Fortune and Power

Fortune and Power is a roleplaying game. It is designed for use with various homebrewed low-to-mid fantasy settings. The game master is called The Adversary.

Game characters are described by traits, gifts, and fortune. Traits represent both inherent qualities and acquired skills. Gifts are special abilities that cannot be learned. Fortune is the x-factor that separates adventurers from ordinary people.

Players begin the game with a number of character points. These are used to build the player's in-game persona. The number is chosen by The Adversary based on how powerful He or She wishes beginning characters to be.

As characters adventure, The Adversary may occasionally give out experience points for their actions, usually at the end of a game session or three. Experience points may be used to increase traits in the same fashion as character points. They can also be used to obtain gifts if the player has a good explanation. This allows adventurers to grow more powerful over time.

More about character generation can be found in the following chapters. Those who wish to skip these sections can choose one of the examples in Appendix A.

The trait check is the fundamental mechanic of the game. Trait checks are used whether one is building a table, picking a lock, swinging a sword, or casting a spell.

Roll a pair of six-sided dice, add them together, and add the result to the character's trait level. High rolls are always better than low rolls. A roll of 2 is an automatic failure. A roll of 12 is an automatic success.

When a task is unopposed (such as climbing a cliff face or picking a lock), The Adversary assigns a challenge level. The player's trait check must equal or surpass this number to succeed.

If two characters are in conflict, the active character makes a trait check vs a challenge level equal to the opponent's trait plus 7. If both characters are equally active (such as two diving for the same weapon), let the player roll. If both are player characters, they may split the difference - both may roll 1d6 + Trait instead of 2d6. Highest result wins.

The difference between the trait check and the challenge level is the degree of success or failure (known hereafter as "dox" for short). A dox of 1 is a moderate success or failure; a dox of 10 is an incredible success or a horrible failure. A dox of 0 could be a partial success, a partial failure, or a tie. The dox is resolved normally in the case of automatic success or failure, but the minimum is 1.

If a situation does not require a roll (because success is trivial), then the character's trait level is the dox.

Characters may have bonuses or penalties based on tools and time. More on this in Conflict.

In-game conflict is resolved in one of two ways: talk or dice. Negotiation and conversation should be resolved through talk. Logic and reasoning should be as well, though exceptions can be made if the intellect of a character exceeds that of the player. Dice are needed when characters use traits in conflict with opposing forces.

Wounds represent physical damage caused by fists, weapons, fire, poisons, falls from great heights, and the like. A person who has ten or more wounds is incapacitated and may die.

Shocks represent mental damage caused by psionic attacks or psychological trauma. A person who has ten or more shocks is bordering on madness and may lose his mind for good.

Recovering from Wounds or Shocks takes weeks. More information on damage and recovery is found in Pain and Suffering.

Lanky the thief wants to pick a lock on a treasure chest. The lock quality is somewhere between average and good, so The Adversary decides to assign a challenge level of 14 to the task.

Lanky has a Burglar level of eight. To make the attempt he rolls 2d6+8. If Lanky's result is greater than or equal to 14, he succeeds in picking the lock.

Juk the Barbarian wants to crush the skull of Lothar the Unlucky. Juk is a level 7 Warrior. Lothar is a level 5 Athlete.

To attack, Juk rolls 2d6+7 versus a challenge level of 12 (Lothar's Athlete + 7). If Juk rolls an 11, the attack misses with a dox of 1 (a slight failure); if he rolls a 17, the attack hits with a dox of 5 (a solid success).

Emo the Small swings frantically at Mace the Ugly. Emo's Warrior trait is 3. Mace's Warrior trait is 10, giving Emo a challenge level of 17. Emo rolls a 12 for a total of 15. This would normally result in a failure with a dox of 2, but a roll of 12 is an automatic success. He hits with a dox of 1.

Traits

The point cost of a trait is based on the level. The higher the trait, the more difficult it is to improve.

Thus: to give a new character an Archer level of 6 requires 10 character points. To later raise that same character's Archer to 7 will cost 2 experience points (12 for level 7, minus the 10 already spent to reach level 6).

Average persons have 0 levels in most traits and 3 (skilled apprentice) to 6 (journeyman) in those related to their work. Natural talents or skilled masters may have one or two traits at level 9. Levels greater than 9 represent awesome ability.

Below is a list of traits. It is not exhaustive - it focuses on adventuring traits, leaving others to the imagination of players.

The list is divided into Talents and Professions. Talents are inherent qualities; Professions are learned skills. The two are identical for game purposes.

The Adversary should feel free to add or drop traits to make the list fit their campaign world.

This trait represents ego, charisma, and presence. A character with a high Command is a stunning person. He moves armies with a word; she crumbles nations with a glance.

Constitution is health and toughness. It lets the character resist injury and disease.

Intuition is a person's connection to the subtle world, the world of sorcery and the supernatural. Intuitives can hear the whispers of spirits, sense the presence of sorcery, and sometimes receive warnings of danger or visions of the future (as a plot device for The Adversary).

Sorcery relies on Intuition. Intuition also allows one to evade sorcerous assaults.

This trait represents the quality of the character's natural senses, reaction time, and general alertness. This important trait can prevent the adventurer - and his friends - from being surprised by stealth or guile.

Perception is used to detect subtle things that may go unheard or unseen and things that are obvious but may go unnoticed. It may allow one to notice that someone is wearing the wrong clothes, behaving strangely, etc. It is used to see through lies and disguises. It allows one to find hidden things.

This measures how much raw power one can exert. It is used to lift and carry great loads or to move heavy objects. It adds to damage in combat.

The table below gives the amount of weight that different Strength levels can lift.

Willpower is mental fortitude. Courage, patience, and self-control are facets of will. It allows one to resist interrogation, torture, and fear. It lessens the effect of harmful sorcery.

This is the ability to make and repair useful items. One can build build a house, carve some arrows, or make minor repairs to damaged weapons and armor. It is a broad trait.

Master craftsmen can create works of great beauty and utility. The Adversary may rule that a character must specialize in a particular field (such as blacksmithing, woodworking, etc) in order to realize this level of quality. Specialization trades breadth for depth.

Most characters can run ten spaces per action. Each level of this skill gives the character an additional space. It also allows one to swim faster than others, though the rate is halved.

Athlete is rolled to determine the progress of a race or chase, with each point of dox being one space of distance gained or lost.

Athletes may attempt to climb anything, from trees to cliffs to castle walls. The more difficult the surface (the less friction and handholds), the higher the challenge level. Ropes and grapples help. A failed roll usually means no progress, but a spectacular failure could mean a fall.

Leaping over obstacles or chasms requires a roll against a challenge level set by The Adversary.

Athletes can perform flips, cartwheels, rolls, and tumbles. A high level may let one swing on trapezes, walk tightropes, or lessen the damage taken from a fall.

This trait also represents muscle speed and reflexes. It can be used to determine who goes first during a round of conflict. It can also be used to dodge attacks.

This is the profession of thieves and spies. It allows the skillful to gain unauthorized access to places.

Burglary lets one pick locks, whether ordinary keyed locks or fancier combination or puzzle locks.

It also allows one to set or disarm small traps. This can be used to protect a locked chest with a poison dart, to protect a hallway with a cocked crossbow, or to protect a door with a levered scythe - or to disarm any such protections set by others.

Last but not least, the character knows how to force doors and shutters quickly and (relatively) quietly.

This is the skill of primitive medicine. A healer can bind wounds, set bones, and move injured companions without doing further harm.

This profession also grants the possessor knowledge of useful plants and herbs that can be made into salves to speed healing, prevent infections, fight off diseases, or cure poisons.

Finally, a talented healer can perform primitive surgery such as lancing boils or amputating limbs.

This is the ability to survive in the wild with minimal equipment and supplies. A master of the wilderness can live indefinitely with nothing more than a good knife and warm clothes. Additional items, such as a bow and arrow for hunting, make life easier.

This skill also lets a character discover and follow tracks. Some creatures are easier to track than others. Different types of terrain increase or lessen the challenge. Some, like rivers or solid rock, are impossible to track through - the only hope is to pick up the trail on the other side of the obstacle.

Rangers can train animals to perform work or tricks and can effectively handle such domesticated creatures. At higher levels, they can befriend wild animals. A master may even calm enraged beasts.

Finally, Rangers have the ability to determine location and heading by the heavens. Master navigators may even have a sixth sense about the time of day and the direction they are facing.

This is the skill of using animals for transport. It covers everything from horseback riding to driving a sleigh pulled by a team of dogs.

Normal travel does not require trait rolls - the skill is used for difficult circumstances, tricks, leaps, and mounted combat.

This is a catchall for academic skills. It represents knowledge of subjects such as astronomy, cartography, geography, heraldry, history, languages, philosophy, politics, and religion. It also lets the character write with flourish, using proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation, and perhaps stylistic calligraphy.

Master scholars and sages are highly prized by their patrons, and a visit to one can be expensive.

This is the art of silence and invisibility. To move unseen requires shadow, the darker the better. Dark clothing and soft shoes help.

A sneak can follow someone through a crowd without the subject knowing. The sneak must be inconspicuous in dress and behavior - if everyone in town wears white clothing, someone will notice a black-cloaked figure following them no matter what the sneak roll.

This skill allows one to appraise the value of items. It is used for everything from earthenware pots to rare works of art. Exotic objects are more difficult to appraise. The better the roll, the closer the appraisal is to the real value.

Trading also represents knowledge of markets. Skilled traders can tell where markets will be by the layout of a town. They can also locate black markets and information peddlers.

Tricksters hide things, craft disguises, forge documents, and tell bold-faced lies. They can also perform minor "magic" tricks via sleight of hand.

Gifts

Gifts are special abilities possessed by few. They are inborn qualities, random mutations, or divine blessings. They cannot be learned.

Below is a list of possible gifts. It is not exhaustive. Players may feel free to invent their own gifts, which The Adversary may then feel free to deny. The Adversary may add or drop gifts from the list to make it fit the game world.

Some of the listed gifts are useful for players who wish for their characters to be from other worlds. The Adversary has the final say about whether He will allow particular gifts into his game.

Gifts should not give bonuses to traits except in particular circumstances. They can help to negate penalties in their domain of function, however.

This gifts allows one to heal wounds, calm shocks, and feel the emotions of other beings.

An empath may burn points of Fortune to heal wounds or shocks. She must touch the subject and concentrate for a ten rounds (one minute).

If the empath is unable or unwilling to expend Fortune, she may still heal by sacrificing her own health or sanity. She may heal one wound for each wound inflicted on herself or one shock for each shock inflicted.

An empath may feel the emotions of nearby creatures with a successful Intuition check vs the Defiance of the subject.

The following gifts allow a character's senses to operate in an unusual way. This does not add anything to the character's Perception, but may cancel penalties caused by certain situations.

This gift allows one to hear sounds whose pitch is above or below the range of normal human hearing. Ultrasonic noises include things like dog whistles and the screeches used by bats for navigation. Subsonic sounds include subtle vibrations that humans might feel, but can't hear. Some large animals, such as elephants, communicate using subsonic frequencies. More exotic creatures might also communicate this way.

This gift allows one to detect scents with fine detail, like an animal. This can be used to tell individuals apart (which can be useful for seeing through a disguise) or to track someone like a bloodhound. The Adversary may require Perception rolls in either case.

Starvision allows one to see clearly at night, as if it were daylight. This ability works even when the night is overcast. Starvision does not allow a character to see in pitch blackness, however. Deep caves and sealed rooms will be as dark to a character with starvision as they are to everyone else.

This gift makes one immune to sickness, disease, and biological poisons. The character is still vulnerable to dangerous inorganic chemicals.

A character with longevity ages at a slower rate than normal human beings. The rate at the discretion of the player and The Adversary. One could even be virtually immortal.

The following gifts are meant for non-human characters from other worlds. Players should recognize that all of these come with a price beyond their cost in points - a character that looks strange and alien will often be hated or feared. It can not enter civilization without an excellent disguise, so must often rely on others to acquire simple needs like food and gear.

On the other hand, strange-looking beings are more likely to instill fear in an opponent who has never seen anything like them.

A character with this gift is equally at home in water or on land. The character has no penalties to movement, skill, or initiative in water.

Depending on the wishes of the player and the discretion of The Adversary, the amphibious character can either breathe water like a fish or hold its breath for hours like an aquatic mammal.

This gift gives creatures additional arms, legs, tentacles, tails, etc. Different limbs give different advantages. Extra legs or a tail provide better balance and stability, while extra arms or tentacles allow one to grasp more objects at once.

The character has claws, fangs, or some other natural attack. This gift gives the character +3 damage to unarmed attacks in melee and close combat.

The character has armored scales or a tough hide. This gift gives +3 endurance vs physical attacks.

This gift allows a character's body to emit a soft glow like that of a firefly. This glow can be used to see only a few meters. It can be used for reading unless the writing is faint.

The player may choose whether this glow emits from the entire body or specific parts.

Fortune

Fortune is that strange, intangible thing that sets adventurers apart from ordinary people. It allows characters to succeed where they should have failed and escape harm from blows that should have killed them. It can represent divine favor, mystical guidance and protection, sheer tenacity, or dumb luck - whatever the player likes. One point of Fortune costs one character or experience point.

Fortune allows The Adversary to alter the power level of the game. An Adversary who wants a high-powered game can give each character some bonus Fortune for free. One who wants a gritty game can limit Fortune or forbid it altogether.

A player may chose to sacrifice 1-3 points of Fortune for an equal bonus to a trait roll. This decision must be made before the dice are thrown.

An individual may spend up to 3 Fortune to add an equal number of spaces to a move action. One who uses both of his actions to move may spend 3 Fortune each action for a total of six extra spaces in one round.

A warrior or archer may sacrifice 3 Fortune to make two attacks with a single action. One who uses both actions to attack could spend 6 Fortune for four attacks in one round.

When a character takes damage, the player may use Fortune to absorb wounds and shocks: 1 point of Fortune per point of damage. Whether to burn Fortune or take the damage must be decided at the time of the blow.

Adventurers with the Empathy gift may burn Fortune to heal themselves and others, 1 point per wound or shock healed.

A player may sacrifice Fortune to power a spell, 1 point of Fortune for 1 point of energy.

Equipment

In the game, money is usually in the form of precious metals such as copper, silver, and gold. Such metals are scarce, durable, portable, divisible, and homogeneous; this gives them significant advantages over things like grain or cattle. One coin weighs around 10g (100 coins per kilogram).

The price of a good or service differs from time to time, from place to place, and from person to person. This price depends upon the relative value of both goods, values which derive from individual desires and relative scarcity.

The prices in this chapter, therefore, should be taken as a reasonable estimate for a normal town under normal conditions. The Adversary should feel free to adjust prices to reflect the relative scarcity of goods as the players travel to different places. On the wild frontier, for example, gold and silver may be worthless compared to the necessities of survival. This will mean that the price of everything (as measured in gold or silver) will be much higher than in a safer place.

The prices also assume that the quality of the item is good. Poor items can be found for much less. Items of excellent quality can cost far more.

Though not perfectly realistic, it is useful (for game purposes) to consider copper, silver, and gold as trading at fixed rates of ten to one: 1 gold coin (gc) = 10 silver coins (sc) = 100 copper coins (cc).

A character's Strength trait determines the maximum amount of weight that person can heft. A large haul gives penalties to movement and to any traits requiring agility, including dodge and parry. The penalty is based on the ratio of weight carried to maximum lift:

Example: Bob has a strength of 3. He can lift 100kg. When carrying more than 30kg of gear or treasure, he has -3 to his movement and to any traits requiring agility. When carrying more than 60kg, he has a -6. When carrying more than 90kg, he has a -9.

For purposes of simplicity, rough estimates are better than detailed accounting.

Close combat weapons are small and easily concealed items, like knives or brass knuckles. They can be used in melee, and are the only weapons usable while grappling. Close weapons do Strength + 3 damage.

Melee weapons are for hand-to-hand combat. They have two scores: Defense and Power. The wielder adds a weapon's Defense to his Parry. Melee weapons do Strength + Power damage.

These names are only suggestions. Weapon names and cosmetics are not important for game purposes. Players are free to call their adventurer's weapons whatever they like.

An adventurer who wields two one-handed weapons gets the benefits of both, but the maximum Parry bonus is +3.

Any item can be thrown at an opponent. Most do damage equal to the character's Strength, though fragile items may do less (and break upon impact). Objects of excessive mass or awkward size and shape may give penalties to hit. Weapons designed to be thrown have no such penalty and add their power to the user's Strength. Thrown weapons require one hand to use.

Adventurers can carry a limited number of thrown weapons. One might be able to get away with a dozen small throwing knives or shuriken, but one is limited to 3 or 4 larger weapons.

Missile weapons use leverage to launch projectiles. Slings, bows, and crossbows fall into this category.

The advantage of missile weapons is that they project power at long range. The drawback is the need for ammunition - a missile weapon is usually limited to around two dozen shots per battle. It is assumed that ammunition can be recovered or recreated between battles, given sufficient time.

Missile weapons do Strength + 6 damage. Adventurers are assumed to have weapons to match their Strength.

Armor can be a lifesaver, but is heavy and uncomfortable. The armor's Protection is added to the wearer's Constitution for purposes of resisting damage from physical attacks. Armor slows a character down and makes many actions difficult (running, climbing, jumping, sneaking) or impossible (swimming). The Protection of the armor should be subtracted from movement, dodge, and any trait checks that require movement, agility, or quiet. This does not include fighting skills - armor is designed for it.

The mass of the armor determines the protection. The cosmetics of the armor are not important for game purposes. Players may call their character's armor mail, plate, chain, or boiled hide, so long as the weight and discomfort are the same.

The list below is a general guideline. Each point of protection requires ten pounds of material. Maximum protection is +6.

Spells

Gift	Cost
Sorcery	20
Empathy	10
Superior Hearing	3
Superior Olfaction	3
Starvision	3
Immunity	3
Longevity	3
Amphibious	3
Extra Limbs	3 per limb
Natural Weapon	6
Natural Armor	6
Phosphorescence	3

Weight : Max Lift (%)	Penalty
30%	-3
60%	-6
90%	-9

One-handed
Defense	Power	Examples
0	6	axe, mace, sword
1	3	dagger, rapier
2	0	cloak, shield, whip

Two-handed
Defense	Power	Examples
0	12	bardiche, maul
1	9	greatsword, halberd
2	6	bastard sword, glaive
3	3	staff, nunchaku

Size	Power	Examples
Small	3	knife, shuriken
Medium	6	hatchet, hammer, spear

type	protection	penalty	weight	cost
quilted cloth	1	-1	10	100
leather	2	-2	20	200
ring	3	-3	30	400
scale	4	-4	40	800
chain	5	-5	50	1600
plate	6	-6	60	3200

quality	cost
peasant grub	5 per meal
decent meal	10 per meal
fine dining	50 per meal
drink	4 per serving

type	cost (per change of clothes)
peasant garb	10
travelling clothes	100
noble attire	1000

type	cost (per person, per night)
inn - common room	10
inn - private room	30
inn - high quality	100+

gear	cost (cc)
candle	1
grappling hook	50
lamp	10
lantern	120
lock	200
lockpicking kit	300
musical instrument	400
oil flask	10
rope	10 per yard
torch	1
trail rations (1 day)	50

This chapter describes the rules for creating sorcerous spells. For those who wish to skip this section, there are numerous example spells in Appendix B. Rules for using spells are in the Sorcery chapter.

Skill at sorcery is based on Intuition. The character rolls this trait to determine if a spell succeeds. More on this in Sorcery.

Intensity is the raw force of a spell. For attacks, this translates into damage.

By default, spells are directed at a single individual or space. A sorcerer may choose more targets: adding 3 to the energy level of a spell doubles the number. Targets need not be adjacent.

By default, sorcery is fleeting - spells are thrown, defended against, and resisted in one round. Spells may last longer: adding 3 to the energy level of a spell doubles the duration.

This power is used to change the sorcerer's environment. It can be used to create light, darkness, wind, rain, fog, heat, cold, white noise, scents, and various other minor environmental stimuli. The intensity of an alteration determines how dramatic the difference can be. An intensity 0 alteration allows the sorcerer to create a soft light, lower the temperature by a few degrees, make a quiet noise, etc. Each +3 doubles the effect. If the caster wishes to obscure vision, each level of intensity gives a -1 to all attacks and perception rolls going through the area.

This power is used to injure opponents. A blast can come in the form of heat, cold, lightning, a hail of arrows, a bite from a summoned demon, or anything else that the player can can come up with. The intensity of a blast determines the damage inflicted. Any matter created by a blast disappears when the duration ends.

This power is used to hold a subject in place. The Intensity of the hold determines the effective "Strength" of the spell. Holds must be defined as physical or mental. Physical holds can be broken by Strength. Mental holds can be broken by Command.

If a hold spell succeeds, the subject is paralyzed. He cannot act and is defenseless against swords and arrows. If the hold is physical, he may still defend himself against sorcery or use sorcery of his own. If the hold is mental, the target is completely frozen.

A sorcerer may choose to move a held subject up to 3 spaces per round. He can continue to do this until the held character frees himself or the duration of the spell runs out.

A sorcerer may create attack spells combining multiple Blast and Hold powers, if desired. Each power has its own intensity, but Area and Duration are shared.

This sorcery allows the user to open mystical doorways. These portals can be used to bypass obstacles or to visit other realms.

Portals are elliptical in shape. The amount of energy required to create a portal is determined by the size of the portal and the duration for which the portal will stay open. An energy level of 3 can create a portal a few cm across that lasts for one round. Each +3 energy can be used to double the area or the duration of the portal.

The size of a portal must be large enough for whatever the sorcerer wishes to transport. Sights and sounds require only small portals. Normal humans can walk upright through a portal 1 space in diameter.

Upon casting, the sorcerer chooses the size of the portal and the place that it will connect to. The difficulty of an portal spell depends on the distance between the two points - the challenge level is equal to 3 + 1 per 5 spaces of distance. If the portal is to another world, the "distance" is chosen by The Adversary, as he must decide how much otherworldly travel He wishes to allow in his campaign.

Portals are symmetric. When a portal is created, individuals on both sides will see a glowing gateway and a glimpse of what lies on the other side. Anyone who can reach the portal, from either side, can go through it. Not only that, but the portal in each world is two-sided - this means, for example, that a portal opened from dry land to a place that is underwater will cause water to spew in two opposite directions, not one.

Sorcerers on either side of a portal may try to close it. The sorcerer should roll his Intuition vs the Defiance of the portal's creator.

Portals can be used to gather allies from other worlds. The ability to locate exotic creatures, however, does not automatically allow the sorcerer to make friends with them. One who wants an otherworldly servant should be prepared to bribe, bully, or beg - and things from another world may not speak the sorcerer's language.

If a sorcerer steps through a portal into another world, walks ten miles, then steps through another portal to get back to the first world, he will find himself ten miles from the spot where he stepped through the first portal, in the same direction that he was walking in the other realm. Thus, portals may be used to avoid certain physical barriers or known dangers of our world, but it will not save much time if used this way - and other worlds have barriers and dangers of their own.

The topography of different realms is not the same. When opening a portal at an unfamiliar location, a sorcerer will often find that his portal is high above the ground, underground, or underwater in the world he desires to visit.

Note also that this sorcery does not confer any special life support upon a traveller - if the user opens a portal to a place filled with a harmful substance (lava, acid, or the pressurized water at the bottom of an ocean), he will probably destroy himself and his immediate area.

There untold numbers of parallel realms. The sorcerer who plans on exploration ought to have some knowledge of the place to be reached (gained from books, fellow travellers, or Intuition) before attempting to travel there - to open a portal to a random world that the caster knows nothing about is suicidal.

This power allows the user to project his consciousness over great distances, allowing him to "see" and "hear" things happening at other locations. The sorcerer is entranced and helpless during projection, as his mind is elsewhere.

Energy can be used to increase the distance of projection or the duration of the spell:

Anyone being viewed by a projecting sorcerer may roll Intuition vs the sorcerer's Defiance to detect his presence. If successful, the subject knows he is being watched, but not by whom. If the subject is a sorcerer, he may attack the projecting sorcerer with a mental blast or hold. The projecting sorcerer is unable to retaliate.

The sorcerer can listen to the surface thoughts of intelligent creatures with a successful trait check. Beings alien to the sorcerer should get a bonus. The intensity of the spell must be greater than the Willpower of the subject.

On subsequent rounds, subjects get an Intuition check vs the Defiance of the sorcerer to detect the intrusion. One who succeeds may actively resist, giving him a +6 Defiance (assuming he isn't doing anything else).

The user may also project thoughts into the minds of others with a successful trait roll, determined and resisted much like mind reading. This allows the sorcerer to communicate things to others without speaking. The sorcerer may conceal his identity, if desired; the subject can uncover it with a successful Intuition check vs the sorcerer's Defiance.

Trait checks for communication may be ignored if the sorcerer and subject agree.

Finally, Telepathy can be used to control mindless automatons with a successful trait check. If more than one sorcerer is vying for control of the same entity, roll one sorcerer's Intuition vs the other's Defiance to see who gains control for the round.

Conflict

The following table should give The Adversary some guidance on assigning challenge levels.

The numbers above assume that the character has the necessary tools for the job in question - i.e., if a thief is trying to pick a lock, then he is using a standard lockpick. If the thief was trying to pick a lock with something nonstandard, like a dagger, then The Adversary should make the challenge level higher. If the character has an exceptional set of tools at his disposal, The Adversary should lower the challenge level a notch or two.

The numbers also assume that the character is taking a normal amount of time to perform the task. What this amount is depends upon the task - perhaps six seconds for picking a lock or six days for smithing a weapon. Characters can obtain bonuses for extra time taken or penalties for rushed work. They can get +3 to the trait check for taking twice as long as usual or +6 for taking four times as long. If the character tries to rush, The Adversary should increase the challenge level by 3 for for each halving of the required time.

Perception is used whenever The Adversary wants to see whether a character notices something, such as images, sounds, or smells that are hard to detect because they are small, faint, or far away. It is used to determine whether a character will notice subtle sensory input, like someone sneaking up behind him.

Various factors can affect a perception check. Bright light or pitch darkness can hamper vision. Loud noise can hamper hearing. The challenge level for any situation is up to The Adversary.

Unconscious characters get no perception checks - they are senseless. Being asleep is not the same as being knocked out, however; sleeping characters get normal hearing checks when unusual noises occur in their presense. If successful, they awaken. If the noises are very soft, such as someone sneaking toward the sleeper, the perception rolls are more difficult.

Perception is also used when The Adversary wants to see whether a character notices something subtle that is right in front of them, such as an enemy wearing a disguise or someone following them through a crowd. Anything that distracts the character from paying careful attention to detail could cause a penalty (a higher challenge roll).

This is a catchall for supernatural abilities used to learn the unknown. A mystic may hear the whispers of spirits, read the future in the stars, or simply know things without reason.

Intuition allows one to know whether a person, place, or thing is supernatural - and, if so, what that nature might be. This is a passive power, a sixth sense. It serves the same purpose with regard to sorcery and the spirit world as the Perception trait serves in the physical world.

When sorcery is used, The Adversary should have sentient beings within the range roll Intuition checks to see if they sense it. More powerful spells are "louder" and "brighter," so The Adversary should subtract one point from the challenge level for each level of energy in the spell.

Note that this check is made the moment that any supernatural energy is channeled. A sorcerer who is trying to cast an enormous spell may take several hours to do so, during which time the amount of energy in the spell grows steadily. Any sentient beings in the area should get regular trait checks to see if they notice.

Intuition also allows one to sense the presence of nearby disembodied spirits and to communicate with them on a primal level. One does not receive coherent thoughts from ghosts, only urges, feelings, and desires.

Finally, Intuition can be used by The Adversary as a plot device. He can allow a character to sense danger, receive visions of the future, or anything else that adds to the game.

Characters have a number of combat values based on their traits, gifts, and equipment.

At the beginning of each round, characters roll initiative to determine who acts first. High initiatives act before low ones.

Environmental factors (such as surprise) or minor actions (such as darting a single space or drawing a weapon) may give bonuses or penalties to initiative.

Any trait bonuses or penalties that result from a character's actions last until the next round.

The next step is the action phase. Characters take their turns in order of initiative. A character disabled before his turn gets no actions.

Some actions, such as drawing a weapon, shouting to a comrade, or moving a single space, take little time and require no trait roll. If such actions must be done before more important ones, the character might have a penalty to Initiative (-2 or so per minor act).

Other actions do require a trait roll or take significant time. A character may take two such actions per round of conflict. For example, a character can move and attack, attack and move, move twice, attack twice, pick a lock and move through the door, jump off a ledge and tackle someone, etc.

Round zero marks the beginning of any conflict. Whoever acts first automatically gets the initiative. This usually applies to a single individual, but can apply to a group if the action is set to occur on a prearranged signal. After the initial round zero activity, conflict progresses to round 1 and participants roll initiative.

If the initiating individual or group has taken their opponents completely by surprise, then the opponents may take no actions at all on round zero - not even defensive ones. This simulates situations such as ambushes or knives thrown by hidden assassins.

Surprised characters get no trait added to their defense. The challenge level to hit a surprised character is a flat 6 plus any range modifiers. Sneak attacks can be deadly - the only defense is not to be caught unaware.

A character may move a single space per round without using an action. He may move a number of spaces equal to his Movement (10 + Athlete - armor) by expending an action.

Other moves - standing from a prone position, mounting an animal, making a leap, etc - take one action.

A character who is sitting or lying down is prone - he gets +3 defense against ranged attacks, but can move only 1 space per round. Others get a +3 to hit him with melee attacks and +3 defense against his attacks. Falling prone is a free action.

A mounted character uses the mount's movement in place of his own. Horses and such generally have twice the movement of a humanoid, or even more.

If the ground is not level, The Adversary may give a character bonuses or penalties to his movement. If the terrain is treacherous, The Adversary may require an Athlete roll (on foot) or a Rider roll (mounted).

Individuals may sometimes need to jump over things. The Adversary should require an Athlete roll based on the distance - two challenge levels per space on average.

Charging characters may add their momentum to the damage of an attack. This works both ways, however - a charging character will take the same additional damage from any enemy melee weapon that hits him on that round. Momentum gives (and takes) +1 damage for every 3 spaces of movement. Whether to charge in with momentum or slow down and stop before attacking is up to the player.

+Energy	Area
0	1
3	2
6	4
9	8
12	16
15	32
18	64
etc...

+Energy	Rounds
0	1
3	2
6	4
9	8
12	16
15	32
18	64
etc...

Type	+Energy
Impact	0
Indirect	3
Mental	6

Type	+Energy
Physical	3
Mental	6

Energy	Area	length	width
3	5000 square cm	30cm	50cm
6	1 square m	40cm	70cm
9	2 square m	60cm	1m
12	1 space	80cm	1.4m
15	2 spaces	1.2m	2m
18	4	1.6m	3m
21	8	2m	2 spaces
24	16	3m	3
27	32	5m	4
30	64	3 spaces	6
33	128	5	8

Task Difficulty	Challenge Level
Trivial	3
Mild	6
Fair	9
Moderate	12
Great	15
Incredible	18
Inconceivable	21

A brave knight charges a line of soldiers atop his mount. His lance does 13 damage (9 for the lance + 4 for Strength). The knight has moved 28 spaces on horseback, however, so adds 9 for a total of 22.

Unfortunately, the knight is hit by one of the braced spearmen, whose weapon gives him a damage of 10 (1 for Strength, 9 for the pike). Adding the knight's momentum to this to gives a total of 19. Good thing the knight is wearing his shining armor.

Combat movement is automatic. When finer detail is required - for races or chases - participants should roll Athlete. Each level of dox gains the victor one space of distance.

The further away a target is, the harder it is to hit. Ranged abilities have challenge numbers based on distance (zero at point-blank range). These numbers are added to the defense of the target.

Ranged abilities are either Short or Long. Short-range abilities suffer a +1 to the challenge level for every space between the adventurer and the target. Long-range abilities suffer a +1 for every five spaces.

* The range penalty for portals refers to the distance to the portal's target location. The source side of portals always appear in a space adjacent to the sorcerer.

Senses are also limited in range. Olfaction is Short. Hearing, vision, and intuition are Long.

Bows are long-range weapons. If a target is within 5 spaces, the challenge number is 0. If a target is between 6 and 10 spaces, the challenge number is 1. Between 11 and and 15 spaces, it is 2. Targets will have these numbers added to their defense (3 for fixed objects).

One who is determined to go first may opt to Haste. The character adds +3 to his initiative roll, but can perform only one action that round. The decision to haste must be made before anyone rolls initiative.

Fortune can be used to improve initiative as well, as with any other trait check.

A character can sacrifice an action for a +3 bonus to one thing for the round. He may also sacrifice an action to put extra power into a melee attack. This leads to a number of combat maneuvers.

A character attacked before his initiative may sacrifice actions for bonuses in response to the attack. This intent must be declared before the dice are rolled.

A character is not required to act on his initiative. He can wait to see what others with lower initiatives will do.

A waiting character may take its action at any time, even within the action of another character.

attack type	range
thrown weapon	short
missile weapon	long

sorcery	range
telepathy	short
alter	long
blast	long
hold	long
project	long
portal *	long

Juk the Barbarian sees Mace the Ugly on a hilltop across the battlefield. Juk wins initiative, but waits to see what Mace will do.

Mace charges. Juk won the initiative, however, so he may choose to attack first after Mace has covered the distance between them - he was only waiting for his enemy to get close enough to strike. If Mace survives the attack, he may then take the rest of his action.

A waiting character may also hold action until the next round, in which case that character gets +10 to initiative for that round. He gets no extra actions, however.

This rule simulates scenes in books and movies in which two opponents stop and stare one another down, taking no actions, in the middle of a fight.

If two characters both decide to wait for the other to act and there are no other characters with actions left, then the action passes to the next round. This can even involve more than two characters. All characters involved in the waiting game get the initiative bonus over characters who acted in the previous round.

Swords

Attacks are trait rolls like any other. Damage is determined by the attacker's Strength and weapon, the dox of the attack roll, and the defender's Protection.

The basic formula goes like this: roll the attacker's Offense and subtract the target's Defense to get the dox. If the dox is greater than or equal to zero, the attack hits. Defense is either Dodge or Parry - in most cases, the character will use whichever is higher.

To get the damage, add the dox of the attack roll to the attacker's Strength and weapon and subtract the victim's Protection. The result is the number of the wounds inflicted. If the victim has Fortune points, he may burn them at this time to negate the wounds he would have taken.

Juk attacks a common thug with his huge sword. Juk's Warrior trait is level 7. He rolls 2d6 and gets a 5, giving him a total of 12. The thug's Defense is only 10, so the attack hits with a dox of 2. This is added to Juk's Strength (6) and weapon (12) for a total of 20. Subtracting the thug's 4 Protection (Constitution (2) + armor (2)) results in 16 Wounds. Having no Fortune to save him, the thug crumples.

A character is not required to use his full strength or weapon value when attacking - he may use the hilt of a dagger or flat of a sword blade to decrease the damage if desired.

Surprise attacks can be ugly. If an attacker manages to ambush his target via stealth or guile, the victim does not get the benefit of his Dodge or Parry. The attacker rolls his Offense versus a challenge level of 6. Add this to the challenge number for the range, if any.

The Adversary may occasionally give a bonus for a surprise action. A character using a sword could gain a +3 for throwing a punch with his off hand rather than stabbing with the weapon, for example. This should only work against those whose fighting ability is less than the attacker, and this shouldn't work more than once against the same opponent unless said opponent is a moron.

A strike is a direct attack. It can be done with melee weapons, thrown weapons, missile weapons, or bare hands. Roll Offense vs Defense and determine damage as given above.

A strike can also be used to disarm an opponent. The attacker makes a normal attack roll, but directed at the object in his opponent's hand rather than at the opponent's body. This attack can be defended against as normal. If the attack succeeds, the defender's object is knocked away and will require an action to retrieve, or may be destroyed.

Initiating a grapple takes one action. To grab an opponent, make a Warrior attack roll versus the target's Defense. If successful, the attacker restrains the target. The dox of this roll is used for later damage calculations.

The target's weight is added to the attacker's encumbrance for purposes of movement and trait rolls. A strong character may be able to pick up an enemy and run while a weaker one is limited to a maximum of one space per round, dragging his enemy along.

Once an attacker has successfully grappled a target, he may use subsequent actions to do damage using the dox of the initial grappling roll. The attacker may try to gain a better hold with a subsequent action, in which case the grappling roll is attempted again, but either grappler may use Strength in place of Warrior at this point, if Strength is higher. The defender may also use Athlete. The dox of the new roll is used from then on; if less than zero, the victim slips free.

Squeezing or choking the restrained victim does damage based on the attacker's Strength plus the grapple's dox. The attacker can add the damage of a natural or small weapon, but larger weapons - including shields, capes, and such - are useless in close combat.

The attacker can use elements of the environment as weapons. Slamming or throwing an opponent into a solid floor or wall can be worth anywhere from +1 to +3 depending on the hardness of the material (a wooden floor should hurt less than a stone one). Slamming an opponent into a sharp corner might give an extra +3 on top of this. The exact bonuses for any situation are up to The Adversary.

Throwing an opponent ends the grapple. If the attacker is throwing his victim at something in particular (a bed of spikes, another enemy) he may need to make an attack roll. Throwing an opponent off a great height is a good way to end a fight.

Upon reaching his initiative, a grappled character may use an action to escape by rolling Strength, Athlete, or Warrior against the Offense of the grappler plus 7. The Attacker's Offense at this point is based on Strength or Warrior, whichever is highest. An attempt to escape does no damage to the opponent. If successful, the character breaks free of the fracas.

The grappler may fall prone as a free action. This takes him and his grappled victim to the ground. Should the grapple end, both characters will have to expend an action to get up.

A grab can also be used to disarm an opponent. If this type of grab is successful, the attacker manages to wrench an object out of an opponent's grasp. The target may use Strength for Defense in this case. This action does not restrain the target.

Optional rule: The Adversary may wish to give bonuses to a grappler if his mass if greater than his opponents'. The more massive combatant should receive a +3 to grappling rolls for each doubling of mass between he and his opponents, with an additional +1 or +2 if the more massive character is somewhere halfway to the next doubling.

A 200 pound man is wrestling an 800 pound gorilla. The gorilla is four times as massive as the man. This is two doublings, so the gorilla gets a +6 to escape the man's grapple or to maintain a grapple on the man. The gorilla gets no bonus to initiate the grapple.

The same 200 pound man tries to wrestle a 2400 pound monster. The monster is twelve times the mass of the man, which is between three and four doublings. It gets +11 to all grappling rolls.

Logic trumps game mechanics, of course. Even if a master wrestler is able to out-wrangle a giant monster despite the mass bonuses, he is still not going to be able to move the thing very far. He will not be able to slam it into the ground for damage bonuses or toss it off a cliff. At best, he can cling to it as it moves around, ignoring him.

The extra mass rule can also be used when multiple characters are trying to work together to pin a single character. Simply add all of the masses together and give the bonus to the character with the best Offense.

Whether a character is dodging or parrying is usually not important, in game terms - the character may use whichever is better. It only matters when one type of defense is possible, but not the other.

Dodging requires no particular equipment and is useful against any attack. The only requirement for a dodge is that there be room to move out of harm's way. There may be rare occasions where a character could use a block to evade harm, but not a dodge (a hail of arrows, perhaps).

Not every attack can be parried. In a gritty game, The Adversary may assign a penalties to warriors who try to block axes and arrows with a dagger or siege engines with a shield. In a cinematic game, he may assign a bonus for the same foolishness.

Characters can also choose to block attacks aimed at a friend, so long as that friend is not more than a few steps away. Each one of these "assisted blocks" count as an action, however.

Most attacks are directed at a single individual. The attacker aims, fires, and hits or misses based on his offensive trait and the defensive trait of his target.

Some attacks, however, are directed not at a person, but at a place. These are called area attacks.

To hit a particular area, an attacker need only roll greater than 6 plus the ranged challenge level.

If a character is hit by an area attack that covers more than one space, he may attempt an Athlete roll to dodge out of the way. The challenge level is based on how far the victim must move to get out of the affected area - 6 per space moved.

This assumes that the attack was directed at the general area, not the individual - area attacks directed at an individual are resolved as normal attacks, but with bonuses to the attack roll for the size of the area.

Animals are characters just like any other. They have traits, damage metrics, and natural weapons. They often have better Strength and movement rates than humans.

Mounts allow characters to move much faster than they can on their own two feet. Movement rules are the same for mounted characters as running characters, except that horses can move twice as fast as human beings and can haul much more gear without being slowed.

Animals are controlled by The Adversary, even those on the side of the player. If a Ranger has spent time training an animal, then it should obey his commands in most cases. Combat is a chaotic environment, however; it may be necessary to roll Ranger to make creatures obey. It helps if the animal has been specifically trained for fighting.

The Rider trait is important for different reasons. Whereas Ranger lets the character persuade his mount to do what he wants, Rider allows a character to stay on his mount in difficult circumstances (leaping, bucking, being attacked).

If a character is hit by an attack while mounted, he must make a Rider roll to keep his seat. The challenge level should be equal to the amount of damage done by the attack before Protection is applied.

It is difficult for a mounted person to perform any acts that require agility. This makes dodging impossible unless the character wishes to dive out of the saddle. If the character is unable to block an attack, he may opt to use Rider as the basis for his Defense, but may have a penalty based upon the room to maneuver and the contrariness of the animal.

Sorcery

In order to use sorcery against a person or object, the user must be able to sense the subject in some way. This usually means being able to see or touch the target; however, a sorcerer can affect anyone who is currently using sorcery on him even if he has no way to sense his attacker.

Casting a spell takes at least a full round. The sorcerer must stand relatively still (moving no more than 1 free space) and concentrate. This does not affect his Defense.

Skill at sorcery is based on Intuition. The character rolls this trait to determine if a spell succeeds.

Sorcery cast at an unwilling target may be resisted. Defiance is used to evade sorcery in the same way Defense is used to evade physical attacks. The target must be aware of the attack in order to defy it. If Perception fails to warn the target, The Adversary should allow an Intuition roll as well.

To make an offensive spell work, the sorcerer must make a trait check: his Intuition versus the Defiance of the target(s). If successful, the dox of this roll is added to the intensity of the spell. The caster makes only one roll, even if there are multiple targets. Subjects are affected based on the dox of the initial roll once per round for the duration of the spell. The dox may differ between targets.

Every sorcerer has a power level that represents the base amount of supernatural energy he can channel in a single round. This is based on his Command trait.

Every spell has an energy level. To cast a spell, the sorcerer must channel that amount of energy and make an Intuition roll vs a challenge level based on the range. If a spell is resisted by Defiance, the sorcery check is made against that trait plus the range modifier.

Sorcerers can cast spells of energy greater than their power level by taking extra time, having followers, or sacrificing their health and sanity.

The damage from a blast is based on the intensity of the spell. Add the dox of the attack roll to this to get the damage.

If the blast is impact, subtract the victim's Protection from the damage. The result is the number of wounds inflicted.

If the blast is indirect, subtract the victim's Constitution from the damage. The result is the number of wounds inflicted.

If the blast is mental, subtract the victim's Willpower from the damage. The result is the number of shocks inflicted.

The Strength of a hold spell is based on the intensity plus the dox. If the trait check is successful, the victim immediately gets a chance to break free. For physical holds, the subject rolls his Strength vs 7 + the Strength of the spell. For mental holds, the subject rolls Command.

If the victim fails to break free, he is paralyzed. The attacking sorcerer may move the subject up to 3 spaces per round, in any direction. The held subject gets another chance to break free every round until the duration expires.

Sorcerers may attempt to halt hostile sorcery with their own. The sorcerer must concentrate for a full round and make an Intuition check versus the Defiance of the caster. If successful, the spell is nullified. This can be used in response to instantaneous spells if the dispeller has not used up his actions for the round.

A daring sorcerer can cast spells beyond his power level by taking extra time. Each +3 energy beyond his power level requires a doubling of the time required to cast the spell. A concentrating sorcerer may do nothing else except move 1 space.

More than 8 hours of concentration may drive the sorcerer insane. The Adversary should be creative.

The defense against direct supernatural attacks is always mental, but such attacks may have physical side effects that require physical defenses. A ball of flame created by a blast spell could be evaded by the Defiance of a character, yet turn the forest around that character into a very physical inferno. A telekinetic attack can be evaded by Defiance - but if the attack were made against a nearby boulder instead, the target would have to use Athlete.

Supernatural forces do not allow for fine control, however. A physical phenomenon created as the result of a magical force cannot be aimed at a character with any sort of precision. Most should be easier to avoid than a direct assault, having a challenge level of 9 or less except in unfortunate circumstances (such as the caster using a hold spell to drop a big rock down a well where a character is hiding).

Burning a Fortune point adds +1 to the sorcerer's power for one spell. The sorcerer may use as many as he likes. The Adversary may set an upper limit based on the power level of the game.

If the sorcerer is unable or unwilling to use Fortune, he may gain power from his own body and mind. One point of extra power inflicts one wound or shock, player's choice. Health (wounds) and sanity (shocks) may be sacrificed at the same time.

It is possible for multiple sorcerers to cooperate in the casting of a single spell. This is uncommon, as it requires all of the spellcasters to voluntarily subordinate their will to that of the leader. This causes the subordinates to be entranced and helpless until the leader relinquishes command or has his concentration broken. To engage in a group ritual is an act of faith and trust.

Needless to say, this activity is more common among hierarchical religious orders or restless cults than among individualist scholars or adventurers.

When conducting a group ritual, the leader will receive a +3 to his power level for each doubling in the number of followers - one follower gives +3, two followers gives +6, four followers gives +9, etc. He may also inflict shocks on his followers for extra energy, +1 energy for every shock inflicted. Followers all take equal amounts - ie, a sorcerer who wishes +6 energy must inflict 6 shocks on each of his followers. Followers whose shocks reach 10 go mad, making them useless for the remainder of the ritual.

There may be objects or locations that give sorcerers a bonus to their power level. The Adversary should be creative.

Nik the wise has a Command of 6. He can cast a spell of energy 6 in one round. If he wants to cast a spell of energy 9, he has options: he can burn 3 points of Fortune, inflict 3 wounds or shocks upon himself, make his apprentice join him in a group ritual, or take an extra round to cast the spell. An energy 12 spell would require 6 Fortune, wounds, or shocks, two apprentices, or four rounds.

Rounds	+Power
1	0
2	3
4	6
8	9
16	12
32	15
64	18
128	21
256	24
1 hour	27
2 hours	30
4 hours	33
8 hours	36
etc...

Vunata, a Kephite priest, has the initiative and wishes to make Juk and Tam suffer. He has a Command of 9. He attacks with a fiery blast: intensity 6, area 2 (to hit both enemies), and duration 2 (he wants them to suffer longer). This spell requires 12 energy, so Vunata burns 3 Fortune to cast it.

Vunata rolls a 9 and adds this to his Intuition (5) for a total of 14. Juk has an Intuition of 2, giving him a Defiance of 9 - the dox is 5, so the spell affects him with an intensity of 11. Tam has an Intuition of 8, giving her a Defiance of 15 - she is unaffected.

Juk subtracts his Constitution (8) from the intensity of the spell (11) to get 3. This would cause 3 wounds, but Juk burns his last 3 points of Fortune to escape them. The spell has a duration of 2, however, so Juk is affected again on the next round. He takes 3 wounds.

Alzheimer the Sane wants to open a gigantic portal to the plane of Uggae to bring horrors into the world. The portal he has in mind will have 1000 spaces in area (horrors are big) and last for over a week (horrors are slow). Adding the energy needed for 1024 area (30) to that needed for a duration of 8 days (45) gives an energy of 75.

Alzheimer's Command is 6. His base power level is not high enough to open this portal. To achieve his ridiculous dream, he recruits 4 sorcerous apprentices to act as acolytes for his death cult. This gives him +9 power during rituals. He spends 8 hours in a group ritual to open the portal, giving him +36 energy. He burns his 20 Fortune for 20 more energy. Last but not least, he inflicts 2 wounds and 2 shocks on himself for +4. His energy level is now 75, enough to cast the spell.

Pain and Suffering

Adventurers often get hurt. Sometimes they die or go insane. The Adversary and players must decide in advance how deadly they want their campaign to be. Each survival roll decribed below involves rolling Constitution vs total wounds, Willpower vs total shocks, or Healer vs either. Each of these rolls gets to add a Survival Bonus (SB) based on how much death the players and Adversary want. For a gritty game, the SB may be 0. For a high-powered game, it may be 10. The recommended SB is 3.

A character with ten or more wounds is incapacitated. He is senseless and defenseless. What this means depends on the circumstances. If the wounds were suffered in a boxing match or barfight, the victim is just knocked out and will awaken in a few minutes. If the wounds were the result of lethal weapons or sorcery, the victim is seriously injured and may die without assistance from a Healer. The lethality of some attacks may depend on the intent of the attackers. Characters can try to subdue enemies without killing them.

A character with ten or more shocks is panicked and delirious. He may faint, flee, curl up into a little ball, wander about aimlessly, stare into space, or any other useless action the player desires. Whether this is temporary, or risks being permanent, depends on the nature of the attack - which often depends on the will of the attacker. The victim may regain his composure after a few moments or may require the assistance of a Healer to escape permanent insanity.

The Adversary is advised to ignore these thresholds for minor villains. Those who suffer any wounds or shocks should just fall or retreat.

If an incapacitated adventurer is beyond the help of any nearby Healers, he gets one last chance to survive. After one hour, have the adventurer make a Constitution check vs his total wounds. Add the SB to the check. Upon success, the adventurer wakes up - on death's door, but alive. Upon failure, the adventurer dies a tragic death. He may awaken long enough to utter some famous last words.

A delirious adventurer has the same last chance, only he rolls Willpower vs his total shocks. Add the SB. Upon success, he calms down. He is shaken, but not stirred. Upon failure, he goes stark raving mad.

A Healer can help an unconscious or injured friend by making a trait check, plus the SB, vs the total number of wounds suffered by the victim. Success means the character is stabilized and awake. He recovers a number of wounds equal to the dox. Failure means that saving the character is beyond the Healer's abilities.

A Healer can save panicked or delirious friends by making a trait check, plus the SB, vs the total number of shocks suffered by the victim. Success means the character is calmed and back in touch with reality. He recovers a number of shocks equal to the dox. Failure means that saving the character is beyond the Healer's abilities.

Juk the Barbarian has taken 16 wounds from arrows. He is down and dying. Thomas, a level 3 Healer, makes a trait check to try and bring him back. He rolls an 8 for a total of 11, then adds this games SB (3) for a total of 14 - less than Juk's wounds, so he is beyond Thomas's help. Sarah, a level 9 Healer, tries a few minutes later. She rolls a 6 for a total of 18; subtracting Juk's 16 wounds gives a dox of 2. Juk is awake, stable, and down to 14 wounds.

Fortune returns quickly, at a rate of a few points per hour of rest. This is somewhat up to the discretion of The Adversary, based on the condition of the party and their environment, but eight hours of rest ought to be enough to fully recover Fortune under most conditions. Four hours should be enough to recover half.

Wounds and shocks are more difficult to recover. After a week of rest, a character will recover a number of wounds equal to his Constitution and a number of shocks equal to his Willpower (minimum 1 of each - adventurers with 0 Con and Will still recover). Rest must occur in an environment with adequate warmth, sleep, and nourishment. Recovering from shocks requires a comfortable mental environment as well (this may differ from person to person). Strenuous activity - such as travelling, fighting, or sorcery - prevents healing.

Healers can aid recovery. After a week in the care of a skilled Healer, a wounded adventurer may subtract the Healer's trait level from his wounds and shocks.

Juk gets into a fight with a large bear on a Thursday and takes 20 wounds. Healers manage to save him before he bleeds to death, but don't restore any wounds (dox = 0). After a week of rest, Juk recovers his 6 Constitution and is left with 14 wounds. Juk is tended to by a level 4 Healer on week two. At the end of the week, Juk recovers 10 wounds - 6 for his Con, 4 for the Healer. He is down to 4 wounds and will be fully healed in a week.

Some poisons must be eaten, injected, or inhaled. Others take effect upon direct contact with the skin.

In game terms, a poison is an attack that does damage to a character at regular intervals (once a round, minute, hour, day, etc) for a certain duration. This damage is resisted as any other attack, except only Constitution is used. Armor does not help against poison.

Some poisons (drugs) may work against sanity rather than health. These work the same as others except that they are resisted with Willpower and inflict shocks rather than wounds.

Some poisons work more slowly than others. Most diseases can be treated as poisons with very long durations.

Characters who cannot sense their opponents will find themselves at a distinct disadvantage.

When characters are unable to see, any action that requires sight will have a penalty to the trait roll: -1 if it's dim, -2 if it's dark, -3 if it's pitch black or the character is blinded.

These rules apply also to other senses - any action that requires hearing will be at -1 to -3 if there is lots of noise in the area or the character is deafened.

Of course, these rules do not apply to Perception itself - if a character is blinded or deafened, he cannot perceive anything with the affected sense.

The Adversary should ignore damage from falls of less than two spaces. A hero is not likely to injure himself falling such a short distance unless he lands on something unpleasant.

For more significant falls, characters should take an amount of damage equal to twice the number of spaces fallen. A character who falls three spaces (6m) should take 6 damage; a character who falls eight spaces should take 16 damage, and so on up to a maximum of 20.

This damage is applied against the character's Constitution. Armor does not help protect against falling damage, though it may help to protect the character from any extra damage if he falls on something sharp like spikes or broken rock.

Characters may use an Athlete roll to break a fall. This roll is made against a challenge level equal to the amount of damage the character faces. The dox of a successful roll is added to the character's Constitution to help endure the damage.

Monsters and Horrors

Monsters are creatures that are not native to the world. Wolves and bears are natural creatures; dragons, demons, and horrors are not. Whether any particular breed of monster is native or alien depends on The Adversary's campaign world.

A player may play an unusual race or creature with The Adversary's approval. This character is an outsider who travelled to the campaign world from another realm. Its worldview should be alien to that of natives. It will have no tribe or homeland. It will be virtually unique. While it is possible that some others of his race also travelled to this world and set up a colony somewhere, such places would need to be well hidden or fortified to protect themselves from the natives.

Say a player wants his character to be creature known as a "dwelf." He should construct the character as he would any other. The player may argue that dwelves should get a bonus to Strength or Archer or something, but this is unnecessary - if dwelves are supposed to be stronger or faster or smarter than human beings, the player just needs to put more of his points into the appropriate traits. If the player thinks that dwelves should fly and throw lightning bolts and regenerate wounds, The Adversary can feel free to tell the player to go to hell. If he wishes to allow it, he can make the ability a Gift and require an amount of points that seems fitting - with the promise to revise it upward if the power gives more of an advantage than initially thought.

When creating monsters, The Adversary should not feel restrained by the character creation rules. Monsters and horrors are often far larger and more powerful than the heroes, and there is no reason why otherworldly creatures cannot have powers unavailable to the players.

Below are some pointers for creating interesting monsters. Appendix D has examples.

Normal player characters are considered to be human, or at least vaguely so. The size and density of monsters is measured relative to this standard, with humans being of Size and Density 0.

Monsters are often different. This makes the monsters frightening to the players, which is a good thing.

A creature twice as tall as a human would have roughly eight times the mass, assuming similar density. This is important to note for the sake of grappling or weak floors.

Great Strength does not necessarily make one any less vulnerable to harm - an elephant is very strong, but can still be chopped into small pieces if hit with an axe enough times. Constitution should be limited unless the creature is made of sterner stuff than most.

By the same token, one does not want a giant monster to be easily killed. In order to make creatures tough without making them invulnerable, The Adversary can give them Fortune to absorb wounds or allow them to suffer more wounds before incapacitation.

Some creatures may have proportions that make their strength different for different purposes. A long-limbed creature might have greater strength for striking than for lifting. A tentacled creature could have a powerful grip, but a weak punch.

Some creatures are tough, but not strong. If The Adversary wishes to create a monster that can take damage better than it can dish it out, he can make armor a natural part of its anatomy by giving the critter different Constitution traits for withstanding damage, healing wounds, and resisting poisons.

There is no reason why extraplanar horrors need to be limited to two arms, two legs, and one head. There is nothing wrong with making your players fight an otherworldly octopus monster with eight heads and sixty-four tentacles. How this translates into game terms (such as improved Initiative or hundreds of attacks per round) is up to The Adversary.

Monsters need not be limited to normal human sight, sound, smell, touch, or taste. A monsters may see infrared light, "see" via ultrasonic waves like a bat, or have some sort of supernatural spatial awareness.

Monsters need not be earthbound like the heroes. A monster could have great wings that allow it to fly, or it could levitate via unknown forces.

The rate at which monsters age is also up to The Adversary. He could even rule that certain creatures are virtually immortal.

Monsters and horrors may have rates of recovery far superior to the natural healing of a human. A monster could recover wounds and shocks once per round instead of once per week, perhaps even without rest. This makes monsters harder to kill, which makes them more frightening to the players. This is a good thing.

There is no reason why monsters need to be limited to the same sorcery as humans. While some monsters may indeed use blast or hold spells, some might also have special abilities such as shapeshifting, invisibility, or mind control. Some monsters may even be immune to physical or supernatural attacks (but not both, unless The Adversary wants a monster to be indestructable).

For that matter, there are supernatural arts appropriate for human antagonists that are not listed in the chapter on sorcery. This is because these abilities are not available to player characters. It may seem unfair that NPCs can have magical abilities that players cannot, but certain activities are simply not well-suited for adventurers. Skills such as alchemy and necromancy are classic fantasy fare, but are usually the province of strange cults or hermetic mages working feverishly in isolation for weeks and months at a time. This fact makes them better suited for plot devices than for player character traits.

It is fine for The Adversary to make use of golems, undead, potions, and the like, but players should not know where they come from. Mystery is fun.

The Adversary wishes for his players to be attacked by a horde of undead terrors. These creatures are immune to reason or passion and obey orders without question.

He decides on two types: ghosts and skeletons. Ghosts are immune to physical attacks and attack the players with mental blasts. Skeletons are immune to mental attacks and attack the players with rusted swords and armor.

Humans are not the only creatures who can use sorcery to travel between worlds. Some monsters may come to this world of their own ability. One that does is the most frightening of opponents - it is alien, wields supernatural powers, and has its own reasons for being here.

Adventurer Templates

Example Spells

The categories below are just for flavor. Sorcerers may choose any spell from any category, or they may create their own.

The druid summons a nearby avian to attack an enemy. The bird swoops in, attacks, and flies off.

A swarm of wasps flies from the druid's hand and assaults a group of targets, crawling right through armor and clothing.

A constrictor appears coiled around an enemy for four rounds, or until the enemy escapes.

A small demon (around 1m high) appears with a puff of brimstone, digs into the target with claws and fangs, and vanishes.

A small iron sphere flies from the wizard's hand, nails an enemy, and returns to the wizard.

Opens a doorway to any spot the wizard can see (assuming he makes his trait check vs the range).

The wizard projects his consciousness to remote locations within 4km for one hour.

Worlds

There are many possible worlds. The Adversary should be creative. Below are some examples.

Numerous unusual worlds exist parallel to the world of men. Sorcerers can use portals to travel to these realms.

Each world is distinct. The flora, the fauna, the climate, and even the colors of the sun and sky can vary from one to the next. Most are not instantly toxic to humans, though some are harsh enough that prolonged exposure can have serious consequences.

The topography is different for every realm. Some are covered in forests; others, deserts; some are nothing but water broken only occasionally by rocky islands.

Faer is a world much like our own, but brighter. It is home to all manner of elves, goblins, sprites, giants, and other creatures of folk tales. Some of these creatures are kind and generous, some are mischievous, and some are malevolent. All are alien.

Some Faeries are willing to travel to our world out of curiosity or spite. Others prefer to lure humans into their realm for various purposes.

Idimmu is a hot and barren realm. A dim red sun engulfs a third of the dark blue sky. The air is dry and thick. The rocky deserts are inhabited by some of the most savage creatures in existence: brutal demons, cruel devils, immense dragons, and hordes of strange, vicious beasts.

Sentient natives often wish to leave their infernal prison. These creatures have been known to make deals with sorcerers in exchange for their freedom.

Uggae is a black void at the edge of creation. Cold, slimy things slither in wet darkness lit only by faint stars. The creatures of Uggae, called "horrors" by sages, are powerful and alien beyond comprehension. There is no communicating with such things - they take no more notice of humans than humans do of insects.

Only fools or madmen attempt to bring horrors to their own worlds. Fortunately for humanity, this is an arduous task. Horrors are so immense that it is almost impossible to create a portal large enough to allow more than a fraction of one to pass. Even this can be grave - a single appendage of a horror can wreak vast destruction over a significant area.

Though rare, there are lunatic cults that dedicate their lives to bringing Horrors into the world.

The "spirit world" is not a separate realm, like Idimmu or Faer, but a metaphor for that subset of the physical world that is hidden from the perceptions of normal persons. The restless ghosts of dead beings travel within our world alongside more exotic ethereal entities.

Some spirits can manifest themselves in the physical world to communicate with the living. Others cannot be contacted without the aid of mysticism.

Spirits are not constrained by walls or borders, so can often obtain information unavailable to the living. Getting this information from them can be daunting, however: aside from the difficulty in communication, there is no reliable way to determine the identity or honesty of any particular spirit. One must take them at their word.

Furthermore, it is difficult for the unaware to tell the difference between the whispers of the dead and their own thoughts.

There are other worlds than these. The Adversary should feel free to be creative.

HURSAGMU

Mountains of the Sky Chambers

Hursagmu is a young world of swords, sorcery, gods, gateways, aliens, monsters, and horrors.

In the beginning, the world was quiet. There were fish and birds and beasts, but no men or monsters. Then gods came.

First came the great god UR, the creator. He mixed his own blood with that of beasts who walked the land to create a new race of being - part god, part beast - the race of man.

Men worshipped UR as father and master and served him for a time. When UR was finished with this world, he left his children to care for themselves.

Life was peaceful, for a time: there were no gods, few humans, and plenty of wealth and bounty for all.

Some thought the work to be monstrous - that human beings should never have been created. Others thought it fine that they were made, but believed the race should have been destroyed when UR was finished with it. These gods dedicated themselves to the annihilation of mankind.

Others thought the work of UR to be useful. These gods dominated and enslaved many tribes.

Still others thought the work of UR to be wondrous. They thought it vile for humans to be made into slaves to serve the whims of gods. These gods demanded that mortals be rewarded for their service.

The destroyers, the dominators, and the defenders were divided. A war was fought in heaven.

Mankind's benefactors won the war. From that day on, men and women would have free will. Gods would have to offer their own services in exchange for those of mortals.

This is what legends say. Accurate or not, divine influence on the world cannot be denied.

Gods have the ability to raise a mortal above its station, to bring the godhood out of the beast. Those who have been touched in this way have the power of sorcery.

Some gods touch their favored followers, who are then expected to serve faithfully for the rest of their days.

Contacting a god requires great patience and dedication. The most devoted follower may spend a lifetime calling to his god and get nothing in reply.

After the Firmament War, gods began to make deals with men for various reasons. Some wanted gold. Some wanted service. Some wanted to encourage the development of certain kinds of men. Some wanted the unconditional love of devoted worshipers. Some wanted random mischief. Some wanted to destroy.

Competing for scarce numbers, some gods began to order their followers to go forth and convert others to their cause - or, failing this, to kill them. Many wars have been fought in the name of faith.

Utuk Xul was a lesser god who was jealous of other gods' wealth in followers. Lusting for servants, he was the first to lay his touch upon a man and grant him the use of sorcery. This man was named Telal. He became the first priest of Utuk Xul.

This action horrified other gods. In their eyes, it gave powers to mortals that should have been possessed by gods alone. Utuk Xul was made a pariah and attacked by a host of enemies on Earth and in Heaven. He lost the war in Heaven, but - because of the powers he granted to Telal - won the war on Earth. Utuk Xul came down from Heaven to form the kingdom of Keph and reigned over it in physical presence for hundreds of years before he was able to reclaim his place above.

To oppose the armies of Utuk Xul, other gods were forced to grant similar powers to their followers. So began the ascendance of sorcery in the world.

North of Keph was a cold and rugged land, and in this land dwelled a tribe called the Yothans. The Yothans valued discipline, order, hierarchy, and uniformity. This value system caught the eye of a patron god, Yurda, who set up a system whereby anyone who passed a rigorous test would be given great power.

The test was designed so it could be passed only by men of great mental fortitude. It was also designed to destroy any challenger who did not believe in the value of universal order.

Yothan sorcery rose to dominate the region. Yothan philosophy followed. This land would become the kingdom of Yoth.

Yoth and Keph have warred with one another for centuries. It is no great difference in philosophy between the gods or peoples that causes the conflict, but more the shared belief that there is room for only one culture and religion in the world.

Some wars are won by Keph, some by Yoth. Towns change hands, territory is gained and lost, but little progress is made. The land between the two kingdoms, south of the Dergroll river and north of the Lalassu, became known as The Midlands, or just Midland. Though claimed by both kingdoms, neither can hold it for long. It has its own people and culture: a mix of Yothan, Kephite, and a dozen smaller tribes, all hardened by centuries of war and deprivation. It is a land of xenophobic clans, bandit gangs, mad wizards, misplaced monsters, and outlaws.

East of the old kingdoms is the tormented ocean called Tiamatu. Sea travel is difficult and dangerous. The old kingdoms have few ships or sailors. There is an island, however, whose inhabitants are skilled enough in seamanship to travel all over the world. They are merchants and explorers, and their skill has made their island prosperous. This has led to the island being called Richland by outsiders. It lies sixty miles from the mainland, closer to Yoth than to Keph.

Large portions of the Tiamatu remain uncharted. The ocean is vast and barren, but contains untold numbers of small, rocky islands populated by isolated peoples, bizarre cults, forgotten temples, and other mysteries. Sudden storms and colossal sea-monsters add to the terror of ocean travel.

West of the old kingdoms lies a range of enormous mountains known as the Hursagmu, a Kephite word that means "Mountains of the Sky-Chambers." These massive grey cliffs are all but impassable. Legends say that many gods made their homes in these mountains on high peaks beyond the reach of mortals. Rumors persist of strange things lurking in lonely places.

The river Darrow flows out of the Hursagmu, running southeast from the far northern wastes to join the Dergroll halfway between the mountains and the sea. Between these two rivers and the Hursagmu is a small kingdom filled with gigantic trees. It was originally settled by a tribe called the Kirks, so became known as Kirkland. The Kirks mixed with other tribes, plus outlaws and dissidents from the East, to create a unique culture.

North of the Darrow and west of Yoth, in the foothills of the Hursagmu, is a land called Vor. Within Vor are numerous small towns that have maintained their independence from Yoth only because they are too remote to concern the old kingdom. This may change as Yoth grows Westward.

To the west of Keph is an arid land populated by scattered tribes of nomadic savages. These tribesman use tools of wood and stone and live in tents made from animal skins. They are able horsemen, skilled hunters, and fierce warriors. They continue to exist only because the priests of Keph have yet to desire their territory. The easternmost tribes have learned that raiding towns of the civilized lands will be met with swift and harsh retribution, so armed conflict with Keph is rare. War between tribes is common.

Yoth is a highly ordered society. Everyone is assigned a specific rank and station, from the highest lord to the lowest serf.

There is anarchy beneath the order, however. To most Yothans and outsiders, the land is ruled by a hierarchy of nobles. The local lord runs day-to-day operations such as farming and mining, a higher lord oversees several local lords and is, in turn, controlled by an even higher lord, and so on all the way up to the king. Local titles are hereditary, but higher honors are appointed by superiors based on merit. Kings are chosen by an assembly of all the landed lords when the reigning monarch dies.

The true rulers of Yoth, however, are the sorcerers. They control the nobles and compete for them like gods compete for followers. The sorcerers like to keep their machinations secret - the nobles suffer assassinations and peasant revolts while the sorcerers reap the rewards of power.

Worship of Yurda is the official religion of Yoth. Observance is strictly enforced. All are expected to attend service once per week and to tithe ten percent of their income to the church.

Keph is a society organized around a religion. Utuk Xul ruled the kingdom in person for centuries; this direct contact left a mark on the land.

The priesthood rules Keph. Priests are leaders of the material as well as the spiritual. The Kephite order is hierarchical, much like the Yothan, with priests and temples in place of lords and estates.

Priests of high rank and stature are sometimes granted the use of sorcery. The high priest has great power, especially in his temple.

Observance of worship is lax. The priesthood does not concern itself with the spiritual development of its subjects so long as they pay their taxes. Wealthy Kephites live hedonistic lifestyles.

The Midlands are home to uncounted clans. These clans are based on roots and family ties and tend to be distrustful of outsiders. Some are hostile. The clans work the land for whatever wealth they can manage, often warring with their neighbors over borders or water rights. Clans band together only when there is a threat large enough to unite them, and then only until the threat is finished. Clans often change sides in the middle of a conflict if they feel the betrayal can benefit them.

The armies of Yoth and Keph move through the Midlands with impunity, taking what they want from the locals and killing anyone who opposes them. Clans survive by taking the side of whatever force is nearest or by living in areas so remote or unwanted that they are beneath notice.

In addition to the clans and armies, large gangs of brigands roam the countryside. Most of these are deserters from one kingdom or the other, but some are simply locals who lost everything or found that the life of a thug was preferable to an honest living.

The religions of Midland are as varied as the people. Each clan tends to have its own patron gods, real or imagined, and paganism is the rule.

Richland (or Havlande, as the locals call it) is a society based on exploration and trade. Farming is difficult on the cold and rocky island, so the people must rely on the outside world for much of their needs. This has benefited them, however, as it has forced them to master the sea to such an extent that they now act as merchants and go-betweens for most of the known world. This has brought the island great wealth.

The government of Richland is informal. Order is maintained in the major cities by councils of the richest merchants who raise money for the city watch by taxing commerce. The countryside is sparsely populated; there, order is maintained by the people themselves. It is a relatively free and peaceful society.

Religion is not a large part of life in Richland, as most people are too busy engaging in material pursuits to concern themselves with the spiritual. There are a few houses of worship dedicated to various gods, but religion does not permeate life the way it does on the mainland.

Kirkland is bordered by the Hursagmu on the west, the river Darrow on the northeast, and the river Dergroll on the south. These natural barriers protect Kirkland from the expansionism of Yoth and the clan wars of Midland.

The various peoples who settled Kirkland had radically different cultures. Rather than destroy each other, they devised a way to live in peace. Kirkland is a federation. Each community is governed in its own way - some are hierarchies based on the old kingdoms, some are governed by barbaric tribalism, some are experiments in liberty. They join together only for common defense.

The independent towns of Vor are quiet and peaceful. Disputes are usually settled by negotiation. Armed conflict between towns is rare.

Each town has its own forms of society, culture, and government. Most tend toward law and order, though not to the extreme that Yoth takes the concept.

The lands to the west of Keph are uncivilized. Numerous small tribes compete for scarce resources.

Some tribes have advanced ethical beliefs based on honor, generosity, kinship, or courage. Others behave like predatory animals.

Tribesmen make great hunters and warriors, and those of the plains are excellent horsemen.

These lands have no societies to speak of save the familial society of the local tribe. Religion is usually limited to primitive nature worship, though some tribes are known to commune with gods.

Lands of Men

The civilized peoples of the world struggle against the forces of chaos and domination.

Gomans resemble neanderthals. The average goman stands a few cm shorter than the average human, but a tall goman may tower over a short human. Gomans tend to be stronger and tougher than humans, but less agile and athletic. Their hair is usually red.

Anu range from short to tall. They tend to be slight of build. Most are empathic, intuitive, and graceful. Their skin ranges from pale to deep blue; their hair is usually black or silver. Anu tend to live longer than humans and gomans.

The three races can interbreed. Children of mixed race have characteristics of both races.

Inons are a race of tribal primitives from the cold northern wastes. They are taller and stronger than men, with primitive, animalistic features. They are covered with thick fur ranging in color from white in the far north to brown and black near the civilized world.

Inons breed like rabbits. The female gestation period is only three months, with the average birth producing five cubs. Inons mature in ten years, reach middle age at twenty, and die in their thirties.

Inonian hostility comes from passion. Inons are not very bright, but have powerful, overwhelming emotions. They are aggressive, suspicious, easily frightened, quick to anger, and prone to violence. They live in small, nomadic clans and raid civilized areas when food is scarce. Clans often war with one another.

Beyond the Blue Mountains, in the Great Eastern Desert, lives a race of snake-men called the Zon. They have bodies like serpents, chests and arms like men, and heads that resemble both. They are clever, quick, and strong. They breed slowly, but can live for three hundred years and grow to gigantic proportions.

Zon are born without empathy. They are calm, rational, and ruthless. Their entire society is built on domination; the strong oppress the weak, the numerous oppress the few, and the clever rule with brutality and guile. Zon can be powerful sorcerers.

Zon often attempt to invade the civilized lands. They have been known to kidnap entire villages for use as food and slaves.

The Silver River is an ancient waterway flowing from the Blue Mountains in the east to to the Bay of Hope on the coast of the Western Ocean. It is blessed with bountiful fish, surrounded by excellent farmland, and is the primary route for travel and trade in the civilized lands.

The Zevon Empire is centered around the Silver River. It is a beacon of light in a dark world. There is only one law: do no harm. There is only one tax: a low tax on land value paid by the landed lords. Revenue is used to build infrastructure and defend the empire.

The empire stretches from the Western Ocean to the Blue Mountains, over 800km. It is 500km from the northern wastes to the southern frontier. It expands slowly southward as clans and freeholders agree to join.

The Anu are the aristocracy. They own the majority of the land in the empire. They make up the bulk of administrators, magistrates, officers, and scholars.

Since landholders determine what is and is not permissible on their lands, large estates operate like small kingdoms, a second layer of government. Tenant farmers pay rents to lords that resemble taxes. Many estates have more restrictive rules than imperial law.

There are numerous human and goman freeholders, but their estates tend to be much smaller, like family farms and orchards. Most humans and gomans work for anu.

Half the population of the empire is human. Forty percent are goman. Anu make up the remaining ten percent.

The emperor administers the business of the empire, ruling by decree, but even he is not above the law. He relies on the support of the aristocracy to remain in power. When an emperor dies or steps down, the aristocracy selects a new one by approval voting. The emperor is always anu.

The high priestess rules over the imperial religion; she is always anu. The old anu religion recognizes three goddesses: Mon, the creator; Zu, the preserver; and Ko, the destroyer. Other religions are tolerated so long as they don't blaspheme against Mon, Zu, or Ko.

North of the empire is the frozen wastes, home to uncounted Goman clans, Inon tribes, and crumbling ruins from a time when the world was warmer. The northern border is heavily guarded, but raiders do slip through.

The Blue Mountains mark the eastern border of the empire. The range is ancient, with gentle blue-white peaks and numerous passes. The known passes are fortified against incursions from the Zon.

The Western Ocean is calm and placid, with plenty of fish and sea vegetables. There is much trade along the coast.

To the south is the frontier, consisting of new villages and the most recent imperial acquisitions. Beyond lies various small kingdoms and wandering clans.

The most obvious threats are the Inons and the Zon, but the empire is a big place - not all of it is bright. there are many dark and lonely corners with corrupt lords or strange cults. Demented sorcerers occasionally release monsters on the world for amusement. There is plenty for adventurers to do.

I designed Fortune and Power because my system and setting tastes are unusual. I want a fantasy game that is in the middle of the great RPG debates.

The mechanics are unoriginal. FaP takes elements from the Hero System, West End Games's classic d6 system, Dungeons & Dragons, GURPS, Fudge, and many others.

The costs of traits increase with level to prevent munchkins from placing all their points into a single ability. Such characters are gods at one thing and useless at all else. The system is designed to discourage this.

The exponential increases also allow traits to be open-ended without fear that someone will have a Strength of 700.

This cost scheme also means that it is painless for a character to gain a small amount of any trait. Mastery, on the other hand, requires dedication.

Traits are broad for the sake of simplicity. I have tried to group different abilities together under single traits in ways that make sense. Characters are less customizable than in games with hundreds of skills, but I think the ease of character building is worth the trade. Chargen is simpler with a small number of broad traits than with a large number of narrow ones.

The division of traits into Talents and Professions is purely aesthetic. Talents describe what you are. Professions describe what you do.

The trait list focuses on adventuring abilities; trade skills are abstracted. I did this so that talented craftsmen and scholars can compete in the adventuring arena. All craft skills, from blacksmithing to shoemaking, are considered part of a single trait: Artisan. All academic skills are considered part of Scholar. This is unrealistic, but I think it's fun.

This is meant primarily for player characters - most NPCs will be specialists with professions like Farmer or Carpenter.

Traits can be added. If a player wants their character to have Singer or Sailor as a profession, let it be done.

The decision to leave out traits related to social dynamics was deliberate. I prefer for such situations to be resolved through roleplaying rather than dice. If you want to be beautiful and dashing, fine. If you would rather be ugly and scary, good. There are advantages and disadvantages to both.

Gifts exist to add arbitrary rules and abilities to the game. One could add a gift called Bondage that allows one to control minds with a Command roll or a gift called Illusion that lets one do damage with a Perception roll. Taken to the extreme, one could even use gifts to emulate magic systems like those found in other games, where every spell is a rule unto itself.

An expensive Gift is required for the use of sorcery to prevent every character from having the ability.

Fortune is like a combination of drama points, hit points, and mana. It's an abstract resource that exists purely for game purposes rather than drama or simulation. I think it's fun.

The mechanics are meant to be easy to learn and simple to execute, yet powerful in possibility.

The game uses rolls of 2d6 + Trait as the core mechanic. The probability distribution looks like this:

On average, players should roll a 7 about 17 percent of the time. 45 percent of rolls should fall between 6 and 8; 67 percent of rolls should fall between 5 and 9; 83 percent of rolls should fall between 4 and 10.

The degree-of-success mechanic takes care of several things at once - there is no need for damage rolls, hit locations, or techniques to allow a knife fighter to get through heavy armor. It's all there in the dox. It also means that trait checks are not just pass/fail; you get information on the quality of the success or failure.

The system is unconcerned with the detailed differences between types of weapons and armor. Players don't need to choose swords for tactical reasons if what they really want is axe-wielding barbarians. At the same time, a dagger shouldn't do the damage of a longsword; daggers have other advantages (small, lightweight, easily concealed, useful in grappling). Therefore, the size of a weapon determines its benefits; Players choose the characteristics and cosmetics.

Random initiative adds some variety to the types of tactics possible in the game. Players can create a samurai-like warrior by putting emphasis on aggressive initiative and striking or a fencer who concentrates on fending off an opponent while seeking an opening.

Sorcerers ought to have options when casting a spell so that supernatural duels are as exciting as physical ones. Spell intensity, duration, area, and casting time should be flexible. The rules are designed so that sorcerers may trade one for another in various ways. This will hopefully lead to interesting tactics.

Powerful sorcerers need not be strong or quick - those in stories are often old and feeble. Thus, all of a sorcerer's abilities are based on his mind. The ability to defy or deflect spells without physically moving is part of this.

I have always enjoyed creating my own settings and don't much enjoy using ones created by others. I was surprised to learn that this was not the case for all game masters. I designed FaP to be a semi-generic system, with the types of abilities and power level I like, that I can use with the various fantasy settings (and, with a little work, non-fantasy settings) I dream up. I've included examples in the appendices, but this game is really intended for those who like to roll their own.

Energy	26
Power	Blast (indirect) + Hold (physical)
Intensity	7 \| 7
Area	1
Duration	4

x	p(roll = x)	p(roll >= x)
2	0.028	1.000
3	0.056	0.972
4	0.083	0.917
5	0.111	0.833
6	0.139	0.722
7	0.167	0.583
8	0.139	0.417
9	0.111	0.278
10	0.083	0.167
11	0.056	0.083
12	0.028	0.028