Four Factions. One Destiny. Explore the orgotten remnants o a once Golden Age when mortals rose to challenge gods. Rediscover long orgotten ancient technologies that blur the lines between reality and wonder. Stride atop colossal mechanized machines o war rom a bygone era. Embrace the discovery o new and exciting cultures in a scarred landscape ull o secrets and hidden beauty. In a world that teeters on the brink o apocalypse, become the dim light o hope that shines among a sea o darkness or take advantage o the chaos in the world and make your own mark. Whatever flavour o adventure you choose, you will have to work together to achieve it. Welcome to Unity.
A Tabletop Fantasy RPG Created by Anson Tran www.unity-rpg.com
early access preface
Thank you or your interest in Unity . What you are currently reading is the Unity Early Access Packet. Packet . The next ���+ pages provide everything or you to run a game o Unity . Make sure your PDF viewer has Bookmarks enabled!
IMPORTANT! Please understand that Unity is still in development . Everything within this packet is still in flux and will undergo revisions based on eedback rom its community o Kickstarter backers. The packet has not been put through the hands o an editor and we haven’t taken a microscope to the layout and graphic design just quite yet. All these processes are lined up or the final manuscript. Your eedback is critical to make m ake this game the best it can be. It is my sincere hope that you find Unity exciting and that it brings you hours o great entertainment and storytelling as it has or us. I we’ve stumbled on translating these wonderul experiences into text -- this is your chance to let us know how we can make things better. I you are reading this packet, it means that you have supported Unity and helped und its development and or that I cannot thank you enough or your aith and generosity in helping me bring my dream to lie. Anson Tran www.unity-rpg.com
Providing Feedback: Included in the email with the download link or this packet was also a link to an online eedback orm where you can provide your thoughts and suggestions. You can access that orm by clicking HERE as well.
early access contents Introduction
The Game Themes Customization
Character Sheet Walkthrough
Sample Character Sheet Sample Character: Creating a Character Corra Redhand Birth o a Hero Walkthrough Rules General Perks The Basics Resolution Mechanic Failing Forward Races Valla GM Dice Rolling Furian Optional Human Benefit & Hindrance Afflicted Always Round Down Spark Points Difficulty & Target Classes Dreadnought Numbers Dritwalker Ruin Fell Hunter Resting & Recupera Judg Ju dgee tions Phantom Environmental DanPriest gers Primalist Sustenance Mystic Sentinel Combat Combat Sequence Your Turn: Actions Equipment Wealth & Currency Moving Around in Armour & Weapons Battle Gear Attacking Artiacts Deending Recharging Resources
Other Actions in Combat Incapacitation & Death Status Effects
Game Master’s Guide Philosophy Character Creation Experience & Leveling Up Adventuring Failing Forward Spark Points Ruin Intrusions Combat Alternate GM Dice Rolling Rules
Foes & Fiends Encounter Basics Creating Monsters Reading Monster Cards Sample Monsters
INTRODUCTION
T
he Mad God sleeps or now. For how long? No one knows. His children, the people o Unity, struggle to make sense o the crumbling world he let behind. What were once pristine lands, filled with lush green orests, majestic snow-capped mountains and sparkling oceans now lay desolate and parched. There was a time when this world was a glorious beacon among the cosmos, unmatched in its surreal beauty and harmony. It was a time when the races o Unity stood united together and created societies and shining cities ull o wonder and technological marvels. That time has lo ng passed. Now the Mad God’s children struggle to survive a harsh landscape and the many terrors that beset them rom all sides. The Mad God, once the benevolent Skyather, sundered the very abric o reality causing the catastrophic merging o two worlds – the physical and the energetic. From the great beyond, a world composed o the emotional, spiritual and psychic energies o all living beings spilled orth into physical reality. This world was called the Drit by the shamanic elders that possessed a sight beyond sight. The Drit brought with it many anomalies. The burgeoning spiritual energies spilling orth imbued sentience to the man-made robotic automaton slaves. It inused the dead corpses buried deep beneath the ground with a second chance at lie and finally, it whispered to the antastical creatures o a orgotten age to emerge rom the Wilds once more. But the Drit also brought along the darkness o countless lietimes that had been continually concentrated over aeons in the shadowy and hidden places o the Drit. This darkness, maniested as the physical demonic horrors known as the Fell swept across all o Unity and brought the mighty civilizations to their very knees. It is here that our story begins. Now more than ever is a time or heroes. As the world slowly slides towards the brink o apocalypse, the broken people o Unity need to find a reason to believe again. They need to believe that something incredible is possible -- that the light will one day shine upon them again. Be that dim light o hope flickering in a sea o darkness – or not, you don’t owe the world a damn thing. Take advantage o the chaos and make your mark in history i that’s more your speed. Whatever you decide, boundless adventure and spectacular stories await you.
the game Unity is a game o cooperation, imagination and collaborative storytelling. As this is a group game, you will need some riends to play with. Unity is best played with three or more total participants. There will always be a single Game Master and two or more players. As a group, you will enter a world prepared by the Game Master and together, your actions and choices will weave a story that is uniquely your own and hopeully be ull o cherished memories and interesting moments.
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Introduction the game master The Game Master or “GM”, takes on the role as creator, narrator, and adjudicator. The GM initially constructs the world, its denizens and plot points or players to launch off o. On top o all these responsibilities, the GM wears many more hats. The GM controls all the non-player characters (NPCs) that the players encounter and interact with. Some o these NPCs may be erocious enemies that the players must overcome or they may be helpul souls that the players can win over and garner aid rom. The GM, with help rom the players, will continually drive the story orward. This can be achieved through presenting obstacles to overcome or dangling rewards that play to the player characters’ motives. While the GM has seemingly god-like powers and decides what happens, what doesn’t and what might, the GM is not the antagonist when conducting a game. The GM and Players’ relationship should be a collaborative one o moving the story orward together, and o creating interesting situations that can lead to memorable moments. The GM’s power presiding over a game can be viewed as a tool to help generate a compelling, cooperative play experience. Finding just the right amount o tension, pushing and pulling at the appropriate times to get everyone at the table riveted are the hallmarks o a great GM. the players The rest o the group at the table are considered players. As a player you create or use a pre-made character as your avatar to interact with the world created by the GM. There are rules or character creation and i need be, your GM can help you bring to lie your vision o the type o character you would like to play. Whether you create a character rom scratch or use a pre-made character, your character is wholly your own. When playing, you will decide what your character does, where they go, who they talk to, and what they say. Their behaviour and reactions are completely up to you. You will be able to don the persona o your character and immerse yoursel in the world through your character’s eyes. playing the game As a storytelling platorm, you play the game by talking to each other. Your actions and reactions to the situations presented by the GM or the situations that the players themselves get into through their choices all contribute to the collaborative narrative o the adventure. Players will engage with the GM by talking about where they want to go and what they want to do. In turn, the GM will react accordingly, taking on the role o a living and breathing world. Most o the in
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teractions and interpretations between the GM and players will be rooted in common sense and reflective o what we expect to happen in reality. Where things might get a bit antastical or murky, we can turn to the rules provided in this packet to help with arbitration.
themes Below are a ew core setting themes that play a prominent part in how adventuring in Unity will eel.
a world on fire The lore and rules in this book are geared towards exploration o the world o Unity during a time period known as the Age o Wrath. The land is a dangerous place and reality itsel has been sheared. The once mighty civilizations o the Valla, Furians and Humans have been sent reeling. The unity that once bound the three Children and brought them into a glorious Golden Age o prosperity and advancement has been shattered. Dark times are ahead as the major players o the world are struggling to make sense o the calamity that has beallen them. Not only has a great darkness been unleashed on the world by way o the demonic Fell legions, but each o the Skyather’s Children has been cursed by his hand as punishment or their hubris. Scorched deserts, smoldering ruins, dead gray orests, and steamy bog marshes dot the lands where the Drit has spilled through the cracks o reality and brought with it terrors rom the dark. It has been difficult to find harmony when danger lurks around every corner. This has caused a shit in cultural consciousness rom one o striving to merely surviving. moral quagmire One o the core themes Unity promotes exploring is the question o morality. In a world that’s slowly devouring itsel, people’s hearts become closed as ear and instinct overtake them. The imperative to survive can lead to actions that are questionable. Yet these situations can inspire reflection. Is it wrong to steal so that your child won’t starve? Is it wrong to kill a bandit who’s stealing rom you to eed her child? Unity’s setting provides rich tropes to draw on, providing odder or creating emotional stories and moral dilemmas. An example are the sentient automatons, once mindless slaves who are now thoughtul living beings. Some seek to liberate their still entrapped brethren while others seek vengeance on their flesh wearing ‘masters’. Should they be ree? Are they truly alive? What about the idea o a ‘good robot’? Do they exist? Can they eel?
Introduction culture clash Since the beginning o creation, the major races o the world have oscillated between apathy, tension, unity, and all out war. Throughout the ages, the Valla, the Furians, and Humans have ought both against each other and together against a common enemy. Where our story begins, the Age o Unity has ended like the setting o a glorious sun, making way or the dusk o troubled times to come. The pressures o survival cause tensions to run high as ear conquers empathy. Each race points a finger at the other, blaming them or the Great Calamity and the darkness that is encroaching on their world. As part o the new generation coming into a precarious landscape, will you be able to inspire hope and open doors again or will you take advantage o the prejudice and chaos or your own benefit? technological wonders Beore the Skyather became the Mad God, beore the Fell spilled into the world, beore the Children o Unity were brought to their knees, there was a time when the people came close to touching perection. The Age o Unity was a golden era or all the ma jor races. Working together as one united orce, they knew no equal in the world. There was no enemy or power that could threaten them -- not until the Skyather had returned ull o wrath and vengeance to become the Mad God. During this glorious age, the Children o Unity combined technological ingenuity with arcane knowledge to create marvelous wonders. Weapons and tools o vast power became common, robotic automaton slaves were a household item, and as i to affront the divine, the Children o Unity created mechanical constructs so large they could touch the sky. These Titan Rigs, along with a host o other incredible creations, are now long buried and lost to the sands o time. The knowledge to maintain and recreate such things is said to be lost, especially since the best and brightest minds were afflicted with the horrible disease known as the Phage. exploration & discovery Despite the bleakness o the world, there are hidden gems tucked away rom the turmoil that besets Unity. Secret places untouched by the darkness lie in wait, ripe or exploration and discovery. These are places o beauty, places where olks have learned to work together, places where hope still lives on. As the world burned, borders receded and civilizations shrunk. There are large patches o the landscape that are still unexplored or have now been transormed so significantly that it is difficult to say what will be ound by an intrepid adventurer. Where will you go? What will you discover out there?
Timeline
Creation
Timeline Legend Age o Strie Age o Unity Age o Wrath
Skyather & Ivory Queen emerge
The Valla are created
Exodus Event Magister Belron is the first Valla to shatter his Spirit Stone. Many others ollow and are cast out Vallan lands
The Furians are created
First Contact Furians and Valla meet
Humanity is created
The Stone Curtain A mountainous wall is erected by the Skyather and Ivory Queen to protect Humanity
Full Contact Humanity harnesses the power o steam and breaks through the Stone Curtain making contact with the Valla and Furians
The Chaos Wars War breaks out between all three nations
Skyather’s Soujourn The Skyather mysteriously dissappears into the stars
The Crimson Horde The Ivory Queen creates a savage horde to unite her Children against a common enemy.
The Taloran Accords All three nations call or a ceasefire and unite under one banner against the Crimson Horde
Golden Age Technology, knowledge and culture flourish immensely
Fallen Queen The Ivory Queen, now known as the Red Queen is slain at the hands o her Children
The Great Calamity The Skyather returns, cursing his Children and sundering the very abric o reality
Civil War War breaks out within the Human Empire between the healthy and those afflicted by the Phage
Rise o the Afflicted Those affected by the Phage leave the Human Empire
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Titan Rig: A gigantic mechanized bipedal construct powered by an arcane crystal core and usually manned by teams o 3-5 operator s.
Because Unity takes place during the Age o Wrath, the GM and players are able to decide just how prevalent technology plays a role in the current setting. A lot o the Golden Age technologies are long buried and considered lost. Those wanting a more low-tech adventure can keep it that way.
For a campaign where technology is more prevalent, it’s not uncommon or a group o players to eventually man and operate a Titan Rig to do battle with colossal threats.
Introduction
customization Unity as presented in this book will be the deault way we intended you to play Unity. It’s the way we play Unity.
While we hope you’ll enjoy this rich and immersive world I’ve created, we understand that a lot o olks like to tinker and customize. We’ve built Unity with that creative calling in mind.
Throughout the book you’ll find notes similar to the ones in this sidebar that provide some tips and support on how to make Unity your own wherever modular aspects crop up. The GM Section will cover much more, see pg. 101.
Magi-Tech: Magic powered technology in a antasy world.
One o the major design philosophies behind Unity is having a system that allows GMs and Players to easily customize their play experience. A lot o the parts o Unity are modular and come with some tuning knobs. What does this mean? This allows you to pick and choose certain aspects o the system to fit your vision o a campaign and also have some ability to dial those aspects up or down as you see fit.
game types While the world o Unity is presented as an epic antasy adventure about being mighty heroes and standing against the coming darkness, your game can actually take on several different scopes. You can be the great hero battling against impossible odds and saving the world rom annihilation or you can be a group o adventurers seeking excitement, ame and ortune in places that hold many secrets waiting to be discovered. Within the pages o the final book will be a richly detailed setting that should provide ample material or you to crat immersive locales teeming with textured characters possessing various roles and motives. Or perhaps you want to turn the dial up on “gritty” and create a harsher
landscape ocused on survival, deadly encounters and tough choices. The world o Unity was built to provide a large canvas and a rich palette to paint with.
familiar tropes Learning a new system and a new world can be a daunting task. With this in mind, Unity has been designed to draw upon the amiliar tropes and archetypes ound in typical antasy. While Unity deviates slightly on various traditional antasy aspects to weave a unique world together and generate a sense o discovery, GMs and Players amiliar with antasy roleplaying games should be able to quickly draw parallels and easily understand the different concepts and classes prevalent throughout Unity . setting conversion Because o its basis on amiliar tropes and archetypes, Unity is readily adaptable to your own vision o a antasy setting. While it does require a little elbow grease and effort, a lot o Unity ’s aspects such as the races and classes can be converted quickly and customized to your liking lore-wise. The closer your vision aligns with a antasy world where magic and magi-tech are accepted, the easier it will be to convert various aspects o Unity .
creating a character LEVEL � CHARACTER session zero Take a moment with your group to discuss the type o game you all want to play and use this time to set expectations or both players and the GM. The agreements you come to during this step may help inorm your character making decisions. The GM’s Guide section contains a thorough writeup on how to conduct a Session Zero.
choose your race Select your race. See pg. �� or available races and their write ups.
distribute your attributes You have a set o floating points in an array to distribute among your race defined baseline attributes. Alternative rules to allow rolling or attributes can be ound in the GM’s Guide section.
choose your class Select your class. See pg. �� or available classes.
create your core paths Create or select THREE initial Core Paths. Your Core Paths define your character’s history and are a reflection o the experiences and skills they bring to the table. You are encouraged to create your own Core Paths using the guidelines outlined on pg. ��.
choose your class perks Select ONE Class Perk to start off with.
sampler note Check out the Character Creation Video on Unity’s Website or a video walkthrough.
choose your powers Select THREE Tier 1 Powers. You do not have any Tier Tokens at Level 1 and will not be able to purchase Power Upgrades yet.
choose your equipment Choose your equipment based off the Equipment Table on pg. ��. Examine your Class restrictions beore selecting your equipment.
Character Creation
birth of a hero B
eore you are able to adventure in the world o Unity, you must first create a character. This character will be your avatar and you will both experience and affect the world through this character’s senses and actions. This process o character creation is a crucial part o the game and the next ew pages will guide you step-by-step in bringing your vision o a hero to lie.
character building questions Here are some questions to get you started. These are by no means mandatory but they will aid you as you continue along the character creation process. �) How would you describe your character’s physical aspects?
Session Zero. I this is your first time playing Unity, we urge both player and GM alike to take a look at the section on Session Zero in the GM’s Guide on pg. ���
�) What motivates your character?
step 1: concept building session zero (optional) As a group, all the players and the GM may set aside a bit o time beore the players begin creating their characters. This time will be used to engage in a Session Zero, which is a discussion about expectations both rom the GMs and the players. A Session Zero, while optional, can be critical in helping shape the characters that the players will be creating and also afford the GM some clarity on players’ expectations. This potentially allows or the development o some more compelling campaign points tailored to what was discussed in the Session Zero. making your character real While it can be easy to make a two dimensional character such as Magnar the muscle-bound oa who yells loudly and smashes ace first beore asking questions later, there is a lot o magic to be experienced when a character has depth, a history, wants, needs, and maybe a mischievous secret or two. What o Magnar’s amily? How was he raised? Was he dropped on his head as a child as an explanation or his uncontrollable rage and lack o tact? Or maybe Magnar has suffered much in his lie, maybe the countless scars on his body each tell a tale o loss, o sacrifice, or o shame. Maybe Magnar finds his solace at the bottom o an empty bottle each night which leads to his salty disposition and unintelligible grunts. Through these questions and musings, we breathe lie and colour into Magnar. We provide plot hooks or the GM to latch onto and poignant aspects or our party members to slowly discover as they adventure with us. We begin to make Magnar real . You don’t need to write a ull fledged biography or your character. Your character can evolve and grow over time but having a strong oundation to start off on will help significantly. Part o this Concept Building step is to ask yoursel some questions regarding the character you have in mind. This helps shape the process o development and connects you better with your character.
�) What is your character’s origin story? �) What type o personality does your character have? �) What does your character ear the most? What do they love the most? �) Who are or were the most important people in your character’s lie? �) What secret(s) is your character hiding? �) I you have other players that want to connect your characters together, what’s your relationship to the other members o your party?
shades of grey While there is no limit to where you can go with your character, we gently remind you that Unity is a game o heroes and cooperation. It does not by deault support blatantly evil characters and we suggest your ocus when making a character is to create them with the expectation that they will go on to do great things. This is not to say you cannot have a conflicted character or a reluctant hero, on the contrary, some o these more ‘gray’ characterizations might lead to the most interesting interactions and relationship dynamics.
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Character Sheet Walkthrough. When you have completed reading through this entire Character Creation section o the packet and are ready to create your character and fill in a character sheet, check pg. ��. There will be step by step instructions on how to calculate your combat statistics and record vital inormation about your character. Everything will make more sense when you combine what you’ve learned here and the character sheet walkthrough.
Character Creation
step 2: choosing a race
Attributes are King. Main attributes such as Might, Agility, Mind, and Presence are the cornerstone o your character’s mechanical prowess. The majority o their combat statistics are derived rom attributes. Outside o combat, skill checks use attributes as a baseline bonus beore applying Core Path Points and any other bonuses. Choose how your distribute your attributes wisely as they truly shape your character going orward.
Every character must belong to a race. Race makes up the major divisions in the many varieties o intelligent and sentient species that inhabit the world o Unity. The race you choose or your character has a significant impact on the way the character is played in the story and also the type o mechanical gameplay choices you might make. Races embody entire cultures and ways o thinking that go beyond the physical differences o distinguished eatures or abilities. For example the Valla having such long lives tend to be more apathetic, slow to rouse, and have a vastly different world view than an eager Human in which every day seems shorter than the last. These qualities will affect the way you roleplay your character and have an impact on their development. Even i you decide to play against the grain and have a ast-talking, overly excited Valla, you will need to come up with a story or reason on how that can mingle with the existing history o the race. While it is a little bit more work, the story or reason you create will add another layer o depth to your character and potentially enhance the experience o the game or everyone involved. Mechanically, races offer something distinct gameplay-wise in a unique power that exemplifies their strength. Each race is a little better at one thing and lacking in another. See pg. �� or a list o the races, attributes, and their powers.
step 3: distribute attributes Your chosen Race will define your baseline attributes. Now you may apply the ollowing array to your baseline attributes. Each modifier must be used and once it has been used on an attribute, both the modifier and the attribute are off the table or urther change in this initial creation process. DISTRIBUTE ATTRIBUTE MODIFIERS
+�
+�
�
��
Example: Maria decides she wants to be a Furian Mystic. It’s a little out there as the mighty Furians aren’t exactly known or their mental prowess, but Maria loves playing against expectations.
modifier is distributed to a baseline attribute, both that modifier and attribute are now locked in and can no longer be changed urther during this initial character creation process. Maria ends up with a Furian that has the ollowing attributes: MIGHT
AGILITY
MIND
PRESENCE
� � � = ���
� + � = ���
� + � = ���
� + � = ���
attributes MIGHT. Determines your physical strength and hardiness. The ability to smash things, withstand damage, and exert yoursel are a unction o Might.
AGILITY. Determines your physical grace, speed, and reflexes. The ability to dodge, perorm acrobatics, and beat others to the punch are a unction o Agility.
MIND. Determines your mental acuity, intelligence, wisdom, and willpower. The ability to recall knowledge, read people, perceive things and resist mental attacks is a unction o Mind.
PRESENCE. Determines your personal magnetism, a certain “X actor”, and your luck. The ability to socialize graceully, influence others, and acquire avour is a unction o Presence.
rolling for attributes (alternative) Should your GM and group agree, you may also roll or your starting attribute modifiers. You stand a chance o being lucky and scoring one or more +� modifiers but you could also have the unortunate chance o receiving all -� modifiers. The choice is ultimately up to you and group. Roll �d�� our times. The results below are you modifiers.
The base Furian attributes: MIGHT
AGILITY
MIND
PRESENCE
�
�
�
�
Maria then distributes the attribute modifiers rom the previous table as she sees fit to customize her Furian. She does this keeping in mind that once a
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DICE RESULT
MOD
1-2 3-6
-� �
7-9
+�
10
+�
Character Creation
step 4: choosing a class As a budding hero, your character belongs to a class. A class can be considered a specialty or vocation that your character is versed in. Your character may have an innate talent that makes them the perect fit or their class or they may have achieved greatness in their class through hard work and determination. Most o the time, it’s a combination o both talent and effort. Class will strongly define your character’s abilities, tactics, and their role on the battlefield. Class will also provide perks that influence how your character interacts with the world outside o combat. As an example, Judges are revered by the people and have a commanding presence about them which means playing a Judge might result in more avourable interactions with the common olk throughout the land. These avourable interactions are a byproduct o a perk inherent to the Judge class. Your class will determine the type o armour and weapons you are competent at using and also provide you with a list o class powers that you can choose rom to urther customize your character to fit your vision. It’s important to read through the class introductions to gain a better understanding o what each class brings to the table and what they are about. Within a class, there is still a level o customization based on your choices as a player. How you decide to build your character as she grows will have a proound effect on how your class plays as a whole. See pg. �� or class introductions and powers.
step 5: core paths Core Paths are a critical part o your character. They serve as backgrounds and glimpses into your character’s history and help define the skills and experiences that they bring to the party. Core Paths can be created rom scratch or chosen rom a list o pre-defined paths. You may take these pre-defined paths and modiy them to your liking as well. When creating or modiying a Core Path, keep in mind that while they enhance your character mechanically by providing them relevant bonuses, their main unction is or character development and rich storytelling. Challenges your party might ace become an opportunity to invoke a Core Path and reveal a bit o your character. The little tidbits, idiosyncracies, or outright quirky behavior o a character can slowly be explained as the character is fleshed out through their Core Paths.
how do core paths work? Every player starts off with � Core Paths. These are usually milestone events or periods o time in the character’s lie that has helped shape and define them. When you come up against a task that re-
quires skill to overcome, you tend to invoke a Core Path and then receive the bonus associated with it when you make your roll. Let’s take a look at our initial example o the muscle-bound Magnar . One o his Core Paths is called Song o the Mountain. His rugged appearance and imposing stature would lead an on-looker to assume that he is a savage fighter with little to no regard or culture or sophistication. Magnar and his party end up in a tavern late at night with no money or valuables to trade or a hot meal and some room and board. The barkeep and owner won’t budge as things are tight enough or her already with business doing so poorly. Magnar, fixing or both a drink and a warm bed decides to stand up and begins to gesture. At first the movements are wild and abrupt but soon the crowd becomes mesmerized by the rhythm as the movements transorm into more o a dance than the gesticulations o a wild man. But the real beauty comes when Magnar begins to open his mouth and sing. A robust yet beautiul song washes over the tavern and Magnar’s mighty voice carries through the windows and down the street. Beore long, the tavern is packed with onlookers and new customers. John, the player who created and is playing Magnar turns to the GM and says that he wants to use his Core Path, Song o the Mountain, to create a perormance or the express purpose o bringing in more customers and using that as leverage and payment or ood, drink, and a bed or him and his party. The GM notes that the crowd does look awully bored and not much happens in this town and sets the target number, �� (airly demanding), or difficulty. The GM says John can also use his Presence modifier as a bonus because this is a perormance. John looks at his character sheet and notes that Song o the Mountain has a +� bonus. He rolls �d��+PRESENCE+CORE PATH (�d��+�+�) and gets a ��, which is more than enough to draw a crowd. Beore Magnar and his riends can celebrate, the GM stops John and asks him to describe why “ Song o the Mountain” would give Magnar this bonus. John dives into a story o how Magnar came rom a minor Furian tribe. A tribe that didn’t live so much in the mountain or orge cities like most Furians. This tribe had branched out and preerred the wild orests and cliffs near the ocean. Being so ar rom the mighty orges and bustling Furian cities, Magnar’s people had a lot o spare time on their hands. They learned to cultivate and create new pastimes and one o them was a perormance that paid homage to their great lineage and also expressed appreciation or the bounty nature has given them. In the evening, Magnar’s tribe would gather around a great bonfire and they would sing and dance well into the depths o the night. It was one o Magnar’s ondest
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Weapon and Armour Competencies are an important mechanical game aspect to under stand. See pg. ��
Character Creation
Core Paths can be a delicate topic with regards to balance and airness. I you are unsure about your Core Path, talk to your GM about it.
memories as a child – standing around the crackling fire with his parents and singing along with them while dancing and laughing. Magnar never orgot the words or the moves to the perormance and so here he is, perorming once more and letting those happy memories and all that love flow through him and into his audience. John then takes it a step urther and begins to describe the dance and how it’s similar to the Haka o the Maori. This paints a vivid picture in everyone’s head and makes the experience a little more immersive.
creating a core path To begin creating a Core Path ask yoursel the ollowing questions:
Alternative rules for class powers. For newer players, it is recommended to implement an alternative set o rules that allows or changing previously selected Class Powers upon gaining a new Level. This may be simply a ree change or to increase immersion and add a small cost, players could be asked to spend a ew days (generating Ruin) or pay Denerim to visit a Class Trainer or Master to re-learn new powers.
�) What do I want my character to be good at in terms o skills? i.e. Are they athletic? Are they knowledgeable about cultures? Do they know different languages? Are they quick with their fingers, especially when it comes to stealing things?
Simple to learn, hard to master. This Early Access packet gives you access to all Tier 1 powers and the first 4 levels o progression or your character. While every class has around 8-10 powers to choose rom in Tier 1 (not counting their starting Class Features and Perks), a lot o these powers will also have multiple upgrades that can potentially change the way they are played and combined with other powers within your own class or with your teammates. The variations and possible combinations are many. With your help and eedback, we can discover new combos and also ensure there aren’t any broken ones floating around as well.
�) Does my Core Path provide me with an opportunity or storytelling?
�) What happened in my character’s lie or who did they meet that helped them develop these skills? i.e. Were they mentored by a legendary Mystic in the ways o arcane knowledge? Did their ather raise them as i they were a boy when they were his daughter? Or were they orphaned as a child and had to do whatever it took to survive the streets? �) Does my Core Path capture �-� skills (good)? Is it terribly specific and limited (bad)? Is it too broad and wide that it could be abused (very bad)?
Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ll need to come up with a title or the Core Path and then a short description that describes what the Core Path is about. For the Core Path title, make sure it’s relevant and concise. In the example above, Song o the Mountain could have also been called Tribal Perormer. As long as the title when combined with the brie description gives others an idea o what the Core Path is about and captures the spirit o the skills involved, you will be okay. For the Core Path description, try to keep it to � or � sentences. You don’t have to dive into the different stories that can spawn rom it at all. The description is simply there to give a brie summary o that piece o history or your character. Invoking the Core Path will give you the reedom to explore your character and reveal the deeper bits at the table. See our sample character Corra Redhand ( pg. ��) or example Core Path write-ups. Create � Core
Paths.
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assigning bonus points to core paths Now that you have your � Core Paths, you need to assign each one o them a number o points. These points designate the bonus you will receive when you invoke them or a relevant task. The points can be seen as a weight o how significant or enduring that Core Path was to your character’s development. At Level �, you have � Core Path points to assign and at Level �, a Core Path cannot have below � point or greater than � points. When you receive a new Core Path Point, you may add it to one o your existing Core Paths or create a new one and put it towards that.
step 6: class perks Class Perks are bonuses that enhance your class identity and provide some mechanical advantages when you approach certain challenges. They are most oten non-combat perks (with some exceptions). There will be two Perks available initially or each Class. You may select a single Perk at Level �. See each individual Class section or more inormation.
step 7: class powers Each Class has a list o powers to choose rom that are categorized into different Tiers. At Level � you have access to the Tier � list o powers. You may choose � powers at Level � and will receive more as your character levels up and grows in power. When choosing your Class Powers, please keep in mind that you cannot upgrade any o your powers at Level �, you must choose � different powers. Beyond Level �, you may upgrade your powers using Tier tokens that are awarded when you character reaches certain Levels. Choose your powers wisely. Generally you cannot change them. There are some alternative rules (see side panel) that allow newer players to change their powers as they level up and also rules that will let you change powers but at a great cost. Depending on your GM, choosing your powers can be a group affair where the team can figure ou t some strong synergies or interesting combinations. Powers significantly affect the way your character will play in battle. The level o complexity and strategic involvement required o your character can be adjusted through your selection o powers. For a more relaxed and straightorward experience, each Class has a handul o Passive powers to choose rom that once selected are “always on.” Choosing these types o powers, simplifies combat while still allowing your character to eel powerul and useul. For those looking or a more involved and tactical experience, there are plenty o active powers to choose rom.
Character Creation Many powers, both passive and active, will have a variety o upgrades to choose rom, that might change the power in a significant ashion or bolster it, adding depth and changing the way the power is utilized rom its original orm.
step 8: equipment The class you’ve chosen determines which weapons and armour you are competent at using. Anyone can wield or wear what they like but unless you are competent in that type o weapon or armour, you will suffer Hindrance on your Attack or Deense rolls. At Level �, depending on the type o game your GM is running you can start with ��� to ��� Denerim. You may use this Denerim to purchase your starting equipment rom pg. ��.
weapon and armour competencies Any character can pick up and attempt to use any piece o equipment they come across unless specifically mentioned (i.e. “this blade we is only usable by Phantoms”). However, i a character is not competent in that class o weapon or armour, they will suer Hindrance in all their actions related to that item. As an example, a Phantom has weapon compentecies in using Light and Medium melee weapons. They also will have armour compentencies in Light and Medium Armour. Now a Phantom can always pick up a Heavy Weapon such as a greatsword or maul but when the Phantom attempts to attack with it, they will do so with Hindrance. The same rules apply i a Phantom were to try and put on a suit o platemail armour (Heavy). The Phantom’s Deense rolls would now be done with Hindrance. To determine which weapons and armour types your character is competent in, reer to your Class. See pg. �� or a list o weapons and armour and their properties. dual wielding or using two weapons For some character concepts, the idea o simultaneously using two weapons at a time is a ulfilling antasy. A raging Furian berserker charging across the field with her blood tinged battle axes roaring through the air -- one in each hand. Or the graceul Fell Hunter flipping up high and whipping out both his hand crossbows and firing them while upside down in mid-air. Any character can dual-wield without penalty as long as they have competency in the weapon class that is one step above of the two weapons they are wielding. I they do not have competency in the weapon class one step above the weapons they are utilizing, then they will suffer Hindrance. Effects of dual-wielding. When you dual-wield two weapons, the damage die you use is simply increased to the next classification. The Judge’s dual
longswords deal �d� damage on an attack instead o �d�. There are no extra attacks or bonuses or dual-wielding, only the damage die increases -- dual-wielding rules are in place to ulfill the antasy o your character concept instead o inerring mechanical bonuses. An example of proper dual-wielding. A Phantom wants to dual-wield two fist weapons (Melee Light). The Phantom has Melee Light and Medium weapon competencies. Because the two fist weapons are considered Melee Light and the Phantom has competency in the next classification (Melee Medium), the Phantom can wield the fist weapons simultaneously without suffering Hindrance. The damage dice used increases rom �d� (Light) to �d� (Medium).
artifacts and magical items Throughout your journeys and adventures, you will stumble upon some marvelous creations. There will be items o great power that will aid you in your goals. While these items are rare, they will eventually come into your possession. Special items or items imbued with powerul properties emanate a unique type o energy. Consider it a radiation o sorts. This energy, while a testament to the special powers inherent in the item, is also a detriment to the wielder. Too much o this energy can have unhealthy effects i the owner lacks the resilience required to use these items without harm. Mechanically, this translates into a restriction on the amount o magical items you may have equipped at a time. This limit grows as your character grows in power. The stronger your character is, the more resilient they are to the energetic effects o magical items. You are allowed a maximum o � magical item at Level �. You may reer to your Class section on character progression to see when the capacity to equip more magical items increases.
growing in power Your character will continue to grow in power as you embark on adventures and overcome adversity. This growth is represented by Experience (XP) and Levels. Characters gain experience through battle and achievements. When a character has gained enough experience, they advance to the next Level and the cycle repeats itsel. The amount o experience gained is usually proportionate to the difficulty o a fight or the effort required to achieve a milestone. While experience gained through battle is the most common method o advancing your character, large amounts o experience can be acquired by completing quests or concluding story arcs in a campaign. Character progression and eatures with each new Level is outlined in the Class section.
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Dual-wielding damage die increase. Reer to the Weapons table on pg. �� to see the damage dies used.
Powerul items that have magical or advanced properties resonate with a certain type o energy. Common olk struggle to resist the deleterious effects o constant exposure to this energy. Your ability to equip and wield powerul items grows along side your own ever increasing prowess and experience.
Weapon and Armour Competencies act as a balancing mechanism or the game but don’t let it deter you rom possible moments o heroism or desperate action. The ability to pick up and use any item regardless o your class was implemented to allow or rare situations that might make or inspired storytelling. Remember the time our noodle-armed Mystic picked up the Hammer o Destiny, the only weapon that could harm the big bad Shadowlord, and by the grace o the gods, somehow clubbed him over the head with it when everyone else was down and all hope was lost?
Alternative HP Boost Rules You will notice that in the Class section, HP Boosts are usually 1dX+Might. You roll to see how many HP you get when you receive an HP Boost. Instead you may opt to play it sae simply take the midpoint o the dice used to roll. i.e. a 1d6 + Might means you will receive 3 + Might hp.
Character Creation
general perks General Perks allow you to add another layer o uniqueness, flavour, and power to your character. These Perks are ree or any character o any class to take. At Level � you won’t be able to take any General Perks yet but as you level up, the character progression section o your Class will let you know when you gain a General Perk. Class Synergy. There are some powerul choices or General Perks that may synergize well with certain Class Powers. Be sure to examine your Class Powers list thoroughly beore choosing a General Perk to see i you can come up with an interesting build.
GENERAL PERKS TOUGH AS NAILS SNAKEBLOOD
+� Armour Value or every �� Max HP you have. You always gain Benefit on rolls against Poison and Disease.
HEAVY SLEEPER
When using a Recuperation, you may roll twice or your HP regeneration and take the higher result.
RESOURCEFUL
Whenever you have an opportunity to roll and recharge your class resource, you may add +� to the roll. Increases to +� at Level �
INDOMITABLE
Your Death rolls now use a �d��. You may choose which o the two out o three dice rolls to use when determining the result.
WEAPONS MASTER
You may choose a single class o weapon to master (i.e. Heavy Melee). Your damage when wielding this class o weaponry is increased by +�. Can be taken multiple times (stacks). You may also take it again or another weapon class as well.
JACK OF ALL TRADES
You may add +� to any Attribute that is � or less. Can be taken multiple times.
BURST OF SPEED
Once per day you may use your Movement action to cover � range bands instead o �. Invoking Burst o Speed also makes you immune to all Provoked Attacks or that movement.
RESILIENT OPPORTUNIST
Your Max HP is increased by an amount equal to your Level. When you make a Provoked Attack, you deal an additional +�d� damage. Bonus increases to +�d� at Level �.
You no longer suffer Provoked Attacks when attempting to Stablize an Ally. Successully Stabilizing a allen Ally grants you Benefit or MY BROTHER’S KEEPER your next action – this bonus will ade i not used by the end o your next turn.
.
THRILL OF BATTLE
When you roll two ��s on an attack roll, you no longer need to choose between recharging an Overdrive power or dealing a Massive Hit – you get to do both rom now on.
SEIZE THE INITIATIVE
You gain an additional bonus equal to hal your Level to all your Speed checks.
MASTERY
Your Racial power is usable twice per day instead o once. Furians will get two sae uses o Unbound beore the chance to lose control occurs.
Valla “Together as one.”
RACIAL TRAITS Average Height: �.��-�.��m Average Weight: ��-��kg
ATTRIBUTE SCORES MIGHT
AGILITY
MIND
PRESENCE
0
2
1
1
Harmony: Silencing your mind, a whisper o the once great psychic power o your race awakens in you. You orm a brie psychic link with your allies, taking your deenses to a supernatural level. Grant an extra �d� to yoursel or an adjacent allies on de ense rolls against a single incoming attack (all types). Can be used once per day.
T
he Skyather and his Ivory Queen smiled to each other as the first Valla sprung to lie rom his hands. The Skyather had snatched the light rom the rising sun and blew lie and spirit into it. The Firstborn was created that day -- a race o people to tame and conquer the primordial world that would become Unity. The Ivory Queen took a dew drop let rom the morning rain and placed it on the first Valla’s orehead. With this Spirit Stone, all Valla would be psychically and spiritually linked to each other. They would never have to know the loneliness that their Mother and Father have had to endure or aeons. Gited with centuries o lie and a culture that operated at the speed o thought, the Valla were perect. They erected beautiul cities that made the soul ache. The Valla were the ones to name the world Unity in their native tongue, or they had known nothing else since the day they were born. As the centuries turned, the Valla, already so perect in every aspect began to grow complacent. Their shining cities would glow eternally and provided everything they required or a comortable i not lackadaisical lie. The fire to thrive and orge ahead aded slowly. Vallan society seemed rozen in time like an impossibly beautiul mural. When the Great Calamity struck, the prideul Valla were not exempt rom the Skyather’s wrath. Even as the world teetered towards oblivion, he tore rom them the very link that defined them and made them strong as a race. In a single moment, an entire people were plunged into chaos and or the first time ever, they learned what loneliness was. The sheer agony o thousands upon thousands o voices being silenced as the light o a psychic community was snuffed out in an instance dealt an absolutely devastating blow to their civilization. The effects o this “severing” still reverberate throughout Valla lands even ater hundreds o years.
15
races
Only as a new generation begins to emerge, does Vallan society begin to rebuild itsel slowly while shying away rom the dependency on their now deunct psychic link.
play a valla if you want... • • • •
to be long-lived and see lie through a lens measured in centuries, not decades. to play a class that avours grace and stealth. to be revered and looked up to by the other younger races to explore themes o reaching out and tasting the world firsthand as a wide-eyed, new generation Valla or to struggle with the concept o loneliness and loss o your psychic link as a Golden Age Valla.
physical qualities The Valla have an unearthly beauty about them. Taller than the average human by about hal a head yet shorter than the mighty Furians. The Valla have slim yet strong, wiry builds. They are the most graceul o all the races. Gited with quick reflexes and superb coordination, Vallan movement appears almost as an enchanting dance to onlookers. The Valla share the same skin tone and hair colour range as Humans and a ew shades more. Deep purple and almost porcelain white are not uncommon skin and hair colours among the Valla. They do not possess body or acial hair. A Valla’s eyes are incredibly striking. Their eye colours are always vivid and colourul. Hues o rich gold, sapphire blue, deep lavender and em erald green are common. All Valla are born with a Spirit Stone embedded in the center o their orehead, even those born ater the Great Calamity. The Spirit Stone’s deault colour is a beautiul cerulean blue, although it has been documented that the Spirit Stone can change colour. Just above the Valla’s Spirit Stone are a set o vestigial eathers. Some Valla have a more prominent “plume” than others. The purpose o these eathers has been lost to time.
the lesser lived races. Some Valla have lived to see the turn o hal a millenia. Valla reach ull physical maturity in the second or third decade o their lie. From there, as i rozen in time, their bodies and minds remain pristine and robust until the last century o their lie when the wiles o age begin to take its toll on their appearance and strength. With such longevity, Valla are slow to rouse. There is never a true sense o urgency outside o immediate danger that riles a Valla.
paradise lost The loss o the Valla’s psychic link was a devastating blow to Vallan society on many levels. All their greatness was built upon the oundation o being instantly connected to each other at all times. Now as the Valla begin to rebuild and explore new ways to connect with not only each other, but also the outside world that they neglected or so long. There is an opportunity or the Valla nation to be reborn, possibly stronger and more versatile than beore. Valla let over rom the Golden Age struggle with the loss o paradise and their psychic link. Some have turned to an addictive herb called the Driting Glory to satiate the yearning or connection. Others are just beginning their journey to rediscover who they are now that they’ve lost such an important piece o themselves. Newer, post-Calamity Valla see the world with resh eyes, not understanding the depth o loss rom the severing o the psychic link. These young Valla are optimistic, chatty and curious.
names Common Male Names: Aldruin, Altaris, Belron, Calreth, Eramdel, Malusiel, Soren, Valaris Common Female Names: Alluria, Corin, Enna, Gillindra, Lillandris, Maelleneth, Nimiriel, Shayanna, Valoria Family Names: Arundel, Celeborn, Dawnstar, Laromar, Stormsong, Windwalker
all the time in the world Lie is experienced differently by the Valla than
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While the Valla may seem haughty and aloo, the Great Calamity has spawned a new generation o Valla that are much more open and curious than their elders. The Valla’s long liespans make it plausible or a player to choose either concept to build their character upon.
Surprisingly, the Valla have melodic and hauntingly beautiul voices despite having evolved to never really require the use o their vocal chords. The emphasis on beauty and the finer things in lie o Valla culture cultivated a strong penchant or song and art in their society.
Drifting Glory: A mysterious, efflorescent flower that sprung up shortly ater the Great Calamity. Botanists believe that the burgeoning spiritual energies bleeding through rom the Drit have caused this new plant species to emerge. Various uses or the flower have been discovered. The most significant finding is that the flower’s essence can be distilled into a potent drug that temporarily re-activates a Valla’s psychic abilities. There have been many detrimental side effects rom continued usage.
One o the more interesting takes on playing a Valla has been exploring the journey o an old world survivor who yearns or her lost connection and has spiraled down a path o addiction with regards to the Driting Glory. How ar will she go or her next hit?
Furian “Strength, duty and honour.”
RACIAL TRAITS Average Height: �.�� - �.��m Average Weight: ��-���kg
ATTRIBUTE SCORES MIGHT
AGILITY
MIND
PRESENCE
2
1
0
1
Unbound: Tapping into a reservoir o rage, you drive your physical power to meteoric levels or a b rie moment. Deal maximum damage on a single attack or you may double your MIGHT score on a skill check. Can be used once per day. You may attempt to use it this more than once per day but risk losing control. Roll a �d�� on subsequent attempts. Rolling below a � causes you to perorm a single attack (with the Unbound bonus) on an ally o the GM’s choosing or sel-harm yoursel with that attack. The threshold increases by � with each progressive attempt.
M
olten lava spewed orth rom the massive crack in the middle o the mountain as the Skyather sheared it with his hands, tearing the landmark asunder. Scooping up the liquid fire beore it had a chance to cool, the Skyather mixed it with volcanic stone that had splintered off rom the mountain. Steam and smoke hissed out between his divine fingers as the first o the Furian race was ormed. Forged rom solid rock and inused with molten blood, the Furians were a physical presence to behold. Unmatched in physical strength, they were a solemn and stalwart race o people. The Skyather wanted a complement to the Valla’s lackadaisical and airy nature. Unity required balance and the Furians were created to achieve that purpose. The Skyather’s beloved, the Ivory Queen, noticed that the Furians, while powerul, would burn out quickly due to the heavy demands o their physical orm. She dove into the center o a dying star and snatched rom it a tiny spark, a mere sliver o its power. She returned to Unity and imbued her new children with a proper heart that could power their demanding bodies. With a deep reservoir to draw rom, the Furians learned to channel this new ound power and worked tirelessly or days on end. They were an industrious people and soon their iron and stone cities dotted the lands o Unity at an alarming pace. What they lacked in beauty and nuance, they made up or in sheer output. It was not long beore they were caught up to their older sibling, the Valla. When the Great Calamity occurred, the Furians were among the many guilty and deserving o the Skyather’s wrath. With a heavy heart, he corrupted the heavenly spark
17
races
his Queen had bestowed on her children. The reservoir o power that the Furians had grown accustomed to drawing became unstable. Those that reached too quickly and too deep were thrown into what was known as the “Red Rage” -- a state o madness that drove those affected into a murderous renzy. Too oten would a Furian awake rom the Red Rage with hands stained with the blood o his loved ones. For a culture so steeped in honour and amily, the advent o the Red Rage drove many Furians to resist all emotionality. A small handul o Furians were determined to conquer the Skyather’s curse and preached o a place that existed between rage and serenity, a place where all Furians could realize their power without becoming a victim to it.
play a furian if you want... •
•
• •
to come rom a culture that values strength, honour and amily to play a class that avours might and blunt orce trauma to have a more eral, bestial side to your character to explore themes o restraint and redemption
physical qualities The Furians are a physically imposing race. They tower over Humans. The majority o Furians, even those not practiced in the martial pursuits are thickly built and muscular. Their skin has a smooth stone-like texture, owing to their volcanic origins. Their veins run hot with magma-like blood and when they call upon their great strength, these veins glow with fire. Furian skin tones share the same palette o the mountains: gray, brown, and obsidian. Furian acial eatures are eline, with males resembling the great lions o the Scorched Plains. Female Furian eatures are more subtle yet still noticeably eline. Their eyes come in a ew shades o colour. They can either be green, hazel, gray or yellow. The eyes flare with power when a Furian becomes enraged. Furian hair is thick and unruly. The hair’s texture is akin to a lion’s mane. Colours range rom pure white, gold, brown, orange, red to jet black. Only
Furian males grow acial hair. Moments o intensity or rage cause Furian hair to become erect, standing up on end, giving the illusion o a earsome visage.
blood bonds Furian culture revolves around duty and amily. Filial piety is the cornerstone o Furian society. The respect and love shown between Furian amily members not only to themselves but to their ancestors is deep-seated in the belie that everything that they are and everything that they will be is owed to those that came beore them. Because Furian notions on amily are so strong, duty and honour are perpetually extolled and upheld. It is a horrible disgrace to soil the amily name with misdeeds and ailures. While rare, Furians have been known to come to love other non-Furians with the same ervor and selfless devotion that they would show to their own amilies.
fury rising Since the emergence o the Red Rage, Furian society has ractured into three camps. The first camp, practices a lie devoid o emotions to prevent the rousing o the Red Rage. The second camp have been driven insane unable to cope with the horrific deeds they have inflicted while lost in the Red Rage. Like a perpetual spiral into madness, their inability to control their emo tions has led them into a constant berserker state and most are either exiled or locked up deep underneath the mountains. The final group preach a different path, one that exists between burning ury and an empty heart. Those that ollow this path have unpredictable results as they constantly live on the edge o straddling madness but they also have moments o triumph when they are able to tap into their true power.
names Common Male Names: Anga, Bran, Date, Drax, Hark, Jin, Laz, Nazam, Pagon, Urag, Yat, Zan Common Female Names: Akane, Corra, Eshima, Gena, Haru, Juno, Kana, Murai, Nara, Sora, Yassa Family Names: Blackstorm, Cinderglow, Doomlash, Firefist, Hellbringer, Stonehammer, Redhand, Rivermane, Sungloom, Truesworn, Youngscream
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Ater the Great Calamity, many Furians still struggle with a sense o dishonour arising rom turning down some o the other races when they came to Furian lands or help especially the Afflicted. The Furians have told themselves that they were already too burdened with their own tragedy and the Red Rage to open their doors, but still a sense o shame hangs over many o them. Some Furians have taken it upon themselves to cleanse the lands as a step towards redemption.
Red Rage. This was the curse that the Skyather struck the Furians with. When a Furian tries to tap into their reservoir o power using anger (the quickest route), it might trigger the Red Rage and send the Furian into a berserker rage, sundering their mind and causing them to attack everything in sight. Those that come out o the madness, talk o a blood red haze that clouds everything. When the haze clears, they are usually covered in the blood o their loved ones.
Human “Believe.”
RACIAL TRAITS Average Height: �.��m - �.��m Average Weight: �� - ��kg
ATTRIBUTE SCORES MIGHT
AGILITY
MIND
PRESENCE
1
1
1
1
Tenacious: When aced with adversity, you find the grit and determination to push orward even when all hope seems lost. Re-roll any skill check. Can be used once per day. Does not stack with Moment o Fortune or similar powers.
W
hen the Skyather shaped the first o Humanity rom the sot clay o the earth, he did so with the wisdom acquired rom having created the Valla and the Furians. He saw that augmenting Humanity physically or psychically was not a method that worked to its ullest potential or his First and Secondborn. Instead, he gave Humanity a reason to seize each day like it was their last. He “gited” Humanity with only a short time to live in comparison to the older races. It was precisely this “git” that spurned the youngest o the three children to explode with progress and thrive. With lie measured in decades instead o centuries, Humans constantly pushed their limits and lived lie everishly. The technology that exists in Unity originated rom the precocious minds o Humanity. Combining steam, arcane magic, and lightning stolen rom the sky, they were the first to explore the creation o automatons and constructs. I they could have robotic slaves perorm the mundane yet necessary tasks in their lives, they could buy themselves time or lotier more sel-actualizing pursuits. Humans were the ones to bring guns and cannons to the oreront o war. It was this erocious tenacity to make the most o their short lives that allowed them to rise beyond their physical and psychic limitations to become a major orce in the world o Unity. Much was lost when the Skyather sundered Unity, but what endured was the undying optimism o the Human spirit. There were those that saw the Great Calamity as a sign that they were the chosen ones, spared rom the tragedy bealling the world. The heathens among them had been marked with disease. The same heathens that created machines so grand that they touched the sky -- to touch the ace o God. The zealous saw their punishment as a stark reminder o the price o pride. Tensions mounted between those afflicted by the new disease and those that were spared. Eventually ear replaced
19
races
tolerance and civil war broke out. Those stricken with disease were eventually driven rom the Empire. Humanity has only recently begun to rebuild itsel. Without their greatest minds and innovators, the process has been slow and arduous. Many wonder i the Empire will ever reclaim its ormer glory.
play a human if you want... • • • •
to come rom a culture that values diversity and ambition to be able to excel at any class to be adaptable and versatile to explore themes o aith and legacy
physical qualities Humans are the shortest o the three original races. The average Human build lies in between the slender Valla and the muscular Furians. “Average” is a poor descriptor or Human eatures however. Humanity is the most diverse and numerous o all the races. Their short lives, strong ambition and penchant or exploration have caused them to spread across most o Unity. Separate groups o Humans developing in isolation throughout history have caused the race as a whole to diverge into different ethnic groups. This has led to some variations in physical eatures across the race as a whole. The variations are a showcase o Human adaptability. Human skin is generally smooth, with some possessing more body and acial hair than others. Skin tones range rom deep black, olive brown, golden yellow, and pale white. Human eye colour can be brown, blue, green, gray, hazel, and amber. Human hair has wildly varying textures rom thin and straight to coarse and curly. Hair colour can truly be anything, especially with the development o vanity dyes that are particularly popular in upper class Human society.
moments are all we have Humans have the shortest lie span o the original three races. Whereas the Valla live up to five centuries and the Furians or hal o that, it is a rare achievement or a Human to ever reach a century o lie and even then, they will be so hobbled by age in the twilight o their years to enjoy it. However, it is precisely this rugal allotment o time that has caused Humanity to rise aster and stronger than all those that came beore them. For a Human, every day is a git and opportunity to be better, do better, and experience more. They don’t have the luxury o waiting. It’s this constant sense o urgency that drives Humanity so fiercely to achieve so much. When they are gone, their deeds will remain and in some small way that means that a part o them gets to live on.
favoured son It was no secret that Humanity was the avourite child o the gods. When the Skyather created the Humans, he believed he had finally perected the process and knew exactly what needed to be done to create an ambitious race to cultivate all o Unity. His aith was rewarded when Humanity set out with everish intent to explore and conquer. Deeply pleased, the Skyather and Ivory Queen showered Humanity with affection. It was this blatant display o avouritism that set off the Chaos Wars between the Valla, Furians and Humans. Even to this day, Humans remember the love that was shown to them and as a society are deeply religious.
names The range o Human names is so great due to the diversity o various ethnic groups. Below are common names ound in the southern Falcon Kingdom. Common Male Names: Allan, Ben, Christoper, Darius, Eli, Jack, Liam, Ned, Sebastian, Viktor Common Female Names: Anna, Becca, Daphne, Ginny, Jenna, Lynn, Miriam, Sarah, Talia, Yvonne Family Names: Abel, Brightheart, Carlisle, Dalton, Hightower, Hobbs, North, Stark, Terrell, Underwood
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The majority o Humans are grateul that they were ‘spared’ the Skyather’s wrath and have turned to religion and practice reverence. But, there are some that eel slighted by their Creator. These ew look to the heavens and ask “Were we not good enough or your judgment? Are we that insignificant and lacking in gits that there was nothing or you to take away rom us?” Perhaps it’s innate Human ambition that drives such perturbed thinking.
While Humans have an average spread o attributes with no remarkable strength in any one area, their initial Racial Ability: Tenacious can be a game changer. It allows you to push your character and take greater risks which is reflective o the ever striving Human spirit.
Chaos Wars: A series o wars that spawned rom the riction between the Valla, Furians and Humans during the Age o Strie. It was this war that sent the Skyather to wander the cosmos in grie.
Afflicted “We will persevere. persevere.” ”
RACIAL RA CIAL TRAITS Average Height: �.�� - �.��m Average Weight: �� - ��kg
ATTRIBUTE SCORES MIGHT
AGILITY
MIND
PRESENCE
1
1
2
0
Grisly Triage: A lietime o scavenging and salvaging parts (organic and robotic), has led to you to become gruesomely resourceul. I there are corpses ater a battle, you may choose to heal or �d� + LEVEL hitpoints. Can be used once per day.
C
ast out and persecuted like pariahs, the Afflicted were perhaps perhaps the most tragic outcome o the Great Calamity. Formerly a part o Humanity, the Afflicted were the best and brightest that the Empire o Man had to offer. They were the innovators, the orward thinkers, the philosophers, scientists and courageous dreamers. It was precisely this burning fire, this spark o immeasurable potential, which led the Skyather to afflict them with the Phage. The Phage was a horrific disease that ate away flesh and bone. It starts as a small scratch, a slow peeling o the skin, then the sores come and with it the eventual grisly atrophy o the affected appendage. Its appetite was a slow yet voracious one. With no cure, those that were victims o the Phage were slowly shunned and eventually met with outright terror rom their ormer Human brethren. The seeds o ear gestated and bloomed into an unchecked morass o prejudice and hatred. This irrationality ignited a civil war that claimed the lives o thousands o o Afflicted and Humans alike. Eventually the battered and exhausted Afflicted were orced to flee rom the Empire. They had to leave behind all that they knew and the place they called home. Adopting a nomadic liestyle, they leveraged their brilliance and technology to hinder the Phage as best they could. The Afflicted moved rom place to place, scavenging and salvaging what, or or the most cold-hearted among them, who who,, they could find. They were determined to carve out a piece o Unity to call their own, no matter the price. Never again would they let their guard down and become the victim. As time went on, the Afflicted Afflicted began to increasingly increasingly make make use o their technology to create prosthetics and limbs as the Phage began claiming more and more o their bodies. Some began to ear that they would begin to lose what-
21
races
-ever precious piece o Humanity they still had let as they eventually became more machine than man. Others reveled in this new identity, embracing the strength and versatility their hybrid physiology afforded them. Then there were those that hoped or a brighter tomorrow, a uture where they could walk once more in the sun with the other races.
play an afflicted if you want... • • • •
to play an outcast to be able to excel at a class that avours the mind to be part machine to explore themes o identity and morality
physical qualities The Afflicted possess similar physical qualities to their Human counterparts rom which they originated. Afflicted are heavier than Humans in general due to the machinery that replaces parts o their bodies that have been consumed by the Phage. Afflicted skin tones tend more towards being air and light due to the lack o the sunlight exposure. Afflicted dwellings and cities are generally shrouded in darkness and shadow. Their skin may also be scarred rom the Phage. While Afflicted have hair, they generally lose it due to the Phage or the incredible stress they put their bodies through during the grating process when replacing lost limbs. Parts replaced by machinery may not be a oneto-one replacement. An Afflicted who loses her hand may have it replaced with a tool such as a hook or claw instead o another hand. Those that have been in the presence o more ‘developed’ Afflicted have mentioned the perpetual hum o the technology that keeps them alive.
at any cost Due to the horrific tragedy the Afflicted have suered since the onset o the Phage, Afflicted culture itsel is harsh and brutal. There is a great distrust o outsiders, and a vengeul fire still burns in the hearts o many that eel betrayed by their Human
brethren. The Afflicted have had to constantly fight a war on two ronts. They battle a relentless disease that even their incredible minds cannot find a solution or. Externally, they ace pressure rom the other races in terms o ear and prejudice. At their time o need the Afflicted were turned away countless times. This rejection has caused the Afflicted to become fiercely sel-reliant and callous to those that are not part o their group. In order to survive such harsh circumstances, some Afflicted have turned ruthless and constantly cross moral boundaries to get the resources they require to live.
brightest star Beore the Great Calamity struck and the Phage was unleashed on Humanity, the Afflicted were the greatest minds in the Empire. When they were still Human, they were well-respected and revered by the people or bringing such amazing technological wonders to society. All their inventions made lie better. With the Afflicted banished and scattered across Unity, all o the technology that people had grown reliant on began to ail rom lack o maintenance. The knowledge to maintain and create them was lost. Even the Afflicted, who, having had to ocus their efforts so heavily on stemming the Phage or so long have begun to lose the knowledge o the Golden Age technologies. Still, there are those rom the other races that begrudgingly seek out Aflicted Tinkerers and Technomancers or help. The Afflicted have begun leveraging this need and many carry an air o superiority about them now that the tables have slowly turned.
names The majority o Afflicted maintain their Human names and amilyy na amil name mes. s. Th Thee na name mess bel below ow ar aree th thee co comm mmon on na names mes ound ou nd in th thee so sout uthe hern rn Fal alco con n Ki King ngdo dom. m. Common Male Names: Allan, Ben, Christoper, Darius, Eli, Jack, Liam, Ned, Sebastian, Viktor Common Female Names: Anna, Becca, Daphne, Ginny, Jenna, Lynn, Miriam, Sarah, Talia, Yvonne Family Names: Abel, Brightheart, Dalton, Hightower, Hobbs, North, Stark, Terrell, Terrell, Underwood
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The Afflicted are a bit o a darker race to play as due to their tragic history. It is not uncommon or some tension to arise in the party over an Afflicted member. I’ve ound a little discomort has been well worth some o the stories and character development that’s come out o Afflicted characters. Learning to trust and love again outside o your race and letting the emotional walls come down makes or some powerul storytelling.
The Phage: A grim disease that slowly eats away at the flesh o those inected by it. The process is slow and painul yet can be unpredictable at times. The Phage seems oddly specific about who it targets and has not spread outside o the Human race. The Afflicted are slowly per ecting the technique o replacing lost limbs and organs with technological variants.
Classes
DREADNOUGHT T
he fires o Mount Furia raged on as the Crimson Horde surrounded and pressed what remained o the Furian army deending their capital city. Down to a mere hundred warriors, the Furians stood their ground and ought until their weapons broke and their armour shattered. Undaunted, they continued to use their bare hands to smash the enemy. It was in this deep desperation that a new fighting ideology was born. Knowing that they were the last line and the only thing preventing the annihilation o everything that they have ever loved and cared or, the Furian warriors orewent all ideals o deense to become an absolute wrecking ball o carnage. They decided that day that they would not die o attrition, they would not let their survival instinct dictate the ate o their race. Instead, they openly embraced the chaos o battle and the ear shattering din o war. They dug deep inside themselves and tapped into a ury that they did not know existed and threw themselves at the enemy with reckless abandon. The shock and awe o such an explosive and unrelenting assault caught the Crimson Horde off guard and they died by the hundreds in the initial charge. But even as the Horde gathered to rebuff the onslaught, they noticed the Furians were not tiring. No, instead they seemed to gain more momentum with every advance and some could swear they saw the Furians’ wounds healing as they spilt Horde blood everywhere. Over a thousand o their troops died that day beore the Crimson Horde retreated. The Furian capital city was saved and a new type o soldier was cemented in history.
D
readnoughts are tanky and offensive powerhouses. They are clad in heavy armor and the weapons they choose are always ocused on inflicting as much damage as possible. They orgo a cautious and deensive fighting style or a reckless and unrelenting onslaught. The more a Dreadnought fights, the stronger he gets. Dreadnoughts thrive in battle and use their Fury to power their attacks and deenses. Heavy armor provides a measure o protection, but the ability to sometimes outright ignore pain through the thrill o their bloodlust are the hallmarks o Dreadnought deense. Dreadnought attacks are brutal and massive. Unlike the Phantom, they are most at home when knee deep in enemies. Dreadnoughts are veritable wrecking balls on the battlefield. They can always be ound wading through throngs o enemies with their gigantic weapons cleaving through bone and sinew. With adrenaline coursing through the Dreadnought’s veins like liquid fire, even the most grievous strikes against them become mere flesh wounds as they lose themselves to the chaos o battle. When it comes to pressing the attack, Dreadnoughts know o only one creed: “Keep moving orward.”
WHY PLAY A DREADNOUGHT? I you like: •
• • •
The idea o a heavily armored warrior that charges headfirst into the thick o things and is the embodiment o raw intensity and bonecrushing might. Finding the biggest, baddest weapon(s) you can get your hands on. Throwing caution to the wind. Pure physical trauma and an unquenchable thirst or battle.
Dreadnoughts make excellent vanguards, as their powers work best when they are actively fighting and taking damage. They have efficient ways o getting into the thick o things and dealing with multiple enemies in melee. When supported by teammates, Dreadnoughts can become unstoppable death dealing machines. A smart opponent will attempt to cut off the Dreadnought’s support beore taking the monstrous fighter head on.
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Classes
DREADNOUGHT
“They’ve got us outnumbered and completely surrounded. How unortunate or them.”
CLASS TRAITS Dreadnoughts have the highest Hit Die o all the classes.
STARTING HP: ��+MIGHT RECUPERATION DICE: d�� ARMOUR: All WEAPONS: Medium, Heavy RESOURCE: Fury ��� �d� Recharge KEY ATTRIBUTE�S�: MIGHT
CLASS FEATURES All Dreadnoughts come with the ollowing eatures as part o their baseline powers
While lacking in options or ranged attacks, Dreadnoughts have powers that allow them to charge and leap into battle, enabling them to stick to their targets.
Perks stack with Core Paths and Attribute bonuses when it comes to skill checks, making them very powerul even i the value is minute.
SHIELDBREAKER
CLEAVE
PASSIVE
STANDARD
You strike with such orce that even the thickest steel bends beore your might.
Effects: When wielding a melee two-handed weapon or two weapons, gain +� Armour Penetration.
Wild swings and sweeping strikes are the hallmarks o the Dreadnought fighting style. What could be better than slicing through your enemy? Slicing through a bunch o them.
Bonus increases to:
Effects: Success. Roll �d� to determine how many enemies are struck. Your damage is lessened rom spreading the orce o the blow so do not add modifiers when calculating damage. Baseline weapon damage only. Failure. You may orce damage as per Basic Melee attack rules on your primary target only.
• +� at level � • +� at level � • +� at level ��
Cost: � Fury Target: Single Range: Adjacent
PICK � PERK FROM BELOW FEROCIOUS PRESENCE
DESTRUCTIVE TENDENCIES
PASSIVE
PASSIVE
Your world is one o blood and rage. The ury that burns in your heart emanates rom your very pores, creating a earsome aura around you.
The training o a Dreadnought emphasizes physicality and raw strength. You tend to take the direct approach to problems rather than finesse your way through.
Effects: When you attempt an action that involves intimidation or threats you may add your +MIGHT by spending � Fury.
Effects: Attempts to break or orce things open receive a +� bonus. Bonus increases to:
Dreadnoughts honour their allen by incorporating a piece o their comrade’s armour or weaponry into their own. That way even in death, they still fight on.
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• +� at level � • +� at level � • +� at level ��
Classes
TIER � POWERS Choose � Powers
FURIOUS CHARGE
RECKLESS ASSAULT
STANDARD � MOVEMENT
STANDARD
You lower your head, steel your gaze and launch your sel explosively at your target.
You throw caution to the wind, orgoing your deenses and launch an absolutely massive attack on your oe.
Effects: Instead o moving to a NEARBY target and
Effects: Success. Your attack lands with such orce that you
attacking, you may instead charge at them then make a basic melee attack increasing both your AR and damage by half your Level. Cannot Charge i you have moved already during the round. Fury cost is reunded immediately i the attack roll is successul
Cost: � Fury Target: Single Range: Nearby Upgrades: Juggernaut. Become unstoppable. I currently ad jacent to an enemy(s), you plow through everyone with bullheaded determination. Gain your +MIGHT to your AV against all Provoked Attacks as you charge to your target. War Cry. You let out a erocious battle cry as you explode across the battlefield. I your attack roll ater your charge is successul, you are not only reunded the Fury cost, but gain � additional Fury as well.
may add another weapon die to your damage roll. (I your base weapon die is �d��, add a single extra �d�� to your damage roll) Failure. You miss your blow and are caught completely off balance and wide open. You suffer an immediate retaliation rom your target and effectively have ZERO AV or that attack. No Deense roll.
Cost: � Fury Target: Single Range: Adjacent Upgrades: Channeled Fury. Reckless Assault now becomes a QUICK action allowing you to combine it with other attack powers. Broadside. You no longer lose your AV when you take the immediate retaliation on a ailed attack.
BRACE FOR IMPACT REACTION
MIGHT CLEAVE STANDARD
Steeling your body, only the heaviest o blows will give you pause.
Your countless hours o practice identiying effective angles and developing your ollow-through power allow you to cut through more oes with ease.
Effects: You receive your +MIGHT as Damage Resistance against a single attack. You must declare Brace or Impact BEFORE rolling damage. Can also
Effects: Your basic Cleave power is improved. Roll �d�+� when determining how many enemies are
be used outside o combat.
hit by your attack. All enemies successully struck suffer your basic melee damage.
Target: Sel
Cost: � Fury
BRING IT ON
Target: Multiple
PASSIVE
Range: Adjacent
When the odds are stacked against you, a little jolt o adrenaline gives you the edge you need to take care o business.
Cost: � Fury
Effects: I more than � enemy is adjacent to you, add +� to your attack damage or each extra enemy. Increase to +� per enemy at Level �. Cannot exceed +��.
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While you can select nothing but Passive or Reactive powers, it’s recommended to pick up some Standard Active powers or else your only Fury spender will be the Class Feature: Cleave.
Upgrades or existing chosen powers will become available at later levels and purchasable with Tier Tokens.
You will have a choice o choosing more powers or choosing to make existing powers even stronger.
Furious Charge: Warcry is an excellent way to build up Fury. Target enemies that appear to have weaker deenses to ensure a successul hit.
Combining Reckless Assault: Channeled Fury with any o the Cleave variants provides a very high risk, high reward play-style.
Bring It On and Mighty Cleave together turn the Dreadnought into an absolute meat blender.
Classes
Consider pairing up with a healer or someone that can help you prevent or absorb damage to become a wrecking ball.
Impale is a useul power or controlling the battlefield and reducing the threat o enemies or your squishier party members.
Combining Reckless Assault or Mighty Cleave with Relentless: Composure can give your Dreadnought the potential to spring back rom the edge o death in a massive way once per battle. It could also get you killed quicker in the case o Reckless Assault.
Rampage is an incredibly potent power only i you can maintain your Rampage stacks. I there is no one in the party to buff your attack rating, consider going all in with Rampage’s upgrades.
Thrive on Chaos embodies the antasy o the Dreadnought: a berserker warrior that never says die. While it is a powerul survival tool, be wary o any disables or control abilities an enemy might throw at you while you are under the effects o Thrive on Chaos -- i you can’t swing your weapon, you can’t leech health back.
RELENTLESS
LET’S ROLL
PASSIVE
STANDARD � MOVEMENT
While others look into the ace o death with ear, you smile and eed off the heady rush. The atal thrill o it all keeps you swinging.
Crushing bones and hacking off limbs is more un i you have someone to share the experience with. Bring along a riend.
Effects: You reuse to go down. When your HP are reduced to � or below, you may make one immediate basic melee attack at an adjacent enemy and heal or hal the amount o damage you inflict. Can only happen ONCE per battle.
Effects: You grab an adjacent ally and launch yourselves across the battlefield to a nearby enemy or
Upgrades: Juggernaut. You receive Benefit on your attack attempt when Relentless is triggered. Composure. You remain surprisingly poised even in your critical condition and you may choose to use an attack power instead o your basic melee attack when Relentless is triggered.
location. Your ally does not expend their movement action when traveling this way. Both o you are still prone to Provoked Attacks. I your target is an enemy, roll your attack as you barrel into them with your body. I successul the target takes no damage but is Staggered or � round.
Cost: � Fury Target: Enemy or Area Range: Nearby
IMPALE STANDARD
Upgrades: Battering Ram. Upon successully smashing into
With grim determination you thrust your weapon through your enemy. I using a blunt weapon, you swing or the knee caps instead.
your target, you now deal your basic melee attack damage on top o Staggering them. Deal hal damage on a ailure.
Effects: Success. Target suffers your basic melee attack damage. The target will suffer Hindrance on any action if they attempt to move rom their current position or � round. Failure. You cannot get the angle quite right on your attack and only manage to land half your basic melee attack damage.
Cost: � Fury Target: Single Range: Adjacent Upgrades: Fling/Swat. Spend another � Fury to Fling/Swat your successully impaled target to a nearby loca-
RAMPAGE STANDARD Swept up in the madness o battle, your mighty blows play a melody o death as each successul strike reverberates louder than the last.
Effects: Success. You deal an additional +�d� damage. This additional damage stacks i you continue to use Rampage the next round ( +�d� then +�d� etc.) or else it falls off at � stack per round. Failure. Your attack deals hal damage. I you have a stack(s) o Rampage, you lose � stack as i you had not made a Rampage attack ( +�d� becomes +�d�).
tion or target. Roll your attack again against target deense to see i they hit. Successul collision will result in �d� physical damage or both parties.
Cost: � Fury
THRIVE ON CHAOS
Upgrades: Cadence. Rampage’s Fury cost is now �. Encore. Expend � additional Fury to immediately
QUICK � OVERDRIVE You revel in the chaos o battle as you enter a state o constant adrenaline. Each blow you land re-invigorgates you.
Effects: You are healed or hal the damage you inflict ater mitigation. Lasts � rounds.
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Target: Single Range: Adjacent
re-roll a ailed Rampage attack. Once per round.
Classes
CHARACTER PROGRESSION LEVEL 2 • • •
Receive � Tier One Token Receive � Core Path Point Receive HP Boost (�d��+MIGHT)
LEVEL 3 • • •
Class Feature: Heart o the Mountain Receive � General Perk Choose � Attribute to Boost by +�
Heart of the Mountain. The sight o a allen ally momentarily fills you with rage. With ury and adrenaline coursing through your veins, there’s no limit to what you can do. You may pick up and move an incapacitated ally as a Quick action instead o a Standard. You also do not suffer Hindrance while perorming this eat and shield your ally rom Provoked Attacks. I you have the power “Let’s Roll”. It’s Fury cost is removed or one use when an ally alls on the battlefield.
LEVEL 4 • • • • •
Receive � Tier One Token Receive � Core Path Point Receive HP Boost (�d��+MIGHT) AR and DR Increases by +� Artiact Capacity Increases by +�
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Classes
DRIFTWALKER D
ays ater the Great Calamity occurred and the Fell hordes were spilling across the lands, many began to lose aith in their gods and most o all the Skyather. The ensuing bloodbath o the invasion wrought the world with tragedy and death. As their loved ones ell, people began to curse the deities or doing nothing to stop the demons. Even the holiest amongst them began to lose aith. Some Priests rebuked their patron god and in doing so began to hear a new voice replace the one they had known. The voice was pleasant and promised what their old gods would not deliver – salvation. Slowly men and women o aith began turning towards these new voices. The voices were eager to help and were granting some o them incredible powers to fight the demons with. But these newly anointed champions began to change both physically and mentally. Their once docile and gentle d emeanour took on a cruel edge which was reflected in their appearance. Bloodshot eyes, black veins, and scaly skin that peeled and bled constantly were trademarks o those that had drunk rom the dark chalice too oten and too deeply. Despite their slow descent into madness and physical deormity, some were so addicted to the power they could not let it go. Others who still retained a measure o their sanity and virtue, willingly sacrificed parts o themselves so that they would have the power to fight back the darkness or those that were too weak to do so. The battle rages on both in the world o Unity and within the hearts o these grim men and women.
The Dritwalker is a dark caster that taps into the swirling morass o energies that comprise the Drit. Many ear the Drit and the demonic fiends that have emerged rom there. But there are some that look into the Drit and see a potential wellspring o possibility to be tapped. Their ascination and intense study o this energetic world has enabled them to harness earsome power.
more menacing and animalistic timbre. Are the sacrifices worth it?
But everything comes at a price. For some it is paid in the years o practice towards their crat, or o thers it is with servitude and dedication to their patron god, and or the Dritwalker, the toll is a very piece o their soul. In order or Dritwalkers to manipulate the energies o the Drit, they must make bargains with the dark entities that live there. These entities are able to act as conduits translating the chaotic energies o the Drit into ‘gits’ to bestow upon the Dritwalker.
•
The dubious nature o such beings can cause these transactions to be unpredictable. Each new power or augmentation granted replaces a little bit o who the Dritwalker once was. Those brimming with Drit energy, usually have significant changes to their physical appearance. Dry and scaly reptilian like skin. Sunken, yellow bloodshot eyes. Appendages that are twisted and deormed. Even their voice takes on a
WHY PLAY A DRIFTWALKER? I you like:
•
The idea o a darkly themed caster that can receive physical augmentations or a price A high risk playstyle involving trading lie orce or power
The Dritwalker provides an intense playstyle that revolves around making dangerous decisions. The Dritwalker’s abilities are powered by their class resource Bile and their own vitality. They use their hitpoints as a casting resource which makes playing them a little unique rom the other classes. Due to the dark nature o their abilities, they are able to siphon back lie rom enemies. Part o playing a Dritwalker effectively is understanding the ebb and flow o leeching versus striking. It can be a very rewarding experience playing to the very edge o your lie while wreaking havoc on the battlefield.
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Classes
DRIFTWALKER CLASS TRAITS STARTING HP: � + MIGHT RECUPERATION DIE: d� ARMOUR: Light WEAPONS: Light, Medium RESOURCE: Bile ��� �d� Recharge KEY ATTRIBUTE�S�: Mind
CLASS FEATURES All Dritwalkers come with the ollowing eatures as part o their baseline powers. Dritwalkers utilize Blood as a secondary resource. Blood reers to your Hitpoints. i.e. �d� Blood = �d� HP. Siphoning Strike is the bread and butter Dritwalker attack. Look at the Empowered Siphoning Strike upgrades (which can be taken at Level � despite being called upgrades) i you want your go-to attack to become even stronger.
SIPHONING STRIKE
DARK BARGAIN
STANDARD
QUICK
An eerie green glow suffuses your weapon as you channel Fell energy into it. You can eel its hunger ebbing through you.
Colluding with the demonic has made you earless and desensitized to the grisly nature o your crat. You willingly give up a portion o your lie orce or more power.
Effects: Success. You attack with an empowered strike
Effects: Deal hal your Level (round up) as damage
that does basic melee damage and heals you or MIND+LEVEL. Failure. You may choose to orce an attack (basic melee rules apply) leaving yoursel open or instant retaliation. You heal +MIND i you choose to do so.
Cost: Hal your Level in HP (round up)
to yoursel in exchange or recharging � Bile.
Target: Sel
Cost: � Bile Target: Single Enemy Range: Adjacent
PICK � PERK FROM BELOW Sleepless can be very useul especially i you roll well. Gaining First Strike against an intruder allows you to lock them in a Bone Prison, negating their turn and letting your teammates dogpile them ater.
FELL SPEAK
SLEEPLESS
PASSIVE
STANDARD
Your time communing with dark orces has given you an ear or understanding the undamentals o the demonic language.
Even when you close your eyes, the nightmares and terrors o the Drit visit you - drawn like moths to a flame. A mere mortal would be driven mad by such visions, but as someone who has embraced the darkness, you eed off o it. You are kept in a hal waking state even when you are ‘sleeping’.
Effects: You understand the language o demons and receive your +MIND as a bonus in all social interactions with the Fell.
Effects: When an Intrusion occurs, you always While lie during the Age o Wrath is oten brutal and short, it is even more pronounced in those that take up the mantle o Dritwalker. The mental and physical toll o being dancing with the darkness hastens the aging process and destroys the vitality o the body and spirit. Power always has a price.
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receive First Strike against your assailants. At Level �, you have mastered the Sleepless Sleep and this benefit extends to your entire party.
Classes
TIER � POWERS Choose � Powers
DEVOUR SOUL
CHAINS OF MORGANUS
STANDARD
STANDARD
A blast o green chaotic Fell energy e nergy erupts rom your palm. You pour a little bit o yoursel into the attack.
Fiery green chains o energy burst orth rom your body and encircle a nearby enemy beore drawing them into you.
Effects: A ranged energy attack that can be urther empowered by sacrificing some o your lie orce. Choose how much Blood to expend (up to your current Level). I your target is killed rom Sunder Soul, your Blood cost is immediately reunded. Success. Deal �d�+MIND+BLOOD Corrosive Damage. Failure. You deal �d�+MIND Corrosive Damage.
Cost: � Bile Target: Single Enemy Range: Far Upgrades: Dancing with Death. You may double the amount o Blood used or Sunder Soul. No Deal. Expend X Bile to negate up to X Blood cost.
DEMONIC CONSTITUTION PASSIVE Vorath the World Eater imbues you with a whisper o his strength in return or a portion o your own power.
Effects: Gain +� Max HP permanently but also lose � Max Bile permanently. This can be taken up to � times, but not more than once per level.
Upgrades: Might of the Void. Your melee attacks are now empowered. Increase the damage dice one step upwards. (i.e. �d� becomes �d��)
DEMONIC SPEED PASSIVE Tala’zim the Demon Lord o the lithe and graceul Shrike Maidens, grants you a bargain - lie or speed.
Effects: Your AGILITY is increased by +� bu t your maximum HP is permanently lowered by �. This can be taken up to � times, but not more than once per level.
Upgrades: m ay inShimmer. As a reaction to any attack, you may crease your DR by +�. MUST declare beore rolling Deense. Costs � Bile.
Effects: Success. Target is moved to your location. Failure. Your target is marked by the Demon Queen Morganus until your next turn. Your next casting o Chains will be granted Benefit.
Cost: � Bile Target: Single Enemy Range: Nearby Upgrades: Searing Links. As a Quick action, expending �d� Blood causes the target to take double that amount + MIND in Corrosive damage. Can increase Blood expenditure to �d� at Level �. Draining Bondage. I your target is successully ensnared, you may expend � extra Bile to heal MIND+LEVEL. Splintering Grip. Any successul attack made on the chained target during the round it was snared and dragged in, shatters the chain sending painul splinters o Corrosive energy into the target. Deals �d�+MIND Corrosive damage. Increase to �d�+MIND at Level �. Chains can only be shattered once per cast and must be shattered on the round it was cast in.
EMPOWERED SIPHONING STRIKE Your signature move develops even greater power as you learn new orbidden techniques.
Effects: Choose rom the Upgrades below to urther augment Siphoning Strike. Can be taken at Level �.
Upgrades: Reaping Swing. Empower your Siphoning Strike to hit an additional Adjacent enemy by expending another 1 Bile. Each additional target struck, heals you or +MIND. I you miss your additional targets, you deal no damage to them and receive no healing. Second Serving. Siphoning Strike leaves a searing brand on the target that acts as a homing beacon or your Fell-charged weapon. Your next Siphoning Strike against the Marked target receives Benefit. The Mark lasts or 1 round. Reaping Swing puts a mark on the adjacent target i successully struck.
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Devour Soul is an interesting power. At a glance it seems straight orward but the nuance o using it requires thought ulness and experience. Devour Soul should be viewed as an execution move. Using it as such, makes it incredible efficient when looking at it rom a cost vs damage perspective. The caveat is that it’s a gamble - on a miss or a misjudged target you could obliterate your own health pool.
Chains o Morganus beore upgrades may seem a little lackluster as it does zero damage but the ability to reposition enemies on the battlefield is incredibly potent especially when pared with other Classes’ abilities like Mark o the Heretic or Explo sive Bola.
Classes
Black Blood works best when you coordinated with a teammate to burst your Festering Pustules and spread the damage around.
BLACK BLOOD
BONE PRISON
STANDARD
STANDARD
Draw a gash in your hand while chanting a demonic mantra. The blood doesn’t just seep out, it b ubbles and roths as it turns black and tarry. A putrid odor cuts through the air as you fling the vile substance at your oes.
You eel a small ragment o your soul leave you, passing down through your eet and into the ground as it heads towards your target. The ground erupts as dry, bone-white pillars converge around them like an ivory cage.
Effects: Success. Deal �d�+MIND Corrosive Damage. Leave
Effects: Your target is encased in a prison o bone.
X (amount o Blood spent) Festering Pustules on the target. Festering Pustules last or � round and are activated when the target is dealt damage during that round. They explode or �d� Corrosive damage on the target and against all adjacent enemies. Failure. Deal hal o �d�+MIND Corrosive Damage to your target.
Cost: � HP + Xd� HP (X can be up to hal your Level)
Target: Single Enemy Range: Nearby Upgrades: Virulent. Your Festering Pustules have the potential to deal even more damage. Increase damage die rom �d� to �d�. Contagion. Even on a ailed Black Blood attack, � Festering Pustule will always spawn. Leeching Sores. You heal or hal the damage you deal rom subsequent Festering Pustules damage. Soul Link’s implications are many but the upgrade Uplit is wildly potent, guaranteed resource generation is very rare in Unity.
They are unable to move while trapped but may use ranged attacks as normal. The target and its allies may attack the Bone Prison in an attempt to break ree. The Bone Prison will absorb damage up to you LEVEL + MIND +:
�-�
�-��
��-��
��+
�
�
�
��
beore shattering. For every round past the initial casting you will suffer �d� unmitigated damage at the start of the next round as a cost to maintaining the Bone Prison. The Bone Prison lasts until you release it as a Quick Action or until it breaks. Only ONE Bone Prison can be active at a time.
Cost: � Bile Target: Single Enemy Range: Far Upgrades: Roll the Bones. Gamble with your lie even more
SOUL LINK OVERDRIVE � QUICK You tether your soul to another. A wispy green ethereal cord materializes between the two o you. Both your pain and ortune are now shared with each other. other.
now. You You may now have multiple Bone Prisons active at a time. Blood costs are additive. Bone Spurs. Any attack made on your Bone Prison deals 1d6+MIND physical damage to the attacker.
Effects: You are linked to a willing ally. Damage is
FELL CARAPA CARAPACE CE
split in hal (rounded down) between the two o you. Healing one person also heals the other or the ull amount.
PASSIVE
Lasts until the end o battle or �� minutes. Also ends i one o you becomes incapacitated.
Cost: � Bile Target: Single Ally
A dark bargain hardens hardens your skin into chitinous plating. The process is excruciating but it is a small price to pay or the added the protection.
Effects: Gain +� Armour Value but lose � Presence permanently.
Upgrades: Thick Skin. As a Reaction you may momentarily
Range: Far Upgrades: Blood Ritual. You and your linked target are now able to transer lie between each other as a Quick action. Uplift. Each round, you and your linked target regenerate � Class Resource.
33
thicken the carapace and gain an additional AV bonus o +� against a single attack. Must declare beore rolling damage. Costs � Bile.
Classes
CHARACTER PROGRESSION LEVEL 2 • • •
Receive � Tier One Token Receive � Core Path Point Receive HP Boost (�d�+MIGHT)
Whispers of the Drift. Dritwalker origins and lore lend the class a darker and slightly selfish tone. While there are creative ways to utilize their powers in a cooperative manner as is the central conceit o Unity, a class eature like Whispers o the Drit was straight up meant to allow Dritwalkers to aid their allies outside o battle.
LEVEL 3 • • •
New Class Feature: Whispers o the Drit Receive � General Perk Choose � Attribute to Boost by +�
Whispers of the Drift. The anguish o countless souls echoes throughout the vast void o the unseen world o the Drit. Your command o the chaotic energies allows you to tap into this sea o emotional energy and call orth maddening whispers to torment and distract. Once per day, you are able to affect the mind o a thinking creature momentarily, lowering the TN by hal your Level or whatever coercion, haggling, or manipulation coming their way. Your Dreadnought riend wants to intimidate a hard-ass guard in letting the two o you pass. The guard is stead ast and puffs up his chest. You give him a taste o the droning cacophony you live through on a daily basis and begin to see his will break beore your eyes. Your large brute o a riend has no trouble scaring the guard off.
LEVEL 4 • • • • •
Receive � Tier One Token Receive � Core Path Point Receive HP Boost (�d�+MIGHT) AR and DR Increases by +� Artiact Capacity Increases by +�
34
Classes
FELL HUNTER W
hen the Great Calamity occurred and the Fell spilled into Unity, the loss o lie was staggering. The world had never seen anything such as the Fell. The demonic hordes tore through the lands like a black wind o doom. The invasion let in its wake both tragedy and rage. Many children became o rphaned as their amilies were cut down by the Fell legions. These lost souls grew up orged by the burning vengeance aching in their hearts. The greatest concentration o Fell and thereore the largest massacre o lie, occurred in the West, in the area surrounding the Dreadlands. Although these were Vallan lands, people o every creed and race lost someone valuable to them to the senseless cruelty o the Fell. The orphaned children o so many amilies were scattered into the wilderness as they ran or their lives. As civilization was driven deeper into the starlit orests by the onslaught, the Night Wardens emerged rom the woods and greeted the incoming Fell with a hail o arrow fire. In the winding woods and dense wilderness, the Fell were completely disadvantaged. The elite Vallan rangers that guarded the sacred orests knew every inch o the area. Demons were stopped cold rom encroaching upon them. Thirsting or urther slaughter, the legions turned away rom a ruitless effort to penetrate the orest and began to look or easier targets. The Night Wardens then turned inwards and looked towards the great number o people cowering in their orests, people that had lost everything. The Night Wardens took them in and harnessed their pain and transormed them into an instrument or vengeance. Generations later, the Fell Hunters continue to spread their creed across the land, taking any who have suffered loss at the hands o the Fell and teaching them how to turn their hatred into a demon killing weapon. They would never eel helpless again.
F
ell Hunters are the premiere marksman in Unity. They specialize in dealing death rom aar and are versed in a variety o ranged weaponry. Whereas Phantoms are graceul melee fighters, the Fell Hunters take that same precision and agility and utilize it to put threats down beore they can get close enough to strike.
WHY PLAY A FELL HUNTER?
A demon’s scent is unmistakable to a well trained Fell Hunter. Their senses have been honed to a razor’s edge and there is no better tracker than a Fell Hunter when it comes to seeking out demonic threats and ending them.
•
To assist with their goals, Fell Hunter’s utilize a variety o gadgets and traps to neutralize their oes. Fell Hunters oten trade their expert tracking and hunting skills or both coin and equipment to allow them to perorm their task even more effectively. It is said that the constant hunt or the Fell provides a distraction rom the pain that they have wrought upon the Fell Hunter when they lacked the power to fight back. Now the tables have turned and the hunted has become the hunter. There is no telling how many demon corpses it will take to fill the gaping hole in a Fell Hunter’s soul.
I you like:
• • •
A ranged death dealer that is not a caster. A character with tragedy built into their past. Planning your moves ahead and a pro-active play style. Navigation and tracking.
Fell Hunters have some great advantages. Being able to deal high damage rom ranged like a caster but with some inherent deenses rom their leather armour, traps, and mobility. The majority o Fell Hunter damage is physical however and subject to armour mitigation. With careul planning and some avourable rolls, a Fell Hunter might be able to massacre their enemies without receiving so much as a scratch on themselves. The opposite however can occur i a Fell Hunter is misplayed. While they have the tools to escape most situations, non-judicious use o their abilities might mean a power won’t be there when you need it the most. I closed in upon without an escape, Fell Hunters crumple quickly to offensive pressure.
36
Classes
FELL HUNTER CLASS TRAITS STARTING HP: � + MIGHT RECUPERATION DIE: d� ARMOUR: Light, Medium WEAPONS: Light, All Ranged RESOURCE: Focus ��� �d� Recharge KEY ATTRIBUTE�S�: Agility
CLASS FEATURES All Fell Hunters come with the ollowing eatures as part o their baseline powers Most combatants carry two sets o weapon. A ranged and melee weapon. They use Quick Actions to switch between these weapons when an enemy either closes in or moves away rom them. As a Fell Hunter, there is no need to lug around so much gear - your gun or bow are perect all ranges.
Vault is the key to staying alive as a Fell Hunter and also a critical tool or setting up plays. Always be moving.
Sureooted can be useul or cutting travel time (less Ruin Generated) and or moving through hazardous environments quicker (less damage taken).
POINT BLANK SHOT
VAULT
PASSIVE
MOVEMENT
Years o avouring ranged weaponry has made handling them almost as natural as breathing or you. Many struggle to nock an arrow or line up a shot with their firearm when the enemy is in their ace, but not you.
Whether it’s acing down a horde o minor demons or a hulking Fell monstrosity ripped straight rom the darkest corners o the Drit, mobility is the Fell Hunter’s cornerstone or securing the tactical upper hand.
Effects: You do not suffer the usual Hindrance
Effects: Use your move action to Vault into or away
penalty or using a ranged weapon while adjacent to an enemy.
rom danger. While Vaulting you receive Benefit against all Provoked Attacks.
Cost: � Focus
PICK � PERK FROM BELOW SUREFOOTED
NIMBLE TRACKER
STANDARD
PASSIVE
The Order o the Fell Hunter was born under the watch ul eye o the Night Wardens - the finest rangers Vallantis had to offer. Light o eet, they moved like shadow and whispers through the winding, moonlit orests o the West and beyond. Their ease in navigating challenging geography was a skill passed down unto some o the first Fell Hunters ever created.
Hunting the wretched creatures o the Fell-inested Drit requires both powers o deduction and a keen awareness o clues as they are always on the move l ooking or more destruction. Finding them is not enough, you must be ast enough to catch them as well.
Effects: You may expend � Focus to move through any difficult terrain unhindered or � round. Outside the urgency o combat, this power is ree to use or yoursel – i leading allies through dangerous terrain, roll �d�. That is how many allies per point o Focus you spend to get everyone through saely and quickly.
Cost: � Focus
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Effects: When you attempt an action that involves tracking or acrobatic eats, you get to add +� to your roll Level �: +� Level �: +� Level ��: +�
Classes
TIER � POWERS Choose � Powers
ALPHA STRIKE
ADAPTIVE RESPONSE
PASSIVE
PASSIVE
As a hunter and tracker you ully appreciate the element o surprise. Your stalking abilities have allowed you to maximize your initial strike.
Demons deal death through many means. The majority resort to violent physical trauma to inflict pain but some demons take it up a notch and can burn, reeze, melt, shock and corrupt their victims. A Fell Hunter is always prepared.
Effects: Your first attack o any battle receives a +� bonus to the attack roll and damage roll. Level �: +� bonus Level �: +� bonus Level ��: +� bonus
Upgrades: Patient Hunter. I you take no offensive actions or
Effects: Pick � energy type (fire, rost, electric, arcane, corrosive) You gain +� Resistance permanently to that type o damage. You may upgrade this power multiple times or more resistances (they stack).
a single round, the Alpha Strike bonus is available to you again or your next attack. Drawing a Bead. You receive Benefit on your Alpha Strike attack roll.
COVERING FIRE
TWIN FANG STRIKE
Effects:
OVERDRIVE � STANDARD You unleash a withering hail o fire at your enemies.
an enemy adjacent to your target and apply damage to them i your initial attack roll beats their deense.
You fire a volley o shots at an enemy or into a group o enemies. Roll your attack once and check that result against each enemy caught in your hailstorm o shots. Those hit suffer your normal attack damage. All enemies in the area however (regardless i they were hit or not) are unable to perorm Provoked Attacks when under fire, allowing any adjacent allies to move away reely during this time.
Cost: � Focus
Cost: � Focus
Target: Single Enemy (apply damage to adjacent)
Target: Multiple Enemies
Range: Dependent on weapon used
Range: Far
STANDARD Sometimes enemies come in packs rather than as lone solitary predators. This has led you to hone your skills to strike two oes at a time.
Effects: When you make an attack, you may choose
PISTOL WHIP STANDARD In a blindingly quick motion, you smash your target upside the head with the blunt end o your weapon disorienting them, making them less likely to land their attacks. (Despite the name this works on all weapons)
Effects: Success. The target suffers �d�+AGILITY and has their Attack Rating reduced by your +AGILITY or � round. Failure. You don’t get the angle o attack quite right and ail to daze the target. They suffer hal o �d�+AGILITY damage though.
I you are looking or a low maintenance playstyle that’s extremely potent, take Alpha Strike and all o its upgrades. Using Vault you can play keep away while you reresh Alpha Strike’s bonus.
Covering Fire can singlehandedly save your party i they are all stuck in a bad area o the battlefield together.
Upgrades: Unending Salvo. You gain Benefit on your attack roll and the cost is reduced to � Focus. Pinning Fire. Those that are hit by your shots are Staggered.
SMOKE SCREEN QUICK You smash a combustible packet at your eet creating a shroud o thick gray smoke.
Effects: You and anybody (enemies and allies) ad-
Cost: � Focus
jacent to you receive Benefit when rolling Deense against all ranged attacks or � round while shrouded in smoke. Moving away rom the area where you dropped the smoke screen removes this bonus.
Target: Single Enemy
Cost: � Focus
Range: Adjacent
Range: Sel
38
While you have Vault to get away rom melee threats, Smoke Screen is an excellent way to setup a sniper’s nest that becomes nigh impervious to return fire.
Shock Trap can be potent but requires you to set it up and also remain in that spot until someone comes over to you or an ally displaces an enemy adjacent to you. I you have a Dritwalker that took Chains o Morganus, have them yank an enemy over to activate the trap then the both o you can obliterate it.
Zen Marksmanship is a bit a rough to use but with the upgrades, it makes or a good offensive single target killer.
ZEN MARKSMANSHIP
EXPLOSIVE BOLA
STANDARD
STANDARD
The world around you melts away. Nothing exists in this moment but you and your target. You have by passed the process o thinking and now there is only doing. Time itsel bows beore you as you unleash shot ater shot.
Afflicted tinkerers provide Fell Hunters with powerul tools to hunt evil and in exchange Fell Hunters bring back the dead specimens or “study.” The Explosive Bola is one o the many ruits o this grisly deal.
Effects: You are able to make basic attacks with your ranged weapon multiple times during your turn. Each successive shot ater the first suffers a -� ATTACK PENALTY that stacks. It costs � Focus per extra shot. Your total number o shots is lim ited only by your resource pool.
Cost: � Focus initially then � Focus per shot ater Target: Single Enemy Upgrades: Stillness. Initial Focus cost lowered to �. Acuity . The attack penalty cannot stack higher than -� AR.
SHOCK TRAP STANDARD You careully place nearly invisible charged wires around you and activate them.
Effects: Success. You fire or wrap an explosive charge around your target. Declare beore attacking the timer you set (�-� rounds). When the timer is up the bola explodes or �d�+AGILITY fire damage and automatically hits all adjacent targets. Failure. The bola glances the target and explodes. You deal hal your normal damage.
Cost: � Focus Target: Single Enemy Range: Far Upgrades: Remote Detonation. As a QUICK action you can remotely detonate your bolas now even beore the timer is up. Incendiary Powder. Increases the damage your bolas do to �d��+Agility fire damage.
Effects: Requires no enemies to be adjacent to you when you place the trap. The first enemy to move adjacent to you suffers +AGILITY and:
�-�
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��+
�d�
�d�
�d� ROOTED
�d� STUNNED
as electric damage. Status effect lasts until their next turn. Moving away rom the trap disables it.
Cost: � Focus Target: Single Enemy Range: Sel
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Because o their history with the Night Wardens, Fell Hunters o any race or creed are always welcome in Vallan Lands. The Valla are oten known or their arrogance and superiority complex, but even they give respect and due to Fell Hunters irregardless o their race or upbringing.
Classes
CHARACTER PROGRESSION LEVEL 2 • • •
Receive � Tier One Token Receive � Core Path Point Receive HP Boost (�d�+MIGHT)
Intrusions . When resting in the wilderness or in an unsae area, elect a player to roll a �d��. Beore rolling, have the GM call out TWO different numbers between �-��. I the dice land on any o the two, the party’s rest is interrupted as they come under attack or are pilered. Trailblazer cuts this chance o an intrusion in hal.
LEVEL 3 • • •
New Class Feature: Trailblazer Receive � General Perk Choose � Attribute to Boost by +�
Trailblazer. You must be earless and confident when diving into the ray and unknown environments while on the hunt lest your prey elude you. Fell Hunters have been trained to pursue with the utmost o speed. This training has translated into the ability to traverse great distances in short periods o time. When traveling by land, Fell Hunters can reduce the time spent traveling by up to ��%. (Less days = less Ruin). When taking a ull Rest in the wilderness or unsae areas, the chance o an Intrusion occurring is reduced. Instead o � Intrusion numbers, GMs pick only �.
LEVEL 4 • • • • •
Receive � Tier One Token Receive � Core Path Point Receive HP Boost (�d�+MIGHT) AR Increases by +� Artiact Capacity Increases by +�
40
Classes
JUDGE D
uring the Age o Unity when all the races came together as one to survive the Crimson Horde’s invasion, the Valla, Furians, and Humans built the city o Valoran. The city was a symbol o their unity and the maniestation o a destiny that their creators had hoped or them. Valoran was governed by a triumvirate o leaders, one rom each race, also called “The Trinity,” Ater the deeat o the Crimson Horde and no common threat to fight, there was a period o unrest and a tense alliance between the races. It was not long until the races rioted in the streets o Valoran. The Council appointed to address war crimes and settle racial disputes was slaughtered and the Chamber o the Trinity was about to be breached when a group o iron clad warriors put down the riot with earsome effectiveness. They strode calmly through the streets o Valoran and subdued anyone that dared to raise a weapon against them. The warriors were methodical. They took no joy in violence and only used orce because it was absolutely necessary. The city was covered in smog rom the riot yet wherever these mysterious warriors stepped, it was as i the clouds and smoke parted to illuminate them, and only them, with a lone ray o sunlight. By the hour o twilight, the city was secured. The Trinity were sae and when they emerged rom the saety o their chamber, the mysterious warriors dropped to one knee and knelt beore them – “By sacred decree, we have come to dispense justice and vanquish evil. We are Judge, Jury and Executioner.”
T
he gods may have a mouthpiece in the Priest, but a Judge is the tip o their righteous spear and the right hand o justice. Fully adorned in heavy armor that gleams with the light o their divine cause, Judges stride through the world righting wrongs and protecting the innocent. Their vengeance has been justified by sacred decree. A Judge’s conviction is absolute and wherever they step, evil cowers in ear.
WHY PLAY A JUDGE?
Powered by both martial might and divine magic, Judge’s rely on their Fervor to perorm their abilities. More warrior than caster, Judges preer being in the ray o battle, staring evil in the ace and smashing it with their mighty weapons. Judges blend a commanding presence that bolsters their allies while being a zealous engine o destruction to those that deserve it.
• •
Judge attacks are amplified by divine power allowing some o their offensive abilities to bypass armour completely. What they lack in the raw strength o the Dreadnought, they make up or in the godly backing o their patron lord Aluvane. Judges exempliy an ideal o hope and their very presence in battle serves to uplit those around them, allowing them to fight harder and longer.
I you like:
•
The idea o a holy juggernaut clad in heavy armour marching calmly into throngs o the darkest terrors, smashing and cleaving them with righteous might while maintaining a personal code o justice. Being a leader. Having abilities that bolster your allies while still being a orce on your own
Judges are a mix o both physical and divine power. They are melee fighters that can choose to be tanky (sword and shield) or a orce o retribution (orgo the shield or the biggest baddest weapon they can get their hands on). They have very strong deenses and also provide minor utility through buffs and limited heals to their allies. The bulk o their offensive power comes rom transorming their physical damage into divine damage which bypasses armor completely. Judges are bound by a code. This does not mean they are required to be inallible or overly kind. Some Judges are stone cold dispensers o justice.
42
Classes
JUDGE CLASS TRAITS STARTING HP: �� + MIGHT RECUPERATION DIE: d�� ARMOUR: All WEAPONS: Medium, Heavy RESOURCE: Fervor ��� �d� Recharge KEY ATTRIBUTE�S�: Might
CLASS FEATURES All Judges come with the ollowing eatures as part o their baseline powers Judges can be built tanky (Shield) or offensive (Heavy Melee Weapon). Zealot and Holy Smite ensures they always do decent damage.
ZEALOT
HOLY SMITE
PASSIVE
QUICK
Your strikes are guided by divine intervention.
As you strike your oe with your weapon you call upon the power o your god to smite them. Your weapon ex plodes with radiant light or a moment and sears the enemy
Effects: You can choose to re-roll any weapon damage dice that come up as a � or �. You must accept the next roll even i it is a � or �.
Aluvane, also known as the Dawnbringer and Lord o Justice, is the patron god o all Judges. Aluvane handpicks those that are worthy, offering them a chance at taking up the mantle o Judge. It is said that Aluvane is locked in eternal battle with the Black Emperor, a Demon Lord rom the darkest corners o the Drit that seeks to corrupt all the souls o Unity. Judges in particular, despise cultists o the Black Emperor and will make it their imperative to wipe out any o his dark influence.
Effects: Upon dealing melee damage you may add an additional: Level �: +�d� Divine Damage Level �: +�d� Divine Damage Level ��: +�d� Divine Damage
Cost: � Fervor Target: Single Enemy Range: Adjacent
PICK � PERK FROM BELOW While Voice o the Emperor is powerul, note it’s expensive Fervor cost. Sometimes, a sword might never need to be raised i the right words are said.
VOICE OF THE EMPEROR
INSIGHTFUL
STANDARD
PASSIVE
When you channel your ervor into a command, your voice becomes blessed with divine authority.
Judges are chosen by the greater powers. They are cho sen on a list o many merits. One o those being the ability to see and judge a person’s character with accuracy. Justice should come only to those that deserve it.
Effects: Once per day you can exert your divine authority over the outcome o a social interaction. I you ail your roll, you may immediately re-roll. Does not stack with Moment o Fortune or similar powers. Applies only to social actions (parleying, bartering, coercing etc…)
Cost: � Fervor
43
Effects: When attempting to discern truth or hidden intentions rom a target, you receive a +� bonus to your roll Level �: +� Level �: +� Level ��: +�
Classes
TIER � POWERS Choose � Powers
RADIANT STRIKE
RALLYING STRIKE
STANDARD
STANDARD
Transorming your weapon into a torch or justice, you illuminate the darkness within your target’s soul. You empower your weapon to detonate in a flash o divine light upon impact, disorienting your target.
You are the embodiment o justice and the spirit o vengeance. Each o your strikes ring heavily with conviction as you chastise your oe and lay their sins bare or all to see. With a quick glance to your allies, they become emboldened by your zeal and dig deep to fight on.
Effects: Success. Your target suffers your normal physical attack damage. Your target’s Attack Rating is lowered by your +MIGHT or � round. Failure. Your target suffers hal your normal attack damage but managed to close its eyes beore the explosion o light went off.
Effects: Success. You deal your basic melee damage and may
Cost: � Fervor
choose an ally NEARBY to inspire, granting them a recharge o � o their class resource. Failure. Your attack deals hal damage. Your everish conviction still manages to rouse your ally. They may recharge � o their class resource.
Target: Single Enemy
Cost: � Fervor
Range: Adjacent
Target: Single Enemy Range: Adjacent
SPEED OF LIGHT OVERDRIVE � STANDARD
RETRIBUTION
Your weapon glows with heavenly power and you toss it up to a nearby distance. As soon as it lands your body explodes with golden energy and instantly streaks across the battlefield to rejoin with your weapon.
QUICK � RESERVE
Effects: You avoid all Provoked Attacks as you bolt towards the NEARBY targeted area. Upon reaching your destination, you cause a massive explosion o radiant energy dealing X divine damage to all enemies adjacent to you.
�-�
�-��
��-��
��+
�d�
�d�
�d�
�d��
Cost: � Fervor Target: Enemy or Area Range: Nearby
So powerul is your conviction that the mere thought o striking you brings pain to your enemies.
Effects: Enemies that land a melee strike on you suffer +MIGHT divine damage. Lasts until a short or long rest or i you decide to turn it off.
Cost: � Fervor to activate. � Fervor on reserve to maintain.
Upgrades: Circle of Retribution Upon activation o Retribution, all allies on the battlefield gain the effects or � round. Aterwards, Retribution unctions as normal as long as you maintain it. Slow Burn. Retribution cost is reduced to � Fervor to activate and � Fervor on reserve to maintain.
Upgrades: Posthaste. Increase range to FAR and removes Fervor cost.
RIGHTEOUS DEFENSE
AND YOU SHALL KNOW HIS NAME
REACTION
PASSIVE Your strikes thunder with the blessing o Aluvane when you are staring evil in the ace.
Effects: You deal an additional hal your Level in damage as physical anytime you deal d amage to undead and demonic enemies.
Judges use Presence or some o their abilities. These have been tuned to work with the base Presence you gain through your Class progression it’s not mandatory that you pump points into it. However, players sometimes gravitate to the Judge or the social aspect o the Class and will increase Presence regardless, they’ll have some very nice bonuses on these Powers.
For a brie moment, you are imbued with divine precognition. You readily parry or block your opponent’s blow, blunting the impact.
Effects: Declare usage beore rolling damage. Increase your Armor Value (AV) by �d�+PRESENCE against a single melee or ranged attack. Increase dice used rom �d� to �d� at Level �.
Cost: � Fervor Target: Sel
44
Rallying Strike is one o those rare Powers that actually grant resource generation in Unity.
Retribution combined with a high armour value will have weaker enemies killing themselves on you while scratching you or little to no damage.
Classes DIVINE GRACE REACTION You hear a aint whisper o dangers to come. Someone out there is looking out or you.
Effects: Add your +PRESENCE to any type o Deensive roll (dodging an arrow, or fireballs, resist poison etc.) Must declare beore rolling Deense.
Cost: � Fervor Target: Sel Range: Sel
HEAVEN’S REACH Heaven’s Reach gives Judge’s a ranged option or dealing damage at a small Fervor cost. Upgrades to Heaven’s Reach allow it to be used requently i your chance to hit the enemy is high.
STANDARD Evil cannot hide and it cannot run. The arm o the law is indeed long. A shimmering, golden copy o your weapon appears above a target o your choice nearby and comes crashing down on them as you physically swing your actual weapon.
Effects: Success. Your target suffers your normal attack damage. Failure. Your target suffers hal your normal attack damage.
Cost: � Fervor Target: Single Enemy Range: Nearby Upgrades: Justice is Dealt. You are reunded the Fervor cost o Heaven’s Reach on a successul hit. Marked for Punishment. On a successul hit, Heaven’s Reach leaves a brand on the target. When you deal damage to the target you activate the brand and incur an additional +�d� divine damage. The brand cannot stack and lasts until you activate it.
TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH A Judge can combine To the Ends o the Earth with Rally Strike to be a resource generating machine. Combine this with a Phantom or a Mystic in the group spamming their most expen sive and hardest hitting Powers and you’ve got a bonafide Pain Train going.
OVERDRIVE � QUICK You hone in on a single enemy. You see nothing but them. Your conviction is absolute and you will not stop until they are brought to justice.
Effects: All single target offensive abilities (including your Overdrives) that are used on your chosen enemy have ZERO Fervor cost until �) You specifically attack a different enemy – Non targeted AoE movies like Speed o Light and Hallowed Ground don’t count, but still cost Fervor because it’s not a single targeted power (breaks your power) �) Your chosen enemy is dead
Cost: � Fervor Target: Sel Range: Sel
45
Classes
CHARACTER PROGRESSION LEVEL 2 • • •
Receive � Tier One Token Receive � Core Path Point Receive HP Boost (�d��+MIGHT)
Presence while not a main attribute, is still strong or Judges. Some o their powers tack on an additional bonus based on their +Presence. Any source that gives additional Presence strengthens the Judge urther not only in social interactions but in battle as well.
LEVEL 3 • • •
New Class Feature: People’s Champion Receive � General Perk Choose � Attribute to Boost by +�
People’s Champion. You are blessed with an abundance o charisma by Aluvane. His divine plan or justice demands the respect and adulation o the people – his champion should embody the characteristics conducive to this.
People’s Champion definitely seems boring by our standards, especially compared to other Class Perks but it’s potency can’t be denied. Be sure to let us know how you eel about this Perk - it could just be us that has a love/hate relation ship with it.
Your Presence is permanently increased by +�.
LEVEL 4 • • • • •
Receive � Tier One Token Receive � Core Path Point Receive HP Boost (�d��+MIGHT) AR and DR Increases by +� Artiact Capacity Increases by +�
46
Classes
PHANTOM D
uring the Age o Wrath, a portion o Humanity was singled out, ostracized and persecuted or being the victim o the Skyather’s ire. He had sent the Phage, a terriying disease that hungered or flesh, to ravage the Human kingdoms and claim Humanity’s best and brightest. With their bodies in a state o constant atrophy and rot, the Afflicted were turned into pariahs by their ormer Human brethren. Fear gripped the Empire o Man and it was through that ear that the civil war erupted. The kingdoms ran red with the blood o Humans and Afflicted alike. Brother turned against brother, riendships were shattered and loyalties betrayed as the world tumbled into chaos. Pushed to the brink o extinction, the Afflicted sought reuge in the dark and horrible places o the world -- the places where no one else dared to tread. They lived rom shadow to shadow fighting their horrific god-given disease on one ront and evading persecution rom their ormer brethren on the other. So adept did some o the Afflicted become at hiding that they were able to understand the nuances and eventually the very nature o the shadow. Embracing the fluidity the darkness afforded them, these special ew turned what was once a method o survival into a lucrative business and an avenue o vengeance on those that had turned their backs o n them. Infiltration, assassination and high profile thet were the calling cards o what their victims would come to know as the Phantom. As various guilds began to orm, their doors opened even to those who were not Afflicted. Race mattered little to the pragmatic Phantoms as long as the price was right.
N
ightwalker. Widowmaker. Reaper. These are some o the many names mentioned in hushed tones by those that try to capture the essence o the Phantom. Phantoms are grace personified. Their liquid movements are a blur to the normal eye. Their strikes come quickly and suddenly, usually rom the darkness. I their first blow ails to finish their target, they emerge rom the shadows and the dance o death begins. Impeccable ootwork and acrobatic splendor light up the battlefield as the Phantom dashes, tumbles and flips about their target, waiting or the perect opportunity to strike. An opportunity that could present itsel in the orm o a warm pulsing jugular or a plate o armor that shited just enough to reveal sot flesh. The Phantom’s creed was born rom the dire circumstances that orged them into existence: “Born o tragedy. Ends in tragedy.” This ruthless ideology is reflected in their assortment o atal strikes and a fighting style that leaves honour at the door.
WHY PLAY A PHANTOM? I you like:
• • • •
The idea o an agile melee assassin. Relying on active deenses such as tumbling and preternatural reflexes to avoid damage. Surveying the battlefield and thoughtully setting up your attacks. Dealing tons o damage in melee.
Phantoms need to be on the rontlines to deal damage, but are not a rontline fighter. They use their cunning, speed and grace to dive in and out o combat. Should attacks eventually find them, they have active ways to mitigate the damage. They are thoughtul damage dealers. Like a surgeon, they value precision and razor ocus over blunt orce trauma to cut out the “disease”. Phantoms require support rom their teammates to protect them and distract their enemies. When a Phantom’s potential is ully realized and they are ree to bring their offense to bear, no other melee class can match a Phantom’s damage output.
Meeting a Phantom in battle is to witness both beauty and death in perect harmony.
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Classes
PHANTOM CLASS TRAITS STARTING HP: � + MIGHT RECUPERATION DIE: d� ARMOUR: Light, Medium WEAPONS: Light, Medium, Thrown RESOURCE: Guile ��� �d� Recharge KEY ATTRIBUTE�S�: Agility
CLASS FEATURES All Phantoms come with the ollowing eatures as part o their baseline powers Phantoms deal the most single target melee damage in the game. The main reason is Backstab. Prioritize targets that are distracted.
BACKSTAB
TUMBLE
PASSIVE
REACTION
Years o fighting dirty and analyzing brutes much larger and tougher than yoursel have allowed you to ascertain all the weak spots on an opponent with speed and accuracy.
Your grace is so sublime it can transorm the energy o the heaviest blow into a mere graze. Your reflexes honed rom years o intense training allow you to roll with the punches and evade most physical attacks with some ocus.
Effects: Anytime you attack an enemy who is adja-
Good use o Tumble is the hallmark o a great Phantom player. It’s about dancing on the edge o staying alive but still having enough juice to drop some pain on your enemies.
cent to an ally add �d� damage on a successul hit. Level �: +�d� Level �: +�d� Level ��: +�d� Backstab bonuses also apply, i you strike rom stealth (ally doesn’t need to be adjacent in this case)
Effects: Expend � Guile to reduce incoming physical damage by your AGILITY bonus. Can expend multiple Guile or urther damage reduction. Ie. Tumble to reduce the damage o being stabbed or alling off a roo.
Cost: Variable
PICK � PERK FROM BELOW STEALTHY
GRACEFUL CHARMER
PASSIVE
STANDARD
Enemies are so much easier to take down when they don’t know you are coming.
As amazing as you are usually, sometimes you just need to take it up notch. You’ve learned that your perectly balanced movements and cat-like agility have be stowed you with a magnetic grace. When you decide to turn it on, there’s just something in the way you move that draws people to you
Effects: When sneaking about or trying to remain undetected, you receive a +� bonus to your roll. Level �: +� Level �: +� Level ��: +�
Effects: Add your AGILITY modifier on top o any rolls asking or PRESENCE.
Cost: � Guile
49
Classes
TIER � POWERS Choose � Powers
BLADE TWISTING
EXPOSE WEAKNESS
QUICK
STANDARD
You twist your blade sending a massive shockwave o pain through your opponent crippling them momentarily.
Having watched patiently rom the shadows with the intent o studying your victim rom every angle, you have ascertained the weak points in their armor and anatomy. Your strike might be to unlatch a plate o armor protecting a vital organ, or to draw your allies’ attention to a particularly vulnerable spot on the enemy’s body.
Effects: Can be activated ater landing a successul melee attack. Jolts enemy in place or a quick moment, allowing any allies (including yoursel�) adjacent to the enemy to move away on their turn without taking a Provoked Attack. Deals an extra �d� physical damage. Level �: +�d� Level �: +�d� Level ��: +�d�
Effects: Success. The target suffers your normal attack
Target: Single Enemy
damage and is made vulnerable or � round. While vulnerable, all attacks rom any source made against the target receive your Backstab damage bonus. Failure. You umble your precision strike but still manage to dig into your target. Target suffers hal your normal attack damage.
Range: Adjacent
Cost: � Guile
Cost: � Guile
DANCING BLADE STANDARD You all into a deadly rhythm o quick strikes and anci ul ootwork as you let the cadence o your death song carve through your enemies.
Effects: Roll your Attack Roll once. Roll �d�+� when determining how many enemies are caught in your attack. Pick which enemies are targeted. Check each chosen enemy’s Deense Rating against your initial Attack Roll to see i they were hit. Deal your normal attack damage to each enemy struck. You may also select where you end up based on the last enemy you decide to end your Dancing Blade on.
Cost: � Guile Target: Multiple Enemies Range: Nearby Upgrades: Deadly Dance: Your attacks made with Dancing Blade are now eligible or Backstab bonuses i conditions apply Easy Rhythm: For every � enemies that are actually struck by Dancing Blade, you are reunded � Guile
It is customary or Phantoms to leave their own unique ‘calling cards’, especially on successul jobs. A eather, a coin, or a branding on their victims’ bodies are common sights.
Target: Single Enemy Range: Adjacent
STALKER PASSIVE No stranger to the shadows, you slink and sneak about waiting or the perect opportunity to strike.
Effects: Your first attack that lands in a given combat encounter does an extra +�d� damage on top o all other damage bonuses. Level �: +�d� Level �: +�d� Level ��: +�d�
Upgrades: Cruelty: Your damage die increases to a d�. Shadow’s Embrace: I you do not attack or one round, your Stalker bonus becomes available again.
SPRY PASSIVE Years o slinking through the shadows and balancing on narrow ledges has given you impeccable ootwork.
Effects: Receive a +� Deense Rating Bonus against any Provoked Attacks Level �: +� Level �: +� Level ��: +�
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Expose Weakness is a antastic power to take i you want to be a team player. The power scales alongside you and your teammates will thank you or it when they can eel the thrill o seeing big numbers with their attacks. This power also helps counter heavily armoured targets to a degree as well.
Stalker seems weak at first but once upgraded, can be used to devastating effect. Phantoms tend to zip in and out o battle to avoid getting flattened by their enemies, they could spend a little bit more time outside o battle so that Stalker: Shadow’s Embrace activates then dive in using Ghost Step to drive in a killing blow.
Dancing Blade isn’t just used or damage. It’s a useul tool to reposition your Phantom as they end up adjacent to the last target they attack.
Classes GHOST STEP QUICK � MOVEMENT To the uninitiated, shadows only appear to be patches o darkness. To you, they are a highway to your enemy’s backside.
Effects: Allows the Phantom to step through the shadows and re-appear at a NEARBY location, avoiding all Provoked Attacks. Must have a target to use.
Cost: � Guile Vicious Momentum can be a real boss-killer. When your GM throws an encounter at you with a bunch o smaller enemies and one big bad threat, Vicious Momentum off the little ones or as long as your Guile can possibly take you (you’ll also be avoiding going toe to toe with a monster that might one-shot you) and then go in and drop the big one on the boss. Ask or some buffs rom a riendly priest or or one o your teammates to debuff the boss with an attack, making you more likely to land your blow. I there’s Spark points to burn, go or a Moment o Fortune the pay off will be worth it.
Target: Single Ally or Enemy Range: Nearby
SHADOW FLURRY OVERDRIVE � STANDARD You unleash a series o blindingly quick strikes that ap pear to blink in and out rom the shadows.
Effects: Make � attacks against a single enemy. Each attack that misses reunds � Guile. Backstab bonuses may apply or each attack i the conditions are met.
Cost: � Guile Target: Single Enemy Range: Near
VICIOUS MOMENTUM STANDARD Your movements are like water. Always moving, always flowing. As you spin, pivot and dash about your body builds up constant momentum. The inertia o your strikes grow with every det movement as you flit about the battlefield grazing your enemies with a thousand cuts beore delivering the deadliest o strikes.
Effects: Every time you miss with this attack, you still graceully ollow through with the mo vement and maintain the energy behind the strike, allowing it to build up to deadly heights when the hit finally does land. Success. You deal your basic melee damage + �d�. You may consciously choose to graze the target or only �d� damage (no modifiers but still carry your energy orward to build up Vicious Momentum. Backstab damage only applies on a ull hit. Failure. You deal no damage but add +�d� damage to the next attack (any) that you ully land. This stacks as long as you continue using Vicious Momentum and missing. Lose � Vicious Momentum stack per round i not maintained.
Cost: � Guile Target: Single Enemy Range: Adjacent
Classes
CHARACTER PROGRESSION LEVEL 2 • • •
Receive � Tier One Token Receive � Core Path Point Receive HP Boost (�d�+MIGHT)
Having a Phantom in the party can be incredibly lucrative. Denerim makes lie much easier in Unity.
LEVEL 3 • • •
New Class Feature: Perks o the Job Receive � General Perk Choose � Attribute to Boost by +�
Perks of the Job. Phantoms tend to have their finger on the pulse in any place big enough to matter. Being part o this secret network affords you some niceties while you are in town. When entering a town or ma jor city, roll �d� to receive a bonus:
�-�: ��% discount on anything purchased. ��% more payment on anything sold. I you are orced to round up or down, always move towards the value in your avour.
�-�: All lodgings, ood, and recreational activities are ree. Perks last or up to a week beore you can re-roll again.
LEVEL 4 • • • • •
Receive � Tier One Token Receive � Core Path Point Receive HP Boost (�d�+MIGHT) AR Increases by +� Artiact Capacity Increases by +�
52
Classes
PRIEST W
hen the Ivory Queen ell, slain by her very children, her godly essence dispersed and aded into the Drit. In the moment o her death, she harboured no ill-will towards her children. Even as she died, her heart was still ull o love or all creation. This love endured despite being cast across the infinite vastness o the Drit as her corporeal orm was destroyed. In the many years that ollowed ater the downall o the Crimson Horde and the Ivory Queen, the people began to eel empty over their ephemeral victory. So many had always looked to the heavens or guidance and a sense o connection with something greater than themselves and now when they looked upwards, all they saw was a great emptiness and the echo o silence. As the yearning in people’s hearts grew or this sense o connection, the powerul desire o a guiding orce began to maniest itsel as a beacon in the Drit. The collective emotional energy gathered and grew until it pulsated like a shining star, floating gently above the stormy ocean o an energetic world. The Ivory Queen’s long dispersed essence began to coalesce and gather at these beacons in the Drit. The essence began to mold and take shape, inheriting characteristics o different aspects o lie that the people o Unity sought connection and guidance with. One by one, a new generation o deities were born. As these new entities o power rose to prominence, the people o Unity had new lights to look towards to guide them. There were a handul o devoted ollowers across the land that did more than just look and hope. They could hear the song o their chosen god clearly -- a beautiul divine melody that played through them and brought the gospel o their patron to the masses. Chosen or their aith and tasked with spreading belie, Priests became a revered piece o the societal tapestry in Unity. During peace times, Priests would oten be ound helping their kinolk and bettering society by caring or the sick and the poor. When the Great Calamity struck, many Priests called out to their gods or the strength to fight in order to save their people. It was then that the divine song blared louder than ever, imbuing many Priests with both the power to mend and destroy.
P
riests are the conduit, the bridge, and the one true contact between the mundane world and the divine. While Judges may also hear the call o the heavens, they translate divine will using physical orce and dispensing justice. Priests allow the song o their gods to flow through them and in a way that allows the masses to understand and know that their aith is elt and heard. It is through this sacred song that Priests are able to perorm miracles. Wounds healed, broken bones mended, diseases cured, and at the highest echelons o priestly power, even the dead can be reached. The Age o Wrath has brought the Priests orth rom the cloistered halls o their temples. They are called upon once again by their deities to serve the people in a new capacity. Evil runs rampant across the lands and the encroaching darkness will consume everything i light does not stand in its way. Priests have always been known or their powers to heal and bolster but now they must also pick up a weapon to smite evil. The Divine wills it.
WHY PLAY A PRIEST? I you like:
•
• •
The idea o a class that utilizes divine power and can choose between specializing in casting it or using it to augment yoursel into a holy warrior that gets up close and personal. Having strong belies and aith. Healing.
Priests are a mix o tanky rontline fighter, healer, and utility caster. Priests have two paths they can walk that makes them more o a fighter or more o a caster. They never completely lose the abilities to cast or fight regardless o the specialization that is chosen. As a Chaplain, you hear your god’s song loud and clear and your dedication to ritual and study have allowed you masterul control over the divine gits your god imparts upon you. As a War Priest, you believe in tempering your aith with cold hard steel. You are a combination o earsome sacred power and physical strength.
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Classes
PRIEST CLASS TRAITS As a War Priest, it may be tempting to go with more Might, but keep in mind Unity’s mechanics dictate that the a Class uses it’s Key Attribute to determine combat statistics. A Priest’s key attribute is Mind.
STARTING HP: � + MIGHT RECUPERATION DIE: d� ARMOUR: Light, Medium, Shields WEAPONS: Light, Medium RESOURCE: Faith �Variable� �d� Recharge KEY ATTRIBUTE�S�: Mind
CLASS PATHS Priests may walk two different paths. Choose one:
CHAPLAIN
WAR PRIEST
You are more ocused on the strict study o holy texts and understanding the divine song that flows rom your god to you. The healing arts and accepting your god’s grace comes easily to you.
You are the physical embodiment o the ury o your god. You understand that in order to make your gospel heard by the heretic, you must get up close and per sonal. Your will is iron and your body is steel.
• • • •
You have �� Faith points You can hold � Healing Charges. You receive Sacred Bolt as a baseline power Use a �d� when rolling to recharge Faith
• • • •
You have � Faith points You can hold � Healing Charges. You are able to use Heavy Armour & Weapons You receive Holy Strike as a baseline power
CLASS FEATURES All Priests come with the ollowing eatures as part o their baseline powers
Holy Strike and Sacred Bolt are important powers as they are readily available as methods o gaining Healing Charges.
HEALING CHARGE
HOLY STRIKE
QUICK
STANDARD � WAR PRIEST ONLY
Effects: Each charge heals or � + MIND + �/� your
You unleash a mighty warcry and declare that you are smiting the oe in ront o you in your god’s name.
Priest Levels. You may expend multiple charges at once on the same target. While you start with zero Healing Charges, any you earn are kept indefinitely until used.
Target: Single Ally Range: Nearby
Effects: Success. You strike true and deal your normal attack damage, your god is pleased and grants you � Healing Charge. Failure. You deal hal your damage and gain � Healing Charge.
SACRED BOLT
Cost: � Faith
STANDARD � CHAPLAIN ONLY
Target: Single Enemy
With a swing o your arm you send the golden bolt careening at your enemies.
Range: Adjacent
Effects: Success. You deal �d��+MIND divine damage and gain � Healing Charge. Failure. You deal hal your damage and gain � Healing Charge.
Cost: � Faith Target: Single Enemy Range: Far
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Despite their connection to divinity, Judges and Priests don’t always get along. There is much contention over who is the greater divine champion. Regardless o their competition with each other or their patron’s avour, there is an unspoken respect between both orders.
Classes
PICK � PERK FROM BELOW UNSHAKABLE
PRAYER
PASSIVE
STANDARD
Your unbending aith and devotion towards your god steels your soul against all the temptations and promises o those that would seek to corrupt you.
A quick prayer to your god uplits your spirit and gits you with a random talent. It is up to you to turn this brie boon into something beneficial.
Effects: You add +� to any deensive rolls involving
Effects: Roll �d� twice. The first �d� determines
your mind. Level �: +� Level �: +� Level ��: +�
the bonus modifier you will receive. The second �d� will determine the attribute boosted [�) Might �) Agility �) Mind �) Presence]. Lasts or �� seconds or a single task.
Cost: � Faith
TIER � POWERS Choose � Powers
MARK OF THE HERETIC
MAN OF THE CLOTH
STANDARD
PASSIVE
You invoke the name o your god and declare the enemy beore you a heathen and non-believer. Your hand ignites with blue fire as a magical brand is temporarily seared onto their flesh through your touch. It will ex plode violently when triggered.
Your aith is unwavering. Even in dire times you find the strength to believe.
Effects: Declare an ADJACENT enemy as a here-
you may roll twice and keep the highest roll.
tic. They are instantly branded. Roll your attack to determine the strength o the mark:
�-��
��-��
��+
�d�+MIND
�d�+MIND
�d�+MIND
The next damaging attack that lands on the branded enemy will trigger the mark and explode with righteous fire causing the target and all enemies ADJACENT to it to suffer the determined strength o the mark in Fire damage. Allies eel nothing but mild warmth. The brand expires ater it explodes. Only one enemy can be branded at any given time. Branding another enemy removes the previous brand.
Effects: Anytime you roll to recharge Faith, add +�. Upgrades: Unbending Faith. When rolling to recharge Faith,
TOWER & SHIELD STANDARD You quietly ask your god or divine protection. Golden energies coalesce around your target and hardens into luminous armour.
Effects: Roll your attack to determine how much +AV target receives. Lasts � round.
�-�
�-��
��-��
��+
+�
+�
+�
+�
Cost: � Faith Target: Single Ally
Cost: � Faith
Range: Far
Target: Single Enemy
Upgrades: Punish. Enemies receive +MIND divine damage
Range: Adjacent
Mark o the Heretic can annihilate a group o enemies but requires coordination with your party. Combine this with Gravity Well rom a Mystic and a well-timed shot rom a Fell Hunter and watch the fireworks.
every time they attempt to strike a target that has Tower & Shield up. Reinforce. You gain Benefit when rolling or Tower & Shield.
56
Don’t discount Tower and Shield even i it seems unexciting compared to other powers. Take the Punish upgrade and cast it on a Judge that’s taken the Retribution power and both o you can have a good chuckle as enemies explode just rom hitting the Judge.
Classes REVELATION
DENOUNCE
OVERDRIVE � QUICK
STANDARD
All is revealed.
You raise your arm and point at an enemy. With unwavering conviction and you declare them an anathema to the divine authority that you serve. Your enemy’s resolve melts under your withering glare.
Effects: You instantly gain � bonus Faith points. These points can go over your maximum. Any power that uses Faith will use this bonus Faith beore dipping into your normal pool. Lasts until the end o battle. I used outside o combat, lasts �� minutes. Martyr is a risky proposition. I you roll well, then you’ll be protected or � round beore you can start healing yoursel up or getting away rom danger. However, i you roll poorly, be sure enemies won’t be around to capitalize on your poor luck.
Priests Powers are expensive, even or a Chaplain. Take All is Revealed i you are worried about resource management.
MARTYR
Effects: Roll �d��+MIND and lower the target’s deense rating or � round by:
�-�
�-��
��-��
��+
-�
-�
-�
-�
Cost: � Faith
OVERDRIVE � STANDARD Selfless devotion is one o the many marks o the aith ul. Your unwavering belie that your god will protect you erases all hesitation as you gladly take on the wounds o your battle brothers so they may fight on.
Effects: Instantly swap your current hitpoints with the current hitpoints o any single ally that is within a FAR distance o you. Target’s current hitpoints must be lower than yours. Roll your attack roll and receive a damage absorption shield or hal the result o the roll or � round.
Target: Single Enemy Range: Far Upgrades: Shame. Target’s mental resistance is also lowered or an equal amount. Shirk. You (the Priest only) receive Benefit when deending against the target’s attacks.
GUIDED STRIKE STANDARD
Cost: � Faith
You close your eyes and let your aith guide your swing.
Target: Single Ally
Effects:
Range: Far
Gain +� to your attack roll. Deals your normal damage on a hit. Level �: +� Level �: +� Level ��: +�
FANATICISM STANDARD Your zeal cannot be contained. You are inspired to strike once more.
Effects: You may choose to make � melee attacks in quick succession. They will not receive any modifiers or damage. You may spend both attacks on a single target or attack two different targets with a single strike each.
Cost: � Faith Upgrades: Fever Pitch. I your first strike connects, your second is an automatic hit. Tireless Faith. Each attack that lands reunds � Faith.
WRATH STANDARD A bolt o golden energy comes careening down rom the sky and strikes your enemy.
Effects: Success. You deal �d� + MIND electric damage. Increases to �d� at Level �. Failure. You deal hal your damage.
Cost: � Faith Target: Single Enemy Range: Far
57
Cost: � Faith Target: Single Enemy Range: Adjacent Upgrades: Ease. On a successul strike, you are reunded � Faith. Glancing Blow. Even on a miss you still deal hal your damage.
Classes
CHARACTER PROGRESSION LEVEL 2 • • •
Receive � Tier One Token Receive � Core Path Point Receive HP Boost (�d�+MIGHT)
LEVEL 3 • • •
New Class Feature: Guidance Receive � General Perk Choose � Attribute to Boost by +�
players a small measure o understanding and control in what is oten a big and exciting world created by the GM. It gives the GM an opportunity to share tidbits o inormation that they’d really like the players to have but might find it difficult to shoe-horn in without awkwardness or breaking immersion.
Players: Please keep in mind the exciting possibilities o this power but at the same time, be understanding i the GM answers cryptically – a reminder that the gods while powerul are still allible.
Guidance. You kneel down and shut out the world around you. Hands clasped in ront o you, you o pen your heart to your god and ask or guidance. Objective questions are answered truthully to varying degrees. Subjective questions or questions pertaining to creatures with ree will or creatures are murky and will have haphazard results. Gods are mighty but not they do not have domain over ree will and i a creature wishes to mask its intent or actions, the gods are not privy to observe them in that moment. Can only be used outside o battle. Once per day. Costs � Faith.
Example of objective questions: “Lord hear my prayer. What dangers lie ahead in the Shadowell Mountain passage that we must traverse?”
GMs: You are not compelled to give answers in such a manner that it would break the game you have planned or your players. An example would be a quest to find a missing child. I a Priest invokes Guidance and asks where the missing child is, revealing the location would be anticlimactic or all parties involved. Not giving an answer would be unair to your players as well. Find a middle ground that scratches the curious itch o your players while still encouraging them on a road to discovery. In this case, you could mention “vagues images o rats and mossy cobblestone flash by your eyes… or a moment you can swear that you also smell the over powering stench o stale urine and ale… the image is broken by the cry o a child.” I you want your players to find an NPC that might lead them along the trail, you could describe the NPC as well to nudge the party in the right direction. Guidance should advance the game – it’s up to you as the GM to decide i it should be in a big way or a smaller step.
LEVEL 4
“Pray tell where we might find shelter rom the storm or tonight?” “A dangerous battle awaits us. We know not the nature o our enemy. What should we be wary o when engaging these [insert enemy type]?”
Example of subjective questions:
• • • • •
Receive � Tier One Token Receive � Core Path Point Receive HP Boost (�d�+MIGHT) AR and DR Increases by +� Artiact Capacity Increases by +�
“Lady Auriel, can I trust Melkor?” “Most Exalted One, what is Anga up to?” Guidance is a powerul ability or Priests and the ree orm nature o tabletop roleplaying might open it up or abuse. The intention behind this ability was to give
58
Classes
PRIMALIST B
eore the Skyather and the Ivory Queen placed their mark upon Unity, the world was a wild roiling landscape, brimming with primal energy and untamed lie. The elemental orces clashed constantly in a beautiul chaos. Fire, Earth, Wind, and Water were the constituents upon which the physical world was built. Their unending dance gave birth to the teeming wildlie, the churning oceans, the mighty volcanoes, and the lush orests. To many that look upon nature, they take its splendor or granted. It has always existed and is simply ‘there’. But there are those that have an innate connection to the primal orces. They hear the whispers o the land. Whispers that have grown into cries, as civilization’s burning ambitions continue to take more than what is given, and as the unnatural energies o the Drit continue to spill orth unabated into the world, disrupting the ordained rhythm that maintains balance. The dead rise as metal cities spew perpetual black clouds into the sky and poison everything around it. The very land cries out or a champion to bring balance and restore natural law. That champion is the Primalist. The Primalist is attuned to the chaotic elemental orces. These orces come to the Primalist in the orm o Primordial Spirits. They are the physical world’s answer to the encroaching o the Drit into Unity. The very earth itsel rises up in defiance to the unnatural merging o two worlds. These Primordial Spirits are conduits o its rage made maniest. Now they channel their rage unrestrained through the Primalist as a means o taking back a piece o the world that was once theirs.
U
nlike the Dritwalker who coerces and makes bargains with the dark orces o the Drit, or the Mystic that orcibly manipulates the strands o reality, the Primalist communes and beseeches with the Primordial Spirits or a portion o their power. It is a relationship o respect and reverence and never strictly a business transaction. The elements are not the only thing at the Primalist’s disposal. The wild beasts that live off the land and owe their existence more to natural causes than divine providence, willingly lend their aid to the Primalist. With both the erocity o nature’s creatures and the blessing o the Primordial spirits, the Primalist is a true orce to be reckoned with. In one moment, the Primalist could be summoning gale orce winds to cast aside a storm o arrows or sending a stream o soothing waters to rejuvenate a wounded ally, and in the next instant, that Primalist has leapt across the battlefield to rend their oes limb rom limb with the erocity o an Adraxian Tiger. The call o the Primordial Spirits are strong and Primalist dispositions are as varied as the creatures o nature. Some see it as an honour, others reluctantly take up the mantle, and there are those that hear nature’s call as the very reason or their existence.
WHY PLAY A PRIMALIST? I you like:
• • •
The idea o a hybrid caster and melee combatant. Nature and its many creatures. A more savage and wild tone to your character.
The Primalist is a versatile class able to call upon the elements to cast spells and then imbue themselves with the Aspects o Nature’s creatures or a physical edge. With the option to specialize urther through power choices, the Primalist can be built to suit dierent play styles. Primalists also utilize two resources similar to the Priest who manages both Faith and Healing Charges. Primalists use Spirit to cast their spells and in doing so power their Ferocity which allows them to activate and maintain their Aspects. Learning to flow rom one resource into the other and back again is the key to playing the Primalist to its ullest potential.
60
Classes
PRIMALIST CLASS TRAITS STARTING HP: � + MIGHT RECUPERATION DIE: d� ARMOUR: Light WEAPONS: Light, Medium RESOURCE: Spirit ��� �d� Recharge / Ferocity ��� KEY ATTRIBUTE�S�: Mind
CLASS FEATURES All Primalists come with the ollowing eatures as part o their baseline powers. Using your Spirit spending abilities generates Ferocity. Ferocity allows the Primalist to activate Aspects and take on the strengths o Nature’s creatures. Once activated the Aspect remains “on” until Ferocity runs out or the Primalist decides to exit the Aspect (Free Action). All Aspects cost � Ferocity per round ater the initial round to maintain unless otherwise stated. Your two base Aspects: Tiger and Boar are used or offense and de ense respectively. Aspect o the Boar actually gives you a minor heal on activation. I you are swimming in Ferocity, you may be able to keep activating Boar to heal yoursel.
ASPECT OF THE TIGER
ASPECT OF THE BOAR
QUICK
QUICK
You eel the power o the predator surge through you. The tiger’s ury is yours to command. Your muscles become taut and your senses heightened. You are ready to hunt.
Resilient. Hardy. Stubborn. You eel the boar’s gits em power your body as a burst o vitality and strength fill you.
Effects: Increase your AGILITY by �/� your Level.
Increase your MAX HP and current HP by +MI ND.
Increase your damage die or melee � step upwards. (�d� ► �d��). Gives you access to the Tumble ability (see Phantom Powers). This reaction ability costs � Ferocity to use.
Cost: � Ferocity
Effects: Increase your MIGHT by �/� your Level. The MAX HP is lost when you are no longer in the Aspect o the Boar. Gives you access to the Brace or Impact ability (see Dreadnought Powers). This reaction ability costs � Ferocity to use.
Cost: � Ferocity
PICK � PERK FROM BELOW Nature’s Bounty will make your party members love you.
ANIMAL WHISPERER
NATURE’S BOUNTY
STANDARD
PASSIVE
With a little bit o ocus and tapping into your own inner animal, you are able to communicate with nature’s creatures at the most basic level.
Nature awards its champions or their hard work in upholding the balance o lie. Whenever a Primalist seeks a Respite, the elements are quick to ensure comort and sustenance where it can. The wind might stop howling, the air may warm a bit, and a berry bush or rodent might be within the vicinity or a quick snack.
Effects: You may communicate with a natural animal, asking it one basic question. Using this ability on a spooked or enraged animal may also calm it down.
Effects: Whenever you and your party take a Respite, everyone gains an additional hal their Level in HP and +� to their Resource Recharge roll.
Cost: � Spirit Target: � Natural Animal Range: Adjacent
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Classes
TIER � POWERS Choose � Powers
ASPECT OF THE RHINO
FLURRY
QUICK
STANDARD
The ground shakes as you charge across it. The weight and strength o the mighty rhino allow you to plow through your enemies.
The Spirit o Wind blesses your strike with gale orce power.
Effects: Every range band that you cover beore landing a melee attack in the same round increases your damage by �d�+MIND.
Cost: � Ferocity Upgrades: Stampede. Anyone that attempts a Provoked Attack on you while you charge suffers �d�+MIND physical damage immediately.
Thick Hide. Increases your Armour Value against Provoked Attacks by your +MIND.
ICICLE STANDARD Water and wind come together to orm a piercing shard o ice or your to launch.
Effects: Success. I your initial melee attack lands, you may make another attack immediately. The subsequent attack does hal damage. Cannot occur more than once per attack. Generates � Ferocity or each hit that lands. Failure. Generates � Ferocity.
Cost: � Spirit Target: Single Range: Adjacent Upgrades: Relentless Gust. Even i you miss your first melee attack you may still attempt a second strike or hal damage. Raging Storm. The initial attack now generates � Ferocity, even on a ailure.
Effects: Success. Inflicts �d�+MIND Frost damage.
LASHING VINES
Generates � Ferocity. Failure. Generates � Ferocity.
Razor sharp vines burst orth rom your arms and lash out at your enemies, eviscerating them.
Cost: � Spirit
Effects: Success. Strikes a nearby enemy or �d�+MIND
Target: Single Range: Far Upgrades: Splinter. Expend � additional Spirit to allow Icicle to strike a target ADJACENT to your original target. Generates an additional � Ferocity. Spike. Increases Icicle’s damage to �d��.
ASPECT OF THE MONGOOSE QUICK Your reflexes are increased significantly as you take upon the grace and agility o the mongoose.
Effects: Gain Benefit on your Deense Roll against
STANDARD
physical damage. Grants �d� Ferocity. Failure. Generates �d� Ferocity.
Cost: � Spirit Target: Single Range: Nearby Upgrades: Entangled. Your Lashing Vines has a chance to entangle the enemy. Rolling ��-�� on the �d�� used or a successul attack roll causes the target to become Staggered or � round. Furious Fauna. When rolling �d� or Ferocity, you may roll twice and take the highest result.
any physical melee attack.
Cost: � Ferocity Upgrades: Counterstrike. When a melee attack misses you, you may immediately retaliate with a basic melee attack against your aggressor.
Many think that the Skyather and Ivory Queen created the world. It angers Primalists to no end that this myth is perpetuated throughout the lands. The Primordial Spirits eternal battle with each other since time immemorial spawned the world that is now known as Unity.
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Flurry is a low cost power that will allow you to maintain Ferocity while having an Aspect activated and be able to stay in that Aspect longer. It also adds a bit o punch to your melee attacks.
Icicle gives you some ranged options and the Splinter upgrade gives you a way to quickly get a burst o Ferocity. Spearing two enemies or � Ferocity and immediately being able to tap into a more expensive Aspect is powerul.
Aspect o the Mongoose allows you to get into the thick o things and deal massive amounts o damage even when it’s not your turn.
Classes
Waters o Lie is a strong heal, maybe stronger than a Priest healing charge on average. However, it uses up your Standard Action to cast. With all the upgrades, this power is one o the strongest beneficial abilities in the game.
Crystal Shard is an interesting power. Alone it’s not very impressive but when you combine with your teammate’s powers, its effectiveness is multiplied. Try using with the Mystic’s Spark Lance and on an enemy that has Static Residue already, because Crystal Shard’s damage is converted to electric rom being combined with Spark Lance, it’s an automatic hit on the target. With the Prismatic Assault upgrade, you can have a Fell Hunter shoot the lightning inused Crystal Shard as it nears its target and actually make it do AoE damage.
CRYSTAL SHARD
WATERS OF LIFE
OVERDRIVE � STANDARD
STANDARD
Focusing on your link with the Primal Earth Spirit, you summon a sparkling crystal shard similar to the ones valued by Mystics or their magic bearing properties.
Nature is balance. Its powers o destruction are but a reflection o its potent ability to nurture and rejuvenate. Tranquil, lie-giving waters splash upon you and your allies, revitalizing the lie orce rom within.
Effects: Success. Launching this shard at a target causes �d�+MIND Physical Damage and grants � Ferocity. Combining this shard in conjunction with an ally’s attack has varying effects:
�) Crystal Shard combined with any elemental or
Effects: Your target is healed or �d� + MIND + �-�
�-��
��-��
��+
�
�
�
�
Heal is increased to �d� + MIND + [Roll Result] at Level �.
magical effect causes the shard to take on that effect’s damage type and add both its damage together. The caster o the additional effect and the Primalist will both roll attack and the highest will be taken to determine success. I the secondary attack has an area o effect component, the Crystal Shard damage will only affect the selected Primary target. i.e. A Mystic casts Breath o Fire (�d� Fire Damage) and merges it with Crystal Shard (�d� Physical Damage). The Crystal Shard does �d�+�d� Fire Damage to a single primary target (Primalist’s choice) and both the Mystic and Primalist roll attack. The highest roll will be used to determine success. The Mystic’s Breath o Fire does it’s normal �d� Fire damage to secondary targets.
+AV or � round (minimum +� AV). Overflow. Your Waters o Lie splashes onto a second Nearby ally and heals or hal the amount o the original heal. I you have the Hard Water upgrade, the secondary target receives the +AV bonus as well. Abundance. Cost reduced to � Spirit.
�) Crystal Shard can be shattered by physical
RAVAGE
attacks rom non-magic using classes. When shattered, Crystal Shard does �d�+MIND Physical damage to all adjacent enemies. Physical attackers need to beat a DR o �� to shatter the crystal.
�) Crystal Shard can only be combined with a single ally unless upgraded.
Failure. Your target suffers hal o the attack’s total damage (combined damage as well). Grants � Ferocity.
Cost: � Spirit Target: Single Enemy Range: Far Upgrades: Prismatic Assault. Your Crystal Shard can now be combined with up to two additional powers. All � participants will roll their attack and you may choose the highest roll. You will each roll your own damage separately or your specific powers and add them together. Pressurized. Crystal Shard grows even denser, dealing �d�� physical damage instead.
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Generates � Ferocity.
Cost: � Spirit Target: Single Ally or Sel Range: Nearby Upgrades: Hard Water. Grants your target hal your Level as
OVERDRIVE � STANDARD With a wild roar, you pounce on your enemy and tear into them like a crazed beast.
Effects: Success. You leap on a nearby enemy, gain Benefit on your attack roll and deal your melee damage. Your Ferocity is instantly maxed out. Failure. You deal hal your damage and your Ferocity is instantly maxed out.
Cost: Free Target: Single Range: Nearby Upgrades: Savage Talons. When calculating damage, double your the damage dice used (i.e. �d� ► �d�). Crushing Leap. Ravage’s range is increased to FAR. Your target is unable to move or � round. I Ravage misses, your target is considered Staggered instead.
Classes
CHARACTER PROGRESSION LEVEL 2 • • •
Receive � Tier One Token Receive � Core Path Point Receive HP Boost (�d�+MIGHT)
LEVEL 3 • • •
New Class Feature: Beastwalker Receive � General Perk Choose � Attribute to Boost by +�
Beastwalker. You inhabit the body o a willing animal and may control it and see everything it sees. Lasts �� minutes and can be used once per day. Any damage to the host animal cancels the effect. Your own body rendered prone and vulnerable while you are Beastwalking. Docile and calm animals have a baseline TN o �� when the Primalist is convincing the creature to allow control o its body. The GM may ramp the TN up according to the Difficult Table in the GM’s Guide as other actors come into play i.e. the animal is wounded, scared, or aggressive etc.
LEVEL 4 • • • • •
Receive � Tier One Token Receive � Core Path Point Receive HP Boost (�d�+MIGHT) AR and DR Increases by +� Artiact Capacity Increases by +�
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Classes
MYSTIC T
here are those that have been gited with a sight beyond sight. Since they were children, they looked to the stars in wonderment. The precocious eyes o these gited ew pierced the veil o reality and caught a glimpse o the ever-flowing streams o spiritual and emotional energy that comprise the Drit. In seeing the energy and understanding it, they could begin to harness and bend it to their will. They were the first Mystics o Unity. At first they were held in awe and reverence by their more mundane peers. The acts o magic that Mystics perormed were mostly or the betterment o the societies they resided in but it was not long beore such incredible power would lead to tragedy. With each new generation, the arcane spark that resided inside a Mystic grew stronger and stronger. The very first Mystics had a gentle learning curve as they began to understand and wield their abilities but ater several centuries, some o those born with the Sight were bursting with magical power. Unable to contain the burgeoning energy inside o them, these Mystics involuntarily rained chaos and destruction on everything around them. The ruling class deemed Mystics too dangerous and a threat to society. A witch hunt was to begin but the Order o the Third Eye, a council comprised o Elder Mystics rom previous generations, intervened. They erected the Sanctum o the Third Eye, a reuge specifically designed to house and teach emerging Mystics how to control their powers. The Sanctum was warded with powerul magic and indestructible walls, creating a sae haven or teaching and practicing the magical arts. A new generation o Mystics emerge, more powerul than ever, as they search or their place in a burning world.
M
ystics are an enigmatic bunch. They see the world in ways that are incomprehensible to the majority o people. But it is this unique way o looking at reality that allows them to bend, twist, and tear at its constituents, allowing them to perorm incredible acts o power. Where a Primalist might beseech the Primal Wind Spirit to cause a chill and drop the temperature to sub-zero, a Mystic sees the heat energy in the air as vibrant and ast dancing particles. They can reach out with their mind to slow these particles down to a standstill, causing the temperature to drop and allowing them to conjure a blast o rost to reeze their enemies. Mystics spend their lives learning to understand the git o their Sight and how to control their powers. The intense ocus required to channel and manipulate the energy around them tends to leave them deenseless on the battlefield in a physical sense. Mystics eschew heavy armour and weapons, viewing them as distractions rom utilizing their capabilities to the ullest. Their deense and offense comes rom magical means with a variety o shields, illusions, and powerul evocations.
WHY PLAY A MYSTIC? I you like:
• • •
The idea o an arcane spell caster that bends the constituents o reality using sheer orce o will and raw intellect. Hurling fireballs, controlling objects via telekinesis, and floating around while invisible. Being a glass cannon.
Mystics have high damage and high utility but at the cost o being the most rail and resource-dependent class in the game. The majority o Mystic damage is elemental which provides the bonus o ignoring armour on most enemies. When there is an abundance o Mana flowing, a Mystic can be a one man army or a short glorious moment. Most o the time however, Mystics should work in tandem with their teammates especially their more physically robust ones to protect them while they rain death upon their enemies.
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MYSTIC CLASS TRAITS Mystics have the lowest health pool o all classes. Dying to a single attack is a very real possibility. Play cautiously when first starting out.
STARTING HP: � + MIGHT RECUPERATION DIE: d� ARMOUR: None WEAPONS: Light RESOURCE: Mana ���� �d� Recharge KEY ATTRIBUTE�S�: Mind
CLASS FEATURES All Mystics come with the ollowing eatures as part o their baseline powers
Ampliy Magic is a good way to be mana-efficient.
AMPLIFY MAGIC
ARCANE OVERLOAD
STANDARD
PASSIVE
Mystics have unique ways to shape the magic they cast.
The raw power bursting orth rom inside a Mystic can be difficult to contain, when a Mystic attempts to modiy his casting, the sheer amount o arcana brimming inside o him may spill out causing random effects.
Effects: Spend � round to supercharge a damage spell. The spell will do double damage next round or the same Mana cost. Does not affect the ongoing damage component o spells that have one.
FORCE BOLT STANDARD Force Bolt is a very poor attack but it’s great or trying to score a recharge..
A white bolt o concussive orce can be channeled through your hands or your weapon.
Effects: The target takes 1d4 + MIND physical damage. Best used to fish or double rolls to recharge Mana. Damage increased to 1d8 at Level 5.
Cost: Free Target: Single Enemy Range: Far
Effects: When you use Ampliy Magic, roll �d�. �-�: Cauterize. Heal or �d� HP. Level �: �d� Level ��: �d� �-�: Arcane Field. Gain +� AV or � round. Level �: +� Level ��: +� The Sanctum o the Third Eye’s Chamber o Wonder is said to house some o the most powerul artiacts in all o Unity. The sheer emanation o energy rom the chamber causes most apprentices arriving at the Sanctum o the Third Eye to become sick. The Elder Mystics call this Tadpole’s Disease. With sufficient training, these apprentices eventually are able to withstand the radioactive emanations rom the Chamber o Wonder.
PICK � PERK FROM BELOW UNRAVEL
SCHOLAR
STANDARD
PASSIVE
A curious mind constantly seeks to unlock hidden secrets. Conjuring ethereal fingers, they attempt to unlock whatever secured object lies in ront o you.
Your intense studies o ancient texts and arcane mysteries grants you a vast reservoir o knowledge to draw rom.
Effects: You gain Benefit when attempting to open
Effects: When you attempt an action that involves
up locked objects.
history, language, or understanding magical phenomena, you get to add +� to your roll Level �: +� Level �: +� Level ��: +�
Cost: � Mana
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Classes
TIER � POWERS Choose � Powers
SPARK LANCE
BOUNCE
STANDARD
QUICK � MOVEMENT
You draw your arm over your head and back as i to launch a javelin. A spear o pure electric energy materializes in your hand. With a snap o your arm you send the crackling energy hurtling at your oe.
Ater saying a quick incantation, you tap the heels o your eet together. Now you’ve got an extra bounce in your step!
Effects: Success. The target takes �d�+MIND Electric dam-
Able to jump up to �� meters vertically within a nearby distance. Avoids Provoked Attacks i you jump away rom enemies or past them unless they are able to fly or are tall enough to hit you.
age. The target is afflicted with a static residue or � round. When targeted with an electric spell, it’s an automatic hit. You may still roll your attack or a chance at recharging. Failure. Target takes no damage, but is now afflicted with static residue or � round. When targeted with an electric spell, it’s an automatic hit. You may still roll your attack or a chance at recharging.
Effects:
Cost: � Mana Target: Sel Range: Nearby Upgrades: Rubberfoot. You may choose to Bounce twice with
Cost: � Mana
one cast. Costs � additional Mana.
Target: Single Target
ACID BOLT
Range: Far
STANDARD
STANDARD
A single sizzling green bolt dripping with energy flies orth rom your outstretched palm and corrosively begins to chew through your target.
An icy blue ball o glacial power orms and you unleash it upon your enemies.
Effects: Success. The target takes �d�+MIND Corrosive
Effects: Success. The target takes �d�+MIND Frost damage.
damage. The target is afflicted with corrosive acid and takes +MIND acid damage/round or � rounds. I already afflicted by corrosive acid, getting struck by urther successul, non-glancing Acid Bolts increases the ongoing damage taken by +MIND (stacking!) and rereshes the duration. Failure. Target takes �d�+MIND Corrosive damage.
FROST BLAST
The target is afflicted with chill and its flesh and armor becomes brittle or � round. The target’s AV is reduced by your +MIND. Failure. The rost blast misses the target but the chill still affects them. The target is afflicted with chill and its flesh and armor becomes brittle or � round. The target’s AV is reduced by your +MIND.
Cost: � Mana
Cost: � Mana Target: Single Target
Target: Single Target
Range: Far
BREATH OF FIRE
MANA WEAVER
STANDARD
PASSIVE
You ignite the air with a blast o magical energy using your breath. A magnificent spray o scorching fire bellows orth to incinerate all those in ront o you.
You have learned to navigate the currents o magic with incredible ease.
Effects: When recharging Mana, you get to add +� to your recharge roll.
Spark Lance’s Static Residue opens up a some strong plays, especially i you have party members that use electric based attacks. The Judge’s Gavel o Thunder Overdrive power comes to mind.
Range: Far
Effects: Success. Up to � targets suffer �d�+Mind Fire damage. Must be adajcent. Failure. Up to � targets suffer hal damage as Fire.
Cost: � Mana Target: Up to � Targets Range: Adjacent
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Bounce is an excellent power or keeping your sae as you move around the battlefield.
Your three main Tier 1 nukes: Spark Lance, Frost Blast, and Acid Bolt all serve different pur poses. Spark Lance is a sae choice in that it eventually guarantees a hit, but it’s mana cost is quite prohibitive. Frost Blast synergizes with all the physical damage dealers in your party and Acid Bolt does the most damage per mana but has a ramp up time which makes it an ideal boss killer.
Mana Weaver is a solid choice i you have a lot o high cost powers. Mystics only have Force Bolt and their noodle arms to rely on when they run out o Mana.
Classes ARCANE TETHER
ANGA’S BLOODRAZOR
STANDARD
QUICK � MAINTAIN
You swirl your hands everishly as you ocus on bringing and solidiying the magical currents o the Drit into reality. Bright purple cords begin to materialize and bind two targets o your choice.
You conjure orth a weapon inused with arcane energy. It crackles and glows in your hands with a purple hue. It eels light as a eather and responds to the im pulses o your mind. You can eel its gnawing hunger course through you.
Effects: Pick � targets. They can be either riend, Combining Volatile Bulwark and Anga’s Bloodrazor will turn your Mystic into a melee machine, that will have the ‘last laugh’ once their Bulwark explodes. Anga’s Bloodrazor gives much needed Mana Regeneration, but you are going to have to stick your head out to get it.
oe or an inanimate object. Declare the length, the minimum has to be the distance between your two targets. A bright glowing purple cord appears between the two targets and a lasso materializes at each end around the targets. I the target resists being bound, it must contest its MIGHT vs your MIND. I you are binding two enemies, they will roll �d�� once combining their MIGHT bonuses against your MIND roll. Success. The target is bound or as long as you decide to maintain the spell. You must contest each round that you decide to maintain the tether. Failure. The tether breaks and ades back into the Drit. You are reunded � mana.
Cost: � Mana + � or each additional round Target: Two Targets Range: Far
GRAVITY WELL OVERDRIVE � STANDARD With intense ocus your mind reaches out and warps the abric o reality momentarily. You condense a large amount o matter onto a single point generating a massive pull.
Effects: Choose up to a FAR away location to place Gravity Well. Make an attack roll. I your attack roll beats the MIGHT resistance o any enemies that are NEARBY the Gravity Well, they are instantly pulled onto that point otherwise, they are considered Staggered or that round. All enemies are considered adjacent to each other when clumped on Gravity Well.
Cost: � Mana Target: Single Enemy or Location Range: Far Upgrades: Singularity. You may immediately spend an additional � Mana to maintain the Gravity Well ater the initial cast, ensuring the enemies sucked in stay there until the next round. Implosion. You may immediately spend an additional � Mana to cause the Gravity Well to implode dealing �d�� + MIND physical damage to all enemies that were sucked in.
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Effects: You are equipped with a melee magical weapon that does �d�+MIND Arcane damage. Whenever you deal damage to an animate enemy with the Mana-Blade its ethereal nature siphons some o the target’s energy and converts it to Mana or you. Recharge � Mana. Basic Melee Attack rules apply or success and ailure. You will use �d��+MIND to determine your attack roll.
Cost: � Mana/Reserved Target: Sel Upgrades: Lingering Hunger. The weapon leaves a charge on the enemy struck. Any allies that strike an enemy with a Lingering Hunger charge on it, regenerates � point o Class Resource. Enemies can only hold � charge at a time and they last or � round or until used. I you strike a charged enemy with your Mana-Blade you will recharge � Mana instead o � and apply a new charge. Ethereal Heft. The magical blade you conjure orth is even bigger than beore while still remaining weightless. Damage increases to �d�+MIND.
VOLATILE BULWARK STANDARD � MAINTAIN You place your hands horizontally on top o one another near your chest. With a quick chant and a swit motion your hands separate in opposite directions and a shimmering, translucent blue field o energy surrounds you.
Effects: You crat an energy shield around you that absorbs [X] + MIND damage. It absorbs all types o damage unless otherwise specified. Upon absorbing its damage limit, the Volatile Bulwark explodes dealing its absorb amount as Arcane damage to anyone Adjacent to you. Lasts as long as you maintain it or until it shatters.
�-�
�-��
��-��
��-��
��+
�
��
��
��
��
Cost: � Mana/Reserved Target: Sel
Classes
CHARACTER PROGRESSION LEVEL 2 • • •
Receive � Tier One Token Receive � Core Path Point Receive HP Boost (�d�+MIGHT)
LEVEL 3 • • •
New Class Feature: Orb o Attunement Receive � General Perk Choose � Attribute to Boost by +�
Orb of Attunement. The eddies o magic are unpredictable but as your perceptions and keen intuition deepens, your ability to tap into the various flavours o energies grows. It’s not perect yet, but it’s something. Ater a ull rest, you may expend and put on reserve � Mana to attune yoursel to a single random magic element. Attunement grants you hal your Level as additional bonus damage when using a power that matches the attuned element. A small glowing orb o the element’s colour will appear to slowly orbit around you as long as you maintain it. The orb illuminates an area o up to � meters in a circular radius centered on you. This light can be turned on and off at will.
�. You dislike the result and decide to re-attune. The cost is now � Mana to attune and still � Mana on reserve to maintain it. You receive another Orb o Force. Your current Mana is at �. Your maximum possible Mana while the Orb is maintained is �. �. You decide to re-attune one more time. The cost is now � Mana to attune and still � Mana on reserve to maintain it. You receive an Orb o Fire. Your current mana is at �. Your maximum possible Mana while the Orb is maintained is �.
LEVEL 4 • • • • •
Receive � Tier One Token Receive � Core Path Point Receive HP Boost (�d�+MIGHT) AR Increases by +� Artiact Capacity Increases by +�
Roll a �d� to determine the attuned element.
�: Fire �: Frost �: Electric �: Corrosive �: Arcane �: Force (Physical) You may re-attune yoursel multiple times however, the initial cost o attunement doubles each time you do until a ull rest is taken. This is a reflection o the increased strain and atigue required to will reality to your liking. Example: �. You wake up rom a ull rest and attune to receive an Orb o Force, you’ve expended � Mana and � Mana is on reserve. Your current Mana is at �. Your maximum possible Mana while the Orb is maintained is �.
70
Classes
SENTINEL F
rom the darkest depths o the Tempest o Terror dwells the nightmares, ears and malicious thoughts o all living things made maniest and given flesh. The physical avatars o such darkness, the demons and fiends collectively known as The Fell, spill orth through the Tempest and threaten all lie on Unity. Far in the Dread Marshes, the Tempest o Terror lights up the night sky like an unholy beacon, ever burning and crackling with demonic energies. Acting as a direct portal into the realm o the Fell, the Tempest is a conduit or oblivion. As the largest and most dangerous o all demonic rits created when the Skyather sundered the world o Unity, the Tempest o Terror must be guarded at all costs. Should even a raction o the ull might o the Fell be able to pour through the Tempest, the loss o lie and level o destruction would be immeasurable. Shortly ater the Great Calamity, when the Tempest was first created, tens o thousands died at its steps stemming the tide o unrelenting darkness spilling orth rom it. Warriors o every creed and colour struggled valiantly to keep the Fell rom moving past the portal choke point. By the time the invasion abated, there were mountains o corpses piled high, the fires o lie aded rom their eyes. Such efforts to guard the Tempest o Terror were not sustainable and with every passing day, every recurrent invasion attempt, more and more died until there were so ew let. There had to be another way, another method o guarding the Tempest. The Sentinel was born rom this desperation.
T
he Sentinel is the perect soldier. Trained relentlessly to ulfill the need or an effective deensive fighting orce, the Sentinel is the armoured embodiment o discipline and martial skill. Sentinels are never without their shield and their entire fighting style revolves around utilizing their shield in both attacking and deending. Deployed to stem the Fell horde rom spilling in through the Tempest o Terror, they were outstandingly efficient at orming a living dam against the flood o darkness. Each Sentinel is an extension o the soldier standing beside him; together and in ormation, they were the immovable object that was so desperately needed to stop all o Unity rom being swallowed by the Fell horde. Where the Dreadnought is a roiling ball o ury and burning intensity, the Sentinel is cool, calculated and disciplined. Possessing strikes and stances honed over years and years o diligent practice, a Sentinel on the battlefield is a martial maestro. The sight o a Sentinel orchestrating a song o death with his spear to the percussive beat o his massive shield as it slams through flesh and bone, is a scene o sheer beauty.
WHY PLAY A SENTINEL? I you like:
• •
•
The idea o a tanky melee fighter that values discipline, skill and deense over raw power, brawling and wild untamed strikes. Utilizing a shield as a weapon. Slamming and utterly shattering your enemies’ bones with a giant wall o steel. Crushing their throats with the heavy metal edge. Eventually learning to launch your shield across the battlefield to concuss and decapitate lesser oes. Being able to absorb and deend against the heaviest o blows both or yoursel and your teammates.
Picture a soldier whose movements are coordinated and det. Every twitch, every subtlety is the product o perect muscle memory honed rom countless hours o practice. Sentinels make excellent team players, as their powers also allow them to coner benefits to their allies or outright protect the soter members o their group by intercepting what would be a deathblow or a lesser mortal.
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Classes
SENTINEL
“They’ve got us outnumbered and completely surrounded. How unortunate or them.”
CLASS TRAITS Sentinels are natural born deenders. While not as hearty as the Dreadnought, their mastery o the shield and de ensive techniques makes them much better at evading and negating damage.
Vigilance allows you to deter enemies rom attacking your teammates. Use it requently.
STARTING HP: �� + MIGHT RECUPERATION DIE: d�� ARMOUR: All WEAPONS: Light, Medium, Heavy RESOURCE: Discipline ��� �d� Recharge KEY ATTRIBUTE�S�: Might
CLASS FEATURES All Sentinels come with the ollowing eatures as part o their baseline powers
BASTION
VIGILANCE
PASSIVE
QUICK
Sentinels are renowned or their peerless deense and extreme discipline. A critical part o their training revolves around becoming one with their shield. Instead o dodging a deadly blow to avoid it, Sentinels are able to ascertain trajectories, speed, and angles to com pletely negate some attacks by letting them slide off their shields.
Your creed is to protect and deend. Together, you are stronger.
Effects: When wielding your shield, add its +AV value to your Deense Rating.
Effects: Select an enemy to become your point o ocus. Anytime that enemy attacks a target that is not you, you receive an instant basic m elee attack against it i it’s adjacent to you at the time. The attack is considered a Free Action and can happen even during the enemy’s turn. Lasts until you switch targets.
Cost: � Discipline Target: Single Enemy Range: Adjacent
PICK � PERK FROM BELOW Tireless might seem like a poor man’s Unbound (Furian Racial Power). While it is more limited (endurance based activities only) it’s also usable multi ple times without the risk o having you lose control and bash in your teammate’s skull.
TIRELESS
GRIZZLED SOLDIER
STANDARD
PASSIVE
Sentinel training is merciless and unorgiving. I one Sentinel alters rom exhaustion or weakness, the entire unit may become exposed. Conditioning is o the utmost importance.
Originally tasked to deend the Tempest o Terror, Sentinels have seen some o the most horrific battles in the history o Unity. They were created to fight an enemy whose very nature is unprecedented terror and destruction. The stone cold look o a soldier who has seen the unspeakable is enough to silence even the toughest
Effects: You may expend Discipline to double your +MIGHT bonus on any check that taxes your physical endurance (resisting poison, holding your breath, swimming against a strong current, long periods o running/sprinting etc.). Does not stack with the Furian Racial Power Unbound.
Cost: � Discipline
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Effects: You receive +� when you attempt to intimidate or threaten a target. Bonus increases to: Level �: +� Level �: +� Level ��: +�
Classes
TIER � POWERS Choose 3 Powers
SHIELD SLAM
SPRINGBOARD
STANDARD
STANDARD
Shields are not only a tool or deense. Your unparalleled mastery o handling them allows you to find new bone-crunching ways to use them much to your enemy’s dismay.
Allow an ally to be launched off your shield, adding your energy to their momentum.
Effects: Success. You deal your Basic Melee + AV damage Failure. You deal hal the damage o a successul Shield Slam
Cost: � Discipline Target: Single Enemy
Effects: Nearby allies can use their movement action to spring off your shield to another NEARBY distance, adding the extra energy rom your push to their attack and damage roll. For non-combat purposes, you may add your MIGHT modifier on top o their roll i they are trying to clear a distance. Roll your attack to determine how mu ch extra damage your ally can put towards their attack. Lasts � round.
Range: Adjacent Upgrades: Reverberation: On a successul strike, your target is Staggered or � round. Muscle Memory: Successul shield slams reund � Discipline.
�-�
�-��
��-��
��+
+�
+�
+�
+�
Cost: � Discipline Target: Single Ally Range: Ally must be adjacent at moment o activation
DEFENSIVE STRIKE STANDARD A cautious strike that trades power or deense.
Effects: Success. The target suffers basic melee damage and
Upgrades: Launch Pad: You are now able to launch an ally to a
SHIELD TOSS STANDARD While you are never without your shield, there are times that parting ways with it -- only momentarily -- will play out to a stronger tactical advantage and possibly win you the day.
Cost: � Discipline
to strike an enemy. You may roll �D�� immediately ater to see i the Shield returns to you. ��+ and the shield is returned. Both rolls or the initial toss and the return have the ability to grant you a recharge on doubles. Allies can use their Quick action to throw your shield back to you. Deals your normal attack damage.
Range: Adjacent Upgrades: Spellward: Your +MIGHT is also converted to +RESIST ALL as well or the next incoming attack.
PHALANX PASSIVE You are most at home fighting as a unit. With another soldier covering you, you are better able to ocus on offensive maneuvers.
Effects: Receive a +� to your damage or every adjacent ally beside you.
Shield Slam with the Reverberation upgrade will make enemies stick to you or render them offensively impotent i they do try to move rom you.
There is an artiact Shield o great power that lets your Shield Slam Power Massive Hit on 18-20. It also applies to Shield Toss and the Cannon Arm upgrade.
FAR distance.
you gain your +MIGHT as additional +AV or the next incoming attack you receive. Failure. You miss but you receive your +MIGHT as additional +AV or the next incoming attack you receive.
Target: Single Enemy
Springboard coupled with the Primalist’s Aspect o the Rhino is a potent combo.
Effects: You launch your shield up to a FAR distance
Cost: � Discipline Target: Single Enemy Range: Far Upgrades: Topspin: Your shield is returned on a roll o � or more. Cannon Arm: Rolling a Massive Hit instantly decapitates/kills any target that has a maximum HP value that is less than your LEVEL x �.
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Phalanx can help give you much needed offensive power.
Shield Toss is the only ranged attack a Sentinel possesses.
Barrier is a good choice i you have a lot o ranged damage dealers. They can hide behind you and fire at enemies with impunity. The Impenetrable upgrade makes you a spellcaster’s worst nightmare. You can eat up the GM’s Ruin with your Barrier as she burns her resource on monster spells to attack you and your party.
Deflect can have some creative uses.
BACK TO BACK
BARRIER
OVERDRIVE � QUICK
OVERDRIVE � STANDARD
Your countless hours intensely training have developed your kinesthetic senses to incredible heights. When pressed, you are able to ‘lock in’ with an ally and unction as one cohesive unit. Every twitch or tremor is elt almost precognitively, allowing you to react with blistering speed as you twirl about together creating openings and evading strikes that would have otherwise landed.
You call out to your allies to rally behind you and you slam your massive shield into the ground, crouch low and brace yoursel or incoming damage.
Effects: Choose a single ally that’s adjacent to you. As long as you and that ally remain adjacent to each other, you will both roll or every offensive and deensive action that either one o you attempts. You will roll as i your character were perorming that action and then take the highest roll out o the two. The moment you or your chosen ally are no longer adjacent, Back to Back’s effects expire.
Cost: � Discipline
Effects: All allies adjacent to you receive your +AV bonus. Your own personal +AV bonus doubles. You can maintain Barrier or up to � rounds. Anyone moving away rom you loses the bonus.
Cost: � Discipline Upgrades: Impenetrable: Barrier’s +AV bonus or yoursel and allies now works against any type o damage not just physical. Born Defender: Barrier’s cost is now ree.
DEFLECT REACTION
Upgrades: Strike as One. You may now roll damage as well or
You cannot remember the last time your shield was not by your side. So long have you wielded it like an extension o your body that it eels as light as a eather strapped against your arm. You need but think o a place and your shield is there already.
each other and take the highest result.
Effects: When you receive RANGED damage rom
Target: Single Ally Range: Adjacent
A Sentinel’s shield is held in the highest regard. Entire squads have risked lie and limb to dive back into the ray to recover a allen comrade’s shield. It is a reminder o all the lives their comrade has saved and is a symbol o courage and valour. Every single shield that has allen, every single lie that h as been given to deend against the Fell Invasion is immortalized in the Hall o Guardians.
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physical or spell projectiles that are no larger than the average shield you may expend Discipline to reduce damage taken rom that attack. � Discipline negates � point o damage.
Cost: � Discipline per � Damage Upgrades: Redirection. You may now redirect an ally’s physical or spell projectiles with your shield, increasing the range o their attack by one range band or allowing them to strike rom impossible angles. Redirecting costs � additional Discipline.
Classes
CHARACTER PROGRESSION LEVEL 2 • • •
Receive � Tier One Token Receive � Core Path Point Receive HP Boost (�d��+MIGHT)
Once Sentinels reach Level �, their Forced March eature can greatly increase the longevity and staying power o a party until the next ull rest up.
LEVEL 3 • • •
New Class Feature: Forced March Receive � General Perk Choose � Attribute to Boost by +�
Forced March. You are trained to go beyond the physical limits o your body when it is required. Those around you are inspired and emboldened by your resolve. You receive an additional hal your Level as bonus Recuperations per day (minimum �). You now have the ability to also give away your Recuperations to your allies.
LEVEL 4 • • • • •
Receive � Tier One Token Receive � Core Path Point Receive HP Boost (�d��+MIGHT) AR and DR Increases by +� Artiact Capacity Increases by +�
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Equipment
equipment C
ommotion erupts in the dusty streets o the bustling city o Kalamshir. Renowned as the Desert Jewel o the South, Kalamshir is a veritable mecca or merchants and peddlers. Traders rom across all o Unity come to Kalamshir to hawk their wares in hopes o securing a small portion o the incredible wealth that flows through the city. Items, mundane and exotic, are put on display and loudly announced as they gleam in the hot noon sun. There’s something or everybody at the Blazing Bazaar. As long as you have coin in your pocket and a burning need to spend it, there might be something or you as well. Throughout your adventures, you will potentially discover hidden treasures, powerul artiacts, and untold riches. Your equipment is a key part o your character and will aid you in achieving your goals. It’s important to properly equip your character beore heading out to ace the world. The right armour and weapon can mean the difference between a glancing blow and a atal strike.
wealth & currency
.
It’s recommended to go with the maximum allowance or starting wealth i it’s everyone’s first time playing the game. The tighter the purse strings, the more difficult the starting experience will be. Lie or Level �s can be airly lethal in Unity.
the denerim The most common currency throughout Unity is the Denerim. Made rom a rare material, these coins are sought ater across the land and accepted readily by most o the population. Beore the Denerim, bartering and trading were the cornerstones o mercantile activity. While trading goods is still a very viable and common occurrence, the Denerim is still preerred or the majority o transactions. To give an idea with regards to the scale and worth o the Denerim, a hot meal and a room or a single night at an inn would cost �� to �� Denerim, depending on how upscale the establishment was. A suit o mundane leather armour would run about �� Denerim. starting wealth The amount o Denerim your character starts off is set by the GM. The suggested amounts are between ���-��� Denerim. For a more difficult experience, start off with the minimum amount. Most classes will usually barely have enough or their armour, weapons, and some adventuring gear and necessities. For a more relaxed experience, starting off with the maximum amount o Denerim will allow you and your party to purchase a second set o weapons, and
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also sleep saer at night by being able to afford proper lodgings. Denerim can also be used to bribe and garner key inormation i need be as well. Everybody loves a good bit o coin.
buying and selling Every town or city will have merchants that are willing to trade with you. Smaller villages and outposts may have traders but they might not have a wide variety o items or you to choose rom. In creating your character, it is assumed that somewhere along their journey, they’ve had the opportunity to purchase some equipment or themselves.
birth of the denerim The Denerim is named ater Deneri, the wie o a renowned Furian metalsmith that minted the first coin in Unity’s history. Deneri was a Valla, and during the Age o Strie, an interracial marriage was grounds or persecution, banishment, or worse. The animosity between the Furians, Valla, and Humans reached a ever pitch during this era. Deneri and her husband had eked out a comortable existence on the outskirts o Vallan lands, away rom the prejudice and hatred. One day, while returning home rom visiting amily, Deneri was attacked by a group o her own people. They despised what she represented and called her a traitor as they beat her to death. Nightall came and worried or her saety, Deneri’s husband set out to find her. He ound her broken body on the side o the road. Kneeling down and brimming with inconsolable rage, he gripped his hammer tightly and set out to avenge his love. Beore he could stand, a weak hand grasped his. “No more fighting... no more hate. Break the cycle.” Deneri whispered sotly as she passed. Deneri’s last words pushed her husband to create the first Denerim. Both as a memory o his love and an object that would be the initial step in uniting the races. The Denerim opened up trade and commerce in a very large way or a very disconnected world.
Equipment This is represented by the initial starting wealth your character receives and will subsequently spend on armour and weapons as part o the character creation process. Selling treasures and items that you’ve ound and acquired in your adventures is a great way to increase your coffers. Here are some quick guidelines with regards to selling merchandise.
Limited Funds. Merchants, especially in smaller establishments and locales, have a set amount o Denerim that they can part with.
Resale Value. Certain items, especially mundane but undamaged weaponry and armour, sell at a reduced price. Usually ��-��% o their market value. However, jewelery, rare gems, metals, and cultural items etc. all retain their value and you may even be able to etch more than what they are worth i you’ve got a silver tongue or ound someone that particularly wants these types o items badly.
Selling Artifacts and Magical Items. Special items can usually garner a very handsome price but your run o the mill street merchant won’t be able to aord them nor would they want a target painted on them or having such a high value item. Such items are usually traded or sold to a higher caliber clientele (think o the mad Mystic in his scary tower or the affluent and powerul Madame who pulls all the strings in town).
armour and weapons Two critical pieces o equipment are the armour and weapons o a character. There are multiple categories o classification or both armour and weapons. Your Class will determine whether you have competency in utilizing a class o armour or weapon. A character using equipment that they lack competency in will result in Hindrance related to the action that piece o equipment is being utilized or. In the tables below, armour and weapons will be listed according to their classification, along with their damage range(s), and examples or each category.
open for customization & imagination While examples are listed or each category o armour and weapon, you are more than encouraged to work with your GM to fit in a custom idea or an item that aligns with your unique vision or your character. Just because “dual bladed glaive” isn’t listed in the table below, doesn’t mean it can’t find a home under the Heavy Weapons category. Part o the design o Unity is to allow or the reedom to ulfill that character antasy that’s in your mind and bring it to lie. I you want a Dreadnought that carries around a giant totem to smash her oes with, go or it! With a bit o common sense and cooperation between player and GM, a lot o creative ideas or armour and weaponry can be ound to fit into one o the categories below.
MELEE WEAPONS TYPE
EXAMPLES
DAMAGE
COST
LIGHT
Dagger, Shortsword, Rapier, Staff, Club, Fist Weapon
�D�
�� D
MEDIUM
Longsword, Scimitar, Warhammer, Mace, Battle Axe, Spear
�D�
�� D
HEAVY
Greatsword, Greataxe, Maul, Halberd
�D�� � �D�
�� D
RANGED WEAPONS TYPE
EXAMPLES
DAMAGE
COST
THROWN
Darts, Shurikens, Slingshot, Throwing Knives
�D�
�� D
LIGHT
Hand Crossbow, Shortbow, Pistol
�D�
�� D
HEAVY
Longbow, Crossbow, Rifle, Revolver
�D�
�� D
ARMOUR TYPE
EXAMPLES
+AV
COST
LIGHT
Leather, Patchwork, Hide
�
�� D
MEDIUM
Chain Shirt, Studded Leather, Banded Mail, Breastplate
HEAVY
Plate, Splint Mail, Chainmail
SHIELDS
Buckler, Kite Shield, Tower Shield
� � �
�� D �� D �� D
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When using two weapons at once, also known as dual-wielding, you will be required to purchase two weapons o the same classification. Rules or dual-wielding can be ound on pg. ��
Heavy Melee Damage Dice. You may note that the Heavy Melee weapons have an option between �d�� and �d�. The choice is up to the player but once that weapon has their damage dice set, it cannot be changed. i.e. you cannot use �d�� or one attack and then decide use �d� or another. Once you declare your weapon damage dice upon acquiring it, the choice becomes permanent. Why the choice in the first place? �d�� will is unpredictable and you have an equal chance o rolling a whopping �� or a paltry � - some enjoy this wildness. �d� is smoother and more predictable, you will hover around the median more.
The examples listed under each category are just that - examples. I you envision your character wielding a different kind o weapon or armour that still fits one o the classifications presented here, talk with your GM to include it in the game to better ulfill your character concept.
Equipment
Unity’s approach to adventuring gear aims to streamline the administrative tasks o keeping track o a laundry list o items and avoiding the meticulous effort o hunting down replacements or everything that’s been expended whenever the party finds itsel in town.
Alternative rules regarding Gear to change the tone of the game for a more gritty and survival oriented feel. Lower the maximum limit o Necessities a character can carry. In some scenarios, characters may be more inclined to ‘live off the land’ and hunt or small game or orage or sustenance instead. These attempts might lead them to trouble or interesting situations.
When you attempt to do a Full Rest without any Necessities, you only recharge your HP and resources to hal their max.
gear There are many items that an intrepid adventurer would never be without. Staples are oten torches, rope, bandages, ood, clothes etc. These smaller miscellaneous items play an important part in the gaming experience both or the roleplaying aspect and mechanically. In Unity, there aren’t huge tables and lists filled with every possible item imaginable that your character might take with him as he descends into the darkest o dungeons. Instead, adventuring gear is abstracted or ease o play and flexibility. Your backpack has two categories: Necessities and Gear. Necessities. These are the items that are must haves in order to unction or an extended period o time out in the wild, away rom the creature comorts and basic acilities o civilization. Think o this category mainly containing your bed roll and meal rations. Every time you attempt a ull rest outside o some sort o shelter or lodgings where ood and bed are provided, you will mark a use off o your Necessities stack. Gear. Miscellaneous mundane items that coner some benefit but aren’t critical or basic survival all under this category. Things such as torches, rope, flint and tinder, a crowbar, or an extra set o clothes. When you invoke the usage o one o these items that you ‘happened to pack’, you will mark a usage rom your Gear stack. It’s important to understand the limitations o Gear. It’s not an open invitation to create high value gadgets that are able to trivialize challenges put orth by the GM. A lantern that creates ultraviolet bursts o light against the undead would not all under the category o Gear -- that would be an artiact or special item.
gear limits There are limits to how many uses o Necessities and Gear a character has access to with regards to their carrying capacity. Stronger characters are able to carry more and may share their extra uses with the party i need be. CAPACITY MIGHT
NECESSITIES
GEAR
-2
1
�
-1
2
�
0
2
�
+1
3
�
+2
3
�
+3 +4
4 4
� �
+5
5
�
+6
5
�
+7
6
�
necessity and gear costs Depending on where you purchase rom, Necessity and Gear costs can vary. In a large city where competition is tough and there’s a constant flow o goods, it can be cheap to procure these items. I you are bartering with a armer in the middle o nowhere, Necessity (ood rations) might be cheap but asking him to part with his tools and supplies he needs to go into town to get might be a different story. Baseline Costs: � Denerim or a single Necessity or Gear.
Equipment
artifacts and magic items The world o Unity is littered with secrets and treasures waiting to be discovered. Amongst these orgotten wonders are powerul artiacts that can potentially be wielded by anyone lucky enough to find them. While discovery is but one way to acquire these special items, there may be some merchants that sell rare items they’ve come across in their travels. A small list o these treasures are available or you to incorporate into your game in the next ew pages. SOUL RAZOR TYPE
Light Melee. Fist Weapon. DESCRIPTION
Soul Razor was a wrist blade that belonged to the inamous Halfand, a remorseless and deadly Phantom o some renown. Halfand had the blade orged rom a cache o Furian steel that had been suffused with energies rom the Drit when a breach opened directly on top o the merchant caravan carrying it. Halfand always had a bit o a cruel streak, but those that knew him said he became increasingly brutal ater having acquired Soul Razor. They also spoke o him being able to walk away casually rom a fight ater sustaining the most grievous o wounds.
ALTARION’S WARD TYPE
Shield. DESCRIPTION
Altarion, the First Sentinel, stood alone against the onslaught o a hundred demons ater all his brothers ell in battle. His company o men was tasked with holding a chokepoint that was critical during the Siege o Taloran. The city would all i Altarion and his men could not hold. The mountain o corpses that had piled high over the days o fighting narrowed the area into a point so tight that the demonic hordes’ numbers would count or nothing. One by one Altarion challenged them, fighting well into the night. Countless demons ell. The screams o death and the clang o combat rung endlessly. In the morning when reinorcements arrived, they ound nothing but resh demon corpses and Altarion’s battered shield. EFFECTS
Duelist. The shield hums with the strength and honour o Altarion’s spirit. When you and your target are the only units adjacent to each other, you receive +� to your AR and damage. THE BLACK MAIDEN TYPE
EFFECTS
Medium Melee. Longsword.
Thirst for Blood. Upon landing the killing blow on your target, you are healed or � hp .
Eternal Hunger. Ater reaching �� kills in battle, Thirst or Blood’s healing bonus increases by +�. Repeatable.
Soul Razor
DESCRIPTION
The story behind the Black Maiden is unclear. It is said that a powerul Mystic had a son that she cherished as much as a Human heart possibly could. She let the Sanctum o the Third Eye and headed into the orest to live out her lie with her son. Powerul wards and spells were erected to protect her child rom danger and harm. The boy was nigh invincible, but one day ater having grown into a young man, he happened upon a beautiul orest spirit bathing in a lake. Enchanted and utterly spellbound, he began to move towards her. So lost was he in her charms that he didn’t realize he was drowning beore it was too late. It is believed that in her grie and anguish, the Mystic tore the very essence o the orest spirit asunder and contained the pieces in a blade that would be known as the Black Maiden. EFFECTS
Straight to the Heart. Like the enchanting orest spirit, the Black Maiden cuts through all deenses and pierces where you are most vulnerable. On an Attack Roll (the �d�� beore modifiers) o ��-��, your attack ignores any armour value your target has.
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So much power... Artiacts in Unity are incredibly powerul. Some o their effects and possibilities can be game-changing. We want the experience o acquiring a magical item to be exciting and hope that it’s something that can be balanced out properly. At low levels, PCs can only equip � artiact at a time. With a varying array o potent powers, we want it to be hard or the player to choose what to equip their character with. Let us know i these powers are *too* powerul using the Feedback Form.
Equipment
Change it up! As this is an Early Access packet, you won’t have a lot o artiacts to choose rom. But with the arti acts provided, eel ree to re-skin them and tweak them to your liking. Keep in mind, two-handed weapons like Echo and Nightmare should always be more powerul than one-handed weapons and shields, as a character will be able to use both items versus just one at a time.
Play it out. Items such as Nightmare have a small roleplay (RP) component to it. I you are the current owner o Nightmare, give your party members pause in the morning when everyone is just waking up and they find you mumbling incoherently while staring unblinkingly into one o the earsome aces o your hammer. Go ahead and describe how the floating crystal powering the hammer gives off a wisp o purple energy as it disperses into the air beore rushing downwards and inusing the ace you’ve been conversing with or the last little while.
Possibilities. With Nightmare’s effect o simultaneously raising either AR or DR and lowering its counterpart by the same amount, you can create either an offensive but very vulnerable monster or a well protected yet nonthreatening deender. Now what i you were paired with a Priest that had Denounce or Tower and Shield? These powers would make up or whatever weakness you take on rom Nightmare, allowing you to reap the benefits o its power without the drawbacks.
ECHO TYPE
Heavy Ranged. Rifle. DESCRIPTION
It was hard to tell what Fell Hunter Drake Dantuvian was amous or -- killing demons or ‘slaying women’ as he’d put it with a wink. When it came to demons though, rumour has it that Dantuvian never had a bad shot. Some say it’s the guns he uses and others say he’s just that good. EFFECTS
Sureshot. Perectly balanced, and impeccably calibrated, Echo gives confidence even to the novice shooter. Any damage dice while wielding Echo that comes up as a � may be re-rolled. NIGHTMARE, THE SHADOW’S WAKE TYPE
Heavy Melee. Giant Hammer. DESCRIPTION
The Furian blacksmith Morin Danzag had much to atone or. A loving ather and a doting husband, Morin gave his all to his amily. His only vice was enjoying a good brew a bit more than he should have. One night, stumbling home drunk, Morin entered a heated argument with his wie. Already heavily intoxicated, Morin’s sense o control spiraled away rom him as he entered the Red Rage. Upon waking, he ound the mutilated corpses o his amily strewn about beore him and his hands covered in their blood. They say Nightmare is a hammer he orged to remind Morin o the demons that live inside o him. One side o the hammer shows a ace o rage and madness, the other o composure and solemnity. EFFECTS
Two-Faced. The duality the Red Rage brings out in the Furian race is a curse they continue to struggle with. Nightmare embodies the internal struggle between power and control. Stare into one o the aces o Nightmare to em power it. Staring into the raging ace causes your AR to increase and your DR to decrease by up to hal your Level (you choose the degree the longer you stare into the ace). Staring into the com posed ace causes your AR to decrease and your DR to increase by up to hal your Level. You may decide not to stare at all, which means Nightmare becomes a mundane Heavy Melee weapon. Once you make your choice, you cannot change the empowerment until you take a Full Rest.
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Nightmare
Equipment
BOSLEY’S LUCKY RING TYPE
Ring. DESCRIPTION
Dantuvian and Echo
Bosley was a notorious figure and nuisance to the villages dotting the outskirts o the Singing Forest. A rambunctious and oul-mouthed Rikkisi, Bosley seemed to never really know his limitations. Always drunk, picking fights, or trying to run off with the local village women, Bosley was constantly in dangerous situations involving angry brutes or husbands. Standing just barely over a meter tall, it was a wonder how Bosley escaped unscathed all these years. The tiny man always gave a cheeky grin when asked what his secret was. EFFECTS
Not Today. While wearing the ring, you eel like everything is going to be alright. Whenever your Deense Roll (the �d�� beore modifiers) comes up with a result o � or �, you take hal-damage rom that attack.
Bosley’s Fortune. Set Bonus. I Bosley’s Lucky Ring and Bosley’s Good Luck Charm are worn together completely negates all damage instead o Not Today completely having you take hal. BOSLEY’S GOOD LUCK CHARM TYPE
Amulet. DESCRIPTION
Bosley was known or always escaping death. The daredevil Rikkisi flirted constantly with the Reaper as i they were old riends. It seemed that no matter how many arrows were shot at Bosley or how many swords were swung at his head, he always seemed to come out o the chaos with a smug look on his ace. Bosley’s brother took notice one day that Bosley was never without his sparkling pendant and golden ring. Thinking this could be the source o Bosley’s secret he ‘borrowed’ them one night. Unortunately it was the same night an angry mob rom the local town that Bosley had been terrorizing decided to pay Bosley a visit. EFFECTS
Bet You Can’t Do That Again. While wearing the amulet, a cocky eeling overtakes you as the world slows down a little bit. Whenever an attack damages you or more than hal o your maximum health, you gain +� DR on the next attack made against you.
Bosley’s Fortune. Set Bonus. I Bosley’s Lucky Ring and Bosley’s Good Luck Charm are worn together Bet You Can’t Do That Again’s DR bonus is doubled.
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The Rikkisi. The Rikkisi are a orest dwelling olk indigenous to the lands o Unity. They are diminutive in stature, standing usually no more than 1.2m tall. Quick eet and an even quicker wit has allowed the Rikkisi to not only survive, but flourish in their wild habitat. When the remnants o the Crimson Horde was scattered into the Great Wilds, the Rikkisi were eager to lend a hand and solidiy an alliance with some o the larger creatures rom the Crimson Horde. The relationship has proven ruitul or both parties.
Set Bonuses. Some items grant additional bonuses when you have them equipped together. These bonuses are usually very powerul.
Somethings were Just made for me. While the majority o artiacts can be used by just about anyone, some items would see much more benefit on certain Classes or even certain Classes that take certain Powers. Bosley’s Good Luck Charm as an example will activate its power ar more oten on a deenseless Mystic with a low max HP than on a beey, armour-clad, shield wielding Sentinel.
Character Creation
char ch ara acte cter r sh shee eet t filling in the sheet Print a copy of the Character Sheet. You will find a blank black and white character sheet at at the end end o this this packet.. We suggest packet suggest you you print it out and and ollow the steps on this page, using the sample character sheet (next page) or reerence. reerence.
Don’t forget bonuses. At Level Level �, filling filling in the the sheet is a airly airly straightstraight orward orwar d affair affair as you won’t have many additional bonuses rom Class Powers, General Perks, or Artiacts. But as you grow in power, you will acquire bonuses to different combat statistics. statist ics. Make Make sure to include them in your calculations. i.e. I Calista had the Weapons Master perk she would would add another +� damage to any equipped Weapon o the class that she had mastered.
Print out Powers. From your Class section, it may help help to print out out and cut out the Powers you will use on your character or quick reerence.
This section will walk you through each step o filling in the character sheet using a reerence sample sheet ound on the next page. Set your PDF viewer to view pages side by side i you’d like to ollow along easier.
1. basic informa information tion Record the name o your character, their race, class, and level. 2. main attributes Distribute your character’s attributes based on their race and the array. See pg. See pg. �� 3. combat statistics Armor Value (AV): See Equipment Table on pg. ��. Calista has +� AV rom her Platemail (+�) and Shield (+�). Calista will reduce all physical damage she receives by �. Speed: +AGILITY modifier and any additional bonuses. Calista has +� Speed rom her Agility only. She has no urther bonuses adding to Speed. Calista will add +� to her �d�� Speed check when required. Attack Rating (AR): MAIN Attribute modifier. See Class Section on pg. ��. Calista has +� AR rom her Might Attribute which is the MAIN Attribute or Sentinels. AR can also be increased rom Class Bonuses Bonuses at certain levels. Calista will add +� to her �d�� Attack Roll when making an attack. Defense Rating (DR): +AGILITY modifier and any additional bonuses. Calista has +� DR rom her Agility only. DR can also be increased rom Class Bonuses at certain levels. Calista will add +� to her �d�� Deense Roll when receiving an attack. Mental Resistance (MR): +MIND modifier and any additional bonuses. Calista has +� MR as she has � MIND. MR can be increased rom Class Perks and Bonuses. Calista will add +� to her �d�� Mental Resistance Roll when receiving an attack that targets her mind.
4. hp, max hp & recuperations A Second Second Sheet. Sheet. You may find that it’s helpul or you and your GM to use a second blank sheet o lined paper to write out out your Core Paths in detail. Some GMs might require you to do this just or consistency consistency when you use the Core Core Path. Path.
At Level �, your starting HP is stated at the beginning o your Class section. See pg. �� �� or Classes. Your Recuperations are calculated using rules on pg. ��. ��. Calista is a Sentinel and starts with �� + Might HP which is ��. She also has � Recuperations rom her � Baseline Recuperations and � rom having � Might.
5. fading counter Each Skull represents a stack o Fading. Cross them off as you gain Fading. See pg. See pg. �� or Incapacitation and Death rules.
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6. equipped weapon(s) List your active weapons here. Damage is written as [Base weapon damage] + [MAIN Attribute] + [Any Bonuses] . Calista’s Longsword does �d� base damage and Might is her MAIN Attribute at �, so she writes �d� + �. 7. equipped armour List your equipped armour here. Record the Armour Value o each item under AV. Calista’s platemail is +� AV and her kite shield is + � AV. AV. 8. necessities & gear At Level � you may have some Denerim let over ater buying your weapons and armour to purchase some adventurer gear. See pg. �� or �� or gear carrying amounts. Calista has � Might and can carry a max o � Necessities and Gear. She also has enough Denerim to buy the maximum as well. 9. core paths You should have � Core Paths at Level �. See pg. ��. ��. 10. notes Use this area to record anything you might find useul. Notes, background inormation, extra equipment, Denerim count, clues etc. 11. powers Record very basic power inormation: name, type, and any upgrades you might have or it. Reer to Class section i you need to know what the Power does, ater a ew uses it should be memorized easily. S/Q/M/F/R/O stand or the type o action required, see pg. pg. �� or a list. 12. main class clas s resource bar Track your Class Resource (Discipline or Calista), using these boxes. Tear off extra Resource that goes past your maximum (�-�� or Calista). To track the current resource usage, you may tear a line between each number and old them behind the page as you use them, then old them back up as they recharge. Alternatively you can also use a paper clip and slide it along the numbers as you use or recharge resourcresources. Tokens Tokens are another option as well. 13. secondary class resource bar This side bar is or secondary resources such as Priest Healing Charges or Primalist Ferocity. For tracking, the same suggestions or the main class resource bar apply here.
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1
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
name: Calista Stoneheart race: Human class: Sentinel level: � MIGHT
AGILITY
13
MIND
PRESENCE
4
2
2
2
0
12
1
max: _____ 12 3 recupe: _____
3
5 4
6
9
11
2
2
2
weapon
dmg
Longsword Throwing Axes
�d�+� �d�+�
0
7
core path
bonus
Living in a Man’s World Party Animal A Soldier’s Lie
� � �
armour
av
Plate Mail Kite Shield
+� +�
10
8
equipment necessities
3
gear
3
notes
Calista is a stubborn soldier so ldier and an even more hard-headed daughter. Following in the ootsteps o her older o lder brother, she joined the Sentinel program to prove to her parents that she was every bit as tough as the golden boy in the amily -- that she too, deserved to be loved just as much. Always walking around with a chip on her shoulder, shoulder, Calista is pretty rough around the edges. Despite her gruff demeanour, she has a big a heart and is loyal to a ault. Ater a couple o drinks, she’s even un.
power
type
cost
Shield Slam
S/Q/M/F/R/O
�
Springboard Deensive Strike
S/Q/M/F/R/O
� �
S/Q/M/F/R/O S/Q/M/F/R/O S/Q/M/F/R/O S/Q/M/F/R/O S/Q/M/F/R/O S/Q/M/F/R/O S/Q/M/F/R/O
upgrades
1 2 3 4 5 6
Sample Character
Corra Redhand “I fight or those that cannot.”
Judge Level 1 Furian Age: 28 Height: 1.78m Weight: 70kg
Combat Stats 13
3
0
3
1
1
Attributes might
agility
mind
presence
3
0
1
1
Resource: Fervor Weapon(s) Anointed Maul: Melee. 2d6+3 physical damage.
Armour Justicar Plate: Heavy. +3 Armour
Gear & Recuperations 4 Necessities
3 Gear Uses
3 Recuperations
Racial Trait: Unbound Unbound: Tapping into a reservoir o rage, you drive your physical power to meteoric levels mom entarily. Deal maximum damage on a single attack or you may double your MIGHT score on a skill check. Can be used once per day saely. Additional uses may result in loss o control.
Class Feature: Zeal [PASSIVE] When wielding a two-handed weapon or dual-wielding two weapons, your strikes are guided by divine intervention. You can choose to re-roll any weapon damage dice that come up as a 1 or 2. You must accept the next roll even i it is a 1 or 2.
Class Perk: Voice of the Emperor [ACTIVE] When you channel your conviction into a command, your voice becomes blessed with divine authority. • •
•
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Applies only to social actions (parleying, bartering, coercing etc.) I you ail your roll, you may immediately re-roll. Does not stack with Moment o Glory or similar powers. Cost: 3 Fervor
Background
C
orra is the daughter o the amed Furian scholar Drax Redhand. Spending most o her childhood in the bustling stone halls o Mount Furia, Corra knew firsthand the value o hard work and physical might. She never understood her ather and his proclivity or the written word and scholarly pursuits. It clashed jarringly with the ideals o the warrior society that she grew up in. She was ashamed o the disparaging remarks the other Furians made about her ather. All o that changed on Corra’s 14th birthday. The skies darkened as gray clouds spewed rain and lightning. Fell magics were at work as the demonic hordes crashed into the obsidian gates o Mount Furia. There were just so many o them. Her mother and her brothers were lost that day. Corra remembers hiding in the smoldering ruins, her small body easily concealed by the wreckage. She remembers seeing her ather dragged out in chains and surrounded by Fell spawn. She remembers letting out a scream as they laid into him. Most o all Corra remembers how her ather transormed into her hero that day. Upon hearing her scream the Fell snatched her rom the rubble. The sight o his daughter in danger on top o the staggering loss o his amily ignited something inside o Drax. Rage filled his eyes as he shattered the chains binding him with a single tug. Wrapping the very things that bound him around his fists he exploded into action punching and smashing through Fell like wet paper. Their demonic death cries called more and more Fell into the area and Drax continued to fight with unbound ury. He turned to Corra and screamed “Run child! Run and don’t look back! I’ll be right behind you!”
His voice rang with such conviction, Corra’s legs were moving beore she could process what was happening. Corra ran until she could run no more. Exhausted she turned around and saw nothing but wet grassy plains and a pillar o smoke off in the distance. It was the last thing she saw beore she collapsed. Upon waking, there was no sign o her ather. She wandered the wilds in grie or days gradually accepting that death was coming or her. It was then that a voice whispered to her rom beyond. The voice was warm and loving, it guided her to ood, and to shelter. It was her constant companion or months and eventually led her to a caravan that would take her to the shining city o Taloran. It was here as she was ushered into the hallowed halls o the city’s temple, that the voice she had heard, the same voice that had kept her alive all these months, was made maniest in the glorious image o Aluvane the Daybreaker, God o Light. His marble statue exuded the same warmth and authority that she had elt all these months. Standing in his presence, she could hear his voice loud and clear. It was in that moment that her purpose was also made clear. She would train to become a warrior o the light. She would protect those that could not protect themselves. She would never let anyone eel the way she had elt the day she lost both her amily and her home. Corra would also never stop searching or her ather or one day she will be able to tell him how proud she is o him and how much she loves him.
Core Paths
1
Daughter of a Scholar
Corra would often sit by the hearth and listen to her father’s wondrous stories of his travels and the strange people he’s met. Despite her protests, Drax always believed in strengthening not only the body but the mind as well. Many nights during Corra’s youth were spent poring through her father’s numerous books.
3
A Warrior’s Heart
The halls of Mount Furia oozed with warrior culture. Trophies, weapons and armour adorned the walls. Corra grew up immersed and enchanted in a society that valued physical might. She was always eager to compete in the athletic competitions and strived to keep up with her older brothers.
1
Lone Survivor
Corra was forced to grow up very quickly. Watching her family slaughtered before her eyes and driven into the wilderness to survive alone, she only had herself to rely on. Although the voice of her patron god guided her initially, Corra eventually developed skills to survive in the wilderness.
Chosen Powers RADIANT STRIKE
RIGHTEOUS DEFENSE
SPEED OF LIGHT
standard
reaction
standard - movement - overdrive
For a brie moment, you are imbued with divine precognition. You readily parry or block your opponent’s blow, blunting the impact.
Your weapon glows with heavenly power and you toss it up to a nearby distance. As soon as it lands your body explodes with golden energy and instantly streaks across the battlefield to rejoin with your weapon.
effects
effects
Transorming your weapon into a torch or justice, you illuminate the darkness within your target’s soul. You empower your weapon to detonate in a flash o divine light upon impact, disorienting your target.
success
failure
Your target suffers your normal physical attack damage. Your target’s Attack Rating is lowered by your +MIGHT for 1
round
Your target suffers half
your normal attack damage but managed to close its eyes beore the explosion o light went off.
Declare usage beore rolling damage. Increase your Armor Value (AV) by 1d4+PRESENCE against a single melee or ranged attack. Increase dice used rom 1d4 to 2d4 at Level 5.
cost
target
range
cost
target
2 Fervor
Single Enemy
Adjacent
2 Fervor
Sel
You avoid all Provoked Attacks as you bolt towards the NEARBY targeted area. Upon reaching your destination, you cause a massive explosion of radiant energy dealing 2d4+MIGHT divine damage to all enemies adjacent to you. Upgrades later on will allow you to increase the distance to FAR or Blind enemies.
range
cost
target
range
Sel
3 Fervor
Enemy or Area
Nearby
Rules
rules the basics This section will outline the basic gist o the rules system. Once you understand the undamental flow o the game, the more advanced rules in the pages ollowing this introduction will be easily picked up. Drawing out the battlefield isn’t always necessary especially or quick battles. “Theatre o the Mind” or playing things out in an imaginative space can be subbed in easily or such quick encounters.
Using a laminate or easy-wipe material or your map sheet will allow or quick adjustments to the battlefield and also cut back on paper.
While miniatures aren’t at all necessary, We’ve ound it greatly enhances the eeling o immersion and is more exciting than having a circle with your character’s name on the map.
“Why �d��?” For the statistically inclined, the �d�� gives us a nice tent distribution which creates a more consistent rolling result while still having enough play to hit those extreme values more oten than not -- it’s exciting to crit! An additional bonus is �d�� allows rolling or doubles which recharges your class resource adding another chance to celebrate baked into each roll.
what you need to play • A standard set o polyhedral dice that includes a: d�, d�, d�, d��, d��, d�� & d��� • Pens, pencils or markers • A large sheet to draw on • The Unity Core Rulebook • A Character Sheet or Premade Character • At least a couple o riends optional materials • Miniatures • Tokens or Poker Chips
resolution mechanic The main resolution mechanic in Unity is rolling �d�� and adding up all appropriate bonuses or penalties and checking that against a Target Number (TN). Meeting or exceeding the TN results in success or the given action whereas alling below the TN generally results in ailure but oten, there are unique ailure effects attached to many given actions in the game. Target Numbers are used as a representation o difficulty, with a higher number indicating an increased difficulty. Within combat, TNs are the enemy’s Defense Rating or a certain attribute that your character must overcome in order to land a successul hit. Outside o combat, TNs can be selected by the GM based off o a Difficulty Table that can be ound on pg. ��. The main resolution mechanic is used both outside o and within combat situations. You would roll �d�� + Modifiers or stealing some bread, charming the local bartender, trying to scale a wall or attempting to cleave a savage beast in hal.
is the Target Number or the attempted action in this case). A solid hit. Arathmis drives his blade deep into the sot flesh o the surprised thug. He rolls his damage and adds bonus backstab damage on top o it. It’s more than enough to end the poor thug’s lie. The blade finds its way in between the thug’s vertebrae and severs his spine.
Non-Combat Example. Loxana the Dreadnought is interrogating a captured prisoner or more inormation on the whereabouts o the rest o his gang. Every moment spent trying to squeeze an answer out o this uncooperative cur is another chance that someone else might get hurt. Running out o patience, Loxana decides to physically intimidate the prisoner or some answers. The prisoner is a scrawny yet smug man who while somewhat spineless, is still the captain o his gang. The GM takes this into account as he looks at the Difficulty Table to determine how challenging it will be to make the prisoner cough up some answers. He settles on “Demanding - Requires both ocus and skill to achieve”. The TN is set to ��. Loxana’s player knows that PRESENCE is used as a base attribute or social interactions and she has +� PRESENCE. She checks her Core Paths to see i any are applicable to the situation. One o her Core Paths - Grizzled Soldier will definitely count or intimidation. The last area to check is her Class Perks. As a Dreadnought, she had chosen Ferocious Presence as her Class Perk and she can now expend some Fury to also include her MIGHT modifier wherever intimidation or threats are concerned. She rolls [�d��] + [�] Presence + [�] Grizzled Soldier Core Path + [�] Ferocious Presence Perk. She gets a total o ��.
Loxana grabs the bound man by the throat liting him clean off the ground. Her eyes narrow, ull o intensity “I’m only going to ask you one more time. Where are they?” as her fingers slowly tighten their grip. The dangling man spills the beans but not beore In Combat Example. Arathmis the Vallan Phantom spilling something else in his pants. attempts to backstab the burly thug who’s currently fighting his riend. The thug is wearing nothing but a pair o ale-soaked pants and boots. He’s a bit on the rotund side and seems overly drunk. His Deense Rating (DR) is only ��. Arthamis rolls [�d��] + His Attack Rating (AR) o [�]. His total is ��, exceeding the thug’s DR o �� (which
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Rules
failing forward What happens when you roll under the TN and ail a roll? In Unity , ailing doesn’t always mean that nothing happens. In act ailing can lead to some very interesting situations that would not have otherwise happened. The spirit o the game encourages players to explore possibilities and GMs to acilitate alternatives to “you miss.” Outside o combat, there are rules that provide a margin or some slush in the TN vs the player’s roll. I a player’s roll result is barely under the designated TN, the GM is encouraged but not orced to make the ailure interesting. The GM’s Guide section o this book has guidelines on how to handle these situations and provides multiple examples to inspire your own play. While Unity’s design encourages ailing orward, there will be situations where orcing such mechanics do not really make sense. It also can become mentally exhausting or the GM to constantly come up with interesting outcomes or tasks that are airly straightorward and lack the potential to spiral into something more. The general philosophy on ailing orward is to engage the guidelines when it’s easy and it makes sense. There is no point in wracking your brain to figure out what happens i Bob barely rolls under the TN or picking the lock o a box in an empty room. In this situation, it’s ok to say “You ail to pick the lock.” Within combat, there are rules that dictate what happens on basic attacks when you ail to overcome your opponent’s deenses. Many o the powers available to the classes have ailure conditions tied to them as well. There is a strong emphasis on constantly moving things orward and avoiding stagnation. See the Combat Section ( pg. �� ) and Classes ( pg. �� ) section o the book or an extensive write up.
gm dice rolling optional The deault rules are setup to ree the GM rom having to roll any dice. This allows the GM to ocus solely on adjudicating, spinning cinematic descriptions, and creating memorable situations or the players. In combat, GMs are able to describe the battle as one cohesive scene as the dice results simultaneously reveal themselves. It moves away rom the traditional one to one engagement as the GM moves rom one player to the next, figuring out what’s happening on an individual basis. Encounters become increasingly cinematic and ree flowing with players that are more readily engaged because they aren’t always waiting or the GM to deal with Dave, then Sarah, then Joe beore they get to their turn. However, the GM’s Guide section ( pg. ��� ) contains alternate rules to allow the GM to roll. There will always be
fail forward example Brother Darius is a holy man, having ound the aith in his later years. Those that have come to know him respect him as their local Priest. Those that have known him beore he ound his calling remember his years as a teenage ruffian and street rat. Passing through the marketplace on a sunny morning, Darius is drawn to the tantalizing aroma o resh meat pies being sold by the town’s baker. The temple has been a bit tight on money lately and Darius doesn’t have enough to purchase a pie. He looks around slyly, his eyes shitily darting let and right. “ It’s just a pie, no one will miss it” he thinks to himsel, as his chubby fingers dart out to snatch one. Some old habits die hard. It’s a busy marketplace with lots o eyes and Darius is out o practice while being a good deal heavier than when he was as a spry young man. Darius barely ails his roll or attempting to steal the meat pie. The GM’s eyes light up at the possibilities she can spin this situation into:
�. Maybe Darius in his nervousness and lack o practice, squeezes a bit too hard and crushes part o the pie. Sure, he gets a piece but now his hands and some o his clothes are stained with meat sauce. He better think ast because this situation might escalate i someone notices.
�. Maybe Darius gets the pie but as he’s moving it into the olds o his robe, it drops to the ground. It sits there in the hot sun, caked in dirt, bugs, and possibly dung. The entire table leans in a bit closer, wondering i this gluttonous man o the cloth will decide to shovel the pie into his mouth regardless. It’s a bit o a character defining moment and could potentially be a running joke among the group.
�. Darius manages to get the whole pie saely concealed and into the olds o his robe. Success! Or is it? The GM begins to describe a small street urchin with a ruddy ace and disheveled hair pointing at Darius. A large smirk crosses the urchin’s ace “I know what you did mister and I’m telling.” What’s Darius going to do? Perhaps bribe the child? Share some o the pie with her? Or maybe he’ll threaten her. Whatever happens, the choices can continue to spiral and lead to the possibility o something interesting. Darius’ choice might reveal a bit o his past to the players around the table, engaging everyone on an emotional level. The street urchin, troublesome as she may be, is still a kindred spirit as Darius might recall the eeling o being hungry and cold in his younger years wandering the streets alone as well. Maybe engaging the street urchin will lead to a new side-quest about a certain gang in the city bullying and using the homeless children or their own ends. Who knows where ailure will take you?
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Rules rules to allow the GM to roll. There will always be something very visceral and satisying about tossing dice and GMs shouldn’t be let out o the un i they so desire it. The trade off will be some o the benefits mentioned earlier but that’s a personal call or you and your group to make.
benefit & hindrance Inflicting Hindrance on an enemy is very powerul. It allows any o your allies to attack or deend rom that enemy with Benefit or the duration o the effect.
Throughout the game, your character may receive various bonuses and penalties. One o the more common conditions that will crop up is Benefit/ Hindrance . As mentioned earlier, all tasks combative or otherwise are resolved through rolling a �d�� and adding the appropriate modifiers. A state o Benefit or Hindrance affects the roll as ollows:
Spark Points are accrued in a communal pool, allowing players to utilize them as a team and ensuring that less articulate players do not eel penalized compared to their more flamboyant peers. This communal pool or Spark Points is represented by a single dice placed somewhere visible on the table. The dice goes up by � every time a Spark is awarded.
determining the spark dice At the beginning o every game, the GM will determine the dice used to keep track o Spark Points. This determination is based on the number o players and difficulty o the campaign. Default Spark Rules for � Players
Spark Points to save the day. Spark Points are there or you to use in order to ensure the greatest chance o successully pulling off a combo or giving that one last desperate attempt as much needed boost to succeed. It’s also so much cooler or everyone at the table when you describe your Phantom as descending rom the shadowy ledge above like a deadly panther pouncing on its prey, quivering with anticipation o the kill -- rathen than “I jump on the guard.”
BENEFIT: Roll �d�� and discard the lowest dice. HINDRANCE: Roll �d�� and discard the highest dice.
�� Maximum Spark Capacity (�d��) Requires � Sparks or � Moment o Glory
Benefit/Hindrance does NOT stack with each other or with powers granting similar effects. These effects also cancel each other out on a one to one basis. I you have two Benefits and one Hindrance, the first Benefit cancels out the single Hindrance and you still have Benefit.
Number of Players. The more players a game has,
always round down
Difficulty. Moments o Glory are incredible boons
Whenever you come across a result that doesn’t equal a whole number but a raction, always round down to the nearest whole number. Many powers will call or you to use “hal o XX”. i.e. A power calls or you to receive hal your total hitpoints as a shield. I you have �� hitpoints, the shield’s result would be a � rounded down rom �.�.
spark points Part o the magic o roleplaying is b eing transported to a different world and really eeling immersed in the moment whether that’s sitting in a cozy tavern slamming down a tankard o ale with your riends or battling a horde o wild rat men in a rain soaked orest. A lot o this immersion relies on strong imagery and vivid descriptions o what’s currently going on in the scene. By the deault nature o roleplaying games this responsibility tends to all on the GM’s shoulders. In Unity , players are encouraged and provided a strong incentive to take part in picking up a brush and painting a more cinematic scene alongside the GM. This incentive comes in the orm o Spark Points. Spark Points are awarded when players take the extra step to vividly describe their actions and elevate the experience at the table or everyone. When a certain amount o points are acquired, players may expend part o the pool to have a Moment of Glory where they receive Benefit on their next action.
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the aster Spark Points might be potentially generated and used. You may want to increase the Moment o Glory threshold along with the maximum Spark Points capacity (use a dice with more aces).
or player characters. They increase the chance o a successul action significantly. While you might want to encourage your players to take part in vividly describing their actions and perceptions, the game may become a bit too easy i you have a particularly imaginative and talkative group o players. By lowering the max capacity or Spark Points and increasing the threshold or a Moment o Glory, you may effectively balance the mechanic to find the right level o effort vs reward to maintain the difficulty you intend or your campaign.
sparks Nick’s character, Kelso the Crazed, just managed to roll double ��s on his attack roll (critical hit) against a cultist mage using his Phantom power Garrote.
No Spark: “I slice open the mage’s throat.” Spark: “He doesn’t see me coming. I toss my blade rom one hand to another gently as I tip toe up behind the cultist. A devilish smirk ap pears on my ace. With one singular motion, all you see is a flash o steel across his throat. It’s ollowed by a spray o blood and the gurgling death sounds o the poor bastard. He clutches his throat as he drops to his knees and alls orward ace first onto the ground.”
Rules
difficulty &target numbers
ruin
When a player wants to do something (steal an item, parley or a better reward, jump across a chasm etc.), they will need to roll
The barrier separating physical reality rom the energetic dimension o the Drit is a ragile thing. Stretched taut and splintered by the orce o the Skyather sundering the world, the barrier can have the tendency to wane and tear, allowing minor breaches to open momentarily. These cracks allow ominous energy to leak in rom the ethereal ocean that lies beyond. The energy can maniest itsel in many ways but its most subtle influence is one o doom and ruin.
�d��+[Relevant Attribute]+[Any Bonuses] and hit the target number or higher to achieve success. While your character’s attributes are the cornerstone modifier or almost every action you take, your character may potentially receive additional bonuses or particular actions in the orm o Core Path Points (CPPs) or Perks. The more relevant CPPs and Perks your character has, the higher the chance o success at a particular task.
determining the target number (tn) Use the ollowing table to determine the TN or a particular task. As a GM, make judicious use o the numbers in between the ones suggested in the table below. That lee-way will help you custom tailor the difficulty to your liking and provide flexibility or the unpredictable myriad o things your players might attempt to try.
In a world that stands on the brink o apocalypse, survival has taken precedent over virtue and the hearts o the people have grown cold rom loss and tragedy. It is a vicious cycle however, as immoral acts, ear, and pain continue to uel the darker emanations rom the Drit. These emanations oten leak through invisibly into reality, maniesting itsel as misortune and karmic retribution. Mechanically, the ebb and flow o bad luck or unortunate events represents itsel as a GM resource called Ruin. Ruin provides a way or the GM to create tension and consequence or unsavory actions or shortcuts to power.
EFFECTS OF RUIN
TYPICAL DIFFICULTIES TN
DESCRIPTION
MONSTER POWERS. Some monsters and
SIMPLE
�
Everyday routine task with very low chance o ailure
NPCs will have powerul abilities to use. These abilities may have a Ruin cost associated with them.
EASY
�
Consistently achieved by the average person
BREACHES. I Ruin reaches critical levels, a
STANDARD
��
Requires ocus
DEMANDING
��
Requires both ocus and skill
CHALLENGING
��
Requires a high level o ocus and skill
HEROIC
��
Achievable only by the extraordinary or lucky
��
Your exploits will be spoken o throughout the lands
DIFFICULTY
OUTSTANDING
LEGENDARY
��
You are pretty much eating dragons or breakast
tear in reality may result. A portal rom the Drit directly into the world and all the possible horrors it can bring will maniest.
FORCED INTRUSION. When resting out in the wilderness or in a place o potential danger, there is always a chance that a party may be attacked. Ruin may be expended to guarantee this intrusion.
EMPOWERED ENCOUNTER. Ruin may be expended to cause that extra gang member to “just happen to be in the area” when his crew is being attacked by the PCs.
LIFE IS DIFFICULT. Ruin’s effects can be tangible and destructive but it can also be subtle and insidious. That NPC that you are trying to charm might be having a bad day or that lock you are picking might have tumblers that have been rusted just enough to make things more difficult than they should be.
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Difficulty is what you make it. While we list typical difficulties and their target numbers as a baseline or the average party, eel ree to adjust upwards or downwards to tailor to your specific audience. Pushing all the numbers up or decreasing them down by � or � can make a significant difference between making characters eel heroic vs mortal.
Why Ruin? We hope you employ Ruin in your game and we consider it a deault mechanic but you can very easily remove it i you are looking or a lighter campaign. Ruin can create significant amounts o tension and also lead to interesting situations that might not have otherwise happened, especially where Breaches are concerned. Ruin also acts as a balancing mechanic, giving players a sense o impetus to ulfill their mission(s), not abuse ull rests, and also to provide mechanical consequences or immoral actions like cold-blooded murder and cruel exploitation. Unity is a game about cooperation and isn’t tailored to support evil campaigns. Be sure to check out the GM Section on Ruin or a more in-depth look at how to use it pg. ���
Rules Gaining and using Ruin. GMs will accumulate Ruin points based on two actors: the passage o time and player action. These Ruin points will be stored and carried over between sessions. GMs may then spend Ruin points to enact certain effects and events. Please see pg. ��� or a guide to using Ruin as a GM.
resting and recuperations First Strike on Intrusions. The resting party is always ambushed during an Intrusion and will take their turn ater their intruders. However, certain bonuses like the Sleepless Perk rom the Dritwalker can negate this disadvantage. Glass Half Full. While Intrusions are a nuisance and can potentially be lie-threatening. Intruders might carry a ew extra Denerim in their pocket (bandits) or can be turned into a tasty meal and restore a Necessity use (a bear wanders into your camp while you sleep).
Adventuring can be hard work. Your character is mortal (or now...) and requires time to rest and recharge, especially i they’ve been expending themselves or awhile without break.
respite & full rest Characters may choose to take a Respite or a Full Rest or some downtime. Doing either o these allows characters to regain some lost hitpoints and also recharge their Class Resources.
TYPES OF REST RESPITE. A Respite is a brie rest that usually lasts at least �� minutes. This is time or a character to unwind, put their eet up, have some ood and drink, tend to any wounds, and possibly take a quick nap. During a Respite a character may use their Recuperations and recharge their Class Resource by rolling their recharge dice once. Generates � Ruin. Costs � Necessity.
FULL REST. A Full Rest will take a minimum � hours to complete. During a Full Rest, a character will use the time to sleep and regain their strength. A Full Rest will completely restore a character’s hitpoints and their Class Resource to ull. Hal o the character’s Max Recuperations will also be restored. All Maintained powers will become deactivated during a Full Rest. Generates � Ruin. Costs � Necessity.
recuperations Inevitably, your character will be hurt at some point in their career. Characters have various ways o regaining lost hitpoints such as getting a decent night’s rest or being healed through magic. Characters also have an inner reservoir o vitality to draw rom that gives them a second wind and allows them to continue fighting until they can completely rest up. This reserve energy is represented as Recuperations in Unity. Every character will start with � Recuperations as baseline and will receive � additional
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Recuperation per � points of Might . Characters will also receive additional Recuperations as they level up according to their Class Progression. � Recuperation will restore a single Recuperation Dice worth of hitpoints. i.e. A Sentinel’s Recuperation Dice is �d��. The Sentinel takes a Respite and decides to spend Recuperations. He wants to spend � Recuperations. In this case he will roll �d�� (� x �d��) and the result will be the amount o hitpoints restored or him.
intrusions Resting brings many benefits but it can also be a risky affair especially i you choose to rest in an area that can potentially be dangerous. Resting in an inn or home is generally very sae but the luxuries o proper shelter and comort are not always available to an adventurer. When you take a chance and rest in the wilderness or an area that is not completely secure, you risk the chance o an Intrusion occurring. When an Intrusion occurs, your character’s rest is interrupted by a wandering monster(s) or NPC(s). You will need to deeat the intruder(s) beore you are able to complete your rest. Determining Intrusions. When you take a Full Rest outside o a truly secure location, you will designate a party member to roll �d��. Beore rolling, the GM will declare two numbers between � and ��. I the �d�� results in any o those two numbers, an Intrusion occurs. Surprise. Intrusions always result in the party being surprised and thereore losing First Strike or the chance at a Speed check unless they have a power or bonus that says otherwise. Resource Expenditure. I a party member is incapacitated at any point during the Intrusion fight, they must expend another use o Necessities to receive Full Rest benefits, or else it will be as i they never took one.
environmental dangers Whether you are hacking your way through a dark, dank dungeon or braving the sheer cliffs o a windswept mountain, the environment you adventure can be filled with hazards.
extreme temperatures & conditions A scorching desert o endless burning sand, a reezing rostbitten ford, a damp and murky bog with a mysterious choking mist -- these are a ew o the places that you may end up in during your travels. Some o the most dangerous places in Unity hold the greatest secrets and rewards. When you are venturing into an area where conditions can be considered airly extreme, such as an ice cave with subzero temperatures, you will most likely require the appropriate measures to negate
Rules the environment’s hazards. In the case o a reezing ice cave, a source o warmth such as a fire or thick winter clothing will greatly aid you in overcoming the particular challenges o navigating a place that threatens you with rostbite and hypothermia. In cases where you are inadequately prepared or extreme conditions, you may be periodically asked roll a check to see i you are able to withstand the harsh effects o the current environment or i you will suffer damage rom being there. For environments where temperature is the main danger, you will be asked to roll �d��+MIGHT to resist the effects. Should you ail you may suffer damage (the type o damage depends on the environmental hazard) according to this table: ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE INTENSITY
TN
DAMAGE
MILD
�d�+�
MODERATE
�� ��
�d�+�
HEAVY
��
�d�+�
EXTREME
��
�d��+�
Frequency. Checks against environmental conditions should be done every ��-�� minutes o ingame time. This is generally up to the discretion o the GM and how dangerous he envisions the area (or how badly he wants you to stay out o it!).
falling Tumbling, jumping, or dropping rom a height is a very real danger. When you all, you suffer �d� unmitigated damage or every � meters o the all. I you are in a combat situation when you all ar enough to take damage, you will always be considered Staggered at the end o the all.
sustenance Heroes, mighty as they are, also require ood and water to keep going. While sustenance might not be something that needs to be meticulously tracked as each Respite or Full Rest will use up a Necessity (which includes your meal rations), there may be occasions when you and your party have gone or an extended period o time (over a day) without having taken a Respite or Full Rest. A character may unction or a day and a hal without ood and water but beyond that, they will begin to suffer -� to all four of their main attributes which in turn affect their Attack and Deense Rating and all their skill checks. This deficit will continue to stack at -� or each day ollowing. I the penalty reaches -�, the character will be considered incapacitated until they are ed and have completed a Full Rest.
Combat
combat S
teel yoursel�! For the enemy comes and it knows no ear, eels no pain, and has no soul. Set aside your differences! Tonight, we say enough. Tonight, we will fight as one. Together, we will make them remember the day they challenged our unity!
thugs gang up on Mogo and attack him. Luckily or Mogo, the thugs had a bit too much to drink earlier and their attacks clumsily miss him. The GM is now finished her turn and the Players are up. Elrath, Mogo, and Lillian are ree to act as they choose and - Mobius Stormsong, First Commander o Alpha Legion do not need to adhere to an order o action unless the players are attempting to set up a combo attack o sorts. The players Whether it’s fighting tooth and nail to save the want this encounter to end quickly and quietly as they are world against a demonic Fell horde or busting up gi- trying to curry avour rom the Lords o Greenwater. Starting ant rats in the cellar o the local tavern, combat is a a fight in town is the last thing they want. staple part o the Unity experience. Mogo is a Phantom and knows that he shines the most The combat system is ocused on working togeth- when his enemies are distracted so he can land some dirty er and combining your powers within your own class hits that will strike harder than i he has to play air. Elrath and with those o your teammates to create some agrees with his riends that it’s best to put these thugs down spectacular plays. as quickly as possible. He sees that even though they are Simultaneous turns and powers designed with typical thugs, they have some semblance o armour in the synergy in mind will provide a ast-paced and excit- orm o ragtag bands o metal and rough leather. He tells ing fighting environment or your characters. In Uni- his riends he’s got a spell that’ll make their already meager ty , players are encouraged to discuss, plan and strat- protection non-existent. Lillian smirks and tells Mogo she’ll egize their approach. GMs will have more room to provide him the distraction he needs and that Elrath should turn up the intensity o certain encounters, knowing go ahead and cast his spell because she wants to get a nice that the players have the proper tools to fight back. hit in as well. Embrace the joy o discovery as you find powWith their plan agreed upon, they set the wheels in moerul new combos and creative ways to battle your tion. Elrath conjures a blast o rost that renders the thugs’ enemies. armour brittle. Lillian slams her hammer against her shield grabbing their attention as she charges at them and bashes her shield against the head o one o the thugs shattering his brittle helmet and knocking him out cold. The other thug stares at his buddy’s unconscious body on the ground in horA combat encounter entails two parties at odds with ror. Mogo sees his chance and slides both his daggers under each other to the point that they come to blows. the remaining thug’s armpits piercing some vital organs. The Melee and ranged physical combat, along with spell thug’s eyes roll up to the back o his head and he limply alls casting are all staples o a combat encounter. In Uni- into Mogo’s arms. ty , combat is broken up into rounds. Within each Had the thugs survived, the round would turn over to o these rounds, there are turns that are based on Round 2 and the GM gets to act again. teams and not individuals. When both teams have used their turn, the round turns over and becomes a first strike new round. The majority o encounters will always Which team gets to go first when a combat enconsist o two teams: the players and the GM. counter begins? There is a priority list to go through when approaching this question. simultaneous turns As mentioned earlier, turns are based on teams and 1. The narrative o the current situation dictates the not characters. This allows an entire team to plan team that gets to go first. I the players are snuck their approach and execute it in tandem or any order up on or surprised by their assailants, the GM (and that they like. thereore the monsters) get to go first. The same When the turn alls to the Players team, all the can apply i the players are able to sneak up on their players are able to discuss and strategize then act enemies. I the narrative is able to easily decide together. Here’s an example: which team goes first, combat begins immediately.
combat sequence Round timing. For ingame timing purposes, a combat round lasts roughly �� seconds.
Players hesitant to go when there’s no clearly defined turns? See the GM Section on pg. ��� or how to handle this.
During the first round, Elrath, Mogo, and Lillian are acing off against two unsavory thugs in a dark alley in the port city o Greenwater. The two thugs got the jump on our party o three and thereore took their turn first. The GM has both
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2. In a situation where the narrative isn’t clear which side gets the upper hand, the GM always goes first but the players have a chance to roll a Speed Check or a First strike. A First Strike simply means that the
Combat players that successully complete their speed check have the choice o going beore everyone else.
speed checks Every NPC has a Speed value. The higher the value, the aster the NPC is at reacting and the more dificult it is to win a pre-emptive bonus round against them. In groups where multiple NPCs have different Speed values, the GM by deault, can pick the highest Speed value or the players to roll their Speed check against. Another option is the GM could also take the average Speed value o the NPC group. Players perorm their Speed Check by rolling 2d10 + SPEED. A player’s Speed value is usually their AGILITY bonus plus any applicable bonuses rom their powers or traits.
SUCCESS. Player’s Speed Check is greater or equal to the Speed value o the enemy group. The player gets to act first alongside other players that were also successul on their Speed Check.
FAILURE. Player’s Speed Check is less than the Speed value o the enemy group. The player’s turn will come ater the GM is finished her turn. Examples o when to let the narrative dictate the turn order and when to use a Speed Check.
Dictated by the Narrative. The heroes are sneaking through a graveyard and come up behind some un suspecting grave robbers. One o the characters notes that he remembers reading about a bounty or a band o thieves that have been pillaging about the town. The party decides to take these grave robbers down and strike with the element o surprise.
Round 1. All the players go first. The GM goes aterwards.
your turn On your turn you have a certain amount o actions you may take. It’s first important to take a look at all the types o actions that are available.
TYPES OF ACTION STANDARD. This action encompasses perorming basic attacks, using a majority o your powers, or perorming tasks in combat that might require at the minimum a moderate amount o effort or mental expertise.
MOVEMENT. This is your basic move action. It allows your character to move a distance one range band i.e. you may use your Movement action to move to a NEARBY enemy.
QUICK. These actions are easy to execute or happen so quickly that they don’t take away rom your ability to perorm other actions.
FREE. These actions are completely ree and have no limit on how many times you can do them per round.
REACTION. You may invoke a Reaction power when a certain condition is met (i.e. you take damage). Reactions may be used even when it is not your turn.
MAINTAIN. This action is or powers that have an on-going component. i.e. An aura that requires you to reserve X amount o resource as long as you maintain it.
OVERDRIVE. This action is or powers that are so powerul, your character only has the energy to use them once per Full Rest.
Round 2. Players go then GM goes. Narrative Unclear. The heroes are in a rowdy and bustling tavern having drinks with the local townspeople. A fight breaks out between a ew strongmen and one o the party members. Both sides draw their weapons. The GM notes that the Speed value or the group o rambunctious strongmen is 12. All our players roll their Speed Checks. Only 2 players, Joe and Jane, beat the Speed Check TN o 12.
Round 1. Joe and Jane can choose to go first and decide their course o action. The GM goes. The rest o the players go.
Round 2. The GM goes. The rest o the players go.
On your turn, you may use any o the Actions listed above once per round. You do not have to use up all the actions available to you and you may also oreit your turn i you wish as well. An exception to this rule are Reactions. They are not limited to just your turn. You may use them reactively during the GM’s turn in response to an action by one o the GM’s NPCs. Reactions are still limited however to once per round. Powers that are available to your character will always contain one o the action tags above unless it’s a Passive ability which is always “on”. Utilizing a non-passive Power will require that you to use up one or more actions depending on how demanding the power is.
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Talking in combat. I you want to hurl a ew choice words at your enemies, go right ahead - quick quips and single sentences count as Free Actions. Speeches and attempted persuasions may make you use up your Standard Action de pending on your GM’s judgment. Remember a round is roughly �� seconds in-game time.
Maintain and Reserve. When using a Maintain power, you must block off X amount o resource to keep that power active. i.e. i you have �� out o a maximum o �� Mana and use Anga’s Bloodrazor (� Mana to activate and put on Reserve), you effectively have your maximum amount o mana reduced to � or as long as you maintain the Bloodrazor power. Even when you receive a recharge, you cannot go above � until you dismiss the power.
Combat
moving around in battle Very Far. While Very Far is provided as a distance band, it should be used sparingly when setting up encounters. Think o artillery or a commander standing in the back lines. Relying heavily on this distance to create challenge may also create rustration among your melee characters as they will spend most o their turn attempting to reach their target. Using the Very Far distance to signal incoming enemies charging into the fight however is a great idea to add tension and give your players a bit o a heads up to prepare.
Be Clear. Be Easy. I this is the first time you are using distance bands, it’s important to clearly state how ar all the characters on the map are rom each other using the terminology provided on this page. Over time, you and your players will grow accustomed to the visual spacing on the map to quickly assess distances. This acclimation varies rom group to group depending on the size o the sheet you use to represent the map and what you dictate visually as adjacent, nearby, ar or very ar. Encourage your players to always ask when in doubt.
By deault, your Movement action allows you to move up to one range band. Relative to your character this means, your character will always be able to move to a Nearby location/enemy/ally.
Positioning and movement are an important part o combat. Maneuvering your character around the battlefield utilizes your Movement action. Distances in Unity use Range Bands instead o discrete units o measurement.
range bands Grids are not required to play Unity . Distances are abstracted and simplified into our categories:
ADJACENT. When a character is adjacent to something, the character is within 2.5m o it. Anything within reach or a quick step away is considered adjacent.
NEARBY. When a character is nearby to something, the character is between 2.5m-8m o it. Most characters can move to a nearby distance using a single move action.
FAR. When a character is ar rom something, the character is between 8m-16m o it. Most characters require two move actions to reach a ar distance.
VERY FAR. When a character is very ar rom something, the character is considered to be between 16m-24m rom it. In a combat situation, a target that is very ar away rom a character will require three standard move actions to reach.
We also recommend ruling in avour o the players when a mis judgment arises over distance. Let them pull off their ‘cool thing’ and possibly create a happy memory -- you can always toss more monsters at them later.
rushing Characters have the ability to move up to 2 Range Bands i they sacrifice their Standard action and combine it with their Movement action. This is called Rushing. When a character is Rushing, he combines both his Standard and Movement action to move up to a Far distance (2 Range Bands) relative to where he is. provoked attacks While you move throughout the battlefield, you will be passing by both allies and oes. Passing by/through or moving away rom an Adjacent ally has no negative eects. However i you are attempting to move past an enemy or disengage rom them i they are Adjacent to you, then you will suffer a Provoked Attack. The enemy(s) you are trying to move past or away rom will get to perorm a single basic melee attack (unless they have a power that says otherwise) on you. There is no limit to how many Provoked Attacks an enemy may make per round each time someone provokes an attack rom them.
ADJACENT
NEARBY
FAR
VERY FAR
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Combat Players may also make Provoked Attacks on enemies that the GM try to move past or away rom you.
attacking making a basic attack Basic melee and ranged attacks use your Standard action. As long as you have a Standard action to spend you will always be able to make a basic attack on an enemy. There are plenty o offensive powers that will be available to you that will also use your Standard action. These powers oten have a resource cost and while powerul, should be thoughtully used. In Unity, combat always tries to move orward and there are options or you to choose rom even when your basic attacks ail. BASIC MELEE ATTACK SUCCESS
Target suffers your ull basic melee damage.
FAILURE
Choose between: Miss. You completely miss your target. Force. You orce the attack, dealing hal your basic melee damage without any modifiers. You leave yoursel wide open or an immediate retaliation that automatically hits or basic attack damage. BASIC RANGED ATTACK
SUCCESS
Target suffers your ull basic ranged damage.
FAILURE
Choose between: Miss. You completely miss your target. Force. You put yoursel in a vulnerable position to get your shot off, landing hal your damage without any modifiers. Your lose your Movement action next round and the first attack made against you is an automatic hit.
When you make a basic attack on an enemy, you roll 2d10+Attack Rating (AR). Your Attack Rating is always based on your Main Attribute (each Class has their own Main Attribute).Your total result must be equal or greater than your enemy’s Deense Rating (DR) in order to successully land your attack.
landing a basic attack I your basic melee or ranged attack successully hits your target, you now get to roll or d amage. The dice
you use to roll your basic attack damage varies rom the type o weapon you are using. For example, a Dreadnought wielding a massive Great Axe will be using a 1d12 when calculating their Basic Attack damage. On a successul hit, the Dreadnought will roll 1d12+MIGHT (the Dreadnought’s main attribute) to calculate his damage.
attack multiple targets at a time You may pick up powers or your class that allow you to strike multiple enemies. These attacks ollow the same rules as making a basic attack. You will roll 2d10+AR once whether there are 2 enemies or 10 that you are able to hit. The single result will be checked against the Deense Rating o each enemy. Matching or exceeding the DR will result in a hit. You will then roll damage once and all enemies hit will suffer that damage ater Armour and Resistances are taken into account. See side bar or alternative rules or attacking multiple targets. powers All characters will have access to a variety o powers based on their race and class. These powers may be used to incredible effect in combat. Some o these powers are passive effects that are always on and may modiy a character’s attacks or deenses in some way. However, most powers will be actively chosen and used by the player. These powers tend to have unique effects and it’s important that you read the power’s descriptions and usage careully to understand how to employ them on the battlefield. Every single power is categorized into the various Actions listed in the Action list at the beginning o this chapter. Some powers use up multiple action types but are quite powerul. Most o the time, powers will require you to expend class resources to activate them. massive hits & adrenaline rush There will be moments in battle when your attacks might roll incredibly well and can potentially cause a Massive Hit. These attacks do triple their base damage on a single target attack (a 1d12 roll becomes a 3d12) and they will cause maximum damage on a multiple target attack (a 1d12 roll will always cause 12 damage to all targets caught in the area o effect). You have the choice o orgoing a Massive Hit and instead choose to receive an Adrenaline Rush instead. Adrenaline Rush will instantly restore one o your spent Overdrive powers so that you m ay use it again without taking a Full Rest. Massive Hits & Adrenaline Rushes occur when you roll two 10s on your Attack Roll. Class resource recharging rules still apply or rolling doubles as well.
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Alternative Multiple Target Attack Rules. An alternative ap proach or more granularity and dice rolling is to roll your attack and damage or each individual enemy that’s caught in the attack. The deault rule is there to speed up the game and streamline the action, but absolutely eel ree to adjust the rules to suit the desires and playstyle o the table. Something we do our games is leave that choice to the player – in critical moments they’ll want to roll or each enemy hit and other times they’ll opt or the deault rules in the interest o speed.
Massive Hits. It is incredibly rare or a Massive Hit to occur but when it does, it may outright annihilate a powerul enemy in a single blow, depending on the power used.
No modifiers on Forced Attacks. What does this mean? It means you only get to roll the damage dice o your attack and not include your main stat bonus or any bonus you might have rom a passive power or buff. I you normally inflict �d�+� damage on a successul attack, orcing the attack will always inflict hal o �d� only.
Ranged Attack at Melee. Basic Ranged attacks made at melee range are subject to Hindrance. Powers do not suffer this penalty.
Ranged Attack Distance. Ranged Attacks can hit up to Very Far targets. Some powers or weapons may state a reduced range, in these cases always go with what the power or weapon says.
Combat
Alternative GM dice rolling rules. You might be wondering when does the GM roll dice in combat i the players are rolling deense or them selves? By deault, Unity doesn’t ask GMs to make any rolls to allow them to ocus on narrating and adjudicating. However, many GMs do enjoy rolling dice and may opt to use an alternative set o rules. See pg. ��� or details.
Shooting into Melee. By deault, there is no penalty or shooting at enemies that your allies are entangled in a melee with. While this hurts realism a little bit, we ound it hurt ranged-damage dealers enjoyment o the game a lot more. However, i your group values some more realism, we suggest applying Hindrance on ranged attacks directed at enemies that are engaged with your allies to simulate the extra struggle o being careul not to hit your teammates.
defending defending against an attack The GM will orchestrate and describe attacks being made on your character during the GM’s turn. A GM may say, “The goblin looks at you Asher and lashes out at your stomach with its rusty blade. Roll Deense.” It will be up to you as the player to roll Deense or your character against these attacks to see i they land or not. For every attack that’s attempted on your character, you will roll 2d10+Deense Rating (DR) against a Target Number (your attacker’s Attack Rating) to see i the hit lands or not. I your Deense roll is equal to or higher than your TN, you successully evade the attack. I it is lower, the attack lands and you will suffer the damage and effects that entails. I you are caught in the blast o an area o effect attack, you will roll Deense against the AR o that attack, a success means you take hal damage. taking damage I you ail to deend against an attack, the GM will tell you to roll damage. He will let you know what dice to use and how much to add on to the result. Armour and Resistances work exactly the same as outlined in the Attacking section above and will reduce damage received based on type. The final amount ater any reductions will be removed rom your current pool o hitpoints.
armour and resistances Ater rolling or damage, the results can be reduced urther by Armour and/or Resistances. Armour reduces all physical damage by a static amount – i.e. 2 Armour will reduce all physical damage received per strike by 2. Resistances apply to certain schools o magic and elemental damage types. They work similarly to Armour and reduce that particular type o damage by their stated value. Bear in mind, that the monsters and enemies you ace may also have some orm o armour or resistance that unctions the exact same way it does or your character. ELEMENTAL TYPES FIRE FROST ELECTRIC ARCANE DIVINE CORROSIVE
Combat reaction powers Most oten, Reaction type powers are used in response to receiving an attack. While Deending you may declare your Reaction i applicable to the situation and you have enough resources to utilize the power. For example, a Phantom deends against a bludgeoning strike rom the club o a bandit. The Phantom isn’t able to quite dodge the blow and it strikes or 5 damage. The Phantom uses her Reaction power Tumble and calls out that she tumbles away 3 damage and expends 1 Guile to do so. Reaction powers can only be used once per round.
recharging resources In the heat o combat, rolling doubles (two 3s, two 5s, two 1s etc.) on your Attack or Deense rolls grants you the ability to recharge some o your class’s resource. The dice used to determine how many resources are restored varies by class and also by certain powers and perks that you can pick up as you grow in power. For example, a Mystic that rolls double 5s on an attack roll will get to roll a 1d6 to determine how much Mana is recharged. I that character were a Judge instead, she’d roll 1d4 to determine how much Fervor is recharged. Please see your Class section to determine recharge dice.
a reflection o their reflexes). More examples are provided in the GM section to help provide a oundation to get GMs started or improvised situations such as this.
incapacitation & death In the grisly heat o battle, your character may sustain wounds too great to bear and become incapacitated and possibly killed. When your hitpoints are reduced to 0, you are no longer able to take any actions. Your character is considered incapacitated and is now creeping towards Death’s door. Any attack that pushes your HP to 0, immediately knocks you down and out and you gain 1 stack o Fading. I you have 5 out o 12 HP and an attack hits you or 10 damage, your HP should be at -5 but it’s put to 0 and you are considered incapacitated. The exception to this rule is when the “killing blow” strikes with such orce that it turns your HP value into a negative number that is equal to or more than your total HP. In this instance, your character is immediately killed. I the same blow rom the previous example hit or 17 damage, your character would be instantly killed as the result would have been -12 HP, which is your total max HP. When incapacitated, you will roll 2d10 each round to see what happens to your character. When you reach 5 or more stacks o Fading you die.
other actions in combat While a lot o the powers and different actions you can take in battle are codified and laid out as rules, the ree-orm nature o tabletop gaming encourages you to use your creativity to expand what’s possible as you and your allies attempt to best your enemies. There may be objects in the environment that you might be able to use to your advantage. Flipping a table over or cover, swinging rom a rope or sliding down a slope or more momentum to your attack. Your GM is encouraged to adapt your attempts at thinking outside the box by making a call on the results (and possible detriments i you ail!) and providing you with a way to attempt your ideas. For example, you might want to cut the rope holding a heavy lighting fixture that’s just hovering above where your oes are standing. I the rope is conveniently near you, you could direct your Standard Action to making an attack on the rope and using common sense, the GM will determine how much damage needs to be inflicted or a clean cut. Your attack roll itsel could be used to determine i the fixture lands on the enemy beore they notice what’s happening and move out o the way. The TN could be set by the GM where the threshold dictates i you struck quickly and accurately enough that the enemy had no time to react (their Deense Rating is
INCAPACITATION & DEATH ROLLS 2
You eel the icy cold linger o death wash over you. Gain 3 stacks o Fading.
3-7
You slip a little closer into the darkness. Gain 2 stacks o Fading.
8-11
The world dims a bit urther. Gain 1 stack o Fading.
12-17
Your breathing is labored but steady. Hope help comes soon.
You gain your second wind and get up with HP the value o your current Level. 18-19 Your first attack gains a bonus to attack and damage equal to your stacks o Fading.
20
You gain your second wind and get up with HP the value o your current Level. Your first attack gains a bonus to attack and damage equal to double your stacks o Fading.
Stacks o Fading do not reset until the battle is o ver or a party member takes the time to Stabilize you. I you are incapacitated again ater gaining a second wind and your original stacks o Fading was at 4, you will immediately die.
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Even in death. The death rules are setup to allow or a big moment o glory. That moment when our hero comes back rom the brink o death, to rally orth and strike a massive come-back blow. While the chances are small to come back rom the grip o death on your own, there is still a chance - and where there is a chance, there is hope.
Combat
Recharging on Stabilizing. Your rolls to stabilize an ally may also grant you a recharge o resources i you manage to roll doubles during your attempt.
stabilizing incapacitated allies When you are Incapacitated, your party members may attempt to Stabilize you or heal you. Stabilizing a downed ally takes a Standard Action and immediately causes Provoked Attacks i you are adjacent to enemies. You must be adjacent to the downed ally to attempt to stabilize them. You will roll �d��. STABILIZATION ROLLS
The healing touch. Some Classes receive a perk that gives them bonuses to stabilizing allies.
Simplifying Healing an incapacitated ally. Add the ally’s Level and their current stacks o ading together. The Heal must exceed that amount to revitalize and stabilize the ally.
2-11
Your ally is stable but still down or the count. 1 stack o Fading is removed rom them. They may continue to roll on their turn to see i they are able to gain a second wind.
12-15
Your ally is stable. 3 stacks o Fading are removed and they get up with their HP set to the value o their current level.
Your ally is stable. Their stacks o Fading are erased and they get up with their HP 19-20 set to double the value o their current level.
healing incapacitated allies When casting a Healing spell on an incapacitated ally, the healing spell must heal or an amount equal or greater than the ally’s current level to stabilize them. Any stacks o Fading on the ally are added to this amount and must be surpassed by the healing or stability to occur, otherwise you subtract the healing amount rom the stacks o Fading. Healing that exceeds this threshold revitalizes your ally and they gain HP equal to the excess amount. For example, Jain is down or the count and has gained � stacks o Fading. Jain is Level �. � (Level) + � (Fading) = A threshold o � healing is required to stabilize Jain. Maria casts a heal on Jain and it hits or � HP. � (healing value) – � (stabilization threshold) = � HP. Jain gets back on his eet with � HP. When a character dies, especially at lower levels, the player will most likely need to create a new character in order to play again. Later on as characters grow in power and resources, there are avenues in which the party may be able to bring back a allen member o their team. Such power is incredibly costly and sometimes the price can be a permanent one.
status effects Precision strikes, bone crushing blows, nearious poisons, and bewitching magic are all a part o the gruesome tapestry o combat. Certain powers and creatures have the capacity to not only cause harm but also leave a debilitating effect on their target. Unity bundles many thematic status effects into a
handul o mechanics. i.e. getting blinded, deaened, numbed etc. might all under the single category o receiving Hindrance. The table below lists the standard status effects that might come up during your adventures. As a GM, eel ree to translate thematic effects to any o the mechanical categories in the table that fits the most.
STANDARD STATUS EFFECTS BENEFIT
On your next action roll �d�� instead o �d�� or your attempt. Take the two highest results.
HINDRANCE
On your next action roll �d�� instead o �d�� or your attempt. Take the two lowest results. I applied to an enemy NPC, attacks made against that NPC grant Benefit to the attacker. To minimize status effect bloat, a lot o different detriments such as being blinded, deaened, numbed etc will give Hindrance. I the duration o this debuff is not specified by the power, always assume it is or the next single attack/action against the Hindered target.
STAGGERED
A Staggered target must choose to use either their Standard or Move Action to remove their Staggered effect. This orces the target to choose between standing still and attacking (or doing something) versus being able to move to a different location. Being knocked down is an example o being Staggered.
ROOTED
The target cannot move rom where it is but may take other actions as normal.
POISONED
Take XdY or Z amount o Corrosive damage or the specified amount o rounds. Victim must roll �d��+MIGHT against a Target Number at the end o their turn or a chance to end the Poisoned effect prematurely.
DISEASED
Reduce X Attribute by Y. Attribute is reduced urther by � every �� hours that the disease is not cured. I the disease is contagious, party members in close proximity must roll �d��+MIGHT against a Target Number every �� hours to see i they become inected.
STUNNED
A very powerul effect that causes the target to be incapacitated or X rounds. Target cannot take any actions or move. All attacks against the target automatically succeed. Applying the Stun initially requires an additional roll rom the attacker to overcome the target’s MIGHT resistance.
CONFUSED
Target risks attacking the wrong target while Conused. Ater you roll or your action whether it’s making a basic attack or using one o your powers, roll �d��+MIND. Anything below a �� causes your action to be directed at a random target o the GM’s choosing. i.e. I you attack an enemy, you m ay now end up attacking an ally. I you heal an ally, you may end up healing an enemy.
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Flexibilty is key. The handul o mechanical status effects attempts to capture many o the common debilitations that might crop up during an adventure. Having broader categories act as an umbrella will allow you to easily compensate or unique situations without breaking immersion but having to look through a large list o different effects or the ‘right one’.
“Charmed” to have met you. We’d like to avoid loss o control or domination type effects as removing control rom the player can be a rustrating and un-un experience. The Stunned effect while included and goes against this philosophy is extremely rare and the majority o the time, it will be something the players do to NPCs. The rare occasion where an NPC possesses the power to Stun a player character, the power is telegraphed and should take at least � round to complete in order or the party to be able to provide some orm o counter-play to it.
Root Breaker. When rooted, abilities that cause you to teleport will break the effect.
Game Master Guide
game master guide introduction
Was it something we said? One thing we’re especially cognizant about while creating Unity was the way we communicate our ideas and suggestions and how they come across to the reader. The GM section was a daunting piece or us to write. We won’t pretend to know everything there is to know about running a good tabletop RPG session but we really want to share what worked or us especially in the context o Unity’s design. We do so humbly and without any preconceptions that “this is the way to play.” I at any point, any o the writing comes up that way, please do drop us a line and let us know where we can better shape the communication.
This section will be dedicated to providing guidance and suggestions or the Game Master (GM) on running Unity . The ormat o this section will be similar to the previous Character Creation, Rules, and Combat sections in the packet. The difference will be the inormation presented here is or GM usage in conjunction with the inormation provided previously rom each o the respective sections. A critical take away beore you dive into this guide is to approach everything as a suggestion - not gospel truth. The ideas and philosophy presented here are the tenets upon which Unity was built but in peeling back the layers a step urther, the ultimate goal o the tabletop RPG experience is to have un. Every group o players and their GM is different, and you as the GM, will most likely understand what works best with your group and i something is suggested here doesn’t sit well with you, eel ree to orgo it or tailor it so that it suits your needs.
philosophy Unity is a game about heroes and cooperation. It’s a game designed or epic moments and tries its best to unburden itsel with constant page flipping and a fixation on minute details. The game is ultimately meant to be loose and flexible. The reeorm nature o the tabletop experience will create situations where your players will go right off the rails and attempt things that the rules might not have a clear stance on or defined minutiae or. Improvisation and air judgment are required on your part in these instances. Our eelings on these moments are more to err in the way o leniency and attempting to accommodate the player(s) action, especially i it isn’t game breaking. It might make things easier or the players but their entire adventure is going to be ull o struggles. Struggles that you get to thrust upon them -- i one doesn’t work out or crumples easily to their ingenuity and creativity, we say let them have it instead o nickeling and diming the situation because you will have so many more opportunities to test them. With that being said, players that might be leaning towards actively abusing this philosophy or want to attempt an action that will have dire effects or the rest o the session or campaign, it is completely within your right to say “No, sorry you can’t do that.” I it’s or the health o the game, most players will understand. It’s calls based on eeling like the ‘antagonist’ to the player’s ‘protagonist’ that we
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ask or temperance. The GM’s role in Unity is never against the players. Both the GM and players were meant to work together to weave a living and breathing story. There should be not be any notion about winning or losing against each other.
character creation Character creation is a crucial step or both your players and yoursel. The best position to put yoursel in or this phase o the game is to let your players know that you are open and more than happy to help them bring their character concept to lie. There are some parts o character creation that will benefit greatly rom having a GM around to review and discuss.
running a session zero (recommended) Beore your players even begin to create their characters, it’s highly recommended that all o you sit down together and have a discussion on expectations and ground rules. I you haven’t selected or created a campaign at this point to run, this will be a great opportunity to find out the subject matter that interests your players the most. I you have selected or created a campaign already, this is a chance or you pitch it to your players and give them a taste o what’s to come -- it also gives you the opportunity to tweak (i you so choose) your campaign urther rom the eedback received during this session. The underlying purpose o the Session Zero is to prevent issues rom cropping up as the game progresses due to miscommunication and mismanaged expectations. This is the time where you pitch the type o game you intend on running and give general details about the campaign that you have planned. You can speak to the starting location, the overall tone you are aiming or, whether the campaign is a combat heavy dungeon delving experience or one o drama and mystery -- or maybe it’ s a mix o both. These kind o details and revealing o intentions will let your players react and respond accordingly. I it’s something that interests them, that’s antastic. Not only do they want to buy what you are selling but they can now tailor their character to fit the parameters o your campaign. From a player’s perspective, there is nothing more disappointing than making a charismatic and socially adept scoundrel only to be dragged through dungeon ater dungeon with nothing but mouth-breathing monsters to fight.
Game Master Guide
the slave that never was One o my players was an Afflicted Dritwalker named Nicolai. Dritwalking is a pretty dangerous proession i you want to call it that. Dritwalkers tend to sacrifice their lie orce in order to u se their potent abilities. Nicolai didn’t have the ortune o traveling with a Priest or Primalist so he’d have to rely solely on his powers that let him leech back health. Nicolai, ever resourceul and cautious, always liked having a plan B. His plan B was have healing elixirs on hand in case things went south. Healing elixirs are treasured items and quite difficult to come by - not to mention expensive. Nicolai managed to procure a supplier, a somewhat grisly alchemist, who would sell Nicolai elixirs or an absurd amount o Denerim or he could make them or a small ee i Nicolai could procure the ingredients himsel. One o those ingredients was resh healthy humanoid blood. As the GM, I intended it to be a difficult task or Nicolai to acquire healing elixirs as they are very powerul items. For most o the ingredients, he managed to setup a system to get but the blood component always gave him trouble. Depending on ‘supplies’ at the local hospital or i he’s run into any muggers or other people that ‘deserved it’ as o late, the price and effort was sometimes worse than just buying the elixirs outright. When Nicolai was in the desert city o Kalamshir, many days away rom his alchemist, he inquired about buying a slave. In Kalamshir, slavery is not illegal and is actually quite prolific. I got a sense o where Nicolai was going with this and I knew it would probably trivialize his challenge o creating healing elixirs. But I said yes and went along with it anyways. I had thought to mysel, I’ll just make the slave all sick, have his maintenance costs even out everything, or maybe he’s an unruly slave who will try to escape. But something else happened. I realized doing any o the above would be premature and also a slap in the ace to Nicolai’s player -- I wasn’t even sure how this would play out as it might not be abusive at all. So I completely went the opposite route and made the slave the most loyal and grateul lad Nicolai had ever met. Even ater Nicolai told him that he would most likely be bloodletting on a weekly basis and had to carry all o Nicolai’s gear, the slave was ever chipper and cheerul, just appreciative to finally see the world and escape the slavemaster’s stinging whip. The slave’s name was Gimalé - it meant “bound” in Vallan. It was a joy or me to create an entire persona and background or Gimalé. Over a handul o sessions, the entire party ell in love with Gimalé, the party Judge began to teach Gimalé how to play the flute, even Nicolai slowly let the walls come down around his Fell-scarred heart. Still the pragmatist, Nicolai intended to go through with the bloodletting (it was to be sustainable, not atal) but declared he would set Gimalé ree in the uture when Nicolai’s powers grew to a point where he would not longer require healing elixirs. Gimalé overjoyed, spoke o his dreams that would now no longer just be dreams. Never in his wildest imagination did he ever picture a scenario where he was not a slave bound to a master. He spoke o traveling, o learning music, and o finding a beautiul girl to settle down with. He was more than happy to lose a bit o blood each week or someone as ‘benevolent’ as Nicolai. Just a hal-day beore Nicolai was about to reach his alchemist, he made a short stop in a nearby town. The party split and Nicolai and Gimalé went to check out an exotic vendor that had stopped by and setup shop temporarily. The interaction spiraled out o control quickly as Nicolai had some choice words or the vendor and his prices. Things escalated and weapons were drawn. Nicolai had ailed to notice the two bodyguards in the other room. Outnumbered, Nicolai put up a solid fight but was eventually overwhelmed. As the killing b low came, Gimalé jumped in ront o it to shield his master. Just a mere boy in a loin cloth, he was deenseless as the sword atally cut into his spine. Ater accidentally murdering a deenseless kid, the bodyguard and merchant took off (I’m not that mean.) Gimalé died in Nicolai’s arms as he thanked Nicolai or some o the happiest days o his lie. The experience shook Nicolai to the core. The loss o Denerim and time meant nothing to him and Nicolai’s player decided to take the once selfish Dritwalker in a different direction. Nicolai began to ree slaves where he could (illegally) and all he would ask in return was a pint o blood. With every slave reed, he would utter “or you little buddy...” This led to some interesting adventures and situations that would oten take the game in directions I had never imagined.
Game Master Guide running a session zero continued The Session Zero is also a good time or you to either ask your players o the difficulty level o the campaign. Your players may want a grittier and harsher campaign, and knowing that they expect this, there shouldn’t be any bad blood when you change the rules to allow them ewer Necessities and Gear usages, pick 3 or 4 numbers to guess or Intrusions, increase the rate at which Ruin is generated, or lower the number o Fading stacks required beore a character eels the cold embrace o Death. Maybe your players like all the deault rules but just want more o a challenge in the way o beefier enemies or more interesting enemies that have abilities beyond “I hit him.” Things could go the complete opposite direction and you might be dealing with group o players completely resh to tabletop roleplaying. They seem a little nervous already, you might decide to loosen the reins a bit with regards to all o the above. This is the perect place or them to let you know as all o these tuning knobs were designed or this very purpose. While a lot has been discussed about what your players want, this is also an opportunity or you to inorm your players o your own expectations and i you are changing or hard-enorcing any rules. It’s always best to offer up an explanation instead o being arbitrary about it. Perhaps you eel strongly about striking the alternative rules or rolling or their starting attributes off the table completely. Perhaps there is a Class power that you want to modiy slightly or remove completely. Perhaps you might really want to emphasize the direness o the Ruin mechanic and let your players know that you are taking the Breach openings in your campaign to an extreme -- in this case Ruin increases can become a bit o a nail biting moment or your table. Outside o the game mechanics itsel, you might have expectations with regards to table etiquette, break times, talking out o character, or even the type o snacks that will be available. The Session Zero does it all. Usually as both sides exchange expectations and discuss the upcoming campaign, players may oten begin talking about party composition and synergy. Now that they know what to expect and the type o game you plan on running, it can be an organic next step to discuss the most interesting and well-suited characters they might come up with as a team. core path creation Players usually can tackle creating a character concept on their own, especially once they know what to expect rom your game. It’s usually when they get to the Core Path section that it’s strongly recommended that they consult with you on developing their Core Paths.
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This can come in the orm o them creating their Core Paths then pitching them to you. Encourage them to describe each Core Path and give them different scenarios to see i they are able to apply their Core Path in an interesting yet non-abusive way. Some players might have what they think is an amazing Core Path but then it becomes not very applicable to enough situations that it becomes airly inert mechanically. Other players will create a Core Path that encompasses too much and can easily be abused. Developing Core Paths will most likely be the longest part o character creation. They are a vital component to the roleplay and storytelling experience in Unity and should absolutely be given a lot o time and thought. In situations where players are new, you can be a little bit more lenient i they do n’t get their Core Path just right initially. Be sure to let them know that, you’d like to let them run with but be prepared to tweak it i you ask them as the game progresses. There will be times when a Core Path seems either incredibly lack luster or overpowered initially, but in actual play it adds a lot o depth to the character while not being abusive. It’s better to say yes and communicate to your players clearly that you want to give them a chance to try it out but that they should prepare themselves i you do ask them to change it ater the first session or two. This way you won’t squash a potentially interesting Core Path and character development beore it can bloom.
equipment During the character creation process, players are asked to choose starting equipment. They are given a certain amount o Denerim (between 150-250) to purchase initial equipment, necessities, and adventuring gear. Starting Wealth. The amount o starting wealth you decide to give them is another knob or you to use to tune the difficulty o their starting experience. At the bare minimum, they will most likely need to pool their remaining money to afford a hot meal and warm bed. They will need to be judicious about how they use up their Necessities and Gear as they won’t be able to restock readily until they’ve acquired more coin. Unique Equipment Types. Another equipment related topic requiring your attention is a player’s desire to wield a unique type o weapon that isn’t on the tables listed in the Equipment section. Allowing a player to embrace the vision and antasy o their character is an important part o Unity which is why there aren’t pages and pages o specific items to choose rom. I one o your players wants to wield a metal an as a weapon, work with them to find a weapons category that fits.
Game Master Guide In the case o a metal an, i they want it to be a large metal an that does 1d8 damage and their Class is competent in Medium weapons, the metal an can be considered a Medium Melee weapon and priced as such. I they wish to dual wield two metal ans, then they can be considered two Light Melee Weapons (which bump their damage up to 1d8). Mechanically, everything stays the same but the aesthetic and antasy is allowed to be expressed.
LEVELING APPROACHES STANDARD. The first and deault way is the most straight orward. Killing monsters and completing quests award XP. When a certain amount o XP is acquired, a character gains a level.
MILESTONES. XP is granted when characters hit certain campaign milestones with regards to the main storyline. You may have set certain breakpoints in the campaign where i your players have progressed that ar, they level up automatically. In a way this could be similar to gaining XP as a quest is finished, but it might span several quests, some o which may be skipped because they are not part o the main storyline. This method works well i your campaign is heavily structured and your players are on-board with a more straightorward campaign.
experience & leveling up As your players’ characters grow in power, they will level up. This is a significant event not just or them but also or you as well. Level ups not only increase character effectiveness but also bring the possibility o new powers and perks that might change the dynamic o adventuring and combat. Adapting Difficulty. You will have to adapt accordingly and be ready to improvise and tweak your encounters so that they stay challenging. i.e. the Phantom and the Dreadnought in the party received new powers or upgrades to current powers that allow them to synergize and combo in a devastating way. Physical damage output rom the party may have very well doubled -- your monsters may need a slight upgrade, perhaps that Skulker is a high ranking soldier in his clan and has the shiny armour on to show it. That is i you find your monsters melting beore your players in the first round. Please keep in mind that your adjustments should never aim to completely negate the characters’ power gains, instead they should be there to ensure that things still remain challenging and interesting. Exceptions or adjusting power are or NPCs or monsters the PCs have crossed paths with already beore but purposeully had to avoid the area or evade them. It’s a great eeling to go back and triumph over enemies that once had you quivering in your boots - be sure not to rob your players o this experience. Experience System. There are a ew ways to approach granting Experience (XP) to your players. Choosing the right one can be a decision you make together during a Session Zero.
SESSION-BASED. A level up is granted based on number o sessions. i.e. Level � might be achieved just ater � session. Level � might take � sessions. Level � might take �. There are no hard and ast rules as this method exists mainly or groups that have a limited time amount o time to play but still want to eel mechanical progression.
GM’S CHOICE. This is up to the GM’s sole discretion. Level ups are granted arbitrarily. While this is not a recommended way to approach progression, it can work well in groups that have a lot o experience playing together and there is a strong amount o trust between all members. This method consistently ensures both player and GM are exactly where they need to be with regards to progression and difficulty.
EXPERIENCE TO LEVEL 1
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How much XP to give. I you are using the Standard leveling approach, monsters will have a static XP value attached to them in the Foes and Fiends section. Quest XP is deliberately looser and flexible. Quest XP is another tuning knob or you to use to either temper or expedite character progres sion. I your group is struggling and stagnating, you may want to increase Quest XP rewards so they gain more power quicker. I your group is picking fights let and right and advancing too quickly rom the trail o bodies they leave behind them, then dialing back Quest XP is an option to balance things out. Quest XP was also designed as another ‘carrot’ or your players to chase to urther incentivize them to ollow a plot hook that’s critical to your campaign. We aim to have players at Level � ater �.�-� sessions. Level � ater another �-� sessions and slowly incrementing the time it takes to level up. We use Quest XP to help reach these goals. Your idea o pacing might be different, eel ree to use Quest XP to compensate.
Game Master Guide
adventuring necessities & gear Characters have finite resources in Necessities and Gear that require replenishing in town or through hunting and oraging.
Necessities. Necessities must be used up or every
Time waits for no one. I you find your players are spending a lot o time trying to do things like orage and hunt, don’t be araid to let them know the clock is ticking. Remember Ruin accrues time passes and the rules are loose enough or you to tell them that the last � hours they spent hunting generated � or � Ruin or you. Or i you want to stay immersive, talk about how an uneasiness creeps across their skin as they notice they’ve been out dawdling or awhile now and the sun is actually setting.
Respite or Full Rest taken. Necessities are mainly considered meal rations and can be purchased where it makes sense (a town, traveling merchant, a fisherman etc.). Necessities can also be generated by hunting and oraging or ood. Depending on the environment they are in, there might not be any chance o finding ood. In these cases it’s ok to say “There won’t be a chance to find anything meaningul here.” This usually applies while dungeon delving. However, i the party is out in the wilderness there may be ample chance to find game to hunt or ruits and nuts to orage. I the party decides to take this approach, you may introduce an element o risk into their attempts. Using the Difficulty Table on pg. �� you can adjust the TN required or a character to successully find something to eat. I they are creeping through a scorching desert, chances are slim they’ll find enough ood, but i they are in a lush orest teeming with the sounds o wildlie then the TN will be considerably lower - use you judgment. I they roll very poorly, you may introduce a complication such as an attack by a eral animal, or maybe a branch alls on them and they’ll need to try and dodge it.
Gear. Adventuring gear encompasses a wide range o useul but common items such as rope, torches, flint and tinder, bandages, shovels etc. The goal o Gear as a mechanic in the game is to abstract a lot o the minutiae o siting through pages and pages o items beore you can tell your player “Sure you can do that i you have X item.” With abstraction there can be ambiguity. You will be responsible or reining in the ambiguity and setting the parameters or what Gear can be in your particular group. It’s one thing or a player to declare their character will pull out a torch to illuminate a dark hallway (which they would strike one use o Gear off their sheet) but it’s another thing or them to declare they have a floating robotic lantern that they are sending down the hallway. Maybe a floating robotic lantern is something common in your world, but i it isn’t work with your player to come up with a compromise. Gear should be helpul but it should never transcend being mundane and utterly common - both these categories are o course, relative to the campaign and world you are running.
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artifacts and magical items Loot can be a huge part o the tabletop RPG experience. For some players it’s something they really look orward to. It is recommended that the pace and requency at which you award your players with powerul items be at 1 item per one and hal to two character levels. While this is the recommended pacing, there are checks and balances in place in case you’d like to be more generous with your players. Characters can only equip a certain amount o magical items at a time. This capacity increases as they grow in power (level up). You can spin it as a type o radiation that magical items give off and i they exceed their limit, then they are pretty much Hindered in everything they do. In this packet, there are a handul o sample artiacts in the Equipment section or you to use in your campaign. You are strongly encouraged to steal affixes and effects to create your own items, or to modiy the aesthetic or lore o the sample items to fit your campaign. Keep in mind some artiacts are very powerul and actually will change the way a character plays. You can use this to your advantage in creating interesting plot hooks and situations based on the potential predictability o the character’s action as they are motivated to approach a battle or play a certain way due to a magical item they may have.
the blade calls to me Soul Razor was a wrist blade that belonged to the inamous Halfand, a remorseless and deadly Phantom o some renown. Halfand had the blade orged rom a cache o Furian steel that had been suffused with energies rom the Drit when a breach opened directly on top o the merchant caravan carrying it. Halfand always had a bit o a cruel streak, but those that knew him said he became increasingly brutal ater having acquired Soul Razor. They also spoke o him being able to walk away casually rom a fight ater sustaining the most grievous o wounds. One o Soul Razor’s effects is that it heals its wielder i they land the killing blow. This healing effect grows in strength permanently with the more lives it takes. A once lighthearted, wise-cracking, and lovable rascal o a Phantom can quickly become a brooding murderer, driven by the weapon’s insatiable hunger or blood. From an item alone, you can drive new story lines and interesting character development that not only affects the character wielding the item but can pull the entire party into the struggle as well.
Game Master Guide
failing forward
you also hear what sounds like a cracking noise comThe philosophy o creating interesting situations out ing rom inside the chest. In the next ew seconds the o nearly successul rolls or flat out horrible ailures lid busts open and splintered wood and twisted iron fly is not an imposing policy that needs to be ollowed everywhere. You look inside and notice that jeweled figrigidly. Failing Forward should be viewed as “nice urine that would etch an incredible price has a piece to have” ideal that should pervade your mentality broken off o it. You’ll most likely be able to get someas you GM or your players. You will want to imple- thing or it but nowhere near what you could have i it ment it where it is convenient and makes sense. It’s were whole. important to understand that it’s not worth stressing and wracking your brain or genius possibilities Putting a price on success allows you to continue when one o your players ails their roll on an action. moving orward and also give your player some meaBut i it comes to you in the moment (and it will so sure o satisaction. It can also stop an ‘attempt pamuch more oten than you think), then go or it and rade’ to occur as other party members get in line to see where a hal-success or a success with some sort try their hand i you had just said “you ail to break o complication takes you and your players. open the chest.” Furthermore, the party may very Here are some suggested approaches along with well try to look or someone to repair the figurine examples to inspire your play. down the road which could be an opportunity or you to lead them to an NPC you have waiting in the Mechanical Complication. Your player may roll wings or to an area you want them to be in. quite below the TN you set or a certain task. The rest o the party might also be itching to try or suc- Narrative Complication. Can be used interchangecess i the initial attempt ailed. There’s no harm in ably with the Mechanical Complication approach everyone trying right? This can lead to an inevitable when appropriate. Narrative Complications affect brute orcing o a challenge where party members the story in some way rather than having a straight take turns attempting the same task until one o orward complication involving game mechanics. In them succeeds. Introducing a mechanical compli- the example o the chest opening attempt, a Narracation might be the appropriate approach to deter tive Complication would be that the Dreadnought such behaviour. makes a lot o noise which alerts the guards in the next room, or down the hall. Narrative ComplicaDreadnought: I pull my crowbar out o my pack (1 tions are also very useul or social challenges and Gear use) and use it to attempt to pry open this iron- can be used to great effect. bound chest. *Fails Roll* Judge: I ask the rude armer where he saw the reugees GM: You dig the crowbar into the lip o the chest’s lid. hiding. He should know that to deny me is to deny the As your brace your oot against the bottom hal o the law. chest and apply your entire weight and strength on the crowbar, it bends beore outright snapping in hal. GM: He snorts at you and spits on the ground in ront Mark off another use o Gear in addition to the use or o your eet. “Get your righteous hide off my property. I the crowbar initially. didn’t see nothing!” I the character in this case no longer has any Gear uses to expend, you could also describe how the crowbar snaps off and the jagged end stabs into the Dreadnought dealing X amount o damage. Furthermore, you could say that the Dreadnought’s clumsy and brutish attempt at opening the chest jammed it’s locking mechanism, making it even more difficult or the next person to attempt to unlock it or striking that possibility off the table completely.
Put a Price on Success. In the scenario above or the Mechanical Complication, had the Dreadnought rolled just barely under the TN you set, you might say the ollowing: GM: As you bring your weight and strength down on the crowbar, you eel the lid o the chest giving, but
Judge: I’d like to attempt to intimidate him. He’s clearly not taking me seriously and his flippant attitude needs to be checked. *Goes on a tirade about divine decree and the consequences or denying an officer o the law and ails roll* GM: As you get up in his ace and start yelling at him, he shoves you back orceully and draws an axe out rom under the table behind him. “A Judge sentenced my boy to prison or stealing medicine to save his dying mother. The lad was killed in that prison and the love o my lie died because she couldn’t get treatment. I’m sick o your kind. You walk around with your arrogance demanding everyone respect you and obey - I’ll show you the ‘re spect’ you deserve!” He lunges at you with an angry roar and attacks. The Judge just lost her lead, now does she fight the armer and risk killing him?
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Don’t stress. Again, Failing Forward is a philosophy to keep in the back o your mind as you play - not something that needs to be imposed on every single roll. Sometimes it’s difficult to come up with alternatives on the spot, and that’s ok.
It takes time. There are countless pos sibilities on how a game may go or the type o actions your players may take. There will never be an encompassing and rigidly defined way or you to come up with interesting consequences to ailure and near-successes. Making the right call will be something that grows organically rom you taking the initiative and trying out various results while gauging your players’ reactions. Adjusting your approach over time to find something that works or your table will be key to making Failing Forward work.
Game Master Guide
spark points Keeping track of Ruin. The easiest way to track Ruin is to simply record a counter or running tally in your notes. I you’d like, you could also take a d�� and adjust the ace and number to reflect the amount o Ruin you currently have. We like to carry Ruin over rom session to session so we opt to record Ruin in our notes. I you have a GM screen, you could also employ a pile o tokens in plain view o your group. Every time Ruin is generated, give them your best sly smile as you pull a ew tokens to put behind your GM screen. Or you can leave your Ruin dice wide in the open, maybe next to the Spark dice -- hope vs despair.
Spark Points can add incredible flavour and immersion to the game. It’s something that you should encourage your players to take advantage o and also provide them opportunities to do so. Judging whether a description is worthy o awarding a player a Spark Point requires you to tailor it to your group and possibly even down to the individual player. i.e. I you have a one player who isn’t very articulate but you can tell he’s really trying to be vivid to the best o his ability - give the Spark Point. Shakespearean antics are not at all required. The purpose o Spark Points is threeold. It’s meant to paint a more vivid picture o the scene unolding beore everyone’s eyes. It’s meant to increase engagement by having players think o how their action plays out instead o “I hit him.” It’s a deliberate design choice that fits in with the system as a whole. Combos are important and exciting to pull off -having some way o increasing the odds o two or more people successully landing the abilities they’d like to chain together goes a long way in player en joyment. Spark Points blossoming into a Moment o Glory give players the tools or this kind o success. To provide opportunities and nudge your players into using Spark Points, it’s suggested to ask them i they’d like to describe their actions themselves i they roll particularly well. A great attack roll? “John, that’s a definite hit, in act it’s a huge hit. Why don’t you describe in grisly detail how you eviscerate this poor Skulker?”
ruin Ruin is a tool or you to use to create tension and difficulty. All Ruin is generated rom player action and time. From the rules section, players know that being generally evil, committing immoral acts, and the passage o time all generate Ruin. “Being evil” can be a bit o a grey area. It’s best to understand that Ruin as a mechanic also acts as a balancing lever or you. A wily, roguish Phantom that lies to woo the pretty lady or dips his fingers into the deep pockets o the bigoted wealthy official to lit a ew Denerim shouldn’t be generating Ruin. Now i he were stealing ood rom a poor, starving child on the street or telling lies that might endanger an innocent lie -- then Ruin will be generated. Think o Ruin as a type o karmic retribution, it’s not completely black and white. It’s also not something that you must mull over meticulously to get right. It takes a lot o Ruin to create some significant challenges or your players, so a misstep here and there with its generation will not be game-breaking at all.
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ruin generation, decay & limits There are multiple ways to define the parameters or Ruin. Below are the deault settings and some alternative options. Generating Ruin. By deault, Ruin generates in increments rom �-�. I you are confident in judging the morality o certain acts and your group is comortable with you being arbitrary about it, you can decide the number (between � and �) o Ruin generated or a particular player action. The more intense and terrible the action is the more Ruin is generated as the abric o reality is disturbed by the psychic, emotional, and energetic allout o that reaction. i.e. stealing rom someone in need who doesn’t deserve it might generate � or � Ruin while outright murdering someone in cold blood who was innocent might instantly generate � Ruin. I you would like to let the dice to decide, have your offending player roll a �d� every time Ruin is generated outside o taking a Respite or Full Rest to determine the amount. Use a smaller dice i you’d like to be more lenient with your players. Ruin Decay & Limits. Ruin does not have limits normally. I you decide to carry Ruin rom session to session (the deault), it’s up to your discretion whether you’d like to stockpile that Ruin or not. Ruin does decay at a rate o �d�� per session. Remove the Ruin at the beginning o the session. For an alternative playstyle that can potentially keep tension high, Ruin goes to a maximum o ��. At ��, you must spend Ruin in order to gain more.
Game Master Guide using ruin Once you have enough Ruin points you may use them up or the ollowing actions: RUIN EFFECT
COST
monster powers
Variable
breach opening
��
forced intrusion
�
empower encounter
� to ��
life is difficult
�
Monster Powers. Monsters you control may sometimes have special powers that are quite potent and will require you to expend a certain amount o Ruin to activate. These powers sometimes will also have a cooldown associated with them as well. This cooldown means that the power needs X amount o rounds to recharge itsel beore it can be used again even i you already have enough Ruin.
Breach Opening. Probably the most significant and strongest effect you can use Ruin or. Breaches can open up the game in a big way, creating a new Fell battered landscape, wiping a small village off the map, unearthing a treacherous dungeon and oppor-
tunity or exploration, or creating the rise o a new threat that players must now deal with. It’s important to understand that the purpose o Breaches is both a balancing mechanic and an avenue or a spin off adventure or quest. Depending on the type o Breach and its proximity to the players or a point o interest, players can always choose to ignore the Breach. It’s up to you to decide i there will be impactul consequences either in the immediate uture or somewhere down the line. The village that the players chose to ignore as they were besieged by a Breach? They could have been valuable allies and a home base o sorts or them when a mission might take them to that area weeks down the road. Instead now, that area is inested with twisted Fell-touched denizens that the players will need to fight through or possibly give up on that area until they grow stronger. You may choose rom the list o Breach effects below as a starting point, or come up with your own creative ideas that align with the lore o a temporary portal opening to Drit. I you’d like to let the dice decide, have one o your players roll a �d�.
Force Intrusion. Players naturally suffer a chance o being attacked whenever they decide to do a Full
BREACH POSSIBILITIES
Invasion. A Breach opens and Fell Demons spill orth. Spawn a challenging encounter 1
consisting o Demonic enemies. I the party chooses to engage, encounter should be difficult enough to orce them to use a Respite or Full Rest ater.
Infusion. A Breach opens and a chaotic lightning storm orms in the area. The sur2
rounding wildlie and plant lie may possibly be inused with Drit energy (i.e. Driting Glory could bloom, eral animals may take on Fell characteristics making their hides and parts like angs and claws worth more, ore to make Demonsteel may become abundant in the area). Use the Monster Difficulty table on pg. ��� and increase all creatures in the affected area by the Moderate Increase level.
Unearthing. A Breach opens but under the earth, splitting it open and causing a 3
shiting o the land in the affected area. Subterranean creatures may spring orth rom their dwellings, or the earthquake may reveal a passage to hid den places that have been lost to time. I you have a dungeon or area that your players might have skipped over and want it to see some use, this would be a good time to incorporate it.
Aurora. A Breach opens in the sky and while nothing truly tangible comes o it, the 4
mixing o mild Drit energies and the atmosphere cause a splendid display o colours in the affected area. Sometimes you might want to give you players a ree pass, keep them on an important storyline, or you have nothing prepared or a Breach.
Devastation. A Breach opens in a populated area and either a storm or earthquake 5
causes incredible destruction to the area. Effects rom Inusion and Unearthing may also occur on top o the atermath. A place the players might know gets destroyed. NPCs they are invested in may be dead or lost. Players may eel the urge to find out.
Mastermind. A Breach opens and similar to Invasion, Fell emerge. However, this 6
time it could be a powerul high ranking demon with bigger plans in mind. They may blend in with the local populace or go to a nearby city and manipulate their way into a position o power. The players may eventually encounter them and may even be used by them unknowingly. Can be a way or you to introduce a new villain, the slow build up and uncertainty o this Breach possibility will keep your players on their toes.
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Game Master Guide
Vargs. The dire wolves o Unity.
Rest outside o a secure area. They have a ��% chance o being attacked normally. You may expend Ruin to guarantee an attack and you may also do this during a Respite as well. Furthermore, you may orce the party to give up another use o Necessities i they come under attack during a Forced Intrusion i you choose.
sity cost o the Full Rest i the monster is edible.
Empower Encounter. As the battle turns in the play-
combat sequence Unity utilizes group based turns in order to encourage and acilitate tactical combat choices and combining powers to create some spectacular plays. With the players having no specific designated turn order, the reedom might be paralyzing to those new to this style o play. Here are a couple o suggestions to help speed things along.
ers’ avour and they think the day is won, you may introduce another enemy onto the battlefield. Think o an interesting reason why they arrived when they did. An extra guard may have heard the commotion and come running to check out what the clamour was about. A deadly Varg might have caught the scent o blood in the air as it was passing nearby and honed in on the source. Ruin costs or Empowering Encounters runs between � to �� Ruin. The more Ruin you expend, the more powerul the additional enemy may be. At the base cost o � Ruin, the enemy should be o a Danger Level that’s equal to the party’s level.
Life is Difficult. Ruin works in mysterious ways. Its effects are subtle yet potent. One o the ways Ruin can maniest itsel is making lie difficult or your players. A task that they are attempting will receive a slight bump in the TN required. Increase the difficulty o the task by +� when you expend � Ruin to invoke Lie is Difficult. You can come up with a relevant reason why the task is more difficult than it should be. i.e. “It seems someone else has attempted to climb up this wall as evidenced in the shattered oothold above you. It must have crumbled to nothingness under their weight as they scaled the wall. This makes things a little more difficult or you as you have ewer spots to grab a hold o as you attempt to climb the wall.” Purpose of Intrusions Intrusions are a way o keeping tension high as players risk resting in unsae areas. They are meant to provide a real risk o death and also a chance at wasting more resources than normal. I you find your players welcoming Intrusions as a means o ree ood or extra Denerim, ramp up the strength o the intruders so that party members have a chance o going net negative resource wise. (rom being incapacitated and wasting more Necessities).
intrusions When your players take a Full Rest in the wilderness or an unsae location, there’s always a chance they might come under attack. The type o monster should be relevant to the environment they are resting in. i.e. a bear might stumble upon their camp in the wilderness, a zombie might be drawn to the scent o flesh i they are resting in a catacombs or crypt etc. The suggested difficulty o the Intrusion is having a couple o monsters o a Danger Level equal to the party’s Level or having one monster that’s � Danger Level above the party. This is subject to the amount o people in the party. These figures assume a party o � characters. Adjust up and down accordingly. I the party deeats the intruders, you may award them with some Denerim i appropriate (social humanoids) or let them attempt to negate the Neces-
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combat There are some aspects o Combat that may take time getting acclimatized to or both you and your players. This section will talk about the combat sequence, distances, and other actions in combat.
Shining a Spotlight. As you and your players jump into an encounter and the turn goes over to the players, i they are hesitant to start, you m ay put the spotlight on a player o your choosing and ask them “What do you do?” It’s suggested that you also make it clear to your entire table that anyone can jump in at anytime and discuss the turn together. I someone has an idea or a strategy, they should eel ree to speak up. Nothing is set in stone and the moves don’t need to o ccur until everyone agrees on what to do. Sometimes Shining a Spotlight is used multiple times in an encounter. This can occur i your group o players is particularly shy, new to the game, or new to each other. In time, as players grow comortable with each other and with the combat system, you may find yoursel reaching or that Spotlight less and less.
Be Ruthless. By ramping up the difficulty o the encounter either by using monsters that truly threaten your players or by using monsters in a tactically cunning way, you may potentially see a change in player behaviour as everyone is orced to become more invested and try harder lest their characters ace an untimely demise. There may be excitement in their eyes and urgency in their voices as they decide the best course o action to live through the savage encounter you’ve put orth in ront o them. It’s about finding that sweet spot between overwhelming challenge and victory being a oregone conclusion. It’s about pushing your players to the edge but leaving a glimmer o hope. Hope that can be capitalized on i they work together to overcome their enemies. Depending on your group o players and how tactically advanced they are or how powerully their party composition and power choices synergize, you will probably need a ew encounters to tease out this sweet spot in difficulty. The ideal in Unity when it comes to encounters is to eventually allow
Game Master Guide you, as the GM, to be able to go all out tactics-wise with your monsters to create riveting combat and a high level o engagement that’s shared between both players and GM. Usually punches are pulled on the GM’s behal because it’s easy to risk killing off PCs but the ree-orm nature o the combat sequence and the core conceit o party synergy at the heart o the game gives players a lot o firepower to fight back with.
distances Distances in battle are abstracted into ranged bands instead o discrete units o measurement. This allows you to be looser about the details o movement and also helps acilitate ‘theatre o the mind’ style play or smaller scale fights. It’s important to understand that distances were broken up into our different bands (Adjacent, Nearby, Far, Very Far) to speed up play and also prevent a lot o meticulous measuring and counting to see i someone can do something. Spending time debating distances with your players would be counter-intuitive to this goal. To avoid conusion, encourage your players to always eel ree to ask you or clarification i they are unsure how ar away someone or something is in relation to them. In time, usually ater a ew encounters, players will have a eel or the visual spacing between tokens or miniatures and this process will become easier. Alternative Grid Rules. While distances are abstracted, and grids aren’t required, some groups will still enjoy the idea o using a grid and having set distances. Converting the range bands or grid use is a airly simple affair. It may add some more time when it comes to movement, positioning, and determining i you are in range or an action but or some groups it’s a good trade off. I you are using a grid and want to have some standardized distances in your game ollow these guidelines: GRID DISTANCE CONVERSION ADJACENT
� SQUARE AWAY
NEARBY
BETWEEN �-� SQUARES AWAY
FAR
BETWEEN �-�� SQUARES AWAY BETWEEN ��-�� SQUARES AWAY
VERY FAR
A Movement action will carry you up to � squares rom where you are.
other actions in combat Players may attempt actions outside o basic attacks and what is codified in their powers. Generally these shouldn’t be common occurrences but there may be things in the environment that might make sense or players to manip-
ulate to their advantage. Embracing their ingenuity and allowing them some o these actions can be exciting and ulfilling or the player. It is uneasible to list every single possibility that could occur. This part o combat is let up to GM discretion on how you want to reward your players. It is suggested to incorporate some orm o risk vs reward structure i players are attempting ‘other actions’ a lot more oten than you’d like. Failure to succeed on an attempted action can result in penalties or damage taken. Depending on the action taken, you will have to tailor the effect or bonus you coner to your player or what they are trying to do. Here are some examples: �) I a player flips over a table to use as cover, you might allow them to receive Benefit on Deense Rolls or � round beore the table shatters rom the attack it receives. �) A player attempts to push over a crumbling statue onto an enemy. You ask or a MIGHT check and determine the TN o the task using the Difficulty Table on pg. �� and taking into account how heavy the statue is. Should they prove successul, you determine a range o damage and may use the strike o a heavy maul (�d�+MIGHT) rom a Dreadnought as a baseline comparison or being crushed by statue o X weight. In this case i it was a � meter stone statue, about ���kg -- you might decide it does �d� damage to its victim(s). I the player ails their roll, you may decide to say that the statue crumbles some more and the head rolls off and lands on the player �d�� damage. Or you could say nothing happens as well i you know your players rarely attempt actions such as this. �) All your players try to break the ice floor the enemy is standing on by smashing the ground with their weapons. You might decide to go around the table and have them each roll against a TN, requiring that all be successul to achieve their action. Most likely some the PCs will ail their roll, you could have them waste another turn trying again, but making note that the enemies know what they are up to and are moving on them now. As long as you attempt to generate tension and make it clear to the players that while you want to indulge their creativity, there are also potential costs to thinking outside o the box.
gm dice-rolling Alternative dice-rolling rules are kept simple. In combat, when your monsters attack you will have your PCs’ stats and you will be the one rolling Deense to see i you monster’s hit. Intrusions, generating Ruin, Breach table rolling etc. You roll those rom now on. You’ll notice throughout the game there will be moments where you ask a player to roll simply because you need someone to roll or you take back the power and the dice and go ahead and roll.
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GM Dice Rolling. Initially we had a different set o very complex rules as we reverse engineered and re-calculated monster stats to allow or GM Dice Rolling in the traditional sense o a tabletop RPG. We ound this cumbersome and a bit overkill. But we could be wrong. We understand many GMs like to roll dice and ar turned off by the idea o not being able to ‘play’. Please leave us eedback and let us know i our very simple GM Dice Rolling rules satisy that itch and i not, tell us how’d you like to see it work and also why you want to see it work that way.
Foes and Fiends
foes & fiends Enemies are a critical part o Unity. Without them, there would be no struggle, and struggle is the fire in which heroes are orged. As the GM, it’s important that the enemies you pit your players against provide an interesting and appropriate challenge. Enemies that are too easy will become a bore and enemies that are too difficult run the risk o outright killing the entire party and ending the adventure. The ollowing section will discuss the creation o enemies and how to select and tailor pre-made enemies.
encounter basics Danger Level. Every enemy has a Danger Level (DL). An enemy’s DL is similar to a player character’s Level. The DL dictates how much o a threat they will be in relation to a player character. An enemy with a DL o � would be deeated with some challenge by a Level � PC but would make or a very difficult fight or a party o our Level � PCs. Danger Level isn’t an exact science because there are so many variables at play. Your players’ skill level and amiliarity with the game, their party composition and power choices, and even how lucky they are when they roll their HP Boost at certain Levels can affect the relativity o using Danger Level as a measurement o challenge. Over time as you get a eel or how strong or weak your PCs are, you will become better at being able to construct and adjust encounters to provide that nice level o challenge. It’s important to note that Danger Level is generally calculated by the raw stats o a creature. Most creatures have powers they can utilize but the variety in these abilities makes it difficult to standardize their strength and incorporate it into a creature’s DL. There are some powers that are so potent, that an exception will be made and the creature’s DL will increase because o it.
Quantity vs. Quality. Generally, you will want to pit an equal number o creatures against the number o players in the party given that the creatures’ DLs match up with the player levels. Sometimes you might want to match a very strong lone adversary against the party and in this case you would go up a ew DLs to achieve the appropriate challenge. Other times, you might want to swarm the party with weaker creatures to create an overwhelming scenario, you would pick creatures with lower DLs relative to the party’s level in this case.
Ruin Points. Some Monsters have potent special
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abilities that can be utilized to devastating effect against players. To keep these abilities in check and balanced, monsters must expend resources similarly to how a player expends their class resource when they invoke a powerul ability. You may expend Ruin points that accumulate over the campaign to use these monster powers. I you have decided not to incorporate the Ruin mechanic into your campaign, you can treat the Ruin cost o a monster power as its “cooldown” in rounds. i.e. A Vampire Lord’s “Gaze o the Night” costs � Ruin to cast and has a baseline recharge o � rounds already. You would add the � Ruin to the � round recharge and only be able to use Gaze o the Night once every � rounds. Powers that have no cooldown and cost only � Ruin will have a � round cooldown recharge rate.
Monster Friendly Fire. Some monsters will possess powers that cause Area o Effect (AoE) damage. In cases where monsters use a multi-target power that catches their own teammates in the AoE, their teammates will automatically be hit. You may ask your players to gleeully roll this riendly fire damage or your poor troops or you may assume they take maximum damage in the interest o speed. Alternatively, i you’d like to roll or yoursel or both deending against riendly fire AoE attacks and the damage taken you may go ahead and use �d��+[Monster’s AGILITY] to see i it is equal to or greater than their teammate’s AR – o which they will then dodge the AoE attack. Note that some monster AoE powers will explicitly state that it ONLY hits enemies – in this case, their allies will be sae rom the attack even i they are in range.
Monster Death. Monsters unlike players do not become incapacitated when their HP drops to zero. They are considered dead unless they have an ability that states otherwise.
fine tuning difficulty There are many actors that go into creating an appropriately challenging encounter. These actors can fluctuate rom group to group, game to game, or even encounter to encounter. With magic items, myriad power combinations, varying levels o strategic thinking, and a variety o ways to build a character, it’s hard to find one mold or standardized approach that will fit all situations. This table below is to help you fine tune the difficulty o monsters on the fly as you get a better eel
Foes and Fiends or your players’ capabilities. Slight adjustments to monster stats are usually enough to adapt to a party that’s proving more powerul than you thought. You are suggested to increase the offensive stats first and see how well they work at creating a more challenging encounter. Adjusting HP and DR should be a last resort as those can increase the amount o time spent swinging at each other and cause the fight to drag. DIFFICULTY INCREASE
HP
AR
DR
DMG
minor
+��%
+�
+�
+�
moderate
+��%
+�
+�
+�
severe
+��%
+�
+�
+�
Armour & Resistances. Armour and Resistance Value is another tuning knob that can be utilized to modiy encounters or a satisying challenge. A PC party ull o physical damage dealers that are cutting through everything you throw at them will be given pause and orced to re-evaluate their strategy i they come up against some heavily armoured enemies. Likewise, the Mystic and Priest that have discovered a potent electric based combo that they are using to the neglect o every other power in their arsenal could use a shake up in a monster that’s highly resistant to electric attacks or even one that absorbs and heals itsel off electricity.
in the Zombie Burster, eel ree to grab that power and put it into a volatile robot instead. Change the damage rom Corrosive to Electric and tune the numbers up or down or leave them alone. It may take an encounter or two to get a eel or what’s too powerul or what’s too weak. The suggestion is or you to err on the weaker side as to not kill off your PCs and slowly ramp up the difficulty until you find an appropriate measure o challenge and excitement. This table is a rough guideline on Monster Stats or you to use as a base or creating and tweaking monsters. DANGER LEVEL
HP
AR
DR
DMG
1
�-�
��-��
��-��
+�-�
�-�
2
��-��
��-��
��-��
+�-�
�-�
3
��-��
��-��
��-��
+�
�-�
4
��-��
��-��
��-��
+�-�
�-�
5
��-��
��-��
��-��
+�-�
�-�
6
��-��
��-��
��-��
+�-�
�-�
AV
For Monster Speed scaling, add hal o the monster’s Danger Level to their Speed stat. Their base Speed should be based on how high their Agility is - or an easier time, just add their Agility to �� to use as the base Speed.
Power Usage. Difficulty can also be increased without touching monster stats but instead through tactically using their inherent powers. By utilizing powers in a thoughtul and strategic way, you ampliy the effectiveness o the monster and create more opportunities to put your PCs in a bad way. i.e. Instead o sending your Akarian Spearmen charging in, you have them sit back and use their Deflection ability while a lone Akarian Shaman stands behind them launching bolts o lightning into the PC group while maintaining a passive blanket heal on all the Akarians around her. The PCs are orced to come out rom a deensive position to deal with the lightning ‘turret’ you’ve set up, leaving them vulnerable to a hail o arrows rom the Akarian Marksman.
Armour Value should be used careully. It’s not shown in the chart but increasing the AV by a mere +� increases the monster’s staying power quite a bit unless the PC party is ull o elemental damage dealers.
creating monsters This Early Access Packet includes a handul o monsters that should provide a growing challenge rom Levels � to �. This may satisy your mechanical need or monsters but your campaign may not care or the aesthetic and lore o these creatures. You are more than encouraged to re-skin and recombine the powers and attributes o the monsters provided so that it fits your world. i.e. I your campaign takes place in a city rie with automatons but you really like the idea o an explosive suicide ability
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When to increase HP and defensive stats? While we mention, that you should move to increase offensive monster stats first when trying to make them more challenging, i players are getting First Strike oten and wiping the monsters out beore they can react, then go ahead and boost monster HP and deensive stats.
Round up when increasing monster HP. i.e. or a minor increase o 10%, a lowly mon ster with 4 HP should receive an additional +1 HP despite 10% o 4 being 0.4.
Big Jump. You might notice that the reerence table or generating Monster Stats has a airly linear progression but jumps up at Danger Level 5. This can be viewed as the PCs reaching a new tier o power as their Tier 2 powers unlock, and they gain stronger bonuses to their combat statistics.
Foes and Fiends
monster cards reading monster cards 1. danger level The number in the grey bubble indicates the Danger Level o the monster and how strong it is in relation to an average character o the same Level (see pg. ���). This Soul Eater would be able to go toe-to-toe with a Level � Character but it will give a party o our Level � characters a rough time.
Monster Actions. Similar to player characters, monsters also ollow an action economy. Monster’s generally will use a Standard action to attack, a Movement action to move, a Quick action that can be used in conjunction with other actions etc. O course not all mon sters will have abilities that utilize all the types o actions.
2. name, size ,type and xp of monster While size o monster is more a visual indicator with some minor mechanical implications (large usually means heavier), the monster type is important as certain Powers specifically target certain types o monsters. As a demon, the Soul Eater would be subject to the Judge’s power “And You Shall Know His Name” and will take additional damage rom the Judge. How much XP a monster gives is also listed here. 3. monster combat statistics Monster combat statistics are similar in description and unction to the combat statistics outlined in the Character Sheet section (see pg. ��). The main difference is that monster combat stats are static, hence their larger values. Players will roll against these static values and try to match or beat them in order to succeed. One more difference is that the monster’s hitpoints are represented by the . The Soul Eater with an AR o �� will require players to roll a Deense Roll o �� or more to dodge its attacks. 4. monster attributes Monster attributes exist to give you a sense o the monster’s capabilities and general strengths in case you were to make it into an interactive NPC or want to describe it in a certain way that highlights qualities that might stand out or not. You will also use these attributes to gauge how difficult it might be to perorm a certain action against the monster that’s out o the box i.e. The party Phantom tries to talk its way out o a bind with the Soul Eater, lying and alsely flattering it. The TN you set will be high as the Soul Eater’s mind is sharp and insightul and will most likely see past the deception (very high MIND score). 5. monster attacks This section lists the normal attacks you can choose rom when attacking with this monster. They use up your monster’s Standard action.
113
1
6
Eater 2 Soul Large, Demon, ���XP Combat Stats
3 39
3
16
15
15
15
Attributes
4
5
might
agility
mind
presence
3
2
5
2
Attacks Razor Appendages: Melee. �d�+� damage. Caustic Spittle: Ranged. Near. �d�+� Caustic damage.
6
Tactics and Abilities Puppet Master: Passive. The Soul Eater gains ull
control o any target it slays. Puppet acts as another combatant on the field, possessing all its abilities and stats prior to having its soul devoured. Puppet has hal o its ull HP.
Devour Soul: Standard. Melee. Consume whatever ragment o soul is let in one o the Soul Eater’s puppets, killing it and healing the Soul Eater or the puppet’s remaining HP .
Mind Blast: Standard. Mental Ranged. Nearby. � Ruin. �r Recharge. By projecting a psychic blast o energy at its victim, the Soul Eater can shear its mind, stunning it. This is the preerred method or a Soul Eater to eed reely without badly damaging the body o its soon to be puppet. �d� Psychic damage. Victim is stunned or � round. 6. monster tactics and abilities This section will list any tactics and special abilities a monster might have. The tags in italics ollowing the ability name indicated what type o action it uses, the type o attack it is (melee, ranged, mental) along with its range, the Ruin cost i any, and also how long it takes to recharge i applicable. The Soul Eater’s Mind Blast indicates that it will take up the Soul Eater’s Standard action, is a ranged attack that can hit up to Nearby, costs � Ruin, and will take � rounds to cooldown beore it can be used again.
Foes and Fiends
The Akari emerged during the Age o Unity as one o the many races created by the Ivory Queen to be part o the Crimson Horde. They were a tool in her misguided attempt to unite her original children against a common enemy. The Queen tried to design a race o people to rival the Valla. She recreated similar conditions conducive to the Valla’s origins, but lacked the refinement and artistic nuance o the Skyather’s abilities. Whereas the Valla were born rom the morning light o the rising sun, the Akari were ormed rom the dying light o dusk. Graceul and long-lived like their counterpart, they have constantly strived to prove themselves a worthy power in the world o Unity.
3
Akari Marksman Medium, Humanoid, ��� XP
Combat Stats 12
0
14
15
14
11
Attributes might
agility
mind
presence
1
3
1
1
Attacks Longbow: Ranged. �d�+� damage. Shortblade: Melee. �d�+� damage.
Tactics and Abilities Akari are never alone. They roam in war parties and coordinate to take down their prey. They will always avour a stealthy approach and ambushing their victims.
Stealthy: Passive. Akari are adept at avoiding detection. They receive an additional +� to their Stealth level. Marked: Action. � Ruin. Akari Marksmen will communicate and wisely bring all their firepower to bear on high priority targets first. One enemy out o the fight is one less problem to worry about. One marksman will initiate the ocus fire by marking the intended target. A red Akarian symbol will appear briefly appear above the head o the target. All attacks against the Marked target receive +� to Attack Rating and Damage. Bonus granted only to other Akari. Can only be placed on one target at a time.
Habitat. While the Valla enjoyed the lush green orests, snowcapped mountains or airy plains, the Akari ound their home in sweaty jungles and damp swamplands. The heavy canopy and thick bog mists complemented their elusive and stealthy nature perectly. Ater the Great Calamity, many Akari migrated west to the Dread Marshes. Enemies of the State. The Akari are looked down upon by the original races, especially the Valla. Both peoples have a deep-seated animosity or one another. The Valla are constantly reminded o the shadow that was created to replace them. The Akari must struggle with the act that they were hastily orged as tools o war and were denied the reedom to choose their own lives like the Valla. For the Akari, to see a Valla is to see what they could have been had their destiny not been tethered to a divine will. Twilight Walker. Created rom the light o the setting sun, the Akari are most active during the hour o twilight. They will always preer the night over daytime.
Akari 114
Foes and Fiends
3
4
Akari Spearman
Akari Shaman
Medium, Humanoid, ��� XP
Medium, Humanoid, ��� XP
Combat Stats 14
1
14
15
Combat Stats 14
11
12
4
Attributes
14
15
14
13
Attributes
might
agility
mind
presence
might
agility
mind
presence
1
3
1
1
1
2
3
1
Attacks
Attacks
Spear: Melee. �d�+� damage.
Staff: Melee. �d�+� damage.
Tactics and Abilities
Tactics and Abilities
Stealthy: Passive. Akari are adept at avoiding detec-
Stealthy: Passive. Akari are adept at avoiding detec-
tion. They receive an additional +� to their Stealth level. Pole Vault: Movement. � Ruin. The Spearman is known to use it’s spear to vault over enemies, making it significantly harder to attack them as they sail through the air. Expend Ruin to allow your Spearman to move without suffering a Provoked Attack. I they attack right ater Pole Vaulting, they inflict an additional +� damage. Deflection: Standard. � Ruin. The Spearman does a wild flourish with its spear, spinning it rapidly. You may choose yoursel or a single ally adjacent to yoursel, and grant that target a +� DR bonus or � round.
tion. They receive an additional +� to their Stealth level. Lightning Bolt: Standard. Ranged. � Ruin. The Spirit o Lightning answers the call o the Shaman as a streak o electricity arcs out rom the Shaman’s fingertips. Target is struck or �d�+� Electric damage. Leaves Static Residue on target or � round, even on a miss. All Electric attacks automatically hit targets affected by Static Residue. Stone Carapace: Passive. The earth rises to protect its champion. The Shaman’s skin is encased in a malleable stone-like sheath (AV at � represents this). Rejuvenation: Passive. The Spirit o Water lends its aid, inusing any allies Nearby to the shaman with restorative energies. The Shaman and all Nearby allies receive � HP worth o healing when the shaman takes its turn.
Akari are deadly enemies to pit against your players. Alone they are somewhat challenging but when you bring them together as a team and utilize their powers, they can pose a serious threat to any group. A Potent Combo. Protect the Shaman with covering fire rom Marksmen and the Deflection ability o the Spearman. The Shaman’s Rejuvenation will keep your troops healthy and in fighting shape. Use the Marked ability o the Marksman to ocus fire down priority targets. Ambush Them. Use the Akari’s passive adeptness at being stealthy and surprise your PCs. They may hear a rustle in the bushes and attempt a check to see i they notice anything but with such a high stealth score (��+AGILITY+STEALTHY), they’ll have a hard time detecting the ambush.
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Skulker
Foes and Fiends It was during the Age o Strie when the Ivory Queen was beginning to shape her Crimson Horde that the first o these humanoid rat-like creatures came to be. The Children o Unity called them Skulkers, a derogatory term intended to demonize them and confirm any prejudice the more ‘civilized’ races had about them. Skulkers were the ront runners and scouts o the Crimson Horde. Their size and speed made them ideal or reconnaissance and precision strikes. Re-emerging rom the Great Northern Wilds and without a grand war to be part o, Skulkers have ractured off into various tribes and now piler the countryside or ood and resources. Slippery. Skulker physiology affords them great agility and speed. What they lack in muscle, they make up or with their quickness. A Skulker always seems like it is in motion as its body has a constant subtle shake to it. This coiled excitement complements their skittish nature and allows them to achieve explosive mobility against their oes. Cunning. Skulkers are wily opponents and tend to set clever traps and ambushes rather than embrace direct battle. They utilize their numbers and speed to overwhelm their enemies ater they get the jump on them. Skulkers are also open to talking and negotiation and preer these avenues when they are clearly outmatched. Cowardly. The Children o Unity have long believed that
2
3
Skulker Crossbowman
9
Skulkers by nature, are cowards who will scurry away at the first sight o danger. While this is true in many cases, Skulker cultural ideology places a strong emphasis on always approaching every situation with the upper hand when possible. What another race sees as a earul retreat, Skulkers will argue that it is “tactical repositioning.” All’s Fair in Love and War. Skulker culture admires quick thinking and winning. There is little anare or honour or honesty in a society teeming with so many hungry mouths yet so little ood. From the moment they are born, Skulkers fight tooth and nail against their brothers and sisters or both sustenance and power in the group. The constant state o survival and striving towards ambition leads many Skulkers down a path o ruthlessness embracing an “anything goes to win” mentality. This is reflected in their battle tactics and their non-chalant use o poison in their weapons. They do not care how they win as long as they do. Rat Pack. As cutthroat as Skulker lie is, when they have a common enemy to unite against they are able to work in tandem with each other to a high degree o effectiveness. Skulkers are rarely ever alone, always preerring saety in their numbers. Skulkers will tend to surrender when they are cornered and alone, attempting to talk themselves out o their predicament.
Skulker Skirmisher
Medium, Humanoid, �� XP
Medium, Humanoid, �� XP
Combat Stats
Combat Stats
0
12
14
12
10
13
1
12
15
12
10
Attributes
Attributes might
agility
mind
presence
might
agility
mind
presence
1
3
1
1
2
3
1
1
Attacks
Attacks Skulker Crossbow: Ranged. �d�+� damage. Rusty Shortsword: Melee. �d�+� damage.
Tactics and Abilities Scurry: Reaction. When a melee attack misses the Skulker, it can reely move to a nearby distance without Provoking any attacks. Poison Bolt: Standard. Ranged. � Ruin. Each Skulker Crossbowman comes equipped with a single-shot Poison Bolt. Do an additional �d� Caustic damage and Immobilize your target or � round i they ail to resist the poison [MIGHT ��].
Spear: Melee. �d�+� damage.
Tactics and Abilities Scurry: Reaction. When a melee attack misses the Skulker, it can reely move to a nearby distance without Provoking any attacks. Opportunist: Passive. Skulker Skirmishers are not the bravest o warriors. They know when it comes to brawn and muscle they don’t really measure up to most combatants. Thereore they see no issue with stacking the deck against their enemies. Skulkers will taunt and skitter about to distract their oes, creating openings or their brethren to capitalize on. For every Skulker adjacent to your target, add +� to your AR and Damage.
117
Foes and Fiends
2
Humans
Human Soldier Medium, Humanoid, �� XP
Combat Stats 11
2
11
13
11
10
Attributes might
agility
mind
presence
2
1
1
1
Attacks One Handed Melee Weapon: Melee. �d�+� damage. Shield: Melee. �d�+� damage.
Tactics and Abilities Grit: Passive. When dealt a killing blow, the Soldier makes an immediate basic melee against their assailant beore going down.
1
Human Thug Medium, Humanoid, �� XP
Combat Stats 7
0
12
12
11
10
Attributes might
agility
mind
presence
2
1
1
1
Attacks Throwing Knives: Ranged. �d�+� damage. Knife: Melee. �d�+� damage.
Tactics and Abilities Throw Dirt: Standard. I the attack lands, the target suffers -� to their AR or � round.
Changing Race. The above NPC cards can be viewed as generic templates or you to use or low level encounters. Change the race o the Soldier or Thug to one more appropriate or the current situation.
Valla: Lower Might and HP by 2. Increase Agility and DR by 2.
Furian: Lower Mind and Agility by 1. Increase Might and HP by 2. Increase damage on all attacks by +1.
Afflicted: Remains same as Human.
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Foes and Fiends
Soul Eater
6
Soul Eater Large, Demon, ��� XP
Combat Stats 39
3
16
15
15
15
Attributes might
agility
mind
presence
3
2
5
2
Attacks Razor Appendages: Melee. �d�+� damage. Caustic Spittle: Ranged. Near. �d�+� Caustic damage.
Tactics and Abilities Puppet Master: Passive. The Soul Eater gains ull control o any target it slays. Puppet acts as another combatant on the field, possessing all its abilities and stats prior to having its soul devoured. Puppet has hal o its ull HP.
Devour Soul: Standard. Melee. Consume whatever ragment o soul is let in one o the Soul Eater’s puppets, killing it and healing the Soul Eater or the puppet’s remaining HP .
Mind Blast: Standard. Mental Ranged. Nearby. � Ruin. �r Recharge. By projecting a psychic blast o energy at its victim, the Soul Eater can shear its mind, stunning it. This is the preerred method or a Soul Eater to eed reely without badly damaging the body o its soon to be puppet. �d� Psychic damage. Victim is stunned or � round.
To know the Soul Eater is to know oblivion. The Soul Eater is one o the most terriying Fell demons to have emerged rom beyond the Drit. While large, it is not as physically imposing as some o its bigger cousins. Many adventurers would choose meeting a colossal Terrorax over running into a Soul Eater. The mere thought o having one’s soul, the very essence that makes a person a person, being torn asunder and devoured is enough to shake even the bravest warriors. Soul Eaters were spawned rom the worst o the living that were captured and pulled through the Tempest o Terror. Those that harboured wicked and devious thoughts were twisted by the Fell energies as they were dragged throughout the Drit to the dark places where demons tread. The continual exposure to demonic energies combined with the seething evil they already harboured in their hearts eventually coalesced into the monstrosity known as the Soul Eater. Endless Hunger. The Soul Eater’s gluttony knows no bounds. It relishes in the sick pleasure it derives rom devouring a living being’s essence. Once consumed, there is no hope or the victim’s soul to merge with the Drit and eventually be reborn. This act drives their continued depravity. Devious. Once a Soul Eater has consumed its victim’s essence, it has complete control over the soulless husk. One o its preerred strategies is to eed on children and then use their empty shells like puppets to lure urther unsuspecting meals into its den.
119
Foes and Fiends
2
Goblins
Goblin Sapper Small, Humanoid, �� XP
Combat Stats 7
0
12
12
3 12
Goblin Mage Small, Humanoid, �� XP
10
Combat Stats
Attributes might
agility
mind
presence
1
2
0
0
14
Throw Bomb: Ranged. �d�+� Fire damage. Dagger: Melee. �d�+� damage.
Tactics and Abilities
might
agility
mind
presence
1
2
2
0
Melt Armour: Standard. Ranged. A flickering wreath o flame bursts orth rom the mage’s fingertips as it moves towards the target. I it hits, the air around the target grows hazy as intense heat envelops their armour. Lowers target AV by -� or � round. Does no damage. Fireball: Standard. Ranged. � Ruin. A ball o fire sails through the air at its target. A successul hit causes it to explode dealing �d�+� Fire damage to the target and anything adjacent to it (hal damage to secondary targets i they succeed their Deense roll).
knocked to the ground and set off. The Sapper capitalizes on this and uses the explosion to launch itsel up in the air to land within a FAR distance (GM’s choice) �-�: The attack sets off a bomb in the Goblin’s pack and it explodes, dealing �d� fire damage to itsel and everyone ADJACENT to it (much hilarity can ensue.)
Goblin Fighter Small, Humanoid, �� XP
Combat Stats 12
12
Tactics and Abilities
�-��: Roll attack damage as normal. �-�: One o the bombs the Sapper is carrying gets
12
12
Firebolt: Ranged. �d�+� Fire damage. Staff: Melee. �d�+� damage.
Goblin Sapper, the attacking player picks up a d�� and rolls it again right away beore rolling damage:
1
14
Attacks
Short Fuse: Passive. I an attack successully strikes the
9
12
Attributes
Attacks
2
0
12
10
Attributes might
agility
mind
presence
1
2
0
0
Attacks Sword: Melee. �d�+� damage. Shortbow: Ranged. �d�+� damage.
Tactics and Abilities Hamstring: Standard. � Ruin. The Goblin Fighter lashes out at its targets legs attempting to diminish their ability to move. On a successul hit, target is Staggered or � round.
120
Foes and Fiends
Fell Spawn 2
4
Fell Spawn
11
Fellmancer
Medium, Demon Humanoid, �� XP
Medium, Demon Humanoid, ��� XP
Combat Stats
Combat Stats
0
12
13
13
15
11
0
10
14
13
13
Attributes
Attributes might
agility
mind
presence
might
agility
mind
presence
3
2
1
0
2
2
3
0
Attacks
Attacks
Claw Swipe: Melee. �d�+� damage. Fell Bolt: Ranged. �d�+� Corrosive damage.
Claw Swipe: Melee. �d�+� damage. Demon’s Bite: Melee. �d�+� damage. Ignores armour.
Tactics and Abilities
Tactics and Abilities Burrowed: Passive. Fell Spawn are oten burrowed in
Drain Life: Passive. Fellmancer attacks are empowered
the ground, laying in wait or prey to ambush. I Fell Spawn start Burrowed, note their locations on the b attlefield in your mind. They may spring up at any time during the fight but will use that round emerging rom the ground only, allowing players a chance to react.
to siphon lie and heal either the Fellmancer or its allies. Hal o the damage inflicted by the Fellmancer turns into a heal that can be channeled into the Fellmancer or its allies.
121
Foes and Fiends
Silencer 2
Silencer
Medium, Humanoid, �� XP
Combat Stats 10
1
14
12
15
10
Attributes might
agility
mind
presence
1
2
0
0
Attacks Throwing Knives: Ranged. Far. �d�+� damage. Shortblade: Melee. �d�+� damage.
Tactics and Abilities Silencers are deadly opponents that rely on attacking distracted targets and attempting to ‘silence’ them quickly beore they can retaliate.
Backstab: Passive. Melee. Melee attacks rom a Silencer on a target that currently has enemies adjacent to it receive +� bonus damage. Disable: Standard. � Ruin. A quick, yet crippling jab to the a vital spot o the target that renders them unable to use Powers or � round. Deals �d� damage.
Robotic Assassins for Hire. Silencers were once Hermes class automatons. They were created as messengers during the Age o Unity to quickly relay letters and small packages between great distances. Their useulness in the war effort was instrumental in saving many lives at the time. Now gited with sentience, many o these couriers have turned their grace and speed into a lucrative opportunity. A lot o Silencers have a callous outlook on the organic races ater the abuse they took when the war ended and their services become more menial than critical. Still, some have a code o honour and take targeted jobs i the mark is particularly rotten. Then again, some just enjoy having the extra Denerim in their pocket. Deadly but Fragile. Silencers are able to deal atal damage to oes that are distracted but Silencers are also incredibly ragile. While their speed affords them some measure o deense, it doesn’t take much to bring one down
122
Foes and Fiends
Zombies 1
3
Zombie
Zombie Burster
Medium, Undead Humanoid, �� XP
Medium, Undead Humanoid, ��� XP
Combat Stats 6
0
7
11
Combat Stats 9
7
20
0
Attributes
7
13
9
7
Attributes
might
agility
mind
presence
might
agility
mind
presence
2
0
0
0
3
0
0
0
Attacks
Attacks
Swipe: Melee. �d�+� damage. Bite: Melee. � damage.
Swipe: Melee. �d�+� damage. Bite: Melee. � damage.
Tactics and Abilities
Tactics and Abilities
Mindless: Passive. Powers affecting the mind have no
Mindless: Passive. Powers affecting the mind have no
effect on the Zombie. They cannot be reasoned with and are unaffected by morale and will never flee. Brains!: Passive. Zombies will prioritize attacking incapacitated targets using their Bite attack. I a target dies this way, they will rise as a Zombie in � hours.
effect on the Zombie. They cannot be reasoned with and are unaffected by morale and will never flee. Brains!: Passive. Zombies will prioritize attacking incapacitated targets using their Bite attack. I a target dies this way, they will rise as a Zombie in � hours. Critical Mass: Passive. Ater reaching a certain threshold o physical trauma (� HP), the Burster’s body explodes in a violent spray o acidic viscera and fluids. Anyone adjacent to the Burster when it dies takes �d�+� Corrosive damage. As the Burster approaches its explo sion threshold, players may visually see the flesh coming apart at the seams and the smaller pustules beginning to bubble and burst. Zombies are nothing more than mindless corpses driven by the singular instinct to eed. Animated by necromantic energies rom the Drit, they lumber orth rom their graves in search o flesh and brains. Lacking the ability to think, and eel they will always approach their target in the most straightorward manner, bludgeoning them with strikes and biting them when they are close enough. A zombie’s bite can transorm its victim into a zombie i the victim dies with while suffering a bite wound. A ew hours ater death, the victim will rise as a mindless zombie in search o ood as the vicious cycle continues. Zombies eel no pain and will continue unflinchingly even ater suffering heavy damage. Wary adventurers are able to hear zombies beore they come rom their telltale shuffling and loud moans. Homestead. Crypts, catacombs, and graveyards are places where you will find large concentrations o zombies, especially i they are in or near Risen lands. Breaches that orm elsewhere may also suffuse the corpses with ample energy to bring them to lie as well.
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