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Writers W riters Cody Pondsmith Pondsmith Lisa Pondsmith
Cover Dave Raposa
Illustration Adam Kozłowski Adrian Madej Adrian Smith Alejandro Mirabal Alicja Kapustka Kapustka Andrzej Dybowski Anna Podedworna Bartłomiej Gaweł Bartosz Gaweł Bogna Gawrońska Bruno Biazotto Bryan Sola Chris Rallis Damian Bajowski Darek Zabrocki Diego de Almeida Dominik Redmer Grafit Studio Grzegorz Krysiński Grzegorz Przybyś Grzegorz Rutkowski Ilker Serdar Yildiz Jan Marek Jaye Kovach
Cast & Crew Jakub Rebelka Jim Daly Kamil Kozłowski Katarzyna Niemczyk Katarzyna Redesiuk Lasahido Lius Lea Leonowicz Lorenzo Mastroianni Marcin Przybyś Marek Madej Marian Chomiak Marta Dettlaff Michał Buczkowski Monika Zawistowska Nemanja Stankovic Paweł Dobosz Paweł Mielniczuk Paweł Świeżak Piotr Żyła Przemek ruściński Sławomir Maniak okkun Studio Victor itov
Layout & Design Cody Pondsmith Mike Pondsmith
PRODUC: PRODUC: WI11001 ISBN: 1-891933-24-8 © R.alsorian Games, Inc., 2018 P.O.Box 82922, Kenmore, WA USA 98028
ypography
Cody Pondsmith Mike Pondsmith
Editing Fran Stewart J Gray
Playtesters Aaron Burdett Aleksander Wojtal Andreas Föll Anni Buck Anthony Robben Birte Großkordt Brynn Rollosson Halbhuber Halbhuber Cassandra Rathjen Craig “Wuruhi” Hyder Dagmara Bohdana Wojtczak David Willner Diana Zierke Dominika Zimon Emili Scherrer Ernst Roth Filip Barański Heather Barber Holly Berman Isaac Ailes Jakub Zapała Julian Kuśnieruk Justin Bales Kai Großkordt
Karl Warlow Kimberlee “Bugs” Walters Krzyszto Olejnik Maciek Szuba Michał Knitter Michał wardziński Patrick Ludwig-smith Piotr Mysłek Przemysław Bober Raał Pośnik Roxanna Phan Sara Dolan Sarah West Shane Seay Shawn Rathjen Shawn Schultz Sheila Olson ara Pondsmith Tomas Schönherr Urszula Kuśnieruk William “Billis” Dodge II Zach Barber
Special Tanks o o CDPR: Jan Rosner
Joanna Wieliczko Marcin Batylda Marcin Blacha Michał Nowakowski
Przemysław Juszczyk
HE WICHER® is a registered trademark o CD PROJEK S.A. HE WICHER game © CD PROJEK S. A. All rights reserved. HE WICHER game is based on the prose o Andrzej Sapkowski. PRINED IN CANADA
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able of Contents Introduction.................................4 Introduction .................................4 Combat Combat......................................148 ......................................148
Game Master’s Guide..............210 Guide..............210
Recent History...................................10 History...................................10 Hero Characters........................ Characters................................12 ........12 Geralt of Rivia.....................12 Yennefer of Vengerburg....13 Dandelion............................14 Zoltan...................................15 riss Merigold....................16 Vernon Roche.....................17 Roche.....................17 Iorveth..................................18 Letho of Gulet.....................19
Running Witcher Witcher........................... .............................216 ..216 Encounters.......................................219 Rewards............................................221 Random Possessions......................223 Possessions......................223 Relics & Min-Maxers.....................224 Good NPCs................................... NPCs......................................226 ...226 Campaigning...................................227 Curses...............................................230 World States....................................232 States....................................232
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Creating Your Character...........20 Character...........20 Races.....................................................21 Lifepath................................................25 Life Events & Style.............................31 Style.............................31 Professions..........................................37 Bard.......................................38 Craftsman............................39 Criminal...............................40 Doctor...................................41 Mage.....................................42 Man At Arms......................43 Merchant.............................44 Priest.....................................45 Witcher Witcher........................... .................................46 ......46 Statistics..............................................47 Skills.....................................................49 Skill Resolution....................... Resolution..................................57 ...........57 Leveling Up.........................................59 Up.........................................59 Reputation...........................................60 Skill rees......................................... rees............................................61 ...61 • • • • • • • • •
Gear............. Gear ........................... ........................... ..................71 .....71 Weapons..............................................72 Armor.............................. Armor...................................................78 .....................78 Elderfolk Armory...............................83 Armory...............................83 Alchemical Items...............................87 Items...............................87 Armor Enhancements................ Enhancements......................90 ......90 ransportation...................................91 ool Kits..................................... Kits..............................................92 .........92 General Gear..................................... Gear.......................................93 ..93
Magic............ Magic ......................... .......................... ..................98 .....98 Mage Spells................................... Spells.......................................101 ....101 Priest Invocations............................109 Invocations............................109 Witcher Witcher Signs................................. Signs...................................114 ..114 Rituals................................................116 Hexes..................................................120 Places of Power.............................. Power.................................122 ...122 Learning Magic................................123 Magic................................123
Crafting ........................... .....................................124 ..........124 Crafting System...............................126 System...............................126 Crafting Components.....................128 Crafting Diagrams...........................130 Fixing & Disassembling..................140 Alchemy System...............................141 System...............................141 Alchemical Substances...................143 Alchemical Formulae......................146 Formulae......................146
Combat Basics............................... Ba sics.................................151 ..151 Critical Wounds..............................159 Effects................................................161 In Depth Combat............................163 Combat............................163 Magic Resolution............................166 Resolution............................166 ransportation ransportation & Cavalry.............169 Example Combat............................172 Combat............................172 Healing..............................................173 Optional Rules.................................175 Rules.................................175 Monsters in the Novels..........175 Adrenaline................................175 Verbal Combat........................176 • • •
World W orld.........................................178 .........................................178 Te Northern Kingdoms...............180 Redania..............................182 Kaedwen............................183 Aedirn................................184 emeria................... ..........185 Skellige...............................186 Kovir & Poviss..................187 Te Hengefor’s League...187 Lyria & Rivia.....................188 Cidaris...............................188 Verden................................188 Te Elderlands............................... Elderlands.................................189 ..189 Mahakam..........................190 Dol Blathanna...................191 Blathanna...................191 Te Empire of Nilfgaard................192 Nilfgaard...........................194 Etolia..................................195 Vicovaro............................195 Gemmera..........................195 Ebbing................................196 Maecht..............................196 Mettina.............................196 Gheso.................................197 Nazair.................................197 Mag urga.........................197 Angren...............................198 Cintra.................................198 Beyond the Borders........................199 Zerrikania.........................200 Ofier...................................200 Te Far North..................200 Powerful Alliances.......................... Alliances..........................201 201 Witchers............................202 Mages................................204 Te Havekar......................205 Havekar......................205 Te Scoia’tael....................205 Scoia’tael....................205 Te Mage Hunters..... .....206 Te Crescent Moon.........206 Powerful Religions.......................... Religions..........................207 207 Melitele..............................208 Te Eternal Fire...............208 Freya..................................209 Te Great Sun..................209 • • • • • • • • • •
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Witchers W itchers............ .......................... ........................236 ..........236 Witcher Witcher Lifepath.............................238 Lifepath.............................238 Life As A Witcher Witcher............................241 ............................241 Witcher Witcher Gear...................................246 Gear...................................246 Mutagens..........................................251
Relics............. Relics .......................... .......................... ...............252 ..252 Experimental echnology.............254 echnology.............254 Runes & Glyphs............................ Glyphs ..............................256 ..256 Relic Items........................................257 Items........................................257
Bestiary ......................................266 ......................................266 Monster ypes................................268 Bandits..............................270 Mages................................272 Scoia’tael Scoia’tael Archers............274 Drowners..........................276 Ghouls...............................278 Grave Hags.......................280 Wraiths..............................282 Noon Wraiths..................284 Wraiths..................284 Wolves & Wargs..............286 Werewolves......................288 Sirens.................................290 Griffins..............................292 Endrega.............................294 Arachasae.........................296 Golems..............................298 Fiends................................300 Nekkers.............................302 Rock rolls.......................304 rolls.......................304 Wyverns............................306 Katakans...........................308 Cats & Dogs.....................310 Birds & Serpents.............311 Horses & War Horses....312 Oxen & Mules..................313 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Quest............. Quest ........................... ........................... ..............314 .314 Character Sheets......................326 Sheets......................326 Index..........................................330 Index ..........................................330 Author Info...............................334 Info...............................334
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Te World of the Witcher “People,” Geralt turned his head, “like to invent monsters and monstrosities. Ten they seem less monstrous themselves. When they get blind-drunk, blind-drunk, cheat, steal, beat their wives, starve an old woman, when they kill a trapped ox with an axe or riddle the last existing unicorn with arrows, they like to think that the Bane entering cottages at daybreak is more monstrous than they are. Tey eel better then. Tey find it easier e asier to live.” live.”
–Andrzej Sapkowski, Te Last Wish
Te Witcher role playing game is set in a world o dark, adult antasy where happy endings are rare and actions have consequences, ofen swif and brutal.
In the war-torn lands o the Continent, murder, assault, and the are a daily threat and only the strong survive. Tieves run rampant and mercenaries are as numerous as the doctors who heal them or the priests who inter them. Only the bravest souls venture into the wilderness, where witchers armed with razor-sharp silver swords hunt monsters armed not only with tooth and claw but magic as well. In the cities, the poor scrabble to survive in filthy tenements and the rich perch high above on the unstable towers o their power, some advised by clever mages constantly looking or the best opportunities. Humans reign supreme, save or a ew
small communities. Once-proud elves and dwarves are kept in hovels and executed daily, oen or crimes they have not even committed. Hatred and ear uel this great blaze, and most will continue eeding the fire ‘til their last dying breath. Tere are no heroes, only people. Whether you’re a hard-bitten mercenary who lives rom job to job never asking questions, or an idealistic bard traveling the land to spread some cheer and revelry in these dark days, you must fight i you want to survive in a world determined to break you. Tough happy endings are rare, the darkness makes the joyul moments all the sweeter, and companionship is one o the greatest treasures that you can attain. For better or worse, this is your world.
Dark Fantasy, Fantasy, Wit W itccher Sty tylle I you took a look through the able o Contents, you may have noticed that this book has a airly large Game Master’s Guide. All o that is dedicated to teaching new Game Masters (GMs) and helping long-time GMs run games in this dark and gritty world. he Witcher is a ‘Dark Fantasy. Fantasy.’ Unortunately, all too oten dark antasy just gets boiled down to “antasy where everyone dies and nothing good ever happens.” hat’s not the case or he Witcher. Its strength as a world is contrasting dark and horriic danger with brie moments o genuine joy and revelry. So i you want to get a better idea or the setting o this RPG or how a game in the world o he Witcher should go, head on back to the World section on pg.179 or the Game Master’ss Guide Master’ Guide on pg.211.
Dice You’ll Need Luckily, the Witcher RPG only needs two types o dice! You’ll need ten-sided dice and six-sided dice to play the game.
6 Te Origins
Rodolf Kazmer Evenin’. Name’s Rodol, and I’ll be your salesman or this evenin’. Heh, ormalities aside, i yer lookin’ or a damn good bit o knowledge or a air price on a piece o steel, yer lookin’ at the right dwar. Don’t ya worry your your litt little le hea head abou bout me tu turni rnin’ on ya— ya—go gott more ore in in common with a rock than those damn Scoia’tael bastards. Even ought or the emerian Lillies in the last two wars. hat’s right—you’re lookin’ at a bonaide emerian arbalist. Heh, mighta even been decorated i it weren’t or my damn commander. Anyhow, ater the Second War wrapped up, went back to my irst passion—coin. Heh, call us dwarves greedy as much as ya want but there’s no denyin’, nobody handles trade and coin like a dwar. hese days, with the war on or a plou plough ghin in’ thir hird time, me, I tra travel vel the Front supp suppllyin yin’ olks olks in need with war salvage at a reasonable price. Bit o in orm orma ation ion as well well i they hey need need it. Hell, ll, scou scoutted the the bac back roads o the Mahakams, sailed the sea, even traveled with a witcher or a while. Name a place, I probably been there at some point. Name a person and I mighta met ‘em. –Rodol Kazmer
No one knows how the Continent came to be, though every religion has some opinion on the subject. All we know is that the Continent has been here since long beore the time o elves, dwarves, and humans. In the beginning there were only gnomes, scattered widely across the land. Soon enough they’d be joined by the stout and hardy dwarves, who took to the mountains. No one can really agree on where the dwarves came rom, though many assume that they split rom a subterranean society that had existed or centuries prior to their emergence. For a while the dwarves and gnomes lived in peace, sharing a continent which was effectively all theirs. Some time aer the emergence o the dwarves, however, another player came to the field. A vast ship appeared off the coast o the Continent, Continent, carrying a people known as the Aen Seidhe, elves rom another realm. Te Aen Seidhe were part o a series o scouting groups who le their homeland seeking reuge in another realm where they could escape an event known most as “Te White Frost”. Te Aen Seidhe ound the Continent suitable and the dwarves and gnomes didn’t care much either way. As long as the Aen Seidhe didn’t cause trouble they didn’t care. From time to time there were border disputes but the three elder races managed to live in relative harmony or many centuries. Until the Conjunction.
Te Conjunction Te Conjunction o the Spheres changed the way the world unctioned orever. Many different realms collided with one another, creating ris through which hun-
dreds upon hundreds o creatures spilled out. Te reasonably mundane world o the gnomes and dwarves was suddenly filled with creatures o all shapes and sizes as well as a mystical orce that came to be known as “Chaos” or “Magic”. Unortunately, with very little ability to manipulate the orces o magic and little preparation to fight the monsters that came through the conjunction the gnomes, dwarves and elves, as well as many other displaced races such as the reptilian vran, the beaver-like beaver-like werebbubbs, werebbubbs, the short and stout halflings, and the first humans were plunged into a strange, dangerous, and uncertain time period. Tis uncertainty would last or many generations.
Te Race War Te first humans who came to the Continent appear to have died out quickly as ar as Northern historians can discern. Tere are plenty o possible reasons, but no one can really find any evidence o what wiped them out. Some theorize that the Nilgaardians and many o their provincial neighbors are the result o more successul human colonies that chose to work closely with the Elder Races rather than earing them, but until Northern and Southern historians are able to cooperate more closely there’s no way o knowing. Te humans that would settle the North were exiles, ruffians, and warriors who landed on the coast o the Continent on great ships from some other land across the sea. While they did work with the Elder Races for a time, the drive to expand soon became their main focus and war spread across
