had three large toes and a wicked back spike for balance. The huge joints on the toes gave it the almost elegant appearance of a metal bird’s talons but Jerrek was willing to bet the rest of the monstrosity was anything but graceful. As Jerrek watched, holding his breath, he saw the thing begin to move away slowly. Each step shook the ground around him. The juggernaut moved off at an angle that kept him from seeing it in any more detail. No matter, he did not need it. His own metal arm was testament enough to what those things could do. There was a sound of sudden, hurried movement. As one, the group below all turned to watch Knife as he returned from the tunnels, but soon realised it was not Knife that they could hear approaching. It was a single set of footfalls echoed dozens of times. By the time they recognised the noise for what it was, the jag-jawed things were around the corner and on top of them. ‘Ironrats!’ shouted Heshia as she hefted her rune guns towards the vicious shapes emerging out of the shadows. ‘No firing! If that thing outside hears us, we are worg-meat!’ Jerrek pulled back his axe and swung a massive arc through the mutated rats. From the blood and gore dripping off their metal fangs, he took a grim guess at what must have happened to Knife. Damn. ‘Looks like the orcs didn’t forget about the sewers after all.’
be used to buy skill ranks, which are the measure of his experience in that skill. The total skill bonus equals the number of ranks plus the key ability modifier. Stacking: Stacking is the addition together of two or more modifiers of the same kind. Most modifiers do not stack. Instead, the largest modifier of the given kind is applied. For example, if you have a +2 morale bonus to a skill check from one source and a +1 morale bonus to the same check from another source, then you only have a +2 morale bonus to the check, not a +3 morale bonus. The only modifiers that do stack under normal circumstances
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are circumstance modifiers, representing the influence of outside factors, and dodge modifiers. Talent (vocation talent): A special kind of class feature, the vocation talent is an ability or power that a character chooses from a list depending on the vocations available for his class. Vocation: A specific calling a character can follow within his class. A vocation determines a character’s specific abilities within the general description of his class.
character background Abilities
Every character in an OGL Steampunk game has six basic abilities. Each one represents some aspect of that character’s mental or physical prowess. Some types of creature may possess a non-ability, such as undead monsters and cogs not truly possessing a Constitution score, this being the ability that governs health. In most cases, a character will have a positive value of some kind in each of the six scores, indicating some development, or lack thereof, in that area.
Character Creation Summary
Generating Ability Scores
Creating a character for OGL Steampunk is both simple and involving, as the players choose from the various options open to them.
To generate characters in an OGL Steampunk game, there is a standard method and three variants. Beginners are encouraged to use the standard method until they get a good feel for how the numbers work and how they affect character actions and chances for success. After that, the variants exist for games that push the envelope in one direction or the other. None of the variant ability score generation methods are available unless the Games Master specifically approves them for use in a campaign. For Games Masters, all of the options listed here are available for creating Non-Player Characters. A Games Master may also assign such ability scores as he sees fit, in the interests of fleshing out the story, so long as he remembers the importance of game balance.
Decide on the Character’s Concept: This is the most important phase of character creation, in which the players imagine their characters and think of what and who they want them to be. The classes, vocations, skills, feats and traits are simply ways for players to make their characters into what they have pictured in their minds, whether this is a brave explorer of the wild or a mysterious occultist delving into the secrets of magic. Generate Ability Scores: Choose a method for generating the character’s six ability scores: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma. Spend Background Points: Use background points to decide on the character’s background, from his race to any initial traits that point towards his upbringing and natural talents. Choose a Class and Vocation: Choose a character class and a starting vocation that will give a character his starting abilities and powers. Choose Skills and Feats: Spend skill points granted by traits and character class and purchase feats; one feat for all starting characters, one extra feat for humans. Calculate Total Values: Use all the information from the choices taken to calculate the different derived values. These include such variables as Defence Value, armour damage reduction, melee attack bonus, ranged attack bonus, initiative, saving throw bonuses, skill bonuses and wealth.
BACKGROUNDS
c
haracters in OGL Steampunk have a number of characteristics that set them apart from each other, even if they practice the same profession. This ranges from how strong they are or how smart they can be, to which race they belong to and some other features granted by their upbringing and personal past. This chapter presents players with the first options to choose from when making a character for OGL Steampunk.
Standard Generation Method: To generate a set of ability scores for a character, roll 4d6 and discard the die with the lowest face value. This will create a score between 3 (all four dice rolling 1) and 18 (three of the four dice coming up as a 6). Being able to remove the lowest number raises the average value of each score and tends to create characters with higher than average abilities. Repeat this procedure five more times. Once you have generated six values in this way, either assign them in the order rolled to the six corresponding ability scores or place them in any order desired until all six numbers have been used. Hardcore Variant: This method tends to create widely varied ability scores, with random chance as its only guide. Roll 3d6 and assign the numbers, in order, to the six ability scores as listed below. With no ability to skew the results slightly upwards through a discarded die or the flexibility of assigning scores where they will do a desired class or occupation the most good, this method can be very harsh and unforgiving. Some Games Masters, however, do prefer the hard-edged feel of ‘letting the dice fall where they may’.
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BACKGROUNDS
Heroic Characters Ability Modifiers Variant: The opposite Score Modifier of the hardcore variant, 1 –5 this option creates heroic 2–3 –4 characters with unusually 4–5 –3 high ability scores, in 6–7 –2 accordance with their role 8–9 –1 as exceptions to the laws 10–11 0 of nature. While there is 12–13 +1 still some room for low scores in this method, each 14–15 +2 character created with it 16–17 +3 will generally have at least 18–19 +4 one very high ability and 20–21 +5 potentially more. Ability 22–23 +6 scores start at a value of 8 and get a bonus equal to 1d10, rolled separately for each statistic. After generation, the values can be moved between the different categories. This method is very flexible, but it can result in more powerful characters than any other generation variant because characters cannot start with any ability score penalties greater than -1. Point Buy Variant: Like the Heroic Characters Variant, the character’s ability scores begin at 8 but no dice are used in this method at all. Instead, the Player has a pool of points with which to buy statistics. Each additional ability score point above 8 costs one point, with scores above 14 costing two pool points per ability point beyond that value. Some character races can later affect these ability scores in both a positive and negative way. The usefulness of a point buy system lies in its potential for customisation and inherent fairness. Each character in the campaign has the same number of pool points to spend and may purchase exactly the scores he wants at whatever value he can afford. We recommend that the starting value of a point pool be set at 30 but this can be adjusted up or down as the Games Master wishes. Once ability scores are generated, a character needs a character race and class of some kind. The class is optimally one that suits the character’s strongest statistics (adventurer for a high Strength, genius for a high Intelligence and so forth) but this is certainly not a requirement. Some NonPlayer Characters are better suited with clashing classes, as this can simulate a bumbling dwarven magician barely able to perform the simplest rituals or an elven guard who only maintains his rank in the military through a highly placed relative. Ability Modifiers Each ability, after changes made because of race, generally has a modifier ranging from –5 to +5. The Ability Modifiers tables show the modifier for each score. Ability score modifiers can range higher than +5, but they cannot go lower than -5 because the status of a creature or object changes when its ability scores drop to 0. See below for further details.
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Score 24–25 26–27 28–29 30–31 32–33 34–35 36–37 38–39 40–41 42–43 44–45 etc.
Modifier +7 +8 +9 +10 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15 +16 +17
The modifier is the number you apply to the die roll when the character tries to do something related to that ability. You also use the modifier with some numbers that are not die rolls. A positive modifier is called a bonus and a negative modifier is called a penalty.
The Abilities
Each ability contributes partially to the description of a character and affects some of his actions. Abilities are not the sum total of a character’s personality or capabilities but they do provide the framework around which skills and d20 checks are typically made, making them a very important part of the character’s description.
Strength (STR) Strength measures the character’s muscular and physical power. Strength also limits the amount of equipment a character can carry. The Strength modifier applies to:
Melee attack rolls. Damage rolls when using a melee weapon or a thrown weapon, including a sling. Exceptions: Off-hand attacks receive only one-half the character’s Strength bonus, while two-handed attacks receive one and a half times the Strength bonus. A Strength penalty, but not a bonus, applies to attacks made with a bow that is not a composite bow. Climb, Intimidate (optional), Jump and Swim checks. These are the skills that have Strength as their key ability. Straightforward Strength checks, for breaking down doors, bursting manacles and the like.
Dexterity (DEX) Dexterity measures hand-eye co-ordination, agility, reflexes and balance. This ability is important for characters who typically wear light or medium armour or no armour at all and for anyone who wants to be a skilled shot. The Dexterity modifier applies to:
Ranged attack rolls, including those for attacks made with bows, pistols, rifles and other ranged weapons. Initiative, to determine who acts first in a given situation. Defence Value, provided that the character can react to the attack.
Reflex saving throws, for avoiding explosions and other attacks that you can escape by moving quickly. Balance, Drive, Escape Artist, Hide, Move Silently, Pilot, Ride, Sleight of Hand, Tumble and Use Rope checks. These are the skills that have Dexterity as their key ability.
Will saving throws, for negating the effect of enticement magic and psychic powers. Gamble, Listen, Profession, Psychic Control (optional), Sense Motive, Spot, Survival and Treat Injury checks. These are the skills that have Wisdom as their key ability.
Charisma (CHA) Charisma measures a character’s force of personality, persuasiveness, personal magnetism, ability to lead and physical attractiveness. This ability represents actual strength of personality, not merely how one is perceived by others in a social setting. Every creature has a Charisma score.
The Constitution modifier applies to:
The Charisma modifier applies to: Each roll of a Hit Die, though a penalty can never drop a result below 1. In other words, a character always gains at least 1 hit point each time he advances in level. If a character’s Constitution score changes enough to alter his Constitution modifier, his hit points also increase or decrease accordingly. Fortitude saving throws, for resisting poison and similar threats. Concentration checks. Concentration is a skill, important to occultists, that has Constitution as its key ability.
Intelligence (INT) Intelligence determines how well the character learns and reasons. It is important for any character who wants to have a wide assortment of skills. An animal has an Intelligence score of 1 or 2. A creature of humanlike intelligence has a score of at least 3. The Intelligence modifier applies to:
The number of languages the character knows at the start of the game. The number of skill points gained each level. The character always gets at least 1 skill point per level, even if he has an ability score penalty for Intelligence. Craft, Decipher Script, Disable Device, Forgery, Investigate, Knowledge, Navigate, Repair, Research, Ritual and Search checks. These are the skills that have Intelligence as their key ability.
Wisdom (WIS) Wisdom describes a character’s willpower, common sense, perception and intuition. While Intelligence represents one’s ability to analyse information, Wisdom represents being in tune with and aware of one’s surroundings. If a character is to have acute senses, a high score in Wisdom is essential. Every creature has a Wisdom score.
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Constitution (CON) Constitution represents the character’s health and stamina. A Constitution bonus increases a character’s hit points, so the ability is important for all classes. Since survival depends on Constitution, it is a must for the characters that have fallen between the cracks of a steam-powered world.
The Wisdom modifier applies to:
Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, Gather Information, Handle Animal, Intimidate (optional), Perform and Psychic Control (optional) checks. These are the skills that have Charisma as their key ability. Checks that represent attempts to influence others.
When an ability score changes, all attributes associated with that score change accordingly. Most of these changes are also retroactive; a character receives or loses additional hit points for previous levels if an increase or decrease in Constitution occurs. One important exception to this retroactive rule regards Intelligence. A character does not retroactively get additional skill points for previous levels if he increases his Intelligence, nor are skill points lost if Intelligence is lowered for any reason. Ability Score Loss Various attacks cause ability score loss. This can either be ability damage or ability drain. Points lost to ability damage return at the rate of 1 point per day (or double that if the character gets complete bed rest) to each damaged ability and certain chemical or mechanical effects offset ability damage as well. Ability drain, however, is permanent, though some effects can restore even those lost ability score points. While any loss is debilitating, losing all points in an ability score can be devastating.
Strength 0 means that the character cannot move at all. He lies helpless on the ground. Dexterity 0 means that the character cannot move at all. He stands motionless, rigid and helpless. Constitution 0 means that the character is dead. Intelligence 0 means that the character cannot think and is unconscious in a coma-like stupor, helpless. Wisdom 0 means that the character is withdrawn into a deep sleep filled with nightmares, helpless.
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Charisma 0 means that the character is withdrawn into a catatonic, coma-like stupor, helpless.
Keeping track of negative ability score points is never necessary. A character’s ability score cannot drop below 0. Having a score of 0 in an ability is different from having no ability score whatsoever. Some effects and abilities impose an effective ability score reduction, which is different from ability score loss. Any such reduction disappears at the end of the effect or ability’s duration and the ability score immediately returns to its former value. If a character’s Constitution score drops, then he loses 1 hit point per Hit Die for every point by which his Constitution modifier drops. A hit point score cannot be reduced by Constitution damage or drain to less than 1 hit point per Hit Die.
Background Points
Every starting character has 4 background points with which to purchase his background characteristics after generating ability scores. A character can purchase the following with background points. Race: The character’s race varies in cost depending on how powerful it is or the potential it has to become powerful. Ability Point: The character can increase any of his ability scores by 1 at the cost of one background point. Trait: The character can acquire one trait from a trait tree for which his race qualifies. See the Feats and Traits chapter. A character can acquire additional traits as he advances in level. Traits have a variable cost, depending on their power. Bonus Feat: The character can gain one additional feat for which he has the necessary prerequisites. A character can only purchase one extra feat in this way. A bonus feat always costs 1 background point, irrespective of which feat is chosen. Background Points Characteristic Race Human Hybrid Construct Elf Dwarf Gnome Vampire Ghost Ability point Trait Bonus feat
Cost 0 1-2 3 1 1 2 3 3 1 1 2
Any background points not spent during character creation are lost. They cannot be stored for later use.
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That was probably the most painful five minutes of his life. As looked over what was left of his team, he reckoned it also the most expensive. The ironrats had torn Knife and Gailion to shreds and their metal jaws had left deep gashes on the bodies of all the survivors. He grimaced as he poured grain alcohol on his bites. At his lead, the others followed suit. The damnable things were known to eat offal and rotted meat. It was almost guaranteed that the wounds they left would suppurate and become vile with gangrene. ‘Sound off, people. I need to know who’s left and what shape you’re in.’ He did not feel much like being in charge right now but there was no one left for the job. As it was, he would have to pick a new second in command. Damn Gail and his ‘I’ll hold them off ’. Why did the big cat always have to be so brave? Stupid, stupid hybrid… ‘Heshia here. I’ll live.’ That did not surprise Jerrek at all. Very little could quench the elven woman’s spirits. She was the first one of their kind he had ever seen with even a passing appreciation for machines. Her guns were an obsession. The woman was inseparable from them. When her enthusiasm finally got her killed, Jerrek was determined that he would bury her with them, or else she would probably come out of the grave to get them back. ‘Thurdin, engineer, wounded but alive.’ Again, no surprise. He had only worked with a dwarf once before but that one had also been a paragon of endurance. He was quietly confident that there was nothing on this world the dwarves could not take apart and put back together better than before. Personality was another matter. Still, no one on this team actually had to like each other. They just had to follow orders. ‘Gearbolt reporting,’ came a metallic din in the corner of the room. ‘I am functional, though my motor functions are impaired by damage in the sixth quadrant.’ Jerrek looked at the cog and saw that it was referring to a torn joint box on its left hip. The leg was practically dragging and the occasional vent of steam from the ruptured plates meant the mechanical man was losing power. With a quick nod, he sent Thurdin over to repair it. He took a quick stock of his own wounds, noted that none of them were life threatening and was satisfied. ‘Okay. We are down our scout and some muscle. We can still do this, but we’ll have to change the plan. Can we set the charge under the building instead of forcing our way in through the back?’
Races
Be they big or small, all characters have one thing in common; they all belong to a race of some kind.
Small and Large Characters Creatures have different sizes, taking normal human stature as Medium-size, although some races offer options to play smaller or larger characters. A Small character gets a +1 size bonus to his Defence Value, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks. His carrying capacity is three-quarters of that of a Medium-size character. He generally moves about two-thirds as fast as a Medium-size character and must use smaller weapons. A Large character gets a -1 size penalty to his Defence Value, a -1 size penalty on attack rolls and a -4 size penalty on Hide checks. His carrying capacity is double that of a Medium-size character. He moves as fast as a Mediumsize character and must use larger weapons than Mediumsize characters. A Large character gains a +4 bonus on grapple checks. Favoured Class A character’s favoured class does not count against him when determining experience point penalties for multiclassing, for which see pg. 66.
Humans Cost: 0 background points Humans own the world and with every year they claim a little more of it from other races. As diverse in colour as they are in ideology and personality, humans are the driving force of the age of steam thanks to their adaptability and natural curiosity, as well as a seemingly inexhaustible urge to explore both the physical lands beyond the horizon and the intangible boundaries of science and progress. Personality: To other races, humans appear driven and always on the move. It is this vigour that has helped a race with few other attributes to survive and dominate their environment. As a race, humanity lacks a single defining personality type, as the different scattered people 141.157.188.166
Physical Description: Humans come in a great variety of builds, ranging from a little below 5 feet to a tad over 6 feet tall, weighing from 125 to 250 pounds and with men being usually taller and heavier than women. Because of constant travel going back through history, humans have acquired a great ethnic variety, with skin tones ranging from fair and pale the further north, to darker complexions further south. Hair ranges from blonde or reddish to auburn and black, with all varieties of thickness. Humans dress according to their cultural customs, although the dominant style of dress is for males to wear some sort of shirt and pants with maybe a tunic and for females to wear dresses and skirts, also with the possibility of tunics and overcoats. Adornments range from the primitive, made with animal remains, to the exquisite, crafted from the finest stones and metals, again, depending on cultural preference.
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Monsters, even those with character classes, count as their own racial type and while an elven psychic may have mental powers, he will always be an elf first. Most characters in a standard OGL Steampunk setting fall into one of the basic character races listed in this chapter: human, hybrid, construct, one of the three Eldrath races (elf, gnome and dwarf ) and either of two undead races (vampire and ghost). A Games Master is always free to expand this listing or modify the bonuses and penalties given for the races on it but essential play balance can be achieved by using these racial groups as given. Any modification is best handled on a campaign-by-campaign basis.
developed their own customs and values. However, a single trait that worries other races is their drive to conquer and master their surroundings, which has led to the current exploitation of natural resources that fuel the fires of industry.
Relations: Humans have grown haughty with their seemingly unstoppable success and are in a position of dominance over other races. Although racial attitudes are as varied as everything human tends to be, there is a general feeling of superiority towards other races, thanks to the history of constant predation and abuse to which they were subjected by the elves and the marauding undead. Hybrids and Cogs are human creations and therefore most humans see them as servitor races. Occasionally, humans will even deny that these artificial races have sentience. Human Lands: Empires are the primary human organisation, extending from one corner of the world to the other thanks to breeding rates and innovations. Human institutions change and adapt rapidly in comparison to those of other races and it is the humans who have the largest territories and the ability to manage them. Humans are gregarious, preferring to gather together when they can and as a consequence, their settlements grow almost without control. Large cities have created problems of transport and communication, which have been solved one by one through the clever application of knowledge and technology. The largest cities are cosmopolitan centres where members of all races are at least nominally welcome. Religion: Humans pursue several religions with varying zeal, although many agree that the age of gods is coming to an end. This is to be replaced by the age of science, in which the answers to the world’s dilemmas are not given by a condescending supreme being but deduced and reasoned through study and rational thought. The role of the ancient gods in contemporary human society is minimal; they are excised from government and relegated to the level of spiritual counsellors and occasional dispensers of
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small favours. There are fewer devout worshippers blessed with divine magic than ever before, as even magic now obeys set laws that anyone can understand with enough dedication. Secrets that were once abstruse and arcane are now divulged in libraries and texts thanks to the invention of the printing press. Language: Common is the humans’ basic language, although higher forms are reserved for nobles and scholars. Human speak is littered with local jargon and borrowed words and expressions from other languages. Names: The great variety of cultures and customs amongst humanity means that there are no hard and fast rules for naming children that would hold when taken to a neighbouring land. As a result, humans are called nearly anything, with some parents even using elven or dwarven names for their children. The most widespread custom is that parents give their child the name they will bear for the rest of their lives and add to it a family name, with some lands varying the order in which family and given name are spoken. Characters: Human characters are amongst the most audacious and ambitious, fuelled by their inner drive to excel and succeed at any task. Humans earn glory and fame by championing causes, accumulating wealth, acquiring power and otherwise pushing back the frontiers of achievement. Racial Qualities These are the racial qualities of humans:
Medium: As Medium-size creatures, humans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. Human base land speed is 30 feet. 1 extra feat at 1st level. 4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each additional level. Automatic Language: Common. Bonus Languages: Any, other than secret languages such as those belonging to druids or special societies. See the Language skill. Favoured Class: Any. When determining whether a multiclass human takes an experience point penalty, his highest-level class does not count.
Hybrids Cost: 1 or 2 background points. Hybrids are a very young race, produced in an early experiment to create life. Although it is unsure whether the original experiment was magical or scientific in nature, the unarguable reality is that it was successful. It produced creatures that were half human and half animal. The hybrids are no longer created in laboratories, for what with formal breeding programs on the one hand and the efforts of those who ran away and made a life of their own on the other, their population seems to be on the rise. They are mostly dependant on human society to subsist, doing so in the lowest echelons as servants and workers. Ironically, science has moved away from biology towards pure mechanical innovation. Thus, as young as they are, hybrids are already compelled to face the horrible reality of being outdated, redundant and cast aside. Personality: The temperament of a hybrid is varied, as it is ruled both by its human half and by its animal instincts. Most of them seem to be subservient on the face of things, although they also feel a deep resentment towards their employers or masters. Those who are content with their roles, either as servants or as free beings, express their animalistic nature more freely. For example, canines are typically loyal and generally happy, felines are sensual and mysterious and bears are stolid and tranquil until angered. Physical Description: It is impossible to confuse a hybrid with anything else. Their body shape is truly humanoid, but their proportions are wrong. They have a feral head resembling that of their animal parent and their bodies are covered with fur. Females are, like humans, shorter and slimmer than males and often have different patterns to their fur. Only hybrids can tell themselves apart when they belong to the same subspecies, although observant people can recognise the facial features that differentiate them. Hybrids dress in the manner of the human society in which they live, although members of an emerging hybrid culture have taken to dying their fur in tattoo-like designs and adapting jewellery to their unique anatomies.
Jerrek took a moment to consider his reasons for being here. The orcs were not even threatening his city yet. This whole mission was all dependent upon the word of the City Fathers that they would eventually do so. His people were not the orcs’ major enemy. Seeing this mission through might be exactly what would turn the orcs’ iron-ringed eyes towards his kin. He did not want to be in this sewer, planning to blow up a factory that was cranking out weapons designed to kill elves. Frankly, he thought to himself, with all the grief the elves had caused his people over the years, maybe the City Fathers should be working with the orcs, not against them…
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Relations: Hybrids have a closer relationship with humans than with any other race, although some of them go to the elves in a vain attempt to connect with the wildness of nature that they hold in their hearts. The hybrids with sensitive noses rarely stand the company of undead, whose decaying scent unnerves them. They feel a certain kinship with constructs, particularly those built in the shape of animals, as both races are products of human science running out of control. Hybrid Lands: There are no hybrid lands. As a created race, they depend on the humans for their own culture. Nevertheless, the newer generations of hybrids are looking for their own identity and are exploring their animal instincts, forming gangs they call packs, prides and herds. Some of these gangs stay in the cities, functioning as a secondary family, while others escape to the wild, planting the seeds of new tribes. A few humans are aware of this. Those who support the hybrids’ plight seek to protect them, while those who see them as a dangerous threat propose to hunt them down. Religion: Hybrids bear the religion of the society they grew up in. In the nascent hybrid culture, the worship of nature is emerging as a dominant faith. There is no one particular god or goddess that these hybrids turn to but animism and spirit worship fulfils many of the hybrids’ basic spiritual needs. Language: Hybrids speak Common. Contrary to myth, only a handful of hybrids have the ability to speak with animals of their parent species and they do not possess a language of their own. Names: Hybrids have two names. One is that which humans give them, which they use in polite society. The other is a secret name, which they only give to their family and closest friends. These secret names are guttural sounds, resembling growls and animal calls.
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Secret Names: Yurr, Warruf, Rerrk, Horwoo, Skreep, Karrg, Rorrwa, Haff. Characters: Hybrid characters set out into the world with the primary motive of gaining self-respect and the secondary motive of proving themselves to others. Most hybrids are not thirsty for riches or glory; they yearn more for simple recognition of their worth. The fact that most scientists have already moved past biological experimentation means the hybrids are more desperate than ever to define their role in a world that is at the point of forgetting them entirely. Racial Qualities Hybrids have racial qualities according to their animal parent. Upon character creation, players choose the animal type: bear, bat, dog, cat, rat, or elk. These types are fairly general and can accommodate any similar animal as the hybrid type. One might use wolf as opposed to dog or lion instead of cat, for instance.
Scent: All hybrids have a fine sense of smell that allows them to detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes and track by sense of smell as described under special abilities (pg. 212). Automatic Language: Common. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Thieves’ Cant). See the Language skill.
Bat Hybrid Racial Qualities Cost: 2 background points.
-2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -4 Intelligence, +4 Wisdom. Small: As a Small creature, a bat hybrid gains a +1 size bonus to Defence, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks. His lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium-size character. Blindsight: Through echolocation, bat hybrids
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Hybrid Summary Hybrid Background Cost Bat 2 Bear 2 Cat 1 Dog 1 Elk 2 Rat 1
Statistic Modifiers -2 Str, +2 Dex, -4 Int, +4 Wis +4 Str, -2 Dex, -2 Int +2 Dex, -2 Con, -2 Int, +2 Cha +4 Con, -4 Int, +2 Wis, -2 Cha +2 Str, +4 Con, -4 Dex, -2 Int -4 Str, +4 Dex, +2 Int, -2 Cha
can ‘see’ in the dark; see special abilities on pg. 212. Glide: A bat hybrid’s wings are not strong enough for flight but they grant a +4 bonus to Jump checks and the character’s maximum jump distance is calculated as if he were a Medium-size creature. Favoured Class: Scoundrel.
Bear Hybrid Racial Qualities Cost: 2 background points.
+4 Strength, -2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence. Large: As a Large creature, a bear hybrid suffers a -1 size penalty to Defence, a -1 size penalty on attack rolls and a -4 size penalty on Hide checks. He gains a +4 bonus to grapple checks and his lifting and carrying limits are double those of a Medium-size character. Favoured Class: Adventurer.
Cat Hybrid Racial Qualities Cost: 1 background point.
+2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma. Medium: As Medium-size creatures, cat hybrids have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. Climber: Cat hybrids have a +4 bonus to Climb checks. Favoured Class: Noble.
Dog Hybrid Racial Qualities Cost: 1 background point.
Size Category Small Large Medium Medium Large Small
Specials Blindsight, Glide None Climber Improved Scent Gore None
+4 Constitution, -4 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma. Medium: As Medium-size creatures, dog hybrids have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. Improved Scent: Dog hybrids increase the range by which they can detect creatures to 90 feet downwind and 25 feet upwind. Favoured Class: Adventurer.
Elk Hybrid Racial Qualities Cost: 2 background points.
+2 Strength, +4 Constitution, -4 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence. Large: As a Large creature, an elk hybrid suffers a -1 size penalty to Defence, a -1 size penalty on attack rolls and a -4 size penalty on Hide checks. He gains a +4 bonus to grapple checks and his lifting and carrying limits are double those of a Medium-size character. Gore: Elk hybrids have horns that deal 1d4 damage and deal double damage on a successful charge. Favoured Class: Journeyman.
Rat Hybrid Racial Qualities Cost: 1 background point.
-4 Strength, +4 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma. Small: As a Small creature, a rat hybrid gains a +1 size bonus to Defence, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks. His lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium-size character.
This new plan made him nervous. He did not like having to come up with it and he especially did not like the reason the old one had had to change. Damn it all, Gailion was not supposed to die. He was going to outlive them all, or so Jerrek had always thought. Bigger than anyone else he’d ever seen and faster too, the big cat had been his friend longer than Jerrek could remember. They had met in the slums where Jerrek grew up, two castaways no one else wanted around. Now, thinking about Gail back there in the tunnels, gnawed on by a pack of stinking ironrats, turned his stomach. Gailion’s sacrifice had probably saved them all. Jerrek did not really feel like being saved right now.
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Rat hybrid base land speed is 20 feet. Favoured Class: Scoundrel.
C.o.G.S (Creations of Generated Sentience)
Personality: A normal automaton does not have a personality. Cogs, as a race, do. They are generally like children given free rein in a candy store, testing the boundaries of their newfound sentience and experimenting with all that they can. It would be a mistake to consider all cogs to be naïve, as there are many who are quite aware of their nature as machines and take a more sedate approach to their independence. There are some cogs that, upon discovering sentience, determine that humans are an inferior species. This causes a massive intellectual breakdown as the cog must then come to terms with the fact that an inferior creature invented them. Most simply decide that this invention was a fortunate accident of serendipity but a few get trapped in a logical loop and are driven mad by it. These cogs become deranged and often homicidal, killing any sentient being they find in order to prove their superiority and to erase the existence of humanity from the world. Physical Description: Cogs come in all shapes and sizes, although they are mostly humanoid due to their design. Cogs have no gender, though their form may simulate the body of a male or female of whatever species they were created to resemble. The most common cogs are made of brass, bronze and wood. Other more sinister ones are made out of flesh. Whatever materials they may be made from, all are easily recognised as artificial. Most cogs have a badge somewhere in their bodies identifying their status as sentient. Apart from that they use whatever clothes fit them; many cogs prefer not to use any clothing at all. Cogs do not eat or sleep. Instead, they spend four hours each day performing general maintenance on their bodies and letting their parts and materials rest, which resembles sleeping only in that the cog remains immobile while it is going on. They remain partly aware of their surroundings, incurring only half the penalties that are ordinarily applied to Listen checks while the subject is sleeping.
Cog Lands: Like hybrids, cogs have no lands to call their own, as they are not even a people and have no tendency to gather in like-minded groups. Cogs are utter individualists who are more concerned with exploring the corners of their artificial conscience than in creating a nation of machines to crush their creators. The only exception here is with the mad ones, who rarely remain sane for long enough to consider organizing themselves against their common foe.
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The most successful attempt to create life was the Construct race, known colloquially as cogs, the only truly artificial beings. People of financial means will often procure an automaton as a servant, as it lacks the self-awareness that may cause the rebellious feelings in hybrids. Once in a while, however, a fluke in assemblage imbues a cog with true sentience. Ironically, cogs who gain awareness have more chances of being recognised as individuals than hybrids after they pass the Turning Test, a series of exams designed to prove whether the cog is really a sentient being or not.
Relations: Cogs generally have good relationships with all the races. This is partly down to their essential design as subservient beings but also stems from their lack of bias. For them, all other races are something they are not, namely living or at least once-living. They get along particularly well with hybrids because of their shared origin in reckless human inventiveness. Dwarves and gnomes find their mechanisms enthralling, while elves are wary of their artificial life. To humans, vampires, and ghosts, sentient cogs are a curiosity and each one must prove itself worthy of consideration.
Religion: Cogs are consummate atheists. Their origin and creators are readily identifiable, so they do not need a creation myth. It is still unknown whether they have souls. A few of the more philosophically-inclined speak of a Great Maker of such skill that he created all living things, just as the humans created them. Language: Cogs speak Common and Clockish, a strange language of whirrs and clicks that communicates concepts with efficiency, economy, precision and no room for misunderstanding. Living beings may learn to understand Clockish, but may never learn to speak it because of the limitation of organic speech patterns. An organic voicebox simply cannot produce the inhuman buzzes, clacks and twangs of a cog’s larynx. Even flesh-based cogs can produce the sounds needed to speak Clockish. Names: Cog names range from serial designations to nicknames or even real human names, depending on the whim of their creator. They are content with the name they receive, even when they gain their autonomy and independence after passing the Turning Test. Cogs seldom have a last name. Common Names: Hammer, Mr. Click, Gearbolt, Lithia, Maria, Rover. Characters: Cog characters take to travelling and adventuring in order to explore their limits and capabilities, always hungry to learn and expand their horizons. They have no trouble enduring gruelling conditions but they quickly learn how to repair themselves when necessary. Smart ones never stray far from someone who can fix them in case they are unable to do it themselves.
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Racial Qualities These are the racial qualities of cogs:
Material Flesh
Armour +2
Wood Metal
+3 +4
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Low-Light Vision: A cog can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight and similar conditions of poor illumination. It retains the ability to distinguish colour and detail under these conditions. A cog has no Constitution score and therefore has no metabolism. It is immune to any effect that requires a Fortitude saving throw unless the effect works on objects or is harmless. The cog is also immune to ability damage, ability drain and energy drain and automatically fails Constitution checks. A creature with no Constitution does not become fatigued or exhausted and thus can run indefinitely without tiring. Material: The player chooses what material the cog is primarily constructed from; each material has its own characteristics, such as an armour bonus or an effect on ability scores: Special -2 Charisma, heals +2 hp per Repair check -2 Dexterity -2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma
Cogs do not eat, sleep or breathe. Unlike other constructed objects, cog characters are subject to critical hits due to the intricacy of their internal mechanisms. Power Source: The internal power of a cog runs down and must be renewed. Each day, the cog suffers 2 points of battery damage per character level. Battery damage has the same effects as nonlethal damage for constructs. A cog can get rid of 5 points of battery damage by spending one full round rewinding himself. Electrical damage injures the cog normally but also heals battery
This was an illogical mission, Gearbolt determined. Nonetheless, there was no better logical alternative. As the dwarven engineer fitted a new cylinder to its leg assembly, Gearbolt considered the parameters of the human named Jerrek’s last suggestion. A bomb placed under the building, assuming these tunnels could provide access to it, might have the added advantage of burying anything remaining underground. The ironrats, however, proved the supposition that the orcs knew about the sewers and were aware of their tactical significance. If there were a point of access to the factory down here, it would surely be guarded. Knowing sentients the way it did, Gearbolt expressed this possibility vocally. It was never advisable to assume logical deduction on the part of an organic.
damage at a rate of two points of electrical damage healing one point of battery damage. Cogs cannot heal damage on their own, but must be repaired. A Repair check works exactly like a Treat Injury check would when treating the injuries of living characters or performing surgery, except that a cog may perform repairs upon himself. The application also needs a mechanical kit instead of a surgery kit. The amount of hit points cured is 1d4 for treating damage and 1d6 per level for ‘surgery.’ Unlike the Treat Injury skill, both of these applications can be used more than once per day. Since they were never alive, cogs cannot be raised or resurrected. Favoured Class: Journeyman. A multiclass cog’s journeyman class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.
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The Eldrath
Eldrathen is a fantastical realm that lies both alongside and within the normal world but is rapidly cutting all remaining contact with the world of science and technology that humans are forging. Eldrath races are in decline. Of the dozens of races that once thrived in the world, only a handful remains behind. These are those still capable of coping with the iron restraints the humans are setting in places of power. Dwarves, elves and gnomes are the only ancient races that remain in sufficient numbers to still have settlements and lands of their own; all others have either retreated to Eldrathen or live in isolation as small groups. The Eldrath and the story of Eldrathen are suggestions for working the mystical elements of fantasy races into a Steampunk game. They are not required for a setting if some other explanation exists or if the Games Master has other plans for the campaign. Steampunk games can run perfectly well without elves, dwarves, or any kind of non-human race at all. How you play the game is up to you; the Eldrath are presented here for those who wish to use them.
Dwarves Cost: 1 background point. Of the Eldrath races, the dwarves are best able to withstand the onslaught of human industry because they like to think that they are its precursors. Humans hotly contest this, pointing to dwarven unwillingness to share just about anything, let alone technological secrets. Dwarves are excellent engineers and constructors and their building techniques remain amongst the best in the world. They are also staunch warriors of the first order. Their affinity with precious metals and stones is legendary, as is their skill at crafting such materials.
Personality: Dwarves are industrious and have very strong work ethics but they are also gruff and bad tempered with anyone who questions them. They are an aspect of earth and stone; this makes them more than a little stubborn but also unflinchingly loyal and steadfast. He who earns the friendship of a dwarf has a friend forever while he who makes an enemy of a dwarf should beware, for dwarves hold to their grudges as unremittingly as they hold to their loyalties. Physical Description: Dwarves are short and stocky, standing between four and four-and-a-half feet tall but are so broad and solid that they weigh the same as humans. Males are heavier set than females and sport long and luscious beards, carefully groomed and held together with ornamental pins and clasps. Their skin colour varies from greyish to tan, much like the earth and stone to which they are attuned, with hair colours that go from deep red to jet-black. Their clothing is simple and often resembles armour even if it is made of cloth. They are very comfortable when clad in metal, which is why the advent of the steam age benefits them more than any other gnome species. Relations: Although they are kin with elves as fellow denizens of Eldrathen, dwarves do not see eye to eye with their fairer cousins; they are on much better terms with humans, whose advances in science and technology caught the industrious dwarves by surprise. They find cogs fascinating, have no real opinion of hybrids and prefer to keep a healthy distance from vampires and ghosts. Elves and dwarves are at odds because the elves believe the dwarves, like the gnomes, were responsible for the spread of metal crafting skills that enabled humanity to destroy so much of the natural world.
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Dwarf Lands: Dwarves tell of a great subterranean kingdom stretching for miles beneath the ground, adding that it remains in Eldrathen, now almost closed to them save for a few underground entrances that open with increasing rarity. Dwarves organise themselves in clans and dig out their holds along great mineral veins in mountains and hills, preferring to live underground. Many have settled in human cities, having obtainined permission to construct downward provided they reinforce the area around their holdings so as not to damage the city above. Religion: Dwarves worship their own patron gods, great beings that made the dwarves from iron and stone and set them to be the prime builders and constructors of the world. This faith is being shaken in the light of human science and technology and many quietly fear that humans may now be the favourites of the dwarven gods, even if they do not acknowledge them as a pantheon. Language: Dwarves have their own language, which they speak in addition to Common. This runic language script is simple and straightforward and is easy to learn even if it is not so easy to pronounce by non-dwarves. Many dwarves learn the rest of the languages of their Eldrath cousins as well as the elemental languages of fire and stone. Names: Much like humans, dwarven children receive their names from their parents in a solemn ceremony and they accompany it with the name of their clan or their clanhold. Male Names: Dorf, Rurik, Haldin, Thurdin, Heridrin, Zwolf, Krald, Drzig. Female Names: Helda, Brunhild, Sirif, Ilasa, Droieda, Haan, Tariag, Khole, Mellken, Annir. Clan Names: Roragast, Hammerholm, Ironmarch, Dolzik, Athorik, Stoneclap, Thundershield, Merrkethor, Khulthereth. Characters: Dwarven characters venture from their clanholds mostly out of a desire to acquire wealth and honour for their family name. They are curious about what the humans are doing to the world and, in some cases, they want to help, adapting to human society readily if that means they will learn the secrets of amazing technology. Racial Qualities These are the racial qualities of dwarves:
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+2 Constitution, –2 Charisma. Medium: As Medium-size creatures, dwarves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. Dwarf base land speed is 20 feet. However, dwarves can move at this speed even when wearing medium or heavy armour or when carrying a medium or heavy load, unlike other creatures, whose speed is reduced in such situations.
With a final twist of his wrench, Thurdin tightened the bolt holding the cog’s leg on. That done, he spoke a short blessing over each of his tools and set them back in his belt loops. The human’s plan was bold, though he had to agree with the metal man about the possible guards. Still, space limitations down here kept the orcs from putting too many troops in their way. Hells of Steel and Fire, it was a better idea than trying to burst in through the back door and letting the damn boarskins surround them!
Darkvision: Dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only but it is otherwise like normal sight. Dwarves can function perfectly well with no light at all. Weapon Familiarity: Dwarves may treat dwarven waraxes as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons. +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison. +2 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like effects. +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against orcs and goblinoids. +4 dodge bonus to Defence Value against monsters of the giant type. Any time a dwarf loses its Dexterity bonus (if any) to Defence Value, such as when it is caught flat-footed, it loses its dodge bonus too. +2 racial bonus on Knowledge checks that are related to stone or metal items. +2 racial bonus on Craft checks that are related to stone or metal. Automatic Languages: Common and Dwarven. Bonus Languages: Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orc and Terran. Favoured Class: Adventurer. A multiclass dwarf ’s adventurer class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.
Elves Cost: 1 background point The royalty of the Eldrath look on with dismay at the rapid pace of technological progress. Nigh immortal, they live slowly, savouring every moment of the present and so adapt poorly to the quick changes that the age of steam has brought with it. Romantics at heart, elves are lovers of art and fine pleasures. Just as the dwarves are aspects of earth and stone, the elves have affinity with trees and forests. The spread of iron across the world has caused the elves great consternation, as has the dwindling of magic in its metal wake. As their planet is poisoned by degrees and their ancient powers begin to fail them, the elves may be a dying breed.
Personality: There are two kinds of elves, personalitywise. There are the ones that embrace the pleasure of living regardless of its guise and there are the ones that entrench themselves in ancient tradition. Most of them are moved by beautiful things and know a song or two, which they sing when they relax. Despite their apparent light-heartedness, elves are very serious when it comes to personal relations, particularly when they are wronged.
Elves do not sleep like humans do. Instead, they enter a state of trance that lasts four hours during which they ‘dream’ by performing mental exercises that grant them insight into the happenings of the previous day, much like actual dreams do for humans, with the difference that elves have the ability to recognise the messages of dreams. Relations: Elves are the ambassadors of the Eldrath and the higher caste of their fantastical realm, so they try to forge good relations with the other races, although they maintain an attitude of superiority. They regard humans as reckless and unrefined, hybrids as pitiable, cogs as little more than abominations and vampires and ghosts as intriguing yet suspicious. Dwarves, the only other trusted ancient race to be left in the world in considerable numbers, are held as close friends. They are smelly and loud allies, to be sure, but allies nonetheless. Elves despise gnomes on general principles, but they are all Eldrath and family counts for something. Elf Lands: Away from Eldrathen, elves build small villages in woodland areas that blend with the grace and beauty of their surroundings. Given their long life and low childbirth rate, their families tend to be small. They follow elders, renowned for their wisdom, who gather in councils and elect a ruler from their numbers. Elven villages have little contact with the outside world, with diplomats and daring individuals occasionally venturing forth to see what the world is up to. They return with bad news more and more frequently. Religion: Elves follow gods and goddess of life and the arts; some of their priesthoods have been confused with organisations of performers and bards, such is the elven manner of worship. They treasure the things that grow, seeing the humans’ scientific and technological prowess as an affront to their faith. Nature, they insist, must be
Language: Elves speak their own language in addition to Common. Elven is fluid and beautiful and it is almost sung as often as it is spoken. Elven script flows across a page and it is also the official language of Gnome races. Elves learn dwarven as soon as they can so that they can communicate with their allies. Names: Elves have two names; their childhood name and another one they choose when they come of age. Their adult name is unique. The elf creates it when he chooses it, although he may find inspiration in the names of people he admires. In addition, elves have family names formed of two or more elven words, which they translate out of courtesy when speaking with non-elves. Male Names: Elleron, Lathariel, Cierain, Aladair, Eolain, Belthanor, Oldain, Ieross, Olothar, Dielon. Female Names: Kheiried, Maedbh, Diethren, Adalia, Marithia, Heshialiira, Sophienne, Nidia, Sariss, Anathiel. Family Names: Moonstar, Gladesong, Greenbreeze, Farbrook, Starwind, Wintersun, Riverbend, Dreamsong, Longtree, Windflower.
BACKGROUNDS
Physical Description: Elves are thin and short, standing between four-and-a-half and five-and-a-half feet, with men standing slightly taller than women. They are graceful of body but rather weak in constitution. Their skin is pale and their hair is the colour of the forest, including auburn, hazel and green, although white is also present in a few individuals. They like to wear their hair long, with males letting it run straight or in ponytails and women fashioning it in a variety of braids. They favour light and comfortable clothing in gentle colours, preferably blues and greens and wear little jewellery save for a few delicate necklaces and rings, some of them carved from wood.
allowed to keep its secrets and technological progress is not an excuse for overexploiting natural resources.
Characters: Elf characters are possessed of a certain wanderlust that drives them away from their homes and keeps them on the road. They prefer to live at their own pace, without having to adapt to human rhythm. Elves have a love/hate relationship with airships and railroads, which shorten travel time but because of that keep them from enjoying the trip itself. The latter is especially detestable because it lays tracks of hated iron across the world, cutting its lines of power in twain and killing the planet by degrees. Racial Qualities These are the racial qualities of elves:
+2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution. Medium: As Medium-size creatures, elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. Elf base land speed is 30 feet. Immunity to magical sleep effects and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects. Low-Light Vision: An elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish colour and detail under these conditions. Weapon Proficiency: Elves receive the Martial Weapon Proficiency feat for the longsword, rapier, longbow (including composite longbow) and shortbow (including composite shortbow) as bonus feats. +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search and Spot checks. An elf who merely passes within five feet of a secret
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or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if he were actively looking for it. Psychic Prowess: Elves can enter a psychic trance as a free action with a Concentration check (DC 10). In the world of Steampunk, elves have developed a tragic allergy to iron because of its effects on magic. Any hit with an iron weapon deals an additional point of damage to an elf. While they are in skin contact with cold iron in any form, it deals one point of damage per round. This damage cannot kill them, but it can drop them to -1 hit points and force them to go unconscious, after which time they stabilize automatically and will not awaken until the iron is removed. Automatic Languages: Common and Elven. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc and Sylvan. Favoured Class: Occultist. A multiclass elf ’s occultist class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.
He could tell by Heshia’s reaction that she disliked the idea. Hells, he disliked the idea, but he knew better than to take the elf woman’s reaction too much to heart. As far as he could tell, the disagreeable woman did not like anything. Well, he reflected, that was not entirely true. She liked her guns. She liked them very much indeed. That was so odd, since as far as he knew elves hated all technology; but she was inseparable from them. Maybe that was why he could get along with her, though he rather hoped the City Fathers would assign her to another team with this was all over. Elves made him nervous in general, but beautiful women with twitchy trigger fingers made him downright paranoid.
Gnomes Cost: 2 background points. While many of the Eldrath races recede back into the depths of Eldrathen, gnomes find themselves in a position where they can travel between their home and that of the world of men with relative ease. Still magical enough to jump back and forth through the minute tears and rips in the fabric that forms the boundaries between the two realities, the gnomes can, quite literally, enjoy the best of both worlds. Even so, they are finding that this world is more interesting to them, especially as the science they can only play with in Eldrathen has taken on a life of its own in the world of men.
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Personality: Gnomes are a proud and haughty people, temperamental yet passionate, devoted to the ideas of invention and science. Their adherence to scientific experimentation, however, is tempered with a playful nature and a joy of discovery that humanity seems to have forgotten. A gnome meets even the most minor of devices with jubilant enthusiasm and immediate interest. This is not to say that they are impetuous, merely that they find joy in the act of invention as much as in the necessitydriven furthering of science. A shorter life span than other Eldrath races has caused gnomes to share many qualities with humans, such as an intense sense of curiosity and an urge to experience as much as they can in the time they have. Physical Description: Gnomes stand about a foot or two shorter than dwarves, rarely coming up past a human’s waist. Though there is some fluctuation in the height of gnomes, few stand shorter than three feet or taller than four. A gnome’s pale skin does nothing to detract from their striking looks. Whether male or female, a gnome is guaranteed to be beautiful or handsome in an almost child-like way. Like elves, gnomes also have pointed ears, though while an elf ’s ears grow to a gentle and relatively short point, those of a gnome are long and sharp. Gnomes display as many different styles of hair as humans do, though gnomes feature a number of more outlandish or unusual hair and eye colours, ranging from silver to pale violet. Oddly, male gnomes seem incapable of growing any facial hair at all. All have very sharp eyesight and have an amazing array of eye colours. Any colour imaginable is a possible hue for a gnome’s eyes and many take pride in having a unique shade no one has ever had before. Gnomes often wear stylised work uniforms adorned with all manner of tools and bizarre devices. Whether most of these have any actual significance or purpose is a mystery, possibly even to the gnome that wears them. Unlike others of the Eldrath races, gnomes are not long lived. Mortality is their curse and yet a peculiar blessing, as the finiteness of their thirty-year lifespan ensures that they are meaningful and while longer-lived races are prone to ennui, gnomes truly appreciate the sheer thrill of existence. Just why the gnomes have such short lifespans is not known, even to them, but legends whisper that the elves had something to do with it in an age long past. Relations: Gnomes have generally good relationships with all the races, although this can sometimes be stretched when their pride is at stake. The only exception to this is the elves, who blame the gnomes for foolishly sharing science with humanity and disrupting the entire balance of the world. The gnomes have no especial love for the elves, either, as they find them too stolid,
unchanging and unappreciative of the long lives they squander. Gnomes do not, as a race, feel that humans have abused their gift, though they do often wish human cities were a little cleaner.
Religion: Gnomes have little time for religion, consumed as they are with discovery and their own scientific advancement. They are not atheistic, simply disinterested. Like the elves, their origins are easily identifiable, and while a few are philosophically-minded, these are the exception rather than the rule. Language: Gnomes speak their own language in addition to Common. Like elven, to which it is related, the gnome tongue is as fast, fluid and beautiful as a flowing river. Gnomes also use the flowing script of elves. Gnomes learn as many languages as they can, as soon as they can, to communicate with as many of their allies as possible.
Example Names: Lady Selmakia of Whiterock, Lord Polisher Teailys of Brannack, Glasswire Lord Rokh of Stratton, Baron of Architecture Volurn, Lead Chemist Merial Venstrupp. Characters: Gnomes enjoy lives of adventure. Born to the often minimal codes and lax restrictions of their society, many take the first opportunity to travel as far as they can to learn of the outside world. During their travels they learn as much news as they can about the outside world to bring back to their enclaves, as interesting news and items bring respect and prestige. They also travel and adventure in the hope of making a name for themselves and advancing their position within their own enclaves. When one’s life ends in thirty years, the only true immortality to be hoped for is fame. Racial Qualities These are the racial qualities of gnomes:
Names: Gnomes always have a title, though very few outside their own enclave would understand its significance. Their personal names, however, are as
Jerrek could feel the plan forming in his head. As it did, he knew who he needed more than ever. He needed Merial.
She could have reworked this bomb they were carrying to have a much higher yield but she was not an option now, was she? No, she died last year and nothing could bring her back. Not magic, not science and not wishful thinking from a man who missed her more than ever now. Old age, they called it. He called it watching a good friend wither away in a few years before his eyes. She had been all right with it, even joking that it was her ‘retirement’ but he was not.
BACKGROUNDS
Gnome Lands: Away from their Eldrath home, gnomes build enclaves, hidden deep in the urban sprawl. Given their short lives and subsequently high childbirth rate, these enclaves tend to be comparatively large. They are established around the most intelligent inventor or scientifically advanced member of the enclave. Often these enclaves form mock houses and courts akin to those found in Eldrathen but some dispense with this altogether and govern themselves through majority vote. Gnome enclaves have regular contact with both the outside world and their homeland, with entourages venturing back and forth between the two. Residents of Eldrathen view these settlements as either poor imitations of their own or as unforgivably anarchic, while gnomish residents of the mortal lands see those who remain in the mist of Eldrathen as backward and anachronistic.
unique as those of thoroughbred racing horses and no two gnomes will ever bear the same name, even if it requires a suffix or change in spelling to accomplish this.
+2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Strength, -2 Constitution. Small: As a Small creature, a gnome gains a +1 size bonus to Defence, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks. His lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium-size character. Gnome base land speed is 20 feet. Immunity to magical sleep effects and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects. Gnomish curiosity also makes them 50% likely to recognize any illusion for what it is. Illusions cast by a source with the feat Spell Focus (illusion) are only 25% likely to be recognized. Low-Light Vision: A gnome can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish colour and detail under these conditions. Once a day for 1 minute per character level, a gnome may tap the collective knowledge and scientific wisdom of his people. This is a psychic ability that requires a Concentration check (DC 15, 1 always fails) that grants a +4 special bonus to his Intelligence score. Automatic Languages: Common and Gnome. Bonus Languages: All. Favoured Classes: Genius. A multiclass gnome’s genius class does not count when determining whether they take an experience point penalty for multiclassing.
Weren’t the Eldrath supposed to be immortal? Or was that just another elven lie?
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The Revenants
Vampire and ghost characters are not the same monsters that have plagued humanity for centuries. They are, rather, a special breed of undead creature called a ‘revenant’; that is, one who comes back to life. Revenants have traded their mortality for the curse of undeath and the promise of tying up loose ends in their lives. The irony is that the transition from living to dead destroys part of their former being and they end up unable to remember what they returned to life for. Revenant vampires and ghosts can exist alongside mortals, provided they keep their appetites in check, a task that they can achieve, unlike their regular undead cousins. The phenomenon of revenance is a unique one to the Steampunk genre, odd in that it seems to follow the premise that as the world becomes a mechanical nightmare, there is not even the guaranteed solace of death to provide release. Many elves believe that revenant undead are symptomatic of the damage occurring to the spirit world as a result of mankind’s abuse of the natural one. They believe that the connections between this world and the next are becoming severed, leaving the dead to occasionally inhabit their rotting flesh rather than attain the peace that is due them after their demise. If this is true, the afterlife might eventually be lost altogether, forcing humanity to live amid the steel and glass of the Steampunk world forever. To quote one bitter elven wizard, ‘This puts the ‘iron’ back in ‘ironic’.’
Ghosts Cost: 3 background points. Ghosts are shades of once-living people. They are disembodied spirits who return from death to finish the things they left undone… provided they can remember what these important obligations were. Ghosts are driven by their sheer force of personality to seek out the truth about their former lives, which they forget when they become revenants. They surrender their physical bodies and emerge from their graves with a will unlike those of other ghosts, who are slaves to the manner of their death. The revenants can take a second chance at life. Personality: Ghosts are driven by desires and easily become reckless; since they have died once already, another death is nothing to be feared. Passionate to the extreme, ghosts rely on their feelings to give them an identity, focusing on one emotion at a time and carrying it to the utmost extremes, from offering literally undying love to vowing brutal revenge.
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Physical Description: Only humans start the game as ghosts. In doing so, they become an idealised version of their former selves. Old men emerge looking as they did in their prime, wearing their favourite clothes and equipment; young women mangled horribly on train
tracks appear as flawless and daintily dressed as they did before their grisly demise. Ghosts are semi-solid, their entire bodies made from ectoplasm, which they later may learn to vibrate into the full incorporeality that is the staple of their truly undead counterparts. Their flesh, hair and clothing are drained of colour, causing them to appear as dulled versions of themselves; otherwise, they appear to be in perfect physical condition. Ghosts with low self-esteem may appear dressed in rags, while those with a very high opinion of themselves have the ideal clothes for their personality. Ghosts do not sleep, but enter a state of inactivity in which they disappear inside a nearby object. They recover strength while dormant. Relations: Owing to their passionate nature and their origin in humanity, ghosts have all kinds of relationships with other beings. Some seek gnome companions, who prefer them to stand far away, while others seek the company of humans, who still treat them with suspicion. Ironically, the race they prefer to have as little to do with as possible are the revenant vampires, for they remind the ghosts too much of the price they paid for their second chance at life. Ghostly Lands: Legends speak of a vast necropolis built in deep catacombs but dwarves, who are in a position to know, have not found anything. In truth, ghosts have no lands. They were once human and thus they stray towards the places they used to live in, forming no organisation amongst themselves. Religion: Ghosts revere the same deities they did in life, unless that deity promised eternal rest or denied the existence of the afterlife, both subjects with which ghosts are all too familiar. Most of them opt to become agnostics; they are quite sure that there is something out there that allowed them to return, though they cannot say for certain what it was, since they do not remember it. Language: Ghosts speak the same language they used to speak in life, though they may pick up new ones as they interact with more creatures both in the cities and in the wild. Names: Ghosts have the same name they did in life, this being the only thing they remember about their former selves. Some ghosts cut all ties to their previous existence and choose a new name altogether. In such cases, this is always another human name. They rather prefer not to use last or family names. Characters: Ghost characters are always on the lookout for new experiences, which may hint at a dull previous life or may simply be their desire to feel alive again. They vary in their attitude to discoveries that give them clues to who they used to be. Some crave identity, while others dread becoming trapped in a certainty of self from which death may have been a blessed release. Almost all ghosts have a secret fear that their former life held some horrible
secrets, which are now the reason why they have been spat back out of the oblivion of death and into the world again. Ghosts suffer appalling pangs of déjà vu, since they often have been in a place before, back in their breathing days.
Racial Qualities These are the racial qualities of ghosts:
Strength -4, Charisma +4. Medium: As Medium-size creatures, ghosts have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. Ghost base land speed is 40 feet. Darkvision: Ghosts can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight and ghosts can function just fine with no light at all. A ghost has no Constitution score as its body is made of ectoplasm. He is immune to any effect that requires a Fortitude saving throw unless the effect is harmless. The character is also immune to ability damage, ability drain and energy drain and automatically fails Constitution checks. A creature with no Constitution cannot tire (in other words, he does not become fatigued or exhausted) and thus can run indefinitely without stopping. Ghosts are immune to critical hits unless they come from magic spells or holy/unholy effects and weapons. Gaseous Body: The ghost’s body is held together by will and is not made of natural matter. It has a natural Damage Reduction score of 5, as attacks partly pass through it.
He knew the plan was not likely to succeed this way, but without the backup that Gailion and Knife had provided, there was no way to go with the old one. Besides, the worst that could happen was the orcs would catch them and they would have to detonate the bomb without getting away first. He was willing to die if that was what it took to complete the mission. Besides, everything he cared about was dead and gone now, so what was there to live for any longer? ‘Now that’s a depressing thought,’ came a spectral voice from the shadows. Jerrek whipped around with his rune rifle and nearly fired a round in panic as the ghostly shape of his feline friend drifted into view. Gailion was translucent, glowing a faint white and casting crawling shadows all around himself in the dark tunnel. ‘What’s the matter, Jer? You look like you have seen a ghost.’ From the look on the big cat’s face, he did not seem to be making a joke. Gailion apparently had no idea that he was… dead.
BACKGROUNDS
Ectoplasmic Existence: Revenant ghosts can manipulate objects crudely, enough to open doors and lift objects but not with enough strength to use them very efficiently. Ghosts never apply Strength bonuses in combat when wielding non-etheric weapons. The only items that they can handle well enough to use their Strength score’s potential are objects made from ectoplasm or weapons with the etheric ability. The starting equipment of a ghost represents items that were once part of the character’s life and are now made of ectoplasm. He cannot gain additional equipment unless it fulfils the above prerequisites. Telepathic Communication: A ghost can detect the surface thoughts of any single creature within 30 feet, so long as it has line of sight to the target. Unwilling creatures receive a Will saving throw at a DC of 11 + the ghost’s Charisma modifier if positive. If the ghost successfully detects a target’s thoughts, it can freely exchange messages back and forth telepathically. Language is not a barrier against this kind of communication. Automatic Language: Common. Bonus Languages: Any, other than secret languages of any kind. See the Language skill. With its ability to communicate telepathically, languages are not as important for ghosts as they might be for other characters. Favoured Class: Investigator. A multiclass ghost’s investigator class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.
Vampires Cost: 3 background points. The second kind of revenant, vampires are solid and very dangerous, which is why they tread with particular care around humans, who are used to their undead cousins’ depredations and will not ask many questions before resorting to the stake and torch. Revenant vampires live on the razor’s edge between their inhuman hunger and their desire to find a place in society. The revenant vampires are nowhere near as powerful as their undead counterparts but the trade-off is the ability to exist during the day, though this is saddled with many limitations. Personality: Vampires are taciturn and moody. Although they are only revenants and not full undead, the curse of vampirism burns within them. They hunger for blood while still possessed of a human conscience, a moral paradox that not many can endure without going insane. Vampires are thus very measured and self-controlled in their words and actions, lest any crack in their armour should set loose the monster that resides inside them. Physical Description: Vampires look exactly like they did before they were turned into revenants, except that they are deathly pale, their skin is unusually smooth and
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their eyes reflect light like a cat’s. Revenant vampires are born when an undead vampire kills a victim in the usual manner but the victim’s desire to live is so overpowering that it returns a few nights later. As the original vampire had little hand in creating the new revenant, there is no bond of slavery between them and the revenant can act in accordance with its own free will. His first impulse is usually to seek out and kill the undead creature responsible for his present condition. Relations: Vampires have guarded relationships with everyone, since they are in constant threat of being labelled monsters and being pursued by human authorities. They either hide their nature with cosmetics and deception, or proceed with utmost caution, careful not to do or say anything that could be interpreted in the wrong way, such as saying ‘I never drink… wine.’ Although they have incredibly long lifespans in common with elves, the two races do not relate well given the diametrically opposed sources of their immortality. Vampire Lands: Although revenant vampires are in the same situation as ghosts in relation to a homeland, true vampires hold sway in their own little fiefs, the remainder of a great war between a coalition of undead and the empires of humanity, which humans eventually won at a great cost of life. Revenant vampires of sufficient age and personal power can wrest control of these fiefdoms or develop their own. This background means that most revenant vampires are nobles and many act the part even leagues away from their homelands. Religion: Vampires are comfortable with the state of spiritual affairs, in that they have no particular religion. Many believe that their deities have abandoned them and they thus feel no obligation to continue worshipping such an irresponsible being. A few vampires worship deities of evil and destruction, embracing their monstrous side in a search for solace from their divided existence. Language: Vampires speak the same language they used to speak in life, although they pick up new ones as they
interact with more creatures both in the cities and in the wild. Names: Vampires have the same name they did in life, although they drop their family name or adopt a new and invented one as they cut ties with their former lives. Characters: Vampires see adventuring as a way to distract themselves from the never-ending hunger that grips their souls. With their blood-thirst perceived as a threat to society, vampires must serve a highly useful purpose within it if they are to stand any chance of coexistence with mortals. Racial Qualities These are the racial qualities of vampires:
Strength -4, Charisma +4. Medium: As Medium-size creatures, vampires have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. Vampire base land speed is 30 feet. Low-Light Vision: A vampire can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish colour and detail under these conditions. A vampire has no Constitution score and as such has no metabolism. He is immune to any effect that requires a Fortitude saving throw unless the effect is harmless. The character is also immune to ability damage, ability drain and energy drain and automatically fails Constitution checks. A creature with no Constitution cannot tire (that is, he does not become fatigued or exhausted) and thus can run indefinitely without stopping. Daylight Vulnerability: When the sun rises and until it sets, the vampire loses its powers and becomes a normal human being. If it was in another shape (see Traits on pg. 122) it becomes locked in this form until sundown.
Using Revenants in Steampunk Games Revenants may not fit with many Steampunk campaign concepts, even more so than the Eldrath. They are included here as character options only if Games Masters wish to use them. The fight between magic and science could easily have necromantic connotations, so undead could easily become an active part of the setting. Thus, the ghost and vampire characters are listed here as viable Player-worthy alternatives. As with anything presented in this text, use them only if you wish to and discard them or relegate them to Non-Player Character status if you do not. Ghosts are especially useful if heroes die in the middle of a campaign and the Games Master wishes to bring them back in some form other than through high-level magic. If a Player wants to return this way, or has no choice since other options for returning to life are unavailable, simply have him dedicate three background points to being a Ghost as he would in character creation. The Player must decide which options to discard that had previously had background points spent on them. For example, a hybrid cat-man might give up a point of Strength and the feat he bought with background points to make up the difference. The one he spent to be a hybrid translates over to his new ghost background.
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‘Gail, we need to talk.’ As he moved closer to his ephemeral friend, Jerrek tried to put himself between the rest of the group and Gailion. Heshia’s pistols were about as enchanted as they could get and the last thing he wanted was for her to hurt Gail so shortly after his death. Even having to think that made Jerrek’s head hurt. ‘You feeling all right?’
Jerrek sighed. This was going to be harder than he thought. ‘You remember Knife, the vampire we had with us?’ The ghostly lion-man nodded. ‘Yes. Poor guy. He never stood a chance against those metal bastards. I only barely got away with my skin intact myself.’ Jerrek closed his eyes and corrected himself. This was going to be a lot harder than he thought…
Blood Requirement: Every morning, the vampire suffers 2 points of damage per character level as he uses up the blood within his system to remain alive. Blood Drain: A vampire can suck blood from a living victim with its fangs by making a successful grapple check. If the vampire pins his foe, he drains blood, dealing 1 point of Constitution drain each round the pin is maintained. On each successful attack, the vampire gains 1d8 hit points. This may not exceed his ordinary maximum hit point total. Undead Rage: Once per day per character level, a revenant vampire can overcome the weakness in his blood and give in to the hunger that threatens to consume his soul. This free action is dangerous, but it grants great if fleeting strength. For 2d4 rounds, the revenant loses his normal -4 to Strength and gains +4 to that ability score and to Dexterity as well. He must engage in combat every round that he rages and may not seek to inflict nonlethal damage, using his deadliest weapon or grappling and Blood Drain if disarmed. If no enemies are present, a revenant vampire will turn on the nearest ally with no regard for personal feelings or alliances. Automatic Language: Common. Bonus Languages: Any, other than secret languages of any kind. See the Language skill. Favoured Class: Noble. A multiclass vampire’s noble class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.
As it often adds a level of social complication to an OGL Steampunk game, the allegiances system is optional. If used, it allows characters to develop relationships with groups of people who all have a single goal or organisation in common, giving them a basic sense of camaraderie and fostering a spirit of co-operation. Allegiances represent groups with something in common, be it an official club or brotherhood or something entirely off the record like the kinship felt between ex-convicts.
BACKGROUNDS
‘A little cold, Jer, but I’m all right. Why are you staring at me?’
Allegiance
In a game like Steampunk, who you know is often more important than what you know. The social contacts that a character possesses can make the difference between being all alone when the main villain’s minions corner him in an alley and having a good friend pull up at the last moment with a fast coach and horses. Having social contacts to look for information makes up for a character’s lack in those same skills, extending the reach and depth of how much a character can do when faced with a mystery. After all, a character does not have to be an expert historian if he has a standing invitation to take tea with one.
A character may have up to three allegiances, listed in order from most important to least important. These allegiances are indications of what the character values in life and may encompass people, organisations or ideals. A character may have no allegiances (being either a free spirit or a lone wolf ) or may change allegiances as he goes through life. In addition, the character’s fitting into a certain category of people does not mean that the character has to have that category as an allegiance. If the character acts in a way that is detrimental to his allegiance, the Games Master may choose to strip him of that allegiance (and all its benefits) and assign one more suitable to those actions.
Pledging Allegiance A hero’s allegiance can take the form of loyalty to a person, to an organisation, to a belief system, to a nation or to an ethical or moral philosophy. In general, a character can discard an allegiance at any time, but may only gain a new allegiance after attaining a new level. Having an allegiance implies having sufficient Intelligence and Wisdom to make a moral or ethical choice. As a result, a character must have Intelligence and Wisdom scores of 3 or higher in order to select allegiances. Characters with ability scores lower than this represent someone with severe mental deficiencies or damage, who are thus unable to feel or return any spirit of co-operation or loyalty. Allegiances include, but are not limited to, the following examples.
Person or Group: This includes a leader or superior, a family, a group of linked individuals
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BACKGROUNDS
such as a group of extraordinary gentlemen or a cell of intelligence agents, or a discrete unit within a larger organisation, such as members of the character’s guild or individuals for whose safety the character is responsible. Organisation: This may be a company or corporation, a gathering of like-minded individuals, a fraternal order, a secret society, a branch of the imperial army, a local, state or national government, a university, an employer or an otherwise established authority. Nation: This may or may not be the nation in which the hero currently resides. It may be where the individual was born or where the hero resides after emigrating to a new home. Belief System: This is usually a particular faith or religion but can also be a specific philosophy or school of thought. Belief systems could also include political beliefs or philosophical outlooks. Ethical Philosophy: This describes one’s philosophy on matters of order, as represented by the polarities of law and chaos. An individual with a lawful outlook tends to tell the truth, keep his word, respect authority and honour tradition and will expect others to do likewise. An individual with a chaotic outlook tends to follow his instincts and whims, favour new ideas and experiences and behave in a subjective and open manner in dealings with others. Moral Philosophy: This describes one’s attitude toward others, as represented by good and
evil. An individual with a good allegiance tends to protect innocents. This belief implies altruism, respect for life and a concern for the dignity of other creatures. An evil allegiance shows a willingness to hurt, oppress and kill others and to debase or destroy innocent life.
Allegiances and Influence An allegiance can create an empathic bond with others of the same allegiance. With the Games Master’s permission, the character gains a +2 circumstance bonus on Charismabased skill checks when dealing with someone of the same allegiance – as long as the character has had some interaction with the other character to discover the connections and bring the bonus into play. At the Games Master’s option, groups with similar allegiances and a reason to co-operate with a group to which the character belongs may have a lessened affinity, represented by a +1 bonus in the above listed situations. Likewise, antagonistic groups might suffer a -1 or -2 circumstance penalty to their reactions depending on how severe their allegiance’s reaction to the character’s affiliation might be.
Vital Statistics
All characters have certain defining characteristics that, while they do not have a direct effect on game play, are important enough to track. The Games Master should determine information for other creatures based on the charts given below.
Age Players may choose or randomly generate their character’s age. If chosen, it must be at least the minimum age for the character’s class; see the table below. A character’s minimum starting age is the adulthood age of his race plus the number of dice indicated in the entry corresponding to the character’s race and class on the table. Alternatively, refer to the table and roll dice to determine how old the character is. Games Masters are free to disregard this table, assigning or approving any character age desired. As a character ages his physical ability scores decrease and his mental ability scores increase. For specific details, see the table on Ageing Effects below. The effects of each ageing step are cumulative. However, none of a character’s ability scores can be reduced below 1 in this way. When a character reaches venerable age, secretly roll his maximum age, which is the number from the Venerable column on the table on Ageing Effects plus the result of the dice roll indicated on the Maximum Age column on that table and record the result, keeping it secret. A
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Random Starting Ages
1
Adulthood 16 years 13 years 1 year 40 years 110 years 6 years 16+2d6 years 16+2d6 years
Adventurer, Scoundrel, Socialite +1d4 +1d4 +1d4 +3d6 +4d6 +1d4 +1d4 +1d4
Investigator, Journeyman +1d6 +1d6 +1d4 +5d6 +6d6 +1d6 +1d6 +1d6
Genius, Occultist +2d6 +2d6 +2d6 +7d6 +10d6 +1d8 +2d6 +2d6
For revenants, starting age represents the age they were when they became revenant undead.
Ageing Effects Race Human Hybrid Cog* Dwarf Elf Gnome Ghost* Vampire*
Middle Age1 35 years 30 years – 125 years 175 years 20 years – –
Old2 53 years 48 years – 188 years 263 years 24 years – –
Venerable3 70 years 66 years – 250 years 350 years 26 years – –
Maximum Age +2d20 years +1d10 years – +2d% years +4d% years +1d6 years – –
1
At middle age, -1 to Str, Dex and Con; +1 to Int, Wis and Cha. 2 At old age, -2 to Str, Dex and Con; +1 to Int, Wis and Cha. venerable age, -3 to Str, Dex and Con; +1 to Int, Wis and Cha. * These races are not affected by ageing.
Random Height and Weight Race Base Height 4’ 10” Human, male1 4’ 5” Human, female1 Dwarf, male 3’ 9” Dwarf, female 3’ 7” Elf, male 4’ 5” Elf, female 4’ 5” Gnome, male 2’ 10” Gnome, female 2’ 8” Hybrid varies Construct 5’ 0” 1
BACKGROUNDS
Race Human Hybrid Construct Dwarf Elf Gnome Ghost1 Vampire1
Height Modifier +2d10 +2d10 +2d4 +2d4 +2d6 +2d6 +1d12 +1d10 varies +2d8
Base Weight 120 lb. 85 lb. 130 lb. 100 lb. 85 lb. 80 lb. 35 lb. 30 lb. varies 130 lb.
3
At
Weight Modifier × (2d4) lb. × (2d4) lb. × (2d6) lb. × (2d6) lb. × (1d6) lb. × (1d6) lb. × (1d4) lb. × (1d4) lb. varies × (2d4) lb.
Also ghosts and vampires
Hybrid Random Height Parent Animal Bat Bear Cat Dog Elk Rat
and Weight Base Height 2’ 8” 6’ 10” 4’ 6” 4’ 6” 4’ 5” 3´ 0”
Height Modifier +2d4 +4d8 +2d10 +2d10 +2d6 +2d4
character who reaches his maximum age dies of old age at some time during the following year. The maximum ages apply to player characters but exist only as a logical extremity. Most people in the Steampunk world die from pestilence, accidents, infections or violence before reaching venerable age.
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Base Weight 30 lb. 200 lb. 90 lb. 90 lb. 85 lb. 40 lb.
Weight Modifier × 1 lb. × (2d8) lb. × (2d4) lb. × (2d4) lb. × (1d6) lb. × 1 lb.
Height and Weight The dice roll given in the Height Modifier column determines the character’s extra height beyond the base height. That same number multiplied by the dice roll or quantity given in the Weight Modifier column determines the character’s extra weight beyond the base weight.
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CLASSES & VOCATIONS
classes and vocations
t
he most important trait a character possesses which determines his capabilities is his character class. Each class has twenty levels and beginning characters start at level one, usually choosing the character class by their best ability score but not always doing so, as some characters choose a low score to augment the capabilities of their chosen class. Players are free to choose any class for their first level and may make any choice for levels beyond 1st, subject to the campaign limitations imposed by the Games Master. See the rules of Multiclassed Characters at the end of this chapter. Every class uses certain similar terminology. When reading about the capabilities of each class, keep the following terms in mind.
Hit Die The die type used by characters of the class to determine the number of hit points gained per level.
Class Table This table details how a character improves as they attain higher levels in the class. It includes the following information.
Class Skills This section of a class description provides a list of class skills, also giving the number of skill points the character starts with at 1st level and the number of skill points gained each level thereafter. A character’s Intelligence modifier is applied to determine the total skill points gained each level but this will always be at least 1 point per level, even for a character with an Intelligence penalty.
A character can also buy skills from other classes’ skill lists. Each skill point buys a half rank in these cross-class skills and a character can only buy up to half the ordinary maximum ranks of a class skill.
Starting Feats These are the feats gained at 1st level in the class. In OGL Steampunk, these are feats in addition to the bonus feat
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Starting Vocation The vocation that the character chooses at 1st level determines many of his starting feats and class skills, preferred profession (see Skills, pg. 68) and grants him his first vocation talent (see below). Regardless of how many talents the character chooses from different vocations, he only gains starting benefits from the vocation chosen at 1st level.
A player rolls one die of the given type each time his character gains a new level. The character’s Constitution modifier is applied to the roll. Add the result to the character’s hit point total. Even if the result is 0 or lower, the character always gains at least 1 hit point. A 1st level character gets the maximum possible hit points rather than rolling, although the Constitution modifier is still applied.
A 1st level character starts with four times the number of skill points they receive upon attaining each level beyond 1st. The maximum number of ranks a character can have in a class skill is the character’s level +3.
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gained at character creation (two if the character is human) and the bonus feat, if any, provided by a character’s chosen occupation. If a feat chosen at this time has a prerequisite, it must be met by the statistics, other feats, talents and/or skills available to the character at 1st level.
Level: The character’s level in the class. Base Attack Bonus: The character’s base attack bonus and number of attacks. Fort Save: The base save bonus for Fortitude saving throws. The character’s Constitution modifier also applies. Ref Save: The base save bonus for Reflex saving throws. The character’s Dexterity modifier also applies. Will Save: The base save bonus for Will saving throws. The character’s Wisdom modifier also applies. Class Features: Level-dependent class features, each explained in the section that follows. Defence Bonus: The character’s bonus to Defence Value. The character’s Dexterity modifier and equipment bonus also applies. Reputation Bonus: The character’s base Reputation bonus.
Class and Level Bonuses An attack roll or a saving throw is a combination of three numbers, each representing a different factor: a random element (the number you roll on the d20), a number representing the character’s innate abilities (the ability modifier) and a bonus representing the character’s experience and training. This third factor depends on the character’s class and level. Each class table summarises the figures for this third factor.
He was moving through the tunnels again, an elf in front of him, a dwarf behind him and an automaton on his left hand side with an incandescent floodlight helping them all to see. Gailion was there as well, but he was not staying in any one place long enough for Jerrek to pin him down. The big cat was taking the news of his demise remarkably well, all things considered. He just had a sorrowful look on his feline face and a dimly haunted look in his eyes. The irony of that analogy was not lost on Jerrek; he just had other things to think about.
The dwarf must have been able to feel Jerrek’s thoughts because he cleared his throat and asked in his grizzled voice, ‘What? You lookin’ to me for an okay? I thought you was the leader around here. You know, what with your great plan to get us all safe into the city through these tunnels and all.’ The dwarf spat on the ground, emphasising his sarcasm. ‘Oh, I forgot. That didn’t work out so well, did it?’ The tunnels suddenly became twenty degrees colder as Gailion whirled around at the dwarf, fury painting itself across his milky, translucent features. Jerrek quickly put a hand between the two of them. ‘Gail, it’s all right! Calm down. He’s not worth it.’ The lion-man slipped back reluctantly from the interposed hand but the sewer passage did not warm up in the slightest. ‘Besides, he’s right. I did get us into this.’
CLASSES & VOCATIONS
‘So you all think we can do this?’ He was still pushing the underground plan on the group and had yet to receive a definitive answer. No one wanted to hit the factory from its surface entrance, even with Gailion’s ‘return’ but options were thin. Since no one had actually said no, Jerrek assumed they were all right with trying things his way. Unfortunately, tacit agreement alone did not make the plan possible. It would take skills, and skills were the one thing he was sure they lacked. Thurdin was an engineer of great skill but that did not mean he could plant a bomb properly. Until he got an answer, he was not comfortable with moving ahead.
Jerrek stared at the hostile-looking dwarf with eyes that seemed older than his thirty years would suggest. He had seen a lot of friends die and a lot of people suffer since the Iron Wars began. Jerrek now let a few of those remembered horrors dance around the corners of his gaze. The intensity was so great, even Heshia pulled back. ‘Now I have to ask you, dwarf, can you get us out of it?’ Jerrek pointed to the heavy pack Gearbolt was carrying. ‘I need that bomb set up where it will bring down the factory for good and I only have one of them. Can you handle that for me?’ Thurdin stepped back half a step, more an involuntary twitch than a conscious retreat. ‘Okay, okay, lad. Calm down. I did na’ mean to upset you like that. I can handle the bomb. You just lead me close enough, all right?’ The dwarf ’s tone was still gruff but his voice was much calmer, almost subdued. Jerrek turned back and took to the head of the group. As he passed Heshia, he got the oddest of looks from the elf woman. She seemed to be sizing him up again and this time, unlike before, she seemed to appreciate something she saw.
Base Attack Bonus Check the table for the character’s class. On an attack roll, apply the number from the Base Attack Bonus column to the d20 die roll. Use the bonus that corresponds to the character’s level. Numbers after a slash indicate additional attacks at reduced bonuses: ‘+12/+7/+2’ means that a character of this level makes three attacks per round, with a base attack bonus of +12 for the first attack, +7 for the second and +2 for the third. Ability modifiers apply to all these attacks. When a character’s base attack bonus reaches +6, he is entitled to make an extra attack at a +1 base attack bonus. However, if the character’s attack bonus reaches +6 or higher because of modifiers, the character does not get this extra attack.
For example, a 6th level Journeyman has a base attack bonus of +4. When using a rune pistol or other ranged weapon, he adds his Dexterity modifier. Even if this increases his attack bonus to +6 or higher, he does not gain an additional attack. For these purposes, only the base attack bonus counts. If a character has more than one class, add the base attack bonuses for each class together to determine the character’s base attack bonus. See the Multiclass Characters section for an example.
Base Saving Throw Bonuses Check the table for the character’s class. It lists the base saving throw bonuses for the three types of saving throws: Fortitude, Reflex and Will. Use the bonuses that correspond to the character’s level. If a character has more than one class, add the base save bonuses for each class to determine the character’s base save bonuses. See the Multiclass Characters section for an example.
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Level-Dependent Benefits
CLASSES & VOCATIONS
In addition to attack bonuses and saving throw bonuses, all characters gain other benefits from advancing in level. The following summarises these additional benefits. XP: This column shows the experience point total needed to achieve a given character level. Class Skill Max Ranks: The maximum number of ranks a character can have in a class skill is equal to his character level +3. A class skill is a skill associated with a particular class. Class skills are listed in each class description in this chapter. Cross-Class Skill Max Ranks: For cross-class skills (skills not associated with a character’s class) the maximum number of ranks is one-half the maximum for a class skill. Maxing out a cross-class skill costs the same amount of points as buying the maximum rank in a class skill. For example, at 1st level, a character can pay 4 points for 4 ranks in a class skill or spend the same 4 points for 2 ranks in a cross-class skill. The half ranks (.5) indicated on the table do not improve skill checks; they simply represent partial purchase of the next skill rank and indicate that the character is training to improve that skill. Feats: This column indicates the levels at which a character gains feats. He gains two at 1st level if he is human, otherwise gaining only one; he then gains one more at 3rd level and one more at every 3rd level thereafter. See the Feats Chapter for feat descriptions. Experience and Level Dependent Benefits Table Character Class Skill Max Level XP Ranks 0 4 1st 1,000 5 2nd rd 3 3,000 6 6,000 7 4th 5th 10,000 8 15,000 9 6th th 7 21,000 10 28,000 11 8th 9th 36,000 12 10th 45,000 13 55,000 14 11th 66,000 15 12th 13th 78,000 16 14th 91,000 17 th 105,000 18 15 120,000 19 16th 17th 136,000 20 18th 153,000 21 th 171,000 22 19 190,000 23 20th * The second feat is only gained if the character is human.
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Ability Increases: This column indicates the levels at which a character gains ability score increases. Upon attaining 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th and 20th level, a character increases one of his ability scores by 1 point. The player chooses which ability score to improve. The ability improvement is permanent. For multiclass characters, feats and ability score increases are gained according to character level, not class level. Thus, a 3rd level Adventurer/1st level Investigator is a 4th level character and eligible for her first ability score boost. For example, an Investigator with a starting Charisma of 16 hoping to land better missions with a higher class of clientele might improve to Charisma 17 at 4th level. At 8th level, the same character might improve Charisma again (from 17 to 18) as this would increase his ability modifier for Charisma to +4. This will occur even if the Investigator has been moonlighting between 4th and 8th level and is a 6th level Adventurer/2nd level Investigator.
Class Features This entry details special characteristics of the class, including bonus feats and unique talents that are gained as a character attains higher levels in the class.
Talents and Traits Every basic class offers a selection of talents to choose from. A character gains a talent upon attaining each odd-numbered level in a class, including 1st level. Talents are considered to be extraordinary abilities. Some talents have prerequisites that must be met before a character can
Cross-Class Skill Max Ranks 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 10.5 11 11.5
Feats 1st, 2nd* 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th -
Ability Increases 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
When indicated in the class table, the character can select a trait instead of a talent; traits have their own prerequisites, especially regarding the character’s race. Unlike talents, feat selections cannot be used to take traits instead.
Feats A character gains an additional feat upon attaining each third level, i.e. at 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th and 18th level. These feats are not dependent on which class the character has progressed in; they are given whenever the character’s total level reaches the specified value. Some feats have prerequisites that must be met before a character can select them. Bonus feats given from occupations, character classes and the two chosen at 1st level count towards these prerequisites normally. Certain character classes also get bonus feats at certain levels of advancement; these only occur when the character has reached the required level in the class granting the bonus feat, not just a character level of the same number. These feats are usually chosen from a specific list provided in the class description in question and all prerequisites must be met unless the feature granting the bonus feat lists otherwise.
Action Points Action points provide characters with the means to affect game play in significant ways. A character always has a limited amount of action points and while the character replenishes this supply with every new level they attain, the character must use them wisely. A character can spend 1 action point to do one of these things: Alter a single d20 roll used to make an attack, a skill check, an ability check, a level check or a saving throw. Use a class talent or class feature during the character’s turn for which the expenditure of 1 action point is required. When a character spends 1 action point to improve a d20 roll, add 1d6 to the d20 roll to help meet or exceed the target number. A character can declare the use of 1 action point to alter a d20 roll after the roll is made but only before the Games Master reveals the result of that roll and thus confirms whether the attack, check or saving throw succeeded or failed. A character cannot use an
action point on a skill check or ability check when they are taking 10 or 20. When a character spends 1 action point to use a class feature, they gain the benefit of the feature but do not roll a d6. In this case, the action point is not a bonus to a d20 roll. A character can only spend 1 action point in a round. If a character spends a point to use a class feature, they cannot spend another one in the same round to improve a die roll and vice versa. Depending on the hero’s character level (see the table below) they may be able to roll more than one d6 when spending 1 action point. If the character does so, apply the highest result and disregard the other rolls. Action Point Dice By Level Character Level Action Point Dice Rolled st th 1d6 1 –7 8th – 14th 2d6 3d6 15th – 20th
CLASSES & VOCATIONS
select them. Characters may use available feat selections to take talents for which they qualify but only in the same character class as the one they just advanced in to get the feat in the first place. Level prerequisites listed for talents refer to the character’s total level as opposed to specific levels in the class associated with the talent, unless otherwise specified. As with all skill prerequisites, any number listed with a skill is the number of true ranks before any statistic or other modifiers.
Reputation Reputation is used to determine whether another character (a Games Master character, also called a NonPlayer Character) recognises a Player’s character. Those who recognise the character are more likely to help him do what he asks, provided the reputation has a positive connotation to the character who recognises him. A high Reputation bonus also makes it difficult for the character to mask his identity, which may lead to a stealthy character desiring a lower reputation score than his class levels might entitle him to possess. Most of the time, a character does not decide to use his reputation. The Games Master decides when a character’s reputation can be relevant to a scene or encounter. At the moment it becomes relevant, the Games Master makes a reputation check for one of his Non-Player Characters who might be influenced in some fashion due to the character’s fame or notoriety, as detailed below.
Fame and Infamy Most characters with a high reputation bonus (+4 or higher) are considered well known within their profession or social circle. Whether this has a positive or negative connotation depends on the point of view of the person who recognises the character. When a person has a positive opinion of a character’s reputation, the character is considered to be famous by that person. Fame, when recognised, provides a bonus to certain Charisma-based skill checks. When a person has a negative opinion of a character’s reputation, the character is considered to be infamous by that person. In addition, at the Games Master’s
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discretion, a character might be considered infamous in certain situations due to events that have transpired in the campaign. Infamy, when recognised, provides a penalty to certain Charisma-based skill checks. Under normal circumstances, Infamy is under the direct control of the Games Master and may not be used directly by a character.
Using the Reputation Bonus Whenever the Games Master decides that a character’s reputation can be a factor in an encounter, the Games Master makes a Reputation check (DC 25) for the Non-Player Character involved. A Reputation check is 1d20 + the character’s Reputation bonus + the NonPlayer Character’s Int modifier. Some Knowledge skill modifiers might apply instead of the Int modifier, if the character would be well known in the field covered by the Knowledge skill. Modifiers to the Reputation check depend on the character and the Non-Player Character in question, as shown below. Note that if the Non-Player Character has no possible way of recognising a character, then the Reputation check automatically fails. If the Non-Player Character succeeds at the Reputation check, he recognises the character. This provides a +4 bonus or a -4 penalty on checks involving any pertinent skills for the duration of the encounter: Reputation Modifiers Check Situation The character is famous, known far and wide with either a positive or negative connotation Non-Player Character is part of the character’s professional or social circle The character has some small amount of fame or notoriety
Reputation Modifier +10
+5 +2
The Games Master must decide whether a character’s fame or infamy comes into play in a given situation to affect his reputation.
The Adventurer
The world is an exciting place outside the secure walls of the Empire; the untamed colonies offer endless opportunities, as do the lands inside the Empire itself. Adventurers are those characters who trade the comfortable trappings of civilisation for rough living in the wild, the unexplored, the unusual and the just plain dangerous. Adventurers are the strapping heroes to whom people turn when there is a problem that refuses to go away; they confidently tackle difficulties and smile in the face of danger, somehow arriving just in the nick of time to save the day. The adventurer’s life calls to those who crave excitement, challenge and meaning in an
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increasingly mechanised and predictable world. Another reason why some people become adventurers is simply to escape the crushing grind of the city and flee to the few pristine places left in the world. Adventures: Adventurers are possessed of an insatiable thirst for thrills and have an inexplicable, even irrational, desire to put their lives in danger; this may be on the lost borders of the world or piloting a machine that sustains itself with a wish and a prayer but it always entails some personal risk. Cosy security is anathema to them. Characteristics: Adventurers learn very soon how to cope with the unexpected and to survive on their own. Depending on their vocation, they can train to deal with any enemy or situation that threatens them. On a more general note, adventurers gamble with destiny, placing their lives in the hands of fortune and luck. Many do this because they choose to, while a few are thrust by fate into a dangerous life they would avoid if they could. Regardless of their reasons, adventurers are usually in way over their heads and fight every minute of their lives just to survive to the next one. Background: Adventurers tend to be discontented with the way things are, looking far and wide for a sense of purpose. Some of them, by contrast, have adventure forced upon them by circumstances outside their control. Many adventurers join military organisations for the chance to travel but many others simply set out on their own on a Grand Tour or expedition, learning their hazardous trade by trial and error. Races: Adventure runs swiftest in the veins of humankind and it is humans who make up the majority of adventurers, though hybrids come a close second, as neither race is at ease when completely settled. Ghosts and vampires may keep following their urges from when they were alive or may seek the way of the adventurer as a substitute for mortal life. Elves and dwarves were once used to adventuring in their own right but find the new methods of doing so increasingly alien, facing with anachronistic bow and axe what other adventurers would bring down with advanced technology. Cog and gnome adventurers are rare, though not unknown. Cogs who are capable of overcoming all of the challenges that adventuring presents are rarely built, simply due to the complexity and expense of creating such a design. Gnomes, while nimble, find that their fragile frames are less than suitable for a life of danger and peril. Vocations: Combatant, hunter, explorer, pilot. Other Classes: Adventurers and scoundrels get along surprisingly well, given their mutual inclination to live outside normal society. Geniuses rely on adventurers either to test their theories or guide them through dangerous terrain. Adventurers know that they can never command the power of magic and psychic phenomena as
easily as occultists can and thus maintain a wary respect for them. Investigators and nobles are representative of what the adventurer finds distasteful in society, although investigators are made slightly more favourable by their more dynamic pursuits and focus.
Abilities: Dexterity and Strength are the most important abilities for an adventurer as he will be involved in many physical activities, combat being but one of them. Constitution helps him by providing additional hit points as well as granting a greater chance of surviving unfavourable conditions, such as the hostile climates through which he will have to travel in the course of his many adventures. Of the mental abilities, Wisdom serves the adventurer best, for it makes him alert and aware of his surroundings. Hit Die: d10. Action Points: Adventurers gain a number of action points equal to 5 + one-half their character level, rounded down, at 1st level and every time they attain a new level in this class.
Class Skills The adventurer’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha or Str), Jump (Str), Knowledge (earth and life sciences) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int) and Swim (Str). Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4. Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features All of the following are class features of the adventurer. Starting Feats In addition to the feat all characters get at 1st level, an adventurer begins play with the following feats: Armour Proficiency (light), Armour Proficiency (medium), Simple Weapon Proficiency, Pistols Firearm Proficiency and Improved Unarmed Strike. Starting Vocation At 1st level, the character chooses a vocation from one of the following: combatant, explorer, hunter or pilot. He gains the vocation’s starting feats, adds the vocation’s additional class skills to his class skill list, adds the vocation’s bonus feats to his bonus feat list (see below), gains the listed bonus to his starting Wealth bonus and chooses a talent from that vocation tree.
Talent/Trait At 5th level and every three levels thereafter (8th, 11th, 14th and so on) the adventurer selects a talent from the following vocation trees: combatant, explorer, hunter or pilot. If the entry in the table states that the character can select a talent or a trait, he can choose instead to select a trait from the Feat and Traits chapter (see pg. 104). Some trees have a set order that must be followed, while others provide a list from which to choose. So long as the character qualifies, he can select freely from any and all class vocation talent trees. No talent can be selected more than once unless expressly indicated.
CLASSES & VOCATIONS
Game Rule Information Adventurers have the following game statistics:
By the Bootstraps Adventurers are known for their ability to succeed when everyone thought they would fail. When a roll fails to meet the target DC (or the opponent’s result, in the case of an opposed roll) by 5 points plus the adventurer’s Int modifier (if positive) he can spend one action point and consider the action a flat-out success, instead of the usual procedure of adding action point dice to the roll result. This success is, however, considered a marginal one with reduced effects. This must be played out at the Games Master’s discretion; a barely achieved attack roll might inflict the minimum possible damage, for example.
Bonus Feat At 5th level and every five levels thereafter (10th, 15th, and 20th), the adventurer gains a bonus feat. This feat must be selected from the following list, plus the feats added to this list by the character’s starting vocation. The adventurer must also meet any prerequisites: Acrobatic, Agile, Athletic, Nimble, Diehard, Great Fortitude, Improved Damage Threshold, Lightning Reflexes, Run, Toughness. Heroic Surge The adventurer can tap hidden resources of energy when the situation demands it. The character may take an extra move action or standard action in a round, either before or after the character’s regular actions. The character may use Heroic Surge a number of times per day depending on his character level (as shown below) but never more than once per round. Character Level 7th – 8th 9th – 12th 13th – 16th 17th – 20th
Times per Day 1 2 3 4
The Devil’s Own They say that the Hells look after their own. It is certainly true that adventurers develop devilish luck during their death-defying careers. Whenever failure would spell a disastrous result, the character can spend an action point to re-roll the dice. Applicable situations here include an
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CLASSES & VOCATIONS
The Adventurer Base Attack Level Bonus 1 +1 2 +2 3 +3 4 +4 5 +5 6 +6/+1 7 +7/+2 8 +8/+3 9 +9/+4 10 +10/+5 11 +11/+6/+1 12 +12/+7/+2 13 +13/+8/+3 14 +14/+9/+4 15 +15/+10/+5 16 +16/+11/+6/+1 17 +17/+12/+7/+2 18 +18/+13/+8/+3 19 +19/+14/+9/+4 20 +20/+15/+10/+5
Fort Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6
Ref Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11 +12
Will Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6
The trek through the tunnels was just as ugly as Jerrek had feared it would be. When they were not being attacked by more of those ironrats, they were running afoul of traps and pitfalls left by the orcs. This was one well-warded set of sewers. He had to admit, reluctantly, that the orcs were continuing to surprise him with how well they had organized their defences. Between the false trails and death traps, it had been far too easy to get lost down here. He gave silent thanks for the harsh life he had led in the slums of Magadoth. The tracking and avoidance lessons he learned in that bombed-out hole were serving him in good stead here. automatic miss in combat, checks that have disastrous effects by missing the DC by a certain amount (such as triggering a bomb while attempting to defuse it) or rolling within a machine’s malfunction threshold. Calm Under Duress A life of adventuring gives the character a rock-steady hand and nerves of steel. The character can take 10 on a number of skill checks regardless of circumstance. The applicable skills are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Jump (Str), Knowledge (earth and life sciences) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Pilot (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int) and Swim (Str).
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Special Starting Vocation By the Bootstraps Talent or Trait, Bonus Feat Heroic Surge Talent or Trait Bonus Feat Talent or Trait The Devil’s Own Talent or Trait Bonus Feat Talent or Trait Calm Under Duress Talent or Trait, Bonus Feat
DV +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9
Reputation +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6
Adventurer Vocations
The following are the available vocations for the adventurer class.
Hunter Vocation Hunters specialise in tracking prey and taking it down. They like the thrill of pursuit and the challenge of pitting their wits against both nature and the skills of their quarry. Bonus Starting Feats: Martial Weapon Proficiency, Musket Firearms Proficiency, Track. Additional Class Skills: Survival, Knowledge (earth and life sciences). Additional Bonus Feats: Guide, Stealthy, Dead Aim, Far Shot, Improved Critical, Point Blank Shot. Preferred Professions: Guide, big game hunter, hunt leader, bounty hunter. Wealth: +1.
Talents Favoured Prey: A hunter may select a type of creature from among those given on the Hunter Favoured Prey table below. The hunter gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot and Survival checks when using these skills against creatures of this type. Likewise, he gets a +2 bonus on weapon damage rolls against such creatures. If the hunter chooses humanoids or outsiders as a favoured enemy, he must also choose an associated subtype, as indicated on the table. If a specific creature falls into more than one category of favoured enemy, the hunter’s bonuses
one of his weapons with which he is proficient. Whenever he uses that type of weapon, his critical damage multiplier counts as one higher; x2 becomes x3 and so on. Prerequisite: Favoured Prey.
Explorer Vocation Explorers itch with wanderlust. They are always wondering what lies beyond the next hill and continually push the boundaries of all maps, seeking to chart the next frontier. Bonus Starting Feats: Endurance, Diehard, Martial Weapon Proficiency. Additional Class Skills: Knowledge (geography), Navigate, Survival. Additional Bonus Feats: Animal Affinity, Guide, Iron Will, Renown. Preferred Professions: Guide, cartographer, navigator, caravan leader, teamster. Wealth: +0.
Talents Unerring Direction: The character has an innate sense of direction. By concentrating for one minute they can determine where true north lies in relation to their current position. This talent may be used a number of times per
day equal to the character’s Wisdom bonus. Lay of the Land: By climbing to higher ground and spending 10 minutes studying his surroundings, the character gains knowledge of the territory. He gains knowledge of as many as three facts from among the following subjects: the ground or terrain, plants, minerals, bodies of water, people, general animal population, presence of woodland creatures, presence of powerful unnatural creatures or even the general state of the natural setting. In outdoor settings, the character learns the information of the territory in a radius of one mile per character level. In natural underground settings (caves, caverns and the like) the radius is limited to 100 feet per character level. This talent does not function where nature has been replaced by construction or settlements. Prerequisites: Unerring Direction, Favoured Terrain.
CLASSES & VOCATIONS
do not stack; he simply uses whichever Hunter Favoured Prey Table bonus is higher. Type (Subtype) Animal An adventurer can select this talent Construct multiple times; each time, the hunter may Dragon select an additional species of favoured Elemental prey from those given on the table. In Fey addition, with each such selection, the Giant bonus against any one favoured enemy Humanoid (aquatic) (including the one just selected, if so desired) increases by 2. Humanoid (dwarf ) Humanoid (elf ) Trackless Step: Upon selecting this Humanoid (goblinoid) talent, a hunter leaves no trail in natural Humanoid (gnoll) surroundings and cannot be tracked. He Humanoid (human) may choose to leave a trail if so desired. Humanoid (orc) Humanoid (reptilian) Swift Tracker: With this talent, a Magical beast hunter can move at his normal speed Monstrous humanoid while following tracks without taking Outsider (air) the normal –5 penalty. He takes only Outsider (chaotic) a –10 penalty (instead of the normal Outsider (earth) –20) when moving at up to twice normal speed while tracking. Outsider (evil) Outsider (fire) Camouflage: A hunter with this talent Outsider (good) can use the Hide skill in any sort of Outsider (lawful) natural terrain, even if the terrain does Outsider (native) not grant cover or concealment. Outsider (water) Prerequisite: Trackless Step. Undead Vermin Hunter’s Sense: The character chooses
Natural Linguist: With this talent, the adventurer becomes a master linguist. Whenever the character encounters a new language, either spoken or written, he can make an Intelligence check to determine if he can understand it. The check is made with a bonus equal to the character’s adventurer level + the character’s Intelligence modifier. For a written language, the bonus applies to a Decipher Script check instead. The DC for the check depends on the situation: DC 15 if the language is in the same group as a language that the hero already has as a Read/Write Language or Speak Language skill; DC 20 if the language is unrelated to any other languages the hero knows; and DC 25 if the language is ancient or unique. With this special ability, an adventurer can glean enough meaning from a conversation or document to ascertain the basic message. However, this ability in no way simulates an actual ability to converse fluently, or read and write competently, in a given language. Prerequisite: Must know at least three different languages. Favoured Terrain: An explorer may select a type of terrain from among those given on the Explorer Favoured Terrain Table below. The explorer gains a +2 bonus on Navigate, Handle Animal, Knowledge, Move Silently and Survival checks when using these skills in his favoured terrain. An adventurer can select this talent multiple times; each time, the explorer may select an additional favoured terrain from those given on the table. In addition, with each such selection, the bonus in any one favoured terrain
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(including the one just selected, if so Explorer Favoured Terrain desired) increases by 2. Type Cold Aquatic Sure Stride: An explorer may move Cold Desert through any sort of undergrowth (such Cold Forest as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas Cold Hills and similar terrain) at his normal speed Cold Marshes and without taking damage or suffering Cold Mountains any other impairment. However, thorns, Cold Plains briars and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to Temperate Aquatic impede motion still affect him. Temperate Desert Prerequisite: Favoured Terrain. Temperate Forest Temperate Hills Temperate Marshes Combatant Vocation There is no greater thrill than fighting Temperate Mountains for one’s own life, or so the combatant Temperate Plains believes. He seeks adventure by the Warm Aquatic muzzle of a firearm or the tip of a sword, Warm Desert learning new ways to fight and improve Warm Forest his combat abilities. Some combatants Warm Hills fight because they have no choice. Warm Marshes The world has become too violent and Warm Mountains violence is all the combatant knows. In Warm Plains a world gone mad with steel and smoke, fighting is the only thing some people have left. Bonus Starting Feats: Armour Proficiency (heavy), Martial Weapon Proficiency, Musket Weapon Proficiency, Shield Proficiency. Additional Class Skills: Knowledge (tactics). Additional Bonus Feats: Agile Riposte, Blind-Fight, Cleave, Combat Expertise, Dead Aim, Dodge, DriveBy Attack, Exotic Weapon Proficiency, Far Shot, Great Cleave, Greater Two-Weapon Fighting, Greater Weapon Focus, Greater Weapon Specialisation, Improved Critical, Improved Disarm, Improved Feint, Improved Grapple, Improved Knockout Punch, Improved Overrun, Improved Precise Shot, Improved Trip, Improved Sunder, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Knockout Punch, Mounted Combat, Mounted Firing, Point Blank Shot, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Quick Draw, Rapid Reload, Rapid Shot, Ride-By Attack, Shot on the Run, Skip Shot, Spring Attack, Streetfighting, Trample, Two-Weapon Defence, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialisation, Whirlwind Attack. Preferred Professions: Soldier, mercenary, guard, street fighter, pugilist. Wealth: +1.
Talents Take Cover: The combatant knows how ranged weapons behave and uses this knowledge to protect himself. When the character takes cover, the applicable bonuses to Defence and to Reflex saving throws increase by +2 when he has one-quarter, one-half, three-quarters or nine-tenths cover.
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Bonus Feat: The character can select a bonus feat but it must be from the following list: Cleave, Combat Expertise, Dodge, Far Shot, Improved Grapple, Improved Knockout Punch, Improved Overrun, Improved Trip, Improved Sunder, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Knockout Punch, Point Blank Shot, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Shot on the Run, Skip Shot, Spring Attack, Streetfighting, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus, Whirlwind Attack.
Tactician: The combatant learns to formulate battle plans. This can only be done if the character and his allies have control over when the combat starts. For example, if he is leading a group through the ruins of an old factory, he could formulate a battle plan for bursting through a door and attacking the occupants of a room. On the other hand, if the characters and his allies are defending a room and are attacked unexpectedly, no battle plan is possible. The battle plan takes a full-round action for the combatant to communicate to his allies. When combat starts, the character makes an Initiative check with a +4 circumstance bonus for the battle plan. All his allies act on the initiative score rolled by the character.
Pilot Vocation In an age where inventors create new machines and new vehicles on a weekly basis, somebody has to test them, and ultimately drive them. The pilot delights on the challenge of controlling these machines, whether they travel by air, sea, ground or pushing the envelope across stranger roads. Some pilots fly for the love of flight, while others have been ‘volunteered’ and fear for their lives every time someone straps them into the latest device. Bonus Starting Feats: Use Amazing Device. Additional Class Skills: Drive (Dex), Pilot (Dex). Additional Bonus Feats: Focused, Gearhead, Vehicle Expert. Preferred Professions: Pilot, chauffeur, captain, race driver. Wealth: +2.
Talents Steady Hands: A pilot knows that a steady hand on the wheel, helm or control stick is all that keeps him from a precipitous disaster and costly repairs. With this talent, he can take 10 on all Drive and Pilot checks for performing manoeuvres. Second Legs: The character chooses a specific vehicle (not a vehicle type) with which he has worked consistently; the
CLASSES & VOCATIONS
vehicle becomes so familiar to the pilot as if it were a second pair of legs. The character gains a +2 to all Drive and Pilot checks with that specific vehicle and has a -10 modifier on all malfunction effect rolls. A character can choose this talent multiple times; each time it is taken, it applies to an additional vehicle. If the vehicle is lost or destroyed beyond hopes of repair, the character can choose a new vehicle. Prerequisite: Steady Hands. Quick Repair: The pilot knows precisely where to kick his vehicle to get it going again. He has a +5 bonus to Repair checks using the Jury-Rig skill, which he can perform as a standard action with this talent. As a normal jury-rig (see the Repair skill) the repair lasts until the end of the scene or encounter, where any malfunction or critical damage effect resumes. The hit or structure points restored to a vehicle by a jury-rig are temporary hit or structure points and disappear at the end of the encounter. Prerequisite: Steady Hands, Second Legs. Push the Envelope: The pilot is so familiar with his machine that he can push it beyond its own limits. The character chooses a specific vehicle, which must be one for which he already possesses the Second Legs talent. Whenever he controls that vehicle, he adds an additional 10 feet to its base speed per point of the pilot’s Dexterity modifier. The vehicle also gains additional temporary hit points or structure points equal to the pilot’s Intelligence modifier, to a minimum of 8. Prerequisite: Steady Hands, Second Legs. 141.157.188.166
The Genius
The dusty smells of libraries or the greasy, metallic tang of workshops are the aromas of home to the genius. Gifted with great intelligence, a genius pushes the boundaries of knowledge and its application to become a standard-bearer at the vanguard of the age of steam. The term ‘scientist’ is barely sufficient to apply to the theorists, researchers and relentless builders who never stop asking questions, nor cease to imagine possibilities for a better world through science and technology. It is also to these lunatics obsessed with metal, machines, and ‘progress’ that responsibility for the destruction of the natural world and the slow death of magic ultimately falls, making them hated, feared and in some places hunted for their crimes against existence. Adventures: Geniuses feel right at home in the hallowed halls of academia as well as in their cluttered studios and laboratories but they also feel a burning need to explore and set their theories against external reality. Scholars and inventors are not always keen on setting out away from their work places, although they must do so if they want to test a theory or new invention in the field. Medics and field scientists are much more likely to go out to test their education against the hardships of adventuring life. Any adventure carries an element of risk for geniuses, since the world outside is not always a welcoming place for them. Some seek to kidnap them and exploit their knowledge, others to flay them alive for what they have done to the earth.
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CLASSES & VOCATIONS
Characteristics: Geniuses devote all their capacity to their field of study and experimentation, exploring the darkest corners of science and technology to emerge with skills that rival magic and which they can offer to society as a whole for the benefit of progress. Background: All geniuses have some sort of education, which may be formal attendance at an academy or years of practice in a mechanic’s workshop. Whatever the case, a genius has had the chance to stumble upon his field of practice and to throw himself passionately into it. Races: Both gnomes and humans contantly seek to break the boundaries of the natural world with completely unnatural tools; while other races are too complacent in their current state of existence to try to look beyond accepted lore. Some dwarves seek to imitate human progress and become geniuses themselves, while revenants may continue the academic pursuits of their previous lives, though they lack the puissance of the wild, human heart. Vocations: Inventor, field scientist, medic, scholar. Other Classes: As long as another person is willing to test out the genius’ latest idea, or accept the feasibility of his speculations, he is a friend. Geniuses are too caught up in their own world to have a bad relationship with anyone, although they find the typical noble’s disinterest in science irksome.
Game Rule Information Geniuses have the following game statistics: Abilities: Intelligence is the most important ability for a genius, for it sets the limit on the level of learning that he can achieve. Wisdom is another important ability as some of the skills he requires use Wisdom as a key ability, particularly those employed in the medic vocation. On a practical note, Dexterity is important to avoid the occasional explosion and present less of a target during tight situations in the field. Hit Die: d4. Action Points: Geniuses gain a number of action points equal to 5 + one-half their character level, rounded down, at 1st level and every time they attain a new level in this class.
Class Skills The genius’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Drive (Dex), Investigate (Int), Knowledge (Int), Listen (Wis), Pilot (Dex), Profession (Wis), Research (Int) and Search (Int). Skill Points at 1st Level: (8 + Int modifier) x 4. Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 8 + Int modifier.
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Class Features All of the following are class features of the genius. Starting Feats In addition to the feat all characters get at 1st level, a genius begins play with the following feats: Simple Weapon Proficiency and Pistols Firearms Proficiency. Starting Vocation At 1st level, the character chooses a vocation from one of the following: inventor, field scientist, medic or scholar. He gains the vocation’s starting feats, adds the vocation’s additional class skills to his class skill list, adds the vocation’s bonus feats to his bonus feat list (see below), gains a bonus to his starting Wealth bonus and chooses a talent from that vocation tree. Talent/Trait At 2nd, 5th, 7th, 10th, 12th, 15th, 17th and 20th levels, the genius selects a talent from the following vocation trees: inventor, field scientist, medic or scholar. If the entry in the table states that the character can select a talent or a trait, he can select a trait from the Feat and Traits chapter (see pg. 104). Some trees have a set order that must be followed, while others provide a list to choose from. As long as the character qualifies, he can select freely from any and all class vocation talent trees. No talent can be selected more than once unless expressly indicated. Savant Select one of the skills listed in the following paragraph. The genius is entitled to add a bonus equal to his genius level when making checks with that skill. A genius can take this talent multiple times; each time it applies to a different skill. Craft (any single skill), Decipher Script, Disable Device, Forgery, Investigate, Knowledge (any single skill), Navigate, Repair, Research, Search. Bonus Feat At 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th levels, the genius gains a bonus feat. This feat must be selected from the following list, plus the feats added to this list by the character’s starting vocation and the genius must meet any prerequisites. Attentive, Builder, Dodge, Studious, Combat Expertise, Iron Will, Renown, Skill Focus, Toughness. Minor Breakthrough Upon attaining 9th level, a genius receives credit for a minor scientific breakthrough that earns him the recognition of his peers. The genius chooses one of the following Knowledge skills: behavioural sciences, earth and life sciences, physical sciences or technology. When dealing with others with at least 1 rank in the same Knowledge skill, the Genius gains a +2 bonus on Reputation checks. This minor breakthrough also provides the Genius with a +3 Wealth bonus increase.
Fort Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6
Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6
Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11 +12
Major Breakthrough At 14th level, the genius receives acclaim for a truly prodigious advancement of science. He gains a +2 bonus on Reputation checks when dealing with individuals who have at least 1 rank in any of the following Knowledge skills: behavioural sciences, earth and life sciences, physical sciences or technology. This bonus stacks with the bonus provided by the minor breakthrough ability. This major breakthrough also provides the Genius with a +3 Wealth bonus increase.
Genius Vocations
These are the vocations for the genius class:
Inventor Vocation The inventor seeks to create that which has not been created before, to build something that no one thought could be built. Inventors are always tinkering with machines, seeking to create the next great breakthrough in technological advancement. Bonus Starting Feats: Master Artisan, one Item Creation feat. Additional Class Skills: Disable Device (Int), Repair (Int). Additional Bonus Feats: Gearhead, Build Structures, Build Vehicles, Craft Automata, Craft Equipment, Craft Personal Weapons, Craft Vehicle and Artillery Weapons. Preferred Professions: Mechanic, engineer, tinker, clockmaker, technician. Wealth: +2.
Special
DV
Reputation
Starting Vocation Talent or Trait Savant Bonus Feat Talent or Trait – Talent or Trait Bonus Feat Minor Breakthrough Talent or Trait – Talent or Trait, Bonus Feat Savant Major Breakthrough Talent or Trait Bonus Feat Talent or Trait – Bonus Feat Talent or Trait
+0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6 +7
+1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6 +7 +7 +7 +8
CLASSES & VOCATIONS
The Genius Level Base Attack Bonus 1 +0 2 +1 3 +1 4 +2 5 +2 6 +3 7 +3 8 +4 9 +4 10 +5 11 +5 12 +6/+1 13 +6/+1 14 +7/+2 15 +7/+2 16 +8/+3 17 +8/+3 18 +9/+4 19 +9/+4 20 +10/+5
When they came to the third set of short-fuse bomb traps, Jerrek felt a pang of sorrow for his absent gnome friend again. She could have dealt with these things a lot more elegantly than Thurdin was doing. No disrespect to the dwarf; he was doing a good job keeping them all intact, sure enough. Still, if Merial had been alive, she would have found a way not only to disable these damnable things but also to salvage them for later use. Jerrek knew they would need all the firepower they could get once they made it to the factory and these bombs would have been a welcome addition to the charge they were packing. That was the difference between a journeyman and a true genius, he supposed. Thurdin was getting the job done but Merial would have succeeded with style.
Talents Jury-Rigger: With the expenditure of one action point, the character can alter a repair performed by the juryrig application of the Repair skill so that it becomes permanent instead of temporary. Salvage Machine: The character can take apart any machine to keep spare parts for other projects. With a successful Craft (mechanical) check with a DC depending on the complexity of the machine he is taking apart, the character gains 1 salvage point for every full 4 Hit Dice or Structure Dice or for every 5 hit points or structure points the machine had when fully functional. The salvaged
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machine or item ceases to exist as such, as it has just been taken apart. The inventor can store as many salvage points as he wishes, provided he has a suitable workroom to store them in. Salvage points act like treasure points (see the Equipment and Wealth chapter) towards paying for the raw materials to use for any Craft skill, including the raw materials for amazing machines. Master Artisan: The character gains another Master Artisan feat, increasing the bonus for mastercraft items he makes by +1. He can only make mastercraft items with a maximum +3 bonus. Workshop: The inventor has his own workshop with enough room to build, house and maintain a Huge machine, two Large machines, eight Medium machines or any number of smaller ones. The workshop is in a location of the inventor’s choosing. The character can select this talent more than once; each time it is selected, it increases the size and number of machines he can build in it by one size category.
Stores of Knowledge DC Type of Knowledge 10 Common, known by at least a substantial minority; common legends of the local population. 20 Uncommon but available, known by only a few people. 25 Obscure, known by few, hard to come by. 30 Extremely obscure, known by very few, possibly forgotten by most who once knew it, possibly known only by those who do not understand the significance of the knowledge.
Scholar Vocation Scholars wish to uncover everything there is to know about any subject you care to mention. They dedicate their lives to uncovering the secrets of ancient civilisations, lost animal species, the hidden language of the stars and all other scientific, archaeological, zoological and botanical pursuits. Where the inventor builds, the scholar theorises, but they both dream the same. Bonus Starting Feats: Skill Focus (any). Additional Class Skills: Diplomacy (Cha), Forgery (Int), Sense Motive (Wis). Additional Bonus Feats: Educated, Negotiator, Studious. Preferred Professions: Professor, tutor, alienist, researcher, dean. Wealth: +2.
Talents Stores of Knowledge: A scholar may make a special Stores of Knowledge check with a bonus equal to his genius level + his Intelligence modifier to see whether he knows some relevant information about notable local people, legendary items or noteworthy places. If the scholar has 5 or more
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Secret Uncovered Level + Int Modifier Secret 1 Instant mastery
2 3
6
Secret health Secrets of inner strength The lore of true stamina Secret knowledge of avoidance Weapon trick
7
Dodge trick
8
Applicable knowledge
9
Secret of communication Secret of the mind
4 5
10
ranks in Knowledge (history), he gains a +2 bonus on this check. A successful Stores of Knowledge check will not reveal the powers of a magic item or amazing machine but may give a hint as to its general function. A scholar may not take 10 or take 20 on this check; this sort of knowledge is essentially random. Linguist: This talent functions as the natural linguist talent for the hunter (explorer) class. Secret Uncovered: Every time the character takes this talent, he chooses one secret from the table below. His level plus his Intelligence modifier determines the total number of secrets he can choose. He cannot choose the same secret twice.
Effect 4 ranks of a skill in which the character has no ranks +3 hit points +2 bonus on Will saves +2 bonus on Fortitude saves +2 bonus on Reflex saves +1 bonus on attack rolls +1 dodge bonus to AC Any one feat except Magic Discipline and Psychic feats Bonus language One Psychic feat
Field Scientist Vocation Science is not only studied at home in a quiet library or a busy workshop but also in the great outdoors, where many truths lie waiting for any student willing to go and find them. Field scientists are half adventurers and half scholars, willing to go out and brave dangers in order to uncover the truth. Bonus Starting Feats: Armour Proficiency (medium), proficient with one martial weapon. Additional Class Skills: Climb (Str), Navigate (Int), Survival (Wis), Tumble (Dex), Use
CLASSES & VOCATIONS
Rope (Dex). Additional Bonus Feats: Acrobatic, Deft Hands, Elusive Target, Exotic Weapon Proficiency, Run. Preferred Professions: Guide, archaeologist, anthropologist, interpreter. Wealth: +1.
Talents
Special tools, weapons, mechanical devices and more can be built with Scientific Improvisation. It takes a full-round action to make an object with Scientific Improvisation. The object, when put into use, lasts for a number of rounds equal to the character’s genius level or until the end of the current encounter, at which point it breaks down. It cannot be repaired.
Smart Defence: A field scientist applies his Intelligence bonus and his Dexterity bonus to his Defence. Any situation that would deny the field scientist his Dexterity bonus to Defence also denies the Intelligence bonus.
Skill Mastery: The field scientist selects a number of skills from his class list equal to 3 + his Intelligence modifier. When making a skill check using one of these skills, the field scientist may take 10 even if stress and distractions would normally prevent him or her from doing so.
Scientific Improvisation: A field scientist gains the ability to improvise solutions using common objects and scientific know-how. This ability lets the field scientist create objects in a dramatic situation quickly and cheaply. Such objects do however have a limited duration.
Smart Survival: A field scientist can spend 1 action point to reduce the damage dealt by a single attack or effect by 5 points.
By spending 1 action point and combining common objects with a Craft check that corresponds to the function desired, the field scientist can build a tool or device to deal with any situation. The DC for the Craft check is equal to 5 + the purchase DC of the object that most closely matches the desired function. Only objects that can normally be used more than once can be improvised. For example, you could improvise a screwdriver, a shovel, a compass or a lamp but not a stick of dynamite.
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Smart Weapon: The field scientist selects one weapon with which he is proficient and that he can use with one hand. With the selected weapon, the field scientist can use his Intelligence modifier instead of his Strength or Dexterity modifier on attack rolls.
Medic Vocation The secrets sought by the medic are those related to healing wounds and saving lives without the aid of magic or divine intervention. The medic discovers new remedies, treatments and therapeutic procedures, fighting disease and bringing people back to health.
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Bonus Starting Feats: Surgery. Additional Class Skills: Treat Injury (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Survival (Wis). Additional Bonus Feats: Medical Expert, Improved Damage Threshold, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Windfall. Preferred Professions: Combat medic, nurse, physician, surgeon. Wealth: +3.
Talents Healer: Whenever the medic restores hit points to a patient with a Treat Injury check, he restores an additional 1d4 hit points. The character can take this talent more than once; each time it is taken after the first, he adds another +1 to the number of hit points he can restore. Improved Health: The medic has been in contact with so many sources of infection through his travels and research that he has developed a strong resistance thereunto. He gains a +4 bonus to Fortitude checks against disease and +2 against poison. First Aid Expertise: The medic is so familiar with his vocation that he transcends the need for tools, coping admirably with only primitive or improvised equipment. The character only suffers a -2 penalty when making Treat Injury checks without a first aid or treat injury kit. Prerequisite: Healer. Concoct Medicament: The character can make a Craft (pharmaceutical) check (DC 20) to create a dose of medicine capable of restoring ability damage lost to poison or disease. Brewing one dose of medicine takes 12 hours and heals 1d4 points of ability damage upon application. The medicine remains effective for one week after it has been prepared. Prerequisite: Healer. Concoct Panacea: The character can make a Craft (pharmaceutical) check (DC 25) to create a dose of medicine capable of restoring levels lost to energy drain. Brewing one dose of medicine takes 18 hours and restores 1d4 levels or eliminates 1d4 negative levels. The medicine remains effective for one week after it has been prepared. Prerequisite: Healer, Concoct Medicament.
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Miraculous Recovery: A medic can save the life of a character reduced to –10 hit points or lower. If the medic is able to administer aid within 3 rounds of the character’s death, he can make a Treat Injury check. The DC for this check is 30 and the field medic cannot take 10 or take 20. If the check succeeds, the dead character can make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 15) to stabilise and be restored to 0 hit points. If the medic fails the skill check or the patient fails the saving throw, the dead character cannot be saved. Prerequisite: Healer, First Aid Expertise, Treat Injury 12 ranks.
The Investigator
Power resides in many forms and one that has become increasingly important is information. The new age of steam has brought an understanding that secrets are a good thing to possess but an even better thing to crack open. Thus, many are drawn to a profession that gives them the chance to tackle enigmas and riddles and to bring light to darkness. Enter the investigator, a person who, in the service of law, crown or the public interest, devotes his every effort to unravelling mysteries. Investigators should always remember that with the world becoming as dark as it is, some secrets are very well guarded and people determined to keep a secret may also be willing to kill for one. Adventures: Investigators are not consumed by a need to put their lives on the line; danger springs upon them as they uncover things that they were meant to leave alone, with the clues they follow eventually leading them into confrontations they would rather avoid or face in the company of others. The only ‘adventures’ for which an investigator will volunteer always have something to do with a secret or a mystery that must be resolved. Characteristics: The abilities that investigators develop all have something to do with being aware of the smallest clue that would lead them to a solution or warn them of danger; they are alert, insightful and more than a little tricky. On the other hand, they also learn to lie in order to detect lies and some become particularly good at fooling others when they want to reach their objectives. Background: Most investigators find employment with one organisation or another; this may be a police force, a crown ministry or any small group interested in knowing the secrets of another. They can also employ themselves, of course. An investigator can come from any social stratum; he only needs a keen eye for detail and a fine mind to put collected details together. Races: Depending on vocation, many races take different approaches to the role of an investigator. Humans, gnomes, and elves are curious by nature and are attracted by the chance to be nosy for a living; ghosts and vampires are ideally suited to some of the tasks of investigating, where their racial talents could come in useful. Hybrids make good manhunters, while cogs are relentless. Dwarves may be the least inclined to become investigators, but their legendary stubbornness can be applied with advantage to the dogged pursuit of the truth. Vocations: Constable, consulting detective, intelligencer, journalist. Other Classes: Investigators have a certain antipathy towards occultists, who are characteristically abstruse and fond of concealing secrets. They are prepared to overcome this when necessary, however, as psychic and magical talents come in very handy when learning about hidden
Fort Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6
Ref Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11 +12
Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11 +12
matters. Scoundrels are the bane of investigators and are almost the sole reason why the class exists, for the crimes of the former fuel the passion of the latter. Investigators have a guarded opinion of nobles but enjoy a much more open relationship with adventurers, who often share their interests (although from a more sanguine perspective) and also with geniuses, who are also experts at rooting out information, though in their case it is wrested from nature herself.
Game Rule Information Investigators have the following game statistics: Abilities: Wisdom is of the utmost importance to investigators, for it makes them more keenly aware of their surroundings and provides a flash of inspiration when cold reason fails. Dexterity is also desirable if they are to take a more active part in any pursuit, while Intelligence gives them the cerebral tools of knowledge and analysis. Those who like to interact with others find Charisma useful but its level of applicability will vary from character to character, depending on their personal inclinations. Hit Die: d8. Action Points: Investigators gain a number of action points equal to 5 + one-half their character level, rounded down, at 1st level and every time they attain a new level in this class.
Class Skills The investigator’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha),
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Special Starting Vocation Eye for Details Bonus Feat – Talent or Trait Bonus Feat Discern Lies Talent or Trait Bonus Feat – Talent or Trait Bonus Feat Web of Contacts Talent or Trait Bonus Feat – Talent or Trait Bonus Feat Sixth Sense Talent or Trait
DV +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9
Reputation +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6
CLASSES & VOCATIONS
The Investigator Base Attack Level Bonus 1 +0 2 +1 3 +2 4 +3 5 +3 6 +4 7 +5 8 +6/+1 9 +6/+1 10 +7/+2 11 +8/+3 12 +9/+4 13 +9/+4 14 +10/+5 15 +11/+6/+1 16 +12/+7/+2 17 +12/+7/+2 18 +13/+8/+3 19 +14/+9/+4 20 +15/+10/+5
Drive (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Knowledge (politics) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Research (Int), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis) and Spot (Wis). Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4. Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features All of the following are class features of the investigator. Starting Feats In addition to the feat all characters get at 1st level, an investigator begins play with the following feats: Armour Proficiency (light), Armour Proficiency (medium), Simple Weapon Proficiency and Pistols Firearm Proficiency. Starting Vocation At 1st level, the character chooses a vocation from one of the following: constable, consulting detective, intelligencer or journalist. He gains the vocation’s starting feats, adds the vocation’s additional class skills to his class skill list, adds the vocation’s bonus feats to his bonus feat list (see below), gains a bonus to his starting Wealth bonus and chooses a talent from that vocation tree. Eye for Details The investigator becomes very aware of his surroundings and it is unusual for him to miss a clue. He can add his Will saving throw bonus to Investigate, Search and Spot checks when he is in a scene where a crime or another important event has occurred.
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Gearbolt trundled along behind the others, weighed down by the heavy bomb that no one else in the group wanted to carry. In a way, he could not blame them. By his calculations, only the hybrid would have been able to survive the initial blast of the device and that was now a defunct outcome. He understood in theory that his survival was not as important to the others as was their own but he was, personally, quite attached to sentience. Having achieved it at the early age of four months after construction, he was one of the oldest operational cogs in existence. That made him feel important and more than that, it made him valuable. The intelligence he represented was worth more than all these organic creatures combined, which was why it annoyed him so much to have such a large, unshielded thermal core strapped to his back. Still, he had to press on. The others needed him, especially the dwarven engineer. He was quite certain that without his sound advice and assistance, the well-meaning but somewhat mechanically inept organic named ‘Thurdin’ would be completely lost down here. Bonus Feat At 3rd level and every three levels thereafter (6th, 9th, 12th and so on), the investigator gains a bonus feat. This feat must be selected from the following list, plus the feats added to this list by the character’s starting vocation. The investigator must also meet any relevant prerequisites. This feat occurs in addition to the normal feat gained at these levels, assuming straight progression in the investigator class from 1st level onward. Alertness, Attentive, Dodge, Elusive Target, Improved Damage Threshold, Improved Disarm, Investigator, Meticulous, Musket Firearms Proficiency. Talent/Trait At 5th level and every three levels thereafter (8th, 11th, 14th and so on), the investigator selects a talent from the following vocation trees: constable, consulting detective, intelligencer or journalist. Alternatively, he can select a trait from the Feat and Traits chapter (see pg. 104). Some trees have a set order that must be followed, while others provide a list to choose from. So long as the character qualifies, he can select freely from any and all class vocation talent trees. No talent can be selected more than once unless expressly indicated. Discern Lies The character is particularly adept at noticing when somebody is lying to him; he now adds his Will saving throw bonus to Sense Motive checks when determining if somebody is lying to him.
Web of Contacts The character gains the Contacts trait (see page 130). If he already has it or acquires it later, he gains a +2 to the level check in order to receive a favour or piece of information. Sixth Sense The character has an innate ability to sense trouble in the air. He can make a Will saving throw (DC 15) and on a successful save, has a hunch that everything is all right or has a bad feeling about a specific situation, based on the Games Master’s best guess relating to the circumstances. This talent is usable a number of times per day equal to the character’s investigator level.
Investigator Vocations
These are the vocations for the investigator class:
Constable Vocation A constable is in charge of keeping law in the streets, alert to any disturbance, so that he might quickly address it for the benefit of all. A constable may have official recognition from due authority or, as is the case in some areas, be a freelance marshal paid by the people to play the role. Bonus Starting Feats: Armour Proficiency (medium), Martial Weapon Proficiency. Additional Class Skills: Intimidate (Cha or Str), Jump (Str), Knowledge (local), Use Rope (Dex). Additional Bonus Feats: Improved Grapple, Improved Knockout Punch, Improved Unarmed Strike, Knockout Punch, Weapon Focus. Preferred Professions: Sheriff, patrolman, troubleshooter. Wealth: +0.
Talents Uncanny Dodge: The character retains his Dexterity bonus to Defence Value regardless of being caught flatfooted or struck by a hidden attacker. The character still loses his Dexterity bonus to Defence if he is immobilised. Improved Uncanny Dodge: The character can no longer be flanked; he can react to opponents on opposite sides of himself as easily as he can react to a single attacker. Prerequisite: Uncanny Dodge. Greater Grapple: The character gains a +2 bonus to grapple checks; this bonus stacks with the one granted by the Improved Grapple feat. In addition, he retains his Dexterity modifier to Defence against attackers he is not grappling. Prerequisite: Uncanny Dodge, Improved Uncanny Dodge. Call Attention: The character can shout forcefully before
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CLASSES & VOCATIONS
he takes his first action in combat. The usual shout is ‘freeze’ but anything will work. All combatants who fail a Will saving throw (DC 10 + half the character’s level + his Charisma modifier) are frozen in place and are considered flat-footed until the next round. The investigator’s allies are not affected. Prerequisites: Uncanny Dodge.
Consulting Detective Vocation New scientific developments have brought forth many changes and the consulting detective is at the forefront of those changes in the world of law enforcement and crime fighting. Consulting detectives are often freelance agents, although many constabularies are embracing the change and hiring or training their own detectives. Bonus Starting Feats: Educated. Additional Class Skills: Gather Information (Cha), Investigate (Int), Knowledge (any two) Additional Bonus Feats: Eclectic, Improved Unarmed Strike, Renown, Studious. Preferred Professions: Detective, insurance agent, bounty hunter, judge, reporter. Wealth: +1.
Talents Deduction: The character has great powers of observation and can make a character level check (1d20 + character level) opposed by a target’s Bluff check to make a deduction about a person after observing him 141.157.188.166
for 1 minute. This deduction yields one of the following facts: target’s class and vocation, target’s character level, character’s highest skill rank, one feat, or one non-obvious trait or vocation talent. Criminal Profile: By making a Gather Information check (DC 15) when talking to the witnesses of a crime, the detective compiles a rough mental picture of the suspect. This mental picture provides a physical description, including distinguishing markings and visible mannerisms. Success makes the profile accurate, at least concerning a particular suspect as seen by witnesses. For this Gather Information check, no money changes hands. The character can expand the profile by making an Investigate check (DC 15) involving the crime scene or other evidence linked to the suspect. If successful, the Investigator combines eyewitness accounts with forensic evidence to develop a profile of the suspect’s method of operation. This provides a +2 circumstance bonus on any skill checks made to uncover additional evidence or otherwise locate and capture the suspect. Prerequisite: Deduction. Predict Actions: Once the detective has spoken to and interacted with a suspect, he knows what the suspect will do almost before he knows himself. Once per day, the detective can use this ability to sense what a suspect is currently doing; he makes a Sense Motive check (DC 20). Success yields a result similar to the Clairsentience (scry)
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power, except that the detective only gets a glimpse into the suspect’s actions for 10 minutes. Prerequisite: Deduction, Criminal Profile. Reconstruct Crime Scene: By analysing the abundant clues at a crime scene, the detective gains the ability to construct a mental image of the exact events that occurred at the scene. The crime must have occurred within a number of days equal to or less than 1 plus the detective’s Intelligence bonus. The detective makes a Search check (DC 20). If successful, he gains a detailed knowledge of the events as if he had been present when they occurred. The detective can mentally picture the events as they took place but his visual reconstruction does not allow him to hear conversations or other sounds. As a general rule, the detective can visualise any physical action, including fights, shifting of objects, the race, size and shape of the persons involved and movement in and out of the area but gains no knowledge of what the participants said or thought. Prerequisite: Deduction. Read Circumstances: The character’s powers of observation are so strong that he can draw a very accurate picture of a crime scene and its perpetrator. He can use his deduction and predict action abilities after a successful use of his Criminal Profile or Reconstruct Crime Scene abilities, starting from the clues he garnered from witness accounts and available clues. The DCs for using deduction and predict actions in this way increase by +5 Prerequisite: Deduction, Criminal Profile, Predict Actions or Reconstruct Crime Scene.
Intelligencer Vocation In a world full of secrets, intelligencers are devoted to one thing only, namely to root those secrets out and deliver them to their employer. Intelligencers infiltrate the places were secrets are kept, fool those who keep them and when they have claimed their prize, retreat back into the shadows. Bonus Starting Feats: Armour Proficiency (medium). Additional Class Skills: Forgery (Int), Hide (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Move Silently (Dex). Additional Bonus Feats: Deceptive, Low Profile, Stealthy, Trustworthy, Weapon Focus. Preferred Professions: Spy, diplomatic attaché, private investigator, enforcer. Wealth: +1.
Talents Improvise Disguise: The character can make himself appear like a different person without the use of a disguise kit, suffering only a -2 penalty for doing so instead of the normal -4. He cannot disguise himself as a specific individual with this ability. Masterful Impersonation: In order to take this talent, the character must have the Criminal Profile talent from
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the consulting detective vocation. By studying a target and asking around, an intelligencer can use the Disguise skill to impersonate said target almost flawlessly, requiring a Spot check from those he meets once every two hours instead of once per hour. Prerequisite: Criminal Profile. Social Chameleon: The intelligencer is adept at fitting seamlessly into almost any situation. He gains a +4 competence bonus to Bluff or Disguise checks made to convince someone that he belongs in a restricted area, is actually a member of a club organisation or royal court, has been sent an invitation that he has somehow misplaced and so on. Furthermore, should his bluff succeed, his victim believes the intelligencer’s claim until he is presented with evidence to the contrary. Of course, a superior who is aware of the truth need only order a guard to hunt down the character. Prerequisite: Improvise Disguise. Man of a Thousand Faces: The intelligencer manages to establish and propagate several aliases. When travelling, he can opt to take on an alias, allowing him to disguise himself with ease. In game terms, the intelligencer must create four aliases, describing their names, jobs, personality quirks and brief histories for the Games Master. At any time, the intelligencer may spend an hour getting into character. He is then considered to automatically pass all Disguise checks when masquerading as one of his aliases. He may even use his intelligencer and other class abilities while in disguise, utilising his alias’s friends, contacts and reputed abilities rather than his own. The only people who have any chance of piercing the disguise are close, personal friends, rivals and relatives of the intelligencer, against whom the intelligencer must make a Disguise check as normal with a +8 circumstance bonus. One of the aliases may be of the opposite sex, while another one may be a different race, though the alias’s race must be the same size as the intelligencer’s. Thus, a human intelligencer could not use one of his aliases to pose as a Large construct.
Journalist Vocation There are two differences between an intelligencer and a journalist. They have different intentions concerning what they will do with the truth once they have it and they differ in the kinds of truths they are after. A journalist wants to know all there is to know about an event or a person and then report it to the public through a newspaper or another medium. Bonus Starting Feats: Skill Focus (gather information). Additional Class Skills: Decipher Script (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Knowledge (any two) Additional Bonus Feats: Endurance, Negotiator, Persuasive, Renown, Toughness, Preferred Professions: Reporter, correspondent, private investigator, infiltrator, fencer. Wealth: +1.
Talents Fast-Talk: The journalist has a way with words when attempting to con and deceive. With this talent, he applies his investigator level as a bonus on any Bluff, Diplomacy or Gamble checks he makes while attempting to lie, cheat or otherwise bend the truth.
The informant talent does not negate the cost of these services but it does make acquiring them much faster and more likely to succeed. If a Charisma check is ever required in the pursuit of these matters, the journalist enjoys a bonus equal to one quarter of his character level, rounded down to a minimum of +1. Pulse of the City: The contacts of a journalist have grown so widespread and operate so deeply in the infrastructure of his home city that he learns about anything of importance almost as soon as it happens. He is kept up to date on major thefts, purchases, arrests, social engagements and political occurrences at all times. In game terms, the journalist can ‘take 10’ on Gather Information checks every morning of every day and gains a re-roll on the check the same evening without any risk of informing people of his interest. Prerequisite: Informant. Web of Secrets: Once per week, the journalist may make a Diplomacy check and a Gather Information check. Both of these rolls are against a DC of 25. If one roll succeeds, the journalist learns a valuable secret about someone of importance. If both rolls succeed, the journalist may either learn a second, related secret or one extremely valuable secret instead. What the journalist does with this knowledge is his decision but revealing it openly is likely to bring retribution from the embarrassed or disgraced subject or subjects. Prerequisite: Informant, Pulse of the City. Subtle Interrogation: The journalist has the ability to acquire minor levels of aid from anyone he meets, coaxing information or small favours from established informants or even from chance acquaintances. When trying to convince a Non-Player Character of something using either the Diplomacy or Bluff skills, the journalist can
The Journeyman
In no other time has the common man had a better chance to become outstanding. That is what the journeyman is, a protagonist of everyday life whose astounding talent for the ordinary makes him extraordinary. Overlooked by many as servants or part of the scenery, journeymen accomplish their tasks with honest efficiency and humble discretion, taking more pride in a job well done than in the glory and fame of an exciting life of adventure.
CLASSES & VOCATIONS
Informant: A journalist is assumed to know someone in nearly every walk of life in his home city. A home city is defined as any city the journalist has been in for more than one year continuously. If the journalist needs to talk with someone in any given field of interest, he automatically has the information he needs to set up a meeting. In any other city, he may still have a contact that can help. The journalist makes a Gather Information check, with the DC varying according to the scarcity of the service desired. Assume a DC of 15 for basic services, 20 for complicated needs like a speciality scholar or a chemist who makes poison and 25 for truly exotic subjects like a telluric engineer.
spend 1 action point and shift the Non-Player Character’s attitude one step more favourably towards him; see the Diplomacy skill. The target may still have an overall reluctance to relinquish information or favours but he will be more inclined to do so than he was before. The character gains a +2 bonus to Diplomacy or Bluff checks for every attitude step by which the target was shifted. This bonus only lasts until the end of the interaction with the target. Prerequisite: Informant.
Adventures: It is more common for adventure to find a journeyman than it is for him to go out looking for it but when the two meet, the journeyman rises to the occasion with bravery and hard work. He may be a real estate agent stumbling upon an ancient evil, a valet in the company of a person that attracts trouble or a householder forced to adapt to being pitched into a wild and savage world. In all such cases, the journeyman shines by achieving more than anyone had expected him to be. Characteristics: The abilities of a journeyman are more focused on making things easier for himself and for others than on changing the world in any major degree. He functions as an excellent assistant, without whose help another character would never accomplish anything, or as part of a crew that becomes elite by his mere presence. Direct assistance is the journeyman’s creed and honest work is his method. Background: Most characters who rise from the gutter tend to become journeymen as they gain satisfaction from their job and have such love for their art or craft that they become extraordinary at it. If they walk the halls of the rich and noble, it is as a worker only, although some do manage to amass a fortune with which to pay others to work. Races: Cogs are very diligent workers and have the right attitude to become journeymen, although hybrids often find themselves in the same boat, sometimes literally. Gnomes tend to be too proud and flighty to devote a moment of their short lives to hard and honest work, whereas elves on the other hand are likely to spend at least some of their long lives in such a role, though they often strive to escape this drudgery. Dwarves, in stark contrast to their Eldrath kin, see nothing wrong with manual or menial labour and can even become obsessive about it. The talents of ghosts and vampires can either be wasted
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on or be or of prime importance to a life as a journeyman, depending on personal preferences. Humans who do not have a spirit that explodes with spontaneity can still amount to much through patient and constant labour.
CLASSES & VOCATIONS
Vocations: Bodyguard, crewman, professional, valet. Other Classes: Journeymen find themselves in the frequent company of adventurers and investigators as friends in adversity. Given their ability to assist others, they are a welcome addition to any séance or ritual circle provided they are not sceptically inclined or to a lab or study hall provided they are industrious. Although they do not like nobles much, journeymen enter their employ more than they would like. They distrust scoundrels because of their constant search for the easy way out, considering them ‘workshy’.
Game Rule Information Journeymen have the following game statistics: Abilities: Constitution helps journeymen perform their work for prolonged lengths of time, although, depending on the profession they develop, Intelligence and Wisdom become good alternatives, along with Strength. Charisma and Dexterity, while good to have in high amounts, are not as vital to the constant effort that journeymen are capable of. Hit Die: d6. Action Points: Journeymen gain a number of action points equal to 5 + one-half their character level, rounded
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The Journeyman Base Attack Level Bonus 1 +0 2 +1 3 +2 4 +3 5 +3 6 +4 7 +5 8 +6/+1 9 +6/+1 10 +7/+2 11 +8/+3 12 +9/+4 13 +9/+4 14 +10/+5 15 +11/+6/+1 16 +12/+7/+2 17 +12/+7/+2 18 +13/+8/+3 19 +14/+9/+4 20 +15/+10/+5
Fort Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11 +12
Ref Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11 +12
Will Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6
down, at 1st level and every time they attain a new level in this class.
Class Skills The journeyman’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Craft (Int), Drive (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (any one) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis). Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4. Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier.
Class Features All of the following are class features of the journeyman. Starting Feats In addition to the feat all characters get at 1st level, a journeyman begins play with the following feats: Armour Proficiency (light), Simple Weapon Proficiency and Pistols Firearms Proficiency. Starting Vocation At 1st level, the character chooses a vocation from one of the following: bodyguard, crewman, professional or valet. He gains the vocation’s starting feats, adds the vocation’s additional class skills to his class skill list, adds the vocation’s bonus feats to his bonus feat list (see below), gains a bonus to his starting Wealth bonus and chooses a talent from that vocation tree. Class Skills At 1st and 8th level, the character designates two cross-class skills plus another skill per positive Intelligence modifier. These skills become class skills for the journeyman.
Special Starting Vocation, Class Skills Talent or Trait Improved Aid Another Bonus Feat Talent or Trait – Talent or Trait Bonus Feat Class Skills Talent or Trait – Talent or Trait, Bonus Feat Share Success Focus Talent or Trait Bonus Feat Talent or Trait – Bonus Feat Talent or Trait
DV +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6 +7
Reputation +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6 +7 +7 +7 +8
The people around him were starting to become annoying.
Talent/Trait At 2nd, 5th, 7th, 10th, 12th, 15th, 17th and 20th levels, the journeyman selects a talent from the following vocation trees: bodyguard, crewman, professional or valet. If the entry in the table states that the character can select a talent or a trait, he can select a trait from the Feat and Traits chapter (see pg. 104). Some trees have a set order that must be followed, while others provide a list to choose from. As long as the character qualifies, he can select freely from any and all class vocation talent trees. No talent can be selected more than once unless expressly indicated. Bonus Feat At 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th levels, the journeyman gains a bonus feat. This feat must be selected from the following list, plus the feats added to this list by the character’s starting vocation. The journeyman must also meet any prerequisites. Acrobatic, Agile, Animal Affinity, Creative, Dodge, Educated, Gearhead, Meticulous, Run, Trustworthy, Vehicle Expert. Improved Aid Another The journeyman’s bonus on attempts to aid another increases by +2 (to a +4 total) on a successful aid another check. Share Success The character has a special option when spending action points. He can decide to share his bonus from the action point amongst a number of characters he designates. Instead of d6, the character rolls d8 for his bonus. The result becomes a bonus pool that all designated characters can distribute amongst themselves. The character does not decide who receives how many points and is obliged to accept the decision of his beneficiaries. The other characters can keep the bonus received until they need it for any action that could benefit from an aid another
Great Focus Once per day, the character can spend an action point to treat any skill check as an automatic success instead of just rolling, provided that the task’s DC is equal to or less than 15 + the character’s skill bonus.
Journeyman Vocations
These are the vocations for the journeyman class:
Bodyguard Vocation Bodyguards work towards protecting others, usually hanging back from the action unless their charge is in immediate danger. Bodyguards are devoted and loyal usually until their contract runs out, a time when their loyalty may shift. Others follow the bodyguard vocation out of genuine concern for the safety of others.
CLASSES & VOCATIONS
Thurdin did not ordinarily mind his companions, whoever they happened to be from mission to mission. Now, though, he was really growing tired of having so many people comment on his work and offer their little ‘helpful suggestions’ while he was trying to disarm an explosive device to keep a crushing rock fall from triggering over his head. He was especially sorry that while he was repairing that blasted cog’s leg, he had not taken the opportunity to ‘accidentally’ break its voicebox. If he heard one more ‘Excuse me, organic, but I think you should consider…’ then the next trap was going to have a regrettable amount of ‘limited deployment’.
check until the end of the scene or encounter. If the beneficiaries have not spent their bonus when the scene or encounter ends, the benefit is lost.
Additional Bonus Starting Feat: Toughness Additional Class Skills: Intimidate (Cha or Str), Spot (Wis), Additional Bonus Feats: Improved Damage Threshold, Improved Initiative, Toughness. Preferred Professions: Bouncer, guard, protector, tutor, bodyguard. Wealth: +2.
Talents Uncanny Dodge: (constable) talent.
This functions as the investigator
Harm’s Way: Once per round, if the bodyguard is adjacent to an ally who is targeted by a direct melee or ranged attack (but not an area effect), the bodyguard can subject himself to the attack in the ally’s stead. If the attack hits the bodyguard, he takes damage normally. If it misses, it also misses the ally. The bodyguard must declare his intention to place himself in harm’s way before the attack roll is made. The bodyguard selects his ally either prior to combat or immediately after the bodyguard makes his initiative check. The bodyguard cannot change his designated ally for the duration of the combat. Sudden Action: Once per day, a bodyguard can focus his efforts and burst into sudden action when the situation calls for it. The bodyguard can change his place in the initiative order, moving higher in the count by a number less than or equal to his class level, as the bodyguard sees fit. The bodyguard can declare the use of this ability at the start of any round, before anyone else takes an action. Prerequisite: Harm’s Way. Defensive Strike: If an opponent makes a melee attack against the bodyguard and misses while the bodyguard is
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using the total defence option, the bodyguard can attack that opponent on his next turn (as a standard action) with a +4 bonus on his attack roll. The bodyguard gains no bonus against an opponent who does not attack the bodyguard or against an opponent who makes a successful attack. Prerequisite: Harm’s Way, Sudden Action. Blanket Protection: A bodyguard can use his expertise to provide protection for up to six allies (not including himself ). The bodyguard spends 1 action point and takes a full-round action to issue orders and directions. Doing this provides the bodyguard’s allies with a +1 insight bonus to Defence for 3 rounds. Prerequisite: Harm’s Way.
Crewman Vocation Crewmen, as the name implies, are used to working in crews. They know many work songs whose rhythm regulates the rate of shovelling, pulling, pushing, cranking and similar manual tasks. An expert journeyman crewmember is able to push others towards doing their best, as well as excelling in his own right. Additional Class Skills: Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate (Cha or Str), Additional Bonus Feats: Endurance, Improved Initiative. Preferred Professions: Sailor, technician, porter, soldier, engineer, construction worker, lab assistant. Wealth: +1.
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Talents Group Effort: When the character spends an action point and makes an aid another check, he can grant the bonus to one extra character after the first per point of his Wisdom modifier, with a minimum of one extra character. All characters that benefit from the check must be within 10 feet of the character in order to receive the benefit. Mobster: If the character is flanking a target, he gives a +3 bonus to attack to the other flanking character, instead of the usual +2. Taskmaster: The crewman has a knack for getting people to work together. When he can spend a full round directing his allies and makes a Charisma check (DC 10), the character provides any of his allies within 30 feet with a +1 bonus to their attack rolls and skill checks. The bonus lasts for a number of rounds equal to the crewman’s Charisma modifier. The crewman can co-ordinate a number of allies equal to one-half his journeyman level rounded down, to a minimum of one ally. Prerequisite: Group Effort. Work Together: A crewman working with a capable team can greatly reduce the time needed for work. He must make a level check (DC 20) and, if successful, he reduces the time needed to complete a task by half. Prerequisite: Group Effort, Taskmaster.
Professional Vocation Study and hard work lead a professional to the pinnacle of his trade, whether he produces goods or renders services. A professional specialises in a particular skill set and devotes his time to excelling at it.
Talents Critical Success: The character selects one of his class skills. Whenever he rolls a natural 20 on a skill check with the selected skill, the roll is considered an automatic success. This talent can be taken more than once; each time it is taken, it applies to a different class skill. Improved Critical Success: The character selects a skill for which he previously selected the Critical Success talent. Whenever he rolls a natural 19 or 20 on a skill check with the selected skill, the roll is considered an automatic success. This talent can be taken more than once; each time it applies to a different class skill. Prerequisite: Critical Success. Master Artisan: The character gains the Master Artisan feat for free; if he already has it, the bonus he can grant to mastercraft items he makes increases by +1. He can only make mastercraft items with a maximum +3 bonus. Quality Work: A professional can expect to earn more for his services. The character gains a +2 bonus to Profession checks for the purposes of increasing his Wealth bonus at each level. Dividends: The professional is recognised as a master in his field. With a successful Profession check upon gaining a new level, the character increases his Wealth score by +2, in addition to any increases brought upon a good roll or other circumstances. Prerequisite: Quality Work.
Valet Vocation A good manservant is very hard to find, let alone keep. A valet is one of those rare employees who will go out on a limb to help their employer, gaining as much experience in an adventure as his employer does, sometimes by achieving more. Bonus Starting Feats: Run. Additional Class Skills: Bluff (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha). Additional Bonus Feats: Low Profile. Preferred Professions: Major-domo, personal attendant, usher, keymaster, housekeeper, butler, waiter. Wealth: +1. 141.157.188.166
Pack Rat: The character keeps an incredible assortment of trinkets about him. Whenever he needs a particular item, he makes a Wealth check with a Purchase DC +5 higher than the item’s normal DC. If the check succeeds, he finds the object somewhere on his person. The Games Master is free to state that it is impossible for the character to have picked up a particular object anywhere and the object cannot be too large as to be plainly visible. Prerequisite: Improved Carrying Capacity. Sentence Completion: The valet designates another character as an employer. The employer loses a +1 bonus from his Wealth check to secure the valet’s services. The valet in turn gains a +1 bonus for the duration of his ‘employment’ to the other character, which he loses if the relationship is terminated, giving it back to the employer. After a month of employment, the valet has learned so much of his employer’s mannerisms and habits that he can complete his actions. Once per day, if the employer fails a skill check within 30 feet of him, the valet can make a level check (DC 15) as a free action. For every point that the valet’s result exceeds the DC, he grants an equal bonus to his employer’s failed skill check. If this bonus is enough to turn the original failure into a success, then the skill check is counted as a success.
CLASSES & VOCATIONS
Additional Class Skills: Knowledge (any one) (Int), Sense Motive (Wis). Additional Bonus Feats: Skill Focus, Renown. Preferred Professions: Any that renders a service, artisan (any field). Wealth: +1.
Talents Improved Carrying Capacity: The valet has a surprising ability to carry others’ luggage. His carrying capacity (see pg. 201) is the same as if his Strength score was +2 higher. This is not a Strength increase. This talent can be taken more than once; each time, the character adds another +2 to his virtual Strength for the purpose of calculating his carrying capacity.
Employer’s Status: The valet develops a close relationship with his employer. Once per day, the valet can make a Will saving throw (DC 15) to know the general status of his employer if they become separated. The information he gains is concerning the employer’s general health, whether he is safe or in danger and suchlike issues. If the working relationship is terminated, the valet can no longer use this ability until he gains a new employer. Prerequisite: Sentence Completion. Locate Employer: The valet is so attuned to his employer that he can feel where he is. Once per day, the valet can make a Will saving throw (DC 20) to know in which direction his employer is located, as well as the approximate distance.
The Occultist
Some people may call them the holdovers of an obscurantist age but the occult sciences hold the same mystery and power they always have, with perhaps a little more as they benefit tangentially from science. The brighter the incandescent lights of science shine, the more
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sharply defined the shadows of magic become. Occultists devote their lives to the study and practice of the mysterious and enigmatic, of arcane forces and the locked powers of the human mind. They are wielders of the most powerful of secrets: magic and psychic powers. Adventures: Occultists embark upon adventures as part of their constant search for secret lore or because their talents are highly sought by others who would benefit from a little extra edge to what they do. They divide their lives between their libraries and sanctums and the world outside, where many secrets lie buried, waiting for a brave soul to dig them out and decipher them. Characteristics: There are two kinds of occultists; those who seek power within and those who find it without. Each of them also falls into one of two camps as they choose a vocation. Psychics and mediums practice related talents but where one increases the potential of the mind, the other becomes attuned to the flow of the spirits of the dead. Magicians and ecclesiasts wield power that they wrest from the world itself or which is granted to them by one of the deities that still retains an interest in the business of mortals. Background: Occultists come in many varieties; those who develop psychic powers tend to be more intuitive and can come from any corner of society, from the pauper who spouts prophecy at a street corner to the rich medium who sells his wares to the wealthy. Practitioners of magic, on the other hand, tend to be educated or have access to vast stores of occult knowledge in one form or another, although the janitor of the Occult Studies department could very well moonlight as a hedge magician. Races: Elves, with their affinity with magic, are natural occultists, coming effortlessly upon the secrets that others must strive hard to acquire. Humans, with their insatiable thirst for finding out that which should not be known, are also ardent seekers of occult lore. Hybrids see magic as a natural force and thus embrace it, while cogs do not see much point in becoming occultists, although those who do defy all expectations. Ghosts and vampires are the occult personified and have years to study at their leisure, though that does not mean that they would want to enjoy their new undead status locked up in study and practice. One might expect a greater involvement in magic on the part of dwarves and gnomes, as Eldrath races are innately magical. However, their minds are more concerned with practical matters than the intricacies and twists of the magical weave. Vocations: Ecclesiast, magician, medium, psychic. Other Classes: Occultists and geniuses are really opposite sides of the same coin, although they will always fight over the superiority of their respective disciplines. They seek the services of adventurers and journeymen in their quest for more knowledge and power and see nobles as witless
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pawns to be used and manipulated. Scoundrels are seen as useful in obtaining certain goods and services that the occultists could not ask for from others. This association often puts them at odds with investigators, although they find themselves co-operating more times than either finds comfortable.
Game Rule Information Occultists have the following game statistics: Abilities: Depending on the initial and subsequent vocations of a character, he will find that he needs Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma as his main attribute, for it will govern his core ability, which is the occult skill with which he uses his powers. Constitution is a good secondary choice, as it is the basis for the Concentration skill and both ritualists and psychics must maintain their focus when using their powers. Hit Die: d4. Action Points: Occultists gain a number of action points equal to 5 + one-half their character level, rounded down, at 1st level and every time they attain a new level in this class.
Class Skills The occultist’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis) and Spellcraft (Int). Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4. Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features All of the following are class features of the occultist. Starting Feats In addition to the feat all characters get at 1st level, an occultist begins play with the following feat: Simple Weapon Proficiency. Starting Vocation At 1st level, the character chooses a vocation from one of the following: ecclesiast, magician, medium or psychic. He gains the vocation’s starting feats, adds the vocation’s additional class skills to his class skill list, adds the vocation’s bonus feats to his bonus feat list (see below), gains a bonus to his starting Wealth bonus and chooses a talent from that vocation tree. Talent/Trait At 2nd, 5th, 7th, 10th, 12th, 15th, 17th and 20th levels, the occultist selects a talent from the following vocation trees: ecclesiast, magician, medium or psychic. If the entry in the table states that the character can select a talent or a trait, he can select a trait from the Feat and Traits chapter
Fort Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6
Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6
Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11 +12
(see pg. 104). Some trees have a set order that must be followed, while others provide a list to choose from. As long as the character qualifies, he can select freely from any and all class vocation talent trees. No talent can be selected more than once unless expressly indicated. Bonus Feat At 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th levels, the occultist gains a bonus feat. This feat must be selected from the following list, plus the feats added to this list by the character’s starting vocation. The occultist must also meet any indicated prerequisites. Educated, Combat Concentration, Lightning Reflexes, Master Artisan, Meticulous, Studious.
Occultist Vocations
These are the vocations for the occultist class:
Ecclesiast Vocation The age of the gods is winding down but their servants remain to call their names and dispense their blessings, fighting an uphill battle against the tide of progress. In spite of the prominence of the scientific paradigm, their power still rings true and they still channel their divine will. The magic style that ecclesiasts practice is always faith working. Bonus Starting Feats: Craft Conduit, one other Magic Discipline feat. Additional Class Skills: Diplomacy (Cha).
Special Starting Vocation Talent or Trait – Bonus Feat Talent or Trait – Talent or Trait Bonus Feat – Talent or Trait – Talent or Trait, Bonus Feat – – Talent or Trait Bonus Feat Talent or Trait – Bonus Feat Talent or Trait
DV +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6 +7
Reputation +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6
CLASSES & VOCATIONS
The Occultist Base Attack Level Bonus 1 +0 2 +1 3 +1 4 +2 5 +2 6 +3 7 +3 8 +4 9 +4 10 +5 11 +5 12 +6/+1 13 +6/+1 14 +7/+2 15 +7/+2 16 +8/+3 17 +8/+3 18 +9/+4 19 +9/+4 20 +10/+5
Additional Bonus Feats: Attentive, Combat Expertise, Divination Talent, Necromancy Talent, Improved Turning, None in this group would have believed it, but Heshia was a magician by trade. She had been a devotee of her family’s spiritual tradition for more than a hundred years. It was only the steady encroachment by Megadon’s ever expanding borders of metal and stone that had brought her people into contact with humans in the first place. She would have been happier if she had never met humans or their horrible machines but fate had other things in mind. Things, it seemed, that did not include having a family or a life with her people. She could still hear the sounds of gunshots and the screams of her children, her husband, her people… Now, all she had left were the skills of her tribe, the memories of that night of fire, and these two rune pistols. They had belonged to the man that shot her babies. It had taken that human days to die but before he finally bled out, he told her the name of the man responsible for the attack on her village. That was all she cared about now. Each mission brought her one step closer to the City Fathers and one day closer to her only reason for living. Some day they would take her into their confidence and she would get what she wanted most in the world - a clear shot.
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Preferred Professions: undead hunter, preacher. Wealth: +1.
Priest, exorcist, counsellor,
CLASSES & VOCATIONS
Talents Turn Undead: The ecclesiast can speak directly to his deity and project divine will to repel undead creatures. He may attempt to turn undead a number of times per day equal to his Charisma modifier plus 3; this limit can be increased with the Extra Turning feat. The range of this ability is 60 feet, starting with the closest undead creature. The character makes a Charisma check (1d20 + Charisma modifier) and compares the result in the Turning Undead Table to determine the Hit Dice of the most powerful undead he can affect, relative to his level. On a given turning attempt, the ecclesiast cannot turn an undead creature whose Hit Dice exceed the result on this table. Next, the character rolls 2d6 + occultist level + Charisma modifier for turning damage, which is how many total Hit Dice of undead the character can turn. On multiple attempts, the character overlooks already turned undead that are still within range, so as not to waste turning capacity on them. Turned undead flee from the character by the best and fastest means available to them. They flee for 10 rounds, that is, one minute. If they cannot flee, they cower, giving any attack rolls against them a +2 bonus. If the character closes to within 10 feet of them, however, they act as cornered wild beasts and attack any opponents within 10 feet as savagely as they can. The character can attack them with ranged attacks from at least 10 feet away and others can attack them in any fashion, without breaking the turning effect. If the character has twice as many levels (or more) as the undead have Hit Dice, he destroys any that he would normally turn. Turning Undead Turning Check Result 0 or lower 1–3 4–6 7–9 10–12 13–15 16–18 19–21 22 or higher
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Turn Outsider: The character can use his turn undead ability to turn outsiders of opposing allegiance to the one he professes. Instead of destroying them, however, he dispatches them back to their otherworldly home. Prerequisite: Ecclesiast as a starting vocation, Blessing, Turn Undead.
Magician Vocation The power of magic lies latent in the world, even when science and technology pervades it. Magicians come from all walks of life and upon learning magic, they choose which style to practice, either using the power of knowledge or of primitive spirits. See the Occult chapter for full details on magic. Bonus Starting Feats: Craft Conduit, one other Magic Discipline feat. Additional Class Skills: Research (Int). Additional Bonus Feats: Brew Potion, Craft Magic Arms and Armour, Craft Wondrous Item, Divination Talent, Empower Effect, Enlarge Effect, Enticement Talent, Extend Effect, Forge Ring, Greater Magic Focus, Greater Magic Penetration, Magic Focus, Magic Penetration, Maximise Effect, Necromancy Talent, Protection Talent, Quicken Effect, Scribe Scroll, Silent Effect, Still Effect, Transformation Talent. Preferred Professions: Counsellor, alchemist, herbalist, scholar, professor, shaman. Wealth: +2.
Talents Most Powerful Undead Affected (Maximum Hit Dice) Occultist’s level – 4 Occultist’s level – 3 Occultist’s level – 2 Occultist’s level – 1 Occultist’s level Occultist’s level + 1 Occultist’s level + 2 Occultist’s level + 3 Occultist’s level + 4
Prerequisite: Ecclesiast as a starting vocation.
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Blessing: An ecclesiast can cast a blessing upon another character or upon water three times per day. If the character succeeds a Charisma check against a DC of 15 the character the blessing is cast upon gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls and saving throws against fear effects . This effect lasts a number of rounds equal to the caster’s level = their Charisma modifier. Casting a blessing upon water turns it into holy water. See the description of the Craft (chemical) skill. Prerequisite: Ecclesiast as a starting vocation.
Conduit Capacity: The character can increase the number of effects he can enchant within a conduit by +3. A character can take this talent more than once; each time, he increases the number of effects he can enchant in a conduit by +3. Magic Power: The character may take a Magic Discipline feat, a metamagic feat or an item creation feat for magic items.
Medium Vocation Even though revenants walk the streets, there is an entire world of ghosts and spirits out there and few have the power to manifest an image to the living. Mediums are a bridge between the world of the living and the dead and
share a special relationship with the true dead and the undead.
Talents Spiritism: Spiritism is a psychic power open only to those who take the medium as a starting vocation. Using the talent from this vocation requires a Psychic Control check (DC 15) and if it affects others, they can resist by making appropriate saving throws (DC 10 + half character level + Cha modifier). Owing to his contact with the afterworld, the psychic has a +2 bonus to all saving throws against the power of the dead and the undead, as well as a +2 bonus to all Charisma-based skill checks when dealing with such creatures. Aid Ghost: The medium can bolster the abilities of a present ghost. The medium excretes a small cloud of ectoplasm with the Ectoplasmic Secretion power on the location of the ghost who, instead of manifesting physically on the material plane, gains a bonus to its attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks and to the DCs to save against its powers. This bonus is equal to twice the
Astral Travel: The medium detaches his astral body from his material shell, sending it to travel to lands unknown. For the duration of the trance, the character’s attention is wholly on his astral body, which is invisible, insubstantial and capable of moving in any direction, even up or down, at a speed of 30 feet plus 10 feet per point of Charisma modifier. As an insubstantial creature, the medium can move through solid objects, including living creatures. By virtue of the trance, the medium can see and hear on the Material Plane. Everything looks slightly unfocused, with sight and hearing in the Material Plane limited to 60 feet. The medium may not do anything to affect the location he visits nor communicate with the people there, nor can he be affected by anything happening or perceived by anyone except by another medium with The Sight or who is also travelling astrally. During the travel, the character’s material shell lies helpless, although the character can make a Concentration check (DC 15) to end the trance and return if the material body is in any danger.
CLASSES & VOCATIONS
Bonus Starting Feats: Ectoplasmic Secretion, Psychic Sensitivity, The Sight. Additional Class Skills: Sense Motive (Wis). Additional Bonus Feats: Greater Psychic Focus, Broad Psychic Attention, Psychic Focus, Preferred Professions: Medium, advisor. Wealth: +2.
character’s Charisma modifier. Each time the ghost uses this bonus, it uses up a cube 5 feet per side of ectoplasm, which the psychic must renew or the ghost must move to another area occupied by ectoplasm. Prerequisites: Spiritism, Psychic Control 4 ranks.
The character may shift his astral position to any location, regardless of range, by making a successful Psychic Control check with a base DC of 20, modified by the familiarity circumstances of the Clairsentience (scry) power. If the
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setting allows the existence of spiritual otherworlds, the character can visit them astrally only by shifting with a total DC of 30 to the Psychic Control check or by going through the methods he would normally use to visit them. When the trance ends for any reason, the character’s astral body returns to his material shell automatically. Prerequisites: Spiritism, Psychic Control 14 ranks. Channel the Dead: The character casts his mind far beyond the barriers between the living and the dead, channelling the spirit of a deceased person to ask it questions. The spirit replies according to what it knew during life, including the languages it spoke (if any) but it resents such contact and gives only brief and cryptic answers to the questions in the form of ‘yes,’ ‘no,’ ‘maybe,’ ‘never,’ ‘irrelevant,’ and so on. The psychic can ask a minimum of one question, plus an extra question for every 2 points by which the Psychic Control check exceeded the base DC, at the rate of one question per minute. Familiarity is the key to successful contact with the dead. The Psychic Control check DC is modified by the same circumstances as the Telepathy connection modifiers, although the psychic gains a +2 morale bonus for every relative of the deceased that is present in the room where he is contacting the spirit. The psychic may try to contact a random spirit but there is a chance that such a spirit does not know the answer to the question, that it may lie or that it may give a random reply. Refer to the table below to ascertain the spirit’s behaviour. Chance (d%) 01–44
45–67 68–88 89–100
Result The spirit gives a true, short answer. Questions that cannot be answered in this way are answered randomly. The spirit reveals that it does not know. The spirit intentionally lies. The spirit does not know the answer, so it makes one up.
If the medium secretes a cloud of ectoplasm, the semblance of the spirit manifests within. It may listen to and answer the questions of other individuals in the room, although the total number of questions allowed does not increase. If the spirit the psychic is attempting to interrogate has not passed on and remains as a ghost, it is entitled to a Will saving throw (DC 15) to refuse all questioning for 24 hours. Prerequisites: Spiritism, Psychic Control 12 ranks. Poltergeist: The Ethereal Plane, the home of ghosts and other spirits of the dead, is a realm of emotion and primal energy and the psychic learns how to channel it through his body with extreme violence. By activating this power, the psychic causes an area 20 feet around him to come alive with fury, with all unattached objects (and
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some loosely attached ones) flying in all directions. The psychic cannot direct the objects but all the flying debris furiously attacks the creatures inside the area. A creature inside the poltergeist zone who takes no actions other than fighting off the flying objects takes 1 point of damage on its turn. A creature in the poltergeist zone who takes any other action, including leaving the area, takes 1d4 points of damage plus one point per three levels of the occultist. Concentrating on psychic powers and magic within the poltergeist zone is impossible. The medium may move at half speed while using this power and the effect remains with him at all times until he stops concentrating. This ability needs a Psychic Control check to activate (DC 15) and lasts for one round per character level per day; the character need not use up all the rounds in the same instance but may space them in different uses through the day, as long as they do not exceed the daily limit. Prerequisites: Spiritism, Psychic Control 6 ranks. Wilful Possession: The medium may allow his body to be controlled by a spirit. The aforesaid spirit may be a ghost or a departed spirit of the kind which can be contacted by the Channel the Dead power above, which the medium must contact with a Psychic Control check with the same modifiers for familiarity as Channel the Dead and Mesmerism (scry). This is a very open-ended power, as the spirit or ghost may have its own ideas on what it wants to do once it has control of a living body. If the medium does not wish to restrain the spirit, then the possession is total; the spirit retains its Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, level, class, base attack bonus, base save bonuses, allegiance and mental abilities. The body retains its Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, hit points, natural abilities and automatic abilities. The spirit cannot choose to activate the medium’s own abilities. The medium may want to limit the access the spirit has to his body, in which case he makes a second Psychic Control check, which the spirit resists with a Will saving throw. The medium may limit the spirit to speech only, or to speech and movement that does not take it out of the room; he may also prevent the spirit or ghost from using its powers through his body. This form of possession is not as strong as a spirit would like and if anything causes the medium to snap out of his trance, the effect ends and the spirit is ejected. The medium may voluntarily end the trance himself with a Concentration check (DC 15) if he is not in control of his body. Prerequisites: Spiritism, Psychic Control 8 ranks.
Psychic Vocation Exerting their personal magnetism to its extremes or tapping other forces not yet measured by science, psychics exhibit powers beyond human reckoning, transcending even the laws of magic in their manifestation. Bonus Starting Feats: Psychic Sensitivity, The Sight, one other Psychic Feat.
Talents Psychic Attention: The psychic is able to concentrate on his trance despite distractions. He can take 10 on Concentration checks, unlike other characters. Extended Trance: The psychic is especially adept at using his concentration to remain in a trance. He can remain in a trance for 10 more minutes than normal. The psychic can take this talent more than once; each time, he adds another 10 minutes to the maximum length of his trance. Psychic Practice: The psychic gains 2 practice points. The character can take this talent more than once; each time, he gains another 2 practice points. Psychic Power: The psychic can gain a psychic feat for which he meets all prerequisites.
The Scoundrel
Guts and gusto achieve success; of that there is no doubt. Where guts are not in abundance, however, wits and trickery may fill the gap. Scoundrels live by their ingenuity and their ability to swindle, trick and otherwise take advantage of others. Some are good sports about it and exploit only the weaknesses of the wealthy, while others make no distinction whatsoever between the victims of their dishonest arts. Whatever their method, scoundrels are proficient in techniques that most others would find unsavoury. Adventures: Scoundrels do not call their giddy escapades ‘adventures’. They are so used to getting into trouble that they simply become ‘situations.’ While not addicted to thrills like adventurers, scoundrels do find a certain joy in risky situations, although they are of a different kind. A rooftop pursuit or stealthy exploration of sewers carries the same charm for them as a forest run or spelunking old ruins does for other sorts of adventurers. Characteristics: Scoundrels have unique characteristics. While some prefer to test their raw skill and mettle against obstacles of a physical nature, others prefer to charm their way through life. When charm is not an option, plain dirty deeds may suffice if the scoundrel is not blessed by fortune and luck.
where necessity does not engender trickery, boredom often does. Whatever his position in life, a character may want to try the life of a roguish scoundrel in order to survive or simply for entertainment. Races: Elves, gnomes and humans have a mischievous spirit that gives them the wherewithal and the desire to become scoundrels, while dwarves and cogs tend to be too serious or stable. Ghosts make for ideal scoundrels, while vampires manage passably well in the role, handicapped somewhat by the general lack of trust that is already felt for them. Hybrids do not tend much towards the life of a scoundrel, although sheer necessity may drive them there. Vocations: Con artist, gambler, gentleman (or lady) thief, thug. Other Classes: Suffice to say that scoundrels and investigators do not see eye to eye, although they have sometimes pooled their resources for a common objective. Scoundrels like to associate with adventurers because both classes attract trouble. They find geniuses, occultists and journeymen too stuffy or too much like their targets. They enjoy nobles and sometimes even double as them.
CLASSES & VOCATIONS
Additional Class Skills: Sense Motive (Wis). Additional Bonus Feats: Broad Psychic Attention, Clairsentience, Greater Psychic Focus, Mesmerism, Psychic Focus, Psychic Healing, Psychokinesis, Telepathy. Preferred Professions: Consultant, advisor, treasure hunter, detective. Wealth: +2.
Game Rule Information Scoundrels have the following game statistics: Abilities: Dexterity is the most important ability for a scoundrel, for it underscores many of his wilder escapades. Scoundrels with a more social bent will find Charisma to be just as useful if not more so, for it allows them to lie well and trick others more convincingly. Hit Die: d6. Action Points: Scoundrels gain a number of action points equal to 5 + one-half their character level, rounded down, at 1st level and every time they attain a new level in this class.
Class Skills The scoundrel’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are. Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Disguise (Cha), Drive (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Investigate (Int), Jump (Str), Knowledge (art) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Use Rope (Dex). Skill Points at 1st Level: (8 + Int modifier) x 4. Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 8 + Int modifier.
Background: Many would like to say that all scoundrels come from the lower classes. This is far from true, for
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The Scoundrel Base Attack Level Bonus 1 +0 2 +1 3 +2 4 +3 5 +3 6 +4 7 +5 8 +6/+1 9 +6/+1 10 +7/+2 11 +8/+3 12 +9/+4 13 +9/+4 14 +10/+5 15 +11/+6/+1 16 +12/+7/+2 17 +12/+7/+2 18 +13/+8/+3 19 +14/+9/+4 20 +15/+10/+5
Fort Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6
Ref Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11 +12
Will Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6
Class Features All of the following are class features of the scoundrel. Starting Feats In addition to the feat all characters get at 1st level, a scoundrel begins play with the following feats: Armour Proficiency (light), Armour Proficiency (medium), Simple Weapon Proficiency and Pistols Firearm Proficiency. Starting Vocation At 1st level, the character chooses a vocation from one of the following: con artist, gambler, burglar, or thug. He gains the vocation’s starting feats, adds the vocation’s additional class skills to his class skill list, adds the vocation’s bonus feat to his bonus feat list (see below), gains a bonus to his starting Wealth bonus and chooses a talent from that vocation tree. Thieves’ Cant The character is trained to speak Thieves’ Cant, a secret language that is disguised in code words and gestures spoken during normal dialogue. Any onlooker must succeed at a Sense Motive check (DC 25) to determine that there is more being said than what is heard. This success does not allow him to actually understand Thieves’ Cant; it merely alerts him to the fact of the subtle communication. Uncanny Dodge This functions in all respects as the investigator (constable) talent.
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Special Starting Vocation, Thieves’ Cant Uncanny Dodge Bonus Feat – Talent or Trait Bonus Feat Evasion Talent or Trait Bonus Feat – Talent or Trait Bonus Feat Nom de Guerre Talent or Trait Bonus Feat – Talent or Trait Bonus Feat – Talent or Trait
DV +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11 +12
Reputation +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6
Talent/Trait At 5th level and every three levels thereafter (8th, 11th, 14th and so on) the scoundrel selects a talent from the following vocation trees: con artist, gambler, burglar or thug. If the entry in the table states that the character can select a talent or a trait, he can select a trait from the Feat and Traits chapter (see pg. 104). Some trees have a set order that must be followed, while others provide a list to choose from. As long as the character qualifies, he can select freely from any and all class vocation talent trees. No talent can be selected more than once unless expressly indicated. Bonus Feat At 3rd level and every three levels thereafter (6th, 9th, 12th and so on), the scoundrel gains a bonus feat. This feat must be selected from the following list, plus the feats added to this list by the character’s starting vocation. The scoundrel must also meet any indicated prerequisites. Acrobatic, Alertness, Combat Expertise, Dodge, Elusive Target, Improved Feint, Lightning Reflexes, Low Profile, Nimble, Spring Attack, Stealthy. Evasion A scoundrel can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful saving throw, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the scoundrel is wearing light armour or no armour. A helpless scoundrel does not gain the benefit of evasion.
Nom de Guerre The scoundrel uses a number of aliases to perform his dirty deeds. If a Reputation check succeeds that would have bad consequences for him, the character can make it fail by spending an action point as he deflects attention from himself to one of his other identities.
Con Artist Vocation Gullibility is what brings a con artist his daily sustenance. From snake oil salesmen to full-blown swindlers, the con artist builds a careful web of falsehoods in order to snare his victims and squeeze them for money or favours. Additional Class Skills: Diplomacy (Cha), Gamble (Wis), Knowledge (behavioural sciences) (Int), Sense Motive (Wis). Additional Bonus Feats: Negotiator, Persuasive, Trustworthy, Preferred Professions: None; he pretends to be a lot of things, though. Wealth: +2.
Talents Fast-Talk: The con artist has a way with words when attempting to con and deceive. With this talent, he applies his scoundrel level as a bonus to any Bluff, Diplomacy or Gamble checks he makes while attempting to lie, cheat or otherwise bend the truth. Believable Lie: The character can build a totally false situation and have others believe his words, including others who are involved in his lie. By spending an action point, the character makes any kind of situation sound believable, even to the most ludicrous extreme. With this talent, a group of humans led by the con artist could sneak in past elf guards into a gnome enclave, making them believe they all were really elven nobles transformed into humans by a magician. Prerequisite: Fast-Talk. Tall Tale: The character creates a false story that increases his standing in the eyes of others, always with favourable effects. The character makes a Bluff check opposed by his target’s Sense Motive check; if successful, the con artist elicits a Reputation check from all who heard the tale, with a +5 bonus to his Reputation score. The lie is so seeded with half-truths that any attempt to pierce the tale with skill checks or talents fails. If magic or psychic powers are used to pierce the tale, the con artist can make a Bluff check. The character does not know he is blocking occult powers. If he beats the opposed Psychic Control or Ritual check, his story holds true to even occult scrutiny. Prerequisite: Fast-Talk, Believable Lie.
Burglar Vocation Jumping from rooftop to rooftop and entering where they have not been invited, burglars make their living from pilfering the property of others. Out of necessity or ennui, these successful thieves excel at climbing and breaking through defences.
CLASSES & VOCATIONS
Scoundrel Vocations
These are the vocations for the scoundrel class:
Alibi: The character lies so well that he can convince people that a falsehood is the truth. With a successful Bluff check opposed by Sense Motive checks, the character can convince a number of people equal to his Charisma modifier that he was in their company or vicinity upon a particular date. This date may be no more recent than one week ago and no further back in time than one month. This false memory lasts for a week per point of the con artist’s Charisma modifier. After the effect expires, bamboozled people who realise that they were not, in fact, in the con artist’s company do not automatically assume that he tricked them into thinking so. Prerequisite: Fast-Talk.
Additional Class Skills: Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Disable Device (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Knowledge (history), Tumble (Dex). Additional Bonus Feats: Athletic, Educated, Focused, Vehicle Expert. Preferred Professions: Burglar, spy, treasure hunter, ring leader, explorer, private investigator. Wealth: +1.
Talents Trap Finding: Burglars (and only burglars) can use the Search skill to locate traps when the task has a Difficulty Class higher than 20. Finding a trap has a DC of at least 20 or higher if it is well hidden. A burglar who beats a trap’s DC by 10 or more with a Disable Device check can Knife’s loss was really starting to wear on the group and Jerrek could see it. Thurdin was doing a rock solid job, one that he would earn a commendation for if anyone of them ever made it back to Megadon, but he was not exactly cut out for this kind of heavy infiltration work. Frankly, had it not been for Gearbolt’s drilling attachment and Heshia’s occasionally helpful spirit powers, they never would have made it this far. Jerrek had not entirely liked the unrepentant burglar much - he certainly had never trusted him but the vampire’s skills would have been a valuable addition to the team right now. They were dying by degrees. Some of us faster than others, he thought as he looked over at his translucent friend…
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CLASSES & VOCATIONS
study a trap, figure out how it works and bypass it (along with his party) without disarming it.
living from games of chance and even when the odds seem to be against him, he has a habit of coming through.
Trap Sense: A burglar gains an intuitive sense that alerts him to danger from traps, giving him a +1 bonus on Reflex saving throws made to avoid traps and a +2 dodge bonus to Defence against attacks made by traps. A character can take this talent more than once; each time after the first, the bonus the talent provides is an additional +1. Prerequisite: Trap Finding.
Additional Class Skills: Diplomacy (Cha), Gamble (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis). Additional Bonus Feats: Blind-Fight, Confident, Renown. Preferred Professions: Gambler. Wealth: +3.
Improved Uncanny Dodge: This functions in all respect as the investigator (constable) talent. Prerequisite: Uncanny Dodge.
Professional Gambler: The character can make a Gamble check instead of a Profession check upon gaining a level in order to increase his Wealth score. Additionally, he gains a +3 bonus on Wealth checks to purchase a stake. See the Gamble skill for more details.
Improved Evasion: This ability works like evasion, except that while the burglar still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, he takes only half damage with a failed saving throw. A helpless burglar does not gain the benefit of improved evasion. Prerequisite: Evasion. Eye for Treasure: Upon entering a room, the character can make an appropriate Knowledge check at DC 15 to locate and identify the item of most value present.
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Talents
Lady Luck’s Kiss: The character is tremendously fortunate in his dealings. Once per game session, he may re-roll any failed check; he must keep the second check’s result.
Gambler Vocation
Luck of the Dice: The character’s luck increases when he puts some effort into things. When he spends an action point he rolls one extra d6, discarding the die that shows the lowest value. Prerequisite: Lady Luck’s Kiss.
Trusting his life to lady luck, the gambler chances everything to the hand of fortune and often succeeds in his undertakings, to the surprise of many. He makes his
Certain Fortune: The character gambles with his own destiny whenever he tries something, betting it all for
Thug Vocation Life on the streets is tough and scoundrels with fewer reserves of flair resort to brute force to get by. Of course, this brute force is spiked with a heavy dose of dirty fighting and unfair trickery, so the thug is more certain to win his fights. Bonus Starting Feats: Improved Unarmed Strike. Additional Class Skills: Intimidate (Cha or Str). Additional Bonus Feats: Improved Knockout Punch, Improved Trip, Improved Grapple, Knockout Punch, Weapon Focus, Streetfighting. Preferred Professions: Enforcer, bouncer, gang member. Wealth: +0.
Talents Sneak Attack: If a thug can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from his attack, he can strike a vital spot for extra damage. The thug’s attack deals extra damage any time his target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to Defence (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not) or when the thug flanks his target. This extra damage is +1d6. Should the thug score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied. Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet. With a sap (blackjack) or an unarmed strike, a thug can make a sneak attack that deals non-lethal damage instead of lethal damage. He cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal non-lethal damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual –4 penalty. A thug can sneak attack only living creatures with discernible anatomies – undead, constructs and incorporeal creatures lack vital areas to attack. Any creature that is immune to critical hits is not vulnerable to sneak attacks. (Cogs have intricate internal workings and are thus vulnerable to critical hits and sneak attacks.) The thug must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. A thug cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment or striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are beyond reach. The character can take this talent more than once; each time, his sneak attack deals an additional +1d6.
Crippling Strike: A thug with this talent can sneak attack opponents with such precision that his blows weaken and hamper them. An opponent damaged by one of his sneak attacks also takes 2 points of Strength damage. Ability points lost to damage return on their own at the rate of 1 point per day recovered by each ability that has been damaged. Prerequisite: Sneak Attack. Knock Out: This ability takes effect once the thug has made a successful sneak attack but before he has rolled damage. A thug can sacrifice +1d6 worth of sneak attack damage to make a target damaged by one of his sneak attacks dizzy and unbalanced. The target makes a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + half character’s level + his Strength modifier) and if it fails it is stunned for 1 round.
The Noble
Some people prefer to wield words rather than weapons. The pleasure of a verbal jab that sends a rival shame-faced out of the room is as satisfactory for them as the sight of a defeated beast trembling on the ground. Nobles are the kind of person who delights in the company of his peers and finds more adventure in a college reunion than in some lost jungle. In the dark world of Steampunk, there are still people of privilege that, for reasons of their own, leave their protected palaces and high-rise penthouses to experience what life is like in the broken world their ancestors helped to destroy.
CLASSES & VOCATIONS
success. Instead of making a skill check, the character can make a scoundrel level check against the same DC as the skill’s task. If he succeeds, he performs the task as if he had made a successful skill check. If he fails, he fails spectacularly; the Games Master is free to complicate the gambler’s situation severely as a result of his failure. The character cannot gamble with fate for trained only skills, nor for Psychic Control or Ritual skills. Prerequisite: Lady Luck’s Kiss, Luck of the Dice.
Adventures: Nobles go out on adventures when they grow weary of their sheltered lives, always preferring excitement that comes in a form that they are better suited to handle. Inveterate social animals, nobles like to deal with others, engaging in conversation more readily than in combat, which they see as a regrettable last effort. As many of the people in the world of Steampunk blame the rich and the privileged for their broken lives, combat happens with distressing frequency for them; a noble swiftly learns how to fight, or how to hire those that can fight for him. Characteristics: Nobles are charmers through and through, using their talent for honeyed words and opportune retorts as their weapons of choice. Where others force, they cajole. Their influence over others competes with a psychic’s in effectiveness, with the added bonus that the target does not know he is being influenced. Background: Most nobles come from the ranks of the idle rich, though a few can be true nobility and are held in high regard by their peers regardless of actual social position or influence. They are people with a talent for manipulation, an innate knowledge of the workings of people’s minds and the guile to put that knowledge to good use.
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CLASSES & VOCATIONS
Races: The inbred arrogance of elves makes them natural nobles, while vampires can be equally adept when exploiting their own racial powers. The fabled beauty and grace of cat-folk can also put them in the spotlight, greatly mitigating the stigma of being a hybrid. Humans are as proficient with their relationships as they are with other areas of their society. Non-cat hybrids and cogs have their unfortunate position as quasi-servitor races hampering their efforts to be nobles but some of them try nonetheless. Dwarves are generally too gruff and antisocial to be part of this class. Vocations: Aristocrat, dilettante, diplomat, performer. Other Classes: Nobles, by their very nature, like to maintain good relationships with everybody, endeavouring to gain their support. They have a preference for geniuses and occultists, whose undertakings may carry much prestige or at least make for good conversation pieces, although the antics of adventurers and scoundrels are also of their liking. Investigators tend to pry too much into nobles’ affairs for their taste, while journeymen are easy to overlook.
Game Rule Information Nobles have the following game statistics: Abilities: Charisma is the central pivot of a noble’s life, as it governs many of the skills and influences his abilities. Wisdom gives him a shield to guard against the machinations of other nobles and against the efforts of others who would like to see him fall. Intelligence gives him additional ammunition for his cerebral practices, with the physical abilities (Strength, Dexterity and Constitution) tending to fade to a secondary role. Hit Die: d6. Action Points: Nobles gain a number of action points equal to 5 + one-half their character level, rounded down, at 1st level and every time they attain a new level in this class.
Class Skills The noble’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Drive (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha or Str), Knowledge (any two) (Int), Listen (Wis), Pilot (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis) and Spot (Wis). Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4. Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier.
Class Features All of the following are class features of the noble.
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Starting Feats In addition to the feat all characters get at 1st level, a noble begins play with the following feats: Armour Proficiency (light), Simple Weapon Proficiency, one Exotic Weapon Proficiency and Pistols Firearm Proficiency. Starting Vocation At 1st level, the character chooses a vocation from one of the following: aristocrat, dilettante, diplomat or performer. He gains the vocation’s starting feats, adds the vocation’s additional class skills to his class skill list, adds the vocation’s bonus feat to his bonus feat list (see below), gains a bonus to his starting Wealth bonus and chooses a talent from that vocation tree. Social Favour As the noble mingles within society, he cultivates friendships and performs small services for which he can ask favours in return, independently from any contact network he may have built over time. At 1st level and at 2nd, 7th, 10th, 13th and 19th levels, the noble may extract an extraordinary service from one of the people that are indebted to him. Such services include immediate access to off-limit areas, juicy information about a subject, hefty discounts at the local stores or even free equipment and other professional services. The noble makes a special influence check rolling 1d20 plus half his noble level plus his Charisma modifier, with a DC set by the Games Master depending on the nature Jerrek waited in one of the sewer alcoves while Thurdin cursed under his breath and continued to work on a particularly difficult lock up ahead. The cog was there with him, talking him though picking it, but Jerrek was fairly sure the next thing the dwarf ’s tools were going to open was Gearbolt’s throat if it did not shut up. In any case, it was probably safer back here. It was certainly quieter, not that quiet was always a good thing. Whenever it was dark and quiet around Jerrek, he had a hard time not thinking about the past, especially painful moments in his past like the one that had landed him here. Her name was Jienna, and she was one of the City Father’s daughters. She was the most beautiful woman in the entire world to Jerrek and from the moment he had seen her walking through the garden of the estate he had been sent to guard, she had owned his heart. He closed his eyes and felt her there still; years later, her memory could still cut him deeply. Orcs had overrun the estate and everyone but him had fallen to their mechanical crossbows and the deadly claws of their battle juggernauts. He had held her while she died, tasted her last breath and sworn his bloody vengeance against the piggish savages even if it cost him his life.
The Noble Base Attack Bonus +0 +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6/+1 +6/+1 +7/+2 +8/+3 +9/+4 +9/+4 +10/+5 +11/+6/+1 +12/+7/+2 +12/+7/+2 +13/+8/+3 +14/+9/+4 +15/+10/+5
Fort Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6
Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6
Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11 +12
of the service, ranging from 10 for easy tasks up to 30 for very difficult or demanding tasks. The noble can expect to receive the service in 1d4-1 days if successful. Once used, the favour is lost forever, although failure in the influence check does not cause him to lose the service. A noble may save up his influence-owed favours, so he need not use one immediately upon gaining it. The Games Master can declare that an influence check fails automatically (or go through the motions of rolling the die) if the service unbalances his story or if it would be more appropriate as the focus of an adventure or a role-playing opportunity. Talent/Trait At 5th level and every three levels thereafter (8th, 11th, 14th and so on), the noble selects a talent from the following vocation trees: aristocrat, dilettante, diplomat or performer. If the entry in the table states that the character can select a talent or a trait, he can select a trait from the Feat and Traits chapter (see pg. 104). Some trees have a set order that must be followed, while others provide a list to choose from. So long as the character qualifies, he can select freely from any and all class vocation talent trees. No talent can be selected more than once unless expressly indicated. Bonus Feat At 3rd level and every three levels thereafter (6th, 9th, 12th and so on) the noble gains a bonus feat. This feat must be selected from the following list, plus the feats added to this list by the character’s starting vocation. The noble must also meet any indicated prerequisites.
Special Starting Vocation, Social Favour Social Favour Bonus Feat – Talent or Trait Bonus Feat Social Favour Talent or Trait Bonus Feat Social Favour Talent or Trait Bonus Feat Social Favour Talent or Trait Bonus Feat – Talent or Trait Bonus Feat Social Favour Talent or Trait
DV +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9
Reputation +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6 +7 +7 +7 +8
CLASSES & VOCATIONS
Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Alertness, Attentive, Combat Expertise, Confident, Deceptive, Educated, Endurance, Improved Disarm, Improved Feint, Renown, Trustworthy, Weapon Finesse,
Noble Vocations
These are the vocations for the noble class:
Aristocrat Vocation Aristocrats are people who are in a position of power and enjoying every last drop of it. While other characters may have a title of nobility, it is the noble aristocrat who exploits it for all it is worth. Bonus Starting Feats: Proficiency with one martial weapon. Additional Class Skills: Forgery (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Knowledge (any two) (Int), Additional Bonus Feats: Iron Will, Mounted Combat, Negotiator, Windfall. Preferred Professions: Noble, patron. Wealth: +3.
Talents Extra Favour: The aristocrat is particularly well connected, allowing him to bring more influence to bear. The character gains an additional use of the favour class feature. Social Attack: The aristocrat has a wicked tongue that can cause as much damage as a sharpened blade. Once in any social gathering, he may spend an hour producing badinage, jibes, taunts and thinly veiled insults that target
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Social Attack Initial Attitude Unfriendly Indifferent Friendly Helpful
Friendly — — — 15
New Attitude Indifferent Unfriendly — — — 15 15 20 20 25
another character present at the same function, with the intent of changing the assembled people’s attitude towards that person. He makes a Bluff or Diplomacy check (he may choose which) with the DC depending on how drastic a change he wants to make in the crowd’s attitude. The target of a social attack may first roll a Sense Motive check against a DC equal to 10 plus the character’s noble level in order to detect the attempt to discredit him; if successful, the target can attempt to counter the attack with an opposed Diplomacy check against the aristocrat. Success means that the target saved his reputation. Noblesse Oblige: The aristocrat knows that his position imposes certain obligations towards his lesser companions. The aristocrat may spend an action point and grant the resulting bonus to any ally within 60 feet. Such largesse is sometimes rewarded and if the aristocrat rolls a 6 on the dice, he gets to keep the point as if he never spent it. Powerful Reputation: The aristocrat can use his status and fame as a weapon. Once per day, the character
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can keep others from attacking him by making a Reputation check. All wouldbe attackers within 60 feet must make a Hostile Will saving throw to beat the character’s 15 Reputation check; if they fail, they suffer 20 a -2 penalty to attack and damage rolls 25 against the aristocrat. If they fail their 35 Will saving throw by 10 points or more, they cannot even approach within 30 feet of the aristocrat. This effect lasts for 1d4 rounds plus the aristocrat’s Charisma modifier.
Dilettante Vocation Wide-eyed and apparently innocent, the dilettante mingles with the best and worst of society trying to find his true calling, not realising that he is on the path of a vocation already. Dilettantes are good at fooling others and deflecting undue attention from themselves. Additional Class Skills: Gamble (Wis), Knowledge (any three) (Int). Additional Bonus Feats: Eclectic, Improved Initiative, Skill Focus, Run, Windfall. Preferred Professions: Heir, carouser, gambler, escort. Wealth: +2.
Talents Feign Innocence: The dilettante can appear utterly harmless and inconsequential. If he ever attracts attention and is about to be accused of something, he makes an
Gain Entry: With a successful Diplomacy check opposed by a target’s Sense Motive check, the dilettante can gain entry into exclusive or restricted areas, convincing any guard or bouncer that it is unthinkable to not allow him admission. The dilettante can extend this ability to one companion per Charisma modifier and may only use it once per day. The Games Master is free to refuse entry to the character to extremely sensitive locations, although he should also consider the role-playing potential of charming one’s way inside a mad scientist’s base. Prerequisite: Feign Innocence. Talented: Select two cross-class skills. Those skills become class skills for the dilettante. The character may acquire this talent more than once, each time applying it to two different cross-class skills. Note that Psychic Control and Ritual can only be acquired as class skills with their corresponding feats. Spread Gossip: Instead of gaining information with a Gather Information check, a dilettante can plant it. He can spread rumours and false information by meeting a DC appropriate to the quality of the information; see the Gather Information skill for this. If successful, the information enters the rumour mill and will have consequences in one or more days, depending on the gossip’s detail and the Games Master’s judgement.
Diplomat Vocation Conflict has been a feature of all ages and efforts to stay the tides of violence are few. A diplomat is one who tries his best to understand others and mediate between conflicting parties, relating to all with impartiality. Bonus Starting Feats: Proficiency with one martial weapon. Additional Class Skills: Decipher Script (Int), Forgery (Int), Navigate (Int), Investigate (Int), Knowledge (any two) (Int), Move Silently (Dex). Additional Bonus Feats: Negotiator, Persuasive, Studious. Preferred Professions: Ambassador, liaison, representative, advocate. Wealth: +2.
Talents Linguist: This functions exactly as does the adventurer (explorer) talent.
Sanctioned: The diplomat carries himself with aplomb and impartiality and can expect to be treated with the respect he deserves. All Non-Player Character reactions start at one step higher than they ordinarily would for other characters. In addition, the diplomat gains a +2 competence bonus to Diplomacy and Sense Motive checks when he is negotiating between two parties, so long as this is not part of a business transaction. Smooth Conflict: The diplomat can make others forget an insult committed by himself or one of his allies. There is no check involved; the diplomat simply spends an hour smoothing the situation over until the slight is forgotten. He does not alter the memories of the participants or act as if nothing had happened; he simply calms tempers down. In addition, he gains a +2 to Sense Motive and Diplomacy checks to detect and counter the aristocrat’s social attack talent. Prerequisite: Sanctioned. Sanctioned Pact: The character can mediate between two parties (one of which may be the character himself ) and promise such dire consequences on the breaking of a pact that all parties will think twice before going back on their word. The character spends an action point when witnessing or participating in a pact or closing deal, binding all participants to their word. Participants must make a Will saving throw (DC 10 + half the noble’s level + Cha modifier), with failure meaning that they dare not break the pact. If they do break it, the noble will hear of it in 1d4 days, at the Games Master’s discretion. Prerequisite: Sanctioned, Smooth Conflict.
CLASSES & VOCATIONS
automatic Diplomacy or Bluff check. Any accuser must defeat him with a Sense Motive check or stop considering him as a suspect. This must happen in the presence of the dilettante. Also, during combat, the dilettante can spend an action point and render himself unnoticeable as long as he does not make any threatening gestures; no one will think of him as an opponent and will generally leave him be for a number of rounds equal to the dilettante’s Charisma modifier plus 3.
Performer Vocation Art holds the power to influence feelings and thoughts and none know this better than the performer, a person who surrenders his soul to an artistic endeavour and reaps the rewards sown by his talent. Bonus Starting Feats: Proficiency with one martial weapon. Additional Class Skills: Balance (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Knowledge (any two) (Int), Perform (Cha), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Tumble (Dex). Additional Bonus Feats: Creative, Skill Focus, Stealthy. Preferred Professions: Singer, musician, itinerant entertainer, dancer. Wealth: +2.
Talents Inspire Courage: A performer can use songs or poems to inspire courage in his allies (including himself ), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to hear the performer sing, recite or improvise speech. The character makes a Perform check (DC 10) and the effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the performer make his proclamations and for 5 rounds thereafter. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and
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fear effects and a +1 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. A character can take this talent more than once; each time, the bonus the song grants increases by +1. Prerequisite: Perform 3 ranks.
character classes, the character need not choose a vocation for each new character class he takes as they may not select new talents and bonus feats from additional vocations,; only classes gained through advancement.
Inspire Competence: A performer can use his music or poems to help an ally succeed at a task. The ally must be within 30 feet and able to see and hear the performer. The performer makes a Perform check (DC 15) and must also be able to see the ally. The ally gets a +2 competence bonus on skill checks with a particular skill as long as they continue to hear the performer’s music, recital, or whatever the piece may be. Certain uses of this ability are unfeasible. The effect lasts for as long as the performer concentrates, up to a maximum of 2 minutes. A performer cannot inspire competence in himself. Prerequisite: Perform 6 ranks, Inspire Courage.
When a character with one class gains a level, he may choose to increase the level of his current class or pick up a new class at 1st level. The character gains the 1st level base attack bonus, base save bonuses, class skills, other class features of the new class, hit points of the appropriate die type and the new class’s number of skill points gained at each additional level (not that number x4, as is the case for a 1st level character). The character also selects a starting vocation for his new class.
Inspire Greatness: A performer can use music or poems to inspire greatness in himself or a single willing ally within 30 feet, granting extra fighting capability. To inspire greatness, a performer makes a Perform check (DC 20) and an ally must hear him perform. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the performer sing (or recite, or whatever the performance may entail) and for 5 rounds thereafter. A creature inspired with greatness gains 2 bonus Hit Dice (d10s), the commensurate number of temporary hit points (apply the target’s Constitution modifier, if any, to these bonus Hit Dice), a +2 competence bonus on attack rolls and a +1 competence bonus on Fortitude saving throws. A character can take this talent more than once; each time, the character can affect an additional ally with the same use. Prerequisite: Perform 9 ranks, Inspire Courage, Inspire Competence. Inspire Heroics: A performer can use music or poems to inspire tremendous heroism in himself or a single willing ally within 30 feet. To inspire heroics, a performer makes a Perform check (DC 25) and an ally must hear the performer give his performance for a full round. A creature so inspired gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws and a +4 dodge bonus to AC. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the performer sing (or recite, or whatever the performance may entail) and for up to 5 rounds thereafter. A character can take this talent more than once; each time, the character can affect an additional ally with the same use. Prerequisite: Perform 15 ranks, Inspire Courage, Inspire Competence, Inspire Greatness.
Multiclass Characters
A character may add new classes as he progresses in levels, thereby becoming a multiclass character. The class abilities from all of a character’s classes combine to determine a multiclass character’s overall abilities. Please note that although characters do not get the free feats and bonuses of vocations attached to additional
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Adding a Second Class
Picking up a new class is not exactly the same as starting a character in that class. Some of the benefits for a 1st level character represent the advantage of training while the character was young and fresh, with lots of time to practice. When picking up a new class, a character does not receive maximum hit points, but should instead roll the new Hit Die. Vocation does not change for a character taking a first level in a new class; the character does not get to choose an additional vocation to go along with the new class.
Class and Level Features As a general rule, the abilities of a multiclass character are the sum of the abilities provided by each of the character’s classes.
Level ‘Character level’ is a character’s total number of levels. It is used to determine when feats and ability score increases are gained, as per Experience and Level-Dependent Benefits Table. ‘Class level’ is the character’s level in a particular class. For a character whose levels are all in the same class, character level and class level are the same.
Hit Points A character gains hit points from each class as his level increases, adding the new hit points to the previous total. For example, Thornstone begins as an adventurer and attains 4th level, then adds levels of scoundrel at his next two level advancements. As a 4th level adventurer/2nd level scoundrel, his total hit points are 1d10+1d10+1d10+1d 10+1d6+1d6. His Constitution modifier of +1 applies to each hit point die roll and he received maximum hit points at 1st level (10+1=11 hp).
Base Attack Bonus Add the base attack bonuses for each class to get the character’s base attack bonus. A resulting value of +6 or higher provides the character with multiple attacks. For instance, a 6th level investigator/2nd level adventurer has a base attack bonus of +6, calculated as +4 for the investigator levels and +2 for the adventurer levels. A base attack bonus of +6 allows a second attack with a bonus of +1, even though neither the +4 from the investigator levels
nor the +2 from the adventurer levels normally allows an additional attack.
Saving Throws Add the base saving throw bonuses for each class together. A 3rd level journeyman/3rd level adventurer character gets +4 on Fortitude saving throws (+3 for the journeyman levels and +1 for the adventurer levels), +6 on Reflex saving throws (+3 and +3) and +2 on Will saving throws (+1 and +1).
Defence Value Add the Defence Value bonuses for each class together. A 4th level occultist / 2nd level scoundrel has a Defence bonus of +1 plus +3, for a total of +4. If the same character then picked up a level of adventurer, he would add +1 to increase his Defence Value bonus to +5.
Reputation Bonus Add Reputation bonuses together. So, a 4th level genius/ 2nd level noble has a +4 Reputation bonus (+2 for the genius levels and +2 for the noble levels). Allegiances do not change through multiclassing; these occur in game and are limited to three per character regardless of how many classes he has as levels of advancement.
Skills A multiclass character uses his character level to determine the maximum ranks he can have in a skill. If a skill is a class skill for any of a multiclass character’s classes, then use character level to determine a skill’s maximum rank. The maximum rank of a class skill is 3 + character level.
Class Features The character gets all class features (talents, bonus feats or other special abilities) of all classes for the levels he possesses.
Feats A multiclass character receives a new feat every three character levels, regardless of individual class level; see the Experience and Level-Dependent Benefits table. Taking one level in a new class does not entitle a character to receive the feat that a beginning 1st level character gets, or two feats that the character gets if he is human. For example, a 1st level adventurer who gains 1,000 XP and then takes one level of noble becomes a 2nd level character and at that level does not get a new feat. When he attains his next new level and increases his character level to 3rd, then he receives a new feat just as all 3rd level characters are entitled to gain.
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Additional Attacks +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6/+1 +7/+2 +8/+3 +9/+4 +10/+5 +11/+6/+1 +12/+7/+2 +13/+8/+3 +14/+9/+4 +15/+10/+5
Ability Increases A multiclass character increases one ability score by +1 every four character levels, regardless of individual class level. Refer to the Experience and Level-Dependent Benefits table.
Advancing a Level Each time a multiclass character attains a new level, he either increases one of his current class levels by one or picks up a new class at 1st level. When a multiclass character increases one of his class levels by one, he gets all the standard benefits that characters receive for attaining the new level in that class: more hit points, possible bonuses on attack rolls, Defence, Reputation and saving throws (depending on the class and the new level), a new class feature (as defined by the class) and new skill
points.
CLASSES & VOCATIONS
To use multiple attacks in the same round, a character must use a full attack, which is a full-round action. This is explained fully in the Combat section of The World of Adventure chapter.
Base Attack Bonus +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15 +16 +17 +18 +19 +20
Skill points are spent according to the class that the multiclass character just advanced in. Refer to the individual class descriptions for skill points per level. Skills purchased are purchased at the cost appropriate for the class level that grants them to the character.
Experience for Multiclass Characters Diversifying training and education strains a character’s capacity to learn and some characters take an XP penalty depending on how they multiclass. Even Levels: If the levels of all classes are more or less even, that is, within one level of each other, the character is balanced and does not take an XP penalty. For example, a 3rd level genius/2nd level occultist does not take a penalty, nor does a 4th level adventurer/3rd level investigator/3rd level journeyman. Uneven Levels: If any two classes are two or more levels apart, the strain of maintaining and developing the different abilities imposes a -20% penalty on all XPs earned for each class that is not within one level of his highest class. Thus, the characters in the above examples do not take a penalty, but if they become a 4th level genius/2nd level occultist and 5th level adventurer/3rd level investigator/3rd level journeyman respectively, they receive a penalty on XP received, this being -20% in the first case and -40% in the second. Race and Favoured Class: The different races each have one particular class in which they find it especially easy to advance. This favoured class does not count when determining if a character incurs an XP penalty, just as if he did not have that class. For example, Hammer is an 8th level construct (6th level investigator/2nd level journeyman); because journeyman is the class favoured by constructs, he takes no penalty for his class levels being more than one level apart, as if he did not have those two levels of journeyman. If he were to take a level in adventurer, he would incur a -20% penalty as there are five levels between his investigator class and his new adventurer level.
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skills
SKILLS
t
that skill, but it does allow a check when the skill can only be used trained. Specialities are sub-skills that hone a character’s expertise on very specific areas within a skill; a skill point buys two specialty ranks in a class skill and one specialty rank in a cross-class skill.
he world in OGL Steampunk is caught in the maelstrom of progress and discovery. In such a world, what characters know and what they can do will help them make a difference and distinguish themselves from average citizens. Skills are areas of knowledge and expertise that characters train for, increasing their levels of proficiency from those of mere laymen to those of pundits and renowned experts. Classes and vocations describe the natural leanings of a character but the skills he learns and practices define what he can do to understand and change the world. At each level, a character gets skill points that are used to buy skills. The character’s class and Intelligence modifier determine the number of points received. If the character buys a class skill, he gets 1 rank in the skill for each skill point spent. If the character buys a cross-class skill, he gets ½ rank per skill point spent. The maximum rank in a class skill is equal to character level + 3. The maximum rank in a cross-class skill is one-half of this number. Half a rank does not add anything to the modifier for using
Using Skills
To make a skill check, roll 1d20 and add the appropriate skill modifier. Skill modifiers follow a simple equation: Skill modifier = skill ranks + ability modifier + miscellaneous modifiers. Miscellaneous modifiers can be anything from synergy bonuses (we will cover those later on) to circumstantial bonuses and penalties based on where you are employing the skill or how many grenades are going off around you. To be a little more specific:
Skill Ranks: A character’s ranks in a skill are based on the number of skill points the character has invested in the skill. Some skills can be used even if the character has no ranks in the skill; doing this is also called making an untrained skill check.
The tunnels began to blur together. Had they been down here an hour? A day? A week? He was falling-down tired and he could tell that the fatigue was beginning to wear on everyone, even the cog. They had stopped at least twice to wind the mechanical man up and that meant they had been down here a while. The ruined city had been one of the largest in the old empire and its underground passages were equally expansive. He was sure they were on the right track but the sewer was a labyrinth and each step was becoming more difficult than the last. Jerrek finally called a halt to the group and wearily proposed that they make camp. It was a testament to their exhaustion that even the elf did not argue the idea. Fortunately, he knew how to make any kind of hovel comfortable enough to sleep in, even a rancid pit like this old sewage tunnel. He broke out his minimal camping gear and started to set it up. Gearbolt would not need much and the elf was only likely to close her eyes for an hour or so but Thurdin would need as much attention paid to his part of camp as Jerrek’s own part demanded. Fortunately, militia training had prepared him for setting up twenty-man domiciles; a dwarf ’s bedroll and a meal for three would not be a huge strain. ‘Sorry I can’t help, Jer.’ The ghostly voice was startlingly close to his ear but Jerrek was already getting used to his friend’s new ‘existence’. ‘I can only barely touch anything and I am afraid to try starting a fire.’ The chagrin on Gailion’s milk-white face was almost comical. If Jerrek had had any ability to laugh left, he would have. ‘It is all right. I want you on lookout, if you think you can handle it. Your sight getting any better, Gail?’ The ghost nodded, a spectral wind tousling his massive mane of curls. ‘Yes. The world is getting clearer. I can see even despite the darkness. If anything alive tries to come at us, I should see them before they get here.’ The lionman shifted uncomfortably, still floating a few feet off the ground. ‘I am not sure I will be of any use in stopping them, though. I am sorry about that.’ Jerrek shook his head and tried to put his hand on Gailion’s shoulder. It passed through him, becoming painfully chilled in the process. He pulled his hand back and rubbed it against his other one to warm it back up. ‘It’s all right, Gail. You just cry out if we are in danger. A warning is a lot better than getting eaten in our sleep. Keeping watch over us is important and you are still the best I know at doing that.’
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innate talent a character has with a given skill. Each skill has a number of ranks. These range from 0, for a skill in which a character has no training at all, to 23, for a 20th level character who has increased a class skill to its maximum rank. Skill modifiers can be much higher than 23 once ability bonuses, equipment bonuses and other factors are added in but skill ranks themselves can never be higher than 23. When making a skill check, a character adds his skill ranks to the roll as part of the skill modifier. For your convenience, the number of skill points gained by acquiring levels in the various classes is revisited here. Remember that only at the first character level, the value listed is multiplied by four to simulate the amount of experience gained before play begins.
Acquiring Speciality Ranks Speciality ranks indicate how much extra attention a character devotes to a specific area within a given skill. Not all skills have Specialities, only those that specifically list the available areas of specialisation. Characters cannot have more skill specialty ranks than they have ranks in its parent skill, nor can a character have more than two different specialisations per main skill. When making a skill check, a character adds his skill speciality ranks to the roll as part of the skill modifier ONLY if the area of specialisation applies. For example, Thurdin has six ranks in Craft (mechanical) and four speciality ranks in the steamworks speciality. When making any machine with steam power, he adds +10 skill bonus to his Craft (mechanical) check but for any other kind of machine he only adds the +6 from his general skill ranks.
Skill Checks and Automatic Rolls Unlike attack rolls and saving throws, a natural roll of 20 on the d20 is not an automatic success when making a skill check and a natural roll of 1 is not an automatic failure. This reflects the fact that bonuses and penalties with skill checks can often be wider than the twenty point margin of the die roll itself and that some tasks become so
SKILLS
Speciality Ranks: A character’s specialty ranks in Skill Points per Level a skill specialty are based on the number of skill Class 1st Level Skill Higher Level points the character invested in that specialty. A Points Skill Points character cannot have specialty ranks without Adventurer (4 + Int modifier) x4 4 + Int modifier having ranks in the parent skill. Genius (8 + Int modifier) x4 8 + Int modifier Investigator (4 + Int modifier) x4 4 + Int modifier Ability Modifier: The ability modifier used in the Journeyman (6 + Int modifier) x4 6 + Int modifier skill check is the modifier for the skill’s key ability Occultist (4 + Int modifier) x4 4 + Int modifier (the ability associated with the skill’s use). The key Scoundrel (8 + Int modifier) x4 8 + Int modifier ability of a skill is noted in its description. Noble (6 + Int modifier) x4 6 + Int modifier Miscellaneous Modifiers: Miscellaneous modifiers simple and some people become so adept that skills failing include bonuses provided by specialty ranks, feats one time in twenty just is not reasonable. By the same and class features and penalties such as the ones token, Morit the ordinary janitor can keep pulling levers associated with the non-proficient use of armour. on a time machine from now until he retires and never get it to work. The machine is so complex that he cannot ‘get Acquiring Skill Ranks lucky’ and operate it with a natural 20. Skill ranks indicate how much training, experience, or
Difficulty Class Some checks are made against a Difficulty Class (DC). The DC is a number set by the Games Master (using the skill rules as a guideline) that a character must Difficulty Class Examples Difficulty (DC) Example (Skill Used) Very easy (0) Notice something large in plain sight, like an oncoming locomotive (Spot) Easy (5) Climb down a ladder, even while carrying a phonograph (Climb) Average (10) Hear an approaching automaton (Listen) Tough (15) Disable a mechanical explosive, preferably before it goes off (Disable Device) Challenging (20) Swim through the sewers (Swim. The Fortitude save comes later.) Formidable (25) Perform an earthshattering magic effect (Ritual) Heroic (30) Leap across a thirty foot access alley with an angry mob at your heels (Jump) Superheroic (35) Convince hostile guards that you really do belong in His Lordship’s study (Bluff ) Nearly impossible (40) Track a native guide through the jungles of the colonial territories on a moonless night after 12 days of rainfall (Survival, and a lot of ranks in it)
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attain to succeed. This number is the sum total of every condition inherent in the check itself and does not include environmental factors or aspects outside the scope of the basic skill. Those are circumstantial or synergy modifiers and they augment the check, not the Difficulty Class.
character does however receive other modifiers, such as the ability modifier for the skill’s key ability. Some skills can be used only if the character is trained in the skill; there are very few circumstances that will allow a character to use such a skill with only his innate ability and some luck.
Opposed (Contested) Checks
Ability Checks
Some skill checks are opposed checks. They are made against a randomised number, usually another character’s skill check result. For ties on opposed checks, the character with the higher base skill bonus wins. If those scores are the same, the highest key ability score wins the tie. If these are also the same, every character involved re-rolls the check.
Sometimes a character tries to do something for which no specific skill really applies. In these cases, they must make an ability check. An ability check is a roll of 1d20 plus the appropriate ability modifier. Essentially, they are making an untrained skill check, since using a skill that a character does not have any skill ranks in is effectively an unmodified ability check.
Example Opposed Checks Attempted Action Sneak up on a guard Deceive a guard Hide from a guard when the last two actions fail Find food when everyone else in the slum is desperate to eat as well Win an ornithopter race Pretend to be a noble Steal a pocket watch Create a fake college diploma
Skill Move Silently Bluff Hide
Survival
In some cases, an action is a straight test of one’s ability with no luck involved. Just as characters would not make a height check to see who is taller, they would also not make Strength checks to see who is stronger. The Games Master is responsible for determining what situations call for ability checks, which ones have skill checks as a more appropriate method of adjudication and when rolls are not required at all.
Opposing Skill Listen Sense Motive Spot
Favourable and Unfavourable Conditions
Survival
Pilot
Pilot
Disguise
Spot
Sleight of Hand Forgery
Spot Forgery
Some situations may make a skill easier or harder to use, resulting in a bonus or penalty to the skill modifier or a change to the skill check’s DC. The Games Master can alter the odds of success in four ways to take into account exceptional circumstances. Exceptional circumstances happen all the time in the world of OGL Steampunk, but then, that is what keeps the action flowing and people’s heads behind cover.
Give the skill user a +2 circumstance bonus to represent conditions that improve performance, such as having the perfect tool for the job, getting help from another character, or working under conditions that are significantly better than normal.
Give the skill user a -2 circumstance penalty to represent conditions that hamper performance, such as being forced to use improvised tools or possessing misleading information.
Reduce the DC by 2 to represent circumstances that make the task easier, such as having a friendly audience when making a Perform check or searching for information on an extremely well documented topic with a Research check.
Increase the DC by 2 to represent circumstances that make the task harder, such as making a Perform check in front of a hostile audience or searching for information on a very poorly documented topic with a Research check.
Trying Again If a character fails a skill check, he can sometimes try again. Check the applicable skill description to find out if, and under what circumstances, a character can try again. Many skills have natural consequences for failing that must be accounted for. Even if these offer another try, the consequence must be suffered first. Some skills cannot be tried again once a check has failed for a particular task. If the use of a skill carries no penalty for failure, a character can ‘take 20’, as per the rules given below and assume that he keeps trying until he eventually succeeds, assuming he has enough of a modifier to succeed at all.
Untrained Skill Checks Generally, if a character attempts to use a skill he does not have any ranks in, the character makes a skill check as described. The character’s skill modifier does not include skill ranks because the character does not have any. The
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Conditions that affect a character’s ability to perform the skill change the character’s skill modifier. Conditions that modify how well the character must perform the skill to succeed change the Difficulty Class. A bonus on a character’s skill modifier or a reduction in the DC of the check have the same result – they create a better chance for success – but they represent different circumstances and sometimes that distinction is important.
Time and Skill Checks
Tools Some skill applications require the use of tools. If tools are needed, the specific items required are mentioned in the skill description. If the character does not have the appropriate tools, he can still attempt to use the skill, but the character takes a -4 penalty on his check. A character may be able to put together some impromptu tools to make the check. If the Games Master allows this, reduce the penalty to -2 (instead of -4) for having a set of impromptu tools. It usually takes some time (several minutes to an hour or more) to collect or create a set of impromptu tools and it may require a skill check as well. The best skill to use in this circumstance is the same one that was being attempted with the tool in the first place.
Checks without Rolls A skill check represents an attempt to accomplish some goal, usually in the face of time pressure or distraction. Sometimes though, a character can use a skill under more favourable conditions and eliminate the luck factor. Two kinds of ‘diceless’ skill checks exist.
Taking 10: When a character is not being threatened or distracted, he may choose to take 10. Instead of rolling 1d20 for the skill check, calculate the result as if the character had rolled a 10 (an average roll on a d20). For many relatively routine tasks, taking 10 results in a success. Distractions and threats make it impossible for a character to take 10. A character also cannot take 10 when using a skill untrained, though the Games Master may allow exceptions for truly routine activities. Taking 20: When a character has plenty of time, is faced with no threats or distractions, and the skill being attempted carries no penalty for failure, a character can take 20. Instead of rolling 1d20 for the skill check, calculate the result as if the character had
Aiding Another In some situations, characters can co-operate to accomplish a given task. One character is designated as the leader in the effort, while the others try to aid the character in his efforts. A character aids another by making a skill check at DC 10. This is an attack action, and the character cannot take 10 on this check. If the check succeeds, the character’s ally gains a +2 circumstance bonus to apply to his skill check to complete the task.
SKILLS
Using a skill might take a round, several rounds, or even longer. It might take no time at all. Types of actions define how long activities take to perform within the framework of a combat round (six seconds) and how movement is treated with respect to the activity. See the skill description for specifics on how long a skill takes to use. In general, using a skill that requires concentration while in close combat is dangerous.
rolled a 20. Taking 20 is the equivalent of attempting the check over and over again until the character gets it right. Taking 20 takes twenty times as long as making a single check. This equates to 2 minutes for a skill that can normally be checked in 1 round.
In many cases, a character’s help will not be beneficial or only a limited number of characters will be able to help at the same time. The Games Master may always limit aid another attempts as he sees fit.
Skill Synergy It is possible for a character to have two skills that work well together. In general, having five or more ranks in one skill gives the character a +2 synergy bonus on skill checks with each of its synergistic skills, as noted in the skill description. In some cases, this bonus applies only to specific uses of the skill in question and not to all checks made with it. Some skills provide benefits on other checks made by a character, such as those checks required to use certain class features. Skill Synergies in Brief Five or more ranks Gives a +2 bonus to… in… Bluff Diplomacy, Intimidate, Sleight of Hand and Disguise checks Escape Artist Use Rope checks Handle Animal Ride Jump Tumble checks Knowledge (all) (See Text) Search Survival checks Sense Motive Diplomacy checks Tumble Balance and Jump checks Use Rope Climb and Escape Artist checks Check individual skill descriptions for full details of skill synergies.
Modifier Types and Stacking A modifier provides a bonus (a positive modifier, such as a steam engine built with nice little plaques on all the important levers) or a penalty (a negative modifier, such as a steam engine built with every lever the same shape or colour or inaccurate labelling) to a die roll. Every
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applicable modifier, positive and negative, is added to the check result, but special attention must be given to named modifiers. Bonuses with specific descriptors, such as ‘equipment bonus,’ generally do not stack (combine for cumulative effect) with others of the same type. In those cases, only the best bonus of that type applies.
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The only specific bonuses that stack are dodge bonuses, synergy bonuses, and sometimes circumstance bonuses. Circumstance bonuses stack only if they’re provided by differing circumstances; if two circumstance bonuses caused by similar circumstances apply, they do not stack.
Skill Descriptions
In OGL Steampunk, skills are presented in alphabetical order in the following format. The first line of every skill listing includes the following:
Skill Description Format
Skill Name (Key Ability)
Trained Only; Armour Penalty (if applicable)
Key Ability: The abbreviation for the ability whose modifier applies to the skill check. Exceptions: Speak Language and Read/Write Language have ‘None’ given as their key ability because the use of these skills never requires a check. Below the primary skill line, the following information is given:
Specialities: If a character can buy speciality ranks in specific areas of the skill, they will be listed here.
Check: What a character can do with a successful skill check and the check’s DC. The majority of the skill’s entry occurs in this section.
Try Again: Any conditions that apply to repeated attempts to use the skill for a particular purpose. If this entry is omitted, the skill check can be tried again without any inherent penalty other than taking additional time.
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Untrained: Any details about using a skill untrained. If this entry does not appear, it means the skill works the same even when used untrained, or that an untrained character cannot make checks with this skill, which is true for skills that are designated ‘Trained Only’.
Time: How much time it takes to make a check with this skill. When reading a skill description, keep the following details in mind:
Trained Only: If ‘Trained Only’ appears on the line with the skill name, a character must have at least 1 rank in the skill to use it. If ‘Trained Only’ is omitted, the skill can be used untrained. If any particular notes apply to trained or untrained use, they are covered in the Special section (see above).
Armour Penalty: If ‘Armour Penalty’ appears on the line with the skill name, apply the armour penalty for the armour the character is wearing to checks involving this skill.
Specific bonuses that do not stack include competence, cover, equipment, morale, natural armour, and size. Any bonus without a descriptor (such as simply a +1 bonus) stacks with other bonuses. All penalties stack, regardless of their descriptors.
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Special: Any particular notes that apply, such as whether a character can take 10 or take 20 when using the skill.
Balance (Dex; Armour Penalty) Whether sliding across rooftops and chimneys or walking over the tubes of a complex mechanical monstrosity, characters often find themselves in a situation where maintaining equilibrium is the best alternative to a gruesome end down below. Check: The character can walk on a precarious surface. A successful check allows the character to move at half his speed along the surface as a move action. A failure indicates that the character spends his move action keeping his balance and does not move. A failure by 5 or more indicates that the character falls. The difficulty varies with the conditions of the surface. A damaging surface is any walking area that causes the character to take damage while he is in contact with it, such as a burning window ledge or the acid-covered rim of an experimental voltaic battery. Narrow Surface 7–12 in. wide 2–6 in. wide Less than 2 in. wide Difficult Surface Uneven or angled Slippery surface Damaging surface
DC* 10 15 20 DC 10 10 +5
*Add +5 to the DC if the narrow surface is slippery or angled; add +10 if it is both slippery and angled.
Being Attacked While Balancing: While balancing, the character is flat-footed (the character loses his Dexterity bonus to Defence, if the character has one) unless the
character has 5 or more ranks in Balance. If the character takes damage, he must make a Balance check again to remain standing. Accelerated Movement: The character can try to cross a precarious surface more quickly than normal. The character can move his full speed, but the character takes a –5 penalty on his Balance check. Moving twice the character’s speed in a round requires two checks, one for each move action.
Special: A character can take 10 when making a Balance check, but cannot take 20. A character with the Focused feat gains a +2 bonus on all Balance checks. A character with five or more ranks in Tumble gains a +2 synergy bonus to all Balance checks. Time: Balancing while moving one-half the character’s speed is a move action. Accelerated movement, allowing the character to balance while moving his full speed, is also a move action.
Bluff (Cha) Lying and exaggerating can become a way of life amongst many, particularly the less fortunate members of society, although this skill is also disturbingly common amongst the high born who cover up their unseemly peccadilloes and cajole favours out of each other. Specialities: Lying, feinting in combat, secret messages. Check: A Bluff check is opposed by the target’s Sense Motive check when trying to con or mislead. Favourable and unfavourable circumstances weigh heavily on the outcome of a bluff. Two circumstances can work against the character; the bluff may be inherently hard to believe, or the action that the bluff requires the target to take goes against the target’s self-interest, nature, personality, or orders. If it is important, the Games Master can distinguish between a bluff that fails because the target does not believe it and one that fails because it asks too much of the target. For instance, if the target gets a +10 bonus because the bluff demands something risky of the target and the target’s Sense Motive check succeeds by 10 or less, then the target does not so much see through the bluff as prove reluctant to go along with it. If the target’s Sense Motive check succeeds by 11 or more, he has seen through the bluff, and would have succeeded in doing so even if it had not placed any demand on him, that is, even without the +10 bonus.
A Bluff requires interaction between the character and the target. Targets unaware of the character cannot be bluffed. Sense Motive Example Circumstances The target wants to believe the character. ‘The parts are legitimate salvage, my good man. I only sell them so that I may lighten my travelling load.’ The bluff is believable and does not affect the target much one way or the other. ‘Not sure what you mean, guv’nor. I’m just an ‘umble man doing an ‘umble street-sweeper’s job.’ The bluff is a little hard to believe or puts the target at some kind of risk. ‘I assure you, those blood spots on my collar are from a shaving accident.’ The bluff is hard to believe or entails a large risk for the target. ‘The beam emitted from the galvanic pulsator will increase your musculature and make you irresistible to the ladies! Step into it, sir, forthwith! It is not dangerous!’ The bluff is way out there; it’s almost too incredible to consider. ‘We are requisitioning this ironclad on the direct orders of the King! Our mission is far too secret for us to explain it to the likes of you! Stand aside, my good man!’
Modifier –5
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The character can attempt to charge across a precarious surface. Charging requires one Balance check at a –5 penalty for each multiple of the character’s speed (or fraction thereof ) that the character charges.
A successful Bluff check indicates that the target reacts as the character wishes, at least for a short time (usually 1 round or less) or that the target believes something that the character wants him to believe.
+0
+5
+10
+20
Feinting in Combat: A character can also use Bluff to mislead an opponent in combat so that the opponent cannot dodge the character’s attack effectively. If the character succeeds, the next attack the character makes against the target ignores his Dexterity bonus to Defence (if the opponent has one), thus lowering his Defence score. Using Bluff in this way against a creature of animal intelligence (Int 1 or 2) imposes a –8 penalty on the check. Against a non-intelligent creature, feinting is impossible. Creating a Diversion to Hide: A character can use Bluff to help him hide. A successful Bluff check gives the character the momentary diversion needed to attempt a Hide check while people are aware of the character. See the Hide skill. Sending a Secret Message: A character can use Bluff to send and understand secret messages while appearing to be speaking about other things. The DC for a basic
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message is 10. Complex messages or messages that try to communicate new information have DCs of 15 or 20. Both the sender and the receiver must make the check for the secret message to be successfully relayed and understood. Anyone listening in on a secret message can attempt a Sense Motive check, with a DC equal to the sender’s Bluff check result. If successful, the eavesdropper realises that a secret message is contained in the communication. If the eavesdropper beats the DC by 5 or more, he understands the secret message. Whether trying to send or intercept a message, a failure by 5 or more points means that one side or the other misinterprets the message in some fashion.
Accelerated Climbing: A character can try to climb more quickly than normal. The character can move his full speed, but the character takes a –5 penalty on his Climb check (moving twice the character’s speed in a round requires two checks, one for each move action).
Try Again: Generally, a failed Bluff check makes the target too suspicious for the character to try another bluff in the same circumstances. For feinting in combat, the character may try again freely.
Catching Oneself When Falling: It is practically impossible for a character to catch himself on a wall while falling. Make a Climb check (DC equal to wall’s DC + 20) to do so. A slope is relatively easier to catch on. In this case, the DC is equal to the slope’s DC + 10.
Special: A character can take 10 when making a bluff (except for feinting in combat) but cannot take 20. A character with the Deceptive feat gets a +2 bonus on all Bluff checks. A character with five or more ranks in Bluff gains a +2 synergy bonus on Diplomacy, Intimidate and Sleight of Hand checks as well as on Disguise checks when trying to act in character. Time: A bluff takes at least 1 round (and is at least a fullround action) but can take much longer if the character tries something elaborate. Using Bluff as a feint in combat is an attack action.
Climb (Str; Armour Penalty) Sailed vessels need someone to shimmy up the masts and man the crow’s nest, just as sweeps ply their trade by squeezing themselves up and down chimneys and adventurers cling doggedly to the faces of cliffs. Check: With each successful Climb check, the character can advance up, down, or across a slope or a wall or other steep incline, or even a ceiling with handholds. A slope is considered to be any incline of less than 60 degrees; a wall is any incline of 60 degrees or steeper. A failed Climb check indicates that the character makes no progress, and a check that fails by 5 or more means that the character falls from whatever height he had already attained, unless the character is secured with some kind of harness or other equipment. The DC of the check depends on the conditions of the climb. If the climb is less than 10 feet, reduce the DC by 5. Since the character cannot move to avoid an attack, he is flat-footed while climbing and thus the character loses any Dexterity bonus to Defence. Any time the character takes damage while climbing, make a Climb check against the DC of the slope or wall. Failure means the character falls from his current height and sustains the appropriate falling damage.
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Making Handholds and Footholds: A character can make handholds and footholds by pounding pitons into a wall. Doing so takes 1 minute per piton, and one piton is needed per 3 feet. As with any surface with handholds and footholds, a wall with pitons in it has a DC of 15. In similar fashion, a climber with an ice axe or other proper implement can cut handholds or footholds in an ice wall.
Special: A person using a rope can haul a character upward or lower him down by means of sheer strength. Use twice a character’s maximum load to determine how much weight he can lift. A character can take 10 while climbing but cannot take 20. A character without climbing gear takes a –4 penalty on Climb checks. At the Games Master’s discretion, certain kinds of climbing attempts might require only a rope or some other implement, or even just one’s hands and feet, rather than a full set of climbing gear to avoid the penalty. A character with the Athletic feat gets a +2 bonus on all Climb checks. A character with five or more ranks in Use Rope gains a +2 synergy bonus on Climb checks when using a rope. DC 0 5 10
15
20
25 25 —
Example Wall or Surface or Task A slope too steep to walk up. A knotted rope with a wall to brace against. A rope with a wall to brace against. A knotted rope hanging freely. A surface with sizable ledges to hold on to and stand on, such as a rugged cliff face. Any surface with adequate handholds and footholds (natural or artificial) such as a rough natural rock surface, a tree, or a chainlink fence. A rope without any knots. Pulling yourself up when dangling by your hands. An uneven surface with just a few narrow handholds and footholds, such as a coarse masonry wall or a sheer cliff face with a few crevices and small toeholds. A rough surface with no real handholds or footholds, such as a brick wall. Overhang or ceiling with handholds but no footholds. A perfectly smooth, flat, vertical surface cannot be climbed without special equipment.
Modifiers –10*
–5*
+5*
Condition Climbing inside an air duct or other location where one can brace against two opposite walls. This reduces the normal Climb DC by 10. Climbing a corner where a character can brace against perpendicular walls. This reduces the normal Climb DC by 5. Surface is slippery. This increases the normal Climb DC by 5.
Time: Climbing at one-half the character’s speed is a full-round action. Moving half that far (one-fourth the character’s speed) is a move action. Accelerated climbing, allowing the character to climb at his full speed, is a fullround action. A character can move half that far (one-half his speed) as a move action.
Concentration (Con) In a world of hissing steam engines and clanking machinery, keeping a cool head is of tantamount importance for delicate work, particularly that of magicians and psychics. Check: A character makes a Concentration check whenever he may potentially be distracted (by taking damage, by harsh weather and so on) while engaged in some action that requires the character’s full attention. If the check succeeds, the character may continue with the action. If the Concentration check fails, the action automatically fails. The check DC depends on the nature of the distraction. Try Again: Yes, though a success does not cancel the effects of a previous failure, such as the disruption of an action that was being concentrated on. Special: By making a check against DC 15, a character can use Concentration to attempt an action defensively,
Since Concentration checks are called for in stressful situations, a character cannot take 10 or take 20 on such checks. A character with the Focused feat gets a +2 bonus on all Concentration checks.
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*These modifiers are cumulative; use any that apply.
so as to avoid attacks of opportunity altogether. This does not apply to other actions that might incur attacks of opportunity, such as movement. If the Concentration check succeeds, the character may attempt the action normally without incurring any attacks of opportunity. A successful Concentration check still does not allow a character to take 10 on a check when he is in a stressful situation; the character must roll the check as normal. If the Concentration check fails, the related action automatically fails (incurring any appropriate ramifications) and the action is wasted, just as if the character’s concentration had been disrupted by a distraction.
Time: Making a Concentration check does not require an action. It is either a reaction, when attempted in response to a distraction, or part of another action, when attempted actively.
Craft (Int; Some Trained Only) This skill encompasses several categories, each of them treated as a separate skill: Craft (chemical), Craft (electronic), Craft (expression), Craft (mechanical), Craft (pharmaceutical), Craft (structural) and Craft (visual arts). Craft skills are specifically focused on creating objects. To use a Craft skill effectively, a character must have a kit or some other set of basic tools. The purchase DC of this equipment varies according to the particular Craft skill. To use Craft, first decide what the character is trying to make and consult the category descriptions below. Make a Wealth check against the given purchase DC for the object to see if the character succeeds in acquiring the raw materials. If the character succeeds at that check, make the Craft check against the given DC for the object in question. If the character fails the check, he does not make the object and unless otherwise noted, the raw materials are wasted. The created object can be sold
Distraction Damaged during the action * Taking continuous damage during the action ** Vigorous motion (bouncy vehicle ride, small boat in rough water, below decks in a storm-tossed ship, riding a horse) Violent motion (very rough vehicle ride, small boat in rapids, on deck of storm-tossed ship, galloping horse) Extraordinarily violent motion (earthquake) Entangled in net or snare Grappling or pinned Weather is a high wind carrying blinding rain or sleet Weather is wind-driven hail, dust or debris
DC 10 + damage dealt 10 + half of continuous damage last dealt 10 15 20 15 20 5 10
* Such as an activity that requires more than a single full-round action. ** Such as from catching on fire.
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with a Purchase DC equal to the raw materials +3. For every 5 points that the character exceeds the DC he can either increase the Purchase DC by +1, or reduce the time needed to create the item by 10% (regardless of the result, the time cannot be reduced to less than 50%); thus, if he exceeds the DC by 10 points, he could either increase the DC by +2, reduce the time by 20% or increase the DC by +1 and reduce the time by 10%. Generally, a character can take 10 when using a Craft skill to construct an object. He cannot however, take 20, since doing so represents multiple attempts and the character uses up the raw materials after the first attempt. The exceptions are the writing and analytical programming Specialities of Craft (expression); a character can take 20 because the character does not use up any raw materials and thus no Wealth check is required to use the skill.
Craft (chemical) (Int; Trained Only) Inheriting the ages-old craft of alchemy, contemporary chemists have perfected and refined their trade so that while the product is more accessible to the masses, the preparation still retains its inherent difficulty. Specialities: Acids and bases, alchemical compounds, explosives, poisons. This skill allows a character to mix chemicals to create acids, bases, alchemical compounds, explosives and poisonous substances. Acids and Bases: Acids are corrosive substances that deal acid damage. Bases neutralize acids but do not deal damage. A base of a certain type counteracts an acid of the same type or a less potent type but has no effect at all upon a more potent type. Type of Chemical Mild (1d6/1d10) * Potent (2d6/2d10) Concentrated (3d6/3d10)
Purchase DCs 8
Craft DCs Acid Base 15 10
Time 1 min
12
20
30 min
16
30
15 20
1 hr
* The dice rolls in parentheses are typical splash damage/immersion damage caused per round of exposure to the acid.
Alchemical Compounds: A throwback to the days before the scientific method, alchemical compounds are curious substances that serious chemists learn to create as amusements, though they still retain their usefulness. The effects of the different substances are explained in the Equipment and Wealth chapter.
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Type of Chemical Holy water (flask) * Alchemist’s fire (flask) Match
Purchase DC 12 12 1
Craft DC 15 20 20
Smokestick Sunrod Tanglefoot bag Thunderstone Gunpowder (horn) Percussion cap (12)
11 3 14 13 2 2
20 25 25 25 20 15
Time 5 min 8 hr 10 min 5 min 12 hr 24 hr 1 hr 1 hr 2 hr
* Requires the intervention of an ecclesiastic occultist.
Explosives: Building an explosive from scratch is dangerous. If the Craft (chemical) check fails, the raw materials are wasted. If the check fails by 5 or more, the explosive compound detonates as it is being made, dealing half of its intended damage to the builder and anyone else in the burst radius. If the check succeeds, the final product is a piece of solid material, about the size of a brick. An explosive compound does not include a fuse or detonator. Connecting a fuse or detonator requires a Craft (mechanical) check. Type of ScratchBuilt Explosive Improvised (1d6/5-ft.) * Simple (2d6/5-ft.) Moderate (4d6/10-ft.) Complex (6d6/15-ft.) Powerful (8d6/20-ft.) Devastating (10d6/25-ft.)
Purchase DC 6
Craft DC 10
Time
12
15
10 min
16
20
1 hr
20
25
3 hr
25
30
12 hr
30
35
24 hr
1 rnd
* The figures in parentheses are typical damage/burst radiuses for each type of explosive.
Poisonous Substances: Solid poisons are usually ingested. Liquid poisons are most effective when injected directly into the bloodstream. Gaseous poisons must be inhaled to be effective. Full information about poisons is on pg 207, in the Adventuring section of the A World of Adventure chapter. Special: A character without a chemical kit takes a -4 penalty on Craft (chemical) checks. A character with the Builder feat gets a +2 bonus on all Craft (chemical) checks.
Craft (mechanical) (Int; Trained Only) Construction is the core ability of a Steampunk society. Those with the knowledge and talent to create mechanical devices, from simple toys to complicated contraptions, are greatly valued and are sure to achieve much in life. Specialities: Clockworks, electrical devices, firearms, motors and engines, steamworks, traps.
Type of ScratchBuilt Mechanical Device Simple (tripwire trap) Moderate (clockwork power source) Complex (clockwork power source, revolver pistol) Advanced (analytical engine, clockthing) Extreme (steam locomotive)
Purchase DC
Craft DC
Time
5
15
1 hr
12
20
12 hr
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This skill allows a character to build mechanical devices from scratch, including engines and engine parts, firearms, clockworks and other gadgets. When building a mechanical device from scratch, the character describes the kind of device he wants to construct; then the Games Master decides if the device is simple, moderate, complex, or advanced compared to current technology.
circumstance bonus on Fortitude saves made to resist the effects of a disease or a poison. 16
25
24 hr
20
30
60 hr
25
35
100 hr
Special: A character without a mechanical tool kit takes a -4 penalty on Craft (mechanical) checks. A character with the Builder feat gets a +2 bonus on all Craft (mechanical) checks. For truly amazing mechanical devices, genius characters can build amazing machines, see The Power of Steam chapter.
Craft (pharmaceutical) (Int; Trained Only) Separate from alchemy and its daughter chemistry, the practice of making remedies has come into its own as health and medicine are better understood thanks to scientific development. Specialities: Medicaments (for disease), antitoxins (for poisons and drugs), drugs. This skill allows a character to compound medicinal drugs to aid in recovery from treatable illnesses or counter the effects of poison. A medicinal drug gives a +2
The Craft (pharmaceutical) check is based on the severity of the disease or poison to be countered as measured by the DC of the Fortitude save needed to resist it. The Purchase DC for a given illicit drug in the Equipment chapter is cross referenced with the one listed there to determine how long it takes to make ten doses of the drug and the base Craft DC to do so. Certain drugs have a DC modifier to their craft checks, as noted in their description. Poisons can be created with Craft (chemical), for which see above. Disease/Poison Fortitude Save DC 14 or lower 15–18 19–22 23 or higher
Purchase DC
Craft DC
Time
5 10 15 20
15 20 25 30
1 hr 3 hr 6 hr 12 hr
Special: A character without a pharmacist kit takes a –4 penalty on Craft (pharmaceutical) checks. A character with the Treat Injury Expert feat gets a +2 bonus on all Craft (pharmaceutical) checks.
Craft (structural) (Int) Perhaps the lesser of the crafting trades, the ability to build structures is still greatly valued, as even the most sophisticated machine needs a solid framework to rest upon.
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Jerrek heard footsteps moving slowly up to his bedroll. He had not heard a warning from Gail but he was still worried. Down here, he would not have been surprised to have something walk out from the raw stone walls themselves. He waited until the sound came close, then came up with a long knife from under his pillow. Instantly an armoured hand blocked the blade, the face above it marked with a woman’s sardonic grin. ‘Sloppy, Jerrek. If I’d wanted you dead, you would be.’ The thing in her other hand did not look like a weapon, though. It was a small bag with an herbal, almost acrid smell.
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He relaxed and pulled the blade back. ‘Okay, what do you want?’ As he spoke, she knelt down beside him and opened the pouch. Inside, he saw a roll of bandages and a clay pot filled with some kind of fatty cream. ‘You got bit a ways back. I want to make sure you don’t get sick on us.’ Her tone was lighter than usual, though her hands were no gentler. She turned him over and pulled the bedroll down to expose his legs. The cream stung, the pain worsening by the second, scalding him like boiling water. He did not give her the satisfaction of crying out. Even when she started stitching the wounds closed, he kept quiet. There was something about her that was different now. It might have been the way she was not jabbing at him with her needles nearly as hard, or the fact that she was using a medicine that did not burn like acid any more. She was acting oddly, and he did not trust that any farther than he could throw a sentinel cog. Specialities: Armoursmithing, bowmaking and fletching, buildings, furniture, handicrafts, leatherworking, metalworking, seaming and weaving, weaponsmithing, woodworking.
When building a structure from scratch, the character describes the kind of structure he wants to construct; then the Games Master decides if the structure is simple, moderate, complex or advanced in scope and difficulty.
This catch-all skill allows a character to build nonmechanical objects and structures made of wood, stone, cloth, leather or metal from scratch, including bookcases, desks, suits of armour, non-mechanical weapons like swords and bows, clothes, walls, houses and so forth, and includes such handyman skills as plumbing, house painting and building cabinets.
Special: A character without a mechanical tool kit takes a -4 penalty on Craft (structural) checks. A character with the Builder feat gets a +2 bonus on all Craft (structural) checks.
Type of Scratch-Built Structure (Examples) Simple (bookcase, false wall) Moderate (locking armoured gun case, shed with power) Complex (bunker, domed ceiling) Advanced (house, assuming space and permits can be obtained) Extreme (apartment complex)
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Purchase DC 5
Craft DC 15
Time 12 hr
10
20
24 hr
15
25
60 hr
20
30
600 hr
30
35
6000 hr
Craft (expression) (Int) Expressing thoughts and ideas is wholly different than creating practical things, yet experts at such crafts are finding recognition for their talent as their trade emerges and technology helps spread it through the media. Specialities: Visual arts, telluric sketching, writing, analytical programming, printing operation. This skill allows a character to express thoughts and ideas through material objects, such as visual media (paintings, photographs, lithographs, cinematography and so on), words (writing and print shop design) and even the more complex disciplines of programming an analytical engine or sketching telluric circuitry to combine the power of magic with the discipline of science. Visual Arts, Writing and Printing: Unlike other Craft Specialities, expression is both an art and an industry. A character decides what he wants to do, considering that some crafts require very particular equipment like oils and paints, a photographic or cinematographic camera, pen and paper or a large and bulky printing engine. The character rolls a Craft (expression) check, the result of which determines the quality of the work. Unless the effort is particularly elaborate or the character must acquire an expensive piece of equipment, the basic components have a purchase DC of 5.
Skill Check Result 9 or lower 10–19 20–24 25–30 31 or higher
Effort Achieved Untalented amateur Talented amateur Professional Expert Master
Artificial Expertise: Analytical engines can be taught skills. An analytical engine can learn one skill per point of its activated Intelligence modifier. Success in the Craft (expression) check grants the engine 1 rank in one of the skills it knows or the first rank in a new skill. Appropriate skills for analytical engines are: all Craft skills except Craft (expression), Decipher Script, Disable Device, Drive, Forgery, Gamble, Investigate, all Knowledge skills, Navigate, Perform, Pilot, Profession, Read/ Write/Speak Language, Repair, Research and Treat Injury. A character cannot program more skill ranks in any skill than he himself has, although another character with such skills may assist him with the aid another action, in which case he grants his comrade the ability to input the desired skill ranks into the analytical engine instead of granting him a +2 bonus to the Craft (expression) check.
Specific Instruction: An analytical engine can be taught to perform a simple task that it could possibly perform with the equipment it can control. These instructions are similar to those for the Handle Animal skill. The Games Master decides which instruction is appropriate for any given analytical engine.
Creating a work of expression requires a full-round action at the very least and usually takes an hour, a day, or more, depending on the scope of the project. Reputation Increase: Work of an Expert or Master quality can raise a character’s Reputation score. Make a Reputation test, adding +1 for an Expert work or +2 for a Master work, against a DC of 20. If the test is successful, the artist’s reputation goes up 1 point. Artistic endeavours can never raise a character’s Reputation score by more than +5, and only one test can be made every 6 months. Analytic Programming: By means of the Craft (expression) skill, a character can teach an analytical engine to perform certain functions. This is only possible with ‘dumb’ analytical engines, which are those found in the Equipment and Wealth chapter and for amazing machines with the Limited Sentience special feature. More sophisticated engines like those provided by the Full Sentience feature or those that construct characters possess are capable of learning on their own. A character can ‘teach’ an analytical engine a number of functions, all with their own DC.
Type of Analytic Instruction Simple (artificial expertise) Moderate (specific instruction) Complex (artificial intelligence)
Craft DC 15 20 25
Time 1 hr 2 hr 4 hr
Artificial Intelligence: Analytical engines start with a virtual Intelligence score of 10 to 20. This score is not useful for anything but the measurement of the learning capacity of the engine and the provision of a bonus to its other functions. Even so, the Intelligence modifier must be ‘activated’ through programming before the engine can use it. With a successful Craft (expression) check, a character can activate a +1 modifier from the analytical engine’s Intelligence. A single check activates a +1 modifier, which means that multiple checks activate the engine’s Intelligence modifier until it reaches the maximum for its Intelligence score. An engine with Intelligence 16 thus needs three successful checks to activate its full +3 modifier. A character cannot activate a modifier higher than that which the score could give to a normal character; this limits the modifier to a maximum of +5. Increasing the engine’s Intelligence score is a matter of hardware engineering and depends upon use the Craft (mechanical) skill.
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Telluric Sketching: This is the ability to trace patterns and diagrams by which telluric power, the name the scientists give to magic, can manifest in specific effects. Only geniuses and occultists have any use for telluric sketching. The former employ them in amazing machinery and the latter to trace magical diagrams for their rituals. Telluric circuitry is fully described in The Power of Steam chapter, along with its uses, as are magical rituals in The Occult chapter. Skill Check Result 9 or lower 10–15 16-20 21–25 25-30 31 or higher
Synergy bonus granted +0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5
As an independent discipline, telluric sketching is useful to bolster other scientific or magical endeavours. The character makes a Craft (expression) check to trace a telluric circuit or magical diagram around a power source, workbench or laboratory table, the result of which determines the quality of the circuit and the synergy bonus it grants to the work performed inside the circuit. The basic components cost for a telluric circuit have a Purchase DC of 5, plus the synergy bonus attained; if the character did not provide for materials the roll’s quality would provide, the synergy bonus granted is only equal to the maximum that the components allow. For example, if a character rolls a 21 on his check (which grants a +3
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bonus) but only provided for materials with a Purchase DC of 7, his telluric sketch would only grant a +2 bonus. The circuit is burned when telluric energy courses through it to grant the bonus to the roll performed inside. Special: A character with the Creative feat gets a +2 bonus on all Craft (expression) checks.
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Decipher Script (Int; Trained Only) The ruins of old still hide their secrets from modern explorers and scholars, who must piece together forgotten scripts to discern the language of the ancients. The skill to understand hidden messages also extends to modern times, where secrets are hidden beneath layers of encrypted language. Specialities: Ancient languages, contemporary codes, text completion. Check: A character can decipher writing in an ancient language or, more often, in code. This can also be used to interpret the meaning of an incomplete text. The base DC is 20 for the simplest messages, 25 for standard codes, and 30 or higher for intricate or complex codes or exotic messages. Helpful texts or analytical engines can provide a bonus (usually a +2 circumstance bonus) on the check, provided they are applicable to the script in question. If the check succeeds, the character understands the general content of a piece of writing, reading about one page of text or its equivalent in 1 minute. If the check fails, the Games Master makes a Wisdom check (DC 10) for the character to see if he avoids drawing a false conclusion about the text. Success means that the character does not draw a false conclusion; failure means that the character does. The Games Master secretly makes both the skill check and the Wisdom check so the character cannot tell whether the conclusion drawn is accurate or not. Try Again: No, unless conditions change or new information is uncovered. Special: A character can take 10 when making a Decipher Script check but cannot take 20. A character with the Studious feat gets a +2 bonus on all Decipher Script checks. Time: Decryption takes 1 full round or more, depending on the complexity of the code. The Games Master determines how long this skill actually takes to use; mechanical aid usually speeds up the process.
Diplomacy (Cha) The Empire grows day by day and comes into contact with countless new cultures. The clashes that such encounters cause are rife with opportunity for those with the talent to mediate.
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Check: A character can change others’ attitudes with a successful check; see the table below. In negotiations, participants roll opposed Diplomacy checks to see who gains the advantage. Opposed checks also resolve cases where two advocates or diplomats plead opposing cases before a third party. Diplomacy can be used to influence a Non-Player Character’s attitude. The Games Master chooses the character’s initial attitude based on the circumstances. Most of the time, the people the heroes meet are indifferent toward them but a specific situation may call for a different initial attitude. The DCs given in the accompanying table show what it takes to change someone’s attitude with the use of the Diplomacy skill. The character does not declare a specific outcome he is trying for; instead, make the check and compare the result to the table on the next page. Diplomacy is directly affected by the Allegiances rules from the Character Background chapter. Review those rules when adjudicating any use of this skill. Extended use of this skill also influences how Contacts are developed. See the same chapter for further rules on that aspect of the Diplomacy skill. Try Again: Generally, trying again does not work. Even if the initial check succeeds, the other character can only be persuaded so far. If the initial check fails, the other character has probably become more firmly committed to his position and trying again is futile. The Games Master is the final authority on retries of this skill but second chances should be expensive in time, gifts or both. Special: A character can take 10 when making a Diplomacy check, but cannot take 20. A character with the Trustworthy feat gets a +2 bonus on all Diplomacy checks. A character with five or more ranks in Bluff, Knowledge (behavioural sciences) or Sense Motive gains a +2 synergy bonus to Diplomacy checks. Time: Diplomacy is at least a full-round action. The Games Master may determine that some negotiations require a longer period of time. Bribery and Diplomacy: Offering money or another form of favour can, in the right situation, improve a character’s chances with a Diplomacy skill check. Bribery allows a character to circumvent various official obstacles when a person in a position of trust or authority is willing to accept such an offering. An illegal act, bribery requires two willing participants – one to offer a bribe and the other to accept it. When a character requires a bribe to achieve a diplomatic task, such as passing a checkpoint in a corrupt republic, then his Diplomacy check automatically fails if a bribe is not attached to it. If a bribe is not customarily required,
Traps and Sabotage: Disabling (or rigging or jamming) a simple mechanical device has a DC of 10. More intricate and Unfriendly Mislead, gossip, avoid, watch suspiciously, complex devices have higher insult DCs. The Games Master Indifferent Does not much care Act as socially expected rolls the check. If the check Friendly Wishes you well Chat, advise, offer limited help, advocate succeeds, the character disables Helpful Will take risks to Protect, back up, heal, aid the device. If the check fails help you by 4 or less, the character has failed but can try again. If the Difficulty for Diplomacy Checks character fails by 5 or more, Initial New Attitude something goes wrong. If it Attitude Hostile Unf. Indif. Friendly Helpful is a trap, the character springs Hostile 19 or less 20 25 35 45 it. If it is some sort of sabotage, Unfriendly 4 or less 5 15 25 35 the character thinks the device Indifferent — 0 or less 1 15 25 is disabled but it still works Friendly — — 0 or less 1 15 normally. With this skill, a character can rig simple then a character can add a bribe to gain a bonus on his devices to work normally for a while and then fail some skill check. This can backfire, as some characters will be time later, usually after 1d4 rounds or minutes of use. insulted by a bribe offer (their attitude changes one step More permanent modification requires use of the Craft for the worse) and others will report the hero to the proper (structural) skill and additional time. authorities. Attitude Hostile
Means Will take risks to hurt or avoid you Wishes you ill
Possible Actions Attack, interfere, berate, flee
Bribe Target Clerk Minor Bureaucrat Official or Law Man Noble or Notable Character
Purchase DC 6 7 10 15
Disable Device (Int; Trained Only) Machines are flooding the streets and becoming a mainstay of civilisation. Knowing how to deactivate and sabotage them is a boon for many who are jealous of technology’s progress, or for those who know how to abuse it for their own ends. Specialities: Lockpicking, disable traps, sabotage device. Check: The Games Master makes the Disable Device check so that the character does not necessarily know whether he has succeeded. This skill can accomplish several different things, all of which a given character can attempt, assuming he has the proper equipment on hand to do so. Open Lock: A character can pick conventional locks and finesse combination locks. The character must have a lockpick set to attempt this task. The DC depends on the quality of the lock.
Difficulty for Open Lock Checks Lock Type (Example) Cheap (briefcase lock) Average (home lock) High quality (business lock) High security (average government vault) Ultra-high security (mad scientist’s vault)
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To bribe a character, make a Wealth check. Typical DCs are shown below, but the Games Master may modify the DC as he sees fit. If the hero succeeds in the check, he gains a +2 bonus on the Diplomacy check. For every point by which he beats the DC, increase the bonus by +1 (to a total maximum bonus of +10).
DC 20 25 30 40 50
Try Again: Yes, though the character must be aware that he has failed in order to try again. Special: A character can take 10 when making a Disable Device check. A character can take 20 to open a lock or to disable a security device, unless the character is trying to prevent his tampering from being noticed. Possessing the proper tools gives a character the best chance of succeeding on a Disable Device check. Opening a lock requires a lockpick. Disabling traps and conducting sabotage requires a mechanical tool kit or some other equipment, depending on the nature of the device. If the character does not have the appropriate tools, he takes a -4 penalty on his check. A character with the Cautious feat and at least 1 rank in this skill gets a +2 bonus on all Disable Device checks. Time: Disabling a simple mechanical device is a fullround action. Intricate or complex devices require 2d4 rounds
Disguise (Cha) Appearing to be someone else is not only useful in the stage of theatrics, but also for seedier pursuits like that of the intelligencer infiltrating an enemy stronghold or the swindler enacting a confidence trick.
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Check: A character’s Disguise check result determines how good the disguise is. It is opposed by others’ Spot check results. Make one Disguise check even if several people make Spot checks. The Games Master makes the character’s Disguise check secretly so that the character is not sure how well his disguise holds up to scrutiny.
Time: A Disguise check requires 1d4 x10 minutes of preparation. The Games Master makes Spot checks for those who encounter the character immediately upon meeting the character and again each hour or day thereafter, depending on circumstances.
If the character does not draw any attention to himself, however, others do not get to make Spot checks. If the character comes to the attention of people who are suspicious, the suspicious person gets to make a Spot check. The Games Master can assume that such observers take 10 on their Spot checks. The effectiveness of the character’s disguise depends in part on how much the character is attempting to change his appearance.
Vehicles that can be operated by a single person, or at least a small crew, are replacing the old ways of travel and the ability to drive such vehicles is now something all selfrespecting citizens must learn, whether they have access to a vehicle or not.
Disguise Minor details only Appropriate uniform or costume Disguised as different sex Disguised as different age category
Modifier +5 +2 –2 –2 *
* Per step of difference between the character’s age category and the disguised age category. Categories proceed as follows: child, young adult, adult, middle age, old and venerable.
If the character is impersonating a particular individual, then those who know what that person looks like are automatically entitled to make Spot checks. Furthermore, they gain a bonus on their Spot checks as indicated below. Familiarity Recognises on sight Friend or associate Close friend Intimate
Bonus +4 +6 +8 +10
Usually, an individual makes a Spot check to detect a disguise immediately upon meeting the character and each hour thereafter. If the character casually meets many different people, spending a short amount of time with each, the Games Master checks once per day or hour, using an average Spot modifier for the group and assuming they take 10. Try Again: No, though the character can assume the same disguise again at a later time. If others saw through the previous disguise, they are automatically treated as suspicious if the character assumes the same disguise again.
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Special: A character can take 10 or take 20 when establishing a disguise. A character without a disguise kit takes a –4 penalty on Disguise checks. A character with the Deceptive feat gets a +2 bonus on all Disguise checks. A character can help someone else create a disguise for him, treating it as an aid another attempt. A character with five or more ranks in Bluff gains a +2 synergy bonus to Disguise checks to act in character.
Drive (Dex; Trained Only)
Specialities: Wheeled vehicles, legged vehicles, tread vehicles, hover vehicles, sailed vehicles, mechanical water vehicles, oared water vehicles. Check: Routine tasks, such as ordinary driving, do not require a skill check. Make a check only when some unusual circumstance exists, such as inclement weather or an icy surface, or when the character is driving during a dramatic situation or an action sequence, such as when the character is being chased or attacked, or is trying to reach a destination in a limited amount of time. When driving, the character can attempt a number of manoeuvres. See the chapter A World of Adventure for more details. Try Again: Most driving checks have consequences for failure that make trying again impossible. Special: A character can take 10 when driving, but cannot take 20. A character with the Vehicle Expert feat gets a +2 bonus on all Drive checks. There is no penalty for operating a general-purpose land vehicle. The Drive skill is generic and is thus useful for all land based and water based vehicles. Time: A Drive check is a move action.
Escape Artist (Dex; Armour Penalty) Bonds and restraints are as prevalent in the Steampunk age as they ever were; but for every foolproof trap, there is always a better fool. Escaping from captivity is a skill learned by criminals since they were street urchins and cultivated also by more fortunate folk who simply dislike being restrained. Check: Make a check to escape from restraints or to squeeze through a tight space. Restraint Ropes Net Manacles Tight space Grappler
DC of Escape Check Opponent’s Use Rope check +10 20 35 30 Opponent’s grapple check
For ropes, chains and other restraints, a character’s Escape Artist check is opposed by the Use Rope check result of the opponent who tied the bonds. Since it is easier to tie someone up than to escape from being tied up, the opponent gets a +10 bonus on his Use Rope check.
requires 1 minute. Escaping a net is a full-round action. Squeezing through a tight space takes at least 1 minute, maybe longer, depending on the distance that must be crossed.
For a tight space, a check is only called for if the character’s head fits but his shoulders do not. If the space is long, such as an airshaft, the Games Master may call for multiple checks. A character cannot fit through a space that his head does not fit through.
Papers are becoming more important with the advent of the printing press. Documentation floods the halls of organisations with orders, petitions and authorisations. In this bureaucratic mayhem, enterprising ruffians can mimic such works using their trained abilities.
A character can make an Escape Artist check opposed by his opponent’s grapple check to get out of a grapple or out of a pinned condition, so that the character is just being grappled rather than pinned. Doing so is an attack action, so if the character escapes the grapple he can move in the same round.
Check: Forgery requires materials appropriate to the document being forged and some quantity of working time. In order to forge a document, the character needs to have seen a similar document before. The complexity of the document, the character’s degree of familiarity with it and whether the character needs to reproduce the signature or handwriting of a specific individual all provide modifiers to the Forgery check, as shown below.
Special: A character can take 10 on an Escape Artist check. A character can take 20 if he is not being actively opposed; a character can take 20 if he is tied up, even though it is an opposed check, because the opponent is not actively opposing the character. A character with the Nimble feat gets a +2 bonus on all Escape checks. A character with five or more ranks in Escape Artist gains a +2 synergy bonus to Use Rope checks when binding someone. A character with five or more ranks in Use Rope gains a +2 synergy bonus to Escape Artist checks when escaping from rope bonds. Time: Making a check to escape from being bound by ropes, handcuffs, or other restraints (except a grappler)
Document Type Simple (forged letter) Moderate (ship manifesto) Complex (identification papers) Difficult (property deeds) Extreme (royal decrees)
Check Modifier +0 -2
Inspection Time 10 min 20 min
-4
1 hr
-8
4 hr
-16
24 hr
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Try Again: A character can make another check after a failed check if the character is squeezing through a tight space, making multiple checks. If the situation permits, the character can make additional checks as long as he is not being actively opposed.
Forgery (Int; Some Trained Only)
The Games Master makes the character’s check secretly so the character is not sure how good his forgery is. A forger is allowed to know the check result and gains a retry if the document’s final check is 10 or less. Quality is hard to judge, but a lousy piece of work is recognisable to all.
‘You still haven’t answered my question. What do you want?’ His tone was incredulous; Heshia was acting strangely and his first instinct was to go on the defensive. This was only made worse by his prostrate position. While he was receiving treatment for his wounds, Jerrek had to be on his stomach with his back facing the elf woman. This was about as vulnerable as he could get, which was far more exposed than he ever wanted to be to one of her kind, team mate or not. ‘Relax, human. I am just doing my job. If I wanted you dead, you would be.’ Jerrek groaned. ‘You keep saying that. Trust me, woman; you’d have to work pretty hard to keep me down.’ He tensed, wondering if that comment would earn him a dagger in the back or a clout to the head. He was not even sure why he had said it. Heshia just had a way of getting under his skin. Before he knew it, the elf had done something with her bandages that had both his arms bound and a line of gauze down to his ankles. The binding was tight, but not terribly painful. That changed as soon as he struggled. The slipknot on the bandages tightened and he felt the circulation to his hands and feet begin to cut off. ‘What are you doing, elf?’ he demanded angrily. ‘What are you playing at?” He heard something new from Heshia, something he had never expect to leave her lips - a laugh. ‘You said I would have to work hard to keep you down. I wanted to see if you were right.’
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Only moderate level forgeries can be attempted without at least one rank in this skill. Familiarity* Unfamiliar (seen once for less than a minute) Fairly familiar (seen for several minutes) Quite familiar (on hand, or studied at leisure) Forger has produced other documents of same type Document includes specific signature
Modifier -4
+4 +4 -4
The Forgery skill is also used to detect someone else’s forgery. The result of the original Forgery check that created the document is opposed by a Forgery check by the person who examines the document to check its authenticity. If the examiner’s check result is equal to or higher than the original Forgery check, the document is determined to be fraudulent. The examiner gains bonuses or penalties on his check as given in the table below. Modifier –4 –2 +0 +4 –2
* Cumulative with any of the first three conditions on the table. Apply this modifier along with one of the other three whenever appropriate. A document that contradicts procedure, orders, or previous knowledge, or one that requires the examiner to relinquish a possession or a piece of information, can increase the examiner’s suspicion (and thus create circumstances favourable to the examiner’s opposed Forgery check) as determined by the Games Master. Try Again: No, since the forger is not sure of the quality of the original forgery. Special: To forge documents and detect forgeries, one must be able to read and write the language in question; the skill is language-dependent. A character can take 10 when making a Forgery check, but cannot take 20. A character with the Meticulous feat gets a +2 bonus on all
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Time: Forging a short, simple document takes about 1 minute. Longer or more complex documents take 1d4 minutes per page or longer.
+0
* Use all modifiers that apply from this list.
Examiner’s Condition Type of document unknown to examiner Type of document somewhat known to examiner Type of document well known to examiner Document is put through additional tests * Examiner only casually reviews the document *
Forgery checks. A character without a forgery kit takes a –4 penalty on Forgery checks.
Gamble (Wis) Rather than plying a respectable trade, many people turn to games of bluff and chance to make their living, particularly in the colonies and other barbaric settings. As well as these back-street sports, there also are refined games of chance that respectable citizens can partake in and gain a reputation as gentlemen (and ladies) of skill and fortune. Check: To join or start a game, a character must first pay a stake. The character sets the purchase DC of the stake if he starts the game, or the Games Master sets it if the character joins a game. Stakes run from penny-ante (purchase DC 4) to astronomical (purchase DC 24). A character cannot take 20 when purchasing a stake. If the stake is within the character’s means (that is, it is equal to or less than his Wealth bonus) the character stands no chance of winning any significant amount. The character might come out ahead, but the amount is not enough to affect his Wealth bonus. Since paying the stake did not cost any points of Wealth bonus, the character does not lose anything either. If the stake is higher than the character’s Wealth bonus before applying any reductions from purchasing the stake, then the character gets a +1 bonus on his Gamble check for every point the purchase DC is above the character’s Wealth bonus. The character’s Gamble check is opposed by the Gamble checks of all other participants in the game. If playing at a casino, assume the house has a Gamble skill modifier equal to the stake purchase DC. Regardless of the stake purchase DC, the house does not get a bonus on its Gamble check for the purchase DC. If there are many characters participating, the Games Master can opt to make a single roll for all of them, using the highest Gamble skill modifier among them and adding a +2 bonus to the check. If the character beats all other participants, he wins and gains an increase to his Wealth bonus. The amount of the increase depends on the difference between the character’s check result and the next highest result among the other participants. Gambling is a risky proposition but it is also one that can only be attempted infrequently with any real success. Every Gamble check made within the same month suffers a cumulative -1 circumstance penalty and a character can never benefit from more than a total of +5 to their current Wealth bonus at any one time.
Check Result Difference 1–9 10–19 20–29 30–39 40 or more
Wealth Bonus Increase +1 +2 +3 +4 +5
Try Again: No, unless the character wants to put up another stake.
Special: A character can take 10 when making a Gather Information check, but cannot take 20. A character with the Trustworthy feat gets a +2 bonus on all Gather Information checks. A character with five or more ranks in Knowledge (local) gains a +2 synergy bonus to Gather Information checks in that area. Time: A Gather Information check takes 1d4+1 hours.
Handle Animal (Cha; Trained Only)
Time: A Gamble check requires 1 hour.
Gather Information (Cha) Gossip circulates in high places and low. Knowing how to catch it is a valuable tool for those wishing to find their bearings quickly, or to gather clues that their eyes have missed. Check: By succeeding at a skill check (DC 10) and spending 1d4+1 hours passing out money and buying drinks, a character can get a feel for the major news items in a neighbourhood. This result assumes that no obvious reasons exist why information would be withheld. The higher the check’s result, the better the information. If the situation does not require the expenditure of money, no Wealth check is necessary. Information ranges from general to protected, and the cost and DC increases accordingly for the type of information the character seeks to gather, as given in the table below. Type of Information General Specific Restricted Protected
DC 10 15 20 25
Purchase DC 5 10 15 20
General information concerns local happenings, rumours, gossip and the like. Specific information usually relates to a particular question. Restricted information includes facts that are not generally known and requires that the character locate someone who has access to such information. Protected information is even harder to come by and might involve some danger, either for the one asking the questions or the one providing the answer. There’s a chance that someone will take note of anyone asking about restricted or protected information. The character can increase the amount of money used to gather information, gaining a circumstance bonus by effectively offering a bribe, though the process might entail buying more expensive drinks, hot food and such like, not necessarily offering a character extra money. Increase the Wealth check DC by 2 for each +1 circumstance bonus the character wants to add to his skill check.
Although machinery is replacing the old forms of transport and labour, animals remain the friends of common folk and can still be seeing hauling carts, wagons and yokes. Some even serve in battle as their ancestors have for thousands of years. The private laboratories of scientists and the gardens of the nobles have trained dogs guarding them, while adventurers will frequently have to trek out to their remote destinations on horses or camels.
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Special: A character cannot take 10 or take 20 when making a Gamble check. A character with the Confident feat gets a +2 bonus on all Gamble checks.
Try Again: Yes, but it takes 1d4+1 hours for each check, and characters may draw attention to themselves if they repeatedly pursue a certain type of information.
Check: The DC depends on what the character is trying to do. Task Handle an animal ‘Push’ an animal Teach an animal a trick Train an animal for a general purpose Rear a wild animal
Handle Animal DC 10 25 15 or 201 15 or 201 15 + HD of animal
1
See the specific trick or purpose below. General Purpose Combat riding Fighting Guarding Heavy labour Hunting Performance Riding
DC 20 20 20 15 20 15 15
Handle an Animal: This task involves commanding an animal to perform a task or trick that it knows. If the animal is wounded or has taken any non-lethal damage or ability score damage, the DC increases by 2. If your check succeeds, the animal performs the task or trick on its next action. ‘Push’ an Animal: To push an animal means to prompt it to perform a task or trick that it does not know but is physically capable of performing. This category also covers making an animal perform a forced march or
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forcing it to hustle for more than 1 hour between sleep cycles. If the animal is wounded or has taken any nonlethal damage or ability score damage, the DC increases by 2. If the check succeeds, the animal performs the task or trick on its next action. Teach an Animal a Trick: A character can teach an animal a specific trick with one week of work and a successful Handle Animal check against the indicated DC. An animal with an Intelligence score of 1 can learn a maximum of three tricks, while an animal with an Intelligence score of 2 can learn a maximum of six tricks. Possible tricks (and their associated DCs) include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following. Attack (DC 20): The animal attacks apparent enemies. The character may point to a particular creature that he wishes the animal to attack, and it will comply if able. Normally, an animal will attack only humanoids, monstrous humanoids or other animals. Teaching an animal to attack all creatures (including unnatural creatures, such as undead or constructs) counts as two tricks. Come (DC 15): The animal comes to the character, even if it normally would not do so. Defend (DC 20): The animal defends the character (or is ready to defend him if no threat is present) even without any command being given. Alternatively, the character can command the animal to defend a specific other character. Down (DC 15): The animal breaks off from combat or otherwise backs down. An animal that does not know this trick continues to fight until it must flee (due to injury, a fear effect or the like) or its opponent is defeated. Fetch (DC 15): The animal goes and gets something. If the character does not point out a specific item, the animal fetches some random object.
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Track (DC 20): The animal tracks the scent presented to it. This requires the animal to have the scent ability. Work (DC 15): The animal pulls or pushes a medium or heavy load. Train an Animal for a Purpose: Rather than teaching an animal individual tricks, you can simply train it for a general purpose. Essentially, an animal’s purpose represents a pre-selected set of known tricks that fit into a common scheme, such as guarding or heavy labour. The animal must meet all the normal prerequisites for all tricks included in the training package. If the package includes more than three tricks, the animal must have an Intelligence score of 2. An animal can be trained for only one general purpose, though if the creature is capable of learning additional tricks above and beyond those included in its general purpose, then it may be trained to do them. Training an animal for a purpose requires fewer checks than teaching individual tricks does but no less time. Combat Riding (DC 20): An animal trained to bear a rider into combat knows the tricks attack, come, defend, down, guard and heel. Training an animal for combat riding takes six weeks. The character may also ‘upgrade’ an animal trained for riding to one trained for combat riding by spending three weeks and making a successful Handle Animal check (DC 20). The new general purpose and tricks completely replace the animal’s previous purpose and any tricks it once knew. Warhorses and riding dogs are already trained to bear riders into combat and they do not require any additional training for this purpose.
Guard (DC 20): The animal stays in place and prevents others from approaching.
Fighting (DC 20): An animal trained to engage in combat knows the tricks attack, down and stay. Training an animal for fighting takes three weeks.
Heel (DC 15): The animal follows the character closely, even to places where it normally would not go.
Guarding (DC 20): An animal trained to guard knows the tricks attack, defend, down and guard. Training an animal for guarding takes four weeks.
Perform (DC 15): The animal performs a variety of simple tricks, such as sitting up, rolling over, roaring or barking and so on.
Heavy Labour (DC 15): An animal trained for heavy labour knows the tricks come and work. Training an animal for heavy labour takes two weeks.
Seek (DC 15): The animal moves into an area and looks around for anything that is obviously alive or animate.
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Stay (DC 15): The animal stays in place, waiting for the character to return. It does not challenge other creatures that come by, though it still defends itself if it needs to.
Hunting (DC 20): An animal trained for hunting knows the tricks attack, down, fetch, heel, seek
and track. Training an animal for hunting takes six weeks. Performance (DC 15): An animal trained for performance knows the tricks come, fetch, heel, perform and stay. Training an animal for performance takes five weeks. Riding (DC 15): An animal trained to bear a rider knows the tricks come, heel and stay. Training an animal for riding takes three weeks.
Try Again: Yes, except for rearing an animal. Special: You can use this skill on a creature with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2 that is not an animal, but the DC of any such check increases by 5. Such creatures have the same limit on tricks known as animals do. A character with the Animal Affinity feat receives a +2 bonus on Handle Animal checks. A character with five or more ranks in Handle Animal gains a +2 synergy bonus to Ride checks. Time: Varies. Handling an animal is a move action, while pushing an animal is a full-round action. For tasks with specific time frames noted above, the character must spend half this time (at the rate of 3 hours per day per animal being handled) working toward completion of the task before attempting the Handle Animal check. If the check fails, the attempt to teach, rear or train the animal fails and the character need not complete the teaching, rearing or training time. If the check succeeds, the character must invest the remainder of the time to complete the teaching, rearing or training. If the time is interrupted or the task is not followed through to completion, the attempt to teach, rear or train the animal automatically fails.
Hide (Dex; Armour Penalty) Bustling streets or thick foliage are ideal environments for masking one’s presence, a favoured ability of the untrustworthy, yet also valued by those who defend respectable folk from threats that are better not faced openly. Check: A character’s Hide check is opposed by the Spot check of anyone who might see him. The character can move up to half his normal speed and hide at no penalty. At more than half and up to the character’s full speed, the character takes a –5 penalty. It is practically impossible (– 20 penalty) to hide while attacking, running or charging.
Size Fine Diminutive Tiny Small Medium Large Huge Gargantuan Colossal Leviathan
Modifier +16 +12 +8 +4 +0 –4 –8 –12 –16 –20
If people are observing the character, even casually, he cannot hide, though talents or feats might alter this. The character can run around a corner so that he is out of sight and then hide but the others then know at least where the character went. Cover and concealment grant circumstance bonuses to Hide checks, as shown below. Note that a character cannot hide if he has less than onehalf cover or concealment. Cover or Concealment Three-quarters Nine-tenths
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Rear a Wild Animal: To rear an animal means to raise a wild creature from infancy so that it becomes domesticated. A handler can rear as many as three creatures of the same kind at once. A successfully domesticated animal can be taught tricks at the same time it is being raised, or it can be taught as a domesticated animal later.
The Hide check is also modified by the character’s size:
Circumstance Bonus +5 +10
Creating a Diversion to Hide: A character can use the Bluff skill to help him hide. A successful Bluff check can give the character the momentary diversion needed to attempt a Hide check while people are aware of him. While the others turn their attention from the character, he can make a Hide check if he can reach a hiding place of some kind. As a general guideline, the hiding place has to be within 1 foot for every rank the character has in Hide. This check, however, is made at a -10 penalty because the character has to move fast. Tailing: Also called shadowing, a character can use Hide to tail a person in public. Using the skill in this manner assumes that there are other people present with no interest in the character or the person he is pursuing, among whom he can mingle to remain unnoticed. If the subject is worried about being followed, he can make a Spot check (opposed by the character’s Hide check) every time he changes course, such as when he goes around a street corner, exits a building and so on. If he is unsuspecting, he will generally only receive a Spot check after an hour of tailing. Special: A character can take 10 when making a Hide check, but cannot take 20. A character with the Stealthy feat gets a +2 bonus on all Hide checks. Time: A Hide check is an attack action.
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Intimidate (Cha or Str; Character’s Choice)
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A rather uncouth method of having one’s way, intimidation is nonetheless a valuable tool when courteous diplomacy has failed. Check: With a successful check, a character can forcibly persuade another character to perform some task or behave in a certain way. A character’s Intimidate check is opposed by the target’s level check, resolved as d20 + the target’s character level or Hit Dice. Any modifiers that a target may have to Will saving throws against fear effects apply to this level check. If the character succeeds, he may treat the target as friendly for 10 minutes but only for purposes of actions taken while in the character’s presence; that is, the target retains his normal attitude but will answer questions, offer limited help, or take simple actions on the character’s behalf while intimidated. Circumstances can dramatically affect the effectiveness of an Intimidate check. There are limits to what a successful Intimidate check can do. The character cannot force the target to obey his every command or do something that endangers the target’s life. If the character fails by more than 5, the target may actually do the opposite of what the character wishes. Try Again: No. Even if the initial check succeeds, the other character can only be intimidated so much and trying again does not help. If the initial check fails, the other character has become more firmly resolved to resist the intimidator and trying again is futile. Special: A character can take 10 when making an Intimidate check but cannot take 20. A character may add a +2 bonus to his Intimidate check for every size category the character is larger than his target. Conversely, the character takes a –2 penalty to his check for every size category the character is smaller than his target. A character with the Confident feat gets a +2 bonus on all Intimidate checks and on level checks to resist intimidation. A character with five or more ranks in Bluff gains a +2 synergy bonus to Intimidate checks. Time: An Intimidate check is a full-round action
Investigate (Int; Trained Only) New methods of fighting crime give investigators tools they had not possessed before, to the point of making theirs a respectable and creditable profession. Check: A character generally uses Search to discover clues and Investigate to analyse them. If the character has access to a laboratory, the character uses the Investigate skill to collect and prepare samples for the revolutionary task of forensic examination. The result of the Investigate check provides bonuses or penalties to the lab workers.
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Analyse Clue: The character can make an Investigate check to apply forensic knowledge to a clue. This function of the Investigate skill does not give the character clues where none existed before. It simply allows the character to extract extra information from a clue he has found. The base DC to analyse a clue is 15. It is modified by the time that has elapsed since the clue was left and whether or not the scene was disturbed.
Circumstances Every day since event (maximum modifier +10) Scene is outdoors Scene slightly disturbed Scene moderately disturbed Scene extremely disturbed
DC Modifier +2 +5 +2 +4 +6
Collect Evidence: The character can collect and prepare evidentiary material for a lab. This use of the Investigate skill requires an evidence kit or amazing equipment with the Skill Assist (investigate) special feature. To collect a piece of evidence, make an Investigate check at DC 15. If the character succeeds, the evidence is usable by a crime lab. If the character fails, a crime lab analysis may be performed but the lab takes a –5 penalty on any necessary check. If the character fails by 5 or more, the lab analysis simply cannot be done. On the other hand, if the character succeeds by 10 or more, the lab gains a +2 circumstance bonus on its checks to analyse the material. This function of the Investigate skill does not provide the character with evidentiary items. It simply allows the character to collect items in a manner that best aids his analysis later, at a crime lab. Try Again: Generally, analysing a clue again does not add new insight unless another clue is introduced. Evidence collected cannot be recollected, unless there is more of it to take. If either of these eventualities should occur, an investigator can gain another retry but the first check must be made with all the available evidence that has been identified. Special: A character can take 10 when making an Investigate check but cannot take 20. Collecting evidence requires an evidence kit. If the character does not have the appropriate kit, the character takes a –4 penalty on his check. A character with the Attentive feat and at least 1 rank in this skill gets a +2 bonus on all Investigate checks. Time: Analysing a clue is a full-round action. Collecting evidence generally takes 1d4 minutes per object.
Jump (Str; Armour Penalty) Not all routes are smooth and level and people often need to cover impassable distances by jumping over them,
whether this involves an adventurer leaping a chasm or a sneak-thief vaulting from roof to roof.
If the character has ranks in the Jump skill and succeeds on a check, the character lands on his feet (when appropriate) and can move as far as his remaining movement allows. If the character attempts a Jump check untrained, the character lands prone unless he beats the DC by 5 or more. Standing from a prone position is a move action. Distance moved by jumping is counted against maximum movement in a round. A character can start a jump at the end of one turn and complete the jump at the beginning of his next turn. Long Jump: This is a horizontal jump, made across a gap such as a chasm or stream. At the midpoint of the jump, the character attains a vertical height equal to onequarter the horizontal distance. The DC for the jump is equal to the distance jumped (in feet) + 5. The DCs for long jumps of 5 to 30 feet are given in the table below. A character cannot jump a distance greater than his normal speed. All Jump DCs covered for a Long Jump assume that the character can move at least 20 feet in a straight line before attempting the jump. If this is not the case, the DC for the jump is doubled. Long Jump Distance 5-ft. 10-ft. 15-ft.
DC * 10 15 20
Long Jump Distance 20-ft. 25-ft. 30-ft.
DC * 25 30 35
* Requires a 20-foot move. Without a 20-foot move, double the DC.
If the character fails the check by less than 5, he does not clear the distance, but can make a Reflex saving throw (DC 15) to grab the far edge of the gap. The character ends his movement grasping the far edge. If that leaves the character dangling over a chasm or gap, then he may attempt to pull himself up, which requires a move action and a Climb check at DC 15. High Jump: This is a vertical leap, made to jump up to grasp something overhead, such as a tree limb or ledge. The DC for the jump is 2 + the height x4, in feet. The DCs for high jumps of 1 to 8 feet are given in the table below for convenience. All Jump DCs covered here for the High Jump assume that the character can move at least
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High Jump Distance 1-ft. 2-ft. 3-ft. 4-ft.
DC * 6 10 14 18
High Jump Distance 5-ft. 6-ft. 7-ft. 8-ft.
DC * 22 26 30 34
* Requires a 20-foot move. Without a running start, double the DC.
If the character succeeds at the check, he can reach the height. He grasps the object he was trying to reach. If the character wishes to pull himself up, he can do so with a move action and a Climb check at DC 15. If the character fails the Jump check, he does not reach the height and lands on his feet in the same square from which he jumped.
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Check: The DC and the distance the character can cover vary according to the type of jump the character is attempting. The character’s Jump check is modified by his speed. The DCs specified below assume a speed of 30 feet, which is the speed of a typical human. If the character’s speed is less than 30 feet, he takes a penalty of –6 for every 10 feet of speed less than 30. If the character’s speed is greater than 30 feet, he gains a bonus of +4 for every 10 feet over 30.
20 feet in a straight line before attempting the jump. If this is not the case, the DC for the jump is doubled.
The difficulty of reaching a given height varies according to the size of the character or creature. Generally, the maximum height a creature can reach without jumping is given in the table below. As a Medium creature, a typical human can reach 8 feet without jumping. If the creature is long instead of tall, treat it as one size category smaller. Creature Size Leviathan Colossal Gargantuan Huge Large Medium Small Tiny Diminutive Fine
Maximum Height 256-ft. 128-ft. 64-ft. 32-ft. 16-ft. 8-ft. 4-ft. 2-ft. 1-ft. 0.5-ft.
Hop Up: The character can jump up onto an object as tall as his waist with a Jump check at DC 10. Doing so counts as 10 feet of movement. The character does not need a running start to hop up, so the DC is not doubled if the character does not get a running start. Jumping Down: If the character intentionally jumps from a height, he can take less damage than if he just falls. The DC to jump down from a height is 15. The character does not need a running start in order to jump down, so the DC is not doubled if the character does not have a running start. If the character succeeds on the check, he takes falling damage as if he had dropped 10 fewer feet than he actually did. Special: Effects that increase a character’s speed also increase the character’s jumping distance, since the check is modified by the character’s speed. A character can take 10 when making a Jump check. If there is no
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danger associated with failing, the character can take 20. A character with the Acrobatic feat gets a +2 bonus on all Jump checks. A character with the Run feat gains a +2 synergy bonus on Jump checks preceded by a 20-foot move. A character with five or more ranks in Tumble gains a +2 synergy bonus to Jump checks. A character with five or more ranks in Jump gains a +2 synergy bonus to Tumble checks. Time: Using the Jump skill is either a move action or a full-round action, depending on whether the character starts and completes the jump during a single move action or a full-round action.
Knowledge (Int; Some Trained Only) The way of science and understanding is more valuable now than in previous obscurantist ages, where lore was held fast behind closed doors. Study and scholarship pave the way for progress through understanding. This skill encompasses several categories, each of them treated as a separate skill. These categories are identified and defined below. The number of Knowledge categories is kept purposely finite. When trying to determine what Knowledge skill a particular question or field of expertise falls under, use a broad interpretation of the existing categories. Do not arbitrarily make up new categories, as other skills, talents, feats and synergies are based off the categories listed below and new ones may not fit well into a given campaign. Each Knowledge category can have many Specialities; the ones listed here are the most common but, instead of making up new knowledge categories, players can create new Specialities with the Games Master’s approval. Check: A character makes a Knowledge check to see if he knows something. The DC for answering a question within the character’s field of study is 10 for easy questions, 15 for basic questions and 20 to 30 for tough questions. Appraising the value of an object is one sort of task that can be performed using Knowledge. The DC depends on how common or obscure the object is. On a success, the character accurately identifies the object’s purchase DC. If the character fails, he thinks it has a purchase DC 1d2 higher or lower (determine randomly) than its actual value. If the character fails by 5 or more, he thinks it has a purchase DC 1d4+2 higher or lower than its actual value. The Games Master may make the Knowledge roll for the character, so he does not know whether the appraisal is accurate or not. The fourteen Knowledge categories and the topics each one encompasses are as follows.
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Art (Trained Only) Knowledge of art includes the names of artists, artistic movements, history, techniques and other facts.
Specialities: Painting, sculpture, photography, printing, theatre, music, dance, art history, artistic techniques, museums, antiques, architecture (as an art form). Architecture and Engineering (Trained Only) This discipline encompasses knowledge of building techniques, names of architects and engineers, principles of construction, fortress design and logistics and a smattering of siege warfare. Specialities: Buildings, aqueducts, bridges, fortifications, roads, railroads, industrial machinery, telluric machinery. Behavioural Sciences This entails knowledge of how people act and react as individuals or in groups, names of scholars of the mind, therapy, theories of human and non-human behaviour, schools and colleges and so on. Specialities: Alienism, sociology, criminology, phrenology, therapy, dream interpretation. Earth and Life Sciences (Trained Only) This skill covers knowledge of the workings of life itself, how it functions and what influences it, from microscopic entities to whole environments. Specialities: Biology, botany, genetics, geology, palaeontology, zoology, cryptozoology (magical beasts), medicine, forensics. Geography (Trained Only) Geography comprises knowledge of the lay of the land; not how it works so much as where things are in relation to one another. Specialities: National borders, specific terrains, climate, inhabitants, main roads, shortcuts, rivers and lakes. History History involves knowledge of events and personalities from the past and the products of their industry and culture. Specialities: Events, personalities, cultures, archaeology, antiquities, mythology. Local This useful skill entails knowledge of events, persons and places pertaining to a restricted zone, such as a large city or a province. There are many Knowledge (local) scores, each one pertaining to a different zone. Specialities: By zone, legends, personalities, inhabitants, laws, customs, traditions, terrain and locales. Occult Sciences (Trained Only) This broad skill covers knowledge of occult abilities and traditions, magical and psychic phenomena, mythical creatures, magical rituals, documented psychic powers, famous magicians and psychics, the powers of supernatural creatures and so on. Specialities: Magic theory, psychic phenomena, places of power, ritual effects, mythic creatures and races, telluric energy, the Laws of Magic.
Physical Sciences (Trained Only) This discipline confers knowledge of how the universe works, covering its various phenomena and underlying principles. This is one of the areas where much of the revolutionary progress is felt the hardest. Specialities: Astronomy, chemistry, mathematics, physics, telluric power, theremin performance.
Tactics (Trained Only) This is the knowledge of techniques and strategies for disposing and manoeuvring forces in combat. Specialities: Infantry tactics, artillery tactics, aerial tactics, naval tactics, siege warfare, reconnaissance, logistics, guerrilla tactics. Technology (Trained Only) This skill covers current developments in cutting-edge devices, as well as the background necessary to identify various technological devices. Specialities: Analytical and difference engines, telluric engines, steam power, electricity, transportation, communications, theremin performance. Theology and Philosophy A deep discipline, this entails knowledge of schools of thought that delve into the nature of things. Under the Games Master’s consideration, Knowledge (theology and philosophy) may grant synergy bonuses to other Knowledge categories, such as art, behavioural sciences, politics and history; it may also grant synergy bonuses to Craft (expression). Specialities: Liberal arts, ethics, philosophical concepts, religions, religious rituals, pantheons, mythic history, holy symbols, undead. The Otherworlds (Trained Only) This is the knowledge of the worlds that lie beyond the boundaries of this one. Some of the otherworlds may overlap with history, earth and life sciences, and physical sciences. Specialities: The Astral Plane, the Ethereal Plane, the Hollow World, The Hells, Lost Worlds, other planets, Celestial Planes, The Abyss, Elemental Planes, the spatial aether. Try Again: No. The check represents what a character knows, so thinking about a topic a second time does not let the character know something he never knew in the first place.
Time: A Knowledge check can be a reaction but otherwise requires a full-round action. Needing to study to make a Knowledge check is actually a Research check and requires ranks in that skill.
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Politics A person schooled in politics has knowledge of the workings of society and its institutions, procedures, rulers and styles of rulership. Specialities: Law and legislation, litigation, legal rights and obligations, political and governmental institutions, political and governmental processes, lineages, heraldry, personalities.
Special: An untrained Knowledge check is simply an Intelligence check. Without actual training, a character only knows common knowledge about a given subject. A character can take 10 when making a Knowledge check, but cannot take 20. A character with the Educated feat gets a +2 bonus on any two types of Knowledge checks. The Games Master may decide that having five or more ranks in a specific Knowledge skill provides a character with a +2 synergy bonus when making a related skill check. A character with Knowledge (occult sciences) can identify a magic effect if he possesses the corresponding Magic Talent feat for the effect’s discipline.
Language (None; Trained Only) Although it would be ideal for all people of the world to speak the language of the Empire, this is not the case and those that venture away from the shelter of Imperial civilisation must learn to communicate in other tongues. The Language skill does not work like a standard skill. A character automatically knows how to speak, read and write his native language; he does not need ranks to do so. Each additional language costs 1 rank. When a character adds a rank to Language, he chooses a new language that he can speak, read and write. A character never makes Language checks. A character either knows how to speak, read and write a specific language or he does not. A character can choose any language, modern or ancient; see the Language Groups sidebar for suggestions. The Games Master might determine that a character cannot learn a specific language due to the circumstances of the campaign. For example, he might decide that there is just no realistic way for a hardened explorer to find a book on Elven in the depths of the forest.
Language Groups There are thousands of languages to choose from when a character buys ranks in Language, and the complications multiply when considering the setting for an OGL Steampunk campaign. A few are listed here, sorted into their general language groups as found on a typical fantasy setting. As there is no core setting of OGL Steampunk, each campaign will have to determine what languages are appropriate for character to learn. A language’s group does not matter when a character is buying ranks in Language; they are provided because they pertain to the explorer and scholar vocations’ Linguist talent. This list is by no means exhaustive—there are many more language groups and most groups contain more languages than those listed here.
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It took Jerrek only a couple of minutes to slip the bonds. Part of that time was spent cussing at the elf in a mix of different languages. He knew a few choice insults in both Elven and Orcish both of which she apparently knew well enough to be amused. Whether her mirth was at the comments and anatomical impossibilities they involved or his poor pronunciation, he could not be sure, but by the time he was off his back she was grinning widely. That was something else he had never seen her do. He was confused at how interested he was in the expression.
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Shaking his head, he became stern with her again. ‘Stupid woman. If we had been attacked, I would have…’ She hushed him with a finger to his lips. ‘You would have been cut free with this knife a moment before I handed it to you.’ She held up his dagger with another wicked grin. He had been face down in his pillow the whole time, so how in the world had she slipped it out from under his head without him noticing? He took it back from her, snarling in irritation. It surprised him how little of his umbrage was real, though. He hated elves, all elves, even this one, but there was no true fire in his fury at having been tied up by her. He pointed his knife at her and said, in Elven, ‘Do not ever do that again. I do not like being tied up.’ She looked at him for a moment, shook her head and muttered something at him before returning to her side of the camp with a shrug. It was only just as he was drifting off to sleep again that he translated her words. ‘Pity,’ the elf woman had said. ‘I do.’
Common Languages And Their Speakers Language Typical Speakers (Group) (Planar) Abyssal Demons, chaotic evil outsiders Celestial Good outsiders Infernal Devils, lawful evil outsiders (Elemental) Aquan Water-based creatures Auran Air-based creatures Ignan Fire-based creatures Terran Xorns and other earth-based creatures
Alphabet
Infernal Celestial Infernal Elven Draconic Draconic Dwarven
(Monstrous)
Draconic Aberrant Giant Sylvan* (Racial) Dwarven Elven Gnome Common Auld Common*
Kobolds, troglodytes, lizardfolk, dragons Aberrations with the ability to speak Ogres, giants Dryads, brownies, leprechauns Dwarves Elves Gnomes Humans, any race doing business with humanity Ancient, Isolated Human and Humanoid Races
Draconic Aberrant Dwarven Elven Dwarven Elven Gnomish Common Auldish
Listen (Wis) Being alert to surrounding sounds is key to survival in many quarters, not all of them in the wilderness. Check: Make a Listen check against a DC that reflects how quiet the noise is that a character might hear or against an opposed Move Silently check. The Games Master may call for a Listen check by a character in a position to hear something. A character can also make a Listen check voluntarily if he wants to hear something in the vicinity. The Games Master may make the Listen check in secret so that the character does not know whether not hearing anything means that nothing is there or that the character failed the check. A successful Listen check when there is nothing to hear results in the character hearing nothing.
Condition Per 10-ft. of distance Listener distracted
Check Penalty –1 –5
(Humanoid)
Goblin Gnoll Druidic Orc
Goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears Gnolls Druids (only) Orcs
Dwarven Common Druidic Dwarven
*This is an ancient language. In the Steampunk world, only a few linguistic scholars speak it, along with a few small populations in isolated corners of the world. These groups shrink each year as the encroachment of ‘progress’ chokes them out. Eventually, they will become dead languages, echoed only in the dusty halls of academia.
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Try Again: A character can make a Listen check every time he has the opportunity to hear something in a reactive manner. As a move action, the character may attempt to hear something that he failed (or believes he failed) to hear previously.
DC –10 0 5 10 15
* This is actually an opposed check; the DC given is a typical Move Silently check result for such a character or creature. Special: When several characters are listening to the same thing, the Games Master can make a single d20 roll and use it for all the listeners’ skill checks. A character can take 10 or take 20 when making a Listen check. Taking 20 means the character spends one minute attempting to hear something that may or may not be there to hear. A character with the Alertness feat gets a +2 bonus on all Listen checks. A sleeping character can make Listen checks but takes a -10 penalty on the checks. Time: A Listen check may be a reaction, if called for by the Games Master, or a move action if a character actively takes the time to try to hear something.
Move Silently (Dex; Armour Penalty) The second part of concealing one’s presence is to hide the sound of moving and while footpads and burglars are the most adept at it, expert hunters find it quite useful when approaching their prey. Check: A character’s Move Silently check is opposed by the Listen check of anyone who might hear him. A character can move up to half his normal speed at no penalty. At more than half speed and up to the character’s full speed, he takes a –5 penalty. It is practically impossible (–20 penalty) to move silently while attacking, running, or charging. Special: A character can take 10 when making a Move Silently check but cannot take 20. A character with the Stealthy feat gets a +2 bonus on all Move Silently checks. Time: Use of the Move Silently skill constitutes a move action.
Navigate (Int) Explorers are always finding new boundaries to push. Their ability to navigate towards their destinations has saved many lives and will continue to do so in this new age of discovery. Check: Make a Navigate check when a character is trying to find his way to a distant location without directions or other specific guidance. Generally, a character does not need to make a check to find a local street or other common urban site, or to follow an accurate map. However, the character might make a check to wend his way through a dense stretch of alleyways or a labyrinth of underground storm drains. For movement over a great distance, make a Navigate check. The DC depends on the length of the trip. If the character succeeds, he moves via the best reasonable course towards his goal. If the character fails, he still reaches the goal but it takes the character twice as long, as he loses time backtracking and correcting his path. If the character fails by more than 5, he travels for the expected time but only travels approximately halfway to his destination, at which point the character becomes lost. Length of Trip Short (a few hours) Moderate (a day or two) Long (up to a week) Extreme (more than a week)
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20 30 +5 +15
Sound A battle People talking A person in medium armour walking at a slow pace, trying not to make noise An unarmoured person walking at a slow pace, trying not to make any noise A 1st level gentleman thief sneaking up on someone * A tiger stalking prey * A bird flying through the air Through a door Through a solid wall
DC 20 22 25 28
When faced with multiple choices, such as at a branch in a tunnel, a character can make a Navigate check (DC 20) to intuit the choice that takes him toward a known destination. If unsuccessful, the character chooses the wrong path, but at the next juncture, with a successful check, the character realises his mistake. A character cannot use this function of Navigate to find a path to a site if he has no idea where the site is located. The Games Master may choose to make the Navigate check for the Player in secret, so he does not know from the result whether the Player Character is following the right or wrong path. A character can use Navigate to determine his approximate position in the world without the use of any equipment by checking the constellations or other natural landmarks. The character must have a clear view of the night sky to make this check. The DC is 15. Try Again: A character may make a second Navigate check (DC 20) to regain his path. If the character succeeds, he continues on to his destination; the total time for the trip is twice the normal time. If the character fails, he loses half a day before he can try again. The character keeps trying until he succeeds, losing half a day for each failure.
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Special: A character can take 10 when making a Navigate check. A character can take 20 only when determining his location, not when travelling. A character with the Guide feat gets a +2 bonus on all Navigate checks.
Stringed Instruments: The character is a musician gifted with a talent for playing stringed musical instruments, such as banjo, guitar, harp, lute, sitar and violin. A musician could play a theremin with this category, albeit with a -2 penalty.
Wind Instruments: The character is a musician gifted with a talent for playing wind musical instruments, such as flute, bugle, trumpet, tuba, bagpipes and trombone.
Time: A Navigate check is a full-round action.
Perform (Cha)
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Refined tastes are hungry for good artistic performances to soothe the soul; performers who show their mettle gain great appreciation and fame. This skill encompasses several categories, each of them treated as a separate skill. These categories are identified and defined below. The number of Perform categories is kept purposely finite. When trying to determine what Perform skill a particular type of performance falls under, use a broad interpretation of the existing categories. Do not arbitrarily make up new categories. Also keep in mind that the ability to perform does not make a character a trained performer in the thespian sense; take ranks in Profession (performer) if the character should be able to make money and hold known performances with his skill. Check: The character is accomplished in some type of artistic expression and knows how to put on a performance. He can impress audiences with his talent and skill. The quality of the character’s performance depends on his check result. The eight Perform categories and the qualities encompassed by each one are as follows.
Act: The character is a gifted actor, capable of performing drama, comedy, or action-oriented roles with some level of skill.
Dance: The character is a gifted dancer, capable of performing rhythmic and patterned bodily movements to music.
Keyboards: The character is a musician gifted with a talent for playing keyboard musical instruments, such as piano, organ and clavichord. A musician could play a theremin with this category, albeit with a -2 penalty.
Percussion Instruments: The character is a musician gifted with a talent for playing percussion musical instruments, such as drums, cymbals, triangle, xylophone and tambourine.
Sing: The character is a musician gifted with a talent for producing musical tones with his voice.
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Stand-Up: The character is a gifted comedian, capable of performing a stand-up vaudeville routine before an audience.
Result 10
15
20 25 30
Performance Amateur performance. Audience may appreciate your performance, but is not overly impressed. Routine performance. Audience enjoys your performance, but it is not exceptional. Great performance. Audience highly impressed. Memorable performance. Audience enthusiastic. Masterful performance. Audience awed.
Try Again: You may not attempt a Perform check again for the same performance and audience. Special: A character can take 10 when making a Perform check but cannot take 20. A character without an appropriate instrument automatically fails any Perform (keyboard), Perform (percussion), Perform (stringed), or Perform (wind) check he attempts. At the Games Master’s discretion, impromptu instruments may be employed but the performer must take a –4 penalty on the check because his equipment, although usable, is inappropriate for the skill. Every time a character takes the Creative feat, he gains a +2 bonus on checks involving two Perform skills he designates. See the feat description for more information. Time: A Perform check usually requires at least several minutes to an hour or more.
Pilot (Dex; Trained Only) Just as new land vehicles replace more traditional modes of travel, general developments in transport create entirely new professions to control them. Knowing how to operate a fantastic flying machine or a mysterious submersible is a matter of great prestige. Specialities: Airship, ornithopter, gyrocopter, submersibles, burrowing vehicles, exotic aircraft. Check: Typical piloting tasks do not require checks. Checks are required during combat, for special manoeuvres or in other extreme circumstances, or when
the pilot wants to attempt something outside the normal parameters of the vehicle. Each vehicle’s description includes a handling score that applies to Pilot checks made by the operator of the vehicle.
Time: Making a Pilot check constitutes a move action.
Profession (Wis) The most important role of a citizen is to contribute to society with honest work. A profession is also a perfect way to earn more money than that which covers the basic necessities of survival. Just as the Craft, Knowledge and Perform skills have categories, so too does Profession. There is, however, the difference that Players are encouraged to come up with their own professions. Each class vocation lists a number of professions that a member of that class and starting vocation usually practices but it is not necessary for a character to practice those professions, nor indeed to practice any profession at all. The income of characters without professions depends on treasures and rewards gained from adventuring, or from other such inconstant sources like gambling. Check: A character makes Profession checks to improve his Wealth bonus every time he attains a new level. The DC for the check is the character’s current Wealth bonus. If the character succeeds at the Profession check, his Wealth bonus increases by +1. For every 5 by which the character exceeds the DC, his Wealth bonus increases by an additional +1. A character cannot take 10 or take 20 when making a Profession check to improve his Wealth bonus. The number of ranks a character has in the Profession skill (including ranks the character may have just acquired after gaining a level) also has a bearing on the Wealth bonus increase the character receives. This translates to a flat increase to his Wealth bonus. In addition to the Wealth bonus increase a character gains from his Profession check result if the check succeeds, the number of ranks the character has in this skill increases his new Wealth bonus as follows. Special: If the Games Master deems it appropriate, a character can add his Profession modifier when making a Reputation check to deal with a work-related or career-related situation. Every time a character takes the Windfall feat, he gets a cumulative +1 increase to his Wealth bonus. The character gains a +2 synergy bonus if
Wealth Bonus Increase +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6
his chosen Profession corresponds to a recommended one in his starting vocation.
Psychic Control (Wis or Cha, Character’s Choice; Trained Only) A few gifted individuals have access to powers beyond the ken of science. Psychic abilities are quite real in the Steampunk world and their possessors control them by the sheer force of their will.
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Special: A character can take 10 when making a Pilot check but cannot take 20. A character with the Vehicle Expert feat gets a +2 bonus on all Pilot checks. This skill is not used for driving hover vehicles of any kind. Though they technically fly, they are dependent on a solid surface and are affected sufficiently by roadway conditions for the Drive skill to be more appropriate.
Ranks 1–4 5–8 9 – 12 13 – 16 17 – 20 21– 23
Check: A character makes a Psychic Control check in order to activate psychic powers, which he acquires as feats or as features of the occultist class. The DC of a Psychic Control check is determined by the power the character wants to activate. Psychic powers and the uses of Psychic Control checks are covered in full detail in The Occult chapter. Try Again: Provided that he does not fall out of his trance, a character can retry any failed use of a psychic power. Special: Characters cannot take 10 or 20 when making Psychic Control checks. Characters must have the Psychic Sensitivity feat before taking their first rank in Psychic Control. Characters without the feat cannot buy any rank in the skill even if it is a class skill for them. Time: Psychic Control checks are usually standard actions, although some psychic powers may take several minutes or even hours to work.
Repair (Int; Trained Only) Machines break down, and with so many making their way into homes and factories, the knowledge of how to repair them makes such a craftsman into a valued technician who will undoubtedly find gainful employment. Specialities: Steam technology, electrical devices, clockwork devices, automata, vehicles, power sources. Check: Most Repair checks are made to fix complex mechanical devices. The Games Master sets the DC. In general, simple repairs have a DC of 10 to 15 and require no more than a few minutes to accomplish. More complex repair work has a DC of 20 or higher and can require an hour or more to complete. Making repairs also involves a monetary cost when spare parts or new components are needed, represented by a Wealth check. If the Games
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Jerrek tossed and turned for more than an hour, troubled by what had just happened. He did not like elves and he had never expected to be attracted to anyone ever again. Still, Heshia’s face kept appearing every time he closed his eyes. He tried to think of her as just another damned elf. That was not working any more. With a grumble, he turned over one last time and nearly leapt out of his skin to see a translucent face inches away from his own. ‘Damn it, Gail! You looking for company as a ghost?’ he gasped, trying to catch his breath. The massive, spectral lion-man sat back up and chuckled. The sound was not pleasant. ‘You know,’ he whispered, ‘you really can be an idiot sometimes. No offence.’ Jerrek stared at him, looking irate. ‘How am I not supposed to take offence at that, fluff-face?’ He mocked a smack at the air where Gail’s head was, which passed through him and left a trail of chilled air and light. That seemed to make Gailion uncomfortable, though it did not, apparently, hurt. ‘I’ve only been dead for a couple of days, Jer, but I am coping with it better than you are at being alive. You need to let it go, my friend and get on with your life.’ Gail’s face softened, his glowing expression changing from amusement to concern. ‘You need to get over the past while you still have a future.’ The lion hybrid looked over into the far corner of the tunnel passage. ‘And you need to go over there and apologise for being a bolt-head.’ It took about ten more minutes of convincing, but Jerrek finally gave in and crossed over to where Heshia was sitting. He quietly admitted to being upset with her kind, for being torn up inside because of a past loss and for being too dim to realize what she had been trying to tell him. He poured out his heart to her, telling her of his childhood and the years he spent scraping a living out of Megador’s meanest slums. He told her how hard it was for him to feel any more, adding that if she would be willing to let him try just one more time, he would like to talk with her again.
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Master decides that this is not necessary for the type of repair the character is attempting, then no Wealth check is needed. If damage is being repaired, a successful Repair check restores 1d4 hit or structure points to the object. Repair Task (Example) Simple (tool, simple weapon) Moderate (mechanical component) Complex (mechanical device) Advanced (cutting-edge mechanical device) Extreme (rebuilding the analytical engine of a fully sentient automaton)
Purchase 4
Repair DC 10
Repair Time 1 min
7
15
10 min
10
20
1 hr
13
25
10 hr
20+
35
24 hr+
Jury-Rig: A character can choose to attempt jury-rigged, or temporary, repairs. Doing this reduces the purchase DC by 3 and the Repair check DC by 5. Jury-rigging allows the character to make the checks in as little as a full-round action. However, a jury-rigged repair can only fix a single problem with a single check. In addition, the temporary repair only lasts until the end of the current scene or encounter. The jury-rigged object must be fully repaired thereafter if it is to be repaired at all. A character can also use jury-rig to jump-start an engine or device. The DC for this is at least 15, and it can be higher depending on the presence of security devices. The jury-rig application of the Repair skill can be used untrained. Try Again: Yes, though in some specific cases, the Games Master may decide that a failed Repair check has negative ramifications that prevent repeated checks.
Her silence worried him. He looked more closely at her motionless form. She was in a psychic trance and had been since leaving him at his bedroll. She had sat, completely still and missed everything he had said. He had bared his soul and no one had been there to see it.
Special: A character can take 10 or take 20 on a Repair check. When making a Repair check to accomplish a jury-rig repair, a character cannot take 20. Repair requires a mechanical tool kit or a multipurpose tool depending on the task. If the character does not have the appropriate tools, he takes a –4 penalty on the check or may be unable to carry out the repair at all, at the Games Master’s discretion. Genius characters of the inventor vocation can make jury-rig repairs permanent by spending an action point.
Nearby, he heard Thurdin’s gruff voice. ‘That was beautiful, lad, but you’re just not my type. Now shut up. I’m trying to sleep.’
Synergies: Craft (mechanical) or Craft (electronic) can provide a +2 synergy bonus on Repair checks made for mechanical or electronic devices. A character with the
Gearhead feat and at least 1 rank in this skill enjoys a +2 bonus to all Repair checks. Time: See the table for guidelines. A character can make a jury-rig repair as a full-round action, but the work only lasts until the end of the current encounter.
Research (Int)
Check: Researching a topic takes time, skill and some luck. The Games Master determines how obscure a particular topic is (the more obscure, the higher the DC) and what kind of information might be available depending on where the character is conducting his research. Given enough time (usually 1d4 hours) and a successful skill check, the character develops a general idea about a given topic. This assumes that no obvious obstacles exist that would prevent such information from being available and that the character has a way to acquire restricted or protected information. Research is the skill for finding recorded facts. Learning what other people know is usually more appropriately performed as a Gather Information check.
Guide with Knees (DC 5): The character can react instantly to guide his mount with his knees so that he can use both hands in combat or perform some other action. Make the check at the start of the character’s round. If the character fails, he can only use one hand this round because he needs to use the other to control his mount. On machine mounts, the knees press particular plates to guide it.
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Scientists stand on the shoulders of giants, using previous knowledge as the basis for their new theories and discoveries. Finding the proper information can save a lot of time that would be more constructively employed in the proving of new ideas.
dismount without a problem. Mounting or dismounting an animal is a move action. Some tasks, undertaken in combat or in other extreme circumstances, require checks. In addition, attempting trick riding or asking the animal to perform an unusual technique also requires a check. It should be kept in mind that a horse-like automaton and a horse-like amazing vehicle are two very different things: the first uses Ride but the second uses Drive.
Stay in Saddle (DC 5): The character can react instantly to try to avoid falling when his mount rears or bolts unexpectedly or when the character takes damage. Fight while Mounted (DC 20): While in combat, the character can attempt to control a mount that is not trained in combat riding; see the Handle Animal skill. If the character succeeds, he uses only a move action and may use his attack action to do something else. If the character
The higher the check result, the better and more complete the information. If the character wants to discover a specific fact, date, map, or similar bit of information, add +5 to +15 to the DC. Try Again: Yes, though the Games Master may rule that you have exhausted your current research material and that you must find more sources before you can make another attempt. Special: A character can take 10 or take 20 on a Research check. A character with the Studious feat gets a +2 bonus on all Research checks. Time: A Research check takes 1d4 hours.
Ride (Dex) Even when new vehicles are invading the roads and byways, the old tradition of riding will never be lost, as it is not only accessible but also greatly prestigious. Riding is even more flexible than motorised transport, as animals do not break down and their maintenance needs are easier to provide for. Check: Typical riding actions do not require checks. A character can saddle, mount, ride and
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fails, he can do nothing else that round. If the character fails by more than 5, he loses control of the animal.
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For animals trained in combat riding and machine mounts, the character does not need to make this check. Instead, the character can use his move action to have the animal perform a trick, most commonly to attack. The character can use his attack action normally. Cover (DC 15): The character can react instantly to drop down and hang alongside his mount, using it as one-half cover. The character cannot attack while using his mount as cover. If the character fails, he does not get the cover benefit. Soft Fall (DC 15): The character reacts instantly when he falls from his mount, such as when it is killed or when it falls, to try to avoid taking damage. If the character fails, he takes 1d6 points of falling damage. Leap (DC 15): The character can get his mount to leap obstacles as part of its movement. Use the character’s Ride modifier or the mount’s Jump modifier (whichever is lower) when the mount makes its Jump check, for which see the Jump skill. The character makes a Ride check (DC 15) to stay on the mount when it leaps. Fast Mount or Dismount (DC 20; armour penalty applies): The character can mount or dismount as a free action. If the character fails the check, mounting or dismounting is a move action. A character cannot attempt a fast mount or dismount unless he can perform the mount or dismount as a move action this round, should the check fail.
Divination: Magic that discerns information from past, present and future. Enticement: Magic that fools the senses, twists perceptions and affect minds. Invocation: Magic that brings forth matter, energy and even life where none existed before. Necromancy: Rituals that deal with the dead and the macabre energy of death. Protection: Effects that ward from harm and repel enemies and threats. Transformation: Magic that change the properties and shape of objects and creatures.
Try Again: No. If a ritual fails, it is over for that effect. Failure may also carry more dire consequences that prevent its repetition. Special: Characters cannot take 10 or 20 in Ritual checks. The Ritual skill is not included in any class skill list. Instead, characters must have the feat corresponding to each Ritual category before taking their first rank in it. These are the Divination Talent, Protection Talent, Invocation Talent, Enticement Talent, Necromancy Talent and Transformation Talent respectively. Characters without the appropriate feat cannot buy any ranks in the skill. Time: Ritual checks take 10 minutes. Particular rituals may require more than one Ritual check, depending on their complexity. See the rules for magic ritual effects on pg. 281.
Time: Ride is a move action, except when otherwise noted for the special tasks listed above.
That which lies hidden or lost can be retrieved by anyone with the patience and perception necessary to find it.
Ritual (Int; Trained Only)
Check: The character generally must be within 10 feet of the object or surface to be examined. A character can examine up to a 5-foot-by-5-foot area or a volume of goods 5 feet on a side with a single check. A Search check can turn up individual footprints but does not allow a character to follow tracks, nor does it tell him in which direction the creature or creatures went, nor the direction from which they approached.
Check: Like the Craft and Knowledge skills, Ritual is broken up into six different categories corresponding to the six disciplines of magic. The number of Ritual disciplines is kept purposely finite. When trying to
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Special: If the character is riding bareback, he takes a –5 penalty on Ride checks. A character can take 10 when making a Ride check but cannot take 20. Animals that are ill suited to be mounts provide a –2 penalty to their rider’s Ride check. A character with five or more ranks in Handle Animal gains a +2 synergy bonus to Ride checks.
The power of magic only comes to those who devote long hours and hard study towards it, as one of the Laws of Magic states that nothing comes for free. Characters in OGL Steampunk do not develop the ability to work magic automatically. Instead, they gain it through study and practice. With the new era of progress opening the doors that keep all secrets locked away, almost anyone with sufficient dedication can learn to perform a few magic tricks.
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determine what Ritual skill a particular magic effect pertains to, use a broad interpretation of the existing categories. Do not arbitrarily make up new categories. The DCs of Ritual checks depend wholly on the different parameters of the ritual, such as its subject, scope, reach and duration. Magic rituals and effects are described in full in The Occult chapter.
Search (Int)
DC 10 20 25+
Task Ransack an area to find a certain object. Notice a typical secret compartment, a simple trap, or an obscure clue. Find a complex or well-hidden secret compartment or trap; notice an extremely obscure clue.
Special: A character can take 10 or take 20 when making a Search check. A character with the Meticulous feat gets a +2 bonus on all Search checks. A character with five or more ranks in Search gains a +2 synergy bonus to Survival checks to follow tracks.
10 unless an observer is concentrating on noticing what the character is doing. When a character performs this skill under close observation, the character’s skill check is opposed by the observer’s Spot check. The observer’s check does not prevent the character from performing the action, just from doing it unnoticed.
Time: A Search check is a full-round action.
Sense Motive (Wis)
Check: A successful check allows the character to avoid being bluffed; see the Bluff skill. The character can also use the skill to tell when someone is behaving oddly or to assess someone’s trustworthiness. In addition, a character can use this skill to make an assessment of a social situation. With a successful check (DC 20), the character can get the feeling from another’s behaviour that something is wrong. Also, the character can deduce whether someone is trustworthy and honourable. Try Again: No, though the character may make a Sense Motive check for each Bluff directed at him. Special: A character can take 10 when making a Sense Motive check, but cannot take 20. A character with the Attentive feat gets a +2 bonus on all Sense Motive checks. A character can use Sense Motive to detect that a hidden message is being transmitted via the Bluff skill, with the DC of the Sense Motive check equal to the Bluff check result of the sender. If the character’s check result beats the DC by 5 or more, the character understands the secret message as well. If the character’s check fails by 5 or more, the character misinterprets the message in some fashion. A character with five or more ranks in Sense Motive gains a +2 synergy bonus to Diplomacy checks. Time: A Sense Motive check may be made as a reaction to another character’s Bluff check. When that is the case, the Games Master may roll the character’s Sense Motive check in secret, so the character does not necessarily know someone is trying to bluff him. Using Sense Motive to gain a sense of someone’s trustworthiness takes at least one minute.
Sleight of Hand (Dex; Trained Only; Armour Penalty) Parlour tricks are certainly entertaining but hardly worth the effort of a lady or gentleman, as they are more useful to the pickpockets and cutpurses that plague the streets in increasing numbers. Check: A check against DC 10 lets a character palm a coin-sized, unattended object. Minor feats of sleight of hand, such as making a coin disappear, also have a DC of
A character can use Sleight of Hand to conceal a small weapon or object on his body. It can also be used to manipulate a small object in each hand, so long as one is coin sized and the other is no larger than a foot in any dimension. Used this way, it can conceal the manipulation from others, though observers may oppose it with Spot checks as noted above.
SKILLS
Perception is not limited to finding things. It also extends to sensing the state of another’s mind. This skill is extremely useful for interrogation and to avoid being fooled.
When a character tries to take something from another person, the character’s opponent makes a Spot check to detect the attempt. To obtain the object, the character must score a result of 20 or higher, regardless of the opponent’s check result. The opponent detects the attempt if his check result beats the character’s check result, whether the character takes the object or not.
Try Again: A second Sleight of Hand attempt against the same target, or when being watched by the same observer, has a DC 10 higher than the first check if the first check failed or if the attempt was noticed. Special: A character can take 10 when making a Sleight of Hand check, but cannot take 20. A character can make an untrained Sleight of Hand check to conceal a weapon or object but must always take 10. A character with the Nimble feat and at least 1 rank in this skill gets a +2 bonus on all Sleight of Hand checks. A character with five or more ranks in Bluff gains a +2 synergy bonus to Sleight of Hand checks. Time: A Sleight of Hand check is an attack action.
Spot (Wis) The eyes can be a character’s best friend or worst enemy, so it is recommended that those depending on their sight learn to tell the difference between truth and deception. Check: The Spot skill is used to notice items that are not immediately obvious and people who are attempting to hide. The Games Master may call for a Spot check from a character who is in a position to notice something. A character can also make a Spot check voluntarily if he wants to try to notice something in his vicinity. The Games Master may make the Spot check in secret so that the character does not know whether nothing is there or that he failed the check. A successful Spot check when there is nothing to notice results in the character noticing nothing. Spot is often used to notice a person or creature hiding from view. In such cases, the character’s Spot check is
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opposed by the Hide check of the character trying not to be seen. Spot is also used to detect someone in disguise, for which see the Disguise skill, or to notice a concealed weapon on another person.
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A character’s Spot check is modified by a –1 penalty for every 10 feet of distance between the character and the character or object he is trying to discern. The check carries a further –5 penalty if the character is in the midst of activity. Try Again: A character can make a Spot check every time he has the opportunity to notice something in a reactive manner. As a full-round action, a character may attempt to notice something that he failed (or believe he failed) to notice previously. Special: A character can take 10 or take 20 when making a Spot check. A character with the Alertness feat gets a +2 bonus on all Spot checks. Time: A Spot check is either a reaction, if called for by the Games Master, or a full-round action if a character actively takes the time to try to notice something.
Survival (Wis) Each new technological boundary broken opens up new horizons. The successful exploration of each and every one of them depends greatly on the explorer’s ability to survive in conditions away from the comforts of civilisation. Specialities: Choose a terrain type or a specific area like a large province. Check: A character can keep himself and others safe and fed in the wild. DC 10
15
18
Task Get along in the wilds of any jungle, concrete or otherwise. Move up to half the character’s overland speed while hunting and foraging (no food or water supplies needed). The character can provide food and water for one other person for every 2 points by which his check result exceeds 10. Gain a +2 circumstance bonus on Fortitude saves against severe weather while moving up to half the character’s overland speed, or gain a +4 circumstance bonus if stationary. The character may grant the same bonus to one other character for every 1 point by which his check result exceeds 15. Avoid getting lost and avoid natural and industrial hazards, such as quicksand or condemned construction sites.
With the Track feat, a character can use Survival checks to track a character or animal across various terrain types.
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By the time Thurdin and Heshia were awake, Jerrek had breakfast cooked and all of their gear packed up. He served them both slivers of meat cooked in the last of the spices he could find in his satchel. It was lean fare to be sure but it would keep them alive a little longer. It said something about how hungry they all were that even the elf ate the meat he offered and did not complain. Elves were not usually carnivorous but hunger eventually overcame such concerns. ‘Nice job, lad,’ Thurdin said quietly, picking at his plate with a slightly bent fork. ‘Do I even want to know what we are eating?’ From the sour look on the grizzled dwarf ’s face, he obviously had no expectation of a pleasant answer. Jerrek just shook his head and kept eating. After he was finished, he gave the cooking tools and utensils a quick wipe down with an oilcloth to prevent rust. They did not have any water to waste, so washing them was out of the question. Besides, there was nothing to cook for their next meal in any case. If they did not reach the factory soon, having a clean skillet to make dinner in would be the least of their concerns. It had been a stretch of his survival skills keeping them fed this long; Jerrek doubted he could keep it up for another day. One way or another, this would be their last meal in the sewers of the old city.
Special: A character can take 10 when making a Survival check. A character can take 20 when he is tracking, or if there is no danger or penalty for failure but not on periodic checks to get along in the wild. A character with the Guide feat gets a +2 bonus on all Survival checks. A character with five or more ranks in Search gains a +2 synergy bonus to Survival checks to follow tracks.
Swim (Str; Armour Penalty) Water is a hostile environment to air-breathing people but there is a certain attraction to it that is impossible to deny; knowing how to move gracefully in watery environs is not only relaxing, but may also save lives. Check: A successful Swim check allows a character to swim one-quarter his speed as a move action or half his speed as a full-round action. Roll once per round. If the character fails, he makes no progress through the water. If the character fails by 5 or more, he goes underwater. If the character is underwater (from failing a swim check or because the character is swimming underwater intentionally) he must hold his breath. A character can hold his breath for a number of rounds equal to his Constitution score, but only if he does nothing but take move actions or free actions. If the character takes an attack action or a full-round action, the amount of breath he has remaining is reduced by one round. Effectively, a character in combat can hold his breath only half as long as normal. After that period of time, the character must make a Constitution check (DC 10) every round to continue holding his breath. Each round, the DC of the check increases by 1. If the character fails the check, he begins to drown. The DC for the Swim check depends on the water: Water Calm water Rough water Stormy water
DC 10 15 20
For each hour that the character swims, make a Swim check against DC 20. If the character fails, he becomes fatigued. If the character fails a check while fatigued, the character becomes exhausted. If the character fails a check while exhausted, the character becomes unconscious. Unconscious characters go underwater and immediately begin to drown.
Special: A character takes a penalty of –1 for every 5 pounds of gear he carries, including armour and weapons. A character can take 10 when making a Swim check, but cannot take 20. A character with the Athletic feat gets a +2 bonus on all Swim checks. Time: A Swim check is either a move action or a fullround action, as described above.
Treat Injury (Wis) Medicine has advanced greatly from the days of miracle healers and medicine men; medics now study methods to help others recover from harmful conditions, their skills depending on no allegiance save an oath to assist all those in need.
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Time: Basic Survival checks occur each day in the wilderness or whenever a hazard presents itself. When using Survival with the Track feat to track a character or animal, checks are made according to distance, as described in the Track feat.
Try Again: A new check is allowed the round after a check is failed.
Specialities: Disease treatment, wound and injury treatment, alienist treatment (psychology). Check: The DC and effect depend on the task attempted. Outside the relative safety of civilisation, this skill can literally be the difference between life and death. A specific intent is needed for a Treat Injury check, chosen from the listed options below. This skill has three Specialities, regular medicine and alienism. The options below, with the exception of the last one, involve regular medicine. Long-Term Care (DC 15): With a treat injury kit, the successful application of this skill allows a patient to recover hit points and ability points lost to temporary damage at an advanced rate, namely 3 hit points per character level or 3 ability points restored per day of complete rest. A new check is made each day; on a failed check, recovery occurs at the normal rate for that day of rest and care. A character can tend as many patients as he has ranks in the skill. The patients need to spend all their time resting. The character needs to devote at least half an hour of the day to each patient. Restore Hit Points (DC 15): With a treat injury kit, if a character has lost hit points, he can restore some of them. A successful check, made as a full-round action, restores 1d4 hit points. The number restored can never exceed the character’s normal hit point total. This application of the skill can be used successfully on a character only once per day. Revive Dazed, Stunned or Unconscious Character (DC 15): With a first aid kit, the character can remove the dazed, stunned or unconscious condition from a patient. This check is a standard action. A successful check removes the dazed, stunned, or unconscious condition from an affected character. The character cannot revive an unconscious patient who is at –1 hit points or lower without first stabilising them.
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Stabilise Dying Character (DC 15): With a treat injury kit, a character can tend to a patient who is dying. As an attack action, a successful Treat Injury check stabilises another character. The stabilised character regains no hit points, but he stops losing them. The character must have a treat injury kit to stabilise a patient. Surgery (DC 20): With a surgery kit, a character can conduct field surgery. This application of the Treat Injury skill carries a –4 penalty, which can be negated with the Surgery feat. Surgery requires 1d4 hours; if the patient is at negative hit points, add an additional hour for every point below 0 he has fallen. Surgery restores 1d6 hit points for every character level of the patient (up to the patient’s full normal total of hit points) with a successful skill check. Surgery can only be used successfully on a character once in a 24 hour period. A character who undergoes surgery is fatigued for 24 hours, minus 2 hours for every point above the DC the surgeon achieves. The period of fatigue can never be reduced below 6 hours in this fashion. Treat Disease (DC 15): A character can tend to a patient infected with a treatable disease. Every time the diseased patient makes a saving throw against disease effects (after the initial contamination) the treating character first makes a Treat Injury check to help the patient fend off secondary damage. This activity takes 10 minutes. If the treating character’s check succeeds, the treating character provides a bonus on the patient’s saving throw equal to his ranks in this skill. Treat Poison (DC 15): A character can tend to a poisoned patient. When a poisoned character makes a saving throw against a poison’s secondary effect, the treating character first makes a Treat Injury check as an attack action. If the treating character’s check succeeds, he provides a bonus on the poisoned patient’s saving throw equal to his ranks in this skill. Inspire (Alienism; DC 15): By applying his knowledge of alienism in regards to the motivations of a specific individual, the character can inspire them after speaking for one full round to overcome their own flaws or aspire to a greater degree of accomplishment than they were before. Treat this as either providing a target with an additional saving throw against Fear effects (the target can substitute the Treat Injury check for his save if desired) or granting a +1 circumstance bonus to the next skill check the target makes. Inspire can only work as many times per day on a given target as the Treat Injury trained character’s Charisma modifier, to a minimum of once. Try Again: Yes, for restoring hit points, reviving dazed, stunned or unconscious characters, stabilising dying characters and surgery. No, for all other uses of the skill. Special: The Surgery feat gives a character the extra training he needs to use Treat Injury to help a wounded character by means of an operation. A character can take
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10 when making a Treat Injury check. A character can take 20 only when restoring hit points or attempting to revive dazed, stunned or unconscious characters. Longterm care, restoring hit points, treating disease, treating poison or stabilising a dying character requires a treat injury kit. Reviving a dazed, stunned or unconscious character requires either a first aid kit or a treat injury kit. Surgery requires a surgery kit. If the character does not have the appropriate kit, he takes a –4 penalty on the check. A character can use the Treat Injury skill on himself only to administer first aid, treat disease or treat poison. The character takes a –5 penalty on his check any time he treats himself. Time: Treat Injury checks take different amounts of time based on the task at hand, as described above.
Tumble (Dex; Trained Only; Armour Penalty) Agility and nimbleness are incredible assets to have during situations when a character finds himself in a tight spot. Check: A character can land softly when he falls, tumble past opponents in combat, or tumble through opponents. Land Softly: The character can make a Tumble check (DC 15) when falling. If the check succeeds, treat the fall as if it were 10 feet shorter when determining damage. Tumble past Opponents: With a successful Tumble check (DC 20) the character can weave, dodge and roll up to 20 feet through squares adjacent to opponents, risking no attacks of opportunity. Failure means the character moves as planned, but provokes attacks of opportunity as normal. Tumble through Opponents: With a successful Tumble check (DC 20) the character can roll, jump or dive through squares occupied by opponents, moving over, under or around them as if they were not there. Failure means the character moves as planned, but provokes attacks of opportunity as normal. Try Again: No. Special: A character with 5 or more ranks in Tumble gains a +3 dodge bonus to Defence (instead of the normal +2) when fighting defensively, and a +6 dodge bonus (instead of the normal +4) when engaging in total defence. A character can take 10 when making a Tumble check but cannot take 20. A character with the Acrobatic feat and at least 1 rank in this skill gets a +2 bonus on all Tumble checks. A character with five or more ranks in Tumble gains a +2 synergy bonus to Balance and Jump checks. A character with five or more ranks in Jump gains a +2 synergy bonus to Tumble checks. Time: A character can try to reduce damage from a fall
as a reaction once per fall. A character can attempt to Tumble as a free action that must be performed as part of a move action.
Use Rope (Dex) The fine art of tying knots is not only useful in a ship’s riggings or in animal handling; even decent folk who travel in the wild can find the ability to use a rope supremely valuable.
Use Rope DC 10 10* 15 15 15 Varies
Task Tie a firm knot Secure a grappling hook Tie a special knot, such as one that slips, slides slowly, or loosens with a tug Tie a rope around yourself one-handed Splice two ropes together Bind a character
* Add 2 to the DC for every 10 feet the hook is thrown; see below.
Try Again: Depends; see above. Special: A silk rope gives a +2 circumstance bonus on Use Rope checks. The Deft Hands feat grants a +2 bonus on Use Rope checks. A character with five or more ranks in Use Rope gains a +2 bonus on Climb checks made to climb a rope, a knotted rope or a rope-and-wall combination and a +2 bonus on Escape Artist checks when escaping from rope bonds. A character with five or more ranks in Use Rope gains a +2 bonus on Escape Artist checks made to bind someone.
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Check: Most tasks with a rope are relatively simple. The DCs for various tasks utilising this skill are summarised on the table below.
character with a rope, any Escape Artist check that the bound character makes is opposed by the Use Rope check. Binding grants a +10 bonus on this check because it is easier to bind someone than to escape from bonds. It is not necessary to make the Use Rope check until the bound character tries to escape.
Time: Varies. Throwing a grappling hook is a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity. Tying a knot, tying a special knot or tying a rope around oneself one-handed is a full-round action that provokes an attack of opportunity. Splicing two ropes together takes five minutes. Binding a character takes one minute.
Secure a Grappling Hook: Securing a grappling hook requires a Use Rope check. The DC is 10 +2 for every 10 feet of distance the grappling hook is thrown, to a maximum DC of 20 at 50 feet. Failure by 4 or less indicates that the hook fails to catch and falls, allowing the character to try again. Failure by 5 or more indicates that the grappling hook initially holds, but comes loose after 1d4 rounds of supporting weight. This check is made secretly, so that players do not know whether the rope will hold their characters’ weight. Bind a Character:
When binding another
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feats & traits FEATS & TRAITS
c
15th and 18th level. Once a feat is gained, the method of acquisition becomes irrelevant; a character either has a feat or he does not.
haracters in OGL Steampunk learn to do many things with the skill points they gain but there is another way to account for raw talent and extraordinary qualities. This is the collection of feats and traits that characters gain as they advance in power and experience.
Feats are classified in three broad types:
Feats are special qualities and talents that characters develop with time, allowing them to bend the rules that constrain others and sometimes break them completely.
General: These are feats that any character that meets the prerequisites can acquire; they refer to general abilities that have no particular rule set to govern their functioning.
Traits are abilities and characteristics that particular types of characters gain by virtue of their race and upbringing. While the ability to fight with two weapons is something any character can develop with practice, the ability to turn incorporeal is a trait exclusive to ghosts, as are the technological upgrades exclusive to the automatons of the construct race.
Occult: These feats refer to an occult ability, namely magic or psychic powers. The Occult chapter deals with how these abilities work in more detail and the feats presented here either give characters access to those powers or alter the way that they work. They are further divided into metamagic, magic discipline and psychic feats.
Feats
Feats are gained in four different ways in OGL Steampunk games. They can be gained as free feats from a character’s class and vocation, they can be purchased with the bonus feat given to all characters at 1st level (two feats for humans), they can be granted by certain levels of the talent trees or class features, or they can be bought with the feat slot gained by all characters at 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th,
Types of Feats
Item Creation: In order to create an amazing machine or an occult item, a character must have the extensive body of knowledge and theoretical background provided by these feats. Each item creation feat allows a character to build one type of machine or magic item.
Feat Descriptions Here is the format for every feat description found in this book. Feats are intentionally left a vague as possible
They knew they were close to the factory. The increase in traps and opposition could mean nothing else. The fight through what had to be the central nest of the ironrats had been a bloody, vicious affair but apart from Thurdin’s mangled left arm, they came through it more or less intact. Gailion had even managed to be of aid, manifesting for a few seconds at a time to wield a fallen ironrat like a macabre club. Ghost or not, it was a good feeling to have the big cat fighting at his side again. They had also now had their first real combat with orcs. Near the ironrat den, they had found a guard post. This was Jerrek’s first real indication of how close they were to the factory. It was also the first fight that really felt like a true battle to him. Ironrats were just mutated beasts with metal grafts and augmentation. These were orcs, the true enemy. Jerrek found a special joy in killing them. He could tell that his aggression against the orcs had unsettled his teammates, even the normally unflappable Gearbolt. They had given him a certain distance since the guard posts, coming nowhere near him even when another fight occurred. That was fine with him. Gailion was with him and knew how he fought; together they were an unstoppable force against these inhuman bastards. Orc after orc fell to Jerrek’s slashing swords but even a sea of their blood would never slake his thirst for more. Each dead orc at his feet was just a twitching example to the rest of what he wished for their whole cursed race. Even when one of them came in low with a spear and drove it into his side, Jerrek did not stop killing. He took the wound and ran himself up the weapon, decapitating its wielder before the pain of the attack even registered with him. Before he fell from the shock and blood loss, he took down two others and was only denied the last kill by the lethally accurate shots of Heshia cutting down the last of their foes. Then he fell over, pain preceding darkness as his eyes closed for what might be the final time…
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while still providing all of the rules support needed to run them in a campaign. This way, the same feat taken by two different characters can simulate different approaches to the same basic talent. Feat Name: The name of the feat.
A character can gain a feat at the same level at which he gains all the prerequisites. A character cannot use a feat if the character has lost a prerequisite. Benefit: What the feat enables a character to do. Normal: What a character who does not have this feat is limited to or restricted from doing. If there is no particular drawback to not possessing the feat, this entry is absent.
General Feats
Personal Quality Feats (General) One of your personality strengths works in your favour. Benefit: This is actually a category of feats that all grant a +2 bonus to two related skills. Characters acquire each of them as a separate feat, but they are grouped together for convenience. Special: See table below.
Agile Riposte (General) Prerequisites: Dexterity 13, Dodge. Benefit: Once per round, if the opponent the character has designated as his dodge target (see the Dodge feat) makes a melee attack or melee touch attack against the character and misses, the character may make an attack of opportunity with a melee weapon against that opponent. Resolve and apply the effects from both attacks simultaneously.
FEATS & TRAITS
Prerequisite: A minimum ability score, another feat or feats, a minimum base attack bonus and/or the minimum ranks in a skill that a character must have to acquire this feat. This entry is absent if a feat has no prerequisite.
Special: Additional facts about the feat. If there are no special features about a feat aside from what it does and its prerequisites, this entry is also absent.
Personal Quality Feats Feat Name Acrobatic Agile Alertness Animal Affinity Athletic Attentive Builder Confident Creative
Deceptive Deft Hands Educated Focused Gearhead Guide Investigator Medical Expert Meticulous Negotiator Nimble Persuasive Self-Sufficient Stealthy Studious Trustworthy Vehicle Expert 1 2
+2 bonus to… Jump checks and Tumble1 checks Balance checks and Escape Artist checks Listen checks and Spot checks Handle Animal1 checks and Ride checks Climb checks and Swim checks Investigate1 checks and Sense Motive checks Any two2: Craft (chemical)1, Craft (pharmaceutical)1, Craft (structural) and Craft (mechanical)1 Gamble checks and Intimidate checks, and on level checks to resist intimidation Any two2: Craft (expression), Perform (act), Perform (dance), Perform (keyboards), Perform (percussion instruments), Perform (sing), Perform (stand-up), Perform (string instruments), and Perform (wind instruments) Bluff checks and Disguise checks Sleight of Hand checks and Use Rope checks Any two Knowledge skills2 Balance checks and Concentration checks Craft (mechanical)1 checks and Repair1 checks Navigate checks and Survival checks Gather Information checks and Search checks Craft (pharmaceutical) checks and Treat Injury checks Forgery checks and Search checks Diplomacy checks and Sense Motive checks Escape Artist checks and Sleight of Hand1 checks Bluff checks and Intimidate checks Survival checks and Treat Injury checks Hide checks and Move Silently checks Decipher Script checks and Research checks Diplomacy checks and Gather Information checks Drive checks and Pilot checks
This skill cannot be used untrained. The character can select this feat multiple times. Each time, the character selects two new skills from the choices given.
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Even a character with the Combat Reflexes feat cannot use the Agile Riposte feat more than once per round. This feat does not grant more attacks of opportunity than the character is normally allowed in a round.
FEATS & TRAITS
Armour Proficiency (Heavy) (General) You are trained in the use of heavy armour. Prerequisites: Armour Proficiency (light), Armour Proficiency (medium). Benefit: See Armour Proficiency (light). Normal: See Armour Proficiency (light).
Armour Proficiency (Light) (General) You are trained in the use of light armour. Benefit: When the character wears a type of armour with which he is proficient, he may add the armour’s entire equipment bonus to his Defence. Normal: A character who wears armour with which he is not proficient takes an armour penalty on attack rolls, Reflex saves and checks involving the following skills: Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently and Tumble.
Armour Proficiency (Medium) (General) You are trained in the use of medium armour. Prerequisite: Armour Proficiency (light). Benefit: See Armour Proficiency (light). Normal: See Armour Proficiency (light).
Blind-Fight (General) Darkness is no obstacle to your fighting abilities. Benefit: In melee combat, every time the character misses because of concealment, he can re-roll the miss chance roll once to see if he actually hits. The character takes only half the usual penalty to speed for being unable to see. Darkness and poor visibility in general reduces the character’s speed to three-quarters of normal, instead of one-half.
Broad Psychic Attention (Occult) Your psychic power is all encompassing. Prerequisites: Psychic Sensitivity and any other psychic feat. Benefit: The character can concentrate on maintaining one additional psychic power. The Psychic Control check for the second power increases by +2. Normal: Characters without this feat can only maintain one psychic power at a time. Special: A character can select this feat a maximum number of times equal to his Charisma modifier. Each time he selects it, he becomes able to maintain an additional psychic power while sustaining others. Maintaining simultaneous psychic powers is increasingly
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difficult; the DC of the Psychic Control check for the third and subsequent powers increases by a cumulative +2, so that the third power has a +4 DC, the fourth has a +6 DC and so on.
Cleave (General) Your blows are so strong that they shear through your enemies’ ranks. Prerequisites: Strength 13, Power Attack. Benefit: If the character deals an opponent enough damage to make him drop (either by knocking the opponent out due to massive damage or by reducing the opponent’s hit points to less than 0) then he may make an immediate extra melee attack against another opponent adjacent to him. The character cannot take a 5-foot step before making this extra attack. The extra attack is with the same weapon and at the same bonus as the attack that dropped the previous opponent. The character can use this ability once per round.
Combat Concentration (General) You keep your wits about you in violent situations. Benefit: The character gets a +4 bonus on Concentration checks made when using magic or psychic powers, including while grappling or pinned.
Combat Expertise (General) You can defend yourself in combat. Prerequisite: Intelligence 13. Benefit: When the character uses the attack action or the full attack action in melee, he can take a penalty of up to –5 on his attack roll and add the same number (up to +5) to his Defence. This number may not exceed the character’s base attack bonus. The changes to attack rolls and Defence last until his next action. The bonus to the character’s Defence is a dodge bonus. As such, it stacks with other dodge bonuses the character may have. Normal: A character without the Combat Expertise feat can fight defensively while using the attack or full attack action to take a –4 penalty on attacks and gain a +2 dodge bonus to Defence.
Dead Aim (General) You can hit right where you are aiming at. Prerequisites: Wisdom 13, Far Shot. Benefit: Before making a ranged attack, the character may take a full-round action to line up his shot. This grants the character a +2 circumstance bonus on his next attack roll. Once the character begins aiming, he cannot move until after he makes his next attack, or the benefit of the feat is lost. Likewise, if the character’s concentration is disrupted or he is attacked before his next action, he loses the benefit of aiming.
Diehard (General) You refuse to give in, even when grievously wounded. Prerequisite: Endurance.
Benefit: When reduced to between –1 and –9 hit points, the character automatically becomes stable. He does not have to make a Fortitude save to see if he loses 1 hit point each round.
When using this feat, the character can take either a single move or a single standard action each turn (but not both) and he cannot take any full round actions. He can take a move action without further injuring himself but if he performs any standard action (or any other action deemed as strenuous, including some free actions) he takes 1 point of damage after completing the act. If he reaches –10 hit points, he immediately dies. Normal: A character without this feat that is reduced to between –1 and –9 hit points is unconscious and dying.
Dodge (General) You pose a difficult target. Prerequisite: Dexterity 13. Benefit: During his action, the character designates an opponent and receives a +1 dodge bonus to Defence against any subsequent attacks from that opponent. The character can select a new opponent on any action. Special: A condition that makes the character lose his Dexterity bonus to Defence also makes him lose dodge bonuses. Also, dodge bonuses stack with each other, unlike most other types of bonus.
Drive-By Attack (General)
Elusive Target (General) You duck and weave around an enemy’s ranged sights. Prerequisites: Dexterity 13, Dodge. Benefit: When the character is fighting an opponent or multiple opponents in melee, other opponents attempting to target him with ranged attacks take a –4 penalty. This penalty is in addition to the normal –4 penalty for firing into melee, making the penalty to target the character –8. Special: An opponent with the Precise Shot feat has the penalty lessened to –4 when targeting the character.
FEATS & TRAITS
When reduced to negative hit points, the character may choose to act as if he was disabled, rather than dying. He must make this decision as soon as he is reduced to negative hit points, even if it is not his turn. If he does not choose to act as if he were disabled, he immediately falls unconscious.
Eclectic (General) You heed the voice of more than one calling. Prerequisite: Character level 5th. Benefit: Choose a vocation from a class that the character does not belong to. The character can choose Talents from that vocation as if he were a member of its parent class. The character does not gain any starting benefit from the chosen vocation, nor does he gain any free talent; this feat only opens the way for the character to diversify his talents. Special: A character can select this feat multiple times. Each time, he selects a different vocation. If he acquires a level in the class of his eclectic vocations, he gains no other benefit.
Endurance (General) You have led a rugged way of life that has made you very resilient. Benefit: The character gains a +4 bonus on the following checks and saves: hourly Swim checks to avoid becoming fatigued, Constitution checks to continue running, Constitution checks to hold his breath, Constitution checks to avoid damage from starvation or thirst, Fortitude saves to avoid damage from hot or cold environments and
You have one hand on the wheel and a weapon on the other. Benefit: The character takes no vehicle speed penalty when making an attack while in a moving vehicle. Also, if the character is the driver, he can take his attack action to make an attack at any point along the vehicle’s movement. Normal: When attacking from a moving vehicle, a character takes a penalty based on the vehicle’s speed. Passengers can ready an action to make an attack when their vehicle reaches a particular location, but the driver must make his attack action either before or after the vehicle’s movement.
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Fortitude saves to resist suffocation or drowning. Also, the character may sleep in medium or light armour without becoming fatigued. Normal: A character without this feat who sleeps in armour is automatically fatigued the following day.
FEATS & TRAITS
Exotic Weapon Proficiency (General) Choose a type of exotic weapon. You understand how to use that type of exotic weapon in combat. Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +1 (plus Str 13 for bastard sword or the dwarven waraxe). Benefit: You make attack rolls with the weapon normally. Normal: A character who uses a weapon with which he is not proficient takes a –4 penalty on attack rolls. Special: You can gain Exotic Weapon Proficiency multiple times. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new type of exotic weapon. Proficiency with the bastard sword or the dwarven waraxe has an additional prerequisite of Str 13+.
Far Shot (General) You can target as far as your eye can see. Benefit: When the character uses a firearm or other ranged weapon, its range increment increases by one-half. Multiply the range increment by 1/2 to calculate this figure. When the character throws a weapon, its range increment is doubled.
Great Cleave (General) You cut through your enemies like ripe wheat. Prerequisites: Strength 13, Power Attack, Cleave, base attack bonus +4. Benefit: As Cleave, except that the character has no limit to the number of times he can use it per round.
Great Fortitude (General) You are particularly healthy. Benefit: The character gets a +2 bonus on all Fortitude saving throws.
Greater Magic Focus (Occult) Your power is overwhelming. Choose a Ritual skill to which you already have applied the Magic Focus feat. Prerequisites: Magic Focus. Benefit: Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against effects from the discipline of magic you select, whether cast from full rituals or from activating a conduit. This bonus stacks with the bonus from Magic Focus. Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new Ritual Skill to which you already have applied the Magic Focus feat.
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Greater Magic Penetration (Occult) Your power destroys all defences. Prerequisite: Magic Penetration. Benefit: The character gets a +2 bonus on character level checks (1d20 + character level) made to overcome a creature’s magic resistance. This bonus stacks with that derived from Magic Penetration.
Greater Psychic Focus (Occult) The power of your mind is overwhelming. Choose a psychic feat for which you already have applied the Psychic Focus feat. Prerequisite: Psychic Focus. Benefit: Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against effects from the base and derived powers of the selected psychic feat. This bonus stacks with the bonus from Psychic Focus. Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new psychic feat to which you already have applied the Psychic Focus feat.
Greater Two-Weapon Fighting (General) You become a whirlwind of death. Prerequisites: Dex 19+, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Two-Weapon Fighting, base attack bonus +11. Benefit: The character gets a third attack with his offhand weapon, albeit at a –10 penalty. Also, this feat allows the character to use a melee weapon in one hand and a ranged weapon in the other.
Greater Weapon Focus (General) Choose one type of weapon for which you have already selected Weapon Focus. You can also choose unarmed strike or grapple as your weapon for purposes of this feat. Prerequisites: Proficiency with selected weapon, Weapon Focus with selected weapon, 8th level adventurer. Benefit: The character gains a +1 bonus on all attack rolls he makes using the selected weapon. This bonus stacks with other bonuses on attack rolls, including the one from Weapon Focus (see below). Special: A character can gain Greater Weapon Focus multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time he takes the feat, it applies to a new type of weapon.
Greater Weapon Specialisation (General) Choose one type of weapon for which you have already selected Weapon Specialisation. You can also choose unarmed strike or grapple as your weapon for purposes of this feat. Prerequisites: Proficiency with selected weapon, Greater Weapon Focus with selected weapon, Weapon Focus with selected weapon, Weapon Specialisation with selected
‘Guess I am not in charge any more.’
The elf woman looked down at him with wet, redrimmed eyes. ‘You came too close, human. Far too close.’ Her voice was harsh and ragged, edged with far more emotion than Jerrek would have thought possible from her. ‘I am not prepared to travel with two ghosts.’ It was a joke, but the tone in her voice was like steel, razor-edged, unbending and unforgiving. ‘I have to tell you, lad,’ Thurdin spoke again, ‘I’ve seen full-trained dwarven warriors take less punishment than you and not get up again. You’ve got a soul of stone, boy.’ Then, with a wry grin, the engineer added, ‘It’s too bad you’ve got rocks in your head to match it.’
Improved Disarm (General) You can take your opponent’s weapons with greater ease. Prerequisites: Intelligence 13, Combat Expertise. Benefit: The character gains a +2 bonus to his attack roll when he attempts to disarm an opponent. The opponent does not get a chance to disarm the character in the case of failure.
Improved Feint (General) You fool your opponents into complacency. Prerequisites: Intelligence 13, Combat Expertise. Benefit: The character can make a Bluff check in combat as a move action. The character receives a +2 bonus on Bluff checks made to feint in melee combat. Normal: Feinting in combat requires an attack action.
FEATS & TRAITS
That was the first thing Jerrek heard upon waking, the heavy bass rumble of the dwarf above him rousing him from a comatose slumber. Heshia was kneeling beside him, her hands pressed on a part of his chest that hurt worse than anything he had ever felt before. That convinced him he was still alive; death was not supposed to be painful.
character’s massive damage threshold is current Con +3. Special: A character may gain this feat multiple times. Its effects stack.
Improved Grapple (General) You are trained in wrestling techniques. Prerequisites: Dex 13+, Improved Unarmed Strike. Benefit: The character gains a +4 bonus on all grapple checks, regardless of who started the grapple.
weapon, 12th level adventurer. Benefit: The character gains a +2 bonus on all damage rolls he makes using the selected weapon. This bonus stacks with other bonuses on damage rolls, including the one from Weapon Specialisation, for which see below. Special: The character can gain Greater Weapon Specialisation multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time he takes the feat, it applies to a new type of weapon.
Improved Critical (General) You are deadly with a particular weapon. Choose one type of weapon. Prerequisite: Proficient with weapon, base attack bonus +8. Benefit: When using the weapon he selected, the character’s threat range is doubled. Special: The character can gain Improved Critical multiple times. The effects do not stack. Each time he takes the feat, it applies to a new type of weapon. This effect does not stack with any other effect that expands the threat range of a weapon.
Improved Damage Threshold You are much harder to take down. Benefit: The character increases his massive damage threshold by 3 points. Normal: A character without this feat has a massive damage threshold equal to his current Constitution score. With this feat, the
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Improved Initiative (General)
Improved Trip (General)
Your quick reflexes allow you to act first. Benefit: The character gets a +4 circumstance bonus on initiative checks.
You can easily throw your opponents to the ground. Prerequisites: Intelligence 13, Combat Expertise. Benefit: The character gains a +2 bonus to his Strength check when he tries to trip an opponent while unarmed. If the character trips an opponent in melee combat, the character immediately gets to make a melee attack against that opponent as if the character had not used his attack action for the trip attempt.
FEATS & TRAITS
Improved Knockout Punch (General) Your fists are like sledgehammers. Prerequisites: Improved Unarmed Strike, Knockout Punch, base attack bonus +6. Benefit: When making the character’s first unarmed attack against a flat-footed opponent, treat a successful attack as a critical hit. This critical hit deals triple damage. The damage is non-lethal damage. Special: Even if the character has the ability to treat unarmed damage as lethal damage, the damage from a knockout punch is always non-lethal.
Improved Overrun (General) You charge like a raging bull. Prerequisites: Str 13+, Power Attack. Benefit: When the character attempts to overrun an opponent, the target may not choose to avoid him. The character also gains a +4 bonus on his Strength check to knock down his opponent. Normal: Without this feat, the target of an overrun can choose to avoid or to block the character.
Improved Precise Shot (General) Everything you see is a bullseye. Prerequisites: Dex 19+, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, base attack bonus +11. Benefit: The character’s ranged attacks ignore the Defence bonus granted to targets by anything less than total cover, and the miss chance granted to targets by anything less than total concealment. Total cover and total concealment provide their normal benefits against the character’s ranged attacks. In addition, when the character shoots or throws ranged weapons at a grappling opponent, he automatically strikes at the opponent he has chosen. Normal: See the normal rules on the effects of cover and concealment. Without this feat, a character who shoots or throws a ranged weapon at a target involved in a grapple must roll randomly to see which grappling combatant the attack strikes.
Improved Sunder (General) Nothing is safe even in the hands of your enemy. Prerequisites: Str 13+, Power Attack. Benefit: The character gains a +4 bonus on any attack roll made to attack an object held or carried by another character. The character deals double normal damage to objects, whether they are held or carried or not.
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Improved Turning (Occult) Your power against the undead is stronger. Prerequisite: Ability to turn or rebuke creatures. Benefit: The character turns or rebukes creatures as if he were one level higher than he is in the class that grants the ability.
Improved Two-Weapon Fighting (General) You have greater skill in fighting with both your hands. Prerequisites: Dexterity 13, Two-Weapon Fighting, base attack bonus +6. Benefit: The character gets a second attack with his offhand weapon, albeit at a –5 penalty. Also, this feat allows the character to use a melee weapon in one hand and a ranged weapon in the other. Normal: Without this feat, a character can only get a single extra attack with an off-hand weapon, and both weapons must be of the same type (either both ranged weapons or both melee weapons).
Improved Unarmed Strike (General) You are trained in the art of fisticuffs. Benefit: The character is considered to be armed, even when unarmed. In addition, his unarmed strikes can deal lethal or non-lethal damage, at the character’s option. Normal: Without this feat, the character is considered unarmed when attacking with an unarmed strike and he can deal only non-lethal damage with such an attack.
Iron Will (General) You are particularly strong-willed. Benefit: The character gets a +2 bonus on all Will saving throws.
Knockout Punch (General) Your punches can render opponents unconscious with a single blow. Prerequisites: Improved Unarmed Strike, base attack bonus +3. Benefit: When making the character’s first unarmed attack against a flat-footed opponent, treat a successful attack as a critical hit. This damage is non-lethal damage.
Special: Even if the character has the ability to treat unarmed damage as lethal damage, the damage from a knockout punch is always non-lethal.
Lightning Reflexes (General) You are particularly quick to react. Benefit: The character gets a +2 bonus on all Reflex saving throws.
Magic Focus (Occult) The effects of your rituals are hard to resist. Choose a Ritual skill. Benefit: Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against effects from the selected discipline of magic, whether cast from full rituals or from activating a conduit. Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new Ritual skill.
Magic Penetration (Occult) Your magic can pierce defences more readily. Benefit: The character gets a +2 bonus on character level checks (1d20 + character level) made to overcome a creature’s magic resistance.
Martial Weapon Proficiency (General) Choose a type of martial weapon. You understand how to use that type of martial weapon in combat. Benefit: The character makes attack rolls with the selected weapon normally. Normal: When using a weapon with which a character is not proficient, he takes a –4 penalty on attack rolls. Special: Adventurers and some investigator vocations are proficient with all martial weapons. They need not select this feat. A character can gain Martial Weapon Proficiency multiple times. Each time he takes the feat, it applies to a new type of weapon.
Master Artisan (General) You can create objects of incredible quality. Choose a Craft skill. Prerequisite: 5 ranks in the chosen Craft skill. Benefit: The character can create objects of mastercraft quality with the chosen Craft skill. On average, it takes twice as long to build a mastercraft object as it does to build an ordinary object of the same type. The cost to build a mastercraft object is equal to the purchase DC for the
In addition to the Wealth check, the character must also pay a cost in action points equal to the bonus provided by the mastercraft feature. The points must be paid before making the Craft check. When successfully completed, a mastercraft object provides a +1 bonus to its quality compared to an ordinary object of the same type. All weapons and armour, along with certain other types of equipment such as tools and clockwork devices, can be constructed as mastercraft objects. The Purchase DC for mastercraft items is their normal DC + the bonus provided by the mastercraft feature + 1. Normal: A character without this feat can only create ordinary versions of objects with his Craft skill. Special: A character can select this feat multiple times. Each time, he can select a new Craft skill or a Craft skill for which he already selected the Master Artisan feat, in which case he can create mastercraft items with a +2 bonus. He can take the feat yet again to create +3 objects but may not increase the bonus any further than this.
FEATS & TRAITS
Low Profile (General) You do not attract much attention to yourself or your deeds. Benefit: Reduce the character’s Reputation bonus by 3 points.
components (see the appropriate Craft skill description) + the bonus provided by the mastercraft feature.
Mounted Combat (General) You can guide your mount to avoid harm. Prerequisite: Ride 1 rank. Benefit: Once per round when a character’s mount is hit in combat, he may attempt a Ride check (as a reaction) to negate the hit. The hit is negated if the Ride check result is greater than the opponent’s attack roll. Essentially, the Ride check result becomes the mount’s Defence if it is higher than the mount’s regular DV.
Mounted Firing (General) You can ride and shoot. Prerequisites: Ride 1 rank, Mounted Combat. Benefit: The penalty a character takes when using a ranged weapon while mounted is halved: –2 instead of –4 if the mount is taking a double move, and –4 instead of –8 if the mount is running.
Musket Firearms Proficiency (General) You are trained in the use of muskets. Benefit: The character can fire any musket firearm without penalty. Normal: Characters without this feat take a –4 penalty on attack rolls made with pistol firearms.
Pistol Firearms Proficiency (General) You are trained in the use of pistols. Benefit: The character can fire any pistol firearm without penalty. Normal: Characters without this feat take a –4 penalty on attack rolls made with pistol firearms.
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Point Blank Shot (General)
Quick Draw (General)
Your aim is true at close range. Benefit: The character gets a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons against opponents within 30 feet.
You can draw a weapon in the blink of an eye. Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +1. Benefit: The character can draw a weapon as a free action. A character with this feat may throw weapons at his full normal rate of attacks. Normal: A character can draw a weapon as a move action. If a character has a base attack bonus of +1 or higher, he can draw a weapon as a free action when moving.
FEATS & TRAITS
Power Attack (General) You can put extra force behind your strikes. Prerequisite: Strength 13. Benefit: On the character’s action, before making attack rolls for a round, the character may choose to subtract a number from all melee attack rolls and add the same number to all melee damage rolls. This number may not exceed the character’s base attack bonus. The penalty on attacks and bonus on damage applies until the character’s next action.
Precise Shot (General) You cannot confuse friend with foe when shooting. Prerequisite: Point Blank Shot. Benefit: The character can shoot or throw ranged weapons at an opponent engaged in melee without penalty. Normal: A character takes a –4 penalty when using a ranged weapon to attack an opponent who is engaged in melee combat.
Psychic Focus (Occult) The effects of your psychic powers are hard to resist. Choose a psychic feat. Benefit: Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against effects from the base and derived powers of the selected psychic feat. Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new psychic feat.
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Rapid Reload (General) Choose a type of ranged weapon: crossbow (hand, light or heavy), pistol (flintlock or percussion cap) or musket (flintlock or percussion cap). Prerequisite: Weapon Proficiency (weapon type chosen). Benefit: The time required to reload the chosen type of weapon is reduced to a free action (for a hand or light crossbow), a move action (for a heavy crossbow, or percussion cap pistol or musket) or a standard action (for a flintlock pistol or musket). If the character selected this feat for a hand or light crossbow, he may fire that weapon as many times in a full attack action as he could if he were using a bow. Normal: A character without this feat needs a move action to reload a hand or light crossbow, a full-round action to reload a heavy crossbow or percussion cap firearm or three move actions for a flintlock firearm. Special: The character can gain Rapid Reload multiple times. Each time he takes the feat, it applies to a new type of weapon.
Rapid Shot (General) You can fire rapidly. Prerequisites: Dex 13+, Point Blank Shot. Benefit: The character gets one extra attack per round with a ranged weapon, provided that the weapon can fire multiple times in the same round. The attack is at the character’s highest base attack bonus, but each attack he makes in that round (the extra one and the normal ones)
takes a –2 penalty. The character must use the full attack action to use this feat.
Ride-By Attack (General)
Renown (General) You are easily recognisable and noteworthy. Benefit: The character’s Reputation bonus increases by +3.
Run (General) You are quick as the wind. Benefit: When running, the character moves a maximum of five times his normal speed instead of four times. If the character is in heavy armour, he can move four times his speed rather than three times. If the character makes a long jump, he gains a +2 competence bonus on his Jump check.
Shield Proficiency (General) You are trained in the use of shields. Benefit: The character can use a shield and take only the standard penalties. Normal: When the character is using a shield with which he is not proficient, he takes the shield’s armour check penalty on attack rolls and on all skill checks that involve moving, including Ride checks.
Shot on the Run (General) You can shoot a ranged weapon while you move. Prerequisites: Dexterity 13, Point Blank Shot, Dodge. Benefit: When using an attack action with a ranged weapon, the character can move both before and after the attack, provided that the total distance moved is not greater than his speed.
Simple Weapons Proficiency (General) You are trained in the use of simple weapons. Benefit: The character makes attack rolls with simple weapons normally. Normal: A character without this feat takes a –4 penalty when making attacks with simple weapons.
Skill Focus (General) You have a particular talent for a certain skill. Benefit: The character chooses a skill. He gets a +3 bonus on all checks involving that skill.
Skip Shot (General) You can bounce a projectile off a target’s surrounding surfaces. Prerequisites: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot. Benefit: If the character has a solid, relatively smooth surface on which to skip a bullet (such as a street or a stone wall) and a target within 10 feet of that surface, the character may ignore cover between himself and the target. However, the character receives a –2 penalty on his attack roll and his attack deals damage using the next lowest die type (so, a d10 would be reduced to a d8, a d8 to a d6 and so on) to a minimum total of 1 point of damage. Special: The surface does not have to be perfectly smooth and level; a brick wall or a cobblestone road can be used. The target can have no more than nine-tenths cover for a character to attempt a skip shot. This feat only applies to firearms and slings.
FEATS & TRAITS
You thunder through a battlefield on your mount. Prerequisites: Ride 1 rank, Mounted Combat. Benefit: When the character is mounted and uses the charge action, he may move and attack as if with a standard charge and then move again, continuing the straight line of the charge. The character’s total movement for the round cannot exceed double his mounted speed.
Special: A character can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time he takes the feat, it applies to a new skill.
Spring Attack (General) You can attack a target while you move. Prerequisites: Dexterity 13, Dodge, base attack bonus +4. Benefit: When using an attack action with a melee weapon, the character can move both before and after the attack, provided that the total distance moved is not greater than the character’s speed. Special: A character cannot use this feat if he is carrying a heavy load or wearing heavy armour.
Streetfighting (General) You are knowledgeable in unscrupulous fighting techniques. Prerequisites: Improved Unarmed Strike, base attack bonus +2. Benefit: Once per round, if the character makes a successful melee attack with an unarmed strike or a light weapon, he deals an additional 1d4 points of damage.
Surgery (General) You are trained in advanced medical procedures. Prerequisite: Treat Injury 4 ranks. Benefit: The character can use the Treat Injury skill to perform surgery without penalty. Normal: Characters without this feat take a –4 penalty on Treat Injury checks made to perform surgery.
Toughness (General) You have greater stores of vitality. Benefit: The character gains +1 extra hit point every time he gains a level. The character gains a number of extra hit points equal to his current level at the moment he gains this feat, so that he effectively has +1 extra hit point per character level.
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FEATS & TRAITS
Track (General) You can follow a target by the trail it leaves behind. Benefit: To find tracks or follow them for one mile requires a Survival check. The character must make another Survival check every time the tracks become difficult to follow. The character moves at half his normal speed with no penalty, at his normal speed with a –5 penalty on the check, or at up to twice his speed with a –20 penalty on the check. The DC depends on the surface and the prevailing conditions. Surface Very soft Soft Firm Hard
Track DC 5 10 15 20
Very Soft: Any surface (fresh snow, thick dust, wet mud) that holds deep, clear impressions of footprints. Soft: Any surface soft enough to yield to pressure but firmer than wet mud or fresh snow, in which the quarry leaves frequent but shallow footprints. Track Check Modifiers Condition Every three targets in the group being tracked Size of targets being tracked: 1 Fine Diminutive Tiny Small Medium Large Huge Gargantuan Colossal Leviathan Every 24 hours since the trail was made Every hour of rain since the trail was made Fresh snow cover since the trail was made Poor visibility: 2 Overcast or moonless night Moonlight Fog or precipitation Tracked target hides trail (and moves at half speed) 1
DC Modifier –1
+8 +4 +2 +1 +0 –1 –2 –4 –8 –16 +1 +1 +10
+6 +3 +3 +5
For a group of mixed size, apply only the modifier for the largest size category represented. 2 Apply only the largest modifier from this category.
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They came to a fork in the tunnels. Jerrek knew they were close to the factory. A wrong turn here could send them veering off-course for another day if not more. It was too easy to get lost in this labyrinth of ancient stone; they could not afford any more delays. He dropped to one knee, gesturing for everyone to cover him while he worked. The team immediately moved into position. Gearbolt stepped in to guard the right flank with his repeating crossbow arm raised. Thurdin and Gailion moved to the left, the ghost floating up high while the dwarf lay down along the rocky floor and propped up his rune rifle on a bipod. Heshia knelt beside him and guarded his back while Jerrek looked for any sign at all of which way the orcs habitually went when they used this tunnel. His careful eye picked up on the barest of scuffmarks, all turning towards the right. That was it. The orcs were clever and they covered their tracks well but he had been stalking game of the two-legged kind for years. As he stood up, he brushed along Heshia’s side and it startled them both. Neither Thurdin or Gailion missed the blush those two wore for several minutes afterward but neither thought it wise to say anything. Firm: Most normal outdoor or exceptionally soft or dirty indoor surfaces. The quarry might leave some traces of its passage, but only occasional or partial footprints can be found. Hard: Any surface that does not hold footprints at all, such as bare rock, concrete, metal decks, or interior floors. The quarry leaves only traces, such as scuffmarks. Retry: If the character fails a Survival check, he can retry after 1 hour (outdoors) or 10 minutes (indoors) of searching. Normal: A character without this feat can use the Survival skill to find tracks but can only follow tracks if the DC is 10 or less. A character can use the Search skill to find individual footprints but cannot follow tracks using Search.
Trample (General) You can ride your mount over (and on top of ) your enemies. Prerequisites: Ride 1 rank, Mounted Combat. Benefit: When the character attempts to overrun an opponent while mounted, the target may not choose to avoid him. The mount may make one hoof attack against any target knocked down, gaining the standard +4 bonus on attack rolls against prone targets.
Two-Weapon Defence (General) You weave an impassable wall of steel. Prerequisites: Dex 15+, Two-Weapon Fighting. Benefit: When wielding a double weapon or two weapons (not including natural weapons or unarmed strikes) a character gains a +1 shield bonus to his Defence. When fighting defensively or using the total defence action, this shield bonus increases to +2.
Use Amazing Device (General) You have a sixth sense regarding the workings of machinery. Prerequisite: Intelligence 15. Benefit: The character can use amazing machines, as described in the Power of Steam chapter, without suffering the –4 penalty for not meeting the operation prerequisites. He still suffers any penalty related to weapon proficiencies and still cannot make trained-only skill checks without ranks in that skill. Normal: A character without this feat takes a –4 penalty on all rolls for operating an amazing machine if he does not comply with the operation requirements.
Vehicle Dodge (General) You can take instinctive evasive manoeuvres in a vehicle. Prerequisites: Dexterity 13, Drive 6 ranks, Vehicle Expert (a personal quality feat). Benefit: When driving a vehicle, the character designates an opposing vehicle or a single opponent during his action. The character’s vehicle and everyone aboard it receives a +1 dodge bonus to Defence against attacks from that vehicle or opponent. The character can select a new vehicle or opponent on any action.
Weapon Specialisation (General) Choose one type of weapon for which you have already selected the Weapon Focus feat. You can also choose unarmed strike or grapple as a weapon for purposes of this feat. You deal extra damage when using this weapon. Prerequisites: Proficiency with selected weapon, Weapon Focus with selected weapon, 4th level adventurer. Benefit: The character gains a +2 bonus on all damage rolls he makes using the selected weapon. Special: A character can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time he takes the feat, it applies to a new type of weapon.
FEATS & TRAITS
Two-Weapon Fighting (General) You are better at fighting with two weapons. Prerequisite: Dexterity 13. Benefit: The character’s penalties for fighting with two weapons are lessened by 2 for the primary hand and by 6 for the off hand. The weapons used must both be melee weapons or both be ranged weapons; the character cannot mix the types.
Benefit: The character adds +1 to all attack rolls he makes using the selected weapon. Special: A character can gain this feat multiple times. Each time the character takes the feat, he must select a different weapon.
Whirlwind Attack (General) You can attack everyone and everything around you. Prerequisites: Dexterity 13, Intelligence 13, Dodge, Spring Attack, Combat Expertise, base attack bonus +4. Benefit: When the character performs a full-round action, he can give up his regular attacks and instead make one melee attack at his highest base attack bonus against each adjacent opponent.
Windfall (General) You are considerably wealthy. Benefit: The character’s Wealth bonus increases by +3. Also, this feat provides a +1 bonus on all Profession checks. Special: A character can select this feat multiple times. Each time, both of its effects stack.
Weapon Finesse (General) You take advantage of both your grace and a light weapon’s scant weight. Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +1. Benefit: With light melee weapons, a rapier, whip or spiked chain, the character may use his Dexterity modifier instead of his Strength modifier on attack rolls.
Weapon Focus (General) Choose a specific weapon. A character can choose unarmed strike or grapple as a weapon for purposes of this feat. Prerequisites: Proficient with weapon, base attack bonus +1.
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Occult Feats
Ritual check DC –5. See pg. 98 for the Ritual skill and pg. 281 for full details on magic rituals.
Metamagic Feats
You can exude and manipulate the substance called ectoplasm. Prerequisite: Concentration 5 ranks, Psychic Sensitivity, The Sight. Benefit: The character gains access to the Ectoplasmic Secretion base power and may eventually learn its derived powers: Harden Ectoplasm, Fine Manipulation, Sensory Input and Extrasensory Input. See pg. 266 for full details on psychic powers.
FEATS & TRAITS
Occult feats can be further classified in metamagic feats, magic discipline feats and psychic feats.
As a magician’s knowledge of magic grows, he can learn to activate his conduit in slightly different ways from those in which the ritual effects were originally designed and stored. Activating an effect in such a way is harder than normal but thanks to metamagic feats, it is at least possible. Conduit effects modified by a metamagic feat impose a penalty to the conduit’s activation checks. This does not change the scope of the spell, so the DC for saving throws against it does not go up.
Effects and Multiple Metamagic Feats A character can apply multiple metamagic feats to a single conduit activation. Penalties to the activation check are cumulative but a character cannot apply the same metamagic feat more than once to a single effect.
Magic Discipline Feats All magic discipline feats are basically the same; they make a corresponding Ritual skill into a class skill and allow a character to buy ranks in it. They also allow a character to identify magic effects with the Knowledge (occult sciences) skill, if the effect in question belongs to the discipline that the feat covers.
Psychic Feats When a character gains a psychic feat, he gains access to a base psychic power and may eventually learn derived powers tied to that feat. See The Occult chapter for full details on gaining psychic powers. The Psychic Sensitivity feat is like a magic discipline feat, inasmuch as it allows a character to buy ranks in the Psychic Control skill and allows him to identify psychic powers with the Knowledge (occult sciences) skill.
Clairsentience (Psychic) You can see things over distance and time. Prerequisite: Psychic Sensitivity, The Sight (deeper trance). Benefit: The character gains access to the Clairsentience base power and may eventually learn its derived powers: Future Sight, Past Sight, Psychic Hound and Scry. See pg. 266 for full details on psychic powers.
Divination Talent (Magic Discipline) You practice the art of divination, magic that discerns information from past, present and future. Benefit: Ritual (divination) becomes a class skill and the character can now buy ranks in it. He can identify divination effects with a successful Knowledge (occult sciences) check against a DC equal to the effect’s own
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Ectoplasmic Secretion (Psychic)
Empower Effect (Metamagic) The strength of your magical effects is increased. Benefit: All variable, numeric effects of an empowered magic effect are increased by one-half. Saving throws and opposed rolls are not affected, nor are effects without random variables. An empowered effect imposes a –6 penalty on conduit activation checks.
Enlarge Effect (Metamagic) Your magical effects reach further. Benefit: A character can alter an effect with a reach of close, medium or long to increase its range by 100%. An enlarged effect with a reach of close now has a range of 50 ft. + 5 ft./level, while medium-reach effects have a range of 200 ft. + 20 ft./level and long-reach effects have a range of 800 ft. + 80 ft./level. An enlarged effect imposes a –3 penalty on conduit activation checks. Effects whose ranges are not defined by distance, as well as effects whose reach is not close, medium or long, do not have increased ranges.
Enticement Talent (Magic Discipline) You practice the art of enticement, magic that fools the senses, twists perceptions and affect minds. Benefit: Ritual (enticement) becomes a class skill and the character can now buy ranks in it. He can identify enticement effects with a successful Knowledge (occult sciences) check against a DC equal to the effect’s own Ritual check DC –5. See pg. 98 for the Ritual skill and pg. 281 for full details on magic rituals.
Extend Effect (Metamagic) Your magical effects last longer. Benefit: An extended effect lasts twice as long as normal. An effect with a duration of concentration, instantaneous or permanent is not affected by this feat. An extended effect imposes a –3 penalty on conduit activation checks.
Maximise Effect (Metamagic) Your magical effects perform to their maximum potential.
As they walked down the chosen tunnel, Jerrek felt Heshia move up beside him. He did not actually see her do so; he just ‘felt’ her. That was an odd sensation but to his amazement, he did not find it to be an unpleasant one. Once she was close, Heshia put one hand on his side. It was warm and after a few moments, it got even warmer. ‘What are you doing?’ he asked her, once the heat became just short of truly painful. ‘Healing you, human. You have gotten us this far and I do not relish the thought of getting out again without you.’ Her voice was as terse as ever, but there was a different tone behind the words.
‘Juggernaut!’ Jerrek shouted, just as it opened fire.
Benefit: All variable, numeric effects of a magic effect modified by this feat are maximised. Saving throws and opposed rolls are not affected, nor are effects without random variables. A maximised effect imposes a –9 penalty on conduit activation checks. An empowered, maximised effect gains the separate benefits of each feat, so the total is calculated as the maximum result plus onehalf the normally rolled result.
Mesmerism (Psychic) You can exude and control your personal magnetism. Prerequisite: Charisma 15+, Psychic Sensitivity. Benefit: The character gains access to the Mesmerism base power and may eventually learn its derived powers: Awe-Inspiring, Charm, Command, Entrancement, Induce Emotion and Suggestion. See pg. 281 for full details on psychic powers.
Necromancy Talent (Magic Discipline) You practice the art of necromancy, which includes rituals that deal with the dead and the macabre energy of death. Benefit: Ritual (necromancy) becomes a class skill and the character can now buy ranks in it. He can identify necromantic effects with a successful Knowledge (occult sciences) check against a DC equal to the effect’s own Ritual check DC –5. See pg. 98 for the Ritual skill and pg. 281 for full details on magic rituals.
Protection Talent (Magic Discipline) You practice the art of protection magic, which entails effects that ward off harm and repel enemies and threats. Benefit: Ritual (protection) becomes a class skill and the character can now buy ranks in it. He can identify protection effects with a successful Knowledge (occult sciences) check against a DC equal to the effect’s own Ritual check DC –5. See pg. 98 for the Ritual skill and pg. 281 for full details on magic rituals.
Psychic Healing (Psychic) You can heal with a touch of your hands.
Prerequisite: Treat Injury skill, Knowledge (earth and life sciences) skill, Psychic Sensitivity. Benefit: The character gains access to the Psychic Healing base power and may eventually learn its derived powers: Facilitate Recovery, Purge Malignancy, Recuperate Body and Withstand Pain. See pg. 266 for full details on psychic powers.
FEATS & TRAITS
Jerrek wanted to ask just what she meant by that but the moment was lost when a passage opened beside them without warning and a massive shape of steam and steel crashed into the tunnel ahead.
Psychic Sensitivity (Psychic) Your senses are open to the flows of psychic energy. Prerequisites: Wisdom 15+ or 1st level occultist. Benefit: Psychic Control becomes a class skill and the character can now buy ranks in it. He gains access to the Psychic Sensitivity base power and may eventually learn its derived powers: Hyperaesthesia, Intuition and Deeper Trance. See pg. 266 for full details on psychic powers.
Psychokinesis (Psychic) The character can move objects with the power of his will. Prerequisite: Iron Will, Psychic Sensitivity. Benefit: The character gains access to the Psychokinesis base power and may eventually learn its derived powers: Ectenic Force and Levitation. See pg. 266 for full details on psychic powers.
Quicken Effect (Metamagic) The character can activate a conduit more quickly. Benefit: Activating a conduit is a move action instead of a standard action. The character can use his remaining action as a standard action to do other things in the same round, or as a second move action to either move or make another activation check if the first did not reach the effect’s target number. A quickened effect imposes a -12 penalty on conduit activation checks.
Silent Effect (Metamagic) The character can activate the conduit without uttering any incantation. Benefit: A silent effect can be cast without speaking the incantations. A silent effect imposes a –3 penalty on conduit activation checks.
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Still Effect (Metamagic)
Raw Materials Cost
The character can activate the conduit without tracing its diagrams in the air. Benefit: A stilled effect can be cast without tracing anything in the air with the conduit. Effects that do not require the tracings are not affected. A stilled effect imposes a –3 penalty on conduit activation checks.
The cost of creating an occult item or an amazing machine equals its Purchase DC minus 3. Using an item creation feat also requires access to a laboratory or workshop, special tools and so on. A character generally has access to what he needs unless unusual circumstances apply.
Telepathy (Psychic) The character can perceive and transmit thoughts. Prerequisite: Attentive (a personal quality feat), Psychic Sensitivity. Benefit: The character gains access to the Telepathy base power and may eventually learn its derived powers: Mental Contact, Mental Scream, Mind Wall, Plant Impulse, Read Thoughts and Sense Emotions. See pg. 266 for full details on psychic powers.
The Sight (Psychic) A character can perceive the subtle phenomena of the Ethereal and Astral Planes. Prerequisite: Psychic Sensitivity. Benefit: He gains access to the The Sight base power and may eventually learn its derived powers: Astral Aura Sight, Dowsing, Etheric Aura Sight and Pierce Concealment. See pg. 266 for full details on psychic powers.
Transformation Talent (Magic Discipline) The character practices the art of transformation, magic that changes the properties and shape of objects and creatures. Benefit: Ritual (transformation) becomes a class skill and the character can now buy ranks in it. He can identify transformation effects with a successful Knowledge (occult sciences) check against a DC equal to the effect’s own Ritual check DC –5. See pg. 98 for the Ritual skill and pg. 281 for full details on magic rituals.
Item Creation Feats
An item creation feat lets a character create an occult item or amazing machine of a certain type. Regardless of the type of items they involve, the various item creation feats all have certain features in common.
Experience Points Cost Experience that the character would normally keep is expended when making an occult item but not when making an amazing machine. The experience point cost equals the item’s Purchase DC multiplied by the character’s level x5. A character cannot spend so many experience points on an item that he loses a level. However, upon gaining enough experience points to attain a new level, he can immediately expend experience points on creating an item rather than keeping the experience points to advance a level.
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Time The time needed to create a magic item depends on the feat and the cost of the item. The minimum time is one day. There is no maximum limit save the value of the end result and the amount of time a character can spend crafting a single item given the constraints of the current campaign.
Item Cost Brew Potion and Scribe Scroll create items that directly reproduce magic effects and the power of these items depends on their character level; that is, an effect from such an item has the power it would have if cast by a character of that level. The price of these items (and thus the experience points cost and the cost of the raw materials) also depends on the character level. The character level must be high enough that the character creating the item can cast the effect at that level. To find the final price in each case, add together half the character level, a particular modifier given by the item description and the effect cost, explicated in a table at the end of The Occult chapter.
Scrolls: purchase DC = Effect Cost + half character level
Potions: purchase DC = 1 + Effect Cost + half character level.
Amazing machines are more expensive and their costs vary wildly as detailed in the Power of Steam chapter. The cost of an amazing machine is figured out by taking the construction point cost of the base framework multiplied by its material, then adding the construction point cost of power source and all special features and deficiencies in the machine; this total is then divided by 2 1/2.
Brew Potion (Item Creation) You know the lore for brewing magical potions. Prerequisite: 3rd level. Benefit: The character can create a potion of an effect with a minor or lower scope, which targets one or more creatures. Brewing a potion takes one day. When a character creates a potion, he sets the character level, which must be of no less than the effect’s required character level for item creation purposes and no higher than the character’s own level. The base Purchase DC of a potion is 1 plus its effect cost plus half the character level. To brew a potion, the character must spend a number of experience points equal to the purchase DC multiplied by
Cost and Occult Items These are the general costs for making occult items. Purchase DC: Item Cost (weapons and armour only) + Effect Cost + half character level + Activation Modifier Raw Materials’ Purchase DC: Item’s Purchase DC –3 XP Cost: Item’s Purchase DC x character level x 5
Ritual Effect Save bonus (resistance) Save bonus (other)1 Skill bonus (competence) Magic resistance Weapon bonus (enhancement) Special Charges per day Uncustomary space limitation2 No space limitation3 Multiple different abilities Charged (50 charges) Component Armour, shield, or weapon
When creating a potion, the character makes any choices that he would normally make when performing the ritual. Whoever drinks the potion is the target of the spell.
Build Structures (Item Creation) Base Price Bonus x4 (Bonus +1) x4 (Bonus +1) x5 (Bonus +1) x6 (Bonus +1) x5 Psychic Control check DC Ritual check DC (Bonus +1) x4 (Bonus +1) x5 +1 per +2 bonus +2 per point (Bonus +1) x5 Base Price Adjustment – 5 (– charges per day) +1 +3 +3 –3 Extra Cost Add cost of mastercraft item
Ritual uses exotic component Spell has XP cost 1
Such as a luck or insight bonus. See Limits on Occult Items Worn. 3 An item that does not take up one of the spaces on a body costs double. 2
Activation Modifier Spell Effect Single use, completion Single use, use-activated Command word Use-activated or continuous Use-activated and original effect requires an action point Use-activated and requires a skill check (DC 10 – 20) Use-activated and requires a skill check (DC 21 – 25) Use-activated and requires an action point
Base Price +0 +1 +2 +3 +4 -1 -2 -3
You can build amazing buildings and structures. Prerequisite: Craft (mechanical) 5 ranks, Craft (structural) 5 ranks. Benefit: The character can build structures of any size and with any features that he can afford. Construction time is one week per 5 points or part thereof in the DC of each Craft check the character must make to build the structure. The base purchase DC of a structure is its final construction point cost divided by 2 1/2. The raw materials used have a Purchase DC equal to that of the structure, minus 3.
FEATS & TRAITS
Effect Cost Effect Ability bonus (enhancement) Armour bonus (enhancement) Defence bonus (deflection) Defence bonus (other)1 Natural armour bonus (enhancement) Psychic Power
5, and his character level, and uses up raw materials with a Purchase DC equal to that of the item, minus 3.
Build Vehicles (Item Creation) You can build amazing vehicles. Prerequisite: Craft (mechanical) 5 ranks, Craft (structural) skill. Benefit: The character can build vehicles of any size and with any features that he can afford. Construction time is one week per 5 points or part thereof in the DC of each Craft check the character must make to build the vehicles. The base purchase DC of a vehicle is its final construction point cost divided by 2. 1/2. The raw materials used have a Purchase DC equal to that of the item, minus 3.
Craft Automata (Item Creation) You can build life-like machines. Prerequisite: Craft (mechanical) skill. Benefit: The character can build an automaton of any size and with any features that he can afford. Construction time is one week per 5 points or part thereof in the DC of each Craft check the character must make to build the machine. The base purchase DC of an automaton is its final construction point cost divided by 2 1/2. The raw materials used have a Purchase DC equal to that of the item, minus 3.
Craft Conduit (Item Creation) You know how to create a conduit for your powers. Prerequisite: Ritual skill. Benefit: The character can create his own conduit. A conduit is a tool that stores a number of ritual effects equal to one quarter of a character’s level. Magicians add their key ability modifier (Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma) and a class bonus to this limit. Upon creating the conduit, the character designates the maximum scope of the effects it can store, which determines the experience point cost and minimum character level required for creating a conduit of that
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power. The item to be made into a conduit could be anything from a golden ring to a bulky writing desk, or even a penthouse flat; it thus has its own Purchase DC depending on the character’s preferences. Creating a conduit takes one day per minimum character level of the conduit. The experience point cost of creating a conduit is equal to the minimum character level for a conduit of a particular scope, multiplied by 200.
Power Trivial Minor Moderate Major Extreme
Experience Points 200 600 1,200 1,800 2,400
Minimum Character level 1st 3rd 6th 9th 12th
Craft Equipment (Item Creation) You can build amazing tools and armour. Prerequisite: Craft (mechanical) skill, Craft (structural) skill. Benefit: The character can build equipment of any size and with any features that he can afford. Construction time is one week per 5 points or part thereof in the DC of each Craft check the character must make to craft the equipment. The base purchase DC of the equipment is its final construction point cost divided by 2 1/2. The raw materials used have a Purchase DC equal to that of the item, minus 3.
Craft Magic Arms and Armour (Item Creation) You know how to enchant weapons and armour. Prerequisite: 5th level. Benefit: The character can create any magic weapon, armour or shield whose prerequisites he meets. Enhancing a weapon, suit of armour or shield takes one day for each 5 points in its Purchase DC. To enhance a weapon, suit of armour, or shield, the character must spend a number of experience points equal to the Purchase DC of its magical features multiplied by 5 and by the character level. The raw materials used have a Purchase DC equal to that of the item, minus 3. Magic armour adds its enhancement bonus to its armour bonus to DR and reduces all check penalties of the base armour by 1. Magic weapons add their enhancement bonus to attack and damage roll. The creator has the Magic Armour and Weapon Cost Minimum Occultist Enhancement Bonus Level +1 3rd +2 6th +3 9th +4 12th +5 15th
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Etheric Qualities The etheric ability is useful for equipment that a revenant ghost character would be able to wield. Etheric: An etheric weapon deals damage normally against incorporeal creatures, regardless of its bonus. An incorporeal creature’s 50% chance to avoid damage does not apply to attacks from etheric weapons. The weapon can be picked up and moved by an incorporeal creature at any time. A manifesting ghost or a revenant ghost can wield the weapon against corporeal foes. Essentially, an etheric weapon counts as either corporeal or incorporeal at any given time, according to whichever state is more beneficial to the wielder. Moderate invocation; creator level 9th; Craft Magic Arms and Armour, Ritual (invocation) 12 ranks; Purchase DC modifier +1. option of making the weapon glow softly or not, as desired. The character must be of a minimum occultist level in order to craft an armour or weapon of a determined enhancement bonus. The weapon, armour or shield to be enhanced must be a mastercraft item provided by the character. Its cost is not included in the above cost. The character can also mend a broken magic weapon, suit of armour or shield if it is one that he could make. Doing so costs half the experience points, deducts an additional –3 from the raw materials and takes half the time it would take to craft that item in the first place.
Craft Personal Weapons (Item Creation) You can build tools of destruction. Prerequisite: Craft (mechanical) 8 ranks. Benefit: The character can build weapons for creatures of any size and with any features that he can afford. Construction time is one week per 5 points or part thereof in the DC of each Craft check the character must make to build the weapon. The base purchase DC of a weapon is its final construction point cost divided by 2 1/2. The raw materials used have a Purchase DC equal to that of the item, minus 3.
Armour Purchase DC Modifier (Effect Cost) +8 +12 +16 +20 +24
Weapons Purchase DC Modifier +10 +15 +20 +25 +30
Craft Vehicle and Artillery Weapons (Item Creation)
Craft Wondrous Item (Item Creation) You can enchant any sort of item with a great variety of effects Prerequisite: 3rd level. Benefit: The character can create any wondrous item whose prerequisites he meets. Enchanting a wondrous item takes one day for each 5 points in its Purchase DC. The base Purchase DC of a wondrous item is its effect cost plus half the character level plus an activation modifier. This is +0 if the item is single-use, +2 if it is activated by command word and +3 if it is use-activated. To enchant a wondrous item, the character must spend a number of experience points equal to the purchase DC of its magical features multiplied by 5 and by the character level. The raw materials used have a Purchase DC equal to that of the item, minus 3.
Forge Ring (Item Creation) You can enchant rings with magical power. Prerequisite: Character level 12th. Benefit: The character can create any ring whose prerequisites he meets. Enchanting a wondrous item takes one day for each 5 points in its Purchase DC. The base Purchase DC of a ring is 3 plus its effect cost plus half the character level. To enchant a ring, the character must spend a number of experience points equal to the purchase DC of its magical features multiplied by 5 and by the character level. The raw materials used have a Purchase DC equal to that of the item, minus 3.
FEATS & TRAITS
You can build tools of mass destruction. Prerequisite: Craft (mechanical) 8 ranks, Craft (structural) 5 ranks. Benefit: The character can build weapons for artillery use and for vehicles of any size. These weapons can have any features that he can afford. Construction time is one week per 5 points or part thereof in the DC of each Craft check the character must make to build the weapon. The base purchase DC of a weapon is its final construction point cost divided by 2 1/2. The raw materials used have a Purchase DC equal to that of the item, minus 3.
The character can also mend a broken wondrous item if it is one that he could make. Doing so costs half the experience points, deducts an additional –3 from the raw materials and takes half the time it would take to craft that item in the first place.
The character can also mend a broken ring if it is one that he could make. Doing so costs half the experience points, deducts an additional –3 from the raw materials and takes half the time it would take to craft that item in the first place.
Scribe Scroll (Item Creation) You can inscribe scrolls with magic ritual effects. Prerequisite: 1st level. Benefit: The character can create a scroll of any effect that he can create a ritual for. Scribing a scroll takes one day for each 5 points in its Purchase DC. The base purchase DC of a scroll is its effect cost plus half the character level.
The weapons on the guardian juggernaut were massive. The tunnel roared as thousands of metal fragments tore through the air in stuttering arcs. Jerrek managed to push Heshia down and fall past her out of their line of fire but Thurdin was not so fortunate. Two lead-grey streaks slammed into him, one in the arm and another in his upper chest. Only thick plate armour saved him from having his chest burst through his spine. The other shot tore clean through his shoulder and dropped him to the ground in a spray of blood. Heshia and Jerrek returned fire almost immediately, both moving as fast as they could to attack the hulking metal brute. Jerrek’s rune rifle shot reflected harmlessly off its armoured carapace but Heshia’s shots found chinks in its arm gearing, locking up the right arm with a pair of well-placed blasts. The juggernaut staggered backwards from the impact but it did not fall. Its one good arm unfolded along its end, revealing a spinning, saw-toothed blade stained with the dull red-brown of old blood. It surged forwards, promising a painful, ripping demise as soon as it reached the two prone warriors. Just as it raised its arm to end their lives, the entire centre of the construct burst into flames and shrapnel. A cannon ball tore through its chest and exploded out its back, sending its limbs in all directions as it crashed smouldering to the hard stone below. Jerrek blinked at the huge thing’s blazing demise, then looked back to see Thurdin leaning heavily against his pushcart. On the cart, an iron barrel guttered smoke from its torn, ragged end. ‘One… shot… bombard,’ the dwarf gasped through gritted teeth. ‘Knew… it would…. come in…. handy… someday.’
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To scribe a scroll, the character must spend a number of experience points equal to the purchase DC of its magical features multiplied by 5 and by the character level. The raw materials used have a Purchase DC equal to that of the item, minus 3.
FEATS & TRAITS
Traits
There are special characteristics tied to a character’s very nature, which not all characters may develop, and even then, some are only available to characters at birth. Traits are special talents that resemble feats in the way in which they give characters special abilities. They differ from feats in their source, however. Traits are gained in two different ways in OGL Steampunk games. They can be gained with the background points characters gain during the creation process if they have any left after purchasing their race, or they can be chosen when they gain a vocation talent or trait with a new level, when they can instead opt to attain a trait rather than a vocation talent. Some traits are only available at 1st level. These are those traits characters are born with and may never develop. Once gained, the method of acquisition is irrelevant. A character either has a trait or he does not. Non-human characters are advised to focus on the traits available to their race; characters gain a very limited number of chances to acquire traits and they start with fewer background points than humans. Ghost characters that become ghosts after 1st level may choose to exchange one trait they currently possess for a ghost trait that would normally only be gained at 1st level.
Trait Descriptions Like vocations, traits are classified in trees that group several traits with a common theme and often offer a linear progression where a character must have a trait before acquiring the rest in the tree. Here is the format for every trait description found in this book. Traits are purposefully left as vague as possible while still providing all of the rules support needed to run them in a campaign. This way, the same trait taken by two different characters can simulate different approaches to the same basic characteristic. Tree Name: The name of the trait tree. Race: The race a character must belong to in order to choose a trait from the tree. Traits: A listing of all the traits belonging to the tree. Name: The trait’s name, its effect and any prerequisite a character must meet in order to gain the trait.
Alternate Form Tree One of the most versatile vampire abilities is the power to change shape.
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Race: Vampire. Traits: The Alternate Form tree has the following traits:
Mist Form: Once per day and with a Fortitude saving throw (DC 15), the character can make himself and all his gear become insubstantial, misty and translucent. His material armour (including natural armour) becomes worthless, though his size, Dexterity, deflection bonuses and armour bonuses from force effects still apply. The character gains damage reduction 10/magic and becomes immune to poison and critical hits. He cannot attack or activate conduits while in gaseous form. The subject also loses supernatural abilities while in mist form. A misty character cannot run, but he can fly at a speed of 10 feet with perfect manoeuvrability. He can pass through small holes or narrow openings, even mere cracks, with all he was wearing or holding in his hands, so long as he maintains his form. The character is subject to the effects of wind and cannot enter water or other liquid. He also cannot manipulate objects or activate items, even those carried along with his mist form. Continuously active items remain active, though in some cases their effects may be moot. The character can maintain his mist form for one minute per Charisma score, after which he returns to normal. Prerequisite: None.
Swarm: Instead of a single creature, the character can become a swarm of small creatures, either bats or rats; he may choose which when he activates the power. While in this form, the character’s body is actually scattered into dozens of creatures. He keeps his hit points at their current total but becomes extremely hard to hit, gaining a +4 bonus to Defence and to attack. Strikes with slashing and piercing weapons deal only half damage. Hit points lost represent some of the little animals being struck down. The character covers an area 10 feet per side and may engulf other characters, dealing 1d6 points of damage to all targets he successfully strikes; he can make one attack roll per target inside the swarm area. A swarm of bats can fly at a speed of 40 feet, while a swarm of rats can scurry at a speed of 20 feet. Rats can swim but bats cannot. The character can become a swarm of creatures once per day by succeeding at a Fortitude saving throw (DC 15), and he can maintain this form for a number of rounds equal to his Charisma score. Prerequisite: Wild shape, 8th level.
Wall-Crawling: The character is capable of walking on walls and ceilings as a spider does. He must have his hands free to climb in this manner. The subject gains a climb speed of 20 feet; furthermore, he need not make Climb checks to traverse a vertical or horizontal surface, even when upside-down. The character retains his Dexterity bonus to Defence
Value (if any) while climbing and opponents get no special bonus to their attacks against him. He cannot, however, use the run action while climbing. Prerequisite: 3rd level.
Darkvision: The character gains the ability to see in the dark, as per the darkvision special ability. Prerequisite: None.
Scent: The character’s animal nose now acquires the ability to perceive subtle odours. The character gains the scent ability. Prerequisite: None.
Amazing Health Tree The character is particularly resilient thanks to the following traits. Humans, hybrids, elves and dwarves simply are healthier than the average member of their species; constructs install better systems in their bodies and undead cling more firmly to their unnatural existence. Some races, particularly constructs and undead, are unable to select certain traits. Race: Any. Traits: The Amazing Health tree has the following traits.
Resilient Organism: The character is particularly resistant to ability damage taken from poison and disease; he ignores 1 point of ability damage whenever he is afflicted with a poisonous substance or a disease, both for their primary and secondary damage. In effect, this trait behaves like damage reduction against poison and disease. Undead and construct characters may not select this trait. Second Wind: The character can spend 1 action point to gain a second wind. When he does this, he recovers a number of hit points equal to his Constitution modifier. This trait does not increase the character’s hit points beyond his full normal total.
Stamina: The character recovers twice as fast as normal. He recovers 2 hit points per character level per evening of rest, 2 points of temporary ability damage per evening of rest and awakens in half the normal time after being knocked unconscious. Prerequisite: Resilient Organism.
Keen Hearing: The character’s ears work much more efficiently, treating a roll result of a natural 19 or 20 on Listen checks as automatic successes.
Dominion Tree The vampire can bend the will of others. Before he can gain any trait from the Dominion tree, the character must have the Animal Magnetism trait from the Supernatural Gift tree. Race: Vampire. Traits: The Dominion tree has the following traits.
Children of the Night: Vampires command the lesser creatures of the world and once per day can call forth 1d6+1 rat swarms, 1d4+1 bat swarms or a pack of 3d6 wolves as a standard action. These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve the vampire for up to 1 hour. Prerequisite: Animal Magnetism, Wild Shape.
Command: Once per day, the character can give a single command to a target, which it obeys to the best of its ability at its earliest opportunity if it fails a Will saving throw (DC 10 + half character’s level + Cha modifier). The character may select from the following options.
Approach: On its turn, the subject moves toward the character as quickly and directly as possible for 1 round. The creature may do nothing but move during its turn. Drop: On its turn, the subject drops whatever it is holding. It cannot pick up any dropped item until its next turn. Fall: On its turn, the subject falls to the ground and remains prone for 1 round. It may act normally while prone but takes any appropriate penalties. Flee: On its turn, the subject moves away from the character as quickly as possible for 1 round. It may do nothing but move during its turn.
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Hawk’s Eyes: The character’s eyes are better than a human’s, capable of seeing things at double the distance. Prerequisite: Darkvision.
FEATS & TRAITS
Wild Shape: A vampire chooses one of the following animal shapes: bat, dire bat, rat, dire rat, wolf, or dire wolf. Once per day, he can assume the shape of that animal as a standard action by succeeding at a Fortitude saving throw at DC 15. While in his wild shape, the vampire loses his natural attacks and any trait from the Dominion tree but gains the natural weapons and extraordinary special attacks of his new form. The vampire can maintain this other form for a total of one hour per point of his Charisma modifier, to a minimum of 1 hour. If sunlight touches the character, he remains in that form until nightfall. The character can return to his normal form at will. He can choose this trait multiple times; each time, he selects another animal shape and can use this ability one additional time per day. Prerequisite: 5th level.
Animal Senses Tree Hybrids can explore their animal half by gaining special sensory perception. Race: Hybrid. Traits: The Animal Senses tree has the following traits.
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Halt: The subject stands in place for 1 round. It may not take any actions but is not considered helpless.
If the subject cannot carry out the command on its next turn, the effect automatically fails. Prerequisite: Animal Magnetism, Suggestion.
FEATS & TRAITS
Psychic Link: By spending an action point during feeding from a creature with Intelligence 6 or higher, the character can forge a link between himself and the victim. See the vampire race description for details of feeding. The character has a psychic link with the victim out to a distance of up to 1 mile. The character cannot see through the target’s eyes but he can communicate empathically without the victim realising it. The character makes a Charisma check (DC 10 + victim’s Wis modifier) each time it wants to communicate with one of his linked victims. Success means that the character gets to ask the victim three questions that can be answered ‘yes’ or ‘no’ without the victim noticing the contact. Failure means that the character only asks one question but the victim realises there is someone in his mind. Since the link is psychic in nature, the character has the same connection to an item or place that his victim does for the purposes of other psychic powers and divination magic and this works both ways. A character can have a link with as many people as his Charisma modifier (minimum 1) and may break the link with a Will saving throw at DC 15, with failure meaning that the link continues and the character may not try to sever it again for one week. Prerequisite: Charisma 15, Animal Magnetism, Suggestion.
Suggestion: Once the character has fascinated a target with his Animal Magnetism, he can influence their actions by suggesting a course of activity, limited to a sentence or two. The target is entitled to a Will save to resist (DC 10 + half the character’s level + Cha modifier) but if he loses, he will remain under the suggestion’s effect for one hour per the vampire’s character level. The suggestion must be worded in such a manner as to make the activity sound reasonable. Asking the creature to do some obviously harmful act automatically negates the effect. The suggested course of activity can continue for the entire duration; if the suggested activity can be completed in a shorter time, the effect ends when the subject finishes what it was asked to do. The character can instead specify conditions that will trigger a special activity while the effect is in place. If the condition is not met before the duration expires, the activity is not performed. A very reasonable suggestion causes the saving throw to be made at a penalty, such as –1 or –2. Prerequisite: Animal Magnetism.
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Dwarven Heritage Tree Dwarves are hardy and industrious. Their racial traits reflect this. Race: Dwarf. Traits: The Dwarven Heritage tree has the following traits.
Immovable: A dwarf gains a +4 bonus on checks made to resist being bull rushed, tripped or grappled when standing on the ground, though not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground. Prerequisite: Con 11.
Magic Resistance: The dwarf ’s earthy nature allows him to resist magic, in much the same way that he resists damage. The character gains magic resistance equal to 10 plus his Constitution ability score modifier. Prerequisite: None.
Stonecunning: This trait grants a dwarf a +2 racial bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework, such as sliding walls, stonework traps, new construction (even when built to match the old), unsafe stone surfaces, shaky stone ceilings and the like. Something that is not stone but that is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework. A dwarf who merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a Search check as if he were actively searching. A dwarf can use the Search skill to find stonework traps as a scoundrel can. A dwarf can also intuit depth, sensing his approximate depth underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up. Prerequisite: None.
Soul of Stone: The character’s flesh is like stone, as are his internal organs. The character ignores 1 point of ability damage from poison and all gasses and may hold his breath for double the usual amount of time. The ability to ignore poison damage stacks with that of the Resilient Organism trait from the Amazing Health tree. Prerequisite: Con 15.
Elvish Heritage Tree Elves are creatures of grace and their racial traits reflect this. Race: Elf. Traits: The Elvish Heritage tree has the following traits.
Changeling: Elves still practice the custom of exchanging human children for their own, although they are beginning to do so in a more civilised manner with the parent’s permission, in a kind of cultural exchange. The resulting elf differs so radically from his parents that he is hardly considered
an elf anymore. Instead of its normal racial features, a changeling uses the following:
Grace: Elves are purportedly immortal, their bodies protected by the grace of their magical realm. An elf with this trait is immune to disease. Prerequisite: None.
Light-footed I: Elves are children of wind and forest and they tread on the ground only as a compromise. When considering an elf ’s weight for traps and resistance of materials, the character’s weight is considered to be half of what it actually is. In addition, he gains a +2 racial bonus to Balance checks. Prerequisite: Dexterity 13.
Light-footed II: The character can step so lightly that he seems to fly. An elf is considered a Large creature when calculating the maximum distance he can jump with the Jump skill, and he can move at his normal speed while climbing. Prerequisite: Dexterity 17, Light-footed I.
FEATS & TRAITS
Medium: As Medium-size creatures, changelings have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. Changeling base land speed is 30 feet. Immunity to sleep spells and similar magical effects and a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against enchantment spells or effects. Low-Light Vision: A changeling can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish colour and detail under these conditions. +1 racial bonus on Listen, Search and Spot checks. +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy and Gather Information checks. Elvish Blood: For all effects related to race, a changeling is considered an elf. Automatic Languages: Common and Elvish. Bonus Languages: Any, other than secret or technical languages, such as Thieves’ Cant, telegraph code and Clockish. Favoured Class: Any. When determining whether a multiclass changeling takes an experience point penalty, his highest-level class does not count. Prerequisite: Can only be chosen at 1st level.
Feral Instinct Tree The character has an active and aware animal soul. Race: Hybrid, and characters with the Raised by Beasts trait in the Personal Backgrounds tree. Traits: The Feral Instinct tree has the following traits.
Feral Vitality: The character moves and reacts like an animal in the wild. The character treats all natural 20 rolls on Strength-based checks as automatic successes. Prerequisite: None.
Raging Beast: The character can fly into a rage a certain number of times per day equal to one quarter of the character’s level, rounded down. In a rage, a character temporarily gains a +4 bonus to Strength, a +4 bonus to Constitution and a +2 morale bonus on Will saving throws but he takes a –2 penalty to Defence. The increase in Constitution increases the character’s hit points by 2 points per level but these hit points go away at the end of the rage when his Constitution score drops back to normal. These extra hit points are not lost first the way temporary hit points are. While raging, a character cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity- or Intelligence-based skills (except for Balance, Escape Artist, Intimidate and Ride), the Concentration skill or any abilities that require patience or concentration, nor can he activate conduits or occult items that require a command word or completion (such as a scroll) to function. He can use any feat he has except Combat Expertise, item creation feats and metamagic feats. A fit of rage lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the character’s (newly improved) Constitution modifier. A character may prematurely end his rage. At the end of the rage, the character loses the rage modifiers
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There was no choice; they had to rest. It was obviously not safe here but Jerrek doubted the opposition would have another juggernaut handy. Besides, the massive steel husk of this one was now blocking the passage it had come in through. Even if the orcs did have a second one, they would not have any way to deploy it against Jerrek’s team. That gave them an advantage in time, if only a small one.
FEATS & TRAITS
He barked orders as fast as he could. Everyone moved to fulfil them with remarkable speed for their tattered condition. It was good to see the team coming together like this but he did not have a free moment to appreciate it any more than that. ‘Heshia, see to Thurdin’s wounds. Gearbolt, see if you can salvage anything from the juggernaut. Strip out any weapons or explosives you find. I’ll keep watch here while you scout up ahead, Gail. Stay in sight, but keep those great eyes of yours sharp. Nothing gets past you, understood?’ and restrictions and becomes fatigued (–2 penalty to Strength, –2 penalty to Dexterity, cannot charge or run) for the duration of the current encounter. A character can fly into a rage only once per encounter. Prerequisite: Feral Vitality.
Uncanny Alertness: The character reacts by instinct to incoming threats. The character retains his Dexterity bonus to Defence (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to Defence if immobilised. Prerequisite: Feral Vitality.
Wild Empathy: The character can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check made to improve the attitude of a person. The character rolls 1d20 and adds his character level and Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly. To use this trait, the character and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time. Prerequisite: Feral Voice, Feral Tongue.
Feral Soul Tree
Humans seem to be in the good graces of Lady Luck and life smiles on them at every turn. Race: Humans. Traits: The Fortune tree has the following traits.
Feral Tongue: The character can understand the language of a single species of animals. He can ask questions of and receive answers from animals of his same species if a hybrid, or of any one species that the character chooses upon gaining this feat if not a hybrid. This trait does not make the animals any more friendly or co-operative than normal. Furthermore, wary and cunning animals are likely to be terse and evasive, while the more stupid ones make inane comments. If an animal is friendly towards the character, it may do some favour or service for him. A character can select this trait more than once, each time it applies to a new animal species. Prerequisite: Feral Voice.
Feral Voice: The character can imitate flawlessly the voice of animals in the wild, from gentle chirps to deafening roars; he makes a Survival check with a +4 bonus opposed by listeners’ Listen check. Prerequisite: None.
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Fortune Tree
The character is in touch with his animal side, standing firmly between the human and animal realms. Race: Hybrid, and characters with the Raised by Beasts trait in the Personal Backgrounds tree. Traits: The Feral Instinct tree has the following traits.
Heirloom: The character gains a particular piece of equipment that has been passed through generations in his family. The character can choose a piece of equipment with a Purchase DC no higher than 15 + his Charisma modifier. The object is a mastercrafted item. Prerequisite: Inherited Fortune.
Inherited Fortune: The character can fall back on his family fortune for many of his expenses. In addition to a +2 increase to his Wealth bonus, the character can spend an action point to avoid losing up to 2 points from his Wealth bonus when buying items with a Purchase DC of 15 or higher. Prerequisite: Can only be chosen at 1st level.
Inherited Treasure: The character gains 2 treasure points (see pg. 134). Prerequisite: Inherited Fortune.
Framework Tree The cog is not shaped in the standard humanoid form. Race: Construct. Traits: The Framework tree has the following traits.
Large Size: The character is of large size, gaining a –1 to Defence and attack rolls, and also gaining a +2 to Strength, but a –2 to Dexterity. The character also gains a +1 to its damage reduction. Prerequisite: Can only be chosen at 1st level.
Quadruped Construction: The character is shaped like a four-legged animal. Its speed becomes 20 feet faster than its normal speed and it gains a +4 stability bonus against trip, bull rush and overrun attempts, though it loses the ability to manipulate objects unless it has the Extra Arm Special Feature as noted in the Upgrade tree. The shape can resemble any four-legged animal but the character gains none of the abilities of the animal in question, which may be equipped as upgrades later. Prerequisite: Can only be chosen at 1st level.
Ghost Corporeality Tree A revenant ghost is unlike other ghosts in that it fully exists in the Material Plane, although with an ectoplasmic body instead of an organic one. With time, he can learn to assume the true ghost’s powers of ethereal manifestation. Race: Ghost. Traits: The Ghost Corporeality tree has the following traits.
Ectenic Force: The character can impress his will upon the Ethereal Plane and translate it into the Material, granting him the ability to move objects with his mind. The character gains the Ectenic Force derived power of the Psychokinesis psychic ability but makes a level check adding his Charisma modifier instead of a Psychic Control check. If the ghost becomes a psychic and gains the Ectenic Force power, he gains a +4 to Psychic Control checks to use it. Prerequisite: Cha 12, Partial Incorporeality, Etheric Equipment, 5th level.
Etheric Body: The character cannot only become incorporeal, but he can now turn his body into subtle etheric matter from his normal gross ectoplasmic form. The process is the same as the Full Incorporeality trait but with the expenditure of
Etheric Equipment: One of the main drawbacks of being a ghost is that no one makes items that a ghost can manipulate easily. With this trait, a ghost can procure his own equipment. He touches a piece of equipment and spends a variable number of action points depending on the equipment treated. This process makes a copy of it made of solid ectoplasm, which he can now manipulate as a living being would manipulate any other object. The original object is not damaged or otherwise affected. Prerequisite: Partial Incorporeality. Equipment Light and one-handed weapon Two-handed weapon Light armour Medium armour Heavy armour Other equipment
Action points 1 1 1 2 3 Purchase DC divided by 5 (round up)
FEATS & TRAITS
Small Size: The character is of small size, gaining a +1 to Defence and attack rolls, and also gaining a +2 to Dexterity, but a –2 to Strength. As a small creature, the character has a base speed of 20 feet and a +4 bonus to Hide checks. Prerequisite: Can only be chosen at 1st level.
an action point in addition to the Will saving throw, the character becomes ethereal. Prerequisite: Partial Incorporeality, Full Incorporeality, Etheric Equipment, 12th level.
Full Incorporeality: The character’s ability to become incorporeal increases. His incorporeal state is now complete and has all the characteristics of the incorporeal state. He can become incorporeal a number of times per day equal to a third of his character level rounded down and he can maintain his incorporeal state for a number of minutes equal to twice his Charisma score. Prerequisite: Partial Incorporeality, 8th level.
Partial Incorporeality: The character gains the ability to become partially incorporeal for brief periods. To become incorporeal, a ghost character makes a Will saving throw at DC 15. His incorporeality is not perfect, however; he receives half damage from energy attacks and corporeal attacks have only a 20% chance of not affecting him; also, when he passes through solid objects or moves as if flying, he is slowed down to half his speed. He can maintain his incorporeal state for a number of minutes equal to his Charisma score, after which he must make another Will saving throw or become corporeal. An incorporeal ghost can become corporeal at will. If he becomes corporeal inside a solid object, he is shunted towards the nearest open space and suffers 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet so travelled. He can become incorporeal a number of times per day equal to one quarter of his character level, rounded down. Prerequisite: None.
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Ghostly Terror Tree Regardless of their disposition, revenant ghosts are still undead and they can learn to channel the dread of death into all who see them. Race: Ghost. Traits: The Ghostly Terror tree has the following traits.
FEATS & TRAITS
Death’s Mien: The character exudes the dark energies of the dead. When he uses this trait, all opponents within 10 feet who have fewer levels he does must make a Will saving throw with a DC of 10 + half the character’s level + his Charisma modifier. An opponent who fails his saving throw is shaken, taking a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws and skill checks for a number of rounds equal to 1d6 + the character’s Charisma modifier. The character can use the feat once per round as a free action. A successful saving throw indicates that the opponent is immune to the character’s use of this feat for 24 hours. This feat does not affect creatures with an Intelligence of 3 or lower. If the character has the Renown feat, the Will saving throw’s DC increases by 5. Prerequisite: Cha 13.
Death’s Aspect: A ghost usually looks like an idealised form of its former, living self. With this trait, he assumes a form more resembling that which his mortal remains actually have. The ghost spends an action point to look like a decayed, skeletal embodiment of death. Any living creature within 60 feet that views his death-like form must succeed on a Fortitude saving throw with a DC of 10 + half the character’s level + his Charisma modifier or become paralysed with fear for as long as the ghost maintains the appearance and for 2d4 rounds afterwards. Creatures that fail their saving throw by 10 points or more become unconscious for 1d4 x 10 minutes. Maintaining the death mask is a standard action; the host can do this for 3 rounds, plus 1 round per point of positive Charisma modifier. Prerequisite: Cha 17, Death’s Mien.
Frightful Moan: A ghost can emit a frightful moan as a standard action once per day per point of Charisma modifier, with a minimum of one use. All living creatures within a 30-foot spread must succeed on a Will saving throw with a DC of 10 + half the character’s level + his Charisma modifier or become frightened for 2d4 rounds. A creature that successfully saves against the moan cannot be affected by the same ghost’s moan for 24 hours. Prerequisite: Cha 15, Death’s Mien.
Natural Weaponry Tree The character possesses a natural arsenal at his fingertips. With most natural weaponry, a character is limited to his normal number of attacks per round, although he can
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fight with claws as if fighting with two weapons, with the claws being considered light weapons. Only the tail slap provides a character with an extra attack. Race: Vampire, Hybrid. Traits: The Natural Weaponry tree has the following traits.
Claws: The character has claws on both hands. The claws deal 1d6 points of damage. Prerequisite: None.
Fangs: The character gains a bite attack, which deals 1d4 points of damage. Prerequisite: None.
Horns: The character gains a gore attack that deals 1d4 points of damage, also dealing double damage during a charge. Consequently, the gore attack also deals triple damage if a charge results in a critical hit. Only hybrids can choose this trait. Prerequisite: None.
Tail Slap: The character gains an extra attack action with an unusually strong tail. The character can use the tail as a normal weapon at the appropriate base attack bonus, or he can use it as an extra attack at his highest base attack bonus, although all his attacks in the round suffer a –2 penalty if he does so. He gains a +2 bonus to ability checks to make trip attacks with the tail. Only hybrids can choose this trait. Prerequisite: None.
Melee Smash: The character receives a +1 bonus on melee damage. Prerequisite: None.
Improved Melee Smash: The character receives an additional +1 bonus on melee damage, for a total of +2. Prerequisite: Melee Smash.
Advanced Melee Smash: The character receives an additional +1 bonus on melee damage, for a total of +3. Prerequisites: Melee Smash, Improved Melee Smash.
Personal Background Tree A character with a personal background is usually born with it, as it colours the way he interacts with others and with the world at large. Race: Special (see text). Traits: The Personal Background tree has the following traits.
Legendary Beauty: The character attracts attention wherever he goes, standing out by virtue of his stunning good looks. The character gains a +2 bonus to Reputation and treats a natural 20 roll on any Charisma-based check as an automatic success when
interacting with characters attracted to his gender. Prerequisite: Elf, human, vampire; can only be chosen at 1st level.
Raised by Beasts: The character was raised in the wild by animals. This curious upbringing grants him a few select benefits and drawbacks. He gains a +2 bonus to Survival checks, gains the Track feat for free and may follow a trail while moving at full speed. The character is, however, illiterate and cannot read or write any language he knows. He must spend an additional skill point in order to know how to read and write any language he knows. He also gains a –2 penalty to Diplomacy checks. Undead and constructs may not gain this trait. If the character is not a hybrid, he can gain traits from the Feral Instinct and Feral Soul trees. Prerequisite: Any race except cog or undead; can only be chosen at 1st level.
Spokesperson: The character has a natural gift for putting his ideas forward. With a successful character level check (1d20 + character level, DC 15) the character can make himself be understood to other characters who do not speak his language, although all social skill checks like Diplomacy, Bluff and Sense Motive suffer a –2 penalty due to the language barrier. The character ignores the penalties for using language-dependent effects. Prerequisite: Elf, vampire, ghost; can only be chosen at 1st level.
Monstrous: The character is hideous to behold. He gains a +2 bonus to Reputation and treats a natural 20 roll on any Intimidate check as an automatic success, or gains a +10 bonus on Intimidate opposed checks. If he beats any DC or opposed roll by 5 or more points, the target of his intimidation must make a Will saving throw (DC 10 + half the character’s level + Cha modifier) or become shaken. Prerequisite: Any race; can only be chosen at 1st level.
Prodigy Tree The character has an incredible talent for any task he sets out to learn. Race: Cog or human. Traits: The Prodigy tree has the following traits.
Additional Training: The character receives 4 skill points to buy skill ranks or speciality ranks. He can only buy ranks in a skill in which he at least has 1 skill rank. A character can take this trait more than once; each time, he receives 4 extra skill points. Prerequisite: Cultural Legacy.
Cultural Legacy: The character practices a culturally important skill with increased proficiency. The Games Master determines which skills are important for the character’s culture; the Meridean Empire values Diplomacy, Gather Information and Craft. The character gains a +3 bonus to one of these skills. This bonus stacks with that of the Skill Focus feat and with those gained from Personal Quality feats. Prerequisite: Can only be chosen at 1st level.
Prodigious Gift: The character has a natural aptitude for certain tasks, even if he has not yet fully tapped this potential. Choose two skills. When making checks with those skills, treat a result of 20 as an automatic success, or as a +10 bonus to the roll (effectively a roll of 30) when making opposed checks. Prerequisite: Can only be chosen at 1st level.
FEATS & TRAITS
Enigmatic: The character’s past is shrouded in mystery and no one is really sure where he comes from. Other characters can learn nothing about him with Gather Information checks. He is allowed a Will saving throw with a +4 bonus against any use of psychic powers and divination magic to find out about his past and present whereabouts. Prerequisite: Elf, vampire, ghost, human; can only be chosen at 1st level.
Skill Mimic: The character can improvise the use of skills he knows nothing of. The character selects three ‘trained only’ skills. He can use those skills untrained as if he had 1 rank in them. If he gains actual ranks in any of those skills, there is no additional benefit. Prerequisite: Prodigious Gift.
Superior Intuition: The character has incredible powers of observation and deduction. The character adds his character level to Investigate checks. Prerequisite: Prodigious Gift.
Spark of Genius Tree The character’s mind is wired in just the right way for the present epoch and may become a tool for scientific pursuits. Race: Human, Gnome, or Cog. Traits: The Spark of Genius tree has the following traits.
Eidetic Memory: The character can remember everything on which he focuses his attention. The character adds his character level to all Intelligencebased checks related to remembering things, including Knowledge, Research and Investigate checks. Prerequisite: Can only be chosen at 1st level.
Machine Empathy: The character knows intuitively how machines work. This feat works like the Use
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Amazing Device feat but also treats a natural 20 roll on any check or roll to operate a machine as an automatic success. Prerequisite: Can only be chosen at 1st level.
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Mechanical Genius: The character is right at home with machines and technology. The character can make Craft and Repair checks in half the normal time. Prerequisite: Int 15, Machine Empathy.
The character is a full member of his society and has developed the network of connections to show it. Race: Any but Cog. Traits: The Social Ties tree has the following traits.
Social Ties Tree
Ally: The character has a true and trusted friend. The ally is a heroic character created and controlled by the Games Master at three levels lower than the character and advancing at the same pace as the character. The ally accompanies a character in some adventures at the Games Master’s discretion, counts towards calculating a party’s average level and receives his own share of the experience awards. Prerequisite: 4th level. Contacts: The character develops a network of informants, fences and similar usefully placed persons to whom he can turn. Whenever the character fails a Wealth check or a Gather Information check, he can make a level check at the same DC to tap his contact network for the information or goods he is looking for. If the DC is 20 or higher for either check, the character loses one point of Wealth as he bribes and pays for the information he is seeking. Prerequisite: None.
Family Ties: The character is a valued member of his family and he can count on relatives to give him a hand. Once per month, a character can make a character level check to ask a favour of a relative, usually the lending of money, a piece of equipment or safe passage. The Games Master sets the DC according to the favour, from 10, which would represent a simple favour, like lending a pistol for one day, to 25, which would represent a difficult favour, such as smuggling criminal friends across a heavily guarded border. Failure can mean that no relative within reach can do the favour or that those available refuse to do it, at the Games Master’s discretion. Prerequisite: Can only be chosen at 1st level.
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Organisation Ties: The character is a valued member of an organisation. This trait works like Family Ties, except that the character can call upon the help of an organisation of moderate power. The character can ask for greater favours once per week with a level check (all DCs should be considered 5 points lower) but the organisation will sometimes require him to perform a task, at the discretion of the Games Master. Prerequisite: Can only be chosen at 1st level.
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any action point he spends, as if he had never spent it. Unfortunately, so does the nemesis. In exchange for taking this demanding trait, a character gains a Personal Quality feat of his choice. Prerequisite: None.
Nemesis: The character has a personal enemy that haunts his steps. The nemesis is a heroic character created and controlled by the Games Master at the same level as the character himself, who advances at the same pace as the character. In the presence of his nemesis, the character has a 50% chance of retaining
Significant Other: The character has a person with whom he shares his life, whether it is a spouse, a fiancée or a suitor. The significant other is an ordinary character who remains under the Games Master’s control but who has a knack for attracting trouble, calamity, nasty gossip and the malevolent attention of the character’s enemies. Whenever the significant other is in danger, a character has a +2 morale bonus to all actions destined to protect him or her. Prerequisite: None.
Supernatural Gift Tree Many scholars predict a waning of magical activity as the field of science progresses, explaining away various hitherto mysterious phenomena in its wake, such as the rare gifts with which many people are born. Race: Dwarf, elf, gnome, human, hybrid. Traits: The Supernatural Gift tree has the following traits.
Animal Magnetism: The character has a commanding presence. With a successful Charisma ability score check opposed by a target’s Will saving throw, the character can fascinate the target for as long as he keeps talking to him. See the conditions on pg. 130. Prerequisite: Cha 13, can only be chosen at 1st level.
Magical Potency: The character’s blood burns with the power of magic. The character chooses one Ritual skill, which becomes a class skill for him; in addition, the character’s maximum number of skill ranks for that Ritual skill increases by 2. Prerequisite: No mental ability (Int, Wis and Cha) may be lower than 11; can only be chosen at 1st level.
Pact with Darkness: The character made an unwholesome pact with an evil entity. Once per day, the character can make one of his action points translate into d8 dice instead of d6. On a result of 7 – 8, he may keep the point as if he had not spent
it. Each time he does this, the character gains a pact point. The Games Master is free to use a pact point to turn any of the character’s subsequent rolls into an automatic failure, regardless of the result. A character can free himself from the pact by refraining from using this ability for a year and a day. Prerequisite: Can only be chosen at 1st level.
Upgrade Tree Cogs have a certain freedom of form and function, and can truly reinvent themselves as time passes. Race: Cog. Traits: The Upgrade tree has the following traits.
Retractable Equipment: One of the cog’s arms can house a piece of equipment such as a light weapon or a tool kit. This equipment may not weigh more than five pounds. The character can retract this equipment, thus hiding it from view, although a successful Spot check opposed by the character’s Hide check will detect the concealed item. Prerequisite: None.
Self-Repair: The cog is equipped with internal mechanisms that repair any damage it suffers. The character can now ‘heal’ naturally like characters of other races; this process requires parts, however. To acquire these parts, the cog or another character must make a Wealth check with a Purchase DC equal to the damage to be healed in one day. The self-repair system can store enough spare parts for two days worth of ‘healing’ and weighs 10 lb. This weight is counted as equipment carried. Prerequisite: None.
Analytical Independence: The character’s analytical engine brain has a certain degree of independence from the character’s artificial body. If the cog is reduced to –10 hit points, another character can install the brain into a new body. The analytical brain keeps all the skills, feats, class levels, talents and mental abilities (Int, Wis and Cha) of the cog, while a new body determines the character’s new Strength and Dexterity. The cog loses all traits from the Upgrade tree and any other talents and traits dependent upon Strength or Dexterity. The Purchase DC of the new body is equal to the average of its Strength and Dexterity scores plus 5, although it could be constructed from scratch with a Craft (mechanical) check at a DC equal to the Purchase DC plus 3. While not in a body, the brain can still hear and speak through a voice box but it cannot do anything else. The transfer to a new body deals 1 point of temporary Intelligence damage to the analytical brain. Prerequisite: None.
FEATS & TRAITS
Psychic Latency: The character has incipient psychic potential that has not blossomed into full psychic power. The character gains one psychic power for free, regardless of prerequisites. This can only be a derived power, never a base power and the character still needs to comply with the normal requirements to learn other psychic powers. Instead of a Psychic Control check, the character makes a character level check (1d20 + character level). Prerequisite: Wis or Cha 15, can only be chosen at 1st level.
Special Feature: The character can equip one of the special features described in the Power of Steam chapter as if it were an amazing machine. Acceptable special features are as follows: Accuracy, Armour Plating, Booster, Extra Arm, Extra Leg, Greater Damage, Jumping, Miscellaneous Limb, Natural Weaponry, Ranged Attack, Swerving Hip, Voltaic Claws and Wall-Crawling.
If the feature can be selected multiple times, a cog character may select it only once. Prerequisite: None.
Telluric Power Recovery: The cog’s power source is now equipped with a telluric adaptor that captures energy from the general magical ambience around it and translates this power into the cog’s ‘battery.’ The character no longer suffers battery damage as its power source exhausts, although he still needs to make a Repair check DC 15 once per week to maintain the adaptor; failure results in the character suffering non-lethal damage again until the following week. Prerequisite: None.
Gearbolt moved at the leader’s command. The human had not started this expedition with much evident authority but the construct had calculated a considerable probability that Jerrek would prove capable of exerting himself in that way, despite appearances. Gearbolt was satisfied that its analysis had proven correct and was now content to follow orders. It moved to the charred wreck of the juggernaut and began removing pieces from its ruined, crude and substantially inferior chassis. Distressingly little of the juggernaut’s machinery and gearing were salvageable, as they had been unable to withstand the blast of the dwarven organic’s cannon. An ingenious device, Gearbolt reflected as he worked, though devastating to components. Still, there were a pair of combustion cylinders in the hulk’s torso. Probably intended as antipersonnel weapons, they would make a valuable addition to the bomb it was carrying. Adroitly, the cog removed the cylinders from their twisted iron casing, taking great care not to set them off.
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equipment & Wealth
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any people believe that the advent of technology of the new scientific age better deserves the name of ‘onslaught,’ as craftsmen and inventors create and expose dozens of new contraptions and tools that did not exist before. The marketplace in OGL Steampunk is the showcase that reveals the clash between the old ways and the new disciplines. Smiths forge swords in the same anvil in which they forge bayonets and a weapons store is as likely to sell crossbows as it is to stock black powder pistols and muskets. Old tools are falling out of favour but are still offered to the public, as some needs never go away, such as the need for a good rope during wilderness exploration. In this way, old but functional designs share shelf space in many places with the wonders of the age. Of course, all of this assumes a thriving economy, something that is becoming less of a given as the forces of steam and war push the world closer to its breaking point. This chapter offers a collection of goods and services available to the characters, as well as the Wealth system that governs how they are acquired. Amongst the goods there are many technological wonders that are not found in a standard fantasy setting but which are so widespread in the Steampunk world that ordinary craftsmen have mastered their construction. As a result, these devices are no longer considered amazing machines, unlike the ones described in The Power of Steam chapter, which retain their wondrous nature.
The Wealth System
Every character has a Wealth bonus that reflects his buying power. This is a composite of income, credit rating and any savings that the character has managed to put away. A character’s Wealth bonus serves as the basis of his Wealth check, which is used to purchase equipment and services for the character. In many ways, Wealth can be a character’s most important statistic, opening many doors and keeping other important ones closed.
Wealth Bonus A newly created 1st-level character’s Wealth bonus is +0 plus:
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Wealth provided by the character’s starting occupation.
Bonus from the Windfall feat, if taken. 2d4 die roll. Alternately, a Games Master may assign a starting Wealth result in place of this die roll based on character background, though this number should not exceed 10 or be less than 1. +1 for having 1 to 4 ranks in the Profession skill. +2 bonus for having a Profession matching starting vocation
Over the course of play, the character’s Wealth bonus will decrease as the character purchases expensive items and increase as the character gains levels and collects rewards. A character’s Wealth bonus can never fall below +0, and there is no limit to how high the Wealth bonus can climb. Since Wealth is an abstract concept, it is sometimes difficult to determine how financially well off a character is. To get a general sense of how financially solvent a character is at any given time, check the table below. Inflation and the effects of in-game events can seriously impact the real effect of these numbers, so they serve only as a general guideline. Wealth Bonus +0 +1 to +4 +5 to +10 +11 to +15 +16 to +20 +21 to +30 +31 or higher
Financial Condition Impoverished or in debt Struggling Middle class Affluent Wealthy Rich Very rich
Purchasing Equipment Wealth checks are used to determine what characters can afford and what gear they might reasonably have access to. Every character has a Wealth bonus that reflects his buying power. Every object and service has a purchase DC. To purchase an object, make a Wealth check against the purchase DC.
The Wealth Check A Wealth check is a 1d20 roll plus a character’s current Wealth bonus. The Wealth bonus is fluid. It increases as a character gains Wealth and decreases as the character makes purchases.
Jerrek groaned as he sat down against the wall. His whole body hurt. That timely shot from Thurdin’s cannon had saved their lives but the shrapnel from the exploding juggernaut had not been pretty. He had taken the brunt of that, being a little closer to the wreck than Heshia, but she was hurt too. They rested on opposite sides of the sewer tunnel, staring at each other. In unison, they said, ‘You look like I feel.’ They blinked in unison, then they laughed. Thurdin looked over at Gailion and made a retching noise.
The cog stood up from inside the juggernaut’s chassis and flickered the light in its eyes as a sign that it was pondering the question. ‘Technically, sir, no one gave it to them. All current theory points to them developing it on their own.’ Thurdin spat on the wall. ‘Balls and blast powder! I don’t buy that!’ To emphasise his disagreement, he threw a chunk of rock at the juggernaut, narrowly missing the cog in the process. If the artificial man took any offence at the gesture, it showed no sign. ‘I believe I take your meaning as doubt of orcish intellect. I assure you, what they lack in scientific refinement, they more than make up for in cultural atavism.’ The empty looks from everyone in the corridor prompted him to explain. ‘The orcs as a race did not discover science, but if you will recall, I said ‘develop,’ not ‘discover.’ They are very acquisitive creatures and after being exposed to machinery during the disastrous Purge a hundred years ago, they apparently figured out how to cobble the detritus of the war into weapons of their own.’
EQUIPMENT & WEALTH
With an annoyed snarl, Jerrek turned his head to Gearbolt and asked ‘Whose brilliant idea was it to give science to the orcs, anyway?’
Jerrek shook his head. ‘So you are saying that because humanity tried to use machines to destroy the orcs and goblinoids a century ago, they now have the ability to build the same things we sent at them?’ Gearbolt swivelled its head forward and back three times. ‘Correct, sir. It is merely another example of how your race tends to make its own monsters. Forgive me for disparaging my creators but the humans are not always the wisest of beings when it comes to applications of power.’ If the character succeeds on the Wealth check, the character gains the object. If the character fails, he or she cannot afford the object at the time. If the character’s current Wealth bonus is equal to or greater than the DC, the character automatically succeeds. If the character successfully purchases an object or service with a purchase DC that is higher than his or her current Wealth bonus, the character’s Wealth bonus decreases. Shopping and Time Buying less common objects generally takes a number of hours equal to the purchase DC of the object or service, reflecting the time needed to locate the wanted materials and close the deal. Getting a license or buying an object with a restriction rating increases the time needed to make purchases. Taking 10 and Taking 20 on a Purchase Check A character can usually take 10 or take 20 when making a Wealth check. Taking 20 requires 20 times as long as normal. Also, there is a penalty for spending beyond a character’s means. Whenever a character buys an object that has a purchase DC higher than his or her current Wealth bonus, the character’s Wealth bonus decreases; see pg. 134, Losing Wealth.
Try Again? A character can try again if he fails a Wealth check. He may not, however, do this until he has spent an additional number of hours shopping equal to the purchase DC of the object or service. Aid Another with Purchase Checks One other character can aid another attempt to help a character purchase an object or service. If the attempt is successful, that character provides the purchaser with a +2 bonus on his Wealth check. The character who provides the aid reduces his Wealth bonus by +1. Haggling The Wealth check represents a character shopping around for the item he wants to purchase in various venues but sometimes there is only one store available, or characters enter a store as part of the story and want to buy something specifically found in the place. In these instances, characters can ‘close’ on the scene and conduct personal negotiations, asking for a particular item and, if the shopkeeper is amenable to it, to haggle for a discount. The first thing to do is to determine whether a store has the item the character is looking for. Shops have their own Wealth bonus ranging from +10 for a modest store
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to +40 for a large or affluent store. The characters ask for a product and the Games Master rolls the shop’s Wealth check against the item’s Purchase DC to determine whether the shop has it in store. Games Masters should always keep in mind the nature of the store; regardless of how well it makes a Wealth check, the best clothes store in the land will not have stellar iron musket bullets. If it is available, now characters can try to purchase it by taking 10 on their Wealth check (after all, they do not have to find the object; it is in front of them) or making a roll as normal. They can haggle with the shopkeeper, engaging in opposed Diplomacy checks or, if the Games Master decides, simply on a good role-playing bout. Nominally, for every 5 points that a character exceeds the shopkeeper’s, he reduces the Purchase DC of an item by 1. This reduction only counts for the Wealth check to purchase the item; the character still loses any Wealth for purchasing something beyond his means, using the item’s normal DC to consider how much Wealth is lost.
Losing Wealth Any time a character purchases an object or service with a purchase DC higher than his or her current Wealth bonus, or one with a purchase DC of 15 or higher, the character’s Wealth bonus goes down. How much the Wealth bonus is reduced depends on how expensive the object is. Object or Service Purchase DC 15 or higher 1–10 points higher than current Wealth bonus 11–15 points higher than current Wealth bonus 16 or more points higher than current
Wealth Bonus Decrease 1 point 1 point
Treasure Points Some adventures may reward characters with treasure points. These points are basically action points that characters may apply to Wealth checks. Gaining Treasure Points A character never gains treasure points as a normal event in his level advancement; he can only gain them as rewards for adventures, whether as payment for their services or as recovered loot, or from the Inherited Treasure trait. Rewards can be phrased as absolute treasure points (as in ‘you receive 4 treasure points’) which means that there is a finite amount of treasure points to divide amongst all characters, or as corresponding treasure points (such as ‘you receive 1 treasure point each’) which means that each player receives the stated amount of treasure points. Using Treasure Points A character can use a treasure point in three different ways:
2d6 points
Wealth Bonus of +0 A character’s Wealth bonus can never decrease to less than +0. If a Player Character’s Wealth bonus is +0, the character does not have the buying power to purchase any object or service that has a purchase DC of 10 or higher, and cannot take 10 or take 20.
Regaining Wealth A character’s Wealth bonus recovers as the character advances. Every time a character gains a new level, make a Profession check. If the character has no ranks in the skill,
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Adventuring may also result in Player Characters finding valuable items or information that could potentially improve their wealth. In such cases, the benefit translates into a Wealth award. Use the rules below for Selling Items to determine how much of an increase a Player Character receives to his Wealth bonus, if any.
1d6 points
Along with this loss, any time a character buys an object or service with a purchase DC of 15 or higher, the character reduces his or her current Wealth bonus by an additional 1 point. A character’s Wealth bonus only goes down if he or she successfully buys an object or service. If the character attempts to buy something and the check fails, his or her Wealth bonus is unaffected.
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then this is a Wisdom check instead. The DC is equal to the character’s current Wealth bonus. If the character succeeds, his current Wealth bonus increases by +1. For every 5 points by which the character exceeds the DC, he gains an additional +1 to his Wealth bonus.
Spend it to gain a permanent +2 to his Wealth bonus. Spend it to roll 1d6 and grant the result as a bonus to a Wealth check, as if it were an action point. Spend it to avoid losing Wealth after a successful buy.
Selling Items or Information To sell something, a character first needs to determine its sale value. Assuming the object is undamaged and in working condition, the approximate sale value is equal to the object’s Purchase DC (as if purchased new) minus 3. Selling an object can provide an increase to a character’s Wealth bonus. The increase is the same amount as the Wealth bonus loss the character would experience if the character purchased an object with a purchase DC equal to the sale value. Regardless of the character’s current Wealth bonus, he gains a Wealth bonus increase of 1 whenever he sells an object with a sale value of 15 or higher. If a character sells an object with a sale value less than or equal to his or her current Wealth bonus, and that sale value is 14 or
Fantasy (gp, sp, cp) 2 sp, 5 cp 6 sp 1 gp 1 gp, 5 sp 2 gp 2 gp, 7 sp 5 cp 3 gp, 5 sp 4 gp, 5 sp 6 gp 7 gp, 5 sp 10 gp 13 gp, 7 sp 5 cp 17 gp, 5 sp 25 gp 32 gp, 5 sp 45 gp 60 gp 75 gp 100 gp 137 gp, 5 sp 175 gp 250 gp 325 gp 450 gp 600 gp 750 gp 1,000 gp 1,375 gp 1,750 gp 2,500 gp 3,250 gp 4,500 gp 6,000 gp 7,500 gp 10,000 gp 13,750 gp 17,500 gp 25,000 gp 32,500 gp 45,000 gp 60,000 gp 75,000 gp 100,000 gp 137,500 gp 175,000 gp 250,000 gp 325,000 gp 450,000 gp 600,000 gp x10
lower, the character gains nothing. No rolls can improve or decrease these numbers; they are a standard part of the Wealth and Purchase system. A character cannot legally sell restricted objects unless he is licensed to own them. A character also cannot legally sell objects that have been reported as stolen. Selling objects illegally usually requires that the character have contacts in the black market and reduces the sale value by an additional 3. In Steampunk, it is not always possible for a character to find a shop or marketplace. Many cities lie in ruins, while others jealously guard their resources. The Wealth system is an approximation used only when commerce of a normal sort is possible. In many cases during a Steampunk game, barter, artefact recovery, or outright theft are vastly more likely outcomes from any given ‘transaction.’
Exchange Rates Although OGL Steampunk uses the Wealth system for characters to purchase things, other settings might be more detailed in how they handle money and the purchasing process. The Wealth Conversions table lists how a Purchase DC translates to modern currency (in dollars) and to OGL fantasy games currency (in gold pieces, silver pieces and copper pieces).
EQUIPMENT & WEALTH
Wealth Conversions Purchase DC Modern ($) 2 $5 3 $12 4 $20 5 $30 6 $40 7 $55 8 $70 9 $90 10 $120 11 $150 12 $200 13 $275 14 $350 15 $500 16 $650 17 $900 18 $1,200 19 $1,500 20 $2,000 21 $2,750 22 $3,500 23 $5,000 24 $6,500 25 $9,000 26 $12,000 27 $15,000 28 $20,000 29 $27,500 30 $35,000 31 $50,000 32 $65,000 33 $90,000 34 $120,000 35 $150,000 36 $200,000 37 $275,000 38 $350,000 39 $500,000 40 $650,000 41 $900,000 42 $1,200,000 43 $1,500,000 44 $2,000,000 45 $2,750,000 46 $3,500,000 47 $5,000,000 48 $6,500,000 49 $9,000,000 50 $12,000,000 +8 x10
Malfunction
Several items are constructed with technology barely out of the labs of inventors. These ingenious mechanisms are prone to failure at the worse possible times. In the equipment tables, those items with a number on the malfunction column have a malfunction threshold. When a character uses an item with a die roll and the result of the die falls within the threshold, the item suffers a malfunction. For example, the flintlock pistol and musket both have a malfunction threshold of 1 – 3, which means that if a character who makes an attack roll with a pistol rolls a 1, a 2 or a 3 on the die, the pistol malfunctions regardless of the result of the actual roll plus modifiers. As a special note, all orcish technology (and similarly crude designs from other races, or whenever a Games Master determines that faulty workmanship has been applied) is prone to malfunction on a 3 or less. Truly refined orcish devices might have a malfunction threshold of 1 – 2 but most of their craftsmanship is too faulty and chaotic to warrant that margin of dependability. When an item malfunctions, roll a d% on the table on page 136. Rattle and Hum: The item works, but there is an ominous sound coming from its parts, of grinding and rattling and other materials not agreeing with each other.
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Minor Fault: The item works but it is not working right; the malfunction imposes a –2 penalty on tasks that the device is attempting or complementing until it is repaired. Moderate Fault: The item works but it is not working right; the malfunction imposes a –4 penalty on tasks that the device is attempting or complementing until it is repaired.
d% 01 02-12 13-23 24-34 35-45 46-56 57-67 68-78 79-89 90-99 00
Malfunction effect Rattle and Hum Minor Fault Minor Glitch Minor Breakdown Moderate Fault Moderate Glitch Moderate Breakdown Major Fault Major Glitch Major Breakdown Blows up
Major Fault: The item works but it is not working right; the malfunction imposes a –8 penalty on tasks that the device is attempting or complementing until it is repaired. Minor Glitch: The item does not work on this occasion, though it will by the next time it is used, after a good whacking, of course. Moderate Glitch: The item is jammed. The item does not work and requires a Repair check (DC equal to the item’s Purchase DC) to work properly again.
Major Glitch: The item is ruined. It must be repaired in order to work again, requiring a Repair check (DC equal to the item’s Purchase DC) and the expenditure of raw parts with a Purchase DC 5 points lower than the item. The repairs take half the Purchase DC in hours. Minor Breakdown: The item works incorrectly, not doing what it was intended to do and damaging itself in the process. The item suffers 1d4 points of damage ignoring hardness. The item needs repairs as per a major glitch.
Simple, Martial, and Exotic Weapons Anybody but a genius, occultist or noble is proficient with all simple weapons. Adventurers are proficient with all simple and all martial weapons. Characters of other classes are proficient with an assortment of mainly simple weapons and possibly also some pistol, musket, martial, or even exotic weapons. A character who uses a weapon with which he is not proficient takes a –4 penalty on attack rolls.
Melee and Ranged Weapons Melee weapons are used for making melee attacks, though some of them can be thrown as well. Ranged weapons are thrown weapons or projectile weapons that are not effective in melee.
Moderate Breakdown: The item works badly, not doing what it was intended to do and damaging itself in the process. The item suffers 2d4 points of damage ignoring hardness. The item needs repairs as per a major glitch. Major Breakdown: The item works in all the wrong ways, not doing what it was intended to do and damaging itself severely in the process. The item suffers 3d4 points of damage ignoring hardness. The item needs repairs as per a major glitch. Blows Up: The item literally blows up, sending shards and splinters in all directions and dealing 1d6 points of damage to its wielder. The item is destroyed and beyond repair. Some items have a bonus to the malfunction effect in addition to the malfunction threshold; when this happens, it is expressed after the threshold, separated by a slash (i.e. 1 – 2/+10).
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Weapons
Weapons are implements of violence used to overcome obstacles once guile, wit, and subtlety have failed. They are grouped into several interlocking sets of categories. These categories pertain to what training is needed to become proficient in a weapon’s use (simple, martial, pistol, musket or exotic), the weapon’s usefulness either in close combat (melee) or at a distance (ranged, which includes both thrown and projectile weapons), its relative encumbrance (light, onehanded, or two-handed), and its size (Small, Medium, or Large).
Reach Weapons: Lances, longspears, ranseurs, spiked chains and whips are reach weapons. A reach weapon is a melee weapon that allows its wielder to strike at targets that are not adjacent to him. Most reach weapons double the wielder’s natural reach, meaning that a typical Small or Medium wielder of such a weapon can attack a creature 10 feet away but not a creature in an adjacent square. A typical Large character wielding a reach weapon of the appropriate size can attack a creature 15 or 20 feet away but not adjacent creatures or creatures up to 10 feet away. Double Weapons: Weapons such as quarterstaffs are double weapons. A character can fight with both ends of a double weapon as if fighting with two weapons but he incurs all the normal attack penalties associated with two-weapon combat, just as if he were wielding a one-handed weapon and a light weapon. The character can also choose to use a double weapon two-handed, attacking with only one end of it. A creature wielding a double weapon in one hand cannot use it as a double weapon, as only one end of the weapon can be used in any given round.
to damage rolls. They do, however, ignore some armour bonuses to damage reduction as they punch right through most armour. Ammunition: Projectile weapons use ammunition: arrows for bows, bolts for crossbows or sling bullets for slings. When using a bow, a character can draw ammunition as a free action; crossbows and slings require an action for reloading. Generally speaking, ammunition that hits its target is destroyed or rendered useless, while normal ammunition that misses has a 50% chance of being destroyed or lost. Although they are thrown weapons, shuriken are treated as ammunition for the purposes of drawing them, crafting masterwork or otherwise special versions of them (see Masterwork Weapons) and what happens to them after they are thrown.
Light, One-Handed, and TwoHanded Melee Weapons This designation is a measure of how much effort it takes to wield a weapon in combat. It indicates whether a melee weapon, when wielded by a character of the weapon’s size category, is considered a light weapon, a one-handed weapon, or a two-handed weapon.
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Thrown Weapons: Daggers, clubs, shortspears, spears, darts, javelins, throwing axes, light hammers, tridents, shuriken, and nets are thrown weapons. The wielder applies his Strength modifier to damage dealt by thrown weapons, except for splash weapons. It is possible to throw a weapon that isn’t designed to be thrown, by which we mean a melee weapon that doesn’t have a numeric entry in the Range Increment column on the Weapons table, but a character who does so takes a –4 penalty on the attack roll. Throwing a light or one-handed weapon is a standard action, while throwing a two-handed weapon is a fullround action. Regardless of the type of weapon, such an attack scores a threat only on a natural roll of 20 and deals double damage on a critical hit. Such a weapon has a range increment of 10 feet. Projectile Weapons: Light crossbows, slings, heavy crossbows, shortbows, composite shortbows, longbows, composite longbows, hand crossbows, and repeating crossbows are projectile weapons. Most projectile weapons require two hands to use. See specific weapon descriptions for details. A character gets no Strength bonus to damage rolls with a projectile weapon unless it is a specially built composite shortbow, specially built composite longbow, or sling. If the character has a penalty for low Strength, apply it to damage rolls when he uses a bow or a sling. Firearms: Pistols and musket with flintlock or percussion cap detonators are firearms. Pistols only require one hand to use, while muskets require two. As with projectile weapons, firearms do not apply the user’s Strength bonus or penalty
Light: A light weapon is easier to use in one’s off hand than a one-handed weapon is. It can also be used while grappling. A light weapon is used in one hand. Add the wielder’s Strength bonus (if any) to damage rolls for melee attacks with a light weapon if it is used in the primary hand, or onehalf the wielder’s Strength bonus if it is used in the off hand. Using two hands to wield a light weapon
Heshia shook her head. ‘It sounds just like humans to be responsible for something so tragic, though I would have laid money on it being the gnomes’ fault.’ As she spoke, she took out her rune pistols and started cleaning the barrels. She had a practiced hand at doing so and she moved so rhythmically, Jerrek almost forgot to be offended. ‘Hey! What is it with you elves and the gnomes? What did they ever do to deserve such hatred?’ He had always wanted to ask that question and this seemed as good a time to do so as any. Heshia sighed. ‘It is a long story, human, and not one I am up to telling in full. Let us just say the gnomes did something a long time ago that we have never forgiven them for… something involving your people and ours.’ Her well-practiced routine faltered a bit and one of the barrels on her pistols snapped forward catching the tip of her finger. She hissed in pain and put the blooded finger in her mouth. Jerrek was feeling bold enough to say what he had always suspected. ‘Is that why the elves cursed them with such short lives?’ He tried not to sound accusatory but this was a very sore subject with him. Heshia’s eyebrow raised and she took her hand away from her mouth. ‘Is that what you believe? Who told you something so ridiculous? A gnome?’ She finished cleaning her guns and returned them to their holsters with one fluid motion. ‘Did a gnome tell you that?’ Jerrek looked angry, his eyes seething darkly. ‘No. I just always thought…’ The elf woman laughed softly, a sound with a sardonic, bitter edge. ‘You may be many things, human, but I would not have thought to call you foolish. We did not curse the gnomes. We did not have to.’
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gives no advantage on damage; the Strength bonus applies as though the weapon were held in the wielder’s primary hand only. An unarmed strike is always considered a light weapon. One-Handed: A one-handed weapon can be used in either the primary hand or the off hand. Add the wielder’s Strength bonus to damage rolls for melee attacks with a one-handed weapon if it’s used in the primary hand, or half his Strength bonus if it is used in the off hand. If a one-handed weapon is wielded with two hands during melee combat, add one and a half times the character’s Strength bonus to damage rolls. Two-Handed: Two hands are required to use a two-handed melee weapon effectively. Apply one and a half times the character’s Strength bonus to damage rolls for melee attacks with such a weapon.
Weapon Size Every weapon has a size category. This designation indicates the size of the creature for which the weapon was designed. A weapon’s size category is not the same as its size as an object. Instead, a weapon’s size category is keyed to the size of the intended wielder. In general, a light weapon is an object two size categories smaller than the wielder, a one-handed weapon is an object one size category smaller than the wielder and a two-handed weapon is an object of the same size category as the wielder. Inappropriately Sized Weapons A creature cannot make optimum use of a weapon that is not properly sized for it. A cumulative –2 penalty applies on attack rolls for each size category of difference between the size of its intended wielder and the size of its actual wielder. If the creature is not proficient with the weapon then a –4 nonproficiency penalty also applies. The measure of how much effort it takes to use a weapon, or in other words whether the weapon is designated as a light, one-handed, or two-handed weapon for a particular wielder, is altered by one step for each size category of difference between the wielder’s size and the size of the creature for which the weapon was designed. If a weapon’s designation would be changed to something other than light, one-handed, or two-handed by this alteration, then the creature cannot wield the weapon at all.
Improvised Weapons Sometimes objects that are not crafted to be weapons nonetheless see use in combat. As such objects are not designed for this use, any creature that uses one in combat is considered to be non-proficient with it and takes a –4 penalty on attack rolls made with it. To determine the size category and appropriate damage for an improvised weapon, compare its relative size and damage potential to the weapon list to find a reasonable match. An improvised weapon scores a threat on a natural roll of 20 and deals
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double damage on a critical hit. An improvised thrown weapon has a range increment of 10 feet.
Weapon Qualities Here is the format for weapon entries, given as column headings on the Weapons table below.
Purchase DC: This is the DC of the Wealth check needed to purchase the weapon. Damage: The Damage columns give the damage dealt by the weapon on a successful hit. The column labelled ‘Dmg (S)’ is for Small weapons. The column labelled ‘Dmg (M)’ is for Medium weapons. If two damage ranges are given then the weapon is a double weapon. Use the second damage figure given for the double weapon’s extra attack. The Tiny and Large Weapon Damage table below gives weapon damage values for weapons of those sizes.
Tiny and Large Weapon Damage Medium Weapon Tiny Weapon Damage Damage 1d2 — 1d3 1 1d4 1d2 1d6 1d3 1d8 1d4 1d10 1d6 1d12 1d8 2d4 1d4 2d6 1d8 2d8 1d10 2d10 2d6
Large Weapon Damage 1d3 1d4 1d6 1d8 2d6 2d8 3d6 2d6 3d6 3d8 4d8
Critical: The entry in this column notes how the weapon is used with the rules for critical hits. When your character scores a critical hit, roll the damage two, three, or four times, as indicated by its critical multiplier (using all applicable modifiers on each roll) and add all the results together. Exception: Extra damage dice over and above a weapon’s normal damage are not multiplied when you score a critical hit. x2: The weapon deals double damage on a critical hit. x3: The weapon deals triple damage on a critical hit. x4: The weapon deals quadruple damage on a critical hit. 19–20/x2: The weapon scores a threat on a natural roll of 19 or 20 (instead of just 20) and deals double damage on a critical hit. The weapon has a threat range of 19–20. 18–20/x2: The weapon scores a threat on a natural roll of 18, 19, or 20 (instead of just 20) and deals double damage on a critical hit. The weapon has a threat range of 18–20.
Mastercraft Weapons A mastercraft weapon is a finely crafted version of a normal weapon. Wielding it provides a +1 to +3 enhancement bonus on attack rolls or more, as per the Master Artisan feat. The masterwork quality cannot be added to a weapon after its creation; it must be crafted as a mastercraft weapon. The mastercraft quality adds +1 to the cost of a normal weapon plus the bonus provided by the mastercraft feature. Adding the mastercraft quality to a double weapon adds an additional +2 to the normal increase. Mastercraft ammunition is damaged (effectively destroyed) when used. The enhancement bonus of mastercraft ammunition does not stack with any enhancement bonus of the projectile weapon firing it. All magic weapons are automatically considered to be of mastercraft quality. The enhancement bonus granted by the masterwork quality does not stack with the enhancement bonus provided by the weapon’s magic. Even though some types of armour and shields can be used as weapons, characters cannot create a mastercraft version of such an item that confers an enhancement
bonus on attack rolls. Instead, mastercraft armour and shields have lessened armour check penalties.
Weapon Descriptions Weapons found on the Weapons table that have special options for the wielder (‘you’) are described below. Splash weapons are described under Special Substances and Items. Arrows: An arrow used as a melee weapon is treated as a light improvised weapon (–4 penalty on attack rolls) and deals damage as a dagger of its size (critical multiplier x2). Arrows come in a leather quiver that holds 20 arrows. An arrow that hits its target is destroyed; one that misses has a 50% chance of being destroyed or lost. Bayonet: If attached to a musket, treat the musketbayonet as a longspear. Bolas: You can use this weapon to make a ranged trip attack against an opponent. You cannot be tripped during your own trip attempt when using a set of bolas.
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Range Increment: Any attack at less than this distance is not penalised for range. However, each full range increment imposes a cumulative –2 penalty on the attack roll. A thrown weapon has a maximum range of five range increments. A projectile weapon can shoot out to ten range increments. Weight: This column gives the weight of a Medium version of the weapon. Halve this number for Small weapons and double it for Large weapons. Type: Weapons are classified according to the type of damage they deal: bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing. Some creatures and objects may be resistant or immune to attacks from certain types of weapons. Some weapons deal damage of multiple types. If a weapon is of two types, the damage it deals is not half one type and half another; all of it is both types. Therefore, a creature would have to be immune to both types of damage to ignore any of the damage from such a weapon. In other cases, a weapon can deal either of two types of damage. In a situation when the damage type is significant, the wielder can choose which type of damage to deal with such a weapon. Malfunction: Some weapons are prone to failing during their use. If the die roll comes up with a number within the combat threshold, the item will fail with some result or another. Special: Some weapons have special features. See the weapon descriptions for details.
Bolts: A crossbow bolt used as a melee weapon is treated as a light improvised weapon (–4 penalty on attack rolls) and deals damage as a dagger of its size (critical x2). Bolts come in a wooden case that holds 10 bolts, or 5 for a repeating crossbow. A bolt that hits its target is destroyed; one that misses has a 50% chance of being destroyed or lost. Bowie Knife: The bowie knife is similar to a dagger but with a broader and slightly larger blade for greater damage. Bullets, Sling: Bullets come in a leather pouch that holds 10 bullets. A bullet that hits its target is destroyed; one that misses has a 50% chance of being destroyed or lost. Chain, Spiked: A spiked chain has reach, so you can strike opponents 10 feet away with it. In addition, unlike most other weapons with reach, it can be used against an adjacent foe. You can make trip attacks with the chain. If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop the chain to avoid being tripped. When using a spiked chain, you get a +2 bonus on opposed attack rolls made to disarm an opponent, including the roll to avoid being disarmed if such an attempt fails. You can use the Weapon Finesse feat to apply your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier to attack rolls with a spiked chain sized for you, even though it is not a light weapon for you. Crossbow, Hand: You can draw a hand crossbow back by hand. Loading a hand crossbow is a move action that provokes attacks of opportunity. You can shoot, but not load, a hand crossbow with one hand at no penalty. You
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can shoot a hand crossbow with each hand but you take a penalty on attack rolls as if attacking with two light weapons. Crossbow, Heavy: You draw a heavy crossbow back by turning a small winch. Loading a heavy crossbow is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. Normally, operating a heavy crossbow requires two hands. However, you can shoot (but not load) a heavy crossbow with one hand at a –4 penalty on attack rolls. You can shoot a heavy crossbow with each hand but you take a penalty on attack rolls as if you were attacking with two one-handed weapons. This penalty is cumulative with the penalty for one-handed firing. Crossbow, Light: You draw a light crossbow back by pulling a lever. Loading a light crossbow is a move action that provokes attacks of opportunity. Normally, operating a light crossbow requires two hands. However, you can shoot (but not load) a light crossbow with one hand at a –2 penalty on attack rolls. You can shoot a light crossbow with each hand but you take a penalty on attack rolls as if you were attacking with two light weapons. This penalty is cumulative with the penalty for one-handed firing.
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Crossbow, Repeating: The repeating crossbow (whether heavy or light) holds 5 crossbow bolts. So long as it holds bolts, you can reload it by pulling the reloading lever as a free action. Loading a new case of 5 bolts is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. You can fire a repeating crossbow with one hand or fire a repeating crossbow in each hand in the same manner as you would a normal crossbow of the same size. However, you must fire the weapon with two hands in order to use the reloading lever and you must use two hands to load a new case of bolts. Dagger: You gain a +2 bonus on Sleight of Hand checks made to conceal a dagger on your body. See the Sleight of Hand skill. Flail or Heavy Flail: With a flail, you get a +2 bonus on opposed attack rolls made to disarm an enemy, including the roll to avoid being disarmed if such an attempt fails. You can also use this weapon to make trip attacks. If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop the flail to avoid being tripped. Gauntlet: This metal glove lets you deal lethal damage rather than non-lethal damage with unarmed strikes. A
Simple Weapons Purchase DC
Dmg (S)
Dmg (M)
Critical
Range Increment
Weight1
Type2
1d2 1d23
1d3 1d33
x2 x2
— —
1 lb. —
Bludgeoning Bludgeoning
1d4 1d3
1d6 1d4
x3 x3
— 10 ft.
1 lb. 1 lb.
Dagger
1d3
1d4
19–20/x2
10 ft.
1 lb.
Dagger, 9 punching Mace, light 10 Sickle 10 One-Handed Melee Weapons Club — Mace, heavy 12 Morningstar 11
1d3
1d4
x3
—
1 lb.
Piercing Piercing or Slashing Piercing or Slashing Piercing
1d4 1d4
1d6 1d6
x2 x2
— —
4 lb. 2 lb.
Bludgeoning Slashing
1d4 1d6 1d6
1d6 1d8 1d8
x2 x2 x2
10 ft. — —
3 lb. 8 lb. 6 lb.
Shortspear 4 Two-Handed Melee Weapons 9 Longspear4 Quarterstaff5 —
1d4
1d6
x2
20 ft.
3 lb.
Bludgeoning Bludgeoning Bludgeoning and Piercing Piercing
1d6 1d4/ 1d4 1d6
1d8 1d6/ 1d6 1d8
x3 x2
— —
9 lb. 4 lb.
Piercing Bludgeoning
x3
20 ft.
6 lb.
Piercing
1d8 — 1d6 — 1d3 1d4 1d3 —
1d10 — 1d8 — 1d4 1d6 1d4 —
19–20/x2 — 19–20/x2 — x2 x2 x2 —
120 ft. — 80 ft. — 20 ft. 30 ft. 50 ft. —
8 lb. 1 lb. 4 lb. 1 lb. 1/2 lb. 2 lb. 0 lb. 5 lb.
Piercing — Piercing — Piercing Piercing Bludgeoning —
9
Spear 10 Ranged Weapons Crossbow, heavy 17 Bolts (10) 4 Crossbow, light 16 Bolts (10) 4 Dart 2 Javelin 4 Sling — Bullets (10) 2 * see page 146 for footnotes.
strike with a gauntlet is otherwise considered an unarmed attack. The cost and weight given are for a single gauntlet. Medium and heavy armours (except the breastplate) come with gauntlets. Glaive: A glaive has reach. You can strike opponents 10 feet away with it but you cannot use it against an adjacent foe. Halberd: If you use a ready action to set a halberd against a charge, you deal double damage on a successful hit against a charging character. You can use a halberd to make trip attacks. If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop the halberd to avoid being tripped. Javelin: Since it is not designed for melee, you are treated as non-proficient with it and take a –4 penalty on attack rolls if you use a javelin as a melee weapon.
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Unarmed Attacks Gauntlet 6 Unarmed strike — Light Melee Weapons Bayonet 12 Bowie knife 10
Lance: A lance deals double damage when used from the back of a charging mount. It has reach, so you can strike opponents 10 feet away with it, though you cannot use it against an adjacent foe. While mounted, you can wield a lance with one hand. Longbow: You need at least two hands to use a bow, regardless of its size. A longbow is too unwieldy to use while you are mounted. If you have a penalty for low Strength, apply it to damage rolls when you use a longbow. If you have a bonus for high Strength, you can apply it to damage rolls when you use a composite longbow (see page 142) but not when you use a regular longbow. Longbow, Composite: You need at least two hands to use a bow, regardless of its size. You can use a composite longbow while mounted. All composite bows are made with a particular Strength rating; each bow requires a minimum Strength modifier equal to or greater than
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Martial Weapons Purchase Martial Weapons DC Light Melee Weapons Axe, throwing 11 Hammer, light 4 Handaxe 10 Pick, light 9 Sap 4 Shield, light special Sword, short 12 One-Handed Melee Weapons Battleaxe 12 Flail 11 Longsword 14 Pick, heavy 11 Rapier 14 Sabre, cavalry 14
Dmg (S)
Dmg (M)
Critical
Range Increment
Weight1
Type2
1d4 1d3 1d4 1d3 1d43 1d2 1d4
1d6 1d4 1d6 1d4 1d63 1d3 1d6
x2 x2 x3 x4 x2 x2 19–20/x2
10 ft. 20 ft. — — — — —
2 lb. 2 lb. 3 lb. 3 lb. 2 lb. special 2 lb.
Slashing Bludgeoning Slashing Piercing Bludgeoning Bludgeoning Piercing
1d6 1d6 1d6 1d4 1d4 1d6
1d8 1d8 1d8 1d6 1d6 1d8
x3 x2 19–20/x2 x4 18–20/x2 19–20/x2
— — — — — —
6 lb. 5 lb. 4 lb. 6 lb. 2 lb. 2 lb.
Scimitar 13 Shield, heavy special Spiked shield, heavy special Trident 13 Warhammer 13 Two-Handed Melee Weapons Falchion 19 4 11 Glaive Greataxe 15 Greatclub 9 Flail, heavy 14 Greatsword 17 Halberd 12
1d4 1d3 1d4 1d6 1d6
1d6 1d4 1d6 1d8 1d8
18–20/x2 x2 x2 x2 x3
— — — 10 ft. —
4 lb. special special 4 lb. 5 lb.
Slashing Bludgeoning Slashing Piercing Piercing Piercing and Slashing Slashing Bludgeoning Piercing Piercing Bludgeoning
1d6 1d8 1d10 1d8 1d8 1d10 1d8
2d4 1d10 1d12 1d10 1d10 2d6 1d10
18–20/x2 x3 x3 x2 19–20/x2 19–20/x2 x3
— — — — — — —
8 lb. 10 lb. 12 lb. 8 lb. 10 lb. 8 lb. 12 lb.
Lance4 Ranseur4 Scythe
12 12 15
1d6 1d6 1d6
1d8 2d4 2d4
x3 x3 x4
— — —
10 lb. 12 lb. 10 lb.
Ranged Weapons Longbow 19 Arrows (20) 4 Longbow, composite 20 Arrows (20) 4 Shortbow 17 Arrows (20) 4 Shortbow, composite 19 Arrows (20) 4 * see page 146 for footnotes.
1d6 — 1d6 — 1d4 — 1d4 —
1d8 — 1d8 — 1d6 — 1d6 —
x3 — x3 — x3 — x3 —
100 ft. — 110 ft. — 60 ft. — 70 ft. —
3 lb. 3 lb. 3 lb. 3 lb. 2 lb. 3 lb. 2 lb. 3 lb.
that rating if it is to be wielded with proficiency. If your Strength bonus is less than the strength rating of the composite bow, you cannot use it effectively, so you take a –2 penalty on attacks with it. The default composite longbow requires a Strength modifier of +0 or higher to use with proficiency. A composite longbow can be made with a high Strength rating to take advantage of an above-
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Slashing Slashing Slashing Bludgeoning Bludgeoning Slashing Piercing or Slashing Piercing Piercing Piercing or Slashing Piercing — Piercing — Piercing — Piercing —
average Strength score; this feature allows you to add your Strength bonus to damage, up to the maximum bonus indicated for the bow. Each point of Strength bonus granted by the bow adds 100 gp to its cost. For purposes of weapon proficiency and similar feats, a composite longbow is treated as if it were a longbow.
Longspear: A longspear has reach. You can strike opponents 10 feet away with it but you cannot use it against an adjacent foe. If you use a ready action to set a longspear against a charge, you deal double damage on a successful hit against a charging character.
An entangled creature can escape with a DC 20 Escape Artist check, made as a full-round action. The net has 5 hit points and can be burst with a DC 25 Strength check, also made as a full-round action. A net is useful only against creatures within one size category of you. A net must be folded before it can be thrown effectively. The first time you throw your net in a fight, you make a normal ranged touch attack roll. After the net is unfolded, you take a –4 penalty on attack rolls with it. It takes 2 rounds for a proficient user to fold a net and twice that long for a nonproficient one to do so.
Ranseur: A ranseur has reach. You can strike opponents 10 feet away with it but you cannot use it against an adjacent foe. With a ranseur, you get a +2 bonus on opposed attack rolls made to disarm an opponent, including the roll to avoid being disarmed if such an attempt fails. Rapier: You can use the Weapon Finesse feat to apply your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier to attack rolls with a rapier sized for you, even though it is not a light weapon for you. You cannot wield a rapier in two hands in order to apply one and a half times your Strength bonus to damage.
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Net: A net is used to entangle enemies. When you throw a net, you make a ranged touch attack against your target. A net’s maximum range is 10 feet. If you hit, the target is entangled. An entangled creature takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls and a –4 penalty on Dexterity, can move at only half speed and cannot charge or run. If you control the trailing rope by succeeding on an opposed Strength check while holding it, the entangled creature can move only within the limits that the rope allows. If the entangled creature attempts to cast a spell, it must make a DC 15 Concentration check or be unable to cast the spell.
Quarterstaff: A quarterstaff is a double weapon. You can fight with it as if you were fighting with two weapons but if you do, you incur all the normal attack penalties associated with fighting with two weapons, just as if you were using a one-handed weapon and a light weapon. A creature wielding a quarterstaff in one hand cannot use it as a double weapon, as only one end of the weapon can be used in any given round.
Sabre, cavalry: A cavalry sabre deals double damage when used from the back of a charging mount. While mounted, you can wield a sabre with one hand. Scythe: A scythe can be used to make trip attacks. If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop the scythe to avoid being tripped.
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Exotic Weapons Purchase DC One-Handed Melee Weapons Sword, bastard 16 Waraxe, dwarven 15 4 Whip4 Two-Handed Melee Weapons 15 Chain, spiked4 Ranged Weapons Bolas 9 Crossbow, hand 20 Bolts (10) 4 Crossbow, repeating 24 heavy Bolts (5) 4 Crossbow, repeating 21 light Bolts (5) 4 Net 10 * see page 146 for footnotes.
Dmg (S)
Dmg (M)
Critical
Range Increment
Weight1
Type2
1d8 1d8 1d23
1d10 1d10 1d33
19–20/x2 x3 x2
— —
6 lb. 8 lb. 2 lb.
Slashing Slashing Slashing
1d6
2d4
x2
—
10 lb.
Piercing
1d3 1d3 — 1d8
1d4 1d4 — 1d10
x2 19–20/x2 — 19–20/x2
10 ft. 30 ft. — 120 ft.
2 lb. 2 lb. 1 lb. 12 lb.
Bludgeoning Piercing — Piercing
— 1d6
— 1d8
— 19–20/x2
1 lb. 80 ft.
— 6 lb.
Piercing
— —
— —
— 10 ft.
1 lb. 6 lb.
— —
Shield, Heavy or Light (Spiked or not): You can bash with a shield instead of using it for defence. See Armour for details. Shortbow: You need at least two hands to use a bow, regardless of its size. You can use a shortbow while mounted. If you have a penalty for low Strength, apply it to damage rolls when you use a shortbow. If you have a bonus for high Strength, you can apply it to damage rolls when you use a composite shortbow (see below) but not when you use a regular shortbow. Shortbow, Composite: You need at least two hands to use a bow, regardless of its size. You can use a composite shortbow while mounted. All composite bows are made with a particular Strength rating and thus each one requires a minimum Strength modifier to use with proficiency. If your Strength bonus is lower than the Strength rating of the composite bow, you cannot effectively use it, so you take a –2 penalty on attacks with it. The default composite shortbow requires a Strength modifier of +0 or higher to use with proficiency. A composite shortbow can be made with a high Strength rating to take advantage of an above-average Strength score; this feature allows you to add your Strength bonus to damage, up to the maximum bonus indicated for the bow. Each point of Strength bonus granted by the bow adds 75 gp to its cost. For purposes of weapon proficiency and similar feats, a composite shortbow is treated as if it were a shortbow. Shortspear: A shortspear is small enough to wield onehanded. It may also be thrown.
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Sickle: A sickle can be used to make trip attacks. If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop the sickle to avoid being tripped.
Sling: Your Strength modifier applies to damage rolls when you use a sling, just as it does for thrown weapons. You can fire (but not load) a sling with one hand. Loading a sling is a move action that requires two hands and provokes attacks of opportunity. You can hurl ordinary stones with a sling but these stones are not as dense or as round as bullets. Thus, such an attack deals damage as if the weapon were designed for a creature one size category smaller than you. You also take a –1 penalty on attack rolls. Spear: A spear can be thrown. If you use a ready action to set a spear against a charge, you deal double damage with a successful hit against a charging character. Spiked Armour: You can outfit your armour with spikes, which can deal damage in a grapple or as a separate attack. See Armour for details. Spiked Shield, Heavy or Light: You can bash with a spiked shield instead of using it for defence. See Armour for details. Strike, Unarmed: A Medium character deals 1d3 points of non-lethal damage with an unarmed strike. A Small character deals 1d2 points of non-lethal damage. Any character with the Improved Unarmed Strike feat can deal lethal or non-lethal damage with unarmed strikes, as he chooses. The damage from an unarmed strike is considered weapon damage for the purposes of effects that give you a bonus on weapon damage rolls. An unarmed strike is always considered a light weapon. Therefore, you can use the Weapon Finesse feat to apply
your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier to attack rolls with an unarmed strike.
Trident: This weapon can be thrown. If you use a ready action to set a trident against a charge, you deal double damage with a successful hit against a charging character. Waraxe, Dwarven: A dwarven waraxe is too large to use in one hand without special training; thus, it is an exotic weapon. A Medium-size character can use a dwarven waraxe two-handed as a martial weapon. A Large creature can use it one-handed in the same way. A dwarf treats a dwarven waraxe as a martial weapon even when using it in one hand. Whip: A whip deals non-lethal damage. It deals no damage at all to any creature with an armour bonus of +1 or higher or a natural armour bonus of +3 or higher. The whip is treated as a melee weapon with a 15-foot reach, though you do not threaten the area into which you can make an attack. In addition, unlike most other
You can make trip attacks with a whip. If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop the whip to avoid being tripped. When using a whip, you get a +2 bonus on opposed attack rolls made to disarm an opponent, including the roll to keep from being disarmed if the attack fails. You can use the Weapon Finesse feat to apply your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier to attack rolls with a whip sized for you, even though it is not a light weapon for you.
Firearms Firearms are the great equalisers of the age, capable of bringing down a fully armoured knight at the hands of a barely trained peasant. All firearms ignore armour bonuses to damage reduction, except for those derived from armour made from stellar material. (Ammunition which itself is made of stellar material ignores this damage reduction.) Many firearms are also called ‘rune’ weapons, though this name technically only applies to magical versions of projectile weapons. As the majority of firearms manufacturers inlay maker’s marks and other
EQUIPMENT & WEALTH
Sword, Bastard: A bastard sword is too large to use in one hand without special training; thus, it is an exotic weapon. A character can use a bastard sword two-handed as a martial weapon.
weapons with reach, you can use it against foes anywhere within your reach, including adjacent foes. Using a whip provokes an attack of opportunity, just as if you had used a ranged weapon.
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Firearms Dmg (S)
Dmg (M)
Critical
Range Increment
Weight1
Type2
Malf.
1d8
1d10
x3
60 ft.
6 lb.
Piercing
1-3
1d8
1d10
x3
50 ft.
4 lb.
Piercing
1
1d6
1d8
x3
20 ft.
3 lb.
Piercing
1
1d10
2d6
x3
60 ft.
6 lb.
Piercing
1-3
2d6
2d8
x3
60 ft.
8 lb.
Piercing
1-3
1d10
2d6
x3
50 ft.
5 lb.
Piercing
1
2d6
2d8
x3
50 ft.
6 lb.
Piercing
1
1d8
1d10
x3
50 ft.
4 lb.
Piercing
1
1d8 2d6 1d10
1d10 2d8 2d6
x3 x3 x3
15 ft. 100 ft. 100 ft.
12 lb. 15 lb. 12 lb.
Piercing Piercing Piercing
1-3 1-3 1
1 die smaller — —
—
-10 ft.
+2 lb.
—
—
+2 +3
1 die smaller — —
— 19-20/x3
+10 ft. +10 ft.
— +5 lb.
— —
— 1-3
2 3 4 5
— — — —
— — — —
— — — —
— — — —
— 1 lb. 2 lb. 1 lb.
— — — —
— — — —
4 2
— —
— —
— —
— —
1/2 lb. 2 lb.
— —
— —
EQUIPMENT & WEALTH
Purchase DC Light Firearm Weapons Pistol, light 19 flintlock Pistol, light 20 percussion cap Pistol, holdout 19 percussion cap One-Handed Firearm Weapons Pistol, medium 20 flintlock Pistol, heavy 21 flintlock Pistol, medium 21 percussion cap Pistol, heavy 22 percussion cap Pistol, revolver 25 percussion cap Two-Handed Firearm Weapons Blunderbuss 20 Musket, flintlock 22 Musket, percussion 23 cap Firearm Weapons Characteristics Double-barrelled +2 Rifling barrel Steampower Firearm Accessories Apostle Bandolier Bullets (20) Percussion Cap (20) Powder Horn Swine Feather 1
Weight figures are for Medium weapons. A Small weapon weighs half as much, and a Large weapon weighs twice as much. When two types are given, the weapon is of both types if the entry specifies ‘and,’ or of either type (the Player may choose as he makes the attack) if the entry specifies ‘or.’ 3 The weapon deals non-lethal damage rather than lethal damage. 4 Reach weapon. 5 Double weapon. 2
runic decorations, even mundane examples of the craft can be splendid works of violent art. Firearms are classified in two kinds according to the training necessary to fire them. These are pistols, which can be held and fired with one hand and muskets, which are longer and must be held in both hands. The loading
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procedure for firearms involves pouring gunpowder down the barrel and then dropping the ammunition in after it, pressing both down with a ramrod. Small containers called apostles have pre-measured amounts of gunpowder sufficient for one shot.
Apostle: This small wooden or metal container holds enough gunpowder for one shot for any firearm weapon. Bandolier: Fitted across the chest, this utility strap features loops and buckles for 12 apostles, two powder horns and other assorted accessories.
Bullets: for 20.
These are lead balls with a Purchase DC of 4
Musket: This is a two-handed firearm commonly used by hunters and characters who need a heavy, yet portable weapon. The weapon’s unwieldy shape and size means that an attacker using a rifle takes a –4 penalty on attacks against adjacent opponents. The Precise Shot feat eliminates this penalty. Using a musket requires the Musket Firearms Proficiency feat. Percussion Cap: The cap used in a percussion cap weapon, each one the firing of one bullet. The cap contains a small amount of a sensitive explosive. Pistol: This is a small, one-handed or light firearm. Using a pistol requires the Pistol Firearms Proficiency feat. Powder Horn: Each horn contains sufficient powder for 12 shots from a flintlock weapon. Swine Feather: This oddly named contraption is a forked metal rod used to support a long-barrelled musket. It requires relatively soft ground for a secure mounting, which takes a standard action. This accessory grants a +1 on attacks with a two-handed firearm. Some call this device a ‘bipod,’ although unlike a true bipod it is usually deployed with the split end supporting the weapon instead of being set against the ground. Firearm Qualities A pistol or musket can have a number of qualities depending on the technology with which it is equipped. These technologies add distinctive qualities to a weapon, differentiating it from versions that do not have the features. Flintlock: In addition to the gunpowder that he places in the barrel, the wielder of a flintlock weapon pours another small amount into a firing pan near the trigger. A flint hammer strikes a steel surface, creating a spark that ignites the powder in the pan, which in turns ignites
Percussion Cap: Instead of pouring powder in the pan, the weapon has a small chamber where a small percussion cap fits. This cap is smaller than a fingertip and is made from a special chemical compound that ignites when struck by the weapon’s hammer. Its explosion detonates the gunpowder in the barrel. Loading a percussion cap weapon takes one full-round action. A weapon can only be either a flintlock or a percussion cap weapon, not both. Double-Barrelled: A character can fire either one or both barrels of the weapon with a standard attack action. If both barrels are discharged simultaneously, a single attack roll is made and the weapon deals double damage on a successful hit. Each barrel must be loaded individually.
EQUIPMENT & WEALTH
Blunderbuss: This weapon has a wide, bell-shaped barrel and is designed to hold and fire shot that scatters when discharged. The blunderbuss affects all targets in a 10-foot wide line beginning at the front of the barrel and extending up to the weapon’s maximum range. The blunderbuss was designed for use in close quarters against tight formations. Using a blunderbuss requires the Musket Firearms Proficiency feat, as the methods for using these two weapons are similar.
the gunpowder in the barrel, propelling the shot forward. Loading a flintlock weapon takes three move actions, which with continuous action translates into a full round and a half. A pistol or musket can only be a flintlock or a percussion cap weapon, not both.
Revolver: This quality is available for a percussion cap pistol only. It is an advanced design that allows a pistol to load four or more shots in separate cylinders and fire them consecutively without reloading until all the shots have been fired. Each cylinder must be reloaded individually. Every shot beyond 4 that a revolver holds adds +1 to its Purchase DC. Revolvers rarely store more than 8 shots. Holdout: This quality is available for a pistol only. A holdout pistol is small enough to be concealed with relative ease, granting the wielder a +2 equipment bonus on Hide or Sleight of Hand checks to hide or palm the weapon. Heavy: This quality is available for a pistol only. A heavy pistol is larger than the standard model, firing heavier and more damaging shots. Light: This quality is available for a pistol only. A light pistol is small enough to be used one-handed with some hope of accuracy. Many characters keep several loaded light pistols in bandoliers to fire once per round without needing to be reloaded. Rifling Barrel: The inside of the weapon’s barrel has spiralling grooves that send a bullet spinning, increasing its range. Medium: This quality is available for a pistol only. This is the standard size for pistols used by military personnel. Steampower: This quality is available for a musket only. A steampower firearm is a strange contraption that attempts a different approach from powder detonation for propelling a shot, with a decidedly interesting result. Instead of using powder, a steampower firearm uses compressed steam generated in a backpack mini-
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furnace, feeding it to the weapon through a rubber hose. Reloading takes a standard action as the wielder pulls the lever to feed the chamber with the steam and drops the shot down a breech-loading barrel.
EQUIPMENT & WEALTH
Explosives and Splash Weapons These weapons explode or burst, dealing damage to creatures or objects within an area. Explosives can be thrown or set off in place, depending on the type of explosive device. All explosives must be detonated. Some, such as grenades, include built-in detonators; pulling the pin on a grenade is a free action. Others require timers or other devices to set them off. A splash weapon is a projectile that bursts on impact, spewing its contents over an area and damaging any creature or object within that area. Generally, creatures directly hit by splash weapons take the most damage, while those nearby take less damage. Splash weapons usually must be thrown to have effect. Explosives and splash weapons require no feat to use with proficiency unless they are fired or propelled from some sort of launcher or other device, in which case the appropriate Weapon Proficiency feat for the launcher is necessary to avoid the –4 non-proficient penalty. All explosives and splash weapons are light weapons for purposes of wielding them. Explosives and Splash Weapons Traits Explosives and splash weapons are described by a number of statistics, as shown on the Explosives and Splash Weapons table.
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Purchase DC: This is the purchase DC for a Wealth check to acquire the weapon. This number reflects the base price and does not include any modifier for purchasing the weapon on the black market. Damage/Direct Hit Damage: The primary damage dealt by the weapon. For explosives, the Damage column shows the damage dealt to all creatures within the explosive’s burst radius. For splash weapons, the Direct Hit Damage column is used for a target directly struck by the weapon. Burst Radius/Splash Damage: For explosives, the burst radius is the area affected by the explosive. All creatures or objects within the burst radius take damage from the explosive. For splash weapons, all creatures within 5 feet of the weapon’s impact point take splash damage equal to the amount shown in this column. Damage Type: Damage from explosives and splash weapons is classified according to type: energy of a specific kind. Some creatures or characters may be resistant or even immune to some forms of damage.
Critical: The threat range for a critical hit. If the threat is confirmed, a weapon deals double damage on a critical hit, according to the usual rules for multiplying damage. Reflex DC: Any creature caught within the burst radius of an explosive may make a Reflex saving throw against the DC given in this column for half damage. Range Increment: If the weapon can be thrown, its range increment is shown in this column. Explosives with no range increment must be set in place before being detonated. Weight: This column gives the weapon’s weight.
Explosives and Splash Weapons Many explosives require detonators. Many splash weapons, such as petrol bombs, are essentially homemade devices; improvised explosives, in other words. The purchase DC given in the Explosives and Splash Weapons table reflects the typical cost of the necessary components. See the Craft (chemical) skill for details on making improvised explosives. Acid, Mild: A character can throw a flask of acid as a grenadelike weapon. A flask is made of ceramic, metal, or glass depending on the substance it has to hold, with a tight stopper. It holds about 1 pint of liquid. This entry represents any mild caustic substance. Alchemist’s Fire: A character can throw a flask of alchemist’s fire, a substance that ignites in contact with air, as a splash weapon. A direct hit deals 1d6 points of fire damage. Every creature within 5 feet of the point where the flask hits takes 1 point of fire damage from the splash. On the round following a direct hit, the target takes an additional 1d6 points of damage. If desired, the target can use a full-round action to attempt to extinguish the flames before taking this additional damage. Extinguishing the flames requires a DC 15 Reflex saving throw. Rolling on the ground, which involves falling prone, provides the target with a +2 bonus on the saving throw. Leaping into a lake or magically extinguishing the flames automatically smothers the fire. Burn Bomb: A burn bomb is a flask containing a flammable liquid, plugged with a rag. These items are easily made by hand, which requires a Craft (chemical) check at DC 10 or an Intelligence check at DC 15. To use the bomb, the rag must first be lit, requiring a move action; a lighter or other source of flame is also required. The cocktail detonates in 2 rounds or upon impact with a solid object, depending on which comes first. A target that takes a direct hit is dealt an additional 1d6 points of fire damage in the following round and risks catching on fire. Crying Gas Grenade: These weapons are useful for literally smoking targets out of a confined area, although
Critical — —
Damage Type Concussion Slashing
Burst Radius 5 ft. 20 ft.
Reflex DC 15 15
Range Increment 10 ft. 10 ft.
Weight 1 lb. 1 lb.
— —
— —
See text See text
— —
10 ft. 10 ft.
2 lb. 2 lb.
— — —
— — —
— — —
— — —
— — —
1/2 lb. 1 lb. —
Splash Damage 1 1 1 13
Critical2 20 20 20 20
Damage Type Acid Fire Fire Holy
Reflex DC — — — —
Range Increment 10 ft. 10 ft. 10 ft. 10 ft.
Weight 1 lb. 1 lb. 1 lb. 1 lb.
EQUIPMENT & WEALTH
Explosives and Splash Weapons Purchase Weapon DC Damage Dynamite 12 2d6 Fragmentation 15 4d6 grenade Smoke grenade 10 — Crying gas 12 See text grenade Detonator Timer 7 — Wired 6 — Fuse 5 — Direct Purchase Hit Weapon DC Damage Acid, mild 6 1d6 6 1d6 Burn bomb1 Alchemist’s fire 9 1d6 Holy water 10 2d43 1
This weapon cannot be purchased as an item; the purchase DC given is for the weapon’s components. Threat range applies to direct hits only; splash damage does not threaten a critical hit. 3 To undead creatures only 2
they are a very useful non-lethal alternative to dealing with crowds. On the round that it is thrown, a crying gas grenade fills a 5-foot radius with a cloud of irritant that causes eyes to fill with tears. On the following round, it fills a 10-foot radius; on the third round it fills a 15-foot radius. It disperses after 10 rounds, though a moderate wind (11 miles per hour or more) disperses the smoke in 4 rounds and a strong wind (21 miles per hour or more) disperses it in 1 round. A character caught in a cloud of crying gas must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 15) or be nauseated. This effect lasts as long as the character is in the cloud and for 1d6 rounds after he leaves it. Those who succeed at their saving throws but remain in the cloud must continue to make saving throws each round. A gas mask renders the target immune to the effects. A wet cloth held over the eyes, nose, and mouth provides a +2 bonus to the Fortitude saving throw. Dynamite: Dynamite is very stable under normal conditions. A stick of dynamite requires a fuse or detonator to set it off. Additional sticks can be set off at the same time if they are within the burst radius of the first stick, increasing the damage and burst radius of the explosion. Each additional stick increases the damage by +1d6 to a maximum of 10d6 and the burst radius by 5 feet, to a maximum of 20 feet. It is possible to wire together several sticks of dynamite for even greater explosive effect. Doing so requires a Craft (structural) check with a DC of 10 plus 1 per stick. If the character succeeds on the check, the damage or the burst
radius of the explosion increases by 50%. The character may choose which increase to apply. To set off dynamite using a fuse, the fuse must first be lit, requiring a move action; a lighter or other source of flame is also necessary. The amount of time until the dynamite explodes depends on the length of the fuse. A fuse can be cut short enough for the dynamite to detonate in the same round, allowing it to be used much like a grenade, or long enough for it to take several minutes to detonate. Cutting the fuse to the appropriate length requires a move action. Dynamite is sold in boxes of 12 sticks. For the purpose of using a Craft (chemical) check to manufacture it, it is considered a simple explosive. Detonator, Fuse: This is a chemically treated cord that burns rapidly from the point it is lit to its end, providing the user with varying amounts of time before the flame reaches its destination, depending on the length of the fuse. Cutting the right length of fuse and installing it requires a Craft (chemical) check or an Intelligence check, with a DC of 15 for each. Failure means that the explosive does not go off. Failure by 10 or more means that there is a 50% chance that the fuse was cut too short or too long by 1d4 rounds. Detonator, Timer: This is a clockwork timer connected to the detonator. Like an alarm clock, it can be set to go off at a particular time of the day. At a +1 Purchase DC, the timer is good enough to allow the user to set the explosive on a different day; it may only be set to go off a maximum of seven days away.
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EQUIPMENT & WEALTH
Detonator, Wire: The explosive connects by a wire to an activation device, usually a small box with a trigger device that the user presses down on. The detonator comes with 100 feet of wire. Longer lengths can be spliced in with a Craft (structural or chemical) check at a DC of 10. Fragmentation Grenade: The most common military grenade, this is a small explosive device that sprays shrapnel in all directions when it explodes. The purchase DC given is for a box of 6 grenades. Holy Water: Holy water damages undead creatures and evil outsiders almost as if it were acid. A flask of holy water can be thrown as a splash weapon. The flask breaks if thrown against the body of a corporeal creature; to use it against an incorporeal creature, the character must open the flask and pour the holy water out onto an adjacent target. A direct hit by a flask of holy water deals 2d4 points of damage to an undead creature or an evil outsider. Each such creature within 5 feet of the point where the flask hits takes 1 point of damage from the splash. Smoke Grenade: These weapons are used to create temporary concealment. On the round when it is thrown, a smoke grenade fills an area 10 feet in diameter with smoke. On the following round, it fills an area 20 feet in diameter, and on the third round it fills all an area 30 feet in diameter. The smoke obscures all sight, including the darkvision ability. Any creature within the area has total concealment; attacks suffer a 50% miss chance, and the attacker cannot use sight to locate the target. It disperses after 10 rounds, though a moderate wind (11 miles per hour or more) disperses the smoke in 4 rounds and a strong wind (21 miles per hour or more) disperses it in
1 round. Smoke grenades are available in several colours, including white, red, yellow, green, and purple. As such, they can be used as signal devices. The purchase DC given is for a box of 6 grenades.
Armour and Protection
Those who expect to be in harm’s way or who, by design or misfortune, find themselves there all too often, are habitual wearers of armour. Heavy armour is quickly falling out of use due to the proliferation of firearms that make such bulky and restricting protection somewhat moot, although many brave heroes venturing through the still unexplored territories still tend to wield heavier armour, as monsters and primitive humanoids have not adopted firearms… yet. Armies, particularly cavalries, are opting for the half plate or even only a breastplate, attempting to find a middle ground between protection and mobility. Most classes provide at least light armour proficiency, allowing those who desire such protection to wear at least a little something between them and the ravages of combat. To wear heavier armour effectively, a character can select the Armour Proficiency feats, but most classes are automatically proficient with the armour types that work best for them. Here is the format for armour entries, given as column headings on the Armour and Shields table below. Purchase DC: This is the cost of the armour for Small or Medium humanoid creatures. See Armour for Unusual Creatures on page 153 for armour prices for other creatures.
When Heshia did not give any further voice to her thoughts, Jerrek pulled himself to his aching feet and walked purposefully across the tunnel to where she was sitting. He was trying not to be furious with her, but this was a subject he was very sensitive about and she was treating him like a child. ‘All right,’ he said as evenly as he could manage. ‘Just what in the Blazing Hells did you mean by that?’ Heshia’s expression was unreadable as she looked up at him. It was as if five or six different emotions warred for dominance on her face before giving up and leaving just a blank stare. ‘Just what I said, human. We did not have to curse the gnomes with anything.’ Jerrek balled up a fist but immediately released it again. Heshia was not the enemy here, though her tone was beginning to infuriate him. He made himself sit down next to her and keep his voice civil. ‘Explain.’ Then, almost as an afterthought, ‘Please?’ Heshia sighed again and did something he did not expect. She reached out and took his hands into her own. ‘Human… Jerrek. What is wrong? You are taking this very personally.’ It was Thurdin that answered. ‘He lost a friend to old age when he was still a sproutling, woman. He told you all about it last night when he was trying to climb into your bedroll.’ The grumpy old dwarf was fitting the end to a canister grenade. It was quite clear that if Jerrek jumped him, which he seemed just about ready to do, the thing just might go off and spray him down with crying gas. Jerrek settled for turning the colour of a beet, a reaction that filled the tunnel with the thunder of dwarven laughter.
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Maximum Dex Bonus: This number is the maximum Dexterity bonus to DV that this type of armour allows. Heavier armours limit mobility, reducing the wearer’s ability to dodge blows. This restriction does not affect any other Dexterity-related abilities. Even if a character’s Dexterity bonus to DV drops to 0 because of armour, this situation does not count as losing a Dexterity bonus to DV. A character’s encumbrance (the amount of gear he carries) may also restrict the maximum Dexterity bonus that can be applied to his Armour Class. Shields do not affect a character’s maximum Dexterity bonus. Armour Check Penalty: Any armour heavier than leather hurts a character’s ability to use some skills. An armour check penalty number is the penalty that applies to Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Sleight of Hand, and Tumble checks that results from character’s wearing a certain kind of armour. Double the normal armour check penalty is applied to Swim checks. A character’s encumbrance (the amount of gear carried, including armour) may also apply an armour check penalty. If a character is wearing armour and using a shield, both armour check penalties apply. Nonproficient with Armour Worn: A character who wears armour and/or uses a shield with which he is not proficient takes the armour’s (and/or shield’s) armour check penalty on attack rolls and on all Strength-based and Dexterity-based ability and skill checks. The penalty for nonproficiency with armour stacks with the penalty for nonproficiency with shields. Sleeping in Armour: A character who sleeps in medium or heavy armour is automatically fatigued the next day. He takes a –2 penalty on Strength and Dexterity and cannot charge or run. Sleeping in light armour does not cause fatigue. Magic Failure: Armour interferes with the gestures that a character must make to perform a ritual or activate a conduit. Magicians face the possibility of magic failure if they are wearing armour. This failure applies to each Ritual or level check used to activate the magic effect. Activating Effects in Armour: A character who activates a magic effect while wearing armour must usually make a magic failure roll. The number in the Magic Failure Chance column on the Armour and Shields table is the chance for the spell to fail and be ruined. If the effect can be performed without gestures, however, it can be activated
with no chance of arcane spell failure. If a character is wearing armour and using a shield, add the two numbers together to get a single magic failure chance. Speed: Medium or heavy armour slows the wearer down. The number on the Armour and Shields table is the character’s speed while wearing the armour. All creatures of Medium size except dwarves have an unencumbered speed of 30 feet and so they use the first column. Dwarves and Small creatures have an unencumbered speed of 20 feet and use the second column. A dwarf ’s land speed remains 20 feet even in medium or heavy armour or when carrying a medium or heavy load. Shields do not affect a character’s speed. Weight: This column gives the weight of the armour sized for a Medium-size wearer. Armour fitted for Small characters weighs half as much, and armour for Large characters weighs twice as much.
Armour Descriptions
EQUIPMENT & WEALTH
Armour/Shield Bonus: Each armour type grants an armour bonus to DR, while shields grant a shield bonus to DV. The armour bonus from a suit of armour does not stack with other effects or items that grant an armour bonus or provide Damage Reduction; instead, use the greater value. Similarly, the shield bonus from a shield does not stack with other effects that grant a shield bonus.
Any special benefits or accessories to the types of armour found on the Armour and Shields table are described below. Armour Spikes: A character can add spikes to his armour, which allows him to deal extra piercing damage (see the Weapons table) on a successful grapple attack. The spikes count as a martial weapon. If the character is not proficient with them, you take a –4 penalty on grapple checks when he tries to use them. You can also make a regular melee attack (or off-hand attack) with the spikes and they count as a light weapon in this case. A character cannot also make an attack with armour spikes if he already has made an attack with another off-hand weapon and vice versa. An enhancement bonus to a suit of armour does not improve the spikes’ effectiveness but the spikes can be made into magic weapons in their own right. Breastplate: Effectively plate mail armour without most of the arm and leg pieces, a breastplate suit concentrates the heaviest armour just over the vitals and leaves the wearer’s limbs with limited protection. It comes with a helmet and greaves. Buckler: This small metal shield is worn strapped to the forearm. A character can use a bow, crossbow or musket without penalty while carrying it. He can also use his shield arm to wield a weapon (whether this is an off-hand weapon or a use of the off hand to help wield a two-handed weapon) but takes a –1 penalty on attack rolls while doing so. This penalty stacks with those that may apply for fighting with the off hand and for fighting with two weapons. In any case, if the character uses a weapon in his off hand, he does not benefit from the buckler’s DV bonus for the rest of the round. A character cannot bash someone with a buckler.
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Armour and Shields Purchase DC
EQUIPMENT & WEALTH
Armour Light armour Padded 9 Leather 11 Chain shirt 18 Medium armour Hide 12 Scale mail 17 Chainmail 20 Breastplate 19 Heavy armour Half-plate 20 Full plate 23 Shields Buckler 12 Shield, light 7 wooden Shield, light 10 steel Shield, heavy 11 wooden Shield, heavy 14 steel Extras Armour +1 spikes Padded +2 overcoat Shield spikes +1
Armour/ Shield Bonus
Maximum Dex Bonus
Armour Check Penalty
Magic Failure Chance
Speed (30 ft.)
(20 ft.)
Weight1
+1 +2 +4
+8 +6 +4
0 0 –2
5% 10% 20%
30 ft. 30 ft. 30 ft.
20 ft. 20 ft. 20 ft.
10 lb. 15 lb. 25 lb.
+3 +4 +5 +5
+4 +3 +2 +3
–3 –4 –5 –4
20% 25% 30% 25%
20 ft. 20 ft. 20 ft. 20 ft.
15 ft. 15 ft. 15 ft. 15 ft.
25 lb. 30 lb. 40 lb. 30 lb.
+7 +8
+0 +1
–7 –6
40% 35%
20 ft. 2 20 ft. 2
15 ft. 2 15 ft. 2
50 lb. 50 lb.
+1 +1
— —
–1 –1
5% 5%
— —
— —
5 lb. 5 lb.
+1
—
–1
5%
—
—
6 lb.
+2
—
–2
15%
—
—
10 lb.
+2
—
–2
15%
—
—
15 lb.
—
—
—
—
—
—
+10 lb.
+2
-1
-1
—
—
—
+1 lb.
—
—
—
—
—
—
+5 lb.
1
Weight figures are for armour sized to fit Medium-size characters. Armour fitted for Small characters weighs half as much and armour fitted for Large characters weighs twice as much. 2 When running in heavy armour, you move only triple your speed, not quadruple.
Chain Shirt: A shirt, usually long sleeved, of interlocking rings of metal, a chain shirt is the light armour of choice for many warriors interested in effective protection without a great deal of movement restriction. Chainmail: An extended form of the chain shirt, chainmail armour proper covers the arms and legs of the wearer. This offers heavier protection at the expense of movement and agility. The suit includes gauntlets. Full Plate: Consisting of a breastplate with a reinforced back, several separate plates for the extremities and vulnerable areas of the body and a raised collar to protect the neck, full plate is the most effective form of mundane armour commonly available. The suit includes gauntlets, heavy leather boots, a visored helmet and a thick layer of padding that is worn underneath the armour. Each suit of full plate must be individually fitted to its owner by a master armoursmith, although a captured suit can be resized to fit a new owner; the Purchase DC of this modification is 1d6+15.
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Half-Plate: A somewhat ineffective compromise between protection and weight, half-plate is actually more restrictive to the wearer’s movement than full plate but offers heavy protection at a lighter cost. Half-plate does not have to be resized for new wearers, making it more useful from a battlefield scavenger’s point of view. The suit includes gauntlets. Scale Mail: Made of numerous metal or heavy leather scales sewn over a protective backing much like banded mail, scale mail covers most of the body and can provide effective protection to those who do not wish a heavier suit of armour and its commensurate penalties to movement and agility. The suit includes gauntlets. Shield, Heavy, Wooden or Steel: A character straps a shield to his forearm and grips it with his hand. A heavy shield is so heavy that the shield hand cannot be used for anything else.
Wooden or Steel: Wooden and steel shields offer the same basic protection, though they respond differently to special attacks.
Non-humanoid Cost Weight x1 x1/10 x2 x1/2 x2 x1 x4 x2 x8 x5 x16 x8 x32 x12
Shield Bash Attacks: A character can bash an opponent with a heavy shield, using it as an off-hand weapon. See the Weapons table for the damage dealt by a shield bash. Used this way, a heavy shield is a martial bludgeoning weapon. For the purpose of penalties on attack rolls, treat a heavy shield as a onehanded weapon. If a character is using the shield as 1 a weapon, loses its DV bonus until his next action, Divide the armour bonus by 2. which in practice is usually until the next round. An enhancement bonus on a shield does not improve the Armour for Unusual Creatures effectiveness of a shield bash made with it, but the shield Armour and shields for unusually big creatures, unusually can be made into a magic weapon in its own right. little creatures and non-humanoid creatures have different costs and weights from those given on the Armour and Shield, Light, Wooden or Steel: As a heavy shield, but Shields table. Refer to the appropriate row on the table offering less protection. A light shield’s weight lets the below and apply the multipliers to cost and weight for the wielder carry other items in that hand, although he cannot armour type in question. The non-humanoid category use weapons with it. listed on the chart provides the rules needed to craft barding for monstrous and mundane mounts alike. Shield Spikes: When added to a shield, these spikes turn it into a martial piercing weapon. The spikes also Getting Into and Out of Armour increase the damage dealt by a shield bash as if the shield The time required to don armour depends on its type; see were designed for a creature one size category larger than the Donning Armour table. the wielder. A buckler cannot be fitted with shield spikes. Otherwise, attacking with a spiked shield is like making a Don: This column tells how long it takes a shield bash attack, for which see above. An enhancement character to put the armour on. One minute is 10 bonus on a spiked shield does not improve the effectiveness rounds. Readying (strapping on) a shield is only of a shield bash made with it, but a spiked shield can be a move action. made into a magic weapon in its own right. Don Hastily: This column tells how long it takes to put the armour on in a hurry. The armour Mastercraft Armour check penalty and armour bonus for hastily Just as with weapons, a character can purchase or craft donned armour are each 1 point worse than mastercraft versions of armour or shields. Such a wellnormal. made item functions like the normal version, with the Remove: This column tells how long it takes to benefit that its armour check penalty is lessened by 1. take the armour off. Loosing a shield (removing A mastercraft suit of armour or shield adds +1 to the it from the arm and dropping it) is only a move purchase DC per bonus over and above the normal cost action. for that type of armour or shield; see the Master Artisan feat. The mastercraft quality of a suit of armour or shield never provides Donning Armour a bonus on attack or damage rolls, Don even if the armour or shield is used as Armour Type Don Hastily Remove a weapon. All suits of magic armour Shield (any) 1 move action n/a 1 move action and magic shields are automatically Padded, leather, hide, 1 minute 5 rounds 1 minute1 considered to be of mastercraft quality. studded leather, or chain shirt Breastplate, scale mail, 4 minutes1 1 minute 1 minute1 chainmail, banded mail, or splint mail Half-plate or full plate 4 minutes2 4 minutes1 1d4+1 minutes1
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Armour for Unusual Creatures Size Humanoid Cost Weight x1/2 x1/10 Tiny or smaller1 Small x1 x1/2 Medium x1 x1 Large x2 x2 Huge x4 x5 Gargantuan x8 x8 Colossal x16 x12
1 If the character has some help, cut this time in half. A single character doing nothing else can help one or two adjacent characters. Two characters cannot help each other don armour at the same time. 2 The wearer must have help to don this armour. Without help, it can be donned only hastily.
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Adventuring Gear
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This section includes several items that characters can find useful when they go out into the wild, although some may have a use in relatively tamer environments like city sewers and discovered ruins.
Adventuring Gear and Other Goods Several of the items listed on the above tables are described below, along with any special benefits they confer on the user. Caltrops: A caltrop is a four-pronged iron spike crafted so that one prong faces up no matter how the caltrop comes to rest. A character scatters caltrops on the ground in the hope that his enemies step on them or are at least forced to slow down to avoid them. One two-pound bag of caltrops covers an area 5 feet square. Each time a creature moves into an area covered by caltrops, or spends a round fighting while standing in such an area, it might step on one. The caltrops make an attack roll (base attack bonus +0) against the creature. For this attack, the creature’s shield, armour, and deflection bonuses do not count. If the creature is wearing shoes or other footwear, it gets a +2 armour bonus to DV. If the caltrops succeed on the attack, the creature has stepped on one. The caltrop deals 1 point of damage, and the creature’s speed is reduced by one-half because its foot is wounded. This movement penalty lasts for 24 hours, or until the creature is successfully treated with a DC 15 Heal check, or until it receives at least 1 point of magical curing. A charging or running creature must immediately stop if it steps on a caltrop. Any creature moving at half speed or slower can pick its way through a bed of caltrops with no trouble. Caltrops may not be effective against unusual opponents. Candle: A candle dimly illuminates a 5-foot radius and burns for 1 hour. Chain: Chains are assumed to be made of iron, have a hardness of 10 and possess 5 hit points. They can be burst with a DC 26 Strength check. Stronger chains may exist, at a higher cost, at the Games Master’s discretion. Compass: A compass always points to the magnetic north and provides a +2 bonus to Navigate checks. Crowbar: A crowbar grants a +2 circumstance bonus on Strength checks made for purposes of prying things open. If used in combat, treat a crowbar as a one-handed improvised weapon that deals bludgeoning damage equal to that of a club of its size. Flint and Steel: Lighting a torch with flint and steel is a full-round action and lighting any other fire with them takes at least that long.
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Grappling Hook: Throwing a grappling hook successfully requires a Use Rope check at DC 10, +2 per 10 feet of distance thrown. Hammer: If a hammer is used in combat, treat it as a one-handed improvised weapon that deals bludgeoning damage equal to that of a spiked gauntlet of its size. Ink: This category of item describes basic, coal-derived black ink. There are inks available in other colours but they cost +3. Certain special colours (such as violet and bright red) may have a purchase DC of +4 or +6 the listed price, depending on the rarity of the plants and minerals used to make them. Jug, Clay: This basic ceramic jug is fitted with a stopper and holds 1 gallon of liquid. Lamp, Common: A lamp clearly illuminates a 15-foot radius, provides shadowy illumination out to a 30-foot radius and burns for 6 hours on a pint of oil. A character can carry a lamp in one hand. Lantern, Bullseye: A bullseye lantern provides clear illumination in a 60-foot cone and shadowy illumination in a 120-foot cone. It burns for 6 hours on a pint of oil. A character can carry a bullseye lantern in one hand. Lantern, Hooded: A hooded lantern clearly illuminates a 30-foot radius and provides shadowy illumination in a 60-foot radius. It burns for 6 hours on a pint of oil. A character can carry a hooded lantern in one hand. Lighter: A lighter holds a small amount of a flammable substance ignited by a flint striking metal, similar to a firearm. Its flame lights a 5-foot area as a candle does but it burns for 3 hours. A single flask of oil can refill two lighters. It is much easier to light fuses with a lighter than with any other source of flame. Manacles and Manacles, Mastercraft: Manacles can bind a Medium-size creature. A manacled creature can use the Escape Artist skill to slip free, with a DC of 30, or DC 35 for masterwork manacles. Breaking the manacles requires a Strength check with a DC of 26, or DC 28 for masterwork manacles. Manacles have hardness 10 and 10 hit points. For the same cost, a character can buy manacles for a Small creature. For a Large creature, manacles have a purchase DC of the indicated amount +2 and for a Huge creature, the indicated amount +10. Only specially made manacles can hold Gargantuan, Colossal, Tiny, Diminutive, and Fine creatures. Oil: A pint of oil burns for 6 hours in a lantern. A character can use a flask of oil as a splash weapon. Use the rules for alchemist’s fire, except that it takes a full round action to prepare a flask with a fuse. Once it is thrown, there is a 50% chance of the flask igniting successfully. A character can pour a pint of oil on the ground to cover an
Adventuring Gear Purchase DC 6 6 3 2 4 3 6 3 4 2 2 4 16 2 6 15 15 6 2 2 9 2 4 4 3 5 2 2 2 2 13
Weight 2 lb. 30 lb. 1 lb. 5 lb. — 3 lb. — 2 lb. 2 lb. — 1 lb. 1/2 lb. 2 lb. — 25 lb. 1 lb. — 5 lb. 20 lb. — 5 lb. 1 1/2 lb. — 4 lb. 2 lb. — — 9 lb. 20 lb. 1 lb. 3 lb.
area 5 feet square, provided that the surface is smooth. If lit, the oil burns for 2 rounds and deals 1d3 points of fire damage to each creature in the area. Rope, Hempen: This rope has 2 hit points and can be burst with a DC 23 Strength check. Rope, Silk: This rope has 4 hit points and can be burst with a DC 24 Strength check. It is so supple that it provides a +2 circumstance bonus on Use Rope checks. Spyglass: Objects viewed through a spyglass are magnified to twice their size. Torch: A torch burns for 1 hour, clearly illuminating a 20-foot radius and providing shadowy illumination out to a 40- foot radius. If a torch is used in combat, treat it as a one-handed improvised weapon that deals bludgeoning damage equal to that of a gauntlet of its size, plus 1 point of fire damage.
Lantern, hooded Lighter Manacles Manacles, mastercraft Mirror, small steel Mug/Tankard, clay Oil (1-pint flask) Paper (sheet) Parchment (sheet) Pick, miner’s Pitcher, clay Piton Pocket Watch Pole, 10-foot Pot, iron Pouch, belt (empty) Rations, trail (per day) Rope, hempen (50 ft.) Rope, silk (50 ft.) Sack (empty) Sealing wax Sewing needle Signal whistle Signet ring Sledge Soap (per lb.) Spade or shovel Spyglass Tent Torch (10) Vial, ink or potion Waterskin Whetstone
11 8 13 16 17 2 2 3 2 8 2 2 18 2 3 4 3 4 12 2 4 3 3 10 4 3 6 23 12 2 4 4 —
2 lb. — 2 lb. 2 lb. 1/2 lb. 1 lb. 1 lb. — — 10 lb. 5 lb. 1/2 lb. — 8 lb. 10 lb. 1/2 lb. 1 lb. 10 lb. 5 lb. 1/2 lb. 1 lb. — — — 10 lb. 1 lb. 8 lb. 1 lb. 20 lb. 1 lb. 1/10 lb. 4 lb. 1 lb.
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Item Backpack (empty) Barrel (empty) Basket (empty) Bedroll Bell Blanket, winter Bottle, wine, glass Bucket (empty) Caltrops Candle (10) Canvas (sq. yd.) Case, map or scroll Chain (10 ft.) Chalk, 10 pieces Chest (empty) Clock, alarm Compass Crowbar Firewood (10 days) Fishhook Fishing net, 25 sq. ft. Flask (empty) Flint and steel Grappling hook Hammer Ink (1 oz. vial) Inkpen Jug, clay Ladder, 10-foot Lamp, common Lantern, bullseye
Vial: A vial holds 1 ounce of liquid. The stoppered container usually is no more than 1 inch wide and 3 inches high.
Special Substances and Items A character may use the Craft (chemical) skill to make any of these substances, with the exception of the everburning torch. A Games Master may restrict access to these items and deny starting characters the option of purchasing them with starting funds. Match: The alchemical substance on the end of this small, wooden stick ignites when struck against a rough surface. Creating a flame with a match is much faster than creating a flame with flint and steel (or a magnifying glass) and tinder, although not as fast as with a lighter. Lighting a torch with a match is a standard action (rather than a full-round action) and lighting any other fire with one is at least a standard action.
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Smokestick: This alchemically treated wooden stick instantly creates thick, opaque smoke when ignited. The smoke fills a 10- foot cube to provide concealment like a smoke grenade. The stick is consumed after 1 round, and the smoke dissipates naturally. Sunrod: This 1-foot-long, gold-tipped, iron rod glows brightly when struck. It clearly illuminates a 30-foot radius and provides shadowy illumination in a 60-foot radius. It glows for 6 hours, after which the gold tip is burned out and worthless. Tanglefoot Bag: When a character throws a tanglefoot bag at a creature (as a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 10 feet) the bag comes apart and the goo inside bursts out, entangling the target and then becoming tough and resilient upon exposure to air. An entangled creature takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls and a –4 penalty to Dexterity and must make a DC 15 Reflex saving throw or be glued to the floor, unable to move. Even on a successful saving throw, it can move only at half speed. Huge or larger creatures are unaffected by a tanglefoot bag. A flying creature is not stuck to the floor but it must make a DC 15 Reflex saving throw or be unable to fly (assuming it uses its wings to fly) and fall to the ground. A tanglefoot bag does not function underwater. A creature that is glued to the floor (or unable to fly) can break free by making a DC 17 Strength check or by dealing 15 points of damage to the goo with a slashing weapon. A creature trying to scrape goo off itself, or another creature attempting to do the same to an afflicted creature, does not need to make an attack roll; hitting the goo is automatic, after which the creature that hit makes a damage roll to see how much of the goo was scraped off. Once free, the creature can move (including flying) at half speed. The goo becomes brittle and fragile after 2d4 rounds, cracking apart and losing its effectiveness. An application of mild acid to a stuck creature dissolves the alchemical goo immediately. Thunderstone: A character can throw this stone as a ranged attack with a range increment of 20 feet. When it strikes a hard surface (or is struck soundly by a hard object or any attack capable of doing lethal damage) it creates a deafening bang that is treated as a sonic attack. Each creature within a 10-foot-radius spread must make a Fortitude saving throw at DC 15 or be deafened for 1 hour. A deafened creature, in addition to the obvious effects, takes a –4 penalty on initiative and has a 20% Special Substances Item Match Smokestick Sunrod Tanglefoot bag Thunderstone
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Cost 4 14 6 17 16
Weight — 1/2 lb. 1 lb. 4 lb. 1 lb.
chance to mispronounce activation words. Since a character does not need to hit a specific target, a character can simply aim at a particular spot. Treat the target spot as DV 5.
Professional Equipment
This category covers a wide variety of specialised equipment used by professionals in adventure-related fields. Some objects contain the tools necessary to use certain skills optimally. Without the use of these items, often referred to as kits, skill checks made with these skills are at a –4 penalty. Skills and the kits they are associated with are listed below. See the descriptions of the kits for additional details. Note that kits should be restocked periodically, which involves a purchase DC 5 less than the original purchase DC. Note that some skills, by their nature, require a piece of equipment to utilize. Skill Climb Craft (chemical) Craft (expression) Craft (mechanical) Craft (pharmaceutical) Craft (structural) Disable Device
Disguise Forgery Investigate Perform (keyboards) Perform (percussion) Perform (stringed) Perform (wind) Repair
Treat Injury
Associated Item Climbing gear Chemical kit Artisan kit Photographic camera Mechanical tool kit Pharmacist kit Mechanical tool kit Artisan tool kit Electrical tool kit Mechanical tool kit Lockpick set Disguise kit Forgery kit Evidence kit Instrument, keyboard Instrument, percussion Instrument, stringed Instrument, wind Electrical tool kit Mechanical tool kit Multipurpose tool First aid kit Medical kit Surgery kit
Artisan Kit: These special tools include the items needed to make objects with the Craft (structural) skill with a more artistic bent, as well as the tools needed for Craft (expression) checks. Skill checks made without an artisan kit incur a –4 penalty. Chemical Kit: A portable laboratory for use with the Craft (chemical) skill, a chemical kit includes the tools and components necessary for mixing and analysing acids, bases, explosives, toxic gases, and other chemical compounds. Climbing Gear: Consisting of pitons, clamps, special pulleys, and other specialised gear, this is the perfect set of
Instrument, Percussion: This is a set of drums, necessary in order to use the Perform (percussion) skill.
Disguise Kit: This kit contains everything needed to use the Disguise skill, including makeup, brushes, mirrors, wigs, and other accoutrements. It does not contain clothing or uniforms, however. A disguise kit is exhausted after ten uses.
Instrument, Stringed: This is a guitar or similar item, necessary in order to use the Perform (stringed) skill.
Evidence Kits: Law enforcement agencies around the Empire use generally the same tools to gather evidence as forensics becomes a standard method of criminal investigation. Having an evidence kit does not grant access to an imperial agency’s crime lab; it merely assists in the proper gathering and storing of evidence for use by such a lab. Without an evidence kit, a character receives a –4 penalty to use the collect evidence option of the Investigate skill.
Basic: A basic evidence kit includes clean containers, labels, gloves, tweezers, swabs, and other items to gather bits of physical evidence and prevent them from becoming contaminated. Advanced: An Advanced kit includes all the materials in a basic kit, plus supplies for analysing narcotic substances at the scene and for gathering more esoteric forms of physical evidence such as casts and moulds of footprints, as well as chemical residues and organic fluids. It also contains the necessary dusts, sprays, brushes, adhesives, and cards to gather fingerprints. It grants a +2 equipment bonus on Investigate checks under appropriate circumstances, which are occasions when the Games Master rules that the equipment in the kit can be of use in the current situation.
Using an Advanced kit to analyse a possible narcotic substance or basic chemical requires a Craft (chemical) check at DC 15. In this case, the +2 equipment bonus does not apply. First Aid Kit: This kit contains enough supplies, along with simple instructions for their use, to treat an injury before transporting the injured person to a medical professional. A first aid kit can be used to help a dazed, unconscious, or stunned character by making a Treat Injury check at DC 15. A first aid kit can be used only once. Skill checks made without a first aid kit incur a –4 penalty. Forgery Kit: This kit contains everything needed to use the Forgery skill to prepare forged items. Depending on the item to be forged, a character might need legal documents or other items not included in the kit. Instrument, Keyboard: This is a keyboard instrument such as a piano or a clavichord, necessary in order to use the Perform (keyboard) skill.
Instrument, Theremin: This strange device produces tonal sounds by varying electromagnetic frequencies. Both the Perform (keyboards) and Perform (stringed) skills are useful for playing the theremin, although Knowledge (physical sciences) and Knowledge (technology) work as well, bridging the gap between art and science. The theremin’s sound has hauntingly voice-like qualities when played right. Instrument, Wind: A flute, necessary in order to use the Perform (wind) skill. Lockpick Set: A lockpick set includes picks and tension bars for opening locks operated by standard keys. A lockpick set allows a character to make Disable Device checks to open mechanical locks (deadbolts, keyed entry locks, and so forth) without penalty.
EQUIPMENT & WEALTH
tools for climbing and gives characters a +2 circumstance bonus on Climb checks.
Mechanical Tool Kit: This collection of hand tools and small parts typically includes a variety of pliers, drivers, cutting devices, fasteners, and even drillers.
Basic: This kit, which fits in a portable toolbox, allows a character to make Repair checks for mechanical devices without penalty. Advanced: This kit fills a good-sized shop cabinet. It includes a broad variety of specialised hand tools and a selection of high-quality power tools. It grants a +2 equipment bonus on Repair checks for mechanical devices and allows a character to make Craft (mechanical) or Craft (structural) checks without penalty.
Medical Kit: About the size of a large tackle box, this is the sort of kit commonly carried by military and private medics. It contains a wide variety of medical supplies and equipment. A medical kit can be used to treat a dazed, unconscious, or stunned character, to provide long-term care, to restore hit points, to treat a diseased or poisoned character, or to stabilise a dying character, for which see the Treat Injury skill. Skill checks made without a medical kit incur a –4 penalty. Multipurpose Tool: This device contains several different screwdrivers, a knife blade or two, can opener, bottle opener, file, short ruler, scissors, tweezers, and wire cutters. The whole thing unfolds into a handy pair of pliers. A multipurpose tool can lessen the penalty for making Repair, Craft (mechanical) or Craft (structural) checks without appropriate tools to –2 instead of the normal –4. The tool is useful for certain tasks as determined by the Games Master but may not be useful in all situations.
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It was some time before Heshia could induce Jerrek to look up at her, much less talk to her. She shot another sour look at the dwarf but was only greeted with the sight of an engineer looking far too pleased with himself. Gearbolt and Gailion were both staying out of the situation, though the cog was possibly seeking a level of revenge for Jerrek. Gearbolt was administering what seemed like very rough surgery to Thurdin in an attempt to get shrapnel out of his still-mangled arm, something the grinning dwarf was only barely tolerating without howling in pain. ‘Jerrek, it’s all right. My people do not embarrass easily.’ He rolled over to look at the tunnel wall again. ‘Well, mine do. I swear, I am going to get even with that cave-dweller some day. He has to sleep eventually.’ Heshia did not try to turn him around again. Instead, she put her hand on his shoulder and said quietly, ‘You wanted to know what I meant about about the gnomes?’ A tense nod was her only reply. ‘We did not have to curse the gnomes because they did it to themselves. The races of my world are very magical but the gnomes were more interested in science than sorcery. Magic is in our blood, Jerrek. It makes us what we are. It’s… it is why your world hurts us so much. You humans are killing its magic. That, in turn, is killing us.’ Before he could respond, she continued. ‘Gnomes developed science on our world long before they brought it here to yours. They did not listen to the wiser counsel of the elves; instead they kept pushing and pushing until they discovered the secrets of steel and steam. It… it changed them. To grasp science is, at some level, to turn one’s back on magic.’ Her hand clenched at him a little harder. ‘Magic is in our blood just like it is with the gnomes, but they gave up the greater part of that to learn their damned craft. They got what they wanted, but it cost them so much. Too much. Do you… do you understand?’ Photographic Camera: Photography is a new art as well as a science, threatening to displace painting and drawing as the way to depict reality in a static image. Characters are allowed to make Spot checks using the photograph of a scene or person at varying difficulties. The Games Master determines if the photograph does indeed contain anything useful for the characters to spot in the picture.
Portable: This handy camera is slightly larger than a hatbox and can be hung comfortably from the neck with a leather strap. A portable photographic kit comes with a tripod and a flash bulb that uses, of all things, gunpowder equivalent to a shot from a flintlock firearm’s firing. Due to the basic quality of the lenses and the handling of resulting plates, Spot checks using the photographs have a base DC of 20, modified by whatever interesting thing can be found in the image. Studio: This big, hulking apparatus is heavy and cumbersome. A heavy camera with a wide array of lenses rests atop a wheeled contraption. The studio kit comes with a pair of rails to move the camera in and out, and a flash bulb as per a portable camera. Because of the higher-quality lenses of a studio camera, Spot checks using its photographs have a base DC of 15, modified by whatever interesting thing can be found in the image.
Photo Plate: This wooden or metal plate accommodates special paper that captures light shone on it by a camera’s
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lens, turning it into an exact, although colourless, rendition of the scene it shot at. Developing a photo plate requires a Craft (chemical) check at DC 10. Pharmacist Kit: A portable pharmacy for use with the Craft (pharmaceutical) skill, a pharmacist kit includes everything needed to prepare, preserve, compound, analyse and dispense medicinal drugs. Surgery Kit: This small set of delicate and sterile tools includes tools for cutting flesh and bone as well as other apparently ghastly instruments that a character needs in order to perform surgery with the Treat Injury skill, provided he has the Surgery feat for the training necessary to both perform the procedures and use this kit’s tools.
Clothing
The items described here represent special clothing types, or unusual outfits that a character might need to purchase. For the most part, clothing choice is based on character concept. It is generally assumed that a character owns a reasonable wardrobe of the sorts of clothes that fit his or her lifestyle. Sometimes, however, a character might need something out of the ordinary. When that is the case, he will have to purchase it like any other piece of gear. Mastercraft clothing exists but its craftsmanship merely increases its value and perhaps makes it harder to rip or tear; otherwise, it has no other game effect other than to impress others. Clothes have two effects on game mechanics: one on Disguise checks, and one on Sleight of Hand checks.
Professional Equipment Purchase DC 15 16 17 12
Size Small Med Med Med
Weight 3 lb. 6 lb. 8 lb. 5 lb.
14 21
Large Huge
12 lb. 33 lb.
7 15 5 12 12 14 13 13 8 9
Med Med Small Small Large Huge Large Small Tiny Tiny
6 lb. 8 lb. 3 lb. 3 lb. 12 lb. 50 lb. 7 lb. 5 lb 1 lb. 1 lb.
13 20 15 9 17
Large Huge Med Tiny Med
22 lb. 45 lb. 5 lb. 1/2 lb. 6 lb.
18 21 4 16
Small Large Dim Med
5 lb. 40 lb. 1/2 lb. 5 lb.
First, clothing is part of a disguise. See the Disguise skill description for more on how appropriate dress affects Disguise checks. Clothes also help to hide firearms, body armour, and small objects. Tightly tailored clothing imposes a penalty on an attempt to conceal an object; clothing purposely tailored to conceal objects provides a bonus. Clothing Outfit: An outfit of clothing represents everything a character needs to dress a part: pants or skirt, shirt, undergarments, appropriate shoes or boots, socks or stockings, and any necessary belt or suspenders. The clothes a character wears does not count against the weight limit for encumbrance.
Commoner: This set of clothes consists of a loose shirt and baggy breeches, or a loose shirt and skirt or overdress. The shoes are simple and probably of poor quality. Courtier: This outfit includes fancy, tailored clothes in whatever fashion happens to be the current style in the courts of the nobles. Anyone trying to influence nobles or courtiers while
EQUIPMENT & WEALTH
Item Artisan kit Chemical kit Climbing gear Disguise kit Electrical tool kit Basic Advanced Evidence kit Basic Advanced First aid kit Forgery kit Instrument, keyboard Instrument, percussion Instrument, stringed Instrument, theremin Instrument, wind Lockpick set Mechanical tool kit Basic Advanced Medical kit Multipurpose tool Pharmacist kit Photographic camera Portable Studio Photo plate Surgery kit
wearing street dress will have a difficult time doing so. This difficulty this translates to a –2 penalty on Charisma-based skill checks to influence such individuals. A courtier’s outfit that is worn without accompanying jewellery (Purchase DC 17) makes a wearer look like an out-of-place commoner. Explorer: This is a full set of clothes for someone who never knows what to expect. It includes sturdy boots, leather breeches or a skirt, a belt, a shirt (perhaps with a vest or jacket), gloves, and a cloak. Rather than a leather skirt, a leather overtunic may be worn over a cloth skirt. The clothes have plenty of pockets, especially the cloak. The outfit also includes any extra items a wilderness traveller might need, such as a scarf or a wide-brimmed hat. Noble: This set of clothes is designed specifically to be expensive and to show it. Precious metals and gems are worked into the clothing. To fit into the noble crowd, every would-be noble also needs a signet ring and jewellery, which have a purchase DC of 20. Royalty: This is just the clothing, not the royal sceptre, crown, ring, and other accoutrements. Royal clothes are still very regal and ostentatious, often adorned with gems, gold, silk, and fur in abundance. Street clothes: The perfect fit for a gentleman of means but not exceeding function, street clothes include pants, shirt and a simple coat or vest with belts or suspensors, or a simple yet proper dress or skirt. Street clothes are hardly appropriate for adventuring but are ideal for daily interaction. Uniform: From a dock official to a senior army officer, people on the job tend to wear uniforms, making such clothing an essential part of some disguises, since a uniform inclines people to trust the wearer. Outerwear: In addition to keeping a character warm and dry, coats and jackets provide additional concealment for things a character is carrying. They often qualify as loose or bulky clothing; see Concealed Weapons and Objects.
Coat: An outer garment worn on the upper body. Its length and style vary according to fashion and use. Cloak: This garment grants the wearer a +2 equipment bonus on Fortitude saves made to resist the effects of cold weather. Hat: Either a simple cap or beret, or an elegant top hat or utilitarian bowler hat, it is something that goes on the head both to protect it from the weather and to look good. Overcoat: A warm coat worn over a suit jacket or indoor clothing. Artisan’s Vest: Made of cotton with mesh panels to keep the wearer cool, the artisan’s vest has
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Clothing Item Clothing outfit Commoner Courtier Explorer Noble Royalty Street Uniform Outerwear Coat Hat Overcoat Cloak Artisan’s vest Smoking jacket Tool belt
Purchase DC
Size
Weight
Med Med Med Med Med Med Med
2 lb. 6 lb. 8 lb. 10 lb. 15 lb. 4 lb. 2 lb.
2 16 12 19 22 4 9
Med Tiny Med Med Med Med
2 lb. 1/2 lb. 3 lb. 3 lb. 1 lb. 2 lb.
8 7 9 9 9 10
Small
2 lb.
9
numerous obvious (and hidden) pockets. It counts as loose and bulky clothing when used to conceal Small or smaller weapons, and also grants the ‘modified to conceal an object’ bonus when used to conceal Tiny or smaller objects. It has many loops to allow a character to carry the tools from any of the profession kits. Smoking jacket: This coat is light and made to be used indoors to protect normal clothing from picking up the smell of burning tobacco, although they are quite finely crafted nonetheless.
Tool Belt: This sturdy leather belt has numerous pockets and loops for tools, nails, pencils and other necessities for repair and construction work, making it easy to keep about 10 pounds of items on hand. The pockets are, however, open and items can easily fall out if the belt is tipped.
Food and Lodging
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Location dramatically affects a home’s value. The given purchase DC assumes a typical suburban location. An undesirable location, such as a bad neighbourhood or a remote rural site, reduces the purchase DC by 2. A particularly good location in an upscale neighbourhood or city centre increases the purchase DC by 2. Special Accommodations: These are special rooms that are added to a home. A character that is obsessive enough could use one as his habitation. Each room allows for the use of a certain number of skills as per the professional kits by a single character and one assistant. Add +2 to the Purchase DC to make the accommodations into advanced versions that grant a +2 bonus to skill checks; add +2 for every additional character allowed to work at the same time and +1 for additional assistants. Note that the assistants must be paid for separately. Add +3 if the accommodation has a secret entrance.
This section covers the essential requirements of keeping a roof of some sort over one’s head and a hot meal on the table.
Inn: Poor accommodations at an inn amount to a place on the floor near the hearth. Common accommodations consist of a place on a raised, heated floor, the use of a blanket and a pillow. Good accommodations consist of a small, private room with one bed, some amenities and a covered chamber pot in the corner.
Meals: Poor meals might be composed of bread, baked turnips, onions and water. Common meals might consist of bread, chicken stew, carrots and watered-down ale or wine. Good meals might be composed of bread and pastries, beef, peas and ale or wine.
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Housing: The purchase DC of a habitation covers the down payment, not the total cost of the home. The small house and flat are one- or two-bedroom homes. The large flat and medium house are three-bedroom homes with a small garden and space for a car, a cart or a wagon, plus a horse for the latter two. The large house is a four-bedroom home with a good-sized garden and space for a coach, or two cars, cart or wagon and the latter’s complimentary horses, while the mansion is a five- or six-bedroom home with an extra den, spacious rooms throughout, a spacious garden and space for two coaches or three cars, carts or wagons and the latter’s horses. All of these homes are of typical construction; luxury appointments are available with a +2 increase to the purchase DC.
Personal Crime Lab: A character with a personal crime lab can analyse any evidence recovered in a crime scene with appropriate skill checks (Investigate, Knowledge and Craft skills). Personal Workshop: Within a personal workshop, a character can build items of up to Large size with the Craft (mechanical) and Craft (structural) skills. Add +3 for every size increment of items that may be built there. Personal Chemical Lab: A character working within this facility can craft substances with the Craft (pharmaceutical) and Craft (chemical) skills. Ritual Space: A character may conduct magic rituals and enchantments in his personal ritual space. The ritual space may be built upon a place of power (see pg 292) with an increase in its Purchase DC equal to the place of power’s bonus. Sanctum: A character may safely conduct séances and other psychic concentration efforts uninterrupted in his personal sanctum. A private sanctum adds a +1 to applicable skill checks made to use or maintain psychic powers but this benefit is only applicable to the single character the sanctum is constructed to serve.
Food and Lodging Purchase DC 2 12
—
6 4 2
— — —
4 3 2 2
— — — 1/2 lb.
3 8
6 lb. 1 1/2 lb.
28 30 30 32 34 36
— — — — — —
25 23 24 25 21
— — — — —
Weight
Transportation and Communication
In the Steampunk age, mobility across great distances is much easier than when progress had not started its mad dash towards technological solutions. However, the relative unreliability or excessive expense of some modes of transport means that the old modes of travel are still kept around. The vehicles in this section were once made as amazing machines but they are so time-tested now that they acquired their own characteristics. As a result, they no longer abide by the rules of the amazing machines creation system, although they share characteristics; see the Power of Steam chapter. The rules for using vehicles in combat and action sequences are detailed in the A World of Adventure chapter.
If the barding is for a pony or other Medium-size mount, the cost is only double and the weight is the same as for Medium armour worn by a humanoid. Medium or heavy barding slows a mount that wears it, as shown on the table below. Flying mounts cannot fly in medium or heavy barding.
Barding Medium Heavy
(40 ft.) 30 ft. 30 ft.1
Base Speed (50 ft.) 35 ft. 35 ft.1
(60 ft.) 40 ft. 40 ft.1
1
A mount wearing heavy armour moves at only triple its normal speed when running instead of quadruple.
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Item Ale (gallon) Banquet (per person) Inn stay (per day) Good Common Poor Meals (per day) Good Common Poor Meat, chunk of Wine Common (pitcher) Fine (bottle) Housing Small flat Large flat Small house Medium house Large house Mansion Special Accommodations Personal crime lab Personal workshop Personal chemical lab Ritual space Sanctum
protection than light barding but at the expense of speed. Barding can be made of any of the armour types found on the Armour and Shields table. Armour for a horse (a Large non-humanoid creature) costs four times as much as armour for a human (a Medium humanoid creature) and also weighs twice as much as the armour found on the Armour and Shields table; see Armour for Unusual Creatures.
Removing and fitting barding takes five times as long as the figures given on the Donning Armour table. A barded animal cannot be used to carry any load other than the rider and normal saddlebags. Dog, Riding: This Medium dog is specially trained to carry a Small humanoid rider. It is brave in combat like a warhorse. Characters take no damage when falling from a riding dog. Donkey or Mule: Donkeys and mules are stolid in the face of danger, hardy, surefooted, and capable of carrying heavy loads over vast distances. Unlike a horse, a donkey or a mule is willing (though not eager) to enter dungeons and other strange or threatening places. Feed: Horses, donkeys, mules and ponies can graze to sustain themselves but providing feed for them is much better. If a character has a riding dog, it must be fed some meat as part of its daily diet. Horse: A horse (other than a pony) is suitable as a mount for a human, dwarf, elf, half-elf, or half-orc. Warhorses and warponies can be ridden easily into combat. Light horses, ponies, and heavy horses are hard to control in combat.
Mounts and Related Gear
Saddle, Exotic: An exotic saddle is like a normal saddle of the same sort except that it is designed for an unusual mount. Exotic saddles come in military, pack and riding styles.
Barding, Medium Creature and Large Creature: Barding is a type of armour that covers the head, neck, chest, body and possibly the legs of a horse or other mount. Barding made of medium or heavy armour provides better
Saddle, Military: A military saddle braces the rider, providing a +2 circumstance bonus to Ride checks related to staying in the saddle. A character knocked unconscious
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while in a military saddle, has a 75% chance to stay in the saddle, as contrasted with the 50% chance when using a riding saddle.
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Saddle, Pack: A pack saddle holds gear and supplies but not a rider. It holds as much gear as the mount can carry. Saddle, Riding: The standard riding saddle supports a rider.
Vehicles Bicycle: This simple mechanical device allows a person to travel faster and at greater distance under his own efforts. A bicycle adds 30 feet to a rider’s speed and grants the Run feat. Carriage: This four-wheeled vehicle can transport as many as four people within an enclosed cab, plus two drivers. In general, two horses (or other beasts of burden) draw it. A carriage comes with the harness needed to pull it. Cart: A single horse or other beast of burden can draw this two-wheeled vehicle. It comes with a harness. Keelboat: This 50- to 75-foot-long ship is 15 to 20 feet wide and has a few oars to supplement its single mast with a square sail. It has a crew of eight to fifteen and can carry 40 to 50 tons of cargo or 100 soldiers. It can make sea voyages, as well as sailing down rivers thanks to its flat bottom. It moves about 1 mile per hour. Rowboat: This 8- to 12-foot-long boat holds two or three Medium passengers. It moves about 1 1/2 miles per hour. Sailing Ship: This larger, seaworthy ship is 75 to 90 feet long and 20 feet wide and has a crew of 20. It can carry 150 tons of cargo. It has square sails on its two masts and can make sea voyages. It moves about 2 miles per hour. Sled: This is a wagon on runners for moving through snow and over ice. In general, two horses or other beasts of burden draw it. A sled comes with the harness needed to pull it. Wagon: This is a four-wheeled, open vehicle for transporting heavy loads. In general, two horses or other beasts of burden draw it. A wagon comes with the harness needed to pull it. Ironclad This steel, steam-powered monster marks the end of the sailing ship’s dominance of the ocean lanes. It is a low, blocky, unwieldy vessel with a metal hull propelled by a powerful steam engine. A pair of devastating cannons mounted in a rotating turret gives the ironclad warship tremendous firepower.
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Transportation and Communication Mounts and Related Gear Purchase DC Barding Medium creature +3 Large creature +5 Bit and bridle 6 Dog, guard 15 Dog, riding 21 Donkey or mule 11 Feed (per week) 2 Horse Horse, heavy 22 Horse, light 19 Pony 16 Warhorse, heavy 25 Warhorse, light 21 Warpony 20 Saddle Military 14 Pack 9 Riding 12 Saddle, Exotic Military 18 Pack 13 Riding 16 Saddlebags 9 Stabling (per day) 2 Vehicles Bicycle 10 Carriage 20 Cart 13 Keelboat 32 Rowboat 17 Oar 6 Sailing ship 36 Sled 14 Wagon 16 Ironclad 44 Steam Locomotive 37 Steam Carriage 34 Airship, cargo 45 Airship, passenger 44 Ornithopter 36 Services Ticket Coach cab 2 + 1 per 10 miles Train 3 +1 per 10 miles Ship 4 +1 per 5 miles Airship 5 +1 per 5 miles Communication Messenger/Courier 2 + 1 per 5 miles Postal mail 2 +1 per 10 miles Telegraph 2 +1 per 20 miles
Weight x1 x2 1 lb. — — — 10 lb. — — — — — — 30 lb. 15 lb. 25 lb. 40 lb. 20 lb. 30 lb. 8 lb. — 60 lb. 600 lb. 200 lb. — 100 lb. 10 lb. — 300 lb. 400 lb. — — — — — —
— — — — — — —
Ironclad; Huge Vehicle, 10d4 SD, 25 sp; hardness 10; Man. -2, Spd 120 ft; Turn Rate 30 ft.; Acc/Dec 25/25; DV 6; Attacks 2 heavy cannons (1d4 structure damage, turret fire arc); SQ Construct qualities; Power Source: Steam power (60 charges); Crew: 20; Passengers: 30; Cargo: 2 tonnes; Purchase DC 44.
Steam Locomotive; Gargantuan Vehicle; 14d4 SD, 35 sp; hardness 11; Man. -4, Spd 100 ft; Turn Rate 40 ft.; Acc/Dec -/-; DV 5; Attacks -; SQ Construct qualities, restricted path; Power Source: Steam power (60 charges); Crew: 5; Passengers: 20 per car; Cargo: 1 tonne per car; Purchase DC 44, each car is DC 37. Steam Carriage The popular ‘horseless carriage’ is one of the most common forms of steam-powered transportation available, although it scares the daylights out of all the horses whose paths it crosses. Many models are constructed to fit various roles. Sturdy, dependable and requiring only a portion of fuel to operate, versions of the steam carriage can be used in most areas of society. Steam Carriage; Large Vehicle; 8d4 SD, 20 sp, hardness 5; Man. -1, Spd 100 ft; Turn Rate 20 ft.; Acc/Dec 40/60; DV 8; Attacks -; SQ Construct qualities; Power Source: Steam power (60 charges); Crew: 1; Passengers: 3; Cargo: 200 lb.; Purchase DC 36. Airship, Cargo Designed to carry goods instead of passengers, cargo airships carry heavy loads that would be extremely difficult to ship via land or sea. The load an airship can carry is limited only by the size of its airbag. Cargo airships usually have larger boilers than passenger airships and are less manoeuvrable. The cargo capacity of these airships is, of course, the best in their class. Airship, Cargo; Colossal Vehicle; 18d4 SD, 45 sp, hardness 11; Man. -6, Spd 80 ft; Turn Rate 60 ft.; Acc/ Dec 30/50; DV 2; Attacks -; SQ Construct qualities; Power Source: Steam power (60 charges); Crew: 5; Passengers: 15; Cargo: 35 tonnes; Purchase DC 45. Airship, Passenger Essentially a long cabin or gondola slung underneath a steam-heated canopy of lighter-than-air gas, airships provide unparalleled service to transport people across
Airship, Passenger; Colossal Vehicle; 18d4 SD, 45 sp, hardness 11; Man. -6, Spd 80 ft; Turn Rate 60 ft.; Acc/Dec 30/50; DV 2; Attacks -; SQ Construct qualities; Power Source: Steam power (60 charges); Crew: 5; Passengers: 50; Cargo: 25 tonnes; Purchase DC 44. Ornithopter This curious flying vehicle is the culmination of years of design, testing and more than a few accidents. It is an aircraft that can carry two passengers and flies by beating its wings to create support, although rotors and aerodynamics also contribute greatly to the design, for the beating is not strong enough by itself to lift such a heavy machine into the air. Ornithopter; Large Vehicle; 8d4 SD, 20 sp, hardness 5; Man. +0, Spd fly 100 ft. (no land speed); Turn Rate 20 ft.; Acc/Dec 40/60; DV 8; Attacks -; SQ Construct qualities; Power Source: Steam power (60 charges); Crew: 2; Passengers: 0; Cargo: 150 lb.; Purchase DC 36.
EQUIPMENT & WEALTH
Steam Locomotive The signature of steam technology, the locomotive is a massive, blackened-steel engine that runs along iron rails laid out across the land. Steam locomotives pull cars loaded with coal directly behind the engine so that their boilers can be easily fed. Other cars carry grain, passengers, weapons or any other kind of cargo. Lashed down, tied on or bolted to the surface of these cars, just about anything can be found being towed by a locomotive along a lucrative railroad.
any form of terrain. Amongst the most luxurious forms of transportation available are the passenger airships that provide amenities rivalling any of the great ocean liners.
Services One of the blessings of the new age is that a person does not have to own his own vehicle or have a large staff of retainers to travel or send along communications to other places. Guilds realised the growing need to keep in touch and created branches and exploited new discoveries to satisfy that need. Whether for tickets to travel on board a vehicle or for transporting a message, the cost starts at a certain Purchase DC and increases according to the distance travelled or covered by the communication. Tickets: A ticket is valid for one person or a Medium or Small creature. Smaller creatures than this may travel for free with a larger passenger. Larger creatures add a +1 to the Purchase DC and those that pose some difficulty to load or transport add an additional +1. Communication: A messenger or courier can transport a message up to a book’s length. Postal mail can carry one or two sheets’ worth of writing; larger packages add +1 to the Purchase DC per 5 pounds. The price of telegraph communication covers a message that is 10 words long. Each five additional words add +1 to the Purchase DC.
Entertainment and Leisure
With more time in their hands, people have refined their tastes in entertainment, especially the wealthier sort. More and more venues are now open to them, with diversions ranging from the shows of professional performers to comfortable surroundings in which they might practice the simple art of sitting back and relaxing.
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Entertainments only really exist in the hearts of the few true cities left in the world; most of the planet is too busy trying to survive under the constant clouds of coal smoke and ash to worry about fashion and night clubs. Still, for campaigns set in the largest sprawls of the setting, this information can be of use to Games Masters. Club Tab: This allows unrestricted entry to a private club filled with smoking and drinking rooms, bar, restaurant, gaming room and other quiet entertainment. Clubs are mostly for gentlemen, although adventuring ladies have also founded their own. A few mixed clubs do exist, although these are rare. Inside a club, all Gather Information checks have a +2 circumstance modifiers unless the characters delve into a delicate subject; club attendants are chatty, yet still concerned to observe propriety. Tickets: This covers entry for one person; performance spectacles vary in quality, modifying the price by plus or minus 2.
Theatre: Plays that may include music; low theatre includes cheap vaudeville acts, while high theatre includes superb acting and scriptwriting or fresh productions of classic traditional drama. ‘Flickers’: A series of photographs that, when run in rapid succession, simulate movement. The price is for a single viewing in a flicker parlour with more than one machine. Opera: Opera is a high-class spectacle, whose attendants are expected to dress their best or acquire a negative reputation. Concerts: Like theatre, paid concerts vary in quality and the size of the band or orchestra that is performing. Many ‘concerts’ are actually impromptu street performances where the price of entry is anything the attendees wish to donate.
Steam Bath: A relaxing session of hot air bathing and soaking in a pool of warm water. Relaxing in a steam bath grants +2 to Concentration checks made during the visit and adds a character’s Constitution modifier (if positive only) to the amount of hit points recovered that day. A character cannot spend more than two hours a day in a steam bath; the heat and moisture become detrimental after that amount of time and the visit’s benefits are lost. Entertainment and Leisure Item Club Tab (per month) Tickets Theatre Flicker Opera Concerts Steam Bath
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Purchase DC 18 12 4 15 8 12
Unique Items
These few tools are extraordinary in nature. They are very rare and expensive, yet still available as relatively normal equipment rather than being classed as magic, amazing technology or a hybrid of both. Psychograph: This is a simple writing pen tool for automatic writing, a psychic technique used mainly for clairvoyance and contact with the dead. A psychic using any Clairsentience and Spiritism powers gains a +4 bonus to his Psychic Control checks when using a psychograph, as it helps him write what he is seeing and experiencing while actually aiding his concentration and trance. Difference Engine: This complex machine is built with minute gears and levers much like a complicated mechanical abacus. Its purpose is to help its user to keep track of numbers and data, therefore granting a bonus to Intelligence-based skill checks, with the exception of the Ritual and Psychic Control skills. Magic-oriented difference engines grant their bonus to all Ritual skill checks (but not to any other skill check) and have a +2 modifier to their Purchase DC. No difference engine can help psychics activate their powers, for their discipline is one of intuition, not calculation. Analytical Engine: This is an advanced machine that goes beyond the capabilities of the difference engine, in that it can actually be programmed with the functions the user wants it to perform. See the Craft (expression) skill for details. Analytical engines have a built-in Intelligence score, which must be activated by programming in order for it to receive any instructions. A program card is required to enter programming into the engine. Pneumatic Prosthetics: Many people attribute pneumatic prosthetics to dwarves and the forgotten faerie race of the gnomes but like all inventions of the steam age, they are a purely human endeavour. Pneumatic prosthetics are made of wood and brass and replace a part of the owner’s body, be it a hand, an arm (with hand) or a leg. They are, however, inert and do not ordinarily move for themselves, thus imposing a -2 penalty to Dexterity. A wearer must operate the prosthetic with a free hand as a move action, although attacks performed with a hand or arm require a full-round action, broken down into one move action to activate the prosthetic and one standard action for the actual attack. Pneumatic prosthetics must be given maintenance every week, which requires a DC 15 Repair check. Failure to do so, either from neglect or failure in the Repair check, imposes a cumulative -1 penalty to actions with the prosthetic member; for a leg, this also includes a reduction of the character’s speed of 5 ft., though this is non-cumulative. A successful Repair check eliminates all accumulated penalties.
Moderate: This is a simple prosthetic that replaces the functionality of the lost member with no other additional benefits.
When next she tried to talk to him, Jerrek had moved to the other side of the burning hulk of steel. He was crouched down, staring at his hand. It was the first time she had ever seen him with his gloves off and when she came around to say something, she was surprised by what she saw.
Jerrek heard her approach but did not look up. Before she could talk, his voice brought her up short. ‘She made this for me. It was the last thing she put together before her eyesight went bad. She took a year to make it because of her shakes, but it’s perfect.’ He held up his hand and Heshia could see that he was not exaggerating. The workmanship was so fine that the metal had even been patterned to match the silhouette of his other hand, making it indistinguishable from a human appendage when his gloves were on. ‘I lost my hand when I was ten. It was crushed under a war-roller that drove through our part of the ruins. Gailion pulled me out from under it but my hand got caught... torn off at the wrist. I was almost dead from shock. He carried me to see a friend. Merial took us in, gave us odd jobs to help out around her house and nursed me back to health. She was my best friend after Gail and… and this is all I have left of her.’ Heshia realised that words would be out of place here. She just sat down next to him and leaned him into her side. He did not look at her; he just kept staring at his fingers, flexing them one by one. Each joint flickered softly as it opened and closed, sending a tiny ripple of power down the inner workings of the hand. ‘I’ve hated your kind for so long because I thought elves took her away from me. Now I don’t know what to believe. I just…’ Jerrek’s voice broke down, but she did not mind. Heshia knew what he was trying to say.
EQUIPMENT & WEALTH
Jerrek’s left hand was not flesh. It was a bright platinum-like metal, intricately jointed and adorned with several glowing stones embedded in its hinges. She had never seen a pneumatic hand that complex before. If she was not mistaken, it was made from pure arcanium, one of the scarcest materials in the world.
The human would never be able to understand that it was just as hard for her to be here, this close to one of his kind, as it was for him to let go of his hatred for her people. This was all just a mess, a big, emotional, mess and the timing could not be worse. There was still a job to do, a mission to finish. Maybe when it was over, they could sit down and really talk… but not today. Today, they had to focus on the task at hand. Today they had to kill some orcs.
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Complex: This is a stronger and more advanced prosthetic that grants a +2 bonus to Strengthbased checks when using the member in question. Arms and hands have an exchangeable mounting that allows them to switch from the hand to any light or one-handed weapon or equipment that has been previously adapted to fit into the mounting. Adapting such weaponry or equipment requires a Craft (mechanical) check at DC 15. Advanced: The strongest prosthetic available, this item grants a +4 bonus to Strength-based checks when using the member in question. It has the same weapon mounting as the complex prosthetic and also has one free hard slot to accommodate a special feature from the Power of Steam chapter, which may be acquired at a Purchase DC of 20 plus the special feature’s CP cost. Add the special feature’s skill modifier to the Craft DC to make an advanced prosthetic armed with said feature. Arcanium: The prosthetic is made from arcanium, a mysterious magic-conductive mineral. An arcanium prosthetic can mystically connect to the wearer’s nerve endings through a minor ritual effect made permanent. The process requires a Ritual (transformation) check at a DC of 26. After the ritual is complete, the prosthetic is now
part of the wearer’s body, acting on his mental commands as a normal limb would and feeding off his life force to effect repairs and maintenance as if it were ‘healing.’ Such a prosthetic does not impose the -2 Dexterity penalty and does not count against the character’s encumbrance. Unique Items Item Psychograph Difference Engine Simple (+1) Moderate (+2) Complex (+3) Advanced (+4) Analytical Engine Program Card Pneumatic Prosthetic Hand Arm Leg Moderate (+0) Complex (+2) Advanced (+4) Arcanium * See text
Purchase DC 12 12 13 14 15 16 15 + Int score 10
Weight 5 lb. 50 lb. 50 lb. 50 lb. 50 lb. 150 lb. —
31 32 33 +0 +3 +5 +5
5 lb. 15 lb. 20 lb. — — — *
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WORLD OF ADVENTURE
a world of adventure
t
he previous chapters have presented the different options a character has to distinguish himself from the rest, determining his identity and role in the world. This chapter will define what a character does. The world is filled with opportunities for adventure. Adventures involve risks that range from pitched combat against an enemy’s minions to thrilling chases and escapes from certain doom, although the adventures one might find in the halls of polite society also merit mention. The many travails of the wilderness compete for attention with the dangers of court intrigue and this chapter will deal with them all. This is the rules chapter, where players and Games Masters will find answers to most of their questions regarding how the rules address one situation or another, from the different actions a character can take to how to face different dangers, ultimately addressing the different rewards all adventurers receive at the end of the day.
Actions
Gaming sessions usually consist of the Games Master, the person guiding the story and the action of a game, asking questions and describing scenes and players suggesting actions their characters wish to take in response to these descriptions. Everything a character wishes to do, from waking up and putting on his socks to filling a band of street thieves full of steam-propelled bullets, is an action. Actions come in different types and have different rules attached to them. Simple actions are tasks that do not require rolls except in the most adverse of conditions. Under normal circumstances, a character is allowed to tie his shoes without needing to make a die roll for success. If that same character had just survived a collision with a horsedrawn trolley after staggering out of a warehouse where thugs had been dosing him with opium to make him talk, it might be a different story. Whenever a character needs to make a simple action, something they can normally do everyday with no special skill or talent required, the Games Master will generally simply declare success or, like in the example just given, require a roll (also called a ‘check’) or simply declare failure. Contested actions make up the largest part of the rule mechanics for combat and skills in this book. Whenever a character does something that might have a chance of failing because of someone else’s actions, skills, or abilities, the result is a contested roll. Jerrek shooting at an orc behind cover is an example of a contested action; his attack
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roll is contested by the orc’s Defence Value modified by the bonus provided by the greenskin’s manlet, which is a portable enclosure used mainly during sieges. Contested checks are never guaranteed and even the most masterful of sharpshooters can miss his mark once in a while. Saving throws, which are a special type of check made to see if a character can escape the effects of something adverse, are another kind of contested roll. A term used during contested rolls is DC, short for Difficulty Class. The DC of a contested check is the number a d20 check (plus or minus modifiers) must reach or exceed in order for the action to succeed. A roll that is lower than the given DC for an action fails. The d20 is the most common type of die rolled during an average gaming session, making it crucial to the system and the single most important die for any player to own. Astute readers may have realised at this point that if contested checks have to beat a listed DC and they are all made using a single d20 then actions with a DC of 21 are impossible. On the surface, this is correct. This is where characters come in. Characters and the skills and abilities they gain come with modifiers that are added to or subtracted from certain kinds of checks. These modifiers can theoretically make ay check possible, no matter how high the DC might be. Though it is often a convention with games running the d20 rules to allow all rolls of 20 on a d20 to be an automatic success, this is not always the case. By the same token, a roll of 1 (called a ‘natural’ 1 because it is the actual result on the die roll, just as with a ‘natural’ 20) is not an automatic failure. Instances in the rules where a natural 1 or 20 indicate automatic success or failure will be clearly marked in the text of the rules themselves.
The Round Intense actions, such as combat, dangerous chases and daring escapes, occur in time units called ‘rounds.’ Each round represents about 6 seconds in the game world. A round is an opportunity for each character involved in the circumstances to take an action. Anything a person could reasonably do in 6 seconds, a character can do in 1 round. Each round’s activity begins with the character with the highest initiative result and then proceeds, in order, from there. When a character’s turn comes up in the initiative sequence, he performs his entire round’s worth of actions. For exceptions, see Special Initiative Actions.
With everyone as healed and repaired as they were going to get, the team started moving again. The juggernaut had apparently been part of a last-order defensive system, because after just one more heavily trapped and barricaded hallway, they broke through into the central hub of the under-city. The sewers here were in a horrible state of repair but they had been maintained enough for Jerrek to suspect the orcs were still using them for subterranean transport from time to time.
After clearing away the bodies with mechanical efficiency, Gearbolt reported that the handcarts were loaded down with food and munitions, two things they desperately needed. Orcish food was only barely edible but was better than nothing. The impromptu meal was brief, as much because of its rank taste as their exposed location. Another patrol could have come by at any time, so they ate in haste and hid the bodies as best they could. Again, Gearbolt’s drilling attachment came in useful; it let them dig a quick trench and ditch the dead orcs. They took the handcarts with them, using them to carry the new supplies and the bomb they were here to set up. Gearbolt seemed as relieved as a cog could be to have the heavy thing off his back, Jerrek noticed.
WORLD OF ADVENTURE
This theory was borne out when a team of orcish skirmishers set upon them an hour after their arrival. The brutish warriors were swiftly dispatched, leaving the group of orcs and the supplies they were guarding completely vulnerable. None of Jerrek’s people was interested in taking prisoners where orcs were concerned, so the greenskins were given as much mercy as they would have shown to a human caravan.
The way was clear now; there was a single tunnel that cut through the rest of the undercity and headed straight for the centre of the inner labyrinth. It would probably be heavily guarded but the entire group agreed that they could not afford to have their strength eroded by patrols and pitfalls any longer. The straight shot would likely be a meat grinder but they were low on too many critical supplies to take any other route. As they blew open the entrance to the main shaft, Heshia drew Jerrek aside and kissed him hard. As he staggered back, gasping and blushing, she winked at him and headed up to cover the dwarf. ‘Was… was that for luck?’ The leather-clad elf woman chuckled wryly and started shooting over Thurdin’s shoulder. ‘Nope,’ she said quickly as her bullets downed orc after startled orc in the tunnel. ‘Just a down payment.’ For almost all purposes, there is no significance to the end of a round or the beginning of a round. A round can be a set amount of game time starting with the first character to act and ending with the last but it usually means a span of time from a certain round to the same initiative number in the next round. Effects that last a certain number of rounds end just before the same initiative count that they began on.
Standard Action A standard action allows a character to do something. A character can make an attack, use a skill or a feat (unless the skill or feat requires a full-round action to perform, for which see below) or perform other similar actions. During a combat round, a character can take a standard action and a move action. A character can take a move action before or after performing a standard action.
Action Types
Move Action A move action allows a character to move his or her speed or perform an action that takes a similar amount of time. A character can move his or her speed, climb one-quarter of his or her speed, draw or stow a weapon or other object, stand up, pick up an object, or perform some equivalent action. Refer to the Actions in Combat table for a list. A character can take a move action in the place of a standard action.
The four types of actions are standard actions, move actions, full-round actions, and free actions. In a normal round, a character can perform a standard action and a move action. He may instead take two move actions; a character can always take a move action in place of a standard action. Alternatively, he can perform a single full-round action. A character can also perform as many free actions as the Games Master allows. In some situations, such as in the surprise round, a character may be limited to taking only a single standard or move action.
Full-Round Action A full-round action consumes all a character’s effort during a round. A character can perform free actions during a full-round action as the Games Master allows.
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The Games Master’s Best Friend: The Even/Odd Rule When, as a Games Master, you are in doubt as to whether or not an action should work, try to match it to some other rule in this book. If there is no easy resolution and the factors regarding the action could go either way, grab any die and roll it. If the result is even, the action is a success. If the die comes up odd, the action fails. This is a simple, arbitrary, unbiased way to resolve differences of opinions in game as well. If a rules call is under dispute and nothing else seems to solve it, the even/odd check can provide resolution without favouring either side. Even/odds can be extrapolated to handle problems with more than two sides just by summing up the various solutions, assigning a die face (or faces) to each in equal number and rolling to determine which one will take precedent. Just be certain that all other options have been exhausted and that a random roll is the only way to determine the proper course of action first. Free Action Free actions consume a very small amount of time and effort. Over the span of the round, their impact is so minor that they are considered free. A character can perform one or more free actions while taking another action normally. However, the Games Master puts reasonable limits on what a character can really do for free. For instance, dropping an object, dropping to a prone position, and speaking a sentence or two are all free actions.
Standard Actions These are the different types of standard actions. Attack Making an attack is a standard action. The different types of attacks are covered in more detail in the Combat section. Activate a Conduit A conduit is the vessel of magic, and its wielder can attempt to activate it with one or many standard actions. Conduits are covered in more detail in pg. 263 in The Occult chapter. Dismiss a Magic Effect: Dismissing an active magic effect is a standard action. Activate Occult Item Many occult items do not need to be activated but some do, such as potions and scrolls. Activating an occult item is a standard action unless the item description indicates otherwise.
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Completion Items: Activating a completion item is the equivalent of activating a conduit. A character loses the effect if his concentration is broken. He can attempt to activate the item while on the defensive, for which see Combat. Command Word or Use-Activated Items: Activating any of these kinds of items does not require concentration. Use Special Ability Using a special ability is usually a standard action but whether it is a standard action, a full-round action, or not an action at all is defined by the ability. Occult Abilities: Using an occult ability requires concentration and can be disrupted. If concentration is broken, the attempt to use the ability fails but the attempt counts as a use of the ability. The time to use an occult ability is 1 standard action, unless the ability description notes otherwise. Using an Occult Ability on the Defensive: A character or creature may attempt to use an occult ability on the defensive. If the Concentration check (DC 15 + spell level) fails, the creature cannot use the ability but the attempt counts as if the ability had been used. Supernatural Abilities: Using a supernatural ability is usually a standard action, unless defined otherwise by the ability’s description. Its use cannot be disrupted and does not require concentration. Extraordinary Abilities: Using an extraordinary ability is usually not an action because most extraordinary abilities automatically happen in a reactive fashion. Those extraordinary abilities that are actions are usually standard actions that cannot be disrupted and do not require concentration.
Move Actions With the exception of specific movement-related skills, most move actions do not require a check. Move The simplest move action is moving the character’s speed. Many non-standard modes of movement are also covered under this category, including climbing and swimming (up to one-quarter the character’s speed), crawling (up to 5 feet), and entering a vehicle. Accelerated Climbing: A character can climb one-half his speed as a move action by accepting a –5 penalty on the Climb check. Manipulating Objects In most cases, moving or manipulating an object is a move action. This includes drawing or holstering a weapon, retrieving or putting away a stored object, picking up an object, moving a heavy object and opening a door. If the
character has a base attack bonus of +1 or higher, he can draw a weapon as part of his normal movement.
Stand Up Standing up from a prone position requires a move action. It provokes an attack of opportunity from opponents who threaten the character. A character can make a Tumble check at DC 20 to stand without provoking an attack of opportunity. If the Tumble check result is 30 or better, standing is a free action instead of a move action. Start/Complete Full-Round Action The ‘start/complete full-round action’ move action lets a character start undertaking a full-round action (such as those listed on the Actions in Combat table) at the end of his round, or complete a full-round action by using a move action at the beginning of his in the round following the round in which the character started the full-round action. If the character starts a full-round action at the end of his turn, the next action that character takes must be to complete the full-round action. Mount/Dismount a Steed or Vehicle Mounting or dismounting from a steed requires a move action, as does boarding and disembarking from a vehicle. Fast Mount or Dismount: A character can mount or dismount as a free action with a DC 20 Ride check. His armour check penalty, if any, applies to this check. If he fails the check, mounting or dismounting is a move action instead. The character cannot attempt a fast mount or fast dismount unless he can perform the mount or dismount as a move action in the current round.
Full-Round Actions A full-round action requires an entire round to complete. Thus, it cannot be coupled with a standard or a move action. Full-Round Attack Actions Full attacks happen when a character or creature has more than one attack allowed either because of a high base attack bonus or a racial ability. Full attacks and other full-round attack actions are covered in more detail in the Combat section. Use Special Ability Using a special ability is usually a standard action but some may be full-round actions, as defined by the ability.
A character can run for a number of rounds equal to his Constitution score, but after that the character must succeed at a Constitution check at DC 10 to continue running. The character must check again each round in which he or she continues to run; the DC of this check increases by 1 for each check the character makes. When the character fails this check, he must stop running. A character who has run to his limit must rest for 1 minute (10 rounds) before running again. During a rest period, a character can move normally, but cannot run. A run represents a speed of about 14 miles per hour for an unencumbered human.
Free Actions Free actions do not take any time at all, though there may be limits to the number of free actions a character can perform in a turn. Some common free actions are described below.
Drop an Item: A character can drop an item at his feet or nearby as a free action. Drop Prone: A character can drop to a prone position as a free action. Speak: In general, speaking is a free action that a character can perform even when it is not his turn. Speaking more than few sentences is generally beyond the limit of a free action. Cease Concentration: A character can stop concentrating on an active conduit effect or psychic power as a free action. Activate a Quickened Effect: A character can quicken the activation of a conduit or a psychic power (see the Quicken Spell feat) or any effect whose casting time is designated as a standard action as a free action. Only one such effect can be activated in any round and such effects do not count toward a character’s normal limit of one effect per round.
Miscellaneous Actions Some actions do not fit neatly into the above categories. Some of the options described below are actions that take the place of, or are variations on, the actions described earlier. For actions not covered in any of this material, the Games Master determines how long such an action takes to perform and whether doing so provokes attacks of opportunity from threatening enemies. Use Feat, Skill or Talent Certain feats, skills or talents let a character take special actions in combat. Other feats are not actions
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Direct or Redirect a Magic Effect Some rituals allow a character to redirect the effect to new targets or areas after activation. Redirecting a magic effect requires a move action and does not require concentration.
Run A character can run all out as a full-round action. When a character runs, he can move up to four times his speed in a straight line. The character loses any Dexterity bonus to DV since he cannot avoid attacks. However, he gets a +2 bonus to Defence against ranged attacks while running.
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in themselves but they give a character a bonus when attempting something he can already do. Some feats are not intended for use within the framework of combat. The individual feat descriptions tell a character what he needs to know about them. Most uses of skills or talents in a combat situation are standard actions but some might be move actions or full-round actions. When appropriate, the description of a talent or a skill provides the time required to use it.
facing up against opponents in a social milieu, such as a tense negotiation between rival corporations, an elegant ball where characters seek to slip past a lady’s entourage to warn her of danger, or a face-off between gang leaders in the bombed-out heart of a ruined city. A social encounter ends when the characters achieve their objective in initiating the encounter in the first place, such as making the rival leader back down without a costly fight or extracting a favour from someone.
Renewing a Power Source Amazing machines run on engines that eventually run out of power and must be renewed by a variety of methods. These may include cranking a lever, winding a mechanism, changing a battery or simply kicking harder on the pedals. Renewing a power source takes a move action, standard action or full-round action as specified by the renewal method on pg. 240.
Encounters are defined by their level, which is the challenge they represent to a group of characters. When the encounter’s level is equal to the average level of a fourmember party, it will present a reasonable challenge that will not overly threaten the characters but will force them to spend a few of their resources.
Challenges
The encounter level is useful for determining the experience gained by defeating it, as well as other rewards for the character.
During the course of this chapter, there will be frequent reference to the following terms.
Encounters An encounter is a situation where the characters face adversities and that may turn out badly for them if they do not succeed at its challenges. There are different kinds of encounters: Combat Encounter: A combat encounter involves characters and its foes actively seeking to harm each other through attacks and special abilities. Characters use their weapons, talents, powers and tools to inflict damage or incapacitate their opponents. A combat encounter ends when one side eliminates all opposition either by death, incapacitation or surrender. Action Encounter: An action encounter involves imminent danger that does not stem precisely from an opponent’s attack but definitely poses some risks to the characters. Such encounters involve traps, chases, daring escapes and so forth. An action encounter ends when the characters surpass the dangerous situations. Adventuring Encounter: An adventuring encounter has the characters facing some ongoing threat that they are constantly aware of, whether or not they are engaging with it directly at any given moment. In an adventuring encounter, characters use their wits and talents to survive, such as exploring dense jungles, surviving natural disasters or swimming to the bottom of a lake. Unlike action encounters, adventuring encounters do not necessarily involve frantic actions and hair-trigger reactions. An adventuring encounter ends when the characters reach safe ground or the threat ceases to be. Social Encounter: Not all danger facing the characters involves grievous bodily harm. Social encounters involve
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Encounter Level (EL)
Challenge Rating (CR) Challenge Rating is just like the encounter level, but instead of measuring the difficulty of an entire encounter, it measures the difficulty of defeating a particular element of the encounter. This is most commonly a creature to be defeated in combat but may also be a trap, a particular obstacle or a target person to be talked around. The way to determine rewards from Challenge Ratings and Encounter Levels is explained in greater detail at the end of this chapter.
Combat
Combat is often the cornerstone of a gaming session, with characters facing their enemies directly, exchanging fire, magic and blows to overcome them. Combat in an OGL Steampunk game is played out in rounds. In each round everybody acts in turn in a regular cycle. Skills, feats, and equipment can modify combat rolls in numerous ways but do not change the basic tenets of how combat operates. Combat usually runs in the following way.
Each combatant starts the battle flat-footed. Once a combatant acts, he is no longer flat-footed. Duelling Exception: When everyone involved in a combat knows that a battle is about to begin and spends more than one minute in full view of each other, no one is flat-footed during the first round, except in the case of an attack that comes in from outside the visible opponents. The Games Master determines which characters are aware of their opponents at the start of the battle. If some but not all of the combatants
Attack Roll An attack roll represents a character’s attempts to strike an opponent on the character’s turn in a round. When a Player makes an attack roll, he rolls 1d20 and adds his attack bonus. If the result equals or beats the target’s Defence Value, the character hits and deals damage. Many modifiers can affect the attack roll. A natural 1 (the d20 comes up 1) on the attack roll is always a miss. A natural 20 (the d20 comes up 20) is always a hit. A natural 20 is also always a threat, that is, a possible critical hit. If the character is not proficient with the weapon he or she is attacking with (the character does not have the appropriate Weapon Proficiency feat) then that character takes a –4 penalty on the attack roll. Attack Bonus A character’s attack bonus with a melee weapon is: Base attack bonus + Strength modifier + size modifier With a ranged weapon, a character’s attack bonus is: Base attack bonus + Dexterity modifier + range penalty + size modifier Strength Modifier Strength helps a character swing a weapon harder and faster, so a character’s Strength modifier applies to melee attack rolls. Size Modifier Creature size categories are defined differently from the size categories for weapons and other objects. Since this size modifier applies to Defence Value against a melee weapon attack or a ranged weapon attack, two creatures
of the same size strike each other normally, regardless of what size they actually are. Creature sizes are compatible with vehicle sizes. Size Modifiers Size (Example) Leviathan (walking fortress) Colossal (blue whale 90 ft. long) Gargantuan (grey whale 40 ft. long) Huge (elephant) Large (lion) Medium (human) Small (German shepherd) Tiny (housecat) Diminutive (rat) Fine (horsefly)
Size Modifier –16 –8 –4 –2 –1 +0 +1 +2 +4 +8
Dexterity Modifier Dexterity measures coordination and steadiness, so a character’s Dexterity modifier applies when the character attacks with a ranged weapon.
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are aware of their opponents, a surprise round happens before regular rounds begin. The combatants who are aware of their opponents can act in the surprise round, so they roll for initiative. In initiative order, highest to lowest, combatants who started the battle aware of their opponents each take one move or standard action. Combatants who were unaware do not get to act in the surprise round. If no one or everyone starts the battle aware, there is no surprise round. Combatants who have not yet rolled initiative do so. All combatants are now ready to begin their first regular round. Combatants act in initiative order. Initiative is calculated using a Dexterity-based check as detailed below. When everyone has had a turn, whether they take advantage of it or not, the combatant with the highest initiative acts again and the previous two steps repeat until combat ends.
Range Penalty The range penalty for a ranged weapon depends on what weapon the character is using and how far away the target is. All ranged weapons and thrown weapons have a range increment; see the Ranged Weapons and Melee Weapons tables. Any attack from a distance of less than one range increment is not penalised for range. However, each full range increment causes a cumulative –2 penalty to the attack roll. A thrown weapon has a maximum range of five range increments. Ranged weapons that fire projectiles can shoot up to ten increments.
Defence Value A character’s Defence Value (DV) represents how hard it is for opponents to land a solid, damaging blow on the character. It is the attack roll result that an opponent needs to achieve to hit the character. The average, unarmoured civilian has a Defence of 10. A character’s Defence Value is equal to: 10 + Dexterity modifier + class bonus + equipment bonus + size modifier Dexterity Modifier If a character’s Dexterity is high, he is particularly adept at dodging blows or weapons’ fire. If a character’s Dexterity is low, he is particularly inept at this. Characters apply their Dexterity modifier to DV. Sometimes a character cannot use his Dexterity bonus, whether because of an entanglement, being caught flatfooted, or for some other reason. If a character cannot react to a blow, that character cannot use his Dexterity bonus to Defence.
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Class Bonus A character’s class and level grant him an innate bonus to DV. This bonus applies in all situations, even when the character is flat-footed or when the character would lose his or her Reflex save bonus for some other reason. Equipment Bonus If a character has a shield, it provides a bonus to his Defence Value. This bonus represents the shield’s ability to deflect blows and cover the character’s vital areas from view, effectively meaning that attacks do not hit precisely enough to inflict damage. Sometimes a character cannot use his or her equipment bonus to DV. If an attack will damage the character just by touching him, that character cannot add his equipment bonus to Defence. See Touch Attacks below. Size Modifier The bigger an opponent is, the easier it is to hit in combat. The smaller it is, the harder it is to hit. Since this same modifier applies to attack rolls, a creature does not have a hard time attacking another creature of the same size. Size modifiers are shown on the Size Modifiers table. Other Modifiers Other factors can add to a character’s Defence Value. Feats: Some feats give a bonus to a character’s Defence Value. Dodge Bonuses: Some other Defence bonuses represent actively avoiding blows. These bonuses are called dodge bonuses. Any situation that denies a character his Dexterity bonus also denies his or her dodge bonuses. Unlike most sorts of bonuses, dodge bonuses stack with each other.
Damage When a character hits with a weapon by overcoming the target’s DV, he deals damage according to the type of weapon he is using. Effects that modify weapon damage also apply to unarmed strikes and the natural physical attack forms of creatures. Damage is deducted from the target’s current hit points. Attacks against objects are dealt with in a separate section detailed below. Armour Bonus and Damage Reduction If a character wears armour, it gives him Damage Reduction. Damage Reduction is an amount of hit points the character or creature ignores from normal attacks; see the Special Abilities section. This bonus represents the armour’s ability to protect the character from blows, effectively meaning that they do not hit hard enough to inflict full damage. If an attack will damage the character just by touching him, that character cannot add his or her equipment bonus to DR. See Touch Attacks, below.
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Touch Attacks Some attacks disregard armour. In these cases, the attacker makes a touch attack roll. This may be either a ranged touch attack roll or a melee touch attack roll. The attacker makes his damage roll as normal if his attack succeeds but a defender’s DR does not include any equipment bonus or armour bonus. Defence Value modifiers remain unaffected except for the equipment bonus, which is ignored; all other modifiers such as class bonus, Dexterity modifier, and size modifier, apply normally. Minimum Weapon Damage If penalties to damage bring the damage result below 1, a hit still deals 1 point of damage. Hardness or Damage Reduction can drop this to zero; the minimum damage of 1 rule only applies to internal penalties on the damage roll itself. Strength Bonus When a character hits with a melee weapon or thrown weapon, add his Strength modifier to the damage. The Weapon Finesse feat applies only to attack rolls, not damage. Multiplying Damage Sometimes damage is multiplied by some factor, generally a x2 or more due to a critical hit. Roll the damage (with all modifiers) multiple times and total the results. Bonus damage represented as extra dice is an exception. Do not multiply bonus damage dice when a character scores a critical hit. Critical Hits When a character makes an attack roll and gets a natural 20 (the d20 shows 20) then he hits regardless of the target’s Defence Value. He has also scored a threat of a critical hit. To find out if it is actually a critical hit, he immediately makes another attack roll with all the same modifiers as the attack roll that scored the threat. If the second roll also results in a hit against the target’s Defence Value, the attack is a critical hit. The second roll just needs to hit to confirm a critical hit; the character does not need to roll a second 20. If the second roll is a miss, then the attack just deals the damage of a regular hit. A critical hit multiplies the character’s damage. Unless otherwise specified, the multiplier is x2. It is possible for some weapons to have higher multipliers, doing more damage on a critical hit. Some weapons have expanded threat ranges, making a critical hit more likely. However, even with these weapons, only a 20 is an automatic hit. The Critical column on the Ranged Weapons and Melee Weapons tables indicates the threat range for each weapon on the tables. Non-Lethal Damage Certain attacks deal non-lethal damage. Other effects, such as heat or being exhausted, also deal non-lethal damage. When a character takes non-lethal damage, keep
Non-lethal Damage with a Weapon that Deals Lethal Damage: A character can use a melee weapon that deals lethal damage to deal non-lethal damage instead but he takes a –4 penalty on his attack roll if he does so. Lethal Damage with a Weapon that Deals Non-lethal Damage: A character can use a weapon that deals nonlethal damage, including an unarmed strike, to deal lethal damage instead but he takes a –4 penalty on his attack roll if he does so.
Hit Points A character’s hit points tell how much punishment he can take before dropping. Hit points are based on the character’s class and level. His Constitution modifier also applies. When a character’s hit point total drops to 0, he is disabled. When it drops to –1, he is dying. When it drops to –10, he is dead.
Speed A character’s speed tells how far he can move with a move action. Humans normally move 30 feet; some creatures move faster or slower. Wearing armour can slow a character down. A character normally moves as a move action, leaving a standard action to attack. The character can, however, use his or her standard action as a second move action. This could let the character move again, for a total movement of up to double his or her normal speed. Another option is to run all-out, which is a full-round action. This lets the character move up to four times his normal speed but he may only run all-out in a straight line and doing so affects his DV; see Run.
Saving Throws Generally, when a character is subject to an unusual or magical attack, he may make a saving throw to avoid or reduce the effect. A saving throw is a 1d20 roll plus a bonus based on the character’s class and level (the character’s base save bonus) and an ability modifier. A natural 1 (the d20 comes up 1) on a saving throw is always a failure. A natural 20 (the d20 comes up 20) is always a success. A character’s saving throw bonus is: Base save bonus + ability modifier
The Difficulty Class for a save is determined by the attack or effect itself. Saving Throw Types The three different kinds of saving throws are:
Fortitude: These saving throws measure a character’s ability to stand up to massive physical punishment or attacks against his vitality and health, such as poison and paralysis. Apply a character’s Constitution modifier to his Fortitude saving throws. Reflex: These saving throws test a character’s ability to dodge massive attacks such as explosions or train wrecks. Often, when damage is inevitable, such as a blast filling an area, a character may make a Reflex saving throw to take only half damage. Apply the character’s Dexterity modifier to his Reflex saving throws. Will: These saving throws reflect a character’s resistance to mental influence, domination, and psychological effects. Apply the character’s Wisdom modifier to his or her Will saving throws.
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a running total of how much he has accumulated. Do not deduct the non-lethal damage number from the character’s current hit points. It is not ‘real’ damage. Instead, when non-lethal damage equals a character’s current hit points, he is staggered and when it is greater, he falls unconscious. It does not matter whether the non-lethal damage equals or exceeds the character’s current hit points because the non-lethal damage has gone up or because current hit points have gone down.
Saving throws can reduce the harm done by a special attack, either halving or negating it, as indicated on the special attack’s description.
Initiative Every round, each combatant may take his allotment of actions. The combatants’ initiative checks, from highest to lowest, determine the order in which they act, from first to last. At the start of a battle, each combatant makes a single initiative check. An initiative check is a Dexterity check. Each character applies his Dexterity modifier to the roll. Anyone with the Improved Initiative feat gets an additional +4 bonus on the check. The Games Master finds out what order characters are acting in, counting down from highest result to lowest and each character acts in turn. On all following rounds, the characters act in the same order, unless a character takes an action that results in his initiative changing, for which see Special Initiative Actions. If two or more combatants have the same initiative check result, the combatants who are tied act in order of total initiative modifier, including Dexterity modifier and Improved Initiative bonus, if applicable. If there is still a tie, roll a die to decide who acts first. Flat-Footed: At the start of a battle, before the character has had a chance to act (specifically, before the character’s first turn in the initiative order) he is flat-footed. While flat-footed, a character cannot use his Dexterity bonus and therefore loses his Dexterity bonus to DV.
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Joining a Battle: If characters enter a battle after it has begun, they roll initiative at that time and act whenever their turn comes up in the existing order.
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Surprise When a combat starts, if a character was not aware of his enemies but they were aware of him, then he is surprised. Likewise, a character can surprise his enemies if he knows about them before they are aware of him. The Surprise Round If some but not all of the combatants are aware of their opponents, a surprise round happens before regular rounds begin. The combatants who are aware of the opponents can act in the surprise round, so they roll for initiative. In initiative order (highest to lowest) combatants who were aware of their opponents when the battle started each take an attack action or move action during the surprise round; see Action in Combat, below. If no one or everyone is surprised, a surprise round does not occur. Unaware Combatants Combatants who are unaware at the start of battle do not get to act in the surprise round. Unaware combatants are still flat-footed because they have not acted yet. This means they lose any Dexterity bonus to Defence.
Actions in Combat The fundamental actions of moving and attacking cover most of what a character will want to do in a battle. Other, more specialised options are touched on in the Actions in Combat table and covered in Special Initiative Actions and Special Attacks. Standard Actions in Combat Most common standard actions are described below. More specialised attack actions are mentioned in the Actions in Combat table and covered in Special Attacks. Attack Action: This is a special action that can be taken as a standard action. However, it acquires a slightly different application when a character has more than one attack available as part of a full attack action because of a high base attack bonus or two-weapon fighting. An attack action is one where an attacker makes an attack roll against a defender; it may be a single standard action or a part of a full attack action. Melee Attacks: With a normal melee weapon, a character can strike any enemy within 5 feet. Such enemies are considered adjacent to him. A character capable of making more than one melee attack per round must use the full attack action (see Full-Round Actions in Combat, below) in order to make more than one attack.
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Fighting Defensively: A character can choose to fight defensively while making a melee attack. If he does so, he takes a –4 penalty on his attack in a round to gain a +2 dodge bonus to DV in the same round.
Unarmed Attacks: Striking for damage with punches, kicks and head butts is much like attacking with a melee weapon, except that an unarmed attack deals non-lethal damage. Unarmed strikes count as light melee weapons for purposes of two-weapon attack penalties and such like. The following exceptions to normal melee rules apply to unarmed attacks: ‘Armed’ Unarmed Attacks: Sometimes a character or creature attacks unarmed but the attack still counts as armed. A creature with claws, fangs and similar natural physical weapons, for example, counts as armed. The Improved Unarmed Strike feat makes a character’s unarmed attacks count as armed. Unarmed Strike Damage: An unarmed strike from a Medium character deals 1d3 points (plus the character’s Strength modifier, as normal) of non-lethal damage. A Player can specify that his unarmed strike will deal lethal damage before the character makes his attack roll but he takes a –4 penalty on the attack roll if he chooses this option, because he has to strike a particularly vulnerable spot to deal lethal damage. The Improved Unarmed Strike feat makes a character’s unarmed attacks deal normal damage or non-lethal damage, as the Player prefers. Ranged Attacks: With a ranged weapon, a character can shoot or throw at any target that is within the ranged weapon’s maximum range and in line of sight. A target is in line of sight if there are no solid obstructions between the character and the target. The maximum range for a thrown weapon is five range increments. For weapons that fire projectiles, it is ten range increments. A character capable of making more than one ranged attack per round must use the full attack action (see FullRound Actions below) in order to make more than one attack. Shooting or Throwing into a Melee: If a character shoots or throws a ranged weapon at a target that is engaged in melee with an ally, the character takes a –4 penalty on his or her attack roll because he has to aim carefully to avoid hitting the ally. Two characters are engaged in melee if they are enemies and they are adjacent to one another. An unconscious or otherwise immobilised character is not considered engaged unless he is actually being attacked. If the target is so big that part of it is 10 feet or farther from the nearest ally, the character can avoid the –4 penalty, even if it is engaged in melee with an ally. An attacker using a rifle takes a –4 penalty on attacks against adjacent opponents, as the weapon has an unwieldy shape and size. If you have the Precise Shot feat, you do not take this penalty. Fighting Defensively: A character can choose to fight defensively while making a ranged attack. If he does so, he takes a –4 penalty on his or her attack in a round to gain a +2 dodge bonus to DV in the same round.
Total Defence: Instead of attacking, a character can use his standard action simply to defend. This is called a total defence action. The character may not attack or perform any other activity but he does benefit from a +4 dodge bonus to his Defence Value for 1 round. The character’s Defence Value improves at the start of this action, so it helps against any attacks of opportunity the character is subject to while performing his move action. Move Actions in Combat A character can perform all the available move actions during a combat situation. In addition, the following considerations apply to movement during combat, which is called tactical movement. Medium characters normally move 30 feet, although armour can slow a character down. Some creatures and automata move faster or slower. A character’s speed when unarmoured is sometimes called base speed. Encumbrance: A character encumbered by carrying a large amount of gear or a fallen comrade may move slower than normal.
Full-Round Actions Bull rush (charge) Charge Coup de grace Full attack Overrun (charge) Run Withdraw Extinguish flames Use a skill that takes a full round Free Actions Drop an object Drop to prone, sitting, or kneeling Speak Action Type Varies Disarm2 Grapple2 Load a weapon Trip an opponent4 Use a feat3 No Action Delay
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Actions in Combat Standard Actions Attack (melee) Attack (ranged) Attack (unarmed) Attack (aid another) Bull rush (attack) Escape a grapple Feint (see the Bluff skill) Ready (triggers an attack action) Make a dying character stable Attack a weapon Attack an object Total defence Use a skill that takes a standard action Move Actions Move the character’s speed Use a piece of equipment Climb (one-quarter speed) Climb, accelerated (one-half speed) Crawl Draw a weapon1 Holster a weapon Move a heavy object Open a door Pick up an object Retrieve a stored object Stand up from prone, sitting, or kneeling Start/complete full-round action Swim Use a skill that takes a move action
1
If the character has a base attack bonus of +1 or higher, he can combine this action with a regular move. If the character has the Two-Weapon Fighting feat, he can draw two light or onehanded weapons in the time it would normally take to draw one. 2 These attack forms substitute for a melee attack, not an action. As melee attacks, they can be used once in an attack or charge action, one or more times in a full attack action, or even as an attack of opportunity. 3 The description of a feat defines its effect.
Movement in Combat: Generally, a character can move his speed as a move action. If a character uses his attack action as a move action, the character can move again, for a total movement of up to twice his normal speed. If the character spends the entire round to run all-out, he can move up to four times his normal speed. Movement in Darkness: If a character moves when he cannot see, such as in total darkness, his speed is limited to one-half normal. The Blind-Fight feat reduces this penalty. Passing Through: Sometimes a character can pass through an area occupied by another character, creature or object.
Friendly Character: A character can move through a space occupied by a friendly character. Unfriendly Character: There are two ways to move through a space occupied by a resisting enemy. The character can attempt an overrun, or he can attempt to tumble through a square occupied by an enemy. He may only attempt the latter
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Magic Conduits in Combat Many rituals have a reach of ‘touch.’ To use these effects from a conduit, the character activates the effect and then touches the subject, either in the same round or any time later. In the same round that he activates the effect, he may also touch (or attempt to touch) the target. He may take his move before activating the effect, after touching the target, or between activating the effect and touching the target. He can automatically touch one friend or use the spell on himself but to touch an opponent, he must succeed on a touch attack, for which see above. Holding the Charge: If the character does not discharge the effect in the round when he activated it, he can hold the charge indefinitely. He can continue to make touch attacks round after round. You can touch one friend as a standard action or up to six friends as a full-round action. If a character touches anything or anyone while holding a charge, even if this was not intentional, then the effect discharges. If he activates another effect, the touch effect dissipates. Alternatively, he may make a normal unarmed attack (or an attack with a natural weapon) while holding a charge. In this case, he is not considered armed. If the attack hits, he deals normal damage for his unarmed attack or natural weapon and the spell discharges. If the attack misses, he is still holding the charge.
if he has ranks in the Tumble skill; see the skill description. If an unfriendly character does not resist, then a character can move through a space occupied thereby as if the unfriendly character was friendly. Square Occupied by Creature or Object Three Sizes Larger or Smaller: Any creature can move through a square occupied by a creature or object three size categories larger or three categories smaller than it is.
Flanking: If a character is making a melee attack against an opponent and an ally directly opposite the character is threatening the opponent, the character and his ally are said to be flanking the opponent. Both characters gain a +2 bonus on their attack rolls. The ally must be on the other side of the opponent so that the opponent is directly between the character and the ally. A character does not gain a bonus for flanking when making a ranged attack. Full-Round Actions in Combat A full-round action requires an entire round to complete. Charge: Charging is a special full-round action that allows a character to move more than his speed and attack during the action. However, there are tight restrictions on how and when a character can charge.
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Movement during a Charge: The character must move before his attack, not after. The character must move at least 10 feet and may move up to twice his speed. All movement must be in a straight line, with no backing up allowed. The character must stop as soon as he is within striking range of his or her target. He may not run past the target and attack from another direction. During the surprise round, or any other time a character is limited to taking no more than a single attack action on his turn, he can still use the charge action but he is only allowed to move up to his speed, instead of up to twice his speed. Attacking after a Charge: After moving, the character may make a single melee attack. He gains a +2 bonus to the attack roll. He also takes a –2 penalty to his DV for 1 round, until the beginning of his turn in the following round. Even if the character has extra attacks, such as from having a high enough base attack bonus or from using multiple weapons, he may still make only one attack after a charge. Instead of attacking the target, a character can attempt to push the target back. See Bull Rush below. Full Attack: If a character is entitled to more than one attack per action because his base attack bonus is high enough, because he fights with two weapons, because he is using a double weapon or for some other special reason, then he must use the full attack action to gain these additional attacks. He does not need to specify the targets of his attacks ahead of time. He is allowed to see how the earlier attacks turn out before assigning the later ones. If a character is entitled to multiple attacks based on his base attack bonus, then he must make the attacks in order from highest bonus to lowest. If the character is using two weapons, he can strike with either weapon first. If the character is using a double weapon, he can strike with either part of the weapon first. Committing to a Full Attack Action: A character does not have to commit to a full attack until after the first attack. He can then decide whether to make his or her remaining attacks or to take a move action to move, draw or put away a weapon and so forth. See Move Actions, above. Fighting Defensively: A character can choose to fight defensively when taking a full attack action. If he does so, he takes a –4 penalty on all attacks in a round to gain a +2 dodge bonus to Defence in the same round. Attacking with Two Weapons: If the character wields a second weapon in his off hand, then he can make one extra attack per round with that weapon. Fighting in this way is very difficult, however. The character takes a –6 penalty on the regular attack or attacks with his primary
hand and a –10 penalty on the attack with his off hand. Characters fighting with two weapons must use the same kind of weapon in each hand (both melee or both ranged) unless they possess the Two-Weapon Fighting feat. A character can reduce the penalties inherent in this kind of combat in two ways.
Double Weapons: A character can use a double weapon to make an extra attack as if he or she were fighting with two weapons. The penalties apply as if the off-hand weapon were light. Two-Weapon Fighting Penalties Primary Circumstances Hand Normal penalties –6 Off-hand weapon is light –4 Two-Weapon Fighting –4 feat Off-hand weapon is –2 light and Two-Weapon Fighting feat
Off Hand –10 –8 –4 –2
Withdraw: Withdrawing from melee combat is a fullround action. When a character withdraws, he can move up to twice his speed. Some forms of movement (such as climbing and swimming) require skill checks from most creatures. A character may not withdraw using a form of movement for which he must make a skill check.
Combat Modifiers This section covers offensive and defensive modifiers provided by position. In the incredibly violent world of Steampunk, these modifiers can be the edge a Player Character needs to survive. As such, they are a vital part of combat. Favourable and Unfavourable Conditions Generally speaking, any situational modifier created by the attacker’s position or tactics applies to the attack roll, while any situational modifier created by the defender’s position, state, or tactics applies to the defender’s Defence Value. The Games Master judges which bonuses and penalties apply, using the Defence Value Modifiers table and the Attack Roll Modifiers table as guides.
Melee –2
Ranged +21
–4 –22
+41 –22
–22 +02 +02 +02
–22 +02 +22 +03
–44 +02
+04 +02
See Cover See Concealment
1
May instead improve bonus to DV granted by cover. See Cover, below. 2 The defender loses any Dexterity bonus to Defence. 3 Roll randomly to see which grappling combatant the character strikes. That defender loses any Dexterity bonus to Defence. 4 Treat the defender’s Dexterity as 0 (–5 modifier). Attack Roll Modifiers Circumstance Attacker flanking defender1 Attacker on higher ground Attacker prone Attacker invisible
Melee +2
Ranged —
+1
+0
–4 +23
–22 +23
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If the off-hand weapon is light, then reduce both the penalties by 2. An unarmed strike is always considered light. Also, the Two-Weapon Fighting feat lessens the primary hand penalty by 2 and the off-hand penalty by 6. The Two-Weapon Fighting Penalties table below summarises the interaction of all these factors.
Defence Value Modifiers Circumstance Defender sitting or kneeling Defender prone Defender stunned or cowering Defender climbing Defender flat-footed Defender running Defender grappling (attacker not) Defender pinned Defender helpless (such as paralysed, sleeping, or bound) Defender has cover Defender concealed or invisible
1
A character flanks a defender when he or she has an ally on the opposite side of the defender threatening the defender. 2 Some ranged weapons cannot be used while the attacker is prone. 3 The defender loses any Dexterity bonus to Defence. Cover Cover provides a bonus to Defence Value. The more cover a character has, the bigger the bonus. In a melee, if a character has cover against an opponent, that opponent probably has cover against the character too. With ranged weapons, however, it is easy to have better cover than the opponent. The Games Master may impose other penalties or restrictions on attacks depending on the details of the cover. Degree of Cover: Cover is assessed in subjective measurements of how much protection it offers. The Games Master determines the value of cover. This measure is not a strict mathematical calculation, because a character gains more value from covering the parts of
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his or her body that are more likely to be struck. If the bottom half of a character’s body is covered, that only gives one-quarter cover, because most vital areas are still fully exposed. If one side or the other of a character’s body is covered, the character gets one-half cover. Cover Defence Bonus: The Cover table below gives the DV bonuses for different degrees of cover. Add the relevant number to the character’s DV. This cover bonus overlaps (does not stack) with certain other bonuses. Cover Reflex Save Bonus: The Cover table also gives the Reflex saving throw bonuses for different degrees of cover. Add this bonus to Reflex saving throws against attacks that affect an area. This bonus only applies to attacks that originate or burst out from a point on the other side of the cover. Striking the Cover Instead of a Missed Target: If it ever becomes important to know whether the cover was actually struck by an incoming attack that misses the intended target, the Games Master should determine if the attack roll would have hit the protected target without the cover. If the attack roll falls within a range low enough to miss the target with cover but high enough to strike the target if there had been no cover, the object used for cover was struck. Cover Degree of Cover (Examples) One-quarter (standing behind a 3-ft. high wall) One-half (fighting from around a corner or a tree; standing at an open window; behind a creature of same size) Three-quarters (peering around a corner or a big tree) Nine-tenths (standing at an arrow slit; behind a door that is slightly ajar) Total (on the other side of a solid wall)
Cover Bonus to DV +2
Reflex Saves +1
+4
+2
+7
+3
+10
+4*
—
—
* Half damage if saving throw is failed; no damage if successful.
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This can be particularly important to know in cases when a character uses another character as cover. In such a case, if the cover is struck and the attack roll exceeds the Defence of the covering character, the covering character takes the damage intended for the target. If the covering character has a Dexterity bonus to Defence or a dodge bonus and this bonus keeps the covering character from being hit, then the original target is hit instead. The covering character has dodged out of the way and did not provide cover after all. A covering character can choose not to apply his Dexterity bonus to Defence and/or his dodge bonus, if the character so desires. Concealment Concealment includes all circumstances in which nothing physically blocks a blow or shot but something interferes with an attacker’s accuracy. Degree of Concealment: Concealment is subjectively measured and is an assessment of how well concealed the defender is. Examples of what might qualify as concealment of various degrees are given in the Concealment table below. Concealment always depends on the point of view of the attacker. Concealment Miss Chance: Concealment gives the subject of a successful attack a chance that the attacker missed outright because of the concealment. If the attacker hits, the defender must make a miss chance percentile roll to avoid being struck. It does not matter who makes the roll or whether it is rolled before or after the attack roll. When multiple concealment conditions apply to a defender, use the one that would produce the highest miss chance. Do not add the miss chances together.
Gearbolt hefted up one of the iron doors and propped it up for cover. Incoming fire slammed into the door’s surface, spraying molten metal and fragments all around. The cog set itself as a brace, keeping the door up while the rest of Jerrek’s team moved up behind him. They popped up, snapping off quick shots, then dove back behind the rent iron portal to avoid the orcs’ returning volleys.
‘We are in trouble, Jer,’ Gailion commented as the enemy’s shots tore through his ephemeral body harmlessly. ‘There are fifty or sixty of them in there and they all have manlets built into the tunnel for protection. They can hold us off for a lot longer than we can batter away at them like this. We need another cannon blast or five.’ Thurdin shrugged, immediately regretting the gesture as his stitches pulled painfully. ‘No can do. I only had the one.’ He looked back at the handcarts they had just liberated from the orcish raiders a few minutes before. ‘I might be able to put something together out of this lot but I’ll need time to work.’ Thurdin popped up, took another shot at an orc running towards them with a lit bomb, and dashed back to the carts. The bomb detonated far too close to their cover; it took Gearbolt and Jerrek combined efforts, both braced as hard as they could, to keep it from flipping over and exposing them all. ‘Work fast!’ Jerrek reached into his pack and took out a little something he had been saving for a rainy day. The thunder of the orcish guns was enough of a storm to count, he reasoned. ‘I can buy us a few seconds. Gail, Heshia get that other door over here when this goes off!’ With a high overhand throw, he chucked the burn bomb over the barrier and into the middle of the orcish manlets. He took an iron crossbow bolt in the arm for his trouble but the glass shattered and flames raced all over the greenskins’ defensive position, throwing them into chaos. ‘Move!’ Concealment Concealment (Example) One-quarter (light fog; light foliage) One-half (shadows; dense fog at 5 ft.) Three-quarters (dense foliage) Nine-tenths (near total darkness) Total (attacker blind; total darkness; smoke grenade; dense fog at 10 ft.)
Miss Chance 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% and must guess target’s location
Helpless Defenders A helpless foe, that is, one who is bound, sleeping, unconscious, or otherwise at the attacker’s mercy, is an easy target. A character can sometimes approach a target that is unaware of his presence, move adjacent to the target and treat him as helpless. If the target is in combat or some other tense situation, and therefore in a state of acute awareness and readiness, or if the target can use his or her Dexterity bonus to DV, then that target cannot be considered unaware. Further, any reasonable precaution taken by a target, including stationing bodyguards, placing his or her back to a wall, or being able to make Spot checks, also precludes catching that target unaware and helpless. Regular Attack: A helpless defender has an effective DV of 5 + his or her size modifier. If a character is attacking with a ranged weapon and is not adjacent to the target, the character can use a full-round action to make the attack and gain a +5 bonus on the attack roll. If the character is
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‘I am not certain this barricade will hold for long, sir,’ Gearbolt droned as the orcs’ bullets began to pit the metal shield all around it. ‘I believe this will provide only another minute of protection before its surface ruptures.’
attacking with a melee weapon, or with a ranged weapon from an adjacent square, then he can use a full-round action to deliver a coup de grace. Coup de Grace: As a full-round action, a character can use a melee weapon to deliver a coup de grace to a helpless foe. A character can also use a ranged weapon, provided he is adjacent to the target. He automatically hits and scores a critical hit. If the defender survives the damage, he must still make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + damage dealt) or die. A character cannot deliver a coup de grace against a creature that is immune to critical hits. Knockout Blow: As a full-round action, a character can make an unarmed attack or use a melee weapon that deals non-lethal damage to deliver a knockout blow to a helpless foe. A character can also use a melee weapon that deals lethal damage to do this but he takes a –4 penalty to the attack roll on any attempt to deal non-lethal damage with the weapon. The target has an effective DV of 5 + his or her size modifier. If the character hits, he automatically scores a critical hit; see Non-lethal Damage. A character cannot deliver a knockout blow against a creature that is immune to critical hits.
Special Initiative Actions Usually, when a character is in combat, he acts as soon as he can. Sometimes, though, a character wants to act later, at a better time, or in response to the actions of someone else. These decisions are not common in the ‘Shoot first,
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shoot often’ world of Steampunk combat but they are occasionally worthwhile. Delay By choosing to delay, the character takes no action and then acts normally at whatever point in the initiative count he decides to. In brief, when a character chooses to delay, he reduces his initiative result voluntarily for the rest of the combat. When his new, lower initiative count comes up later in the same round, he can act normally. The character can specify what this new initiative result will be, or just wait until some time later in the round and act then, thus fixing his new initiative count at that point. A character cannot interrupt anyone’s action with a delayed action, though he may do so with a readied action, for which see below. Delaying Limits: The longest a character can delay before taking an action is until after everyone else has acted in the round. At that point, the delaying character must act or else forfeit any action in that round. If multiple characters are delaying, then the one with the highest initiative modifier (or highest Dexterity, in case of a tie) has the advantage. If two or more delaying characters both want to act on the same initiative count, then the one with the highest initiative modifier may act first. If two or more delaying characters are trying to act after one another, the one with the highest initiative modifier may go last; the others must go first or lose their action for the round. Ready The ready action lets a character prepare to take an action later, in order to interrupt another character. Essentially, the character splits his action, taking the move action on his initiative count and the standard action at a later point. On the character’s turn, he prepares to take an action later, if a specific trigger condition is met. Then, later in the round, if the trigger condition occurs, the character takes the readied action, acting immediately before the triggering action. Readying an Action: A character can ready a standard action or a move action. To do so, he specifies the action he will take and the conditions under which he will take it. Then, at any time before the character’s next action, he may take the readied standard action in response to those conditions. The readied action occurs just before the event that triggers it. If the trigger is part of another character’s actions, the readied action interrupts the other character. The other character continues his or her actions once the readied action is completed. The character’s initiative count changes. For the rest of the encounter, it becomes the count on which the character took the readied action. The character acts immediately ahead of the character whose action triggered the readied action.
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If the character comes to his next action and has not yet performed the readied action, he does not get to take the
readied action, though he may ready the same action again. If the character takes his readied action in the next round, before his regular turn comes up, then his initiative count rises to that new point in the order of battle and he does not get his regular action that round.
Special Attacks This section covers an assortment of other special attacks. Aid Another In combat, a character can help a friend attack or defend by distracting or interfering with an opponent. If the character is in position to attack an opponent with which a friend of the character is engaged in melee combat, the character can attempt to aid the friend as a standard action. The character makes an attack roll against a Defence Value of 10. If the character succeeds, he does not actually damage the opponent; instead, his friend gains either a +2 circumstance bonus to attack rolls against that opponent or a +2 circumstance bonus to DV against that opponent on the friend’s next turn. The aiding character may choose which bonus to apply. Bull Rush A character can attempt a bull rush as a standard action made during his move action, or as part of a charge. In general, a character cannot make a standard action during a move action; this is an exception. When the character bull rushes, he attempts to push an opponent straight back instead of attacking. A character can only bull rush an opponent who is one size category larger than him, the same size, or smaller. Initiating a Bull Rush: First, the character moves into the target’s space. Second, the character and the target make opposed Strength checks. If the character and the target are different sizes, the larger combatant gets a bonus on the Strength check of +4 per difference in size category. The character gets a +2 bonus if he was charging. The target gets a +4 stability bonus if he has more than two legs or is otherwise exceptionally stable. Bull Rush Results: If the character beats the target’s Strength check, he pushes the target back 5 feet. He can push the target back an additional 5 feet for every 5 points by which he exceeded the target’s check result, provided he moves with the target. A character cannot, however, exceed his normal movement for that action. If the character fails to beat the target’s Strength check, then he moves 5 feet straight back to where he was before he moved into the opponent’s space. If that space is occupied, the character falls prone there. Mounted Combat Warhorses and warponies can serve readily as combat steeds. Light horses, ponies, and heavy horses, however, are frightened by combat. If the character does not dismount, he must make a DC 20 Ride check each round
Combat while Mounted: With a DC 5 Ride check, a character can guide a mount with his knees so as to use both hands to attack or defend himself. This is a free action. When a character attacks a creature that is both smaller than the mount and on foot, he gains a +1 bonus to melee attacks for being on higher ground. If the mount moves more than 5 feet, he can only make a single melee attack. Essentially, the character has to wait until the mount reaches the enemy before attacking, so a full attack is impossible. Even at the mount’s full speed, the character does not take any penalty on melee attacks while mounted. If a mount charges, the character also takes the penalty to Defence Value associated with a charge. If he makes an attack at the end of the charge, he receives the bonus gained from the charge. When charging on horseback, a character deals double damage with a lance; see Charge. The character can use ranged weapons while the mount is taking a double move but suffers a –4 penalty to the attack roll if he does so. He can use ranged weapons while the mount is running (quadruple speed) at a –8 penalty. In either case, the character makes the attack roll when the mount has completed half its movement. He can make a full attack with a ranged weapon while the mount is moving. Likewise, he can take move actions normally If A Mount Falls in Battle: If the mount falls, the character must succeed on a DC 15 Ride check to make a soft fall and take no damage. If the check fails, he takes 1d6 points of damage. If the Rider is Dropped: If the character is knocked unconscious, he has a 50% chance to stay in the saddle, or 75% if he is in a military saddle. Otherwise he falls and takes 1d6 points of damage. Without a rider to guide it, the mount avoids combat unless it is of greater than animal intelligence, in which case it acts like a creature of its abilities and intellect and is generally controlled by the Games Master. Overrun A character can attempt an overrun as a standard action made during his move action, or as part of a charge. In general, a character cannot make a standard action during a move action; this is an exception. With an overrun, the character attempts to move through an opponent’s area, going past or over the opponent. A character can only overrun an opponent who is one size category larger than
him, the same size, or smaller. A character can make only one overrun attempt per action. First, the character must move at least 10 feet in a straight line into the target’s space. Then the target chooses either to avoid or to block the character. If the opponent avoids the character, then the character keeps moving, since a character can always move through a square occupied by someone who lets him by. If the opponent blocks the character, make a trip attack against the opponent; see Trip. If the character succeeds in tripping his opponent, then he can continue his movement as normal. If the character fails and is tripped in turn, he falls prone in the target’s space. If the character fails but is not tripped, then he to move 5 feet back the way he came, ending his movement there. If that space is occupied, then he falls prone there. Trip A character can try to trip an opponent, or otherwise knock him down as an unarmed melee attack. A character can only trip an opponent who is one size category larger than him, the same size, or smaller.
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as a move action to control such a horse. If he succeeds, he can perform a standard action after the move action. If he fails, the move action becomes a full round action and the character cannot do anything else until his next turn. The mount acts on the character’s initiative count as he directs it. The character moves at its speed but the mount uses its action to move. For simplicity, assume that a character shares his mount’s space during combat.
Making a Trip Attack: The character makes an unarmed melee touch attack against the target. If the attack succeeds, the character makes a Strength check opposed by the target’s Dexterity check or Strength check, using whichever ability score has the higher modifier. If the character and the target are different sizes, then the larger combatant gets a bonus to his Strength check of +4 per difference in size category. The target also gains a +4 stability bonus on his check if he has more than two legs or is otherwise exceptionally stable. If the character wins, he trips the target. If the character loses, the target may immediately react and make a Strength check opposed by the character’s Dexterity check or Strength check to try to trip him. Being Tripped (Prone): A tripped character is prone; see the Defence Modifiers table. Standing up from a prone position is a move action, as listed above. Tripping with a Weapon: Some weapons, such as the chain and the whip, can be used to make trip attacks. If the character is tripped during his own trip attempt, then he can drop the weapon to avoid being tripped. Disarm As a melee attack, a character may attempt to disarm his opponent. If he does so with a weapon, he knocks the opponent’s weapon out of his hands and to the ground. If the character makes the disarm attempt while unarmed, the character ends up with the weapon in his or her hand. If a character is attempting to disarm the wielder of a melee weapon, he and the target make opposed attack
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rolls with their respective weapons. If the weapons are different sizes, the combatant with the larger weapon gets a bonus on the attack roll of +4 per difference in size category. If the target is using a weapon in two hands, he gets an additional +4 bonus. Also, if the combatants are different sizes, the larger combatant gets a bonus on the attack roll of +4 per difference in size category. If the character beats the target’s attack roll, the target is disarmed. If the character attempted the disarm action unarmed, he now has the weapon. If the character was armed, the target’s weapon is on the ground at the target’s feet. If the character fails the disarm attempt, the target may immediately react and attempt to disarm him with the same sort of opposed melee attack roll. If the opponent fails to disarm, the character does not get a free disarm attempt against him. Ranged Weapons: To disarm an opponent wielding a ranged weapon, the character makes a melee attack or unarmed attack to strike the weapon in the opponent’s hand; see Attack an Object. If the weapon is held in two hands, it gets a +2 bonus to its DV. If the character’s attack succeeds, the ranged weapon falls to the ground or, if the character made the attack unarmed, winds up in the character’s hands. If the character fails, the target does not get to make a disarm attempt against him. Disarming an opponent by using a ranged weapon is only possible if the character doing so possesses the Improved Disarm feat. Grabbing Objects: A character can also use disarm to snatch away an object worn by a target. Doing this works in the same way as a disarm attempt (see above) with the following differences: Modifiers: If the object is well secured or otherwise difficult to grab from the target, the target gets a +4 bonus. On the other hand, if the object is poorly secured or otherwise easy to snatch or cut away, the attacker gets a +4 bonus. Failed Attempts: Failing an attempt to grab an object does not allow the target to attempt to disarm the character. Grapple Grappling means wrestling and struggling hand-to-hand. With most people carrying guns and blades in OGL Steampunk, grappling can be a dangerous proposition but it can be a useful combat option in certain cases where normal methods of assault may not advisable or possible. Grapple Checks: When a character is involved in a grapple, he will need to make opposed grapple checks against an opponent, often repeatedly. A grapple check is something like a melee attack roll. A character’s attack bonus on a grapple check is:
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Base attack bonus + Strength modifier + grapple modifier
Substance Hardness and Hit Points Substance Paper Rope Resin Glass Ceramic Ice Horn Wood Aluminium Concrete Steel
Hardness 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 5 6 8 10
Hit Points 2/inch of thickness 2/inch of thickness 3/inch of thickness 1/inch of thickness 2/inch of thickness 3/inch of thickness 5/inch of thickness 10/inch of thickness 10/inch of thickness 15/inch of thickness 30/inch of thickness
Grapple Modifier: A creature’s size works in its favour when grappling if that creature is Large or larger in size. Conversely, a creature of Small or smaller size is at a disadvantage because of its size when grappling. Instead of using a creature’s size modifier on a grapple check, as would be done for a melee or ranged attack roll, use the appropriate grapple modifier from the Grapple Modifiers table below. Grapple Modifiers Size (Example) Leviathan (walking fortress) Colossal (blue whale 90 ft. long) Gargantuan (grey whale 40 ft. long) Huge (elephant) Large (lion) Medium (human) Small (German shepherd) Tiny (housecat) Diminutive (rat) Fine (horsefly)
Grapple Modifier +20 +16 +12 +8 +4 +0 –4 –8 –12 –16
Starting a Grapple: To start a grapple, a character first needs to grab and hold his target. Attempting to start a grapple is the equivalent of making a melee attack. If the character gets multiple attacks in a round, he can attempt to start a grapple multiple times, at successively lower base attack bonuses.
Step One - Grab: The character makes a melee touch attack to grab the target. If the character fails to hit the target, he fails to start the grapple. If he succeeds, proceed to step 3. Step Two - Hold: Make an opposed grapple check as a free action. If the character succeeds, then he has started the grapple and deals damage to the target as if with an unarmed strike. If the character loses, he fails to start the grapple. The character automatically loses an attempt to hold if the target is two or more size categories larger than he is. However, he can still make an attempt to grab such a target, if that is all he wants to do.
lower attack bonus for each roll. The character is limited to these options only; he cannot take any other actions.
Grappling Consequences: While a character is grappling, his ability to attack others and defend himself is limited. No Dexterity Bonus: A character loses his Dexterity bonus to DV (if he has one) against opponents he is not grappling. The character can still use it against opponents he is grappling. No Movement: A character cannot move while held in a grapple.
If the Character is Grappling: When a character is grappling (regardless of who started the grapple) he can attempt any of several actions on his turn. Unless otherwise noted, each of these options is equivalent to an attack. If the character normally gets more than one attack per attack action, he can attempt as many of these options as he has attacks available, using his successively
Damage the Opponent: The character makes an opposed grapple check; if he succeeds, he deals damage as from an unarmed strike. Pin: The character makes an opposed grapple check; if he succeeds, he holds the opponent immobile for 1 round. The opponent takes a –4 penalty to DV against all attacks from other people but not from the character himself; however, the opponent is not considered helpless. A character cannot use a weapon on a pinned character, nor can he attempt to damage or pin a second opponent while holding a pin on the first. A pinned character cannot take any action except to attempt to escape from the pin. Escape from Grapple: The character makes an opposed grapple check. If the character succeeds, he can escape the grapple. If more than one opponent is grappling the character, the grapple check result has to beat all their check results to escape. Opponents do not have to try to hold a character if they do not want to. Alternatively, the character can make an Escape Artist check opposed by the opponent’s grapple check to escape from the grapple. This is an action that the character may only attempt once per round, even if the character gets multiple attacks. If the character has not used his move action for the round, then he may do so after escaping from the grapple. Escape from Pin: The character makes an opposed grapple check. If the character succeeds, he can escape from being pinned. Opponents do not have to try to keep the character pinned if they do
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Step Three - Maintain the Grapple: To maintain the grapple for later rounds, the character must move into the target’s space. This movement is free and does not count as part of the character’s movement for the round. The character and the target are now grappling. If the character cannot move into the target’s space, then he cannot maintain the grapple and must immediately let go of the target. To grapple again, the character must begin at step 1.
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not want to. The character is still being grappled, however. Alternatively, a character can make an Escape Artist check opposed by the opponent’s grapple check to escape from the pin. This is a standard action that the character may only attempt once per round, even if he gets multiple attacks. Break Another’s Pin: The character makes an opposed grapple check; if the character succeeds, he can break the hold that an opponent has over an ally. Draw a Light Weapon: A character can draw a light weapon as a move action. Attack with a Light Weapon: A character can attack with a light weapon while grappling but not while pinned or pinning. A character cannot attack with two weapons while grappling.
Thrown Explosives An attack with a thrown explosive is a ranged attack made against a specific 5-foot space, which can be occupied by a creature. Throwing the explosive is a standard action. If the target location is within one range increment, the character does not need to make an attack roll. If the target square is more than one range increment away, the character makes an attack roll. The target location has an effective DV of 10. Thrown weapons require no weapon proficiency, so a character does not take the –4 nonproficiency penalty. If the attack is successful, then the grenade or explosive strikes the targeted spot. If the character misses the target, the explosive lands in a random direction. Consult the tables below to determine where the explosive lands. If the weapon was thrown two to three range increments (11 to 30 feet) then roll 1d4.
If the Character is Pinned: When an opponent has pinned the character, he is held immobile (but not helpless) for 1 round and cannot attempt any other action. On the character’s turn, he can attempt to escape from the pin. If the character succeeds, he is still grappling. Joining An Ongoing Grapple: If the target is already grappling someone else, a character can use an attack to start a grapple, as above, except that his grab attempt automatically succeeds. The character still has to make a successful opposed grapple check and move in to be part of the grapple. If multiple enemies are already involved in the grapple, the character picks one against whom to make the opposed grapple check. Multiple Grapplers: Several combatants can be in a single grapple. Up to four combatants can grapple a single opponent in a given round. Creatures that are one size category smaller than the character count as one-half creature each. Creatures that are one size category larger than the character count as two creatures and creatures two or more size categories larger than the character count as four creatures. When involved in a grapple with multiple opponents, the character chooses one opponent against whom he makes his opposed check. The exception is an attempt to escape from the grapple; to escape, a character’s grapple check must beat the check results of all opponents.
Grenades and Explosives An explosive is a weapon that, when detonated, affects all creatures and objects within its burst radius by means of shrapnel, heat or massive concussion. Its effect is broad enough that it can hurt characters just by going off close to them. Some explosives, such as grenades, can be thrown and they explode when they land. Others are planted, with fuses or timers, going off after a preset amount of time elapses.
d4 1 2 3 4
Location Struck 5 ft. beyond target 5 ft. right of target 5 ft. short of target 5 ft. left of target
For ranges of up to five range increments (31 to 50 feet), roll 1d8. d8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Location Struck 10 ft. beyond target 5 ft. beyond and right of target 10 ft. squares right of target 5 ft. short and right of target 10 ft. short of target 5 ft. short and left of target 10 ft. left of target 5 ft. beyond and left of target
After determining where the explosive landed, it deals its damage to all targets within the burst radius of the weapon. The targets may make Reflex saving throws for half damage. The DC varies according to the explosive type. Planted Explosives A planted explosive is set in place through the use of the Knowledge (architecture and engineering) or Craft (mechanical) skills, with some kind of timer or fuse determining when it goes off. No attack roll is necessary to plant an explosive; the explosive sits where it is placed until it is moved or goes off. When a planted explosive detonates, it deals its damage to all targets within the burst radius of the weapon. The targets may make Reflex saving throws for half damage. The DC varies according to the explosive type. Splash Weapons A splash weapon is a ranged weapon that breaks apart on impact, splashing or scattering its contents over its target
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and nearby creatures or objects. Most splash weapons consist of liquids in breakable containers.
A character can instead target a specific 5-foot square, including a square occupied by a creature. Use the rules for thrown explosives. However, if a character targets a location, creatures within 5 feet are all dealt the splash damage and the direct hit damage is not dealt to any creature. If the character misses the target, whether he is aiming at a creature or a square, then check to see where the weapon lands, using the rules for thrown explosives. After determining where the object landed, splash damage is dealt to all creatures within 5 feet.
Attack an Object Sometimes a character needs to attack or break an object. These rules are also used to determine what happens to large pieces of machinery that are struck by attacks specifically intended to damage them. Strike an Object Objects are easier to hit than characters because they usually do not move, but many are tough enough to shrug off some damage from each blow. Object Defence and Bonuses to Attack: Objects are harder or easier to hit depending on their size and whether they are immobile or being held, carried, or worn by opponents. The base DV of objects is shown on the Size and Defence of Objects table. Size and Defence of Objects Size (Example) Leviathan (fortress) Colossal (airship) Gargantuan (traction engine) Huge (carriage) Large (big door) Medium (bicycle) Small (chair) Tiny (gramophone) Diminutive (paperback book) Fine (pencil)
DV –11 –3 1 3 4 5 6 7 9 13
If a character uses a full-round action to make an attack against an inanimate, immobile object, the character gets an automatic hit with a melee weapon, or a +5 bonus on his or her attack roll with a ranged weapon.
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Hardness: Each object has hardness. This is a number that represents how well it resists damage. Whenever an object takes damage, subtract its hardness from the damage. Only damage in excess of its hardness is deducted from the object’s hit points. See the Substance Hardness and Hit Points table and the Object Hardness and Hit Points table for reference. Hit Points: An object’s hit point total depends on what it is made of or how big it is. See the Substance Hardness and Hit Points table and the Object Hardness and Hit Points table for reference. Structure points: Some objects are particularly tough and have structure points rather than hit points to measure their physical integrity. A weapon or attack dealing damage in hit points must deal 10 hit points of damage in order to deal 1 structure point of damage, after subtracting the object’s hardness. Weapons that deal structure damage deal their damage directly and ignore the object’s hardness.
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To attack with a splash weapon, make a ranged touch attack against the target. Thrown weapons require no weapon proficiency, so characters do not take the –4 nonproficient penalty. A hit deals direct hit damage to the target and splash damage to all other creatures within 5 feet of the target.
An object being held, carried, or worn has a DV equal to the above figure + 5 + the opponent’s Dexterity modifier + the opponent’s class bonus to DV.
Energy Attacks: Acid and sonic attacks deal normal damage to most objects. Electricity and fire attacks deal half damage to most objects; divide the damage by 2 before applying the hardness. Cold attacks deal onequarter damage to most objects; divide the damage by 4 before applying the hardness. Ineffective Weapons: The Games Master may determine that certain weapons just cannot deal damage effectively to certain objects. Immunities: Objects are immune to non-lethal damage and to critical hits. Saving Throws: Unattended objects never make saving throws. They are considered to have failed their saving throws. An object attended by a character (being grasped, touched, or worn) receives a saving throw just as if the character herself were making the saving throw. Breaking Objects When a character tries to break something with sudden force rather than by dealing damage, use a Strength check to see whether he succeeds. The DC depends more on the construction of the object than on the material. If an object has lost half or more of its hit points, the DC to break it decreases by 2. Repairing Objects Repairing damage to an object takes a full hour of work and appropriate tools. Without the tools, a character takes a –4 penalty on his Repair check. At the end of the hour, make a Repair check at DC 20. Success restores 2d6 hit points. If damage remains, the character may continue to make repairs for as many hours as it takes to restore all the object’s hit points. There are certain situations where repairing a specific item works in other ways; these exceptions are part of the item’s description when applicable.
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Unusual Combat Situations
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Injury and Recovery
There are all sorts of actions that can be taken in combat that are completely covered by the rules just presented. Inevitably, however, a Player is going to come up with something that is not so covered. Conflicts in this setting tend to be won or lost through the ideas and actions of those involved, not the person with the biggest gun. The problem with clever combat ideas is that they are usually unique, which makes it very difficult to pattern them to the common battle options given in this chapter.
Combat and many other situations will damage a character and put him out of action for some time, or prevent him from functioning in top health.
This is not as much of a difficulty as one might think. Games Masters are the ultimate controllers of their stories and their decisions are law. If an idea for an action does not match anything here, the Games Master’s instincts usually suffice for the moment and an idea that gets used multiple times becomes a precedent. These form the basis for ‘house rules,’ something every campaign develops over time. As long as everyone involved in the game is having fun playing and the rules apply equally to everyone, there is no such thing as a ‘bad call.’ The Games Master has both the privilege and the responsibility of being the ultimate arbiter during play but he must act with impartiality or the spirit of fairness is lost.
At 0 hit points, a character is disabled. At from –1 to –9 hit points, a character is dying. At –10 or lower, a character is dead.
Injury and Death Hit points measure how hard a character is to kill. Hit points mean two things in the game world: the ability to take physical punishment and keep going, and the ability to turn a serious blow into a less serious one.
Massive Damage Any time a character takes damage from a single hit that exceeds his massive damage threshold, that damage is considered massive damage. A character’s massive damage threshold is equal to the character’s current Constitution score. You can increase this by taking the Improved Damage Threshold feat.
When a character takes massive damage that does not reduce his or her hit points to 0 or lower, the character must make a Fortitude saving throw at DC 15. If the character fails the Object Hardness and Hit Points saving throw, then his hit point total Object Hardness Hit Points Break DC is immediately reduced to –1. If the Lock saving throw succeeds, the character Cheap 0 1 10 suffers no ill effect beyond the loss of Average 3 5 15 hit points. High quality 5 10 20 High security 10 120 35 Creatures immune to critical hits are also immune to the effects of massive Ultra-high security 20 150 40 damage. Manufactured objects* Fine 0 1 10 Disabled (0 Hit Points) Diminutive 0 1 10 When a character’s current hit points Tiny 1 2 10 drop to exactly 0, he is disabled. He Small 3 3 12 is not unconscious but he is close to Medium 5 5 15 being so. The character can only take Large 5 10 15 a single move or attack action each Huge 8 10 20 turn but not both, nor can he take Gargantuan 8 20 30 full-round actions. The character Colossal 10 30 50 can take non-strenuous move actions Firearm, Medium 5 7 17 without further injuring himself; Rope 0 2 23 however, if he attacks or performs any other action that the Games Master Simple wooden door 5 10 13 deems to be strenuous, then he takes 1 Strong wooden door 5 20 23 point of damage after completing the Steel door 10 120 35 act. Unless the activity increased the Cinderblock wall 8 90 35 character’s hit points, the character is Chain 10 5 26 now at –1 hit points and is dying. Handcuffs 10 10 30 Metal bars 10 15 30 Healing that raises the character * Figures for manufactured objects are minimum values. The Games Master may above 0 hit points makes him fully adjust these upward to account for objects with more strength and durability. Amazing functional again, just as if he had machines have their own values as described in the next chapter. never been reduced to 0 or lower.
unconscious, he makes the same Fortitude saving throw every hour until he becomes conscious. Even while unconscious, the character recovers hit points naturally, and he can return to normal activity when his hit points rise to 1 or higher.
Dying (–1 to –9 Hit Points) When a character’s current hit points drop below 0, the character is dying. A dying character has a current hit point total between –1 and –9 inclusive. A dying character immediately falls unconscious and can take no actions; he loses 1 hit point every round. This continues until the character dies or becomes stable naturally or with help; see below.
After taking damage, a character can recover hit points through natural healing over the course of days or through medical technology, which is somewhat faster. In some campaign settings, magical healing is also available. In any case, a character cannot regain hit points past his full normal total.
Dead (–10 hit points or lower) When a character’s current hit points drop to –10 or lower, he is dead. A character can also die if his Constitution is reduced to 0.
Natural Healing A character recovers 1 hit point per character level per evening of rest, which is defined as 8 hours of sleep. Construct characters do not heal naturally, but they can be repaired.
Stable Characters and Recovery A dying character (one with –1 to –9 hit points) is unconscious and loses 1 hit point every round until he becomes stable or dies. Recovering without Help: Each round, a dying character makes a Fortitude saving throw at DC 20. If the saving throw fails, the character loses 1 hit point and must make another saving throw on his turn the next round. If the saving throw succeeds, the character becomes stable. A stable character stops losing hit points every round but remains unconscious. If no one tends to the stable character (see below) he remains unconscious for 1 hour, at which point he makes a Fortitude saving throw at DC 20. If the saving throw succeeds, the stable character regains consciousness, becoming disabled, for which see above. The character’s current hit point total remains where it is, however, even though it is negative. If the saving throw fails, the character remains unconscious. An unaided stable, conscious character who has negative hit points (and is disabled) does not heal naturally. Instead, each day the character makes a Fortitude saving throw at DC 20 to start recovering hit points naturally that day; if the saving throw fails, he loses 1 hit point. Once an unaided character starts recovering hit points naturally, the character is no longer in danger of losing additional hit points, even if his current hit point total is still negative. Recovering with Help: A dying character can be made stable by the use of the Treat Injury skill, with a DC of 15. One hour after a tended, dying character becomes stable, he makes a Fortitude saving throw at DC 20 to regain consciousness. If successful, the character becomes disabled, for which see above. If the character remains
Healing
Healing Ability Damage Ability damage returns at the rate of 1 point per evening of rest, which is defined as 8 hours of sleep. Complete bed rest (24 hours) restores 2 points per day. This healing happens at the same time as healing hit points.
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A character can also become disabled when recovering from dying. In this case, it is a step up along the road to recovery and the character can have fewer than 0 hit points. See the Stable Characters and Recovery section below.
Temporary Hit Points Certain effects can give temporary hit points to a character. When a character gains temporary hit points, make a note of his current hit points before adding the temporary hit points. When the temporary hit points go away, the character’s hit points drop to that score. If the character’s hit points are already below that score at that time, all the temporary hit points have already been lost and the character’s hit point total does not drop. When temporary hit points are lost, they cannot be restored as real hit points can be, even with medical treatment or magic. Increases in Constitution Score and Current Hit Points An increase in a character’s Constitution score, even a temporary one, can give the character more hit points (an effective hit point increase) but these are not temporary hit points. They can be restored through normal healing. When a character’s Constitution drops back down to its previous score after a temporary increase, the character’s full normal hit points go down accordingly.
Vehicle Rules
For simply travelling from point to point, the vehicle used is largely a matter of personal style and finances. Skill checks are only required in extraordinary circumstances. These rules are primarily focused on ground vehicles, namely cars, trucks, and light military vehicles. The rules can be modified for boats, heavier armoured vehicles, and aircraft. In a Steampunk setting, characters will most likely use these rules during car chases, one of the most exciting action scenes that can occur during game play.
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Passenger: All other personnel aboard the vehicle are considered passengers. Passengers have no specific role in the vehicle’s operation, but may be able to fire weapons from the vehicle or take other actions.
Vehicle Movement Unlike characters, vehicles do not spend actions to move. Each round, a vehicle moves its current speed. The character only gets involved when he wants the vehicle to speed up, slow down or perform a specific manoeuvre.
Characters in Vehicles A character in a vehicle fills one of several Speed Modifier Vehicle Speed Speed Modifier possible roles, which determines what Every vehicle in this game has a speed the character can do. 5-50 +0 score. This is simply the maximum 51-100 -2 number of feet the vehicle is capable of Driver: The driver of the vehicle 101-150 -4 moving every round. A vehicle’s current controls its movement. Most 151-200 -6 speed can be anything between 0 and its vehicles have only one position 201-250 -8 speed score. from where the vehicle can be driven, so the person seated there Speed Modifier is the driver. Driving a vehicle is, at a minimum, a The speed at which a vehicle is travelling imposes a move action, which means that the driver may be modifier on all Drive and Pilot checks to operate the able to do something else with his standard action. vehicle. This modifier is listed in the Speed Modifier There can be only one driver in a vehicle at one table. You can extend the table to determine the modifier time. for speeds higher than 250. Copilot: A copilot can help the driver by taking an aid another action. The copilot must be seated Changing Speed in a location where he can see the road and advise A character in control of a vehicle can change its speed the driver. In a car, this generally means the front once each round as a free action by an amount up to the passenger seat. Aiding the driver is a move action, acceleration or deceleration scores listed in the vehicle’s leaving the copilot with a standard action each description. This number is the value for moderate round to do something else. A vehicle can have acceleration or deceleration, which is how much an only one copilot at a time. operator can speed up or slow down at moderate risk Gunner: Some vehicles have built-in weapons. of losing control of the vehicle. Low acceleration or If such a weapon is controlled from a location deceleration is half the listed number, high acceleration other than the driver’s position, a character can or deceleration is twice the listed number and extreme man that position and become the gunner. A acceleration or deceleration is four times the listed vehicle can have as many gunners as it has gunner number. positions. Specialist: Specialists operate special machinery Accelerating and decelerating require a Drive or Pilot or instruments in the vehicle, such as navigation, check. The DC depends on the amount by which the observation and communication posts. Operating operator is attempting to increase or decrease the vehicle’s such machinery is usually a standard action. A speed. The check is also modified by the vehicle’s current vehicle can have as many specialists as it has speed before applying the effects of acceleration or special function posts. deceleration and by the vehicle’s handling score.
Changing Speed Acceleration/Deceleration Low Moderate High Extreme
DC 0* 5 10 15
Manoeuvres In addition to changing speeds as detailed above, characters operating vehicles can also attempt a wide range of manoeuvres. All manoeuvres are considered to be move actions. In a single round, a character operating a vehicle may perform either one manoeuvre along with a standard action (such as an attack) or two manoeuvres. Manoeuvres can be attempted at any point during a vehicle’s movement. Manoeuvres require a Drive or Pilot check, as appropriate for the type of vehicle and both the vehicle’s handling and speed modifiers are applied. The various manoeuvres possible in vehicles and the DC required to attempt them are detailed below. Avoid Hazard: Wrenching at his controls, the character operating the vehicle manoeuvres wildly to avoid an obstacle in his path. The DC of the Drive or Pilot check is based on the size of the hazard, as shown on the table above. Climb/Dive: In the main, it is not necessary to track the altitude of aircraft in the game. So long as you know the distance between two fighting aircraft, combat can proceed without further complication. However, altitude can sometimes be an issue when an aircraft is involved in combat with a surface vehicle. In this case, the character operating the aircraft simply declares what altitude he is at, in terms of metres, at the beginning of the combat. By climbing or diving, a vehicle moves forward at half of its speed and either gains or loses altitude, as appropriate, by the same amount. Only aircraft can perform this manoeuvre. Immelmann Turn: By climbing or diving vertically, then rolling before pulling level again, a vehicle can effectively change its direction to any facing. Only vehicles with aerial movement can perform this manoeuvre, and then only those with a manoeuvrability mode of good or better. Jink: As a full-round action, an aircraft pilot may ‘jink’ his vehicle, taking extremes of evasive action in an attempt to throw off any attack. He gains a +4 dodge bonus to DV until his next action. Jump: A vehicle can attempt to jump over an obstacle, such as another vehicle or a ravine. The Games Master sets the DC for the Drive check as he feels appropriate
DC 0 3 6 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 0 20 20 15 to 25+ 10 20 Target’s DV 10* 5
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* Low acceleration/deceleration succeeds automatically.
Vehicle Manoeuvres Manoeuvre Avoid Hazard Fine Diminutive Tiny Small Medium Large Huge Gargantuan Colossal Leviathan Climb/Dive Immelmann Turn Jink Jump Landing Loop Ram Regain Control Take Off Turns Soft Sharp Extreme Handbrake Zoom Climb/Power Dive
0 15 20 25 15
* In addition to the vehicle’s handling score and speed, this check is also modified by the severity of the mishap, as detailed on pg. 190.
to the distance and obstacle being crossed, but it should be noted that the speed modifier of the vehicle is used as a bonus when jumping, not a penalty. If successful, the vehicle makes the jump, but a second Drive check is immediately required in order for the character to control the vehicle when it lands. The speed modifier applies as normal to this second check. Only surface vehicles may attempt jumps. Landing: This manoeuvre is used to land an aircraft on a flat surface, such as a runway, landing strip or carrier ship. Loop: The vehicle executes a full loop over the course of the round. Though its speed need not change, the vehicle will effectively not move on a map. Only vehicles with aerial movement can perform this manoeuvre, and then only those with a manoeuvrability mode of good or better. Ram: Though this is a highly dangerous manoeuvre, a character may intentionally attempt to ram another vehicle. The Pilot or Drive check must equal or exceed the target’s Defence Value. Ramming is covered in greater detail on pg. 192.
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Regain Control: A character must succeed at this manoeuvre in order to negate the effects of a mishap. The penalty for the mishap is always applied to the check, as well as the vehicle’s handling score and speed modifier. Takeoff: This is the manoeuvre used by aircraft in order to launch themselves from the ground or a suitable other surface such as the roof of a particularly large building. Turn, Soft: By making a turn, the character can change the facing of his vehicle by up to 45o. Turn, Sharp: A successful sharp turn will allow a vehicle to turn up to 90o in the distance indicated by its turn rate, instead of just 45o in the distance indicated by its turn rate. Turn, Extreme: Wrenching hard at the controls, a character may turn his vehicle violently. A successful extreme turn will allow a vehicle to turn up to 135o in the distance indicated by its turn rate, instead of just 45o. Turn, Handbrake: A successful handbrake turn will spin a vehicle around up 180o to face the opposite direction of travel, while coming to a complete stop, that is, a speed of 0. Aerial vehicles cannot perform this manoeuvre unless their manoeuvrability mode is good. Aerial vehicles with a perfect manoeuvrability grant a +5 to the Pilot check to perform this manoeuvre. Zoom Climb/Power Dive: Upon successful completion of this manoeuvre, the vehicle will climb or dive at an angle of between 45 o and 90 o. The character operating the vehicle may choose how much of the vehicle’s speed will be expended to gain or lose altitude but this must be more than half of its current speed. Surface vehicles cannot zoom climb or power dive. Mishaps Whenever a character fails a Drive or Pilot check while operating a vehicle, he will start to lose control. The vehicle may skid, spin or collide into an obstacle, which may prove deadly to the character and all his passengers. It will also be much more difficult to manoeuvre a vehicle while it is out of control and the character operating it must attempt to regain control, as detailed above. When a Drive or Pilot check is failed, note the amount by which it was failed and consult the table below to determine what happens to the vehicle. Vehicle Mishaps Check Failed By 5 or less 6-10 11-15 16-20 21 or more
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Effect Slip Slide Skid Spin Collision
Drive or Pilot check penalty -2 -4 -6 -8 Special
Slip: The vehicle starts to slip sideways, lose traction or begins to swerve slightly. The vehicle completes the manoeuvre being attempted but any further Drive or Pilot checks are made with a –2 circumstance penalty until control is regained. Slide: The vehicle slides violently and teeters on the edge of being completely out of control. The vehicle only moves half of its current speed (though its actual speed does not change) and the manoeuvre is only partly completed. For example, any extreme or sharp turn will only result in a normal turn or a hazard will be clipped or sideswiped. If a jump was being attempted, the vehicle will not quite make the distance. Any further Drive or Pilot checks are made with a –4 circumstance penalty until control is regained. Skid: The vehicle’s speed drops by 10 and it skids its length to the left or right, determined randomly or at the Games Master’s discretion. If this brings it into the same space as another vehicle or object, it collides (see below) and if any manoeuvre was being attempted, it fails completely. The vehicle’s speed continues to drop by ten and move one length to the side each round until control is regained, the vehicle stops or it crashes into something. If a vehicle with a manoeuvrability mode of average or worse reaches 0 speed, it stalls and begins to drop by 100 feet each turn until control is regained. Any further Drive or Pilot checks are made with a –6 circumstance penalty until control is regained, and stalling aircraft have this penalty increase by -2 each turn that it drops. Spin: The vehicle goes into an almost uncontrollable spin. Its speed drops by 10 and it moves in a random direction; this continues every round until control is regained, the vehicle stops or it crashes into something. The same conditions for stalling aircraft apply as per the skid mishap. Any further Drive or Pilot checks are made with a –8 circumstance penalty until control is regained. Collision: Control of the vehicle is completely lost and it crashes into a nearby vehicle or object; see below. If multiple vehicles and objects are nearby, the Games Master should choose the nearest one or determine one randomly. If there are no nearby vehicles or objects, the vehicle goes into a spin. Collisions If a vehicle crashes into something, it immediately sustains damage based on its current speed and the size of the object or vehicle with which it collides. Damage Reduction or hardness applies as normal in collisions. Collision Damage: This is the damage the vehicle sustains, in hit points. Apply the usual procedure for converting hit point damage to structure point damage if either or both the vehicles have structure points. For vehicles with very high speeds, the Games Master should consider reducing the number of dice rolled to one-tenth
the standard amount but applying the damage in structure points. This is recommended for any crash that would otherwise require rolling more than around 20 dice or so. If a vehicle crashes into a moving object, such as another vehicle, the Games Master must determine the total speed of the impact. If two vehicles are moving directly towards each other, add their speeds together for the purposes of determining collision damage. If they are moving in the same direction, use the difference of their speeds and if they are moving at angles to one another, use the highest speed. The damage a vehicle sustains from a collision is also modified by the size category of the obstacle it crashes into, as shown on the table below.
Collision Damage Multiplier Size of Obstacle Damage Multiplier Fine 1/16 Diminutive 1/8 Tiny 1/4 Small 1/2 Medium x1 Large x2 Huge x3 Gargantuan x4 Colossal x5 Leviathan x6 is involved in a collision with one can attempt a Reflex saving throw at the same DC for half damage. Any passengers and crew within a vehicle involved in a collision will sustain damage equal to half the speed of the collision after accounting for hardness, Damage Reduction and the operator’s Drive or Pilot check to minimise the damage. They can also make a Fortitude saving throw at DC 20 to further halve this damage.
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Collision Damage Speed* Modifier 5-50 1d10 51-100 2d10 101-150 3d10 151-200 4d10 201-250 5d10 * Extend the table to determine the damage for speeds higher than 250.
Vehicle Combat
The object struck by the vehicle will also take damage. The base damage is the same as for the vehicle, multiplied by the size category of the vehicle crashing into it.
Vehicles engage in combat in a very similar way to characters and creatures, with a few modifications and adaptations, with attack rolls made by the vehicles’ pilots or gunners against their targets’ Defence Values, accounting for distance penalties.
A character controlling a vehicle may make a Drive or Pilot check as appropriate, in order to minimise the damage. This is a free action and the DC of the check is equal to half the speed of the collision. The modifiers for the vehicle’s speed and handling are applied as normal. If successful, the vehicle takes half damage from the crash. A character who is not in a vehicle (a pedestrian) but
Crew Quality Whether the Games Master is running Non-Player Character vehicles or just needs to fill out the ranks of the Player Characters’ crew, it is often helpful to have a general indicator of a crew’s skill with vehicle operations. The following table lists several levels of crew training and experience. The modifier should be used for attack rolls,
‘You done back there yet?’ Jerrek’s voice conveyed only part of the panic he was feeling. The orcs had all pulled back and although they were not firing at his team any more, this did not make him feel much better. The only reason the orcs would have pulled back and ceased fire was if they were planning something worse. He had seen this in a dozen other battlefields and he knew what it meant. Something was coming… something the orcs did not want to be in front of when it got here. The dwarf yelled back over the din of his tools and the sound of shearing metal, ‘Almost! I just need another minute!’ His voice was also panicked, more so than Jerrek had ever heard a dwarf sound. Glancing back, he saw why. Thurdin was scratch-building a mine out of the weapons in the orcish handcarts. One slip and none of them would have to worry about the orcs any more. ‘We’ll buy you as much time as we can!’ Jerrek turned back and kept his rifle trained on the tunnel ahead. There was still smoke from his burn bomb lingering in the air but it was beginning to billow. A few moments later, they all saw why. A huge metal mass, roughly the size and shape of a horseless carriage, came rushing down the passage towards them. The manlets shattered underneath its spike-covered tracks, splintering into kindling in a cloud of destruction around its inexorable advance. ‘Change of plan!’ shouted Jerrek as he abandoned the metal shield with Gearbolt in tow. ‘Run!’
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skill checks and ability checks related to the operation of the vehicle. Crew Quality Crew Quality Untrained Green Veteran Expert Elite
Modifier -4 +0 +2 +4 +8
Initiative There are a couple of initiative options to choose from during vehicle combat. When running an encounter between a Player Character vehicle and a Non-Player Character Vehicle, the Games Master can opt for the normal rules for character initiative. Characters will often have to delay their actions to wait for the pilot to manoeuvre the vehicle into position but combat should otherwise proceed as normal. For encounters involving more than one vehicle or vehicles with large crews, the Games Master can ask for one initiative roll for each vehicle, in which case the initiative roll is the normal d20 plus the vehicle’s size modifier and its handling score. Combat Actions Movement and action in vehicle combat work just as they do in the normal combat rules. Each round, a character can move and take a standard action and a move action, two move actions or one full-round action. Operating the vehicle is a move action, so the pilot can do other things with his standard action, such as attacking or giving additional directions to the vehicle. Attack: A character in a vehicle can make a ranged attack against another vehicle, character or creature. In addition to all the usual modifiers to the attack roll, the character applies the speed modifiers of both the vehicle he is travelling in and the vehicle he is targeting. This applies to characters using their personal weapons as well as to gunners using the vehicle’s mounted weaponry. If both vehicles are travelling in the same direction, consider the target vehicle’s speed to be half of what it is to determine its speed modifier to the attacker’s roll. A gunner with more than one attack due to a high base attack bonus may perform as many attacks as he is allowed as a full attack, provided that the weapon he is manning does allow for multiple shots in the same round. Evasive Action: This is a standard action equivalent to total defence. The pilot manoeuvres in a way to avoid incoming attack, making a Drive or Pilot check (DC 10) applying the vehicle’s speed modifier and handling. For every 5 points by which he exceeds the DC, the vehicle and its passengers gain a +1 dodge bonus to DV until the start of the pilot’s next turn.
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Ramming: As a standard action, a pilot can intentionally collide his vehicle with another that is adjacent to it. This requires a Drive or Pilot check applying the speed modifiers for both vehicles and the handling rating of the ramming vehicle. If the result equals or exceeds the target vehicle’s DV, the attack is successful. Collision damage is resolved for both vehicles as detailed above. The pilot of the target vehicle can make a Drive or Pilot check for half damage but the pilot of the ramming vehicle cannot, as he is specifically not trying to avoid the collision. Targeting Run: As a standard action, a character operating a vehicle may manoeuvre into the optimum position from which to attack another vehicle. The operators of both vehicles make opposed Drive or Pilot checks, applying the handling score and speed modifiers of their own vehicles. If the attacking character wins the opposed check, all attacks and acquiring target actions from his vehicle to the target gain a +2 circumstance bonus until the start of his next action. Vehicle Fire Arcs Many weapons carried by vehicles are extremely limited in the direction they can fire, usually due to the dynamics of the vehicle or its great mass. Permissible fire arcs are: Front: Front mounted weapons may fire at any target within a 90o arc to the front of the vehicle. Left: Left mounted weapons may fire at any target within a 90o arc to the left of the vehicle. Right: Right mounted weapons may fire at any target within a 90o arc to the right of the vehicle. Rear: Rear mounted weapons may fire at any target within a 90o arc to the rear of the vehicle. Boresight: Normally reserved for driver-operated or aircraft-mounted weaponry, such weapons can only fire in a straight line directly ahead of the vehicle. Turret: Turret mounted weaponry can fire freely into any fire arc. Damage Vehicles and large structures do not have hit points or Hit Dice. Instead, they have structure points and Structure Dice as specified in their descriptions. To reduce a single structural point from a target, an attack must deal 10 full hit points of damage after subtracting the target’s hardness or Damage Reduction, which is possible for fantastical creatures such as dragons or high-scope magic effects. Vehicle and artillery weapons are capable of dealing structure damage, which is subtracted directly from the structure point total, ignoring hardness. Most siege weapons deal structure damage as well as hit point damage and ignore the target’s hardness. A siege weapon hitting a target with hit points rather than structure points deals the hit point damage amount, which is considerably less than if multiplying a structure point of damage by 10. This stems from the large projectiles used
by siege weapons distributing their full force along a large surface, which is the essence of structural damage; they are simply too large to cause penetrating injuries to creatures, which is the essence of hit point damage. In a structure weapon description, hit point damage comes before structural damage.
Critical Damage Unlike other objects with the construct type, vehicles are subject to critical hits. When an attack inflicts a critical hit on a vehicle, however, no bonus damage is applied. Instead, the critical hit may cause a specific effect that hinders or degrades the vehicle’s performance or capabilities. If a vehicle suffers a critical hit, roll 1d6 on the following table. Critical Hit Location d6 Location 1 Frame 2 Engine 3 Control 4 Weapons 5 Cargo 6 Crew
Frame: The vehicle’s frame, chassis or superstructure is damaged. The vehicle’s hardness is reduced by a random number based on the severity of the damage. Engine: The vehicle’s engine or propulsion system is damaged. Reduce the vehicle’s top speed by a random number based on the severity of the damage. Severe and catastrophic damage will also reduce the vehicle’s acceleration rating; this number is listed after a slash. Aircraft and watercraft (including submersibles) have both their acceleration and deceleration reduced. Control: The vehicle’s control systems are damaged. All manoeuvres suffer a circumstance penalty based on the severity of the damage. Weapons: One of the weapons is damaged. Attacks with that weapon suffer a circumstance penalty based on the severity of the damage. Cargo: Any cargo the vehicle is carrying is damaged. The percentage of the vehicle’s cargo (measured in pounds or specific items at the Games Master’s discretion) destroyed by the attack is based on the severity of the damage.
The critical effect depends on the location hit and the severity of the damage. The severity of critical damage is measured in increments of its hardness, before the hardness rating is subtracted from the base hit point damage. Structure damage is multiplied by 10 to determine the severity of critical damage:
Heavy damage: Damage is at least three times but less than four times the vehicle’s hardness. Severe damage: Damage is at least four times but less than five times the vehicle’s hardness. Catastrophic damage: Damage is at least five times the vehicle’s hardness.
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When a vehicle is reduced to 0 structure points or less, it is rendered completely inoperable; it cannot move, turn, manoeuvre, attack or do anything else. A ground vehicle will coast to a stop, reducing its speed by 10 feet every round until it stops or hits something. An aircraft will plummet to the ground and crash. A vehicle that has been reduced to 0 structure points or less is considered helpless and can be completely destroyed with a coup de grace attack.
Light damage: Damage exceeds the hardness, but is less than twice the vehicle’s hardness. Moderate damage: Damage is at least twice but less than three times the vehicle’s hardness.
Crew: The attack bypasses the vehicle’s armour and strikes directly at its crew. Everyone on board the vehicle takes damage due to depressurisation, flying shrapnel, shock and collapsing structures, depending on the severity of the damage. Characters can make a Fortitude saving throw at DC 20 to halve this damage. Repairing Critical Damage: A character with the Repair skill can attempt to repair critical damage to a vehicle. The DC for the Repair check is based on the severity of damage. Repairs to large vehicles require the coordinated efforts of at least 10% of the vehicle’s listed crew. The DC assumes that the technician has the necessary parts, although he can purchase them separately with a Wealth check with the listed DC for each level of severity. A
Critical Hit Effects
Severity Light Moderate Heavy Severe Catastrophic
Frame (hardness lost) 1d6 2d6 3d6 4d6 5d6
Engine (Spd/ Acc lost) 1d4 x5 ft. 2d4 x5 ft. 3d4 x5 ft. 4d4/1d2 x5 ft. 5d4/1d4 x5 ft.
Location Control (penalty) -2 -4 -6 -8 -10
Weapons (penalty) -2 -4 -6 -8 Weapon destroyed
Cargo (destroyed) 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Crew (hp damage) 2d6 4d6 6d6 8d6 10d6
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successful repair reduces the severity of the critical damage by one step, such as from ‘heavy’ to ‘moderate.’ Each critical hit effect must be repaired separately. Critical hits to cargo cannot usually be repaired, as these represent the destruction of items that are not part of the vehicle. Severity Light Moderate Heavy Severe Catastrophic
Repair DC 10 15 20 25 30
Parts Purchase DC 4 6 8 12 20
Traps
Traps include pits, arrow traps, falling blocks, water-filled rooms, steam-driven compressors, whirling blades, and anything else that depends on a mechanism to operate. Players can construct mechanical traps through successful use of the Craft (mechanical) skill. See Designing a Trap on page 197 and the skill description. Ruins and hideouts are frequently equipped with deadly mechanical traps. A trap typically is defined by its location and triggering conditions, how hard it is to spot before it goes off, how much damage it deals and whether or not the affected characters receive a saving throw to mitigate its effects. Traps that attack with arrows, sweeping blades and other types of weaponry make normal attack rolls, with a specific attack bonus dictated by the trap’s design. Creatures who succeed on a DC 20 Search check detect a simple mechanical trap before it is triggered. A simple trap is a snare, a trap triggered by a tripwire, or a large trap such as a pit. A character with the trap sense class feature who succeeds on a DC 21 (or higher) Search check detects a well-hidden or complex mechanical trap before it is triggered. Complex traps are denoted by their triggering mechanisms and involve pressure plates, mechanisms linked to doors, changes in weight, disturbances in the air, vibrations and other sorts of unusual triggers.
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Trigger A trap’s trigger determines how it is sprung.
Attacking the Crew An attacker has the option of aiming directly at a vehicle’s passengers or crew, either with a personal or a vehicle weapon. Unless the vehicle’s description states the contrary, a vehicle provides different degrees of cover to its occupants, usually from one-half to total cover. The Games Master determines the amount of cover that the vehicle’s own structure provides for its occupants, although some amazing machines have particular features or deficiencies that give specific values.
A trap or collection of traps is a particular kind of encounter that is a cross between a combat situation and an action sequence. They are opponents of sorts but are also situations.
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Elements Of A Trap All traps, mechanical or magical, have the following elements: trigger, reset, Search DC, Disable Device DC, attack bonus (or saving throw or onset delay), damage/effect, and Challenge Rating. Some traps may also include optional elements, such as poison or a bypass. These characteristics are described below.
Location: A location trigger springs a trap when someone stands in a particular spot. Proximity: This trigger activates the trap when a creature approaches within a certain distance of it. A proximity trigger differs from a location trigger in that the creature need not be standing in a particular place. Creatures that are flying can spring a trap with a proximity trigger but not one with a location trigger. Mechanical proximity triggers are extremely sensitive to the slightest change in the air. This makes them useful only in places such as crypts, where the air is unusually still. Sound: This trigger springs a magic trap when it detects any sound. A sound trigger functions like an ear and has a +15 bonus on Listen checks. A successful Move Silently check and other effects that would negate hearing defeat it. Visual: This trigger for magic traps works like an actual eye, springing the trap whenever it ‘sees’ something. Sight range and the Spot bonus conferred on the trap are line of sight and +10 respectively. The trap cannot ‘see’ in the dark unless it is made as an amazing device. Touch: A touch trigger, which springs the trap when touched, is one of the simplest kinds of trigger to construct. This trigger may be physically attached to the part of the mechanism that deals the damage or it may not. Timed: This trigger periodically springs the trap after a set duration has passed.
Reset A reset element is the set of conditions under which a trap becomes ready to trigger again.
No Reset: Short of completely rebuilding the trap, there is no way to trigger it more than once. Repair: To restore the trap to functionality once again, you must repair it. Manual: Resetting the trap requires someone to move the parts back into place. This is the kind of reset element most mechanical traps have. Automatic: The trap resets itself, either immediately or after a timed interval.
CR Modifiers for Traps
Multiple target Poison Atropine Belladonna (plant) Black lotus extract Bloodroot Blue-ringed octopus venom Blue vitriol Chloroform Curare (plant) Cyanide Deathblade Greenblood oil Insanity mist Knockout gas Lead arsenate (gas) Malyss root paste Mustard gas Puffer poison (fish) Rattlesnake venom Sassone leaf residue Shadow essence Strychnine Vermin venom Wyvern poison Onset delay 1 round Onset delay 2 rounds Onset delay 3 rounds Onset delay 4+ rounds Pit spikes Touch attack
+1 (or 0 if never miss) +2 +4 +5 +1 +3 +1 +4 +4 +3 +5 +2 +3 +4 +1 +3 +4 +2 +1 +3 +4 +5 +1 +4 +3 +2 +1 –1 +1 +1
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Bypass (Optional Element) If the builder of a trap wants to be able to move past the trap after it is created or placed, it is a good idea to build in a bypass mechanism, which is something that temporarily disarms the trap. Lock: A lock bypass requires a Disable Device check (DC 30) to open. Hidden Switch: A hidden switch requires a Search check (DC 25) to locate. Hidden Lock: A hidden lock combines the features above, requiring a Search check (DC 25) to locate and a Disable Device check (DC 30) to open.
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Feature CR Modifier Search DC 15 or lower –1 25–29 +1 30 or higher +2 Disable Device DC 15 or lower –1 25–29 +1 30 or higher +2 Reflex Saving Throw DC (Pit or Other Save-Dependent Trap) 15 or lower –1 16–24 — 25–29 +1 30 or higher +2 Attack Bonus (Melee or Ranged Attack Trap) +0 or lower –2 +1 to +5 –1 +6 to +14 — +15 to +19 +1 +20 to +24 +2 Damage/Effect Average damage +1/7 points* Miscellaneous Features Liquid +5
Repairing and Resetting Traps: Repairing a mechanical trap requires a Repair check against a DC equal to the one requited to build it. The cost for raw materials is half of the trap’s original Purchase DC. To calculate how long it takes to fix a trap, use the same calculations you would for building it but divide the end result by two. Resetting a trap usually takes only a minute or so. For a trap with a more difficult reset method, the Games Master should set the time and labour required.
Search and Disable Device DCs The builder sets the Search and Disable Device DCs for a mechanical trap. The base DC for both Search and Disable Device checks is 20. Raising or lowering either of these DCs affects the base cost and possibly the Challenge Rating. Refer to the Cost Modifiers for Traps and CR Modifiers for Traps tables. Attack Bonus/Saving Throw DC A trap usually either makes an attack roll or forces a saving throw to avoid it. Occasionally a trap uses both of these options, or may use neither; see Never Miss. Pits: These are holes, covered or not, into which characters can fall and take damage. A pit needs no attack roll, but a successful Reflex saving throw avoids it. The builder sets the DC. Other saving throw dependent mechanical traps also fall into this category. Pits come in three basic varieties: uncovered, covered, and chasms. Pits and chasms can be defeated by judicious application of the Climb skill and the Jump skill. Uncovered pits serve mainly to discourage intruders from going a certain way, although they cause much grief to characters who stumble into them in the dark and they can greatly complicate a melee taking place nearby.
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Covered pits are much more dangerous. Cost Modifiers for Traps They can be detected with a Search Feature Purchase DC Modifier check at DC 20 but only if the character Trigger Type is taking the time to carefully examine Location — the area before walking across it. A Proximity +5 character who fails to detect a covered Touch — pit is still entitled to a Reflex saving Touch (attached) –1 throw at DC 20 to avoid falling into it. Timed +5 However, if he was running or moving Reset Type recklessly at the time, he gets no saving throw and falls automatically. No reset –3 Repair –1 Trap coverings can be as simple as Manual — piled refuse, such as straw, leaves, Automatic +3 (or +0 if trap has timed sticks and garbage, a large rug, or an trigger) actual trapdoor concealed to appear Bypass Type as a normal part of the floor. Such Lock +1 (Disable Device DC 30) a trapdoor usually swings open when Hidden switch +1 (Search DC 25) enough weight (usually about 50 to Hidden lock +2 (Open Lock DC 30, 80 pounds) is placed upon it. Devious Search DC 25) trap builders sometimes design Search DC trapdoors so that they spring back shut 19 or lower – (20 – DC)/2 (round up) after they open. The trapdoor might 20 — lock once it is back in place, leaving 21 or higher +(DC – 20)/2 (round up) the stranded character well and truly trapped. Opening such a trapdoor is Disable Device DC just as difficult as opening a regular 19 or lower – (20 – DC)/2 (round up) door, assuming the trapped character 20 — can reach it. A Strength check at DC 21 or higher +(DC – 20)/2 (round up) 13 is needed to keep a spring-loaded Reflex Save DC (Pit or Other Saving Throw Dependent Trap) door open. 19 or lower – (20 – DC)/2 (round up) 20 — Pit traps often have something nastier 21 or higher +(DC – 20) (round up) than just a hard floor at the bottom. A Attack Bonus (Melee or Ranged Attack Trap) trap designer may put spikes, creatures +9 or lower –(10 – bonus)/2 (round up) or a pool of acid, lava, or even water +10 — at the bottom. Spikes at the bottom +11 or higher +(bonus – 10)/2 (round up) of a pit deal damage as daggers with a +10 attack bonus and a +1 bonus on Damage Bonus damage for every 10 feet of the fall, to High strength rating (ranged attack +1 x half bonus a maximum bonus on damage of +5. trap) (max +4, round up) If the pit has multiple spikes, a falling High Strength bonus (melee attack +1 x half bonus victim is attacked by 1d4 of them. trap) (max +8, round up) This damage is in addition to any Miscellaneous Features damage from the fall itself. Creatures Never miss +5 sometimes live in pits. Any creature Poison Poison Purchase DC/4* that can fit into the pit might have been Chemical item Cost of item* placed there by the dungeon’s designer, * Half of Purchase DC if trap features automatic reset. or might simply have fallen in and not been able to climb back out. builder sets the attack bonus. A ranged attack trap can be configured to simulate the effect of a composite bow A secondary trap at the bottom of a pit can be particularly with a high strength rating which provides the trap with a deadly. Activated by a falling victim, the secondary trap bonus on damage equal to its strength rating. attacks the already injured character when he is least ready for it. Melee Attack Traps: These traps feature such obstacles as sharp blades that emerge from walls and stone blocks Ranged Attack Traps: These traps fling darts, arrows, that fall from ceilings. Once again, the builder sets the spears, or the like at whoever activated the trap. The attack bonus.
Damage/Effect The effect of a trap is what happens to those who spring it. Usually this takes the form of either damage or a spell effect but some traps have special effects.
Miscellaneous Trap Features Some traps include optional features that can make them considerably more deadly. The most common such features are discussed below.
Gas: With a gas trap, the danger is in the inhaled poison it delivers. Traps employing gas usually have the never miss and onset delay features; see below. Liquid: Any trap that involves a danger of drowning is in this category. Traps employing liquid usually have the never miss and onset delay features; see below. Multiple Target: Traps with this feature can affect more than one character. Never Miss: When the entire wall moves to crush the characters, quick reflexes will not help, since the wall cannot possibly miss. A trap with this feature has neither an attack bonus nor a saving throw to avoid but it does have an onset delay; see below. Most traps involving liquid or gas are of the never miss variety. Onset Delay: An onset delay is the amount of time between when the trap is sprung and when it deals damage. A never miss trap always has an onset delay. Poison: Traps that employ poison are deadlier than their non-poisonous counterparts, so they have correspondingly higher Challenge Ratings. To determine the Challenge Rating modifier for a given poison, consult the CR Modifiers for Traps table. Only injury, contact, and inhaled poisons are suitable for traps; ingested types are not. Some
Designing A Trap The creator simply selects the elements he wants the trap to have and adds up the adjustments to the trap’s Challenge Rating that those elements require (see the CR Modifiers for Traps table) to arrive at the trap’s final Challenge Rating. From the Challenge Rating, derive the DC of the Craft (mechanical) checks a character must make to construct the trap.
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Pits: Falling into a pit deals 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet of depth. Ranged Attack Traps: These traps deal whatever damage their ammunition normally would. If a trap is constructed with a high strength rating, it has a corresponding bonus on damage. Melee Attack Traps: These traps deal the same damage as the melee weapons they ‘wield.’ In the case of a falling stone block, the creator can assign any amount of bludgeoning damage he likes but must remember that whoever resets the trap has to lift that stone back into place. A melee attack trap can be constructed with a built-in bonus on damage rolls, just as if the trap itself had a high Strength score. Special: Some traps have miscellaneous features that produce special effects, such as drowning for a water trap or ability damage for poison. Saving throws and damage depend on the poison or are set by the builder, as appropriate.
traps simply deal the poison’s damage. Others deal damage with ranged or melee attacks as well. Pit Spikes: Treat spikes at the bottom of a pit as daggers, each with a +10 attack bonus. The damage bonus for each spike is +1 per 10 feet of pit depth, to a maximum of +5. Each character that falls into the pit suffers an attack from 1d4 spikes. Pit spikes do not add to the average damage of the trap; see Average Damage, below. Pit Bottom: If something other than spikes waits at the bottom of a pit, it is best to treat that as a separate trap (see Multiple Traps, below) with a location trigger that activates on any significant impact, such as a falling character. Touch Attack: This feature applies to any trap that needs only a successful touch attack (melee or ranged) to hit.
Challenge Rating of a Trap To calculate the Challenge Rating of a trap, add all the Challenge Rating modifiers (see the tables below) to the base Challenge Rating for the trap type. The base Challenge Rating for a mechanical trap is 0. If the final Challenge Rating is 0 or lower, add features until it is 1 or higher. Average Damage: If a trap deals hit point damage, calculate the average damage for a successful hit and round that value to the nearest multiple of 7. Use this value to adjust the Challenge Rating of the trap, as indicated on the tables below. Damage from poisons and pit spikes does not count toward this value, but damage from a high strength rating and extra damage from multiple attacks does. Multiple Traps: If a trap is really two or more connected traps that affect approximately the same area then determine the Challenge Rating of each one separately. Multiple Dependent Traps: If one trap depends on the success of the other (that is, a character can avoid the second trap altogether by not falling victim to the first) then they must be treated as separate traps. Multiple Independent Traps: If two or more traps act independently (that is, none depends on the success of another to activate) then use their Challenge Ratings to determine their combined Encounter Level as though they were monsters. The resulting Encounter Level is the Challenge Rating for the combined traps.
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Trap Cost The base cost of a mechanical trap is DC 20. Apply all the modifiers from the Cost Modifiers for Traps table for the various features you have added to the trap to arrive at the modified base cost. Trap final cost = modified base cost + Challenge Rating + extra costs. The minimum cost for a mechanical trap is 10 + triple the CR. After you have added the modified base cost and the Challenge Rating, add the cost of additional items or poison incorporated into the trap by dividing their Purchase DC by four (rounding down, with a minimum of 1) and adding it to the other costs for the trap for a final DC. If the trap uses one of these elements and has an automatic reset, double the poison or item modified purchase DC to provide an adequate supply of doses. Multiple Traps: If a trap is really two or more connected traps, determine the final cost of each separately. Craft DCs for Traps Once you know the Challenge Rating of a trap, determine the Craft (mechanical) DC by referring to the table and the modifiers given below. Trap CR 1–3 4–6 7–10
Base Craft (mechanical) DC 20 25 30
Additional Components Proximity trigger Automatic reset
Modifier to Craft (mechanical) DC +5 +5
Making the Checks: To determine how much progress a character makes on building a trap each week, that character makes a Craft (mechanical) check. See the Craft skill description for details on Craft checks and the circumstances that can affect them.
Sample Traps CR 1 Traps Basic Arrow Trap: CR 1; proximity trigger; manual reset; Atk +10 ranged (1d6/x3, arrow); Search DC 20; Disable Device DC 20. Purchase DC: 26. Camouflaged Pit Trap: CR 1; location trigger; manual reset; DC 20 Reflex saving throw avoids; 10 ft. deep (1d6, fall); Search DC 24; Disable Device DC 20. Purchase DC: 23. Deeper Pit Trap: CR 1; location trigger; manual reset; hidden switch bypass (Search DC 25); DC 15 Reflex saving throw avoids; 20 ft. deep (2d6, fall); multiple
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targets (first target in each of two adjacent 5-ft. squares); Search DC 20; Disable Device DC 23. Purchase DC: 21. Fusillade of Darts: CR 1; location trigger; manual reset; Atk +10 ranged (1d4+1, dart); multiple targets (fires 1d4 darts at each target in two adjacent 5-ft. squares); Search DC 14; Disable Device DC 20. Purchase DC: 18. Poison Dart Trap: CR 1; location trigger; manual reset; Atk +8 ranged (1d4 plus poison, dart); poison (bloodroot, DC 12 Fortitude saving throw resists, 0/1d4 Con plus 1d3 Wis); Search DC 20; Disable Device DC 18. Purchase DC: 20. Rolling Rock Trap: CR 1; location trigger; manual reset; Atk +10 melee (2d6, rock); Search DC 20; Disable Device DC 22. Purchase DC: 22. Scything Blade Trap: CR 1; location trigger; automatic reset; Atk +8 melee (1d8/x3); Search DC 21; Disable Device DC 20. Purchase DC: 24. Wall Blade Trap: CR 1; touch trigger; automatic reset; hidden switch bypass (Search DC 25); Atk +10 melee (2d4/x4, scythe); Search DC 22; Disable Device DC 22. Purchase DC: 27. CR 2 Traps Bricks from Ceiling: CR 2; touch trigger; repair reset; Atk +12 melee (2d6, bricks); multiple targets (all targets in two adjacent 5-ft. squares); Search DC 20; Disable Device DC 20. Purchase DC: 22. Camouflaged Pit Trap: CR 2; location trigger; manual reset; DC 20 Reflex saving throw avoids; 20 ft. deep (2d6, fall); multiple targets (first target in each of two adjacent 5-ft. squares); Search DC 24; Disable Device DC 19. Purchase DC: 23. Pit Trap: CR 2; location trigger; manual reset; DC 20 Reflex saving throw avoids; 40 ft. deep (4d6, fall); Search DC 20; Disable Device DC 20. Purchase DC: 22. Spiked Pit Trap: CR 2; location trigger; automatic reset; DC 20 Reflex saving throw avoids; 20 ft. deep (2d6, fall); multiple targets (first target in each of two adjacent 5-ft. squares); pit spikes (Atk +10 melee, 1d4 spikes per target for 1d4+2 each); Search DC 18; Disable Device DC 15. Purchase DC: 25. Tripping Chain: CR 2; location trigger; automatic reset; multiple traps (tripping and melee attack); Atk +15 melee touch (trip), Atk +15 melee (2d4+2, spiked chain); Search DC 15; Disable Device DC 18. Purchase DC: 29. Note: This trap is really one CR 1 trap that trips and a second CR 1 trap that attacks with a spiked chain. If the tripping attack succeeds, a +4 bonus applies to the spiked chain attack because the opponent is prone. CR 3 Traps Camouflaged Pit Trap: CR 3; location trigger; manual reset; DC 20 Reflex saving throw avoids; 30 ft. deep (3d6, fall); multiple targets (first target in each of two adjacent squares); Search DC 24; Disable Device DC 18. Purchase DC: 24. Ceiling Pendulum: CR 3; timed trigger; automatic reset; Atk +15 melee (1d12+8/x3, greataxe); Search DC 15;
CR 4 Traps Camouflaged Pit Trap: CR 4; location trigger; manual reset; DC 20 Reflex saving throw avoids; 40 ft. deep (4d6, fall); multiple targets (first target in each of two adjacent 5-ft. squares); Search DC 25; Disable Device DC 17. Purchase DC: 24. Collapsing Column: CR 4; touch trigger (attached); no reset; Atk +15 melee (6d6, stone blocks); Search DC 20; Disable Device DC 24. Purchase DC: 25. Wall Scythe Trap: CR 4; location trigger; automatic reset; Atk +20 melee (2d4+8/x4, scythe); Search DC 21; Disable Device DC 18. Purchase DC: 32. Water-Filled Room Trap: CR 4; location trigger; automatic reset; multiple targets (all targets in a 10-ft.-by10-ft. room); never miss; onset delay (5 rounds); liquid; Search DC 17; Disable Device DC 23. Purchase DC: 32. Wide-Mouth Spiked Pit Trap: CR 4; location trigger; manual reset; DC 20 Reflex saving throw avoids; 20 ft. deep (2d6, fall); multiple targets (first target in each of two adjacent 5-ft. squares); pit spikes (Atk +10 melee, 1d4 spikes per target for 1d4+2 each); Search DC 18; Disable Device DC 25. Purchase DC: 26. CR 5 Traps Camouflaged Pit Trap: CR 5; location trigger; manual reset; DC 20 Reflex saving throw avoids; 50 ft. deep (5d6, fall); multiple targets (first target in each of two adjacent 5-ft. squares); Search DC 25; Disable Device DC 17. Purchase DC: 26. Moving Executioner Statue: CR 5; location trigger; automatic reset; hidden switch bypass (Search DC 25); Atk +16 melee (1d12+8/x3, greataxe); multiple targets (both arms attack); Search DC 25; Disable Device DC 18. Purchase DC: 31. Pit Trap: CR 5; location trigger; manual reset; DC 20 Reflex saving throw avoids; 100 ft. deep (10d6, fall); Search DC 20; Disable Device DC 20. Purchase DC: 25. Poison Wall Spikes: CR 5; location trigger; manual reset; Atk +16 melee (1d8+4 plus poison, spike); multiple targets (closest target in each of two adjacent 5-ft. squares); poison (Medium monstrous spider venom, DC 13 Fortitude saving throw resists, 1d4 Str/1d4 Str); Search DC 17; Disable Device DC 21. Purchase DC: 30.
Spiked Pit Trap (80 Ft. Deep): CR 5; location trigger, manual reset; DC 20 Reflex saving throw avoids; 80 ft. deep (8d6, fall), pit spikes (Atk +10 melee, 1d4 spikes for 1d4+5 each); Search DC 20; Disable Device DC 20. Purchase DC: 25. CR 6 Traps Built-to-Collapse Wall: CR 6; proximity trigger; no reset; Atk +20 melee (8d6, stone blocks); multiple targets (all targets in a 10-ft.-by-10-ft. area); Search DC 14; Disable Device DC 16. Purchase DC: 28. Compacting Room: CR 6; timed trigger; automatic reset; hidden switch bypass (Search DC 25); walls move together (12d6, crush); multiple targets (all targets in a 10-ft.-by-10-ft. room); never miss; onset delay (4 rounds); Search DC 20; Disable Device DC 22. Purchase DC: 39. Spiked Pit Trap (100 Ft. Deep): CR 6; location trigger, manual reset; DC 20 Reflex saving throw avoids; 100 ft. deep (10d6, fall); pit spikes (Atk +10 melee, 1d4 spikes per target for 1d4+5 each); Search DC 20; Disable Device DC 20. Purchase DC: 26. Wide-Mouth Pit Trap: CR 6; location trigger, manual reset; DC 25 Reflex saving throw avoids; 40 ft. deep (4d6, fall); multiple targets (all targets within a 10-ft.-by-10-ft. area); Search DC 26; Disable Device DC 25. Purchase DC: 35. Wyvern Arrow Trap: CR 6; proximity trigger; manual reset; Atk +14 ranged (1d8 plus poison, arrow); poison (wyvern poison, DC 17 Fortitude saving throw resists, 2d6 Con/2d6 Con); Search DC 20; Disable Device DC 16. Purchase DC: 36.
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Disable Device DC 27. Purchase DC: 27. Hail of Needles: CR 3; location trigger; manual reset; Atk +20 ranged (2d4); Search DC 22; Disable Device DC 22. Purchase DC: 30. Poisoned Arrow Trap: CR 3; touch trigger; manual reset; lock bypass (Open Lock DC 30); Atk +12 ranged (1d8 plus poison, arrow); poison (Large monstrous scorpion venom, DC 14 Fortitude saving throw resists, 1d4 Str/ 1d4 Str); Search DC 19; Disable Device DC 15. Purchase DC: 24. Stone Blocks from Ceiling: CR 3; location trigger; repair reset; Atk +10 melee (4d6, stone blocks); Search DC 25; Disable Device DC 20. Purchase DC: 24.
CR 7 Traps Knockout Gas Vapour Trap: CR 7; location trigger; repair reset; gas; multiple targets (all targets in a 10-ft.-by10-ft. room); never miss; onset delay (3 rounds); poison (knockout gas, DC 18 Fortitude saving throw resists, 1d3 Dex/Unconsciousness 1d3 hours); Search DC 21; Disable Device DC 21. Purchase DC: 36. Water-Filled Room: CR 7; location trigger; manual reset; multiple targets (all targets in a 10-ft.-by-10-ft. room); never miss; onset delay (3 rounds); water; Search DC 20; Disable Device DC 25. Purchase DC: 35. Well-Camouflaged Pit Trap: CR 7; location trigger; repair reset; DC 25 Reflex saving throw avoids; 70 ft. deep (7d6, fall); multiple targets (first target in each of two adjacent 5-ft. squares); Search DC 27; Disable Device DC 18. Purchase DC: 32. CR 8 Traps Deathblade Wall Scythe: CR 8; touch trigger; manual reset; Atk +16 melee (2d4+8 plus poison, scythe); poison (deathblade, DC 20 Fortitude saving throw resists, 1d6 Con/2d6 Con); Search DC 24; Disable Device DC 19. Purchase DC: 36. Well-Camouflaged Pit Trap: CR 8; location trigger; repair reset; DC 20 Reflex saving throw avoids; 100 ft. deep (10d6, fall); Search DC 27; Disable Device DC 18. Purchase DC: 34.
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CR 9 Traps Drawer Handle Smeared with Contact Poison: CR 9; touch trigger (attached); manual reset; poison (black lotus extract, DC 20 Fortitude saving throw resists, 3d6 Con/3d6 Con); Search DC 22; Disable Device DC 26. Purchase DC: 37. Dropping Ceiling: CR 9; location trigger; repair reset; ceiling moves down (12d6, crush); multiple targets (all targets in a 10-ft.-by-10-ft. room); never miss; onset delay (1 round); Search DC 20; Disable Device DC 20. Purchase DC: 37. Wide-Mouth Pit Trap: CR 9; location trigger; manual reset; DC 25 Reflex saving throw avoids; 100 ft. deep (10d6, fall); multiple targets (all targets within a 10-ft.by-10-ft. area); Search DC 25; Disable Device DC 25. Purchase DC: 39. CR 10 Traps Crushing Room: CR 10; location trigger; automatic reset; walls move together (16d6, crush); multiple targets (all targets in a 10-ft.-by-10-ft. room); never miss; onset delay (2 rounds); Search DC 22; Disable Device DC 22. Purchase DC: 40. Crushing Wall Trap: CR 10; location trigger; automatic reset; no attack roll required (18d6, crush); Search DC 24; Disable Device DC 25. Purchase DC: 40.
Adventuring
When characters set out to adventure, there are many situations that they can encounter and that will have any number of effects on them. Unlike other situations, adventuring encounters do not have a particular CR attached to them and do not have a system with which to award experience, as surpassing them depends as much on sheer luck as it does on inspired actions and careful
preparations. Surviving is experience enough. This section will deal with many situations that characters will have to consider whenever they set out to travel.
Acid Corrosive acids deal damage with each round of exposure. The amount of damage varies depending on the acid’s strength, as noted on the Acid Damage table. Acid Damage Acid Strength Mild Potent Concentrated
Splash Attack* 1d6 2d6 3d6
Total Immersion* 1d10 2d10 3d10
*Damage per round of exposure. Acid damage from an attack reduces hit points. A character fully immersed in acid takes potentially more damage per round of exposure than a character splashed with acid. The fumes from most acids are inhaled poisons. Those who come within 5 feet of a large body of acid must make a Fortitude saving throw at DC 15 or take 1 point of temporary Constitution damage. A second saving throw must be successfully made 1 minute later to avoid taking another 1d4 points of Constitution damage.
Carrying Capacity Encumbrance rules are based largely on a character’s Strength score and determine how much his armour and equipment slow him down. Encumbrance comes in two parts: encumbrance by armour and encumbrance by total weight. The former is not truly affected by Strength as it deals largely with the limits of mobility imposed by the armour itself. The latter is entirely based on Strength
The iron coach was fast but they were keeping it from gaining on them. At least, it was not gaining very quickly. Unfortunately, they were in a maze now and there was no way out. The coach would not tire and eventually it would overtake them. It would have already caught them by now but one of its treads had suffered damage when it ran over Thurdin’s abandoned mine. That bit of luck was the only thing keeping them alive. Gearbolt was carrying the bomb and Jerrek had Thurdin over his back. Heshia was sprinting as fast as she could, moving slightly faster than the rest. It made Jerrek feel better to know that even if they fell to the coach’s unstoppable advance, Heshia might be able to make it out alive. She kept running up ahead, scouting out ways for them to turn but the fatigue was starting to catch up with him. Jerrek’s legs were aching and his breath was like fire in his lungs. ‘Drop me, lad. Without my weight, you’ve got a chance!’ Jerrek ignored the dwarf; there was no way in the Hells he was leaving a team mate behind. Heshia came dashing back to them again. ‘Jerrek, there’s a pit up to the left. We marked it on our first pass through. I think we can jump it!’ Jerrek looked at her and both their eyes widened. ‘You thinking what I am, human?’ she asked with a smirk. He nodded quickly and turned left with her at the next junction. Two minutes later, they were all standing at the edge of a deep pit. Smoke and fire billowed up from its depths, gushing out of the twisted remains of an orcish iron coach. Three burning bodies were visible in the wreckage, but Jerrek figured there were at least two others. ‘That,’ he gasped, still trying to catch his breath, ‘was too damn close.’ Leaning against the wall, he tried to think about their next move. For now, he was just happy to be alive.
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Light Load 3 lb. or less 6 lb. or less 10 lb. or less 13 lb. or less 16 lb. or less 20 lb. or less 23 lb. or less 26 lb. or less 30 lb. or less 33 lb. or less 38 lb. or less 43 lb. or less 50 lb. or less 58 lb. or less 66 lb. or less 76 lb. or less 86 lb. or less 100 lb. or less 116 lb. or less 133 lb. or less 153 lb. or less 173 lb. or less 200 lb. or less 233 lb. or less 266 lb. or less 306 lb. or less 346 lb. or less 400 lb. or less 466 lb. or less x4
Medium Load 4–6 lb. 7–13 lb. 11–20 lb. 14–26 lb. 17–33 lb. 21–40 lb. 24–46 lb. 27–53 lb. 31–60 lb. 34–66 lb. 39–76 lb. 44–86 lb. 51–100 lb. 59–116 lb. 67–133 lb. 77–153 lb. 87–173 lb. 101–200 lb. 117–233 lb. 134–266 lb. 154–306 lb. 174–346 lb. 201–400 lb. 234–466 lb. 267–533 lb. 307–613 lb. 347–693 lb. 401–800 lb. 467–933 lb. x4
as the stronger a character is, the greater the load he can handle without succumbing to the slowing effects of heavy and unwieldy burdens. Encumbrance by Armour A character’s body armour defines his maximum Dexterity bonus to Defence, armour check penalty, speed, and running speed. Unless your character is weak or carrying a lot of gear, you do not need to know more than this. The extra gear your character carries will not slow him down any more than the armour already does. If the character is weak or carrying a lot of gear, however, then encumbrance by weight will apply. Calculating carried weight is of utmost importance when a character is trying to carry some heavy object. Weight To determine whether a character’s gear is heavy enough to slow him down more than the armour already does, total the weight of all the character’s items, including armour, weapons, and gear. Compare this total to the character’s Strength on the Carrying
Heavy Load 7–10 lb. 14–20 lb. 21–30 lb. 27–40 lb. 34–50 lb. 41–60 lb. 47–70 lb. 54–80 lb. 61–90 lb. 67–100 lb. 77–115 lb. 87–130 lb. 101–150 lb. 117–175 lb. 134–200 lb. 154–230 lb. 174–260 lb. 201–300 lb. 234–350 lb. 267–400 lb. 307–460 lb. 347–520 lb. 401–600 lb. 467–700 lb. 534–800 lb. 614–920 lb. 694–1,040 lb. 801–1,200 lb. 934–1,400 lb. x4
Capacity table. Depending on how the weight compares to the character’s carrying capacity, he may be carrying a light, medium, or heavy load. Like armour, a character’s load affects his or her maximum Dexterity bonus to DV, carries a check penalty (which works like an armour check penalty), reduces the character’s speed and affects how fast he can run, as shown on the Carrying Loads table. A medium or heavy load counts as medium or heavy armour for the purpose of abilities or skills that are restricted by armour. Carrying a light load does not encumber a character. If a character is wearing armour, use the worse figure (from armour or from load) for each category. Do not stack the penalties, as a character can only suffer from one set of encumbrance penalties at a given time.
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Carrying Capacity Strength Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 +10
Lifting and Dragging A character can lift as much as his maximum load over his or her head. A character can lift as much as double his maximum load off the ground but he can only stagger around with it. While overloaded in this way, the character loses any Dexterity bonus to Defence and can move only 5 feet per round, as a full-round action. A character can generally push or drag along the ground as much as five times his maximum load. Favourable conditions can double these numbers and bad circumstances can reduce them to one-half or less.
Bigger and Smaller Creatures The figures on the Carrying Capacity table are for Medium bipedal creatures. A larger bipedal creature can carry more weight depending on its size category, as follows: Large x2, Huge x4, Gargantuan x8, Colossal x16, Leviathan x32. A smaller creature can carry less weight depending on its size category, as follows: Small x3/4, Tiny x1/2, Diminutive x1/4, Fine x1/8. Quadrupeds can carry heavier loads than characters can. Instead of the multipliers given above, multiply the value corresponding to the creature’s Strength score from the Carrying Capacity table by the appropriate modifier, as
Carrying Loads Load Max Dex Medium +3 Heavy +1
Check Penalty –3 –6
(30 ft.) 20 ft. 20 ft.
Speed (20 ft.) 15 ft. 15 ft.
Run x4 x3
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follows: Fine x1/4, Diminutive x1/2, Tiny x3/4, Small x1, Medium x1-1/2, Large x3, Huge x6, Gargantuan x12, Colossal x24, Leviathan x48. Tremendous Strength For Strength scores not shown on the Carrying Capacity table, find the Strength score between 20 and 29 that has the same number in the ‘ones’ digit as the creature’s Strength score does and multiply the numbers in that by 4 for every ten points the creature’s Strength is above the score for that row. Armour and Encumbrance for Other Base Speeds The table below provides reduced speed figures for all base speeds from 20 feet to 100 feet (in 10-foot increments). Base Speed 20 ft. 30 ft. 40 ft. 50 ft. 60 ft.
Reduced Speed 15 ft. 20 ft. 30 ft. 35 ft. 40 ft.
Base Speed 70 ft. 80 ft. 90 ft. 100 ft.
Reduced Speed 50 ft. 55 ft. 60 ft. 70 ft.
Darkness and Light It is a rare mission that does not end up in the dark somewhere, even in the gas-lit world of Steampunk. Characters need a way to see. See the Light Sources table for the radius that a light source illuminates and how long it lasts. Light Sources Item Candle Torch Halogen lantern Flashlight
Light 5 feet 20 feet 40 feet 20 feet*
Duration 12 hours 2 hours 24 hours 6 hours
*Creates a beam 30 feet long and 5 feet high.
Falling A character takes 1d6 points of damage for every 10 feet of a fall, to a maximum of 20d6 points. If he succeeds on a Reflex saving throw (DC 10, +1 for each 10 feet fallen) then this damage is halved. If the saving throw fails, full damage is applied. A character can make a Tumble check at DC 15 to treat a fall as if it were 10 feet shorter than it actually is when determining the damage and Reflex saving throw DC required by the fall.
Disease When a character is exposed to a treatable disease, he must make an immediate Fortitude saving throw. The victim must make this roll when he comes into contact with an infectious carrier, touches an item smeared with diseased matter, consumes food or drink tainted with a disease or suffers damage from a contaminated attack. If the character succeeds, the disease has no effect on him. His immune system fights off the infection. If he fails the
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saving throw, he takes damage after an incubation period; once per day thereafter, he must succeed at a Fortitude saving throw to avoid secondary damage. Two successful saving throws in a row indicate that the character has fought off the disease and recovers, taking no more damage. Disease Traits The characteristics of some treatable diseases are summarised on the Diseases table. While medicine in a steampunk setting is much more advanced than that of any other fantasy world, there are still unnatural diseases that only magic can treat and which still refuse a scientific name, to the frustration of medical researchers; such diseases are written in italics in the table. Type: This is the disease’s method of delivery, which may be ingested, inhaled, or transmitted via an injury, along with the DC needed for the saving throw. A wound as small as an insect bite can transmit some injury diseases. Most diseases that are inhaled can also be ingested and vice versa. Incubation Period: This is the amount of time before initial damage takes effect, if the victim fails his Fortitude saving throw. Initial Damage: This is the damage the victim takes after the incubation period. Secondary Damage: This is the amount of damage the character takes one day after taking initial damage if he fails a second saving throw. This damage is taken each day the saving throw fails. Healing a Disease Use of the Treat Injury skill can help a diseased character as per the skill’s description. Characters recover points lost to ability score damage at a rate of 1 per day per ability damaged. This rule applies even while a disease is in progress. That means that a character with a minor disease might be able to withstand it without accumulating any damage.
Electricity
Electricity Damage Type Jolt Low voltage Medium voltage High voltage
Examples Car battery, stun gun Fuse box, electrical socket Industrial transformer, electric fence Power line, electric chair, lightning
Damage 1d3
Fort DC 10
2d6
15
4d6
15
8d6
20
Diseases Type Inhaled/Injury DC 16 Injury DC 18 Injury DC 14 Injury DC 12 Inhaled/Contact DC 15 Inhaled DC 12 Injury DC 14 Contact DC 20 Contact DC 13 Injury DC 12 Ingested DC 13 Contact DC 14
Incubation Period 1d2 days 1 day 1d4 days 1d3 days 2d4 days 1d4 days 1 day 1 day 1d6 days 1d4 days 1 day 1 day
Initial Damage 1 Con 1d2 Con1 1 Str 1 Dex and 1 Con 1 Str and 1 Con 1 Str 1d2 Str 1d2 Con 1 Con 1 Dex and 1 Con 1 Str and 1 Dex 1d2 Con1
Secondary Damage 1d4 Con1 1d6 Con 1d4 Str 1d3 Dex and 1d3 Con 1d2 Str and 1d2 Con 1d3 Str and 1d3 Con 1d2 Str1 and 1d2 Con1 1d6 Con 1d3 Con1 1d2 Dex and 1d2 Con1 1 Str and 1d3 Dex 1d4 Con
1
If damage is sustained, make a second saving throw to avoid 1 point being permanently drained instead of merely damaged. The victim must make three successful Fortitude saving throws in a row to recover from devil chills. 3 Successful saves do not allow the character to recover. Only magical healing can save the character. 2
Electrical hazards come in many forms, including stun guns, downed power lines and electric security fences. The Electricity Damage table gives damage values for various electrical hazards based on relative voltage. A character can make a Fortitude saving throw to reduce the damage by half. If that character is not grounded or is otherwise insulated from the current, then a successful saving throw indicates that no damage is suffered.
Falling Objects Objects that fall upon characters (or creatures or vehicles) deal damage based on their size and the distance fallen, as noted on the Damage from Falling Objects table. Objects deal the initial damage given in the Damage from Falling Objects table if they fall 10 feet or less. An object deals an additional 1d6 points of damage for every 10-foot increment it falls beyond the first, to a maximum of 20d6 points of damage. Objects of Fine size are too small to deal damage, regardless of the distance fallen. A successful Reflex saving throw indicates that the target takes half damage. The size of the falling object determines the saving throw DC.
Heat and Cold
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Disease Anthrax Demon fever Devil chills2 Gangrene Smallpox Pneumonia Hantavirus Mummy rot3 Necrotizing fasciitis March chills Shivering flu Slimy doom
Heat and cold deal damage that cannot be recovered until the character counteracts or escapes the inclement temperature. As soon as the character suffers any damage from heat or cold, he is considered fatigued. A character not properly equipped to counteract the heat or cold must attempt a Fortitude saving throw each hour at a DC of 15, +1 for each previous check. Failure means that the character loses 1d4 hit points. Heavy clothing or armour provides a –4 penalty on saving throws against heat but grants a +4 equipment bonus on saves against cold. A character who succeeds at a Survival check (DC 15) gains a +4 competence bonus on the saving throw; see the Survival skill. Searing heat or bitter cold (desert or arctic conditions) forces a character to make a Fortitude saving throw every 10 minutes. Failure means that the character loses 1d6 hit points. Appropriate clothing and successful use of the Survival skill can modify the saving throw, as noted above.
If the save fails by 10 or more Damage from Falling Objects and the object is at least three size categories larger than the Object Size Examples character, then he is pinned Fine Penny under the fallen object. A pinned Diminutive Paperweight character cannot move but is not Tiny Wrench helpless. The character can make a Small Vase Strength check to lift the object off Medium Briefcase himself or an Escape Artist check Large Garbage can to get out from underneath, with Huge Oil barrel a DC of 20 in either case. The Games Master can modify the Gargantuan Piano DCs for these checks based on the Colossal Vehicle circumstances.
Initial Damage 0 1 1d3 1d4 1d6 2d6 4d6 8d6 10d6
Reflex Save DC n/a 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Strength Check DC n/a n/a n/a 5 10 20 30 40 50
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Catching on Fire Characters exposed to open flames might find their clothes, hair, or equipment on fire. Characters at risk of catching fire are allowed a Reflex saving throw (DC 15) to avoid this fate. If a character’s clothes or hair catch fire, he takes 1d6 points of damage immediately. In each subsequent round, the burning character must make another Reflex saving throw. Failure means he takes another 1d6 points of damage that round. Success means that the fire has gone out; that is, once the character succeeds at the saving throw, he is no longer on fire. A character who is on fire may automatically extinguish the flames by jumping into enough water to douse himself. If no body of water is at hand, rolling on the ground or smothering the fire with blankets or the like permits the character another saving throw with a +4 bonus. Lava Effects Lava or magma deals 2d6 points of damage per round of exposure, except in the case of total immersion, such as when a character falls into the crater of an active volcano, which deals 20d6 points of damage per round. Damage from magma continues for 1d3 rounds after exposure ceases but this additional damage is only half of that dealt during actual contact, that is, 1d6 or 10d6 points per round. An immunity or resistance to fire serves as an immunity to lava or magma. However, a creature immune to fire might still drown if completely immersed in lava; see Drowning below.
movement scales, creatures generally walk, hustle, or run. Each type of movement affects the speed of the character and the types of action that can be performed at the same time. The Combat chapter will explain simultaneous actions in greater detail.
Walk: A walk represents unhurried but purposeful movement at 3 miles per hour for an unencumbered person. Hustle: A hustle is a jog at about 6 miles per hour for an unencumbered human. A character moving his speed twice in a single round, or moving that speed in the same round that he performs a standard action or another move action is hustling when he moves. Run (x3): Moving three times speed is a running pace for a character in heavy armour. It represents about 9 miles per hour for a human in full plate or heavy combat armour. Run (x4): Moving four times speed is a running pace for a character in light, medium, or no armour. It represents about 12 miles per hour for an unencumbered human, or 8 miles per hour for a human in chainmail or tactical body armour such as riot gear.
Tactical Movement Use tactical movement for combat. Characters generally do not walk during combat. Instead, they hustle or run. A character who moves his speed and takes some action is hustling for about half the round and doing something else for the other half.
Ice Effects Characters walking on ice move Movement and Distance at half speed and the DC for Speed Balance and Tumble checks 15 feet 20 feet 30 feet 40 feet increases by +5. Characters in One Round (Tactical)* prolonged contact with ice may run the risk of taking damage Walk 15 ft. 20 ft. 30 ft. 40 ft. from severe cold, for which see Hustle 30 ft. 40 ft. 60 ft. 80 ft. above. Run (x3) 45 ft. 60 ft. 90 ft. 120 ft. Run (x4) 60 ft. 80 ft. 120 ft. 160 ft. One Minute (Local) Movement There are three movement Walk 150 ft. 200 ft. 300 ft. 400 ft. scales, as follows. Hustle 300 ft. 400 ft. 600 ft. 800 ft. Tactical, for combat, Run (x3) 450 ft. 600 ft. 900 ft. 1,200 ft. measured in feet (or Run (x4) 600 ft. 800 ft. 1,200 ft. 1,600 ft. squares) per round. One Hour (Overland) Local, for exploring an Walk 1 1/2 miles 2 miles 3 miles 4 miles area, measured in feet Hustle 3 miles 4 miles 6 miles 8 miles per minute. Run — — — — Overland, for getting One Day (Overland) from place to place, Walk 12 miles 16 miles 24 miles 32 miles measured in miles per Hustle — — — — hour or miles per day. Run — — — — Modes of Movement: While * Tactical movement is often measured in squares on the battle grid (1 square = 5 feet) rather than feet. moving at the different
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Overland Movement Characters covering long distances cross-country use overland movement. Overland movement is measured in miles per hour or miles per day. A day represents 8 hours of actual travel time. For rowed watercraft and muscleoperated vehicles, a day represents 10 hours of rowing. For a sailing ship or an aircraft, it represents 24 hours.
In some situations, movement may be so hampered that the character does not have sufficient speed even to move 5 feet. In such a case, the character may use a full-round action to move 5 feet in any direction, even diagonally. The character cannot take advantage of this rule to move through impassable terrain or to move when all movement is prohibited.
Walk A character can walk 8 hours in a day of travel without a problem. Walking for longer than that can wear him out; see Forced March, below.
You cannot run or charge through any square that would hamper your movement. Hampered Movement Condition Additional Movement Cost Difficult terrain x2 Obstacle* x2 Poor visibility x2 Impassable — * May require a skill check Local Movement Characters exploring an area use local movement, measured in feet per minute. Walk: A character can walk without a problem on the local scale. Hustle: A character can hustle without a problem on the local scale. See Overland Movement, below, for movement measured in miles per hour. Run: A character with a Constitution score of 9 or higher can run for a minute without a problem. Generally, a character can run for a minute or two before having to rest for a minute.
Hustle A character can hustle for 1 hour without a problem. Hustling for a second hour in between sleep cycles deals 1 point of non-lethal damage and each additional hour deals twice the damage taken during the previous hour of hustling. A character who takes any non-lethal damage from hustling becomes fatigued. A fatigued character cannot run or charge and takes a penalty of –2 to Strength and Dexterity. Eliminating the non-lethal damage also eliminates the fatigue.
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Hampered Movement: Difficult terrain, obstacles, or poor visibility can hamper movement. When movement is hampered, speed is reduced by half or, alternatively, that space takes double the amount of allotted movement. If more than one condition applies, multiply together all additional costs that apply. This is a specific exception to the normal rule for doubling.
Run A character cannot run for an extended period of time. Attempting to run and rest in cycles, which is the preferred method for long-distance overland travel when time is not an important factor or in short supply, effectively works out to a hustle. Terrain The terrain through which a character travels affects how much distance he can cover in an hour or a day. See the Terrain and Overland Movement table. A highway is a straight, major, paved road. A road is typically a dirt track. A trail is like a road, except that it allows only single-file travel and does not benefit a party travelling with vehicles. Trackless terrain is a wild area with no paths.
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Terrain and Overland Movement Terrain Highway Road or Trail Desert, sandy x1 x1/2 Forest x1 x1 Hills x1 x3/4 Jungle x1 x3/4 Moor x1 x1 Mountains x3/4 x3/4 Plains x1 x1 Swamp x1 x3/4 Tundra, frozen x1 x3/4
Trackless x1/2 x1/2 x1/2 x1/4 x3/4 x1/2 x3/4 x1/2 x3/4
Forced March In a day of normal walking, a character walks for 8 hours. The rest of the daylight time is spent making and breaking camp, resting, and eating. A character can walk for more than 8 hours in a day by making a forced march. For each hour of marching beyond 8 hours, a Constitution check (DC 10, +2 per extra hour) is required. If the check fails, the character takes 1d6 points of non-lethal damage. A character who takes any non-lethal damage from a forced march becomes fatigued. Eliminating the non-lethal damage also eliminates the fatigue. It is entirely possible for a character to march into unconsciousness by pushing himself too hard on a forced march. Mounted Movement A mount bearing a rider can move at a hustle. The damage it takes when doing so, however, is lethal damage, not non-lethal damage. The creature can also be ridden in a forced march but its Constitution checks automatically fail and again, the damage it takes is lethal damage. Mounts also become fatigued when they take any damage from hustling or forced marches.
Three-Dimensional Movement Once movement becomes three-dimensional and involves turning in midair and maintaining a minimum velocity to stay aloft, it gets more complicated. Most flying objects have to slow down at least a little to make a turn; many
are limited to fairly wide turns and must maintain a minimum forward speed. Each flying object has a manoeuvrability mode, as shown on the Manoeuvrability table. The entries on the table are defined below. These rules are not intended for constant use; flying creatures usually have enough mobility to interact normally with creatures on the ground. In fact, three-dimensional movement should only be implemented when there are flying creatures or objects in conflict with each other.
Minimum Forward Speed: If a flying object fails to maintain its minimum forward speed, it must land at the end of its movement. If it is too high above the ground to land, it falls straight down, descending 150 feet in the first round of falling. If this distance brings it to the ground, it takes falling damage. If the fall does not bring the object to the ground, it must spend its next turn recovering from the stall. Its pilot must succeed on a DC 20 Pilot skill check to recover, otherwise it falls another 300 feet. If it hits the ground, the object and its pilot take falling damage. Otherwise, it has another chance to recover on its next turn. Hover: The ability to stay in one place while airborne. Move Backward: The ability to move backward without turning around. Reverse: An object with good manoeuvrability uses up 5 feet of its speed to start flying backward. Turn: How much the object can turn after covering the stated distance; in some amazing machines, their Turn Rate replaces this value. Turn in Place: An object with good or average manoeuvrability can use some of its speed to turn in place. Maximum Turn: How much the object can turn in any one space.
Manoeuvrability
Minimum forward speed Hover Move backward Reverse Turn Turn in place Maximum turn Up angle Up speed Down angle Down speed Between down and up
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Manoeuvrability Perfect Good None None Yes Yes Yes Yes Free –5 ft. Any 90º/5 ft. Any +90º/–5 ft. Any Any Any Any Full Half Any Any Double Double 0 0
Average Half No No No 45º/5 ft. +45º/–5 ft. 90º 60º Half Any Double 5 ft.
Poor Half No No No 45º/5 ft. No 45º 45º Half 45º Double 10 ft.
Clumsy Half No No No 45º/10 ft. No 45º 45º Half 45º Double 20 ft.
Contact: Merely touching this type of poison necessitates a saving throw. It can be actively delivered via a weapon or a touch attack. Even if a creature has sufficient damage reduction to avoid taking any damage from the attack, the poison can still affect it. A chest or other object can be smeared with contact poison as part of a trap.
Evasion and Pursuit In round-by-round movement it is impossible for a slow character to get away from a determined fast character without mitigating circumstances. Likewise, it is no problem for a fast character to get away from a slower one.
Inhaled: Inhaled poisons are usually contained in fragile vials or eggshells. They can be thrown as a ranged attack with a range increment of 10 feet. When it impacts against a hard surface or is struck hard, the container releases its poison. One dose spreads to fill the volume of a 10-foot cube. Each creature within the area must make a saving throw. Holding one’s breath is ineffective against inhaled poisons, as they affect the nasal membranes, tear ducts, and other parts of the body.
When the speeds of the two concerned characters are equal, there is a simple way to resolve a chase: if one creature is pursuing another, both are moving at the same speed and the chase continues for at least a few rounds, have them make opposed Dexterity checks to see who is the faster over those rounds. If the creature being chased wins, it escapes. If the pursuer wins, it catches the fleeing creature. Sometimes a chase occurs overland and could last all day, with the two sides only occasionally getting glimpses of each other at a distance. In the case of a long chase, an opposed Constitution check made by all parties determines which can keep pace the longest. If the creature being chased rolls the highest, it gets away. If not, the chaser runs down its prey, outlasting it with stamina.
Poison When a character takes damage from an attack with a poisoned weapon, touches an item smeared with contact poison, consumes poisoned food or drink, or is otherwise poisoned, he must make a Fortitude saving throw. If he fails, he takes the poison’s initial damage, which is usually ability damage. Even if he succeeds, he typically faces more damage one minute later (10 rounds) and can also avoid this with a successful Fortitude saving throw. One dose of poison smeared on a weapon or some other object affects just a single target. A poisoned weapon or object retains its venom until the weapon scores a hit or the object is touched, unless the poison is wiped off before a target comes into contact with it. Any poison smeared on an object or exposed to possible handling in any way remains potent until it is touched or used. Poisons can be divided into four basic types according to the method by which their effect is delivered, as follows:
Ingested: Ingested poisons are virtually impossible to utilize in a combat situation. A poisoner could administer a potion to an unconscious creature or attempt to dupe someone into drinking or eating something poisoned. Assassins and other characters tend to use ingested poisons outside of combat.
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Up Angle: The angle at which the object can climb. Up Speed: How fast the object can climb. Down Angle: The angle at which the object can descend. Down Speed: A flying object can fly down at twice its normal flying speed. Between Down and Up: An average, poor, or clumsy flying object must fly level for a minimum distance after descending and before climbing. Any flier can begin descending after a climb without an intervening distance of level flight.
Injury: This poison must be delivered through a wound. If a creature has sufficient damage reduction to avoid taking any damage from the attack, then the poison does not affect it. Traps that cause damage from weapons, needles, and the like sometimes contain injury poisons. The characteristics of poisons are summarized on the Poisons table. Terms on the table are defined below. Type: The poison’s method of delivery (contact, ingested, inhaled, or via an injury) and the Fortitude saving throw DC to avoid the poison’s damage. Initial Damage: The damage the character takes immediately upon failing his saving throw against this poison. Ability damage is temporary unless marked with an asterisk (*) in which case the loss is a permanent drain. Paralysis lasts for 2d6 minutes. Secondary Damage: The amount of damage the character takes 1 minute after exposure as a result of the poisoning, if he fails a second saving throw. Unconsciousness lasts for 1d3 hours. Ability damage marked with an asterisk is permanent drain instead of temporary damage. Purchase DC: The cost of one dose (one vial) of the poison. It is not possible to use or apply poison in any quantity smaller than one dose. Restriction: The purchase and possession of poison is restricted and sometimes even illegal, depending on the substance as indicated by the table; even in big cities it can be obtained only from specialized, less than reputable sources. Craft DC: This is the DC for Craft (chemical) checks to make a poisonous substance. Time: How much time it takes a person to prepare the substance in controlled situations.
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Poisons Poison Atropine Arsenic Belladonna (plant) Black lotus extract Bloodroot Blue-ringed octopus venom Blue vitriol Chloral hydrate
Type Injury Ingested Injury Contact Injury Injury
Save DC 13 14 18 20 12 15
Initial Damage 1d6 Dex 1d4 Str 1d6 Str 3d6 Con 0 1d4 Con
Injury Ingested
12 18
1d2 Con 1d6 Dex
Chloroform 1
Inhaled
17
Curare (plant) Cyanide Deathblade Greenblood oil Id moss Insanity mist Knockout gas
Injury Injury Injury Injury Ingested Inhaled Inhaled
18 16 20 13 14 15 18
Unconsciousness 1d3 hours 2d4 Dex 1d6 Con 1d6 Con 1 Con 1d4 Int 1d4 Wis 1d3 Dex
Lead mist (gas) Lead powder (solid) Malyss root paste Mustard gas Puffer poison (fish)
Inhaled Ingested Contact Inhaled Injury
12 12 16 17 13
1d2 Str 1d2 Con 1 Dex 1d4 Con 1d6 Str
Rattlesnake venom Sassone leaf residue Shadow essence Striped toadstool Strychnine Vermin venom2 Wyvern poison
Injury Contact Injury Ingested Injury Injury Injury
12 16 17 11 19 11 17
1d6 Con 2d12 hp 1 Str3 1 Wis 1d3 Dex 1d2 Str 2d6 Con
Secondary Damage 1d6 Str 2d4 Con 2d6 Str 3d6 Con 1d4 Con + 1d3 Wis 1d4 Con
Purchase DC 3 9 14 23 10 14
Craft DC 14 24 n/a 12 9 n/a
Time 1 hr. 4 hr. n/a 1 hr. 2 hr. n/a
1d2 Con Unconsciousness 1d3 hours —
3 12
9 28
1 hr. 8 hr.
9
24
4 hr.
2d4 Wis 2d6 Con 2d6 Con 1d2 Con 2d6 Int 2d6 Wis Unconsciousness 1d3 hours 1d4 Con 1d4 Con 2d4 Dex 2d4 Con Paralysis 2d6 minutes 1d6 Con 1d6 Con 2d6 Str 2d6 Wis + 1d4 Int 2d4 Con 1d2 Str 2d6 Con
15 15 20 10 11 19 12
n/a 31 25 11 18 27 26
n/a 15 hr. 15 hr. 1 hr. 8 hr. 4 hr. 8 hr.
6 6 15 12 13
17 18 13 26 n/a
2 hr. 2 hr. 1 hr. 8 hr. n/a
12 14 17 12 9 12 22
n/a 15 27 n/a 23 n/a n/a
n/a 1 hr. 8 hr. n/a 4 hr. n/a n/a
1
Chloroform gives off vapour that causes unconsciousness. Applying chloroform to an unwilling subject requires a successful grapple check and pin. 2 This represents venom from Small size and smaller creatures. For every size category over Small, increase Save DC by +2, increase damage by one die type and add +1 to Purchase DC. Scorpion/tarantula venom deals Strength damage; ant, centipede and wasp venom deals Dexterity damage. 3 Permanent drain, not temporary damage. n/a: Certain poisons cannot be made with the Craft skill. Instead, such a poison must be obtained by extracting it from the creature in question.
Perils of Using Poison A character has a 5% chance of exposing himself to a poison whenever he applies it to a weapon or otherwise readies it for use. Additionally, a character who rolls a natural 1 on an attack roll with a poisoned weapon must make a DC 15 Reflex saving throw or accidentally poison himself with the weapon.
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Poison Immunities Creatures with natural poison attacks are immune to their own poison. Nonliving creatures (constructs and undead) and creatures without metabolisms (such as elementals) are always immune to poison. Oozes, plants,
and certain kinds of outsiders are also immune to poison, although conceivably special poisons could be concocted specifically to harm them.
Smoke Characters breathing heavy smoke or similar toxic gases must make a Constitution ability score check (DC 10, +1 for each previous check) each round or spend that round choking and coughing. Characters who choke for 2 consecutive rounds take 1d6 points of damage. Smoke also obscures vision, giving one-half concealment (20% miss chance) to characters within it.
Starvation and Thirst
A character can go without water for one day plus a number of hours equal to his Constitution score. After this, the character must make a Constitution check each hour (DC 10, +1 for each previous check) or take 1d6 points of damage. A character can go without food for three days, in growing discomfort. After this, the character must make a Constitution check each day (DC 10, +1 for each previous check) or sustain 1d6 points of damage. Damage from thirst or starvation cannot be recovered until the character consumes water or food, as needed. Even magical or psychic effects that restore hit points cannot heal this damage.
Strangulation When an instrument or an attacker strangles a character, use the rules below. A character can strangle or choke a target of the same size category or one size category larger or smaller. The strangling attempt incurs an attack of opportunity. To begin the choke, the attacker must succeed at an opposed grapple check. If the grapple succeeds, the attacker can choose to deal normal unarmed damage as well as choke the target. The target can hold his breath for a number of rounds equal to his Constitution score. After this period of time, the target must make a Constitution check (DC 10, +1 for each previous check) every round to continue holding his breath. The target begins to suffocate on a failed check; see Suffocation and Drowning. If at any time the target breaks free or slips free of the grapple, the stranglehold is broken, although any damage that was dealt remains. Note that a grappled target who is not pinned can use his attack action to attempt to strangle his attacker.
Suffocation and Drowning A character in an airless environment (underwater, vacuum) can hold his breath for a number of rounds equal to his Constitution score. After this period of time, he must make a Constitution ability score check (DC 10) every round to continue holding his breath. Each round, the DC of the Constitution check increases by 1. When the character fails one of these Constitution checks, he begins to suffocate or drown. In the next round, the character falls unconscious with 0 hit points. In the
Water Dangers Any character can wade in relatively calm water that is not over his head, no check required. Similarly, swimming Jerrek walked up to Gearbolt and tapped it on the shoulder housing. ‘You all right? You’ve been staring at that pit for a while now.’ He was not sure what was wrong with the cog but it had not responded to its name, nor to his first order to move out away from the smoking trap. ‘Apologies for the lack of reaction, sir. I am cogitating.’ He knew that to mean thinking, but he had no idea what would keep the cog so occupied for so long. Asking what it was thinking about did not prompt an answer, so Jerrek backed away and told the team to hold on for a minute. Whatever Gearbolt was thinking about, it was probably important enough to wait for.
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Sometimes characters might find themselves without food and water. In normal climates, characters need at least half a gallon of fluids and about one quarter of a pound of decent food per day to avoid the threat of starvation. In very hot climates, characters need two or three times as much water to avoid dehydration.
following round, the character drops to –1 hit points and is dying. In the third round after failing the check, the character dies of suffocation or drowning.
Gearbolt turned from the pit and began walking slowly towards the group. ‘I was reviewing my memory, sir. I have come across something that might be of use to us in our quest. If you will recall, some of the pits we have encountered had water at their depths. These pits were all more than sixty feet deep, which leads me to believe these sewers may have a second level.’ The cog waited for someone to speak. When they just looked at it expectantly, it continued to explain. ‘I believe the factory, being in the centre of a landlocked city, must have a run-off facility of some kind. Since there was nothing above ground that would serve and these tunnels are all dry, there must be another layer to handle its liquid waste elimination.’ Jerrek understood what the cog was driving at now. ‘So what you are saying is that the waterways below us might lead directly to the factory?’ Gearbolt nodded. ‘Correct, sir. Even more importantly, the water passage would be very difficult to guard, making it a much safer way to approach our end goal.’ The implication that there was a better way to reach the factory made them all a lot happier until Thurdin, who was never one to accept good news without finding the flaw in it, grumbled his objection to the cog’s otherwise damn fine plan. ‘This should go without saying, but I don’t breathe water.’
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in calm water only requires skill checks with a DC of 10. Trained swimmers can just take 10. Armour or heavy gear makes any attempt at swimming much more difficult. See the Swim skill description. By contrast, fast-moving water is much more dangerous. On a successful DC 15 Swim check or a DC 15 Strength check, it deals 1d3 points of non-lethal damage per round, or 1d6 points of lethal damage if flowing over rocks and cascades. On a failed check, the character must make another check that round to avoid going under. Very deep water is pitch black in most cases, posing a navigational hazard. Worse, it deals water pressure damage of 1d6 points per minute for every 100 feet the character is below the surface. A successful Fortitude saving throw (DC 15, +1 for each previous check) means the diver takes no damage in that minute. Very cold water deals 1d6 points of non-lethal damage from hypothermia per minute of exposure.
Conditions
During the course of their adventures, characters may endure harrowing conditions that may turn lesser men and women away. A number of adverse conditions can affect the way a character operates, as defined here. If more than one condition affects a character, apply both if possible. If this is not possible, apply only the most severe condition. Ability Damaged: The character has lost 1 or more ability score points. The loss is temporary and these points return at a rate of 1 per evening of rest. This differs from ‘effective’ ability loss, which is an effect that goes away when the condition causing it goes away. Ability Drained: The character has lost 1 or more ability score points. The loss is permanent. Blinded: The character cannot see at all and thus everything has total concealment to him. He has a 50% chance to miss in combat. Furthermore, the blinded character has an effective Dexterity of 3, along with a –4 penalty on the use of Strength-based and Dexterity-based skills. This –4 penalty also applies to Search checks and any other skill checks for which the Games Master deems sight to be important. The character cannot make Spot checks or perform any other activity that requires vision, such as reading. Characters who are blind long-term (from birth or early in life) grow accustomed to these drawbacks and can overcome some of them, at the Games Master’s discretion. Confused: A confused character’s actions are determined by rolling d% at the beginning of his turn: 01–10, attack enemies with melee or ranged weapons; 11–20, act normally; 21–50, do nothing but babble incoherently; 51–70, flee away from enemies at top possible speed; 71– 100, attack nearest creature. For this purpose, a special
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companion counts as part of the subject’s self. A confused character who cannot carry out the indicated action does nothing but babble incoherently. Attackers are not at any special advantage when attacking a confused character. Any confused character who is attacked automatically attacks his attackers on his next turn, as long as he is still confused when his turn comes. Cowering: The character is frozen in fear, loses his Dexterity bonus and can take no actions. In addition, he takes a –2 penalty to his Defence Value. The condition typically lasts 10 rounds. Dazed: Unable to act, a dazed character can take no actions but still enjoys the benefit of his normal Defence Value. This condition typically lasts 1 round. Dazzled: The creature is unable to see well because of overstimulation of the eyes. A dazzled creature takes a –1 penalty on attack rolls, Search checks and Spot checks. Dead: A character dies when his hit points drop to –10 or lower, or when his Constitution drops to 0. The character’s soul leaves his body. Dead characters cannot benefit from normal or magical healing but they can be restored to life via magic. A dead body decays normally unless magically preserved but magic that restores a dead character to life also restores the body either to full health or to its condition at the time of death, depending on the spell or device. Either way, resurrected characters need not worry about rigor mortis, decomposition and other conditions that affect dead bodies. Deafened: The character cannot hear and takes a –4 penalty on initiative checks. The character cannot make Listen checks. Characters who are deafened long-term (from birth or early in life) grow accustomed to these drawbacks and can overcome some of them, at the Games Master’s discretion. Disabled: The character has 0 hit points. The character can take only a single move action or attack action and takes 1 point of damage after any action. Dying: The character is near death and unconscious, with –1 to –9 wound points. The character can take no actions. Each round, a dying character loses 1 hit point until he or she dies or becomes stable. Energy Drained: The character gains one or more negative levels, which might permanently drain the character’s levels. If the subject has at least as many negative levels as Hit Dice, he dies. Each negative level gives a creature the following penalties: –1 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, ability checks; loss of 5 hit points; and –1 to effective level for determining the power, duration, DC, and other details of rituals or special abilities.
Fatigued: Characters who are fatigued cannot run or charge and take a penalty of –2 to Strength and Dexterity. After 8 hours of complete, uninterrupted rest, a fatigued character is no longer fatigued. Flat-Footed: A character who has not yet acted during a combat is flat-footed, not reacting normally to the situation. A flat-footed character loses his or her Dexterity bonus to Defence Value. Frightened: A frightened creature flees from the source of its fear as best it can. If unable to flee, it may fight. A frightened creature takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. A frightened creature can use special abilities, including magic, to flee; indeed, the creature must use such means if they are the only way to escape. Being frightened is like being shaken, except that the creature must flee if possible. Panicked is a more extreme state of fear even than these. Exhausted: Characters who are exhausted move at half speed and cannot run or charge. Furthermore, they take a –6 penalty to Strength and Dexterity. After 1 hour of complete, uninterrupted rest, an exhausted character becomes fatigued. Fascinated: A fascinated creature is entranced by a supernatural or occult effect. The creature stands or sits quietly, taking no actions other than to pay attention to
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the fascinating effect, for as long as the effect lasts. It takes a –4 penalty on skill checks made as reactions, such as Listen and Spot checks. Any potential threat, such as a hostile creature approaching, allows the fascinated creature a new saving throw against the fascinating effect. Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a ranged weapon at the fascinated creature, automatically breaks the effect. A fascinated creature’s ally may shake it free of the condition as a standard action.
Grappled: When grappled, a character cannot undertake any action other than attacking with his bare hands, attacking with a light weapon, or attempting to break free from his opponent. The character loses his Dexterity bonus to Defence Value, except on attacks from characters with whom he is grappling.
Another emergency meal of orc food later, the group was in the second level of the sewers, making their way slowly upstream. Gearbolt’s theory suggested that since the water was being drawn up from a central well and used by the factory, it would all be flowing away from the facility. If that was true, they could find the factory just by moving against the current until they reached the spot from whence the water was coming. It was, at least, a better plan than letting the orcs chop them apart up above. Thurdin’s objection to the plan had been circumvented. They were using the curved roof of the iron coach to trap air. A cracked glass panel on one side allowed them to see while they moved. Aside from the occasional spark as the iron dome grated against the stone ceiling overhead, it was working fairly well. There were interspersed pits along the route and when they encountered one, they could stand up fully, raise the dome to get fresh air inside and stave off the possibility of slow suffocation. It was a dangerous plan and if they did not keep finding places to refresh their air supply it could be a fatal one but it seemed to be working so far. The real problem with travelling through the second level of the sewers was not the lack of air. It was the lack of light. With no direct access for travel, there was no need for the orcs to put light sources down here. That made it difficult for Jerrek and the others to find their way around. Gearbolt was able to gauge the motion of the water around it, keeping them moving upstream, but they had virtually no visibility at all. Even Thurdin and Gailion, with their eyes the best suited for seeing in the dark, could not see very far ahead because of the high water level. If they came across anything living down here, it would be on them before they could react…
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Helpless: Paralysed, sleeping, or unconscious characters are helpless. A helpless character has an effective Defence Value of 5 + size modifier. An attacker can attempt a coup de grace against a helpless character. Incorporeal: Having no physical body. Incorporeal creatures are immune to all non-magical attack forms. The only things that can harm them are other incorporeal creatures, +1 or better magic weapons, rituals, occult effects, or supernatural effects. Invisible: Visually undetectable. An invisible creature gains a +2 bonus on attack rolls against sighted opponents, and ignores its opponents’ Dexterity bonuses to Defence Value, if any. See Invisibility, under Special Abilities. Nauseated: Characters who are nauseated are unable to attack or do anything else requiring attention or concentration. The only action such a character can take is a single move action per turn. Panicked: A panicked character flees as fast as possible and cowers (see Cowering, above) if unable to get away. The character defends normally but cannot attack. Panicked is a more extreme state of fear than shaken or frightened. Paralysed: Characters who are paralysed fall to the ground, unable to move. They have an effective (but not actual) Dexterity and Strength of 0. They are helpless. Pinned: A pinned character is held immobile (but not helpless) in a grapple. The character takes a –4 penalty to Defence Value against melee attacks and loses his Dexterity bonus to Defence Value. Prone: An attacker who is prone (lying on the ground) takes a –4 penalty on melee attack rolls and cannot use bows or thrown ranged weapons. The character gains a +4 bonus to Defence Value against ranged attacks but takes a –4 penalty to Defence Value against melee attacks. Shaken: A shaken character takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks. Shaken is a less severe state of fear than frightened or panicked. Sickened: A sickened character takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.
Staggered: A character whose non-lethal damage exactly equals his current hit points is staggered. A staggered character may take a single move action or standard action each round but not both, nor can he take full-round actions. A character whose current hit points exceed
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Stunned: A character who becomes stunned loses his Dexterity bonus, drops what he is holding and can take no attack or move actions. In addition, the character takes a –2 penalty to Defence Value. The condition typically lasts 1 round. Unconscious: An unconscious character is unable to defend himself. The character is helpless and typically falls prone.
Special Abilities
Creatures and even some characters have special abilities that are beyond the scope of skills and feats but still fall short of psychic powers and the ability to wield magic. A special ability may be extraordinary, occult, or supernatural in nature. Extraordinary Abilities (Ex): Extraordinary abilities are non-magical. They are not, however, something that just anyone can do, or even learn to do without extensive training. Effects or areas that negate or disrupt magic have no effect on extraordinary abilities. Occult Abilities (Oc): Occult abilities, as the name implies, are magical abilities that are very much like the effects of rituals. Occult abilities are subject to magic resistance and protection magic. They do not function in areas where magic is suppressed or negated. Supernatural Abilities (Su): Supernatural abilities are magical but are not within the realm of the occult. Supernatural abilities are not subject to magic resistance and do not function in areas where magic is suppressed or negated. A supernatural ability’s effect cannot be dispelled and is not subject to countermagic. See the table below for a summary of the types of special abilities.
Special Ability Types Ability Type Extraordinary Dispel No Magic No resistance
Stable: A stable character is no longer dying but is still unconscious.
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his non-lethal damage is no longer staggered; a character whose non-lethal damage exceeds his hit points becomes unconscious.
Occult Yes Yes
Supernatural Yes No
Ability Score Loss Various attacks cause ability score loss, either ability damage or ability drain. Points lost to ability damage return at the rate of 1 point per day (or double that if the character gets complete bed rest) to each damaged ability, and the spells lesser restoration and restoration offset ability damage as well. Ability drain, however, is permanent, though restoration can restore even those lost ability score points.
While any loss is debilitating, losing all points in an ability score can be devastating.
Keeping track of negative ability score points is never necessary. A character’s ability score cannot drop below 0. Having a score of 0 in an ability score is different from having no ability score whatsoever. Some rituals or abilities impose an effective ability score reduction, which is different from ability score loss. Any such reduction disappears at the end of the effect or ability’s duration, upon which the ability score immediately returns to its former value. If a character’s Constitution score drops, then he loses 1 hit point per Hit Die for every point by which his Constitution modifier drops. A hit point score cannot be reduced by Constitution damage or drain to less than 1 hit point per Hit Die. The ability that some creatures have to drain ability scores is a supernatural one, requiring some sort of attack. Such creatures do not drain abilities from enemies when the enemies strike them, even with unarmed attacks or natural weapons.
Blindsight and Blindsense Some creatures have blindsight, the extraordinary ability to use a non-visual sense (or a combination of such senses) to operate effectively without vision. Such senses may include sensitivity to vibrations, acute sensivity to scent, keen hearing, or echolocation ability. This ability makes invisibility and concealment (even magical darkness) irrelevant to the creature, though it still cannot see ethereal creatures. This ability operates out to a range specified in the creature description.
Blindsight never allows a creature to distinguish colour or visual contrast. A creature cannot read with blindsight. Blindsight does not subject a creature to gaze attacks, even though darkvision does. Blinding attacks do not penalize creatures using blindsight.
Deafening attacks thwart blindsight if it relies on hearing. Blindsight works underwater but not in a vacuum. Blindsight negates displacement and blur effects.
Blindsense: Other creatures have blindsense, a lesser ability that lets the creature notice things it cannot see but without the precision of blindsight. The creature with blindsense usually does not need to make Spot or Listen checks to notice and locate creatures within range of its blindsense ability, provided that it has line of effect to that creature. Any opponent the creature cannot see has total concealment (50% miss chance) against the creature with blindsense and the blindsensing creature still has the normal miss chance when attacking foes that have concealment. Visibility still affects the movement of a creature with blindsense. A creature with blindsense is still denied its Dexterity bonus to DV against attacks from creatures it cannot see.
Breath Weapon
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Strength 0 means that the character cannot move at all. He lies helpless on the ground. Dexterity 0 means that the character cannot move at all. He stands motionless, rigid, and helpless. Constitution 0 means that the character is dead. Intelligence 0 means that the character cannot think and is unconscious in a coma-like stupor, helpless. Wisdom 0 means that the character is withdrawn into a deep sleep filled with nightmares, helpless. Charisma 0 means that the character is withdrawn into a catatonic, coma-like stupor, helpless.
A creature attacking with a breath weapon is actually expelling something from its mouth, rather than conjuring it by means of a spell or some other magical effect. Most creatures with breath weapons are limited to a number of uses per day or by a minimum length of time that must pass between uses. Such creatures are usually smart enough to save their breath weapons until they really need them.
Using a breath weapon is typically a standard action. No attack roll is necessary. The breath simply fills its stated area. Any character caught in the area must make the appropriate saving throw or suffer the breath weapon’s full effect. In many cases, a character who succeeds on his saving throw still takes half damage or some other reduced effect. Breath weapons are supernatural abilities except where noted. Creatures are immune to their own breath weapons. Creatures unable to breathe can still use breath weapons. The term is something of a misnomer.
Charm and Compulsion Many abilities and particularly enticement magic can cloud the minds of characters and monsters, leaving them unable to tell friend from foe, or worse yet, deceiving them into thinking that their former friends are now their worst enemies. Two general types of enchantments affect characters and creatures: charms and compulsions. Charming another creature gives the charming character the ability to befriend and suggest courses of actions to
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his minion but the servitude is not absolute or mindless. Essentially, a charmed character retains free will but makes choices according to a skewed view of the world.
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A charmed creature does not gain any magical ability to understand his new friend’s language. A charmed character retains his original alignment and allegiances, generally with the exception that he now regards the charming creature as a dear friend and will give great weight to his suggestions and directions. A charmed character fights his former allies only if they threaten his new friend. Even then, he uses the least lethal means at his disposal as long as these tactics show any possibility of success, just as he would in a fight between two actual friends. A charmed character is entitled to an opposed Charisma check against his master in order to resist instructions or commands that would make him do something he would normally not do even for a close friend. If he succeeds, he decides not to go along with that order but remains charmed. A charmed character never obeys a command that is obviously suicidal or grievously harmful to him. If the charming creature commands his minion to do something that the influenced character would be violently opposed to, the subject may attempt
a new saving throw to break free of the influence altogether. A charmed character who is openly attacked by the creature who charmed him, or by that creature’s apparent allies, is automatically freed of the spell or effect.
Compulsion is a different matter altogether. A compulsion overrides the subject’s free will in some way or simply changes the way the subject’s mind works. A charm makes the subject a friend of the caster; a compulsion makes the subject obey the caster. Regardless of whether a character is charmed or compelled, he will not volunteer information or actions that his master does not explicitly demand.
Cold and Fire Immunity A creature with cold or fire immunity never takes cold or fire damage, respectively. It has vulnerability to the opposed form of damage (fire or cold respectively) which means it takes half as much damage again (+50%) from that damage type, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed, or whether the saving throw is a success or failure.
Damage Reduction Some magic creatures have the supernatural ability to instantly heal damage from weapons or to ignore blows altogether as though they were invulnerable. The numerical part of a creature’s damage reduction is the amount of hit points the creature ignores from normal attacks. Usually, a certain type of weapon can overcome this reduction. This information is separated from the damage reduction number by a slash. Special materials may overcome damage reduction, as may magic weapons (defined as any weapon with a +1 or higher enhancement bonus, not counting the enhancement from mastercraft quality), certain types of weapons (such as slashing or bludgeoning) and weapons imbued with an allegiance. If a dash follows the slash then the damage reduction is effective against any attack that does not ignore damage reduction. Ammunition fired from a projectile weapon with an enhancement bonus of +1 or higher is treated as a magic weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Similarly, ammunition fired from a projectile weapon with an allegiance gains the allegiance of that projectile weapon in addition to any allegiance it may already have.
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Whenever damage reduction completely negates the damage from an attack, it also negates most special effects that accompany the attack, such as ‘injury type’ poison, or disease.
Damage reduction does not negate touch attacks, energy damage dealt along with an attack or energy drains, nor does it affect poisons or diseases delivered by inhalation, ingestion, or contact.
Sometimes damage reduction is instant healing; in other cases damage reduction represents the creature’s tough hide or body. In either case, characters can clearly see that conventional attacks do not work. If a creature has damage reduction from more than one source, then the two forms of damage reduction do not stack. Instead, the creature gets the benefit of the best damage reduction in a given situation. Armour provides damage reduction to its wearer, with all the effects it has when it blocks an attack completely. Like other types of damage reduction, the DR granted by armour does not stack with any natural armour that creatures or characters may have. Constructs are an exception if they weld the armour to their artificial bodies, as it provides an extra layer of armour plating to the one they already have.
Darkvision Darkvision is the extraordinary ability to see with no light source at all, out to a range specified for the creature. Darkvision is black and white only. Colours cannot be discerned. It does not allow characters to see anything that they could not see otherwise. Invisible objects are still invisible and illusions are still visible as what they seem to be. Likewise, darkvision subjects a creature to gaze attacks normally. The presence of light does not spoil darkvision.
Disease and Poison The natural attacks of some creatures (and attacks by some especially unscrupulous cads) are infected with disease or laced with poison. A character injured by such attack must make an immediate Fortitude saving throw in addition to taking the attack’s damage. The Adventuring section discusses disease and poison with more detail.
Energy Drain and Negative Levels Some horrible creatures, especially undead monsters, possess a fearsome supernatural ability to drain levels from those they strike in combat. The creature making an energy drain attack draws a portion of its victim’s life force from him. Most energy drain attacks require a successful melee attack roll. Mere physical contact is not enough. Each successful energy drain attack bestows one or more negative levels on the opponent. A creature takes the following penalties for each negative level it has gained.
–1 on all skill checks and ability checks, including Ritual and Psychic Control checks. –1 on attack rolls and saving throws. –5 hit points. –1 effective level. Whenever the creature’s level is used in a die roll or calculation, reduce it by one for each negative level.
Negative levels remain for 24 hours or until removed with an invocation ritual. After 24 hours, the afflicted creature must attempt a Fortitude saving throw, with a DC of 10 + half attacker’s HD + attacker’s Charisma modifier. If the saving throw succeeds, the negative level goes away with no harm to the creature. The afflicted creature makes a separate saving throw for each negative level it has gained. If the save fails, the negative level goes away but the creature’s level also drops by one. A character with negative levels at least equal to his current level, or drained below 1st level, is instantly slain. Depending on the creature that killed him, he may rise the next night as a monster of that kind. A creature gains 5 temporary hit points for each negative level it bestows, though not if the negative level is caused by a magic ritual effect.
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Attacks that deal no damage because of the target’s damage reduction do not disrupt a character’s concentration upon magic and psychic powers. Rituals, occult abilities and energy attacks (even non-magical fire) ignore damage reduction.
Etherealness Certain creatures can exist on the Ethereal Plane. While on the Ethereal Plane, a creature is called ethereal. Unlike incorporeal creatures, ethereal creatures are not present on the Material Plane. Ethereal creatures are invisible, inaudible, insubstantial, and scentless to creatures on the Material Plane. Even most magical attacks have no effect on them. Some divination rituals reveal ethereal creatures. An ethereal creature can see and hear into the Material Plane in a 60-foot radius, though material objects still block sight and sound; an ethereal creature cannot see through a material wall, for instance. An ethereal creature inside an object on the Material Plane cannot see. Things on the Material Plane, however, look grey, indistinct, and ghostly. An ethereal creature cannot affect the Material Plane, not even magically. An ethereal creature, however, interacts with other ethereal creatures and objects the way material creatures interact with material creatures and objects. Even if a creature on the Material Plane can see an ethereal creature the ethereal creature is on another plane. Only invocation effects with the Force descriptor can affect the ethereal creatures. If, on the other hand, both creatures are ethereal, they can affect each other normally. A force effect originating on the Material Plane extends onto the Ethereal Plane, so that a wall of invoked force blocks an ethereal creature, and a magical missile made from force can strike one, provided the spellcaster can see the ethereal target. Gaze effects and protection magic effects also extend from the Material Plane to the Ethereal
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Plane. None of these effects extend from the Ethereal Plane to the Material Plane. Ethereal creatures move in any direction (including up or down) at will. They do not need to walk on the ground and material objects do not block them, though they cannot see while their eyes are within solid material. Non-Player Character ghosts have a power called manifestation that allows them to appear on the Material Plane as incorporeal creatures. Still, they abide on the Ethereal Plane and another ethereal creature can interact normally with a manifesting ghost. Ethereal creatures pass through and operate in water as easily as air. Ethereal creatures do not fall or take falling damage.
Fast Healing A creature with fast healing has the extraordinary ability to regain hit points at an exceptional rate. Except for what is noted here, fast healing is like natural healing. At the beginning of each of the creature’s turns, it heals a certain number of hit points, defined in its description. Unlike regeneration, fast healing does not allow a creature to regrow or reattach lost body parts. A creature that has taken both non-lethal and lethal damage heals the non-lethal damage first. Fast healing does not restore hit points lost from starvation, thirst, or suffocation, nor does it increase the number of hit points regained when a creature polymorphs.
Fear Magic effects, magic items, and certain monsters can affect characters with fear. In most cases, the character makes a Will saving throw to resist this effect and a failed roll means that the character is shaken, frightened, or panicked. The states of fear are: shaken, frightened, panicked and cowering, described in the Conditions section above. Becoming Even More Fearful: Fear effects are cumulative. A shaken character who is made shaken again becomes frightened and a shaken character who is made frightened becomes panicked instead. A frightened character who is made shaken or frightened becomes panicked instead.
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Gaseous Form Some creatures have the supernatural or occult ability to take the form of a cloud of vapour or gas. Creatures in gaseous form cannot run but can fly. A gaseous creature can move about and do the things that a cloud of gas can conceivably do, such as flow through the crack under a door. It cannot, however, pass through solid matter nor enter water or other liquid, as it is not ethereal or incorporeal. Winds or other forms of moving air affect it to the extent that the wind pushes it in the direction the wind is moving. However, even the strongest wind cannot disperse or damage a creature in gaseous form. Gaseous creatures cannot attack physically or activate conduits; they lose their supernatural abilities, except for the supernatural ability to assume gaseous form, of course. Creatures in gaseous form have damage reduction 10/magic. Magic effects, occult abilities, and supernatural abilities affect them normally. Creatures in gaseous form lose all benefit of material armour, including natural armour, though size, Dexterity and deflection bonuses still apply. Discerning a creature in gaseous form from natural mist requires a DC 15 Spot check. Creatures in gaseous form attempting to hide in an area with mist, smoke, or other gas gain a +20 bonus. Gaseous creatures do not need to breathe and are immune to attacks involving breathing, such as poison gas and similar effects.
Incorporeality Spectres, wraiths, and a physical are be
few other creatures lack bodies. Such creatures insubstantial and cannot touched by non-magical matter or energy. Likewise, they cannot manipulate or exert physical force on objects. However, incorporeal beings have a tangible presence that sometimes seems like a physical attack against a corporeal creature.
Incorporeal creatures are present on the same plane as the characters, and characters have some chance to affect them. Incorporeal creatures can only be harmed by other incorporeal creatures, by magic weapons, or by magic or supernatural effects. They are immune to all non-magical attack forms. They are not burned by normal fires, affected by natural cold, or harmed by
Invisibility The ability to move about unseen is not foolproof. While they cannot be seen, invisible creatures can be heard, smelled, or felt. Invisibility does make a creature undetectable by vision, including darkvision. Invisibility does not, by itself, make a creature immune to critical hits but it does make the creature immune to extra damage from being a hunter’s favoured prey and from precision attacks. Invisible creatures cannot use gaze attacks. A creature can generally notice the presence of an active invisible creature within 30 feet with a DC 20 Spot check. The observer gains a hunch that ‘something is there’ but cannot see it or target it accurately with an attack. A creature who is holding still is very hard to notice, raising the Spot check DC to 30. An inanimate object, a nonliving creature holding still, or a completely immobile creature is even harder to spot, raising the Spot check DC to 40. It is practically impossible (+20 DC) to pinpoint an invisible creature’s location with a Spot check, and even if a character succeeds on such a check, the invisible creature still benefits from total concealment, bestowing a 50% miss chance upon the attacker. A creature can use hearing to find an invisible creature. A character can make a Listen check for this purpose as a free action each round. A Listen check result at least equal to
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mundane acids. Even when struck by magic Listen Check DCs to Detect Invisible Creatures or magic weapons, an incorporeal creature Invisible Creature is . . . DC has a 50% chance to ignore any damage In combat or speaking 0 from a corporeal source, except for a force Moving at half speed Move Silently check result effect or damage dealt by an etheric weapon. Moving at full speed Move Silently check result –4 Incorporeal creatures are immune to critical Running or charging Move Silently check result –20 hits and to extra damage from being favoured Some distance away +1 per 10 feet prey and from precision attacks. The physical Behind an obstacle (door) +5 attacks of incorporeal creatures ignore material Behind an obstacle (stone wall) +15 armour, even magic armour, unless it is made of force or has the etheric ability. They cannot the invisible creature’s Move Silently check result reveals trip or grapple incorporeal creatures. its presence. A creature with no ranks in Move Silently makes a Move Silently check as a Dexterity check to which Incorporeal creatures move in any direction (including up an armour check penalty applies. A successful check lets a or down) at will and do not need to walk on the ground. character hear an invisible creature ‘over there somewhere’. They can pass through solid objects at will, although It is practically impossible to pinpoint the location of an they cannot see when their eyes are within solid matter. invisible creature. A Listen check that beats the DC by 20 Incorporeal creatures hiding inside solid objects get a +2 pinpoints the invisible creature’s location. circumstance bonus on Listen checks, because solid objects carry sound well. Pinpointing an opponent from inside A creature can grope about to find an invisible creature. a solid object uses the same rules as pinpointing invisible A character can make a touch attack with his hands or a opponents; see Invisibility, below. Incorporeal creatures weapon into two adjacent 5-foot squares using a standard pass through and operate in water as easily as they do in action. If an invisible target is in the designated area, there air and cannot fall or take falling damage. Incorporeal is a 50% miss chance on the touch attack. If successful, creatures have no weight and do not set off traps that are the groping character deals no damage but has successfully triggered by weight; they do not leave footprints, have no pinpointed the invisible creature’s current location. If the scent, and make no noise unless they manifest, and even invisible creature moves, its location, obviously, is once then they only make noise intentionally. again unknown. If an invisible creature strikes a character, the character struck still knows the location of the creature that struck him, until, of course, the invisible creature moves. The only exception is if the invisible creature has a reach greater than 5 feet. In this case, the struck character knows the general location of the creature but has not pinpointed the exact location. If a character tries to attack an invisible creature whose location he has pinpointed, he attacks normally, but the invisible creature still benefits from full concealment and thus a 50% miss chance. A particularly large and slow creature might get a smaller miss chance. If a character tries to attack an invisible creature whose location he has not pinpointed, have the player choose the space where the character will direct the attack. If the invisible creature is there, conduct the attack normally. If the enemy is not there, the Games Master rolls the miss chance as if it was there and does not let the player see the result, telling him that the character missed. That way the player does not know whether the attack missed because the enemy is not there or because the Games Master successfully rolled the miss chance. If an invisible character picks up a visible object, the object remains visible. One could coat an invisible object with flour to at least keep track of its position, until the flour fell off or blew away. An invisible creature can pick up a small visible item and hide it on his person (tucked
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in a pocket or behind a cloak) and render it effectively invisible. An invisible burning torch still gives off light, as does an invisible object with a light or similar effect cast upon it. Invisible creatures leave tracks. They can be tracked normally. Footprints in sand, mud, or other soft surfaces can give enemies clues to an invisible creature’s location. An invisible creature in the water displaces water, revealing its location; it is, however, is still hard to see and benefits from concealment. A creature with the scent ability can detect an invisible creature as it would a visible one. A creature with the Blind-Fight feat has a better chance to hit an invisible creature. Roll the miss chance twice, and he misses only if both rolls indicate a miss; alternatively, make one 25% miss chance roll rather than two 50% miss chance rolls. A creature with blindsight can attack (and otherwise interact with) creatures regardless of invisibility. Invisibility does not thwart divination effects. Since some creatures can detect or even see invisible creatures, it is helpful to be able to hide even when invisible. Ethereal creatures are invisible. Since ethereal creatures are not materially present, Spot checks, Listen checks, Scent, Blind-Fight, and blindsight do not help locate them. Incorporeal creatures are often invisible. Scent, Blind-Fight, and blindsight do not help creatures find or attack invisible, incorporeal creatures, but Spot checks and possibly Listen checks can help.
Level Loss A character who loses a level instantly loses one Hit Die. The character’s base attack bonus, base saving throw bonuses, and special class abilities are now reduced to the new, lower level. Likewise, the character loses any ability score gains, skill ranks, and feats associated with the level, if applicable. If the exact ability score or skill ranks increased from a level now lost is unknown, or the player has forgotten what was increased, lose 1 point from the highest ability score or ranks from the highestranked skills. If a companion creature has abilities tied to a character who has lost a level, the creature’s abilities are adjusted to fit the character’s new level. The victim’s experience point total is immediately set to the midpoint of the previous level.
Low-Light Vision Characters with low-light vision have eyes that are so sensitive to light that they can see twice as far as normal in dim light. Low-light vision is colour vision. A character with low-light vision can read a scroll as long as even the tiniest candle flame is next to him as a source of light. Characters with low-light vision can see outdoors on a moonlit night as well as they can during the day.
Magic Resistance Magic resistance is the extraordinary ability to avoid being affected by magic ritual effects. Some rituals also grant magic resistance. To affect a creature that has magic resistance, a character must make a character level check (1d20 + caster level) at least equal to the creature’s magic resistance. The defender’s magic resistance is like a Defence Value against magical attacks. If the caster fails the check, the ritual or conduit power does not affect the creature. The possessor does not have to do anything special to use magic resistance. Indeed, he need not even be aware of the threat for its magic resistance to operate. Only spells and occult abilities are subject to magic resistance. Extraordinary and supernatural abilities, including enhancement bonuses on magic weapons, are not. A creature can have some abilities that are subject to magic resistance and some that are not. Even some rituals ignore magic resistance; see When Magic Resistance Applies, below. A creature can voluntarily lower its magic resistance. Doing so is a standard action and, once a creature lowers its resistance, it remains down until the creature’s next turn. At the beginning of the creature’s next turn, the creature’s magic resistance automatically returns unless the creature intentionally keeps it down; to do this is also a standard action. A creature’s magic resistance never interferes with its own powers, items, or abilities. A creature with magic resistance cannot impart this power to others by touching them or standing in their midst. Only the most rare of creatures and a few magic items have the ability to bestow magic resistance upon another. Magic resistance does not stack. It overlaps. When Magic Resistance Applies In general, whether magic resistance applies or not depends on what the effect does: Targeted Effects: Magic resistance applies if the effect is targeted at the creature. Some individually targeted effects can be directed at several creatures simultaneously. In such cases, a creature’s magic resistance applies only to the portion of the effect actually targeted at that creature. If several different resistant creatures are subjected to such an effect, each checks its magic resistance separately. Area Effects: Magic resistance applies if the resistant creature is within the effect’s area. It protects the resistant creature without altering the effect itself. Invocation Effects: Some effects summon or create something and are not subject to magic resistance. Sometimes, however, magic resistance applies usually to those that act upon a creature more or less directly. Magic resistance can protect a creature from an effect that is already in place. Check magic resistance when the
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Magic resistance has no effect unless the energy created or released by the effect actually goes to work on the resistant creature’s mind or body. If the effect acts on anything else and the creature is affected as a consequence, no roll is required. Creatures can be harmed by an effect without being directly targeted. Magic resistance does not apply if an effect fools the creature’s senses or reveals something about the creature. Magic actually has to be working for magic resistance to apply. Effects that have instantaneous durations but lasting results are not subject to magic resistance unless the resistant creature is exposed to the effect the instant it is cast. When in doubt about whether an effect is direct or indirect, consider the effect’s discipline: Protection: The target creature must be harmed, changed, or restricted in some manner for magic resistance to apply. Perception changes are not subject to magic resistance. Effects that block or negate attacks are not subject to an attacker’s magic resistance; it is the protected creature that is affected by the effect, becoming immune or resistant to the attack. Invocation: These effects are usually not subject to magic resistance unless the effect conjures some form of energy. Effects that summon creatures or function like creatures are not subject to magic resistance. If an evocation effect deals damage to the creature, it is a direct effect. If the effect damages something else, it is an indirect effect. Divination: These effects do not affect creatures directly and are not subject to magic resistance, even though what they reveal about a creature might be very damaging.
if they are targeted on a point in space instead of on a creature. Some transformations make objects harmful, or more harmful. Even these effects are not generally subject to magic resistance because they affect the objects, not the creatures against which the objects are used. Magic resistance works against these effects only if the creature with magic resistance is holding the objects when the characters use the effect on them. Successful Magic Resistance Magic resistance prevents an effect or an occult ability from affecting or harming the resistant creature but it never removes a magical effect from another creature or negates an effect on another creature. Magic resistance prevents an effect from disrupting another magic power. Against an ongoing effect that is already in place, a failed check against magic resistance allows the resistant creature to ignore any consequence it might have. The magic continues to affect others normally.
Non-Abilities Some creatures lack certain ability scores. These creatures do not have an ability score of 0. Instead, they lack the ability altogether. The modifier for a non-ability is +0. Other effects of non-abilities are detailed below.
Enticement: Since enticement effects affect creatures’ minds, they are typically subject to magic resistance. Illusions, however, are almost never subject to magic resistance. Illusions that entail a direct attack are exceptions. Necromancy: Most of these effects alter the target creature’s life force and are subject to magic resistance. Unusual necromancy effects that do not affect other creatures directly are not subject to magic resistance. Transformation: These effects are subject to magic resistance if they transform the target creature. Transmutation effects are not subject to magic resistance
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creature is first affected. Check magic resistance only once for any particular casting of an effect or use of an occult ability. If magic resistance fails the first time, it fails each time the creature encounters that same instance of the effect. Likewise, if the magic resistance succeeds the first time, it always succeeds. If the creature has voluntarily lowered its magic resistance and is then subjected to an effect, then the creature still has a single chance to resist that effect later, when its magic resistance is up.
Strength: Any creature that can physically manipulate other objects has at least 1 point of Strength. A creature with no Strength score cannot exert force, usually because it has no physical body or because it does not move. The creature automatically fails Strength checks. If the creature can attack, it applies its Dexterity modifier to its base attack bonus instead of a Strength modifier. Dexterity: Any creature that can move has at least 1 point of Dexterity. A creature with no Dexterity score cannot move. If it can perform actions, such as casting spells, then it applies its Intelligence modifier to initiative checks instead of a Dexterity modifier. The creature automatically fails Reflex saving throws and Dexterity checks. Constitution: Any living creature has at least 1 point of Constitution. A creature with no Constitution has no body or no metabolism. It is immune to any effect that requires a Fortitude saving throw unless the effect works on objects or is harmless. The creature is also immune to ability damage, ability drain and energy drain and automatically fails Constitution checks. A creature with no Constitution cannot tire and thus can run indefinitely without tiring, unless the creature’s description says it cannot run. Intelligence: Any creature that can think, learn, or remember has at least 1 point of Intelligence. A creature with no Intelligence score is mindless, an automaton operating on simple instincts or
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programmed instructions. It has immunity to mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects) and automatically fails Intelligence checks. Mindless creatures do not gain feats or skills, although they may have bonus feats or racial skill bonuses. Wisdom: Any creature that can perceive its environment in any fashion has at least 1 point of Wisdom. Anything with no Wisdom score is an object, not a creature. Anything without a Wisdom score also has no Charisma score. Charisma: Any creature capable of telling the difference between itself and things that are not itself has at least 1 point of Charisma. Anything with no Charisma score is an object, not a creature. Anything without a Charisma score also has no Wisdom score.
Rays All ray attacks require the attacker to make a successful ranged touch attack against the target. Rays have varying ranges, which are simple maximums. A ray’s attack roll never takes a range penalty. Even if a ray hits, it usually allows the target to make a saving throw, which is either Fortitude or Will. Rays never allow a Reflex saving throw, though if a character’s Dexterity and class bonus to DV are high, it might be hard to hit him with the ray in the first place.
Regeneration Creatures with this extraordinary ability recover from wounds quickly and can even regrow or reattach severed body parts. Damage dealt to the creature is treated as nonlethal damage and the creature automatically cures itself of nonlethal damage at a fixed rate. Certain attack forms, typically fire and acid, deal damage to the creature normally; that sort of damage does not convert to nonlethal damage and so does not go away. The creature’s description includes the details. Creatures with regeneration can regrow lost portions of their bodies and can reattach severed limbs or body parts. Severed parts die if they are not reattached.
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Regeneration does not restore hit points lost from starvation, thirst, or suffocation. Attack forms that do not deal hit point damage ignore regeneration, and those that can
cause instant death only threaten the creature with death if they are delivered by weapons that deal it lethal damage.
Resistance to Energy A creature with resistance to energy has the ability (usually extraordinary) to ignore some damage of a certain type each round, but it does not have total immunity. Each resistance ability is defined by what energy type it resists and how many points of damage are resisted. It does not matter whether the damage has a mundane or magical source. When resistance completely negates the damage from an energy attack, the attack does not disrupt a magic effect. This resistance does not stack with the resistance that a magic effect might provide.
Scent This extraordinary ability lets a creature detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell. A creature with the scent ability can detect opponents by sense of smell, generally within 30 feet. If the opponent is upwind, the range is 60 feet. If it is downwind, the range is 15 feet. Strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, can be detected at twice the
ranges noted above. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk, can be detected at three times these ranges. The creature detects another creature’s presence but not its specific location. Noting the direction of the scent is a move action. If it moves within 5 feet of the scent’s source, the creature can pinpoint that source.
Creatures with the scent ability can identify familiar odours just as humans do familiar sights. False, powerful odours can easily mask other scents. The presence of such an odour completely spoils the ability to properly detect or identify creatures and the base Survival DC to track becomes 20 rather than 10.
Turn Resistance Some creatures (usually undead) are less easily affected by the turning ability of ecclesiasts. This phenomenon is called turn resistance and is an extraordinary ability. When resolving a turn, rebuke, command or bolster attempt, add the appropriate bonus to the creature’s Hit Dice total.
Experience and Other Rewards
Experience is the measure of how a character learns about himself and the world around him; it represents his growing ability to survive and to explore his skills, talents and powers. Experience is measured in experience points (XP), which characters gain by beating the challenges that they come across.
Awarding Experience Points The Games Master awards experience points to all characters at the end of each adventure. This represents how characters learn from what happens to them and the time they take to train and improve themselves. The amount of XP awarded is based on the obstacles encountered and overcome in an encounter and the average level of a group of characters. Encounter Goals As detailed in the earlier sections of this chapter, encounters come in different flavours and are overcome in different ways, whether defeating a foe in a combat
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Characters receive experience points for overcoming the obstacles that come between them and the final goal of the adventure. The Games Master must design encounters that match the characters’ levels, which might be difficult at first but becomes easier as he has time to learn how the players handle their characters and which powers and abilities they acquire. Experience awards are not set in stone; the Games Master may increase or decrease the amount he gives depending on how hard or easy of a time the characters had when beating the encounters. Determining Encounter Levels As described before, the EL of an encounter indicates how challenging it is. The steps for determining the EL of an encounter are:
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A creature with the Track feat and the scent ability can follow tracks by smell, making a Wisdom check to find or follow a track. The typical DC for a fresh trail is 10. The DC increases or decreases depending on how strong the quarry’s odour is, the number of creatures and the age of the trail. For each hour that the trail is cold, the DC increases by 2. The ability otherwise follows the rules for the Track feat. Creatures tracking by scent ignore the effects of surface conditions and poor visibility. Water, particularly running water, ruins a trail for air-breathing creatures. Water-breathing creatures that have the scent ability, however, can use it in the water easily.
encounter, surviving an action sequence or role-playing one’s way out of a social encounter. Of course, a situation is not always as clear-cut; characters might turn a perfect negotiation with a band of cutthroats into combat, achieving the goal through different means.
Determine Individual Challenge Ratings: When an encounter has more than one challenge, whether more than one opponent or a mix between opponents and dangers, determine all the individual CRs. Creatures have their CR listed in their descriptions, while characters’ CR is the same as their character level. Ordinary characters have a CR equal to their level minus 1. Other types of hazards have their CR based on the difficulty of the skill checks involved, although not all skill checks should be considered part of a challenge. Check DC Less than 15 15-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40+
CR 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Calculate an Overall Challenge Rating: The total CR of an encounter can be calculated depending on circumstances. If all have the same CR: Modify the encounter’s CR by the amount of obstacles. 2 obstacles increases the CR by +2, 3 obstacles by +3 and so on. If the Obstacles Have a Different CR: Average the CR of all the obstacles and then add a modifier as above. For example, characters are facing a monster with CR 8 and its CR 4 handler in a situation worth CR 6. The average CR is 6 and, since there are three obstacles, it is modified by +3 for a final CR 9. Consider the Encounter’s Threat Level: An encounter with a CR 11 enemy might not be so dangerous if the
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characters are not expected to defeat it in combat, nor a social encounter with an influential personage so threatening if answering the character’s questions is in her best interest. For high threat encounters use the same calculated CR, but for encounters that pose low or no threat, the actual CR is one half or one quarter the total CR. Considering Encounter Circumstances: The Games Master adjusts the EL depending on how complicated or easy the encounter was to play out, which is completely under the Games Master’s judgement. An encounter can be complicated by circumstances that neither the Games Master nor the players expected, which may range from
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After determining the Encounter Level, the Games Master looks it up in the Experience Awards table then matches it with the row that defines the average party level, which is the average of the character levels of all characters in the group. After the amount is found, divide it equally amongst all characters whose levels were considered in the party average. For example, the party consists of a 7th level adventurer, an 8th level occultist, a 6th level socialite and a 6th level genius (average party level 6th) and they defeat an EL 7 encounter. The group earns 2,500 XP, which means that each character earns 625 XP for that encounter.
Experience Awards Party Level 1st-3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th Party Level 1st-3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th
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inspired tactics by the Games Master’s characters or even extremely bad luck with the dice.
1 450 425 375 325 275 225 – – – – – – – – – – – –
2 650 600 525 450 375 300 250 – – – – – – – – – – –
3 900 850 750 625 525 425 350 275 – – – – – – – – – –
4 1,275 1,200 1,050 900 750 600 475 375 300 – – – – – – – – –
11 – 13,600 12,000 10,000 8,400 6,800 5,400 4,200 3,300 2,550 1,950 1,500 1,125 850 650 475 – –
12 – – 16,800 14,400 12,000 9,600 7,600 6,000 4,700 3,600 2,750 2,100 1,600 1,200 900 675 500 –
13 – – – 20,000 16,800 13,600 10,800 8,400 6,600 5,100 3,900 3,000 2,250 1,700 1,275 950 700 525
14 – – – – 24,000 19,200 15,200 12,000 9,400 7,200 5,500 4,200 3,200 2,400 1,800 1,350 1,000 750
Encounter Level 5 6 1,800 2,550 1,700 2,400 1,500 2,100 1,250 1,800 1,050 1,500 850 1,200 675 950 525 750 425 600 325 450 – 350 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Encounter Level 15 16 – – – – – – – – – – 27,200 – 21,600 30,400 16,800 24,000 13,200 18,800 10,200 14,400 7,800 11,000 6,000 8,400 4,500 6,400 3,400 4,800 2,550 3,600 1,900 2,700 1,425 2,000 1,050 1,500
7 3,600 3,400 3,000 2,500 2,100 1,700 1,350 1,050 825 650 500 375 – – – – – –
8 5,100 4,800 4,200 3,600 3,000 2,400 1,900 1,500 1,175 900 700 525 400 – – – –
9 7,200 6,800 6,000 5,00 4,200 3,400 2,700 2,100 1,650 1,275 975 750 550 425 – – – –
10 10,200 9,600 8,400 7,200 6,000 4,800 3,800 3,000 2,350 1,800 1,375 1,050 800 600 450 – – –
17 – – – – – – – 33.600 26,400 20,400 15,600 12,000 9,00 6,800 5,100 3,800 2,850 2,100
18 – – – – – – – – 37,600 28,800 22,000 16,800 12,800 9,600 7,200 5,400 4,000 3,000
19 – – – – – – – – – 40.800 31,200 24,000 18,000 13,600 10,200 7,600 5,700 4,200
20 – – – – – – – – – – 44,000 33,600 25,600 19,200 14,400 10,800 8,000 6,000
the power of steam
As the world of science competes with the world of magic, both disciplines of knowledge begin to exchange notes on their findings, sometimes enhancing each other’s results, sometimes clashing violently until one literally crushes the other. Unfortunately, it would seem that science has the bigger, heavier, iron-shod boot. With magic dwindling and science dominating more and more of the world, steam is becoming more powerful, more destructive and more accessible to the masses than spells could ever be. This chapter explores how science and technology are changing the world of OGL Steampunk, detailing the discoveries and advances that are shaping the people’s thoughts, as well as providing rules to create amazing inventions, some of which cross the line between technology and magic.
Principles of Science
Once humans began taking a long hard look at their surroundings, they began to truly discover how everything worked. Where explanations used to come from religion and dogma, scholars and students began to crack the secrets of nature not from the point of view of faith, nor even that of arcane magic, but from the vantage point of knowledge, observation and practice. With each new theory proven correct, science moves another step forward and it does not take long for technology to make use of each new discovery, prompting the finding of new phenomena for the new scientists to unravel. With such unstoppable progress, the days of magic would appear to be doomed, as lightning not only answers to the summons of a magician but also can now be trapped in a simple rotating coil of copper wire.
The different Knowledge skills yield information about a field of science or area of understanding. In OGL Steampunk the traditional forms of learning still share space with the new scientific drive to explore the darkest corner of everything. As educated study clashes with traditional hearth’s lore on one side and with ancient magical traditions on the other, characters must decide the truths they are willing to accept. As magic fades from the world, the power of life itself begins to be denied under the auspices of science. Discovery is negating reality in a fundamental way.
Industry and Engineering
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t
here is a nascent power in the world; it threatens to shake its foundations and displace the old order of magic and belief. The name of this power is science and with it comes its belligerent child, technology. Unable to work magic as naturally as elves nor command the power of the etheric realms like the undead, mortals turned to that which they knew best: the art of building. With their drive to build came their drive to explore and when both impulses became focused on a quest for understanding, science began to progress, granting mortals the tools that they lacked for knowing and shaping their world. Science and technology are not the exclusive domains of humans but they are certainly the most apt and focused race to undertake the rigours of the scientific mindset. Gnomes might argue this point, but they are usually too busy researching new technologies to bother with debate.
Related Skills: Knowledge (architecture and engineering), Craft (mechanical), Craft (structural) The most important advance in the steampunk world was the automation of tasks using a reliable power source. The first application of this was in the textile industry, where a simple steam engine powered a monstrous weaving machine that did the work of a dozen weavers in a fraction of the time. Industrial production is still in its infancy but the various artisan guilds are beginning to see its dangers, losing journeymen and apprentices to crafts more suited to machinery than ‘lesser’ crafts like pottery and leatherworking, while craftsmen are being driven out of business and joining the increasing number of factory workers. Most handcrafts remain of better quality than machine-made crafts but it is only a matter of time before inventors create a better machine that delivers a product of equal quality, with ten times the reliability and a hundred times the volume. The craftsmen who are knee-deep in the fiercest competition are metalsmiths. On one side, new techniques for alloying steel have given them access to cheaper and stronger material with which to work, not to mention access to stranger fare such as arcanium, etheric iron and stellar iron. On the other side, the practice of pouring large quantities of molten metal into moulds is eliminating the need for metalsmiths to produce the larger pieces of machines, cutting craftsmen off from this very profitable activity. Skilled smiths still manufacture the best hand-to-hand weapons and have the know-how to make a firearm from scratch, although most of them buy pre-manufactured parts from specialised smiths, or buy the moulds at a very high price in order to produce their own with a higher degree of reliability, simply filing off any imperfection rather than shaping the parts from the raw material.
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By the time they reached the access tunnel leading up into what they presumed was the factory, they were all more than ready to leave the water behind them. It was not only some of the most acrid, rancid fluid they had ever been exposed to, it was also beginning to dissolve their clothing and burning their exposed skin. Gearbolt’s waterproofing had suffered a severe ‘field test’ in his own words and would need major repairs before he could ever be immersed again. As it was, he was leaking power and would have to recharge for quite some time once this mission was completed. They dragged themselves up to the nearest dry landing, knocking aside a thick layer of dried lichen and mud that was decades old. Together, Thurdin and Jerrek pulled Gearbolt up out of the mire below them and dragged him up onto dry stone. ‘Can you get him up and running again?’ Jerrek asked the dwarf. By way of reply, Thurdin just started going over the cog’s slime covered chassis with a derisive growl. ‘I think so, but I doubt he’ll be at full repair. That was an ugly trip and the acids in the water affected his power source. Those little shocks we were suffering came from his battery.’ The dwarf sat down next to the motionless metal man and pulled the bolts holding its chest plate on. ‘I could use a full workshop and about a forge’s worth of spare parts.’ Jerrek shook his head. ‘You’ve got whatever’s on your belt and the parts in this bag. Make do.’ He stepped back out of the dim light his engineer would need to work by. ‘Gail, get over here and make yourself useful.’ The ghost of his best friend floated up and looked at him quizzically. ‘Jer, I can’t touch anything for more than a few seconds. How exactly am I supposed to help?’ Jerrek just pointed down to where Thurdin was working on Gearbolt, now much easier to see because of Gailion’s spectral radiance. ‘I don’t believe this. I’ve gone from night fighter to night light.’ The woe in his ethereal voice was unsettling, but Jerrek could not help but chuckle. It was the only thing funny about this whole situation. They were all chemically burned and exhausted, with no food and the majority of the orcs’ military forces likely a few dozen yards above their heads. The situation was looking bleak but they were almost done. With the end of their mission in sight, Jerrek desperately tried to figure out how they could blow the greenskins’ factory and live to tell about it. The moment they came up out of the sewers, any sentry with two eyes in the complex would notice them. Their only chance was to somehow get out of here without beingseen but he could not see how that was possible. Looking over at Gailion suddenly gave him an idea. What he really needed was to know what was up there past the plate steel portal leading into the factory catacombs. None of them could physically open the trapdoor without setting off whatever alarm was attached to it but Gail would be able to take a look without needing an opening. It was a still a risk; if his head was seen ‘ghosting’ up out of the floor, they would all be in a world of hurt. Watching Heshia bandage her burns and Thurdin shake his head grimly while he tried to get Gearbolt functional, Jerrek knew it was a chance they would just have to take.
Cheap production of large quantities of steel and iron has had two major effects on the world: it enables humans to build larger and stronger structures (either static buildings or moving vehicles) and it is contributing to driving the Faerie away.
Bottled Lightning Related Skills: Knowledge (physical sciences), Craft (mechanical), Craft (chemical) Electricity has always mystified both mortals and supernatural creatures alike. Only magic was capable of manipulating the power of electricity until a couple
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of theories and inventions demonstrated that mundane science could do so as well and much more reliably to boot. Budding industrialists are still not sure about what to make of the new power to trap and generate electricity, so it sees use mostly by lone inventors wanting to take a novel approach to their latest work, or by scientists testing new theories. The accepted facts about electricity and related phenomena are:
Electricity can travel through proper conductors. Electromagnetic fields are produced by electricity, and can produce electricity in return. Chemical exchanges (batteries) can store electrical energy. Light and radio are electromagnetic phenomena whose waves travel through aether just as sound travels through air.
Unprejudiced researchers have reached a certain level of agreement between both schools. They understand that, by analysing the minute structures of matter and energy, they can create more efficient substances, learn to make better remedies and pave the way for others to find new applications of their discoveries, but at the same time they comprehend the subtle sympathetic relationships that some substances and processes have to the four classical elements. They understand the reactions of acid upon other matter on the basis that it has some relationship with the element of fire, because of its burning properties. A novel theory espouses that neither matter nor energy are created nor destroyed, but merely transform from one state to another. Scientists and inventors have benefited from this theory just as much as magicians and psychics, all of whom have applied it to their trades in different ways. Scientists are better able to track the properties of substances and energies, inventors refine the materials and reactions that move their creations, magicians have a better grasp on invocation techniques, and psychics experiment with their notions for ectoplasm and animal magnetism.
Health and Sanitation Related Skills: Knowledge (earth and life sciences), Craft (pharmaceutical), Treat Injury Disease has always been the bane of large human populations and one of humanity’s main resentments in its relationships with other races, particularly the undead, who often are carriers of disease but never suffer it, and the Faerie, who never seem to fall sick even when the humans do. Having been the concern of religious organisations for many centuries, health eventually became a topic of 141.157.188.166
With the evolution of alchemy towards chemistry, science took a sidestep towards pharmaceutics, the creation of medicine. With a clearer understanding of how human and animal organisms work, medics are better able to repair damage or heal unnatural conditions. Many scientists know of the existence of miniature organisms like viruses and bacteria that cause many ailments and they can target them more precisely through chemical remedies or even through magic, removing the offending organism from itshost and thus bringing about health. A much debated theory also states that all living things are powered by a subtle energy, a life force, which separates a prancing deer from deer stew and a healthy man from a corpse… even a walking corpse. The life force grows stronger in great individuals, suffusing them with personal power and better health. The force is sometimes given peculiar names, such as ‘vril’ or ‘ov’. Attempts to manipulate life force without magic have thus far met with failure, evading the attempts of scientists and inventors to fully grasp it; even their best attempts result in mockeries of life, constructs made of flesh and bones but having none of the properties of a living, breathing organism. The putative opposite of a life force, namely a death force, is assumed to move the undead and explains why their powers are so inimical to the health of the living. This has proven to be even more resilient and stable than the life force but just as elusive to harness by scientific tools.
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The Composition of the World Related Skills: Knowledge (earth and life sciences), Craft (chemical), Craft (pharmaceutical) There are two warring schools of thought regarding the way the world is composed. The classical magic school espoused by occultists and some philosophers states that everything in the world is composed of an interaction between four elements: air, earth, fire and water. The scientific school maintains that there are hundreds of elements and energies interacting, each with its own characteristics and abilities. The occultists scoff at the needless complexity of the scientists’ worldview and vice versa. The worst of it is that both camps seem somehow to be right, as magic rituals continue to work and scientific research continues to progress.
scientific study and great advances resulted from this attention. There are more lay healers practicing mundane medicine than occultist faith workers invoking the power of life to mend injuries and scare off disease.
The Origin of Man (and Others) Related Skills: Knowledge (earth and life sciences), Knowledge (philosophy and theology), Knowledge (the otherworlds) Many insist that science is on a mad quest to explain everything away. This conception is not too far from the truth. Just as the workings of the human body were unravelled by educated medicine, many questions arose about the creation myths of religions and legends and science began to give very uncomfortable answers. According to science, the world was not created by the gods, the Faerie may be related to humans, and dragons and other monsters may simply be the result of strange evolutionary phenomena, not of magic or the will of a divine being. There is mounting evidence against the case of religious leaders and the discovery of lost lands where prehistoric creatures still exist keeps supporting the arguments of evolutionary theorists. Most faeries find the notion of being related to humans and animals to be little short of revolting, as they claim to have originated from trees, rivers and mountains. Scientific experimentation, rather than mere observation, has produced extraordinary results in the hybridisation
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of species. The human-animal hybrids proved that there was some shared origin between humanity and the beasts of the land and their ability to function as members of society opened new doors in the way that life was believed to operate. Intrigued by the findings of scientists and long experienced in the creation of chimeras, magicians added their own ideas to the theories of shared parentage, quoting the Laws of Magic, particularly the Law of Sympathy (see The Occult chapter) to prove that a connection does indeed exist between all the living species of the world, adding that such connections could be used to augment magical rituals. Serious scientists prefer to ignore this, although they often use magical theory as a stepping stone towards figuring out more mundane explanations.
The Mysteries of the Mind Related Skills: Knowledge (behavioural sciences), Sense Motive, Psychic Control While the body’s material existence provides easy grounds for research and experimentation, the domains of the mind are much more mysterious and even more fascinating for their obscurity. Understanding matters of the mind employs observation and little active experimentation, although less scrupulous researchers have been known to literally crack skulls open to dig around their interior. Alienism is a new science that attempts to understand the
basic behaviour of sentient beings, as well as alterations to this behaviour due to mental disease or supernatural interference. Through long conversations to unravel the opinions and attitudes of a person, an alienist can gain secrets about his personality and motives. Sufficient observations performed over time can establish patterns to understand the general workings of an entire people’s way of thinking. An independent discipline of understanding the mind, or at least exploiting its potential is mesmerism and mentalism, a bridge between natural and occult sciences. For ages, mesmerism affirmed that creatures had a certain magnetism that influenced others and was influenced in return. While any proof that personal magnetism is related to electrical magnetism remains indefinable, psychics have certainly benefited from scientific theories to explain the interactions of their minds with the Ethereal and Astral Planes.
The Universe Related Skills: Knowledge (physical sciences), Knowledge (the otherworlds) Not finished yet with exploring the horizons of their world, people are already probing its borders to find what lies beyond. With inquisitive minds, astronomers watch the sky and come up with ideas on why the stars move like they do. Long demonstrated is the fact that it is the planet that travels around the sun and not the other way around. People are aware that their world is merely an island in a much vaster sea full of other islands. The urge to explore is taking hold and prompting many to set sail. This extraplanetary sea is made of aether, an incredibly subtle substance that vibrates as light travels through it and therefore also responds to other electromagnetic phenomena, although inventors have not yet found quite the right frequencies to use. A subtler form of aether can be found in such a different state that it was dubbed a Plane of Existence. This, to be precise, is the Ethereal Plane, which ghosts inhabit as reflections of their former living shells and where magic acts upon the emotions and bodies of living beings. As scientists understand it, the Ethereal Plane is not a place to be travelled to but a state to vibrate into. They are
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‘Aerodynamical Multi-Positioner with Aeolopowered Propulsion’. The name should reflect what the machine does in some way, however obscure.
The universe is growing more complex with each new discovery. Beyond the rest of the planets, which may also be inhabited by intelligent species, there is also the matter of the otherworlds, strange places connected to the world by magical gates or strange dimensional phenomena. These otherworlds can be accessed mostly through magic but science is not content to leave this potential of adventure alone and constantly seeks ways to gain entry. Aetherships vibrate their own structure and passengers to other dimensions; submersibles explore sunken continents and complicated digging machines bore down to find the centre of the world.
Type: All amazing machines are constructs by definition and have the same special qualities. Amazing machines are assigned to one of six broad categories and each requires that any potential creator have the corresponding item creation feat before setting pen to paper; see the Feats and Traits chapter. The categories are: automata, equipment, structures, personal weapons, vehicles and artillery weapons.
On the subject of other dimensions, theories vary wildly. Some assume they are just subsets of the Ethereal Plane, while some remain entirely unconvinced of their existence. Whether they are real or figments of imagination, other dimensions are becoming increasingly harder to reach with magic as the world is cut off by the presence of science and the dwindling power of the supernatural. Whether this cutting off of the greater multiverse will have detrimental effects on the campaign world is anyone’s guess but alarmists believe it will cause the planet to stagnate and fall apart. Armageddon, they insist, is coming and it will be fashioned by the hand of man himself.
Amazing Machines
Progress is built on the backs of dreamers and courageous folk willing to push the boundaries of just about everything. In the world of OGL Steampunk, these constant pressures of progress express themselves in the form of technology, amazing machines that defy the rules believed to govern the world. Characters can join the dash of technological progress if they have the patience, resources and, overall, the spark of genius to craft technological creations no one has ever seen before. This section presents the rules to create such machines, using a simple point selection system to assemble anything that the players or Games Master can imagine.
Size: The machine’s size depends on the creator’s wishes as much as it depends on its function. A vehicle must be able to carry one or more people, while a personal weapon cannot exceed the intended user’s size. As the creator designs his machine, he finds what the base size is for a machine with the functions he wishes and increases or decreases it with additional qualities. This list specifies whether weapons are light, one-handed or two-handed. Operation: Amazing machines are not ordinary equipment and require a special skill set to work. This entry specifies which feat, skill or class feature is required to safely use the amazing machine. If a user does not have the required feat, ranks in a skill or class feature, he suffers a -4 competence penalty to any and all rolls involved in operating the machine. If this field is missing from the stat block or the base attribute listing, then the machine has no particular requirement or can operate itself. Weapons will have the proficiency they require to be wielded here. Hit Dice: (automata only) This field gives the creature’s number and type of Hit Dice, and lists any bonus hit points. A parenthetical note gives the average hit points for a creature of the indicated number of Hit Dice. A creature’s Hit Dice total is also treated as its level for determining how occult effects influence the creature. Personal weapons and equipment do not have Hit Dice and instead have independent hit points based on their materials.
The different machines that can be built are described in ‘stat blocks’, a paragraph containing the information that describes the machine’s characteristics on what it is, what it can do and what can be done to it. The different types of machine have different stat blocks but share some common elements; the values for these characteristics are described under each type.
Structure Dice: (structures, vehicles and artillery only) Some machines do not have hit points like ordinary automata, personal weapons and equipment and instead have structure points, as described in the Combat section on pg 170. Even an amazing vehicle that looks and works like a golem but is piloted by an operator uses SD rather than HD and the die type it rolls to determine its structure points depends on its subtype. Even little machines with one structure point are hardier than many creatures, able to withstand 10 points of normal hit point damage. Machines of Large size and bigger have two or more sections that have their own structure points.
Name: This is the name of the amazing machine, which can go from something as simple as ‘airship’ to
DV: Like all creatures, machines have a base Defence Value of 10, modified normally by their size, their
Machine Descriptions
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not entirely wrong, for psychics and magicians have long known about this plane and even a higher one, the Astral, where higher thoughts manifest.
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Dexterity if they are automata, their manoeuvrability in the case of vehicles and any other installed quality, such as an electrokinetic force field. Hardness (or Armour): All objects, including machines, have a hardness rating. Whenever an object takes hit point damage, it subtracts its hardness from the damage. Only damage in excess of its hardness is deducted from the object’s hit points. Weapons and effects that deal structure damage ignore the hardness rating and inflict their damage directly. Machines of Large size and bigger have two or more sections that have their own hardness ratings. Structural targets have different hardness ratings, which are only subtracted from hit point attacks. Automata do not have a hardness score but they must certainly have an armour bonus that works just as well. Armour plating can increase the bonus to hardness or armour. Manoeuvrability: (vehicles only) The manoeuvrability score is a bonus that applies to initiative and to the Drive or Pilot checks of its operator, as it represents whether the machine is agile or cumbersome. This depends on the vehicle’s size and any installed special qualities. The manoeuvrability mode is classified as clumsy, poor, average, good or perfect (see the vehicle combat rules in pg 206) and defines how well the machine moves. For movement modes other than flying, simply replace ‘fly’ with ‘walk,’ ‘burrow’ or ‘swim.’ For maritime vessels, ‘walk’ applies to their movement on the water’s surface, since ‘swim’ is meant for creatures and machines that can dive underwater. Speed: (automata and vehicles only) This is how fast the machine advances in the different movement modes. This entry also specifies whether the machine is able to take the run action or not. For vehicles, this determines its maximum speed. Acc/Dec: (vehicles only) This value is found immediately after the entry for ‘speed’ in vehicle descriptions. It defines by how much the vehicle may increase or decrease its speed as a moderate acceleration or deceleration. See the vehicle combat rules on pg 191. Turn Rate: (vehicles only) This specifies how much distance the machine covers before making a normal 45º turn, whether horizontally or vertically. Drivers or pilots may attempt to force a sharper turn in the same distance, eliciting a Drive/Pilot check with an increased DC. Refer to the World of Adventure chapter, pg 166. Attacks: This entry lists all the attacks and attack bonuses of a machine’s weaponry. Only if the machine is able to move by itself does it make attack rolls on its own. Otherwise, the number is an accuracy bonus granted to the attack roll of a wielder, pilot, operator or crew. Attacks listed here are from ‘normal’ weaponry or siege weaponry. Other attacks that stem from emulating a magic effect,
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feat or ability go into the special qualities field. Weapons will have an entry specifying whether they are melee or ranged (projectile or thrown) in this field, as well as any range increment. Damage: Any weapon in a machine’s arsenal has its damage listed here. Some attacks may deal structure damage, in which case it is expressed as two damage types separated by a slash, the first to indicate hit point damage against creatures and the second for structure damage against objects. Weapons include the type of damage they inflict (bludgeoning, piercing, slashing or structural) as well as their chances to score a critical hit and the amount of damage that a critical hit deals. Special Features: Any effect stemming from advanced science, or that emulates magic effects, feats or other special abilities, is listed here. Such abilities are very costly to emulate through technology and some may not be possible at all at the Games Master’s discretion. Enchanting an amazing machine with a pure magic effect requires an appropriate item creation feat and follows the normal rules for creating magic items. The full list of special qualities is given at the end of this chapter. Some special qualities require charges to function, in which case this is detailed between parentheses after the quality’s name. Saves: Objects do not have any inherent saving throw. If unattended, they fail automatically. If a bonus is present here, it means that the machine is built in such a way as to give its wielder, operator or crew a bonus to their own saving throws to protect their machine from harm. Luckily, most machines are immune to a lot of magic effects. Automata do have saving throw bonuses and roll their saving throws like any other character or creature. Abilities, Skills and Feats: Machines do not have any inherent ability scores, skill ranks or feats but the creator may emulate them through installing a special quality. Automata do have all ability scores except Constitution but do not have skills or feats. Construct characters are another matter entirely, as their analytical engine brains are sophisticated enough to learn skills and feats as normal characters. Power Source: Most machines require energy to work. The power source provides this energy in the form of charges, which are then spent by the actions the machine takes. If this field is missing, the machine’s operation does not require internal energy. Crew: (structures, vehicles and artillery only) This is the minimum number of operators that a machine requires to perform its functions. Passengers: (vehicles only) This is the number of creatures a technological wonder may accommodate in addition to the crew.
Weight: (personal weapons and equipment only) This field gives the weight of the machine in pounds. Structures, creatures, vehicles and artillery do not list a weight because they cannot normally be carried; for extraordinary cases where one machine will carry another, use a rough guideline based on its size. See under each machine’s base attributes.
Malfunction Threshold: The more complex a machine is, the more likely it is to malfunction. This field lists the machine’s malfunction threshold; see pg 135. If this field is missing in the stat block, it means that the machine is solid and reliable and never malfunctions.
Amazing Machine Construction Concepts The following are some concepts used by all kinds of amazing machines. Base Attributes Machines have a set of attributes with predetermined values according to their nature and size, given in the tables under the description of each machine type. Creators can customise these options by increasing or decreasing the values and altering the final attributes of the machine. Construction Points (CP) The system to build anything from simple to complex amazing machines has a basic building block: construction points, referred to as CP from now on. Every framework, material, feature and deficiency carries a cost measured in points. As the player or Games Master makes his choices on size, materials and abilities, he adds the points assigned to each, or subtracts points by intentionally introducing deficiencies. The final CP amount is then used to figure out the cost of creating the machine, as well as playing a part in the research and construction process. Hard Slot (HS) Depending on their size, amazing machines have limited space to accommodate some of the abilities measured in hard slots. Some options in machine construction have a hard slot value (referred to as HS from this point onwards) in addition to their CP, which they subtract from the machine’s HS as they fill up space. HS is a relative value, as a slot in a small machine is not the same as a slot in a larger machine but the options that occupy one slot also change sizes to represent the additional potency that they muster in order to work in a larger machine. Options without an HS value either do not take up significant 141.157.188.166
Size Modifiers Machines have a size just as creatures do, although they may be shaped a little strangely. The same size modifiers that apply to a creature’s DV and attack (see the combat rules on pg 171) also apply to machines of similar size. That way, a Large creature and a Large machine both have a -1 to DV and attack. Even if the machine was not designed for combat, someone might still try to hit it. Skill Checks To make an amazing machine, an inventor must make a number of skill checks in order to successfully design and build the machine and all its parts. The first of them, the Research check, is a Knowledge check using a knowledge category appropriate for the machine in question such as technology or physical sciences. Specialties do apply here. The rest are Craft checks, most of them of the structural and mechanical category, although sophisticated machines may require a Craft (expression) check in the case of telluric circuitry. The number of checks necessary is determined by the particular options the inventor installs on his machine and in the final CP cost.
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Purchase DC: This is the final cost that any character must meet to buy a machine, although the creator is free to attach any bonus to the Purchase DC based on uniqueness or sentimental value. The cost to actually make the machine is part of the construction process and is described later.
space in the machine’s frame, or are so evenly distributed throughout as to add nothing to it. The HS value will affect the machine’s total weight.
Charges Complex creations require an energy source to activate their functions; this energy requirement is expressed in charges. Some options need a specific number of charges to work each time they are activated and energy sources have a finite charge capacity. Spent energy sources must be renewed, by refuelling, rewinding or recharging, depending on the individual technology. Construction Process Designing and constructing an amazing machine is a matter of effort as well as inspiration; the process for devising one and later constructing it can be summarised in the following steps. 1.
2.
3.
4.
Select Type: First of all, the creator selects the kind of machine that he wants to build. He chooses to make a structure, an automaton, a vehicle, a personal weapon, a vehicle and artillery weapon, or a piece of equipment. Select Size, Base Attributes and Options: From the appropriate tables, the creator selects the size of his machine, which will define its base attributes and initial CP cost; he assigns the base options by adding or subtracting to the CP cost. Select Materials: After deciding on the type and size of the machine, the creator chooses the basic materials for the frame. Each material modifies the base attributes inversely proportionate to its quality. Install Features and Deficiencies: The creator installs the machine’s functions, either altering the
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6.
7. 8.
9.
base attributes or adding and subtracting abilities with features and deficiencies. Each option has its own requirements and costs. Install Power Source: Based on the technology and the energy requirements of the installed options, the creator now installs a power source to feed the machine’s various systems. Calculate Derived Values: With all systems in place, the creator adds up all the modifiers from options and special qualities to the base attributes. Calculate CP: The creator totals all the CP from the base attributes and the installed options. Calculate Cost and Weight: Based on the CP and HS values, find the actual Purchase DC and weight of the machine. Research, Design and Construction Checks: The character makes as many Knowledge checks as required to design the machine with all the planned characteristics, then purchases the raw material and finally makes all the necessary Craft checks for the main body and all special qualities that are installed as independent, smaller machines.
Types As described earlier, there are six different machine types that a character may design and build if he has the appropriate feat. Amazing Automata An automaton is essentially a machine pretending to be alive. The first constructs were powered by raw magic, being neither true machines nor creatures but lumps of matter animated by a hapless elemental shoved inside. Magicians with a bent for craftsmanship made their creation rituals easier by building their constructs in such a way that they already had articulated bodies and could thus potentially move, although they lacked a motor force. These were the first true automata as science understands them: machines that simulate the workings of a living body, moved by a power source. If it can act on its own, even if it cannot move from a fixed spot, then it is an automaton. Amazing Equipment A general definition of a piece of equipment is ‘an object that is useful for something’. Amazing machines designated as equipment are, along with structures, the machines with the most room for variety. A piece of equipment is defined by its purpose and by a user’s ability to wield it or wear it in order to accomplish some task or another. Tools such as hammers or screwdrivers are not considered amazing equipment, for anyone can build them; it takes a special spark of genius to create a hydraulic hammer or a rotogyro screwdriver. Amazing armour falls into the equipment category.
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On the Creation of Non-Human Races The world of steampunk can incorporate a number of different scientific approaches, each one oriented towards a given racial type. The default scientific method discussed below is human but other species would have their own take on how things go together in a steampunk setting. Elves might work exclusively in wood and magical metals, while the dwarves could have steel as their sole material and runic magic empowering all of their creations. This approach makes every race distinct and interesting, something that Games Masters should always strive to foster in their games. Keep in mind the psychology of any race with the capacity to grasp science in any form. Project that unique mindset into their creations, using the rules in this chapter to bear out their designs. Orcs might have huge, crude creations with all the dependability of landmine-covered dancing shoes and the dangerous lethality to match. In the darkest reaches of the world, limbless aberrations could use articulated suits to give them manipulative arms while aquatic horrors move on land in huge automated water tanks, grinding all opposition beneath their treads. Technology can even adapt to fit the needs of creatures not commonly associated with craftsmanship. Imagine a terrible empire based on the concept that dragons have grasped the dubious wonders of science and created draconic automatons to patrol their vast kingdoms. In a setting like this, heroes might have to take to the skies in flying vehicles with amazing firepower to combat the advance of massive scaled dictators, fighting desperate battles to preserve the last free lands of the Humanoid Coalition. Orcs, elves, and men could fight side by side, putting aside their differences in the face of an unimaginably powerful enemy. The possibilities are endless when steam and spells combine to create the ultimate fantasy setting.
Amazing Personal Weapons The races of the world have something in common when it comes to technological pursuits: everyone is looking to build better ways to kill everyone else. Personal weapons are those that a user can carry with him (cumbersome though they might be) and use freely. Amazing personal weapons characterise themselves by being hard to operate but in exchange can be devastatingly effective. Basic firearms are a technology already mastered by mundane craftsmen and early industrial processes but advanced and exotic firearms fall squarely into the category of amazing machines that only a few may build.
An Example of Amazing Machine Construction
Amazing Structures Structures are like equipment in that they serve a purpose that accomplishes a task, or help the user accomplish a task. These machines are not built to be moved but rest in their place for a reason. They may range from great technological fortresses to automated mills. Making a fortress is better served by making a normal one and outfitting it with smaller amazing machines. There are, however, are some that must be structures, such as an arcanium decanter. If it looks like a building but is designed to move, then it is not a structure but a vehicle. Amazing Vehicles Vehicle design is one of the most well known areas where geniuses can flex their creative muscles; an inventor’s neighbours are used to seeing strange apparatuses blast from the house’s ceiling (or walls) as the creator experiments with propulsion systems, energy sources or structural design. The form of a vehicle can lead it to be confused with other amazing machines but the basic definition is that if it is piloted by someone, either a pilot or a remote controller and it moves, then it is a vehicle. Remote-control drones can be confused with automata, as can giant bipedal, humanoid, steam-powered armour suits, but since they are controlled by an operator, they count as vehicles. Amazing Vehicle and Artillery Weapons Like personal weapons, these machines are built for the purpose of destroying or incapacitating a target; the difference is that they go in for large-scale effects. Vehicle and artillery weaponry cannot be carried by individuals, although once set in place they can be used by a single operator. Vehicle weapons can go from gigantic swords for humanoid vehicles to telluric energy artillery emplacements; they are designed to hurt vehicles and structures, rather than just individuals. If a creator wants to equip a huge automaton, a structure or a vehicle with assault weapons, he must design them separately as vehicle and artillery weapons, or make the machine capable of using mundane artillery such as ballistae or cannons.
Base Attributes All machines have their base attributes defined in two forms: in a general list and in a table. The list describes those attributes that apply to all machines of the same type, regardless of size, while the table describes those that vary according to the machine’s size.
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The City Fathers have turned their attention to the needs of their people for once and want to construct a sentry that will help their agents’ missions, especially the more dangerous ones. They decide to build an automaton, one that will incorporate the knowledge they have gleaned from decades of ruthless experimentation and subjugation of the magical world around the city-state of Megadon.
Base Attributes and Options The creator selects the type, size and base attributes and options at the same time. In order to build each type of machine, he must have the appropriate item creation feat, such as Craft Automata or Build Vehicles. Under each type’s description, a table describes the base attributes for a machine of each size, plus other attributes that are already defined by the type regardless of the machine’s size. At this point, the character is able to customise his machine by selecting options for it, such as general shape or method of use. The options presented under each type are exclusive of that type, and no other kind of machine may take them. Other more general options are available as special features.
Base Options The creator can skip ahead of the process and select a number of special features as base options before accounting for materials and power sources. These are listed under the base attributes. The machine must still comply with any requirement that the special feature demands. Special features chosen as base options cost 1 CP less than their normal cost, but unlike special features, they are an integral part of the machine. They cannot be removed, altered or replaced without a major overhaul of the machine’s main framework. Even if the special feature can normally be taken out of the machine and repaired independently, all Repair checks on it are made with the DC appropriate for the whole machine.
Automata An automaton has a basically humanoid shape: one head, one torso, two arms ending in hands and two legs ending with feet. The designer can alter this shape by taking options and special features. An automaton’s intelligence does not come for free. Its brain must be developed separately with the Artificial Intelligence feature, which installs a small analytical engine in the automaton’s body to work as a substitute for true sentience. An automaton without this special feature is simply a useless toy. Size: Chosen by the creator; see the table on page 232. Construction Points: Each automaton size has a different CP cost; see the table below. The total cost adds the CP from special features. Hard Slots: Each automaton size has its own number of hard slots; see the table on page 232. Operation: None, unless the automaton is operated by remote control, for which see the Remote Control special feature.
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Automata Base Attributes Size CP HS Fine 20 2 Diminutive 25 3 Tiny 30 4 Small 35 5 Medium 40 6 Large 45 7 Huge 50 9 Gargantuan 55 12 Colossal 60 16 Leviathan 65 20
HD (d10) 1 2 3 4 6 8 10 14 18 22
Hit Dice: Each automaton size has its own number of Hit Dice; see the table above. Hit points are determined either by rolling each die or by setting an average. Initiative: As with a normal creature, this is the automaton’s Dexterity modifier, plus any other modifier from a special feature. DV: As with a normal creature, it is 10 + size modifier + Dexterity modifier + any other modifier from a special feature. Armour: Each automaton size has its own bonus to its armour’s DR, which is added to the machine’s material hardness; see the table above. The armour bonus can be strengthened or weakened with special features. Speed: Each automaton size has its own base speed, for which see the table above. The speed is considered to be walking speed. Speed can be increased and movement modes added with special features. Base Attack/Grapple: The base attack bonus of an automaton is equal to that of a journeyman character with as many levels as the automaton has Hit Dice. The grapple bonus of an automaton is its base attack bonus + size modifier + Strength modifier + any other modifier from a special feature. Attacks: An automaton has a basic slam attack that causes damage depending on its size. It can be outfitted with a weapon or a special attack from a feature instead. Full Attack: An automaton has as many attacks per round as a journeyman character with as many levels as the automaton has Hit Dice, plus any extra attack granted by a special feature. Damage: Each automaton size has its own base damage to its slam attacks; see the table above. Alternate attacks from weapons or features are defined by their own methods. Space/Reach: The same as a creature of the same size.
Speed 10 ft. 10 ft. 20 ft. 20 ft. 30 ft. 30 ft. 25 ft. 25 ft. 20 ft. 20 ft.
Armour +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3
Damage 1 1d2 1d3 1d3 1d4 1d6 1d8 2d6 3d6 2d10
Str -4 -4 -2 -2 +0 +2 +2 +4 +4 +6
Dex +4 +4 +2 +2 +0 -2 -2 -4 -4 -6
Special Attacks (SA): The automaton has no inherent special attacks but some may be installed as special features. Special Qualities (SQ): Construct qualities apply to an automaton. Additionally, it can install more through special features. Special Features: The automaton has Land Movement (legs) as a base special feature. Saving Throws: All the saving throws of an automaton follow the least convenient advancement track; they add the appropriate ability modifier, plus any other modifier from special features. Abilities: Upon construction, an automaton has the following ability scores: Str 10 + modifier (see table above); Dex 10 + modifier (see table above); Con –; Int –; Wis 10; Cha 1. All abilities can be modified with special features. Skills: Automata with an Intelligence score have 2 skill points per HD. An automaton’s class skills are the same as its creator’s. Feats: Automata gain no feats but some can be installed as special features. Power Source: Like all amazing machines, an automaton does not have a power source. One must be installed. Purchase DC: See the table Machine Costs later in this section. Malfunction Threshold: An automaton suffers a malfunction with a natural roll of 1 in the following tasks: attack rolls, skill checks and Fortitude saves. Malfunction also happens on a natural roll of 1 on using any special feature but the malfunction affects only the special feature and can be repaired separately. Base Options: Additional Hard Slot, Horizontal Frame, Swerving Hips, Limited Sentience
Equipment The City Fathers decide that their automaton should be large and impressive, so they choose a Large-sized chassis and all its characteristics: CP cost of 45, 7 hard slots, 8 HD, base speed of 30 ft., +2 to its armour, a base slam damage of 1d6 and a +2 modifier to Strength, plus a -2 to Dexterity.
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The size of a piece of equipment is relative to the size of its intended user, just like weapons described in the Equipment and Wealth chapter. A Large, one-handed piece of equipment is equivalent to a Medium-size twohanded piece of equipment in size, although grips and buttons will have different placements for each respective size of user. Equipment cannot perform any task unattended; the limits of its automation give a bonus to a user to perform certain tasks.
hp 01 0 0 1 2 3 5 8 12 17
Hardness +0 +0 +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2
1
Hit points are provided with the material in the next stage of construction.
Size: Chosen by the creator; see the table above. Construction Points: Each equipment size has a different CP cost; see the table below. The total cost adds the CP from options and special features. Hard Slots: Each equipment size has its own number of hard slots; see the table above. Operation: If the equipment mimics or provides a bonus to a skill, use that skill; if it is a feat, there is no skill requirement. Hit Points: Each equipment size has a different number of individual hit points; see the table above. This number can be increased with materials and special features. Hardness: Each equipment size has its own hardness, which is added to the machine’s material own hardness; see the table above. Hardness can be strengthened or weakened with materials and special features. Special Qualities (SQ): Construct qualities apply to equipment. More can also be installed through special features. Special Features: The equipment has the One-Handed Use feature for free, which can be modified with base options. Saving Throws: Equipment cannot make saving throws on its own. Any saving throw listed is a bonus it grants to the saving throw of its user or operator when made to protect the machine. Abilities: Equipment does not possess ability scores. It can provide equipment bonuses to a user’s ability scores, however. Skills: Equipment does not have skills but can provide equipment bonuses to a user’s skill checks. Feats: Equipment gains no feats but some can be installed as special features. Power Source: Like all amazing machines, equipment does not have a power source; one must be installed. If a piece of equipment requires a power source and does not have the space for it, an external power source increases the handling size by one: from light to one-handed, from one-handed to two-handed and from two-handed to worn/carried. Weight: Equipment’s weight is calculated with its size and occupied HS at the end of the construction process. Purchase DC: See the table Machine Costs later in this section. 141.157.188.166
Malfunction Threshold: Equipment suffers a malfunction with a natural roll of 1 in any rolls that it complements. Malfunction also happens on a natural roll of 1 on using any special feature but the malfunction affects only the special feature and can be repaired separately. Base Options: Additional Hard Slot, Feat Assist, Light Use, One-Handed Use, Skill Assist, Two-Handed Use, Worn/Carried Use.
Personal Weapons Like equipment, the size of a weapon is relative to the size of its intended user. A personal weapon cannot attack on its own. The limits of its automation are in its internal systems, which may provide a number of effects. The base mode of attack of a personal weapon is melee. Modification is necessary to make it into a ranged weapon.
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Equipment Base Attributes Size CP HS Fine 8 1 Diminutive 11 2 Tiny 14 3 Small 17 4 Medium 20 4 Large 23 4 Huge 26 5 Gargantuan 29 6 Colossal 32 7 Leviathan 35 8
Size: Chosen by the creator; see the table on page 234. Construction Points: Each personal weapon size has a different CP cost; see the table on page 234. The total cost adds the CP from options and special features. Hard Slots: Each personal weapon size has its own number of hard slots; see the table below. Operation: All amazing personal weapons are exotic weapons, requiring that a potential user has the Exotic Weapons Proficiency feat for that specific weapon, that the creator somehow made it user-friendly and defines it as a simple or martial weapon, or that the operator has the Use Amazing Device feat. Hit Points: Each personal weapon size has a different number of individual hit points; see the table on page 234. This number can be increased with materials and special features. Hardness: Each personal weapon size has its own hardness, which is added to the machine’s material own hardness; see the table on page 234. Hardness can be strengthened or weakened with materials and special features. Damage: A personal weapon has a base damage die based on its size, which can be increased or decreased by making it light or two-handed and further amplified by adding special features. Range Increment: A personal weapon has a base range increment based on its size; this range increment only applies if the weapon is ranged. Special Qualities (SQ): Construct qualities apply to equipment. More can also be installed through special features. Special Features: A personal weapon has the OneHanded Use feature for free, which can be modified with base options. It is also by default a melee weapon, although this can also be modified with base options. Saving Throws: A personal weapon cannot make saving throws on its own. Any saving throw listed is a bonus it grants to the saving throw of its user or operator when made to protect the machine.
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Personal Weapon Base Attribute Size CP HS Fine 10 1 Diminutive 13 2 Tiny 16 3 Small 19 4 Medium 22 4 Large 25 4 Huge 28 5 Gargantuan 31 6 Colossal 34 7 Leviathan 37 8 1
hp 01 0 1 2 3 5 8 12 17 23
Abilities: A personal weapon does not possess ability scores; it can provide equipment bonuses to a user’s ability scores, however. Skills: A personal weapon does not have skills but can provide equipment bonuses to a user’s skill checks. Feats: A personal weapon gains no feats but some can be installed as special features. Power Source: Like all amazing machines, a personal weapon does not have a power source; one must be installed. If a personal weapon requires a power source and does not have the space to provide it, an external power source increases the handling size by one, from light to one-handed, from one-handed to two-handed and from two-handed to worn/carried. The weapon can keep its handling size by making the power source a wearable item but not a carried one. Weight: A personal weapon’s weight is calculated with its size and occupied HS at the end of the construction process. Purchase DC: See the table Machine Costs later in this section. Malfunction Threshold: A personal weapon suffers a malfunction with a natural roll of 1 in attack rolls. Malfunction also happens on a natural roll of 1 on using any special feature but the malfunction affects only the special feature and can be repaired separately.
Structures A structure’s shape is completely up to the creator; the dimensions column only indicates an imaginary box containing the structure. Structures have aptly named Structure Dice and structure points instead of Hit Dice and hit points. Size: Chosen by the creator; see the table on page 235. Structures have a minimum size of Tiny. Construction Points: Each size category has a different CP cost; see the table on page 235. The total cost adds the CP from options and special features.
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Range Increment 5 ft. 5 ft. 10 ft. 10 ft. 20 ft. 40 ft. 80 ft. 80 ft. 130 ft. 180 ft.
Damage 1d2 1d3 1d4 1d6 1d8 2d6 2d8 2d10 2d12 3d10
Hit points are provided with the material in the next stage of construction.
Base Options: Additional Hard Slot, Light Use, OneHanded Use, Ranged Attack (any), Two-Handed Use, Worn/Carried Use, Increased Range.
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Hardness +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3
Hard Slots: Each size category has its own number of hard slots; see the table on page 235. Operation: If the structure mimics or provides a bonus to a skill, use that skill. If it is a feat, there is no skill requirement. Structure Dice: Each structure size has its own number of Structure Dice; see the table on page 235. Structure points are determined either by rolling each die or by setting an average. DV: As a normal creature, it is 10 + size modifier + Dexterity modifier + any other modifier from a special feature. Hardness: Each structure size has its own hardness, which is added to the machine’s material own hardness; see the table below. Hardness can be strengthened or weakened with special features. This hardness only applies against weapons that deal hit point damage. Dimensions: A structure occupies a space limited by an imaginary box of a number of units per side based on its size; see the table on page 235. A creator can move around units from one dimension (width, length and height) to another. Special Features: The structure has no base special feature. Saving Throws: A structure cannot make saving throws on its own. Any saving throw listed is a bonus it grants to the saving throw of its users or occupants. Abilities: A structure does not have any ability scores but it can be granted a limited amount of Intelligence for purposes of automated tasks. Skills: Structures with an Intelligence score have 2 skill points per SD; its class skills are the same as its creator’s. Feats: A structure gains no feats but some can be installed as special features. Power Source: A structure has a base wind/water power source, which means that it must be placed near a river or on a hill. You can change the power source by paying the cost of the new one. Crew: Structures need and accommodate one operator for every 30 full CP. Passengers: In the case of structures, these are occupants. Structures can accommodate 1 occupant of two size categories smaller than the structure per unoccupied hard slot. The amount of room taken up by occupants smaller
table on page 236. Hardness can be strengthened or weakened SD (d12) Hardness Dimensions with special features. 2 0 +1 18 inches Initiative: A vehicle acts on 1 +1 3 ft. its operator’s initiative slot but 2 +2 5 ft. applies its manoeuvrability 2 +2 10 ft. modifier to the operator’s roll. 3 +3 20 ft. Manoeuvrability: Each vehicle 4 +3 35 ft. size has its own manoeuvrability 6 +4 55 ft. score and mode; see the table on page 236. Both the score and 10 +4 80 ft. 1 the mode can be increased or Units per side. 2 decreased with special features. Bonus structure points are provided with the material in the next stage of construction. Speed: Each vehicle size has its own base speed, for which see the table on page 236. The than this is halved for each size category smaller yet that speed is considered to be maximum land speed; speed can they are. They require two hard slots per occupant of one be increased and movement modes added with special size category smaller and double for each size category features. larger. A structure cannot accommodate occupants of the Acc/Dec: Each vehicle size has its own acceleration and same size category or larger than itself. deceleration rates, for which see the table on page 236. Purchase DC: See the table Machine Costs later in this These values are considered a moderate acceleration or section. deceleration. The value can be increased or decreased Malfunction Threshold: A structure suffers a malfunction with special features. with a natural roll of 1 in any rolls that it complements. Turn Rate: Each vehicle size has its own turn rate; see the Malfunction also happens on a natural roll of 1 on using table on page 236. any special feature but the malfunction affects only the Weapons: Vehicles have no base weapons mounted. Any special feature and can be repaired separately. weapon must be built separately and installed on special weapon mountings, which are a special feature. The Base Options: Additional Hard Slot, Feat Assist, Skill choice of weapon will define the damage and any special Assist, Magic Effect. characteristics. Space/Reach: The same as a creature of the same size. Vehicles Special Attacks (SA): The vehicle has no inherent special Vehicles are defined as large tools used for transport, attacks but some may be installed as special features. controlled by an operator who rides on the vehicle as he Special Qualities (SQ): Construct qualities apply to a controls it most of the time. If it moves and someone vehicle. It can install more through special features. other than the machine is responsible, then it is a vehicle, Special Features: The vehicle has Land Movement as although some vehicles have a very advanced autopilot a base feature. The creator chooses which mode of land system with an analytical engine of limited intelligence. movement the vehicle will have at no CP cost but uses the The appearance of the vehicle is completely up to its vehicle size’s base speed. creator, constrained only by the limits of its size category. Saving Throws: A vehicle cannot make saving throws on its own. Any saving throw listed is a bonus it grants to the Size: Chosen by the creator; see the table on page 236. saving throw of its user or operator when made to protect Construction Points: Each vehicle size has a different CP the machine. cost; see the table on page 236. The total cost adds the CP Power Source: Like all amazing machines, a vehicle does from options and special features. not have a power source; one must be installed. Hard Slots: Each vehicle size has its own number of hard Crew: A vehicle has a base crew of one, which must be slots; see the table on page 236. expanded with special features if any more crew members Operation: Drive skill for land- and water-based are needed to operate weapons or other special features. (surface) movement, Pilot for air-, aether-, underwater The vehicle must be large enough to accommodate its and underground based movement. These skill checks intended crew. utilise the vehicle’s manoeuvrability modifier. Passengers: Vehicles can accommodate 1 additional Structure Dice: Each vehicle size has its own number occupant of two size categories smaller than the vehicle of Structure Dice; see the table on page 236. Structure per unoccupied hard slot. The amount of room taken points are determined either by rolling each die or by up by occupants smaller than this is halved for each size setting an average. category smaller yet that they are. Vehicles require two DV: As a normal creature, it is 10 + size modifier + hard slots per occupant of one size category smaller and manoeuvrability modifier + any other modifier from a double this for each size category larger. A structure special feature. cannot accommodate occupants of the same size category Hardness: Each vehicle size has its own hardness, which or larger than itself. It could, but it would not move. is added to the machine’s material own hardness; see the 1
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Structure Base Attributes Size CP HS Tiny 40 6 Small 45 8 Medium 50 10 Large 55 12 Huge 60 14 Gargantuan 65 16 Colossal 70 20 Leviathan 75 24
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Vehicle Base Attributes Size Fine Diminutive Tiny Small Medium Large Huge Gargantuan Colossal Leviathan 1
CP 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70
HS 2 2 2 4 6 10 14 20 26 34
SD (d4) 1 2 3 4 6 8 10 14 18 22
Hardness +0 +0 +0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4
Cargo: Any hard slot not defined as passenger areas can hold a maximum cargo weight as defined on the table, depending on the vehicle’s size. Purchase DC: See the table Machine Costs later in this section. Malfunction Threshold: A vehicle suffers a malfunction with a natural roll of 1 in the operator’s Drive or Pilot checks. Malfunction also happens on a natural roll of 1 on using any special feature but the malfunction affects only the special feature and can be repaired separately.
Vehicle and Artillery Weapons Vehicle and artillery weapons are just like their personal versions, but bigger… much bigger. They cannot move independently but they can come equipped with wheels so they can be towed by another vehicle. In practice, they see more use by being mounted on one. Although they are not wielded by hand, vehicle and artillery weapons are considered two-handed weapons for vehicles and structures of the same size to which they are mounted.
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Speed 20 ft. 30 ft. 40 ft. 60 ft. 80 ft. 100 ft. 120 ft. 100 ft. 80 ft. 60 ft.
Turn Rate 0 ft. 5 ft. 5 ft. 10 ft. 10 ft 20 ft. 30 ft. 40 ft. 60 ft. 120 ft.
Acc/Dec 10/20 10/20 15/25 20/40 30/50 40/60 50/70 40/60 30/50 20/40
Cargo 1 lb. 2 lb. 4 lb. 8 lb. 32 lb. 256 lb. 1 tonne 2 tonnes
The manoeuvrability score is the value between parentheses.
Base Options: Additional Hard Slot.
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Manoeuvrability1 Perfect (+6) Perfect (+4) Good (+2) Good (+1) Average (+0) Average (-1) Poor (-2) Poor (-4) Clumsy (-6) Clumsy (-8)
Any other machine can mount one vehicle and artillery weapon of its same size, two of one size smaller, four weapons two sizes smaller, 8 weapons of three sizes smaller, or any combination totalling the maximum capacity. No machine can mount weapons larger than itself. Size: Chosen by the creator; see the table below. Vehicle and artillery weapons have a minimum size of Small. Construction Points: Each vehicle weapon size has a different CP cost; see the table on page 237. The total cost adds the CP from options and special features. Hard Slots: Each vehicle weapon size has its own number of hard slots; see the table on page 237. Operation: Having ranks in Knowledge (tactics), ranks in Knowledge (technology), a base attack bonus of at least +6 or the Use Amazing Device feat is sufficient for a gunner to operate a vehicle and artillery weapon. Speed: Vehicle and artillery weapons cannot move by themselves. They must be mounted on or hauled by a vehicle or an automaton to have some amount of mobility. Structure Dice: Each vehicle weapon size has its own number of Structure Dice; see the table on page 237. Structure points are determined either by rolling each die or by setting an average. Hardness: Each vehicle weapon size has its own hardness, which is added to the machine’s material own hardness; see the table on page 237. Hardness can be strengthened or weakened with materials and special features. Damage: A vehicle weapon has a base damage die based on its size. Note that this is structure damage, not hit point damage. A vehicle weapon striking a creature or object that has hit points deals 10 points of hit point damage for every point of structure damage, and it ignores armour and hardness. Range Increment: A vehicle weapon has a base range increment based on its size; this range increment only applies if the weapon is ranged.
Special Qualities (SQ): These machines have construct qualities and more can installed through special features. Special Features: A vehicle weapon has the Ranged Attack feature for free (the creator chooses the kind of ranged attack) which can be modified with base options. It is also by default a melee weapon, although this can also be modified with base options. Saving Throws: A vehicle weapon cannot make saving throws on its own. Any saving throw listed is a bonus it grants to its user’s or operator’s own saving throw when made to protect the machine. Abilities: A vehicle weapon does not possess ability scores. It can, however, provide equipment bonuses to a user’s ability scores. Skills: A vehicle weapon does not have skills but can provide equipment bonuses to a user’s skill checks. Feats: A vehicle weapon gains no feats but some can be installed as special features. Power Source: Like all amazing machines, a vehicle weapon does not have a power source; one must be installed. Crew: A vehicle weapon has a base crew of one, plus one extra crewmember for every 20 full CP in the final cost. Purchase DC: See the table Machine Costs later in this section. Malfunction Threshold: A vehicle weapon suffers a malfunction with a natural roll of 1 on attack rolls. Malfunction also happens on a natural roll of 1 on using any special feature but the malfunction affects only the special feature and can be repaired separately. Base Options: Additional Hard Slot, Increased Range.
Materials An important decision to make when planning an amazing machine is what it is going to be made of. Matters of cost and weight are disadvantages to be considered but are balanced by the advantages of resistance and efficiency. Cheap materials make for relatively inexpensive and easy construction but they break down easily and need a lot of maintenance to keep running. Expensive materials can take quite a beating and are very reliable but they are exactly that; expensive. This material makes up the majority of the machine’s body, which means that it can have parts made of other materials that do not count towards the final cost. Materials do not have a CP cost. Instead, they multiply the cost of the
Hardness +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3
Range Increment 50 ft. 70 ft. 100 ft. 140 ft. 190 ft. 250 ft. 300 ft.
Damage 1d4 1d6 1d8 1d10 1d12 2d8 2d10
base frame’s CP after base options have been installed but before special features. Each kind of material also adds a number of bonus hit/structure points depending on the machine’s size category; a Medium automaton made from hard metal adds 30 hit points, as hard metals provide 6 hit points per size category and Medium is 5 size categories. The hardness of each material simply adds its hardness modifier to the machine’s own bonus based on size. Since some materials are harder to work with than others and each has a modifier to the DC of all Craft and Repair checks made for the machine.
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Vehicle and Artillery Weapon Base Attributes Size CP HS SD (d6) Small 27 6 1 Medium 30 6 2 Large 33 6 2 Huge 36 7 3 Gargantuan 39 8 4 Colossal 42 9 5 Leviathan 45 10 6
Inert Organics: Inert organics are once-living tissue, or material that was once part of a living being. The most normal inert organic materials are wood, leather and hemp rope but some more sinister inventors have been known to make machines out of bones and dead flesh, particularly when building something for a necromancer. Live Organics: It is tremendously expensive to build a living machine, be it from live wood (a Faerie favourite) or more chillingly, a living organism. If this were not enough, the machine must be kept ‘fed’ in order to function. For all their enormous costs, live organics do provide many benefits. Unlike other machines, one made from live organics heals 2d4 hit or structure points per resting period and may be healed with the Treat Injury skill rather than Repair, although death effects do influence it and it is susceptible to critical hits. The power source of a live organic machine is also organic, depending on the material itself. A living wood machine needs a steady source of water and sunlight and will probably take root, although its nutrients can be provided for at the same costs and renewal rates as steam power with fuel renewal, with the exception that the fuel is, basically, food. Soft Minerals: There are very few machines made from soft minerals, basically clay and mud, baked and hardened but still somewhat brittle. Hard Minerals: Structures are more likely to be made from hard minerals, namely rock, stone, crystal and its derivates, than any other kind of machine, although the dwarven race is famous for its gigantic stone gears for the gates of their underground fortresses. Exotic Minerals: There are two kinds of exotic minerals that inventors have played with successfully: levistone and
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arcrystal. No machine can be made entirely from these minerals, so another base material must be chosen first. The mineral is then added to choice locations, adding the indicated number to the base material’s multiplier.
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have failed, so it can only be used in its pure form. Machines made from stellar iron apply half their hardness rating to structure damage, which normally ignores hardness, and add +2 points per size category to their hit/structure point bonus.
Levistone: Legends speak of a strange bluish stone that has the natural ability to float when subjected to some form of energy, becoming the ideal material for airships. Machines outfitted with levistone increase their aerial speed by 20 ft., their manoeuvrability score by +2 and their manoeuvrability mode by one step. Arcrystal: A variety of quartz that resonates strongly with telluric energy, arcrystal fittings increase the reliability of telluric power sources, imposing a -10 modifier to the d% rolls to check for malfunction effects; see Malfunction on pg 135. Also, if the machine has telluric circuitry to channel a magic effect, the Ritual check DC is reduced by –4. See the Magic Effect special feature on pg 248.
Soft Metals: Soft metals include gold, lead, silver, bronze and brass, which are easy to work with but not as resilient as many inventors would like. Brass and bronze are preferred, as gold and silver are simply too expensive; the CP multiplier is x1.5 instead of x1.2. Hard Metals: Since industrial production turned its head towards iron and steel, these hard metals are more available for technological pursuits. Exotic Metals: Although iron and steel suffice for most technological needs, exotic metals such as stellar iron, etheric iron and arcanium provide inventors with plenty of additional properties to combine with their theories.
Stellar Iron: Extracted from meteorites falling to the surface or actually mined at source from worlds beyond the aether, stellar iron is an incredibly hard metal, stronger than steel and just as light. Efforts to smelt stellar iron or alloy it with other minerals
Etheric Iron: A strange metal that alloys iron with ectoplasm before it dissolves, etheric iron can only be made in the presence of a talented psychic. All effects of machines made from etheric iron affect the Ethereal Plane normally, as the machine actually has an etheric body that functions simultaneously with its material one. Ghosts can thus use it without them needing to project. Vehicles and automata made from etheric iron increase their manoeuvrability mode by one, and their manoeuvrability or Dexterity score by +5, though this only works if they somehow travel physically to the Ethereal Plane. It also works in the aether of outer space, giving scientists another piece of evidence that the two are related.
Arcanium: The fabrication of this metal is an alchemical secret that was recently cracked by a scientist with an occult interest. It is now part of many inventors’ work, although it remains incredibly hard to make. Arcanium is a supreme magic conductor, even better than arcrystal, and it is the standard material for telluric circuitry. If a machine’s main material is actually arcanium, a malfunction result has a -50 modifier for malfunction effects. In addition, the process of channelling a magic ritual effect lasts half the normal ritual duration, as the metal literally pulls the power onto itself.
Power Sources Most amazing machines do not operate by themselves; they need fuel to power their abilities. Automata, vehicles and machines equipped with features that require charges all must have some sort of power source.
Material Characteristics
Material Inert Organics Live Organics Soft Minerals Hard Minerals Exotic Minerals Soft Metals Hard Metals Exotic Metals
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CP multiplier x1 x2 x1.1 x1.3 +0.4 x1.2 x1.4 x1.8
* Treat Injury check instead of Repair.
Hit/ Structure point bonus 2 per size 1 per size 3 per size 3 per size 4 per size 6 per size 6 per size
Hardness/ Armour 3 1 4 6 7 8 12
Craft/ Repair DC modifier +0 +8* +0 +5 +2 +3 +5 +8
Special Machine heals, its fuel is organic. Lightness or telluric conduction. Hardness, etheric body or telluric conduction.
The City Fathers opt for bronze for their automaton, a soft metal that multiplies the base CP cost by x1.2, adds 4 hit points per size (six sizes for Large, which means +24 hit points) and has a base hardness of 7, which added to the Large automaton’s +2 bonus totals an armour of 9. Bronze adds a +3 to all Craft and Repair checks.
For the purposes of the construction system, power sources include generators, storage and conduction, using the most efficient combinations of each in a neat package. Instead of describing the power source by the type of technology, the rules divide them by function: output, which is the amount of energy provided, and renewal, which is how often and by what means a power source must be refuelled to keep working. All power sources take up hard slots inside the machine, some more than others, as they require additional cargo space for their fuel, like steam engines and their coal. Work Power: This creates energy by movement actively generated by something or someone called an ‘operator’. This does not necessarily require qualification. In practice, an ‘operator’ could be a horse. Mechanical power sources range from rowing and pedalling to manual-operation cranks and even the simple act of pushing and pulling. In order to work, the machine needs constant operation of its power source and a crew of operators to do so.
Electrical Power: Electrical power is stored in batteries and converted into force by the electrical engine. Electricity is the most space-efficient of power sources but is likewise very expensive. Batteries are not rechargeable ‘in the field’ but require a special machine to either create a new battery or recharge the old one, which is why machines running on electricity keep a reserve battery, just in case. Telluric Power: This mysterious force vibrates in crystals and resonates according to the geometric shapes of its conduits, rather than the materials they are made of. Telluric power is akin to magic and it is the only way to include magic effects as part of a machine’s performance, for no other power source operates on the subtle levels that magic requires. Of course, a magician might actually enchant the machine as a magic item, but that violates everything inventors stand for.
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Further discussion leads to the conclusion that they want their automaton to fly. To this end, they add levistone fittings, which increases soft metal’s modifier to x1.6 and adds a further +2 to Craft checks. It also grants the automaton all the benefits that levistone gives to flying machines.
Steam Power: Steam power uses the pressure of water vapour to exert force and thus create movement. This power source must have a boiler where fuel burns in order to heat the water and also needs water reservoirs for that purpose; both of these elements are included in the engine’s HS allotment.
Other: There are, of course, other ways to generate force but they are mostly equivalent to those outlined above. Technology that relies on combustion of fuel can be grouped with steam power, while those that rely on the entrapment of elemental beings are equivalent to (and actually require) telluric engines and conduits. Acquiring the Power Source An inventor builds or purchases a power source separately from the machine and installs it later. A construction team usually works on the machine and its engine at the same time, following the blueprints.
Wind/Water Power: This method uses the power of The actual size of the power source affects both the natural elements in order to create energy instead of purchase and the Craft DCs, as large engines are difficult manual operation but uses almost all the same parts as and expensive for the weights and amounts of material, mechanical power sources. Sails and fans like those of a while miniature ones add the intricacy windmill harness the power of wind; the and handiwork they require. Like power of water is converted to motion Power Source Size Modifier weapons, a power source’s size does not by waterwheels in static machines, and Size Modifier indicate its actual dimensions but what so on. Static structures have no renewal +8 Fine1 kind of machine it is designed to move. rates and always operate at maximum Diminutive1 +6 Therefore, the actual size category of an capacity. +4 Tiny1 engine (independent from its functional Small +2 size category) is about one or two sizes Clockwork Power: This method Medium +1 smaller than the machine for which it stores kinetic energy in tightly wound is meant. The size modifier is applied Large +0 springs and transmits it by gears, belts to the Purchase and Craft DCs of Huge +1 and chains. A clockwork engine is each power source but leaves the HS Gargantuan +2 always made of metal, as the precision unchanged. Colossal +4 and strength necessary for its operation exceeds the capacity of softer materials. Leviathan +6 To make a power source, use the Craft 1 Clockwork springs eventually unwind. It is impossible to make the skill for the technology type indicated The user must twist them for them to be following power sources of this size: in the table. The Difficulty Class for work, steam, electrical. wound again.
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Power Sources Power Source Work Power Wind/Water Power Clockwork Power Steam Power Electrical Power Telluric Power
HS 3 4 2 3 1 0
Purchase DC 20 21 24 23 26 28
purchasing or making the power source is equal to the value on the table plus the power source’s size modifier, not the machine’s! Output Once the power source is installed, the inventor connects everything together so the power source can feed the different functions of the machine. See Using an Amazing Machine on pg 261. Each type of engine has a maximum capacity, which is the number of charges it can hold before it empties, and a delivery rate, which is the maximum number of charges that the engine can deliver in one round. Work power sources cannot store energy, but must constantly work towards providing charges. Renewal Methods Once an engine is spent, its charges must be renewed; each power source can accommodate one of a few renewal methods. Work Action: The operator pulls on a lever, pushes a wheel, cocks a trigger, pulls a rope and so on. There is no skill check required to perform a work action renewal but the work itself takes one move action to provide 2 charges. If this is insufficient to power a function, then the work action must be repeated, adding up the charges until they meet the requisite amount and the operator triggers the function, spending all the charges ‘stored’ temporarily. Rewind: The operator twists a crank, pushes a spring, turns a dial or takes other such actions that restore a clockwork’s springs to their latent positions. It takes a fullround action to restore 5 charges to a clockwork power source, with no skill check required. Unfamiliar machines may require a Knowledge (technology) check at DC 15 to find the rewinding mechanism.
Power Source Characteristics Power Source Maximum Capacity Work Power * Wind/Water Power 30 charges Clockwork Power 45 charges Steam Power 60 charges Electrical Power 60 charges Telluric Power 75 charges
Craft (DC) mechanical (10) mechanical (15) mechanical (20) mechanical (18) mechanical (15) and chemical (20) structural (10) and expression (20)
Refuel: The operator pours more fuel into the power source’s tanks, which are constantly feeding the engine. Steam engines allow the operator to pour in more fuel in the middle of operation before they run out of energy, although some other equivalent engines may not be so generous. Fuel reserves can hold up to three times an engine’s maximum capacity. It takes a move action to restore 5 charges to a steam power source, but it requires a Knowledge (technology) check, Craft (mechanical) check or Profession (engineer) check per round at DC 10 to know how much fuel to add, or which kind. Exchange: Once a battery runs out, it needs to be changed for a fresh one. It really is as simple as that. It takes one person to change the battery of a Medium or smaller machine and smaller but it takes two to change the battery of a Large machine, three for Huge one, four for a Gargantuan machine and so on. It takes a full round to exchange a battery, which usually restores the power source to full capacity and requires a Knowledge (technology) check, Craft (mechanical) check or Profession (engineer) check at DC 10. Spent batteries are useless but rechargeable ones exist, for which see below. Recharge: Electrical batteries that can be recharged add +1 to the purchase DC. Their chemicals can be reactivated either by hand with a Craft (chemical) check or with another machine whose purpose is to recharge batteries. In essence, this is a machine that can perform the Craft (chemical) check on its own. The battery recovers a number of charges equal to the check result, which takes 1 minute. Of course, some magicians can recharge batteries with magic but that is considered ‘cheating’ in the strictly principled world of invention. Magic: Magicians with a taste for technology have devised a number of rituals to keep their machines running.
Delivery Rate 1 use 10 charges 5 charges 10 charges 5 charges 10 charges
Renewal Methods Work action Infinite1 Rewind Refuel Exchange, recharge, rewind Regeneration, magic, elementals
* Work power cannot store energy and deliver sufficient charges for one use of a function. Wind/water power sources are always at maximum capacity unless their motor forces are blocked.
1
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Repair DC 10 10 15 13 15 15
Requirements: An option or special feature may require that the machine Renewal Rate provide either a particular attribute at a 2 certain value or another special quality to 5 be present before it can be installed. If this 5 field is missing, the special quality has no All requirements. 1 per check result Description: This is a description of the As per magic special quality’s effects. Elemental’s HD Skills: The option lists a number of modifiers to the DCs that it imposes on 1 the final Knowledge and Craft checks. If the Knowledge check is described as Consult the Occult chapter for the rules to design rituals a DC rather than as a modifier, it means that installing for almost any purpose. the option needs its own separate Knowledge check in addition to those required to build the machine. If the Elementals: When an elemental creature is bound to a Craft check is described as a DC rather than as a modifier, machine in order to power it, the machine will basically it means that the special feature is a separate machine by run forever. An elemental can provide as many charges as itself and must be constructed separately before installing it has hit points, with each use of its nature draining it. it on the machine. It also means that it can be salvaged If an elemental is reduced to 0 hit points, it dissipates, so from another machine of the same size, or bought from magicians install safeguards that stop the machine when another creator. If this field is missing, the special feature the elemental is at 1 hit point. An elemental recovers has no effect on the Knowledge and Craft checks. hit points/charges after 8 hours of rest, during which the Costs: This field includes the Construction Point costs machine must remain inactive. After they rest, elementals for installing the special quality; the charges it consumes, recover an amount of hit points equal to their HD. if any; the Hard Slots it occupies. A cost expressed in negative values (a minus ‘-’ sign) not only costs nothing Regeneration: Only telluric engines are capable of but actually returns some of the expense to the creator; regenerating on their own, picking up ambient energy at a negative CP value subtracts from the total CP cost of a rate of 1 charge per minute. The user can accelerate this the machine, while a negative HS value actually adds hard rate by putting the machine on top of a place of power, slots to the machine instead of occupying them. which would add the nexus or ley line’s bonus to the renewal rate each minute.
Special Features Special features have their own format for their descriptions; note that they are very similar to feats that characters can take. Name (type): This is the option or feature’s most common name, although different inventors may have different names according to their pet theories and field of expertise. A voltaic inductor is the same as an electrical projector, for example. Next to the name, a parenthesis indicates to which type of machine the feature applies.
As the City Fathers mean to have their automaton travel to places where fuel and batteries may be scarce, they make their automaton a clockwork one. Its power now depends on winding its springs without the need of an external source for its energy. A clockwork power source takes up 2 hard slots and would have a Purchase DC of 24 but the City Fathers can build their own with a Craft (mechanical) project at DC 20. This power source will hold 45 charges and have a delivery rate of 5 charges, with rewinding as a method for renewing the power source’s charges at a rate of 5 charges per full round of recovery.
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Power Source Renewal Method Action Work Action 1 move Rewind 1 full round Refuel 1 move (skill check) Exchange 1 full round Recharge 1 minute Magic Ritual/Conduit duration Elementals 1 day Regeneration 1 minute
Ability Increase (Automata) The automaton’s mechanism is above average. Requirements: Ability score of 1 or more. Description: By installing this feature, a machine gains +2 points to any applicable ability score, barring restrictions. This feature can be chosen more than once; its effects stack for each ability. Skills: Knowledge (technology) +1; Craft (structural for Str, mechanical for Dex, expression for Int, Wis and Cha) +1 per four ability points above normal. Costs: 3 CP.
Accessories (any) The machine has additional features, which provide useful but mundane non-combat-related advantages. Description: Accessories are minor features such as an: airlock, burglar alarm, emergency lights and fog horn, loudspeaker, headlights, luxurious decor, code flags, internal pipe communication system, tow cable, or wet bar. A machine need not acquire accessories that are implied by its other capabilities; a machine with sailing water travel can be assumed to have appropriate rigging. It also need not acquire accessories that are ubiquitous, like a handle in a firearm. Costs: 1 CP per 3 accessories. The Games Master determines whether an accessory consumes 1-3 charges
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Special Features Type Any
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Automata
Equipment Personal Weapons Structures Vehicles
Vehicle and Artillery Weapons
Special Features Accessories, Additional Hard Slot, Armour Plating, Energy Conservation, Energy Weapon, Extra Charge, Feat, Increased Range, Magic Effect, Power Converter, Basic Remote Control, Advanced Remote Control, Self-Destruct, Speech, Sturdy, Limited Sentience, Full Sentience, Skill Assist, Skill Use, Summonable, Tesla Field, Voice Recognition Ability Increase, Accuracy, Aerial Movement, Booster, Burrowing Movement, Chameleon Field, Combat Programming, Defensive Manoeuvres, Electrokinetic Field, Extra Arm, Extra Head, Fast, Firing Ports, Greater Damage, Hangar, Horizontal Frame, Jumping, Miscellaneous Limb, Natural Weaponry, Ranged Attack, Reaching, Swerving Hips, Underwater Movement, Voltaic Claws, Wall-Crawling, Water Movement, Weapon Mounting, Concealed Weapon Mounting Ergonomic, Light Use, One-Handed Use, Skill Assist, Two-Handed Use, User-Friendly, Worn/Carried Use Damaging, Ergonomic, Greater Damage, Harmful, Light Use, One-Handed Use, Reaching, Two-Handed Use, Worn/Carried Use, Ranged Attack, User-Friendly Chameleon Field, Concealed Weapon Mounting, Electrokinetic Field, Extra Arm, Firing Ports, Hangar, Rooms, Sealed Environment, User-Friendly, Weapon Mounting Aerial Movement, Aetheric Movement, Agile, Booster, Burrowing Movement, Chameleon Field, Concealed Weapon Mounting, Ejection Seat, Electrokinetic Field, Extra Arm, Extra Leg, Fast, Firing Ports, Hangar, Jumping, Manoeuvrable, Rooms, Sealed Environment, User-Friendly, Underwater Movement, Wall-Crawling, Water Movement, Weapon Mounting Accuracy, Damaging, Greater Damage, Harmful, Reaching, User-Friendly
upon operation but most are taken care of by the machine’s ordinary fuel consumption.
Aerial Movement (Automata, Vehicle)
Accuracy (Automata, Personal Weapons, Vehicle and Artillery Weapons)
The machine has a method for flying across the sky. Description: The machine gains a mode of flying, with the same speed as its base speed and a manoeuvrability corresponding to its size. Automata gain the manoeuvrability mode of a vehicle of the same size. Upon installing this feature, select one of the following methods of flight:
The machine’s attacks benefit from its precise instruments. Description: The machine gains a +1 competence bonus to attack rolls. Costs: 3 CP.
Additional Hard Slot (any) The automaton was built to have a greater capacity for special features and options. Description: The machine adds one additional hard slot to its total; the CP cost for an additional hard slot varies depending on the machine’s size. Each additional hard slot imposes a -1 circumstance penalty to manoeuvrability and attack rolls.
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Size Fine Diminutive Tiny Small Medium Large Huge Gargantuan Colossal Leviathan
CP cost 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 4
Glider: The machine moves by the strength of the wind. Its manoeuvrability is one mode worse, although its score remains the same. A glider requires no fuel or power source, but it requires a successful Pilot check (DC 15) to take off. Takeoff and landing require a landing strip of at least 100 feet. Gliding flight costs 5 CP and takes up 1 HS. Propeller: The machine moves by the action of a propeller placed in the front or back and has fixed wings. This is the standard method of flight and uses all the base characteristics of the machine. It also requires a landing strip. Propelled flight costs 6 CP and takes up 1 HS. Airship: This method involves hanging the machine from a balloon filled with gas or hot air. The inventor may choose which option to use. The machine derives its HD/SD, manoeuvrability and turn rate from its size but its dimensions, size modifier to DV and speed correspond to those of a machine one size category larger, to account for the gas bag. An airship can take off and land
Skills: Knowledge (physical sciences) +2; Craft (structural or mechanical) +3. Costs: Varies; 3 charges per hour.
Aetheric Movement (Vehicle) The machine can travel to other dimensions or to outer space. Requirements: Sealed Environment (life support), a telluric power source in the case of planar travel, or any other power source in the case of space travel. Description: The machine gains a mode of travelling through the aether. Upon installing this feature, select one of the following methods of propulsion:
Planes of Existence: The machine can travel to the Etheric and Astral Planes, vibrating itself and all its occupants there and back. It may be able to find gates to otherworlds and cross them but this is still the subject of much speculation and exploration. It requires 10 charges to vibrate from one plane to the other but once there, its movement is the same as its base speed. If stranded, travellers must find their own way back home. Planar travel costs 10 CP and takes up 1 HS. Space: The machine can abandon the planet to traverse the aether between worlds. It takes 8 charges per round to blast off the planet for 5 continuous rounds and 4 charges to land for another 5 continuous rounds, in addition to which a Pilot check is needed at DC 15. Once in space, its movement is the same as its base speed. Space travel costs 6 CP and takes up 3 HS. Time: This method of travel is open for experimentation and research. The Games Master assigns CP, charges and HS costs as he deems appropriate for his setting. He may also design the rules of time travel.
Skills: Knowledge (occult sciences) +5 (planar travel), Knowledge (physical sciences) +5 (space travel); Craft (mechanical and expression) +5. Costs: Varies; 3 charges per hour.
Agile (Vehicle) The machine is designed so that either its operator or itself may react better to changes of movement. Requirements: A manoeuvrability score. Description: The machine’s manoeuvrability score increases by +2 and its acceleration and deceleration rates increase by 20%. This special feature can be chosen multiple times, each time it adds an extra +2 bonus and 20% increase to the original rates. It costs the same amount of CP but the skill checks remain the same. If an automaton has a movement mode that gives it a manoeuvrability score, it can install this feature as well. Skills: Knowledge (physical sciences) +2; Craft (structural) +2. Costs: 2 CP.
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vertically, without the need for a landing strip. Airship flight costs 6 CP and takes up 2 HS. Gyrocopter: The machine has wings that rotate by the action of its movement. It has the same characteristics as propeller-based flight but it requires a landing strip of only 50 feet in length. Gyrocopter flight costs 7 CP and takes up 1 HS. Ornithopter: The machine’s wings beat and move to simulate the movements of a bird in order to achieve flight and manoeuvrability. Ornithopters cannot be Gargantuan, Colossal or of Leviathan size. An ornithopter gains a +1 to its DV because of its wild movements during flight but imposes a -1 penalty to Concentration checks by characters on board. An ornithopter only requires 20 feet of running start to fly, not necessarily on a landing strip. Ornithopter flight costs 8 CP and takes up 2 HS.
Armour Plating (any) The armour plating covering the machine is stronger than normal. Description: The machine’s armour or hardness is increased by +1. This feature can be chosen multiple times; each instance increases the CP but not the Craft (structural) modifier. Skills: Craft (structural), DC 10 +1 per bonus to hardness or armour. Costs: 1 CP; 1 HS per full +4 bonus.
Booster (Automata, Vehicle) The machine can accelerate greatly for short periods of time. Description: A booster is any system that gives a machine a temporary ‘kick’ of speed, such as special treated coal that burns in a steam engine with a greater heat. A booster will only affect one type of movement: air, land, water, underwater, or aetheric flight. A machine can take different boosters for different movement types, however. Boosters provide an increase in speed for 1 hour per day, although the duration need not be consecutive. Boosters increase a machine’s speed by 20%. This feature can be chosen up to five times. Each time it is chosen, boosted speed increases by another 20% of the original speed. Skills: Knowledge (physical sciences) +1; Craft (chemical or mechanical) +2. Costs: 2 CP; 4 charges; 1 HS.
Burrowing Movement (Automata, Vehicle) The machine can burrow through the earth. Requirements: Sealed Environment (life support) (vehicle only), Sturdy. Description: The machine gains a burrow speed equal to half its walking speed. It cannot burrow through solid
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rock but it can drill through worked stone at half its burrowing speed. Skills: Knowledge (earth and life sciences) +2; Craft (structural or mechanical) +4. Costs: 6 CP; 4 charges per hour; 4 HS.
Description: The construct can attempt to fight defensively, engage in full defence or aid another, as described in pg 174, without outside direction. Skills: Knowledge (tactics) +1. Costs: 1 CP.
Chameleon Field (Automata, Structures, Vehicles
Ejection Seat (Vehicle)
The machine can blend with its surroundings. Requirements: An electrical or telluric power source. Description: Upon its activation as a standard action, this feature grants the construct three-quarters concealment (30% miss chance) for 1d6 rounds. The machine can activate this effect three times per day. Skills: Knowledge (physical sciences) +4; Craft (expression) DC 15. Costs: 2 CP; 1 charges per round.
Operators can escape from a doomed vehicle. Description: A spring- or explosive-based escape system allows the crew to eject from a damaged machine. It is possible that not all of the crew will be equipped with this system. As a free action, the character sitting in an ejector seat may eject at any time. Any canopy or rooftop is opened clear by a coordinated system and the seat launched at least 20 feet into the air. On the next round, a parachute unfolds, carrying the occupant down to the ground. The ejected character may make a Pilot check (DC 20) to guide the parachute to a specific place within 100 feet of the vehicle. If the occupant has no Pilot skill, or fails, the Games Master randomly determines where he lands. Make a Reflex saving throw (DC 10, or DC 15 if landing in woods, mountain, or urban areas; +5 DC if dropping from aetheric heights) to avoid falling damage. Skills: Craft (mechanical) DC 12. Costs: 1 CP; 1 charge.
Combat Programming (Automata) The automaton is capable of sophisticated combat manoeuvres. Requirements: Limited or Full Sentience. Description: The automaton can attempt special fighting techniques without direction, such as flanking, charging, tripping, trying to overrun and bull rushing an opponent. Skills: Knowledge (tactics) +2; Craft (expression) +2. Costs: 2 CP.
Damaging (Personal Weapons, Vehicle and Artillery Weapons) The weapon has a chance to inflict grievous damage. Requirements: Damage die (hit or structure point) must be 1d6 or greater. Description: A weapon with this feature increases its critical damage multiplier by +1; thus x2 becomes x3, x3 becomes x4 and so on. This special feature can be purchased a maximum of twice but the multiplier cannot be raised to greater than x4. Skills: Craft (structural or mechanical) +2. Costs: 2 CP.
Defensive Manoeuvres (Automata) The construct knows how to defend itself better in battle by blocking, parrying and dodging. Requirements: Limited or Full Sentience, Combat Programming.
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Electrokinetic Field (Automata, Structures, Vehicle) The machine is protected by a crackling aura of electrokinetic force. Requirements: Electric or telluric power source. Description: The machine projects a protective field that absorbs incoming damage from weapons and energy attacks. An electrokinetic field provides 3 extra hit points that absorb damage if the machine is hit. Damage is first applied to the electrokinetic field, before armour is subtracted. The field can be raised or dropped as a free action but only one of each may occur during a single round. It consumes its cost in charges every round it stays up. An electrokinetic field can quickly recover if left undisturbed. It recovers 1 hit point per round for a Medium machine or smaller, 2 hit points if Large or Huge and 3 hit points if Gargantuan, Colossal or Leviathan. The field may not recover hit points in any round on which it took damage, whether it is ‘up’ or not. This feature may be chosen more than once. Each time, the field’s hit points increase by 3 but the skill modifiers are unchanged.
Energy Weapon Energy Weapon Effect Acid 5 ft. x 20 ft. Cone 20 ft. 5 ft. x 60 ft. Cone 20 ft. 10 ft. x 10 ft. in front
Sonic
Cone 30 ft. radius
Skills: Knowledge (physical sciences) +3; Craft (mechanical or expression) +4. Costs: 2 CP; 2 charges per round; 1 HS.
Energy Weapon (any) The machine can shoot a jet or cone of a particular form of energy or matter. Description: The machine can launch a special attack of one of six forms: acid, cold, electrical, fire, gas or sonic. These are the most common forms of attack, but the player can come up with new ones with the Games Master’s approval. Skills: Knowledge (physical sciences) +2; Craft (mechanical) DC 15 + CP cost. Costs: Varies; 5 charges.
Ergonomic (Equipment, Personal Weapons) The machine accommodates well to a wielder’s grip and movements. Description: Upon installation, the machine grants a +2 bonus to the wielder’s Strength, his Dexterity or his Constitution. This bonus is applicable only to tasks involving the machine in question. For example, an ergonomic crossbow would confer its bonus to the wielder’s Dexterity while it was being used to fire a bolt but not while the wielder was attempting to move silently. This feature can be chosen up to twice. Each time the CP costs stack but the skill DC modifiers and the hard slot remain the same. Skills: Craft (structural) +4. Costs: 2 CP; 1 HS.
Extra Arm (Automata, Vehicles, Structures) The inventor designed the machine with one extra arm (or one arm if there were none originally), increasing its number of actions. Description: The machine has an extra off hand and can perform one extra standard action at –5 to every roll with it. An operator, either inside the machine or using remote control, must control the arms of the vehicle or structure; all arms end in hands. This feature can be chosen more than once at normal costs. 141.157.188.166
Saving Throw Reflex half (DC 15)
CP 4
HS 1
Reflex half (DC 15) Reflex half (DC 15) Reflex half (DC 15) Fortitude negates (DC 17)
4 4 4 6
1 1 1 2
Fortitude partial (DC 17)
4
1
Skills: Craft (mechanical) +2. Costs: 3 CP; 1 HS.
Extra Charge (any) The power source has more capacity than usual. Requirements: An internal power source. Description: This feature alters the engine of a machine, optimising so that its maximum capacity is 20% higher than the original. This option can be taken up to five times, each time adding another 20% of the original capacity. Skills: Knowledge (technology) +2; Craft (structural) +4. Costs: 4 CP; 1 HS.
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Cold Electrical Fire Gas
Damage 2d4 (initial), 2d4 automatic for 3 additional rounds 6d6 6d6 6d6 1d4 temporary Con (initial), unconsciousness for 1d4 minutes (secondary) 2d6, plus deafened for 2d6 rounds
Extra Head (Automata) The inventor designed the automaton with one extra head, increasing its perception. Description: The construct has a +1 enhancement bonus to initiative, and every round it can roll a Reflex saving throw to avoid being flanked, with a DC of 10 + enemy’s character level or HD. This feature can be chosen more than once at normal costs. Skills: Craft (mechanical) +3. Costs: 3 CP; 1 HS.
Extra Leg (Automata, Vehicles) The inventor designed the machine with one extra leg, increasing its stability. Requirements: Must have a walk speed based on legs. Description: The construct gains a +4 stability bonus to Balance checks and against bull rush attacks and other effects that might throw it off balance. This feature can be chosen more than once at normal costs. Skills: Craft (mechanical) +2. Costs: 4 CP; 1 HS.
Energy Conservation (any) The machine can be turned off to conserve energy. Requirements: The machine must have a feature that drains charges over time, such as ‘1 charge per hour’. Cannot have a work power source. Description: When the machine is turned off, it shuts down completely and does not spend any charge to
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power its functions, keeping fuel or battery. Turning the machine back on requires a move action, and the machine is fully operational within 1d4 rounds. Skills: Craft (mechanical) +1.
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External Power Source (any) The machine’s power source is located somewhere other than within its body. Description: Instead of using up the machine’s hard slots, the power source is located outside and is connected by pipes, cables or other sorts of conduits. The external engine is one or two size categories smaller than the machine it powers. A creature can carry on its back an engine that is one or more size categories smaller but for larger power sources a cart or some other vehicle is needed. A machine can travel as far from its power source as the conduits allow. The conduits are vulnerable to cutting; most conduits will have 2d6 hit points plus the size modifier plus the material’s bonus hit points and the machine’s material’s hardness -2. If the conduits are cut, the machine has a number of charges left equal to the engine’s maximum output. Machine Size Fine Diminutive Tiny Tiny Small Small Medium Medium Large Large Huge Huge Gargantuan Gargantuan Colossal Colossal Leviathan Leviathan
Engine Size Fine Fine Fine Diminutive Diminutive Tiny Tiny Small Small Medium Medium Large Large Huge Huge Gargantuan Gargantuan Colossal
CP Cost 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9
Range 6 inches 9 inches 1 ft. 5 ft. 5 ft. 10 ft. 15 ft. 20 ft. 25 ft. 30 ft. 35 ft. 40 ft. 45 ft. 50 ft. 55 ft. 60 ft. 65 ft. 70 ft.
Skills: Knowledge (technology) +2; Craft (structural) DC 12 + CP cost. Costs: Varies.
Fast (Automata, Vehicles) The machine is designed for speed. Description: The machine’s speed increases by 10 ft. This special feature can be chosen multiple times. Skills: Knowledge (technology) +8; Craft (mechanical) +8. Skills: Knowledge (physical sciences) +2; Craft (mechanical) +3. Costs: 4 CP.
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Feat (any) The machine can perform a feat, or grants its user the ability to perform one. Requirements: Varies; see text. Description: When adding this feature, the creature must select whether a feat is available for the machine’s use, or for its user. Adding a feat for the user is similar to the Skill Assist feature and has no requirements. If the machine will benefit from the feat, it must meet all prerequisites involving the possession of other feats (which must be purchased separately) but may ignore other prerequisites that do not involve a minimum Wisdom or Charisma score. Automata may never possess feats with a Wisdom or Charisma score prerequisite. Skills: Craft (mechanical) +3. Costs: 5 CP; 1 charge; 2 HS.
Installing OGL Feats Not all feats are suitable for installation with the Feat special feature. However, due to the sheer quantity of feats available in this book as well as from other OGL products, making hard and fast rules and provisions for all of them would take up far too much space. General guidelines apply instead:
Only general feats can be installed. Metamagic, item creation and special feats depend on a character’s special abilities and cannot be reproduced by machinery. If the prerequisites include a rare racial, supernatural or spell-like ability or a spellcasting requirement, the feat cannot be installed, since that would fall into the purview of magic items. Combat feats like Weapon Focus, Cleave and so on should only be installed on weapons or objects that could be wielded as weapons. There are exceptions of course, such as a vehicle having Trample. Machine feats cannot reproduce magic effects; there is a special feature for that.
Greater Damage (Automata, Personal Weapons, Vehicle and Artillery Weapons) The machine’s attacks are more damaging than normal. Requirements: The machine must have a base damage. Description: Upon installing this feature, the machine’s base damage is increased by one extra die of the same type. Thus a machine that deals 1d4 points of damage would deal 2d4 points. This feature can be chosen up to four times; each time the CP costs stack, but the skill DC modifiers and the hard slot remain the same. Skills: Craft (structural) +2. Costs: 3 CP; 1 HS.
Hangar (Automata, Structures, Vehicles)
Jumping (Automata, Vehicles) The machine can make high jumps. Description: The machine can make very high, unaided, vertical jumps but cannot actually fly. It may use explosive jets, powerful leg muscles or some similar contrivance to gain a +5 bonus to Jump checks. This special feature can be chosen up to three times. The effects stack with one another. Skills: Craft (mechanical) +2. Costs: 3 CP; 3 charges per jump; 2 HS.
Firing Ports (Automata, Structures, Vehicles) The machine allows passengers to attack on their own. Requirements: Space devoted to passengers or occupants. Description: The machine has one or more firing ports, sufficient to let passengers fire out of the machine with their own ranged weapons. The firing ports provide ninetenths cover, the equivalent of arrow slits. Costs: 1 CP per 3 firing ports.
Harmful (Personal Weapons, Vehicle and Artillery Weapons) The weapon is more likely to cause greater damage. Description: A weapon with this feature increases its critical damage threshold by 1; thus 20 becomes 19-20, 19-20 becomes 18-20 and so on. This special feature can be purchased a maximum of three times but the threshold cannot be raised higher than 17-20. Skills: Craft (structural or mechanical) +2. Costs: 3 CP.
Land Movement (Automata, Vehicles) The machine has a method for moving on solid surfaces. Description: Upon installing this feature on a vehicle as a base option, the inventor decides whether to make the movement based on wheels, treads, legs or hovering levitation. Automata start with the ‘legs’ version automatically. Changing an automaton’s movement mode, such as by providing it with wheels in preference to legs, requires that the creator install this special feature as a base option.
Horizontal Frame (Automata) The automaton stands on four legs, not two. Requirements: This special feature can only be installed as a base option. Description: The automaton gains a +4 stability bonus against bull rush attacks and other effects that might throw it off balance. It also increases its walk speed by 10 feet. This feature is used to simulate the shape of a four-legged creature. The construct loses the ability to manipulate objects, so it cannot install features that rely on hands or holding objects. Costs: 1 CP; -2 HS.
Increased Range (any) The machine can extend its effects over greater distances. Requirements: An ability, skill or special feature that works over distance. 141.157.188.166
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The machine can host and launch smaller machines. Requirements: Gargantuan size or larger. Description: Any portion of a machine’s cargo capacity can be designated as a hangar bay for storage of other (smaller) machines. A machine can host one machine of one size smaller, two machines of two size categories smaller, four of three size categories smaller and so on. The CP cost represents the hangar bay’s opening size and what size of machine can fit through it, regardless of how many can fit inside. Skills: Craft (structural) +4. Costs: 1 CP (Fine), 3 CP (Diminutive), 5 CP (Tiny), 10 CP (Small), 15 CP (Medium), 20 CP (Large), 25 CP (Huge), 30 CP (Gargantuan) or 60 CP (Colossal). CP; 4 HS.
Description: A machine with this feature increases its range by a half. All pertinent abilities enjoy this improvement, such as remote control, vision range, ranged attacks and so on. Skills: Craft (mechanical) +2. Costs: 2 CP; 1 HS.
Wheels: This is the standard medium of land travel. Each wheel above four grants the vehicle or automaton a +1 bonus to manoeuvrability. A vehicle cannot have more than 8 wheels or tyres. Two wheels cost 1 CP, plus 1 CP for every additional wheel. Treads: These are jointed strips of metal connected in a continuous tread, allowing the wheels to literally carry a road with them. Treads reduce a vehicle’s turn rate by half and grant a +2 stability bonus to manoeuvrability, while they increase an automaton’s base speed by 10 ft. Treads cost 3 CP. Legs: Automatons move through lifelike movements with their legs and vehicles mimic that. Legged vehicles have a standard of two legs and have no turn rate. An inventor can add more legs to a legged vehicle through the Extra Leg special feature. A pair of legs costs 4 CP. Hover: Instead of moving on the ground, a hover vehicle floats above it. The vehicle’s turn rate increases by half but it suffers no penalties for difficult terrain and may travel over liquids; see A World of Adventure on pg 166. A hover vehicle requires a telluric energy source. A hover system costs 6 CP and takes up 1 HS.
Costs: Varies; 1 charge per hour; 1 HS (hover only).
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Miscellaneous Limb Miscellaneous Min. Size Limb Long neck Tiny Larger torso
Small
Tail
Fine
Fins / flippers
Diminutive
Effect Reach for Tiny, Small, Medium and Large creatures increases by 5 ft. Reach for Huge, Gargantuan and Colossal creatures increases by 10 ft. Choose one: Armour increases by +1, Strength score increases by +3, crawl speed if No Legs deficiency is chosen. Choose one: Extra slam attack, swim speed same as walk speed, or +2 stability bonus. Swim speed same as walk speed plus 10 feet.
Light Use (Equipment, Personal Weapons) The machine is light and easy to use. Requirements: This special feature can only be installed as a base option. Description: The machine is considered a light weapon for purposes of handling by creatures of the weapon’s designated size. Weapons have a base damage equal to a weapon one size smaller. Costs: -1 CP; 1 HS.
Manoeuvrable (Vehicles) The machine is designed so as to move with more grace. Requirements: A manoeuvrability mode. Description: The machine’s manoeuvrability mode increases to the immediately superior mode. This special feature can be chosen up to twice. If an automaton has a method of movement that gives it a manoeuvrability mode, it can install this feature as well. Skills: Knowledge (physical sciences) +2; Craft (structural) +2. Costs: 3 CP.
Magic Effect (any)
Magic Effect Magic Effect Trivial Minor Moderate Major Extreme
CP 3 6 9 12 15
Charges 2 4 6 8 10
HS 1 2 3 4 5
Costs: See table.
Miscellaneous Limb (Automata) The inventor designed the machine with an extra set of miscellaneous limbs, increasing its actions or movement. Requirements: Must be of a certain minimum size; see table. Description: The construct gains certain abilities or increases existing ones, depending on the limb chosen. This feature can be chosen multiple times, once for each type of limb. If a limb has more than one possible effect, the limb can be chosen again to select an additional effect for that limb, costing additional CP but taking up no additional HS. Skills: Craft (mechanical) +2. Costs: 5 CP; 2 HS.
The machine can mimic the effects of magic. Requirements: Telluric power source. Description: The machine can act in a manner similar Natural Weaponry to a conduit, for which see pg 297. The inventor must (Automata) either know magic or hire someone who does, as the The automaton is equipped with a ‘natural’ weapon like telluric circuitry must be etched in the most appropriate horns, claws, a barbed tail or some similar monstrous pattern for the desired effect. The one responsible for contrivance. the magic effect designs the ritual according to the rules for magic, for which see pg 277. Fangs, Claws, Horns, antlers, The magician or inventor etches the telluric tusks and stings, limb head ridges and circuitry with the Craft (expression) check and Size the like spines similar then performs the ritual on it. Note that if Fine 1 the circuitry is made with arcrystal, the Ritual Diminutive 1 1d2 check’s DC decreases by -4 but the Craft Tiny 1 1d2 1d3 check’s DC remains unchanged. The CP cost Small 1d2 1d3 1d4 depends on the ritual effect’s scope, as do the charges it consumes with every use in the case Medium 1d3 1d4 1d6 of instantaneous durations, or for every 5 time Large 1d4 1d6 1d8 units in the case of timed durations. Huge 1d6 1d8 2d6 Skills: Ritual DC as per the ritual; Craft Gargantuan 1d8 2d6 2d8 (expression) DC equal to the ritual effect’s Colossal 2d6 2d8 4d6 +5. Leviathan 2d8 4d6 5d6
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One-Handed Use (Equipment, Personal Weapons) The machine can be used in one hand. Requirements: This special feature can only be installed as a base option. Description: The machine is considered a one-handed weapon for purposes of handling by creatures of the weapon’s designated size. Costs: 0 CP; 0 HS.
Power Converter (any) The machine can produce electrical effects. Requirements: Any power source but electric. Description: The power converter transforms the force of any power source into electrical energy. The machine can install special features that require an electrical power source. The final effect is slightly less efficient than if the machine had an electric power source to begin with; all electrical features cost 1 additional charge to activate or maintain. Skills: Craft (mechanical) +2. Costs: 2 CP; 1 HS.
Ranged Attack (Automata, Personal Weapons) The machine’s base attack can be performed over a distance. Description: For weapons, this feature can only be chosen as a base option; automata can install it as a special feature and have a range increment equal to a weapon of their size. Upon choosing this feature, the creator defines which type of ranged attack the machine can perform:
Thrown: The automaton or wielder throws the weapon with muscular force. Its maximum range is 5 range increments. Projectile: The weapon shoots projectiles, which must be reloaded manually. The mechanism can be simple tension for bows and crossbows, pneumatic pressure for high-power blowguns, or spring mechanisms for small ballistae, catapults and their ilk. A projectile weapon’s maximum range is 10 range increments. Ballistic: The weapon shoots projectiles, which must be reloaded manually, via some force
reaction that propels the projectile forward at great speeds. The reaction can be a detonation such as those found in firearms, magnetic polarity, or even telekinetic power or invocation magic effects, although the last two must be provided for separately. A projectile weapon’s maximum range is 10 range increments and its critical multiplier is increased by +1. Energy: Instead of shooting a physical projectile by whichever means, the weapon projects energy in a line (fire, electricity) or a cone (cold, sonic). An energy weapon’s maximum range is 8 range increments, and it spends charges from a power source.
Skills: Knowledge (technology) +1 for thrown, +2 for projectile, +3 for ballistic, +5 for energy; Craft (structure) +1 for thrown, Craft (mechanic) +2 for projectile, +4 for ballistic, +6 for energy. Costs: 2 CP; 1 charge for projectile and ballistic, 2 charges for energy; 1 HS for ballistic, 2 HS for energy.
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Requirements: The automaton must have an appropriate limb on which to install the natural weapon. Description: The construct gains a bite, gore, sting, or other natural attack, chosen from the table on page 248. This feature can be chosen multiple times, once for each type of weapon. Natural weaponry from secondary limbs suffers a –5 penalty to attack rolls, which can be reduced to –2 with the Multiattack feat installed via the Feat Assist feature. Skills: Craft (structural or mechanical) +2. Costs: 3 CP; 1 HS.
Reaching (Automata, Personal Weapons, Vehicle and Artillery Weapons) The machine’s melee attacks can strike at targets steps further away. Requirements: For melee attacks only. Description: A machine with this feature increases its reach by 5 feet. This special feature can be chosen twice. Skills: Craft (structural) +1. Costs: 1 CP; 1 HS.
Remote Control, Advanced (any) The machine can be operated from a distance with greater reliability. Description: As Basic Remote Control, but the machine requires less supervision. The operator can also do other things at the same time, including operating his own machine, or controlling more than one advanced remote control machine. If he divides his concentration in this way, the character suffers a cumulative -2 penalty on all actions for each machine being remotely controlled. Skills: Knowledge (physical sciences) +2; Craft (expression) +5. Costs: 10 CP.
Remote Control, Basic (any) The machine can be operated from a distance. Requirements: Electrical or telluric power sources. Description: An operator controls the machine from outside, by means of a control system up to 200 feet away. Doing so requires the operator’s full attention. He cannot do anything else, just as if he was actually inside the machine and operating it. This also means the operator can only run one machine at once. This method uses
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the operator’s statistics as if he was aboard the machine and controlling it. The creator must specify whether the control system is located in another machine, a base, or a hand-held apparatus. A machine operated by remote control has a +1 to its Malfunction threshold. If the machine has a crew requirement, a team equal in size to that requirement must be used to control it. This feature can be chosen multiple times; each time it adds 200 feet to the control range, up to a maximum of 1,000 feet. Skills: Knowledge (physical sciences) +1; Craft (expression) +3. Costs: 5 CP.
Rooms (Structures, Vehicle) The machine has internal habitation areas. Requirements: Colossal or Leviathan size. Description: An inventor can build specialised rooms inside his machine, occupying a different number of hard slots and costing different CP.
Kitchen: Meals may be prepared aboard the machine, providing room for two cooks to work. The designer must invest in multiple kitchens for larger facilities. Costs: 1 CP, 1 HS. Conference Room: Meetings are held in this room. Costs: 1 CP, HS cost according to number of occupants. Science Lab: This fully equipped science lab gives a +2 equipment bonus to any relevant scientific Knowledge or Research check. Two scientists can work at a time; for larger facilities, buy multiple labs. Costs: 3 CP, 1 HS. Sick Bay: A fully equipped sick bay has surgical and diagnostic features and allows 2 people to
be treated at a time. For hospital facilities, buy multiple sick bays. Costs: 3 CP, 1 HS. Workshop: This fully equipped machine shop includes a variety of specialised tools and spare parts. It grants a +3 equipment bonus on Repair checks for mechanical devices and lets character make Craft (mechanical), Craft (expression), or Craft (structural) checks without penalty. Costs: 3 CP, 2 HS.
Skills: Craft (structural) DC 12 + CP cost + HS (one check per room). Costs: Varies.
Sealed Environment (Vehicle, Structures) Size Fine - Medium Large Huge Gargantuan Colossal Leviathan
Climate Control CP 1 2 3 4 5 6
Life Support CP 3 6 9 12 15 18
The occupants of a machine can live comfortably while hostile conditions rage outside. Description: There are two sorts of sealed environment features. Each of them has different costs for different machine sizes. Climate control allows the occupants to be comfortable in a wide variety of temperatures, ranging from arctic to sweltering jungle. With life support, the machine can operate in the aether, at high altitudes, underwater or on a world without breathable air. Any occupants have their own oxygen supply, which lasts as long as the machine operates. Life support includes climate control. Skills: Knowledge (physical sciences) +2; Craft (structural or mechanical) +2. Costs: Varies; 2 HS.
Self-Destruct (any) The machine can blow itself up. Description: The construct can destroy itself in a fiery explosion that deals damage to all creatures within 60 feet. The machine activates its selfdestruct mechanism when reduced to 0 hit points, when a particular control is employed or when it is ordered by other means; see the Voice Recognition feature. A manually operated self-destruct mechanism has a timer that the operator sets between 0 (if suicidal) and 6 rounds. The
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Sentience, Limited (any) The machine is possessed of artificial intelligence of some sort. Description: The machine has an analytical engine that allows it to operate on its own but it has no self-initiative. It can be given orders or programmed with directives but obeys in a slavish, unimaginative fashion. The machine has no emotions or desires. A machine with limited sentience will have a Wisdom score of 10 and a Charisma score of 1. It may never exceed this. Machines with limited sentience have a virtual Intelligence score of 10, which can be raised to 20 through the Craft (expression) skill after it is finished, as described in the Craft (expression) skill description. Skills: Knowledge (technology) +2; Craft (mechanical or expression) DC 20. Costs: 3 CP; 1 charge per day; 1 HS.
Sentience, Full (any) The machine has a fully sentient mind of its own. Description: The machine is capable of exercising (or at least simulating) self-initiative and creativity but remains loyal to the character that owns it unless the creator programs it otherwise. A machine with full sentience has Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores of 10 and may increase them with special features. Skills: Knowledge (technology) +4; Craft (mechanical or expression) DC 25. Costs: 8 CP; 1 charge per day; 2 HS.
Skill Assist (any) The machine is a tool that helps its user perform certain tasks better. Description: This feature gives the machine a +2 bonus to a certain skill, which it imparts to its user’s corresponding skill checks. This feature can be purchased multiple times, either by choosing a different skill or increasing an existing one’s bonus by an extra +2 up to a maximum of +10; the CP cost increases, but the skill check modifier and HS remain the same for each skill regardless of its bonus. The HS cost represents any protrusions, tools and gadgets that the machine needs to perform the skill. Skills: Craft (mechanical) +1. Costs: CP cost varies (see table); 1 charge per use; 1 HS.
Skill Use (any) The machine can perform tasks on its own. Requirement: Limited or Full Sentience. Description: This feature gives the machine 2 ranks in a certain skill, which it can use to perform any task related to the skill. This feature can be purchased multiple times, either by choosing a different skill or increasing an existing one’s ranks by an extra 2 without a maximum limit; the CP cost increases but the skill check modifier and HS remain the same for each skill regardless of its bonus. Machines with Limited Sentience can perform a task for 1d4 rounds plus one round per rank in the skill; machines with Full Sentience can use their skills as if they were characters. Skills: Craft (mechanical) +2 Costs: CP cost varies (see table); 1 charge per use; 1 HS. Skill Assist and Skill Use Skill Balance Climb Craft (chemical) Craft (mechanical) Craft (pharmaceutical) Craft (structural) Craft (expression) Decipher Script Disable Device Disguise Drive Escape Artist Gather Information Handle Animal Hide Intimidate Jump Listen Move Silently Navigate Perform Pilot Profession Repair Ride Search Sense Motive Sleight of Hand Spot Survival Swim Treat Injury Tumble Use Rope
Skill Assist Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Skill Use Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No No Yes No Yes Yes
CP 2 1 2 2 2 2 3 4 4 3 1 2 3 3 3 3 1 2 2 2 3 1 2 1 2 3 4 1 2 2 1 3 2 1
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damage for machines with Hit or Structure Dice is 1d6 points of damage per HD or 1d8 per SD; for machines with only hit and structure points, the damage is equal to twice the machine’s hit points or triple its structure points. A successful Reflex saving throw (DC 18) halves this damage. The construct is completely destroyed and cannot be repaired or even salvaged for parts. Skills: Craft (structural) +1. Costs: 2 CP; 4 charges; 2 HS.
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Speech (any)
Tesla Field (any)
The machine can speak with audible words. Requirements: Limited or Full Sentience. Description: The automaton can talk through a system of bellows and funnels. The construct can speak Common and the language of its creator and gains two additional languages for each time this ability is installed. Skills: Knowledge (physical sciences) +1; Craft (mechanical) +5, Speak Language (the language to be installed). Costs: 1 CP; 1 HS.
The machine electrocutes any that approach it. Requirements: An electric power source. Description: The machine becomes highly charged with electricity, waiting only for something to ground its current. The machine spends the charges for the effect every round. While this feature is active, anyone that approaches within 30 feet of the machine attracts an electrical discharge that deals 4d6 points of damage, with a Reflex saving throw at DC 15 allowed for half damage. The machine is insulated so that it does not shoot lightning towards its occupants or wielders, although everyone else is fair game. Skills: Knowledge (physical sciences) +4; Craft (mechanical) +5. Costs: 5 CP; 5 charges; 2 HS.
Sturdy (any) The machine is more resistant to damage. Requirements: Cannot be made from inert or living organic material. Description: The machine gains 1 Hit Die or Structure Dice or, if it does not have any, it gains +4 hit points or structure points. Skills: Craft (structural) +2. Costs: 2 CP.
Summonable (any) The machine can be brought forth from apparently nowhere. Requirements: Telluric power source for machines of Large size or bigger. Description: In contrast to what the name might imply, magic is not always involved in this feature, although for big machines, it assuredly is. For Medium and smaller machines, the inventor has an option to make them capable of ‘folding’ into a smaller object, which a character uses to ‘summon’ the machine. As an alternative, for machines of all sizes, a telluric circuit is placed on an object so that it can summon the machine linked to it by magical means. In both cases, the user of the summoning control pushes the button or completes the circuit as a move action and the machine ‘appears’ in front of him in 2d6 rounds. The summon control can be anything, from a medallion to a piece of clothing or a suitcase into which the machine folds. Skills: Knowledge (physical sciences or occult sciences) +3; Craft (mechanical or expression) +6. Costs: 8 CP; 5 charges per summoning or dismissal; 1 HS.
Swerving Hips (Automata) The automaton’s torso can rotate 360 degrees, widening its area of influence. Requirements: Basic Sentience, Combat Programming, Dex 13+. This special feature can only be installed as a base option. Description: The construct can turn to face in any direction as a free action. It cannot be flanked. Skills: Craft (mechanical) +2. Costs: 3 CP.
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Two-Handed Use (Equipment, Personal Weapons) The machine must be used with two hands. Requirements: This special feature can only be installed as a base option. Description: The machine is considered a two-handed weapon for purposes of handling by creatures of the weapon’s designated size. Weapons have a base damage equal to a weapon one size bigger. Costs: 1 CP; -1 HS.
Underwater Movement (Automata, Vehicle) The machine can move underwater. Requirements: Sealed Environment (life support) (vehicles only), Water Movement; cannot be a sail vessel. Description: The machine can sink beneath the water’s surface in addition to travelling on it. Skills: Knowledge (physical sciences) +2; Craft (structural or mechanical) +4. Costs: 4 CP; 2 charges per hour; 1 HS.
User-Friendly (any except Automata) The machine was designed for use by the uninitiated and its controls are easy to read and operate. Description: The penalty for using this machine without the necessary skill is reduced to -2. If the machine is a weapon, it becomes a martial weapon, instead of an exotic one. Only weapons can choose this feature a second time, in which case they become simple weapons. Skills: Knowledge (technology) +1, Knowledge (behavioural sciences) +8; Craft (mechanical or expression) +4. Costs: 2 CP; 1 HS.
Voltaic Claws (Automata)
Voice Recognition (any) The machine recognises command words. Requirements: Basic Remote Control. Description: When this feature is installed, the machine is capable of recognising spoken commands or sound cues. The creator sets up a command word or sound for each of the machine’s functions, which it performs when anyone utters the word or makes the sound within 60 feet of it. For an additional CP, the creator can increase the sophistication of the system so that it only recognises the commands coming from one voice or sound source. Skills: Knowledge (physical sciences) +2; Craft (expression) +5. Costs: 3 CP.
Wall-Crawling (Automata, Vehicle) The machine can climb like an insect. Requirements: Land Movement. Description: The machine can use spikes, adhesive pads, or some other means to climb walls and ceilings as if it were an insect. The machine gets +8 on all Climb checks, and may take 10 while climbing, even if threatened or distracted. Skills: Knowledge (physical sciences) +2; Craft (mechanical) +3. Costs: A number of CP equal to half the machine’s hardness or armour; 1 charge per round of wall or ceiling movement; 3 HS.
Water Movement (Automata, Vehicle) The machine has a method for travelling over water. Description: The machine gains a mode of skimming over the water and other liquids, with the same speed as its base speed. Upon installing this feature, select one of the following methods of propulsion:
Oars: One or more occupants move the machine by rowing. Oar-based machines always have a work power source, requiring one rower for every 20 ft. of speed. Oar-powered movement costs 1 CP. Sails: The machine moves by the strength of the wind. Its manoeuvrability is one mode worse, although its score remains the same. Sailing vessels always have a wind/water power source. If there are no winds, the machine cannot move. Sail movement costs 2 CP and takes up 1 HS. Mechanical: The machine moves by the action of rotating paddles, propellers or screws placed in the back. Mechanically powered machines reduce their turn rate by 10 feet. Mechanical movement costs 4 CP and takes up 2 HS.
Skills: Craft (structural or mechanical) +2. Costs: Varies; 2 charges per hour.
POWER OF STEAM
The automaton’s limbs can produce rippling arcs of electricity. Requirements: An electric power source. Description: By spending the indicated amount of charges, the construct can conduct electricity from its power source directly to its fists, with small lightning arcs travelling across its arms. A successful melee attack deals +1d8 extra points of electrical damage in addition to the normal attack, discharging the effect. The automaton can maintain the charge for 3 rounds plus its Strength modifier; if he does not hit anything in that time, it recovers all but one of the charges spent. Skills: Knowledge (physical sciences) +3; Craft (mechanical) +3. Costs: 2 CP; 2 charges; 1 HS.
Weapon Ability (Automata, Personal Weapons, Vehicle and Artillery Weapons) The machine replicates the effect of magic qualities. Requirements: Skill Assist for Ritual (transformation); must be able to deal damage with itself. Description: One of the machine’s attacks can be equipped with a weapon ability from the Occult Items section regarding weapons and armour. The effects are the same, although the sources are different. Skills: Craft (mechanical) +4. Costs: CP cost equal to ability’s Purchase DC bonus x5; 1 charge per use or per round; 1 HS.
Weapon Mounting (Automata, Vehicle, Structures) The machine has weapons incorporated into its frame. An automaton usually mounts weapons on its arms or forearms but alternate limbs are also used. Requirements: Combat Programming (automaton only). Description: A hard slot is devoted to a vehicle and artillery weapon, or a mundane weapon of appropriate size. Mounted weapons must be of the same size category as the machine and a machine can only mount a maximum of three weapons. These weapons cannot be lost as they are part of the machine’s body. An automaton is automatically proficient with weapons mounted on it. Vehicles must specify the fire arc of the vehicle; for which see Vehicle Combat on pg 191. A turret mounting costs extra, while a boresight mounting costs less. A rotating weapon mounting in a vehicle occupies 1 extra HS if it is not a turret, making the weapon capable of targeting anything in its fire arc. Skills: Craft (mechanical) +1. Costs: 4 CP, 5 CP for a vehicle turret, 3 CP for vehicle boresight; 1 HS, 2 HS if rotating.
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Weapon Mounting, Concealed (Automata, Vehicles, Structures) One or more of the mounted weapons in the machine are hidden until they are needed. Requirements: Weapon Mounting. Description: At the expense of one charge and as a free action, the machine can draw its weapons from its concealed mounting. The first time the machine attacks with a concealed weapon in a single encounter, it gains a +1 surprise bonus to its attack roll. Skills: Craft (mechanical) +1. Costs: 2 CP; 1 charge; 1 HS.
Worn/Carried Use (Equipment, Personal Weapons) The machine must be worn or carried in the body in order to be used. Requirements: This special feature can only be installed as a base option. Description: The machine must be worn on some part of the user’s body. The possible locations for wearing or carrying are the following:
Head (helmets, hats, goggles, visors) Neck (ties, pendants, medallions, torques) Whole body (armour, full suit of clothing) Back (backpacks, cloaks, jackets, coats) Torso (harness, vest) Arm (bracers, bracelets) Hand (ring, glove, gauntlet) Hip/Leg (trousers, harness, holster, belt) Foot (footwear, ankle sheathes)
Costs: 1 CP; -1 HS.
Now comes the really exciting part. The City Fathers debate what they want their automaton, which by this point they have christened as ‘Thunderstorm’, to do and select the appropriate special features to install. First, they want it to have electrical attacks in the form of Voltaic Claws, which take 2 CP and 1 HS. They also give it an Energy Weapon for electricity, taking 4 CP, 1 HS and an independent Craft (mechanical) check at DC 19. They need a Power Converter, taking 2 CP and 1 HS to power these options, though. Next, they add the functionality of flight with Aerial Movement, for which they select the ornithopter option: Thunderstorm will flap its wings to take off. This takes 8 CP and 2 HS. They give serious consideration towards enhancing their automaton’s resistance and ability to enter combat. The result of this discussion is thickened armour with Armour Plating +5, for 5 CP and 1 HS. They also increase its Strength and Dexterity by 4 each, for 12 CP, allowing it to better defend itself in a battle and inflict damage on its targets. The City Fathers want their automaton to be able to fight for itself but do not need it to be particularly smart since it will always be in the presence of a human agent. Therefore, they add a simple analytical engine to grant Limited Sentience, for 3 CP and 1 HS and punch in some Combat Programming for 2 CP. With their plans complete, the City Fathers realize that Thunderstorm lacks sufficient space for all its intended features, so they build into the final creation two Additional Hard Slots, for 4 CP and a -2 penalty to manoeuvrability and attack.
Deficiencies A creator can introduce deficiencies into his design on purpose, so as to reduce the overall costs of construction. The values in CP and HS are always in the creator’s favour; that is, instead of adding up to the total construction point cost and taking up hard slots, the deficiency subtracts from the CP cost and provides additional hard slots. Some of them also make the task of building the machine easier, reducing the different Craft DCs. Deficiencies Type Any Automata Personal Weapons Structures Vehicles Vehicle and Artillery Weapons
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Berserk (any) A semi-sentient machine acquires a dangerous temper. Requirements: Limited or Full Sentience. Description: When the machine enters combat, there is a cumulative 1% chance each round that it will go berserk. The uncontrolled machine attacks the nearest living creature, smashes some object smaller than itself if no creature is within reach, or moves in a random direction to
Deficiencies Berserk, Flammable, Impedance, Noisy, Low Charge, Short-Range, Start-Up Time, Unarmoured, Unskilled, Volatile, Vulnerability, Weak Spot Cumbersome, Clumsy, Hangar Queen, Inaccuracy, Lesser Damage, No Arm, No Hand, No Land Movement, No Leg, Ponderous, Restricted Path Inaccuracy, Lesser Damage Open, Poor Visibility Clumsy, Cumbersome, Hangar Queen, No Land Movement, Open, Ponderous, Poor Visibility, Restricted Path, Road Vehicle Inaccuracy, Lesser Damage
spread more destruction. This state lasts for 2d4 rounds, after which the machine recovers and its berserk chance resets to 0%. Skills: Craft (expression or mechanical) -3. Costs: -2 CP.
sink. Machines moving through another medium simply stop. Skills: Craft (mechanical) -2. Costs: -1 CP.
Clumsy (Automata, Vehicles)
The machine catches on fire easily. Requirements: Soft organic materials or steam power source. Description: The machine’s structure and armour are made of wood or similar flammable material. Its armour does not protect at all against fire or other fire-based damage. Saving throws against fire attacks are made at a -4 penalty. Skills: Craft (structural) -4. Costs: -1 CP per hardness or armour bonus.
Cumbersome (Automata, Vehicles) The machine reacts poorly to sudden movement. Requirements: An unmodified base Dexterity score or a manoeuvrability score. Description: The machine’s Dexterity or manoeuvrability score is reduced by -2. This deficiency can be chosen multiple times. Each time it subtracts an extra -2 penalty and awards the same amount of CP but the skill checks remain the same. Skills: Craft (structural) -2. Costs: -1 CP.
Faulty Function (any) One of the machine’s features is prone to disaster. Description: Select a particular check the machine or an operator makes with the machine. The malfunction threshold for this check increases by +1 and malfunction effect rolls have a +10 to their roll. Skills: Craft (structural or mechanical) -2. Costs: -1 CP.
Faulty Movement (Automata, Vehicles) The machine’s movement is very far from perfect. Requirements: Aerial Movement, Aetheric Movement, Burrowing Movement, Land Movement or Water Movement. Description: When the machine moves a certain distance depending on its size, it is prone to overheat, jam or stall. For every span of distance equal to twice the machine’s speed that it moves, the machine either makes a Fortitude saving throw or the operator makes the appropriate skill check (Drive, Pilot, and so on) with both rolls having a DC of 15. The DC increases by +1 for every successful check or save after the first, so that the second span of movement causes a saving throw or skill check with a DC 16, the third round one of DC 17 and so on. Should the saving throw or check fail, the machine grinds to a halt and it takes one full round to kick-start it again. For each round on which the machine remains immobile, the DC is reduced by -1 until it reaches its initial DC 15. Aerial machines drop from the sky and underwater ones begin to
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Hangar Queen (Automata, Vehicles)
POWER OF STEAM
The machine is the proverbial elephant in the glasshouse. Requirements: A manoeuvrability mode. Description: The machine’s manoeuvrability mode decreases to the next worse mode. This deficiency can be chosen up to twice. If an automaton has a method of movement that gives it a manoeuvrability mode, it can install this deficiency as well. Skills: Craft (structural) -2. Costs: -3 CP.
Flammable (any)
The machine requires extra careful maintenance to work properly. Description: The machine spends much of its time in a garage, shop, port or similar undergoing repairs. For every hour it was used, it should be given at least an hour of maintenance. If this care is not provided, the machine’s malfunction threshold increases by 1 every day the machine’s maintenance is not completed. Skills: Craft (mechanical) -4. Costs: -8 CP.
Impedance (any) The machine’s power source cannot conduct much power. Requirements: An internal power source. Description: The delivery rate of the power source is cut in half. Skills: Craft (structural) -4. Costs: -3 CP; -1 HS.
Inaccuracy (Automata, Personal Weapons, Vehicle and Artillery Weapons) The machine’s attacks can go wildly off its mark. Description: The machine gains a -1 competence penalty to attack rolls. Costs: -2 CP.
Lesser Damage (Automata, Personal Weapons, Vehicle and Artillery Weapons) The machine’s attacks are weaker than expected. Requirements: A base damage. Description: The machine’s base damage is reduced to one less damage type, which affects all damage dice in the attack. A 2d8 attack will deal 2d6 just as a 1d6 attack will deal 1d4. Skills: Craft (structural) -2. Costs: -2 CP.
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Low Charge (any) The machine’s power source has less capacity than usual. Requirements: An internal power source. Description: This feature alters the engine of a machine, downgrading it so that its maximum capacity is 80% of its original. This option can be taken up to five times, each time reducing the original capacity by 20%. Skills: Craft (structural) -4. Costs: -4 CP; -1 HS.
No Arm (Automata) One or both of the automaton’s arms are missing on purpose. Description: If the automaton only has one arm, it cannot wield two-handed weapons nor perform any task in which two arms and leverage are required; in addition, it suffers a –1 balance penalty to DV. If both arms are missing, the automaton cannot attack unless it has other limbs that can do so. Skills: Craft (structural or mechanical) -2 per arm. Costs: -2 CP per arm; -1 HS per arm.
No Hand (Automata) One or both of the automaton’s arms end in stumps. Description: The machine cannot wield weapons nor grab anything with the handless limb. This deficiency can be chosen once per arm in the automaton’s body; each time deducts 1 CP from the total and frees an additional hard slot. Skills: Craft (structural or mechanical) -1. Costs: -1 CP; -1 HS.
No Land Movement (Automata, Vehicle) The machine is incapable of moving on land. Requirements: A base walk speed. Description: The machine cannot move along the ground. This is usually the case for sentinel statues or airships that cross the sky but do not cruise the roads. Skills: Knowledge (technology) -2; Craft (mechanical) -2. Costs: -3 CP; -2 HS.
No Leg (Automata) One or both of the automaton’s legs are missing on purpose. Description: If the automaton only has one leg, it suffers from a -2 stability penalty against bull rush attacks and other effects that might throw it off balance. It also decreases its walk speed by 10 feet. If both legs
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are missing, the machine is stationary, and changing its facing is a move-equivalent action. It cannot take any feature that would require the presence of a leg, such as Fast or Jumping. Note that if the character changed the automaton’s mode of Land Movement as a base option, the machine already has no legs and it does not benefit for this deficiency. If the machine has the Miscellaneous Limb (torso) feature twice and Miscellaneous Limb (tail), it can slither like a snake, subtracting 20 feet from its normal walk speed, with a minimum of 10 feet. Skills: Craft (structural or mechanical) -3 per leg. Costs: -3 CP per leg; -2 HS per leg.
Noisy (any) The machine can be heard from afar when it is working. Requirements: Cannot have a telluric power source. Description: A noisy machine can easily be detected by Listen checks, giving any would-be listeners a +10 on their Listen checks. A noisy machine can never attempt to Move Silently. This deficiency can be chosen twice. Its effects and reductions stack. A machine with one instance of this deficiency is as noisy as an automotive engine, while one with two is as noisy as a steam train. Costs: -3 CP.
Open (Structures, Vehicles) The occupants of the machine are open to damage. Description: The machine’s armour does not protect the crew or passengers, only the machine itself. This is common for machines like galleys, automotives, bicycles, open-cockpit ornithopters or automaton horses. The machine provides half cover, or no cover if the machine is the same size or smaller than the rider. Skills: Craft (structural) -3. Costs: -1 CP per two points of hardness or armour; -2 HS.
Ponderous (Automata, Vehicles)
Poor Visibility (Structures, Vehicles) The passengers or occupants cannot see well outside the machine. Requirements: May not have the Open deficiency. Description: The machine has very poor visibility, due to having small windows or none at all, along with a lack of compensating instruments or other problems. The only way to get unrestricted vision is to actually stick one’s head out of a hatch or window, leaving one with only half cover, as per the Open deficiency. Otherwise, Spot checks from inside are at -2 if looking directly forward and -4 if looking in any other direction. This is a common deficiency for tanks. Skills: Craft (structural) -1. Costs: -2 CP; -1 HS.
Road Vehicle (Vehicles) The vehicle depends on roads and highways for its top performance. Requirements: Land Movement (wheels). Description: The vehicle attains full land speed only on a smooth flat surface such as a paved road. Its land speed is halved in other circumstances, such as on a dirt road, off-road or similar surface. Skills: Craft (mechanical) -2. Costs: -1 CP per 20 feet of land speed.
Restricted Path (Automata, Vehicles) The machine travels along a predetermined route. Description: For one reason or another, the machine cannot leave a narrowly restricted area. This may represent an automaton that is programmed to follow a specific guard route, a railway train, a cable car that cannot leave its track, or a towed carriage. The inventor decides if it is a long path, such as a railway line, or a short path such as a tether or a building interior. Costs: -1 CP Fine, -3 CP Diminutive, -6 CP Tiny, -9 CP Small, -12 CP if Medium, -15 CP if Large, -18 CP if Huge, -21 CP if Gargantuan, -24 CP if Colossal or -27 CP if Leviathan; x2 if a short path.
Short-Range (any) The machine cannot extend its effects over a very great distance. Requirements: An ability, skill or special feature that works over distance, including ranged attacks. Description: A machine with this feature reduces its range by half; all pertinent abilities suffer from this
Start-Up Time (any) The machine takes a while to recover from a shut down state. Requirements: Energy Conservation feature. Description: If the machine is shut down, a character cannot just flip a switch and start off from cold. The boiler takes a while to heat up, the energy cells take some time to become fully active, the springs are not properly aligned, a piece of armour takes some time to put on and so forth. While the start-up process progresses, the machine cannot engage any of its functions. The CP bonus is greater the longer it takes the machine to start. Skills: Craft (mechanical) -2. Costs: -1 CP if 1 minute, -2 CP if 10 minutes, -4 CP if an hour, -8 CP if 4+ hours.
POWER OF STEAM
The machine’s materials are heavier, making its movements clumsier. Description: The construct’s walk speed is reduced by 10 feet, with a minimum of 10 feet per round. In addition, automata cannot run. Skills: Knowledge (technology) -2; Craft (mechanical) -2. Costs: -2 CP.
deficiency, such as remote control, vision range, ranged attacks and so on. Skills: Craft (mechanical) -2. Costs: -2 CP.
Unarmoured (any) The armour plating covering the machine is weak. Description: The machine’s armour or hardness is decreased by -2. This deficiency can be chosen multiple times; each time weakens the armour or hardness by a further –2, to a minimum of zero. Skills: Craft (structural) -2. Costs: 1 CP.
Unskilled (any) The machine cannot perform skill-based tasks. Description: The machine cannot gain skill ranks either as part of its base skills or by acquiring the Skill Assist or Skill Use features. Skills: Craft (mechanical) -3. Costs: -2 CP or -1 CP for every 4 skill points lost.
User-Hostile The machine is hard to operate. Description: Anyone other than the creator who tries to operate the machine must have 5 ranks in Knowledge (technology) to understand the controls. Even if a character meets all other operation requirements, including this one, he still suffers a -2 penalty on all rolls related to operating the machine. Skills: Craft (expression) -2 Costs: -1 CP.
Volatile (any) The machine may blow up if sufficiently damaged. Requirements: Hit Dice or Structure Dice. Description: Fuel, a boiler, ammunition, or overloaded telluric circuits may explode if the machine is disabled or destroyed. If the attack that disables or destroys the machine deals damage past its hardness equal to or greater than half its normal full hit points, then the machine will explode after 1d6 rounds. This explosion deals 1d6
]
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damage per full 5 hit points that the machine had when undamaged (minimum 2d6) to everyone within the machine. A Reflex saving throw is allowed at DC 20 for half damage. Half that damage is inflicted to everyone and everything within a number of feet equal to the machine’s full Hit Points of the blast. Again, a Reflex saving throw is allowed, this time at DC 15, for half damage. Skills: Craft (structural) -4. Costs: -1 per full 10 hp the machine has.
Vulnerability (any) The machine is particularly vulnerable to certain attacks. Description: The machine takes double damage from one of the following types of attack: air, cold, earth, fire, force, electrical, rust, sonic, and water. Alternative vulnerabilities include bludgeoning, piercing or slashing weapons, certain materials, and disciplines of magic. Costs: -4 CP.
Weak Spot (any) The machine is particularly vulnerable in a certain part of its body. Requirements: Medium size or larger. Description: The construct is subject to double damage from critical hits, but not to sneak attacks. Opponents who succeed at a Spot check (DC 5 + machine’s HD or half its HD/SD) can attempt to target the weak spot by applying a –2 to their attack rolls and deal +1d4 damage if successful. Skills: Craft (structural) -5. Costs: -4 CP.
Derived Values Once all the options and alterations to the machine’s design are in place, it is time to fill up its stat block. The ‘base attributes’ section given for each type of machine indicates the different fields in that machine type’s stat block. Consider the multipliers to hardness and hit points provided by the material, write down the characteristics of the chosen power source and list all the special features in the appropriate field. If a special feature or deficiency alters some of the characteristics of the machine, then apply them at the end of this phase.
Now that the City Fathers’ chief engineer has all the automaton’s characteristics documented for her, she goes on to change the base characteristics of a Large Automaton to turn it into Thunderstorm at last. She considers a soft metal’s bonus hit points as well as its base hardness, which in this case becomes Armour. She also considers levistone’s modifiers to Aerial Movement as well as the new Strength and Dexterity modifiers to all pertinent values like Initiative, attack and damage as well as save bonuses. She also calculates in the -2 penalty for the additional hard slots.
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Cost Calculations After every characteristic of the machine is laid down and confirmed, it is time to calculate what it is going to cost to build it. The first value to calculate is the machine’s Purchase DC, which is what the inventor can expect to sell his machine for to a third party. Purchase DC = CP cost divided by 2.5 and rounded down. This Purchase DC does not include the power source but it does include other independently made subsystems, like special features with full Craft Difficulty Classes instead of Craft DC modifiers. Raw Materials’ Purchase DC = Machine’s Purchase DC -3. Some inventors know how to cannibalise leftover wire and spare conductors, as well as converting suitably shaped items such as dustbins or teapots, to reduce the cost of raw materials as per the Scrounge Parts talent. Salvaging Parts If an inventor has the parts that correspond to a special feature he wants to install into another machine, he halves the CP cost of the salvaged special feature and deducts the result from the raw material’s Purchase DC. The actual Purchase DC of a special feature acquired independently would be its CP cost multiplied by 5. Only special features with full Craft DCs can be purchased in this way. All others are created for the machine. Note that the special feature must have a relative size category equal to the machine it is supposed to fit into; if trying to fit a special feature for a smaller or larger machine, all Craft DCs increase by +3. A machine can fit salvaged parts up to two size categories smaller or larger. Weight Equipment and personal weapons have a weight value. Weight is calculated as follows. Weight = CP cost divided by 2 lb. This only applies to equipment and personal weapons; all other machines calculate their weight, if needed, as follows. Weight = CP cost x10 lb.
Construction Begins! Once every detail is in place and all materials are available, the inventor proceeds to make all his hard brainstorming into reality. He achieves this in two main steps. These are the ‘research and design’ step and the ‘construction’ step. Most of the research and design phase is represented
Lorei, the City Father’s engineer, makes a list of all the costs incurred by their requested machine. The resulting construction cost looks like this:
The Purchase DC of Thunderstorm is 46 (114 / 2.5), and the raw materials are DC 43, although Lorei can fish into her scraps bin and the stored salvage at the Megadon dump to reduce that. She could purchase a clockwork power source at DC 24 but she prefers to build it herself. in the selection of all the machine’s characteristics but the inventor still needs to ground all his plans and concepts into reality through actual in-game research. Research The research phase involves one or many Knowledge checks. All special features that include a Knowledge DC modifier add that particular knowledge category to the research. For example, if a machine’s special features include two DC modifiers for Knowledge (physical sciences) and one DC modifier for Knowledge (technology), it means that the inventor must make one Knowledge (physical sciences) check and one Knowledge (technology) check, adding all the modifiers together. Knowledge check DC = 10 + special features’ DC modifiers. The inventor only makes one check for every Knowledge category. Research time is one week per 5 points in the DC or part thereof. The inventor works for 8 hours each day. He cannot rush the process by working longer each day but the days need not be consecutive and the inventor can use the rest of his time as he sees fit. A character can work on only one machine at a time. If a character starts work on a new research, all effort spent on the ongoing research is wasted. Construction The construction phase involves many Craft checks. First come those for the power source (if the inventor is building it himself ) and all special features that have an independent Craft DC.
Special features that express the modifier in optional pairs (i.e. ‘mechanical or structural’) give the inventor the option to add the modifier to either one of the Craft categories, meaning that he can possibly avoid one type of Craft check altogether. Special features that express the modifier in inclusive pairs (such as ‘mechanical and structural’) add their modifier to both Craft DCs and therefore add both categories to the construction.
POWER OF STEAM
Large Automaton 45 CP x1.6 (Bronze + Levistone) = 72 CP. Ability Increase x4 = 12 CP Aerial Movement (ornithopter) = 8 CP Armour Plating +5 = 5 CP Combat Programming = 2 CP Limited Sentience = 3 CP Electrical Weapon = 4 CP Voltaic Claws = 2 CP Power Converter = 2 CP Additional Hard Slot x2 = 4 CP Total = 114 CP
The independent Craft checks represent that the inventor has the parts ready and only needs to install them in the machine’s body during its construction. As in the research phase, special features that indicate a Craft DC modifier add that particular craftsmanship category to the construction. For example, if a machine’s special features include one DC modifier for Craft (structural) and three DC modifiers for Craft (mechanical), it means that the inventor must make one Craft (structural) check and one Knowledge (mechanical) check, adding all the modifiers together.
Craft check DC = 5 + special features’ DC modifiers. The inventor only makes one check for every Craft category. Construction time is one week per 5 points in the DC or part thereof. The inventor works for 8 hours each day. He cannot rush the process by working longer each day but the days need not be consecutive and the inventor can use the rest of his time as he sees fit. A character can work on many machines concurrently but may only do this by devoting one full day to each machine’s work at a time, as the days add up to the weeks required for the construction. Success and Failure The better the inventor does in the different checks, the faster his results will come about. For every point above the DC that the character succeeds, he cuts 1 day from the check’s duration. Likewise, doing badly in the checks will have detrimental effects on the machine. The degree of failure determines the severity of the inventor’s blunders, which translate as errors in design or in the actual construction. If the character fails a check by up to 5 points, the machine’s malfunction threshold increases by 1 for every function; this increase stacks with those of deficiencies such as Faulty Function. If the threshold ever reaches 1-5, any further failed check does not increase the threshold but instead gives a +5 modifier to the malfunction effect rolls, for which see pg 135. If the roll fails by more than 5 points but up to 10, the inventor makes a serious mistake and must begin again. In the case of research this only means wasted time, but in the case of construction this also means that the inventor spoils part of the raw materials and must replace a portion of them. He must purchase replacement material at the same Purchase DC minus 4 before he can begin the
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Lorei is now ready to begin working out just how she will put the Thunderstorm together. The different special features add up to a Knowledge (physical science) modifier of +7 and a Knowledge (technology) modifier of +3, for DC 17 and DC 13 respectively. She will spend 2 weeks in the physical sciences research and another week in the technology research. After the research is over, she applies herself to the task of construction. The first Craft check is to build the clockwork power source, a Craft (mechanical) check with a DC of 20, which takes her 4 weeks. She rolls 26 on her check, so she deducts 6 days from the construction of the engine. The next check is the armour plating, a Craft (structural) check DC 15, which takes her 3 weeks. Once again, she rolls high for a result of 23, which deducts 8 days from the work of hammering down the armour plates. She next builds the electric coil that makes up the Energy Weapon, a Craft (mechanical) check DC 19, which takes her another 4 weeks. This time she barely makes it with a result of 19, so she does not subtract anything from the four weeks required to wind endless lengths of wire around spindles and painstakingly solder contact brushes into place. Once all the independent components are complete, Lorei sets to work on the machine itself. The different components mean that the machine requires the following skill checks:
A Craft (mechanical) check at DC 21, taking 5 weeks A Craft (structural) check at DC 11, taking 3 weeks A Craft (chemical) check at DC 10, taking 2 weeks A Craft (expression) check at DC 12, taking 3 weeks
The first check gives her trouble as she rolls a 19, so she makes no progress in one week and the Thunderstorm now has a malfunction threshold of 1-2. She fares better on the next check with a 25, subtracting 4 days from the 5 weeks. The Craft (structural) check goes incredibly well with a result of 19, deducting 8 days from the 3 weeks. The Craft (chemical) check has a result of 20, deducting 10 days from the 2 weeks. Finally, the Craft (expression) check comes up with a 15, deducting 3 days from the 3 weeks. After many weeks of hard work in the City Fathers’ construction garages and research laboratories, Lorei is ready to crank up the switch and let the Thunderstorm come to life. The Thunderstorm Large Automaton Hit Dice: 8d10 +24 hp; DV: 10; Armour: 9; Speed: 30 ft.; fly 50 ft. (Good (+1)); Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+1/ +10; Attacks: Slam +6 melee (1d6+3); Full Attack: Slam +6/+1 (1d6+3); Space/Reach: 5 ft./10 ft.; Special Attacks: Voltaic Claws, Electrical Weapon; Special Qualities: Construct qualities, Levistone fittings; Special Features: Ability Increase x4, Aerial Movement (ornithopter), Armour Plating +5, Combat Programming, Limited Sentience, Electrical Weapon, Voltaic Claws, Power Converter, Additional Hard Slot x2; Saves: Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +2; Abilities: Str 16; Dex 12; Con –; Int –; Wis 10; Cha 1. Construction Points: 114 Hard Slots: 7+2 Material: Bronze + Levistone Power Source: Clockwork Power Source Purchase DC: 46 Malfunction Threshold: 1-2 Research: Knowledge (physical sciences) DC 17, Knowledge (technology) DC 13 Construction (Body): Craft (mechanical) DC 21, Craft (structural), DC 11, Craft (chemical) DC 10, Craft (expression) DC 12 Construction (Other): Clockwork Power Source Craft (mechanical) DC 20, Armour Plating +5 Craft (structural) DC 15, Electrical Weapon Craft (mechanical) DC 19 process once more. If he does not renew his work in one week, all materials are wasted. (In this event, the inventor gains one scrap point if he belongs to the genius class.) If a roll fails by more than 10 points, research goes in an entirely erroneous direction and imposes a -2 penalty
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on all Knowledge checks during the inventor’s next try on the same machine. If the failed roll corresponds to a Craft check, things go seriously wrong and there is an accident involved, dealing 1d8 points of damage to the inventor and a surrounding area of 10 feet. In this event, all materials are lost beyond recovery.
Adapting Items
Using an Amazing Machine
A creator can use items that already exist such as those available in the Equipment and Wealth chapter and add special features to them, making them into amazing machines. There are some guidelines to follow when doing this.
The machine’s type determines mostly how it will be used. Vehicles will be ridden, weapons will be fired and structures will either be left to fulfil their functions or they will be inhabited. The different operations of machines determine whatever rolls are needed to make the machines perform.
Completed items have only one hard slot available. An inventor may use the Additional Hard Slot feature if he wants to fit more machinery in the item but each hard slot adds one-tenth of the item’s weight. A completed item cannot have more than 6 additional hard slots installed on it. Completed items cannot fit special features that require charges without having a power source installed or already in place, as is the case of vehicles. If an item is to be fitted with a power source, use the size most closely describing the item. The additions have a base Purchase DC of 15 + total CP. These are independent from the base item’s own Purchase DC. Determine whether the base item is simple, moderate, complex, advanced or extreme for purposes of the Craft skill and use the DC given as a base for both research and construction. Add all skill modifiers for the special features to the base DC. Follow the process of construction as normal, including the addition of malfunctions.
Fuel Consumption All machines that are left running consume 1 charge per day in addition to the charges used up by their different functions. The machine uses this charge to maintain its machinery and fuel any accessory or internal function. Every time a machine uses a special feature that has a cost in charges, it deducts that number of charges from the power source’s capacity until the power source is depleted. An operator can renew the power source by the method expressed in the engine’s description before it runs out of charges, in order to ensure a smooth and continuous operation. Alternatively, the Energy Conservation feature allows the machine to be shut down in order to preserve its charges from being spent by continuous operation.
POWER OF STEAM
Overtaxing the Power Source Sometimes, a character will need more power from the machine that it was designed to deliver, which is the case when activating several features during the same round. This is usually done in combat but also during extreme situations where the machine is expected to perform well in order to save its owner’s life. To overtax a power source, the operator makes a skill check to squeeze more power out of the machine. Acceptable skill checks are Drive, Pilot, Knowledge (technology), Craft (mechanical) or Profession (engineer). Overtax check DC = 15 + number of charges needed.
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A failed check means that the operator is not able to squeeze more power from the engine. This outcome has no further effect beyond failing to deliver enough power to do what the operator wants to do. Success means that, during one round, the overtaxed power source provides the desired number of charges above its ordinary delivery rate. Overtaxing an engine does not come for free. The machine’s malfunction threshold increases by 1 and at the end of the round the operator rolls 1d20; if the result is within the malfunction threshold, he rolls for a malfunction effect. The new malfunction threshold remains in place until the engine is fixed with a normal Repair check. The DC for the power source is in its description. Damage and Repair A machine becomes damaged when it is attacked, when it suffers from a major malfunction or by simple wear
and tear. On each day on which an amazing machine has unrepaired damage and is operated anyway, its malfunction threshold increases by 1. A simple Repair check returns the threshold to its normal levels. Note that this Repair check does not get rid of an increased malfunction threshold derived from failed checks during research and construction, nor from deliberate deficiencies. Leaving an amazing machine idle for a day without operating it at all does not increase its malfunction threshold. Repair check DC = DC of highest Craft check used to build the machine -5. In addition to reducing the malfunction threshold, a successful Repair check restores 1d4 points of damage for every 5 points or part thereof by which the check result exceeds the DC. The repairs restore either hit or structure points, depending on the machine. Consult the Repair skill description for the costs for spare parts to make the repairs, using the closest DC to that of the machine.
‘Well, that’s it. This is the best I can do.’ Thurdin stepped back after turning a gear on the side of the cog’s neck. Gearbolt stood up, steam venting from several thin spots and cracks along its torso. The limbs seemed a little unsteady but it was mobile. That was a far cry better than the cog had been just an hour beforehand. Jerrek clapped his engineer on the back and congratulated him on another minor miracle. ‘Minor, my coal-covered ass! You are looking at a fragging act of the gods, lad. That should have been a junker, and I ain’t tellin’ no lie.’ Gearbolt took a moment to adjust the orientation of its head. ‘I thank you, organic Thurdin, for my resuscitation. Under my own power, repairs would have taken quite some time. I do not believe a return trip though that miasma is an advisable way to leave this place.’ The groans and nods all around it confirmed the team’s agreement. One way or another, they would be leaving by a different route. No one wanted to back out through the sewers. ‘Okay, people. Gail was able to catch a glimpse up high without any of those bastards seeing him. You want to fill them in on what you saw?’ Jerrek looked to his friend, the glowing afterimage of a lion hybrid hovering a few feet away on the landing. ‘Certainly,’ came Gailion’s whisper-quiet voice. ‘I saw a team of orcs in heavy armour at the base of a huge support column. I think it’s the lynchpin of the factory and the key to bringing it down. The orcs are at least twenty strong, they have some monstrous support and they are guarding that column pretty tightly. I did not see anything else waiting for us. I think we got lucky a little bit.’ The dwarf snorted. ‘That would be a bloody first.’ Gail nodded, leaving a trail of ghostly light where his mane swept through the air. ‘Indeed. It seems they do not know about this opening. There’s a thin sheet of fieldstone over the grating above. I think we can break through without too much trouble, but it covers the door and keeps it concealed. We may actually have the element of surprise.’ Now it was Jerrek’s turn to sound incredulous. ‘That would be a first, too. Okay, then. Here’s the plan as I see it. I’ll lay this out for you all step-by-step and we can give it a quick discussion. This is endgame, people, and I don’t want anyone going along with it without sounding off on the idea. You have a problem now, you let me know. Once we go topside, I need to depend on all of you doing your part.’ Heshia laid her hand on his real one, her eyes catching his and not letting go. ‘Jerrek, we are with you. All the way.’ A deep bass voice, a spectral sigh, and the melodic chime of a metallic throat echoed her sentiment. ‘Just tell us what to do and we’ll get it done.’
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the occult
e
This chapter explores the aspects of the occult in the world of OGL Steampunk, describing the effects of their presence upon the world and detailing the world of psychic powers, magical rituals and occult items of power. Not all of the old ways have faded completely from the land and though magic may be on its last legs in most steampunk settings, those limbs still have a great deal of strength left in them.
Psychic Phenomena
Psychics wield a variety of powers, few of which can be explained by science and its branch of psychic research. As students of the supernatural turn their attentions to the ways of psychic phenomena, they are coming up with various theories as to how they work, what they can do and where they come from. Regardless of any scientific underpinnings, psychics exercise their talents by sheer intuition, lending their extraordinary perceptions and abilities to many purposes, which range from the altruistic to the utterly selfish. Most people can develop psychic potential to some degree but it usually abides at a very low level unless the person devotes time and effort towards developing his power.
The Astral and Ethereal Planes Psychic sensitivity seems to be linked to the Astral and Ethereal planes, the frequencies of thought and emotion respectively. Occultists of theosophical persuasion identified that the bodies of sentient creatures resonate in more than one frequency and have called those frequencies ‘Planes of Existence.’ The planes are not exactly places that can be reached, despite being classified as ‘otherworlds,’ although psychics and powerful magicians may make ‘travels’ there, or ‘look into’ them. In reality, they are just adjusting their bodies to a new frequency of existence, transforming their bodies into the matter that exists in those planes and thus shifting into them, or attuning their senses so that they can perceive things on those planes’ frequencies. The Material Plane The Material Plane is where all matter exists and sentient beings form their material bodies from the plane’s matter. Most people are only ever aware of their material bodies.
The Ethereal Plane The Ethereal Plane is the frequency of life energies (not life itself ) and lower feelings and is therefore where ghosts exist, as they are psychical echoes of their former emotions, given a semblance of life without bodies to channel it. A psychic who looks into the Ethereal Plane will see a world much like that to which he is accustomed, though slightly muted and blurry, all things drained of colour and covered by thin fog. Depending on how he adjusts his senses, he can perceive auras, psychic echoes or even the spirits of the dead that are within view in an ethereal state. The Ethereal Plane is mostly empty of structures and impediments, with the substance known as ether pervading everything. Ether as occultists understand it is the same substance that scientists postulate as the medium through which light propagates, except that mediums and psychics perceive and manipulate a more sublime manifestation of the substance. Ectoplasm is basically ether manifested in the Material Plane by the will of a talented psychic, acquiring several special qualities by becoming denser; see the Ectoplasm sidebar on page 272.
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ven as science and technology discover new truths and abolish old ones, magic refuses to completely fade away. Polite society refers to magic as ‘occult science’ in order to gloss over the uncomfortable implications of primitivism or arcane lore, so that the supernatural lurks under the veneer of normalcy and sophisticated civilization. Many occultists study supernatural phenomena under the pretext of science, using arcane formulae from ancient cultures or alluding to obscure traditions from exotic lands.
While it is possible to see into the Material Plane from the Ethereal Plane, the Ethereal Plane is usually invisible to those on the Material Plane; except through psychic powers like the sight. Normally, creatures on the Ethereal Plane cannot attack creatures on the Material Plane and vice versa. A traveller on the Ethereal Plane is invisible, incorporeal and utterly silent to someone on the Material Plane. Magic rituals of the Protection discipline can create effects of mystical force that affect ethereal beings. Psychics may manipulate ectoplasm on the etheric side to achieve similar effects. Only psychics who can manifest ectoplasm can affect the Material Plane if they are travelling in the Ethereal. All living things have an etheric double, which looks exactly like them but is formed of etheric matter. Etheric doubles usually reside in the same space as the material body, shielded from ethereal creatures and effects by the material coating. Some magical effects or psychic powers may target a person’s etheric body directly, causing great harm to the person. The Astral Plane Astral matter exists superimposed with ethereal and material substance but it is of such sublime composition that it is imperceptible by anyone and anything, even appearing to have no consistency at all. The Astral Plane is the frequency of higher thoughts and emotions and it is a threshold to even higher states of existence.
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Supernatural agents exist in this plane, like spirits, elementals, and ghosts before they materialise. From the Astral Plane, psychics and magicians can set forth towards mythical lands, such as the lands of Dream and even Heaven and Hell, whatever forms these might take in a given campaign.
developing a handful of base powers and deepening their perceptions and abilities to reach their potential, although a few strive to broaden their understanding of the interactions between the Material, Ethereal and Astral Planes, learning many different abilities but hardly reaching the depths of more focused savants.
When attuned to astral sight, psychics may be able to read the thoughts of people by analysing the colours of their astral auras, and ascertain higher emotions from them as well. Dreamers and occultists can detach their astral bodies (see below) and travel around the world; while in this state, a traveller sees a great, endless sphere of clear silvery sky, both above and below. Occasional bits of solid matter can be found there but most of the Astral Plane is an endless, open domain. A traveller must reattune his senses to be able to observe the Material Plane from there.
Base powers are learned as feats. Any character can develop his psychic potential by spending one of his character feats, provided that he meets the feat’s prerequisites. Only occultists gain psychic powers as bonus feats provided by their class and may even ignore some of the prerequisites. All other characters must use the feats they gain at 1st, 3rd and every three levels thereafter in order to gain a base psychic power.
There is no way that mortals may affect the Astral Plane. They may only perceive it and travel through it, being too anchored to their lower vibrations to do anything else. Only sentient beings possess an astral body. Like the etheric body, it coexists within the material shell. Psychics can detach their astral bodies and send them to travel. As the Astral Plane is timeless, it allows them to see the other side of the world if they know how to get there. Astral bodies are totally imperceptible from both the Material and the Ethereal Planes but with a little effort, an astrally projecting person can see into the Ethereal and Material Planes. When travelling thus, an astral body is connected to its material anchor by an almost imperceptible silver cord. Only natives of the Astral Plane may affect an astral body outside its material shell.
Powers of the Mind Psychic powers are all about extrasensory perception, and the senses of psychics are so incredibly sharp that they can perceive what is invisible for ordinary people. Most of a psychic’s abilities manifest when he opens his perceptions to the Ethereal and Astral Planes, at which point he gains access to a different world of sensory input. Once this channel is open, the more accomplished psychics need not limit themselves to taking in the impressions but may also exert their will in subtle ways to alter what they see. Going by the occult maxim ‘as above, so below’, such changes have repercussions in the Material Plane. Other psychics are more adept at creating the channel between the subtler planes and the Material through their own bodies, such as mediums who can speak with the voices of the dead or bring forth ethereal matter in the form of ectoplasm, which the psychic can then mould and manipulate to create different unsettling effects. The different psychic powers are divided into trees, starting with a ‘root’ or base power and branching into derived psychic talents. Most psychics concentrate on
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Gaining a Base Power
Gaining Derived Powers Once a character learns a base power, improving it becomes a matter of practice and commitment. Upon gaining a base psychic power, the character has automatic access to the power’s basic effects and may use them freely. Derived powers require the psychic to have a better grasp on his talent and to be capable of exerting much finer control than demanded by the base power. In addition to this, he must practice; he explores the nuances of his perceptions until he finds the right combination of awareness and manipulation. In order to learn a derived power, the character must first have a certain number of ranks in the Psychic Control skill, as indicated under each power’s description. He may start practicing before he has the required ranks but he cannot gain the derived power until he meets that number. Each derived power also has a practice target, which is the number of points in a practice pool that the character must devote towards learning the power. A character can increase his practice pool in three different ways:
Instead of buying ranks in any skill, the character can invest some of the skill points he gains at each level towards the psychic practice pool, converting on a one-for-one basis. He may do this only upon gaining a new character level. He may not convert practice points back into skill points at any time.
Once per level, the character can sacrifice ranks in the Psychic Control skill to increase his practice pool. He adds one point per rank sacrificed. Note that if he sacrifices so many ranks that he fails to meet the derived power’s rank requirements then he cannot learn the power until he increases his Psychic Control ranks to the required level. Sacrificed skill ranks are no longer usable for Psychic Control checks, effectively decreasing the character’s ability to use his powers. He cannot convert practice points back into skill ranks at any time.
‘I need a concentrated force to burst this grate. Heshia, do you think you can do that?’ Jerrek was surprised at how gentle his voice sounded now whenever he talked to her. The tone was not lost on the elf woman either. Her cheeks coloured slightly, even as the dwarf turned to Gailion behind her and stuck his finger down his throat, mockingly. Jerrek made a mental note to have the engineer beaten profusely as soon as they finished this mission.
With a quick look to make sure the group was safely clear of her in case the spell should go awry, she began her chant. This was a powerful spell, one of the strongest she knew. If it was not spoken word for word with her mind clear of all distractions and doubt, the energies she called up could easily rage out of control. This used to be so easy, or so the legends of her people said. That was before the lines of iron were laid over the world and magic began to suffer in the wake of invention. Now, power was a fickle, difficult thing to call up and an even harder challenge to keep in check. If she made a mistake now, it could injure or even kill her outright.
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‘I think so. Just clear back and give me some room.’ Heshia waited for everyone to retreat to the far side of the landing from her, then pulled out a piece of blessed chalk and a pouch of magical foci. She selected a small sphere of crystal and kept it in her palm while she drew a careful circle around herself on the discoloured stone of the floor. She added a series of mystic symbols to the four corners of the circle, elements of magic intended to help her gather the power she would need to force open a trap door of solid iron.
The crystal bauble in her hand began to pulse with the gathering storm of the magic at her command. It was glowing like a tiny star and she knew that it would not be able to hold much more. Even now, she could feel the power trying to escape, seeking any flaw in the sphere for a way out of its confinement. When she could no longer chance drawing on the ether, she spoke the final word of binding and hurled her sphere at the opening above. It was a perfect throw, guided by the energies still flaring around her like a silver flame. The sphere struck the metal door and erupted, hammering into it with the force of a giant’s maul. The metal blew out of shape, shattering the stone above and blasting free several feet into the air on a clap of glowing thunder. That was the cue for Thurdin and Gearbolt to act. They both launched grenades out of the hole in the direction of the guards as Gailion had last seen them. Even before they landed and detonated, the ghost was on the move. Gailion shot up out of the passage, immediately drawing fire away from Jerrek’s team as they came up into what would be, for good or ill, their final battle in the depths of the ancient city.
Once per level, the character can spend one action point to add 3 practice points to his pool.
Once the character has accumulated enough points in his practice pool, he can spend them to learn any derived power that he can afford and for which he has the base power, keeping any leftover points so that he may learn other derived powers. He can do this at any time in which he meets all the costs and requirements for the derived power. For example, Heshia is an accomplished occultist with the Psychic Sensitivity and Sight base powers. She wishes to learn the Astral Aura Sight power, derived from the Sight base power. This requires her to have 10 ranks in the Psychic Control skill and costs 6 practice points. She already has 5 points in her practice pool and has 10 ranks in Psychic Control. When she gains a new level in the occultist class, she spends 3 of her skill points to increase her practice pool to 8 but decides to wait on purchasing any powers. During one of her travels, Heshia comes upon tense negotiations with a local group of city leaders in the human lands. She has enough points to learn the Astral Aura Sight power, which would enable her to gain a glimpse on
the leaders’ dispositions and true powers, so she chooses to do so and see what her newfound power can reveal. She immediately spends the 6 practice points necessary to learn the derived power and, in a flash of inspiration, her senses open to the Astral Plane, allowing her to read the group’s auras. Their power is unmistakable; these are the City Fathers of Megadon. Unfortunately, she cannot pick out which one is the focus of her quest for vengeance. She will have to work her way into their good graces and hope for a chance to examine them all more closely…
Using Powers Whenever a psychic makes use of his talents, he is opening his consciousness to a vaster world, one that normal perceptions are not prepared to handle. In order to use his powers, a psychic must enter an altered state of consciousness, however brief. In short, he must enter a trance, visualise his effect and activate the power. The Trance The character must roll a Concentration check (DC 15) to put mind and body in attunement with the psychic energy. This is a standard action that a character can perform once per round, with failure meaning that the character is not able to focus his will. Success puts the
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character into a trance, during which he can use any and all of his psychic powers, but the trance distracts him from the comings and goings of the real world, bestowing a –2 penalty to initiative checks, attack rolls, Defence Value and checks for skills based on Strength and Dexterity. He looks distracted while in a trance, his eyes glazed over and his reactions slower than normal. The trance lasts as long as the character wills it, but if he is distracted by such influences as violent motion or physical damage, he must roll a new Concentration check with the DC indicated in the description for the Concentration skill. If he fails, he snaps out of the trance before being ready to do so; he becomes fatigued, unable to run or charge and taking a penalty of –2 to Strength and Dexterity. The psychic can recover from this kind of fatigue after 4 hours of complete, uninterrupted rest. A psychic can maintain a trance for 10 minutes per point of Constitution modifier; he must roll another Concentration check after that time but the DC increases by a cumulative +1. If he fails, he snaps out of the trance as above. If he succeeds, he can maintain the trance for another span of time equal to the previous one. He makes subsequent checks every time his concentration falters and each time the DC increases by +1. Note that some powers take up much more time than that, so the psychic must find a way to keep his wits about him. Activating the Power To activate a psychic power, the character makes a Psychic Control check against the DC indicated by the power in question. Derived powers use the same DC as their base power. If the check succeeds, the psychic activates his power successfully. If he fails, the power does not activate and he is at risk of suffering from backlash, depending on how bad the failure was. All powers remain in effect while the character concentrates on them. The character may only concentrate on one power at a time; if he activates a second psychic power, any previous active power ends immediately. Ectoplasmic Secretion is exempt from this rule, as it works in tandem with other powers. The Broad Attention feat allows a psychic to concentrate on more than one power at a time. The use of psychic powers is very hard to detect. A Sense Motive check (the DC is the result of the character’s Backlash Effects Psychic Control Check Fails …by 5 points or more …by 10 points or more ...with a natural 1 on the die
Psychic Control check) will allow a bystander to notice the intense concentration on the part of the psychic but he will need additional clues to determine that a psychic power is being used, such as the violent manifestations of psychokinesis, the appearance of ectoplasm, a target’s sudden change of attitude or other obvious cues. Only then can a witness identify the psychic as the source of the phenomenon.
Psychic Powers The following are the psychic powers available to characters in OGL Steampunk. Each base power lists its derived powers under its entry, as they share many characteristics. Prerequisites: As they are feats, base powers have their own prerequisites a character must meet in order to learn them. A prerequisite can be another base power, in which case the character does not need to have any of its derived powers for it to count as meeting the prerequisite. Since simply having the base power unlocks the possibility of learning a derived power, the character only needs to meet the latter’s Psychic Control ranks requirement and practice points cost. Control/Save DC: These are two numbers separated by a slash (/). The first one is the power’s control DC. This is what the psychic must roll on a Psychic Control check to activate the base power and all its derived powers. The second number is the DC that a victim must beat with a Will saving throw; if there is a dash (-) instead of a number, the psychic power either does not allow a saving throw or its effect does not require one. Effect: A description of what the power does in terms of rules mechanics. This applies to the base power, as derived powers have their own entries later. Derived Powers: The list and description of the derived powers a character can learn with practice once he gains the base power. Each derived power starts with its name, its effect, the ranks in the Psychic Control skill that the character must have to learn it, and the practice points he must spend.
Psychic Sensitivity The character has a preternatural sense that alerts him when he is in the presence of extraordinary things and an acuteness of vision that allows him to perceive hidden details. This is the power that opens the realm of the
Effect* 1d6 damage, dazed for 1 round. 2d6 damage, stunned for 1 round, Concentration check (DC 15) or snap out of trance. 3d6 damage, snap out of trance, exhausted.
* These effects do not stack if more than one failure condition is met. Use the most severe applicable condition.
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Psychic Powers Table Power Psychic Sensitivity
Psychic Control 3 ranks, 2 points Psychic Control 10 ranks, 6 points Psychic Control 5 ranks, 2 points Psychic Sensitivity Psychic Control 10 ranks, 6 points Psychic Control 3 ranks, 2 points Psychic Control 5 ranks, 4 points Psychic Control 8 ranks, 4 points Cha 15+, Psychic Sensitivity
Awe-Inspiring Charm Command Entrancement Induce Emotion Suggestion Ectoplasmic Secretion Harden Ectoplasm Fine Manipulation Sensory Input Extrasensory input
Psychic Control 9 ranks, 5 points Psychic Control 3 ranks, 2 points Psychic Control 12 ranks, 4 points Psychic Control 3 ranks, 2 points Psychic Control 10 ranks, 4 points Psychic Control 9 ranks, 6 points Concentration 5 ranks, Psychic Sensitivity, The Sight Psychic Control 6 ranks, 2 points Psychic Control 4 ranks, 2 points Psychic Control 8 ranks, 4 points Psychic Control 6 ranks, 6 points, Sensory Input Attentive, Psychic Sensitivity
Mental Contact Mental Scream Mind Wall Plant Impulse Read Thoughts Sense Emotions Psychokinesis Ectenic Force Levitation Clairsentience Future Sight Past Sight Psychic Hound Scry Spiritism Aid Ghost Astral Travel Channel the Dead Poltergeist Wilful Possession Psychic Healing
Facilitate Recovery Purge Malignancy Recuperate Body Withstand Pain
Psychic Control 4 ranks, 2 points Psychic Control 4 ranks, 2 points Psychic Control 4 ranks, 2 points Psychic Control 6 ranks, 4 points Psychic Control 6 ranks, 4 points Psychic Control 6 ranks, 2 points Iron Will, Psychic Sensitivity Psychic Control 6 ranks, 6 points Psychic Control 6 ranks, 4 points Psychic Sensitivity, The Sight (deeper trance) Psychic Control 10 ranks, 6 points Psychic Control 6 ranks, 4 points Psychic Control 6 ranks, 4 points Psychic Control 8 ranks, 6 points Psychic Sensitivity, The Sight, Ectoplasmic Secretion Psychic Control 4 ranks, 4 points Psychic Control 14 ranks, 8 points Psychic Control 12 ranks, 6 points Psychic Control 6 ranks, 2 points Psychic Control 8 ranks, 6 points Treat Injury skill, Knowledge (earth and life sciences) skill, Psychic Sensitivity Psychic Control 4 ranks, 6 points Psychic Control 10 ranks, 4 points Psychic Control 8 ranks, 4 points Psychic Control 4 ranks, 2 points
Effect +2 to Search and Sense Motive, detect the presence of the supernatural +4 to Spot and Listen Get a hunch about a situation +4 to Concentration to maintain trance See the Ethereal and Astral Planes Read astral auras +4 to Search even through solids Read etheric auras See hidden and invisible subjects +2 to Diplomacy and Intimidate, influence action dice bonus for Cha-based skills Cause shaken condition on subjects Make subjects into friends Force subjects to perform a specific action Captivate a subject’s attention Cause emotion on subjects Influence subject’s actions Secrete cloud of ectoplasmic matter
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Hyperaesthesia Intuition Deeper Trance The Sight Astral Aura Sight Dowsing Etheric Aura Sight Pierce Concealment Mesmerism
Telepathy
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Prerequisite/Cost Wis 15+ or occultist 1st level
Make solid part of an ectoplasmic cloud Use ectoplasm as second pair of hands See and hear through ectoplasm Ectoplasmic senses have Darkvision and channel powers from The Sight Sense Motive and Gather Information are class skills, detect presence of sentient minds Establish telepathic communication Stun subjects with telepathic barrage +2 to Will saves against psychic powers Plant an attraction or aversion on a subject Read subject’s thoughts Read large crowds and detect lies Lift small objects, cause minor phenomena Move objects with the mind Float off the ground +2 to initiative, Reflex saves, and DV against traps Gain information on future event Read the past of a place, object or creature Locate direction of creature or object See a faraway place or creature +2 to all saves and to Cha-based checks vs. the dead and the undead, or as Mesmerism Bonus to a ghost’s abilities Send astral body away Ask questions to the dead Throw objects in an area Allow spirit to possess psychic’s body +2 to Fortitude saves and to Treat Injury checks
Speed recovery of hit points or cure them Eliminate the effects of poison, drugs and disease Heal ability damage, negative levels and lost levels Convert lethal to non-lethal damage
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Element Place of power (nexus or ley line) Supernatural creature Other occultists Magic effect
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Other
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DC Depends on power rating; see the Magic section 20 minus half creature’s HD or character level 30 minus highest ranks in an occult skill, that is, Ritual (any) or Psychic Control Depends on the aura strength; see the Law of Resonance on the Laws of Magic section Games Master’s judgement
Ethereal and Astral Planes to the new psychic’s senses and the foundation stone upon which he builds his entire potential. Prerequisites: Wisdom 15+ or occultist 1st level. Control/Save DC: 15/Effect: Even when the character is out of a trance, he gains a +2 psychic bonus to Search and Sense Motive checks. If he comes within 60 feet of occult elements such as vampires, ghosts, ley lines, entrances to otherworlds or other psychics, he can make an automatic Psychic Control check to have a flash of insight that reveals the presence of the occult element, although not its nature, exact location or strength. The DC of this check depends on the strength of the element, such as a place of power’s strength, a supernatural creature’s inherent power or the depth of an occultist’s skills. Derived Powers: Characters with the Psychic Sensitivity base power can eventually learn the following derived powers.
Hyperaesthesia: When he is in a state of trance and activates this power, the psychic sharpens his senses to the world. The character ignores the trance penalty for Spot and Listen checks, instead gaining a +4 psychic bonus. Requirements: Psychic Control 3 ranks, 2 practice points.
Intuition: The psychic has an innate ability to sense trouble in the air, even when he is out of a trance. The character can make a Psychic Control check to activate this power. If successful, the character gets a hunch that everything is all right, or a bad feeling about a specific situation, based on the Games Master’s best guess relating to the circumstances. Requirements: Psychic Control 10 ranks, 6 practice points.
Deeper Trance: The character can enter a much deeper trance than other psychics. He gains a +4 circumstance bonus to Concentration checks in order to
resist snapping out of a trance from distraction. Requirements: Psychic Control 5 ranks, 2 practice points.
The Sight Once his perceptions are opened to the occult, a psychic can attune his senses in order to perceive the subtler realities of the Ethereal and Astral Planes. Prerequisites: Psychic Sensitivity. Control/Save DC: 20/10 + character’s level Effect: By entering a trance and activating this power, the character can now perceive the world of spirits. He can now see any ghosts, astral travellers and any other creature within normal sight range but hiding in the Ethereal or Astral Planes. He can hear and talk with such creatures, provided that he can speak their language.
Derived Powers: Characters with the Sight base power can eventually learn the following derived powers.
Astral Aura Sight: The character attunes his senses to the astral auras surrounding every sentient being. When activating this power, the psychic can look at a person or an object and ask one of the following questions per point of Wisdom modifier:
Character level Person’s identity One mental ability score (Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma) Attitude (hostile, unfriendly, indifferent, friendly, or helpful) One psychic power and derived powers Highest skill bonus with a mental key ability Ranks in one Ritual skill Whether an object is a conduit, magic item or construct
If the creature or object being analysed has reason to conceal any of this information, it can make a Will saving throw to resist. Places of magic power have a coruscating aura around them, which any psychic with ranks in Knowledge (occult sciences) recognises on the spot. Requirements: Psychic Control 10 ranks, 6 practice points.
Dowsing: The character enters trance and holds either a pair of metal rods or a forked wooden stick in his hands. Thus equipped, he scours an area. If he succeeds at the Psychic Control check, he gains a +4 psychic bonus to all Search checks, which he can use merely by passing the balanced dowsing utensil over the area through which he is searching. He can even search through solid matter up to a distance of 10 feet per Wisdom modifier in any direction, although a thin sheet of lead will conceal anything beyond it. The character must state what he is looking for in general terms, such as ‘anything made of metal’, ‘a dead body’, ‘coins’, ‘water’, ‘an open passage’, ‘a ley line’, and so on. The psychic cannot search for live creatures but he can search for undead and constructs. He can maintain the intense concentration necessary for dowsing for 30 minutes, after which he must make a Concentration check at DC 15 or snap out of the trance. He must make a subsequent check every minute thereafter, with the DC increasing by +1 cumulatively for every previous successful check. Requirements: Psychic Control 3 ranks, 2 practice points. Etheric Aura Sight: The character attunes his senses to the etheric auras surrounding every
Number of hit points remaining Person’s gender and general health information One physical ability score (Strength, Dexterity or Constitution) The presence of poison and disease, though these still need a Treat Injury check to identify them Basic and powerful emotions like hate, love, desire, friendship and the like Highest skill bonus with a physical key ability A creature’s type, such as animal, humanoid, construct or undead
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living being. When activating this power, the psychic can look at a person or an object and ask one of the following questions per point of Wisdom modifier:
If the creature or object being analysed has reasons to conceal any of this information, it can make a Will saving throw to resist. Requirements: Psychic Control 5 ranks, 4 practice points.
Pierce Concealment: By entering a trance and activating this power, the psychic can concentrate his senses on the auras of creatures and objects, instead of their physical appearance and location. He ignores a creature’s cover and concealment bonuses and can see invisible or otherwise hidden creatures. The information he gains is vague; he merely focuses on the presence of the auras’ owners. He can ‘see’ through solid matter up to 10 feet thick, although he cannot perceive auras through a thin sheet of lead. Requirements: Psychic Control 8 ranks, 4 practice points.
Mesmerism Many psychics develop a property not usually attributed to people, namely magnetism. This magnetism radiates from their every pore. They learn to shape and direct it so that it achieves definite effects on the reactions and emotions of others. Prerequisites: Charisma 15+, Psychic Sensitivity. Control/Save DC: 15/10 + half character level + Cha modifier Effect: When the character is out of a trance, he gains a +2 psychic bonus to Diplomacy and Intimidate checks. In addition, when he spends an action point to bolster any Charisma-based skill check, a result of 1 or 2 on the action dice automatically becomes 3. Despite the mind-affecting nature of mesmerism powers, they do still affect constructs and undead, as the psychic’s influence is magnetic in nature. Where not specified, the range of all Mesmerism powers is 10 feet plus 5 feet per character level. Derived Powers: Characters with the Mesmerism base power can eventually learn the following derived powers.
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Awe-Inspiring: When the character enters a trance and activates this power, all opponents within 10 feet who have fewer levels than he does must make a Will saving throw. An opponent who fails his saving throw is shaken, taking a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws and skill checks for a number of rounds equal to 1d6 plus the character’s Charisma modifier. The character can use this power once per round as a free action until the trance ends. Requirements: Psychic Control 9 ranks, 5 practice points.
Charm: By synchronising his magnetism with a subject’s, the psychic makes a subject regard him as its trusted friend and ally; treat the target’s attitude as friendly. If the subject is currently being threatened or attacked by the psychic or his allies, however, it receives a +5 bonus on its saving throw or breaks the effect if the subject was already affected. This power does not enable the character to control the charmed subject as if he was an automaton but the subject does perceive his words and actions in the most favourable way. The psychic may try to give the subject orders but must win an opposed Charisma check to convince it to do anything it would not ordinarily do. Retries are not allowed. An affected subject never obeys suicidal or obviously harmful orders but he might be convinced that something very dangerous is worth doing. The affected creature must speak the psychic’s language to understand his commands, though pantomiming can convey some degree of intent at the Games Master’s discretion. Requirements: Psychic Control 3 ranks, 2 practice points.
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Entrancement: Upon activating this power, the psychic can transmit his state of trance to one or more subjects. The psychic and his subjects must be within 90 feet, able to see and pay attention to each other. The distraction of a nearby combat or other dangers prevents the ability from working. For every three levels a psychic attains beyond the first, he can target one additional creature with a single use of this power. Unlike other derived powers of Mesmerism, the DC for each affected subject’s Will saving throw against the effect is the result of the Psychic Control check. If a subject’s saving throw succeeds, the character cannot attempt to entrance that subject again for 24 hours. If its saving throw fails, the subject sits quietly and stares at the psychic, taking no other actions, for as long as the psychic continues to keep this power active up to a maximum of 1 round per character level. While entranced, a target takes a –4 penalty on skill checks made as reactions, such as Listen and Spot checks. Any potential threat requires the psychic to make a Concentration check and allows the creature a new saving throw. Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing or aiming a weapon, activating an obvious psychic power, a magic conduit, or a wondrous machine, automatically breaks the effect. Requirements: Psychic Control 3 ranks, 2 practice points.
Induce Emotion: The psychic can induce one of the following emotions on a subject which whom he speaks for at least one full minute.
Command: The character sends a sharp wave of his magnetism towards one or more subjects, issuing a single command, which they obey to the best of their ability at the earliest opportunity. You may select from the following options.
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The psychic can project enough magnetism to affect a number of subjects equal to his character level divided by 4, rounded down. These continue to be affected after they fail their Will saving throws for as long as they remain within 60 feet of the psychic. The character can maintain his concentration for 1 round per character level, although he does not snap out of his trance when he is forced to suspend his magnetic waves. If the subject cannot carry out a command on its next turn, the effect automatically fails. Requirements: Psychic Control 12 ranks, 4 practice points.
Approach: On its turn, the subject moves toward you as quickly and directly as possible. The subject may do nothing but move during its turn. Drop: On its turn, the subject drops whatever it is holding. It cannot pick up any dropped item until its next turn. Fall: On its turn, the subject falls to the ground and remains prone. It may act normally while prone but takes any appropriate penalties. Flee: On its turn, the subject moves away from you as quickly as possible. It may do nothing but move during its turn. Halt: The subject stands in place; it may not take any actions but is not considered helpless.
Despair: The subject suffers a –2 morale penalty to saving throws, attack rolls, ability checks, skill checks and weapon damage rolls. This emotion would cancel an existing state of hope. Fear: The affected target flees from the character whenever they see him. This emotion would cancel an existing state of rage. Friendship: The affected target reacts more positively toward others. Their attitude shifts to the next more
secrete ectoplasm from his body (see boxed text on page 272) at the rate of one five-foot cube each round, plus an extra cube per Charisma modifier. He can maintain a maximum number of cubes equal to twice his character level but may stop secreting the substance at any time before reaching his maximum. He can dictate the shape of the area the ectoplasm covers. Subjects inside an area covered in ectoplasm suffer a -2 penalty to Will saving throws against psychic powers and magic abilities given the psychoactive nature of the substance but suffer no other ill effects. Derived Powers: Characters with the Ectoplasmic Secretion base power can eventually learn the following derived powers.
Harden Ectoplasm: With a fair amount of concentration, the psychic can harden any part of his ectoplasmic cloud so that it becomes truly solid. He can harden one cube 5 feet per side (enough to envelop a normal human) per Charisma modifier. The ectoplasm in that area adds +10 to its hardness. Subjects in a hardened area can make a Reflex saving throw (DC 11 + character’s Charisma modifier) to avoid becoming trapped. They receive a +2 bonus if the psychic is trying to harden ectoplasm around their heads. Any subject failing its saving throw cannot move but can break loose by spending 1 round and defeating the psychic in an opposed check of Strength or Escape Artist versus Psychic Control. If the subject’s head is covered by hardened ectoplasm, he starts to suffocate, for which see the rules for suffocation on page 209. The psychic may not move or secrete more ectoplasm while he concentrates on hardening a part of it. Requirements: Psychic Control 6 ranks, 2 practice points.
Fine Manipulation: The psychic has such control of the matter he is secreting that it can act as an additional hand. The character can manipulate objects and perform tasks he would normally be able to do with his hands at any point of the cloud of ectoplasm. The character can only concentrate on one point of his ectoplasmic secretion at any one time, so he cannot perform multiple remote actions in the same round. The psychic must be able to see or perceive what he is doing with any of his other senses. He cannot lift or wield objects with the ectoplasmic tendrils and can only use them as fingers and impromptu tools. Requirements: Psychic Control 4 ranks, 2 practice points.
Sensory Input: The character can employ the ectoplasm as if it were part of his body, so that he can see and hear from any point of the ectoplasmic cloud as if he were standing there. His vision and hearing are normal and he may only concentrate
The subject may be affected willingly by foregoing his Will saving throw. Unwilling subjects who fail their saving throws remain affected as long as they remain within 30 feet of the character, while willing ones retain the effect while standing within 15 feet. Subjects remain affected for 5 more rounds after the effect ends for whatever reason. Requirements: Psychic Control 10 ranks, 4 practice points.
Suggestion: While in a trance, the psychic can influence the actions of a target creature by suggesting a course of activity, limited to a sentence or two. The suggestion must be worded in such a manner as to make the activity sound reasonable. Asking the creature to do some obviously harmful act automatically negates the effect of the power. The suggested course of activity can continue for the entire time the psychic stays in the trance, his magnetism transcending distance. If the suggested activity can be completed in a shorter time, the subject is no longer affected by the power when he finishes what he was asked to do. A very reasonable suggestion causes the saving throw to be made with a penalty, such as –1 or –2. Requirements: Psychic Control 9 ranks, 6 practice points.
Ectoplasmic Secretion The psychic is able to coalesce etheric matter into a denser form in the Material Plane in the form of ectoplasm, which he can manipulate at will. Prerequisites: Concentration 5 ranks, Psychic Sensitivity, The Sight. Control/Save DC: 20/Effect: By entering a deep trance, the character can
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favourable reaction: hostile to unfriendly, unfriendly to indifferent, indifferent to friendly, or friendly to helpful. Hate: The affected target reacts more negatively toward others. Their attitude shifts to the next less favourable reaction; helpful to friendly, friendly to indifferent, indifferent to unfriendly or unfriendly to hostile. Hope: The affected target gains a +2 morale bonus to saving throws, attack rolls, ability checks, skill checks, and weapon damage rolls. This emotion would cancel an existing state of despair. Rage: The affected target gains a +2 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution scores, a +1 morale bonus on Will saving throws and a –1 penalty to DV. He is compelled to fight heedless of danger. This emotion would cancel an existing state of fear.
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Ectoplasm
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As explained earlier, ectoplasm is etheric matter made denser and brought into the Material Plane by the talents of a psychic. It is a greyish substance, slightly translucent and with a soft greenish glow. The psychic must use his own body to produce ectoplasm. It is usually excreted from the mouth but may also be exuded from the pores on the hands, face and other parts of thebody. Ectoplasm is psychoactive, which means that it reacts to the thoughts of the psychic producing it. It has hardness equal to the psychic’s total Will saving throw bonus, which the psychic can voluntarily reduce to 0 at any point. Ectoplasm bobs and oozes in an amorphous cloud of floating matter. A patch occupying a cube 5 feet per side will have 2d10 hit points plus the psychic’s Charisma modifier. Ectoplasm can float freely, seeming to have no weight at all. It moves away from the psychic at the rate of 5 feet per round in any direction and as for as far as the psychic can maintain a steady stream of the substance. The mass of glowing ooze always remains connected to the psychic by several strands of various thicknesses; see hardness and hit points above. As it is no longer ethereal, ectoplasm cannot pass through walls but it can squeeze through even the smallest of openings. If the psychic snaps out of the trance, the ectoplasm formed dissolves into thin air in 1d4 rounds, as does any part that is broken off or loses contact with the psychic. The ectoplasmic cloud obscures all sight, including darkvision, beyond 5 feet. A creature 5 feet away has concealment; attacks have a 20% miss chance. Creatures farther away have total concealment; attacks have a 50% miss chance and attackers cannot use sight to locate targets. A moderate wind (11+ mph), disperses the cloud in 4 rounds, while a strong wind (21+ mph) disperses it in 1 round, unless the psychic makes a Psychic Control check (DC 15 for moderate and 20 for strong) to maintain the cloud’s integrity. Fire burns away the ectoplasm harmlessly, erasing any part of the cloud with which it comes into contact. Ghosts and any other ethereal creature inside the ectoplasm will become visible unless they succeed at a Will saving throw with a DC equal to the Psychic Control check result. Their forms are blurred and indistinct, and their voices faint. Ethereal creatures attacked whilst inside a cloud of ectoplasm receive half damage from material sources, to which they are normally immune. The derived powers for Ectoplasmic Secretion grant a psychic better control over ectoplasm’s properties, as well as allowing him to use it for a variety of effects. on one point of his ectoplasmic secretion at any one time, so he cannot perceive everything that happens around his secretion in the same round. The psychic must be able to see or perceive what he is doing with any of his other senses. Unlike other psychic powers, this property does not require a Psychic Control check to activate but is an automatic property of the ectoplasm he secretes. Requirements: Psychic Control 8 ranks, 4 practice points.
Extrasensory Input: The psychic must already have the sensory input derived power before he can learn extrasensory input. By activating this power, the character can now see through his ectoplasm as if he had darkvision and can use any powers from The Sight through the ectoplasm. Requirements: Psychic Control 6 ranks, 6 practice points.
Telepathy The psychic opens his mind to the astral winds, which transport thoughts and higher emotions from mind to mind.
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Prerequisites: Attentive, Psychic Sensitivity. Control/Save DC: 15 base (see below)/10 + half character level + Charisma modifier Effect: When the psychic learns this power, Sense Motive and Gather Information become class skills or, if he already has them as class skills, he gains a +1 psychic bonus to Sense Motive and Gather Information checks. The character can enter a normal trance and concentrate on actively detecting the presence of sentient minds within the range he specifies before rolling the Psychic Control check to activate the power. All Telepathy powers have a base DC of 15, which can increase or decrease depending on the derived power and the focus of his range. All telepathy powers work in close range (25 ft. + 5 ft. per character level) but the psychic can try to increase that range by increasing the DC of the Psychic Control check. Range Modifier Range Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level) Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level) Overland (1 mile/level) Continental (100 miles/level)
DC modifier +5 +10 +15 +20
The more familiar the character is with a subject, the greater his chance of establishing telepathic contact, as noted in the table below. Even if he is on another continent, a telepath may be able to contact an intimate friend to warn him of danger.
Plant Impulse: The psychic plants a compelling attraction or a strong aversion in the mind of the target. The impulse can be toward a particular person, an object, an action or an event. The power’s subject takes reasonable steps to meet, get close to, attend, find, or perform the object of its implanted attraction, or avoid, get away from, or miss the object of the aversion. For the purposes of this power, ‘reasonable’ means that while fascinated, the subject does not suffer from blind obsession. The subject will not undertake obviously self-destructive actions and can still recognize danger but will not flee unless the threat is immediate. If the psychic makes the subject feel an impulse towards himself, he cannot command the subject indiscriminately, although the subject will be willing to listen to the psychic even if the subject disagrees with what he is told. If the feeling is aversion, the subject will do all in his power to stay up to 30 feet away from the psychic. While active, this power grants the psychic a +4 bonus to his or her Charisma modifier when dealing with the subject. Requirements: Psychic Control 6 ranks, 4 practice points.
Read Thoughts: The psychic can concentrate closer on the whispers of the astral winds and read the surface thoughts around him. He chooses a single subject within the specified range and makes his Psychic Control check. The subject can make a Will saving throw to prevent the character from reading its thoughts. If the subject fails, the character can ‘listen in’ to what the subject is thinking at the moment but cannot pry deeper. A subject can still sense that its mind is being invaded if he failed his saving throw by less than 5, while a character with Psychic Sensitivity needs to fail by less than 10 to do so. Also, if the subject beats the saving throw DC by 10 or more, he repels the attempt and realises someone has just tried to read his mind, while a psychic sensitive needs only to succeed by 5 or more to achieve this. Creatures of animal intelligence (Int 1 or 2) have simple, instinctual thoughts that the psychic can pick up. By increasing the Psychic Control check DC by +10, the psychic can attempt to reach deeper inside a subject’s psyche, to ask one question per point of his Wisdom modifier. The subject gains a +2 to his Will saving throw to resist the deeper probing but must subconsciously answer the psychic’s questions if he fails. Requirements: Psychic Control 6 ranks, 6 practice points.
Sense Emotions: With a successful Psychic Control check, the psychic in a trance can use the Sense Motive skill to ascertain the exact feelings of large crowds or focus his preternatural attention on a single individual. When reading large crowds, the psychic detects the mood of 10 living beings
Connection Modifier Connection Second-hand knowledge First-hand knowledge or any knowledge, but subject is within sight Familiar knowledge Intimate ally Likeness or picture Possession or garment Body part, lock of hair, bit of nail or similar
DC modifier +5 +0 –5 –10 –2 –4 –10
Derived Powers: Characters with the Telepathy base power can eventually learn the following derived powers.
Mental Contact: The character can attempt to establish a connection between his mind and that of a subject. He must make a Psychic Control check at the base DC if he is contacting an ally, at +2 to the base DC (DC 17) if contacting a neutral person and at +5 to the base DC (DC 20) if contacting a hostile subject. Unwilling targets, which may include friends, make their Will saving throws as normal. If the psychic manages to establish mental contact, he and the subject can converse for as long as he maintains his trance. Communication takes place heedless of language barriers, as it is thoughts that are being transmitted in raw form. Requirements: Psychic Control 4 ranks, 2 practice points.
Mental Scream: The psychic opens a telepathic channel but instead of attempting contact in either direction, he simply floods his target with psychic energy. The DC for this power has a +5 modifier. If the subject fails his Will saving throw, then he is stunned for 3d4 rounds, during which the psychic can leave his trance without shortening the effect. Requirements: Psychic Control 8 ranks, 4 practice points.
Mind Wall: The character can shield his mind from psychic phenomena by exploiting his expertise with the astral winds. He enjoys a +2 bonus to Will saving throws against all applications of psychic powers and mind-affecting magic. He may even gain a saving throw even if he is not entitled to one by the effect’s description, such as avoiding detection by the Psychic Sensitivity or Telepathy base powers. Requirements: Psychic Control 4 ranks, 2 practice points.
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per check, which must be in the specified range. When focused on a single person, the psychic can instantly tell if that person is lying or hiding something. Requirements: Psychic Control 6 ranks, 2 practice points.
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Psychokinesis
Ectenic Force: The character can exert greater force upon his surroundings by channelling ectenic force to move them. Unlike other psychic powers, the outcome of using ectenic force depends on how good the Psychic Control check result is. With higher results, the psychic can lift heavier objects and move them more quickly. If the character spends an action point, he can push the object with sufficient speed to cause damage, ignoring the maximum speed but acknowledging the maximum weight of the object. The target of a damaging object can make a Reflex saving throw against the result of the Psychic Control check to suffer half damage.
Check Result less than 10 10-12 13-15 16-19 20-23 24-28 29-34 35-40
Maximum Weight failure 5 lb. 10 lb. 25 lb. 50 lb. 100 lb. 250 lb. 1,000 lb.
Maximum Speed failure 15 ft. 15 ft. 20 ft. 20 ft. 40 ft. 60 ft. 100 ft.
Damage* failure 1d6 2d6 3d6 4d6 5d6 6d6
* Character must spend an action point.
If an object is being held by someone, the character makes a second Psychic Control check, opposed
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There are many theories regarding how a psychic can manipulate physical phenomena with his mind. Some point to subtypes of ectoplasm as a possible reason, while others formulate theories around a psychic’s attunement to subtle magnetic forces within and without his body, or his ability to channel ectenic force from the Ethereal Plane. Prerequisites: Iron Will, Psychic Sensitivity Control/Save DC: Special Effect: The psychic can enter a trance to lift objects no heavier than 5 lbs. and move them around up to 15 feet per round with a successful Psychic Control check at DC 10. He can also create short, sudden movements on heavy objects, such as tables (especially séance tables) and other furniture. Finally, he can make noises by telekinetically rapping on walls and other objects and creatures. The rapping is not damage, but is felt as a strong poke and may distract a target, prompting opposed Psychic Control and Concentration checks. Derived Powers: Characters with the Psychokinesis base power can eventually learn the following derived powers.
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by the holder’s Strength check. The character can move objects in any direction without any additional effort. Requirements: Psychic Control 6 ranks, 6 practice points. Levitation: The psychic can move himself or another willing subject up and down at will. A creature must be willing to be levitated. The psychic can mentally direct the vertical movement as much as 20 feet each round as a move action and up to a maximum height depending on the Psychic Control check result. The psychic cannot elicit horizontal movement, although the psychic or the subject can push across a ceiling or wall at half their base land speed. A levitating creature that attacks with a melee or ranged weapon finds itself increasingly unstable; the first attack has a –1 penalty on attack rolls, the second –2 and so on, to a maximum penalty of –5. A full round spent stabilizing allows the subject to begin again at –1. Check Result less than 10 11-15 16-20 21-25 26-30
Maximum Height failure 20 ft. 60 ft. 180 ft. 500 ft.
Requirements: Psychic Control 6 ranks, 4 practice points.
Clairsentience The psychic fine-tunes his perceptions of psychic energy so precisely that he transcends distance, time and even fate in the visions that he gains. Prerequisites: Psychic Sensitivity, The Sight (deeper trance) Control/Save DC: 18 base (see below)/opposed Effect: When he is not in a trance, the psychic can have little glimpses of the next few seconds, particularly when he is in danger. He gains a +2 psychic bonus to initiative, to Reflex saving throws and to DV against traps. The derived powers have different modifiers, which they apply to the base Psychic Control DC made to activate them. Derived Powers: Characters with the Clairsentience base power can eventually learn the following derived powers.
Future Sight: The psychic moves forward in his visions, trying to discern the potential futures that express themselves in the astral winds. This power provides the psychic with a useful piece of advice in reply to a question concerning a specific goal, event, or activity that is to occur within a certain amount of time. The advice can be as simple as a short phrase, or it might take the form of a cryptic rhyme or omen. If the character does not act on the information, the conditions may change so that the information is no longer useful. The base chance for a correct answer is 70% + 1%
per character level, to a maximum of 90%. If the dice roll fails, the psychic is aware that the power has failed. The psychic decides how far ahead he wants to see, which adds a modifier to the Psychic Control DC. Regardless of the result, the psychic must maintain his trance for 10 minutes to gain a vision of the future.
Psychic Hound: The psychic can attune his senses to the distinct psychic echoes of an object or creature known to him. By activating this power, the character senses the direction of a well-known or clearly visualised object or creature, although not the distance to it or its surroundings. The character can search for general items or a creature of specific kind, in which case he locates the nearest one matching the criteria if more than one is within range. Attempting to find a certain item or creature requires a specific and accurate mental image; if the image is not close enough to the actual object, the power fails. The psychic may not specify a unique item or creature unless he has observed it first-hand or knows it intimately. Other psychics with Telepathy (mind wall) are entitled to a Will saving throw opposing the character’s Psychic Control check to avoid being located. Objects in their possession likewise benefit. A thin sheet of lead or running water effectively blocks this power. Trying to locate a creature increases the Psychic Control check DC by +4. Requirements: Psychic Control 6 ranks, 4 practice points.
Scry: You can see and hear some creature or the surroundings of a location, which may be at any distance. The Psychic Control check DC is determined by how familiar the psychic is with the location or creature but the latter is entitled to a Will saving throw opposing the Psychic Control check result to avoid being scryed upon.
DC modifier +0 +5 +10 +20 +30 +40 +50 +5 each
Multiple attempts concerning the same topic by the same psychic use the same dice result as the first use of the power and yield the same answer each time. Requirements: Psychic Control 10 ranks, 6 practice points.
Past Sight: The psychic concentrates on a location at which he is present, or on an object or person that he is touching and has a vision regarding its history. The types of events most likely to leave psychic impressions are those that elicited strong emotions: battles and betrayals, marriages and murders, births and great pain, or any other event where one emotion dominates. Everyday occurrences leave no residue for the character to detect, although if reading an object, each time it was gained and lost counts as an important event from the object’s perspective. This sensitivity extends a number of years into the past depending on the result of the Psychic Control check: Check Result Less than 15 15-16 17-18 19-20 21-25 26-30 31-40
Years Failure 100 200 300 500 1,000 2,000
The vision of the event is dreamlike and shadowy. The psychic does not gain special knowledge of those involved in the vision, though he might be able to read large banners or other writing if they are in an understood language. The character can sense one distinct event per round of concentration, if any exist at all. Requirements: Psychic Control 6 ranks, 4 practice points.
Knowledge None1 Second-hand (you have heard of the subject) First-hand (you have met the creature or visited the location) Familiar (you know the subject well)
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Time 1 week 1 month 1 year 10 years 100 years 500 years 1,000 years +500 years over 1,000
DC modifier +10 +5 +0 –5
1
You must have some sort of connection to a subject you have no knowledge of.
Connection Likeness or picture Possession, garment or furniture once in contact with the subject Body part, lock of hair, bit of nail, scrap of painting, thread of tapestry or the like
DC modifier –2 –4 –10
If the psychic successfully activates this power and forces his perceptions on the creature or location, he can see or hear (sense chosen upon activation)
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the subject and its immediate surroundings, to a distance of approximately 20 feet in all directions of the subject. If the subject moves, the psychic’s senses follow at a speed of up to 150 feet. The psychic has his full visual acuity, including any occult effects. If a creature succeeds in its saving throw, the character may not attempt to scry on that subject again for at least 24 hours. Requirements: Psychic Control 8 ranks, 6 practice points.
Psychic Healing The psychic can harmonise life energy by touching the etheric body of another person to achieve miraculous feats of healing. He may even work this effect upon his own body. Prerequisites: Treat Injury skill, Knowledge (earth and life sciences) skill, Psychic Sensitivity. Control/Save DC: 15/Effect: Even when he is not in a trance, the character gains a +2 psychic bonus to Fortitude saving throws and to Treat Injury checks. Derived Powers: Characters with the Psychic Healing base power can eventually learn the following derived powers.
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Facilitate Recovery: With a successful Treat Injury check while this power is active, the psychic can manipulate events so that one hour of rest transpires in but 10 minutes. As a consequence, a person heals as much damage in nearly an hour and a half as he would heal with a full night’s rest, while being tended to. By spending an action point while using this power, the psychic can make a Treat Injury check with the purpose of helping a subject to recover hit points but instead of healing 1d4 hit points, the psychic is able to restore 1d8 hit points for every five points by which the Treat Injury check exceeds DC 15. The psychic can only use either version of this power once per day on a single subject, including himself. Curing hit points deals 1d4 points of non-lethal damage to the psychic when he leaves the trance. Requirements: Psychic Control 4 ranks, 6 practice points. Purge Malignancy: The psychic removes any serious imbalance in a subject’s etheric body, transferring it to another vessel. This power cures all diseases from which the subject is suffering, as well as eliminating any parasites, poisons or drugs coursing through its system. The psychic may have a ready vessel to which to transfer the ailment, which must be any organic substance, with plants and eggs being the most common but animals also providing adequate vessels. The psychic may transfer the ailment towards himself if he lacks any appropriate vessel, in which case he makes any pertinent saving throw as if he had been
the original target of the condition. He may later purge them with this power if he fails the saving throw or throws and is affected. Ectoplasm can also receive the purged malignancy, needing just a tiny trickle of its matter to contain it. As they are affected, the vessels (except the psychic) turn black and start to wither and spoil. Even if they are not contagious, the psychic is advised to get rid of these vessels as quickly as possible. Requirements: Psychic Control 10 ranks, 4 practice points.
Recuperate Body: The psychic can restore the flows of energy in a body ravaged by disease, poison or another debilitating condition. A successful Treat Injury check at DC 15 while the character has this power activated cures 1d4 points of temporary ability damage to one of the subject’s ability scores. It also eliminates any fatigue suffered by the character and improves an exhausted condition to a fatigued one, although the psychic cannot eliminate the fatigued condition for a failed Psychic Control check. By adding a +10 modifier to the Psychic Control check to activate the power, the psychic may also remove negative levels and restore one level lost to energy drain orsimilar abilities. Requirements: Psychic Control 8 ranks, 4 practice points.
Heshia could hear the combat raging above her but she needed a moment to recover from the use of her magic. She also needed a few seconds to achieve a trance state and prepare herself for battle. At first, not surprisingly, her mind was too active and furtive to calm down and give her access to her powers but she forced herself to achieve a sense of calm. The future would unfold as fate ordained and nothing she could do would change the will of the world. All that she could do was struggle to survive, just as she always had. Once her thoughts were at peace, Heshia set her body’s amazing healing abilities into motion. Now, for as long as she could maintain it, any injury would be mitigated considerably. Her muscles hardened and her skin thickened with the power of her mind coursing along every limb. She expected to get hurt but this would keep her going a lot longer and help her recover if her wounds were not immediately fatal. There was no more time to lose. The team needed her. Jerrek needed her. That last thought almost shattered her concentration; the image of the human was so strong and carried so much emotional power with it that Heshia nearly lost her focus. Resolving to deal with that if she lived through the next few minutes, the elven warrior hefted her pistols and joined the fray.
Withstand Pain: While this power is active, the psychic takes a portion of any attack that deals damage as points of non-lethal damage equal to his Strength modifier. This power is not retroactive and thus may not be applied to wounds received prior to activating this power. Requirements: Psychic Control 4 ranks, 2 practice points.
The Séance
A séance can have many purposes, with the most common being to contact the spirits of the dead for guidance. Any psychic may attempt a séance. This is usually a chance for a social gathering before and after the actual ceremony. Some psychics use props and disguises to complicate the workings of a séance to the eyes of all lay participants but they are not needed except for flavour; an honest psychic could hold such a ceremony even in the middle of the street, allowing for all distracting factors. The first step in a séance is to arrange all the participants
The participants of the séance make a Concentration check at DC 15 to enter a mild trance state, echoing the psychic’s. Although the initial ceremony is mostly for cosmetic effect, the psychic can help the participants of the séance become more receptive to his words with a successful Perform (act) check at DC 15, which grants them a +2 morale bonus to their Concentration checks. Any participant who does not wish to enter a mild trance may refrain from so doing. Once every participant is in a trance, the psychic enters his own to activate whatever power the séance was organized for. For each participant in a mild trance, the psychic gains a +2 bonus to his Psychic Control checks and his Concentration checks. The risks of the séance method are sceptics and the distracted. Every participant who fails or forfeits his Concentration check imposes a -2 penalty to the psychic’s checks, which is why he strives to get everyone into the right mood.
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Although psychics are able to enter trance and use their powers on their own, many have found that entering trance with the help of others helps enormously. A séance is a special gathering in which a psychic channels the talent inherent in even the dullest of people and uses it to bolster his own ability.
in a circle. They must be touching each other in some way, either by holding hands or by touching their spread fingers on the surface of a table. At this point, the psychic usually gives a small performance to help the participants into the right frame of mind, uttering strange incantations and arranging elements of the ceremony, such as candles, a psychograph, tarot cards and similar paraphernalia.
The psychic can end the séance at any time, simply by ending his trance and breaking contact. If one of the participants breaks contact, the psychic must make a Concentration check at DC 20 or snap out of the trance with all the adverse consequences. If he succeeds at the check, the circle is still broken and everyone’s trance ends but the psychic is not affected.
Magic
Magic is a mysterious force that none can comprehend fully. Even psychic phenomena possess a number of scientific theories to explain their operation, unproven though they may be. Magic is altogether different. It is a science with laws of its own, one which requires a unique mindset. The origins of magic are lost in history. Every fresh incarnation generates new theories to explain its underlying principles. The most frustrating thing about magic is that although the methods and instruments are important, as with any other science, there does not appear to be a consistent set of rules governing what works and what does not. As dismissive as an arcane ritualist may be of the ways
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of an animist, both ways of working magic create results, even if those results are disguised as coincidences. Regardless of how widespread the practice of magic is in any given setting, its actual practitioners are few, for magic requires not only dedication and discipline similar to that of the scientific method but also special talents.
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Working Magic Magic is a fickle mistress and an unwieldy one to boot. The reason why magic remains the purview of elite scholars and gifted individuals is that unlike the products of technology, it is not instantaneous in its operation and the wielder of magic risks much more than simple bodily harm in the case of failure. The products of sorcery require special tools and spaces, such as a laboratory and an arcane library, a prayer sanctum, a sweat lodge or any similar location that will grant a practitioner the privacy and comfort he requires. Magicians work their abilities, through rituals and ceremonies that channel their wills and knowledge and which they perform alone or with assistants. These rituals include all the paraphernalia of the magician’s style and usually take quite a while to complete but are the central practice of magic. Given this unwieldiness, magic does not lend itself to casual improvisation, which is why the most common rituals involve enchanting a conduit. A conduit is the proverbial wizard’s staff or witch’s wand, a tool into which the magician introduces a number of effects born
from rituals and from which he can unleash them at his leisure by simply repeating a simplified form of the ritual. Conduits are expensive in both material and spiritual cost, as a magician must use part of his essence to bind rituals into them. A magician is not rendered powerless by the removal or destruction of his conduit, as magic is a matter of study, practice and expertise like any of the natural sciences. The lack of a conduit simply poses an obstacle to his work outside his sanctum.
Magic Style Primitive people describe magic as a force rather than an art. They are not altogether wrong, for its power is very generous, providing a broad variety of forms that can channel it. Unlike more stringent forces like electricity or even light, magic flows freely and obeys subtle laws that are apparently divorced from natural laws, or work on a more transcendental level. These subtle laws nudge magic into answering the efforts of magicians using apparently disparate methods and materials to perform the same effects. Upon taking his first steps in the world of the occult and of magic in particular, a magician chooses his style for performing magic, depending on how he learned it. The different styles are incompatible, so that a magician who starts learning a particular style finds it inconceivable that the other styles should work and may even believe them to be different arts altogether, whereas in reality the only things that differ are the words and the tools. Despite this
Magic Style and Key Ability When a magician chooses his magic style, he also determines which ability he will use to modify all his Ritual skill checks: Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma. He may choose a style each time he gains his first rank in a Ritual skill. This choice is final and cannot be changed. The magician learns the methods and rules for that discipline of magic and cannot change his focus without losing all his gained ranks as he unlearns the methods he had previously learned. Magic Style Arcane ritualism Faith working Animism
Key Ability Intelligence Wisdom Charisma
How It Looks Ritual (necromancy) (Int), Ritual (invocation) (Int) and so on. Ritual (protection) (Wis), Ritual (divination) (Wis) and so on. Ritual (enticement) (Cha), Ritual (divination) (Cha) and so on.
For example: Heshia is an 11th level occultist (magician) and chose to be an arcane ritualist upon learning her first ranks in the invocation, protection and transformation specialties of the Ritual skill, all of them using her Intelligence modifier as a bonus to Ritual checks. In one of her first missions for the City Fathers, she comes upon holy texts regarding the calling of divine beings, which would help her in her Ritual (invocation) checks if not for the fact that they are written from a faith worker’s perspective (based on Wisdom) and thus useless to her. On the outskirts of ruined Megadon, she also talks at great length with a local shaman, an animist magician who has much to teach in the arts of necromantic magic. This gives Heshia the option of gaining Ritual (necromancy) ranks using the animist style, therefore making Ritual (necromancy) a Charisma-based skill for her rather than an Intelligence-based skill. In this way, multiple arts can be encountered by a single worker of magic and either be incorporated at the cost of skill points or avoided as being too divisive of the magician’s talents.
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underlying connection, a magician has a very hard time learning magic from sources of a style other than his own. There are three different magic styles, born from different cultures and circumstances.
Methods: Arcanism relies on magical diagrams, alchemy, astrology, numerology, obscure formulae, magical geometry, forgotten languages and the like. Its rituals involve magical circles and laboratories complete with obscure substances and materials, while its conduits are commonly staves, wands, crystal rods or complex apparatuses. Arcane ritualists rely on their keen capacity for devising, analysing and memorising complex principles and formulae. Faith Working: Many students of ancient societies propose that magic and religion are just different sides of the same coin. Faith working is a style of magic practiced by the ordained priests of the different religions of the world, although only the truly faithful can muster enough power of will to work magic and these are not always ordained. Devotion and sheer conviction are the keys to working successful faith rituals. Methods: Faith workers use holy symbols and sacred paraphernalia, beads and other praying aids. Faith rituals are prayer circles, lectures from holy scripture, anointment with sanctified substances and sometimes extreme demonstrations of faith, like self-flagellation, fasting or pain tolerance. Faith workers with psychic powers explain them as gifts from their chosen deity. Faith workers rely on their awareness and intuition to comprehend the vastness of their deity’s will.
The Laws of Magic Through effort and constant study, students of the magical, be they actual practitioners or merely observers, have compiled a set of general rules by which magic seems to function. Although not as precise and binding as the scientific principles of natural laws, the laws of magic do seem to apply throughout the different styles and traditions, so that experienced magicians pen their findings and archive their notes, jealously guarding their discoveries or bragging about them in social and professional circles. The Law of Sympathy: The most powerful principle of magic is, without doubt, the Law of Sympathy. It determines which substances and materials have a demonstrable effect on magic rituals, it dictates how they affect their targets and it establishes what can a magician expect from his workings. In general terms, the Law of Sympathy states that all things are related to others by virtue of their properties or nature and that a magician can use such connections to create or empower an effect. Magic words, gestures and components resonate with the sympathy they have with magical effects. Ancient traditions took to the task of identifying which of these were more effective, thus giving rise to magic as an art that can be taught and codified. The Law of Sympathy has three subcategories that better define its influence:
The Law of Similarity: This aspect of sympathy maintains that like produces like. In more explicit terms, it means that the image or likeness of something will produce the effect it is reproducing, or will influence that which it depicts. Psychics can attest to the veracity of this law, for they can better channel their divinatory talents towards a person if they possess his portrait, sculpture or other likeness. The power of names has its foundation in the Law of Similarity, for a name represents the person who bears it with much more intimacy than a simple depiction. In the case of magical components, magicians choose those that are related to the effect they wish to produce: an illusionist will generally have a prepared depiction of the imagery he wants to produce as part of his ritual’s components, or a healer will use a bloodstone to cure haemorrhages.
The Law of Contiguity: The basic principle of this law is that what once was part of a whole,
Animism: The way of primitive people, animism is the belief that all things have a soul, including plants, animals and even machines, an assertion that hybrids and sentient constructs will be happy to consider. Animists perform magic by calling upon the power of the spirits inhabiting the world and channelling their power, a dubious assertion that has not been able to hold its ground against scientific analysis, although it still works. Animist magic is intuitive to such a degree that it has frequently been confused with psychic phenomena. An animist magician will often develop psychic powers, as he trusts in his awareness to the invisible to work magic. Methods: Animist magic uses herbs and animal remains, simplistic warding circles, chanting and mind-altering
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Arcane Ritualism: By far the most publicly acknowledged of the styles, arcane ritualism sees magic as just another science, albeit with its unique laws and principles. Arcanists approach magic meticulously and write down the tiniest observations, analysing and synthesising the methods that work. Arcanism is the prevalent magic method, with most occultists considering it the one true art and the one that combines best with technology, for which see the previous chapter.
substances to reach trances, another common element with psychic phenomena. Animist rituals involve wilderness retreats, sweat lodges and crude meditating circles, with conduits ranging from primitive musical instruments, carvings, fetishes, drums and jewellery to any other material that might resonate well with any spirit the magician worships. Animists rely on their sheer strength of personality to impress and cow the spirits into serving and helping them.
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continues to reflect the whole. This law is the reason why many magicians seek fervently for the parts of magical creatures such as dragon scales, griffon feathers or clippings from a unicorn’s horn, for they retain reflections of their previous owners’ power. More mundane materials work just as well, such as using a cat’s hair in a ritual designed to increase agility, or a bull’s horn to increase brute strength. By means of this law, a magician may also create a direct channel between his ritual and an intended target by using something that belonged to it, such as a strand of hair or a piece of frequently-used clothing, another principle that psychic phenomena takes advantage of. The last application of this law relies on the principle of contagion, considering that objects that come in contact with something retain for a little while a connection with that something. While not as powerful as a direct connection, magicians exploit this principle mostly for divinatory purposes; see the Law of Resonance.
The Law of Antipathy: The last variation of the Law of Sympathy states that opposites cancel each other. Simple as it sounds, the applications of this law can become quite arcane, for the same reasons as those governing why the Law of Similarity works. A magician can use a piece of burning coal as a component in a ritual intended to neutralise a poison, because the coal’s relationship with fire opposes poison’s relationship with water. Magicians use this principle mostly for countering other magical effects.
The Law of Equity: No one gains anything without giving something in return. Contrary to popular belief, magic cannot produce something out of nothing. Even when magic makes things appear from thin air, subtle etheric and astral forces as well as multiple resonances have come into play, demanding that the magician fuel his rituals with the right materials, utter the precise incantations and perform the correct gestures. The more powerful the intended effect, the more costly or exotic the materials become and the more difficult it is to perform. Many magicians try to complement this difficulty by performing their rituals in places of power and on dates when magic forces flow with greater strength, for if they fail to provide magic with that which it demands, it will exact its price from the magician’s body and soul. The Law of Consequence: The natural law that declares that ‘for every action in nature there is an equal and opposite reaction’ also applies to magic, convincing many scholars that magic is simply a more subtle natural force. Unlike measurable phenomena, the consequences of magic are anything but obvious. A magician who only uses his knowledge for the welfare of others will have good things happen to him, while one who treads the darker paths will begin to suffer from ill fortune. These effects are so subtle
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that they may take years or decades to manifest and are therefore well-nigh impossible to trace back to the magical working that caused them. Only when the magician fails spectacularly at harnessing the magical forces in a ritual does the Law of Consequence react in its most destructive manner. The Law of Geasa: Magicians discovered this principle following their dealings with two apparently disparate magical species, namely elementals and demons. The law states that any oath, vow or promise taken under the auspices of a magical ritual is absolutely binding. Oath takers cannot break their word unless they want to face dire consequences in the form of crippling curses that fade away when the oath ends. When magic is active, it echoes the words of a promise and imprints them on the astral bodies of the oath takers, so that they will burn with great magical power at the moment on which the oath is broken, causing great pain and misfortune to the oath breaker until he rights his actions. Called geasa, magical promises are always part of deals between magicians and magical beings, the latter of which are quite adept at bending a promise’s meaning to catch inexperienced magicians unaware. If he fails to comply with the geasa for 24 hours, the oath breaker takes a –2 penalty to each of his ability scores. Each day, another –2 penalty accumulates, up to a total of –8 but never dropping below 1. These penalties are removed 24 hours after the subject resumes obeying the geasa. Disobeying a complex geasa has much more dire consequences. The subject takes 3d6 points of damage each day on which he does not attempt to follow his oath. Additionally, each day he must make a Fortitude saving throw at a DC of 15 or become sickened. These effects end 24 hours after the creature attempts to resume the geasa. The Law of Resonance: Derived from the Law of Sympathy, this principle states that every being, object and event radiates an aura in the etheric or astral frequencies, or both. This aura reflects the nature and strength of its origin, and can sometimes grow so strong as to be noticeable by mundane senses. Necromantic magic, for example, exudes a feeling of decay and loss, while the invocation of fire will certainly leave a magician with an aura of restlessness. Psychics can read these auras, while magicians may use them to discern the nature of magical items, as well as to aid them with their own divination attempts. Aura Strength: An active aura’s power is equal to the ritual’s scope. If an aura falls into more than one category, the stronger of the two dominates the other. A magical aura lingers after its original source dissipates, in the case of a ritual, or is destroyed, in the case of a conduit or magic item. Psychic powers and divination effects pointed at such a location indicate an aura strength of ‘dim,’ even
Step 1: Discipline, Scope and Descriptor
weaker than a trivial aura. How long the aura lingers at this dim level depends on its original power: Psychic Sensitivity DC 18 16 14 12 10
The Magic Ritual
Performing a ritual is a matter of knowledge, preparation and talent. The principles of magic apply to all styles thereof. Therefore, while the methods and tools of performing magic rituals differ, the mechanics remain the same.
The Ritual Check Characters perform magic rituals by making a Ritual check. Determining the parameters of this check takes a little time and forethought but with proper preparation, a magician can be capable of almost anything. Before figuring out what he needs to do, the character must first know what he actually wants to achieve, so that he can begin the steps of performing a magic ritual. 1.
2. 3.
4. 5. 6.
Select scope, discipline and descriptor: Determines which particular skill the magician needs and how powerful the raw effect will be. Determine subject: Defines who and/or what the ritual will affect. Determine reach: Defines how far away the target can be and still be affected. This characteristic is more useful when enchanting conduits. Determine duration: For how long the subject will suffer from the ritual’s effect. Consider conditions: Special circumstances which might affect the ritual’s performance. Make the Ritual checks: The character determines the Ritual Check DC by adding all the modifiers from the scope, target, reach, duration and conditionsand rolls 1d20 + Ritual skill bonus + modifiers. Add the results of all checks until the target number is met; see later in this section for details.
Scope Scope Trivial Minor Moderate Major Extreme 1
Ritual Check DC 12 16 20 24 28
Magic is divided into six disciplines that cover the different areas of research and practice, as exemplified in the different specialisations of the Ritual skill. Each discipline covers a particular kind of magic, although sometimes their areas of influence overlap, if only slightly. A ritual’s scope measures how powerful its effects are, which can go from the trivial, such as changing the colour of a necktie, to the extreme, such as causing a rain of igneous rock to destroy a fortified manor. Selecting discipline and scope go hand in hand as the magician devises the effect he wishes his ritual to have. A character needs at least one rank in the adequate Ritual skill in order to perform a ritual for that discipline, regardless of the scope, although it is highly recommended that the magician have as high a Ritual skill bonus as possible. Some disciplines have sub-disciplines that categorise the kinds of effect a magician may create, with their own small set of rules and guidelines. The effects described under the scope of each discipline are examples of what the discipline is capable of at that level of power. Players and Games Masters should not feel constrained by the examples in this chapter and are free to invent their own effects of equivalent power that would fall under each discipline’s area of influence. The ritual’s scope will not only determine the relative power of the magic effect but will also set down the base DC for the Ritual check, as well as the base saving throw DC that potential victims must beat to avoid being affected by the ritual. It also determines a base subject (in its own section), reach and duration that can later be modified to personalise the ritual.
Divination Divination rituals enable the magician to learn secrets long forgotten, to predict the future, to find hidden things and to foil deceptive magic. Divination magic is all about gaining information, whether it is from the immediate surroundings or from far away locations, the past, the present or the future in any span of time, and about revealing the properties of objects and living beings, which can go from their physical composition to their history and deepest secrets. Scrying: A scrying effect creates an invisible magical sensor that sends information to the character. Unless noted otherwise, the sensor has the same powers of
Saving Throw DC 10 12 14 16 18
Effects that deal or cure damage always have a base instantaneous duration.
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Scope Trivial Minor Moderate Major Extreme
Duration of Lingering Aura 1d6 rounds 1d6 minutes 1d6x10 minutes 1d6 hours 1d6 days
Base Reach Close Close Medium Long Extreme
Base Duration in…1 Rounds Rounds Minutes 10 minutes Hours
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sensory acuity as the magician, including any special vision granted by magic acting on the magician’s body, but not emanating from him or his position. The sensor is treated as a separate, independent sensory organ. As such, it functions normally even if the character is blinded, deafened, or otherwise suffers sensory impairment. Any creature with an Intelligence score of 12 or higher can notice the sensor by making a DC 20 Intelligence check. Psychics can perceive it as a magic effect of corresponding strength, or spot it at once if their senses are attuned to the Astral Plane. The sensor can be dispelled as if it were an active magic effect. Lead sheeting or magical protection blocks a scrying effect and the character senses that the spell is so blocked. Trivial Effects: Detect the presence of magic, substances, animals, plants, simple objects and undead. Know true north. Understand written and spoken information of magical or mundane nature, including that of animals. Gain a +1d4 bonus to a single action as the result of knowledge of the immediate future. Know a single set of physical characteristics of targets such as the health of living creatures, the exact dimensions of an object or the powers and method of activation of an occult item.
Minor Effects: Detect the presence in the immediate vicinity of subtler targets such as thoughts and invisible creatures. Skim the surface thoughts of a target. Gain the ability to speak in any language. Ask one question about events in the immediate future and past and the consequences of present actions in the short term. Maintain updated knowledge of a set of characteristics of targets. Grant a target magical sight that allows him to see spirits, hidden and invisible things, or auras in the Etheric and Astral Planes. Know the general directions of objects. See and hear what happens at a different location by scrying. Moderate Effects: Permit telepathic communication. Know the general directions of creatures. Know the truth of any spoken statement. Ask three questions about events in the short-term future and past. Project one sense and move it around. Gain knowledge of the physical characteristics of a wide area. Grant a target magical sight that allows him to see things as they really are. Contact beings in a higher plane to ask one question per key ability modifier. Major Effects: Gain complete knowledge of the characteristics, both physical and magical, of a target, including tales and rumours surrounding it. Gain useful advice on future events or detailed information of past events on a longer term. Extreme Effects: Know the exact location of a target. Gain an active sixth sense to warn of danger. Gain visions of the far future or the ancient past.
Enticement This is the magic that fools the senses and twists minds at the occultist’s bidding. It makes targets see and hear things that are not there and hold opinions they did not have before, or fail to perceive things that are indeed there and change their minds inexplicably. Enticement is the magic of illusion and manipulation. The elves are legendary masters of this discipline of magic. Charms: A charm effect changes how the subject views the magician, typically making it see him as a good friend. Fabrications: A fabrication is a false perception, either because it appears out of thin air or because it is changing the sensory qualities of a target, including its very visibility. Fabrications are not real, even if they do act on the physical senses.
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Manipulations: A manipulation ritual forces the target to act in some manner, changes the way its mind works, or plants false perceptions directly into its mind that none other can see. Patterns: Patterns are evident sensory effects that have an impact on the minds of those who see them or are caught up in them.
Minor Effects: Confound the senses of up to 1d4+6 HD worth of creatures so that they lose their actions for a round, fall asleep or are kept fascinated or distracted. Manipulate a person into complying with a simple action. Blur, displace or multiply the image of a subject to make it harder for others to attack it directly. Make a subject invisible, although direct interaction cancels this invisibility. Remove sound around a subject. Create more complex illusory sensory inputs out of thin air combining two senses in a simple way. Create false auras to make an object appear to be trapped, or to mislead divination magic. Deal 1d6 points of damage to a target’s mental abilities, namely Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma. Create feelings of superiority or encouragement that grant a +2 bonus on two kinds of rolls, or feelings of inferiority and discouragement for the opposite effect. Compel targets to tell the truth. Paralyse a person by making him believe he cannot move. Moderate Effects: Confound the thoughts of creatures so that they behave oddly and chaotically or distract them so they suffer a -2d4 penalty to Intelligence and to Will saving throws. Put a large number of creatures to sleep whose HD add up to twice the character’s level. Make any kind of creature believe the magician is a friend. Control the actions of a person. Impose a simple oath on a target according to the Law of Geasa, though the target cannot have more than 8 HD. Make a subject invisible with no limits to his actions. Create illusory landscapes complete with terrain and structures. Create an illusion that divination effects perceive instead of the real events. Reduce a target’s mental abilities to 1. Affect a target’s dreams to convey a message or cause nightmares, grant it a wakeful vision of its worst fear or modify itsmemories. Mimic the effects of trivial and minor invocation rituals with 20% effectiveness. Paralyse any kind of creature.
Extreme Effects: Force any creature to take a particular kind of action or remain imprisoned by powerful enchantments. Control the actions of any creature. Make an object or location particularly attractive or repulsive to a particular kind of creature. Hide a location completely from divination effects. Order a creature to die. Mimic the effects of trivial, minor and moderate invocation rituals with 80% effectiveness.
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Trivial Effects: Confound the senses of up to 4 HD worth of creatures so that they lose their actions for a round, fall asleep or are kept fascinated. Make a person believe that the magician is a friend. Change the magician’s appearance. Create simple sensory inputs out of thin air including (but not combining) images, simple sounds, smells and sensations. Create false astral auras to make an object appear to be magical, or make a magical object appear to be mundane. Increase morale to grant a +1 bonus to a particular kind of rolls or decrease morale for the opposite effect. Remove or induce extreme emotions, such as fear, rage and such like.
Major Effects: Confound the thoughts of creatures so that they are driven insane, or remove a single creature’s sense of sight. Impose a complex oath on a target according to the Law of Geasa. Create complex sensory inputs out of thin air that combine three senses and remain established and unchanging, or forfeit the deception of one of the senses in exchange for the ability to trigger the illusion to respond to some event. Create an illusory double of a creature, capable of limited interaction with the physical world. Create feelings of superiority or encouragement that grant a +4 bonus on three kinds of rolls, or feelings of inferiority and discouragement for the opposite effect. Mimic the effects of trivial, minor and moderate invocation rituals with 40% effectiveness.
Invocation The art of invocation brings forth energy, matter and creatures from one place or another, or even from thin air by conjuring them from the Astral Plane. A creature or object brought into being or transported to the magician’s location by an invocation effect cannot appear inside another creature or object, nor can it appear floating in empty space; it must arrive in an open location upon a surface capable of supporting it. The creature or object must appear within the ritual’s reach but it does not have to remain within this limit after it appears. Calling: A calling effect transports a creature from another plane of existence into the magician’s presence. The ritual grants the creature the one-time ability to return to its plane of origin, although the spell may limit the circumstances under which this is possible. Creatures that are called actually die when they are killed; they do not disappear and reform, as do those brought by a summoning effect, for which see below. The duration of a calling spell is instantaneous, which means that the called creature cannot be dispelled. Creation: A creation ritual manipulates matter to create an object or creature in the place the magician designates, subject to the limits noted above. If the effect has a duration other than ‘instantaneous’, then magic holds the creation together and when the spell ends, the conjured creature or object vanishes without a trace. If the effect has an instantaneous duration, then the created object or creature is merely assembled through magic. It lasts indefinitely and does not depend on magic for its existence.
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Evocation: Evocation effects manipulate energy in a similar way to that in which creation rituals manipulate matter, tapping an unseen source of power to produce a desired end. Many of these rituals produce spectacular effects and evocation spells can deal large amounts of damage. Evocation effects are a favourite to enchant into conduits.
fog. Fill an area with obstacles or with an inconvenient substance or force, including darkness. Create a crude and small shelter. Cure 3d8 points of damage +1 per caster level, to a maximum of +10. Delay the effects of poison; remove blindness and deafness, paralysis and diseases. Remove penalties to ability scores and heal 1d4 points of ability damage.
Healing: These spells channel psychic energy into creatures’ etheric bodies in order to heal them, harmonise their bodies and remove adverse effects. Healing energy is harmful to undead, dealing damage to them rather than repairing it. Only occultists of the ecclesiast vocation can muster the faith to channel healing energy.
Moderate Effects: Create a burst of matter or energy that deals up to 8d6 points of damage. Replenish a machine with 8d6 charges of raw energy or fuel. Call a creature of up to 6 HD and force it to perform any task. Summon a creature or creatures with a total EL of up to 5 to fight for the character. Teleport a living target across a distance of up to 100 miles per character level. Create fog that chokes with the intent to kill. Fill an area with a substance or force that actively hampers those within. Create one mundane object of cloth, metal, stone or wood. Call forth a small cottage. Surround an object or creature with an aura of a certain type of energy. Create a wall of energy or simple matter such as stone or ice. Create a force to provide cover, push, grab, attack or crush things surrounding targets. Cure 5d8 points of damage +1 per caster level, to a maximum of +15. Remove poison and restore drained levels and ability points. Restore a creature to life that has been dead for up to one day per character level.
Summoning: A summoning ritual instantly brings a creature or object to a place the character designates. When the effect ends or is dispelled, a summoned creature is instantly sent back from whence it came. A summoned creature also goes away if it is killed or if its hit points drop to 0 or lower. It is not really dead but it takes 24 hours for the creature to reform, during which time it cannot be summoned again. When the spell that summoned a creature ends and the creature disappears, all the magic or occult abilities it employed expire. A summoned creature cannot use any innate summoning abilities it may have. Moreover, it refuses to perform any magic that would cost it XP, or to use any occult abilities that would cost XP if they were spells. A summoning ritual’s subject is always the target creature or creatures being summoned, who appear at any point within the ritual’s reach as designated by the magician. Teleportation: A teleportation spell transports one or more creatures or objects a great distance. The most powerful of these spells can cross planar boundaries. Unlike summoning spells, the transportation is, unless otherwise noted, one-way and may not be dispelled. Teleportation is instantaneous travel through the Astral Plane. Anything that blocks astral travel also blocks teleportation. Trivial Effects: Create light to illuminate an area over a long time, or to dazzle a target instantaneously. Create a burst of matter or energy that deals up to 2d6 points of damage. Replenish a machine with 2d6 charges of raw energy or fuel. Create small amounts of a particular substance or energy for utilitarian purposes. Improve armour by 2 points of hardness. Call a simple creature for work. Summon a creature of CR 1 to fight. Create thin mist. Cure 1d8 points of damage +1 per caster level, to a maximum of +5. Minor Effects: Create light to blind creatures or cling to invisible creatures, revealing their outlines. Create a burst of matter or energy that deals up to 4d6 points of damage. Replenish a machine with 4d6 charges of raw energy or fuel. Call a strong creature for work, the HD of which cannot exceed 8. Summon a creature or creatures with a total EL of up to 3 to fight for the character. Create thick
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Major Effects: Create a burst of matter or energy that deals up to 12d6 points of damage. Replenish a machine with 12d6 charges of raw energy or fuel. Call a creature of up to 12 HD and force it to perform any task. Summon a creature or creatures with a total EL of up to 7 to fight for the character. Teleport a living target, an object or a prepared object to the character’s present position. Travel to an otherworld. Call forth a mansion for a few hours. Surround an object or creature with a cage of force that entraps it. Create a wall of strong matter, such as iron. Create a force to grab things and push them around. Set a trigger or time delay to an effect. Cure 10 points of damage per level as well as all diseases. Regenerate severed limbs. Bring a deceased creature back to life from its remains, provided the death occurred within the magician’s lifetime. Extreme Effects: Create a burst of matter or energy that deals up to 20d6 points of damage. Replenish a machine with 20d6 charges of raw energy or fuel. Call a creature of up to 16 HD and force it to perform any task. Summon a creature or creatures with a total EL of up to 9 to fight for the character. Create a circle that teleports any who step on it to a predesignated spot. Create a doorway to an otherworld. Trap a target in an extradimensional maze. Trap a soul inside a vessel. Cause earthquakes.
Necromancy Necromancy effects manipulate the power of death, unlife and the life force. Rituals involving undead creatures make up a large part of this school, as do those intent on causing subtle harm to a target, such as the loss of
the senses, disease and direct damage. Necromantic effects that would damage the living actually repair damage to undead.
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Trivial Effects: Deal 1d6 points of damage to an undead creature. Induce fatigue. Induce fear to a creature of 5 HD or less. Deal 1d6 points of Strength damage. Curse water so it deals damage to good outsiders. Determine how close to death a living creature is. Repel 1d4+5 HD worth of undead creatures. Minor Effects: Command, charm or paralyse an undead creature. Induce exhaustion. Remove a sense from a target. Induce a greater state of fear. Create an astral connection to a dead limb to act as if it was part of the character’s body, even over distances. Preserve a corpse from decomposing. Steal up to 2d6 hit points from a living target. Deal 3d8 points of damage to the living. Gain 1d8+1 per level temporary hit points. Speak with the dead. Repel 1d4+9 HD worth of undead creatures. Moderate Effects: Animate dead remains into skeletons and zombies, up to a total of 4 HD per character level. Induce a curse, a disease or 1d4 negative levels. Wither plants. Possess a living being. Deal 3d6 points of Strength damage. Deal 5d8 points of damage to the living. Gain immunity against death and energy drain effects. Poison a target. Repel 2d4+13 HD worth of undead creatures. Major Effects: Kill 1d4 HD worth of either living or undead creatures per level. Create a permanent ghoul
or a mummy from a corpse; ignore subject and duration designations. Control undead creatures, who are allowed a Will saving throw to resist. Destroy a single creature and its remains, with no additional targets allowed. Deal 10
Moving from column to column for cover, Heshia fired until her guns were dry. She knew she would not have the chance to reload them, so she holstered them quickly and relied on her other firepower, which was raw magic. It was time for her to draw on the arts she had kept buried for so long. Somehow, even when she denied these talents in her soul, she had always known she would have to rely on them again someday. Now, with her team-mates falling back and the orcs’ superior numbers pressing down on them hard, today was that day. With a hissing invocation to the sprits of the dead, she channelled energy so black and alien to the soul of an elf that it left her as cold as ice and nearly sent her sprawling to the ground. It was everything she could do to contain the power for long enough to give it direction and purpose. Without those two things, the death magic would have claimed her own life. As it was, all she needed to do was send it towards the orcs; the magic did the rest. Dark shadows erupted from her outstretched hand, chilling her flesh as they passed through her body. They screamed in the void between her fingers and the startled orcs, some of whom had the wherewithal to throw themselves from the area just as the shade-storm erupted around them. The orcs in its path howled once in utter terror and tearing pain, then fell silent as the darkness flowed into their mouths and quenched their souls. A dozen brutes fell to their knees, then forward onto their dead, ashen faces. Heshia did not know if it would be enough to save them, but it was the best she could do. Another spell like that would kill her for sure.
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points of damage per level to a creature. Repel 2d4+17 HD worth of undead creatures. Extreme Effects: Create a clone that a soul can inhabit upon its original body’s death. Create a permanent shadow, wraith or spectre from a corpse, ignoring subject and duration designations. Deal 1d6 points of damage per level to all creatures in an area; the maximum is 20d6 and the subject is always an area. Separate the astral body from its physical shell and go travelling. Impose 2d4 negative levels. Repel 3d4+21 HD worth of undead creatures.
Protection Protection rituals create physical or magical barriers, negate magical or physical abilities, harm trespassers or even banish the subject of the spell to another plane of existence. If one protective effect is active within 10 feet of another for 24 hours or more, the magical fields interfere with each other and create barely visible energy fluctuations. The DC to find such spells with the Search skill or psychic powers and divination magic drops by 4. If a ritual creates a barrier that keeps certain types of creatures at bay, then that barrier cannot be used to push those creatures away. If the magician forces the barrier against such a creature, he feels a discernible pressure against the barrier and the effect ends if he continues. Dispelling: Protection magic can be used to counter or cancel another magic effect, although this discipline is only strong enough to counter minor effects at first. To dispel another magic effect, the character must first choose the scope of the dispelling attempt and perform the dispelling ritual as normal, or through a conduit. A dispelling effect can only cancel effects of equal or lower scope. The dispelling check must beat its normal DC for the ritual but the ritual’s casting time is determined by the target effect: multiply the DC of the effect the character wishes to cancel by 12, with the resulting number being the target to reach by adding the different Ritual check results together. See Casting Time on pg 293. It takes a full round to activate a dispelling effect from a conduit. Trivial Effects: Gain a +1 bonus to saving throws. Magically lock a door shut, adding +5 to DCs to open it. Create an alarm to guard an area. Protect from extreme hot and cold weather. Grant a subject +2 to DV and saving throws against a particular kind of creature, or +1 against any creature. Surround a creature with a field that imposes a 20% miss chance to ranged attacks. Conceal a target’s presence from a certain type of creature. Remove the effects of magical fear. Magically ward a subject so that potential attackers must succeed at a Will saving throw to attack him. Guard your allegiance against attempts to ascertain it with divination magic. Minor Effects: Magically lock a door or chest shut, adding a +10 to DCs to open it. Hide an object or creature from divination effects. Grant a subject immunity to one kind of normal attack. Ignore the first
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10 points of damage from individual energy attacks of a particular type or absorb up to 12 points of damage per level from a particular type of energy attack. Cancel minor and trivial magical effects. Create a barrier that deals up to 4d6 points of damage to creatures that cross it. Grant subjects in an area +2 to DV and saving throws against a particular kind of creature, while protecting them from any mind-affecting powers. Transfer damage dealt to another creature to the magician. Moderate Effects: Bar travel from or through the Astral Plane, including callings and summonings. Hide an entire area from divination effects. Keep one kind of creature from approaching a subject or push it away. Create traps on an object that can be opened, which deal up to 3d6 points of damage. Prevent trivial and minor magic effects from functioning, or cancel existing moderate, minor and trivial magical effects. Ignore the first 10 points of damage from all attacks. Grant a target immunity to a magic effect of a given discipline and scope. Break harmful magical effects upon a target, including curses, transformations and enticements. Send a creature back to its home plane, though the creature gains a +4 to its Will saving throw to resist the effect. Create a field that grants a +4 bonus to DV and saving throws against a specific kind of creature and which can be discharged to cancel a magic effect caused by that kind of creature. Allow a creature to move freely across magical effects that impede or slow movements and actions. Gain Magic Resistance equal to 10 + character level. Major Effects: Negate magic effects in a small area. Prevent trivial, minor and moderate magic effects from functioning, or cancel existing major, moderate, minor and trivial magical effects. Keep creatures from approaching a subject. Reflect 1d4 magic effects of up to major scope back to their origin. Send a creature back to its home plane, with a normal saving throw for the creature. Extreme Effects: Protect a subject from all mental magic as well as divination effects. Prevent trivial, minor, moderate and major magic effects from functioning, or cancel existing extreme, major, moderate, minor and trivial magical effects. Gain a +8 bonus to saving throws or opposed checks against all magic and psychic abilities. Entomb a creature, or liberate it from the same. Ruin occult items and conduits. Bestow three or more kinds of protection against a particular kind of creature. Repel a particular kind of matter.
Transformation Transformation effects change the properties of some creature, thing, or condition. These can range from simple increases in physical or mental prowess to the classical turning of people into frogs and the much sought-after transmutation of lead into gold.
Minor Effects: Transform subject into creature of the same type or into mist. Repair 3d8 points of damage to an object. Shrink an object. Shape the form of wood. Gain a minor physical extraordinary ability, such as seeing in darkness or breathing water. Increase one ability score by +2 or grant 1 point of armour by toughening the skin. Open locked objects. Move a target up and down or gain the ability to fly. Move very briefly into the Ethereal or Astral Plane. Increase or decrease a target’s speed. Increase the effectiveness of a weapon or of armour, or grant a weapon a greater magical bonus or ability to deal energy damage. Increase or decrease the size or thickness of vegetation. Alter the temperature of an object. Sink into stone. Make the ground itself attack adversaries. Moderate Effects: Transform subject into the form of any other living creature. Repair 5d8 hit points or 2d6 structure points of damage to an object. Alter the shape and properties of mud and rock. Increase the size of animals and vermin. Order plants around. Control the strength of wind. Transform raw materials into finished product. Rust metallic objects. Mimic telekinesis. Grant sentience to animals and plants. Allow creatures to reincarnate. Major Effects: Raise or lower liquid levels and influence weather patterns. Repair 7d8 hit points or 3d6 structure points of damage to an object. Unravel the form of a creature or object. Transform creatures into non-living or etheric matter and back. Grant inanimate objects and plants a semblance of life and movement. Shape large quantities of stone. Affect gravity. Extreme Effects: Transform anything into anything else. Repair 8 structure points of damage per level to an object. Travel in the Ethereal Plane. Stop time.
Descriptors Many magical effects carry with them an automatic connection that describes their effect in a finer detail than their discipline and scope. This connection is expressed by a descriptor, which is a label that indicates the connection, along with what the ritual can affect and by what it can be affected. Energy/Matter: Most invocation effects carry an automatic descriptor detailing the kind of element they are conjuring
from thin air, particularly damaging effects. Protection rituals also carry these descriptors when they are meant to protect against such an energy/matter type. An effect acquires one of these descriptors automatically when manipulating that kind of energy. ‘Force’ refers to an intangible and raw magical energy akin to the telekinesis psychic power. Sonic energy does not work in areas of silence and deaf creatures gain a +4 bonus to save against effects that employ it. Descriptors: Acid, Cold, Electrical, Fire, Force, Sonic. Elemental Descriptors: When a ritual corresponds to or uses sympathy with one of the four elements, namely air, earth, fire and water, it acquires the appropriate descriptor. Effects can range from controlling winds, an air effect, to creating water from thin air, a water effect, to shaping the very ground into any particular form, an earth effect. Descriptors: Air, Earth, Fire, Water.
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Trivial Effects: Move or animate small objects. Repair 1d8 points of damage to an object. Make minor repairs to an object. Open and close unlocked doors, chests and other objects with lids and doors. Increase or reduce the size of a person by 1d4+1 x 10%. Make a creature lighter so it can jump higher (+20 to Jump checks), fall slower (2d6 x10 feet without damage), run faster (+1d4 x10 feet in speed), or leave no trace of its passing, making it impossible to track. Make a weapon slightly magical with a +1 enhancement bonus. Make water holy or purify it along with food. Shape terrain wildly to create obstacles.
Philosophical Descriptors: These are very hard descriptors to adjudicate, as not even the magician may be aware that his magic has a particular leaning. Magic that affects members of a particular philosophical allegiance acquires a descriptor corresponding to the opposing allegiance. The most common applicable allegiances are Good and Evil, although occultists with an axe to grind against scientists may apply Progress or even The Scientific Method as a philosophical descriptor. Descriptors: Varies. Necromantic Descriptors: Despite being most closely associated with necromantic magic, rituals that have a strong death or fear component may also belong to enticement or invocation. Death effects are those that fill a target with death energy, sucking away at its life and most probably killing them on the spot. Fear effects are merely those that create any degree of fear, from shaken to panicked. Descriptors: Death, Fear. Enticement Descriptors: Likewise, characteristics most commonly found in enticement magic can also apply to other kinds. Language-dependent effects assume that either the target or the magician (or both) can understand what is being spoken. Unlike other descriptors, ‘languagedependent’ represents a restriction to an effect and lowers the Ritual check’s DC by -2. Mind-affecting magic is precisely that, and can only be resisted with Will saving throws. Psychics with the mind wall telepathic power apply their bonus to their saving throws against mindaffecting effects. All enticement magic is mind-affecting. Descriptors: Language-dependent, Mind-affecting.
Multiple Effects A ritual normally has only one effect but a magician may combine the base effect with others by increasing the DC of the Ritual check. The magician selects which effect will be the core of the ritual and complements it with the additional effects.
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Additional Effect Same discipline Different discipline
Scope Trivial +2 +3
Minor +4 +6
A magician may add one extra effect to a ritual per point in his key ability modifier. Additional effects may not be of a higher scope than the core effect. Also, the character must have at least 5 ranks in the extra effect’s appropriate Ritual skills in order to combine it with the core effect; he gains a +2 competence bonus for every extra Ritual skill in the effect for which he has 10 or more ranks. Each additional effect increases the Ritual check’s DC according to its scope but leaves the saving throw DC untouched. Additional effects must complement the core effect, rather than being consecutive actions. That is, a composite ritual cannot have a divination effect to find a creature and then an invocation to shower it with a rain of lightning. However, it can be a blessing that increases a target’s Strength with a transformation and his DV with a protection effect. As always, the Games Master is the final arbiter on whether any combination is possible. For example: Heshia wants to perform a ritual that will allow her to explore the depths of a lake in search of a fabled elven treasure lost to her people for centuries. The watery depths are pitch black and Heshia, despite excellent elven sight, cannot see in utter darkness. Therefore, she wants to combine a divination effect that will project her senses into the deep water with a transformation effect that will grant her the extraordinary ability to see in utter darkness. Sense projection is a moderate divination effect, for a Ritual check of DC 20, while enhancing her sight is a minor transformation effect, with the DC modifier set at +6, as transformation is a different discipline from divination. The final Ritual Check DC for the ritual is thus 26. Several years later, a more experienced Heshia wants to gain visions of the man she is hunting in her quest to find the true murderer of her family. She intends to relive the time of their deaths; while there, she plans to explore the thoughts of the slaughterers who were acting on the orders of the person she seeks. Seeing the recent past with some amount of detail is a moderate divination effect (DC 20) while skimming surface thoughts is a minor divination effect (+4 for being the same discipline) for a total DC of 24.
Step 2: Subject
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Every ritual aims to affect something or someone, be it a person, a creature, an object or a place. This is called a ‘subject’ and a character performing a ritual must define what the subject type for his ritual is before he makes the first preparations. Depending on the ritual’s scope, the magician will be able to affect more or larger subjects.
Moderate +6 +9
Major +8 +12
Extreme +10 +15
Many subject definitions are incompatible with the act of performing full rituals, so they are meant to be enchanted into conduits and magical items, from which the effect will burst forth. Invocation effects that summon or call a creature have no subject other than the individual creature, which appears at any point within the effect’s reach. Self: The subject of the magic ritual is the character performing it, so he stands in the centre of the ritual circle or activates the conduit upon himself. Target: This refers to a person, creature or object that the ritual will affect. ‘Target’ must be specified precisely, such as ‘one animal’, ‘one weapon’, ‘an ally’, ‘a door’, and so forth. More powerful rituals are capable of affecting more than one target, also depending on the magician’s character level; for example, an 8th level character can affect four targets with a minor ritual, eight targets with a moderate ritual, 16 targets with a major ritual and 32 targets with an extreme ritual. All targets must be in the line of sight of the character and visible to him. Multiple targets must be within 30 feet of each other and inside the effect’s reach, for which see below. Area/Volume: A ritual that intends to affect a location rather than a specific target has an area or volume. The magician determines whether the area is a circle or a square. It assumes the maximum dimension allowed for his level and the ritual’s scope, although he can make it smaller by half, decreasing the Ritual check’s DC by -2. If the magician wants to shape the area to forms other than a circle or a square, then the Ritual check’s DC increases by +4. The advantage of area effects is that they affect everything inside; the disadvantage is that the magician’s friends may be in there too. The area is measured from a point of origin and extends to all sides equally; this point of origin must fall inside the effect’s reach, which can be the magician himself. Cone: A cone-shaped effect shoots away from the magician in a quarter-circle in the direction he designates and as far as the effect’s reach. Cone effects will not go around corners. This subject designation is most often reserved for conduits. Ray: A magician aims a ray as if using a ranged weapon, with the Ritual check result acting as a ranged attack roll, although the target gains a +4 bonus to its DV and range penalties apply; see pg 171 for ranged combat rules. As with a ranged weapon, the magician can fire into the dark or at an invisible creature and simply hope to hit something, since the rules for cover and concealment
Minor 1 target/2 levels 5 ft./2 levels
function normally. If a ray effect has a duration, then it is the duration of the effect that the ray causes, not the length of time for which the ray itself persists. If a ray spell deals damage, the character can score a critical hit just as if it were a weapon. A damaging ray effect threatens a critical hit on a natural roll of 20 and deals double damage on a successful critical hit. The character may alter the Ritual check’s DC by broadening or narrowing the affected subject. He can use the subject designation for a lower or higher scope than the ritual he is performing. For every scope by which the character reduces the subject designation, the Ritual Check DC decreases by -2. For every scope that the character augments the subject designation, the Ritual Check DC increases by +3. Use the following table for quick reference. For example: As an 11th level character, Heshia performs a ritual for a major invocation effect (DC 24), which would allow her to affect 2 targets per level, or 22 targets. However, she only wishes to affect the band of half a dozen ruffians terrorising a group of elven refugees without affecting anything else. She reduces the target designation to that of a minor effect, which would allow her to target five out of the six ruffians (1 target per 2 levels, rounded down), reducing the ritual’s DC to 20, calculated as DC 24 minus 4 for two scopes in reduction.
Step 3: Reach Along with a subject, the magician must take into consideration the distance that separates him from that which he wishes to affect. Each scope level has a base reach, and this is what magicians fiddle with most when performing a ritual. Even a long reach may be inappropriate for most rituals, given the time and preparation needed to perform one, so the shorter reaches Altering Subject by Scope Original Scope Trivial Minor Moderate Major Extreme
Trivial +0 -2 -4 -6 -8
Minor +3 +0 -2 -4 -6
New Scope Moderate +6 +3 +0 -2 -4
Moderate 1 target/level 5 ft./level
Major 2 targets/level 10 ft./level
Extreme 4 targets/level 15 ft./level
are reserved for enchanting effects inside conduits and occult items. An effect’s reach is the maximum distance from the character at which it can occur, as well as the maximum distance at which the character can designate the effect’s point of origin. If any portion of the effect’s area would extend beyond this range, that area is wasted.
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Base Subject by Scope Scope Subject Type Trivial Self Target 1 target Area/Volume 5 ft. (feet per side) Cone Per reach Ray Per reach
The reach determines the effect of cone and ray target definitions, defining how far they extend. No Reach: The spell does not act upon a distance. Divination spells that extend through time and have to do with fate also have no physical reach but merely grant visions and information to the magician. Divination effects that are used to observe any location other than the character’s immediate vicinity do have a reach. Individual targets that stand at the centre of the ritual’s diagrams, circle or other tools also present have no reach either, since they stand at the epicentre of the magic’s origin. Even if conduits stand at the centre of the ritual, the magic they are being enchanted with is meant to act from the conduit outwards and must therefore have an appropriate range. Effects with a target definition of ‘self ’ automatically have no reach and do not benefit from a reduction of the reach designation in this step. Effects with no reach cannot be enchanted into a conduit. Touch: The character must touch a creature or object to affect it, either with his hands after performing a ritual, or with an activated conduit, which cannot under any circumstances be thrown as a ranged weapon. A touch effect that deals damage can score a critical hit just as a weapon can, threatening a critical hit on a natural roll of 20 and dealing double damage on a successful critical hit. Some touch rituals allow the character to touch as many willing targets as he can reach as part of the effect but all targets of the ritual must be touched in the same round in which the character finishes performing the ritual or activating the conduit. Major Extreme Close: The spell reaches as +9 +12 far as 25 feet away from the +6 +9 character. The maximum +3 +6 range increases by 5 feet for +0 +3 every two full character levels. -2 +0
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Altering Reach Scope Trivial Minor Moderate Major Extreme
No Reach1 -4 -4 -6 -8 -10
Touch -2 -2 -4 -6 -8
Close +0 +0 -2 -4 -6
Reach Medium +2 +2 +0 -2 -4
Long +4 +4 +2 +0 -2
Extreme +6 +6 +4 +2 +0
Unlimited2 +10 +10 +8 +6 +4
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1
Effects with a reach of ‘self ’ already have no reach and receive no benefit from reducing their reach at this stage. Divination and necromancy magic use the same connection modifiers to the Ritual check DC as the Clairsentience (scry) psychic power, for which see pg 274.
2
Medium: The spell reaches as far as 100 feet + 10 feet per character level. Long: The spell reaches as far as 400 feet + 40 feet per character level. Extreme: The spell reaches as far as 1 mile + 1 mile per character level. Unlimited: The spell reaches anywhere on the same plane of existence. The character may alter the Ritual check’s DC by lengthening or shortening the reach. He can use the subject designation for a lower or higher scope than the ritual he is performing. All rituals can be focused inward to have no reach, as their effect is focused in achieving something else and therefore provides no particular advantage to the ritual’s performance. Find the ritual’s scope and modify its DC by its reach. For example: A priest is trying to fry Heshia, calling her an inhuman spawn of evil. The human priest is using his holy symbol, which he enchanted previously as a conduit for an invocation effect. The invocation effect the priest is using is of minor scope, dealing 4d6 points of damage with a DC of 16 to the Ritual check; since the priest is a careful man who does not wish to be too close to his targets, he created his ritual with a medium reach rather than a close one, increasing the Ritual Check DC by +2 to a total of 18.
Step 4: Duration The duration of an effect is determined in a similar way to subject and reach, starting with the effect’s scope. The base duration of an effect is measured in a number of time units per the magician’s character level. A minor effect would last one round per character level, while an extreme effect would last one hour per character level. There are a number of ways by which a magician can alter the duration of a ritual’s effect to increase or decrease the Ritual check’s DC.
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Instantaneous: The magic energy comes and goes the instant the effect takes place, though the consequences might be long lasting. All magic effects that deal damage have an instantaneous duration regardless of the scope, as
do those that heal damage or remove harmful effects and conditions. These cannot be made permanent under any circumstances. Making an effect have an instantaneous duration when it does not need to have one decreases the Ritual check’s DC by -4. Unit Durations: The effect’s scope determines which time unit the effect uses to multiply it by the magician’s character level. The units are rounds, minutes, 10 minutes, hours, days and years. The character can will a ritual’s effect to stop at any time before its stated duration. The character can alter the duration of his ritual’s effect by increasing or decreasing the number of time units; for example, a 3rd level character can make his 3-round effect last 4 rounds or 2 rounds. He may also convert the time units to the next type in either direction; the 3 rounds may become 3 minutes, 30 minutes, 3 hours and so on. Permanent: Once the effect starts, it does not stop until cancelled by the character who initiated it or by a magician proficient in protection magic. Concentration: The effect lasts for as long as the character concentrates on it. Concentrating to maintain a magic effect is a standard action but anything that can break a character’s focus when performing a ritual or maintaining a psychic trance can also break his concentration while maintaining the effect, thus ending it. The character cannot activate a conduit or perform another ritual while concentrating on the effects of the first. Making an effect dependent upon concentration decreases the Ritual check’s DC by -4. Altering Duration Duration Increase by 1 unit Decrease by 1 unit Convert to higher unit Convert to lower unit Make permanent Make instantaneous Concentration
Ritual DC modifier +1 -1 +4 -4 +12 -4 -4
Components As outlined before, a magician cannot work magic with knowledge alone. Magic requires ritual components to
Foci A focus is a special component that is not spent, but can be reused. A character may craft his own foci or purchase and dedicate them. A character can have many foci, although each particular focus only works for one Ritual skill and may not work with all the effects related to that skill. A focus is useful to perform any ritual that has a Ritual check DC equal to the focus’ Purchase DC +5. It is, however, limited to effects of a single Ritual skill such as divination, enticement, necromancy and so on. The player consults with the Games Master regarding what would make a proper focus for the Ritual skill, such as a silver mirror for divination, the mummified remains of a long-dead sorcerer for necromancy or a ruby ring for invocation. A focus does not grant any bonus for sympathetic connections and acts as a reusable set of generic ingredients, although the magician may add wondrous components to gain a bonus. Foci cannot be made into conduits.
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create a resonance and Component Ritual Damage trigger the desired effect, Ritual DC Effect or else it will begin to Less than 5 Character is fatigued feed on the practitioner, 6-10 Character suffers 1d6 points of non-lethal damage and is fatigued which is not an altogether 11-15 Character suffers 1d6+2 points of non-lethal damage and is exhausted pleasant experience. 16-20 Character suffers 3d6 points of non-lethal damage and is exhausted 21-25 Character suffers 1d4 points of key ability damage and is fatigued Before enacting a ritual, 26-30 Character gains 1 negative level the magician must 31+ Character gains 1d4+1 negative levels procure the correct ingredients. There are components as a result of his own personal endeavours, two ways he can go about following rumours and doing his own foraging, mining this. He can either pay for generic but nonetheless useful or hunting, in which case the component has no financial components, or he may seek truly wondrous ones. The cost; the Games Master determines the bonus awarded components the magician chooses must reflect his magic by judging its quality as well as how closely it adheres style; an arcane ritualist will purchase dusted gold to trace to the Laws of Magic and the ritual the character wants a magical diagram on a slab of marble instead of the exotic to perform. All components are used up after a ritual, incense and offerings that a faith worker prefers, with whether it was successful or not. neither of them looking to find the rare herbs or the skulls of exotic beasts that the animist knows work best for his In an emergency, a character can dispense with components style of magic. for a ritual but this has grave consequences for him. At the end of a successful ritual performed without components, Generic components have a Purchase DC equal to one the magician suffers automatic damage to his mind and third of the Ritual check’s DC. They are spent at the end body as the magic feeds from him to power its effects. He of the ritual. Generic components do not provide any cannot save himself from this damage in any way, nor can particular modifier. he prevent it, as his connection to the ritual opens a direct way for magic to extract the resonance it needs from him. Wondrous components are difficult to put a price to as Consult the table for the effects depending on the ritual’s they vary wildly in nature. The Games Master should DC. determine the value of any particular component he introduces to the game or that the players think up, assigning it a bonus to Ritual checks ranging from +1 to Step 5: Conditions +5, with a Purchase DC equal to the bonus multiplied by Performing a magic ritual can be a very delicate operation; 5. Then again, the character may acquire such wondrous the slightest mistake can cause a drawback in the casting, while the direst can sap the magician’s mind and body, which is why most magicians seek to create the most favourable conditions for their rituals, while keeping a close watch on unfavourable ones. Ritual Circles A magician may gather a circle to help him perform complicated rituals, or even simple ones whose effects he wishes to broaden. A ritual circle can even include people without any occult understanding, so long as they can follow instructions. Each member of a circle provides a bonus to every Ritual check that he helps the magician perform but this bonus varies depending on the circle member’s connection to the occult. Add up the character levels of all combined participants of each type, apply the bonus by dividing that total by the amount indicated in the Ritual Circle Bonuses table and drop any fractions. Any total of less than 1 does not grant a bonus. Multiclass characters count their various class levels separately. At the Games Master’s discretion, class levels that are not sufficient to generate a bonus level on their own may be added to the next lowest type of class levels in the circle. For example, a 4th level occultist (other) does not achieve a bonus on his own but his levels
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Ritual Circle Bonuses Participant …is an occultist (magician), same magic style …is an occultist (magician), different magic style …is an occultist (other)* …is not an occultist …has 5 or more ranks in the same Ritual skill …has 10 or more ranks in the same Ritual skill …has 15 or more ranks in the same Ritual skill …has 20 or more ranks in the same Ritual skill
Bonus +1/3 level +1/4 level +1/5 level +1/10 level +2 +4
The Games Master may rule that the bonus from a particular site is only available to occultists who meet certain prerequisites, such as some places being particularly attuned to arcane ritualism rather than faith working rituals. A Games Master can define the access limits to places of power by class, race, allegiance, magic style or nearly any other criteria. Such limitations not only give a certain personality to the place, they also limit its usefulness. Places of power from which any occultist can draw are likely to be highly prized and sought after, with most of them already under the control of groups of casters. Places of power may also only affect certain types of rituals, such as divination, necromancy and such like.
+6 +8
*Optional, see the following entries.
could be applied to the total non-occultist levels. Should the ritual fail even despite the collective efforts, the leader of the circle suffers the brunt of the backlash effect (see below) as normal and the rest of the participants suffer as if the ritual had failed by one step lower in severity. This means that if a Ritual check fails by 5 or less, participants suffer no effect. Places of Power Particular places such as temples, groves, stone circles and ancient ritual sites become linked with power as magic gathers on them through years of witnessing magical rituals, or because they stand on top of a nexus or a ley line. For obvious reasons, powerful magicians have already claimed most of the nexuses, although there are still several unclaimed in the unexplored parts of the world, which is one reason why magicians join risky exploration expeditions. Ley lines are much more numerous and may be tapped at any point of their length, although a few roads and tracks built on top of them are restricted, all their power devoted to maintaining a particular magic effect or to fuelling advanced transport machinery. A particular site has a power rating that ranges from weak to overwhelming, offering different bonuses to Ritual checks performed on top of them. These bonuses are added on top of any generated by other conditions such as a ritual circle.
Places of power are not always clearly marked on maps and many may have been forgotten by history. Psychics are ideally suited to find places of power, while magicians need to perform divination magic to try to find one. As nexuses and ley lines resonate with power, they are much easier to detect than other targets of divination. Psychics can feel the presence of such sites with the psychic sensitivity basic power using the DC listed in the table below. Other psychic powers as well as divination magic used to locate a place of power have a bonus to their Psychic Control or Ritual (divination) checks equal to half the bonus the place grants to magic rituals. Rushing a Ritual The steps of a ritual each have their own pace and placement but a character may attempt to cut corners and skip a few of the less essential steps in order to have the effect ready in less time. This puts a greater strain on both the magician and the ritual itself, as the components are being asked to yield their power more rapidly. The Ritual check suffers a -2 circumstance penalty per minute that is cut from each interval between Ritual checks, although the magician may not reduce the casting time to less than one minute in total. For example: Heshia is in a hurry to complete a ritual that would normally take hours. She cuts five minutes from each Ritual check, suffering a -10 penalty, reckoned as -2 multiplied by 5 minutes. Succeeding by the barest of margins, Heshia realises she is making good time and can afford to relax her concentration. She decides not to cut time from the last two checks, which will now take 10 minutes each but carry no penalty for rushing.
Places of Power Power Rating Weak Minor Moderate Major Overwhelming
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Bonus (nexus) +2 +4 +6 +8 +10
Bonus (ley line) +1 +2 +3 +4 +5
Psychic Sensitivity DC (nexus) 15 14 13 12 11
Psychic Sensitivity DC (ley line) 20 18 16 14 12
Laws of Magic If a character takes pains to conform to the Laws of Magic with his ritual work, he can find magic performing more than satisfactorily, making its power more potent and harder to resist.
The character obeys the Law of Equity by using components, be they generic or wondrous, as well as foci. A magic effect abides by the Law of Consequence by posing the danger of backlash. The Law of Geasa is hard to implement into a ritual but clever magicians may learn of oaths taken by their target and fashion their magic effect to mimic oaths taken, so as to force the target to fall victim to the effect. The Games Master is the final arbiter of whether an effect follows the terms of an oath taken by the target and awards a bonus to the effect’s saving throw DC of +1 to +5, depending on how well the magician integrates his effect with the target’s oath. As all magic has a resonance, other magic may be used to target it more efficiently. If the magician knows that his target is under a magic effect and has already identified its aura strength and discipline, he can increase his own ritual’s saving throw DC depending on the target effect’s aura strength. Target Scope Trivial Minor Moderate Major Extreme
Save DC modifier +0 +1 +1 +2 +2
Step 6: Ritual Checks Once all the parameters of the ritual’s effect are set and all preparations complete, the character finally starts the process of making a series of Ritual checks using the Ritual skill bonus for the appropriate effect.
All magic rituals have a target number equal to their DC multiplied by 10. When a character makes a Ritual check, he notes his total result if the check succeeds. He makes subsequent checks at the same DC, adding all results together until the sum is equal to the target number. Each Ritual check represents 10 minutes, so the higher the results he achieves with his checks, the sooner he reaches the ritual’s target number and the less time it takes to complete the ritual.
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To take advantage of the Law of Sympathy, the magician must procure some piece of material that obeys its tenets, in addition to the normal components. An object following the Law of Similarity could be a portrait, a lithograph, a photograph, a doll fashioned after a target, a scale model of a location or some similar item. An object following the Law of Contiguity would be a piece of clothing from a target person, a handful of dirt from a target place, a mechanical part from a target machine and so forth. Objects following the Law of Antipathy must show some opposition to the target of the ritual. Objects conforming to the Law of Sympathy increase an effect’s saving throw DC by +2, following which their sympathy quotient is used up, although the object is not destroyed.
Casting Time Performing a ritual takes time, with each complication adding to the total duration of the ritual. A magic ritual’s casting time is the amount of time that the character must spend in tracing diagrams, preparing components, chanting, reciting mantras, drumming or using whatever other methods his particular magic style dictates. More powerful rituals need more time to prepare and perform and rushing things is a bad idea. The total casting time for a magic ritual depends very much on the talents of the magician; they are usually long and drawn-out affairs and may exhaust a practitioner before he even gets halfway through the process.
If the ritual’s total time is over an hour, the character must make a Concentration check at DC 10 in addition to the Ritual check for every 10 minutes over the hour. The Concentration check’s DC increases by +1 with each consecutive successful check. A failed Concentration check means that the ritual fails because the magician realises he is too tired to continue, cancelling the ritual on his own without risking backlash. The components are still lost. For example: Heshia wants to perform an invocation ritual with a DC 16, which thus has a target number of 16 times 10, for a total of 160. Her first Ritual (invocation) check equals 20, a clear success, so her Player writes down this number. Heshia has now been performing the ritual for 10 minutes. She makes a second check against the same DC and succeeds again. She now adds the second result to the first. Heshia makes another check once every 10 minutes until her total result is equal to or more than 160. The magician must not interrupt the casting for any reason. If he is interrupted for more than five minutes per point of key ability modifier, which is Intelligence for arcanists, Wisdom for faith workers and Charisma for animists, then the ritual fails and all previous results go to waste. Backlash So long as the magician keeps succeeding at the Ritual checks, he continues to perform the necessary steps towards success. Failure may, however, stem from other quarters than just a simple interruption. Failing the check by different amounts has different consequences, see the Backlash Effects Table on page 294.
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Backlash Effects Ritual check fails … by up to 5 points … by 6-10 points
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… by 11 or more points ... and the die shows a natural 1
Effect Deduct 5 from check running total. 1d4 damage to key ability, deduct 10 from check running total, Concentration check (DC 15) or ritual fails. 1d6 damage to key ability, ritual fails. 1d6 damage to key ability, gain 1 negative level (DC 12 to remove), ritual fails, character may not perform any magic ritual nor activate any conduit until all ability damage is healed. There is a 50% chance that the effect backfires and affects the character negatively.
Saving Throws Every victim of harmful or detrimental magic has a chance to resist its effects. The victim makes a Fortitude saving throw if the effect would target his body directly, a Reflex saving throw when the effect has a physical component that he could avoid with quick reactions and a Will saving throw if the effect targets his mind and perceptions. The ritual’s saving throw DC is fixed depending on the original scope of the ritual. The magician also adds his key ability modifier (Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma) to this base number, along with any modifier granted by feats, adherence to the Laws of Magic or other circumstances. See the Magic Ritual section for the base DCs. Willing targets may forfeit their saving throws, such as when receiving beneficial magic effects.
Sample Rituals These are a few examples of the kinds of effects of which a magician can be capable when using ritual magic.
Dark Demise Discipline(s) and Scope: Extreme necromancy Ritual Check DC: 26 Components DC: 8 Subject: Area 15 ft./level per side Reach: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level) Duration: Instantaneous Effect: All creatures inside the area suffer 1d6 points of damage per character level from a blast of death energies. Game Mechanics: An extreme necromancy effect (DC 28) with a base subject of a 15 feet per level per side area (unmodified) with an extreme range reduced to long (-2) and, since it is an effect that deals damage, a base duration of instantaneous.
Distant Deduction
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Discipline(s) and Scope: Trivial divination Ritual Check DC: 12 Components DC: 4 Subject: 1 person Reach: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level) Duration: Instantaneous Effect: The character is able to discern the profession of an observed person with a feat of magical deduction. Game Mechanics: A trivial divination effect (DC 12) with a base subject of 1 target (unmodified) with a close
range augmented to long (+4) and a base duration of 1 round per level reduced to an instantaneous flash of insight (-4).
Espionage Discipline(s) and Scope: Minor divination Ritual Check DC: 29 Components DC: 9 Subject: Area 5 ft./level Reach: Extreme (1 mile + 1 mile/level) Duration: 1 minute per level Effect: For a few minutes, the character Game Mechanics: A minor divination effect (DC 16) with a base subject of an area 5 ft. per two levels per side, augmented to 5 ft. per level per side (+3), with a close range augmented to extreme (+6) and a base duration of 1 round per level increased to 1 minute per level (+4). If the character only wishes a brief glimpse of the area, he can leave the duration unmodified for a DC of 25, and he may use an object from the area to create a sympathetic connection for a bonus to the Ritual (divination) check.
Eternal Engine Discipline(s) and Scope: Trivial invocation (descriptor varies) Ritual Check DC: 22 Components DC: 7 Subject: 1 machine Reach: Touch Duration: Permanent Effect: The magician makes an engine he touches have an eternal store of fuel, whether it runs on voltaic batteries, steam power or even fossil fuels. The effect acquires the appropriate descriptor if using an energy type. Game Mechanics: A trivial invocation effect (DC 12) with a base subject of 1 target (unmodified) with a close range reduced to touch (-2) and a base duration of 1 round made permanent (+12).
Etheric Ward Discipline(s) and Scope: Moderate protection, combined Ritual Check DC: 26 Components DC: 8 Subject: Area 5 ft./level per side Reach: No reach Duration: 2 hours + 1 hour/level
Flamebane Sphere Discipline(s) and Scope: Minor protection (fire) Ritual Check DC: 16 Components DC: 5 Subject: 1 target Reach: Touch Duration: 1 minute per level Effect: The character can envelop a target he touches with a field that absorbs all damage from fire, until it has absorbed 12 hit points per character level, or the duration expires. Game Mechanics: A minor protection effect (DC 16) with a base subject of 1 target per 2 levels reduced to 1 target (-2) with a close range reduced to touch (-2) and a base duration of 1 round per level augmented to 1 minute per level (+4).
reach to touch decreases it by -2. The character could alter the target so that it only affected a single bowl of soup, reducing the DC by -2.
Magical Maintenance Discipline(s) and Scope: Moderate transformation Ritual Check DC: 12 Components DC: 4 Subject: 1 vehicle Reach: Touch Duration: Instantaneous Effect: The character touches a vehicle (or kicks it, as is more common) and repairs 2d6 points of structure damage it received. Game Mechanics: A moderate transformation (DC 20) with a base subject of 1 target per level reduced to just 1 target (-4) and a base medium reach reduced to touch (-4).
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Effect: The character creates a barrier around him that no ghost can penetrate either by walking, or by travelling through the Ethereal or even the Astral Plane. If a ghost is present at the moment of the ritual’s or conduit’s activation, it is pushed away to the edge of the effect. Game Mechanics: A multiple effect, the core is a moderate protection effect (DC 20) combined with a second moderate effect of the same discipline (+6) with a base subject of an area 5 ft./level per side (unmodified), with a medium range to no reach (-6) and a base duration of 1 minute per level augmented to 1 hour per level (+4) and two additional hours (+2).
Major Refuelling Discipline(s) and Scope: Major invocation (electrical) Ritual Check DC: 14 Components DC: 4 Subject: 1 machine powered by electrical batteries Reach: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level) Duration: Instantaneous
Healing Broth Discipline(s) and Scope: Minor transformation and trivial invocation Ritual Check DC: 21 Components DC: 7 Subject: 1 bowl/2 levels Reach: Touch Duration: 1 minute per level Effect: Grant 1 bowl of soup per two character levels the ability to cure 1d8 points of damage to any who imbibes it. Game Mechanics: This is a multiple effect; the core effect is a minor transformation (DC 16) that grants a special characteristic to a target. Since the healing characteristic is the purview of invocation, the ritual must have multiple effects. A trivial invocation effect to cure 1d8 points of damage raises the DC by +3 (a trivial effect of a different discipline), and the character must have at least 5 ranks in Ritual (invocation) to weave the effect in the transformation. Minor effects have a base subject of 1 target per 2 levels, a base close reach and a base duration of 1 round per level, so raising the duration so that the effect lasts longer increases the DC by +4, and lowering the
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Effect: The character points at a machine within range and replenishes 12d6 electrical charges to its batteries. Game Mechanics: A major invocation effect (DC 24) with a base subject of 2 targets per level reduced to just 1 target (-6) with a base long range (unmodified) and a base duration of 10 minutes per level reduced to an instantaneous refuelling (-4).
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Mummified Servitor Discipline(s) and Scope: Major necromancy, combined Ritual Check DC: 24 Components DC: 8 Subject: 1 corpse Reach: No reach Duration: Permanent Effect: Animates a corpse inside the ritual’s diagram into a mummy that automatically obeys its creator. Game Mechanics: A combined necromancy effect, this has a core major necromancy effect (DC 24) and also a major necromancy secondary effect (+8). It normally has a base subject of 2 targets per level, but the particular effect ignores this. It has a base long reach reduced to no
reach (-8) and a base duration of 10 minutes per level, also ignored by the particular effect.
Pat on the Shoulder Discipline(s) and Scope: Minor enticement (languagedependent, mind-affecting) Ritual Check DC: 18 Components DC: 6 Subject: 1 target/2 levels Reach: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) Duration: 1 minute/level Effect: The character walks amongst a staff of assistants, giving a speech that praises their hard work and granting them a +2 morale bonus to their Craft checks. The staff must understand the language the character speaks. Game Mechanics: A minor enticement effect (DC 16) with a base subject of 1 target per 2 levels (unmodified) with a close reach (unmodified) and a base duration of 1 round per level augmented to 1 minute per level (+4). The effect is language-dependent (-2).
Using OGL Spells Many fantasy Open Game Licence products use an individual spell system for their magic-using characters, divided into nine levels of powers. Players and Games Masters can adapt the spells from those products into OGL Steampunk rituals easily with the following guidelines: Caster Level: Treat as character level. If the spell description specifies that this only acts upon levels of a magic-using class, consider it to be occultist levels. Spell Name: Use it as the name for the ritual. School (type): Adapt the spell’s school and type into their corresponding disciplines and sub-disciplines as follows; School/type Abjuration Conjuration (types unchanged) Divination Enchantment Charm Compulsion Evocation Illusion Figment Glamer Pattern Phantasm Shadow Necromancy Transmutation
Discipline Protection Invocation Divination Enticement Charm Manipulation Invocation Enticement Fabrication Fabrication Pattern Manipulation None Necromancy Transformation
Descriptor: Unchanged, convert alignment descriptors into allegiance.
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Level: Convert into scope as indicated in the following table. There are no limitations on what character class can perform which ritual in OGL Steampunk, but if the Games Master wants to impose limitations, the bard, wizard and sorcerer classes are arcane ritualists, the cleric and paladin classes are faith workers and the druid and ranger classes are animists. Spell level 0-1st 2nd-3rd 4th-5th 6th-7th 8th-9th
Scope Trivial Minor Moderate Major Extreme
Ritual Check DC 12 16 20 24 28
Components: Ignore these and use the components’ and exotic components’ Purchase DC. Casting Time: Ignore this and use the ritual’s formula to calculate casting time in both ritual and conduit versions. Range: Leave unchanged; this is equivalent to the reach, but consider the parameters to be already adjusted for the Ritual check’s DC from the spell level phase. Target, Effect, Area: Leave unchanged as above; this is equivalent to the subject. Duration: Leave unchanged as above. Saving Throw: Use only the pointed on which kind of save it is, otherwise, all rituals allow saving throws. Spell Resistance: Ignore this; creatures gain a Magic Resistance score instead and it always applies.
Projection of Self
Conduits
Performing rituals requires time and preparation, which are not always readily available to characters wishing to enact them. However, just as technology gives science a way to manifest in the hands of users, magic also has tools available so that practitioners can manifest their power freely. Conduits are specially prepared items that store the power and effect of a ritual so that its creator can manifest it at will, without the need for costly components. Despite what many dabblers in the occult affirm, an item’s cost and quality bear little relevance to their adequacy as conduits; what is important is that a practitioner of the magic arts devotes part of his very being to the crafting of his tool. The character can make almost anything into a conduit. This reflects his personality as well as his style of magic. The arcane ritualist’s most common choice is the staff or cane topped with a motif evocative of the occult, such as a crystal sphere or a dragon’s head. Faith workers invariably use the symbols of their worship as conduits, while animists prefer to use quaint tools that would please the spirits they hear. Regardless of its form, it is hard to disguise a conduit as something other than a channel for magic energies, for it is covered by magical markings and exudes a faint aura of power, recognisable by any psychic power or divination effect. It also becomes enveloped in oddly coloured heatless flame when it is actively manifesting a power stored therein.
Creating a Conduit To create a conduit, a character must first select its physical form. It can be anything from a piece of jewellery to a working tool or even a weapon, although it is sometimes unwise to make weapons into conduits, as the magician might be separated from his tool in places where bearing arms is prohibited. The ritual to consecrate a conduit is very simple and takes only 10 minutes, during which the character carves, paints
In order to craft a conduit of adequate power, a character must be of a minimum character level and spend a number of experience points upon creating the conduit, as indicated on the table below. Conduit Creation Power Trivial Minor Moderate Major Extreme
Experience Points 200 600 1,200 1,800 2,400
Minimum Character Level 1st 3rd 6th 9th 12th
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Discipline(s) and Scope: Major enticement (mindaffecting) Ritual Check DC: 23 Components DC: 7 Subject: 5 ft. Reach: Extreme (1 mile + 1 mile/level) Duration: 30 minutes + 10 minutes/level Effect: The character creates an illusory double of himself to confuse enemies, lead others into unsafe areas, or generally draw trouble away from the caster. Game Mechanics: A major enticement effect (DC 24) with a base subject of 10 feet per level per side reduced to 5 feet (-6) with a long reach augmented to extreme (+2) and a base duration of 10 minutes per level increased by 30 additional minutes (+3).
or marks the item with the diagrams and symbols that the conduit needs to store and channel magical effects. The character determines the maximum power capacity of his conduit, which is the highest scope of an effect that the item can store. Trivial conduits cannot store minor effects and above; extreme conduits can store any effect.
While the conduit is bound to the magician, the reverse is not true. A character will not suffer any ill effect from the loss or destruction of a conduit save being deprived of a handy tool for working magic. A character can have more than one conduit at any time, enchant them with different effects and carry them around, although this has its dangers; see below in Activating a Conduit.
Enchanting a Conduit Enchanting magical effects into conduits has the same process as any magical ritual, except that the conduit stands at the centre of the ritual’s circle and the effect does not manifest as normal at the ritual’s end. Instead, it is channelled into the conduit, which is why certain effects are designed with touch, close, medium and sometimes long reaches, as they are meant to be used from conduits, not from the character’s ritual circle. Once enchanted into a conduit, a magic effect’s parameters are set; upon activation, the magician may choose a subject that is valid for the effect (an effect designed to affect machines will not affect plants, for example) but he cannot change the reach or duration, much less the scope. The Ritual Check DC for the effect in the conduit is the same for the original ritual. Any character can enchant a maximum number of effects into a conduit equal to one-fourth of its character level, rounded up. Characters from the occultist (magician) class add their key ability modifier (Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma) to this limit and their ability to maintain effects inside a conduit grows much faster than that of ordinary characters who dabble in the magic arts. The character can remove an effect from the conduit simply by willing it and replace it with another effect by performing the corresponding ritual.
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Activating a Conduit
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The real benefit of crafting conduits is apparent when it is time to use them. To activate an effect enchanted inside a conduit, the character simply grasps it and concentrates, calling the effect forth. The character makes an activation check, which is 1d20 plus the character’s level, with a target number equal to the effect’s Ritual Check DC. Again, dedicated magicians are better at using conduits and characters from the occultist (magician) class add their key ability modifier (Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma) to this check. Activating a conduit entails speaking the ritual’s basic incantations and tracing the ritual’s symbols in the air with the conduit or a part thereof, so a muted, gagged or immobilised character cannot activate a conduit. The activation check takes a standard action. If the check result does not equal the effect’s Ritual Check DC, it is not considered a failure; the character makes consecutive activation checks on the following rounds, adding the result to the ones from previous attempts until the sum equals or exceeds the effect’s Ritual Check DC, at which moment the conduit activates and unleashes the effect. Rolling a 1 in any of the checks causes an automatic failure of the activation and the character must make a Fortitude saving throw at DC 15 or suffer 1d6 points of non-lethal damage.
If the character is distracted during the conduit’s activation, he must roll a Concentration check; see the Concentration skill description on pg. 74 for DCs. Failure indicates that he loses his mental focus and cannot activate the conduit correctly, losing all accumulated activation check results. The character does not need any components other than the conduit itself, as the ritual that enchants the effect into the conduit has already provided the necessary components. The character can still benefit from using materials with a sympathy resonance, from activating the conduit atop a nexus or ley line, or from other conditions that provide bonuses to the Ritual check, rather than modifying its Difficulty Class. The desired effect takes place as it was enchanted by the ritual, with its effect, subject, reach and duration unchanged, although some metamagic feats may help the character alter the effect’s parameters upon activation, without changing the original effect stored in the conduit. Only the conduit’s creator can activate it, as it is his own power and knowledge as a magician that becomes intertwined with the vessel at the moment of creating and enchanting the conduit. For any other character, the conduit is nothing more than a mundane item; beautiful, perhaps, but still useless.
Pain raced along her side as the slashing impact of an orc’s sword cut through her armour and into her flesh. It was a shallow wound but she knew it would bleed profusely. Her mental powers were still in effect; she could already feel her vessels closing off, limiting the loss of blood from the injury. She answered with a slash of her own, Jerrek’s dropped sword serving her well as she took her attacker’s tusked jaw clean off with a powerful double-handed stroke. It died in twitching agony as she tried to scramble back into cover. Nearby, she could see Jerrek fighting over Thurdin’s fallen form. The dwarf was still alive but he was prone in a pool of crimson. She had seen the shot that dropped him and if she could reach him quickly, she might be able to save him. Otherwise, he would bleed out from the wound in his gut. Had the shot been higher, the tough old dwarf would already be dead. Jerrek was faring little better but his endurance was serving him well again. Bleeding from a dozen cuts and gunshot wounds, the human was still fighting, refusing to go down. Her eyes lingered on his grim and determined face, admiring him more with each passing moment. It was almost a moment too long. An orc slammed into her side, knocking her down to the broken stone at its heavy iron-booted feet. ‘You die now, elf!’ it grunted in a broken mockery of Elvish. She spat up into its twisted face and pulled both her guns at the same time. Her fingers squeezed the triggers and the pistol’s hammers fell in unison, clicking loudly as they slammed into empty chambers. The orc snorted in derision. ‘Your guns are empty, just like your skull!’ It pulled back its iron shard-studded war club to bring down on her head but the blow never landed. Just as the orc started to swing, a pulse of burning light leapt out of both pistols and ripped through its chest. Firing her guns when they were unloaded had activated the magic she had placed in them a long time ago. Magic-workers called the process ‘enchanting a conduit’. Right now, she called it ‘last ditch life saver’. As the dead orc fell, its torso still blazing from the twin rays of fire that had burned through it, Heshia was already on her feet and diving behind the overturned column Jerrek was using for cover. She rushed to Thurdin’s side and put a hand on his chest but his heartbeat was too faint for her to feel. The dwarf looked up at her, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth. ‘You did good, lass, getting me here in one piece, but I think this is where I check out. It was a glorious… fight…’
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‘Hells, no!’ she shouted and poured as much healing magic as she could muster into his body. ‘You are not dying on me, you insufferable bastard! We need you!’ The power flared along her hands and flooded like a heavy torrent into his chest wound but she could tell there was nothing for it to do. It could not heal him fast enough. The dwarf was slipping away. Thurdin glanced to Jerrek, who was still fighting to hold back the flood of green around the column. ‘It’s okay, elf. We… we worked it all out. You keep him safe, you… hear? He’s a good… good lad.’ Then Thurdin’s eyes closed and the light around Heshia’s hands faded. There was no life to sustain within him. The dwarf ’s soul was free from the pain of this world.
‘What…’ she began, uncomprehending, as the cog turned from Jerrek to her. She tried to bring up an arm to ward off its next blow but she was too tired to react in time. A pulse of electricity shot through her and drove her into the pitch black of unconsciousness. ‘No,’ she whispered, as darkness fell all around. She dimly regained consciousness several times, each time lapsing back into the shadows after a few moments. She could feel her body being dragged somewhere. The darkest parts of her mind imagined that the orcs had gotten ahold of her and were taking her to the kitchens for their nightly feast. She knew from past experience that the bestial race enjoyed dining on elf flesh when they could get it, having rescued several of her people from their larders in the past. The bitter irony of becoming a meal herself turned her stomach almost as much as Gearbolt’s betrayal.
THE OCCULT
Then she saw Jerrek fall and whirled around to see Gearbolt standing over him with blood on its metal fist.
She only regretted not having had the chance to tear the metal man’s head off herself before dying. She had never trusted cogs, as the humans and gnomes called them. The steel clad bastard had obviously decided to turn on them because the odds were in the orcs’ favour. That was the problem with creatures of logic; how could they fail to act logically? The battle was all but lost, so the automaton must have decided to try and switch sides to preserve its own existence. So, she and Jerrek must be gifts for the orcs, then, to prove the cog’s loyalty. The mission was over. If she ever regained consciousness, it would be to watch the orcs kill her slowly. She felt an ache in her heart for Jerrek; the human had deserved better than this. She wished she could see him just one more time, just long enough to tell him what she felt. She had buried so much for so long, she hoped she would at least get to tell Jerrek the wonder he had achieved. They might have failed in their mission to destroy the factory but the human had accomplished something so much less possible. The world lurched around her but she was not sure if she was asleep, awake, or perhaps already dead. A pain flashed through her back, but it did not hurt for long. Everything was dark again and her limbs were turning cold. Perhaps this was death after all; an oblivion that would soon claim her senses and let her drift into a blissful void… A year ago, she would have welcomed it. She had been a wanderer then, with nothing but vengeance to live for and nothing more important than the hunt keeping her going. She would not have fought very hard to survive back then but no matter how severe the risks she had taken, she had always come back from them alive. Now she had something to live for, someone to be with, and she did not want to let that go. Damn it! Was this all there was to life? Just a brief flash of pain, followed by the echoes of cruel gods’ laughter at the final joke of your demise? Well, frag that! Heshia was not content to let that be the end of everything. If she was fated to end up on an orc’s dinner plate, she would choke him on the way down. This was not over! Not by a long shot! Then a clap of thunder somewhere nearby deafened her and the darkness grew darker still. Anger faded in the face of deeper unconsciousness. Heshia wanted to live but life would have to wait. Sleep came now, deep, forceful, and impossible to deny. It was a long time before Heshia regained consciousness. When she did, she was lying face up on the stone landing of the sewer passage from before. Above her, there was a dimly lit hole leading into darkness. She was covered with a thick cloak and a bedroll was tucked under her head. Sitting up cautiously, she felt her body rebel against the action but she forced herself to do it anyway. Her wounds had been bound, though it was not a very careful job. Still, the wrapping had probably kept her from bleeding to death, so she really could not complain. Though Heshia was alone in the hole, she could hear something moving above her in the factory chamber. She knew it would not be easy but she had to stand. Grabbing the nearby ladder rung, Heshia lifted herself up off the ground
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and stood there for a while regaining her strength. Once she knew her legs would support her, she started climbing the passage cautiously.
THE OCCULT
Heshia was not sure what she expected to find when she cleared the entrance to the tunnel but she was certainly not prepared for the sight that awaited her. Jerrek was there, covered in crudely applied bandages of his own, standing next to a pile of twisted metal parts. Past him, the entire centre of the chamber was filled with rock and rubble. The support column was gone, blasted into a thousand pieces and buried under the rubble of what she assumed to be the factory from above their heads. It was over. Somehow, Jerrek had managed to succeed in their mission. Then her vision cleared a little more and she saw what the junk at Jerrek’s feet was. The broken pile was unmistakable; Gearbolt’s chassis and head and several pieces of its limbs were lying there, covered in burn marks and battered nearly beyond recognition. She was elated that Jerrek had gotten revenge for them both. Still, something did not feel right about all this. ‘You’re awake,’ Jerrek’s weary voice filled what was left of the chamber. As he spoke, an almost invisible, obviously exhausted Gailion drifted close, carrying another piece of the cog to add to the pile. ‘I… I was afraid you wouldn’t make it. I am sorry if I didn’t do a very good job with your wounds.’ There was so little emotion in Jerrek’s voice that it sent a chill down Heshia’s spine. ‘What happened here?’ she asked quietly. ‘Jerrek, what is going on?’ The human sat down. He was pale from blood loss and trembling slightly from fatigue. ‘When Gearbolt hit me, he only stunned me. I wasn’t unconscious when he dragged us into the hole. I…’ Jerrek’s voice trailed off for a moment as Gailion brought another piece of the automaton from somewhere deep in the ruined cavern. ‘It took me a few seconds to come to my senses and climb back up. When I did, I saw the cog with the bomb attached to him. When Thurdin fixed him that last time,’ Jerrek’s voice dropped to an almost inaudible whisper, ‘they must have rigged the bomb to use him as a power boost or something.’ Heshia bitterly choked back a sob. She took back all the horrible things she had thought, the curses she had flung at the metal man. It… he had not been a traitor after all, but a martyr. Gearbolt had given his life, mechanical though he might have been, to save them both and Thurdin had been part of the plan. Bless them. Bless them both. ‘I couldn’t move to stop him. Someone held me back.’ Jerrek’s glance shifted to Gailion, who avoided his look and headed back into the shattered cave to search mutely for more parts. ‘I watched Gearbolt walk through a rain of fire. I… I watched him get ripped apart plate by plate but he kept going. He walked up to the column and blew up. The force threw me back into the hole. I… I think I landed on you.’ Then, almost incredulously, Jerrek said, ‘Sorry about that.’ Heshia came up out of the sewer passage and sat down next to her human. ‘Don’t be. I am just glad you are alive. We, I mean. I am glad we are alive.’ She slipped her hand into his, alarmed at how cold it felt but glad to feel it close around hers. ‘They sacrificed themselves for us, Jerrek. We owe it to their memory to live through this now. Do you have a plan for getting us out of here?’ Jerrek turned to the beautiful elven woman, his eyes heavy with the soul-weariness of his wounds and the trauma of the day. ‘No, I don’t. I’m sorry…’ She slipped her arm around his shoulders. ‘Don’t be, Jerrek. You are exhausted. We both are. I am sure we’ll find a way out. You will. You will find a way out of here. I believe in you.’ In her heart, no truer words could be spoken. That was it. She could feel again, and this human had, without meaning to, restored her faith in life. She wanted to shout for joy, but the utter sorrow on Jerrek’s face brought her back down. As Gailion approached empty-handed, she asked her human softly, ‘What is troubling you, Jerrek? Why are you so shadowed?’ Jerrek shook his head. ‘They died for us, Heshia.’ He looked up at Gailion, obviously seeing his friend’s ghost as another sacrifice for his own safety. ‘Not for the mission, for us. How… how can we even begin to honour them all for something like that?’ Heshia leaned forward and kissed him . This one was much softer, but it held infinitely more promise than the last time their lips had touched. ‘By naming our children after them, of course. Do you think Gearbolt is a better name for a girl or a boy?’ The entire chamber echoed with the ghostly laughter of a spectral lion as Jerrek, finally suffering one shock too many, passed out cold…
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Index a
b Background Points 10 Balance 72 Base Attack Bonus 29 Base Attributes and Options 231 Base Saving Throw Bonuses 29 Blind-Fight 106 Blindsight and Blindsense 213 Bluff 73 141.157.188.166
c Carrying Capacity 200 Challenges 170 Challenge Rating (CR) 170 Character Creation Summary 7 Charm and Compulsion 213 Checks without Rolls 71 Clairsentience 116 Class and Level Bonuses 28 Class Features 30 Feats 31 Talents and Traits 30 Cleave 106 Climb 74 Clothing 158 Cold and Fire Immunity 214 Combat 170 Combat Concentration 106 Combat Expertise 106 Combat Modifiers 177 Composition of the World, The 225 Concentration 75 Conditions 210 Conduits 297 Activating a Conduit 298 Creating a Conduit 297 Enchanting a Conduit 297 Construction Begins! 258 Cost and Occult Items 119 Cost Calculations 258 Craft 75 Craft (chemical) 76 Craft (expression) 78 Craft (mechanical) 77 Craft (structural) 77 Craft Automata 119 Craft Conduit 119 Craft Equipment 120 Craft Magic Arms and Armour 120 Craft Personal Weapons 120 Craft Vehicle and Artillery Weapons 121 Craft Wondrous Item 121
d Damage 172 Damage Reduction 214 Darkness and Light 202 Darkvision 215 Dead Aim 106 Decipher Script 80 Defence Value 171 Deficiencies 254 Derived Values 258 Designing a Trap 197 Diehard 106 Difficulty Class 69 Diplomacy 80 Disable Device 81 Disease 202 Disease and Poison 215 Disguise 81 Divination Talent 116 Dodge 107 Dominion Tree 123 Drive 82 Drive-By Attack 107 Dwarven Heritage Tree 124
INDEX
Abilities 7 Generating Ability Scores 7 Ability Modifiers 8 Ability Checks 70 Ability Score Loss 212 Acid 200 Acquiring Skill Ranks 69 Acquiring Speciality Ranks 69 Actions 166 Actions in Combat 174 Action Points 31 Action Types 167 Adapting Items 261 Adventurer 32 Adventurer Vocations 34 Adventuring 200 Adventuring Gear 154 Agile Riposte 105 Aiding Another 71 Allegiance 25 Allegiances and Influence 26 Pledging Allegiance 25 Alternate Form Tree 122 Amazing Health Tree 123 Amazing Machines 227 Amazing Machine Construction Concepts 229 Animal Senses Tree 123 An Example of Amazing Machine Construction 231 Armour and Protection 150 Armour Descriptions 151 Armour for Unusual Creatures 153 Armour Proficiency (Heavy) 106 Armour Proficiency (Light) 106 Armour Proficiency (Medium) 106 Astral and Ethereal Planes, the 263 Attack an Object 185 Attack Roll 171 Automata 231 Awarding Experience Points 221
Bottled Lightning 224 Breath Weapon 213 Brew Potion 118 Broad Psychic Attention 106 Build Structures 119 Build Vehicles 119
e Eclectic 107 Ectoplasm 272 Ectoplasmic Secretion 116 Electricity 202 Elements of a Trap 194 Elusive Target 107 Elvish Heritage Tree 124 Empower Effect 116 Encounters 170 Encounter Level (EL) 170 Endurance 107 Energy Drain and Negative Levels 215 Enlarge Effect 116 Entertainment and Leisure 163 Enticement Talent 116 Equipment 232 Escape Artist 82 Etherealness 215 Exchange Rates 135 Exotic Weapon Proficiency 108 Experience and Other Rewards 221 Explosives and Splash Weapons 148 Extend Effect 116
301
INDEX
f
i
m
Falling 202 Falling Objects 203 Fame and Infamy 31 Far Shot 108 Fast Healing 216 Favourable and Unfavourable Conditions 70 Fear 216 Feral Instinct Tree 125 Feral Soul Tree 126 Foci 291 Food and Lodging 160 Forgery 83 Forge Ring 121 Fortune Tree 126 Framework Tree 127 Free Actions 169 Full-Round Actions 169
Improved Critical 109 Improved Disarm 109 Improved Feint 109 Improved Grapple 109 Improved Initiative 110 Improved Knockout Punch 110 Improved Overrun 110 Improved Precise Shot 110 Improved Sunder 110 Improved Trip 110 Improved Turning 110 Improved Two-Weapon Fighting 110 Improved Unarmed Strike 110 Improvised Weapons 138 Incorporeality 216 Industry and Engineering 223 Initiative 173 Injury and Death 186 Injury and Recovery 186 Intimidate 88 Investigate 88 Investigator 42 Investigator Vocations 44 Invisibility 217 Iron Will 110
Journeyman 47 Journeyman Vocations 49
Machine Descriptions 227 Magic 277 Magic Conduits in Combat 176 Magic Focus 111 Magic Penetration 111 Magic Resistance 218 Magic Ritual, The 281 Magic Style 278 Magic Style and Key Ability 278 Malfunction 135 Martial Weapon Proficiency 111 Mastercraft Armour 153 Mastercraft Weapons 139 Master Artisan 111 Materials 237 Maximise Effect 116 Melee and Ranged Weapons 136 Mesmerism 117 Miscellaneous Actions 169 Modifier Types and Stacking 71 Mounted Combat 111 Mounted Firing 111 Mounts and Related Gear 161 Movement 204 Move Actions 168 Move Silently 93 Multiclass Characters 66 Adding a Second Class 66 Multiple Effects 287 Musket Firearms Proficiency 111 Mysteries of the Mind, The 226
k
n
Knockout Punch 110 Knowledge 90
Natural Weaponry Tree 128 Navigate 93 Necromancy Talent 117 Noble 61 Noble Vocations 63 Non-Abilities 219
g Gaining a Base Power 264 Gaining Derived Powers 264 Gamble 84 Gaseous Form 216 Gather Information 85 Genius 37 Genius Vocations 39 Getting Into and Out of Armour 153 Ghostly Terror Tree 128 Ghost Corporeality Tree 127 Greater Magic Focus 108 Greater Magic Penetration 108 Greater Psychic Focus 108 Greater Two-Weapon Fighting 108 Greater Weapon Focus 108 Greater Weapon Specialisation 108 Great Cleave 108 Great Fortitude 108 Grenades and Explosives 184
h Handle Animal 85 Healing 187 Health and Sanitation 225 Heat and Cold 203 Hide 87 Hit Die 28 Hit Points 173
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j
l Language 91 Language Groups 91 Laws of Magic, The 279 Level-Dependent Benefits 30 Level Loss 218 Light, One-Handed, and Two-Handed Melee Weapons 137 Lightning Reflexes 111 Listen 92 Losing Wealth 134 Low-Light Vision 218 Low Profile 111
o Occultist 51 Occultist Vocations 53 On the Creation of Non-Human Races 230 Opposed (Contested) Checks 70 Origin of Man (and Others), The 225
p
q Quicken Effect 117 Quick Draw 112
r Races 11 C.o.G.S (Creations of Generated Sentience) 15 Dwarves 17 Elves 18 Ghosts 22 Gnomes 20 Humans 11 Hybrids 12 Vampires 23 Rapid Reload 112 Rapid Shot 112 Rays 220 Regaining Wealth 134 Regeneration 220 Renown 113 Repair 95 Reputation 31 Using the Reputation Bonus 32 Research 97 Resistance To Energy 220 Ride 97 141.157.188.166
s Sample Traps 198 Saving Throws 173 Scent 220 Scoundrel 57 Scoundrel Vocations 59 Search 98 Selling Items or Information 134 Sense Motive 99 Services 163 Shield Proficiency 113 Shot on the Run 113 Silent Effect 117 Simple, Martial, and Exotic Weapons 136 Simple Weapons Proficiency 113 Skill Checks and Automatic Rolls 69 Skill Focus 113 Skill Synergy 71 Skip Shot 113 Sleight of Hand 99 Smoke 208 Social Ties Tree 130 Spark of Genius Tree 129 Special Abilities 212 Special Attacks 180 Special Features 241 Special Initiative Actions 179 Special Substances and Items 155 Speed 173 Spot 99 Spring Attack 113 Standard Actions 168 Starting Feats 28 Starvation and Thirst 209 Still Effect 118 Strangulation 209 Streetfighting 113 Suffocation and Drowning 209 Supernatural Gift Tree 130 Surgery 113 Surprise 174 Survival 100 Swim 101
t Telepathy 118 The Sight 118 Three-Dimensional Movement 206 Time and Skill Checks 71 Tools 71
Toughness 113 Track 114 Traits 122 Trample 114 Transformation Talent 118 Transportation and Communication 161 Traps 194 Treat Injury 101 Trying Again 70 Tumble 102 Turn Resistance 221 Two-Weapon Defence 115 Two-Weapon Fighting 115 Types of Feats 104
INDEX
Perform 94 Personal Background Tree 128 Personal Quality Feats 105 Personal Weapons 233 Pilot 94 Pistol Firearms Proficiency 111 Point Blank Shot 112 Poison 207 Powers of the Mind 264 Power Attack 112 Power Sources 238 Precise Shot 112 Principles of Science 223 Prodigy Tree 129 Profession 95 Professional Equipment 156 Protection Talent 117 Psychic Control 95 Psychic Focus 112 Psychic Healing 117 Psychic Phenomena 263 Psychic Powers 266 Psychic Sensitivity 117 Psychokinesis 117 Purchasing Equipment 132
Ride-By Attack 113 Ritual 98 Ritual Check, The 281 Run 113
u Unique Items 164 Universe, The 226 Untrained Skill Checks 70 Unusual Combat Situations 186 Upgrade Tree 131 Use Amazing Device 115 Use Rope 103 Using an Amazing Machine 261 Using Powers 265 Using Skills 68
v Vehicles 162, 235 Vehicle and Artillery Weapons 236 Vehicle Combat 191 Vehicle Dodge 115 Vehicle Movement 188 Vehicle Rules 187 Vital Statistics 26
w Water Dangers 209 Wealth Bonus 132 Wealth Bonus of +0 134 Wealth Check, The 132 Wealth System, The 132 Weapons 136 Weapon Descriptions 139 Weapon Finesse 115 Weapon Focus 115 Weapon Qualities 138 Weapon Size 138 Weapon Specialisation 115 Whirlwind Attack 115 Windfall 115 Working Magic 278
303
LICENSE
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OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (‘Wizards’). All Rights Reserved. 1. Definitions: (a)’Contributors’ means the copyright and/or trademark owners who have contributed Open Game Content; (b)’Derivative Material’ means copyrighted material including derivative works and translations (including into other computer languages), potation, modification, correction, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or other form in which an existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c) ‘Distribute’ means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute; (d)’Open Game Content’ means the game mechanic and includes the methods, procedures, processes and routines to the extent such content does not embody the Product Identity and is an enhancement over the prior art and any additional content clearly identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means any work covered by this License, including translations and derivative works under copyright law, but specifically excludes Product Identity. (e) ‘Product Identity’ means product and product line names, logos and identifying marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters; stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open Game Content; (f) ‘Trademark’ means the logos, names, mark, sign, motto, designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself or its products or the associated products contributed to the Open Game License by the Contributor (g) ‘Use’, ‘Used’ or ‘Using’ means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, format, modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative Material of Open Game Content. (h) ‘You’ or ‘Your’ means the licensee in terms of this agreement. 2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a notice indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used under and in terms of this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open Game Content that you Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted from this License except as described by the License itself. No other terms or conditions may be applied to any Open Game Content distributed using this License. 3.Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your acceptance of the terms of this License. 4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License, the Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, nonexclusive license with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game Content. 5.Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original material as Open Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are
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