RUINQUESTRUINQUESTThe Fantasy Role-Playing Game

BY

STEPHEN J WELLS

adapted from RuneQuest devised by

STEVE PERRIN RAY TURNEY

STEVE HENDERSONWARREN JAMES

with editing and special sections byJohn Sapienza and Greg Stafford

illustrations by LUISE PERRIN

Sartar and Prax maps by WILLIAM CHURCH

based on the universe created byGREG STAFFORD

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This book is dedicated to Dave Arneson and Gary Gygax who first opened Pandora's box, to Ken St. Andre who found it could be opened again and to Steve Perrin, Ray Turney & Friends who gave us hope to dream of better.

With thanks to the following playtesters and critics -

Saturday Gang: Peter Wells, Mike Crewe, Gary, James and Alex Watson, Peter, Alex and Duncan Taylor; and Mega-Bashers: Mike Whelan, Paul Winser, Mark Williams, Phil Thomas, Quentin Earle, Rob Bird, Tony Habergham; plus extra mentions to Steve Brooks for introduction/imperative, and Paul Stradling for ancient lore and encouragement.

Version History1.0 20SEP2012 First version declared 'done' – enough! SJW's RuinQuest rules in RuneQuest 2 style/template.

Featuring: Many simplifications, Imperial units, Heroic Defence, Traits, Weapons Expertise, etc.1.1 22SEP2012 Version history table p2; timeline mod p7; heal bleeding p18; acid reword p44; poison updates

p44,79,82,84,89,116; power runes together p53; line & toads p75; elf TF p79; manticores don't fly p82; snake details p84,85; money changing costs & coin weight p115; index updates p118.

1.2 03OCT2012 Defence for all (Animals DEXx3), p73-89; Increase skills on adventures and practice later, p42; Appendix H - Herb finding/tables, p105-109; Treasure Factors & Gem table modified, p74-92.

1.3 10OCT2012 Non-initiate Divine Intervention, p54; Crystal/spirit & Spell ranges, p32-39,56-71passim,94,95; Appendix O - Other Magic Systems Summary (mage/cleric) [for details see Other Realms], p114.

1.4 21OCT2012 More fun Rune Spells, p59-62; Appendix G (started), p104.1.5 04APR2013 Summary Sheets done, p126+; Appendices completed – Herbs, Gems & Goods, minor tweaks.1.6 18JUL2013 HeroQuests description added, p56.

I INTRODUCTION 3 background 4 map of Glorantha 6 timeline of the Lunar Empire 7

II HOW TO CREATE AN ADVENTURER 8

characteristics 8 abilities & basic skills 9 character background 11 character details & traits 12 the character sheet 13

III MECHANICS AND MELEE 14 skills, experience, rolls etc 14 time, movement, encumbrance 15 combat overview 16 natural damages & conditions 17 hit locations, wounds & injuries 18

IV COMBAT 19 combat resolution details 19 fumbles & impales 20 the fight at Gimpy's Tavern 21 weapon types & categories 22 melee weapons 23

special combat rules 24 shields & missiles 25 weapon expertise 26 armour & helmets 28 sample suits of armour 28

V BASIC MAGIC 29 battle magic spells list 30 increasing power 31 battle magic spell descriptions 32 spirit contacts & shamans 37 diseases 41

VI SKILLS 42 introduction & summary 42 alchemists' guild 44 the free sages 46 thieves' associations 47 players and minstrels 48 maritime brotherhood 49 foresters 49 armourers 49 horsemasters 49 the mercenary bands 50 mercantylers & other guilds 51 increasing characteristics 51

XI INDEXES 116

VII RUNE MAGIC 52 mastering the Runes 52 Rune cults 53 becoming an initiate 54 becoming a Rune lord 54 becoming a Rune priest 57 Rune magic 58 Rune magic spell descriptions 59 elementals 62 summary of cults 66 Orlanth 66 Kyger Litor 69 Black Fang brotherhood 71

VIII MONSTERS 72 creatures of Glorantha 72 non-human races 72 monster descriptions 73 chaotic features table 89 non-humanoid hit locations 90

IX TREASURE HOARDS 91 treasure factors 91 special & extra-special items 92

X APPENDICES 97

plus SUMMARY SHEETS 118

May Arachne Solara bless and protect this book.Many contents copyright © 1978, 1979, 1980 by Chaosium, Inc., P.O. Box 6302, Albany, CA 94706, U.S.A.

Original version published in the U.K. by Games Workshop Ltd., London, under licence; Printed in Great Britain.NOT FOR PUBLICATION

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I INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

WHAT IS A FANTASY ROLE-PLAYING GAME? A role-playing game is a game of imaginative adventures, magic storytelling, and character development simulating the process of personal development commonly called “life”. The players act roles in a fantasy world, just as they might act in a play. It is performed with the players' imagination, pencil and paper, dice and often with miniature figures on a tabletop. However it is played, the primary purpose is to have fun.

WHAT IS RUINQUEST ? RuinQuest is an RPG built on Chaosium's RuneQuest and BRP. These rules are a streamlined and improved version, extended for classic fantasy settings such as this author's own World of Pandaria. RuinQuest is not limited to one world, however: the systems for skills, experience, combat, magic, training etc can be adapted to any setting without difficulty. I hope you will find this system exciting, realistic and easy to play, wherever your adventures take you.

HOW TO USE THESE RULES Get together with friends and play. Roll up characters and see how the rules apply. Invent some simple scenarios with no surprises for anyone and play them through until you know how the rules work. Then your imagination is the only limit.

These rules provide a reasonably detailed game system, but don't have all the answers. Additional publications will expand on how the game works in Pandaria and how it extends to other worlds.

PURPOSE OF THE GAME The title of the game, RuinQuest, describes it's major activity. Players are often exploring ruins on quests to defeat monsters and win treasures, using magic, combat skills and their wits. For this they create characters, known as adventurers, and act as them in various scenarios designed by the Referee or Game Master (GM). Surviving adventurers gain experience in skills and maybe cash to advance further. Successful adventurers gain status within their guilds, religious cults and/or ruling hierarchy, becoming a Wizard, High Priest or Lord of their world. Perhaps they will even step up into the ranks of the immortals, by becoming a Hero! While having amazing adventures, the characters can develop personalities - and the players have fun.

FEATURES RuinQuest is similar to other role-playing games, but simpler and yet more realistic. RuneQuest strike ranks, skill categories, damage bonus dice, separate attack/parry skills, movement and encumbrance are replaced with more straightforward, easier systems. D&D armour classes, restrictive character classes, extensive arbitrary rules, over-powered magic, anti-heroic sacks of hit points and bully-boy attitude are avoided in favour of more consistent and realistic mechanisms.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO PLAY Besides these rules, RuinQuest players will need the following:

DICE Dice of various shapes and sides are needed for this game. They are available at many specialist game stores or online. The basic mix needed for play is as follows:

Type Abbreviation percentile dice (usually two 10- or 20-sided dice) D100 one 20-sided die marked from 1 to 20 D20 one 12-sided die D12 one 8-sided die D8 three 6-sided dice D6 one 4-sided die D4

In these rules, dice are referred to using the above abbreviations. Thus, if it is necessary to roll two 12-sided dice, it will be written as 2D12. If it is necessary to roll a 3-sided die, D3, simply roll a D6 and divide by two, always rounding up. Thus, 1-2=1, 3-4=2, 5-6=3.

Other Playing Aids RuinQuest does not need a playing board. Players' imaginations provide the stage on which the characters act. As assistance in this drama, you'll find the following helpful:

PENS AND PENCILS

PAPER – Blank, lined and/or graph paper for maps.

FLOOR-PLANS or PLEXIGLASS SHEET & GREASE PENCIL – Optional but handy devices for showing the dimensions of rooms, corridors, houses, streets, ships, landscapes and, of course, ruins.

MINIATURE FIGURES – Also optional but give the game focus and help clarify who/what is where. 25mm scale is the most suitable.

TIME – From a couple of hours for a quick scenario to many years of epic adventures and heroism and for a long-running campaign.

IMAGINATION

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GLORANTHA – THE BACKGROUND

HISTORY Glorantha was created by its deities from the Primal Void of Chaos. At first, there was no history, for the initial creation formed the period of magic and timeless simultaneity called Godtime. During this time, all the world was populated with the beings and races of the Golden Age. The birth into this world of Umath, the Primal Air, shattered the period of peace with crowding, confusion and fear. This escalated into the War of the Gods, resulting in the death of the Sun, the Great Darkness and Chaos let loose upon the world. Total Destruction seemed near. But Glorantha was not destroyed. Spurred on by Hope and Chance, the Seven Lightbringers sought through the Chaos-ridden Cosmos and, after harrowing adventures. liberated the life-giving Sun God. The joyful god leapt to his rightful place in the sky and the Dark was banished. To keep entropic Chaos from coming to their realm again, the gods swore great oaths and compacts resulting in the Great Compromise. Men call this Time. By altering the world, the gods saved it, and History began. There followed the Dawn Ages. This was a time of peace and growing, as the survivors rebuilt and taught themselves the way of the world inside Time. The ancient races, elves, dragonewts, dwarves and trolls, were as healthy and proud as humans. In Dragon Pass, on the continent of Genertela, the First Council was a balanced organisation including humans and non-humans, men and women, mortals and divinities. This age of innocence could not last. Ancient feuds were remembered and conflicts grew with peoples outside the council.Inside dissension and outside enemies forced the formation of the Second Council, a warlike empire, which grew in arrogance and power until they dreamed of bringing back the Godtime. The experiment ended in the birth of Gbaji, the Chaos god, whose reign of terror kept Glorantha at war with itself for 75 years. This was the death knell of the inhuman races, which have never had the same stature in the world since then. This was the end of the Dawn Ages. Out of this shattered world grew new political entities. Among the most powerful was the state which called itself the Empire of the Wyrms Friends. This empire, centred in Dragon Pass, lasted for 500 years, proud of and famous for their friendship with the dragons and wyrms of the pass. The peoples and places thrived, made contact with two other continents, and delved deep into spiritual byways.

After several hundred years the empire was replaced by a ruling body of men and gods called the Third Council. Legends relate that there was no telling the men from the gods in the council chambers. But the magic of the council could not counter the miseries of its worshippers, or control the swords of the rebels who did not sacrifice to them. Foreign gods gained power and prestige as the provinces of the Third Council Revolted or were overrun by invaders. At last the council turned its energies to defending its worshippers. Epic battles raged across the land. Finally, the dragonewts, dormant for centuries, rose against the council and slew them all. Some 78 years later the human allies aiding the destruction of the empire turned against the dragonewts. With few allies, they seemed helpless before the destroying might of the hordes. Nests were scoured with wildfire, planted with seeds laid by Chaotic parasites, sealed by diseases unnameable, and cursed by fear and loathing for any that would mourn them. Heartless and relentless, the humans crushed and plundered, but when they closed in upon Dragon Pass the assembled human armies met those who would mourn the loss of dragonewts. The dragons from all across Time and Space assembled in their ancestral home to preserve the purity of their birthplace. The Dragonkill War got its name from what the dragons did, not what they suffered. Humans have feared the dragons since that time, despite draconic indifference, and none now seek to smash the eggs of the dragonewts, even though they might plunder the nest city. Dragon Pass was abandoned by humanity. Elsewhere, old empires shook and seas were utterly closed to human crossing. New kingdoms rose to fill the power vacuums and new magics and deities broke free from ancient shackles. North of Dragon Pass, in the region called Peloria, there arose the Red Moon Goddess. In her were balanced Constancy and Change, Life and Death, Love and Indifference, and all the dichotomies of the Universe, including a touch of Chaos. Her arrival changed the face of the land. After living in Glorantha a short time she ascended to the heavens where she remains in her cyclical beauty, viewing the land which she left to her family below. The ever-reincarnating Red Emperor of the Lunar Empire is her son and her pride. The Lunar Empire expanded from its founding in 1220. When defeated it rebounded stronger than ever. They went north to the icy wastes, east to the bounds of the horse barbarian lands, and west until they were halted by the magical Syndics Ban. But in the south the empire continued to grow and grow. When they reached Dragon Pass they found it populated again. Moreover, it was owned by the Kingdom of Sartar, ruled by a wise dynasty cautious to maintain the great and magical laws which gave it its strength. Despite initial defeats, the emperor eventually marched almost unhindered into the Sartar capitol of Boldhome. He defiled the Temple of Sartar and ravaged the city. So far, it was the typical Lunar conquest. But the spirits of Sartar Temple incited the natives to rebellion. When the Lunar priestesses attempted to construct a Temple of the Reaching Moon on Wind Top to extend Glowline. a dragon unearthed itself under the foundation, devouring the priestess there and half of the attendant armies. Shortly afterwards, rebellion in the outpost city of Pavis spelled Lunar defeat, and the victorious barbarian warlord led his army towards Dragon Pass.

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The warlord was Argrath Dragontooth, member of a minor Sartar household and refugee from Lunar justice. He had grown famous amongst the tribes of Prax and now claimed heirdom to Sartar's realm. He defeated Lunar forces in a military victory and relit the fire in Sartar's Temple with a command. Thus, the empire was thrown back again. The bravery and glory of Sartar's fight for independence attracted thousands of volunteers, and people from all about Glorantha became Adventurers in order to build up their skills to take their places in the ranks. The period was known as the Hero Wars, and the fighting around Dragon Pass drew the greatest collection of Heroes and Superheroes the world had ever seen in one place. This is the game of that period. In these pages one learns how to start to become a Hero, to take one's place in the Hero Wars.

TECHNOLOGICAL BASE Glorantha is a Bronze Age world. This general statement is meant to illustrate the social development and cultural level of most of the people of the world. In addition, the prevalent metal in use there has many properties similar to our own bronze. Bronze is used throughout RuinQuest to refer to the terrestrial metal to which it is most similar. However, Gloranthan bronze can be mined directly from the ground, and has some properties dissimilar from our earthly metal. We chose to substitute the familiar term rather than the awkward terms of Ga-metal, ze-metal, and so on, which are documented in Gloranthan references. Other metals are similarly labelled with terrestrial analogues. Bronze is common, and can be mined directly from the bones of the gods who died in the Gods' War. These bones provide a ready source of the metal. Unalloyed, or pure, metals, such as iron, lead, tin, and copper, prevent a person from using magic unless he is “sealed” to the Rune connected with that metal. See Chapter VII for a list of what metals are aligned to which Runes. Note that all coins are alloyed, as are gold and silver ornaments.

SOCIOLOGICAL BASE Glorantha is an ancient period and early Dark Ages world. It has far more to do with Mesopotamia, ancient China, Hyboria, and Lankhmar than it does with medieval Europe, Le Mort D'Arthur, or the Carolingian Cycle. Its heroes are Conans, Grey Mousers, and Rustums, not Lancelots, Percivals, and Rolands. Unlike the worlds in other role-playing games, there is no alignment, as such. People have allegiances to nations, cities, religions, and tribes, not to abstract concepts. It is also possible for people within the game to survive quite well with no allegiances whatever except to themselves. In Glorantha, the gods, the forms of their followers and cults, play an active and important part in most major events. However, most gods are complementary, and rarely oppose each other directly. Only the gods of Power are actively antagonistic, and even then only within their own spheres of interest.

MONETARY BASE The coinage of Glorantha is based on silver. While both gold and copper are used as coins, silver is by far the most common monetary metal. Silver coinage was first introduced into Glorantha by the Lunar Empire. The generic term for silver coins used over the continent is the Lunar, in honour of the Lunar Empire. However, in the empire, the basic silver coin is referred to as an Imperial. In Sartar it is called a Sovereign, and in the city of Corflu, run by various guilds, it is called a Guilder. All of these coins are roughly equivalent in value. Note that a Lunar, abbreviated in the rules as L, is worth about one pre-WWII English pound, or five US dollars.

Gold was the first coinage of the world, brought to the people by the enigmatic Sun-Wheel Dancers. In their honour, gold coins are still called Wheels. Gold, however, is scarce and very valuable. One golden Wheel equals 20 Lunars of silver. Gold is still mainly used as a means of settling debts between nations rather than individuals. Copper coins were invented by the dwarves. As is usual with any innovation brought out by that most inventive race, humans shrink from acknowledging the contribution. The copper coin is called a Clack, or often just a Copper. It takes ten Clacks to equal one Lunar.

1 Wheel = 20 Lunars1 Lunar = 10 Clacks

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Glorantha

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THE WORLD OF GLORANTHA

On the facing page is a world map of Glorantha, the first world of RuneQuest. It is not a planet, as is ours, but instead is a slightly bulging, squarish lozenge, like the earth-Rune's shape. The earth floats upon Sramak's River, the Primal Ocean of mythology. The sky overhead is an off-centre bowl rotating about the Pole Star which marks the centre of the sky, and is the only stable point in the celestial dome. Between the earth and sky is the turbulent realm of the air and storm gods. Underneath both earth and sea is the dark, silent Underworld. The scale of the map is 1200 miles to the inch (or 760km per cm). Mountains on the map are marked by solid black patches. Lesser ranges are not shown. The land areas are those which surround the mountains. The centre of the map and the connected areas are water, as labelled. In strict terminology, the Oceans are the places which are connected directly to the Primal Sea, while the Seas have earth beneath them. The shaded regions are places unknown to mortal races. There are lands of immensely powerful supernatural races, such as Altinela or Vithela or Luathela. These beings occasionally come to the world of men, but few men ever travel to them. Some are areas of myth, like the Sea of Fire where the sky fell to earth and set everything burning, or the Lands of Dawn and Dusk where the sun rises and sets each day. Only Heroes can travel to such realms and survive, and from there they can find their way to the very worlds of the gods. The unshaded areas are those lands commonly known to mankind. The unlabelled box near the centre of the map, on the southern edge of Genertela, is the area of the maps in the Appendices of this book, consisting of Dragon Pass and Prax. Genertela is the name of the northern continent. It is colder than the southern continent, and the northern-most regions are abandoned by men but inhabited by ice demons. The White Sea separates the permanent winter from the northlands of men. The continent is temperate in climate, and in the south the seasons are moderate. The great central oceans of Glorantha are mild and almost balmy, though seasons affect them. The many islands are pleasant places, semi-tropical in nature. Magasta's Pool, at the centre of the world, is a gigantic whirlpool which draws all the waters of the world to it and drops them to the dark primal sea below. The inhabited lands of the southern content developed independently from the north, though both cultures came into violent conflict during the Second Age. The northern coastal regions are extremely pleasant, but the temperature increases the further south one travels. Beyond the lands that men know are dense jungles and, finally, the arid and unlivable Burning Wastes. Even in the central areas only some regions have been well-documented and mapped; others live on in the ignorance and bliss of illiteracy. Further publications explore and explain some of these regions in more detail.

TIME LINE FOR THE LUNAR EMPIREAND THE DRAGON PASS REGION

1100 - Dragonkill War wipes out all human inhabitants in Dragon Pass, leaving it to the other humanoid races.

1220 - Red Moon goddess born in Rinliddi, Peloria.1230 - Dragonewts and elves unite to destroy warring troll factions.1242 - Carmanian Empire conquered by Red Goddess.1247 - The Red Goddess attains immortality and ascends to the sky.1250 - Defeated in battle, the forces of the Pure Horse tribe of Prax

hide in haunted Dragon Pass. They find peace instead of demons, and are accepted by the local residents. Changing their name to Grazelanders, they settle in the area.

1288 - Lunar Empire conquers the last stronghold of Dara Happa, securing all of Lowland Peloria for the Red Goddess.

1330 - Refugee Pelorians discover the Temple of the Shaking Earth and found the Twins dynasty and the Kingdom of Tarsh.

1340 - Hill tribes move north from Hendrekei and Esrolia and settle in the southern hills of Dragon Pass.

1347 - The Conquering Daughter defeats many tribes of Southern Peloria and adds the provinces to the Empire.

1374 - Great barbarian invasions from the Wastelands devastate and overrun most of Peloria. The shaman Sheng Seleris begins his epic campaign against the Red Emperor.

1380 - War between hill peoples of Dragon Pass and Ducks.1397 - Yara Aranis is born, a demonic barbarian-killing daughter of

the Red Emperor. The barbarians no longer grow in strength.

1402 - War between Grazelanders and Kingdom of Tarsh ends with a defeat for the Grazelanders, who are forced into the hills.

1420 - Pol-Joni tribe, including many disgruntled ex-Grazelanders, is founded and established in Prax despite efforts to stop them by the Animal Nomads.

1448 - Tarsh King Orios dies without heir; civil war begins.1455 - Illaro dynasty founded in Tarsh; kingdom is quickly re-

established1460 - Sheng Seleris and Red Emperor meet in personal combat;

after many great magics only the Emperor emerges.1470 - Sartar makes his early appearances among the hill tribes of

Dragon Pass.1477 - Tarsh King Tastanim is killed by Telmori, a migrating tribe

which worships werewolves.1480 - Sartar makes peace with the Telmori, and they settle near

Prax.1490 - Hon-eel the Artess comes to Tarsh and woos the king. After

he disappears, her son becomes the first Lunar Tarsh king, called the founder of the Governor King dynasty.

1492 - Boldhome founded by Sartar, who is named king and the land is named after him.

1538 - Palashee Longaxe leads a Tarsh confederation against the Governor Kings and drives the Lunars out of Tarsh.

1539 - Sartar is apotheosized, leaving the mortal realm. His dynasty begins ruling the Kingdom of Sartar.

1550 - Dragonewts Dream begins, lasting for five years. No human has an idea of what this was about.

1555 - Palashee Longaxe is killed in battle, and the Lunar Governor Kings retake Tarsh.

1575 - Pavis Outside the Walls is settle by Sartarite colonists.1582 - Tarsh rebels and Sartar forces are smashed at the battle of

Grizzley Peak, and all unified Tarsh rebel activity is halted forever as part of that force joins Sartar. This is the region of the Far Point.

1602 - Boldhome is sacked by the Lunar army, and the last known heirs of Sartar are slain or driven away.

1605 - Lunar Empire defeated in Holy Country at Building Wall battle.

1610 – Bison and Impala tribes defeated in Prax by Lunars and Sable allies. Pavis city falls, as the Empire seeks a route to the sea.

1613 – Kallyr Starbrow leads another Sartarite rebellion, quickly crushed by the Empire.

1615 - Grazers raid Sartar, and evade a massive Lunar punitive force.1616 - The Pharaoh of the Holy Country vanishes. Wolf Pirates

defeat the Holy Country fleet and loot the islands.1618 - Greymane's raiders plunder deep into the Holy Country.1619 - Heortland invaded by the Lunar Empire: all Hendrikei seized

and rebellious south-Sartar city of Whitewall besieged.1620 - The Crimson Bat comes to end all resistance at Whitewall.

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II HOW TO CREATE AN ADVENTURER

CHARACTERISTICS

To create a human Adventurer, the player rolls 3D6 for each of the following characteristics, re-rolling one die of each if desired. This provides a range of from 3 (low) to 18 (high) for each characteristic and this range gives the basic parameters of human development. Other races such as elves, dwarves and dragonewts may have different ranges for many characteristics. These differences are dealt with in the section on monsters, Chapter VIII.

1. STRENGTH (STR) - An Adventurer's STR affects the damage he does, the kind of armour he wears, and what weapons he can wield. It can be increased through training, explained later, up to the rating for the character's Constitution or Size, whichever is highest. If STR is a character's highest rating of the three then it cannot be increased except by magic.

2. INTELLIGENCE (INT) - This characteristic is trickier. It is a measure of an Adventurer's ability to deal with abstractions and memorization. This includes the theory behind skills such as fighting, thieving, magic, and crafting. INT is a major modifier of characters' ability to progress in skills through experience. It also determines how many spells a character may memorize. This characteristic never changes, save through some miraculous intervention.

3. WISDOM (WIS) – This represents a character's willpower, insight and mental strength. It is also the measure of his soul. A high WIS shows the favour of the gods, for he is in tune with the Universe. This aids the ability of magic-using characters to cast magic spells, as WIS determines their initial POWER (POW). Characters POW is set equal to their WIS when they first have to deal with magic. Thereafter POW develops separately and can vary widely; WIS seldom changes. Spell use depletes a character's POW, and rest restores it. Successful spell casting can cause an Adventurer to gain more POW. Rules for this are in Chapter V, Basic Magic.

4. DEXTERITY (DEX) - This is the measure of how fast and accurately a character can perform different functions such as fighting and magic. DEX can also be raised by training up to the limit of the species maximum, as explained later.

5. CONSTITUTION (CON) - This is the measure of the health of a character. It is a major factor in determining the amount of damage a character can take before he dies. The CON of an Adventurer is what all attacks by Poison or Disease must be matched against. Training can increase CON. It can be increased up to the character's STR or

SIZ, whichever is the larger. If CON is the character's highest rating of the three then it cannot be increased except by magic.

6. CHARISMA (CHA) - CHA is the measure of leadership. This is the ability to say “follow me” and find oneself leading a charge. It should not be mistaken for beauty, although looks play a vital part. CHA is useful for obtaining training credit and has various other uses which will become apparent throughout the rules. CHA can be changed by the success or failure of previous ventures which have a definite influence on the Adventurer's current CHA.

7. SIZE (SIZ) - This indicates the mass of a character. It affects his ability to do and absorb damage. Both large and small Adventurers have certain advantages. Large people can absorb more damage and carry heavier loads, but find it harder to skulk in shadows or dodge blows. Small people have the opposite benefits and drawbacks. Characters may be over- or under-weight but this does not affect SIZ, as it represents their ideal weight. SIZ cannot be naturally altered. SIZ also affects a character's height. The 3-18 scale produces wide variation, around an average of 5ft4 for human males – about right in an ancient world setting. It depends on the campaign, so consult your referee. For modern norms or characters of potentially heroic stature, suitable dice rolls are 2D6+6 for males and 2D6+3 for females.

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CREATE A CHARACTER – BECOME A HERO! Every player needs a character. Roll 3d6 for each of the six basic characteristics STR, INT, WIS, DEX, CON, CHA and also SIZ with 2D6+6 (females 2D6+3). You can re-roll one die of each if desired.

THE SAGA OF RURIK THE RESTLESS To provide a running series of examples for the reader we willbe presenting the Saga of Rurik the Restless throughout this book. For now, let's roll up his characteristics. . .

STR=12 - This is a high average STR, allowing him to handlemost weapons and wear any armour Chapter IV, Combat Skills,gives more detail on these limits.INT=16 - This is a very good roll. As you will see later, it giveshim a number of advantages in gaining expertise in skills and lets him memorize a goodly number of spells.WIS=12 - Again, this is a high average roll. When he learns magic, he will have a fair number of “POW points” to put into it, his chance of influencing others with his magic is decent, and he has a reasonable resistance to spells. Again, for more detail see Chapter V, Basic Magic.DEX=6 - You can't win them all. Our boy Rurik is starting outclumsy. This detracts from his chances of hitting and getting aparry in the way of a weapon, but fortunately DEX can be improved, as the muscles and reflexes are trained.CON=16 - An excellent roll. He will be able to soak up a fairamount of damage, and has a better than average chance of surviving things like Poison, Disease, etc.CHA=10 - At this point, Rurik has an average chance of persuading someone to follow him anywhere, and is sometimes persuasive. Remember, this is only partly to do with looks.SIZ=12 - This puts him at some 5ft 6ins tall, above the average height for his ancient world, and weighing around 168 pounds.

RURIK'S POTENTIAL INCREASESSTR - Thanks to his CON of 16, Rurik's STR can be increased, asexplained later, to a maximum of 16.INT, WIS & SIZ - Failing an act of the gods or the intercession of Lady Luck, Rurik is stuck with what he has. Fortunately, what he has in the form of INT is very good and WIS & SIZ reasonable.POW and DEX - These two attributes can be increased to speciesmaximum eventually. With DEX, Rurik has a long way to go.CON - Because it is the highest of the three of STR, CON, andSIZ, this characteristic cannot be changed. It's fortunate that itis as high as it is.CHA - As shown later, Rurik's CHA will rise and fall with events.

MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM CHARACTERISTICS Characteristics may not be increased beyond the maximum amount rollable on the characteristic dice plus the number of dice rolled. This is their Species Maximum. Thus, no human may have any characteristics higher than 21.

ABILITIES AND HOW CHARACTERISTICSINFLUENCE THEM

Each Adventurer has various abilities which can improve with training, and skills which can also be improved by experience. The characteristics determine the initial values of each ability and skill, giving the “natural ability” of the character in that field. Skills are in categories, each governed by one characteristic: Manipulation (STR), Knowledge/Perception (INT), Will/Insight (WIS), Agility (DEX), Stamina (CON) and Communication (CHA). The following sections list the major abilities and basic skills.

Every skill is a percentage, initially equal to a multiple of the relevant characteristic - usually STAT x 1% but maybe more. Characteristics also give modifiers to abilities by 'Statistic Bonuses', calculated from the value of each characteristic as follows:

Statistic Bonus = (STAT – 10) / 2 (round down)

Characteristic Bonus01 -502-03 -404-05 -306-07 -208-09 -110-11 012-13 +114-15 +216-17 +318 +4Each +2 +1 more

1. DEFENCE This is the most important ability for a Hero. A somewhat tricky concept, Defence is the art of getting out of the way: the ability to be where a blow is not. Some oriental martial arts use these techniques, but no-one had so developed it in this ancient world. Defence enables characters to dodge out of harm's way - if they are lucky!

Defence = 10 + DEX bonus – SIZ Bonus %

HOW DEFENCE WORKS - An Adventurer can use their Defence to avoid damage from any source, be it a broadsword, spell, or whatever. When a character is at risk of losing hit points, they may roll their Defence. If successful, then some or all of the damage is evaded – whether by dodging, favour of the gods, or sheer Heroic Luck, is a matter for interpretation (but must involve the character suffering some disadvantage, such as moving back or falling). This is explained later.

HOW DEFENCE INCREASES – Defence can only be increased by “Bonus Experience Points” the GM awards for good role-playing:Heroic acts, good characterization, making tea – whatever adds fun! Each point awarded gives an immediate +1% increase. (This rule is in total contrast to the usual rules for increasing skills by experience shown in Chapter III, but it is the only exception).

The Reasons WhyDEX - Dexterity obviously has a significant role to play in dodging.SIZ – Small size does bring some advantages.

RURIK'S SAGA Calculating Rurik's Defence (probably the most important ability for a would-be hero), we find that his poor dexterity and large size work against him. Rurik's DEX bonus is (6–10)/2 = –2, and his SIZ bonus is (12–10)/2 = +1. Note that SIZ bonus counts negative in this case though, so it all totals up to make his initial Defence 10 –2 –1 = 7%, a very poor natural defence ability. For now, he has very little chance to avoid foes striking him. Rurik will be keen to improve this by performing heroic deeds.

2. HIT POINTS This is more an attribute than an ability. Hit Points (HP) are the measure of how much damage the character can take before dying.Hit Points falling to 0 or less means injury. HP -10 or less is death.

Hit Points = SIZ / 2 (round up) + CON bonus

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The Reasons WhySIZ – The larger a person or creature is, the more damage he can sustain before taking significant injury. Thus more SIZ means more Hit Points.CON – the fitter a person is, the more damage he can soak up before his wounds prove debilitating or fatal.

RURIK'S SAGA Rurik's slightly larger-than-average SIZ and excellent CON (bonus +3) give him a good number of Hit Points: 12/2+3=9 HP.

3. DAMAGE BONUS This deals with the capability to do more damage to foes than is ordinarily done by the weapon being used.

Damage Bonus = STR bonus

This bonus applies to damage done by weapons in hand-to-hand melee combat. Missile weapons, both projectile and thrown, get ½ the normal damage bonus (rounded down), and some allow no positive bonus (bows, crossbows) unless specially made to suit the strength of their wielder. Prone attackers do not get a positive damage bonus in melee.

The Reasons WhySTR – The stronger a character is, the harder he can hit.

RURIK'S SAGA Rurik's reasonable STR of 12 gives him a +1 damage bonus.

4. INITIATIVE BONUS Initiative determines when a character gets to act in combat.

Initiative Bonus = DEX bonus

This bonus applies to 'Initiative Rolls' which determine when character act in combat and similar situations, whether that is striking blows, casting a spell, charging in, running away, etc. Initiative is fully explained in Chapter III, Mechanics & Melee.

The Reasons WhyDEX – The quicker a character's reflexes, the sooner they will act.

RURIK'S SAGA Rurik's awful dexterity (DEX 6) means his initiative bonus is a dismal -2. So, although he may hit foes quite hard, it is most likely they will hit him first.

The following are the categories of characteristic-based skills, with examples of each type. These skills are explained in more detail in Chapter VI, Skills.

5. MELEE WEAPONS Attacking an opponent is not just one stroke, but a combination of blows, feints, and shifts intended to make an opponent open himself up and be killed. Also, the parry is a series of movements designed to interpose a shield or weapon in the way to deflect or block an attacking weapon. Ability to both attack and parry is included in each weapon skill.

Melee Weapons = STR %Simple Melee Weapons = STR x 2%(Club/Mace, Dagger, Hammer, Staff, Med/Large Shield)Brawl (Grapple, Fist, Kick, etc) = STR x 2%

The Reasons WhySTR – Great strength helps an attacker move his weapon faster and brush aside another parry, and likewise aids parrying. Low STR has the opposite effects. As an Adventurer learns more about combat through training and experience, he can use more combinations, trickier feints, more deceptive movements, and generally have a better chance of landing a blow. But initially, the major determinant is their strength.

RURIK'S SAGA Remember Rurik? Checking his characteristics, we find that his 12 STR gives minor benefit with melee weapons, at 12% or 24%.

6. MISSILE WEAPONS Ability to shoot or throw is a matter of hand-eye co-ordination and reflexes, though experience will make one more able.

Missile Weapons = DEX %Simple Missile Weapons = DEX x 2%(Crossbows)Throw = DEX x 2%

The Reasons WhyDEX – the ability to control where a shot will land is extremely important in being able to hit successfully.

RURIK'S SAGA Rurik comes out somewhat the worse for this, thanks to his low DEX of 6, so his basic skill is only 6% with any shooting/hurling weapon and would likely be only 18% even with military training.

7. MANIPULATION SKILLS – STR Manipulation skills are those which involve heavy work, such as blacksmithing, armouring etc, that require plenty of brawn.

Heavy Crafts (e.g Smithing) = STR % The Reasons WhySTR – Strength is important for manipulation, as for using weapons.

RURIK'S SAGA Again due to his decent STR, Rurik picks up a solid 24% for this sort of skill – the same as he has with a cudgel (or club).

8. KNOWLEDGE/PERCEPTION SKILLS – INT Knowledge includes all book learning, such skills as Speaking Languages, making Potions and Literacy (by no means common), are all included. Perception is the detection of anomalies and following through on hunches; it too depends on mental discipline.

Speak Languages = INT x 5%Literacy = (INT – 8) x 10%Spot = INT %Listen = INT %

The Reasons WhyINT – Ability to memorize and work with abstracts is essential in learning. If you aren't smart enough to look, and learn what to look for, you won't notice the trap, hidden door, noise, etc.

RURIK'S SAGA Rurik's intelligence gives him superior command of language and good literacy (both 80%) and good initial perception skills (Spot and Listen starting at 16% each).

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9. WILL/INSIGHT SKILLS – WISDeeper mental strength and spiritual understanding help characters with these various insightful skills, as well as putting them in tune with the mana flows of magical power in the world.

First Aid = WIS %Evaluate = WIS %Insight = WIS %

The Reasons WhyWIS – The ability to look deeper than the surface and understand what's going on underneath are vital for these skills.

RURIK'S SAGA Young Rurik starts out with reasonable will and insight due to his high-average WIS of 12, and may improve as he matures.

10. AGILITY SKILLS – DEX This is ability to work with small and intricate things, and other tasks requiring being able to place your feet/fingers precisely.

Play (an instrument) = DEX %Light Crafts (e.g. Pottery) = DEX %

The Reasons WhyDEX – The ability to keep from tripping over your own feet of fumbling your thumbs is essential for skills requiring deftness.

RURIK'S SAGA Unfortunately, Rurik's DEX lets him down badly. He is bright enough to know where he should step and move, but finds himself in trouble bumping into things.

11. STEALTH SKILLS – Inverse SIZ These are the abilities to be surreptitious and go unnoticed.

Hide = (20 – SIZ) %Sneak = (20 – SIZ) %

The Reasons WhySIZ – Small size helpful to the stealthy character; the more you have to hide, the harder it is.

RURIK'S SAGA Rurik's slightly-above-average size means he only has slightly- below-average initial skill with these techniques of stealth.

12. ATHLETICS/STAMINA SKILLS – CON These are abilities that use the entire body as a whole, not just manual dexterity or physical strength.

Ride = CON %Swim = CON %Climb = CON x 2%

The Reasons WhyCON – Stamina and overall fitness aid these skills more than nimble fingers or simple brute strength.

RURIK'S SAGA Rurik's excellent CON means he is very athletic, and gives him a good start with such skills. A pity there are relatively few...

13. COMMUNICATION SKILLS – CHA Good looks, persuasiveness and commanding personality are very useful when trying to charm or convince others.

Oratory/Fast Talk = CHA %Bargaining = CHA %Singing = CHA x 2%

The Reasons WhyCHA – Those who are pleasing to look at and listen to are more likely to get their message across.

RURIK'S SAGA Rurik is utterly average in persuasiveness and charm, as well as his looks. He is unlikely to become a great leader – but he might...

CHARACTER BACKGROUND

A character just beginning a career as an Adventurer can be expe- cted to have some money to start with, though probably not much. To find out how much, roll on the Background Table below. This gives the background the character come from – his “social class”, which may limit, or at least guide, his advancement in the world.

BACKGROUND TABLED100 Background Money01 Very Rich Noble D100 x20 L/game year**02-05 Rich Noble D100 x10 L/game year**06-15 Poor Noble D100 x5 L/game year**16-30 Barbarian (hills) D100 L*31-40 Barbarian (plains) D100 L*41-75 Townsman 2D100 L76-00 Peasant D100 L

* A barbarian can be expected to have a riding animal (20% chance he doesn't), leather armour and basic weapons.

** A noble with an income must return to a specific spot each campaign year to obtain the money. Otherwise, it just piles up, collecting no interest. The specific spot may be determined by agreement between player and referee. The poor noble's money is usually cut off around his 21st year. The rich noble can usually keep drawing his stipend. This depends on Fate, i.e. the Referee.

RURIK'S SAGA For Rurik, we roll a 43 as background and find that he is a townsman. Rolling D100 twice gives us 18+47, or a starting stake of 65 L. With this, Rurik seeks to learn to fight...

STARTING EQUIPMENT Beginning characters can be expected to come with the following...CLOTHING/EQUIPMENT: Tunic, Breeches/kilt, Sandals/boots, Underwear (usually loin cloth), Warm cloak/coat, Headgear/hat/cap, Belt, Knife, Fire making gear.

Depending on their background, a character may also have...RICH/VERY RICH NOBLE: Basic weapon (e.g. broadsword), Chain- mail hauberk or brigandine, Chainmail limb protection, Closed helm, Riding horse, 2-handed or missile weapon (depending on DEX). POOR NOBLE: Basic weapon (e.g. broadsword), Ringmail hauberk, Open helm, 2-handed or missile weapon (depending on DEX).BARBARIAN: Snares, Week's rations, Rope, Cooking gear, Torches Camping gear (tent, bedroll, etc.), Riding gear.TOWNSMAN: Flasks, Torches, Lamp, Rope, Tools (mallet, spikes).PEASANT: Snares, Drinking skin, Basic camp gear, Torches. Anything else he needs, he must buy.

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THE CHARACTER SHEET Keeping track of a character's abilities, skills, equipment and other details requires a Character Sheet, which shows everything about your Adventurer on one sheet of paper. This author hopes that given here is close enough to The Perfect Character Sheet for our purposes. Those areas of the sheet whose uses are not immediately apparent will become clear as you read these rules. Please copy it as needed.

FURTHER CHARACTER DETAILS

LANGUAGES KNOWN Characters can initially know two languages, normally that of their homeland/race and the (next) most common tongue locally. Extra languages, up to an additional one per INT above 10, may be learned later in play or during previous experience. For simplicity, it is also assumed the character can speak all the languages they know at their Speak Language skill percentage and can read/write the associated scripts at their Literacy skill. Optionally, Languages/Scripts learned only recently may be regarded as known to only half or less skill, at Referee discretion. Languages/Scripts of particular significance, such as special cult languages, may be given individual skill ratings as required. Consult your Referee regarding languages in the campaign area.

HEIGHT AND WEIGHT Height and weight depend on the SIZ attribute. Approximately:

Height: 5ft +/– 2ins per SIZ over/under 8 (12 inches = 1 foot)Weight: SIZ stone (14 pounds = 1 stone)

See the Height/Weight Table in Appendix A for greater detail. Female characters are normally 3 SIZ less than males, so generally shorter and lighter. Optionally, females can subtract 1 STR but add 1 to each of DEX, CON and CHA, up to their species maximum.

BASIC DESCRIPTION Players are free to decide what their characters look like, within reason, although campaign setting may restrict certain skin colours. For inspiration, choose or roll d6 for each of these features:

D6 Skin Colour Skin Tone Eyes Hair Colour Hair Texture1 Black Very Dark Dark Brown Black Bald2 Brown Dark Light Brown Dark Brown Frizzy3 Yellow Dusky Hazel Light Brown Shaggy4 Ruddy Medium Grey Auburn Curly5 Olive Pale Green Red Wavy6 White Very Pale Blue Blond/e Straight

In addition, you may like to use the Distinctive Physical Features table to choose or roll for more unusual details. (See Appendix D)

INBORN TALENTS/FLAWS - “BOGEYS” Optionally, you may also like to roll (not choose!) from the table of Inborn Talents and Flaws (see Appendix B). Each roll you make for a positive talent must be matched with a roll for a negative flaw.

STARTING AGE The initial age of a basic character created thus is 14 + d6 years. But if you opt for the character to have gained Previous Experience (see Appendix E), they will begin play significantly older.

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND DETAILS The campaign setting may give additional background details, or even allow characters to be non-human - consult your Referee.

RURIK'S SAGA Working out these details for Rurik, we discover that he can speak Pavic and Tradetalk but could learn up to 6 more languages. He is 5ft 6ins tall, and weighs 12 stone (168lbs), has dusky olive skin, dark brown eyes, shaggy auburn hair, and is 16 yrs old.

PERSONALITY TRAITS

Characters should be role-played with a personality of their own. Define your character's personality by choosing 2 traits from this list:

1. Brave/Cowardly 8. Just/Arbitrary2. Prudent/Reckless 9. Merciful/Cruel3. Chaste/Lustful 10. Modest/Proud4. Energetic/Lazy 11. Spiritual/Worldly5. Forgiving/Vengeful 12. Temperate/Indulgent6. Generous/Selfish 13. Trusting/Suspicious7. Honest/Deceitful 14. Love/Hate of something*

* Typical objects of such passions might be: a Certain Person, Your Family, Liege, Tribe or Nation; a Race/Monster type; a Deity; etc.

These are the standard traits, listed as paired opposites (a character should not have both opposites unless insane). Others are possible.

ROLE-PLAYING PERSONALITY ALLOWS A RE-ROLL If you role-play your character as acting in the manner of one of their traits, then you may re-roll a skill roll to try for a better result. (The re-rolls are limited to CHAx5%. Only one re-roll per trait is allowed per game session. The GM decides if a re-roll is deserved.)

ACQUIRING NEW TRAITS More personality traits can be gained, up to CHA/4 (round down). If you act very notably in the manner of a trait, the GM may decide your character is developing that trait. Write down the trait on your character sheet with the others, but in brackets. (A bracketed trait does not grant re-rolls). Later on, if you once again act notably in the manner of that trait, the GM may decree that you have now acquired that trait fully - erase the brackets. If the new trait takes your character over their CHA/4 maximum, then one of their old traits must be removed - you can choose which.('Bracketed' traits are removed if you act notably as their opposite).

RURIK'S SAGA By his epithet, Rurik the Restless is clearly Energetic and we can safely say he is Brave to seek out a life as an Adventurer – although he may err on the side of recklessness. We shall see. Whatever traits we choose for him now, his true personality will emerge in play. Currently he can have 2 traits at most, but if his CHA improves to 12 or more that will increase. For some reason I get a feeling that in the future he may come to Hate Trolls...

YOUR LIFE OF ADVENTURE BEGINS That's it - the basics of your new character are complete. Now, before going on an adventure, you may decide to gain some Previous Experience (see Chapter H). Also, in Glorantha's Dragon Pass & Pavis, certain fighting bands, guilds and religious cults will extend credit to would-be heroes in the form of training in combat skills, spells or other skills. You may decide to put yourself in debt to one of these institutions in return for such benefits (see Chapters IV, V & VI respectively).

Now invent a name – and set out to WIN a name for yourself!

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III MECHANICS & MELEE

SKILLS : HOW TO SUCCEED IN LIFE Your character has skills, which they can use to achieve success. When using a skill, roll D100 and score your skill percentage or less to succeed (rolling over the skill% is a failure). Easy!

TRAITS : ROLE-PLAY YOUR PERSONALITY You also have traits, which can give you extra chances to succeed. If acting in the manner of one of your traits (Generous, Brave, etc), then you may re-roll a skill in hope of achieving a better result.

EXPERIENCE : IMPROVE YOUR CHARACTER As in real life, to improve skills you have to use and practice them. When your character succeeds, mark the skill with a 'tick' (just one). Later, when there is a pause in the game, you and the other players can try an Increase Roll for each ticked skill, to see if they improve. Roll D100 once for each ticked skill: scoring OVER the skill gains an increase for it – roll D6% to add to the skill's value (or +3% instead).

NB: Any roll over Experience Maximum (100 – 2 x INT) gains an increase, even if the skill is higher. This allows skills beyond 100%.

DEFENCE : HOW TO BE A HERO Defence is your ability to dodge misfortunes and so be truly heroic. Unlike the ordinary skills, it can only increase by good role-playing.The game-master (GM) awards 'experience points', each worth +1%. Normally you can get 1 per game session, but might earn up to 3 for excellent ideas, characterization, heroism - anything that adds fun!

CRITICALS, SPECIALS & FUMBLES Rolls much better or worse than usual give better or worse results.

Critical success occurs when 1/20th skill% or less is rolled, or 01;Special success occurs when 1/5th skill% or less is rolled;A roll of 96-00 always fails, and 01-05 always succeeds for common skills (but not for certain specialist-only skills).Fumbles occur when 96+critical% or more is rolled, or 00.

The results differ from normal. Generally: Special is twice as good; Critical three times as good; and a Fumble is amusingly disastrous.

TRICKY SITUATIONSSome situations are specially Hard – this disadvantage halves skills.Other situations may be Easy giving the advantage of doubled skills. (Some may even be Very Easy/Hard, putting skills at x10 or /10).

Hard (x1/2): Attack while Prone/Held; v Mounted; Med.Range.Very Hard (x1/10): Target invisible (also parry); Long Range.Easy (x2): Attack from Rear, v Prone/Held, etc; Point-blank Range.Very Easy (x10): Attack v Incapacitated, Asleep or Helpless; etc.

SKILL Critical Special Fumble SKILL Critical Special Fumble01+ 01 - 96+ 105+ 05 21 0005+ 01 01 96+ 110+ 05 22 0010+ 01 02 96+ 115+ 05 23 0015+ 01 03 96+ 120+ 06 24 0020+ 01 04 97+ 125+ 06 25 0025+ 01 05 97+ 130+ 06 26 0030+ 01 06 97+ 135+ 06 27 0035+ 01 07 97+ 140+ 07 28 0040+ 02 08 98+ 145+ 07 29 0045+ 02 09 98+ 150+ 07 30 0050+ 02 10 98+ 155+ 07 31 0055+ 02 11 98+ 160+ 08 32 0060+ 03 12 99+ 165+ 08 33 0065+ 03 13 99+ 170+ 08 34 0070+ 03 14 99+ 175+ 08 35 0075+ 03 15 99+ 180+ 09 36 0080+ 04 16 00 185+ 09 37 0085+ 04 17 00 190+ 09 38 0090+ 04 18 00 195+ 09 39 0095+ 04 19 00 200+ 10 40 00100+ 05 20 00 etc etc etc etc

To tell quickly if you rolled a Special or Critical, multiply your roll by 5 or 20: if that's still under or equal to your skill, you've done it!

CHARACTERISTIC ROLLS Sometimes the GM may ask for a Characteristic Roll instead of a skill roll, usually when no skill applies (also known as a 'resistance roll', 'stat roll', 'STR/DEX/INT/etc roll' or 'saving throw'). The target will be a relevant characteristic multiple, e.g. CON x 5. (The GM will tell you which characteristic and maybe the multiple). Roll d100 to see if you make it (or find the multiple you do make).

These rolls will often be against unfortunate events, e.g. to avoid falling into a pit, to resist effects of a spell, or to survive poisoning. Bonuses or penalties may apply to the roll (e.g. if you hold a blessed holy item, or the spell or poison is stronger than usual). These cases give a modifier which alters the characteristic value for that roll.

If characteristics directly conflict (e.g. STR v STR arm-wrestling), one side rolls their STAT x 5 modified by 10 minus opposed STAT.

These is often called a Resistance Roll. Percentages required are shown on a table, the Resistance Table, in Chapter V (page 32).

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TIME

These terms define periods of time used in the RuinQuest rules.

MELEE ROUND The melee round is 12 seconds long. One complete round of attacks, parries, spells and moves happens during a melee round.

FULL TURN A full turn represents 10 minutes or 50 melee rounds. It is used to denote passage of time during a scenario.

GAME WEEK This defines passage of time for the characters in their world. Training, Rune Magic, and other considerations are based on the game week. How long is a game week in real time? A time scale of 1 real week per game week makes the game drag unless the campaign is being played by mail. This author recommends a scale of 1 real week to 2 game weeks, but this will often vary and be very approximate.

MOVEMENT

There are 3 scales of movement in RuinQuest.

MELEE MOVEMENT Each creature in RuinQuest has a movement rate in “inches”. This is the number of 5ft steps the creature can move in one round. The normal movement rate for humans is 12”. Carrying weights or large awkward items will slow this movement.

COMPARATIVE MOVEMENT RATES – Many long-legged, multi-legged, and/or flying creatures would be much faster than their given rates, relative to the human 12”. However, we are speaking here about combat speed during a melee – i.e. how fast one can move and still dodge out-thrust spears, pools of blood, falling bodies, and have time to do some fighting himself. Under such conditions even flying creatures must slow down to avoid obstacles and make reasonably accurate attacks.

FLIGHT/CHASE/UNHAMPERED MOVEMENT RATES – For speed unhampered by considerations of melee (normally impossible if conflict is occurring nearby) double all 2-legged movement speeds, triple all 4 or more legged creatures (as well as 2-legged species with extraordinary size, like giants) and multiply the speed of flying creatures by 5. Non-legged creatures (snakes, etc) should have their speed multiplied by only 1.5 (they can usually be outrun).

SCENARIO MOVEMENT During a full turn, a character may cautiously advance 120 yards, stroll as much as 240, or run 1000. A riding animal can double this speed, although a walking horse does not walk faster than a walking man unless well trained.

DAILY MOVEMENT This is used to travel from one place to another across the world. Many factors may affect travel rates, such as the season or type of mount, but the following simple system should be sufficient.

Basic Rates These rates assume about 10 hours travelling a day, on average.WALKING - 12 miles a day (normally up to 60 miles a game week).MARCHING - Forced marching: 18 miles a day (90 miles a week).RIDING/WAGONS - 12 miles a day (60/wk).CAVALRY - Riding walk-trot-walk pace: 24 miles a day (120/wk).

Terrain Modifiers Rough terrain slows movement, of course. MAJOR RIVERS - One day to cross, if no bridge or shallow ford.FOREST or HILLS - Movement x 2/3.MOUNTAINS - Movement x 1/3. These modifiers are cumulative. If movement is by cavalry through forested mountains, move rate is cut first to 2/3, and then the result is cut to 1/3 of that. Thus, instead of going 24 miles a day, they will go approximately 5 miles (24x2/3 = 16 x 1/3 = 5.3 miles).

ENCUMBRANCE (ENC)

Ideally, an encumbrance rule for a role-playing game should read, “Characters may not carry more than is reasonable”. Unfortunately, reasonableness is interpreted differently by different players, so here is a simple system.

1. “MAX ENC” - This is the maximum weight a character can carry, and will suffer various penalties if carrying over half that. Maximum Encumbrance carrying capacity = STR x SIZ lbs.

2. ENCUMBRANCE PENALTIES – Carrying more than half Max Enc value halves Move Rate, Initiative Rolls & DEX skills.

FATIGUE & EXHAUSTION Extended exertion requires a CONx5 roll to avoid Fatigue - that halves Move Rate, Initiative Rolls & ALL skills. Further extended exertion when fatigued requires a CONx5 to avoid Exhaustion – and that reduces them to 1/10th normal values. Recovery from Fatigue takes 1 hour of rest; Exhaustion 8 hours.

RURIK'S SAGA Rurik, outfitting for adventure with money loaned by his local mercenary band, has a MAX ENC of 144 lbs (STR 12 x SIZ 12). Looking over the possibilities, he tries a large shield (15lb), a bow and arrows (2lb+5lb), a broadsword (4lb), plate-and-mail body armour (30lb cuirass), limb armour (40lb more), and a full helm (20lb). This is a total ENC of 116 pounds (over his half-max limit of 72) so he finds himself slowed to half movement rate, his already lamentable initiative likewise reduced and his general ineptness doubled. He decides to cut back to medium shield (10lb), a short spear (5lb), a broadsword (4lb), a light scale hauberk (20lb), cuirboilli limb protection (total 20lb), and an open helm (10lb). This is a total of 69 pounds and even leaves room for a pack. If he picks up any treasure, he can always leave a weapon or armour behind, or the contents of his pack.

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RESOLUTION OF COMBAT

Combat is a common occurrence in RuinQuest adventures, and the details are explained in Chapter VI, Combat. But here is a brief summary of how combat works.

A melee is a mass of combatants trying to do many things at once and keep from dying all at the same time. To control this chaos and keep all involved, RuinQuest requires each player to act in turn. It is important to realize that, although players act in their separate turns, the action represented is actually simultaneous. Combat proceeds in a series of melee rounds, and is typically regulated with a grid of squares, each representing 5ft in scale.

INITIATIVE ROLLS In any combat, someone is going to have the edge - the chance of striking first and setting the pattern for the combat. RuinQuest determines the order characters take action with Initiative Rolls. Each character/monster rolls for initiative with D12, modified by their Initiative (DEX) bonus. Highest then goes first, and so on. This same initiative sequence is kept from round to round.

OTHER CRITERIA FOR INITIATIVE In some situations the initiative is determined by other factors.

1. WEAPON LENGTH – Very long weapons, such as spears and some polearms, can reach further and thus strike at approaching opponents. In such situations, the long-reach weapons will strike first as combat is joined. Roll normal initiative for the rest of the melee.

2. HUGE CREATURES – Unusually large creatures, such as giants, can also reach further to strike approaching opponents, as above. But if they use natural weaponry of their body (e.g. a fist) this does not apply because they are putting their body in jeopardy of being hit.

3. SURPRISE – Even a fast, large man with a long weapon can be slow to react when a dwarf with a short sword and two heads suddenly steps out of the wall. Taking someone by surprise gives an attacker opportunity for one or more rounds of actions before the opponent can take any offensive actions or even move (though they can still use defensive free actions to parry and dodge).

SURPRISE In an encounter, one group may be surprised if the other hides or sneaks up without being spotted or heard, or otherwise sensed. An alert group may become aware of another by successful use of Spot or Listen skills, actively checked due to being on guard. If one group is aware of another which is not aware of them, the opportunity arises to use their Hide and/or Sneak skills. Failure of Hide/Sneak attempts mean the unaware group can try INT rolls to notice (as explained in more detail in Chapter VI, Other Skills). Success means they remain sufficiently hidden and/or quiet to remain undetected and get away – or close in. A group which successfully closes in surprises the other group. This allows them one or two rounds of action before the others can react – surprised individuals who make an INTx5 roll can react in the 2nd round of surprise, on their own initiative rolled as normal. (There are other benefits to surprise, such as it being harder for an opponent to dodge, as detailed in relevant rules sections).

MELEE ACTIONS Each combatant can usually do one Move and one Attack action per melee round and maybe Free actions too (parry, dodge, speak).

MOVE – Characters can move a number of steps (5ft squares) equal to half their Movement Rate each round, and still do an attack. Moving further, up to the full movement rate distance in the one round, is possible but this costs character their attack action.

WITHDRAW – Withdrawing from combat is a special move that takes the full round (both move and attack actions), but prevents free attacks from enemies (see below). It is a half-move only, must end out of melee, and cannot be combined with other actions.

ATTACK – Characters can try to hit an opponent with a melee or missile weapon, or cast a spell (of standard or less casting time). A few spells take a full round or longer to cast (basic magic spells cast without a focus take two rounds). In this case the spell-effect does not occur until the next round - and the spell-caster is subject to free attacks until then, as described below.

FREE ATTACK – Opponents within reach get a Free Attack, extra to their normal attacks & sequence, at anyone casting a spell, or shooting a missile, or moving past/away from them incautiously.

FREE STEP – Character can make one 5ft-step, in combat or not, without provoking a free attack, but not combined with a move. If a combatant steps back, dodges or withdraws, their opponent may immediately make a free step into the space vacated.

PARRY – One attempt to parry per round is a free action. Attempt the parry-roll when a hit is scored.

DODGE – Any number of attempts to dodge using Defence are free actions. Make the rolls as required. NB: Dodging requires a step back, falling prone or some similar tactical disadvantage.

OTHER ACTIONS - Most activities are equivalent to some action type, e.g. readying weapons is a move, spell casting is an attack.

NORMAL COMBAT SEQUENCE

ATTACK - The attacker rolls D100 against his weapon skill to see if he hits, and rolls for damage with dice according to his weapon.

PARRY - If a hit is scored, the target may roll D100 against their weapon/shield skill to see if they can parry the parry blow. PARRY REDUCES DAMAGE - If the parry succeeds, the damage of the blow is reduced by the Armour Points of the parrying weapon.PARRY WEAPON DAMAGED – If not all the damage was stopped, the parrying weapon is damaged. Shields lose 1AP, weapons 2AP.

DODGE - If the parry fails, or damage gets past it anyway, the target may try to dodge by rolling D100 for their Defence.DODGE AVOIDS DAMAGE – If their dodge succeeds, the damage of the blow is reduced by 10 points (more if a special/critical dodge).

ARMOUR PROTECTS – The damage is then reduced by the target's Armour Points (unless it was critical hit, described later).

DAMAGE INFLICTED - Any damage remaining is then inflicted on the target and deducted from their Hit Points.

WOUNDS SUFFERED - If the target takes a significant wound, roll for the hit location with D20 and type of injury with D6 if required.

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NATURAL DAMAGES AND CONDITIONS

FALLING Falling causes damage of D6 per 10ft (round to nearest). Armour will protect against some of this (max 2AP) and magic protects fully. Light-armoured characters can try DEXx1 or Acrobatics(Jumping) skill, which reduce damage by D6 if successful. Defence applies.

Fall Damage0 – 5 feet No effect6 – 10 ft 1D611 – 20 ft 2D621 – 30 ft 3D631 – 40 ft 4D6etc. etc.

Referees should make adjustments for relatively soft landings, or any stakes or other pointed objects at the bottom of a pit trap, which will vary between that of daggers (D4) and spears (D8). Forward velocity should also be considered to determine damage. A simple fall from a horse is under 10ft but being thrown off is more like a 20ft fall (2D6). Likewise, if a Large Sylph hurls someone 30ft it is actually the equivalent of a 60-foot fall (6D6).

DROWNING This happens after failed swimming attempts or immersion in an Undine or water trap. It can also be applied to poison gas attacks. Each round of immersion, the character makes a CON-roll. On the first round it is CONx5, second CONx4 and so on. (If the character was expecting it, he can hold his breath prior to immersion and starts the sequence at CONx10 instead of x5). When one of these rolls is missed, the character loses D3 points of CON, and must make CONx1 rolls each round thereafter. (If they manage to catch their breath again, the CON-roll multiple increases by one per round they manage to breathe, up to CONx10). At CON 2 or less, the character is unconscious; CON 0 is death.

MISSING THE TARGET When a projectile misses its target, the actual point of impact may be significant. This depends on the style in which it was thrown: PITCHED (hurled directly at the target) – Roll D8 for clock-face direction (1 high-over, 2 high-right, etc) and carry on to full range; LOBBED (tossed up to fall onto target) – Roll D8 for compass direction (1 'north', etc); and off by D6 x 10% of distance thrown.

EXAMPLE Gworch the Trollkin lobs a rotten egg at Rurik the Rune Lord, who is in a parade with many Pavis notables. Gworch throws at 70% - unfortunately his player rolled a 75%, and the egg misses. Rolling D6 for distance gives 2, and 2x10% of the range which was 40yds, makes 8 yards (24ft). Rolling for direction, the referee disco-vers that Gworch actually hit Angerbad, an important Great Troll...

CANDLES, TORCHES, LANTERNS Candles are sticks of wax with a wick which bums. A candle illu- minates a 3ft radius and will go out in very little breeze. If dropped it usually goes out (01-05 on D100 it doesn't). Torches are sticks which burn on the end, due to flammable stuff on the end, such as oil-soaked cloth. A torch held up illuminates a 40ft radius, but one on the ground reaches only 10ft. A dropped torch usually won't go out (96-00 on D100 it does). Lamps are small crockery pots filled with flammable grease or oil. They illuminate as torches, and are otherwise like no-beam lanterns. Lanterns are devices with reflectors and a shutter which allows a beam to be directed. Such a beam can reach up to 60ft. These may use candles for a light source, which have a 25% chance to go out in strong wind or if dropped, or use burning oil wicks, which wind will put out but have a danger if they are dropped – as per this table: 01-30 Goes out completely. 31-70 Unbroken - roll for beam direction. 71-85 Breaks and spreads oil over the floor, a very slick surface. 86-00 Breaks and spreads burning oil over floor, as a small fire.

FIRE Fire generally inflicts D6 HP damage per round of exposure. Small fires, less than a yard square, affect anyone in or entering it, on their most-contacted hit location. This is usually a leg, but can be other parts of a victim who falls into it. Armour does not protect. Torches must be held against the target for a whole round to have that effect. Momentary contacts, as when wielding a flaming torch as a weapon, only add +1HP burning damage, but armour does protect. Large fires, more than a yard square, also do D6/round but may do damage to CON through flame/smoke inhalation, in the same fashion as drowning. Only large burning fires have this effect. A large bed of burning coals will only have the effect of a small fire.

FIRE AS A WEAPON A torch is equivalent to a club, but if alight does +1 burn damage; armour protects against this. However, if a torch is held to a target for an entire melee round, the target will take D6 fire damage, and armour does not protect (as described above) but magic does. If a target is readily flammable, it might also catch fire. A being's skin and body are not readily burnable; body hair is. If the target is flammable, it will continue to burn if the initial flame damage is 4+ (signifying the fire burned well and took hold) for D6 per round.

PUTTING OUT CREATURES ON FIRE To put out a fire by dousing it with water or smothering it, roll the D6 fire damage, then roll D6 for the extinguishing attempt. Damage taken that round equals the difference by which the fire exceeds the extinguishing. If damage is less than zero, the flames are put out.

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HIT LOCATIONS AND WOUNDS

DAMAGE, INJURY & DEATH Adventures are dangerous, so characters may frequently get hurt. Suffering damage reduces their Hit Points (HP) by a given amount. While a character still has a positive number of HP, they are relatively alright. If damaged to 0 HP or less, a character is significantly injured: roll D20 for the body area location bearing the brunt of the hit.

D20 Hit Location19, 20 HEAD13 - 18 (odd: L) ARM (even: R)10 - 12 CHEST7 - 9 ABDOMEN1 - 6 (odd: L) LEG (even: R)

0 HP or less – DISABLED : hit location incapacitated.-4 HP or less – SERIOUS INJURY : e.g. bones broken in location.-7 HP or less – GRIEVOUS INJURY: e.g. location maimed/severed.-10 HP or below – DEATH.

Roll on the Injuries Table for details of Serious/Grievous injuries.

Below 0 HPs, bleeding occurs and may lead to death: 1 more HP is lost each round until First Aid or magical healing is applied. Just 1 point is required to stop the bleeding of light wounds, but 2 points are needed for serious/grievous wounds. Some injuries are so critical they require 6 points to stop bleeding, as noted on the Table. Hit location may also be rolled if a target struck has armour which is not uniform over their entire body, to determine what AP to use. Non-Humanoid creatures hit locations may be extrapolated from the table, or rolled on one of the Non-Humanoid Hit Locations tables to be found at the end of Chapter VIII, Monsters.

NOTES ON DISABLED HIT LOCATIONSLEG - The limb is useless and the character falls, doing nothing else

that round. They may fight from the ground in later rounds.ABDOMEN - Both legs are useless and the character falls. They

may heal themselves but will be unable to do anything else.CHEST - The character falls and is too busy coughing blood to do

anything. They are unable to perform any action, even healing.ARM - The limb is useless and anything held is dropped. The char-

acter remains standing and can fight with any remaining limbs.HEAD - The character is unconscious and can do nothing.

Further blows to disabled limbs still affect the character's Hit Points. Characters seriously or grievously injured are normally functionally incapacitated. They can no longer fight and are in shock but may heal, if their injury is not to the head or chest. A modern, high-velocity, bullet, hitting a limb hard enough to put it out of action, will probably kill the limb-owner with hydrostatic shock. Slower-moving ancient weapons do not have this effect, but a mortal blow is deemed to have also struck a nearby vital area.

HEALING & RECOVERY Successful use of First Aid skill repairs d3 hit points (Special 2d3; Critical 3d3) but only works if used before other healing. Even if not a successful roll, First Aid stops bleeding and so does magical healing (except for any extra bleeding noted on the Injuries Table). Natural healing restores only d3 HP per week. Serious/Grievous injuries take a very long time to recover, if at all, without magic.

SERIOUS & GRIEVOUS INJURIES TABLE

Characters struck down to -4HP or less suffer a Serious Injury, or a Grievous Injury if struck down to -7HP or less.Consult this table, rolling D6 and cross-referencing hit location:

HEAD SERIOUS (S) & GRIEVOUS (G) INJURIES1. Chin S: Jaw broken [level 5]: lose/break d20 teeth, -1 CHA.

G: Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Carotid artery slashed: bleed 1hp/sec (light).2. Nose S: Nose broken [level 2]: lose 1 CHA.

G: Nose broken and brain damaged: lose 3 lots of d6 INT/WIS/DEX.3. Skull S: Skull fractured [level 4]: concussion (amnesia, fainting, etc).

G: Skull broken [level 10]: coma until 'Rest' period complete.4. Ear (L/R) S: Ear sliced/ripped off: deafened on that side.

G: ...and skull broken (see above).5. Eye (L/R) S: Eye blinded.

G: Eye destroyed (50% for other eye, too) and skull fractured (above).6. Neck S: It's a bleeder! Jugular vein pierced: bleed 1hp/rnd (light).

G: Neck severed/broken: bleed/choke 1hp/sec until dead (critical!).CHEST 1. Liver S: Ribs broken (d6): see below. G: Liver failure [level 3]: bleed

1hp/hour (serious). Survivors lose d3 CON.2. Lungs S: Ribs broken (d6): see below. G: Lung punctured [level 3]: bleed

1hp/turn (light). Survivors lose 1 CON.3,4. Ribs S: Ribs broken (d6): movement painful (half walking speed, max.)

[level 2]. G: Ribcage smashed [level 8]: never mends.5. Shoulder S: Collarbone broken [level 2]. G: Arm severed at shoulder: bleed

1hp/rnd for 10mins (R serious/L critical).6. Heart S: Ribs broken (d6): see below. G: Heart punctured [level 4]: bleed

1hp/sec (critical). Survivors lose d6 CON.ABDOMEN1. Groin S: "Ouch!" Genitals damaged: bleed 1hp/min for 3 mins.

G: "What a rip off!" Genitals lost: bleed 1hp/min for 6 mins [level 4].2. Hip (L/R) S: Hip broken [level 9]: permanent limp, move reduced by 1".

G: Pelvis shattered [level 10]: crippled permanently.3,4. Guts S: Intestinal damage: bleed 1hp/min for 10 mins [level 4].

G: Eviscerated: bleed 1hp/turn [level 6]. Lose d3 STR & CON.5. Stomach S: Stomach punctured: bleed 1hp/hour [level 4].

G: Stomach ruptured: bleed 1hp/turn [level 6].6. Kidneys S: Kidney damage: bleed 1hp/min for 10 mins [level 4].

G: Kidney failure - bleed 1hp/turn (serious). Lose d3 CON.ARM1. Hand S: Fingers sliced/ripped off (d4).

G: Fingers lost and hand smashed [level 6] - permanently useless.2. Wrist S: Wrist broken [level 4].

G: Hand severed at wrist - bleed 1hp/min for 1 min* (light).3,4. Forearm S: Forearm broken [level 4].

G: Forearm severed - bleed 1hp/min for 3 min* (light).5. Elbow S: Elbow broken [level 5].

G: Arm severed at elbow - bleed 1hp/min for 3 mins* (light).6. Upper Arm S: "How humerus!" Upper arm broken [level 5].

G: Upper arm severed: bleed 1hp/min for 6 mins* (light).LEG1. Foot S: Toes (d6) torn off: permanent limp, move reduced by 1".

G: Foot shattered [level 5]: crippled permanently, move halved.2. Ankle S: Ankle broken [level 3].

G: Foot severed -bleed 1hp/min for 3 mins* (light), move halved.3,4. Shin S: Shinbone broken [level 6]. G: Lower leg severed: bleed 1hp/min

for 6 mins* (light), move halved.5. Knee S: Knee broken [level 7]. G: Leg severed at the knee: bleed 1hp/min

for 6 mins* (light), move halved.6. Thigh S: Thighbone broken [level 8]. G: Upper leg severed: bleed 1hp/min

for 10 mins* (light), move halved.Breaks: Rest for d3xLevel days (Move:CONx5 or 1hp) & Recover for Level weeks.* Crushed limbs bleed until amputated, or given the indicated level of healing.

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IV COMBAT

Combat is a common way of resolving conflicts encountered when adventuring and so often features in RuinQuest. This chapter is about all the details that make the combat system as realistic as possible.

COMBAT RESOLUTION

The basic procedure is an attack, which can then be parried and/or dodged, inflicting damage which may be reduced by armour (as out- lined in Chapter III, Mechanics & Melee). Now for those details:

COMBAT ROUNDS Combat is resolved as a series of melee rounds, each of 12 seconds.

INITIATIVE Roll D12 + Initiative (DEX) bonus for your character, and likewise for each participant – the highest goes first, and each acts in turn.(This order is usually kept during an entire combat, for simplicity).

ACTIONS You can normally Move and Attack once each round, and may also perform certain Free actions (parry, dodge, speak briefly).

MOVE You can move up to your Movement Rate per round in 5ft squares, but if you move more than half that you cannot also make an attack.

Opponents within reach get a Free Attack at you if you cast a spell, or shoot/hurl a missile, or incautiously move past/away from them.

Most activities are equivalent to an action, e.g. readying weapons.Casting a spell usually takes one action. Some take longer, e.g. a full round – in which case the spell-effect does not occur until the next round (and the spell-caster is subject to free attacks until then).

To Withdraw from combat without provoking a free attack, you may only make a half-move and cannot perform any other actions. If a combatant withdraws, shifts or dodges back, their opponent may immediately step into the space vacated without provoking attacks.

THE ATTACK Attempt to hit any opponent within reach, or in range of a missile weapon. Roll weapon skill or less on D100 to hit, then roll damage.

THE PARRY You can normally parry once per round, using your shield/weapon skill. Success reduces damage by your shield/weapon Armour Points.

HEROIC DEFENCE Defence is your chance to dodge damage with sheer heroic luck.

COMBAT EFFECTS

ATTACK Success - Normal weapon damage.Special - Double Damage Dice.Critical - Ditto and Bypass Armour.Fumble - Roll on Combat Fumble Table.

PARRY Success - Blocks Armour Points damage.Special - Blocks double Armour Points.Critical - Blocks all damage.

DEFENCE Success - Dodge 10 points of damage.Special - Dodge 20 points of damage.Critical - Dodge all damage.

ARMOUR Armour Points reduce damage (except critical hits).Armour reduces weapon damage, but not all types - so beware!

DAMAGE TO PARRYING WEAPONS & SHIELDS If a parry doesn't stop all of a blow's damage, the parrying weapon loses 2AP. A shield or weapon designed for parrying loses just 1AP.

DEFENCE MEANS DODGING Using Defence in combat requires stepping back, or falling prone. If unable to move or are prone/unaware, Defence chance is halved.

NO PARRY OR DEFENCE FUMBLES Parry and Defence do not have fumble effects, other than failure to stop/avoid the incoming blow. The character is in enough trouble.

HEAVY BLOWS - THE GOLFBALL EFFECT Hits of 10+ damage (counting Defence reductions only) may knock the target back, and inflict further effects depending on weapon type:

Knockback: Roll Damage* v Target HP to knock-back 'Damage'* ft, minus 5ft per 10 SIZ, and roll DEXx5 or fall for d6 damage per 20ft. (* Charging attackers add their SIZ to these values). If parried with a weapon (or small shield, at the wielder's option), instead of knockback it is knocked away unless STRx5 is rolled.

Impale: Weapon sticks in. If target is hurt, they can't move (without taking ½ damage again) or heal the wound until weapon removed.

Crush: Armour at location struck is damaged 1AP; and a minimum of 1HP damage is done despite armour/parry, by concussive effect.

Slash: If target is hurt, unless they roll CONx5 the wound will bleed making them lose 1hp per round until healing or first aid is applied.

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BASIC CHANCES The basic chance for most weapon skills, hence attacks/parries, is STR% (or DEX% for missile weapons). However this will change according to circumstances and character abilities. A roll of 01-05 on D100 will always mean a successful attack or parry. Conversely, a roll of 96-00 on D100 will always mean an unsuccessful attempt at whatever is being attempted. Even with a 100% chance of hitting/parrying, 96-99 is still a miss and 00 is still a fumble. A roll of 01 is always a critical.

SIMPLE WEAPONS Certain weapons can be used with a higher basic chance due to simplicity of handling and common use within the culture.

STR x 2% : Club, Dagger, Hammer, Mace, Staff, Medium & Large Shields, Brawl (Grapple, Fist, Kick, etc).

DEX x 2% : Crossbows, Throw (Rock, Dagger, Axe, etc), Buckler.

FUMBLES & THEIR EFFECTS An Adventurer will fumble if they roll 96 + 1/20th of their skill or more on D100. However, a roll of 00 is always a fumble. Even an Adventurer with a 100% chance of hitting (actually 95%, for dice rolls of 96-00 are always a miss) will fumble if a 00 is rolled. If an attack results in a fumble, the fumbling player must roll on the Fumble Table. The table is based on strange and silly things which happened on the tourney fields of the Society For Creative Anachronism. If the Fumble Table result seems inapplicable to the situation, the referee should re-interpret it or apply a similar effect. Fumbles enliven the game and show up at the most embarrassing moments. Remember, monsters can fumble too.

d100 Combat Fumbles [M: Missile weapons; N: Natural weapons]01-05 Lose next parry [N: lose next dodge]06-10 Lose next attack11-15 Lose next attack and parry [N: lose next attack and dodge]16-20 Lose next attack, parry and dodge [N: lose next attack-sequence and dodge]21-25 Lose next d3 attacks26-30 Lose next d3 attacks and parries [N: lose next d3 attacks and dodges]31-35 Shield falls off [M: or bowstring breaks; N: Strain muscle - dodge halved]36-40 Shield falls off & lose next attack [M/N: as above, and lose next attack]41-45 Armour location falls off [N: Strain muscle - dodge halved for duration]46-50 Armour location falls off & lose next attack and parry [N: as above, and lose

next attack-sequence]51-55 Fall: lose parry and dodge this round [N: lose all attacks/dodges this round]56-60 Twist ankle: movement halved (until end of combat) 61-63 Twist ankle and Fall (apply both of the above two results)64-67 Vision hindered: Attack x1/2 (unengaged & DEXx5 to fix) 68-70 Vision impaired: Attack and Parry x1/2 (unengaged & DEXx3 to fix)71-72 Vision blocked: Lose Attack and Parry (unengaged & DEXx3 to fix) 73-74 Distracted: Foes attack at x2 next round 75-78 Weapon dropped [N: Strain muscle - lose one attack/rnd until combat ends]79-82 Weapon knocked away (d6 yards, d8 for direction) [N: as above] 83-86 Weapon damaged (save v. crushing blow or lose 4AP) [N: as above]87-89 Weapon shattered (save v. crushing blow or destroyed) [N: as above]90-91 Hit Friend or self if no friend near (may dodge)92-93 Hit Friend for special damage (may dodge)94-95 Wide Open: Foe hits (may dodge) [M: Hit friend nearest target] 96-97 Foe scores special hit (may dodge) [M: Special hit on friend nearest target]

98 Foe scores critical hit (may dodge) [M: Critical hit on friend nearest target] 99 You've blown it - roll twice more00 You've blown it badly - roll thrice more

RURIK'S SAGA Rurik, we find, has a 24% chance (STR 12, x2) to hit someone with a club, or cudgel, which he no doubt had some experience with, running with the street gangs of his home town. Note he also uses this same skill when he attempts parrying with that cudgel. If Rurik tries to use a broadsword, he would attack at 12%.

Rurik and his companion Horus are sparring with broadswords. Horus swings and his roll is 01, a critical hit! Rurik, however, rolls 03 as a parry with his sword. Horus rolls D8 (see weapon charts) and rolls an 8, +1 bonus for his 13 STR makes 9 points of damage. Since it is a critical hit, the dice roll result is doubled (not the +1 bonus) and so 17 points of damage strike Rurik's blocking sword. The weapon stops 10 points of the blow (damaged for 2 points), and is knocked aside (it is a heavy blow and Rurik fails his STRx5) - but 7 points of the blow still get past. Rurik attempts to dodge (with his woeful 7% Defence) but luck is out on a roll of 14. The remaining 7 points hits Rurik (who has 1 point practice padding, which would normally reduces the damage to 6 but this hit was a critical) and slams into him fully. He is a sturdy lad with 9 Hit Points, so he can take it, and is still standing. The hit location rolled is right arm (on positive HPs, he can still use it). However, a heavy blow from a slashing weapon may cause bleeding. Rurik's bad luck continues, failing his 80% CONx5 with a roll of 92. They call off practice so Rurik can get a bandage on his bleeding arm. If the two had decided upon sword and shield work, Rurik could have parried with his shield. Horus' critical damage of 17 would have been almost totally stopped by a large shield, capable of absorbing 16 points. A mere 1 point scratch would have got through to hurt Rurik, although he would still have had to make a STRx5 roll (60% with his STR 12) to avoid being knocked flying.

CONSEQUENCES OF IMPALING1. Damage cannot be healed until the weapon is withdrawn. First Aid

or Healing spells can stop bleeding but will not heal any HPs until the weapon is out.

2. Movement is impossible without causing further damage. If the character moves while the weapon is still through him, he will take ½ normal weapon damage (round down) weapon again because of it getting caught in his armour/clothing, hitting nearby obstacles, etc. The character cannot turn to meet a foe without taking this damage, but can fight foes who attack frontally.

REMOVING AN IMPALING WEAPON

ATTACKER – Roll weapon skill, in place of next attack. If this fails, the weapon stays stuck in the target and is jerked out of their hands, if the target is active. Further attempts may be made on subsequent, with a DEXx5 grab required first if the target is active. Retrieval of the weapon causes more damage (½ normal, as for moving).

TARGET – Roll CONx5 roll to stand the pain of drawing out the weapon; then, if successful, STRx5 for actual removal. In any event, they must also make DEXx5 to avoid more damage (½ normal).NOTE - A functionally incapacitated character cannot pull out the disabling weapon; someone else will have to do it for him. Hence, any healing he does will not restore hit points, just stop bleeding.

EXAMPLE - Thus if Rurik were impaled, he would have a 60% chance of drawing out the weapon (his STR 12 x5) but must also make an 80% roll (his CON 16 x5) or fail due to the pain. That is a roughly 48% chance overall – with only a 30% chance (his DEX 6 x5) of avoiding further damage when he tries, it's not good.

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IMPALING A SHIELDIf parried by a shield, the weapon will be stuck in the shield until

the person removing it has 5 melee rounds free to get it out. Weapons sticking into a shield have the following effects:1. Weapons weighing 1lb or less, such as a knife or arrow, have no

effect unless more than 5 such weapons are stuck into the shield, at which time it is treated as case 2 below.

2. Weapons weighing up to 5lbs, such as a short spear/javelin, mean the shield can only be used at ½ effectiveness until removed.

3. Weapons weighing more than 5lbs, make the shield useless until the shield user can remove or break them off.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE Characters can choose to spend years gaining previous experience, which will improve their combat skills, etc (see Appendix E). They may be recruited into a company of Mercenaries, or join the local Militia while working as an apprentice/peasant; Barbarians may not join these organizations, their only option is to stay with their tribe.

GUILD CREDIT FROM THE MERCENARIES Mercenary companies will extend credit to beginning characters, like other professional guilds and religious cults (see Chapter VI, Skills). These warriors' leaders judge the STR of an applicant, and will allow them STR x 100 L to be spent on combat skill training.(NB: This is instead of credit from a cult or craft guild, not extra).

RURIK'S SAGA - THE FIGHT IN GIMPY 'S TAVERN We have already established that Rurik can handle a cudgel with a 24% attack/parry. His Initiative modifier is -2 and he has 9 HPs. Having reached his age of maturity, 16, he has gone to Gimpy's Tavern (run by three Adventurers, all of whom lost a leg on previous adventures) for the first time in his life. Intelligently moving down the bar from the rowdies at one end, his natural clumsiness literally trips him up (or is the boot of the rowdy with close-set eyes?) and he falls against a foppishly shabby sort sitting at a table in his path. There is much shouting and insulting, and Rurik finds eventsmoving too fast for him. In no time, the patrons have made a circle around him and his involuntary target and he seems to be in the middle of a duel. Youthful pride is too much to let him back out. Being intelligent, Rurik has a good idea of whom he faces. This is Herkan Quickword. a known bully. Rurik is also aware that Herkan has picked up some training with the rapier he is now drawing, but has never been asked to join an Adventurer band. He is also somewhat smaller and less bright than our hero. Rurik hefts his cudgel and grins boyishly. (Herkan actually has STR of 10, INT 9, WIS 8, CON 11, DEX 13 and a SIZ of 9, hence 5 hit points. Rurik has a 4hp advantage over him and his strength means his cudgel actually does more damage. Herkan has managed to train up to 25% with a Rapier. He doesn't like Rurik's grin.) Herkan has a +1 initiative bonus for 13 DEX, so his D12 roll of 5 means he scores 6 for initiative (Rurik rolls 7 which becomes 5) and attacks first – but he rolls a 44 (a miss). Rurik's attack is 45, also a miss. The more experienced habitués of Gimpy's are having many chuckles at the expense of the combatants' lack of expertise. Second melee round, Herkan rolls 14, and Rurik's 53 is a failed parry, he tries to dodge but also fails. The D20 hit location roll is 9, abdomen, and Rurik feels the metal of the rapier enter his side. It's a shallow wound (Herkan's D6 damage roll scored only 2 points). Rurik misses his return attack. Third melee round, Herkan again connects with 15, Rurik's 56 missing his parry. Rurik takes 3 more damage (in the left leg). But Herkan is too cocky. His parry just misses the oncoming cudgel as Rurik rolls 01 on his attack! As neither of the combatants wears any armour, the referee rules that the critical hit does regular damage, rather than the subdual effect usual for club-type weapons. The roll of D6 is 5, doubled to 10 out of the 12 a club (cudgel) can do, plus 1 damage bonus for Rurik's strength - Herkan takes 11 points! This is 6 more than Herkan can take and he is seriously wounded, but it is also such a heavy blow (10+ points) that he is knocked back ten feet (failing his 45% SIZx5 roll with a 54) crashing into Gimpys' bar for yet more damage (d6: 4), taking him to -10. So Herkan dies. There is a stunned silence in Gimpy's. Everyone looks around for a friend of Herkan's to take up the quarrel, as Rurik hefts his cudgel and waits. When it develops that, indeed, Herkan had no friends, the patrons buy Rurik a drink.

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RURIK'S SAGA Rurik, contemplating his fight with Herkan, attempts to learn from it. He has a 24% chance of hitting with his cudgel (club skill). As he looks back on the fight over the following week, and tries a few moves by way of practice, he makes an experience roll – and needs OVER 24% to gain. Rurik rolls a 95, showing that even one lucky shot can still be enough to teach you something. Rolling D6 for the percentage increase, he gets a 1 - his normal bad luck seems to be back. His ability with a cudgel is now 25%.

WEAPON TYPES, CATEGORIES AND USE

There are five main classes of weapons with two modes for use in melee combat, plus some specialised and missile weapon categories.

CLASSES1. SLASHING - Weapons used for hacking or slicing, including both the brute power of the axe and the relative finesse of the broadsword. Size ranges from hatchet to poleaxe.2. CRUSHING - Weapons used for smashing with the weight at the end of it, ranging from light mace to the military flail.3. IMPALING - Long weapons used with a lunge or extension, such as the spear, ranging in length up to the pike.4. CUT AND THRUST - Weapons capable of chopping or piercing, from easily manoeuvred shortsword to long rapier.5. HAND TO HAND - Basic brawling/grappling, but also includes dagger and specialized in-fighting tools of cestus and claw. Other Categories cover Types of special/unique weapons & missiles.

MODES1. ONE HANDED - Fully controlling a weapon with one hand.2. TWO HANDED - Using a weapon with two hands, usually using one hand as a stabilizer and support and one hand for control.

WEAPONS OF THE SAME TYPE Characters with a weapon skill can use any others of the same Weapon Type at the same skill percentage. E.g., Broadswords are of the One-Handed Sword weapon type, so a scimitar could be wielded at the full broadsword skill percentage.

WEAPONS OF THE SAME CATEGORY (SIMILAR TYPE) Characters with a weapon skill can use any others in the same Weapon Category (i.e. class and mode) at ½ their skill percentage. E.g., Broadswords are in the One-Handed Slashing category, so a battleaxe could be wielded, one-handed, at HALF broadsword skill.

UNFAMILIAR WEAPONS However, a character cannot pick up a weapon in the middle of a melee (even the same sort as his own) and use it at full proficiency. Given a few minutes to get used to its foibles, he will be able to use it with full skill (if of a known weapon skill/type). But if he picks it up and fights with it immediately, he would be at only ½ efficiency, as if it were a different weapon type within the same category.

WEAPONS UNSUITABLE FOR PARRY Some weapons are not designed for parrying at all (bow, rock etc). It is not normal to parry a weapon with a bow, and impossible with an already thrown rock. But if circumstances do somehow require a character to attempt parrying with such a weapon, their normal skill does not apply – their Club or Staff skill should be used instead.

OFF-HANDED SKILLS Weapons used in the off-hand (usually left) are at ½ normal skill. Also note the minimum DEX is 1.5 times that normally needed to use the weapon (round up). There are no separate off-handed skills.

WEAPON TYPES – SAME SKILL1h Swords: Broadsword, Longsword (1-handed), Scimitar.2h Swords: Greatsword, Longsword (2-handed).1h Axes: Battleaxe (1-handed), Hatchet.2h Axes: Battleaxe (2-handed), Great Axe, Polearms, Rhomphia.1h Flails: Grain Flail, War Flail, Morningstar Flail.2h Flails: Military Flail.1h Hammers: Warhammer, War Pick. 2h Hammers: Great Hammer.1h Mace: Heavy Mace (1h), Light Mace, Club.2h Mace: Great Club/Maul, Morningstar Mace, Heavy Mace (2h).1h Spears: Short Spear (1h), Long Spear (1h), Lance.2h Spears: Short Spear (2h), Long Spear (2h), Pike.Smallswords: Rapier.Shortswords: Gladius.Staff: Quarterstaff.Singlestick: Nightstick.Daggers: Dagger, Parrying Dagger.Brawling: Brawl/Grapple*, Cestus (light/heavy), Fighting Claw.Shields: Medium Shield (Heater), Large Shield (Kite/Viking Round). Missile Weapon skills are separate except for:Short Bows: Composite Bow, Elf Bow, Self Bow.Crossbows: Arbalest, Heavy Crossbow, Light Crossbow.Javelin: Dart, Javelin (Short Spears can be thrown as Javelins).Throw†: Throw Rock etc.* Brawl skill includes use of fists, kick, butt & grappling.† Weapons thrown without specific skill only have the effect of rocks.

WEAPON CATEGORIES - SIMILAR WEAPONS (½ SKILL)1H-SLASH: 1-handed Swords, 1-handed Axes.2H-SLASH: 2-handed Swords, 2-handed Axes.1H-CRUSH: 1-handed Flails, 1-handed Hammers, 1-handed Maces. 2H-CRUSH: 2-handed Flails, 2-handed Hammers, 2-handed Maces. 1H-IMPALE: 1-handed Spears.2H-IMPALE: 2-handed Spears, Pikes.CUT-&-THRUST: Smallswords, Shortswords.2H-STAVES: Staffs, Singlesticks.UNIQUE*: Sickles, and other tools.HAND-TO-HAND: Daggers, Brawling.SHIELDS: Bucklers, Shields. Missile Weapons are unrelated skills, except for:BOWS: Long, Short.SLINGS: Slings, Staff Slings,THROW: Javelin, Throw Axe, Throw Dagger, Throw Rocks etc.* 'Unique' skills are not similar and do not grant ½ skill to others.

EXAMPLEHorus the Hairy breaks his broadsword attempting to clobber a

dragonewt foe. Desperately parrying with his shield, he backs up and grabs the battleaxe used by Uras the Usurper, who is busy bleeding and has no immediate use for it. Horus is capable of attacking with a broadsword with 60% success, therefore he will be able to use the battleaxe with a 30% success; as long as he uses it one-handed like a broadsword.

Using it two-handed, he would be relegated to using it just like anyone else picking up such a weapon for the first time, based on natural ability – i.e. his STRx1, which for Horus is 13%.

If the replacement weapon was some entirely different category (class or mode), such as a spear (which is of either the one- or two-handed impaling category), he would again have to rely on natural ability base percentage, STRx1%.

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WEAPON STATISTICS TABLE

Category Skill Type Weapon Name STR/DEX Damage HP Cost Weight Length SF

1H-Slash 1h Axe Battleaxe 13 / 9 D8 8 40 7lb 2½ft 7 Hatchet 7 / 7 D6 6 25 5lb 1–1½ft 4 1h Sword Broadsword 9 / 7 D8 10 50 4lb 3½ft 6 Longsword 13 / 9 D8 12 75 6lb 4½ft 5 Scimitar 9 / 9 D6 10 50 3lb 3ft 4 2H-Slash 2h Axe Battleaxe 9 / 7 D8+1 8 40 7lb 2½ft 7 Great Axe 11 / 7 2D6 10 50 20lb 4ft 9 Polearms 13 / 9 D10 10 75 15lb 5–6+ft 10 Rhomphia 11 / 9 D10 10 50 11lb 4ft 10 2h Sword Greatsword 11 / 13 2D6 12 150 10lb 6½ft 10

Longsword 9 / 9 D8+1 12 75 6lb 4½ft 6 1H-Crush 1h Flail Grain Flail 9 / - D6 6 10 3lb 2ft 6 War Flail 11 / - D8 10 75 5lb 2½ft 6

Morningstar Flail 9 / 13 D8 8 100 12lb 3ft 7 1h Hammer Warhammer 11 / 9 D8 8 50 8lb 2½ft 4

War Pick 11 / 9 D6 8 50 6lb 2½ft 5 1h Mace Heavy Mace 13 / 7 D8 10 40 12lb 2½ft 7

Light Mace 7 / 7 D6 6 15 6lb 2ft 6 Club - / 7 D6* 4 4 3lb 1½ft 4 2H-Crush 2h Flail Military Flail 9 / - D10 10 75 15lb 7ft 7

2h Hammer Great Hammer 9 / 9 D10 10 75 20lb 5ft 7 2h Mace Great Club/Maul 11 / 7 D10 12 40 20lb 5ft 10

Morningstar Mace 11 / 7 D8+1 8 80 15lb 3ft 7 Heavy Mace 9 / 7 D8+1 10 40 12lb 2½ft 7 1H-Impale 1h Spear Long Spear 11 / 9 D8 10 20 9lb 8ft 8 Short Spear 9 / 7 D8 10 15 5lb 6ft 6 Lance 9 / 7 D8 10 30 10lb 10ft 8 2H-Impale 2h Spear Long Spear 9 / 7 D8+1 10 20 9lb 8ft 8 Short Spear 7 / 7 D8+1 10 15 5lb 6ft 6

Pike Pike 11 / 7 D8 12 30 15lb 12ft+ 13 Cut-Thrust Smallsword Rapier 7 / 13 D6 8 100 2½lb 3½ft 4

Shortsword Gladius - / - D6 10 25 3lb 2ft 3 Staves Staff Quarterstaff 9 / 9 D8* 8 10 4lb 6½ ft 4

Singlestick Nightstick - / 9 D6* 5 10 3lb 1½ft 3 Unique Sickle Sickle - / - D6 6 30 3lb 2ft 6

Hand2H. Dagger Dagger - / - D4 6 20 1lb 1ft 2 Parrying Dagger - / 9 D4 10 50 2lb 1ft 3

Brawling Brawl* - / - D3** body 0 - - 1 Fighting Claw 7 / 9 D4 4 50 1lb 0 2 Heavy Cestus 11 / - D4 8 40 2lb 0 3 Light Cestus 7 / - D3 4 25 1lb 0 2 * Brawl includes Fists, Kick, Head Butt, etc as well as Grappling. ** Normally only non-lethal subdual damage.

WEAPON STATISTICS

STR/DEX – Minimum STR and DEX to handle the weapon. Lack of either one makes using the weapon Hard (x1/2 skill). Lack of DEX is compensated-for by excess STR, on a 2 for 1 basis. Example: Rurik lacks 1 DEX point of being able to use short spears one-handed but has 3 STR over what's needed, so has no penalty.

COST – Standard price of the weapon. Better quality weapons (e.g. with more HP) may be offered at a higher price - but “better quality” could just mean gaudier....

SF – Speed Factor governs the maximum attacks per round (or shots for missiles) in unusual cases where more than one is possible. Note that spears differ depending on the mode of use, because one-handed spear use involves significant “choking up” to control it.RATE – Indicates the number of rounds required to rewind/reload.

ATTACK ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGESAdvantages can make actions Easy (x2), or Very Easy (x10).Disadvantages can make actions Hard (x½), or Very Hard (x1/10th).

Target Prone, Held/Immobile, From Rear, or Unaware – Easy (x2)

Target Totally Helpless – Attack is Very Easy (x10).

Attacker Prone – Attack is Hard (x½) (Parry is normal)Damage bonus is also halved (except for natural weapons).

Unmounted versus Mounted Target – Attack is Hard (x½) Unless using a weapon with long reach, such as a spear.

In Semi-Darkness – Attack & Parry is Hard (x½)In Total Darkness – Attack & Parry is Very Hard (x1/10th)This also applies when fighting opponents who are Invisible.

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LONG WEAPONS GET INITIATIVE Long weapons, such as spears, can attack first in the first round of a melee, regardless of initiative rolls, if the long-weapon wielder is able to ready the weapon against the foe. Roll initiative as normal, but even if they lose they can strike on their melee opponent's turn, before the opponent's attack. Use normal initiative in later rounds.

TWO-WEAPON FIGHTING Even if fighting with one weapon in each hand, only one attack per round is normally possible.

SPECIAL ATTACK – KNOCK-BACK A character may wish to force an opponent back or knock him down. This can be accomplished with Knock-back. The character must make a knock-back attack with a shield, part of his body, or a suitable weapon. If the attack is successful, make a resistance roll comparing the attacker's STR vs STR of the target. If this succeeds, the target is knocked back 5 feet (Special: 10ft and roll DEXx5 or fall; Critical: likewise, and drop any weapons held). The target normally gets a free attack simultaneously against any knock-back attempt (which cannot be parried with a shield used).

SPECIAL ATTACK – KNOCK-DOWN Many animals such as wolves (or Wolf Brothers) use this leaping attack. To determine if an animal hits a foe, roll their DEXx5 (use Grapple skill, for non-animals, base STRx2). (A special means they also inflict D6 damage, bypassing armour if critical). If the leap hits, compare their STR+SIZ v SIZ of target on the Resistance Table: if it succeeds, the target is knocked over. If the target successfully parries the leap with a shield, the attacker has only half the normal STR+SIZvSIZ chance to knock him down. Only a critical parry with a weapon will prevent any chance. If the attacker misses the leap, the target gets a free attack as he goes by. Attackers with less than four legs will also land up prone. If the target has a long-reach weapon, such as a spear, readied against the knock-down leap, then they get a free attack (but it does not prevent the knock-down, which occurs simultaneously).

SPECIAL ATTACK - GRAPPLING Grappling is ability to wrestle a foe, and is part of the Brawl skill. Attempting to Grapple an armed opponent normally allows them a free attack against the initial attacks, but not once grasped. A successful grapple attack means that the attacker has caught the foe's rolled hit location. If parried, the weapon arm or shield was caught instead. Defence cannot be applied against grapple attacks. After a successful grapple attack, the target must win a STRvSTR roll to perform any action with the hit location(s) grasped. In following melee rounds the grappler may attempt to EXTEND their hold, to injure their foe, or to THROW them to the ground. To extend a hold, just try further grapple attacks and roll location. To injure, just roll D3 + bonus damage; armour does not protect. To throw, make a resistance roll of STR versus the SIZ of the foe. Success throws them the thrower's STR minus foe's SIZ feet, or 5ft at least. The foe falls prone, taking damage as for a fall of twice that distance (i.e. D6 per 5ft, armour protects up to 2pts, magic fully).

SUBDUAL AND KNOCKING-OUT Some weapons (fist, club, etc) normally inflict non-lethal damage. This 'subdual' damage should be noted separately, and if it exceeds remaining hit points then the character's last-hit location is disabled.Therefore, if hit in the head they will fall unconscious. Each minute of unconsciousness, or after combat, the character can try CONx1 to recover from any subdual damage.

FIGHTING FROM HORSEBACK A character can fight with weapons, or use magic, while on a horse but weapon skills are limited to their Riding skill percentage. Only a trained warhorse will fight in battle; a cavalry-trained horse remains stable; but ordinary riding horses caught up in melee require calming, by a Riding roll every round (counting as a Move action).

Two modes of fighting are particularly useful from horseback:1. THE LANCE - A lance can be used in a charge, which is defined

as a straight run of 20 yards or more. If a target is hit during a charge, the animal's damage bonus is used, not that of the rider.

2. HORSE ARCHERY - Shooting from a moving horse is Hard (x½) unless the ability to do so (a special martial art) has been gained. A light crossbow can be shot and reloaded on horseback but any heavier crossbows cannot unless the horse is brought to a stop.

CONTROLLING A HORSE DURING BATTLE When a character is riding a horse untrained for battle, his player must roll his Riding ability or less every melee round and at any time the horse is damaged. If the roll is unsuccessful, the character must spend the next melee round calming the horse down to the exclusion of all else by making a Riding ability roll. If he does not attend to his horse, or fails the roll, the animal will bolt away from the excitement - if this happens, make a Riding roll each subsequent round to avoid falling off (refer to the rules below). Only a critical success stops it. Controlling a horse during battle requires concentration. Active spells, such as Fireblade, are impossible to maintain due to the concentration they need. A cavalry horse is trained to remain under control in combat and Riding ability rolls are not needed and active spells can be maintained. A trained warhorse will fight for itself and the rider need only sit on the animal and take care of himself, so that Riding rolls are not necessary and active spells can be cast.

HORSE SUDDENLY FALLS OR DIES Make a Riding roll: Success means the character has been thrown (see rules below). Failure means the rider is pinned under the animal. Roll hit location to see what part of the body is pinned; and the rider takes D6 damage plus their animal's damage bonus (armour and magic protect).

FALLING OFF A HORSE If a character falls off his riding animal takes D6 damage, unless the animal was running or jumping in which case damage is 2D6.As with normal falls, only up to 2 points of armour protect, but any magical protection counts fully.

POISON CAN BY-PASS ARMOUR Poisonous stings, bites or other weapons can still poison their victim, even if the damage does not penetrate armour. Armour will protect against gross damage, but does not save the wearer from every little scratch – which may be enough for poisoning. Characters struck by poisoned bites etc which do not penetrate armour, must make a CONx5 roll to avoid suffering such a scratch. (Poisoned weapons are not so efficient – only CONx10 is required). Other effects of fire are given in Chapter III, Mechanics & Melee.

RUNNING AWAY If a character in melee combat turns and flees, opponents within reach can make a free attack upon them. Such attacks, being from behind, are Easy (x2), cannot be parried and any Defence is halved. Note that characters may Withdraw, a half-move, to avoid this.

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SHIELD STATISTICS TABLE

Category Skill Type Size STR/DEX HP Cover Basic Training:25/50/75% Price Weight SF (#Parries) Shields Buckler Small 5 / 9 8 25% DEXx2 200/400/800 15 5lb 3 (x5)

Shield Medium 9 / - 12 50% STRx2 100/200/400 30 10lb 6 (x3) Large 12 / - 16 75% STRx2 50/100/200 50 15lb 9 (x2)

SHIELDS A shield is used to absorb damage before it gets to the bearer of the shield. The Shield Statistics Table describes how many points a shield will absorb before the bearer is damaged. As with a weapon, a shield user must make a successful parry roll to interpose a shield between himself and an incoming attack.

SHIELDS Shields are for parrying, so attacking with one is Hard (x1/2 skill).Small/Medium/Large shields do D4*/D6*/D8* damage respectively.(* i.e. Subdual damage only, unless fitted with special spikes etc).

Small shields, called bucklers, are about 1ft in diameter and held with one hand-grip. Medium shields are about 2ft in diameter, and include the ancient Greek round shield, or medieval knight's 'heater'. Large shields include the foot shield of the Greeks and Romans, or the Norman kite shield and the Viking round.

COVER – Arrows and similarly fast projectiles cannot be normally parried, but shields have the listed percentage chance to block them.

NOTES ON SHIELD USE Damage taken by the shield for more points than the shield can absorb in one blow is taken on the hit location rolled in the attack. The armour on the location, if any, absorbs the excess points. Note that shields do not break as easily as weapons do, so shields only take 1hp damage from blows which exceed their armour points. A shield cannot be ready for use when the character is using any projectile weapon but the sling (and that can only be a small shield). This exception does not include the staff sling, which needs two hands, as do all bows and crossbows. A shield cannot be used for parrying when a torch or lamp is also being held in the shield hand.

MISSILE WEAPONS

RANGE The ranges stated on the table are the normally effective ranges.THROWN – Thrown weapons have no effect beyond 60 feet.PROJECTILE – Projectile weapons can reach further than the stated range, but at a cost in accuracy. Medium range is half-again as many yards, at ½ skill. Long range is twice normal range, at ¼ skill. At 'point-blank' range of up to DEX ft, most missile weapons can be used at 2x skill. (Slings have minimum ranges of 15/30ft).

DAMAGE BONUS WITH MISSILE WEAPONS Missile weapons get only half normal STR Damage Bonus (round down). Bows must be specially constructed to give any such bonus. Some intelligent races of smaller than human size have developed martial techniques of weapon finesse, allowing them to use DEX instead of STR for the Damage Bonus with light missile weapons.

TARGETS BEHIND COVER The chance of hitting a foe behind some form of solid protection depends on how much of them is showing. Roll the attack as normal, then roll the percentage cover to see if the shot strikes cover instead. Projectiles cannot be parried, but shields give a percentage cover.

EXAMPLE Arcos the Archer shoots at a troll hiding behind a parapet and hits. The quite short parapet gives the quite large troll only 50% cover, the referee rules. He rolls 47 on D100, so the cover of the parapet was struck and the arrow bounces off the stone.

UNUSUAL-SIZE TARGETS Especially large or small targets are easier or harder to shoot:Huge (giant) x2; Small (dog) x1/2; Tiny (rat, giant centipede) x1/10.

MISSILE STATISTICS TABLE

Category Skill Type Name STR/DEX Damage HP Cost Weight Range SF(Rate)

Bows Long Long Bow 11 / 9 D8 6 150 3lb #1 400ft+ 3 (x5) Short Composite Bow 13 / 9 D8 7 150 3lb #1 300ft+ 3 (x5)

Elf Bow - / - D8 10 - 2lb #1 360ft+ 3 (x5) Self Bow 9 / 9 D6 5 50 2lb #1 240ft+ 3 (x5) X-Bows Crossbow Arbalest 13 / 7 3D6 10 150 18lb #2 450ft+ (1/5R)

Heavy Crossbow 11 / 7 2D6 8 100 9lb #2 360ft+ (1/3R)Light Crossbow 7 / 7 2D4 6 80 6lb #2 300ft+ (1/2R)

Slings Sling Sling - / 9 D4/+1* - 5 - #3 240ft+ 6 (x3) Staff Sling Staff Sling 9 / 9 D8/+1* 8 15 6lb #3 300ft+ 6 (x3) Throws Javelin Dart - / 9 D4 4 25 1lb 60ft 2 (x7)

Javelin 9 / 9 D6 8 35 3lb 60ft 6 (x3) Throw Throw Rock, etc - / - D3 - 0 2lb 60ft 4 (x4)

Thr. Axe Throwing Axe 9 / 9 D6 6 35 4lb 60ft 6 (x3) Thr. Dagger Throwing Dagger - / 9 D4 4 50 ½lb 60ft 3 (x5)

#1: A quiver of 20 arrows costs 2L and weighs 5lbs. #2: A case of 20 bolts costs 2L and weighs 5lbs. #3: A pouch of 20 lead bullets costs 2L and weighs 10lbs (same as stones). * Extra +1 damage if lead bullets used instead of stones.

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MOVING TARGETS The normal chances to hit assume targets are moving. If not, due in all likelihood to being unaware that they currently are a target, then the attack is Easy (x2), as per the Advantages noted previously.

SHOOTING INTO COMBAT Shots into a melee will hit a random target, due to the combatants' rapid movements and manoeuvres. Aiming for a specific individual target (see 'Aiming For Location', below), makes the shot Hard (x½) but any miss will strike randomly.

TAKING TIME TO AIM A character can take particular care to hit a target by spending time aiming their shot (or melee attack). If they spend 1 extra full round taking aim, which must be undisturbed, then the attack is Easy (x2).

AIMING FOR LOCATION A character who wishes to hit a particular location must state the desired hit location and attack at ½ normal effectiveness (i.e. Hard). Success means the hit strikes where intended. The opponent may still parry or dodge, of course. This technique can also be used to pick out particular targets when shooting into a melee (see 'Shooting Into Combat', above). Note that it cannot be used to hit targets behind cover more easily than described previously, as they will be actively using the cover to duck behind when shot at (if aware of being targeted).

THROWING LARGE OBJECTS Small objects count as a Thrown Rock (d3 damage, 60ft). Larger objects can be thrown, doing D6 damage per full 10 STR of the thrower (about 10lbs per die) plus ½ Damage Bonus, as usual for such missiles. Range is 30ft per full 10 STR.

MACHINE THROWERS Rock-hurling siege engines should has a STR rating assigned by the Referee. The basic damage, damage bonus, range and weight of its required missiles can then be calculated from the above.

DROPPED OBJECTS Damage from falling objects is D6 per 200lbs weight (max 10D6), plus ½ the damage of falling the distance dropped (or D6 per 20ft). DEX rolls may save targets from half or all damage, depending on circumstances. (E.g. DEXx5 for no damage, if in an open area and if they see it coming; DEXx1 for half, if well-targeted and they don't).

RURIK'S SAGA Having been successful in combat, and wanting more expertise in case Herkan had more popularity than immediately apparent, Rurik looks into gaining training in weapon use. He rapidly discovers that all manner of training is available, for a price. The 65 L he has to his name is woefully inadequate. What to do for training?

Rurik, applying to his local fighting band of mercenaries, would be given a credit of 1200 L (STR 12x100 L) for weapons training. [Training of this and other skills is explained in Chapter VI, Skills].

WEAPON EXPERTISE – MARTIAL ARTS Expertise with weapon types are martial arts skills, which are only available to characters through years-long specialized training. They are gained via Previous Experience with the Mercenary Companies or Barbarian Tribes (see Chapter X, Appendix E).

Each Expertise skill is with one particular type of weapon, e.g. Expertise:Sword. They are based on STR or DEX, as the weapon.

Expertise skills start at STATx1%. Increases are limited to +1%.

A character with Expertise in a weapon gains an extra attack when their normal weapon skill-roll is less than their Expertise percentage. Extra parries can likewise be gained with Expertise in shields etc.

If necessary, a character with Expertise can also take an additional parry by forfeiting their next attack. No more can be 'borrowed' until it is 'paid back' by foregoing an attack (and no more attacks either). However, the extra parry itself may make Expertise and thus earn an extra parry/action, which can be forfeited as the attack owed.

Each full 10% in Expertise allows the character to gain one special martial arts technique (see Chapter X, Appendix F, Martial Arts).

MULTIPLE ATTACKS PER ROUND Some special abilities allow characters to perform multiple attacks and/or parries in one melee round, but these are exceptional cases. (E.g.: Expertise, back-stabs, magical haste, berserking, extra natural physical weaponry, etc). But there is a limit to how many actions can be accomplished in any one 12-second round. Weapon Speed Factor limits the extra attacks which can be made in a round to 12 / SF.

ARMOUR

HOW ARMOUR WORKS Armour is the last barrier between a character and an incoming weapon, fang, or claw. Armour absorbs damage and, hopefully, keeps the character intact. Different hit locations may wear different forms of armour. If so, the average Armour Points (AP) value is calculated, weighted by hit location probabilities, and used in most cases. (Some circumstances may make it preferable to roll location and find the specific armour). For examples, see the sample suits of armour listed later.

ARMOUR ENCUMBRANCE Encumbrance is listed for armour & helmets, rather than weight. This is their effective weight when worn. The ENC values are about double real weight, due to the difficulty of wearing such loads. Figures are for human-size: a pixie's would weigh less, a great troll's would weigh more. Of course, such would only fit those size beings, and be of little use to a human adventurer.

Note that some forms of armour protect more than one hit location. These types can, as a rule, be overlapped. Thus, one can wear both a chainmail hauberk and chainmail trews (trousers). Encumbrances will add up very rapidly in such cases, of course, and the extra layers only give half their usual protection, rounded down.

ARMOUR SKILLS PENALTY Most armour makes it Hard (x½) or Very Hard (x1/10th) to use skills such as Move Silently, Climbing, Swimming & Acrobatics (see Chapter VI). If armoured in various pieces, the worst penalty applies.

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ARMOUR STATISTICS TABLE

Area Protected Type Material Absorbs ENC Cost Penalty Frac

Legs Greaves† Leather* 1 5lb 15 - 0.30Cuirboilli 3 10lb 40 - 0.90Plate 6 20lb 120 x1/2 1.80

Abdomen and Legs Pants/Trews Leather* 1 5lb 10 - 0.45Leather* 2 10lb 20 - 0.90Chainmail 5 15lb 120 x1/2 2.25

Abdomen Skirts Leather* 1 5lb 10 - 0.15Leather* 2 10lb 20 - 0.30Linen 3 10lb 20 - 0.45Light Scale 4 20lb 30 x1/2 0.60Heavy Scale 5 30lb 60 x1/10 0.75Chainmail 5 20lb 100 x1/10 0.75

Chest and Abdomen Hauberk Leather* 1 5lb 20 - 0.30Leather* 2 10lb 40 - 0.60Linen 3 20lb 30 - 0.90Ring Mail 4 20lb 80 x1/2 1.20Light Scale 4 20lb 40 x1/10 1.20Heavy Scale 5 30lb 60 x1/10 1.50Chainmail 5 20lb 200 x1/2 1.50

Chest Byrnie Leather* 1 5lb 10 - 0.15Leather* 2 10lb 20 - 0.30Ring Mail 4 10lb 50 x1/2 0.60Chainmail 5 10lb 120 x1/2 0.75

Cuirass Cuirboilli 3 10lb 40 x1/2 0.45Linen 3 10lb 25 - 0.45Heavy Scale 5 30lb 40 x1/10 0.75Brigandine 5 20lb 175 x1/2 0.75Plate 6 30lb 200 x1/2 0.90

Arms Sleeves Chainmail 5 20lb 75 x1/2 1.50Vambraces† Leather* 1 2lb 10 - 0.30

Cuirboilli 3 10lb 30 - 0.90Plate 6 20lb 100 x1/2 1.80

* Can be worn under other armour, for cumulative protection and encumbrance. Quilted or thick cloth has the same qualities as described. † For game conventions, these are considered to cover the entire limb, although the actual armour which goes by these names only covers the area between elbow and hand (vambraces) and knee and foot (greaves). Cost & ENC given are for a set of two, not just one.

[Conversion Note: Each RQ2 1 ENC equals 10lbs. More than the usual 1:5lb rule-of-thumb, to encourage more careful use of armour.]

TYPES OF ARMOUR MATERIALSLEATHER – This is either the padding leather (1ap) described in the

notes to the chart, or thicker shoe leather thickness armour (2ap). It is fairly easy to obtain in the herd-oriented world of Glorantha, and in most other ancient historical or fantasy settings.

CUIRBOILLI – Leather treated with boiling wax, hardening it almost to the resiliency of metal.

LINEN – Waxed and quilted cloth. Stiff and hard, this early armour disappeared as metal became more common, but was still used for militia and the like.

RING MAIL – Metal rings butted together and sewn to leather.

SCALE - Small metal plates sewn onto leather in an overlapping pattern. An excellent, if heavy, protection.

CHAINMAIL – Metal links woven into a mesh and formed into garments.

BRIGANDINE – A jacket of plates between two leather layers; only the rivets holding it together show on the leather.

PLATE – Large metal plates, usually moulded to the wearer's body absorbs damage excellently; heavy and encumbering.

HELMETS – These are categorized differently, as they are made of various materials; the styles described are named arbitrarily.

HELMET STATISTICS TABLE

Type ENC Absorbs Cost Description Frac

Hood 3lb 1 3 Leather hood. Can be worn as padding under a helmet. 0.10 Cap 5lb 2 5 Hard leather with metal plates riveted on to it. 0.20 Composite Helm 8lb 3 10 Cuirboilli with metal plates riveted on to it. 0.30 Open Helm 10lb 4 15 A metal helm with cheek and back plates. Similar to a Roman Legionnaire helm. 0.40 Closed Helm 12lb 5 30 A metal helm like the above but with eye and nose protection as well. 0.50 Full Helm 20lb 6 50 A solid metal helm with total coverage of head and neck except for eye-holes 0.60

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CALCULATION OF PIECEMEAL ARMOUR To work out the overall Armour Points for armour consisting of various pieces, the weighted-average by hit locations is calculated. The given Frac values show the fractional armour AP for each piece, making this easy to do – just add the Frac values of each piece worn.

For example, Rurik has a Ring Mail Hauberk, with a Thick Cloth Hauberk as padding beneath, an Open Helm, and Plate Greaves and Vambraces. These are 1.2, 0.6, 0.4, 1.8, 1.8 respectively, making a total of 5.8, which with standard rounding gives 6 AP overall.

SAMPLE ARMOUR SETS

Name AP ENC Cost Penalty Description Tough Clothing 1 13lb 28L - Heavy clothing/soft leather jack, soft leather hood, soft boots [H1,C1 Ab1,A0,L1] Leather Armour 2 22lb 85L - Hard leather hauberk, hard leather cap, s.lthr sleeves, hard boots [H2,C2,Ab2,A1,L1] Cuirbouilli 3 53lb 170L x1/2 Cuirbouilli cuirass, greaves, vambs, helmet, s.lthr hauberk, hd.boots [H3,C4,Ab2,A1,L2] Ring-mail 3 42lb 145L x1/2 Ringmail hauberk, s.lthr hbk & sleeves, h.lthr cap, hard boots [H2,C5,Ab5,A2,L2] Scale-mail 4 66lb 153L x1/10 H.Scale hauberk, h.lthr hbk & vambs, comp.helm, hood, hd.boots [H4,C6,Ab6,A2,L2] Chainmail 5 72lb 370L x1/2 Chainmail hbk&slvs, h.lthr hbk&grvs, s.lthr slvs, open helm, hd.bts [H4,C7,Ab7,A3,L3] Splinted-mail 6 108lb 443L x1/10 Splint cuirass, q.shirt, plate v.s, scale trews & gntlts, open helm, h.bts [H5,C7,Ab7,A5,L4] Banded-mail 6 77lb 509L x1/2 Brigandine hauberk, plate greaves & vambs, open helm, h.bts, etc [H5,C6,Ab6,A5,L6] Plate-and-mail 7 180lb 610L x1/10 Plate cuirass, g&v.s, q.vest, chain skirt, full helm, h.boots. [H6,C9,Ab8,A5,L6]

RURIK'S SAGA - RUMBLE IN THE RUBBLE Rurik joined a mercenary company (see Chapter X, Appendix E, Previous Experience) and did well, earning enough loot to pay for a ring mail hauberk (4 points of protection), an open helm (worth 4 points) and plate arm and leg armour (worth 6 points each). Under the ring mail he has a padding hauberk worth 2 more points of protection. As part of his training he has skills at 36% (his STRx3) in use of the large shield and short sword and likewise capable with a spear used one-handed. At this time, he is guarding the horses for a group of Adventurers attempting to loot the Blind King's Palace in the Pavis Rubble. His companion in this duty is Horus the Hairy, a somewhat more knowledgeable fighter who also chose not to go into the palace. The two are engaged in idle conversation, lulled into carelessness by lack of activity, when there is a sudden “Screech!” and Horus goes flying. He has been hit from behind by a baboon! The baboon is a common member of the breed (see Chapter VIII) and, having successfully sneaked up on the two, rolled 43 onan attack roll. Ordinarily this would not quite be enough (the baboon's claw skill is 40%), but an attack from behind doubles an chance, so the blow was successful. The blow did 9 points of damage (maximum for the baboon's D6 claw plus 3 damage bonus). Horus has 3-point cuirboilli armour so 6 points gets through to hurt him in the left leg (hit location roll 1). This takes him down to -1 hp (Horus has total hit points of 5), so the blow is enough to make him fall in a heap, out of the fight. “Give horse!”, hisses the baboon in a reasonable approximationof Pavis Tradetalk. Rurik, whose pay depends on seeing that this doesn't happen, says nothing as he advances to the attack. He has an initiative penalty of -2 (DEX 6) and rolls a 2 on D12 making 0, and the baboon has a bonus of +1 and rolls 3 making 4, so it is faster. But, with his spear ready (a long reach weapon), Rurik strikes first anyway, this round. His attack roll of 21 is a hit, and the baboon's defence roll of 20% fails to help it. Rolling a 1 on D8, he finds he has done 2 points of damage to the baboon (which, using claws, has no parry). The baboon's skin absorbs 1 point of this, leaving the baboon with a minor nick as he closes in on Rurik. His claw attacks both miss, with a 44, just too high to be a hit, and 89, a wide miss. Second round. Now the baboon's natural speed takes over and it strikes first, but misses both attacks. Rurik stabs again, the attack roll is 99 – a fumble!

The roll is 44 - Rurik loses a piece of armour. A hit location roll shows it was his right arm armour. We can assume the baboon clawed at Rurik, caught the arm armour, and tore it off. Third round. One of the baboon's attacks is finally below the 40 needed, a hit! Rurik's parry of 57 is not good enough. The baboon rolls D6 for his claw attack, plus for his STR bonus for a total of 7. The hit location rolled is 5, the left leg. Since Rurik has 6 point armour, 1 point of damage goes past Rurik's shin-plate to wound him slightly. Rurik rolls a 61 for his attack, missing again, obviously shaken. Fourth round. The baboon's rolls of 81 and 22 mean one more attack hits. But Rurik got his shield in its way with a roll of 29, and the large shield can stop more damage than it can do (up to 16pts). Rurik rolls 23, another hit! The damage is 4 points, the hit location is the head (rolled just for fun of knowing the details). The baboon rolls 33 for Defence and so again fails to dodge, but due to its thick skin (1AP) takes just 3 points of damage. After the earlier nick, this reduces its 5 point total to just 1 hit point! By this time, Horus has managed to Heal 2 points of the damage he took in the leg - he can soon be back in the fight again. The baboon realizes that horse-meat will probably not be on his diet today. He begins to back away (withdraw) but Rurik, being young and impetuous, presses his attack. His attack roll is 55, another miss. Next round, the baboon makes a return attack of 42, another miss, and turning, tries to run away. Rurik's attack roll is 95, so that even the x2 multiple for striking at a back does not help enough. The Baboon scrambles away at his movement rate of 15”, while Rurik soothes the horses and helps Horus up.

NOTE - Rurik was successful with both Spear (1h) and Shield, as he made an attack and a parry. He gets experience rolls for both his skill with the large shield (rolling 84, over his 36% as needed, he goes up 5% in shield work on a D6 increase roll of 5, to 41%) and with the use of one-handed spear (but he rolls 21, not over his current skill. This is Rurik's usual bad luck. . .). The baboon, having also succeeded in a claw attack, gets an experience roll. It has a needed number on D100 of over 40, its current skill. It rolls 37, not profiting at all from the experience, and having one terrible headache besides.

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V BASIC MAGIC

Magic is available to many RuinQuest characters. Here are two types of Basic Magic: 1. Battle Magic and 2. Spirit Contacts.

BATTLE MAGIC

BASIC DESCRIPTION Battle magic involves the forceful alteration of the fabric of reality by use of one's magical power. For this reason, battle magic spells, while powerful, are of short duration (usually two minutes) and drain a good deal of energy in the form of POW points from the user. However strong a mortal may be, he lacks the Power to make long lasting changes in the basic stuff of the Universe. Rune Magic (see Chapter VII), done with the aid of a god, is not so limited. The WIS roll that a player makes for a character at the start of a game determines his ability to affect the Universe by force of will. Of course, with no knowledge of spells, this WIS can only be used to resist other forces. It cannot cause effect itself. Characters who learn spells or contact spirits gain a characteristic representing their magical Power (POW). For users of Basic Magic, the initial value of their POW equals their WIS.

POWER USE POW is used in casting spells, but WIS is used for resisting them. If Rurik casts Bladesharp 4 on his sword, his POW of 12 becomes 8 when he casts the spell. This reduction is temporary, and will return up to the normal value in a few hours or one day at most (as POW is regained at the rate of ¼ the character's total POW every six hours). Thus, Rurik, with a POW of 12 would regain 3 points every six hours until all POW expended has been regained. However, for resisting spells cast at him by others, it is his WIS which matters – and that is not reduced by spell-casting. Note that even 'permanent' POW (i.e. usual) value is likely to increase and/or decrease quite often, but that WIS changes seldom, if ever. Once the initial POW has been set, their values are entirely independent. WIS and POW do not affect each other thereafter.

LEARNING SPELLS The listed battle magic spells can be learned from most Rune cults. They are commonly available to any character with the money to pay for them. Learning a spell requires spending one week with the cult, a Priest teaching it to you via rituals involving summoned spirits and Rune magic. Nothing much else can be done during the week. The cults usually charge the same amounts, and the cost of each spell is listed on the Battle Magic Spell Table.

NOTE - To buy a variable spell, a character must pay the cost of each lower point spell as well as the level he wishes to buy. In other words, to obtain Healing 3, Healing 1 and 2 must also be bought, a total cost of 3000 L. (If the referee prefers a campaign with lots of money available the cost of spells should be raised - inflation.)

GUILD CREDIT FROM A CULT The Cults will extend credit, once, to beginning characters, like other professional guilds and mercenary bands (see in Chapter VI, Skills). The cult's diviners judge the WIS of an applicant, and so allow them up to WIS x 100 L in credit towards learning spells.(NB: This is instead of credit from a craft/fighting guild, not extra).

LIMIT TO TEACHING SPELLS Battle magic cannot be learned from another character unless that character is a Rune Priest (see Chapter VII). Because spells are partially subconscious in operation, the teaching of battle magic requires Mind Link (a Rune spell) with a Rune Priest. Rune Priest player characters who teach another character a battle magic spell must still be paid the set rate and must return that full amount to their cult. Failure to do so would be cheating a god and would result in expulsion from the cult and loss of Rune magic abilities. Other penalties might also be assessed by the god, perhaps in the form of a curse.

LIMIT TO LEARNING SPELLS Any number of battle magic spells may be learned. However, only a small number can be held in the mind at one time. A character may hold the number of POW points in spells equal to his INT. Therefore, a character with a 13 INT could hold Healing 4, Countermagic 3, Bladesharp 3,and Glue 3. He could use and reuse these spells until he ran out of POW. However, he could not use Invisibility, a 3 point spell, even if he has learned it, until he suppresses 3 points of his other spells and draws Invisibility up into his mind. This action of switching spells takes 1 hour for every point of spell to be switched, the suppression and re-impression of the spells taking place simultaneously.

NOTE - It is possible to know a variable spell at a high level and be carrying only part of it. For example, a character could know Healing 6, but only carry Healing 4 actively in his mind. If he thought he or his friends were about to run into a situation where injuries were going to be more serious, he could take two hours to suppress two points of another spell or spells and bring the other two points of Healing into his mind, ready for use.

CREATING NEW SPELLS Battle magic spells cannot be developed by anyone not conversant with Rune magic. In other words, to develop a new (unlisted) spell, the character must be a Rune Priest or Mage (interchangeable terms in this text). It can only happen rarely, and would probably require a Hero Quest (a dangerous ritual, involving a venture into Godtime).

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BATTLE MAGIC SPELL TABLE

SPELL LIST AND COSTS 15. Detect Spirit 300 L 31. Ignite 500 L 47. Strength 1500 L16. Detect Traps 300 L 32. Immobilize Var* 48. Vigour 2000 L

1. Befuddle 1500 L 17. Detect Undead 300 L 33. Invisibility 2500 L 49. Xenohealing Var* 2. Bladesharp Var* 18. Detection Blank Var* 34. Ironhand Var* 3. Bludgeon Var* 19. Dispel Magic Var* 35. Light 500 L * Cost of Variable Spells 4. Co-ordination 1500 L 20. Disruption 500 L 36. Lightwall 2000 L 5. Countermagic Var* 21. Dullblade Var* 37. Mind Speech Var* 1st point 500 L 6. Darkwall 1500 L 22. Extinguish 1000 L 38. Mobility Var* 2nd point 1000 L 7. Demoralize 1500 L 23. Fanaticism Var* 39. Multimissile Var* 3rd point 1500 L 8. Detect Detection 300 L 24. Farsee 500 L 40. Protection Var* 4th point 2000 L 9. Detect Enemies 300 L 25. Firearrow 2000 L 41. Repair 1500 L 5th point 2500 L 10. Detect Gems 1000 L 26. Fireblade 2000 L 42. Shimmer Var* 6th point 3000 L 11. Detect Gold 300 L 27. Glamour 2000 L 43. Silence 500 L Each +1 point +500 L 12. Detect Life 300 L 28. Glue Var* 44. Speeddart 500 L 13. Detect Magic 300 L 29. Harmonize 1500 L 45. Spirit Binding 1500 L 14. Detect Silver 200 L 30. Healing Var* 46. Spirit Shield Var*

ONE POINT SPELLS TWO POINT SPELLS THREE POINT SPELLS VARIABLE POW SPELLS

1. Befuddle 1. Coordination 1. Invisibility 1. Bladesharp 2. Demoralize 2. Darkwall 2. Bludgeon 3. Detect Detection 3. Detect Gems FOUR POINT SPELLS 3. Countermagic 4. Detect Enemies 4. Detect Traps 4. Detection Blank 5. Detect Gold 5. Extinguish 1. Fireblade 5. Dispel Magic 6. Detect Life 6. Firearrow 2. Lightwall 6. Dullblade 7. Detect Magic 7. Glamour 3. Vigour 7. Fanaticism 8. Detect Silver 8. Harmonize 8. Glue 9. Detect Spirit 9. Repair 9. Healing 10. Detect Undead 10. Strength 10. Immobilize (aka Binding/Slow) 11. Disruption 11. Ironhand 12. Farsee 12. Mind Speech 13. Ignite 13. Mobility 14. Light 14. Multimissile 15. Silence 15. Protection 16. Speeddart 16. Shimmer 17. Spirit Binding 17. Spirit Shield 18. Xenohealing

TYPES OF BATTLE MAGIC SPELLS Battle magic spells come in three general classifications. Frequently these classifications overlap. Spells can be broken down as active or passive, temporal or permanent, and as focused and unfocused. We will cover each of these classifications separately.

ACTIVE AND PASSIVE SPELLS Almost all battle magic spells are passive. Once they have taken effect on their target they need not be maintained and the caster of the spell can perform other actions, including casting other spells, without affecting the spell in question. Therefore, once a character has Demoralized an opponent, the character can fight, run, or cast another spell (or the same spell) at another opponent and the original target will remain Demoralized for the total time period of the spell. If the caster takes damage from a sword blow, even one wielded by the Demoralized opponent, the opponent stays Demoralized. The only active battle magic spells are Fireblade and Invisibility and these spells require the concentration of the caster to be maintained. If the caster tries to throw another, takes damage, or has something sudden unexpected happen to him, such as falling into a pit, the spell will go out. To reuse the spell, he must expend the POW necessary to cast it again. It is possible to fight with spell active, as long as the user takes no damage.

These are active spells, unlike all others, because they are highly powerful battle magic spells, requiring concentration to control.

INSTANT, TEMPORAL, AND PERMANENT SPELLS

1. “Instant” spells last from the moment they are cast until the end of the melee round in which they are cast. Most of the Detect spells are of this type. For instance, Detect Magic would cause an Invisible character to glow until the end of that melee round.

2. “Temporal” spells are those which are effective for a definite time span and are then over. Spells like Demoralize, Fanaticism, Bladesharp and Mobility last ten melee rounds (two minutes) and then are gone. They must be recast after that time to gain their benefits again.

3. “Permanent” spells are those whose effects remain afterwards. Spells like Disruption, Extinguish, Ignite, and Repair are permanent in effect. The spells last just one melee round or less, but their results are permanent. This is not to say that the effect of a Disruption spell cannot be Healed or an Extinguished fire re-lit, but the damage does not go away of itself and the fire will not rekindle itself after a set period of time.

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FOCUSED AND UNFOCUSED SPELLS This is a complex and important difference between spell types. To be cast effectively, many spells require a “focus”. This focus is a carved rune of some sort which acts to tie the conscious and unconscious minds together so that the spell works. It is possible to cast any spell without a focus, but it takes two melee rounds to do so, the first round being spent in carefully visualizing the runic symbol necessary for the spell and the target it must affect. Spells affecting the character's body do not require a focus. Part of the purpose of a focus is to help one concentrate POW to overcome resistance. The character does not resist his own spells. However, spells affecting other people and objects do require a focus for quick casting. The knowledge of how to create a focus for a particular spell is included in learning the spell. The normal focus used is a wand. A normal, 18-inch long, wand has enough area on it for about 20 foci to be carved. A staff could easily contain all spells listed in the spell table. Certain spells, such as Disruption, often have their focus carved or cast into a ring so as to be readily available during combat when one might have no time to draw a wand. The focus for a weapon-affecting spell is usually the weapon it is intended to affect, as typically Bladesharp, Fireblade, Repair and the like might all be carved on a character's sword hilt. To be used, a focus must be looked at, and then pointed at the target. Looking at the focus serves to “set” the spell in the mind. The pointing at the target serves to direct the character's POW at the appropriate target. Thus, if a character wishes to use Immobilize on another character, he must look at the Rune carved on his wand, then point the wand at the foe, saying his spell at the same time. This is a very quick and easy process, taking mere seconds.

OTHER PROPERTIES OF SPELLS

1. If damage is taken by a spell caster from spell or weapon, or the spell caster's concentration is broken in any sudden and unexpected way, before he is finished with casting a spell (e.g. by free attacks prompted by the casting, or delayed/simultaneous actions, or actions during a long casting-time) he cannot cast the spell and must try again. However, no POW is lost in the attempt.

2. Spells cannot be combined with one another to make them more effective. If, for example, two characters know Bladesharp 2, they cannot each cast it on a weapon to get the effect of Bladesharp 4. Likewise, to cure a serious/grievous wound (a special effect of Healing 6), two characters cannot combine Healing 3 spells to get the effect of Healing 6. A full Healing 6 is necessary.

3. However, additional POW can be added to a spell to overcome a Countermagic or Shield. Thus, a 5 point Disruption can be cast. It will still have the same effect (1-3 points damage) but it will punch through most any magical defence put up against it. The POW points listed for each spell are minimum POW points necessary.

4. Once a spell has taken effect on a character, it continues even if the character moves out of the range in which the spell could be cast. For instance, if Rurik casts Fanaticism on a member of his party in a melee, the character will remain Fanatical for the full ten melee rounds, even if he should pursue the enemy beyond the 80 yard range in which the spell can be cast.

5. Where two spells are incompatible, such as Shimmer and Protection, and one of them is cast on a character after the other has already been successfully cast upon him, the second spell cast will have no effect.

6. Only one spell may be cast in one melee round unless the caster is under the influence of the Rune magic spell, Multispell. See Chapter Seven.

DID THE SPELL WORK? Some spells almost always work. Spells which a character casts upon himself, or spells cast on inanimate objects or any healing spells, do not need to overcome resistance. Also, unconscious characters cannot resist a spell of any sort. However, a roll of 96-00 on D100 means the spell will fail. Any character may choose to receive a spell, and the spell caster will not have to overcome the resistance of the target. Conversely, a spell being cast at a conscious but unaware target, such as casting Strength on a companion who does not expect it, must overcomethe target's WIS.

To find out if a spell was effective against a resisting target, compare the character's WIS against the target's WIS (historically called “POW versus POW”, though WIS is now used in RuinQuest). If the caster's WIS is exactly even with the target's, he has a 50% chance of overcoming it and making his spell work. For every point of superiority in WIS the caster has, there is a 5% increase in his chance of success. For every point of inferiority, there is a 5% decrease. Thus, if the caster has a WIS of 10, and the target a WIS of 13, the caster has only a 35% chance of success. He must roll this number or less on D100 to succeed. As usual, a roll of 01-05 always succeeds, and a roll of 96-00 will always fail, no matter what discrepancy in WIS may exist. Failure to overcome an opponent's resistance still means that the total POW points for the spell have been expended. A complete table of percentage chances of success is given on the Resistance Table. This is actually a standard Resistance Roll of WIS versus WIS. (One rolls WISx5%, modified by the other's WIS below/above 10).

INCREASING POW POW can be increased in a character, although never past the species maximum. Increasing POW requires that the POW be used in situations of stress. A character cannot attract POW from the Universe without the high emotional output found in the midst of battle. This emotional output is not found in throwing spells at a friend who attempts to resist them, or similar “training” situations.

To increase POW in a character, he must first overcome anenemy's resistance with a spell, by making a WIS v WIS roll. Spells which have a 95% chance of working on an enemy do not provide sufficient stress to allow a character a POW gain roll. For example, if Ariella the Actress with a WIS of 16 casts a Disrupt at Rodang the Troll, who has a WIS of 7, her spell has a 95% chance of working and she will not be entitled to a POW gain roll. However, if Rodang had a WIS of 8 and Ariella's spell had worked she would be entitled to a POW gain roll. POW gain rolls are made after an adventure is over. It requires a week of relative calm to gain the benefit of such a roll.

To see if the POW increase is successful, attempt to roll OVER the character's normal POW x 5. If the player successfully rolls over for this Power Gain roll, he makes a Power Increase roll on D100. If the result is 01-10, the character gains 3 POW points. If 11-40, he gains 2 POW points. If 41-00, he gains 1 POW point.

Any time the character's POW goes above 18, he may qualify for Rune Priest status and should turn to Chapter VII, Rune Magic. NOTE – Rune Priests and Shamans affinity with magic gives them effectively 4 POW lower for Power Gain rolls, a 20% better chance. However, Spirits only gain power on rolls of 96% or more.

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RESISTANCE TABLE

WIS of Attacking ForceWIS of

Defending Force

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 2101 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 - - - - - - - - - - -02 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 - - - - - - - - - -03 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 - - - - - - - - -04 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 - - - - - - - -05 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 - - - - - - -06 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 - - - - - -07 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 - - - - -08 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 - - - -09 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 - - -10 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 - -11 - 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 -12 - - 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 9513 - - - 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 9014 - - - - 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 8515 - - - - - 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 8016 - - - - - - 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 7517 - - - - - - - 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 7018 - - - - - - - - 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 6519 - - - - - - - - - 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 6020 - - - - - - - - - - 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 5521 - - - - - - - - - - - 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

The number indicated is the percentage needed for success

DESCRIPTION OF BATTLE MAGIC SPELLS

BEFUDDLERange - 80 feet POW Used - 1 pointType - focused, passive, temporal This spell confuses an opponent who succumbs to it. It causes him to wonder such things as: Is that a friend? Which ones are my enemies? Why is everyone fighting? A Befuddled enemy will not attack, cast an offensive spell, sound the alarms etc. If attacked he will parry and defend at full value, and beginning next round his confusion will go away (the guy that attacked me is my enemy, and after he is dead his obvious allies are my enemies). Thus, with some clever management, a Befuddled opponent might end up attacking his own party for as long as the spell is in effect.

BLADESHARPRange - 80 feet POW Used - 1 point/point of spellType - focused, passive, temporal This spell, when cast on any thrusting, stabbing, or hacking weapon, increases the chance of hitting with it by 5% per point of POW invested in the spell. It also increases the damage done by one point per point of spell. No weapon can be enchanted past 20% to hit and four points extra damage. It can be used to enchant one weapon up to +20% and +4 damage or four weapons up to +5% and +1 damage, or any combination possible within the limitation of the level of the spell known. The spell is incompatible with other weapon improving spells.

BLUDGEONRange - 80 feet POW Used - 1 point/point of spellType - focused, passive, temporal When cast on any smashing weapon the spell increases the chance of hitting 5% per point of spell. It also adds one point of damage per point of spell. No weapon can be enchanted past 20% to hit and four points extra damage. It can be used to enchant one weapon up to

+20% and +4 damage or four weapons up to +5% and +1 damage, or any combination possible within the limitation of the level of the spell known.

CO-ORDINATIONRange - 80 feet POW Used - 2 pointsType - unfocused on self, focused on others, passive, temporal This spell adds three to a character's effective DEX. This will increase initiative by one or two, and improve the character's chance of making DEX rolls, etc. DEX is never raised over the species maximum. Thus, the greatest DEX a human can have is 21.

COUNTERMAGICRange - 80 feet POW Used - 1 point/point of spellType - unfocused on self, focused on others, passives temporal Countermagic is a defensive spell which will attempt to stop any other spell incoming against the protected person or object. However, it will not interfere with previously enchanted objects, such as a sword with Bladesharp on it. It may be used to shield the caster or another character or object of his choice. Spirits and elementals cannot be dispelled with Countermagic and it operates at half effectiveness against Rune Magic. It works as follows: a. If the oncoming spell is two or more POW points weaker than the

Countermagic it is eliminated and the Countermagic remains. b. If the oncoming spell is equal to or within one POW point either

way of the Countermagic, they eliminate each other. c. If the attacking spell is two or more POW points stronger than the

Countermagic, it eliminates the Countermagic and takes full effect on its target, assuming it overcomes its target's WIS.

This spell is incompatible with Protection, Shimmer or Spirit Shield.

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DARKWALLRange - 80 feet POW Used – 2 pointsType - focused, passive, temporal This spell creates a 30ft wide by 10ft high wall of darkness. Thickness of this is 2 inches. This wall can be moved by the caster at 10 feet per melee round on any round that he does nothing else. Torches yield no light within the wall and creatures that can see in the dark cannot see through it. It is opaque from both sides. The wall can be formed or moved into any shape desired.

DEMORALIZERange - 80 feet POW Used - 1 pointType - focused, passive, temporal The victim of this spell loses faith in the ability of himself and his party to win the fight, find the treasure, rescue the princess, or whatever. He can still defend himself at full, but attacks at half value. The victim will not use offensive magic. The advantage of the spell is that you can attack a Demoralized foe without affecting the spell. Essentially, it softens an enemy up for the kill. If it takes place before combat a Demoralized foe generally will not attack unless ordered to. If faced with superior force, he will probably run or surrender. A Fanaticism spell will cancel the effect of a Demoralize spell, and vice versa.

DETECT DETECTIONRange - 80 feet POW Used - 1 pointType - unfocused on self, focused on others, passive, temporal This may be cast on any person or object within reach of the spell. It informs the caster if that person/object is detected by magic, whether by battle magic or more sophisticated means.

DETECT ENEMIESRange - 40 feet POW Used - 1 pointType - focused, instant This spell gives the direction and distance from the caster of any being intending to harm a specific individual on whom the caster concentrates. If the caster does not specify someone else as the person whose enemies are being detected, it detects enemies of the caster. It is stopped by 10ft or more of solid rock or metal.

DETECT GEMSRange - 40 feet POW Used - 2 pointsType - focused, instant This spell will give the number and position relative to the caster of all gems within range. Like Detect Magic it will cause detected gems to glow while the spell is in effect. The position given includes direction and distance. The spell is blocked by 10ft or more of rock or metal.

DETECT GOLDRange - 40 feet POW Used - 1 pointType - focused, instant Detects direction, distance, and appropriate amount (to the nearest 1/5th lb, i.e. 20 coin-weights) within the range of the spell. It is stopped by 10ft or more of solid rock or metal.

DETECT LIFERange - 40 feet POW Used - 1 pointType - focused, instant Detects the existence of human or larger size life. Gives direction and distance from the spellcaster. Divides life forms detected into two classes, those of human size (between 3 and 21, and those of large size (from 22 on up). Life smaller than SIZ 3 is ignored. It is stopped by 10ft or more of solid rock or metal.

DETECT MAGICRange - 40 feet POW Used - 1 pointType - focused, instant This spell gives direction and distance from the caster of all enchantments and similar magically potent objects. It does not distinguish between magical objects or enchantments, telling only that it is magical, not what or how powerful it is. Also, any magic object within range of the spell will glow, possibly warning enemies. It is stopped by 10ft or more of rock or metal.

DETECT SILVERRange - 40 feet POW Used - 1 pointType - focused, instant Similar to Detect Gold in all respects except that it detects silver rather than gold. It is stopped by 10ft or more of rock or metal.

DETECT SPIR1TRange - 40 feet POW Used - 1 pointType - focused, instant Like Detect Life in its effects except that it detects the presence of spirits. It divides spirits detected into two sizes, those of POW 18 and below, and those of POW 19 and above. It is stopped by 10ft or more of rock or metal.

DETECT TRAPSRange - 40 feet POW Used - 2 pointsType - focused, instant This spell detects the intent to trap. Thus, it would detect an ambush, magical trap, or physical trap. It would not detect a naturally occurring pit, or poison, which is not in itself a trap. It makes a 10ft diameter circle around the trap glow. It does not give the exact location or type of the trap. Note that it will not detect the existence of defensive spells, such as Warding. It is stopped by 10ft or more of rock or metal.

DETECT UNDEADRange – 40 feet POW Used - 1 pointType - focused, instant This spell functions like Detect Life in its effects except that it detects things neither dead nor alive, such as zombies, mummies, and vampires. It does not tell which type of undead is being detected, but it does discern the size (see Detect Life). It is stopped by 10ft or more of stone or metal.

DETECTION BLANKRange - 80 feet POW Used - 1 point/point of spellType - focused on others, unfocused on self, passive, temporal A specialized version of Countermagic, designed to block detection spells. May screen either the caster or another person from detection. It stops only detection spells, but unlike Countermagic it does not let the person doing the detection know that his spell has been blocked. Otherwise it functions like Countermagic.

DISPEL MAGICRange – 80 feet POW Used - 1 point/point of spellType - focused, temporal It will dispel any spell with a duration (i.e., either active or passive) and the same or fewer points than the Dispel Magic. The spell to be dispelled must be in effect when the Dispel Magic occurs. When attempting to dispel Rune spells it is less effective, as each point of Rune Magic is worth twice as many points as battle magic. Thus, dispelling a one point Discorporation spell requires two points of POW in the Dispel Magic spell.

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DISRUPTIONRange – 80 feet POW Used - 1 pointType - focused, permanent A spell designed to speed up random molecular motion in the target's body. If the caster's WIS overcomes the target's WIS, the target takes D3 points of damage in a random body area. This damage is not absorbed by armour

DULLBLADERange - 80 feet POW Used - 1 point/point of spellType - focused, passive, temporal This spell is the reverse of Bladesharp in all respects. If an edged weapon has a spirit in it the spirit's WIS (POW) must be overcome for the spell to be effective.

EXTINGUISHRange - 40 feet POW Used - 2 pointsType - focused, permanent This spell can be used to Extinguish either one particular fire up to the size of a fairly large bonfire, or all small fires, within 30 feet. Used either way, the fires stay out and must be re-lit. Note that when the fires are Extinguished, the wood is cold and relighting must proceed as with a new fire.

FANATICISMRange - 80 feet POW Used - 1 point/point of spellType - focused on others, unfocused on self, temporal This spell increases the Fanatic's hit probability by half again. Thus, a 30% swordsman becomes a 45% swordsman. It also prevents the Fanatic from parrying or casting protective spells. However, if the Fanatic has Defence it operates at half its normal value rounded up. Thus, a character with 25% Defence still has 13% Defence while Fanatical. One person can be affected by the spell for each point invested in it. A Demoralize spell will cancel a Fanaticism spell, leaving the target with a normal morale.

FARSEERange – touch POW Used - 1 pointType - unfocused on self, focused on others, passive, temporal This spell gives the recipient vision similar to a 10x power telescope. This vision can be switched on and off by the user for the duration of the spell. Note that this is the only battle magic spell with a duration of four hours.

FIREARROWRange - 80 feet POW Used - 2 pointsType - focused, passive, instant This spell creates an arrow of fire which does 3D6 points damage if it hits. It is cast on an ordinary arrow which is consumed by the fire. Damage is reduced by armour. The Firearrow will last for one melee round. It cannot be reused since it continues to burn; however, it is very useful for igniting houses and the like. NOTE - This damage cannot be “resisted”, as the actual attack is not magic, it is heat. This spell is incompatible with Multimissile and Speeddart. This spell can also be cast on sling stones and thrown weapons. The object bursts into flames as the missile leaves the bow, sling, crossbow, hand or whatever. A special/critical hit by a Firearrow does the normal damage of the weapon (D8 for a composite bow, forinstance) in addition to the usual 3D6 Firearrow damage.

FIREBLADERange - 80 feet POW Used - 4 pointsType - focused, active, temporal Cast on the metal part of an edged weapon, this spell causes the weapon to flame, doing 3D6 damage when it hits an opponent. This damage is not over and above the normal weapon damage, it is the only damage that is done with such a weapon. Armour will absorb damage from a Fireblade. If the character using the spell takes physical or magical damage the Fireblade spell is broken. The weapon is not destroyed. Again, there is no “magical resistance” to this damage. This spell is incompatible with other weapon affecting spells such as Bladesharp or Dullblade. A special/critical blow with a Firebladed weapon does the normal damage of the weapon (D8+1 points for a 2-handed long spear, for instance) in addition to the usual 3D6 Fireblade damage. The wielder's additional damage bonus, if any, is still effective.

GLAMOURRange - 80 feet POW Used - 2 pointsType - passive, unfocused on self, focused on others, temporal Adds half again to your CHA for the duration of the spell. Since it only lasts for 2 minutes it cannot be used to impress the guilds or reduce your living expenses. However, it can be used in moments of crisis while leading a party, or for convincing your captors that you can pay a good ransom.

GLUERange - 80 feet POW Used - 1 point/point of spellType - focused, passive, temporal For each point of POW invested in this spell, the caster gets a 4-inch by 4-inch patch of glue to distribute in any shape he wishes. The strength (STR) of the Glue is equal to the character's POW (not WIS) at the time of casting. Instead of increasing the glued area, additional points can increase the strength. A two-point Glue spell would have a strength of two times the POW, a three-point three times, etc. A Glue spell will not work on living beings and things intimately associated with them, like horseshoes and hair, but will work on objects like a wooden leg, a sword in a scabbard, boots, etc. To break a Glue spell the victim must apply his STR against the STR of the spell, just as WIS is used to overcome another's WIS with a magic spell. To work, the two objects must be at rest relative to one another, not moving.

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RURIK'S SAGA - BATTLE AT THE TROLL BRIDGE After a couple of years of adventuring, Rurik has managed to bring his DEX up to 12 and his POW up to 13 (though his WIS remains 12). He has also, by dint of luck and boyish charm, managed to give his CHA something of a boost as well. He now commands three others. Ariella the Actress is a young lady of high INT, WIS, POW and DEX, but somewhat deficient in STR or CON. Also with them are Uras the Unlucky and Bosh the Blockhead, two beginners. Together they have decided to take a short cut over the hills, passing over the dreaded Troll Bridge. Their luck runs out on the approach to the Troll Bridge. Point- man Uras the Unlucky ducks round a rock and stumbles back minus his head. The path is suddenly crowded with trolls and trollkin. As the trolls close in, Rurik looks at the focus carved on his spear and it becomes a Fireblade. With his newly improved DEX and so an Initiative bonus of +1, he rolls 8 and does his spell on 9, before the trolls' initiative of 6. He now has 9 POW points, having used the 4 to POW the spell. He successfully parries the troll's blow with his shield. Next round, he of course acts first again, and, stabbing with the spear, connects. The troll takes 9 points damage in the abdomen. The troll's cuirboilli armour and its skin combine to stop 4 points of it, but 5 points of damage (out of 8) still disconcerts it. In the meantime, Ariella has cast Mobility on herself and runs for the rear. The troll advancing on her takes a shot at her back but, even at x2 for attacking from behind, blows it by rolling a 96. Bosh the Blockhead, in the meantime, tries to Glue an enemy's boot to the ground as it touches. He has managed to forget two basic prerequisites for the Glue spell. (1) The spell does not work on living flesh (the trolls ale barefoot) and (2) the spell only works on stationary targets. Bosh has wasted a point of POW. In the next round, the troll fighting Rurik backs out of the way of the Fireblade but Rurik manages to catch him and jab again, missing this time. The troll who was chasing Ariella, however, carefully aims a Disruption spell at Rurik! The troll's WIS is 15, Rurik's is 12. The troll has a basic 15x5=75% chance, but this is reduced for Rurik's 2-point superiority over average WIS by 10% to a 65% chance of succeeding with his spell. He rolls 58, and succeeds. Rurik takes 2 points of damage and, having been injured, cannot maintain his firespear. Things begin to look dicey. They look dicier as Bosh takes a mighty hack at his troll opponent but misses, and then gets impaled. Abandoning hope, Rurik shouts “My ransom is 3000 silver Guilders!” (You will remember that a Guilder is worth the same asa Lunar). The trolls, most of whom know the tongue he is speaking in (a Pavic argot) immediately lose interest in killing him. Two months later, he is free in Pavis again, and looking for a job, since his ransom was sufficient to clean out his savings of 3 years of adventuring. Oh well, he's heard there's an expedition fitting out to plunge into the ruins of Pavis Palace. . .

HARMONIZERange - 80 feet POW Used - 2 pointsType - focused, passive, temporal This spell causes the victim to do exactly what the caster does. It works only on humanoids, for reasons that are evident if you envision Harmonizing a horse. The recipient of the spell will attempt to do whatever action the caster does. However, some things will be impossible. If, for instance, the victim is walked into a pit he will continue to attempt to walk, but will not make much progress. Only one target may be Harmonized at a time. Harmonizing a second target releases the first. The spell can be used on non-humanoids of the same basic shape. A Wind Child could use it on a Gargoyle, for instance.

HEALINGRange – touch POW Used - 1 point/point of spellType - unfocused on self, focused on others, permanent Heals bodily damage by touch. The effect is immediate. Just one point of Healing will stop normal bleeding, however two points are required to cauterize any serious or grievous wounds. Severed or maimed limbs can be restored by Healing 6, if done within 10 melee rounds (two minutes) in conjunction with successful First Aid. An individual wound may be healed with this spell only once every five melee rounds, by spell or potion. If Healing is applied directly after another Healing, the greater effect will take place. Thus, if a Healing 2 is placed on a wound, then a Healing 5 immediately thereafter, the character will be healed of 5 points, but not 7. Healing spells have only half normal effectiveness (round down) on creatures not of the caster's own species (see Xenohealing).

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IGNITERange - 40 feet POW Used - 1 pointType – instant, focused With this spell a character can set fire to anything that is normally burnable. It has the effect of a standard lighter. Thus, you can set fire to a torch, a house, a pile of hay, or a fairly dry backpack. Skins of monsters and humans cannot be set on fire. To set fire to a human's or monster's hair you would have to overcome his magic resistance.

IMMOBILIZERange - 80 feet POW Used - 1 point/point of spellType - focused, passive, temporal This spell reduces the movement rate of those affected by 3” per point of the spell. It can never reduce the movement rate below 1” rate. It is often carried by hunters, town guards and intelligent beasts of prey, such as baboons. (Also known as Binding or Slow.)

INVISIBILITYRange - 80 feet POW Used - 3 pointsType - active, unfocused on self, focused on others, temporal This spell makes a character invisible by attracting the enemies' attention to a spot other than where the character is. The spell will disappear if the character attacks or is attacked with spells or weapons. If it disappears it must be cast again. It is possible to use someone under this spell as a forward observer or spy.

IRONHANDRange - 80 feet POW Used - 1 point/point of spellType – passive, unfocused on self, focused on others, temporal This spell is similar to Bladesharp except that it affects characters' skill in unarmed combat. While the name would indicate that it affects only the hands, in fact it affects the whole body, including manoeuvres like butting and kicking. May not be enchanted past 20% to hit and four points extra damage.

LIGHTRange - 80 feet POW Used - 1 pointType - passive, focused, temporal This spell must be cast on something. A piece of wood, the tip of a finger, or any other object will serve. It will then light up a 40ft radius around the object. The light given is enough to read by but is not as bright as full daylight. NOTE - A Light spell is not vulnerable to Extinguish.

LIGHTWALLRange – 80 feet POW Used - 4 pointsType - passive, focused, temporal This spell creates a wall of light of the same dimensions as a Darkwall spell, 30ft by 10ft by 2inches. The main advantage of this spell is that it can be seen through from the side of the caster while the glare on the other side prevents vision through it. Otherwise it acts in all respects like Darkwall. The light illuminates all areas within 45 feet of each side of the wall.

MINDSPEECHRange - 160 feet POW Used - 1 point/point of spellType - passive, focused, temporal Essentially verbal telepathy. For each POW point of the spell another entity may be added to the link. Thoughts to be transmitted must be verbalized. Spell knowledge and ability cannot be transmit- ted since spell usage is a partially unconscious ability. POW points also cannot be transmitted in any way with this spell. Mindspeech does not create an open link between all parties the spell. When A links to B and then to C, B and C are not linked.

MOBILITYRange - 80 feet POW Used - 1 point/point of spellType - passive, focused, temporal This is the reverse of the Immobilize spell. It increases movement rate of the recipient by 3” per point in the spell. It is often carried by intelligent hunters for casting on themselves or their animals. It is also often carried in wartime by elite cavalry units, giving them much increased shock value.

MULTIMISSILERange - 80 feet POW Used - 1 point/point of spellType - passive, focused, temporal This variable spell is used to increase the effectiveness of missiles. The spell is cast upon missiles before shooting. For each point of POW invested in the spell another missile is produced when the missile is shot. Thus, a three point spell would produce a volley of four missiles. The magically-produced missiles cannot impale, but they can be critical. The arrows created by this spell are effectively solidified air. They are not magic in themselves and will not affect such creatures as lycanthropes. They are otherwise the same as the original missile. The first missile rolled for is the original. Each missile shot is rolled as a separate attack. This spell has an upper limit of four points (five missiles). This spell is incompatible with Firearrow or Speeddart.

PROTECTIONRange - 80 feet POW Used - 1 point/point of spellType - passive, unfocused on self, focused on others, temporal This spell adds up to four points of armour protection to all parts of the body. Note that critical hits will ignore this, just as they would armour. This spell is incompatible with Countermagic, Shimmer, or Spirit Shield.

REPAIRRange - touch POW Used - 2 pointsType - focused, passive, instant This spell can repair almost any damaged objects. With it a broken or damaged weapon can be restored to its original shape, a shield can be fixed, or a piece of armour can be mended. All the pieces of an object must be available to be repaired. Note that when a magical object is broken, repair does not re-establish the magic in it. If a bound spirit is in an object, breaking the object releases the spirit. Repair does not bring the spirit back. It fixes up to 10 points of damage per use.

SHIMMERRange - 80 feet POW Used – 1 point/point of spellType - passive, unfocused on self, focused on others, temporal This spell adds 10% per point used to the Defence of any character on whom it is cast, up to a limit of 40% (four points). Thus, if the character had a Defence of 15% and a Shimmer 3 going, he would have a 45% chance to dodge blows from any foes. This Defence is not halved by surprise or rear attacks, however. This spell is incompatible with Countermagic, Protection, or Spirit Shield.

SILENCERange - 80 feet POW Used - 1 pointType - focused, passive, temporal A spell to suppress noise created by the movements of a character, monster, or object. Thus, it will suppress the clank of your plate armour while you try to hide in shadows. It will not prevent an enemy from casting a spell, shut up a friend, or keep you from casting a spell.

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SPEEDDARTRange - 80 feet POW Used - 1 pointType - passive, focused, temporal This spell will give missiles a 15% better chance of hitting and +3 damage. Note that this spell works on any type of missile, including thrown axes, knives, rocks, and bullets. This spell is incompatible with Firearrow and Multimissile.

SPIRIT BINDINGRange - 80 feet POW Used - 1 pointType – focused, passive, permanent This spell is used to bind spirits into familiars or magical objects Binding spirits into familiars demands the use of special cult-bred animals described later in the section on spirits. Magical objects for holding spirits can rarely be obtained from a temple, but most usually must be found in the course of adventuring (see Chapter IX, Treasure Hoards). The following section on spirits will describe how to find a spirit to bind. On the death of the binder, the spirit is freed, even if the binder is immediately revived through Divine Intervention or other methods.

SPIRIT SHIELDRange - 80 feet POW Used - 1 point/point of spellType - Unfocused on self, focused on others, passive, temporal This spell acts as a protection for a character engaged in spirit combat. Each point used will temporarily nullify two points of the POW of the spirit. It must be put up before the character engages in spirit combat and will have no effect if put on a character already engaged in spirit combat. A normal spirit may, of course, withdraw from spirit combat after losing its POW to this spell, before actually engaging in combat. This spell is incompatible with Countermagic, Protection, and Shimmer. It is also known as Spirit Screen.

STRENGTHRange - 80 feet POW Used - 2 pointsType - unfocused on self, focused on others, passive, temporal This spell adds half again to a character's effective STR or the duration of the spell. Thus, a STR 9 character will become a STR 14 character while under this spell (always round up). Note that this spell will never increase a character over the species maximum. Thus, STR for a human will never exceed 21. This spell is incompatible with Vigour.

VIGOURRange - 80 feet POW Used - 4 pointsType - unfocused on self, focused on others, passive, temporal This spell adds half again CON points to a character for the duration of the spell. It is useful in a fight, as it will increase your Hit Points so you can take damage that would normally injure or kill you and Heal yourself or be Healed before the spell wears off. The CON of the character cannot be raised over species maximum, so humans have a maximum increase to 21 CON points. It is incompatible with Strength.

XENOHEALINGRange – touch POW Used - 1 point/point of spellType - focused, passive, permanent This spell is similar to Healing in all respects except that it works fully on creatures of other species, but only at half effectiveness on members of the caster's own species. A little-used spell – but useful if you wish to heal that warhorse you bought for 3000 L.

SPIRIT CONTACT

CHARACTERISTICS OF SPIRITS A life form (such as that troll swinging the club at the character) is composed of a spirit and a physical form. The separation of the spirit from the body is known as death. However, there are disembodied spirits around as well as the more obvious living beings. In fact, they practically swarm around sacred ground (any place where sacrifices have been made to gods). On the other hand, a barren stretch of rock or desert is extremely unlikely to have even one (unless, of course, the area is one where there used to be a lot of sacrificing. . .). Disembodied spirits are non-material entities existing on the spirit plane. They have INT, POW (and equal WIS), and an automatic DEX of 20. Disembodied spirits can increase their POW (and thus WIS) by successful use, but gain POW only if their roll is 96%+. Spirits are normally indifferent to the physical world.

SPIRIT PERCEPTION Spirits can sense other spirits and sources of POW at a range of roughly 30 feet per point of POW of the sensing spirit. Within a range of 3 feet per point of POW, spirits can sense the POW of other spirits to within 10 points. At that range, they can also sense Mind-Links and Runic, but not cult, associations. They can also use Spirit Speech at that range. In contact, spirits can sense exact POW, WIS, INT, and CHA, if any, of other spirits. They can also sense cult or religious affiliations. Contact is also the range of spirit combat. There are no physical landmarks in the spirit plane. Therefore, spirits are unable to relate objects in the spirit plane to the physical plane outside of the range of the senses of the embodied spirit they are in telepathic contact with.

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Spirits can sometimes be tempted by the possibility of a physical body. In such cases, spirit combat may occur. The run of the mill, available for challenge, sort of spirit has and INT of 3D6 and a POW of 3D6+6. If a wider variety of spirits is desired, refer to the table in the Shaman section of this chapter. By using the spirit combat rules below, a disembodied spirit can capture a body. On the other hand, if a character wins a spirit combat, he will be able to bind the spirit with the Spirit Binding spell and exploit it, in accordance with the following outlines.

SPIRIT COMBAT To engage a spirit in combat, a character must locate one with a Detect Spirit spell or arrange for a priest or shaman to find one for him. He then challenges the spirit. A declared challenge will do, since the spirit can read the POW aura of the character well enough to sense the invitation. Combat then begins. The spirit englobes the challenger. Each makes a “raw POW” attack on the other, matching POW versus POW similar to the WIS v WIS roll that is usually done with offensive magic. If an attack by either is successful, they have the following options in the following order:

1. BREAK OFF COMBAT - This is only an option for the disembod- ied spirit. The inability of an embodied spirit to disengage is because he cannot move away from a spirit, who can always follow. However, a normal spirit will not initiate spirit combat.

2. THE WINNER - (and both may be winners in this sense, if both attacks were successful) may roll D100 as if rolling on the POW increase roll. However, the result, rather than being added to the rolling character's POW, is subtracted from the opponent's POW. This POW loss is temporary, and will be regained at the usual rate, after the battle is over. However, if POW is reduced to zero, the combatant may be captured by the victor (see option 3, next).

3. ATTEMPT TO CAPTURE THE OPPONENT - A combatant who has reduced their opponent's current POW to zero can attempt to capture the opponent by overcoming the other's magical resistance in a standard magical attack, i.e. WIS v WIS. This is in addition to the attack which by succeeding and taking their last POW, allowed the combatant to attempt the capture. The result of a capture means something different depending on the capturer.

a. IF THE SPIRIT WINS - (an entirely likely proposition) it may control the body, trapping the former owner's spirit within. People who knew the character will say he is “possessed” or “mad” and he remains so until exorcised/cured. The referee may take over the character. Alternatively, the spirit may infect him with a magical disease (see later). Ghosts are dangerous!

b. IF THE CHALLENGER WINS - He may bind the spirit as described in the next section, if he knows the spell of spirit binding and has an appropriate object to bind the spirit into.

It is possible for two disembodied spirits to engage in combat, if one or both is actually a discorporate (see Chapter VII) character. Either may make use of option 1 or 2 above, and neither may use option 3. Spirit combat will automatically and temporarily break any Mind Link (see Chapter VII spells or Links with other spirits the participant may have. The battle is strictly between the individual POWs of the two combatants. However, bound spirits will remain bound. If a character dies in spirit combat or is possessed, his bound spirits, if any will automatically be freed. Sometimes the only way to get rid of a spirit is to kill the Shaman or to run far away from the Shaman Spirit or Ghost one is fighting. To do so, the character must ignore the Spirit Attack. This has two effects:

(1) The Spirit will be able to take POW from the character every time it overcomes the character´s resistance with no danger to itself, and the character cannot use his POW for powering spells. (2) The character can continue to move and perform physical and intellectual activity as if he were not in Spirit Combat.

BINDING SPIRITS To bind a spirit a character must know the Spirit Binding spell and either have an appropriate animal ready (see spell description), or have a spirit storing crystal (see Chapter IX). A bound spirit is in a permanent telepathic link with the binder. This link is only broken by another spirit combat by either the binder or the bound spirit. If the binder dies all his bound spirits will immediately be freed. They are held to the physical plane by the life force of the binder and they cannot remain after his death. Even if the binder is instantly brought back to life by some means all of his bound spirits will be gone. The binder of a spirit can use its POW to fuel battle magic spells (which is hence sometimes known as 'spirit magic') but not any other type (such as mage/cleric 'High Magic'). A bound spirit cannot throw spells of any sort itself. Therefore, it is also impossible for a bound spirit to increase its POW except by spirit combat with another spirit. In spirit combat a POW gain roll may be made if the spirit engaged is of equal or greater POW. The chance of a bound spirit is the same as that of a disembodied spirit, 5% to get a POW gain roll. If a spirit does succeed in making a POW increase roll, it must be rebound as soon as the POW increase takes place. A character fighting a spirit gets a POW gain roll if, at some time during the struggle, he overcomes the POW of the spirit when the spirit's POW is the same or greater than the character's.

The powers of a bound spirit differ depending on whether it is bound in a crystal or a familiar.

1. SPIRIT BOUND TO A POW/SPIRIT STORING CRYSTAL - The only purpose to which such a spirit can be put is to use its POW to fuel battle ('spirit') magic spells. (Unlike an allied spirit, it will not memorise spells of the binder – the mind-link is not sufficient).

2. SPIRIT BOUND TO AN ANIMAL FAMILIAR - This form of spirit can act as eyes and ears for the binder, and is usually an animal such as a bird, dog, cat, or monkey. This animal may, on command, fight for the binder or to preserve its own life. It will also follow any other commands. Its POW cannot be used.

The range of the telepathic link between binder and bound is 3 miles If this range is exceeded, the bound spirit is freed. If the animal dies, the bound spirit is also freed. Since a disembodied spirit usually forgets all knowledge of battle magic within 1 week after separation from its body, newly bound spirits usually know no spells.

LIMIT TO BINDING The total power of a spirit a character may keep bound is equal to his CHA. Thus, Rurik, with a starting CHA of 10, could bind a spirit with no more than 10 POW. If the character drops in CHA, he must be very careful in dealing with his bound spirit. Trying to keep a spirit with more POW than his CHA allows gets the character in trouble the first time he tries to use it for anything. The spirit will rebel unless the character manages to roll his CHAx5 as a percentage on D100 (thus, Rurik would have to roll 50 or less). If the roll is failed, the two will engage in spirit combat until one is the victor, with results as shown before. A spirit with an appreciably smaller POW than the character's will probably flee the combat, as shown in the section on spirit combat.

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SHAMANS

Shamans are found largely among nomad tribes and small, family cults. Shamans concentrate on the manipulation of the spirit plane.

BECOMING A SHAMAN A character becomes a shaman by spending an apprenticeship of at least one year with a shaman. A shaman will only accept members of his tribe of cult as apprentices. To be accepted as an apprentice, a roll of the character's CHAx5 on D100 must be made. During apprenticeship, the character devotes all his time to the service of the shaman. The character learns the rituals and rules governing the behaviour of shamans within his tribe or cult. Among the rituals he learns are those for walking in the spirit plane and storing POW there. This training is sufficiently long and complex that he will have no time for any other type of training. At the end of a year of training, a character, if deemed worthy by the shaman, may attempt to gain a fetch. To determine if the character is worthy, make a roll of 5 times the average of the character's POW and CHA. If the character decides not to attempt to obtain a fetch, fails in the attempt, or is deemed unworthy by the shaman, he may either leave forever and return to normal life or serve the shaman for another year and try again. To gain a fetch, a character accompanies the shaman to a holy place of his tribe or cult. There the shaman summons a spirit to the holy place and the apprentice attempts to ally it. For the type of spirit called see the Shaman Fetch Table.

SHAMAN FETCH TABLE This table should be used whenever a shaman summons a fetch for an apprentice. All spirits on the chart have an INT of 3D6.

D100 POW D100 Type01-10 2D6 01-50 Friendly21-35 3D6 51-90 Neutral36-85 3D6+6 91-00 Malign86-95 4D6+696-00 5D6+6

After determining the POW of the spirit, roll on D100 again to see if it is friendly, neutral or malign. Friendly spirits will depart with no other action if the alliance fails, neutral spirits will attack if they are of equal or greater POW than the apprentice, and malign spirits will attack instantly without attempting any alliance. The attempt to gain a fetch can only be made once a year. If it fails, the character must serve another year before trying again. Once a friendly or neutral spirit has been called, the character tries to ally it. The apprentice adds his POW and CHA and compares it to the POW and INT of the spirit. He then makes an attack on the spirit as if he were trying to overcome its magic resistance, basing the attack on his total versus the spirit's. If the attempt is successful, the spirit becomes his fetch and he becomes a shaman. A fetch is the link between a shaman and the spirit world. It is his image in the spirit world and has all his powers and abilities. The relationship between the two is what gives power to the rituals of the shaman.

ADVANTAGES OF BECOMING A SHAMAN

1. POSSESSION OF A FETCHa. The fetch will inhabit the shaman's body as he goes into the

spirit world to find spirits to bind or control. While in the shaman's body, the fetch acts in all ways as the shaman, except that spells cast by the fetch have the POW (i.e. WIS) of the fetch behind them instead of the WIS of the shaman. If the POW of the fetch exceeds the species maximum of the shaman, the spells will be cast with only the species maximum WIS/POW. The fetch inhabiting the body of the shaman prevents the body from dying while he is gone.

b. The disembodied fetch can cast spells into the physical plane by using the shaman's senses to direct the spell.

c. The fetch can attack other characters in spirit combat, at the direction of the shaman or at its own volition.

d. The INT of the fetch can be used to store knowledge of spells and the POW can be used to cast spells, as with bound spirits.

2. STORING POWER As a result of his familiarity with the spirit world, a shaman can store excess POW (i.e. any gained which would be over species maximum) in the spirit world, using it in spirit combat and control. By sitting and meditating, he may use this stored POW to replace current POW lost from his body supply at 1 point per 5 minutes. Thus, a POW 21 shaman with 3 POW points stored in the spirit world may cast spells worth up to 3 POW and then draw POW out of the spirit world to replace the POW used. Alternatively, he could engage in spirit combat with a POW of 24. This POW stored in the spirit world is regained in conjunction with the POW in the shaman's body. Thus, a 32 point total POW shaman would regain 8 points every 6 hours. The POW will return first to his body and then to the spirit world. POW stored in the spirit world counts as extra WIS points, enhan- cing the shaman's rolls for purposes of WISvWIS magical resistance.

3. POWER INCREASE To increase in POW, a shaman need only roll over POW minus 4, x5 on D100, rather than the normal POWx5 roll. POW stored in the spirit world is included in the above roll. Therefore, once a shaman's POW is 24 or more, he has only a 5% chance of increasing his POW. This also applies to his fetch.

4. CURING DISEASE With laying of hands on a diseased being and performing the appr- opriate ritual, a shaman may be able to cure the disease. Effecting a cure requires the shaman to defeat the “possessing” disease in spirit combat. If the shaman fails he is exposed to the disease, and must make CON rolls or be afflicted likewise (see end of this Chapter).

5. RETURN FROM THE DEAD Within one hour of death, a shaman can use the Healing spell, if he knows it, to bring his body back to life (-9 HP or more). His spirit then re-inhabits the body and he rises from the dead. Grievous and serious injuries can also be healed at the same time. All POW points used in such Healing are lost permanently, not just temporarily. While dead, the shaman can cast no spells other than healing upon himself and cannot animate his body to defend or attack. If the body is burned or eaten, no resurrection is possible. Spirits remain bound to the Shaman until the hour has passed. Then, if the shaman is still not alive, the bound spirits are freed just as when other binders die.

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SPIRIT CONTACT TABLE

D100 Spirit POW Spirit INT01-10 1D6 1D311-20 2D6 1D621-35 3D6 2D6+336-75 3D6+6 3D676-90 4D6+6 3D6+391-95 5D6+6 3D6+696 6D6+6 3D6+697 7D6+6 3D6+698 8D6+6 3D6+699 10D6+6 3D6+600 Deity Unlimited

6. CONTROLLED SPIRITS Shamans may gain control of disembodied spirits by bargaining with them, exchanging POW for service. To find spirits to control, the shaman uses his fetch to inhabit his body while he goes out into the spirit world. The ritual to enter the spirit world is complex, requiring a day to complete. Once the spirit world is entered, refer to the Spirit Contact Table to determine the type of spirit encountered. More than one encounter can be made on the spirit world in one venture there. However, except when in spirit combat, a shaman may always return to his body immediately. It is always possible, of course, to adventure in the spirit world and find nothing. Once a spirit is contacted, the shaman must decide whether or not he will approach it to bargain with it. Normally, the risk is not great since spirits have little interest in fighting with each other unless there is an obvious gain for them. On a D100 roll of 96-00, however, assume that the spirit is aligned with an opposing tribe or cult and will immediately attack if it is of equal or greater POW to the shaman. Remember that spirits can tell the POW of another spirit within a range of plus or minus 5 points. If contact is made with a non-hostile spirit, the shaman must bargain with it. The normal deal is for the shaman to give the spirit at least 1 point of POW per 10 points of POW the spirit possesses. The points of POW are lost permanently, as in sacrifice for Rune Magic spells (see Chapter VII). This may come either from POW stored on the spirit plane or from the shaman's body, but not a combination (as two-part transactions test the spirits patience and trust too far). In return for this POW, which goes to the spirit, the spirit will serve the shaman as extra eyes on the spirit plane, as a reservoir of POW for casting spells, and in spirit combat when required. The spirit will not, however, memorize or cast spells. The bargain will last until the spirit's POW is reduced to 0 by an opponent in spirit combat. The POW sacrificed to the spirit becomes part of the spirit's POW. Thus, a spirit with a POW of 23 would need a sacrifice of 3 points of POW to become controlled, giving the spirit a total POW of 26. However, the POW of the spirit for bargaining purposes is judged on the basis of what it was before the contact, not on what it is after the contact. Thus, a POW 19 spirit needs only 2 points of sacrificed POW, giving it a new POW of 21. The sacrifice is based on the old POW of 19, not the new POW of 21. Deities are powerful and capricious beings. Their power is unlimited in human terms. In the case of a shaman contact with a deity, the referee should determine what god is involved and what his outlook is towards shamans. Generally, gods ignore other spirits unless they actively intrude on their sphere of activity. A shaman may have pacts with no more spirits at one time than he normally has POW points stored in the spirit plane. The POW of the spirits has no bearing on this, just the number of them. Any stored POW sacrificed to pacts with spirits cannot count because it is gone.

Thus, a shaman with 5 points of POW stored in the spirit plane cannot use all of them to sacrifice to a spirit because he must have 1 point left on the spirit plane for a spirit to identify him with. If he was already controlling another spirit, he would only have 3 points of stored POW free to sacrifice for a new pact. When a shaman dies and uses his stored POW to heal himself from death, he may, of course, have to release some of hisspirits from the bargain. In such a case, the spirits to go should be chosen randomly by the referee.

7. TRIBAL/CULT SUPPORT Shamans are fully supported by their tribes or cults and normally receive the best of everything, after the tribe chief. If captured by foes, their tribe will spend every reasonable effort to rescue or ransom them, depending on how many shamans are still with the tribe.

DISADVANTAGES OF BECOMING A SHAMAN

1. OBLIGATIONS TO TRIBE OR CULT A shaman's first obligation is to his tribe or cult. This takes precedence over any and all other obligations. A shaman will only adventure when it is necessary to his tribe or cult. If a shaman fails in his obligations to support his tribe or cult, the tribal deities may remove his fetch and his stored POW. In such cases, only superhuman efforts on behalf of the tribe or cult will regain them.

2. DEXTERITY BASED SKILLS Due to his duties, a shaman has no time to practice combat skills, or other DEX based skills, and cannot increase in ability with them, except by successful experience rolls. Any ability in them past DEXx5 goes away due to lack of practice.

3. INCREASE OF CHARACTERISTICS Shaman cannot increase any characteristic except POW and CHA, due to lack of time for training programs.

4. VISIBILITY By their very nature shamans are conspicuous. The paraphernalia of their rituals and aura of power that hangs around them make them easy to distinguish at all times.

5. COMMITMENT There is no leave of absence from being a shaman. Once tied into the spirit world, there is no leaving, ever, except by being cast from the tribe or cult. The normal action in such cases is suicide.

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DISEASE

SPIRIT DISEASES There are five major Gloranthan diseases, caused by bad spirits:

Wasting Disease - this disease steals STR points. When all of a character's STR is gone, he is helpless and soon will die. Brain Fever - this assaults the mind, the INT of a character. When all INT is gone, the character is in a coma and will soon die. Soul Waste - a disease which attacks the spirit, destroying victims' WIS. A character without WIS is a mindless husk bereft of will. The Shakes - steals DEX until the character is a jerking mass of uncontrolled motor nerves, incapable of any action, even speech. Creeping Chills - attacks the CON of a character. When CON is just 2 or 1, he is unconscious; at 0, he is dead and his spirit departs.

CONTRACTING A DISEASE A character can be exposed to disease in many ways. Broos constantly carry one disease or another, and some areas such as swamps and some old ruins are plague spots. During wars, long sieges often provide breeding grounds for disease. One of the cults of Glorantha is that of Mallia, Mother of Disease. Her priests have many ways of creating and encouraging disease. Spirits which defeat a character in spirit combat can infect them with a disease (of at least chronic form, and worse if CON rolls fail).

DISEASE EFFECTS AND RESISTANCE TO DISEASE When a character is exposed to a disease, the player must make a roll of CON x 5, less 1 (5%) per Hit Point currently below normal. If this initial roll succeeds, the character has not caught the disease. If the roll was unsuccessful, the player must try another such roll. If this second one is successful, the character has only contracted the disease's chronic form, losing one point per week from the affected characteristic. Each week, the player must try to make another such roll again. Once successful, the character recovers from the disease, but the loss of characteristic is permanent. The first point off the characteristic is lost at the time of contracting the disease. While suffering from the chronic form of the disease, the character can continue with his daily routine and operate as usual, except for the effects of the slow erosion of the characteristic. If the second roll is unsuccessful, the player must try a third such roll. If this third roll is successful, the character has contracted the disease's acute form, and loses 1 point per day of the characteristic. Every day the character may again attempt the CON roll to recover, but only if they totally rested the previous day. If the player fails the third roll, the character has contracted the disease's terminal form and loses 1 point every hour from the characteristic. Only divine intervention or similarly powerful magic can halt (not reverse) the course of the disease.

EXAMPLE - Horus the Hairy is hit by the Creeping Chills in its terminal form. He loses 1 point of CON an hour as his friends get him back to town (a 5-hour trip). After 1 hour of bed rest, Horus' player attempts to make the CONx5 roll. Horus has 12 points of CON and was on full hit points. After 5 hours of travel and an hour of bed rest, he has only 6 points of CON left. Computing 6 x 5 = 30, but Horus' player rolls a 40, so Horus loses another point of CON, giving him a 25% chance. Next hour, the player rolls 04 on D100, and Horus starts to recover. However, Horus now has a CON of 4.

OTHER DISEASES The diseases given here are sample diseases. There are many more in Glorantha, often comparable to those found on present-day Earth. The ones described are easy to keep track of, but referees wishing more variety are encouraged to create new diseases and effects.

DISEASE PREVENTION Greatly improved resistance to a disease can be gained by making a sacrifice of power at a potential source of the specific disease. This takes temporary POW, like casting a spell, which returns as normal. Spending 2 POW on Wildday of Fertility week means for the next season the character will resist that disease as if they had maximum species CON, or other relevant characteristic, rather than their own. Similar sacrifice is also required for the yearly Sacred Time; which day varies from place to place but will be known to the wise locally.

Immunity to a specific disease can be gained by sacrificing one point of permanent POW, but to do so the character must seek out a shaman specializing in control of diseases who will know the correct ceremonies. Such master shamen will require payment and services. Alternatively, if a character is desperate because they are infected with a disease already, they may call upon the grace of the goddess, the Mistress of Disease, to save them. This requires sacrificing two points of permanent POW, but immediately halts the disease effects. The disease will not harm them further but they will carry it until it is cured by a Healer or disease-master Shaman. Any characteristic points already lost will not be restored, however. Both methods of acquiring immunity require that the character has already made the seasonal sacrifice to improve their resistance. They should also continue to do so, or their immunity will be lost and the disease return in its terminal form, as reprisal for their ingratitude.

MINOR DISEASES As well as the five major diseases, there are many minor ones and also the terrible Plague. To generate a random disease, roll D6:

1 Wasting Disease (STR)2 Brain Fever (INT)3 Soul Waste (WIS)4 The Shakes (DEX)5 Creeping Chills (CON)6 Minor/Plague (For details, see Appendix I).

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VI SKILLS

INTRODUCTION

An Adventurer learns fighting skills and other skills and increases them through experience and/or training. Some of these skills will be of great use, some of limited use, and some may be only rarely of use, depending on the nature of the game play. Most skills have a basic percentage chance of success equal to the most relevant characteristic. There are some that have a higher basic chance, like characteristic x2 or more. There are also a few, such as alchemist skills, that are impossible without initial training.

LEARNING BY EXPERIENCE To learn a skill by experience, a character must use it successfully in conditions of stress. The player should make note of when they do so (the usual way is to put a tick by that skill on the character sheet). This only needs to be recorded once for each weapon or other skill used. For experience with weapons, it doesn't matter if the blow does damage, bounces off armour or is parried, and it doesn't matter if the character got a lucky shot (as Rurik did in the Gimpy's Tavern fight) or hit several times (as Herkan did before his luck ran out).

INCREASE ROLLS AND GAIN ROLLS When the character can meditate upon his experience there is a chance he will learn from what happened (as previously summarized in Chapter III, Mechanics & Melee). All successfully used skills can be checked, at the end of a scenario or a suitable break in play. The player then tries an Increase Roll to roll OVER their current skill percentage. If they make it, the character can make a Gain Roll on D6 and the skill goes up by the resulting percentage (or they may choose, instead of rolling, to increase the skill by a flat +3%). After adventures, characters must rest and practice to consolidate their gains, spending one week per batch of increase rolls checked.

EXPERIENCE MAXIMUM Note that any Increase Roll of over (100 – 2 x INT) allows a skill to increase, even if the skill is at a higher percentage. This is called the Experience Maximum, which helps more intelligent characters reach high levels of skill more easily, facilitating skills above 100%.

RURIK'S SAGA Rurik has a very good INT of 16, so his Exp. Max. is a pleasingly low 68%. This means he will be able to advance his skills quickly even at higher levels – although that doesn't help him just yet...

LEARNING BY TRAINING Characters can also buy training. Each full week of training allows one Increase Roll. As usual, if the roll is over the skill, the character gains a +D6% (or +3%) increase in that skill. Training costs different amounts per week depending on the skill. These costs are fixed by the guilds and cannot be bargained down.

RURIK'S SAGA Rurik, seeing no visible treasure after a terrific fight with a gang of 4 dwarves, uses his 40% ability to Spot. The roll is 37, a success, and there was something to be found: A silver amulet and 2 gems are discovered. This not only made the battle worthwhile, it also allows Rurik to make a roll for learning by experience. Rurik must roll above his 40% skill to improve it - he gets 62. Then rolling D6 gives 5 - and Rurik now has 45% Spot.

TOTAL INCREASE POSSIBLE Non-combat skills are trainable only up to 75% or 100% as noted. Combat skills are only trainable up to 75%; also, beyond 25% they require an experience check between each trained increase.

TRAINING TIME Training takes eight hours a day, six days a week, and so leaves no time for much other activity. Training must be continuous; any break will cause the Adventurer to have to start over again, paying out the money once more.

RURIK'S SAGA After gaining his 45% ability in Spot through experience, Rurik decides to get training in the ability as well, using money from the jewels he found on those dwarves. To bring his Spot skill up further, he must spend at least 200 L, for a weeks instruction from a sharp-eyed thief. When he has spent this time in training, if he can roll over his current skill of 45% he will go up D6% in Spot skill, to between 46% and 51%. Rurik also wants to learn to make blade venom. He has 2500 L available, after paying the 5000 L fee for associate membership of the alchemists guild (and taking their dire oaths of secrecy). He spends 14 weeks (2500/170= 14, with 120 L change) learning the skill. He succeeds at 10 of these 14 increase rolls and gains 30%, to which his INT 16 adds a bonus of +6%, for a total of 36% skill. This is enough to enable him to brew blade venom of potency 3. He would like to be able to make blade venom 5, but this requires 50% skill and so he would likely need at least another 6 weeks of training at a cost of 170x6 = 1020 L. He doesn't have that much cash, and had to spend most of the 120 L change on his board and lodgings (upkeep 5 L per week, i.e. 75 L). Also, by the time he is done, he is fed up with training 8 hours a day for the last 15 weeks – so now he is ready for a venture into Pavis Palace dungeons.

CHARACTERISTIC TRAINING Some characteristics (STR, CON, DEX) can also be increased by training available from certain mercenary bands or guilds (see p.51).

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE More extensive training can be gained by serving apprenticeships, generally of 5 years (see Previous Experience, Appendix E, p.101).

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SKILLS TRAINING

The first question confronting an Adventurer is where to learn the skills he wants. There are a number of different professional guilds and brotherhoods for various crafts. The ones most likely to be useful to an Adventurer, and the skills they teach, are given below. Also, various mercenary fighting bands will train weapon skills, and the religious cults will teach magical spells to individuals willing to worship their deities.

CRAFT GUILDS, MERCENARIES AND MAGICAL CULTS Bright, adventurous, men and women are at a premium in and around the Lunar Empire. The magical cults, mercenary bands, and other guilds are all either (1) intermixed in the politics of the region or (2) trying to maintain enough power to keep themselves outside of same. To gain more members, the lesser skills of all are for sale, as much from the desires of the sponsoring deities as from political necessity.

GUILD CREDIT By long tradition, the guilds, cults, etcetera must train those who come before them. There is nothing to say they must do it for free. However, beginning Adventurers do have the privilege of obtaining credit from a guild. (Only one will give credit to any one character). This credit takes the form of 100 L multiplied by a specific characteristic that guild is interested in. The diviners of guilds determine how much credit is to be given, and their divination is exact. Thus, Rurik, applying for fighting training, would be given a credit of 1200 L (STR 12x100 L) because the fighting guilds base their credit allowances on STR. Other guilds base their training on other characteristics, as will be explained in the chapters dealing with magic and other skills.

CREDIT BONUS FOR CHARISMA Characters with CHA higher than average can get extra credit from the guilds, namely a bonus of 10% per point of CHA over 10. NOTES ON GUILD CREDIT1. The training gained with this credit must be paid for in full.2. No further training of any sort can be taken until this initial debt is paid. The guilds, mercenaries and cults all interconnect, so diviners can determine whether a welcher is trying to pull a fast one.3. A candidate may take this credit in actual Lunars, so that he can buy equipment, but this must be paid back at a rate of 2 for 1.4. An Adventurer is not obligated to use all or any of this credit.

GUILD CREDIT AND RANSOMS Once initial credit is paid back, the guild or cult can be confident the character is a reasonable risk, and fairly devoted to their cause. So thereafter, the guild may extend a similar amount of credit for the purpose of training or, at need, to provide a ransom. Note that it is not usual to pay ransoms in cash but by transfer of guild/cult credit, effected by a simple agreement between reputable masters of the guilds or priests of the cults involved (or, in the cases where such are enemies and cannot meet, via Issaries trader-priests).

TRAINED-ONLY SKILLS Skills with a basic chance of 0% (i.e., those that cannot be done without training) are still based on the most relevant characteristic. When the first D6% of training is gained, apply a bonus equal to the relevant STAT minus 10. This "bonus" may be negative: if it reduces the gained skill to 0% or lower, more training will be needed to bring the total to 1% or higher before it can be used. Note that even a skill of only 1% will succeed on a roll of 01-05, but 0% or less will not.

CRAFT GUILD SKILLS TABLE

Skill Basic Training Cost/Week

SAGE SKILLS First Aid WIS% 120 (max 75%) Taste Analysis 0% (INT) 60 (max 75%) Evaluate Treasure WIS% 270 (max 100%) Map Making INT% 70 (max 100%) Oratory CHA% 350 (max 75%) Various Lores WIS% 170 (max 100%) Speak Languages INTx5% 400 (max 100%) Learn A Language N/A New/Improve: 3000+ Literacy 0% (INT) 270 (max 100%)

THIEF SKILLS – Service required. Half price to Members. Hide (in Cover) (20–SIZ)% 170 (max 100%) Sneak (Move Quietly) (20–SIZ)% 200 (max 75%) Pick Pockets (Sleight) 0% (DEX) 270 (max 75%) Climbing CONx2% 130 (max 100%) Lock Picking 0% (DEX) 330 (max 100%) Find/Disarm Traps 0% (DEX) 270 (max 100%) Listen INT% 130 (max 75%) Spot Hidden INT% 200 (max 75%)

MINSTRELS AND PLAYERS Singing CHA% 60 (max 100%) Play Instrument DEX% 120 (max 100%) Acting CHA% 120 (max 75%) Dancing DEX% 60 (max 75%) Acrobatics (Jumping) DEX% 70 (max 100%) (+ Listen, Hide, Sneak, Sleight, Climbing, Oratory)

ARMOURER SKILLS – Apprenticeship/Membership required Armour Making 0% (STR) 330 (max 100%) Weapon Making 0% (STR) 330 (max 100%) Shield Making 0% (STR) 330 (max 100%)

MARINER SKILLS Swimming CON% 70 (max 100%) Sailing DEX% 120 (max 100%) Knot-Tying DEX% 60 (max 100%) Navigation WIS% 270 (max 75%)

FORESTER SKILLS Tracking 0% (INT) 170 (max 75%) Survival 0% (WIS) 130 (max 75%) Camouflage WIS% 170 (max 100%) Herb Lore 0% (WIS) 170 (max 100%) (+ Hide, Sneak, Climb, Find/Disarm Traps)

HORSEMASTER SKILLS Riding CON% 160 (max 75%) (Services: Warhorse Attacks, Cavalry Horse Training)

ALCHEMIST SKILLS – Apprenticeship/Membership required Acid Making 0% (INT) 80 (1 potency / 10%) Blade Venom 0% (INT) 170 (1 potency / 10%) Systemic Poison 0% (INT) 130 (1 potency / 5%) Antidotes 0% (INT) 130 (1 pot. / 5 or 10%) Magic Potions 0% (INT) 170 (1 point / 20%) Healing Potions 0% (INT) 170 (1 point / 20%) Power Potions 0% (INT) 670 (1 point / 5%)

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ALCHEMISTS GUILD

To learn the skills of the alchemists, one must become either a Full member or an associate member. Adventurers prefer associate mem- berships, because becoming a Full member of the Alchemists Guild demands a dedication to the art of alchemy and an abiding interest in research as well as the apprentice fee of 1000 L. Full members of the guild teach, do research and make things; Full members receive free training but the work precludes an active life outside the laboratories. Associate membership does require a minimum 5000 L donation, however. For every point of CHA the character has below 9, 500 L more donation is required. There is no adjustment for high CHA. The Alchemists Guild never gives credit.

Becoming an associate member also requires dire oaths of secrecy to be taken, never to reveal the secrets of guild skills. This oath has been broken from time to time, but the breakers all have died of strange, exceedingly painful ailments shortly thereafter. Associate membership allows one to buy training in a skill making alchemical substances. The cost of the training is over and above the cost of becoming a member. BREWING POTIONS, POISONS, ETC Making these substances requires use of an alchemical laboratory (rental cost 500L per week to associate members), which allows one skill-roll per day (up to 6 days per week). Each success indicates one dose is created (Special 2, Critical 4). Trying to make potions half or less the maximum point-value possible for the character's skill level is Easy (x2) but does not grant an experience check. Costs of ingredients and normal selling prices are given for each substance; figures are per dose (typically 1/8th pint, i.e. ½ gill). Any of these skills can be used like Taste Analysis for any of these substances, but with greater accuracy for the exact type.

ACID MAKING The skill of making an immediately harmful liquid which does damage equal to its potency. In other words, a potency 7 acid would do 7 points of damage to whatever is contacted. Sulphuric battery acid or household lye would be about potency 2 on this scale. The most potent acid this skill can be used to make is potency 20, in theory, but the normal limit is 10. Acids are not magical in nature. Up to 1-point potency of acid can be made per 10% skill. (Cost/Dose: Ingredients 5 L/point; Potion 50 L/point).

ANTIDOTES The making of agents counter-active to any poisonous substance. The cost of learning this skill is the same as for poison-making skill. Antidotes last for 2 hours after being taken. As an example, a specific level 4 antidote would counteract all but 1 point of the appropriate poison of potency 5. The ingredients for an antidote cost the same as those of the agent it counteracts. Unless the antidote must counteract a magical substance, no POW is needed to make an antidote. Up to 1-point potency of poison/venom antidote can be made per 5%/10% skill respectively. (Costs: As poison/venom countered).

BLADE VENOM This is a special type of poison, made for use on a weapon. It is expensive and time consuming to learn to make. Like acid, it is rated in potency levels of 1 to 10 (or theoretically up to 20). Damage from blade venom acts directly against the affected target's hit points. If the attack with blade venom does not overcome the target's CON, asshown below for poison, it works with only ½ effect.

The venom takes effect the round after which the character is struck, on the same initiative. An antidote previously taken will negate or reduce the effect of blade venom,. Blade venom must be carefully applied. It takes 1 melee round to apply to an arrow point, 2 melee rounds for a spear point, and 5 melee rounds for a sword. At the above speeds, a character must make a roll of DEXx5 on D100 to have successfully coated the weapon. A roll of 96-00 indicates that the character cut himself and got blade venom in the cut. If he takes 3 times the above periods he can do it safely. One dose of blade venom will coat 5 arrows, 2 spear points, or 1 sword or axe blade. Blade venom is a highly volatile liquid and will have lost its potency by the end of 3 full turns (30 minutes). In combat, blade venom will stay on the weapon for 3 strikes against armour, or for 1 penetration. If even 1 point of damage is done to the target through its armour, if any, the blade venom will go into the wound and no longer be on the weapon. Up to 1-point potency of venom can be made per 10% skill. (Cost/Dose: Ingredients 10 L/Point; Potion 100 L/Point).

SYSTEMIC POISON This is often found in animal stings (scorpion, spider, manticore). The effects are not immediate, and take effect on the second melee round after injection of poison. Thus, if a character is hit in the first round of a combat, the poison takes effect during third round of the combat, on the initiative it was injected (about ½ minute later). There are 6 types of systemic poison. They are :

1. MANTICORE VENOM - The type of poison injected by scorpion men and scorpions, as well as manticores.2. POISON GAS - Breathed by dragons, walktapi, serpent guardians.3. WYVERN VENOM - Injected by wyvern's sting or snake's bite.4. SPIDER VENOM - From the bites of spiders, and also ghouls.5. HERBAL POISON - Made from poisonous plants.6. MINERAL POISON - From non-organic materials or cockatrices.

Ingredients for herbal and mineral poisons are generally available, but the others usually have to be quested for, since they and their antidotes require a base of the appropriate poison. Up to 1-point potency of poison can be made per 5% skill. (Cost/Dose: Ingredients 4 L/Point; Potion 40 L/Point).

HOW POISON WORKS The effectiveness of a poison is found by comparing the potency of the poison to the CON of the victim. This is done in the same way as a magic spell's WIS v WIS attack or a spirit combat POW v POW. Thus, a potency 8 poison will have 50% chance against 8 CON, 30% chance against against 12 CON, and 70% chance against 4 CON. If the poison successfully overcomes the CON of the victim, the victim takes as many Hit Points damage as the poison has potency. If the character resists, he takes ½ the poison's potency in damage. If the victim survives, the effects heal naturally at the usual rate (D3 hp per week) but normal Healing spells will not mend this damage. Poisons generally damage internal organs, not break bones, so any injury resulting will affect chest or abdomen, with serious injuries giving about half the effect of grievous injury to the rolled location. Other, uncommon poisons may have other, unusual effects.

THE USE OF ANTIDOTES An antidote given to a poisoned but not yet dead character within 1 full turn (10 minutes, i.e. 50 melee rounds) will cancel the damage done by the poison up to the level of the antidote. The antidote must normally be specific to the poisoning. For example, manticore poison will not be alleviated by snake bite antidote no matter how potent the antidote is.

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Some antidotes are ½ effective (round up) against certain poisons:Versus: Half-Effect Antidote:Spider Venom Mineral AntidoteWyvern Venom Gas AntidoteScorpion Venom Spider AntidotePoison Gas Wyvern or Mineral Antidote

EXAMPLE Oshkosh the Odorous finds himself fighting a manticore. Oshkosh hits with his first strike, but does not manage to penetrate the manticore's tough skin with his broadsword, coated with blade venom. (It does not fail its CONx10 roll of effectively 95%). In the same round, the manticore also hits, penetrating Oshkosh's breast-plate and injecting its poison. In the second round, Oshkosh strikes again, inflicting 4 points of damage and blade venom of potency 10 to the manticore. The manticore has a 12 CON so Oshkosh's player has a 40% chance of succeeding with his roll. He rolls a 47, so the manticore only suffers 5 additional points of damage. This makes a total of 9 points of damage, however the monster has 14 hit points in all (reduced to 5 now) so can stand it, and continues the fight - but misses. In the third round, Oshkosh lands another blow, doing 7 more points to the beast. There is no more poison damage because the venom was used up when his previous blow penetrated. Anyway, the beast is reduced to -2 hp, struck in the fore-quarters (location roll 9), finally felling it. But before Oshkosh can appreciate his victory, he reels from the effects of the poison he took in round one! Is Oshkosh dead? He has a CON of 14. The poison in the sting equalled the beast's CON of 12, so he has a 60% chance to resist the poison. He rolls 58 so Oshkosh only takes 6 points of damage. Note that his normal 8 Hit Points are already reduced to 3 by the sting, so now he is down to -3hp and collapses. Luckily, he avoids serious internal injury, but it will be a while until he recovers.

BATTLE MAGIC SPELL POTIONS Alchemists also make magic potions. Besides the ingredients, a magic potion also requires POW to give the desired effect, and POW to keep that effect in the potion. When ingested, this kind of potion allows the casting of spell once in a 2 hour period. The potion contains both the POW for the spell and the ability to cast it, once only. If it is not used within the 2 hour period, it is eliminated from the body and cannot be used. Use of the spell from the potion does not subtract POW from the user or require a memorization of the spell. To create a battle magic spell potion, the maker must put in twice the number of POW points needed for the spell. Thus, for a 2 point Bladesharp, 4 points of POW must be put into the potion to fuel the spell and hold it in the potion. To make a battle magic spell potion for a particular spell, a character must know how to cast the spell. This means that a character who knows no Bladesharp, or only 1 point of it, cannot make a 2 point Bladesharp potion. The POW loss from making battle magic spell potions comes back to the maker at the usual rate for regaining POW spent spell-casting. Up to 1-point magic potions can be made per 20% skill. (Cost/Dose: Ingredients 20 L/Point; Potion 200 L/Point).

HEALING To make a healing potion requires the same amount of POW as the battle magic spell potion. It acts just as a Healing spell of the same number POW points would. This potion differs from a battle magic spell potion with the Healing spell in it. A character need not know the Healing spell to make it. It heals the character who takes it in. Up to 1-point healing potions can be made per 20% skill. (Cost/Dose: Ingredients 20 L/Point; Potion 200 L/Point).

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POTION OF POWER RESTORING To make this potion, a character must put in twice the number of POW points the potion will restore. When used, it will restore the number of POW points in the potion to the Adventurer up to his current maximum POW points. Taking a POW 3 restoring potion when the character is only down 2 POW points will restore the 2 points but the third will be wasted. Up to 1-point power potions can be made per 5% skill. (Cost/Dose: Ingredients 20 L/Point; Only usable by maker).

NOTES ON POTIONS1. Potion refers to a variety of actual forms and shapes capable of

similar effects. Herb packets, salves, pills, biscuits and other shapes and sizes will all serve the same function.

2. If a character ingests 2 or more magical potions, neither will work and they will combine, producing unpredictable, usually unpleasant, effects in the ingesting character's body. A character only benefits from the effects of 1 magical potion at a time. It is possible to wait for 2 hours, till a character has eliminated a potion from his system and then drink another.

3. Potions often spoil if left unused (roughly a 5% chance per year). Spoilage may have a number of effects, as shown in Chapter IX.

RURIK'S SAGA Rurik, sneaking through the passages of Pavis Palace, listens at a door and hears a conversation inside. There are trolls on the other side of the door. Rurik learned Darktongue last year, so can speak it at 40% (half his Language skill of 80%) and the referee rolls 15. Rurik realizes that one of them is saying that he is leaving, and the other troll is coming with him. He rapidly ducks around the corner, only to run into two dark trolls coming out of a door on the wall of the corridor he just ducked into. The trolls didn't say what door they would leave by. Rurik immediately attempts to explain to the trolls that he is just passing through and is not at all belligerent. Noting that the dark troll has an INT of 10, the referee multiplies that by 5% and finds the troll has a language capability of 50%. Adding that to Rurik's 40% gives a total of 90% chance of successful communication. Fortunately, the referee rolled 42 and the dark troll understands. Not being in the mood to fight, he tells Rurik to leave immediately, adding quick directions. The referee divides this up into two parts, “leave” and “go by this route”. Rolling the dice for each, he gets a 53 on the first instruction, but a 00 on the second. Rurik leaves, but the directions given by the referee are not the ones which will get him out, so he finds himself going deeper and deeper.

THE FREE SAGES

The Free Sages teach almost all knowledge skills. One goes to the brotherhood to learn to speak foreign languages, read and write, make maps, evaluate treasure, taste analysis, first aid, etc. The Sages cut across cult lines as do the Alchemists. Unlike the Alchemists, the Sages will grant credit to adventurers, basing their credit on INT. Otherwise, all abilities must be paid for in advance.

TASTE ANALYSIS Any percentage of this skill gives ability to tell from only a drop or crumb whether a substance is harmful or wholesome, and give the taster an idea of what the sample is. Smell and/or touch can also be used. It only gives an idea, not a description. Useful for discovering that a supposed potion is actually potent acid before a character drinks it. Successful use can identify potions spoiled with age. The skill can also be used to identify alchemical substances, i.e. tell which type they are with an Easy (x2) roll, and discern the exact points-value on a successful roll.

EVALUATE TREASURE Also known as Appraise or Evaluate, this skill allows a character to identify an item's true worth. When found, valuable items have a “base value” that they can fetch if sold (but this is usually lower than their true value, which is generally 50% higher, approximately). Appraised Value = Base Value + D100% (Special x2, Critical x3). Special/critical successes discover qualities that double/treble the appraised value (a famous maker, sought-after cut or colour, etc).

FIRST AID Successful use of this skill can restore D3 hit points lost, and Easy (x2) use stops bleeding. (See the Mercenary Bands section).

MAP MAKING This is the skill of keeping proper referents and perspectives on a piece of paper without actually measuring the terrain yard by yard. Note that Map Making is a perception (INT-based) skill, because of the observational ability needed to draw an accurate map.

ORATORY The ability to inspire emotional responses in people and sway their thoughts. The player states the response wanted and the referee rolls the probability, with any modifiers he feels the situation warrants. Influencing crowds or court-rooms may take hours, or confusing some guards can take just moments (it is known as 'Fast Talk' when thus used). The basic chance depends on CHA. Of course, one must speak the language.

LORE (VARIOUS) Knowledge of a specified subject: Astrology, Geography, History, Engineering, Law, etc, etc. They may be purely academic, or useful every day if the player can justify to the referee that it is relevant.

LANGUAGE SKILL For simplicity, a character has just one skill at speaking languages. This one number represents how well they can speak any they know. The base skill at speaking Languages is INTx5%, but this can be trained higher, courtesy of the Sages. Optionally, any language/script of particular significance (e.g. cult languages) may be listed and developed as a separate skill.

LANGUAGES KNOWN Each character should have a list of languages they know. Skill-rolls for those newly-learned (less than 1 year) are Very Hard (x1/10) and for those known over 1 year (but not yet fully) are Hard (x½). (The in-game dates/years gained should be noted or remembered). New languages can be acquired by living among native-speakers for six months or by paying for tutoring from the Sages. Tutoring can also improve languages to as if they have been known for longer. Tutoring to gain a new language costs 3000L. This can be spread over 30 weeks at a couple of hours each day or full time for 8 weeks (in which case the character has no time to do anything else). Costs are the same for improving a language from 'new' to 'known 1 year' status, or from that to fully known. Some languages are particularly difficult, requiring twice as long (hence also twice the price), or even abstruse, requiring thrice normal time and cost. Tutors for unusually obscure languages may be difficult to find, and may demand an even higher price for their time.

LITERACY Similarly to speaking Languages, this one skill represents how well a character can read and write in any languages they know. Literacy starts at (INT–8)x10%, so many characters cannot initially read or write. Tutoring from the Sages can improve Literacy (from an effective base 0%, modified by INT–10, for illiterate characters).

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NOTES ON LANGUAGES

Ability Meaning01-10 Only very simple communications are possible: “Food!”11-30 May get across simple requests and live day-to-day amongst

native-speakers: “What moneys for sheep?”31-50 Can speak at least as well as a dim native and get complex

ideas across given time: “How much for that leg of lamb?”51-80 Can tell stories, sagas, etc and argue as well as a native

speaker: “But that meat was rotten before it was butchered!”81-00 The refined speech of leaders, diplomats and emissaries:

“Assuredly the assessment for this decomposing specimen of provender should be re-evaluated in consideration of its advanced state of putrefaction”.

EAVESDROPPING OR READING When a character is trying to listen in on others' conversation, his chance of understanding is his percentage skill with the language (his Language skill modified as necessary if they have not known it long) and may be adjusted according to the distance, surrounding noise, thickness of the door he's listening through, etc. The referee should roll this percentage and tell the eavesdropper the content of the conversation if the roll succeeds. If unsuccessful, the character will not understand what is said. A fumble roll will mean the character will misunderstand what is said. The same procedure applies using Literacy skill to read a written item, if written in a language the character has not yet mastered, or other circumstances mean their Literacy is below 50%. They may come back to the item after learning more and try again.

CONVERSATION Conversation is a give and take between two speakers. If both speakers have a proficiency level above 50% with the language (their Language skill modified if necessary for how long they have known it), there is usually no problem in communication. When one or both members of a conversation have a proficiency level below 50%, the following system should be used. Each member of the conversation has the combination of both speaking percentages as a chance of being understood and understanding the other. A roll should be made for each participant. If the two speaking skills add up to over 100%, there is still the 5% chance that a misunderstanding will occur. In a conversation dealing with detailed information or uncommon words, a roll of the information giver's speaking ability alone must be made or the referee will determine how the information came out. Alternately, the referee can assign a difficulty level and subtract that from the combined speaking levels of the two conversants before the roll is made.

OPTIONAL SYSTEM FOR LEARNING LANGUAGES Languages known for over two years can be regarded as “fully known”. However, the referee may require an INTx5 roll is made before it is upgraded (or perhaps a lesser multiple, if the character has not used the language or made efforts to practice it).

SIMILAR LANGUAGES It is possible that a character may not know a language being spoken, but does know a similar one which can help him figure out what is being said, just as a Norwegian can puzzle out much of what a Dane is saying. A referee should have language “families” determined for his campaign, so he may decide whether a character from one country can generally understand a speaker from another. For those wishing to set your campaign in Glorantha, an article describing the Gloranthan languages is included in Chapter X.

THIEVES ASSOCIATIONS

One of the most important sets of skills for Adventurers are those known best by thieves. Many of the skills of thieves are duplicated by companies of entertainers and players, and some by other groups such as woodsmen. Master Thieves may offer credit to a likely candidate based on 100 L per point of DEX. Generally they demand some task or aid for initial training rather than charging interest. This demand may be held in abeyance for some years, but must be performed when requested. Later training must be paid for, in advance, but if the adventurer joins one of these bands, he can learn at ½ normal cost. In that event, he will be required to perform various tasks for the band. Such duties can be difficult in the extreme and make for interesting scenarios.

CLIMBING The ability to climb walls, ropes, cliffs, and similar. It depends on many things like centre of gravity, position, hand and foot holds, and mental attitude, so the base is CONx2, representing overall fitness. Successful rolls on D100 allow the climbing of a normal obstacle. Especially difficult climbs would be Hard (x½ skill) and sheer walls cannot normally be climbed at all (Very Hard, x1/10th), but a Master of the craft (90% ability) could climb a sheer wall using only a corner, whether angled in or out (so just x½, at GM discretion). Rate of climbing is half that for normal movement, but if the Climb roll fails no progress is made. Fumble means the climber falls. For silent climbing, simply roll both the skill of Move Quietly and that of Climbing separately. Note that Moving Quietly is half-speed, so this will reduce potential rate of climbing to ¼ normal speed.

FIND/DISARM TRAPS A specialized skill that allows the character to spot traps, often by delicately feeling for the signs of a trap or somehow detecting the workings of it or its trigger. The skill can also allow disarming or removal, hopefully without being caught or harmed. This ability encompasses all types of mechanical traps. It can also be used to re-set or set minor traps such as snares. When disarming a trap, a successful die roll on D100 disarms the trap. Failure requires a DEXx5 roll to avoid setting off the trap and a fumble always sets it off, catching the would-be disarmer. Some traps may be Hard (x½) or Very Hard (x1/10th) to disarm, if they have been made with particular skill, in a similar way to locks. (A master trap-maker can create such with Hard/Very Hard use of his skill, or lesser makers with Special/Critical success respectively).

LOCK PICKING The skill of opening locks without the proper key. A successful roll opens the lock. Some locks may be Hard (x½) or Very Hard (x1/10th) to open, if they have been made with particular skill, in a similar way to traps. (A master locksmith can create such with Hard/Very Hard use of his skill, or lesser makers with Special/Critical success respectively).

PICK POCKETS This ability includes both picking pockets and slitting purses. It also includes the removal of jewellery such as brooches and badges. Items in direct contact with the skin, such as rings, cause the ability to function at ½ normal level. Also known as Sleight (of Hand) or Hide Item, as it allows one to hide items of small size (up to 3 inches across) and secretly pocket, cover over or make them inconspicuous. Useful when examining chests full of treasure, or after successfully picking a pocket. Each full 20% with this skill allows one extra attack when back-stabbing (i.e. attacking a surprised/unaware opponent from the rear). N.B.: Armour penalties reduce this skill, including for backstabs.

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LISTEN The ability to listen at doorways, down corridors, etc., to get an idea of what, how many, what size, etc., about anything making noise. However, even 4 trolls in armour may be fairly quiet. Generally, a successful Listen ability roll will take precedence over a character's Move Quietly (explained later) except in unusual circumstances such as thickness of doors, loud background noise, or a recent history of explosions near the listener's ear.

SPOT HIDDEN ITEMS The skill of being able to find things that are hidden. It ranges from spotting secret doors to what kind of armour a man is wearing under his tunic to finding the secret compartment in a chest full of bones. It will give no indication of the contents of the compartment, a character's pockets, etc.

HIDE IN COVER The skill of using natural cover to hide oneself. Differs from Camouflage in that it can be used instantly and lets one hide behind or among things rather than use them to clothe yourself. Cover must be available. It is possible to hide in a room full of furniture. It is not possible to hide in an empty room or a smooth walled corridor, unless there are deep shadows present. It is possible to move whilst hidden, but only at half normal speed. If remaining motionless, the chance to Hide in Cover is Easy (x2).

MOVE QUIETLY The ability to move quietly for purposes of sneaking up on opponents, game animals, etc. On a successful roll an opponent will be surprised unless he succeeds with his Listen ability. This ability is reduced by wearing of armour, making it Hard (x½) or Very Hard (x1/10th) - see the Armour Statistics Table in Chapter IV for details. If several different types of armour are worn, the noisiest should be used for modification purposes. Note that there is still a 5% chance of being quiet. Move Quietly halves Movement Rate.

EXAMPLE Ariella has noticed that her side, including Rurik, seems to be losing in a battle with some trolls. Since the battle is taking place in an irregularly shaped, dimly-lit cave, there is ample cover. Ariella kills the troll facing her (a new first for her) and is now free to try a stratagem. She decides to try to both Hide in Cover and Move Quietly to get around to the rear of the trolls fighting Rurik, and reduce the odds against him with Befuddle spells. She has a 40% Moving Quietly skill, halved to 20% as she is wearing ring mail, and a 40% chance of Hiding in Cover (while moving half-speed). Her player rolls 08 and 60 respectively for each skill, so she is quiet by not well concealed. The referee allows the surviving trolls an INTx5 roll to notice her but gets 93, so she succeeds.

NOTES ON THIEFLY SKILLS

1. SIMULTANEOUS SKILLS - In some cases, two skills can be used at the same time. One such case frequently arising is Hiding in Cover and Moving Quietly. Simply roll both skills to determine the success of each.

2. SECRECY UNNECESSARY - There is no need for the referee to make these rolls in secret on the players' behalf. Players should roll to see if they spot a trap, hear a noise, etcetera. As on some occasions the referee will determine that Hard/Very Hard rolls (or Easy/Very Easy rolls) are required, and even occasionally call for rolls when there is nothing to spot or hear, players will always be uncertain if their rolls succeeded or failed. Thus they will not gain knowledge they should not have from apparent success or failure.

3. ACTIVE PERCEPTION - As has been noted in the descriptions, Perception skills take precedence over other skills. A successful roll with the appropriate Perception skill will spot what was hidden, camouflaged, etc. However, to be used fully, a Perception skill must be declared at the start of a round or turn, and no other skill may be used, spell cast, or weapon used during that period.

4. MULTIPLE SPOTTERS AND SNEAKERS - If more than one character is attempting to Spot/Listen etc, make just one roll and use the one resulting number for all. The player whose character has the highest skill is entitled to roll the dice.However, if more than one character is attempting to Hide/Sneak, then each should make their rolls separately (unless they can communicate silently and surreptitiously to aid each other, in which case one roll may be made for all of a group, as above).

5. PROCEDURE FOR HIDE/SNEAK VERSUS SPOT/LISTEN - Undetected side tries a Hide roll: If motionless this is Easy (x2); but if moving it is normal and a Sneak roll is also required. If fully alert and on the look-out, the other side can try a Spot roll, and a Listen roll if circumstances required the other to sneak. If they are 'on watch' but not highly alert, the rolls are Hard (x½).

Spot/Listen will detect the same level of success of Hide/Sneak (i.e. a special/critical is required if the Hide/Sneak was likewise).

If a target is not alert enough to get Spot/Listen rolls, the referee may allow them an INT roll to become suspicious and then try. This should be done if the hider/sneaker is closing-in to back-stab, or has failed both rolls, or is low-skilled relative to the target's perception.The INT multiple depends on the approximate skills of the sneaker (20% x5, 40% x4, etc) and the target (20% =, 40% +1, 60% +2 etc).

NOTE - An experienced group of players could be expected to have a set list of who is on watch at specific times, and may even detail a series of Perception skills they will use on every occasion.

OTHER GUILDS AND BROTHERHOODS

There are a number of other guilds and brotherhoods, some of whom grant credit for the teaching of skills. Some guilds protect their secrets by requiring all who wish to learn from it to join as full or associate members. Others require high fees for what they have to teach. Some, of course, do both.

MINSTRELS AND PLAYERS The Minstrels and Players (as in actors, not die-rollers) teach such skills as Singing, Acting, and the agility skills of Playing Instruments and Dancing. These skills are not usually important to an Adventurer and it is left to the referee to determine how characters can use them. They can also teach the thief skills of Listen, Hide, Move Quietly, Sleight (Pick Pockets), Climbing and the sage skill of Oratory, at normal prices. In addition they will teach the skill of Acrobatics.

ACROBATICS (JUMPING/TUMBLING) The ability to jump more than the usual height or distance or over obstacles, such as bodies in melee. Normally a character can jump their height horizontally, or height x 2 with a run-up, and over an obstacle half their height vertically, enough to reach their height x 2. Encumbrance will halve the distances jumped. Normal procedure is to roll DEXx5 to achieve this – a failed roll will halve distances, and a fumble cause spectacular failure. If the roll is a Special success then distance is doubled – likewise if the roll is under Acrobatics skill percentage. The base chance for Acrobatics skill (also known as Jumping) is DEXx1%. This skill can reduce damage from falling, by D6 if successful.

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MARITIME BROTHERHOOD The mariners will teach Swimming, Sailing or Knot-tying to any who pay their fees. To be taught Navigation requires apprenticeship.

SWIMMING The ability to stay afloat and move in a desired direction. Make a roll every full turn (10 minutes), or the character starts to drown. Swimming skill is affected by encumbrance, and all items carried have double their normal encumbrance value in water. If carrying over half their Max Enc limit, the character has only ½ normal Swim skill (i.e it is Hard), and over Max Enc only 1/10th (Very Hard). This is also a measure of the ability of the character to get out of armour when he hits the water. Failure to do so can mean drowning.

SAILING Propelling a small vessel, with either sails or oars. Possible with little skill (basic 10% or so) but handling any difficulty needs more.

KNOT-TYING Fancy uses of ropes, which to others may seem almost magical.

FORESTERS The foresters teach several skills at the same rate as the thieves: Hide in Cover, Move Quietly, Climbing and Find/Disarm Traps. They also teach Tracking, Survival, Camouflage and Herb Lore.

TRACKING The ability to follow a track through normal terrain and pick it up again if it is interrupted by a river, etc. The chance of success is reduced for each day passed since the trail was made. The referee may wish to add other modifiers. Of course, if there are no tracks to be found, tracking is impossible.

SURVIVAL This skill allows living off the land and surviving adverse weather conditions, avoiding dangerous natural phenomena like quicksand.

CAMOUFLAGE The ability to use materials either from the immediate area or brought into the area to disguise oneself or other objects to look like part of the terrain. Also applies to such things as blackening the face for night-time movement, etc. A successful roll for Camouflage means that no one without a successful Spot Hidden roll will notice the camouflaged item or character.

HERB LORE Finding, identification and preservation of useful herbs and similar substances can be accomplished with this skill. The referee will have details of the various plants etc to be found in different terrain types and seasons and their special properties. Each attempt usually takes about 4 hours searching. Special/critical success indicates double or triple the usual amount was found. (See Appendix H).

ARMOURERS GUILD To learn the skills of armouring, this guild requires a person to become an associate member, or join as an apprentice (see Chapter X). Associate membership costs a character 5000 L, which is separate from the costs of learning skills.

EXPLANATION OF SKILLS These skills are based on the percentage chance that an Adventurer will make an item correctly, so that it can be used. Improperly made shields and weapons will break. Improperly made armour will not fit the one it was made for. This is why few people will buy arms and armour from less than Masters (90%+).

THE HORSEMASTERS Horsemasters are in every area and tribe, ready to teach riding and horse training to anyone willing to pay. The Beast Masters of the animal nomads of Prax are the equivalent of Horsemasters. These Masters have ties with all cults (see Chapter VII) which insist on riding ability as one of the masteries of their Rune Lords. Most Horsemasters are at least lay members (see Chapter VII) of a Sun or Sky related cult, for horses are the gift of the Sun.

LEARNING TO RIDE Riding a horse (or other riding animal) is simple, as long as the animal goes no faster than a walk and is trained to accept a rider. To compel a horse to go any faster than a congenial amble for the horse, one must learn to ride. Learning Riding gives a character the ability to stay on a horse in any gait, if he is supported by a saddle with stirrups. If a horse does something unexpected (bolt, shy, etc.), the rider will lose control and must make a Riding ability roll each melee round until the roll is successful, at which time he regains control of the horse. A fumble roll during this attempt to regain control means that the character will fall off. Ability in Riding also serves as his chance of making a horse do something it isn't trained for, such as jumping a barrier.

TRAINING HORSES Any character with 50% or greater Riding ability can train a horse to the saddle and bridle. Each game week, the player attempts to roll his percentage. When successful, he has the horse for riding. Cavalry horses and warhorses are another matter entirely. They can only be trained by Horsemasters. Warhorses must first be trained as cavalry horses. To become a Horsemaster (and learn how to train warhorses), a character must attain 90% Riding ability. A cavalry horse trained by a Horsemaster will remain under control in battle and a warhorse trained by a Horsemaster can be trained to attack at the Horsemaster’s Riding ability, minus 50%. Therefore, a basic Horsemaster, with a 90% capability, can train a warhorse up to 40% ability with each of its three attacks; the bite, the kick, and the rear and plunge. For details on how a warhorse attacks, see Chapter VIII.

LEARNING FROM EXPERIENCE IN RIDING A character earns an experience check for Riding ability by:1. Surviving a melee in which they started on horseback (even if they

fell off, they may realize why).2. Making a horse do something they never made it do before.3. Completing a journey of at least a week through difficult terrain.4. Successfully training a wild horse to saddle and bridle.

CHOOSING A HORSE A character's Riding ability percentage is also his chance of finding what he wants in a horse. Such a roll should be made by the referee so the player cannot see it. Once the character has bought the horse, the player can be told whether or not the character got what he wanted. If the character didn't get what he wanted, characteristics are rolled randomly, but it is very unlikely that a character will do better than he wanted. Naturally, very strong, large warhorses are at a premium. Referees should raise the price shown on the basic cost list by several hundred percent for such animals and they may not be available.

HORSEMASTER SERVICES COSTS TABLE Cavalry Training N/A 1000 Flat fee (2½ wks) Warhorse Attacks Per Attack: 130 (max 75%)

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THE MERCENARY BANDS

COMBAT SKILLS TRAINING The Mercenary fighting bands will train anyone who pays to learn how to use a particular weapon, or other military skills. The bands will train the character up to 25% ability, if his Lunars hold out. Once beyond 25%, an Adventurer can no longer be trained in that skill until he has succeeded in attacking or parrying with that weapon on an adventure. Once a character has had the chance to use the skill in a “field” situation, he may purchase D6% more training. Weapon skills cannot be trained past 75%. Any further increase in ability will have to come through successful experience rolls. The Mercenaries grant credit to beginning Adventurers, to spend on training with any weapons, up to those limits, or the other skills.

TOTAL INCREASE POSSIBLE Once beyond 25%, an Adventurer can no longer be trained in a weapon skill until he has succeeded in attacking or parrying with that weapon on an adventure. Once a character has thus successfully used the skill in a stressful field situation (and gained an experience check for it) he may purchase more training. Note that further training can then be undertaken whether or not the experience check results in a skill increase - the tick is enough.

TOWARDS 100% ABILITY – AND BEYOND An Adventurer may gain from training only up to the 75% level. Beyond that, an Adventurer may only increase skills by experience.

When a character reaches this high skill level, remember that their Experience Maximum may become relevant: any increase roll above 100–INTx2 is sufficient to earn the character an increase in skill.

EXAMPLE Shorban the Dumb, with INT 8, has Experience Maximum 84%. After reaching 90% ability with the broadsword, he hits something with it, and his player rolls 85 on D100 for the chance of learning by experience. Without the above rule, he would have had to roll over his 90% skill to learn an additional D6% in broadsword. Fortunately, his player remembered this rule and rolling a 5 for his D6 increase he goes up to 95% after all, thanks to his INT of 8.

OTHER MILITARY SKILLS Mercenary companies and fighting bands also teach these skills:

FIRST AID Successful use of this skill can restore D3 hit points lost due to a normal injury (Special 2D3, Critical D3+3); as the name implies, it must be the first aid given to have this effect, i.e. before any healing. An Easy (x2) use of it will stop the bleeding of a normal wound. To re-place a severed or maimed limb with a Healing 6 spell, First Aid skill must be successfully used in conjunction to do so properly.

COMMAND Inspires troops a character is leading so that their attacks are Easy (x2) for the first round of combat. (Special 2 rnds, Critical 3 rnds, Fumble Hard (x½) for 1 rnd). Up to CHAx2 subordinates affected. The player using this skill should say something inspiring.

STRATEGY Devises a stratagem making it Hard (x ½) for enemy attacks upon your troops for the first round of combat. (Special 2 rnds, Critical 3 rnds, Fumble Easy (x2) for 1 rnd). The player using this skill should describe some sort of tactic.

WEAPON TRAINING COSTS The Weapon Training Costs Table lists the base skill percentages and costs for learning the various weapon skill types within each category (i.e. weapon class and mode of use).

WEAPON TRAINING COSTS TABLE

Category Skill Basic Training Cost/Week 1H-Slash 1h Axe STR 170 (max 75%) 1h Sword STR 170 (max 75%) 2H-Slash 2h Axe STR 200 (max 75%)

2h Sword STR 330 (max 75%) 1H-Crush 1h Flail STR 200 (max 75%)

1h Hammer STRx2 170 (max 75%)1h Mace STRx2 130 (max 75%)

2H-Crush 2h Flail STR 270 (max 75%)2h Hammer STRx2 200 (max 75%)2h Mace STRx2 200 (max 75%)

1H-Impale 1h Spear STR 170 (max 75%) 2H-Impale 2h Spear STR 130 (max 75%)

Pike STR 270 (max 75%) Cut-Thrust Smallsword STR 330 (max 75%)

Shortsword STR 130 (max 75%) Staves Staff STRx2 200 (max 75%)

Singlestick STR 130 (max 75%) Unique* Sickle/Tools STR 130 (max 75%) Hand to Hand Brawl** STRx2 170 (max 75%)

Dagger STRx2 100 (max 75%) Shields Buckler DEXx2 130 (max 75%)

Shield STRx2 70 (max 75%)

MISSILE WEAPONS Category Skill Basic Training Cost/Week Bows Bow DEX 270 (max 75%)

Longbow DEX 330 (max 75%) Crossbows Crossbow DEXx2 130 (max 75%) Slings Sling DEX 200 (max 75%)

Staff Sling DEX 270 (max 75%) Throwing Throw Axe DEX 200 (max 75%)

Throw Dagger DEX 200 (max 75%)Throw Javelin DEX 200 (max 75%)Throw Rock etc DEXx2 100 (max 75%)

* Weapon half-effectiveness does not apply within this category. ** Brawl skill includes Fist, Kick, Head Butt etc, and Grappling.

MASTERING A WEAPON When an Adventurer has 90% skill with a weapon, he may teach it, at the usual guild rates. He is called a Master of that weapon.

MILITARY SKILLS TABLE

Skill Basic Training Cost/Week First Aid WIS% 120 (max 75%) Command 0% (CHA) 350 (max 75%) Strategy 0% (WIS) 350 (max 75%)

JOINING THE MERCENARIES Most characters can join a Mercenary Company for several years, to gain more skills. (See Previous Experience, Appendix E). Serving this sort of military apprenticeship is the only normal way to gain Weapon Expertise skills and the associated martial arts, as the Mercenaries do not train Expertise - it is learned by experience.

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THE MERCANTYLERS GUILD

In the region of Dragon Pass and Pavis, the merchants have been squeezed-out by the trader cults (Issaries, Etyries, Lokarnos, Argan Argar, etc). Where found, they will train some skills (respecting the Sages monopoly in others, so only teaching them in apprenticeship) and will give Guild Credit based on CHA (i.e. CHA x 100L).

BARGAINING This skill is used when trading, to get a discount on goods when buying or a higher price for goods when selling. Success sells/buys for 10% over/under the standard price (base/appraised value), Failure has no effect (Special +/-25%, Critical +/-50%, Fumble +/-100%). Note that the other party may also bargain, and that merchants and traders typically have at least 50% Bargaining skill.

THE HEALERS Healer sects, such as the Chalana Arroy cult, teach various healing arts, but are often very busy. A CHAx5 roll is required for a Healer to be available for giving training in any particular week. There are other drawbacks: First Aid, there is a 50% chance they will be called away to an emergency; Treat Disease, spend the week among the diseased, so make a CONx5 roll or be exposed; Treat Poison, INTx5 or suffer 3D6 potency poison; Find Healing Plants, spend a week in the wilderness (risking hostile encounters) and is taught only to Lightbringer/Earth cult members. Note that no refunds are given in these cases because fees are regarded as a donation. See Chalana Arroy cult description for details of these skills.

THE MASONS Masons usually belong to a cult, such as that of the city-god Pavis, but it is more just a mutual welfare organization for lay members.

OTHER GUILD/CULT SKILLS TABLE

Skill Basic Training Cost/Week

MERCANTYLERS SKILLS Evaluate WIS% 270 (max 100%) Bargaining 0% (CHA) 330 (max 75%)

HEALERS SKILLS First Aid WIS% 60 (max 100%) Treat Disease 0% (WIS) 260 (max 100%) Treat Poison 0% (WIS) 130 (max 100%) Find Healing Plants 0% (WIS) 260 (max 75%)

MASONS SKILLS Masonry STR% 330 (max 100%)

INCREASING CHARACTERISTICS

1. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTIC TRAINING Once a character has reached full growth, usually around age 16, the only way to enhance physical characteristics is hard training.

STR - Strength may be increased at the cost of 1000 L. Remember, if his STR is the highest amongst STR, SIZ, and CON, it cannot be increased at all, except temporarily. STR conditioning is traditionally taught by the mercenary bands and guilds.

CON - The sages and alchemists have devised a regimen of diet and exercise which can increase a character's CON up to the level of SIZ

or STR. Again, if the CON characteristic is the highest of the three, it cannot be enhanced. The cost is 2000 L per course.

DEX - This sort of training is usually done by Thieves Associations and Minstrels Guilds. Cost of training is usually 1000 L a time, like STR training, but the thieves will often exact a fee of service as well as monetary payment. Minstrels will usually exact standard payment but are a wandering breed and can only be persuaded to settle down if the pot is sweetened for them. Just what kind of services or extras the thieves and minstrels may require is left to referee discretion.

CHANCE OF SUCCESS It is possible to train and not gain an increase thereby. The training character's player must make a roll OVER their current STAT x 5%. Thus a character with DEX of 12 must roll 12 x 5, i.e. over 60%, or he will not gain from the training purchased. This roll must be made for each point separately (one wishing to gain 5 points in row must make 5 rolls) and any successful rolls must be taken into account when figuring the number needed for the next roll.

TIME TAKEN AND INCREASE GAINED Each attempt at STR/DEX training (cost 1000L) takes 2½ weeks; each attempt at CON training (cost 2000L) takes 5 weeks. Training increases the characteristic by 1 if the roll succeeds.

2. INCREASING OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

INT, WIS and SIZ - As stated previously, these characteristics can not be increased through normal means.

POW - Increasing this characteristic is discussed in the Basic Magic rules, Chapter V. It can be improved by experience only.

CHA - Charisma is a nebulous quantity, and increase or decrease can be a matter of whimsy, but the following cases have some effect.a. Mastery of Oratory skill (90%+) increases a character's CHA by 1.b. Mastery of one's main weapon skill (90%+) adds 1 point.c. Possession of good, showy, magical objects raises CHA by 1. Just one point is gained, no matter if you have 1 or 100 showy items.d. Successful leadership of an expedition (with a satisfactory gain-to-loss ratio) can add a point to the character's CHA, if the character rolls his CHAx1%, or the Referee may set some other criterion.e. Unsuccessful leadership can lose CHA. The leader of a really disastrous expedition must make CHAx5% or lose 1 to 3 CHA.

RURIK'S SAGA Thus we see that if Rurik had the money, he could possibly bring his STR up to 16 for just 4000 L (though most likely he would gain just 1 or 2). Another 5000 L towards building-up his DEX might even raise it up to 10, curing his clumsiness. Where would our hero get this money? That's what the rest of this book is all about.

CHARACTERISTICS AFFECT SKILLS Changes in characteristics will affect the skills based upon them. Although this is relatively minor, as experience and training are more important, under some circumstances it may be significant. Each point by which a characteristic changes also changes the related skills by +/-1% per 10% the character has in the skill.

EXAMPLE If Rurik did somehow manage to raise his STR from 12 to 16, his 41% Shield skill would go up by 16% and his 36% 1-handed Spear skill would go up by 18%, to 57% and 54% respectively. Any other STR-based skills he had would increase similarly.

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VII RUNE MAGIC

MASTERING THE RUNES

The universe is divided into two planes; the spirit plane and the physical plane. Mana is to the spirit plane what matter is to the physical world. POW is the capacity to collect mana. Spells then shape the mana to attain a particular effect.

RUNES The Runes are symbols which have power inherent in them. They serve as aids in manipulating the universe. However, merely looking at a Rune is not sufficient to use its power. A character must know how to use it as a symbol to gain any benefit from it. In practice, this means being a priest or shaman. Not much is known about the Runes themselves, although they have been known to change over time. Whether the Runes reveal a deep harmony in the universe, to which even the gods must conform, or whether the gods produced the Runes and they are manifestations of the gods is question of much dispute, even among the gods, from whom it is difficult to get a straight answer, anyway. To the practical minded character, interested mostly in the uses of powers it doesn't matter. The Runes are there, and they work.

TYPES OF RUNES Runes fall into the following four classes; Elements, Forms, Conditions, and Powers. Each god has one or more specialities within the forces described by the Runes. These are the areas in which the particular gods and therefore his priests, are most effective and versatile. To say that a god is a Fire Rune god, an Illusion god, or whatever, is to say that priests of that god will specialize in that area. The specific Runes, in order of class, are as follows:

ELEMENT RUNES The Elements are what Glorantha is made of. During the Hero Wars period in Dragon Pass, and for some centuries before and after, six elements were recognized (one grudgingly).

DARKNESS – The most ancient Rune, the First Born, from whom all other Elements were born or descended. Darkness was the first Element to arise out of the primal chaos.

WATER – Water was born of Darkness. As an Element, it is called Son of Darkness, Pathway to the Underworld, and Supporter of the Earth.

EARTH – Earth is the third Element. Daughter of the Seas (though the dwarves think of Earth as male), Mother of the Sky, Wife to Many, Supporter of All. At least half the cults in Glorantha include the Earth in some manifestation or other, as Life-Giver, Stone-Father, Shaker, or Primal Ancestress.

AIR – Air is next, though actually Fifth Born, Son of Earth and Sky (Sky was also the son of Earth). He is the Breaker of Laws, Destroyer of Heaven, Fighter against Darkness, and Liberator of the Sun. He usually manifests as a storm god, such as Orlanth in Sartar or the Storm Bull of Prax.FIRE/SKY – Sky is different from Air, for the Air separates the Sky from the Earth. After defeat by his son, the Sky has been aloof from mankind, although vestiges of his worship, such as the Sun Dome Temple, are still present in the land.MOON – Moon is the Sixth Element, and little acceptedamongst her peers. Outside the Lunar Empire she has hardly any presence at all, although the Moon is sometimes considered as a Condition Rune.

FORM RUNES These are descriptive Runes. A god is usually described as being of a particular Power or Element, and the form determines how its Power or Elemental force is expressed. There are actually many sub-runes to each of the following basic ones, but these cover the ground adequately for the purpose of these rules.

PLANT – The symbol of the first life upon Glorantha. It is said to symbolize the first Plant gods a son of the Earth and Sea. Many cults have a connection with the Plant Rune, one being the Aldryami cult, a combination of Earth, Plant, and Power Rune of Fertility.BEAST – This Rune is also called the Dragon's Eye, and is supposed to represent the armour plate over a dragon's eye. Dragons are thought to be the progenitors of all beasts (at least those with four or more legs) though no one has had the nerve to ask a dragon about it. It is thought to have been a dragonewt Rune originally, as its complexity indicates.MAN – This Rune represents human shape and is common among all humanoid races. Some other races interpret it as “slave” or “food”. It is said to represent Grandfather Mortal, and numerous folk-tales are told about him.DRAGONEWT – As exotic as the race it represents, it is found only in the Dragon Pass area. Unlike most of the other Form Runes, it cannot be used with an Elemental Rune, though there are several Dragonewt Power cults, all modified by the Dragonewt Rune.SPIRIT – This Rune describes the spirit aspect of the universe. Shamans are always tied to the Spirit Rune, since it is by dealing with this Form that they gain their power.

CHAOS – Descriptive of those who are descended from the entropy of that Form. They are usually bound to some Form, since even Chaos must obey the laws of Time, but it might be combined with any other Rune. Nothing is totally safe from the taint of Chaos.

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POWER RUNES Said to symbolize the members of the celestial court, the Power Runes are unique in that they are formed in mutually antagonistic pairs. Opposing cults often have opposing Power Runes as part of their identities. A cult of great power may be able to worship gods of two non-paired Powers, but it will very rarely have more. Cults rarely have access to two paired Powers.

HARMONY – Said to represent the Divine Harp with which Order was separated from Chaos. It is quite ancient and revered throughout Glorantha.

DISORDER – Direly derived from Chaos. Anarchistic cults claim that this was the first step of creation from Chaos, therefore, Disorder is the First Born of the Powers and the foundation of the universe.FERTILITY (Plenty, Giving, Love) – Symbolizes the Ancient Cup from which the whole world was poured at the dawn of creation. The symbol of growth and life.DEATH (Separation) – Known to be the First Sword, the immortal and cursed weapon which the god Humakt used to bring death to the world. Others claim this to be the first of the Runes, citing the separation of the world from Chaos as the first action in creation.STASIS (Immobility, Solidity, Stone) – The various names for this Rune are the ideas behind it. This Rune is closely connected with the art of alchemy, and the dwarves. They claim that this is the First Rune, for it provided the foundation from which all else was created.MOVEMENT (Mobility, Change) – Denotes the ancient wheel. As usual, there are claims for it to be the First Rune, for without it, there would have been no growth from Chaos, folk-tales speak of the World Bird who escaped from the Maws of Chaos upon this wheel.TRUTH – A Rune of the ancient, all seeing sky gods. Said to represent the torch which the Grey Ones used to escape from Chaos. Yet another candidate for First Rune, as its constancy and order set creation apart from random, unsettled Chaos.ILLUSION – The Puppeteer Troupe, the major cult of the Father of Illusion, always claimed that this was the First Rune, for without Illusion, there would be none of us to think we ever were. They refuse to explain further.LUCK (Chance) – Thought to be both an expression of Chaos, and yet the stamp of approval of the gods. It is little used, except in the Holy County, where the Masters of Luck and Death proudly display the symbol of the chance they take with every breath.FATE – Only very few cults use this as an expression of the way of the world. Used mostly by loser cultures with no other explanation for their status in the world, and by those at the top, to justify their position.

CONDITION RUNES There are three main conditions. They modify by showing what aspect of an Element, Form, or Power is served by a cult.

MASTERY – The all purpose Rune, it can be shown as a symbol of Mastery of Men, of Magic, or of Elements. As master of men, it describes a Hero. As master of magic, it symbolizes any cult of reasonable power. The use of such Condition Runes usually masks the true identifying Runes of the cult or person described, although it may also signify the independence of a Hero or magician from cult ties.

MAGIC – Almost redundant in this magic-rich world, this Rune describes how a cult or individual deals with the power of another Rune. Since it is impossible to deal with Runes without magic, it means much.INFINITY – The mark of the gods. He who possesses the Infinity Rune is almost a god himself. This is not used lightly as it implies total control of the power flow around the user, making him invulnerable to almost all magic, among other abilities. It's characteristic of gods, superheroes, and dragons only.

RUNE CULTS

As stated before, a Rune cult can be involved in the worship of deities, such as Orlanth, minor ancestor spirits, or anything in between. A cult consists of worshippers and a hierarchy. The hierarchy officiates at sacrifices and acts as the intermediaries between the worshippers and the deity. The hierarchy gains magical power (and a good living), the god gains power from the sacrifices, and the worshippers get whatever the hierarchy feels obliged to give. The way to join the hierarchy of a cult is to become an initiate. An initiate who progresses in physical skills such as fighting may eventually become a Rune Lord. An initiate who gains a POW of 18 may eventually become a Rune Priest. It is possible in most cults to become both a Rune Lord and Rune Priest. One route to power is for an individual to acquire mastery of one or more Runes. Success in this is marked by a person becoming a Rune level character, which means that they have acquired the status of Rune Lord or Rune Priest. When they are a Rune Lord, they have proved their right to the Mastery Rune, while a Rune Priest has proved his affinity with the Magic Rune. From these bases, individuals may continue their spiritual and magical development to include whatever Runes their cult is associated with.

Initiates, Rune Lords and Rune Priests, and how to become each, are described in following sections.

MEMBERSHIP OF CULTS Characters first join a cult as a Lay member. This simply means they are formally recognized worshippers, but gives no authority in the hierarchy. There may be minor benefits and restrictions for Lay membership, such as tithing and the right to purchase spells.

Initiate membership of a cult is a greater level of commitment. So greater restrictions will apply, but also greater benefits are likely.

Some cults recognize the rank of Acolyte, superior to the ordinary Initiates. These are not quite Priests, but are part-way there. This may convey greater benefits and responsibilities, or just status.

The Rune Masters of a cult are the Rune Priests and Rune Lords. They hold the real authority within the hierarchy. They directly serve the gods - Initiates and others are expected to serve them likewise.

RURIK'S SAGA After several game years of play, Rurik finds himself with a POW of 16 and a CHA of 14. He decides that he wants to join the Sun Dome Temple. Taking 3000 L, which he has managed to save out of many adventures, he goes to the temple and puts himself before the examiners. He has a chance of [16 (INT)+14 (CHA)+30 (for 3000L)]/3=20, 20x5=100% chance of acceptance. (Rurik worked this out beforehand - he is quite intelligent.) However, as usual, Rurik still has a 5% chance (roll of 96-00 on D100) of being blackballed.

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BECOMING AN INITIATE

To become an initiate, the character must be a worshipper of the god of the cult. He must swear to follow the commands of the god as expressed by the cult's priests. He must observe cult holy days and is expected to tithe to the cult and lead occasional minor services. Candidates will usually have to pass a test to become initiates. The referee may provide a suitable test, or he may use the following formula: Add the POW and CHA of the character. To this total add 1 for every 100 L the character gives to the cult as an offering. Divide this total by 3 and multiply by 5. The player should attempt to roll this result or less on D100. If successful, the character is initiated. In return for his services to the cult the initiate gets these benefits:

1. DIVINE INTERVENTION An initiate may attempt Divine Intervention up to once per week. To succeed he must roll his current POW or less on D100. If the roll is successful, the god intervenes in accordance with the description of Divine Intervention later in this chapter, and the character loses permanently as many points of POW as was rolled on the dice. If the player rolls exactly the character's current normal POW, then the character's soul becomes a spirit in the service of the god. However, the requested effect will occur. On unsuccessful rolls nothing happens; no POW is lost. NOTE – Non-initiates can also call for D.I., but their chance only equals their marks-out-of Defence/10 (rounded down) for devotion. Only the first god called upon may respond. As with initiates, only one Divine Intervention may be granted to them in any given week.

EXAMPLE Rurik's band of adventurers is assaulting a ruined castle inhabit- ed by trolls. While rushing the main gate, Oshkosh the Odorous su- ddenly disappears from sight. He has stepped through the covering of a long disused well. Oshkosh is an initiate in the Orlanth cult. As he falls, he calls to his god to get him out via Divine Intervention. Oshkosh has POW 14. His player rolls a 14 on D100. Because it is a successful roll, Orlanth intervenes and lifts Oshkosh out of the well with a great rush of air. However, because the player's roll was equal to the POW of Oshkosh, the spirit of Oshkosh is taken to Orlanth and his body lies by the well. If the player had rolled 03, Oshkosh would still be alive but would now have a POW of 11. However, he would be able to regain the POW through the usual process of POW gain rolls.

2. LIMITED USE OF RUNE MAGIC Initiates may be able to obtain a cult Rune Magic spell for one use. To obtain this spell, the initiate must permanently sacrifice POW points equal to the POW point cost of the spell for a Rune Priest. Most cults restrict this to initiates going on cult missions, or as a reward to trusted and long-standing members. Again, he can regain this sacrificed POW through the usual POW gain rolls.

EXAMPLE Horus the Hairy, an initiate of Humakt, has just reached a POW of 17. He wants to become a Rune Lord and is not yet qualified. He asks the local priest of his cult for 3 points of Shield, based on his long standing service to Humakt. The request is granted. Horus now has 3 points of Shield and a POW of 14. He can only use each point of Shield once.

3. SPECIAL TRAINING If there are any special cult skills or battle magic spells, an initiate can learn them at special cult prices. The exact skills, magics, and prices vary with the cult.

BECOMING A RUNE LORD

Any cult may have a Rune Lord or Lords, though not all cults have them at any given time. All cults are anxious to induct Rune Lords, but the candidate must meet the proper criteria, as given below.

MINIMUM ABILITIES FOR A RUNE LORD CANDIDATE

1. AT LEAST 90% ABILITY IN FIVE SKILLS - These skills must be in fighting or in other skills, though there is usually a minimum requirement of two 90% fighting skills. Which skills are necessary depends on the cult. The Sun Dome Temple, which makes its living in part by selling mercenaries, demands five fighting related skills, of which at least two must involve the spear, and one the bow, which are the traditional weapons of the Sky Rune. On the other hand, the Black Fang Brotherhood, a small cult of assassins devoted to a manifestation of the Death Rune, puts much emphasis on hiding and moving skills, and the making of poisons. The only weapon requirement is dagger.

2. A POW OF AT LEAST 15 - Basically, he has to have enough POW to attract a god's attention.

3. PROVE HIS DEDICATION - The cult will usually insist a candidate be an initiate for a period of at least one year.

COMBAT BENEFITS As a Rune Lord, an Adventurer may gain Expertise in the weapons of his cult, if he does not already have this skill. These will be taught to him by cult weapon masters, if available. Alternatively, the Rune Lord may teach himself, in any weapons of which he is a master. This will be gained at 1% per week of training, up to a percentage equal to the relevant STAT–10. Further Expertise thereafter must be gained by experience. As usual for weapon Expertise, this allows extra attacks and for each full 10% the character will develop a special martial arts ability.

NON-FIGHTING SKILLS BENEFITS In some cults a Rune Lord may also gain Expertise in non-combat cult skills on the same basis as with weapons. The advantages of this Expertise, and the special abilities gained, vary according to the skill. These will be detailed in the full cult descriptions, as applicable.

OTHER BENEFITS There are five other benefits to being a Rune Lord.

1. DIVINE INTERVENTION The same effect as the Rune Magic spell described later. When a Rune Lord appeals for divine intervention, his player rolls D100 and consults the following table. Note that unless the player rolls 96-00, the Rune Lord will always receive divine aid. The Divine Intervention Table gives how many POW points he loses permanently as the price for this aid. However, he can eventually regain the POW through normal POW gain rolls (see Chapter V). Because of his direct tie with his god, the Rune Lord may even call upon his god after death, calling for one favour, as described in the description of divine intervention found in the section on Rune Magic. Certain death gods, of course, will not answer a call for renewed life, but may answer a call to bring the Rune Lord's party out of difficulty. The call for divine intervention must be made immediately (the next melee round after death) or the spirit of the Rune Lord will join his master's entourage and be unable to call on such intervention. If the Rune Lord has insufficient POW to meet the requirement, he ceases to live and his spirit is drawn into the entourage of his god.

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DIVINE INTERVENTION TABLE

D100 POW Lost

01-05 0 Points06-10 1 Point11-20 2 Points21-30 3 Points31-40 4 Points41-50 5 Points51-60 6 Points61-70 7 Points71-80 8 Points81-90 9 Points91-95 10 Points96-00 No Effect/No Loss

2. BOARD AND SUCCOR A Rune Lord always has free room and board at any temple or other establishment of his cult. Also, his cult will usually try to get him out of any imprisonment. The method will differ with the cult. The Sun Dome Temple, and other major cults, will usually pay a ransom. The Black Fang Brotherhood maytake a hostage in the hope of an exchange. Others might organize a rescue mission. The cult will usually handle any other needs of their Rune Lords, including supplying them with the price of such things as warhorses and other tools of the trade. The referee of a full campaign should determine monetary resources of each cult so this is not overused.

3. ALLYING A SPIRIT The cult will assist a Rune Lord in obtaining an allied spirit to inhabit one of his weapons (see below). Attempting to ally a spirit resembles attempting to bind it, but involves persuasion rather than combat. The priests of the cult call up a spirit allied to their god. In effect, the god details one of its dependant spirits to negotiate with the Rune Lord. This spirit will have an INT of 3D6 and a POW of 3D6+6 (and equal WIS). To determine whether the attempt works, the following procedure is used: The Rune Lord adds his POW and CHA and compares it to the POW plus INT of the spirit. He then makes an “attack” on the spirit, as if he were trying to overcome its magic resistance, basing the attack on his total versus the spirit's. If the attempt is successful, the spirit is the Rune Lord's ally as long as it exists. Unlike a bound spirit, it can memorize and even cast battle/spirit magic spells. An allied spirit is in Mind Link (see the section on Rune Magic spells) with the Rune Lord, and is also capable of anything a bound spirit can do. It perceives the world through the Rune Lord's senses. A Rune Lord can only have one allied spirit at a time.

RURIK'S SAGA Rurik has become a Rune Lord of the Sun Dome Temple. Having gained a POW of 19 in a recent adventure, Rurik decides to ally a spirit. The cult priests call, and a spirit of INT 18 and POW 17 appears. Rurik's total is CHA 14 plus POW 19, or 33. This gives him a 40% chance of allying this spirit, which has a total of 35. He rolls 38, and has gained the spirit Sunfist for an ally. Even had he failed, the spirit would merely have gone away. NOTE - A Rune Lord cannot refuse a spirit his god sends him, even if it is POW 9, INT 3.

4. USE OF IRON The cults have the secret of enchanting iron so that weapons and armour can be made of it. The enchanting process is magical, and

GENERAL NOTES ON ALLIED SPIRITS

Allied Spirits in Weapons - While the Rune Lord's allied spirit is usually put into a weapon, many Rune Lords and Rune Priests use items of armour, shields, and other artifacts such as medallions for this purpose.

Broken Spirit Objects - If the artifact is broken, or a Priest's animal familiar is killed, the allied spirit loses its ability to perceive the physical world. It can still be used as a reservoir of POW, like a bound spirit, and INT for spells. It can be put into a new artifact or animal after a week-long cleansing ritual of atonement.

Spirits as “Priests” - An allied spirit whose POW is above 18 can also gain Rune magic spells like a priest of his god, without other benefits or responsibilities.

POW Gain Rolls for Allied Spirits - An allied spirit has exactly the same chance as any other spirit of getting a POW increase roll. This is a POW gain roll of 5%, i.e. 96% or more on D100. It can get this chance from throwing spells or in spirit combat.

keys the item created to the character it was created for. If the character dies, the enchantment dies with him, and the metal must be re-enchanted to be used by another. The enchantment also suppresses the magic dampening effect iron and other Rune metals have on battle magic, so that the Rune Lord can use battle magic as well as his weapons. Rune metals are an added complication discussed in Chapter X, Referee Notes. However, the use of iron weapons is important to a Rune Lord, as the added durability of these weapons is an immense aid in his adventures and progression toward Herodom. Among many other rituals, 1 point of Divine Intervention is necessary for enchanting iron or Rune metals. This point of Divine Intervention will enchant one weapon, one shield, and one full set of armour for a Rune Lord or Priest. If one or more of the components of this set are missing at the time of the ritual, they can be enchanted later, at the cost of another point of sacrificed POW. This suppresses the magic dampening effect upon spells cast by the individual it is being enchanted for. However, the god will only demand 1 point of Divine Intervention for this set and the tempering will almost always (96-00 is still a failure) work. The point of Divine Intervention must come from the receiving Rune Lord or Priest. If the character wishes to enchant further items beyond his basic set of weapon, shield, and armour, and the original set is still available, he must make another Divine Intervention sacrifice. Large or old established cults generally have iron or Rune metal armour and weapons available for re-enchanting. Small, nomadic, or fugitive cults usually do not, and the new Rune Lord must quest for his iron or Rune metal. Each separate campaign must determine the availability of the materials for each cult separately.

DURABILITY OF IRON Iron weapons and armour can take 1½ times the usual damage of bronze items. Thus an iron plate cuirass could absorb 9 points, not 6. Iron chainmail can absorb 8 points (in this situation, round up), iron ring mail could absorb 6 points. Similarly, an iron broadsword could take 15hp instead of the normal 10.

LIGHTNESS OF IRON Alternatively, iron armour and weapons can be made lighter. In this case, the iron item has half the weight of its bronze equivalent. However, such items have no more armour points than the standard bronze item. A thin iron plate cuirass would thus have an ENC of just 15lbs and 6ap, and a thin iron broadsword weigh just 2lb with 10hp.

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5. IMPROVED RESISTANCE TO MAGIC A Rune Lord always resists magic and spirit possession with his maximum POW, if that is higher than his WIS. Even if Rurik (with a POW of 19) had only his original WIS of 12, he would still defend against magic as if he had WIS equal to his POW of 19. His god makes up the difference, out of concern for the safety of the sacrifices Rurik will make to him in the future.

RESPONSIBILITES OF BEING A RUNE LORD A Rune Lord has responsibilities to his cult. There are two principal responsibilities, common to all cults.

1. ACCOUNTABILITY The Rune Lord is accountable to his cult and must come at its call. He has a fair measure of independence under normal circumstances, but if a message must be carried across a thousand miles of wilderness inhabited by hostile natives he will be appointed to lead the expedition.

2. SUPPORT As the Rune Lord is supported by the cult, so he must support the cult. 90% of his income, and all magical items he cannot use personally, must be donated to the temple treasury. However, this donated portion of his income can be used to buy training and spells provided by the cult. Any ransoms paid for the Rune Lord will also be taken from this donation, if it is available. If it is not available, the Rune Lord's future donations will be used to pay back the cult, before they can be used for further training and spells. Only the largest cults can provide training in all skills. The campaign referee must establish which skills are available to the Rune Lord from his cult.

RUNE LORD-PRIESTS A Rune Lord with a POW of 18 or higher may become a Priest of the cult he is associated with. He cannot go up in combat skills, but his god helps him remember what he knows already, so that he does not lose combat abilities the way a normal character becoming a Priest might. He keeps any benefits he has already gained from his Rune Lordship. Even a combination Rune Lord and Priest can only have one allied spirit at a time. A Rune Lord of one cult cannot become a Priest of another. A Rune Lord serving as a Priest cannot appeal for Divine Intervention as a Rune Lord. If the god took enough POW from him, he would go below 18 POW, voluntarily reducing his maximum POW below the 18 minimum for a Priest, which a Rune Priest is forbidden to do.

LEAVING THE RUNE CULT A Rune Lord could turn rogue, leaving the cult and losing benefits of Divine Intervention and his allied spirit. His former god might impose further penalties. He would retain the iron weapons and expertise abilities he already had. Less drastically, he may ask for a leave of absence. This may not be done to avoid any mission his cult has asked him to perform. This involves persuading the high priest of his temple to let him go, in a manner similar to that which got him into the cult. He must use his own money, not the cult's 90% share, when asking for a leave of absence. His reasons for leaving by either fashion vary, but include going on a Quest, which if he is skilful and the gods are kind, may make him into a Hero. Of course, many cults encourage and support such quests.

HERO QUESTS HeroQuests are ventures into the mythic realm of God Time, to a greater or lesser degree, seeking powers of the gods themselves. They involve formalized rituals. Ceremonies to gain Rune Spells are minor HeroQuests – but along such well-known paths that they are perfectly safe if the proper procedures are followed. There are various forms: some induce a trance-like state on a Questor who acts in the mundane realm; others carry them physically into God Time; most require the intercession of a Priest, or several Priests, or many Priests and a congregation of an entire village, city, or even legions. All require the Questor to emulate some of the deeds of their god. More significant HeroQuests are the prerogative of Rune Lords and of Rune Lord-Priests (or Priest-Lords). Major Quests are often too challenging for any but those who have already become a Hero.

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BECOMING A RUNE PRIEST

Magic in Glorantha is very much like the art of building bridges before Newtonian physics. Bridges were in fact built, and there were certain rough and ready rules for what was possible but much of the theory is not worth reading. It is known that battle magic is done by the spirit of the mage while Rune magic is done with the aid of a deity. Beyond that, ignorance reigns. A Priest is a specialist in using magic. The only way to learn the inner secrets of Rune magic, is to become a Priest of a particular god. Also, even if a character knew the inner secrets of magic, he would still need the assistance of a god in casting the spells.

BECOMING A RUNE PRIEST Becoming a Priest is not easy. To become a Priest in a cult, the character must:

1. BE AN INITIATE OF THE CULT.2. HAVE A POW OF 18 & WIS OF 9 OR HIGHER.3. KNOW HOW TO READ AND WRITE HIS NATIVE TONGUE.4. CONVINCE THE EXAMINERS OF THE CULT of his

dedication to the cult and its goals. This could be done by letting the player (as the character) try to convince the referee by (as the examiners) of his dedication to the cult and its goals, or use the same formula used when the character became an initiate.

Add the POW and CHA of the character. Then add 1 point for every 100 L the character donates to the temple as an “offering”. Divide the result by 3 (i.e., average POW, CHA, and offering). Then multiply the result by 5 and have the player try to roll that number or less on D100.

EXAMPLE Ariella wants to join the priesthood of Orlanth. She has a CHA of 16 and a POW of 19, which total 35. Divide by 3, that yields 12 (35 is closer to 36 than 33), which multiplied by 5 gives her a 60% chance. She would gladly donate some money to the temple to improve her chances, but her last expedition was not a great success, so she hasn't got any. This leaves a choice between a 60% chance, and honest work, patience, etc. Her player decides for the dice and rolls 27. Ariella is now a priestess.

BENEFITS OF BECOMING A RUNE PRIEST There are five benefits of becoming a Rune Priest.

1. BOARD AND SUCCOR The mage is fed and boarded at any refuge of the cult (and some allied cults as well) and the cult will usually do whatever is in its power to get him out of captivity. As with Rune Lords, the cult provides a horse and armour, etc.

2. FURTHER TRAINING The Priest will be trained in the Knowledge skills of the cult and in Oratory. The cult will pay for this training and the Priest is expected to repay the cult out of his later contributions.

3. EASIER POW GAIN ROLL Since the Priest concentrates on learning magic and contact with his god, he rolls for POW gain as if he had 4 fewer points. Thus he needs to roll only over his POW minus 4, multiplied by 5 on D100 (rather than the usual POWx5).

For example, Ariella, with POW 18, only needs to roll over (18-4)x5 = 70 on D100 to gain POW, whereas an ordinary character of that POW would need to roll over 90%.

4. ACCESS TO RUNE MAGIC The Rune Priest gains the power to use Rune magic. These spells give a big edge in adventuring, which is one of the major reasons people more interested in power than religion become Priests. For more details on Rune spells, consult the section on Rune magic.

5. ALLYING A SPIRIT The Rune Priest may ally a spirit, just as a Rune Lord does. He usually puts the spirit either into a staff or the body of an animal familiar. Unlike bound-spirit familiars, the Priest can use it's POW.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF BEING A PR1EST The Priest has responsibilities to his cult. There are three principal responsibilities, common to all cults.

1. ACCOUNTABILITY A Priest is a representative of his deity and his cult forms the focus of his life. He has certain freedoms in most cults, but emergencies will supersede his personal plans, and he must come at its call.

2. SUPPORT The Priest, like the Rune Lord, must give all but 10% of his income to the temple. He must also donate to the temple any magic items he cannot use himself.

3. DUTY The Rune Priest must do as the high priest of his temple commands. His normal duties are long and time consuming. He has no time for the intense training necessary to maintain DEX based skills such as fighting. Therefore, his ability with weapons falls to his DEXx5, if he was that good in the first place. This also affects all other DEX based skills. There is no time for training or practice in these skills, so they will not get better as long as the character is a Priest, except through experience. Also there is no time for rigorous exercise courses and the like, so the character cannot increase his STR, CON, or DEX. Only POW and CHA may be improved, as increasing them requires no specialized training. A Priest cannot voluntarily reduce his basic POW below the 18 necessary to become a Priest. If it happens to him involuntarily, treat the result as an involuntary leave of absence, except that the Priest cannot regain Rune magic spells until after he has a POW of 18 or higher.

LEAVING THE CULT A Priest may abandon his vows and leave the service of the cult at any time. He cannot come back. The god(s) of the cult will not be pleased, and all Rune magic will be lost. Alternately, he may apply for a leave of absence, to build up his DEX based skills. To do so, he applies to his high priest and attempts to make the same sort of roll he made to be accepted by the cult. If he makes it, well and good, he's free. In applying for a leave of absence, the character must use his own money. A leave of absence is for a stated period, never more than a game year. A Priest on leave retains the ability to use the Rune magic he has acquired, but counts in all other ways as a normal Adventurer. He loses the Priest's bonus in gaining POW but can improve characteristics, fighting ability and other DEX based skills.

BECOMING A HIGH PRIEST There are two ways to become a high priest.1. TAKE OVER A VACANT HIGH PRIESTHOOD This has problems, mainly because the second most experienced Priest takes over when a high priest dies, and the character is likely to be the junior-most priest.

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Murdering the high priests until it's your turn is frowned upon, and thanks to Divination, a character has a good chance of being caught. If the character waits until it's his turn, he will probably be at least 50 game years old. That leaves the other method.2. QUALIFY TO FOUND HIS OWN TEMPLE OF THE CULT To do this, a Priest must have minimum of 15 sacrificed points worth of reusable Rune magic spells, at least 5 of which must be Divination, and 90% ability with three cult Knowledge skills. He must also have the permission of his high priest, which is easy to get if he goes somewhere else to set up his temple, and has sufficient funds to build the new temple. The chief advantages of being a high priest are: he need not obey the orders of another high priest; he need no longer pay 90% of his income into the temple treasury; he may have initiates of the cult to obey him.

RUNE PRIEST-LORDS A Priest who qualifies as a high priest with 15 or more points of reusable Rune magic spells sacrificed for has another alternative to becoming a high priest. He may take leave from the humdrum duty of the cult and begin training his characteristics and skills toward becoming a Rune Lord of the cult. He still retains all privileges of his status as Priest.

JOINING MORE THAN ONE CULT To become an initiate or Priest of two or more cults, an Adventurer must first persuade his high priest to let him join the next cult (possibly only if it is friendly) by making a roll similar to that he made to become an initiate in the first place. After that, he must try to join the new cult by making a roll similar to that he needed to become an initiate in the first cult. NOTE – The Priest trying to get his superiors to let him go on leave of absence or join other cults must use his own money, not the 90% he owes the temple. If the candidate Priest manages to persuade a second cult to take him in, he is not obligated to give it 90% of his income. He is an associate Priest and will simply buy abilities outright from the new cult. The new cult will provide him with food and board, but it will not ransom or rescue him. Learning a speciality spell of the new cult must be accompanied by a donation of 1000 L per POW point of the spell. As an associate Priest, an Adventurer need not appeal to his high priest to go on leave, though an Adventurer must still get leave from the first cult.

RUNE MAGIC

A Rune Priest can cast Rune magic spells. He relies on power supplied by his god to cast the spell. Gods are usually unwilling to grant humans use of their power unless they get something out of it. A Priest must permanently sacrifice characteristic POW to his god in order to acquire the right to cast Rune magic spells. Of course, he can get this POW back eventually through normal POW increase rolls. A character makes this sacrifice by taking the characteristic POW above 18 and sacrificing it to his god at a religious ceremony. The cost in characteristic POW sacrificed to learn any particular Rune magic spell is given in each of the spell descriptions following. Learning a Rune magic spell does not require money, only the sacrifice of characteristic POW. The Rune association of his god will affect the powers of the Priest, making him better at using the elements or powers his god is associated with. However, there are many spells common to most cults because of their wide usefulness and lack of association with any specific Rune. These are listed in the Standard Rune Magic Spells Table and described in the following pages. The god does not care how many times any particular spell is sacrificed for or which spell is selected, although the cult may have its own guidelines. The god is concerned solely with gaining the POW sacrificed to it.

EXAMPLE – GETTING A RUNE MAGIC SPELL Ariella, having become a Priestess of Orlanth, was almost immediately sent out by the temple on an adventure. She not only survived but got a POW gain roll. Making that, her player rolls 15 on the POW increase roll, so she gains 2 points of characteristic POW. Her player looks over the Rune magic spells available to an Orlanth Priest. In light of recent unfortunate experience, Dismiss Elemental looks attractive, but the player finally decides that Shield would be more generally useful. Ariella, who would have a characteristic POW of 20 if she kept the results of her POW increase roll to herself, has a POW of 19 after buying 1 point of Shield. After her player decides she could use another point of Shield, she has a POW of 18. Her player would love to reduce her characteristic POW to 15, and get Dismiss Elemental III, but as a Rune Priestess, Ariella is obliged to maintain a POW of at least 18, so she can officiate at ceremonies.

CASTING A RUNE MAGIC SPELL After learning a Rune magic spell, it may be cast by reciting a formula to which the spell is keyed, either aloud or in the mind, after which the spell will take effect. This can be done at will, and Rune magic spells always take effect immediately. Casting a Rune magic spell prevents a character from casting any other Rune magic or battle magic spells. The sole exception is Extension (see Spell Descriptions) which is cast at the same time as the spell it is intended to extend. Casting a Rune magic spell does not reduce a character's current POW. If, in the example above, Ariella had a POW of 18 and cast 2 points of Shield, her POW would still be 18 when she casts Befuddle one round later. Once cast, a Rune magic spell cannot be cast again until the Priest spends a day of quiet worship at a temple or holy place of the Priest's cult. This compensates the god for the POW he used in casting the spell, and deters Rune Priests from casting Rune magic frivolously. Rune Magic is regained at the rate of 1 point a day so if a Rune Priest casts 15 points of reusable Rune magic, it may take him 15 days of quiet worship to get it all back. Some Rune magic spells, notably Divine Intervention, cannot be regained, but must be sacrificed for again (spells of this type are noted as “non-reusable”).

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The Priest can use his current POW to “back up” a Rune spell. For instance, a Black Fang Brotherhood Priest, wishing to attack Ariella but knowing she may have both points of Shield up (for 4 points of Countermagic) can use 4 points of his own current POW to help the 1 point Rune magic Shatter go through Ariella's Countermagic.

CHARACTERISTICS OF RUNE SPELLS Most Rune magic spells are passive with a duration of 15 minutes and a range of 160 feet. Rune magic is twice as strong per point of POW as battle magic. Thus, it takes 2 points of Dispel Magic to dispel a 1 point Rune magic spell. Unlike battle magic, most Rune spells are “stackable”, meaning they can be combined with themselves to increase effectiveness. For example, if Ariella decides a situation is desperate and she needs another point of Shield to add to one already cast, the 2 pts of Shield would give twice as much protection as one, whereas, casting Protection 1 twice is not equivalent to casting Protection 2 once. The Priest may sacrifice for as many points of the spell as he wishes, even though some stackable spells may only be used in increments of 4 in any one period of time.

RUNE MAGIC SPELLS TABLE

STANDARD (Common to Most Cults)1 Absorb POW 1+2 Discorporation POW 1+3 Dismiss Elemental POW 1+4 Divination POW 1+5 Divine Intervention POW 1+, One-Use6 Extension POW 1+7 Matrix Creation POW 1+, One-Use8 Mind Link POW 1+9 Multispell POW 1+10 Reflect POW 1+11 Shield POW 1+12 Spirit Block POW 1+13 Summon Elemental POW 1+14 Warding POW 1+

NON-STANDARD (Available to Specialist Cults)15 Berserk POW 216 Bless Crops POW 1 17 Concealment POW 218 Create Ghost POW 1, One-Use19 Regrow Limb POW 220 Restore Health POW 1+21 Resurrect POW 3, One-Use22 Sunbright POW 123 Thunderbolt POW 3+24 True Weapon POW 125 Vision POW 2

RUNE MAGIC SPELL DESCRIPTIONS

ABSORB 1 POW, Stackable to 4, Reusable Range - 160 feet Duration - 15 minutes This spell absorbs the POW points of any enemy's battle magic spell and makes them available to the caster while screening out the intended effect of the spells It works only on spells with twice as many or fewer POW points behind them as those sacrificed for the Absorb. Spells with more than twice as many POW points behind them than the Absorb will get through to the protected target without loss of POW. However, the Absorb spell will remain to absorb any future spells of the correct POW, unless dispelled by the proper size Dispel Magic. The caster of this spell may put it on someone else, but the caster of the spell will get the absorbed POW. This spell can protect anything, even a sword or a spirit. The POW points gained through this spell are stored in the spirit plane, held by the god for the character's use in casting battle magic spells. These points are not added to the current characteristic POW of the character but are used instead of his own POW as fuel for battle magic spells. As with most stackable spells, no more than 4 points of Absorb may be used concurrently. When the spell expires or is dispelled by Dispel Magic, any remaining stored POW is dissipated. Absorb is incompatible with Reflect, Shield or Spirit Block.

BERSERK 2 POW, Non-Stackable, Reusable Range - 80 feet Duration - 15 minutes This spell sends the recipient into a murderous fury. Their attack percentages double, but they cannot parry or cast magic and can only dodge using Defence at half normal percentage. Their berserk rage makes them immune to incapacitation, shock, unconsciousness, fatigue, exhaustion, Befuddle and Demoralize. Personal safety and all but the strongest loyalties are forgotten in the lust to destroy. If no foes are active and visible, berserkers will attack friends, mounts, trees or each other, unless they roll INTx1 to throw off their frenzy.

BLESS CROPS 1 POW, Non-Stackable, Reusable Range - 160 feet Duration – Growing season This spell affects an area ploughed by one man in a day, ensuring it will produce a crop of at least average quality next harvest time.

CONCEALMENT 2 POW, Non-stackable, Reusable Range - 160 feet Duration - 15 minutes This is a combination of two battle magic spells, Invisibility and Silence, and has the added bonus of making the Invisibility passive. If the character protected by this spell attacks with missile, melee, or magic, he becomes visible the moment he attacks and will disappear again upon the same initiative in the next melee round, unless engaged in melee. In any round the character disengages from melee, he will disappear again after one round of disengagement.

CREATE GHOST 1 POW, Non-Stackable, One-Use Range - 160 feet Duration - Permanent This spell requires a ritual performed over the body of a recently slain victim. The caster engages its departed spirit in spirit combat and if he reduces it to 0 POW it becomes a ghost bound to that place. (Some cults have variations of this spell to create other such horrors).

DISCORPORATION 1 POW, Stackable, Reusable Range – Touch Duration - 15 minutes The caster temporarily detaches his spirit from his body and reunites them at will, or after 15 minutes, whichever comes first. The body remains comatose until his return. The ability to separate costs 1 point. Difficulty of maintaining the

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separation is directly proportional to the distance between spirit and body, costing 1 further point of the spell per 3 miles of distance. Thus a Priest must have sacrificed 2 POW points before being able to travel more than 3 miles from his body. While in spirit form, the character may cast spells and teleport the spirit part to anywhere the character can maintain the separation. A Discorporate character is treated in all respects like an ordinary disembodied spirit (see spirit rules, Chapter V). A Discorporate character will be returned to his body by the use of a properly powerful Dispel Magic spell, assuming the user of Dispel Magic can find the Discorporate character by means of the Detect Spirit spell or find the body. While Discorporate, a character rolling 00 when attempting to cast an attack battle magic spell will be returned directly to his body. While a character is Discorporate, his body is still vulnerable to all damage causing spells, weapons, diseases, etc. If the body dies, the character remains a spirit, showing no more interest in the material world than the spirit of a newly dead character usually shows.

DISMISS ELEMENTAL 1 POW, Stackable to 3, Reusable Range - 160 feet Duration - Instantaneous This spell can dismiss any small elemental with 1 point, medium with 2 points or large with 3 points. The caster of the spell must overcome the magic resistance of the elemental for the spell to work. The dismissed elemental is gone, and cannot be summoned again until the spell used to summon it has been regained. The elemental cannot be dismissed until it is fully formed, When dismissed, the elemental will disappear exactly one melee round after the dismissal spell was cast, and may attack during that round.

DIVINATION 1 POW, Stackable, Reusable Range - 160 feet Duration - Permanent This spell allows the character to ask a question of his god. The answer will usually be a short sentence of up to seven words, though it may, at the referee's discretion, take the form of a vision. The gods cannot see into the future, being bound by Time as the rest of Glorantha. The ritual takes 1 hour to perform, and must be done in a recognized holy place sacred to the god being questioned. The probability that a character will correctly read the signs (necessary in this ritual) given by the god in answer is POWx5 or less on D100. No one is perfect, so there is always the 5% chance (96-00 on D100) that the character will read the signs wrong. The referee must then make up a misleading answer. As usual in such cases, the referee rolls the dice. Each point of this spell used allows one question to be asked.

DIVINE INTERVENTION 1 POW, Stackable, One-Use Range – Unlimited Duration - Permanent May be used to pray for a miracle (“Oh Lord, bring sister Ariella back from the dead”, “Oh Lord, return us to your temple at Pavis”, etc.). If the miracle is not too great (only one character may be reunited with his spirit, but a whole party of up to a dozen Adventurers may be teleported out of trouble), the character's chance of getting the request is 20% per point of spell used. This differs from the Rune Lord's Divine Intervention. When a Rune Lord asks for divine intervention, he will usually get it, but he will lose a certain amount of POW. When a Priest calls for divine aid, the POW has been already allocated for it, and Priest loses no other POW. If the god hears the plea and gives the miracle, the character will have to sacrifice new POW points to receive the spell again. Miracles take up a lot of godly energy, and have to be paid for. Thus, Divine Intervention is not a reusable spell. A given character can ask his god for a given miracle only once. If he doesn't get it then, he never will. If a god does not grant a miracle that his Priest has requested, the Priest will keep the POW points he

has in Divine Intervention, and if he survives, may use them to ask for another miracle later. Divine Intervention also has the property of helping the caster but not harming anyone else. It cannot be used to strike an enemy dead, for example. If the gods allowed their powers to be used in this fashion, they would soon be in direct conflict. This would defeat the whole purpose of the proxy wars between mortals, and threaten the world with direct conflict between gods. In certain special circumstances, such as the enchanting of iron or Rune metal armour, only 1 point of Divine Intervention is expected by the god, and no more need be cast. Divine Intervention cannot foretell the future or change the past. Also, Divine Intervention cannot be substituted for learning by experience or training.

EXTENSION 1 POW, Stackable to 3, Reusable Range - 160 feet Duration - Instantaneous This spell extends the duration of temporal battle or Rune spells:1 POW – Battle magic to 1 hour, makes passive (Rune no effect);2 POW – Battle magic to 6 hours, or Rune magic to 1 hour;3 POW – Battle magic to 1 week, or Rune magic to 6 hours. Unlike all other Rune magic, it must be cast with the spell it is extending.

MATRIX CREATION 1 POW, Stackable, One-Use Range – Touch Duration - Permanent This spell is used to create a battle magic spell matrix (see Chapter IX). The number of POW points normally needed to cast the spell must be sacrificed for Matrix Creation to create a matrix for that spell. Thus, to make a sword into a Bladesharp 1 matrix needs 1 point of Matrix Creation. Making a Bladesharp 3 matrix takes 3 points of Matrix Creation. A spell matrix may have only 1 spell in it, unless a successful Divine Intervention is used for each additional spell. If the spell is a variable spell, however, the strength of the matrix can be increased over time. Thus a 1 point Bladesharp matrix could be built up into a 4 point matrix by later use of further Matrix Creation spells. The matrix can also be created a part at a time, so that a Fireblade matrix, needing 4 points of sacrificed POW, can be done over the course of several weeks. Of course, it will not have the spell until the entire sacrifice is made. A Rune Priest cannot make a matrix for a spell he does not know.

MIND LINK 1 POW, Stackable, Reusable Range - 160 feet Duration -15 minutes This spell allows the participants to communicate telepathically and use each other's magical abilities, such as knowledge of spells and POW. Any participant in a Mind Link may use the spell knowledge and POW of other participants without their consent. Mind-affecting spells, such as Befuddle or Fanaticism, are transferred through Mind Link, but Harmonize, which affects thebody, is not. This flow only goes to people directly in Mind Link with the target. If a Rune Priest is affected by an attack on someone he is in Mind Link with, his allied spirit will not be, and can get him out of it with a Dispel Magic.

NOTES ON MINDLINK1. A character must allow himself to be included in the link.2. Morale affecting spells, such as Demoralize, cast against one

member of a link attack all characters linked with the target with the same attack roll. Thus, an attacker with a WIS of 12 attacking a target with a WIS of 14 needs a roll of 40 and gets 37. The target is Demoralized. However, the target's bound spirit, with a POW (i.e. WIS) of 15, is not. Also, the Rune mage with the WIS of 18 the target is in Mind Link with is also unaffected.

3. While all participants in a link have the magical knowledge of the

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others, characteristics, such as INT, WIS and POW, remain the same for each.

4. Characters defend against magical attack with their own WIS, and cannot draw upon the WIS/POW of others for defensive purposes.

5. If character A is linked with character B and C, characters B and C are not linked.

6. Any participant may leave the link at any time.7. Only the knowledge from conscious communications, as are

communicated by the battle magic spell Mind Speech, are retained after the link is gone. It cannot give permanent knowledge of a spell.

8. Once a voluntary Mind Link has been established, there is no limit on the range of the participants' communications.

MULTISPELL 1 POW, Stackable to 3, Reusable Range - 160 feet Duration - 15 minutes This spell allows the user to combine two battle magic spells and cast them at once. These are resolved as separate attacks (except for the Disruption spell, which can be combined with itself and resolved as one attack doing 2D3 damage to one hit location). Multispell can be used to cast two different spells at the same time, or to cast spells at two different targets at the same time. This spell does not decrease the cost in current POW of the spells to be combined, so the user loses the total amount required to cast them separately off his current POW. Multispell will not override the usual limitations on how much of a variable spell can be used. Also, it cannot be used to cast incompatible spells on the same target. Thus, Multispell cannot be used to create a single sword with Bladesharp 8 on it, or put Countermagic and Protection on the same character. An attack using Multispell will take effect at the latest initiative of any spell included in the combined attack. This spell affects all spells cast by the recipient over the 15 minute duration. Thus, every melee round he can throw two spells. Spells may be different each round. Stacking 2 points of Multispell allows three spells to be cast, and stacking 3 points allows four spells.

REFLECT 1 POW, Stackable to 4, Reusable Range - 160 feet Duration -15 minutes This spell reflects spells which fail to overcome magic resistance of the protected character. The reflected spells then attack their caster at the level of his current POW (not WIS) when it was cast. The spell will not work on attacking spells of more points than points than the Reflect spell. Because battle magic is only ½ as strong as Rune magic, a Reflect spell stacked to 2 points would not affect a battle magic spell with 5 POW points behind it, but could reflect anything less powerful, if the spell failed. Reflected spells hit the caster just a moment after he cast it, at the same initiative. Reflect is incompatible with Absorb, Shield or Spirit Block.

REGROW LIMB 2 POW, Non-Stackable, Reusable Range - Touch Duration - Varies This spell repairs a severed or maimed limb. If cast within 1 turn of injury it will repair/regrow at 10% per week, or 10% per month if applied later. It will not work if cast seven or more days after injury.

RESTORE HEALTH 1 POW, Stackable, Reusable Range - Touch Duration - Instantaneous This spell restores losses from one specified characteristic due to disease, magical draining or poisoning. Each stacked point of spell cures one point of loss (or all if temporary). Does not work on POW.

RESURRECTION 3 POW, Non-Stackable, One-Use Range - Touch Duration - Instantaneous With this spell the priestess finds and returns a departed soul to its body, which must be healed of any wounds, poison, disease or other

EXAMPLE Ariella has learned 2 points of Reflect since the last example. She goes on an adventure with Rurik and his followers. As usual, Rurik chooses to attack the first army of trolls he meets, about 20 of them. Ariella wins the initiative, scoring 12, and casts Shield on herself and the Reflect on Rurik, since she cannot cast both on herself. Rurik, on initiative 8, closes with the trolls then at initiative 4 is hit with a pair of spells: Befuddle and Disruption, 1 point of each. Neither spell works, and the spells are reflected back at their casters straight away. The dark troll who threw the Befuddle has WIS of 9, and had POW 9 when he cast the spell, so therefore the reflected spell has a 50% chance to Befuddle him. The referee rolls 37 on D100 and curses as the dark troll is befuddled. The dark troll casting Disruption has WIS 9 but POW 13 when he cast the spell. He took the POW for the spell from a bound spirit (of WIS/POW 6) but it is his own POW which matters. When the spell is reflected at him, it has a 70% chance. The referee rolls 42 and this dark troll is Disrupted, taking 2 points of damage. In the next round, this troll, realizing he is facing Rune magic, robs his bound spirit of its 5 remaining points and puts them behind a Demoralize spell. Once again, Rurik's high POW keeps the spell from working (as a Rune Lord, his WIS effectively equals his max POW of 19) but because the 5 points of POW were behind the spell, it is not reflected back. In the next round, two trollkin hit Rurik with Disruption and Befuddle. The Disruption spell user's attack roll is 02! Rurik is hit for 1 point in the right arm. The Befuddle spell is a failure and is reflected but fails to affect its caster. On initiative 4 the dark troll decides to get rid of this reflecting nuisance and uses his own POW to send a Dispel Magic 8 at Rurik, knowing that this is enough to knock-down even 4 points of Reflect. His attack roll is not 96-00, so the spell works, and the Reflect spell is dispelled.

physical damage which caused death. It cannot reverse death due to ageing or magical characteristic loss. The priestess engages the soul in spirit combat and must inflict POW loss to force it into the body. If the resurrected was dead a number of full days, they will have lost spells and CON. 1: 6pt spells, 10% CON; 2: 5pt, 20%; 3: 4pt, 30%; 4: 3pt, 40%; 5: 2pt, 50%; 6: All spells, 60%. After 7 days it is too late!

SHIELD 1 POW, Stackable to 4, Reusable Range - 160 feet Duration - 15 minutes Each point of this spell serves as a 2 point Protection (even over and above the normal 4 point limit) and a 2 point Countermagic. This spell is cumulative with either Protection or Countermagic. To get past a Shield spell, a battle magic spell must have 1 more point behind it than twice the number of points of Shield in effect. Thus, if 2 points of Shield are in effect, a Demoralize spell would have to have 5 points of POW behind it to get through. A Rune magic spell needs one more point than the number of points of Shield that are in effect. Shield does not go away if breached. It remains in effect for 15 mins or until dispelled with the appropriate strength of Dispel Magic. Shield is incompatible with Absorb, Reflect, and Spirit Block. If Shield and Countermagic are stacked together, and a spell which would normally knock down a Countermagic spell of their total strength is put against this, the Countermagic will go down, but the Shield will stay. Thus, if Ariella put up both points of her Shield spell, and added 2 points of Countermagic (a total Countermagic effect of 6 points), and a foe put 5 points behind a Demoralize spell thrown at her, the Demoralize spell would fail, but the 2 points of Countermagic would also be blown down and she would only have her Shield spell left for magic protection.

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SPIRIT BLOCK 1 POW, Stackable, Reusable Range - 160 feet Duration - 15 minutes This spell blocks 10 points of an attacking spirit's POW if cast before spirit combat begins. Thus, a spirit with a POW of 24 attacking a Priest protected by this spell would only be able to use 14 points of POW in spirit combat. If, through spirit combat with the protected character, the spirit is brought down to a POW of 10 or below, the two combatants can no longer interact. Of course, a spirit attacking a character protected by 2 points of this spell would lose the use of 20 points of POW in spirit combat and would not be able to interact with the character after its POW was brought down to 20 or less. This spell is incompatible with Absorb, Reflect and Shield.

SUMMON ELEMENTAL 1 POW, Stackable to 3, Reusable Range - 60 feet Duration - 15 minutes Summons a small elemental for 1 point, medium for 2 points, or large for 3 points, as described in the next section on “Elementals”.

SUNBRIGHT 1 POW, Non-Stackable, Reusable Range – 160 feet Duration – 15 minutes This spell put a 60-foot radius circle of light around the recipient, giving the effect of full daylight. It will thus demoralize trollkin, cave trolls, ghouls and affect shades and vampires. It does not blind a foe, but gives the equivalent of a Shimmer 2 spell (+20% Defence).

THUNDERBOLT 3 POW, Stackable, Reusable Range – 160 feet Duration - Instantaneous This spell calls a bolt of divine energy down from a cloudy sky to smite a specified target in range. It does 3D6 damage, which ignores armour and Protection spells but may be blocked by Countermagic. Each extra point stacked permits an additional target to be struck.

TRUE WEAPON 1 POW, Non-Stackable, Reusable Range – Touch Duration – 15 minutes This spell usually applies to just one sort of weapon (True Sword, True Axe, etc) according to the cult. The weapon it is cast upon rolls double normal dice for damage, up to the normal maximum damage.

VISION 2 POW, Non-Stackable, Reusable Range – 160 feet Duration - 15 minutes This spell gives a viewpoint which may be up to 800 feet away from the spirit of the recipient of the spell. looking from this viewpoint is approximately like looking through the character's eyes, but it gives a 180 degree view. After this spell is cast, the viewpoint can be moved at a speed of 10ft a melee round, and turned 180 degrees in a melee round. The two motions can be combined. While using Vision, the character cannot use his own eyes. However, he can switch back and forth between the spell viewpoint and his own from one round to the next.

WARDING 1 POW, Stackable to 4, Reusable Range - special Duration - Permanent This spell requires 4 wards as “props”. They must be exactly 6 inches in length, and may be made of light wood. It protects an area of 100 square yards (30x30ft) or less from spells cast into it from outside, attacking spirits, or attempts to enter it from characters outside the Warded area. The spell also protects the air space above the area for a height of 10ft, effectively creating a cube of protection. The area protected is defined by extension from the positioning of the wands. Each point of Warding functions as 1 point of Counter- magic against spells cast from outside the lines of the Warding, 1 point of Spirit Shield against enemy spirits crossing the lines of the Warding, 1 point of Disruption against all enemies crossing the lines of the Warding, and a Detect Enemies spell to determine whether the

above spirits and enemies are enemies of the caster. If the Warding is stacked to more than 1 point Warding, treat the Disruption spell attack as if cast with Multispell and combine the attacks into one with multiple damage value. Any attack spell cast across the lines of the Warding, or any attempt to cross the Warding by an enemy of the caster. Will also start an intense keening noise, which should wake all within. The warning noise is not necessary and can be suppressed by the conjuring Priest if he covets sleep more in than life. Multiple point Warding can be used to double or triple the area covered by the Ward, if the user would rather cover area than increase the power of the Countermagic and Disruption. NOTE - The mage with 3 points of Warding can put 1 extra point into the expansion, covering thereby 200 square yards (e.g. 30x60ft) and 1 extra point into the Warding effects, giving the effect of 2 point Countermagic and Disruption. The Warding spell lasts until the wands are removed and any attempt to remove the wands by anyone other than the caster will trigger the defences It can be dispelled with the appropriate strength of Dispel Magic. A sufficiently powerful Detection Blank will allow a character to walk untouched through a Warding spell because the Detect Enemies alert will not be affected. The caster may use this spell to protect an area or object, rather than himself. The Detect Enemies component will then detect anyone wishing to assault an area, steal an object, or whatever is appropriate to the manner of casting the spell.

EXAMPLE Ariella has just learned the Vision spell and is ordered to check out a castle, reported to be inhabited by trolls. (As usual, Rurik is giving the orders, but he's grown slightly more cautious after the last affair.) She puts her viewpoint 30 feet from the near gate, facing back toward the gate, and sees 2 dark troll guards sleeping, and 10 trollkin avidly rolling dice. Wondering about the rest of the castle, she turns the viewpoint around and sees about a dozen defenders starting to put their armour on, etc. At the same time, she hears a number of snarls. Wanting to know whether she's about to be eaten alive, next round she switches her viewpoint back to her bodily surroundings. Rurik and about 4 others are hotly engaged with 2 werewolves. Trusting Rurik against werewolves, next round she switches back to her viewpoint so that, after the werewolves have been disposed of, Rurik can be given a complete account of the castle defences.

ELEMENTALS

An elemental is the union of a not very bright spirit, supplied by the Rune Mage's god, and a particular physical form, supplied by the local environment. There are 5 major types of elementals: Darkness, Water, Earth, Fire and Air, corresponding to those Elemental Runes. There are also Lunar elementals, but since the Red Moon's glow does not yet cover most areas of Glorantha, they are still quite rare.

GENERAL PROPERTIES The spirit portion of an elemental consists of an INT of D6 and a POW equal to 3D6+6 (and equal WIS, as usual for spirits). An elemental, having both physical and spirit aspects, is vulnerable to both magical and physical attacks.

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SUMMONING ELEMENTALS The Elemental Rune cults can summon elementals of their Element. Elementals usually come in 3 sizes, small, medium, and large. The elemental will fight for the summoning character until it is physically destroyed, or the 15 minute time limit is up, whichever comes first. Having sacrificed for an elemental, a character will get the same elemental every time he summons it. Its characteristics will never change, even if it is physically destroyed. However, if any of its characteristics are reduced to 0, it will never return, and the Rune Mage must re-sacrifice if he wants another elemental. It takes an Elemental 1 melee round to form, and 1 melee round to receive orders. While the summoner is giving the elemental orders, neither the elemental nor the summoner may do anything else (such as parry the blow the giant is getting in).

Since no elemental has more than D6 INT, complicated orders are likely to be mixed up. However, the summoning character is in Mind Speech with the elemental and may change its orders at any time. An elemental may be summoned to appear anywhere within 60 feet of the summoning character. Note the difference from the usual range limit for Rune magic spells. An elemental will not move unless ordered to do so. However, an elemental automatically attacks anything caught within or on top of it. Of course, this can include the summoning character. Any number of elementals may be summoned at one time, controlled by one character, as they fight independently. An elemental cannot be summoned without at least some of that element present. It need not be anywhere near the amount actually used in the elemental, but when a character is out of water in the desert, he cannot summon a water elemental for drinking purposes.

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DARKNESS (SHADE)Characteristics Small Medium LargeAttack chance 20% 40% 60%Volume 10x10x10ft 20x10x10ft 30x10x10ftSTR 1D6+6 2D6+12 3D6+18Hit points =STRx½ =STRx½ =STRx½Movement Rate 18” 18” 18”

The shade is a tall, cloaked, human sized figure in a pool ofdarkness the size shown above. It engulfs characters in the pool of darkness and attacks then with fearshock, filling them with such terror that they cannot move. It uses its WIS (POW) against the CON of the victim(s) as if it were a WIS v WIS magical attack. The shade attacks with this fearshock on the first round a character is engulfed. The attack roll is compared against the CON of each person caught in the darkness. As long as that character is engulfed, he cannot be affected by the shade's fearshock after the first round. However, if he or the shade leaves and returns, he will be attacked again. Unconscious characters cannot be affected by a shade's fearshock. If the shade's attack is successful, roll for the result on the Shade Attack Table. If unsuccessful, also roll but add 50 (101+ is no effect).

SHADE ATTACK TABLE

D100 Result

01-05 Victim dies of fear. 06-35 Victim collapses for 20 minus CON full turns, then must

roll CONx5 or less or die as above. 36-65 Collapses for 20 minus CON melee rounds. 66-95 Victim cowers in fear for 20 minus CON melee rounds,

acting in all other ways as Demoralized. 96-00 Victim runs in fear for home for 20 minus CON melee

rounds. Will attack fanatically if no place to run to.

Characters making the roll of their INTx5 or less on D100 can attack or cast spells at the shade each round they are inside and make the roll. The shade will strike back, doing D6 plus any damage bonus based on its STR. The attack chance shown above is its chance of hitting. As with a magical attack, the appropriate amount of Countermagic or Shield will stop the effects. Because this is summoned by Rune magic, 1 point of Countermagic is needed to temporarily stop the effects of a small shade, 3 points a medium shade, and 5 points a larger shade.

FIRE (SALAMANDER)Characteristics Small Medium LargeVolume 10x10x10ft 20x10x10ft 30x10x10ftSTR 1D6+6 2D6+12 3D6+18Hit points =STR =STR =STRMovement Rate 9” 9” 9”

The salamander engulfs its victims, attacking their CONs directly with 3D6 heat shock. The roll of 3D6 is matched against the CON of the victim on the Magical Resistance Table (Chapter V) and, if the attack is successful, the character takes the full damage rolled on 3D6 directly to his CON, as with a poison attack. If unsuccessful, ½ the amount rolled is applied against the victim's CON. Armour will not protect against this damage, but Protection and Shield spells will.

WATER (UNDINE)Characteristics Small Medium LargeVolume 10x10x10ft 20x10x10ft 30x10x10ftSTR 1D6+6 2D6+12 3D6+18Hit points =STR =STR =STRMovement Rate 9” 9” 9”

The undine attacks by engulfing its opponents. Characters caught within it must make a die roll of their INTx5 or less on D100 or suffer 1D8 points of damage from inhaling water each melee round they are caught within. If they make the INT roll, the player can try to roll the character's DEXx5 or less on D100 to escape from the grasp of the undine. An undine can move away from a victim at any time. Anyone attempting to block the path of an undine will be engulfed automatically. It is usually possible to run away from an undine. Physical and magical attacks can damage the creature, breaking up the cohesiveness of its physical structure, and possibly “killing” it. When found on or under rivers, lakes, or oceans, an undine can attack like an air elemental.

EARTH (GNOME)Characteristics Small Medium LargeVolume 10x10x10ft 20x10x10ft 30x10x10ftSTR 2D6+6 3D6+12 4D6+18Hit points =STRx1½ =STRx1½ =STRx1½Movement Rate 5” 5” 5”

A gnome opens a pit under the feet of anyone standing on top of it. He falls into the depth of about a yard. The elemental then closes the sides of the pit in on him. doing 4D6 damage to each leg (armour will absorb this damage). If the character survives, he must make his STRx5 or less on D100 to climb out of the grip of the elemental. The gnome can only attack once by this method in a given area because the pulverized dirt is too fine for another attack. This elemental cannot be used in areas floored by quarried stone, or solid rock. However, it likes very rocky soil just fine.

MOON (LUNE)Characteristics Small Medium LargeVolume 10x10x10ft 20x10x10ft 30x10x10ftSTR 1D6+6 2D6+12 3D6+18Hit points =STRx½ =STRx½ =STRx½Movement Rate 18” 18” 18”

Lunes appear as pools of pulsating red light. They form from the intense moon-glow, produced by moon-rocks from the surface of the Red Moon. These are difficult to obtain and are available only to Lunar priests, and even then at some cost. The glow of these moon-rocks waxes and wanes with the Red Goddess herself. On the Dark or Dying days of the Lunar cycle, Lunes cannot be summoned outside of the Glowline (the magical boundary of the Lunar Empire). At Full Moon, Lunes' WIS/POW and HP are x1½. To attack, they englobe a target, drain 1 current POW per round, and assail them with Madness (roll WISvWIS, see effects below).

LUNE ATTACK TABLE

Critical: Lose D4 INT permanently; and as re-roll (30–WIS days). Special: Attack nearest with Fanaticism (30–WIS mins). Success: Collapse Catatonic (30–WIS mins). Failure: No Effect, but Animals are Befuddled (30–WIS mins). Fumble: No Effect.

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AIR (SYLPH)Characteristics Small Medium LargeVolume 10x10x10ft 20x10x10ft 30x10x10ftSTR 1D6+6 2D6+12 3D6+18Hit points =STRx½ =STRx½ =STRx½Movement Rate 18” 18” 18”

A sylph attacks by taking a character caught within it and throwing him to the top of the elemental, and then dropping him. Damage done is 1D6 per 10ft of fall. Thus a small sylph can do a maximum of 2D6 damage, but by making the elemental 20ft high, a medium sylph can do 3D6 damage, etc. (See Falling rules in Chapter III). An Adventurer may try to resist by pitting his STR against that of the elemental. This should be resolved as if the elemental were attacking the character by magic, except that it pits STR against STR, rather than WIS against WIS. If the character resists, he stays on the ground. If there is more than one target within the area covered by the elemental, it may divide its STR equally among the targets and overcome each STR on an individual basis Thus, a large sylph with a STR of 30, having three targets within one area, can attack each target with a STR of 10. If it works against one, but not against the others, then one victim goes flying while the others stay on the ground. If so commanded, it will attack only one target, leaving the others alone. Characters may choose to attack or cast spells at a sylph instead of resisting, in hopes that the sylph will be destroyed in mid-toss, causing only ½ damage for the toss. The characters will be tossed, however. A sylph can also be used to fly characters around. A small sylph can lift one man sized (SIZ 20 or smaller) being, a medium sylph two man sized or smaller beings, and a large sylph, three. The sylph must be ordered to do this, and cannot do anything else while doing it. If one wants to try to lift a giant, or other large creature, divide its SIZ by 20. A sylph that can carry the resultant number of men can carry the monster.

ELEMENTAL RUNE IDENTITIES Each elemental Rune has certain things identified with it in the mythology of Glorantha.

RUNE COLOUR METAL WEAPON PHYLUMDarkness Black Lead Club/Rock InsectWater Blue Aluminium Whip/Flail FishEarth Green Copper Axe ReptileFire/Sky Yellow Gold Spear/Arrow BirdLunar Red Silver Sickle -

EFFECTS OF IDENTITIES Colour - Rarely has any effect on the world, save that the Priests of an elemental Rune cult usually wear the appropriate colour. Metal - Rune Priests of a particular element have the ability to harden that element's metal into weapons with strength equal to bronze. However, iron is preferred by these races which can handle it due to its greater durability and absorption of damage. Weapon - Rune Lords of a particular elemental cult will usually specialize in the cult-identified weapons. Phylum - Members of the particular phylum often make excellent familiars for Rune levels of that Rune. However, they are not limited to that type of animal. Note that the Lunar “element” arose too late to acquire a phylum identification.

SAMPLE CULTS

DEITIES Gods are the most potent beings in the universe. The most powerful of them are far older and stronger than any other spirits around. There is a hierarchy among deities, ranging from old gods like Orlanth (the Sartar Storm God) down to tribal ancestors, wood nymphs, and ancient chieftains. Any of these may be the object of a cult, though a powerful god can lend far more power to its priests than a weak one can. Gods pay attention to their worshippers because they make sacrifices, which add to the god's power. A deity use thus respond to requests from his priests, shamans, and initiates who officiate at sacrifices. A god will usually ignore requests made by his ordinary worship- pers because (1) they do not officiate at sacrifices, (2) they should be kept in line by the clergy anyhow, and (3) a god with decent sized cult has not the time to deal with all of his worshippers on an individual basis.

RUNEPOWER As well as the standard Rune magic spells, deities will be able to grant certain Rune magic which are a speciality of their cult, usually associated with the Runes of the cult. Two different gods, even of the same Runic association, may develop entirely different arrays of spells for their Priests. Some examples of Runepower spells are given in the sample cults following, and in the RuneQuest playing aid Cults of Prax. The referee wishing more variety in his universe is encouraged to develop his own cults. The elemental summoning spells described previously are in actuality examples of Runepower spells, as only cults with an elemental Rune have access to them.

GENERAL Cults may be divided into three classes, depending on how widely worshipped the god is and how powerful he/she is. These are inter- related factors, as a god draws power from being worshipped. The first and most powerful type of cult is that of a major deity. The major deities of Glorantha include the Seven Lightbringers, as well as many others. These gods usually have subsidiary deities associated with them and their Priests have access to Runepower spells of several Elemental Runes, and one, or perhaps more, Power Runes as well. One example of this sort of cult is the Orlanth cult of Sartar, which is described below. A major cult like this will have more than half a million worship- pers and a large hierarchy with many temples. They are quite formalized, and shamans have little to do with them. The second type of deity is a medium power deity, with anywhere from fifty thousand to five hundred thousand worshippers. There are usually no associated minor deities. The Priests of such a deity have one Elemental Rune and a modifying Power Rune though perhaps the only modifier will be one of Form or Condition. The Darkness Rune cult of Kyger Litor, Mother of Trolls, described below, is an example of this type. The third class of cult is composed of minor deities, subsidiary deities such as mentioned above, and powerful spirits who have not managed to make the jump to godhood. Most of the spirits in the board game Nomad Gods are in this class. They often have only shamans interrelating with them, and no actual priesthood. If they have Priests, they can only give them 1 or 2 point Runepower spells and they often have only part of the Rune magic described earlier available. The Black Fang Brotherhood described below is an example of this class of cult.

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A BRIEF LIST OF CULTS

THE ORLANTHI PANTHEON – Gods of the Hill Barbarians

THE LIGHTBRINGERS – Heroic Saviours of the Sun & WorldORLANTH - King of the Gods, the Storm King, Husband of ErnaldaISSARIES - God of Trade, Travel & CommunicationLHANKOR MHY - God of Lawspeaking, Lord of KnowledgeCHALANA ARROY - Goddess of Healing & ComfortEURMAL - The Trickster, God of fools & OutlawsThe other two were Flesh Man, who was driven mad, and Ginna Jar, who remains an enigma.

ERNALDA - The Earth Mother, Sometime Wife of OrlanthMASTAKOS - God of Mobility, Orlanth's CharioteerELMAL - God of Sun & Horses, Orlanth's ThaneDONANDAR - God of Music & DanceBABEESTER GOR - The Holy Avenger & Guardian of the EarthHUMAKT - God of Death, War & EndingsOthers: Asrelia, Grandmother of Wealth; Barntar, the Ploughman; Daka Fal, Judge of the Dead; Gagarth, God of the Wild Hunt; Grandfather Mortal; Kero Fin, Mountain-Mother; Mahome, Hearth Goddess; Maran Gor, the Earthshaker; Oakfed, God of Holy Fire; Odayla the Hunter; Urox the Storm Bull; Ty Kora Tek, Goddess of the Dead; Uleria, Goddess of Love; Valind, God of Winter; Vinga, Warrior-Princess; Voria, Goddess of Spring; Yinkin the Shadowcat.

THE LUNAR PANTHEON – Gods of the Empire & CivilizationTHE RED GODDESS - The Red Moon, The Mistress of Time

THE SEVEN MOTHERS – Re-creators of the Red GoddessSEVEN MOTHERS - Guardians of the Lunar BorderlandsYANAFAL TARNILS - Lunar God of WarQUEEN DEEZOLA - Lunar Goddess of HealingIRRIPPI ONTOR - Lunar God of KnowledgeJAKALEEL THE WITCH - Lunar Goddess of WitchcraftDANFIVE XARON - Lunar God of RepentanceThe others are Teelo Norri, whose cult is a simple charity with no priests or initiates, and She Who Waits, only worshipped in Glamour.

ETYRIES - Lunar Goddess of Trade and CommerceHWARIN DALTHIPPA - The Conquering DaughterOthers: Annilla, the Blue Moon; Arachne Solara, Goddess of Fate; The Crimson Bat, Steed of the Red Goddess; Gorgorma, the Keeper of Secrets; Nysalor, the Illuminator; The Red Emperor, Living God of the Empire; Yara Aranis, Goddess of the Reaching Moon.

PRAXIAN PANTHEON – Nomad Gods of the WastesWAHA - God of the Praxian Tribes, Kahn of Prax, Man-GodEIRITHA - Mother of Herds, Woman-GodTHE STORM BULL - God of Berserks and the Desert WindDAKA FAL - Judge of the Dead, Speaker to the SpiritsOthers: Foundchild the Hunter; Horned Man, the First Shaman; Malia, Mistress of Disease; Oakfed, the Wild Fire.

THE PAVIS ARRAY – Gods in the Frontier City of New PavisPAVIS - Founder-God of the City of PavisFLINTNAIL - Dwarf God of Pavis CraftersZOLA FEL - God of the River of CradlesBLACK FANG - The Black Fang Brotherhood of AssassinsOthers: Orlanthi, Lunar and Praxian Gods; Argan Argar, Troll God of Trade; Etyries, Lunar Goddess of Trade; Humakt, God of Death & War; Issaries, God of Trade; Lanbril, The Forgotten, God of Thieves; Lokarnos, Solar God of Commerce; Teelo Norri, Young Life; Uleria, Goddess of Love; Yelmalio, Son of the Sun.

YELM PANTHEON – Gods of the Imperial Golden AgeYELM - The Sun God & EmperorYELMALIO - Son of the Sun, Sun God of the FrontierPOLE STAR - God of Dance & WarLODRIL - God of Heat & VolcanoesOthers: Daga, God of Drought; Dayzatar, The Pure Light; Dendara (Ernalda), the Good Earth, Yelm's Wife; Donandar, God of Music & Dance; Golden Bow, God of Archery; Gorgorma, Keeper of Secrets; Hyalor Horsebreaker; Lokarnos, God of Wagons & Commerce; Nysalor, God of White Light; Oakfed, the Holy Fire; Oslir, the River God; Ourania, Queen of Heaven; Uleria, Goddess of Love; Voria, Spring Virgin; Vrimak, God of Hawks; Yelorna, the Star Huntress.

THE TROLL PANTHEON - Gods of Hell and DarknessKYGER LITOR - Mother of the TrollsARGAN ARGAR - God of Surface Darkness, Troll God of TradeXIOLA UMBAR - Troll Goddess of Compassion, Healing & SolaceZORAK ZORAN - God of Hate & Vengeance, Troll God of WarOthers: Annilla, Goddess of the Blue Moon; Aranea, Goddess of Spiders; Arkat Kingtroll; Asrelia, Keeper of Wealth; Gorakiki, Mother of Insects; Subere, Goddess of Inner Dark; Zong the Hunter.

ALDRYA, SPIRIT OF THE FORESTS – Goddess of ElvesThe religion of elf-kind is dominated by Aldrya, mother of elves and their kin, the dryads, pixies and runners. All such are born to her cult and, except rare rootless elves, remain so through their long lives.ALDRYA – The Goddess and Mother of Elves, Spirit of the WoodsOther gods sometimes favoured by elves: Babeester Gor, the Holy Avenger; Flamal, Father of Seeds; Gata, Goddess of the Earth; Voria, Goddess of Spring; Yelmalio, God of Winter Sun.

THE ARRAY OF CHAOS – Gods of Terror and DestructionThe Lunars are widely hated for permitting Chaos, but even their all-embracing faith won't tolerate the excesses these cults often commit.CACODEMON - God of Cannibalism, Murder, & OgresKRARSHT - Chaos Goddess of Hunger & IntrigueVIVAMORT - God of VampiresOthers: Atyar, the Knowledge Thief; Bad Man, Shaman's Nemesis; Bagog, Mother of Scorpions; Gark the Calm, Chaos God of Eternal Peace and Zombies; Malia, Goddess of Disease; Nysalor/Gbaji, the Deceiver; Pocharngo the Mutator; Primal Chaos, the Chaos Ooze; Ragnaglar the Mad; Thanatar, the Severed God; Thed, Goddess of Rape, Mother of Broos; Tien, the Headhunter; Wakboth, The Devil.

OTHER RELIGIONS IN GLORANTHAMany more gods exist in Glorantha. The ones listed above are those most popular in central Genertela. Others include: Mostal the Dwarf God or World Machine; Malkioni Saints of the Western Knights and Sorcerors; Sea-gods Dormal the Sailor and Magasta of the Mermen.

ORLANTH

MYTHOS AND HISTORY Orlanth was one of the many sons of Umath, the Primal Air. His mother was a mountain goddess named Kero Fin, and because of this he has always been associated with mountains. The most famous struggle of Godtime was the rivalry between Orlanth and Yelm, the sun god. It is known in mythologies which do not even worship these two gods. In their own myths, the contest is central to worship. There are many tales telling of one or the other god's victory. One such contest is when the gods made weapons. Yelm made the silent and far-shooting arrow, inspired by the piercing effect of his rays. Orlanth got the sword which was inspired

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by the slicing of the wind through the world. Later the duel grew more serious and Orlanth used the new power, Death, to kill Yelm. This brought the Lesser Darkness upon the world. During the Lesser Darkness, Orlanth led a strong army of immortals with many allies. Then Chaos crept into the world upon the trail made by Darkness. Monsters and demons scouted through the cosmos, preparing the way for the Devil. Gods whose names are now lost to us died. Realms of beauty were lost, and there was fear among the gods when Flesh Man gibbered his visions of the future to them. Orlanth found his mother dead, saw his father suffering and chained between the earth and sky, and took upon himself the task to right the wrongs which had brought such disaster about. He took what tools and weapons he could, called some friends and met others along the way, and thereby joined the Lightbringers who searched unknowable paths to rescue the world. For his leadership of the Lightbringers and his acknowledged superiority over Yelm, Orlanth was confirmed as chief of the air gods. He also took the title of King of the Gods. That title is recognized by Lightbringers and some others, but not by all of the deities of the world. Orlanth's cult is extensive, and it is understandable that such diversity would spawn some differences of worship. In general, three forms of the god are recognized. Orlanth Adventurous is the most widespread, for this god-form appeals to those who wander and adventure. Orlanth Thunderous is the weather god aspect and is worshipped where people commune with the violent storms of nature. Orlanth Rex is the King of the Gods, and is worshipped by chieftains and nobles and poets. Orlanth Adventurous is shown here.

RUNIC ASSOCIATIONS The primary runes of Orlanth Adventurous are Air/Storm, Motion, and Mastery. As is normal with major cults, there are numerous other affiliations.

ORGANIZATION There is no permanent structure of Orlanth Adventurous cults. Each high priest runs an independent and separate “ministry” for his worshippers. There are occasional Orlanth Rex priests present, and they may command respect and hospitality from the high priests, but there is no fealty or permanent command between them. The individual high priests of the cult work together as need be, but may remain independent. Organization below the high priest is arbitrary and depends only on the whim or nature of the priest. Priests and Rune Lords will normally report to one or another high priest, though this can change at need. It is very easy to get a leave of absence from an Orlanth high priest. Whenever a priest reaches the high priest stage, they may set up their own ministry if they wish, or remain with their high priest. A priest might also take over an ongoing ministry whose priest is incapacitated, has died, has transferred to a temple in Dragon Pass, or otherwise retired.

REQUIREMENTS TO JOIN AS LAY MEMBER Orlanth welcomes almost all beings who breathe air. This includes all the elder races (yes, trolls too). Lay members must have reached their maturity (between 16 and 20 for humans) and must make the choice to join by their own free will.

INITIATE MEMBERSHIP

REQUIREMENTS FOR INITIATION The prospective initiate of Orlanth must have belonged to the cult for at least a year as a lay member, and must make a formal rejection

of former cult ties and swear to devote himself “to the winds”. He pledges himself to follow his priest and his god. He must have a sponsor who is already an initiate. He must pass a test given by the priest. This test can be abstracted to be the sum of his INT, WIS, and CHA, added to the number of years he served as a lay member, with an additional point for each 100 L donated to the cult. The total is the number needed on D100 for acceptance. The priest may choose to take into account great deeds done for the god.

EXAMPLE Jarang Bladesong wishes to become an Orlanth initiate; hissponsor is his priest, Argrath Dragonspear, whom Jarang has faithfully served for 6 years. Jarang has INT 12, WIS 14, CHA 11, and will donate 2000 L to Dragonspear's cult. Recently Jarang killed a Lunar priest intent on Argrath's life, and the priest reckons that act worth an additional 20%. For Jarang to gain initiate status (and also get protection from the Red Moon), his player must throw (12+14+11+6+20+20=) 83 or less. He rolls an 03, critical acceptance! Argrath returns the 2000 L as partial gratitude and greeting. Jarang now is a very loyal member of Argrath's Orlanth cult.

REQUIREMENTS TO REMAIN INITIATED Initiates must tithe 10% of their income, including income made while on leave. Initiates are required to spend at least 6 weeks a year aiding in the defence of their priest and in performing tasks for him. This is on a rotating basis and determined by the priest. During cult holy days, initiates must give up 2 points of POW in their prayers. They are bound to the cult likes and dislikes.

MUNDANE BENEFITS Initiates who are captured will be ransomed by their own priests if possible, or by friends. Rescue is as likely as ransom. Circumstances will determine which option is used. Orlanth Adventurous initiates may receive cult training in the foll- owing skills at ½ price. Some of these are received from associate cults. Evaluate Treasure, Climbing, Acrobatics, Find/Disarm Traps, Listen, Spot, Hide in Cover, Move Quietly, Storm Speech, Literacy, any Sword. Initiates of Orlanth Adventurous have the usual opportunities for purchasing Rune magic. They may learn Bladesharp and Farsee at ½ price.

RUNE LORD MEMBERSHIP

GENERAL STATEMENT Rune Lords of Orlanth Adventurous are called Wind Lords, and are the embodiments of the Adventurer. His life task is to perform deeds to honour his god, and so he roams the world seeking danger and strife, impetuously taking up quarrels and fearlessly defending his friends. He has no permanent allegiance to any “ministry” but simply moves from one to the other, serving as he can and being served by priests and initiates in turn. Rune Lords are urged to become Priests as well, when they meet proper requirements.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCEPTANCE Candidates for Wind Lord who fulfil the minimal requirements and have been initiates for at least a year will be accepted by the priests almost automatically. Only a roll of 96-00 on D100 will cause rejection. Even then the candidate can try again next season. Candidates may also attempt to become a Wind Lord even if they have not previously been initiates. They must prove their sincerity (which the priest will check through a Divination spell), make a

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contribution of at least 1500 L in cash or kind (which does not aid in his acceptance roll), and pass an exam which is abstracted into INT+WIS+CHA divided by 3 and multiplied by 5 on D100. All candidates for Wind Lord must have 90% proficiency with any Sword weapon, plus 90% proficiency with any 4 of this list: another weapon, Oratory, Riding, Climbing, Shield, Mapping, Spot Hidden, Hide, Move Quietly, and Storm Speech.

BENEFITS A Wind Lord has the immense benefit of being called upon for many dangerous tasks and trying to outshine his contemporaries in feats of glory and prowess. He is the subject of awe, admiration, and many poems. Stranger Wind Lords are treated with respect by almost everyone they meet, and given food and shelter if they ask. Familiar Wind Lords who have proved themselves to their tribe live like khans on the gifts which they receive from friends or people thankful or hopeful of their help. They have their choice of booty taken on raids by them and their followers, and so get to keep the best 10% for themselves. Iron weapons and armour are rarely available to present to a Wind Lord upon his accession to the rank. He may receive one piece of iron to mark his status, but it is often the first quest for the new Wind Lord to gain his whole regalia of iron accoutrements.

RESTRICTIONS Wind Lords have honours to uphold, and the following challenges must be made.

Upon meeting a Yelmalio Priest or Lord, cry out:Wandering Sun, Jealous Uncle, I have a New Toy here, see it?Test me, twice if you can, for a Gold Piece each right Answer. The Wind Lord and Light Son must then engage in a Riddling Contest, the loser paying a Wheel for each wrong answer. (INTx5) Upon meeting any Earth Priestess:Sweet Green Woman, Look at me! I am come, the Conqueror!None can stand before me. I am yours, what Dark shall I fight? The priestess may then order the Wind Lord to fight any force of Darkness which has bothered her in the last week. She does not have to, but if she does then the Wind Lord gains the right to make one demand upon her Fertility spell on the next Springtime Earth Rite.

Upon meeting other Lightbringer Priests or Lords:Good Greetings in ill times, Friends! No person can risk the world Join others you can share with, They need not be like you. \\alone. If any among those met are are hungry or thirsty, need healing, or have been unfairly treated, the Wind Lord must help them.

Upon meeting something of Chaos:Foul slime, curse of existence, begone! Turn your back and Flee fro-I will kill you, you are evil. Lie and whimper before me. \\m Me. If the chaotic thing does not do as told, the Wind Lord must fight it to kill it. If it turns its back or lies and whimpers he can still kill it without besmirching his honour. It is not necessary for a Wind Lord to attack anything he deems overly large, but he must get help and bend his efforts to destroying the chaos as soon as possible. Chaotic things on this hate list are Broos, Scorpion men, Ogres, Gorp, Dragon Snails, Bullsitch and people of the Lunar persuasion. It is possible for a Wind Lord to spare a Lunarite who is not tainted by chaos personally, but only to try to save them from their perverted Lunar ways.

Also, as any other Lightbringer Priest or Lord, a Wind Lord must answer the Lightbringer's Summons, or lose all powers from his god: “Chaos stalks the world, Broos have bruised me, ...” etcetera.

RUNE PRIESTHOOD: WIND VOICES

GENERAL STATEMENT The Wind Voice of Orlanth Adventurous is the vessel for the magics of his god to come to the world. They are responsible for the spiritual health of their entire ministry. Note that Priests must spend much of their time performing proper rites to keep the winds blowing and to bring the blessings of Orlanth Adventurous to the widespread worshippers who do not have the benefits of a priest's presence. Those many tasks make it impossible for a Wind Voice to keep in shape by training. Thus he must be limited to an ability of DEXx5 for all DEX based skills. They may, of course, continue to advance toward and up to their maximum DEX limits by experience, though not by training, and still know Knowledge skills appropriate to the cult up to the maximum possible.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCEPTANCE Priests of Orlanth Adventurous must be able to speak theirnative tongue and Storm Speech at least 80%, have a POW of 18 or more, WIS 9 or more and convince the examiners in the usual fashion. This is abstracted as a die roll of WIS+CHA+number of 100s of Lunars divided by 3 and multiplied by 5 on D100. They must also have been initiates for at least 2 years.

RESTRICTIONS Wind Voices must never fail to succour one of their congregation. They must eat eggs once a week (a sign of contempt for Yelm) and can never use birds as familiars (because of the sky connection). Cats are the preferred familiar.

BENEFITS Wind Voices attached to tribes or clans are revered for having their exotic powers of Rune magic. Although they have no official status in tribal affairs, they are usually allowed to sit in on council meetings and voice their opinions to the elders. Priests of Orlanth are always given preferential treatment when becoming associate members of other Lightbringer cults. Priests are allowed to initiate new members, as usual, and to keep the money given as part of their examination.

RUNE SPELL COMPATIBILITY Priests of Orlanth Adventurous may get any standard Rune spell. Since the cult emphasizes Mobility more than Storm, members may summon only small and medium sylphs, but may dismiss any size of elemental.

SPECIAL CULT RUNE SPELLS

TELEKINESIS Cost - 1 POW point Range - 160 feet Duration - 15 minutes Non-Stackable Reusable The caster may transport any one object weighing no more than SIZ 20 (about 350 pounds) through the air for up to 15 minutes. In this situation, each 14lbs encumbrance equals 1 point of SIZ. The caster must overcome the WIS of any resisting creature or thing with WIS he attempts to lift. With this spell, one can pick up anything not nailed or glued down. To move something nailed or glued down, the player rolls his current WIS against the STR of the nails or the glue (which must be determined by the referee) This is the same procedure as in overcoming magic resistance. The maximum speed of the object so moved is movement rate 18”.

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WIND WORDS Cost - 2 POW points Range - 160 feet Duration -15 minutes Non-stackable Reusable If downwind, the caster can cause the wind to bring in conversa- tions within range to his ears as if standing next to the speakers.

GUIDED TELEPORTATION Cost - 3 POW points Range - Anywhere in Glorantha Duration - Instantaneous Non-stackable Reusable This non-stackable spell always will return the caster to a specific spot which has been made sacred to Orlanth through a complicated week long ritual connected with acquiring the spell. Only a priest can cast the spell, and only on himself.

TELEPORTATION Cost - 3 POW points Range - 160 feet Duration - Instantaneous Non-Stackable Reusable Sighting for this spell must be done visually. The caster can teleport to any spot he can see, either on his own or through the eyes of a familiar or through a Mind Link or Vision spell. He cannot teleport to any place he cannot thereby see. The spell carries the caster and all his body gear but will not carry any other living thing, even should the caster wrap his arms around it. A stackable spell, it can be used to teleport someone else, within the same limitations.

SUBSERVIENT CULT - SANDALS OF DARKNESS This cult is one of the four magic weapon sub-cults of Orlanth, and is the only one available to Orlanth Adventurous. He stole this from Kyger Litor in the Darkness One Rune spell is available from this for the Wind Voice.

DARK WALK Cost - 1 POW point Range - 160 feet Duration -15 minutes Non-stackable Reusable This spell allows the user to be totally invisible and soundless in darkness and shadow to anyone within the range. Blend-in is total.

KYGER LITOR

MYTHOS AND HISTORY

BEFORE TIME Kyger Litor is one of the old Dark Deities, but one whose importance was not possible until the creation of the Man Rune. From the vague and unknown spirits of the Old Dark, she stepped forth to mate with the Man Rune for her mistress, Subere, also called Hell Darkness. There, in the lightless world, the Men of Darkness were made, and so was spawned the race of trolls. The troll races first lived within the bowels of the Underworld, and it was a satisfying, though primitive, life for them. Kyger Litor walked freely among all living trolls, and she founded many houses of noble trolls to rule over the lesser breed. These ancient beings are called the Mistress Race Trolls.

When Yelm the sun god came to Hell after being killed, Kyger Litor was among those Darkness deities who fought against him. Like the others, Kyger Litor was defeated, and so Yelm earned his place as a God of the Dead. But the bright death was too much for the dark troll races to bear, and they fled in fear and anger from their birthplace. Kyger Litor led them by secret ways to the surface world where Night already hid, and so began the Great Darkness. Trolls and their Dark God allies fought against the forces of the Surface World, where all was already well-disintegrated in the Gods War. Many spirits were killed trying to fight the exiled trolls, who still were very powerful. The trolls ruled much of the surface world during the Great Darkness, but they also bore the brunt of the fighting against the things of Chaos which swarmed upon the world with the Devil. Islands of life clung precariously to their questionable existence through the war against Chaos, and were often led by trolls and their gods. Of those gods, Kyger Litor was the most popular. During this war against Chaos, Kyger Litor built the legendary Castle of Lead in the region of the Rockwood Mountains near Dragon Pass and Prax. This region, a centre of troll population called Dagori Inkarth, attracted the greatest amount of enemies of Chaos, and aided all nearby centre of population by doing so. Kyger Litor also aided Waha once, and she was once saved by Arroin the Healer. Also, trolls from there fought in the I Fought We Won battle where Chaos was defeated in the Great Darkness.

SINCE TIME BEGAN Kyger Litor was one of the more powerful deities at the Dawning. She had to be consulted in the Great Compromise which made Time, and she agreed to it as did all the gods. Many of her minions were frightened again by the orb in the sky, but it was much weaker this time, so many could withstand it. Even so, trolls prefer to act during the comfortable darkness hours. At the end of the Dawn Ages, the trolls were the first to quit the Second Council which was performing a massive ritual to try to create a god. The trolls all claimed this was too close to Chaos. The dragonewts eventually agreed and were the second to withdraw, as well as most of the priests of the Old Gods. The Council continued its experiment and spawned the god Gbaji, who deluded and seduced the world and was responsible for the Chaos Wars which destroyed the Dawn Ages. In that time, the Broken Council (those who remained of the Second Council) cursed the troll race, and despite the best defences of Kyger Litor and her followers, the curse struck and worked. Trolls call this the Great Woe, or Trollkin Curse. The Great Woe did not destroy the trolls, but merely stunted their growth. Not all the race was affected, so some always bred true, but almost ¾ of all births after the curse were of stunted things called trollkin. It was almost obscene that these creatures lived, but they did, and soon represented the bulk of troll population. Their inferior status always was accepted by trolls; trollkin rarely have the mental, magical, and physical abilities to think otherwise. Several attempts to break the curse have been unsuccessful. One attempt resulted in litters of trollkin being born rather than single ones. Breaking this curse is the prime interest of Kyger Litor, who wishes to cleanse her race. Trolls continue to be strong in Dagori Inkarth, and from that area, they have often travelled to plague other races. One army marched out and managed (with great magic) to defeat the plains nomads and occupy the city of Pavis. Also, after the Dragonkill War (c.1100S.T.), much of Dragon Pass was occupied by trolls. In Legends of the Hero Wars, several troll armies are noted, either for hire or as invaders.

RUNIC ASSOCIATIONS Kyger Litor has two Runes: Man (Form) and Darkness (Element).

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NATURE OF THE CULT

REASON FOR CONTINUED EXISTENCE Kyger Litor is the ancestress of the races of trolls, and as such forms the root of all their beings. She is very popular with her children and so continues to exist. Also, she is one of the primary fighters against Chaos. This fact is begrudged by humans and troll-haters, but undeniable. Her importance in this is enough to prompt an occasional human to join.

SOCIAL/POLITICAL POSITION AND POWER Human cults of Kyger Litor are never powerful. Among trolls, though, it forms the very fabric of their society and permeates everything they do. Cult positions are in many ways the same as social positions. Thus, the goddess, through her priests, is extremely important in determining troll behaviour.

PARTICULAR LIKES AND DISLIKES Kyger Litor has a working relationship with all cults of the Darkness as neutral parties and potential friends. Kyger Litor dislikes all gods of Light and Fire. Trolls rarely befriend members of Light or Fire cults, and more often are downright fearful of their powers. This is most noticeable among the weaker races. Kyger Litor dislikes the Lightbringers for many reasons. They were among those deities which Kyger Litor fought when she first led her children to the surface world, and they deserted the defence of the cosmos when they left on their quest. Even though their quest saved the cosmos, Kyger Litor feels that she could have done well without them and she is very resentful that they brought back Light. Kyger Litor dislikes Mostal and Aldrya, god of dwarves and goddess of Aldryami, respectively. Both feuds started in godtime, and have harried the races like plague in Time. In the Second Age, there were great wars in which the trolls lost territory, wealth, and thousands of lives to their foes. Especially disliked are the dwarves, who invented iron, which trolls (and elves) cannot use at all.

ORGANIZATION The cult of Kyger Litor is widespread but has no set structure for determining any single head except for the goddess herself. Among trolls supremacy is determined by the principle of might makes right. Tribes are run by priestly hierarchies which form the social superstructure of the troll communities. They are matriarchal in structure, with the priestesses being the leaders of the community. However, trolls are never one to disavow simple strength, and it is always possible for a male troll to be a “priestess” too, or for a female troll to be a warrior. If there is ever a Mistress Race troll present, then she always will be the head of the community hierarchy. Without one of these dominant creatures, the high priestess will be the most powerful of the priestesses present. Any number of priestesses may report to the high priestess and they may be chief priestesses, with their own holy hierarchy as well. The ruling factor is personal loyalty of the followers.

LAY MEMBERSHIP Lay membership is granted to all trolls and trollkin who reach their fifth birthday without dying. They remain lay members until they attain status to become initiates. Non-trolls may join the cult, but to become even a lay member, they must pass an examination which is the same as that of becoming a Rune Lord. Remember that CHA is reduced for being a foreign species. A non-troll passing this exam will undergo a ritual rebirth ceremony and afterwards be addressed as a troll by cult members. They will have no more special exams other than those required of all members.

Lay members may purchase any standard battle magic spell except for Fire Arrow, Fire Blade, Ignite, Light and Lightwall, which they are also forbidden to use. Lay members gain no special spells.

INITIATE MEMBERSHIP

REQUIREMENTS FOR INITIATION Candidates for initiation must know one weapon to at least 40%, a shield or parry weapon at least 40%, speak Darktongue at least 80%, and have POW of 10 or more. The POW requirement effectively denies initiation to most trollkin. Candidates must take a pro forma examination by a priest, and will pass unless they have performed hostile or questionable acts. Initiation is a matter of course for most dark trolls at 14 years of age.

BENEFITS Initiates operate on a working relationship with their priestesses similar to that of all warriors to their chieftains. Favoured initiates will receive whatever they can earn or get by cheating. The best initiates will be chosen for the personal band of the of the priestess and receive full board, armour, weapons, and training. Others, less fervent in their religion, will receive round-headed maces, medium shields, and a minimal militia training. Initiates may purchase all skills at normal prices. It is possible that their priest may purchase some for them as well, if they are among the chosen. There are no special skills available to initiates. Darkwall and Bludgeon spells may be purchased at ½ price.

RUNE LORD MEMBERSHIP - KARRG'S SONS Rune Lords are warrior leaders of the community. The priestesses are powerful, but have many important functions and duties beside that of war. War is a special matter, and Kyger Litor prefers to leave it to the Rune Lord sub-cult of one of her sons, called Karrg, who started the class. Attaining lordship in the cult is the same as joining.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCEPTANCE To become a Rune Lord, a member must have been an initiate for at least 1 full year. They must know Darktongue at 80%. They must also have at least 90% in two weapons plus a shield or parry weapon, and have at least 90% in any two of these skills: Climbing, Jumping, Set Trap, Listen, or Camouflage, and other normal requirements.

RESTRICTIONS Rune Lords of Kyger Litor are not allowed to speak directly with trollkin, and require underlings to act as intermediaries. They must ritually eat a quantity of some vegetable matter – this includes Elves. Rune Lords must always allow a musician to finish a song or tune before he praises or condemns it, as Kyger Litor loves music. Rune Lords must own slaves (to show the superiority of trolls) and are urged to own non-troll slaves. Rune Lords favour black clothing, but may trim or decorate it as they wish. They must never travel about unarmed, even in their own dwelling.

BENEFITS Rune Lords will be given a set of magically smithed lead armour upon attaining their status. This is equal to good bronze in point absorption and encumbrance. Expensive sets of armour are available, set with jewels and sculpture. Even non-troll Lords use this and not iron, which trolls cannot touch. Rune Lords will normally bind their allied spirits into their weapons. Hafted weapons can be made of lead and treated, so they won't break as easily, giving 5 additional damage points. Rune Lords have the honour of leading armies in battle, and of leading small parties on specialized missions. Even priests must defer to their command when in the field with them.

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RUNE PRIESTHOOD The priestesses of this cult are the social leaders as well, forming a theocratic hierarchy based on family ties. That is, the communities are run by noble families who also control the priestesshood. Their rudimentary religion mingling with their punitive way of life makes the two facets indistinguishable at times, and the members of the members of the priesthood are revered, but with reverence mingled with superstitious awe, familial loyalty, and political necessity.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCEPTANCE Candidates must meet the normal requirements. Their language is Darktongue, with ancient written history from before the Darkness. They must be initiated at least 2 years, and know Mindspeech.

RESTRICTIONS Priestesses of the cult actually have few restrictions, save that they make no compromises in maintaining the cult needs, likes, and dislikes. Also, they must accept responsibility for their followers' welfare, and provide them leadership. Even a troll populace will accept only limited tyranny. Their DEX based skills are limited to DEXx5%, as most priests.

BENEFITS Priestesses are allowed to extract as much as they can from their followers, and are treated with all the dignity and honour of the community. They have earned the right of speaking for their followers in higher councils, or with outsiders. This dealing with outsiders includes trade benefits, diplomatic missions, and so on.

RUNE SPELL COMPATIBILITY All standard Rune spells are available from the cult of Kyger Litor. They may summon shades as their elementals.

SPECIAL CULT RUNE SPELLS

DARKSEE Cost - 1 POW point Range - 160 feet Duration -15 minutes Non-stackable Reusable Allows creatures which see best in full daylight to see in the dark as if it were full daylight. Creatures which are primarily nocturnal can see in full daylight as if it were the dark to which they are accustomed. It also negates the effects of sunlight on trollkin and cave trolls. It negates Blinding.

BLINDING Cost - 1 POW point Range - 160 feet Duration -15 minutes Stackable Reusable Blinds the target entity. The chance of the target hitting or parrying with a weapon goes down to the basic 5% and visually targeted spells cannot be cast (Detect Life or Healing still could be). Every extra Rune point use of this spell adds 25% to the chance of it working. Thus, if the caster had a WIS of 18, it would attack as if he had a WIS of 23, if he cast 2 points of it instead of 1.

COUNTER CHAOS Cost - 2 POW points Range - 160 feet Duration -15 minutes Non-stackable Reusable Shields the character on whom it is cast against the effects of any special ability a monster may get from its connection with Chaos. Thus if, for example, a chaotic creature had +3D6 POW due to a chaotic feature, the protected character would be immune to spells cast by it until it was down to the normal 3D6 range; a chaotic creature cannot regenerate from wounds made by the protected character, etc. The priest may cast this spell on himself or another.

THE BLACK FANG BROTHERHOOD

The Black Fang Brotherhood was formed some 200 years after the troll invasion of the Pavis Rubble, when a human shaman met Black Fang on the spirit plane. Black Fang was a legendary bandit of approximately 100 years before who had raided everyone inside the Rubble irrespective of race. Black Fang's spirit serves an unnamed god and can dispense Rune magic to worshippers.

NATURE OF THE CULT This is a small cult, whose 300 or so worshippers are assassins and cut-throats. It is organized as a large extended family with initiates being “adopted” into the family.

INITIATES Initiates are found by being known to the shaman-priests of the cult. They must work on cult missions before being accepted. Black Fang does not accept worshippers who are not initiates. The prospective initiate need not meet the qualifications given in the basic rules for initiation. Instead, the candidate must convince a controlled spirit of the high priest of the cult by making the same roll against the spirit as he would have to make as a Rune Lord allying a spirit. If the roll is unsuccessful, the spirit will engage the candidate in spirit combat, because he will know too much to be let free. If the roll is successful, he has convinced the spirit and becomes an initiate and one of the family. The spirit does not become his ally.

RUNE LORDS A candidate for Rune Lord must be an initiate who can brew a poison of potency 20 and Hide in Cover, Camouflage, Move Quietly, and Climb at 90% each. He must also be at least 50% with dagger and Evaluate Treasure. These skills are taught to initiates at ½ price.

RUNE PRIESTS Priests of Black Fang are shamans, too. Like most shaman-priests, they have the ability to sacrifice the POW they have stored on the spirit plane for the cult's Rune magic. Because this is a small cult, only the following standard Rune magic spells are available to the priests.

Concealment Divination Divine Intervention*Extension 1 Mind Link Multispell 1Shield Spell Teaching Spirit BlockVision

* The shamans of Black Fang have the special ability to use 1 point of Divine intervention to keep an activity of one of the cult's members from being discovered by Divination.

SPECIAL CULT RUNE MAGIC

SHATTERING Cost - 1 POW point Range: 160 feet; Duration: Instant; Non-stackable; Reusable. This Rune spell acts as 4 Disruption spells at once, all directed at one target. As it does an average of 8 points of damage when it hits, it is a very lethal spell. The target resists with one WISvWIS roll.

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES Membership in the cult is dangerous, as there are many who will put to death anyone suspected of being a member. However, they are often useful to the powers that be, so they are tolerated unofficially and even encouraged, as long as they serve the authorities purposes.

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VIII MONSTERS

CREATURES OF GLORANTHA

Glorantha is a world with many races other than mankind. Many different gods have created intelligence in their own image, and the images have not always been humanoid. Due to the constant contact between different species, xenoph- obia among the common races is virtually unknown on Glorantha. Specific races, such dwarves and elves, dwarves and trolls, and elves and trolls, are engaged in constant warfare, but the reasons are based on ancient treacheries and religious differences. The most prevalent race on Glorantha is mankind. Men are prol- ific, and they have spread throughout the world. The reincarnating dragonewts are slowly dying through evolution, the elves are too tied to their forests, and the surface world holds no appeal for the dwarves. The ancient curse resulting from the Dragonkill Wars has turned the slow-breeding trolls into a fading race. Into this vacuum, mankind has stepped. Human philosophers theorize that only humanity has truly adapted to the onset of Time and made the full transition from the God Time before the Great Darkness. Yet, during the time of the Hero Wars, there were still many strange intelligent beings on Glorantha. For convenience, they have all been lumped together in this chapter. Many of them can be played as player characters.

NOTES ON THE USE OF INTELLIGENT CREATURES Many monsters should not be played as characters immediately. Players should accustom themselves to the play of human charac-ters before branching out into the exotics. Many of the races described have clear advantages over the human. Referees desiring a certain reality in their campaign should realize that these are mostly very reclusive or rare races who stick to their own and rarely venture out amongst humanity, unless it is to fight it. Thus, the adventuresome dragonewt, ogre, or morokanth is a rarity and a campaign in which every player chose to be an exotic would be very strange indeed. However, the occasional dragonewt, ogre, baboon, or newtling makes a refreshing change, lending an enjoyable whimsical quality to the game play. It is not suggested that players play the subgroups amongst the races with intelligences of less than 3D6. However, if one wishes to play a dumb character, he may do so, always remembering that this is a role-playing game. Dumb monsters should be played dumb. Species maximum amongst the various races portrayed is the maximum dice roll plus number of dice, as with humans. If the characteristic concerned has an add, such as 2D6+6, the remaining addition is considered to be one die. Thus, a characteristic of 3D6+3 has a species maximum of 21+4 or 25. This also applies to additions of 12 or 18 or 24. They all count as one additional die.

All CHA given for the individual monsters apply to their charisma among others of the same race type. When dealing with other races, especially for the purpose of joining cults dominated by another species, the character's CHA score is reduced by 10. Many cults have no such restriction on other beings, or have them for only certain other beings, but this must be established per cult. Thus, if Rurik, with a CHA of 16, attempted to join the troll cult of Kyger Litor, his CHA would be considered as 6 for the purpose of persuading the examiners. It is quite possible for a cross-racial aspirant to have a negative CHA for the purposes of joining a cult. Unless otherwise specified, assume that a beginning character version of one of these monsters starts out with about 25% capability in the skills shown. The percentages given herein are for monsters encountered by adventurers. It is always possible to increase the monster's chance of hitting by assuming they are more experienced. This keeps them from pushovers once the player characters have developed. Eventually, player Rune Lords and Rune Priests will run into monster Rune Lords and Rune Priests. Build up to this slowly so that everyone can have a good grasp of the basics before risking encounters between minor godlings.

NON-HUMAN RACES

Many non-human races are divided into several sub-groups with different characteristics. The following are descriptions of attributes common to each of these races. Specific characteristics of each sub-group will be given in the individual monster descriptions. The six largest groups are: the Aldryami, Beast Men (and Man Beasts), dragonewts, lycanthropes, Praxian riding animals, and trolls.

THE ALDRYAMI The race known as the Aldryami consists of elves, dryads, pixies, and runners. Like their eternal enemies, the trolls, the Aldryami are vulnerable to iron, the “new metal” and cannot handle it. Any damage from an iron weapon penetrating their armour will do twice normal damage. The Runes of the Aldryami cult are the Elemental Rune of Earth, the Power Rune of Fertility, and the Form Rune of Plant.

BEAST MEN (AND MAN BEASTS) In Glorantha, the Beast Men and Man Beasts live mostly in Beast Valley. They worship at the Wild Temple and their king is the centaur Hero, Ironhoof, son of the Mistress of Animals. There are many forms of these strange hybrids, but we will deal with the principle varieties of centaurs, manticores, and minotaurs. The Runes of the Beast cult are the Power Runes of Fertility and the Form Rune of Beast.

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DRAGONEWTS The dragonewts are an incredibly ancient race, so ancient as to have their own Rune. They are warm-blooded reptiles but humanoid in shape, with differing appurtenances (wings, tails, etc.) appearing and disappearing, depending on their stage of development. Even among those of the same stage of development, their skin colours may be different, although it is suspected that this may be simple paint or tattoo. When a dragonewt dies, whether in battle or otherwise, he is rebo- rn, with all memories or experience intact. However, a dragonewt must go through the stages described later, in order, and are far more regimented than humanity or most other humanoid species. All dragonewts are left handed. If they die, they are reborn in the “nests” of their own home city

LYCANTHROPES Shape changers are a lonely breed, tainted with Chaos, and disdainful of civilization. Few know whether they are animals who can take on human shape, or humans capable of assuming the shape of an animal. In either case, they can assume the strength and senses of the animal form at the expense of some intelligence (varying as to species). In animal shape they are immune to the effects of bronze weapons, which bounce off. Only pure, Runic, metals can harm them, as well as magic. Thus, they will be affected fully by a Fireblade put on a bronze weapon, or the 3 points of damage from Bladesharp 3 put on a weapon. This damage will be absorbed by their skin armour. Because of their magical nature, one lycanthrope can wound another lycanthrope with its natural weapons. Poison will affect a lycanthrope, if the skin of the creature is penetrated. Lycanthropes include bear-walkers, tiger sons, tusk brothers, and wolf-brothers. They are a very rare breed, whatever animal they become. Genes for lycanthropy are recessive, so that only matings between lycanthropes breed true, and most children of two lycanth- ropes are either animal or human without shape-changing ability. Lycanthropes can change form at will, taking 1 melee round to accomplish the change. On nights of the full moon, which happens once a week in Glorantha, the lycanthrope must change to its beast form and roam the countryside. Their Chaotic nature gives them their abilities of shape change and invulnerability to impure metals. They do not have Chaotic features. Contrary to popular folklore, the bite of a lycanthrope does not transmit the shape-changing ability.

PRAXIAN RIDING ANIMALS The nomads of Prax each ride distinctive animals, whose attributes are similar in some ways to horses, but in other ways are quite different. Only a Praxian nomad could ride the animal of his tribe, and one would never touch a horse, not even to eat it. Horses are taboo on the Plaines of Prax. The statistics are given for Adventurers running into Praxian nomads, who will not get off their animals if at all possible, and for the occasional Praxian Adventurer. The riding animals of the Prax nomads are the bison, bolo-lizard, high llama, impala, rhino, sable and unicorn.

TROLLS The troll race is sometimes called the dark men, or Men of Darkness. It is an ancient race, tied to the Darkness Rune (see Chapter VII), and was old in Godtime, when age could not be measured. Since the coming of Time to Glorantha, the race has withered. Since the time of the Broken Council, when the combined curses of the humans and elves assailed both dragonewt and troll for their supposed treason, the trolls have suffered. The dragonewts

could ignore such cursing, but as a result of the curse, the trollkin appeared, stunted progeny of the mighty troll frame. After the Dragonkill War, trolls took refuge in Dragon Pass and Shadows Dance, retreating into Shadows Dance when more humans moved back into the pass. They are now principally a mountain-dwelling race, at perpetual war with elves and dwarves, and dealing with man as the occasion demands. The initial dispersion of trolls was so great after the Dragonkill Wars that several distinct breeds arose, as well as one blasphemous cross-breed with men. All trolls have the same aversion to the “new metal” iron, as elves, refusing to handle it and taking double damage from iron weapons. Trolls are able to move in the darkest night, due to their stygian origin. They have a perception, “dark sense,” not available to other races. Dark sense combines hearing, smelling, feeling, and some non-specific sensing abilities, and allows trolls to manoeuvre as though humans in sunshine. Though trolls hate the light, that element does no direct harm to most trolls. Cave trolls and trollkin, however, are affected by light.

NON-INTELLIGENT MONSTERS Besides the usual wild animals and trained animals, there are a number of strange and exotic creatures in Glorantha to bedevil and destroy the unwary Adventurer. Unless used as guard animals, they rarely carry treasure, but treasure factors (see Chapter IX) are given for them anyway. Characteristics for beasts are a bit different. They have no INT or CHA rolls, just a set amount. When determining INT-based abilities for unintelligent monsters such as perception skills, their WIS is used instead because these creatures work on instinct, not intelligence. Also, if a monster is shown to have more than one attack, it can use both at once, instead of working under the guidelines for two-weapon combat shown in Chapter IV. Many such beasts also dodge instinctively, so have effective Defence of DEXx3. Some intelligent monsters also have this ability, as shown in their descriptions.

MONSTER DESCRIPTIONS

KEY TO DESCRIPTIONS Each monster will be described, then a set of statistics will be given after the description.

CHARACTERISTICS - This is the description of what dice to roll, for each characteristic, if the monster is to be created from scratch as a player character, and gives the possible range for encountered monsters. POW equals WIS unless otherwise noted.

AVERAGE - These are dice roll results for an average creature, for use in creating monsters for quick play.

WEAPON - Describes the types of weapons or the mode of attack commonly used.

DEFENCE – (Converted assuming standard 25% skill, e.g. in RQ2 5% reduces chance to hit by 1/5th so becomes 20% Defence).

INITIATIVE - The initiative bonus of the average monster. An espe- cially dexterous or clumsy monster might be quicker or slower.

ATTACK - This is the basic attack percentage of a just-grown monster. Some monsters will be considerably more dangerous. Again, this is a convenience for quick stocking of scenarios.

DAMAGE - This is usually expressed as a basic damage for the weapon (such as D4 for a claw) plus any STR adds the average monster would have. Some may do far more, or less, damage.

PARRY – Armour points of the weapon, if it can be used to parry.ARMOUR - Either the basic armour a creature will have or the value

of its skin as armour.SPELLS - What spells the average being knows.OTHER SKILLS - An indication of any other specialities the

creature might have, due to unique upbringing and background.

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BABOONS Baboons are intelligent animals who dwell in plains and hilly areas. They are the victims of a curse. Like their unintelligent cousins, they travel in family groups of 15 to 20 individuals, including males, females, and children. Their weapon use is limited to slings and spears, but they are proficient with claws and teeth. They may wear armour, but must buy it from humans. They can use all normal battle magic. They are beasts, and any Rune magic they use will be slanted toward the Beast Rune. They are said to have cult worshipping a monkey god with all the usual cult attributes. Baboons rarely enter other human cults since it is a rare temple which will accept a baboon as a member. To become a Rune Lord, a baboon would need skills of 90% in fighting with claws, teeth, spear, and sling. He would also need skills at 90% in Tracking, Trap Set/Disarm, and Spot Hidden Items.

Characteristics AverageSTR 3D6+6 16 Hit Points 5INT 3D6 10 ARMOUR: 1 point skin.WIS 2D6+6 13 Defence 20%DEX 2D6+6 13 Initiative +1CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 15”CHA 3D6 10 Treasure Factor 7SIZ 3D6 10 (~5ft)

Weapon Attack Damage Parry RangeClaw 40% D6+3Teeth 30% D8+3Spear 40% D8+3 AP 10Sling 40% D4 240ft+

NOTE - Common technique is to stab with a spear and close to use claw or bite.SPELLS – Ironhand 2; Protection 2; Speeddart (1).OTHER SKILLS - Tracking 30%; Spot Hidden Item 25%; Spot Traps 25%; Move Quietly 25%.

BASILISKS Unnatural creatures created by magic, Basilisks partake of the Death Rune modified by Chaos and can only be created by priests of such cults. The secret of their creation is not in a spell, but knowing the right time and invocations to perform the various rituals. They are produced from the egg of a cock hatched by an adder. They have a rooster's head with a black feathered neck and the body of a small dragon with scales and a spiny crest down the back. The main attack of a basilisk is in its glance. It does not have to catch the eye of a victim. It must only concentrate on a target over a course of a melee round and, if it can overcome the target's WIS in a straight magical attack, the target dies. It does not lose POW in these attacks. The gaze of the basilisk acts as 3 point Rune magic (i.e. it will get through and take down up to 4 points of Countermagic). Being engaged in close melee cannot stop a basilisk from looking at its opponent. The rituals of creation constrain a basilisk from looking at its creator, but the power of the creature is such that no mage can control more than one at a time.

Characteristics AverageSTR 2D6 7 Hit Points 4INT =2 2 ARMOUR: 2 point skinWIS D6+12 15 Defence 20%DEX 2D6 7 Initiative -2CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 6”CHA =5 5 Treasure Factor 36SIZ 2D6 7

Weapon Attack DamageGlance 100% DeathClaw x 2 25% D6-2

BEARWALKERS This is a breed of naturally large and strong men and women who can change to bear shape. They are very solitary folk, usually living quite alone in the woods at all times. They are capable of retaining a large share of their human intellect while in bear form. They cannot use offensive magic in bear form and, since they do not change anything they are wearing when they make the change to bear shape, they do not usually wear clothes, armour, nor weapons. As human shape, they can learn anything a regular human does.

Characteristics AverageSTR 2D6+6 (x2) 13 (26) Hit Points 8INT 3D6 (x2/3) 10 (7) ARMOUR: 1 point skin.WIS 3D6 10 Defence 10% (30%)DEX 3D6 10 Initiative =CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 12”(15”)CHA 3D6 10 Treasure Factor 16SIZ D6+12 15 (~6ft2)

Weapon Attack DamageClaw* 60% (D6+8)Bite* 50% (D10+8)Hug* 25% (2D6+8)* Can only attempt one a melee round.

OTHER SKILLS - Track by Smell 50%; Hide in Cover 40%; Move Quietly 50%; Spot Traps 50%; Spot Hidden Items 50%.

BISONS Resembling the North American bison, this is a surly and intrac- table beast, save in the presence of its rider. Its thick skin gives it some protection and its basic attack is the charge.

Characteristics AverageSTR 3D6+24 34 Hit Points 17INT =2 2 ARMOUR: 3 point skin.WIS 3D6 10 Defence 20%DEX 2D6 7 Initiative -2CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 18”CHA =8 8 Treasure Factor 26SIZ 3D6+24 34

Weapon Attack DamageButt* 70% 2D10+12or Trample* 70% 6D6 to downed foe* A bison cannot butt and trample in the same melee round.

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BOLO LIZARDS These are large dinosaur-like creatures which run on their two hind legs, bearing a small rider. The lizards will avoid direct combat whenever possible. (Ostriches are similar: +1 STR, -1 SIZ, +2 DEX)

Characteristics AverageSTR 2D6+12 19 Hit Points 10INT =2 2 ARMOUR: 1 point skin.WIS 3D6 10 Defence 45%DEX D6+12 15 Initiative +2CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 18”CHA =7 7 Treasure Factor 16SIZ 2D6+12 19

Weapon Attack DamageBite* 40% D6+4and Kick* 40% D8+4* A bolo lizard attacks with both bite and kick in the same round.

BROOS Human-bodied and goat-headed, the broos (or goatkin) are tied irrevocably with the Rune of chaos. They are given to atrocities and foul practices, and carry numerous loathsome diseases. They will hire out for pay, but tusk riders are more desired as mercenaries, and that is saying something. They are immune to all poisons and diseases. Their usual armour is generally cuirboilli, though they will wear metal if they can scrounge or steal it. Human and dwarf smiths will not sell them armour or weapons.

Characteristics AverageSTR 2D6+6 13 Hit Points 9INT 3D6 10 ARMOUR: 3 point armourWIS 3D6 10 Defence 10%DEX 3D6 10 Initiative =CON D6+12 15 Movement Rate 13” CHA 2D6 7 Treasure Factor 8SIZ 2D6+6 13 (~5ft10)

Weapon Attack Damage ParryClub 30% D8+1 AP 4Spear* 30% D8+1 AP 10Butt 40% D6+1

* Usually a stick with a fire-hardened point.ARMOUR - Cuirboilli body, Leather limbs, Horned/etc head (3).OTHER SKILLS - Tracking 40%.CHAOTIC FEATURES - There is POWx3 chance a broo will have a chaotic feature from the list on page 89.DISEASE - There is a 50% chance a broo will carry a random disease on his body and/or weapons.

CENTAURS Centaurs are the leaders among the beasts, known for their music- ianship and archery. They are also formidable charging with lances.

Characteristics AverageSTR 3D6+6 16 Hit Points 13INT 3D6 10 ARMOUR: 2 point armour WIS 3D6 10 Defence 5%DEX 3D6+3 13 Initiative +1CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 18”CHA 3D6 10 Treasure Factor 22SIZ 4D6+12 26

Weapon Attack Damage Parry RangeBow 50% D6+1 240ft+Lance 40% 2xD8+3Broadsword 35% D8+3 AP 10Hoof* 35% D8+3Medium shield 35% AP 12* Can kick with hoof at the same time as striking with a broadsword.ARMOUR – Leather body and legs (2), Composite helm (3).SPELLS - Healing 2; Mobility 2; Immobilize 2.OTHER SKILLS - Play Lyre 75%; Tracking 50%.

CLIFF TOADS Usually found in areas where there are large rocks, such as ruins of old fortresses and in rocky wilderness areas such as mountains or canyons. Being of a grey and pebbled appearance, they like areas where they can blend into the surroundings. The small young ones are only a nuisance, going after provisions and small edible items (such as familiars). The larger adult cliff toads are known for hanging onto the side of cliffs with their sucker-tipped feet and grabbing up a large warhorse or its rider with their tongue (STRvSIZ). They then swallow the prey whole (up to their SIZ-10). The tongues of cliff toads can attack at a 10-foot range for each D6 of SIZ. They grow throughout their lives. On the round after the tongue hits, it will zip the target into its mouth 80% of the time. As the tongue sticks to the victim, a miss in swallowing means the victim takes D6+bonus constriction damage, with an 80% chance of being swallowed next time. Digestive acid has potency 1 per D6 of SIZ. Toads have 2-12 (2D6) size dice.

Characteristics AverageSTR 2-12D6 7 to 42 Hit Points 4 to 21INT =2 2 ARMOUR – 1 point per 2D6 SIZWIS 3D6 10 Defence 20% to 5%DEX 3D6 10 Initiative =CON 3D6 10 Move 1” per D6 of SIZ / Hop 5”CHA =7 7 Treasure Factor 5 to 21SIZ 2-12D6 7 to 42

Weapon Attack DamageTongue 35% D6 (-2 to +16)Swallow 80% Digestive acid, POT 1 per D6 SIZ (2 - 12)

COCKATRICES They are very similar to a basilisk, and are created by Stasis Rune mages with a taint of Chaos. They are similar to basilisks in shape, but have more feathers. The feathers are also browner. The cockatrice is different from the basilisk in that he turns victims to stone, instead of killing them. Only a divine intervention or some obscure form of Stasis (or perhaps Mobility) Rune magic can free a character once he is stoned. The manner in which a character can become a statue is shown below. The peck injects a poison into the body of the victim. This poison is just a conductor for the “attack” of the cockatrice's WIS versus the victim's. If the cockatrice is successful, the victim turns to stone.Characteristics AverageSTR 2D6 7 Hit Points 4INT =2 2 ARMOUR: 2 point skinWIS D6+12 15 Defence 40%DEX 2D6+6 13 Initiative +1CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 12”CHA =5 5 Treasure Factor 7SIZ 2D6 7

Weapon Attack DamagePeck 30% D10-2 and Petrifies

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DEMI-BIRDS The mount of the dragonewts, they are in perpetual Mind Link with their riders and follow their every order. They look like great flightless birds, resembling an ostrich - hence “demi-birds”.

Characteristics AverageSTR 3D6+18 28 Hit Points 12INT =2 2 ARMOUR: 2 point feathersWIS 3D6 10 Defence 40%DEX 2D6+6 13 Initiative +1CON 2D6+6 13 Movement Rate 18”CHA =7 7 Treasure Factor 20SIZ 3D6+12 22

Weapon Attack DamagePeck* 65% D4+3Kick* 55% D6+7* A demi-bird will peck and kick one or two foes at the same time.

DRAGONS The dragons for which Dragon Pass is named are immense creatures whose main occupation is sleeping, dreaming of greater days during the Godtime, and entertaining emissaries of the warring factions of the area. If the dragon likes an emissary, he joins its side. If he doesn't, he eats him. True dragons cannot be bothered by individual Adventurers or small bands. And since they are above such things as the collection of gold, they have no hoards to tempt the unwary. However, the mind of a dragon is a powerful thing. While it dreams, its baser nature, the suppressed desires for blood and gold, comes out. The dreaming thought of a dragon can wander about the entirety of Glorantha at will, and when blood and gold are available to those thoughts, a dragon may stir. His dreams take tangible form as a sort of “mind child” of the dragon.

DRAGONS - DREAM The dream dragon has physical form, created by the mind of the true dragon. Its INT, WIS and POW are taken from the subconscious mind of its creator, and cannot match the true magnitude of those of an awake dragon. The full dragon thinks of its creation as a dream, of course, but dragons have traditionally been unable to separate dream from reality. Like a human dream, the dream dragon may manifest all the unfortunate subconscious traits of its creator, expressed in greed and bloodthirstiness. They are usually found alone, sitting on a heap of money and gems. Their usual form is serpentine with four legs and a pair of wings. They often have a fiery or poisonous breath, as shown below. There is no way to tell just what a particular dragon can or cannot use as a “breath weapon”, as each is individually created at the whim of a full dragon's subconscious. They are called dream or pseudo dragons by sages acquainted with their origins. Others call them serpentine dragons, or just dragons.

Characteristics AverageSTR 6-20D6 21 to 70 Hit Points 11 to 35INT 4D6 14 ARMOUR: 4 to 10 point skinWIS 4D6 14 Defence 30%DEX 3D6 10 Initiative =CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 10”/18”CHA 3D6 10 Treasure Factor 14 to 190SIZ 6-20D6 21 to 70

Weapon Attack DamageClaw 45-140% D6 +5 to +30Breath 40-100% see below*

* A jet of flame or gas 3ft wide by 50ft long. The potency of the flame/gas is equal to the dragon's WIS.** Skin armour points determined randomly: 2D4+2.Flame does point damage to armour and body on hit location.Gas is a systemic poison which matched versus CON of the victim.

DRAGON SNAILS Created in the Great Darkness of the God's War when the Spire of Law exploded and the Devil was pinned in the Plaines of Prax beneath the fragment known as The Block. These are giant, dragon-headed snails often having two heads. They are found in marshes and watery areas and will eat anything organic. These are Chaos creatures with many individual characteristics which can be found on the Chaotic Features Table on page 89. They are known as “Parts of the Devil.”

Characteristics AverageSTR 4D6+12 26 Hit Points 13INT =1 1 ARMOUR – 7 points averageWIS 3D6 10 Defence -DEX 2D6 7 Initiative -2CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 4”CHA =2 2 Treasure Factor 30+SIZ 4D6+12 26

Weapon Attack DamageBite* 50% D6+8* If two heads, each will bite a different target at the same time.

ARMOUR - 8 point shell; 4 point body.CHAOS – These creatures have D3 chaotic features.

DRAGONEWTS - FIRST STAGE: CRESTED Missile users and skirmishers, they apprentice in the philosophy of dealing with problems, and adversaries, by avoiding them.

Characteristics AverageSTR 2D6 7 Hit Points 4INT 3D6 10 ARMOUR: 1 point skinWIS 2D6 7 Defence ~20%DEX 2D6+6 13 Initiative +1CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 9”CHA 3D6 10 Treasure Factor 9SIZ 2D6 7 (~4ft10)

Weapon Attack Damage Parry RangeBow 25% D6-1 240ft+Sling 25% D4-1 240ft+Javelin 25% D6-1 60ftShort sword 25% D6-2 AP 10Small shield 25% AP 8

SPELLS - Healing 2; Disruption (1); Mobility 1; Shimmer 1; Speed- dart (1).OT'HER SKILLS - Hide in Cover 25%; Move Quietly 25%; Camouflage 25%.

DRAGONEWTS - SECOND STAGE: BEAKED When the crested dragonewt has increased its ability with a weapon to 50%, increased its other skills as far, and built up its POW to over 12, it is reborn as a beaked dragonewt.

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Characteristics AverageSTR as was +12 19 Hit Points 13INT as was 10 ARMOUR: 3 point skin**WIS as raised POW 13 Defence ~40%DEX as was 13 Initiative +1CON as was +6 16 Movement Rate 9”CHA as was 10 Treasure Factor 32SIZ as was +12 19 (~6ft10)

Weapon Attack Damage Parry RangeKlanth* 40% D8+4 AP 12Spear 40% D8+4 AP 10Medium shield 40% AP 12Sling 50% D4+2 240ft+Bow 50% D6+2 240ft+Javelin 50% D6+2 60ftShort sword 50% D6+4 AP 10* Klanth is an obsidian-edged longsword.

**ARMOUR – Will also wear armour if found.SPELLS - Healing 2; Disruption (1); Mobility 1; Shimmer 1; Speed- dart (1); Bladesharp 1, Repair (2), Immobilize 1 or Fireblade (4).OTHER SKILLS - Hide in Cover 50%; Move Quietly 50%; Camouflage 50%; Ride Demi-Bird 75%.

The beaked dragonewt earns a fighting demi-bird and is placed into a perpetual Mind Link with it. The beaked dragonewt is an embodi- ment of the philosophy of assailing all problems and brushing them out of the way.

DRAGONEWTS - THIRD STAGE: TAILED PRIEST When the POW of the beaked dragonewt reaches 18+, he is next reborn as a tailed priest, the initiate into the Dragonewt Rune cult. As such, his DEX based skills, such as fighting, are reduced to a level of DEXx5 and most other results are similar to those affecting a human Rune Priest (Chapter VII). However, he is taught the use of a long, double-bitted ax as his priestly weapon up to the aforementioned DEX limit.

Characteristics AverageSTR as was -6 13 Hit Points 10INT as was 10 ARMOUR: 2 point skinWIS as raised POW 18+ Defence ~60%+DEX as was 13 Initiative +1CON as was 16 Movement Rate 12”CHA as was 10 Treasure Factor 38SIZ as was 13 (~5ft10)

Weapon Attack Damage ParryPoleaxe 65% D10+1 AP 10 Others as beaked dragonewt but at 65% attack.

SPELLS - D10 Rune magic spells plus those under beaked dragonewts.OTHER SKILLS - All those under beaked dragonewts.

DRAGONEWTS - FOURTH STAGE: FULL PRIEST When the tailed priest has accumulated 20 or more points of sacrificed POW, he will next be reborn as a full Priest. His WIS and POW suddenly jump another D6 and his maximum possible POW gain rises proportionately, to 28. At this point, he once again begins to gain in fighting skills, attempting to bring himself to the level of a dragonewt Rune Lord. Once reaching this level, the dragonewt Rune Lord begins his progression towards Hero status.

Due to the nature of dragonewt existence, a dragonewt will not attempt to gain Rune mastery in any Elemental Rune, though a particular adventurous dragonewt may seek associate status with the cult of a Power Rune such as Death or Harmony.

Characteristics AverageSTR as was x2 26 Hit Points 16INT as was 10 ARMOUR: 10 pointsWIS old POW +D6 21 Defence ~80%+DEX as was 13 Initiative +1CON as was 16 Movement Rate 15”CHA as was 10 Treasure Factor 111SIZ as was x2 26 (~8ft)

Weapon Attack Damage Parry RangeKlanth 90% D8+8 AP 12Pole Axe 90% 3D6+8 AP 10Javelin 90% D6+4 AP 8 60ftMedium shield 90% AP 12 Other weapons as beaked dragonewts except 65%+ abilities.ARMOUR - Scale armour over 5 pt skin.SPELLS - 20+ POW points of Rune magic spells plus battle magic spells as under beaked dragonewts.OTHER SKILLS - As beaked dragonewts at 90% range.

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DRAGONEWTS - FINAL STAGE: INHUMAN KING When the full Priest has attained Hero status, he will be reborn as the Inhuman King, of which only one is awake and alive at any time. A slain Inhuman King is reborn as a dragon, and flies off to join the ancestral dragons, wherever they may be. At that time, one of the reserve eggs, containing a full Priest/Hero, in the Dragon's Eye (capitol of the dragonewts) is hatched and the occupant stands revealed as the Inhuman King, gaining wings and, again, a tail. It is necessary that a replacement for the Inhuman King be hatched very soon, for as long as there is no Inhuman King, dragonewts will not be reborn, and their spirits will leave the cycle, never to be reborn. Also, if the egg nests of the dragonewt's home city are destroyed, he will not be reborn until the full Priests go through a long (months long) ritual to cleanse and recreate the nest. Both home city and Inhuman King must be present upon Glorantha for a dragonewt to be reborn.

DRYADS A totally female race which breeds with elves for continuance. They form the core of the Aldryami cult priesthood. They specialise in magic, having little inclination toward fighting. Due to their high WIS at birth, they are usually members of the Rune cult very early. They are always tied to their tree of birth. Any affliction suffered by the tree is felt by them, and vice versa. They are rarely found as Adventurers, preferring to remain in the forests.

Characteristics AverageSTR 2D6 7 Hit Points 4INT 4D6 14 ARMOUR: NoneWIS 2D6+8 15 Defence 45%DEX 2D6+6 13 Initiative +1CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 14”CHA 3D6 10 Treasure Factor 7SIZ 2D6 7 (~5ft) Attack/Parry 10% (Staff)

SPELLS - Healing 4; Vigour (4); Strength (2); Harmonize (2); Detect Life (1).OTHER SKILLS - Camouflage 40%; Hide in Cover 40; Move Quietly 40%, Listen 40%; Spot Plant 80%.

DUCKS This is a race cursed by the gods during the Great Darkness for not joining them versus the forces of Chaos. It is unknown whether they were originally human and became feathered and web-footed, or originally ducks cursed with flightlessness and intelligence. They reside mostly in Duckpoint (in Sartar) and must, due to their small strength, use weapons such as short swords, slings, etc. For arcane reasons, they are allowed to join certain Death Rune cults at full CHA value, but all others deal with them at the usual -10 from CHA for being of a different race. They come in a variety of different coloured feathers and are excellent swimmers, though they cannot fly, having arms instead of wings. Most armour is too heavy for them.

Characteristics AverageSTR 2D6+1 8 Hit Points 4INT 3D6 10 ARMOUR – 3 pointsWIS 3D6 10 Defence 30% DEX 2D6+6 13 Initiative +1CON 2D6+6 13 Movement Rate 8”CHA 2D6 7 Treasure Factor 5SIZ D6+2 5 (~4ft6)

Weapon Attack Damage Parry RangeSling 30% D4 240ft+Short sword 30% D6-1 AP 10Small shield 30% AP 8

ARMOUR - Cuirboilli body (3), Composite helm (3).OTHER SKILLS - Swimming 90%; Hide in Cover 40%.

DWARVES Also called Mostali, the dwarves are underground dwelling artificers. They are continually at war with the elves and no friend to trolls. The enmity between elf and dwarf is long standing and reaches back to their separate creations. However, both are basically worshippers of Earth (though in two entirely different aspects) and will combine against the forces of Darkness as represented by trolls. The byword of their relationships at all times is mutual distrust. The dwarves have the ability to see in the dark. They were the discoverers of iron and were the first to learn to work it. Dwarves are welcome in almost any Earth Rune cult (the Aldryami is an obvious exception) as well as their own Earth/Stasis Rune cult. They can join the other Earth cults without the -10 CHA loss for trying to persuade members of other races. However, since they dislike the surface world, they will rarely join any other Earth cult. They will often journey to the surface to gain experience and bring back to the Earth some of his plundered treasures. Dwarves are notoriously avaricious and like money to stay in their halls once it has entered them. A beginning character dwarf will have no more money than a human townsman, though he will be well equipped with fighting gear.

Characteristics AverageSTR 4D6 14 Hit Points 8INT 3D6 10 ARMOUR – 4 point armourWIS 3D6 10 Defence 5%DEX 3D6 10 Initiative =CON 2D6+6 13 Movement Rate 9”CHA 3D6 10 Treasure Factor 9SIZ 2D6+6 13 (but 2/3rds human height, ~4ft)

Weapon Attack Damage Parry RangeAx 30% D8+2 AP 8Warhammer 30% D8+2 AP 8R. Crossbow 25% 2D4+1 300ft+Small Shield 30% AP 8

ARMOUR - Scale hauberk (5), Cuirboilli limbs (3), Open helm (4).SPELLS - Detect Magic (1); Detect Gems (2); Detect Silver (1); Detect Gold (1); Bladesharp 4; Disruption (1).OTHER SKILLS - Armouring 40%; Evaluate Treasure 50%; Spot Hidden Item 25%; Spot Trap 50%; Disarm Trap 50%.

ELVES These are the Aldryami most often seen by other races. They are still tied to their forest in ways incomprehensible to other races. It is possible that certain trees must live for the elves to live. It is also possible that they are the mobile guardians and gardeners for the mysterious forest deities. Except in cases where their homes have been utterly devastated, elves do not migrate from their forests, although individuals seem free to come and go at will. Elves with the proper POW (18+) automatically become priests of the Aldryami Rune cult, a combination of Earth and Fertility/ Life Runes, modified by the Plant Form Rune. Those wishing to join other Fertility and Plant Form cults can go about it as humans do, with no restrictions as to race. Those wishing to join any other cults

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must take the usual reduction of CHA by 10 for being another race. Elves and other Aldryami might search underground to kill trolls and dwarves, their racial enemies, but will never live there.

Characteristics AverageSTR 2D6+2 9 Hit Points 5INT 4D6 14 ARMOUR: None**WIS 2D6+6 13 Defence 40%DEX 3D6+3 13 Initiative +1CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 13”CHA 3D6 10 Treasure Factor 6SIZ 2D4+4 9 (~5ft2)

Weapon Attack Damage Parry RangeElf Bow* 35% D8 AP 10 360ft+Spear 35% D8-1 AP 10Javelin 35% D6 AP 8 60ftShort sword 35% D6-1 AP 10Small shield 30% AP 8* Special elf bow, will wither in any but elf hands. An Elf Bow can absorb 10 points of damage if it is used to parry with. Unlike other bows, a Repair spell will not work on it. The user must use a Xenohealing spell.

SPELLS - Healing 2; Speeddart (1), Multimissile 2, Xenohealing 1.**ARMOUR – May wear some light armour if required.OTHER SKILLS - Hide in Cover 35%; Move Quietly 35%; Camouflage 35%; Listening 35%; Spot Hidden Item 30%.

GARGOYLES Gargoyles are strange creatures, seemingly made of stone. When resting, they are like statues. and can be treated as such, but when active they are very deadly.

Characteristics AverageSTR 1-5D6+12 15 to 32 Hit Points 2 to 10INT D6 3 ARMOUR: 6 point skinWIS 3D6 10 Defence ~10%DEX 3D6 10 Initiative =CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 7”/14”CHA D6 3 Treasure Factor 8 to 14SIZ 1-5D6 3 to 20 (~4ft-8ft)

Weapon Attack Damage RangeJavelin 25% D6 +1 to +5 60ftClaw x 2 35%+ D6 +2 to +11

SPELLS - Very bright gargoyles may know spells like Speeddart, but they are rare (say, those with 6 INT).

GHOSTS Spirits of the dead, they are specially bound as guardians of a specific area or thing. As such they have special characteristics not found in the usual run of spirits.1. Entering the area they guard is equivalent of challenging them to

spirit combat. Combat will commence after 1 melee round of warning from the spirit. Some will not give warning.

2. The spirit is bound to a particular area or thing. However, if the character facing a ghost attempts to go through a guarded entry- way, or take the treasure being guarded, the ghost will continue to engage, only returning to its area after the combat is over.

3. Guardian spirits will almost never (95% of the time) attempt to possess their opponent. Instead, they will attempt to reduce their opponent's POW to zero, making him flee in blind panic.

4. Because they are already effectively bound to the area they guard, guardian spirits cannot be bound or allied by characters. They must be destroyed in spirit combat or avoided.

Spirit characteristics are given in Chapter V, Basic Magic.

GHOULS Half-dead creatures who maintain their status by eating the dead. They look as if they have stepped from a week-old grave. Any armour they may have is looted from graves, and they usually fight with claw and their own poison bite.

Characteristics AverageSTR 4D6 14 Hit Points 5INT 2D6 7 ARMOUR - None (but loot)WIS 2D6+6 13 Defence 10%DEX 3D6 10 Initiative =CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 12”CHA =3 3 Treasure Factor 8SIZ 3D6 10

Weapon Attack DamageClaw 30% D6+2Bite* 30% D6+2Howl** as Demoralize spell* Bite injects a paralysing poison of potency half the CON of the ghoul. If successful versus CON of victim, he will be paralysed until counteracted by an antidote. Spider antidote will counteract the poison of the ghoul. Victim will live as many days as he has points of CON, losing 1 each day.** The howl of the ghoul actually matches the WIS of the ghoul versus the INT of his victim. It has the same effect as a Demoralize spell, but is not strictly magic and is not affected by Shield or Countermagic spells. When a party of ghouls attacks a party of Adventurers, compare the WIS of the most powerful ghoul against the INTs of each member of the party every round. If a party member resists the howl for five consecutive rounds, he will be immune to a ghoul's howl until a week has passed without hearing it.

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GIANTS An extremely surly and untrustworthy Chaotic race. They have a fondness for human flesh. At full growth of 50 feet, a SIZ roll of 24D6+16, the giant is a truly formidable creature. Fortunately, most giants are not that large. Giants grow at the rate of 1 point of SIZ per game year. For STR and SIZ, roll 3D6+2 for every 6ft of height. (A random giant will be approximately 2D4 x 6ft in height). They often use great clubs or even tree trunks in battle. Human sized opponents should subtract 10 from all hit locations when attacking giants unless the giant stoops to their size. Giants are so naturally contrary that any magical attempt to influence their actions or emotional response (such as the spells of Demoralize, Harmonize, and Befuddle) have only a 05% chance of working on them, no matter what WIS the spell user may have. Giants are actually tied to the Disorder Rune, not Chaos. Many people, including Giants, cannot tell the difference. A giant has a chance equal to its POW as a percentage or less on D100 of having a Chaotic feature.

Characteristics AverageSTR 3D6+2 (per 6ft) 24 to 96 Hit Points 14 to 50INT 3D6 10 ARMOUR: 6 point skinWIS 3D6 10 Defence 0%DEX 3D6 10 Initiative =CON D6+12 15 Movement Rate 18”CHA 3D6 10 Treasure Factor 30 to 160SIZ 3D6+2 (per 6ft) 24 to 96

Weapon Attack Damage ParryGiant Club 55% 2D10 +7 to +43! AP 24

to 110%

ARMOUR: Or effectively 12 AP if wearing plate leg armour.

GORPS An amorphous blob of protoplasm. Anyone caught by the gorp must make a roll of his DEXx5 on D100 or be enmeshed and a hit location eaten at 8 points a melee round. Armour will protect the character until it is eaten away. Gorp can only be killed by fire or magic. Weapons will just pass through it, taking damage from its digestive juices. Because of its acidic nature, acid has no effect on it at all.

Characteristics AverageSTR =10 10 Hit Points 11INT =1 1 ARMOUR: None (N/A)WIS 3D6 10 Defence -DEX =2 2 Initiative -4CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 1” to 6”CHA =1 1 Treasure Factor 24SIZ 6D6 21

Weapon Attack DamageEnvelop 100% 8 points acid

Gorp attacks by moving next to a victim during movement phase. If the victim fails a DEX roll, the Gorp has enveloped it. If the character can still move after the first round, the player may try a second DEX roll. A gorp has a chance of its POW or less on D100 of having a Chaotic feature as described at the end of this chapter.

GRIFFINS An ancient and powerful race, rarely mixing in the affairs of men. They know battle magic, but have no wish for Runic progression. They have the heads, wings, and forelegs of eagles, and the body and

hind legs of a lion, a combination of all that is regal in both breeds. Griffins will leave anyone alone unless he tries to take the griffin's hoard of gold. Its favourite mode of attack is a swoop down from above. They are found in family “prides” of as many as a dozen, of which half will be immature.

Characteristics AverageSTR 8D6 28 Hit Points 15INT 2D6+6 13 ARMOUR: 4 point skinWIS 2D6+6 13 Defence 30%DEX 3D6 10 Initiative =CON 2D6+6 13 Movement Rate 12”/18”CHA 3D6 10 Treasure Factor 40SIZ 8D6 28

Weapon Attack DamageClaw* 55% D6+9Peck* 55% D8+9* A griffin can claw and peck at three or fewer foes at the same time.

SPELLS - Battle magic up to their INT limit in points.

HIGH LLAMAS These Praxian animals look like Peruvian llamas, but are of great height, giving their riders an edge in combat by allowing them to strike down at opponents. This is simulated by allowing a llama rider striking a non-llama riding foe to roll hit location by rolling 1D10+10, giving a target area of the abdomen up to the head and doubling the chance of hitting chest or head.

Characteristics AverageSTR 2D6+24 31 Hit Points 17INT =2 2 ARMOUR: 2 point skin.WIS 3D6 10 Defence 20%DEX 2D6 7 Initiative -2CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 18”CHA =9 9 Treasure Factor 22SIZ 3D6+24 34

Weapon Attack DamageBite* 30% D8+5Kick* 60% D6+10* A high llama will bite and kick one or two foes at the same time.

HORSES A horse, even the best of them, can politely be described as dumb, and those of extreme stupidity are very common. Horses with the SIZ, STR, and skill of a trained warhorse are few and far between. They are also quite expensive. An Adventurer seeking a mount will have to make a compromise, usually in favour of a sturdy but dumb animal. For the purposes of the game, there are four basic types of horses; the cart horse, the cavalry horse, the riding horse, and the war horse. Most of the other riding animals discussed can be considered to be in the war horse category due to their select, specialized, breeding. When fighting on horseback against unmounted foes, the hit location struck should be found by rolling D12+8. This gives a hit location range of 9-20.

CART HORSES (including MULES) The cart horse includes all animals used as beasts of burden. They may or may not be usable as riding animals, but their training is such that they may not be compelled to much more than a broken trot, and that over a very short period. Their main function in a battle would be to run away as fast as

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possible, and no one with any knowledge of horses would think of riding one into battle.

RIDING HORSES The riding horse includes nearly everything we think of today as being a horse. It can carry a rider and gear for a goodly distance during any given period if it is given adequate care and feeding. Any horse (or any of the other vegetarian riding animals mentioned later) is an inefficient fuel engine when working on grass. Oats and other high energy grains will keep a horse used to them going longer, but this usually has to be carried. A riding horse will not fight unless cornered or engaged in a territory fight with another horse. They almost never fight to kill another horse.

CAVALRY HORSES The cavalry horse is trained to stay calm in battle and carry its rider where he wants to go amidst the noise and hubbub of a battle. They are not trained to fight in battle and because of this, they cost less to train (see Chapter VI). A cavalry horse can be trained to fight, at which time it becomes a warhorse (see below). However, as a cavalry horse it is not trained to fight in coordination with its rider, and a rider would have to make Riding rolls and do nothing else if the horse commenced fighting for any reason. A cavalry horse can be depended on to stay steady in the face of most monsters.

WAR HORSES The war horse is a highly specialized animal, trained to respond absolutely to the demands of its rider and ignore outside influences. They are also trained to fight on their own. A war horse is almost always a gelding. Despite all the adventure novels, stallions are totally unreliable as war horses because they are far more interested in mares. Mares can be used for war horses, but are usually too small to be used for the kind of close-in fighting a war horse is used for. A war horse or similarly trained mount, will not panic and bolt at the sight and/or smell of a monster, or other form of riding animal. The single most important cost factor in a war horse is training. A horse has a natural attack ability of 25% in each of its attacks, but must be trained to coordinate these attacks with its rider. Warhorses without riders have a natural attack of 25% with Bite, Kick, and Trample. However, they have only a 5% chance with these skills working in coordination with a rider. They must be trained to use these skills with a rider. A good trainer (see Horse-masters Guild, Chapter VI) can take a horse up to 75% ability. It does not have the mentality to go beyond the limit of training. As shown below, a war horse can be trained to do three types of attacks: kick with the foreleg; bite with the teeth; and rear and plunge. It will attack whatever is in front of it that it is either directed to attack or which attack it. Unless specifically directed, it will not attack another mount. The zebras used by the people of Pavis are in all ways like the horses described above. A referee may take the range of STR and SIZ shown below and divide it into subgroups to provide “breeds” of horses for the campaign.

Characteristics AverageSTR 3D6+18 28 Hit Points 14INT =2 2 ARMOUR: 1 point skin.WIS 3D6 10 Defence 30% DEX 3D6 10 Initiative =CON 2D6+6 13 Movement Rate 18”CHA =10 10 Treasure Factor ~20SIZ 4D6+12 26

Weapon Attack DamageBite* 25% D10Kick† 55% D8+9Rear & plunge** 55% 2D8+9Trample†† 75% 2D6+9 to downed foe* Will never bite the head or body of a target, just the limbs,wings, tails, etc.† There is a 65% chance the blow will knock down a target ofSIZ 12 or less, with 10% less chance for every 6 points of SIZlarger.** There is a 10% chance for every 6 SIZ points over 12 that the target will not fall down, if it is still alive and capable of standing. A horse which rears and plunges can make no other attack.†† This will only happen to a foe who the horse has been directed to trample. They will ordinarily not do this. A trampling horse can make no other attack.

IMPALAS Small deer ridden by a tribe of pygmies, they will not fight unless cornered. They usually kick while running away.

Characteristics AverageSTR 2D6+6 13 Hit Points 7INT =2 2 ARMOUR: None.WIS 3D6 10 Defence 40%DEX 2D6+6 13 Initiative +1CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 15”CHA =12 12 Treasure Factor 4SIZ 2D6+6 13

Weapon Attack DamageKick 25% D6 +1

JACK O'BEARS Humanoid in shape, this strange creature has what seems to be a pumpkin for a head and an exotic talent not to be sneered at. The jack o'bear can ensnare another's mind in a version of the Harmonize spell, grabbing one victim a melee round up to a limit of one for every 2 points of POW it has. These victims whose magic resistance are overcome are frozen in place and helpless unless the jack o'bear dies or a 2 point Dispel Magic is used against the Harmonize. The jack o'bear's Harmonize acts as a 1 point Rune magic spell, acting without draining the jack's POW. Jack o'bears are basically Chaotic, and the Harmonize is the Chaotic feature they have as a result. These creatures attack with both claws at the same initiative.

Characteristics AverageSTR 3D6+6 16 Hit Points 9INT 2D6 7 ARMOUR: 3 point fur.WIS 4D6 14 Defence 30%DEX 3D6 10 Initiative =CON 2D6+6 13 Movement Rate 15”CHA 3D6 10 Treasure Factor 10SIZ 3D6+6 16 (~6ft4)

Weapon Attack Damage2 x Claws 35% D6+3

OTHER SKILLS - Hide in Cover 50%; Move Quietly 50%.

There is a 05% chance a jack o'bear will have another Chaotic feature from Page 89.

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MANTICORES Manticores are lion-bodied with a scorpion tail, topped off by a human-like head. They are a surly, independent lot, usually hiring out as bodyguards to humans and others, and having little to do with their fellow beasts. They rarely use magic, preferring strength. It is rumoured some can fly, on leathery wings, but the ones here do not.

Characteristics AverageSTR 4D6+12 26 Hit Points 14INT 2D6 7 ARMOUR: 4 point skin.WIS 3D6 10 Defence 20%DEX 2D6+3 10 Initiative =CON 2D6+6 13 Movement Rate 14”CHA 2D6 7 Treasure Factor 26SIZ 4D6+12 26

Weapon Attack DamageClaw* 55% D6+8Sting* 55% D6+8* A manticore will use both attacks at once, at one/two opponents. The sting has a systemic poison of potency half its CON, usually 7.

MINOTAURS These creatures have a large humanoid body with a bull's head. Will often go berserk in combat, striking at half-again normal attack ability, but ignoring any parry they may have. They normally disdain magic except for Healing or Fertility spells.

Characteristics AverageSTR 3D6+12 22 Hit Points 12INT 2D6 7 ARMOUR – 5 pointsWIS 3D6 10 Defence 25%DEX 3D6 10 Initiative =CON 2D6+6 13 Movement Rate 15”CHA 2D6 7 Treasure Factor 13SIZ 3D6+12 22 (~7ft6)

Weapon Attack Damage ParryGreat axe 30% 2D6+6 AP 10

ARMOUR: 3 point skin plus 2-pt leather on body and limbs, no helm.

MOROKANTHS Intelligent, tapir-like creatures who live in marshes and plains, as in Prax. They can become Rune Lords/Priests. Rune Lord morokanth have been known to replace their regular claws with iron ones. They can use weapons, but get no benefit from their natural abilities or the usual basic chance in using them, being reduced to the basic 05% chance. This is because weapons are not an integral part of their culture and must be specially adapted to their claws, which are larger and clumsier than human hands. They will try to purchase leather or even metal armour to cover their vital parts. Morokanth relations with humans are formal and restrained at best. They herd men on the Plaines of Prax. This is a necessary, accepted, tolerated, but not appreciated practice.

Characteristics AverageSTR 3D6+6 16 Hit Points 8INT 3D6 10 ARMOUR – 5 points averageWIS 3D6 10 Defence 5%DEX 2D6+3 10 Initiative =CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 12”CHA 3D6 10 Treasure Factor 12SIZ 3D6+6 16 (~6ft)

Weapon Attack Damage ParryClaw 35% D6+3Spear* 25% D8+3 AP 10* A morokanth found on an adventure will be more competent, but a player character morokanth will start at 05% with anything.

SPELLS - Healing 2; Ironhand 2; Countermagic 1; Mobility 1.ARMOUR - 4 point skin plus 2-pt leather on head and body.OTHER SKILLS - Tracking 75%; Hide in Cover 50%.

NEWTLING Newtlings are a race similar to dragonewts, and thought to be related to them. However, the connection is remote, as the species is primarily amphibian rather than reptilian, storing water in their tails for use in dry territory. They do not have a reincarnating cycle like the dragonewts. However, they are very like a crested dragonewt in stature and can be mistaken for one at a distance.

Characteristics AverageSTR 3D6 10 Hit Points 4INT 3D6 10 ARMOUR: 2 pointsWIS 3D6 10 Defence 25%DEX 2D6+6 13 Initiative +1CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 9”CHA 3D6 10 Treasure Factor 4SIZ 2D6 7 (~4ft6)

Weapon Attack Damage Parry RangeTrident* 30% D8 AP 8Sling 25% D4 240ft+Small Shield 25% AP 8* Use like a one handed spear.

ARMOUR - Leather body and limbs, 2-pt cap helm.OTHER SKILLS - Swimming 80%; Tracking 50%; Spot Traps 40%; Hide in Cover 50%.

OGRES Ogres look very human, generally passing for human in all walks of human civilization. They are thought to have originated as a human tribe which took the side of Chaos during the Great Darkness. They are quite rare. Their teeth are very sharp and they are very strong. They can look very handsome and beautiful. They can join any Rune cult but their outlook on life is always tainted with Chaos. They are known to be fond of human flesh. Other intelligent creatures of Chaos will recognize them by their aura and usually not attack them.Characteristics AverageSTR 2D6+12 19 Hit Pts average 13INT 3D6 10 ARMOUR: 2 pointsWIS 2D6+6 13 Defence 10%DEX 3D6 10 Initiative =CON 2D6+6 13 Movement Rate 12”CHA 3D6 10 Treasure Factor 12SIZ 3D6 10 (~5ft4)

Weapon Attack Damage ParryAny available 35% As wpn +4 AP as wpn

SPELLS - As for humans (say D12-1 points, selected randomly).ARMOUR - Usually leather to start with.OTHER SKILLS - Disguise 50%; Move Quietly 35%.CHAOTIC FEATURE - There is a 5% chance an ogre will have a Chaotic feature from the list on Page 89.

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PIXIES Diminutive elves capable of flight with small transparent wings. These imps tend to stick with magic and slings, at which they have the same capability as an elf with a bow. They are naturally invisible, although they become visible if they attack, and spend most of their time playing pranks on travellers in elf woods.

Characteristics AverageSTR 2D4 5 Hit Points 2INT 3D6 10 ARMOUR: NoneWIS 2D6+6 13 Defence 50%DEX 4D6 14 Initiative +2CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 6”/15”CHA 3D6 10 Treasure Factor 6SIZ D6 3 (~2ft)

Weapon Attack Damage RangeSling 30% D4+2 (finesse) 240ft+

SPELLS – Befuddle (1); Disruption (1).OTHER SKILLS - Move Quietly 50%; Spot 40%; Set Trap 40%.

RHINOS The juggernauts of Prax, these vicious creatures are fortunately rare in the wild. They have all the usual characteristics of the African rhinocerous, including bad vision and a penchant for the headlong charge.

Characteristics AverageSTR 2D6+30 37 Hit Points 19INT =2 2 ARMOUR: 5 point skin.WIS 3D6 10 Defence 20%DEX 2D6 7 Initiative -2CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 12”CHA =9 9 Treasure Factor 45SIZ 2D6+30 37

Weapon Attack DamageButt* 75% D10+13Bite* 35% D6+6Trample* 75% 4D6+13* A rhino will only make one of these attacks per melee round.

ROCK LIZARDS Rock lizards are found in the same habitat as cliff toads, and the two reptiles are thought to get along very well. Even though they eat the same sort of food, they have never been seen to fight. Rock lizard skin looks like grey rock and is quite tough. When- ever one hits with a claw, it will hang on with that appendage and attempt to hit with the other one in the next round.

Characteristics AverageSTR 2D6+6 13 Hit Points 8INT =2 2 ARMOUR: 3 point skin.WIS 2D6+3 10 Defence 40%DEX 2D6+6 13 Initiative +1CON 2D6+6 13 Movement Rate 6”CHA =7 7 Treasure Factor 7SIZ 4D6 14

Weapon Attack Damage2 x Claws* 25% D6+1Bite* 25% D10+1* Will strike with both claws at once until one hits, then hold with that one, strike with the other. and bite.

RUBBLE RUNNERS Picture a large, rat-shaped, creature about 2 feet long. Move the corners of the mouth back to the front shoulders and open the mouth about 60 degrees to reveal a row of sharp-pointed teeth. Cover the whole gruesome thing with armadillo-like scale. Realize that it is always hungry and runs in packs, and you have a rubble runner. They are usually only found in ruins and underground.Characteristics AverageSTR D6 3 Hit Points 1INT =2 2 ARMOUR: 2 point skin.WIS D6+6 9 Defence 45%DEX 2D6+6 13 Initiative +1CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 9”CHA =4 4 Treasure Factor 4SIZ D4 2

Weapon Attack DamageBite* 10-25% D6-4* When they hit with a bite, the rubble runner will hold on and continue to bite. Roll each round to see if the “hit” is critical and will get through armour.

RUNNERS Stunted and degenerate elves, the runners have their own culture in the trees of an Aldryami forest. They prefer missile weapons and the “whipstick”, a club-like weapon which, in the hands of a runner, can be made to curl around and bind an enemy. They will not willingly leave the branches of the trees of the forest. They wear no armour or clothes, being covered by a very soft fur. While they could learn magic if they wanted to, they rarely do. If they fight, it is with mass attacks of screaming runners, pouring out of the trees. it is thought that their dependence on trees is mid-way between that of the elves and the dryads.Characteristics AverageSTR 2D6 7 Hit Points 5INT 3D6 10 ARMOUR: NoneWIS 3D6 10 Defence 45%DEX 2D6+6 13 Initiative +1CON 2D6+6 13 Movement Rate 6”/14” in treesCHA 3D6 10 Treasure Factor 3SIZ 2D6 7 (~4ft6)

Weapon Attack Damage ParryWhipstick* 30% D6-2 AP 5* Will bind a foe's limb or strangle through all but plate armour if it hits a head location.OT'HER SKILLS - Hide in Cover 30%; Move Quietly 30%; Camouflage 30%: Listen 30%; Spot Hidden Item 30%.

SABLES Antelope also known as “Lunar deer” for the shape of their horns.Characteristics AverageSTR 3D6+12 22 Hit Points 11INT =2 2 ARMOUR: 1 point skin.WIS 3D6 10 Defence 40%DEX 2D6+6 13 Initiative +1CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 18”CHA =10 10 Treasure Factor 7SIZ 3D6+12 22

Weapon Attack DamageButt* 40% D12+5Kick* 40% D6+5Bite* 25% D4+2* A sable will either: butt; or bite and kick in a melee round.

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SCORPION MEN More scorpion than men, they are a sort of man-scorpion centaur, with the chest, arms, and head of a man, but the abdomen, tail, and rear six legs of a scorpion. Not being fully mammalian, they are not considered to be among the beast men. They are a Chaos breed, left over from the Great Darkness, and live in small villages in the high mountains. They know little magic, for no one will teach it to them. They make their living raiding and hiring out as bodyguards to optimistic employers who forget their essentially Chaotic nature.

Characteristics AverageSTR 2D6+12 19 Hit pts average 11INT 2D6 7 ARMOUR: 3 point skin.WIS 2D6 7 Defence 10%DEX 3D6+3 13 Initiative +1CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 12”CHA 3D6 10 Treasure Factor 9SIZ 2D6+12 19

Weapon Attack Damage Parry RangeGreat Club* 40% D10+4 AP 12Sling 35% D4+2 240ft+Sting* 40% D6+4* A scorpion man can attack with club and sting at the same time. The sting injects a systemic poison of half the scorpion man's CON in potency. A scorpion man has a chance equal to its POWx5 or less on D100 of having a Chaotic feature from the list on Page 89.

OTHER SKILLS - Climbing 50%; Set Trap 40%.

SHADOW CATS Varying in size from house-cat to jaguar, usually of dark colour- ation, these beasties are very quick and quiet. Also known as shim- mer cats because they have a natural defence of 80%, so they are extremely hard to hit. They rarely attack anything larger than themselves. They are given credit for keeping down the population of rubble runners. However, when cornered or threatened, they will attack, jumping onto a foe and holding with the forefeet while biting and ripping with both hind legs at once.

Characteristics AverageSTR 2D6 7 Hit Points 3INT =3 3 ARMOUR – None.WIS 2D6+12 19 Defence 80%DEX 2D6+12 19 Initiative +4CON 2D6+6 13 Movement Rate 15”CHA =13 13 Treasure Factor 21SIZ D6 3

Weapon Attack DamageBite 40% D6-2Rip 80% 2D6-2

OTHER SKILLS - Move Quietly 60%; Hide in Cover 50%.

SKELETONS These are dead creatures animated by Rune magic. They will often be wearing armour for protection to their brittle bones. They are usually easily destroyed individually. They can be programmed to fight with a success equal to their DEXx5. NOTE - A skeleton is brittle, and can easily shatter. This gives it low CON and Hit Points. A blow to the head which reduces it to 0 or less HP destroys a skeleton. Otherwise, these creatures keep fighting

until -10 HP. Impaling weapons cause them only 1 damage per hit.

Characteristics AverageSTR D4+8 10 Hit Points 4INT =1 1 ARMOUR – 2 (or as given)WIS =1 1 Defence 10%DEX 3D6 10 Initiative =CON =8 8 Movement Rate 12”CHA =4 4 Treasure Factor 10SIZ 3D6 10 (~5ft4)

Weapon Attack Damage ParryAs given 50% per wpn per wpnMedium shield 50% AP 12

SKY BULLS They are the offspring of the Storm Bull (Storm God of Prax) and mortal heifers. Large flying bulls, they are fierce vegetarians. They are prized by griffins as meat.

Characteristics AverageSTR 4D6+12 26 Hit Points 21INT =3 3 ARMOUR: 3 point skin.WIS 3D6 10 Defence 20%DEX 2D6 7 Initiative -2CON 2D6+6 13 Movement Rate 16”/16”CHA =10 10 Treasure Factor 26SIZ 8D6+12 40

Weapon Attack DamageButt 55% 2D10+8Stomp* 55% 2D6+8

* Sky bulls will swoop down on a foe from above and stomp them into the ground. They only butt in air combat or if caught on the ground.

SNAKES There are a number of the usual common snakes in Glorantha, with poison like their reptile cousin the Wyvern, of potency CON/2.

Characteristics AverageSTR D6 3 Hit Points 3INT =1 1 ARMOUR – None.WIS D6+6 9 Defence 35%DEX 3D6 10 Initiative =CON 2D6+6 13 Movement Rate 6”CHA =6 6 Treasure Factor 2 (poisonous 3)SIZ D6 3

But one faction of the snake family was heavily influenced by Chaos during the great battle of Darkness against Chaos during the Gods War. Since then, strange sorts of belly crawling types have sprung up in ruins and waterways.These snakes seldom breed true, although several forms predom- inate. A mixed bag of the following snakes is the usual encounter. For each snake in a group, roll D6. If it is a variety with different types of males and females, there is a 50% chance for each that they are male or female.

CHAOS SNAKE TABLED6 Result

1-2 Weapon Snake3-4 Fang Snake

5 Spit Snake 6 Stake Snake

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WEAPON SNAKES Weapon snakes have developed hard bone or horn tails, shaped into curved light broadswords (males) or maces (females), which they extend towards a foe to fight and parry with. They keep their heads as far from danger as possible, slightly swivelled to see the tail. (This gives these types some effective armour as well).

Weapon Attack Damage Parry PointsSword 25% D8 (finesse) 25% 10 AP3 (Tail 10)Mace 25% D6 (finesse) 25% 6 AP2 (Tail 6)

FANG SNAKES Fang snakes look like normal snakes. However, only one long sharp fang is visible as a weapon when they open their mouths. It does little (D4-4) damage but will also inject an ever-replenishable Blade Venom of D6 potency.

Weapon Attack DamageBite 25% 1hp + CONx5 or D6 from Blade Venom

SPIT SNAKES These are capable of ejecting a liquid from their throats. They look like stake snakes, though their skin is not as hard. The males spit a wad of acid of D6 potency, females spit a wad of skunk-like acrid oil. Both have a range of 10 feet. The female's acrid spit will keep anyone hit from sneaking up on anything with a sense of smell for at least a week. Both males and females can spit a number of times equal to their SIZ.

Weapon Attack DamageSpit 25% Acid (D6 potency) or acrid smelling oil.Bite 10% 1hp (+D6 Acid attacks armour)

STAKE SNAKES Stake snakes have an incredibly hard, pointed, snout and a large body which can coil and launch like a spring. This lets the head hit like an arrow from a bow, doing D8 damage but perhaps impaling or doing a critical hit. After a hit, the snake always withdraws to try to hit again. It has a springing range of 10ft.

Weapon Attack Damage RangeSpring 25% D8 (finesse) 10ft AP3 (Head 10)

TIGER SONS These weretigers are as much loners as bear-walkers, but they are organized loosely into a cult known as the Sons of the Tiger. The criteria for becoming a Rune Lord within the cult are unknown to the general run of Gloranthan citizens, but some have been seen with special iron claws attached to their paws.

Characteristics AverageSTR 3D6 (x2½) 10 (25) Hit pts average 7INT 3D6 (x½) 10 (5) ARMOUR: 1 point skin.WIS 3D6 10 Defence 10% (40%)DEX 2D6+6 13 Initiative +1CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 12”(15”)CHA 3D6 10 Treasure Factor 18SIZ 2D6+6 13 (~5ft10)

Weapon Attack DamageClaw* 50% (D6+7)Bite* 30% (D10+3)* Will bite if a claw hits in the previous round. If bite connects with flesh it will hang on, continuing to bite while hind legs claw victim.

OTHER SKILLS - Track by Smell 40%; Hide in Cover 50%; Move Quietly 50%; Spot Trap 40%; Spot Hidden Item 40%.

TROLLS - CAVE A degenerate species of trolls, they are quite large, but have lost both intelligence and power. They have no tolerance for daylight and fire. They are not gregarious, living in no more than family groups. In compensation for their loss of intelligence and power, they have developed the Chaotic ability of regeneration. They can Heal 1 point of damage in each hit location damaged per melee round, unless the location is fully destroyed. Damage taken under sunlight or done by fire will not regenerate.

Characteristics AverageSTR 3D6+12 22 Hit pts average 14INT 2D6 7 ARMOUR: 3 point skin.WIS 2D6 7 Defence 5%DEX 2D6+3 10 Initiative =CON 2D6+6 13 Movement Rate 10”CHA D6 3 Treasure Factor 12SIZ 4D6+12 26 (~8ft)

Weapon Attack Damage ParryGreat Club 45% D10+6 AP 12Claw† 45% D6+6† Usual tactic is to hit with the club then strike with the claw, but they cannot parry if they do so.

TROLLS - DARK Dark trolls are the current basic stock of trolls, deferring only to Mistress Race trolls for positions of authority. They are fully intelligent and use all weapons and magic. Thirty percent of any troll community will consist of dark trolls, with most of the rest being trollkin. Mistress Race and great trolls (and the occasional despised cave troll) make up no more than 3% of any community.

Characteristics AverageSTR 3D6+6 16 Hit Points 8INT 3D6 10 ARMOUR: 1 pt skin + 3+ worn.WIS 3D6 10 Defence 5%DEX 3D6 10 Initiative =CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 12”CHA 3D6 10 Treasure Factor 10+SIZ 3D6+6 16 (~6ft4)

Weapon Attack Damage ParryAny available 35% wpn+3 AP per wpn

SPELLS – Any, about 5pts (e.g. Bludgeon 2, Darkwall (2), Heal 1).OTHER SKILLS – Any.

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TROLLS - GREAT This breed of trolls was created by Cragspider the Firewitch, for her personal bodyguard. At least half the great trolls alive on Glorantha are members of that organization. They are larger than the parent breed, but have lost somewhat in intellect. Unlike cave trolls, they are capable of using weapons and armour, preferring chain mail and long weapons such as great swords and halberds. They can be taught battle magic, though their limited intelligence cuts down the number of spells they can memorize at once.

Characteristics AverageSTR 4D6+12 26 Hit Points 16INT 2D6+2 9 ARMOUR – 7 pointsWIS 3D6 10 Defence 5%DEX 3D6 10 Initiative =CON D4+14 16 Movement Rate 10”CHA 2D6 7 Treasure Factor 16SIZ 4D6+12 26 (~7ft6)

Weapon Attack Damage ParryGreatsword 40% 2D6+8 AP 12Poleaxe 40% D10+8 AP 10Broadsword 30% D8+8 AP 10

ARMOUR - 2pt skin plus 5pt chain body and limbs; 4pt open helm. SPELLS - At least 1 battle magic spell (e.g. Countermagic 1).

TROLLS - MISTRESS RACE These are the original trolls, from whom all others derive. Due to the Great Curse, their numbers have steadily dwindled, and only a few thousand are left in all of Glorantha. There are isolated hill tribes of trolls who have never seen a member of the Mistress Race. In any area where they do exist, members of this subgroup will hold as many positions of power as possible.

Characteristics AverageSTR 4D6+6 20 Hit Points 12INT 2D6+6 13 ARMOUR: 2pt skin + any (~6) WIS 4D6 14 Defence 50%+DEX 2D6+6 13 Initiative +1CON 2D6+6 13 Movement Rate 13”CHA 2D6+6 13 Treasure Factor 66+SIZ 3D6+12 22 (~7ft10)

Weapon Attack Damage ParryAny available 75% wpn+5 AP per wpn

ARMOUR - 2 point skin, plus any desired.SPELLS - Any battle magic, up to the INT limit. Also, if POW is 18 or above, D10 Rune magic spells.OTHER SKILLS - Oratory 75%; Camouflage 75%; Set Traps 60%; Spot Hidden Item 60%; Spot Trap 60%.

The characteristics given above are for a young Mistress Race troll, a very rare event. However, the skill levels are for a Mistress Race personage whom a band of adventurers might be so unlucky as to meet.

TROLLKIN The most degenerate of the trolls in size, these are, thanks to the Great Curse, the most numerous of the troll race. They are continual- ly being born to other kinds of trolls as well as their own breed. Trollkin themselves normally breed true, but many are born dead.

They dislike sunlight and will avoid it whenever possible. They have the ability common to trolls and other Darkness creatures of guiding themselves in the dark with a radar-like sense of hearing. They are very loath to risk their skins in hand-to-hand combat, mainly because they are always forced to do so by their larger brethren.

Characteristics AverageSTR 2D6+3 10 Hit Points 5INT 2D6+3 10 ARMOUR: 1 point skin.WIS 2D6 7 Defence 20%DEX 3D6+3 13 Initiative +1CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 9”CHA 2D6 7 Treasure Factor 3SIZ D6+6 9 (~5ft)

Weapon Attack Damage Parry RangeSling 30% D4+1 240ft+Light mace 30% D6 AP 6Spear 30% D8 AP 10Small shield 30% AP 8

SPELLS - 1 battle magic spell, selected randomly.OTHER SKILLS - Spot Hidden Item 45%.

TUSK BROTHERS (WERE PIGS) These lycanthropes change into great boars. They are thought to be the product of matings between the feared Tusk Riders and their mounts, but others say this is impossible. Since no one knows where they do come from, it is as good a theory as any. Even more then any other lycanthropes, they are known for foul tempers.

Characteristics AverageSTR 2D6+6 (x2) 13 (26) Hit Points 7INT 3D6 (x½) 10 (5) ARMOUR: 1 point skin.WIS 3D6 10 Defence 10% (20%)DEX 3D6 (x2/3) 10 (7) Initiative = (-2)CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 12”(18”)CHA 3D6 10 Treasure Factor 10SIZ 2D6+6 13 (~5ft10)

Weapon Attack DamageGore 55% (D6+8)Stomp* 55% (2D6+8)* If a foe is knocked down, a tusk brother will stomp him with its very hard hooves in the next round.

OTHER SKILLS - Sniffing Out Food 90%; Move Quietly 30%; Hide in Cover 50%.

TUSK RIDERS (HALF TROLLS) The actual origins of the tusk riders are unclear. That they have human ancestry is obvious, but the mark of the trolls is upon them as well. Their Cult of the Bloody Tusk demands blood drinking and further abominations. The tusk riders ride tuskers.

Characteristics AverageSTR 2D6+6 13 Hit Points 6INT 3D6 10 ARMOUR – 2 points WIS 3D6 10 Defence 10%DEX 3D6 10 Initiative =CON 2D6+6 13 Movement Rate 12”CHA D6 3 Treasure Factor 9 (7 on foot)SIZ 3D6 10 (~5ft4)

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Weapon Attack Damage ParryLance 25% 2xD8+6Spear 25% D8+1 AP 10 =10

SPELLS - Healing 2; Demoralize (1).ARMOUR - Leather body and limbs, & 3-pt composite helm.OTHER SKILLS – Riding 90%; Tracking 50%; Camouflage 40%; Spot Traps 50%.

TUSKERS Gigantic boars, ridden by tusk riders only. These beasts are fierce and ill-tempered, but love their masters beyond all comprehension.

Characteristics AverageSTR 3D6+12 22 Hit Points 15INT =3 3 ARMOUR – 4 point skin.WIS 3D6 10 Defence 10%DEX D6 3 Initiative -4CON D6+12 15 Movement Rate 15”CHA =7 7 Treasure Factor 24SIZ 4D6+12 26

Weapon Attack DamageGore* 50% 2D6+6Trample* 75% 2D6+6 to downed foe* A tusker cannot gore and trample one opponent in the same round.

UNICORNS The unicorns ridden by the amazons of Glorantha have all the characteristics of war horses, plus the attributes of a unicorn. They will only obey a virgin. They can cure wounds with their horns, and will gore a foe at the same time the amazon is lancing it. When using their horn to cure, they must touch the wound with the horn. Each point cured takes 1 point from the POW of the unicorn as in a Healing spell.

Characteristics AverageSTR 2D6+24 31 Hit pts average 17INT 3D6 10 ARMOUR: 1 point skin.WIS 2D6+12 19 Defence 40%DEX 2D6+6 13 Initiative +1CON 2D6+6 13 Movement Rate 18”CHA =15 15 Treasure Factor 26SIZ 2D6+18 25

Weapon Attack DamageGore 70% D10+10Bite 40% D4+5Kick 60% D6+10Rear and plunge 60% 2D10+10Trample 75% 2D6+5 to a downed foe

All notes are the same as for horses.

VAMPIRES This is the nobility of the undead. They are often a former or current Death Rune mage who has chosen to continue the work on the material plane. Usually humans choose this measure, although other races have been known to contribute to the vampire population. Vampires have all the traditional powers and problems imputed to them. The cross being the symbol of the Death Rune (see Chapter VII), one tied to that Rune can gain protection from a vampire. They are twice as strong as a man. They take no damage from normal weapons, only from iron, silver, enchanted Rune metals and magic, like lycanthropes. If the vampire takes damage to exceed its hit

points, it will turn into smoke at the end of that round and regain its hit points at a rate of 1 per melee round. It can do so at whim. The smoke can travel at 1” movement rate (10ft a melee round). It can also change into a bat or wolf. However, if the vampire's head is hit beyond its hit points, the vampire falls and cannot turn into smoke. Then a stake through the heart area can be applied to keep it from coming back once again. One must also cut off the head.

Characteristics AverageSTR 3D6x2 20 Hit Points 6INT 3D6 10 ARMOUR: None usuallyWIS 2D6+6 13 Defence 10%DEX 3D6 10 Initiative =CON 2D6+6 13 Movement Rate race+3”CHA 3D6 10 Treasure Factor 14+SIZ 3D6 10 (~5ft4)

Weapon Attack DamageTouch* 50% D4+5Bite† 50% D4+2* The touch of a vampire will reach through armour and attack a character's POW, just as a ghost does. If the vampire wins, the character loses current POW.† If the bite of a vampire penetrates armour, it drains D6 STR (blood) from the victim per melee round. It will stay attached until the victim is dead or vampire destroyed.

SPELLS - If the vampire can catch the glance of a character, it can attempt to Harmonize him with no loss of POW. A roll of the target's character's WISx5 or less must be made on D100 to see if he was lucky enough to avoid the glance at the vampire.ARMOUR - None usually, but can wear any.

Unlike truly alive or dead creatures, vampires cannot regain POW after losing it with the use of battle magic or spirit combat. However, their POW drain ability takes the POW of their victim and transfers it immediately to their characteristic POW and increases it. This is the only way they can increase POW, as normal POW gain rolls and POW increase rolls are not available to them. The victim of POW loss to a vampire will get his POW back, just as he would normally regenerate it after spirit combat. Vampires are also limited to their pre-death species maximum for POW, so that a vampire human could not increase his POW through POW drain past 21. Any further energy drained is lost to the vampire, as well as his victim.

WALKTAPI Man-like bodies with heads similar to a large octopus, an extremely Chaotic race, they can attack with all eight tentacles using the human arms as balance. They can attack as many as four foes at once, and also squirt out a poison gas cloud similar to the effect of an octopus squirting ink. Walktapi also have the Chaotic ability to regenerate. Every portion of their body which is severed from the parent will grow into a new walktapus. Not even fire will permanently affect this, though it will slow down the growth rate by several days. Only Disruption spells and extremely powerful “exotic” Rune magic will permanently harm a walktapus. However, its regrowth ability is only 1 hit point a full turn. One can be dismembered and the survivors can leave it behind. It will not bother them again unless they pass the same way after an hour. Walktapi have none of the other Chaotic features listed on page 89.

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Characteristics AverageSTR 2D6+18 25 Hit Points 14INT =4 4 ARMOUR: 4 point skin.WIS 3D6 10 Defence 30%DEX 3D6 10 Initiative =CON 2D6+6 13 Movement Rate 10”CHA =2 2 Treasure Factor 32SIZ 2D6+18 25 (~8ft)

Weapon Attack DamageTentacle* 50% D6+3Constrict 2D6+7* Can use four at once. If two strike the same target, they can then constrict every round. Armour will protect only until its absorption rate is overcome, then it is broken (the piece on the location hit).SPECIAL - Gas cloud of systemic poison in 10ft circle POT = CON.

WIND CHILDREN Extremely humanoid except for their magnificent feathered wings. The wind children are tied to the Air Rune and disdain close combat and armour, using missile weapons and spells They are extremely claustrophobic and will not go underground. A very rare race, found only in Sartar and other areas around Dragon Pass. Wind children Rune Priests are particularly apt in the use of sylphs, or Air Elementals.

Characteristics AverageSTR 2D6 7 Hit Points 4INT 3D6 10 ARMOUR: None.WIS 2D6+6 13 Defence 35%DEX 2D6+6 13 Initiative +1CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 9”/18”CHA 3D6 10 Treasure Factor 5SIZ 2D6 7

Weapon Attack Damage Parry RangeSling 30% D4-1 240ft+Rapier 30% D6-1 AP 8

SPELLS - Healing 2; Disruption (1); Speeddart (1).OTHER SKILLS - Flight 90%.

WOLFBROTHERS They are the classic werewolves.

Characteristics AverageSTR 3D6(x2) 10 (22) Hit Points 5INT 3D6 (x½) 10 (5) ARMOUR: 1 point skin. WIS 3D6 10 Defence 10% (30%)DEX 3D6 10 Initiative =CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 12”(18”)CHA 3D6 10 Treasure Factor 10SIZ 3D6 10 (~5ft4)

Weapon Attack DamageBite x 2 45% D8+6

Basic tactic is to attempt to knock down foe and worry on the ground, by DEXx5 & SIZvSIZ (see Knockdown, Chapter IV).

OTHER SKILLS - Track by Smell 60%; Hide in Cover 50%; Move Quietly 50%; Spot Trap 50%; Spot Hidden Item 50%.

WRAITHS A wraith is a type of undead ghost. Wraiths form when someone's emotions at death are overwhelming hatred and frustration, and are created by certain evil magicians. They hate all living things. They look like rotted, skeletal spirits and those in their presence oftenfeel chilled or smell putrid odours. They are found in the Spirit Plane and also in ruins, abandoned buildings and similar spots. Like other ghosts, they are often bound to the site of their deaths. Wraiths can only be damaged by magic. If a sword with Blade- sharp 4 strikes a wraith, it will suffer 4 points of damage. Firebladeswould do 3D6 to wraiths. True-Weapon spells damage wraiths normally. If a wraith is reduced to zero hit points, it dissolves and cannot re-form for at least a week. Wraiths are completely immune to emotion-affecting magic such as Demoralize and Fear. There are three types of wraith. One attacks against STR, one against CON, and the last against INT. A wraith matches its WIS against the target's characteristic by touching him with its spectral hand. If it overcomes the foe's STR, CON, or INT with its WIS, the target takes D6 hit points of damage to the location struck, ignoring armour or magical damage resistance. Spirit Block or Spirit Screen add to the affected characteristic to help resist this attack. If the wraith is attacking a helpless target (sleeping, unconscious, or incapacitated) then the wraith can choose to reduce the victim's STR, INT, or CON by D6 points instead of doing hit point damage.Each such draining raises the wraith's POW by 1 (hence HP, Defence and Move). Wraiths always attack swiftly, with +5 initiative bonus.

Characteristics AverageSTR - - Hit points 14 (=POW)INT 2D6+6 13 ARMOUR – NoneWIS 4D6 14 Defence 70% (POWx5)DEX =20 20 Initiative +5CON - - Movement Rate 14” (=POW)CHA D6 3 Treasure Factor 22SIZ - -

Weapon Attack DamageSpectral Hand WIS v STR/CON/INT D6 (ignores armour)

WYRMS The result of a misguided attempt by the Second Council to create new dragons after the ancestral dragons either went away or went to sleep. The result was much less than hoped for, and rapidly went its own way. It is a great legless serpent with wings, high INT, and WIS. A young wyrm actually starts the SIZ and STR shown below at D6 per 20 years. They then continue to grow at D6 per 50 years until they die. They congregate in family groups of two adults and not more than two children.

Characteristics AverageSTR 10D6 35 Hit Points 18INT 3D6 10 ARMOUR: 8 point skin.WIS 3D6+6 16 Defence 30%DEX 3D6 10 Initiative =CON 3D6 10 Movement Rate 15”CHA 3D6 10 Treasure Factor 48SIZ 10D6 35

Weapon Attack DamageBite 70% D10+12

SPELLS - Healing 2; Mobility 2; Countermagic 2; Disruption (1); Demoralize (1).

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WYVERNS No one can be sure of the origins of the wyvern. Are they dreams of immature dragons? Natural beasts? No one knows. They are rare, but seem to breed and reproduce normally. They are somewhat dragon-ish in shape, but have only two legs.

Characteristics AverageSTR 4D6+12 26 Hit Points 17INT 2D6 7 ARMOUR: 6 point skin.WIS 3D6 10 Defence 40%DEX 2D6+6 13 Initiative +1CON 2D6+6 13 Movement Rate 9”/15”CHA 2D6 13 Treasure Factor 34SIZ 2D6+24 31

Weapon Attack DamageBite* 50% D8+8Sting* 70% D6+8* A wyvern will bite and sting one or two foes at one time. The sting injects systemic poison half the CON of the wyvern in potency.

ZOMBIES Dead beings animated by Rune magic. Like skeletons, the 1 point of POW they have is what motivates them and keeps them going. It is supplied by the spell which created them. They follow the instructions of the mage who created them but have no will of their own. The STR and CON of a zombie are multiplied by ½ again as part of the spell, up to species maximum. The zombie is a clumsy opponent, but capable of doing real damage when it hits. They can be equipped with any sort of armour and may be given weapons, as their strength makes up for their clumsiness. The magic animating a zombie is sufficient to let it hit at its DEXx5, but x1½ as they attack fanatically and do not parry. The head or every limb of a zombie must be destroyed or it will continue to fight until reduced to -10hp or less. They take only 1hp per hit from impaling weapons and half normal damage from others, calculated after the usual armour reduction.

Characteristics AverageSTR 3D6 x1½ 15 Hit points 7INT =1 1 ARMOUR – ~3 pointsWIS =1 1 Defence -DEX 3D6 x½ 5 Initiative -3CON 3D6 x1½ 15 Movement Rate 9”CHA 3D6 x¼ 2 Treasure Factor 8SIZ 3D6 x1 10 (~5ft4)

Weapon Attack DamageGreat Club 40% D10+2

ARMOUR – 1-pt skin, and usually 2-pt leather but more if provided.

MORE MONSTERS? The monsters listed in these pages are a partial listing of those which can be found in the world of Glorantha. With these, one can populate scenarios and keep the players guessing where the next attack is coming from. If response to these rules is sufficient, a supplementary volume will have specifics for the monsters of other worlds. Balrogs, orcs, hobbits, rocs, banths, all can be a part of the extended campaign.

CHAOTIC FEATURES (for chaotic creatures) Many creatures of chaos lack the usual consistency within a species. One two-headed dragon-snail is not necessarily like another. Chaotic creatures should therefore receive one special roll from the following table whenever they are encountered. It is perfectly all right if you replace this table with one of your own, or give some unusually powerful creatures two or more rolls, etc.

D100 Chaotic Feature01-03 Power +1D604-05 Power +2D606 Power +3D607-09 Dexterity +1D610-11 Dexterity +2D612 Dexterity +3D613-14 Strength +2D615 Strength +4D616-17 Constitution +2D618 Constitution +4D619-20 never surprised21-22 absorbs any 1-point spell cast at it, giving it 1 point of POW23-24 spits acid of 2D6 potency D6 times per day with 20ft range25-26 breathes 3D6 fire D6 times per day single target, 10ft range27-28 reflects 1 point spells back at user29-30 highly flammable: if ignited, burns all within 10ft radius31-32 hypnotic skin (INT x 5 or stand still till it eats you)33-35 appearance confusing - treat as 60% defence36-37 valuable gem (as 16 on gem/jewellery table) visible on body38-40 regenerates 1 hit point per round in location of choice until dead41-42 befuddles one opponent per tum in addition to other attacks43-45 apparently invincible; no visible damage till it falls over dead46 invisible till it attacks47-48 appearance very confusing (treat as 90% defence)49-50 poison touch, 2D6 potency - must get through armour to work51-52 Constitution minus 2D6 but regenerates 3 hp/rnd until dead53-54 6 point skin (treat as armour)55-56 movement rate 18”57-58 absorbs 1 and 2 point spells cast at it with no damage, adding the

Power of these spells to its Power59-60 its spirit attacks the character who kills it; will possess if it wins61-62 explodes when it dies, doing 3D6 damage to all within 10ft -

armour helps against this damage63-65 appears extremely dangerous66-67 can go invisible at will68-70 reflects 1 and 2 point spells back at caster71-72 8 point skin (treat as armour)73-74 10 point skin (treat as armour)75-76 12 point skin (treat as armour)77 appears to be a harmless creature until engaged in melee78-80 regenerates D6 hit points per melee round until dead81-82 capable of leaping up to 35ft83-84 indetectable by use of magic85 appearance extremely confusing (treat as 120% defence)86-87 valuable gem (as 06 on gem/jewellery table) inside the beast88-90 agonizing screams when moving91-92 stench overpowering: make CON x 5 or lose consciousness93-94 can reflect spells up to D6+2 Power back at caster95-96 this hideous beast Demoralizes all who gaze upon it - like a spell

but as if cast with a WIS of 3697-98 SIZ +2D699 roll twice00 this endearing beast has a Charisma of 5D6, and it attacks via CHA

vs. INT. If it succeeds, the character will try to make friends with it, accompany it in the future on adventures and act as its body- guard. It already has D6 bodyguards. Treat the attack as magical, except that Charisma is used. You will fight with it against your friends if they attack.

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NON-HUMANOID HIT LOCATION TABLES TABLE

BASILISKS/COCKATRICES/ GRIFFINS/SKY BULLS

Location D20 Right hind leg 01-02 Left hind leg 03-04 Hindquarters 05-07 Forequarters 08-10 Right wing 11-12 Left wing 13-14 Right fore leg 15-16 Left fore leg 17-18 Head 19-20

BOLO LIZARDS/ DEMI-BIRDS

Location D20 Right leg 01-04 Left leg 05-08 Abdomen 09-10 Chest 11-13 Right wing/arm 14-15 Left wing/arm 16-17 Head 18-20

DRAGONSNAILS - One-Head

Location D20 Shell 01-08 Forebody 09-14 Head 15-20

DRAGONSNAILS - Two-Head

Location D20 Shell 01-08 Forebody 09-14 Head 1 15-17 Head 2 18-20

CENTAURS

Location D20 Right hind leg 01-02 Left hind leg 03-04 Hindquarters 05-06 Forequarters 07-08 Right foreleg 09-10 Left fore leg 11-12 Chest 13-14 Right arm 15-16 Left arm 17-18 Head 19-20

DRAGONS/MANTICORES

Location D20 Right hind leg 01-02 Left hind leg 03-04 Hindquarters 05-06 Tail 07-08 Forequarters 09-10 Right wing 11-12 Left wing 13-14 Right fore leg 15-16 Left fore leg 17-18 Head 19-20

GARGOYLES/ WIND CHILDREN

Location D20Right leg 01-03Left leg 04-06Abdomen 07-08Chest 09-10Right wing 11-12Left wing 13-14Right arm 15-16Left arm 17-18Head 19-20

SCORPION MEN

Location D20 Right hind leg 01 Right centre leg 02 Right fore leg 03-04 Left hind leg 05 Left centre leg 06 Left fore leg 07-08 Tail 09-10 Thorax 11-12 Chest 13-14 Right arm 15-16 Left arm 17-18 Head 19-20

SNAKES

Location D20 Tail 01-06 Body 07-14 Head 15-20

WALKTAPI

Location D20 Right leg 01-02 Left leg 03-04 Abdomen 05 Chest 06 Right arm 07-08 Left arm 09-10 Tentacle 1 11 Tentacle 2 12 Tentacle 3 13 Tentacle 4 14 Tentacle 5 15 Tentacle 6 16 Tentacle 7 17 Tentacle 8 18 Head 19-20

CLIFF TOADS/ ROCK LIZARDS/ RUBBLE RUNNERS/ SHADOW CATS/ FOUR-LEGGED MOUNTS

Location D20 Right hind leg 01-02 Left hind leg 03-04 Hindquarters 05-07 Forequarters 08-10 Right fore leg 11-13 Left fore leg 14-16 Head 17-20

GORPS

Location D20 Body 01-20

WYRMS

Location D20 Tail 01-04 Abdomen 05-08 Chest 09-12 Right wing 13-14 Left wing 15-16 Head 17-20

WYVERNS

Location D20 Right leg 01-03 Left leg 04-06 Abdomen 07-08 Chest 09-11 Tail 12 Right wing 13-14 Left wing 15-16 Head 17-20

HIT LOCATIONS FOR NON-HUMANOID MONSTERS Naturally, hit locations for non-humanoid monsters are going to be different than those for humans. The above are hit locations for the non-humanoid monsters described before. Monsters you wish to add may fit into a type in one of these Non-Humanoid Hit Location Tables. If not, the principles shown here should make the hit locations for new types of monsters fairly easy to invent.

Alternatively, simply roll on the normal Humanoid hit locations table and extrapolate from the result.

EXPLANATION OF USE These hit location tables have been set up so that if a long monster, such as a dragon, is approached from the front or rear, adding or subtr- acting 6 from the D20 roll will give suitable locations from that angle.

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IX TREASURE HOARDS

The main reason characters would go out and fight the monsters depicted in the previous chapter is reward. Some monsters may be terrorizing the countryside, and a desperate citizenry will pay to have a pest exterminator come in. Others may be natural enemies with whom one is feuding, and still others may have come hunting the characters! But the main reason to fight monsters is the probability that they have been gathering loot, just as you have. We feel that each treasure should be unique, a carefully crafted reward for the intrepid Adventurer who has managed to overcome monsters and avoid traps to reach the final goal. However, we have also had to improvise treasures quickly. Accordingly, the following guidelines are suggested.

TREASURES

TREASURE FACTORS A hoard should reflect the relative toughness and numbers of its guardians. The following list tries to show this by giving a treasure factor for a monster, based on its individual capacities. In Chapter VIII, individual minimum treasure factors appear for each creature, but anything in the way of additional expertise and abilities can boost this number. A monster gets one Treasure Factor for each of the following:1. Each full 25% attack (minimum 1 factor);

MULTIPLIED BY the other factors for:2. Each full 3 hit points;3. Each point of armour protection (e.g. 2 point skin is 2 factors);4. Each full 25% Defence (e.g. 30% is 1 factor, but 20% is none);5. Each full +3 damage bonus and/or extra die of damage;6. Each extra attack the monster has (e.g. two claws gains 1 factor);7. Each combat spell or special power possessed by the monster

(potent powers give more factors, e.g. basilisk deathly gaze is 4);8. Each 5 levels of poison potency, or part thereof (e.g. potency 7

blade venom would give 2 treasure factors).

The Treasure Factor is used for each different type of monster. If there is more than one such monster, multiply the resulting treasure accordingly (or roll individually as desired, e.g. for special items).

EXPLANATION OF TREASURE TABLE TERMS

(PERCENTAGES IN PARENTHESES) - These are the numbers to be rolled or less on D100 for that type of treasure to appear. Thus, if the treasure factor is 35, there is a 90% chance of Clacks and Lunars, a 50% chance of Wheels (gold), a 90% chance of 1 gem or item of jewellery (see Gems and Jewellery Table), and a 50% chance there is an item of magic or a special item.

INDICATED DICE ROLLS - The dice rolls indicated give the amounts of the type of treasure which appears. If it is too much trouble to roll D100 ten times, roll it once and multiply by ten.

TREASURE FACTOR GREATER THAN 100 If the total treasure factor of a monster is larger than 100, divide the treasure factor into chunks of 100 and whatever is left over, then roll for each. Thus, if factors add up to 236, roll twice on the 91-00 line and once on the 31-40 line. This can be an appreciable treasure, but a 236-factor monster will make the characters fight for it.

ROLLING LESS THAN THE INDICATED PERCENTAGE There is a chance that more treasure than the above minimum will be found. This is based on the listed percentage for each treasure.

- If a Special is rolled (1/5th the needed number), multiply by 2.

- If a Critical is rolled (1/20th the needed number), multiply by 5.

- If a Fumble is rolled, that treasure is seriously flawed (perhaps it is trapped, or fake, or cursed, or well-known as stolen goods, etc).

TREASURE TABLE

Treasure Factor Clacks* Lunars* Wheels* Gems/Jewellery Special Items01-10 (75) D100 (75) D10 (5) D6 (50) 1 (roll at +50) (05) 111-20 (85) D100 (85) D100 (10) D10 (65) 1 (roll at +40 ) (10) 121-30 (90) 2D100 (90) 2D100 (20) D10 (75) 1 (roll at +30) (20) 131-40 (90) 4D100 (90) 3D100 (50) D20 (90) 1 (roll at +20) (50) 141-50 (90) 8D100 (90) 4D100 (75) 2D10 (90) 1 (roll at +20) (75) 151-60 (90) 10D100 (90) 5D100 (90) 2D10 (90) 1 (roll at +10) (90) 161-70 (90) 10D100 (90) 6D100 (90) 3D10 (90) 2 (roll at +10) (90) 171-80 (90) 20D100 (90) 10D100 (90) 2D20 (90) 2 (90) 281-90 (90) 20D100 (90) 10D100 (90) 3D20 (90) 2 (90) 291-00 (90) 30D100 (90) 20D100 (90) 4D20 (90) 3 (90) 3

* Large amounts (over 1000C, 500L, or 50Wh) should be in the form of valuable goods instead of coins in most cases. See Appendix G.

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GEMS/JEWELLERY TABLE

D100* Type Worth

01-05 Special Jewellery Roll again on this table for worth and on the Special Items or Magic Crystal Table for type.06-10 Superb Gemstone D10 x 1000 L11-15 Excellent Jewellery D6 x 1000 L16-20 Excellent Gemstone 3D6 x 100 L21-30 Very Good Jewellery 12D100 L31-40 Very Good Gemstone 6D100 L41-50 Good Jewellery 10D20 L51-60 Good Gemstone 2D100 L61-70 Costume Jewellery 5D20 L71-80 Flawed Gemstone D100 L81-90 Trade Junk Jewellery D20 L91-95 Semi-Precious Stone D10 L96+ Pretty Stones Worthless

* Apply modifier from Treasure Table Gems/Jewellery column, if any; but a natural roll of 01-05 is always Special, regardless of modifier.

SPECIAL ITEMS

There are various types of magic and other items available. When special items show up on the Treasure Table, roll on the table below:

SPECIAL ITEMS TABLE

D100 Item01-05 Extra Special Magic Item06-20 Magic Crystal21-50 Spell Matrix51-75 Potion76-00 Scroll

Having determined the type of item found, the next step is to consult the appropriate table below. Note that there may be items other than those given in the following outline. If the referee wishes, there may be holy relics of power vastly greater than any magic given here. Harrek's cloak is a good example out of the Dragon Pass world. Stormbringer is another, out of the Elric of Melnibone books. They are not given on these tables because magic items of legendary power should not turn up in the casual tavern brawl, or even in a well-planned raid on a band of obnoxious trolls. Such items of legend and glory should be objects of epic quests, not a casual evening's entertainment. Such items do exist, but the finding of them is what makes Heroes.

PROPERTIES OF ENCHANTED RUNE METALSIron: AP x1½ (tough) or ENC x½ (light); Damage x2 to trolls/elves.Copper: AP normal or AP-1 at ENC x½; as AP x2 versus breakage.Gold: AP normal, ENCx2; glows faintly, Light spells doubled.Lead: AP normal, ENCx1½, Stealth not reduced, Crush +1 damage.Silver: AP as normal bronze, very pliable. Tin: AP as normal bronze.Aluminium/Quicksilver: AP as bronze; buoyant in water, Swim skill not reduced. (Two forms of one metal, convertible by skilled smith).

All can hurt lycanthropes etc. Iron & Silver do so even unenchanted, but silver is too soft to use except as a blunt weapon or sling bullets. Unenchanted iron inhibits spell-casting (x½, or x1/10th with a lot).

EXAMPLE Goobag the dark troll has a 55% chance to hit (multiplier of 2). Being tough, he has 10 hit points (3 treasure factors) and a +4 damage bonus (1). He wears chain mail (5) over his 1 point skin (1), knows five combat spells (5) and uses 10-potency blade venom (2). This gives him a total treasure factor of 2 x 17 = 34. The dark troll is accompanied by three trollkin who hit at 35% (x1 multiplier), have 6 hit points each (2 factors). They do no extra damage, wear leather (2) over their 1 point skin (1), and carry one combat spell each (1). Each has the same 10-potency blade venom on their weapons (2). Thus their treasure factors are 1 x 8 = 16. Also working with them is a gargoyle, known as Rocky. Hitting at 60% (2x multiplier), he is large, with hit points of 12 (4 treasure factors) and a damage bonus of +6 (2). He has 6 point skin (6) and attacks with two claws (1 for an extra attack). His total is 2x13=26. The motley band's treasure factors (34, 16x3, 26) are rolled thus:

CLACKS - The rolls are 51 (4D100), 23 (D100, x3), 88 (2D100). Rolling the dice produces 229 +92x3=276 +131, or 636 Clacks.

LUNARS - The rolls are 84 (3D100), 16 (D100, x3, x2 Special), 59 (2D100). Remember that a Special roll (1/5th) means 2 times the usual result. Rolling, we get 39 +70x3x2=420 +133, or 592 L.

WHEELS - The rolls are 85 (0), 90 (0) and 46 (0). So no Wheels.

GEMS/JEWELLERY – The rolls are 40 (1 at +20), 54 (1 at +40, x3 as there are 3 trollkin), and 87 (0). This gives 4 items.1st Item – Rolling 74, +20 modifier to 94 gives a Semi-Precious

Stone worth 4 L.2nd Item – Rolling 47, +40 modifier to 87 gives Trade Junk,

worth 12 L.3rd Item – Rolling 31, +40 modifier to 71 gives a Flawed Gem,

worth 98 L.4th Item – Rolling 01 gives a special magical jewellery! (The

modifier is ignored). Rolling again, we get 14, so it is an Excellent Jewellery piece as well, worth 3000 L just for its mundane value. We also roll 78 for magic, to pursue later.

SPECIAL ITEMS - The roll is 03 (not quite critical, 1x2=2), 10 (1, x3), 84 (0). So the monsters have fallen heir to 5 special items!

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SCROLLS Scrolls can be almost any kind of written item, whether an actual scroll, a tablet of clay, a printed book, a few scattered pages, carved boards, or even a tapestry, as per the Scroll Materials Table. It may be useless to Adventurers, or have a map to a treasure which could still be there. Others can have notes of techniques that might increase skills, or may describe spells or rituals or lost ancient secrets... The Scroll Contents Table lists possible types as a guideline, and referees should feel free to change the frequency and nature of any item on it. Several characters in the RQ Pavis campaign made a bundle when they discovered a set of scrolls bearing the history of the Decline and Fall of the Empire of the Wyrm's Friends. A scroll may be written in any of the languages mentioned in Chapter Ten. A character's chance of reading the scroll is rolled only once. If that roll is a failure, he may try again when he has gained higher ability with the language. The character also has his reading and writing chance of copying the scroll out for someone else, and must make the roll for each scroll attempted. A fumble on a skill increase roll will teach the wrong things to the reader, making him go down an appropriate amount in the skill.

SCROLL MATERIALS TABLE

D100 Type 01,02 Inscribed metal sheets (usually bronze, copper or tin) 03-40 Scroll (parchment/vellum/papyrus/cloth) 41-60 Sheets (scattered loose-leaf pages) 61-70 Book (cover may be valuable – roll as Gems/Jewellery) 71-80 Painted fabric or Tapestry/Embroidery or Woven beads 81-85 Carved wooden boards or sticks 86-90 Engraved stones (from small to large or immovable) 91-94 Clay tablets (baked, writing is set) 95,96 Wax tablets (writing is soft) 97,98 Slates (writing in chalk, easily rubbed off) 99,00 Knotted leather strips

SCROLL CONTENTS TABLE

D100 Type 01 Special scroll - referee's discretion. 02-15 Description of methods to increase a characteristic by one.

Cannot increase past normal racial or other maximums.These methods generally take 3D6 weeks to implement.

D4: 1 STR, 2 CON, 3 DEX, 4 CHA. 16-35 Weapons technique scroll, giving D4 increase rolls in one

weapon. Cannot increase past the normal training limit. 36-50 General abilities scroll, giving one increase roll in up to D4

chosen non-combat skills based on a random characteristic.Again, a skill cannot increase past the limit of training.

51-60 Ritual formula. Details of how to summon an elemental, a spell-teaching spirit, disease spirit or similar, or to enter a Questing-trance, reach the Otherworld for Rune magic, etc.

61-70 Sorcerous writings. Conveys knowledge of a sorcery spell to a sorcerer (or simply mundane value to others, as below).

71-80 Valuable historical knowledge, letter of credit, deeds, negotiable bonds, stamps, collector's item posters, etc.(Roll for value on the Gems/Jewellery Table).

81-90 Map to an area which may still be interesting(treasure hoard, hideout, whatever).

91-00 Seemingly useless and/or unreadable.

POTIONS Potions are a diverse lot. Some potions will be found with extra- ordinary potencies. This may mean the powerful ancient magic they contain, or may refer to the deleterious effects of age . . . The Potions Table lists possible types of potions as a guideline.

POTIONS TABLE

D100 Type01 Styx Water02-10 Healing Potion11-25 Battle Magic Spell Potion26-45 Systemic Poison ( Potency 2D6+2 )46-55 Blade Venom ( " )56-70 Poison Antidote ( " )71-75 Battle Woad76-80 Medicine Bundle81-90 Other91-00 Spoiled Potion (probably poisonous - re-roll type)

EXPLANATIONS OF POTION TYPESSTYX WATER – Exceptionally pure, black water. Brought from Hell

by a hero's quest, 1 drop annihilates a vampire. (20kL for a vial)HEALING - These are magic, curing D8 points of wounds.BATTLE MAGIC SPELL POTIONS - Give one-use of the spell they

are made for. Do not require POW to use, as the POW was used to create the potion. Memory of the spell is not retained after use. These potions wear off after 2 hours. To find which spell is in it, roll D100, divide by 2, and consult the Battle Magic Spells Table.

SYSTEMIC POTION/BLADE VENOM - These are not magical.POISON ANTIDOTES - Duration of antidotes is in Chapter VI.BATTLE WOAD – Gives D6 Protection & Countermagic if painted

on a naked body. Declines 1pt/day or until clothes/armour worn. Rarer type also Heals as many points, once per wound sustained.

MEDICINE BUNDLE - Pack of useful herbs (see Appendix H).OTHER - Special potions, such as: POW restoring potion, useless

except to the maker; water befouled by broo with disease; POW blasting potions; rare, beneficial permanent growth potion; Trade-off potion, e.g. +3 INT but -6 POW permanently; or a normal type but with double potency. The variations are endless.

SPOILED POTIONS - Potions which have turned bad from age or improper manufacture. Often poisonous, perhaps a degenerated antidote, of potency 2D6+3, or with odd side effects such as a Disruption spell potion that disrupts the user. Spoiled potions can be told from good ones only by taste analysis (see Chapter VI).

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For additional information on all types of potions, see Chapter VI. Also, note that potions are often mixed with wine and ale. It might take a lot of wine and ale sampling to figure out what kind of potion it might be. . . (hic)

SPELL MATRICES A battle magic spell matrix stores the knowledge to cast a battle magic spell, but requires the user to supply the POW, just as if he were using the spell from his own memory. Thus, a matrix of Extinguish allows its carrier to use his own intelligence to remember other spells than Extinguish. However, if he ever casts Extinguish, he still uses 2 POW points. To put one randomly in a treasure, roll D100, divide the result by 2, and look at the Battle Magic Spell table. Alternately, if the referee has a favourite, he should indulge himself. Once the spell is determined, choose an item as the matrix. The following items have served as spell matrices: wands, swords, scabbards, gloves, torches, cloaks, rings, boots, pendants, and helms. Anything at all can serve as a battle magic spell matrix. Any matrix yielding more than one spell is definitely special. They should be pre-planned and used by a monster, not rolled randomly.

USING SPELL MATRICES Note that a character can have only one battle magic spell matrix ready at a time. Foci for battle magic spells cannot be carved on a matrix without destroying it. However, it would be possible to carve the foci first and then create, or have created, the matrix in the carved object. Switching spell matrices, or switching from matrix to spell or weapon adds 5 points to the strike rank of the character making the switch. In all other respects, a spell from a matrix is exactly the same in its effect as the same spell from the head of the magician. Spell matrices can be made by a Rune mage (see Chapter VII).

OPTIONAL MATRICES The referee may want to spice things up by setting up “flawed” spell matrices. One relatively mild version of this is a wand of Disruption. It does D10 points of damage (a definite improvement) but takes 4 POW points to run.

MAGIC CRYSTALS Just as the bones of dead gods provided Glorantha with bronze, the blood of dead and wounded gods provided crystals. These are marvellous items, and are being found all the time. Magic crystals, being of the blood of the gods, are not subject to the effects of Divine Intervention spells. They are also indestructible. A crystal that has somehow lost all its magic becomes only a dull pebble. They are of two varieties: “Dead” (storage) & “Living” (powered).

DETERMINING THE NATURE OF A CRYSTAL The only way to discover and use the properties of a crystal is to attune it. The character must overcome its POW with his WIS. To attempt attunement, a character must give up attunement of any crystal he may already have, as the attempt will not work otherwise. He may abandon attunement of a new crystal afterward and re-attune the old one if he wishes, with no chance of failure but no chance of a POW gain roll (if for example he finds that the new crystal is a type he does not want to keep attuned). A character may have only one attuned crystal of any type at any one time. The Crystal Table determines the nature of a found crystal.

“DEAD” CRYSTALS (POW/SPIRIT STORING) About 70% of the magic crystals are “Dead”. They have no intrinsic power of their own. Yet, they can be used to either contain a spirit or to store POW for a character, giving him an additional source of POW which he can charge with his own POW. Each of these Dead crystals has a limit to the POW it can store. This is found by rolling 2D6. This limit does not apply, however, to the POW of a spirit contained within a crystal.

BINDING A SPIRIT - If one does not wish to put a bound spirit into an animal as a familiar, one must find or buy a spirit storing crystal. Once a spirit has been bound within such a crystal, the POW of the spirit is available for the use of the binder. The spirit may not throw spells itself or take other independent action (unless the spirit has more POW than the binder's CHA allows him to control. See Spirit Binding, Chapter V). Note that gods and demi-gods cannot be bound.

POW STORAGE - The owner of a Dead (storage) crystal may store his POW within it, up to the limit it will accommodate, for use on call. This POW can only be used once. Then it is gone until the character replaces it again. The POW in a storage crystal can be used to cast spells, but it does not count in magic resistance. It also cannot be used to replace POW that a character has used from himself to cast spells.

A magic crystal can be used to do only one of the two things listed. It cannot be used to store a spirit and POW as well under any circumstances. Binding a spirit into a crystal with POW in it will force the POW out. It cannot be tucked in to “corners” the spirit doesn't fill. If a character owning a crystal with a spirit bound in it is killed, the spirit returns to the spirit plane immediately.

“LIVING” CRYSTALS (POWERED) Some of the crystals formed from the blood of the gods retain a certain potency. They possess various abilities and each also has a POW. A character wishing to use a Living (powered) crystal must first attune the crystal.

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ATTUNING A LIVING (POWERED) CRYSTAL To attune a Living crystal, a character must overcome the magic resistance of the crystal by application of his WIS against the POW of the crystal. This takes 1 week. The attack is resolved as if the character had thrown a spell at the crystal. If the attack is successful, the character has attuned the crystal. If he fails in the attempt, he will lose POW as in the POW Loss Table.

POW LOSS TABLE

D100 POW lost permanently01-60 1 point61-90 2 points91-00 3 points

Attuning a crystal also counts as a successful use of magic for the purpose of getting a POW gain roll (see Chapter V). As soon as a crystal is attuned, it glows. Unfortunately, it is only possible to be attuned to one crystal at a time.

ATTRIBUTES OF A LIVING (POWERED) CRYSTAL The power of most of these crystals cannot be used directly by a character. The power in the crystal serves to amplify and modify the power in the spells a character casts through them. Each powered crystal has a specialized function which it makes available to the attuning character. This special function is not known until the crystal is attuned.

CRYSTAL TABLE

D100 Type 01 Combination crystal, roll twice and combine* 02 Extra power crystal, roll again and add D6 POW† 03-05 Healing focussing crystal, D8 POW 06-08 Sensitivity crystal, D8 POW 09-11 Twice POW yielding crystal, D8 POW 12-14 Power enhancing crystal, D8 POW 15-16 Spell reinforcing crystal, D4 POW 17-18 Spell strengthening crystal, D4 POW 19-20 Spell resisting crystal, D4 POW 21-22 Spirit supporting crystal, D4 POW 23-24 Spell storing crystal, D4 POW 25-95 DEAD: Spirit/Power-storing crystal, 2D6 POW 96-00 Flawed/Chaos-tainted crystal

* Roll D100 and divide by 4, rounding up. A Living (powered) type cannot be combined with a Dead (storage) type.† This additional D6 can be added to the POW storable in a Dead/storage crystal.

TYPES OF CRYSTALS

COMBINATION - Roll twice and combine. Add the POWs to obtain the total POW of the crystal for attunement, but treat the two POWs separately in figuring capability. Thus, a POW 4 Sensitivity/POW 3 Healing focussing crystal has a POW of 7 for attunement purposes but can only double 3 points of Healing and aid 4 detection spells.

EXTRA POWER - This crystal has an extra dose of POW.

HEALING FOCUSING - These crystals double the effect of Healing and Xenohealing spells cast by the attuned character. Thus, a 3 point Healing spell does 6 points of cure. Note that a crystal will only double as many points of Healing as its POW. In other words, a 1 point crystal will only double 1 point of Healing.

SENSITIVITY - These crystals make 1 point detection spells free of any POW cost to cast. They also allow the casting of 2 point detection spells for the cost of 1 point of POW. Of course, the character must know the spells that he wishes to cast. The crystal can aid in the casting of detection spells the number of times a day equal to its POW. In other words, a sensitivity crystal of POW 7 would allow a character to cast seven 1 point detection spells per day for no cost in POW or seven 2 point spells at a cost of 1 point each, or any combination of the above.

TWICE POW YIELDING - The POW of these crystals can be used by the owning character to cast whatever spells he knows. The crystals yield twice their POW per day for a character's use. The crystal regains POW separately from the character at the same speed as do humans, i.e., ¼ of their POW per 6 hours.

POWER ENHANCING - These double the effectiveness of variable strength spells (except for Healing and Xenohealing) cast by the attuned character. Thus, a 2 point Bladesharp becomes a 4 point Bladesharp at the cost of 2 POW points instead of 4. This ability will not surpass the normal limits of such variable spells, so a 3 point Bladesharp will become a 4 point Bladesharp, not a 6 point one. However, it would be possible to use a 3 point crystal to cast two 3 point Bladesharps on two weapons.

SPELL REINFORCING - Adds 1 point of WIS per point of POW of the crystal to the characteristic WIS of the user when he uses an attack spell against the WIS of a target. This even allows a character to attack as though he had a WIS over his species maximum. Thus, a Rune Priest with a WIS of 18 and a 4 point spell reinforcing crystal could attack as if he had a WIS of 22. This cannot be used to defend against a magical attack or spirit combat/possession.

SPELL STRENGTHENING - For every point of POW used in a spell, this crystal will add 1 up to its limit in POW. This is used for getting past Countermagic and Shield spells. Thus, a character with this crystal of a POW of 4 could put 4 points of his own POW behind a Disrupt and get another 4 from the crystal, which will get past most Countermagic spells. This does not drain the POW from the crystal, it will always have a POW of 4.

SPELL RESISTING - This crystal is the opposite of the spell reinforcing crystal. It adds its POW to the magical defence of a character, giving a character with it extra WIS to defend with. It cannot be used for anything else, including a defence against spirit combat/possession.

SPIRIT SUPPORTING CRYSTAL - Like the spell resisting crystal except that every point of the crystal's POW acts as 2 extra points of POW to the user for the purpose of spirit combat. This can be used by shamans for spirit combat, but cannot be used either as POW to sacrifice to a spirit or POW to keep control of a spirit.

SPELL STORING - Each point of this crystal counts as 1 INT point for memorizing spells. If the crystal is not attuned, even temporarily, knowledge of the spells is lost. It takes 1 day to store 1 point of battle magic in such a crystal.

FLAWED - Looking for all the world like one of the above, these crystals have a taint of Chaos to them. One might be impossible to attune, whatever its ostensible power, or a POW decreasing crystal, or be impossible to unattune once attuned. Each type should be different. That's Chaos.

A flawed crystal may not be wholly bad. It may simply take a permanent POW drain of D4 points from a character and bestow a worthwhile power on him, or be one of the others shown above.

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EXTRA SPECIAL MAGIC ITEMS Referees are free to choose or create specific magic items they feel are most suitable, or substitute one of more common type. However, they may like to roll on this table for inspiration:

EXTRA SPECIAL MAGIC ITEMS TABLE 01 Adamant (Enchanted Truestone – unbreakable). 02 Blank Truestone (D10 Rune spells taken). 03-10 Truestone (D10 Rune spells, re-usable). 11-15 Moon Rock (glows with red Lunar light). 16-20 Spirit Trap (50% has spirit trapped inside). 21-30 Rune Magic/Sorcery Matrix (D3 POW) 31-35 Enchanted Weapon/Shield/Armour piece (+D3 AP) 36-50 Iron Weapon/Shield/Armour piece: Tough AP x1½ 51-60 Iron Weapon/Shield/Armour piece: Light ENC x½ 61-70 Other Rune Metal Weapon/Shield/Armour piece 71-80 Slave Collar/Bracelets (wearer cannot cast or DI) 81-00 Other – choose from adjacent list, or invent one.

Aldryami Arrows – Grown by elves, treat up to max range as normal, double point-blank range. For elves, also ignore vegetation cover.

Ball of Tails - Bound herd-beast spirits, unlimited by CHA. Hated by Praxians, usable by creator only. Peaceful Cut releases one a day.

Dew Maid's Wand – Water-divining rod (2 POW rqd), 100yds. (5kL)Frog Mask – Wooden frog-face mask, breathe in water 1 hour. (2kL)Morokanth Thumb – Gives morokanth normal DEX skills. (1kL)Plenty Horn – Glowing animal horn. Attune with 1 POW. Turns Prax

sand edible for 1pp, add water or -1 CON, recover 1/wk. (10kL)Rhino Fat – Smeared on body, gives +1AP, lasts 5 hours. (100L)Scarlet Scimitar – Glows red at will (POW yard radius). Truesword

once per week (except on Dark/Dying day of the Lunar cycle).Storm Bull's Ear – Graft-on for +75% Listen & +15% Sense Chaos,

and favourable reactions from Storm Bull worshippers. (20kL)Thunderstones – Flint stones. Use 1pp to activate, spark/crackle, do

D6 damage & pp-drain per point (D6 pts). Armour/spells protect. Waha Rope – High-quality brown rope. Anyone tied cannot escape

or be untied unless its cult-secret code-word is spoken. (5kL)

EXAMPLE - GOOBAG'S HOARD When last seen, Goobag and company had rolled a piece of magical jewellery, then rolling a 78 for type of magic. Consulting the Special Item Table, we find that 78 is a scroll! Looking at the Scroll Tables, we find that a scroll can really be almost anything, so let us assume that the jewellery is inscribed with something. Being rushed, the referee simply rolls D100 on the Scroll Contents Table and gets 96 - seemingly useless and/or unreadable. Phew! He can pass it off as unreadable for the moment and decide what it really is later. . . Goobag and company also had 5 magical items in their hoard. The referee commences rolling.

FIRST ROLL - A roll of 57 gives a potion. The referee assumes this means they have an extra supply of the blade venom they use.

SECOND ROLL – 13, a magic crystal! Another roll gives up a 67, so we know it's probably a POW storage crystal. Rolling 2D6 gives 11, and adding 3 gives a crystal with a POW storing ability of 14. We can assume that it will serve as extra POW for Goobag to throw spells with.

THIRD ROLL - 55, another potion. To save time, the referee assumes that Goobag has thoroughly stocked up on blade venom.

FOURTH ROLL – 34, a spell matrix. Another roll of 30 is divided by 2 and compared against the list of battle magic spells. The spell is Detect Silver. It is assumed that this is a wand carried by Goobag.

FIFTH ROLL - 80, a scroll. The referee rolls the material, getting 09, a basic scroll (vellum, he assumes), then rolls on the table for contents, getting 74 - a valuable document. The referee assumes that Goobag has an interest in the history of his race and has a scroll of the history of the cult of Kyger Litor squirrelled away in his personal chambers. This could very valuable to human authorities wanting to know more about the motivations of the troll race. (But a roll for its value on the Gems/Jewellery Table, when it is successfully Evaluated later, reveals it to be Worthless).

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X APPENDICES

Table of Contents

A. Attributes, Height & Weight 97 G. Gems, Jewels & Goods 104 M1. Map: Dragon Pass & Sartar 109 B. Bogeys: Talents & Flaws 98 H. Herbs 105 M2. Map: The Plaines of Prax 110 C. Common Bogeys 98 I. Minor Infections 105 N. Encounter Charts 111 D. Distinctive Features 99 J. Weapons Definitions 106 O. - - E. Previous Experience 100 K. Referee Notes 107 P. Price Lists 113 F. Martial Arts (Combat Feats) 103 L. Languages of Dragon Pass 108 Q. Bibliography 115

A. ATTRIBUTES – HEIGHT, WEIGHT & SAVES

Characteristic Rolls (STATx5, or similar) determine if a character can save themselves from some particular cruel fate, or succeed at some related task.Here is some guidance about their use.

Note that even if an attribute is 20 or more, STATx5 will fail on a 96+ roll.

DEXTERITYIt is easy to over-use DEXx5 rolls. Dodging explosions, jumping pits and many other situations seem suited to it. But that can lead to DEX being a more powerful attribute than any other. So try to use others when possible.

CONSTITUTIONThis is obviously the one to use against Poison, Drowning etc, as detailed.

WISDOMWIS is the attribute used to resist magical attacks, or anything requiring will-power, such as not looking at Medusa, or into the vampire's eyes...

INTELLIGENCEFor situations involving Perception, but when Spot/Listen skills don't apply. This should include noticing tripwires or pressure-plates just triggered, so that avoiding the resultant traps can actually be a matter of INT, not DEX.

CHARISMAAnything involving interaction with other sentient beings, or any creatures, is likely to be governed by CHA. Subtly more attractive individuals, or at least less repulsive ones, may be chosen to get First Aid first, or captured when others are slain, or believed to have sufficient ransom.

POWERRuneQuest used POW like “Luck” for all sorts of saving throws, but it should not be used that way in RuinQuest where POW is just magic points. Any “POWx5” rolls ascribed to “favour of the gods” should be translated to CHA or INT instead: Is he pretty or witty enough for the gods to save?

SIZE - SOME SPECIFICSAverage height and weight differs from century to century and culture to culture. Should an average be based on the ancient Roman average height of perhaps 5'2", or the Germanic 5'8"? The following table tries to equate SIZ to height and weight for both historical standards (using the 3D6 scale) and modern/heroic norms (using 2D6+6), but yet still produce reasonable sizes for a Pixie or Dark Troll. Great efforts have been made to do so.

If you prefer metric, use 1" for 2.5cm and 1lb for 0.5kg approximately. Pah.

SIZ Maximum Weight Height (male) (female)1 1 stone (14 lbs) 2ft -2 2 stone (28 lbs) 3ft -3 3 stone (42 lbs) 4ft 2 4ft 14 4 stone (56 lbs) 4ft 4 4ft 45 5 stone (70 lbs) 4ft 6 4ft 76 6 stone (84 lbs) 4ft 8 4ft 107 7 stone (98 lbs) 4ft 10 5ft8 8 stone (112 lbs) 5ft 5ft 29 8¾ stone (122 lbs) 5ft 2 5ft 410 9½ stone (133 lbs) 5ft 4 5ft 611 10½ stone (145 lbs) 5ft 6 5ft 812 11½ stone (158 lbs) 5ft 8 5ft 1013 12½ stone (173 lbs) 5ft 10 6ft14 13½ stone (188 lbs) 6ft 6ft 215 14½ stone (205 lbs) 6ft 2 6ft 416 16 stone (224 lbs) 6ft 4 6ft 617 17½ stone (244 lbs) 6ft 6 6ft 918 19 stone (266 lbs) 6ft 8 7ft 019 20¾ stone (290 lbs) 6ft 10 -20 22½ stone (317 lbs) 7ft 2 -21 24½ stone (345 lbs) 7ft 6 -etc. etc. etc.

PRECISE HEIGHT & WEIGHT VALUESTo determine exact values, subtract D4–1 half-inches from height, and D20–1 lbs from weight (re-rolling if that goes down into the next lower SIZ value).

HOW THE CHART WAS MADE - RQ-SIZ FORMULA & HAMWI METHOD The RQ/BRP Size Formula, below, relating SIZ to body weight has been used.This applies to SIZ 8 and above. Below that, SIZ = Weight in stone (maximum).

WEIGHT = 2^(SIZ/8) x 4 stone (i.e. x 56lbs, or about 25kg)

Heights are derived using the Hamwi Method of calculating ideal body weights. That is, 106lbs +6lbs per inch over 5ft for men, and 100lbs +5lbs for women, with +/-10% for large/small frame (and extrapolated for large/small SIZ etc).

The scale is distinctly non-linear: not-much-higher SIZ creatures etc weigh tons.

OVERWEIGHT & UNDERWEIGHTThese conditions do not affect attributes or skills such as hit points, dodge etc but will affect things purely related to weight, such as knockback or being lifted. So in such cases use the effective SIZ due to actual weight for SIZ-related rules.

Overweight – excess weight counts towards the character's encumbrance.Underweight – reduces STR by 1 per effective SIZ point below the ideal weight.

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B. BOGEYS: INBORN TALENTS & FLAWS

For each Advantage rolled you must also roll for a Disadvantage:

d100 Advantage Details (Disadvantage Details)01 Divine: The character has divine blood.

(Accursed: The character has divine blood).02 Divine Favour: Double chance for Divine Intervention.

(Divine Scorn: No chance for Divine Intervention).03 Mutant: Character has an extra/special body part - roll location.

(Crippled: Character has a deformed body part - roll location).04 Supernatural: Good supernatural being in disguise, e.g. sylph.

(Monstrous: Evil monster in disguise, e.g. were-wolf).05 Rapid Healer: Natural healing occurs at double the normal rate.

(Slow Healer: Natural healing at half the normal rate.)06 Mastery of a Skill: One weapon/craft skill starts at 90%.

(Disastrous Skill: Penalty of -90% with one random skill).07 Flair for a Skill: One weapon/craft skill gains double increase.

(Blocked Skill: Can never increase with one random skill).08 Cunning Linguist: Double number of languages/scripts known.

(Tongue-Tied: Can only understand native language/script).09 Arcane Aptitude: +5% bonus learning any Sorcery spells*.

(Arcane Ineptitude: -5% penalty learning any Sorcery spells).10 Arcane Specialism: +10% bonus learning Sorcery of one school*.

(Arcane Aversion: -10% learning Sorcery spells of one school).11 Arcane Sensitivity: Sensitivity skill at d3x10% plus INT-10*.

(Arcane Insensitivity: Can never have arcane Sensitivity).12 Eidetic Memory: Character has perfect recall.

(Bad Memory: Character forgets important things, at GM whim).13 Psionics: Character has psionic abilities - see Psionics*.

(+ Insanity: Character has a form of insanity - see Psionics).14 Animal Empathy: Get on well with all animals; rolls +30%.

(Animal Antipathy: Animals dislike you; rolls -30%)15 Animal Friends: Empathy/communication with animal type.

(Animal Enemies: Antipathy and hatred of one animal type).16 Racial Friend: Recognized as a friend of one humanoid race.

(Racial Enemy: Recognized as enemy of one humanoid race).17 Monster Friend: Seen as a special friend by one monster type.

(Monster Enemy: Seen as special enemy by one monster type).18 Were-Friend: A special friend/relative of a specific were-type.

(Were-Enemy: Especially hated by all were-creatures).19 Apparent Sincerity: Oratory/Fast Talk, Bargain etc is Easy, x2.

(Appears Insincere: Oratory/Fast Talk, etc is Hard, x1/2).20 Spell Resistance: Effectively +d6 WIS v mental attack spells.

(Spell Vulnerability: Effectively -d6 WIS v mental attack spells).21,22 Resist Poison: Rolls to resist poison are Easy, x2.

(Poison Susceptibility: Rolls to resist poison Difficult, x1/2).23,24 Resist Petrification: Rolls to resist turning to stone Easy, x2.

(Petrification Susceptibility: Resistance rolls Difficult, x1/2).25,26 Resist Undead: Can resist undead draining effects by CONx5.

(Undead Susceptibility: Double effect from undead draining).27,28 Resist Disease: Rolls to resist any disease are Easy, x2.

(Diseased: Character has serious chronic disease, eg leprosy).29,30 Drug Resistant: Rolls to resist effects of drugs are Easy, x2.

(Addiction: You are addicted to some drug.)31,32 Able Drinker: Rolls to resist alcohol are Easy, x2.

(Lush: Rolls to resistance alcohol are Difficult, x1/2)33,34 Square-Jawed: Rolls to resist knock-outs are Easy, x2.

(Glass-Jawed: Rolls to resist knock-outs are Difficult, x1/2)35,36 Good Judge of Character:Insight skill at base INT-5 +20%.

(Poor Judge of Character: Cannot gain Insight skill).37,38 Good Judge of Value: Appraisal of mundane items is Easy, x2.

(Poor Judge of Value: Appraisal rolls are Difficult, x1/2)39,40 Sense of Direction: Can tell compass direction, 90% accuracy.

(No Sense of Direction: Gets lost easily, at GM whim).41,42 Sense of Time: Can judge passage of time, 99% accuracy.

(No Sense of Time: Usually too late/early, at GM whim).43,44 Sense of Distance: Judge range/distance travelled, 99% accuracy.

(No Sense of Distance: Hopeless at judging ranges etc).45,46 Sense of Numbers: Do mental calculation quickly and accurately.

(Can't Count: ...beyond their INT).47,48 Eat Like a Bird: Only needs to eat half the usual amount of food.

(Eat like a Gannet: requires double the normal food intake).

49,50 Ultra-vision: Can see well in almost total darkness.(Poor Sight, d6: 1 Blind; 2,3 Long*; 4-6 Short*. * x½ under/over 10ft)

51,52 Infra-vision: Can see sources of heat even in total darkness.(Colour-blindness, d6: 1 Total; 2,3 Blue/yellow; 4-6 Red/green).

53,54 Good Eyesight, d6:1-3 Spot +10%; 4,5 +20%; 6 +30%.(Poor Eyesight, d6: 1 Spot -30% (myopic); 2, 3 -20%; 4-6 -10% ).

55,56 Good Hearing, d6: 1-3 Listen +10%; 4,5 +20%; 6 +30%.(Poor Hearing, d6: 1 Listen -30% (deaf); 2,3 -20%; 4-6 -10%).

57,58 Sensitive Touch: Picking Locks/Pockets etc is Easy, x2.(Poor Sensation: Picking Locks/Pockets etc is Difficult, x1/2).

59,60 Keen Smell: Scent/taste-related skill rolls are Easy, x2.Nose is Dead: No sense of smell; taste-related rolls are Difficult, x1/2).

61,62 Born Leader: Command/Leadership skill at base CHA-5 +20%.(Born Follower: Cannot gain Command/Leadership skill).

63 Honoured: Regarded as a hero in your home area.(Outlawed: Wanted for crimes in your home area, perhaps unjustly.)

64 Inheritance: Someone important has named you their heir.(Dispossessed: Someone has taken your family lands/wealth.)

65 Fleet-Footed: Run 1/3 quicker than normal for your race.(Club-Footed: Run 1/3 slower than normal for your race).

66 Never Fear: No fear of some chosen thing.(Phobia: Fear of some random thing; all rolls halved when nearby.)

67 Lender: You loaned someone d6x1000sp and they have vanished.(Debtor: You owe a debt of 10 times starting cash.)

68 Loved: An important person has fallen in love with you.(Hated: An important person wants to cause you harm.)

69 Alliance: You have befriended an important person.(Vendetta: You hate an important person – decide who and why.)

70 Casanova: Seduction skill +50%, and a reputation to match!(Betrothed: Your marriage has been arranged, against your will.)

71 Master: You have a slave/servant who sees to your every need.(Slave: You are an escaped Slave/Serf/Bondsman on the run.)

72 Light Sleeper: Ready for action the round you are woken.(Heavy Sleeper: Take 3 rounds to be woken.)

73 Sure Footed: Any rolls rqd to stay standing are Easy, x2.(Bad Balance: Any rolls rqd to stay standing are Difficult, x1/2).

74 Firm Grip: Any rolls rqd to hold onto things are Easy, x2.(Weak Grip: Any rolls to hold onto things are Difficult, x1/2).

75 Strong-Will: Rolls v mind attack/influence/fear are Easy, x2.(Weak-Will: Rolls v mind attack/fear/etc are Difficult, x1/2.)

76 Brush-up Well: CHA +3 in expensive clothing, jewellery, make-up, etc.(Mutton as Lamb: CHA -3 if not similarly made-up).

77 Dwarfism: STR +d6 and SIZ -d6.(Amputee: Body part has been severed - roll location & sub-location).

78 Gigantism: STR and SIZ +2d6.(Maimed: Body part crushed/crippled - roll location & sub-location).

79,80 Special Eyes: Each eye is a different colour.(Blind Since Birth/Youth: Bio-compensated, other sense rolls Easy, x2).

81-85 Weapon Skill: Bonus of D6 x 10% to a random weapon skill.(Weapon Ineptitude: Penalty of D6 x10% with a random weapon).

86-90 Craft Skill: Bonus of D6 x 10% with a random craft skill.(Craft Ineptitude: Penalty of D6 x 10% with a random craft skill).

91-95 Underweight: By d4x10% (Overweight: By d4x10%; extra weight adds to encumbrance; Serfs/Barbarians treat as underweight).

96-98 Nothing Special: No talent of measurable worth.99 REROLL TWICE00 REROLL THRICE

(* Sorcery, Sensitivity & Psionics are detailed in the Other Realms supplement).

C. COMMON BOGEYS

Roll any number of these minor disadvantages for a character, if desired:

01 – 20 Poor Eyesight21 – 40 Poor Hearing41 – 60 Underweight/Overweight (according to social class)61 – 80 Diseased81 – 00 Parasites (fleas, lice, worms, etc).

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D. DISTINCTIVE FEATURES

Players may optionally roll D100 on this table to find unusual features for their new character. Results can be freely ignored, re-rolled or just chosen.

0x – Face: 1 White teeth; 2 Large/broken nose; 3 Broken/missing tooth; 4 Large/wide eyes; 5 Pale; 6 Pockmarked; 7 Scarred; 8 Tattoo; 9 Prominent Wart; 0 Other ([23:] Birthmark; Black eyes; Buck teeth; Double chin; Earrings; Enormous chin; Eye patch; Fleshy lips; Hairy ears; High cheekbones; Hooked nose; Long eyelashes; Jagged teeth; Jug-ears; Nose ring; Pointed/Weak chin; Pointed teeth; Pug nose; Round face; Sensuous lips; Stained teeth; Thin lips; Tiny ears; Turned-up Nose; Wide-eyed).1x – Hair: 1 Balding/thinning; 2 Cropped/shaven; 3 Lousy; 4 Dirty; 5 Greying; 6 Shock-white; 7 Dyed; 8 Long; 9 Very Long; 0 Other ([14:] Bald (completely); Braided; Fine; Glossy; Lush; Lustrous; Matted; Oily; Perfumed; Receding; Spiky; Tonsured; Thick; Wig).2x - Beard/Other Hair: 1 Braided; 2 Bushy; 3 Curled; 4 Styled/Goatee; 5 Immature/Poorly-cut; 6 Very Long; 7 Straggly; 8 Prominent/slight moustache; 9 Thick eyebrows; 0 Other ([7:] Arched eyebrows; Eyebrows meet; No eyebrows; Perfumed; Sideburns; Strange designs cut in close-trimmed beard; Very Hirsute).3x – Speech: 1 Accented; 2 Deep; 3 Drawling; 4 Faint; 5 Loud; 6 Low/High-pitched; 7 Lisping; 8 Nasal; 9 Shrill; 0 Other ([19:] Affected; Aggressive; Demanding; Hesitant; Imperious; Musical; Mumbling; Raspy; Sharp; Sensual; Slow; Smooth; Soft-spoken; Stammer/Stutter; Strong; Throaty; Unintelligible; Whining).4x – Expression: 1 Bright-eyed; 2 Curious; 3 Squinting; 4 Friendly; 5 Haughty; 6 Leering; 7 Mischievous; 8 Pleasant; 9 Sneering; 0 Other ([16:] Adoring; Alluring; Arrogant; Bemused; Cringing; Dour; Drunk; Guarded; Lecherous; Meek; Naive; Outgoing; Piercing; Proud; Seductive; Sneaky).5x – Clothing: 1 Ancient/Ragged; 2 Barefoot; 3 Fashionable; 4 Ill-fitting; 5 Old-fashioned; 6 Partly nude; 7 Figure-hugging/skintight; 8 Highly-ornamented; 9 Utilitarian; 0 Other ([22:] Armoured hat; Athletic/Sporty; Too hot/cold; Not weatherproof; Wide/Conical hat; Embroidered emblem; Fine boots; Cross-dressed; Garish; Gaudy; Lots of cheap jewellery; New; Nightclothes; Peaked hat; Prim; Rich/Expensive; Sandals; Satiny; Sexy; Subdued; Uniform; Vulgar).6x – Bearing: 1 Clumsy; 1 Confident; 3 Graceful; 4 Jaunty; 5 Slouching; 6 Sprightly; 7 Stiff; 8 Swaggering; 9 Wary; 0 Other ([15:] Angry; Casual; Ethereal; Fearful; Humble; Languid; Military; Nimble; Plodding; Pushy; Reserved; Sensual; Swaying; Weary; Yielding).7x – Torso: 1 Birthmark; 2 Broad shoulders; 3 Many scars; 4 Muscular; 5 Pot-bellied; 6 Prominent scar; 7 Slender; 8 Tattooed; 9 Very hairy; 0 Other ([26:] Barrel-like; Belly ring; Bony; Fat; Very Fat; Curvaceous; Flat-chested; Flat stomach; Hairless; High waist; Lean; Long-bodied; Narrow; No navel; Missing nipple; Extra nipple; Short-bodied; Sunken chest; Sinewy; Sleek; Slim-hips; Svelte; Thick-bodied; Thin; Tanned; Willowy).8x – Arms/Hands: 1 Muscular; 2 Calloused hands; 3 Smooth-skinned; 4 Long fingernails; 5 Short fingernails; 6 Long arm/s; 7 Missing finger; 8 Scarred; 9 Tattooed; 0 Other ([12:] Birthmark; Bracelets/armbands/rings; Bulging biceps; Hairless; Hairy; Large knuckles; Extra finger; Pointed/Knobbly elbows; Pointed fingernails; Powerful arms/hands; Slender arms/hands; Very pale (12)).9x – Legs/Feet: 1 Calloused feet; 2 Hairy; 3 Knobbly knees; 4 Limping; 5 Muscular; 6 Missing toe; 7 Very long legs; 8 Very large feet; 9 Very short legs; 0 Other/Choice ([13:] Birthmark; Bulging thighs/calves; Deeply tanned; Hairless; Many scars; Extra toe; Prominent scar; Burn scars; Smooth; Tattooed; Toe ring; Very hairy; Very small feet).

99

E. PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

Referees may allow player characters to begin play with more skills. This presumes they have survived another five years or more beyond their initial age, spent in some profession which gave them previous experience. This previous experience gives each character proficiency in 10 skills or similar benefits. Chosen skills usually increase to STATx3% (or as noted).

Professional or these common skills may be chosen: Swim (CONx3), Ride (CONx3), Climb (CONx3), Brawl (STRx3), Dagger (STRx3), Club (STRx3). Each skill selected counts as one of the character's 10 proficiency choices.

AVAILABLE EXPERIENCE Most cultures restrict social mobility and option for self-improvement. Such restrictions vary widely; this section offers suggestions usable in the Dragon Pass region as well as many other campaigns. Players are presumed to already have rolled up their character's basic background on the chart in Chapter II. At the age of sixteen they may then choose to try any of the possibilities offered here. Except militia training for apprentices, the choices are mutually exclusive.

The options available here are:1) Militia Training – for Peasants and any unable to find other experience.2) Apprenticeships (+ militia training) – for Townsmen and some Peasants.3) Barbarian Tribal Life – for Barbarians only.4) The Mercenary Companies – for any who pass the entry examination.

PEASANTS The tillers of the soil, and depending on their nation and province they may be free farmers, share-croppers, serfs, or slaves. An adventurer coming from a culture where peasants are slaves may be either freed or escaped. Peasants are the largest percentage of any civilized populace but their relative numbers among adventurers is much smaller. Most peasants spend their lives on the land with little chance to break away for adventure or for training, and their opportunities are fewer. They may, however, attempt to join mercenaries, militia, or to apprentice themselves to thieves, mariners, foresters, players, or horsemasters.

TOWNSMEN They are the tradesmen and craftsmen, including the extensive merchant class which exists in Glorantha, but excludes Peasants or Nobles who may happen to live in a town. The crafts are divided into guilds or brotherhoods, and are represented in these rules under Chapter VI, Skills. Townsmen may join mercenaries. Otherwise, they must join the militia, and will be able to join an apprenticeship program 95% of the time.

NOBLES These are the leaders of the communities. They may inherit the position, receive it as a grant from a king, or be elected, depending on the region and era. Their position usually includes wealth, and they are the fortunate few of their worlds who have fame, money, and power at their disposal. Noblemen may join a Mercenary Company, but even if serving with a foot regiment they will get cavalry experience instead. Nobles would never think of apprenticing themselves, and they are generally the ones who train the militia, not learn from it.

BARBARIANS Classically defined, these are people who do not speak the way you do. Here the term covers a wide spectrum of nomadic herdsmen, primitive villagers, hunter-gatherers, and idyllic rural or pastoral herdsmen. They are less likely to live in towns and are forbidden to learn apprentice skills. They may leave their tribe and attempt to join the Mercenaries.

INCREASE IN CHARACTERISTICS All characters have a chance to increase their raisable characteristics. Roll D100 once for each of these: STR, CON, DEX, POW and CHA.

01-02 STAT +3; 03-08 STAT +2; 09-40 STAT +1; 41-00 No change.

The result cannot take a character past their normal species or personal limits, just to the maximum possible. Thus if a character would normally be restricted to STR 12 due to CON and SIZ, this cannot make it 13 or higher.

MILITIA In the Dragon Pass area there are many cultures, but none of the dominant ones disarm their peasantry. All able-bodied free men (and women, in places) are required to show up for muster and training for the defence of their community. Militia training can vary widely, but that described here is the standard. To join the militia, a character must have the STR and DEX required to handle the basic militia weapons of one-handed spear and shield (i.e. STR 9, or 11 for longspear, and DEX 7). They are expected to supply these weapons themselves and are allowed any sort of armour they can afford. Militia training is free, and may include time spent fighting outlaws or in local wars. Characters may spend longer, but thereafter get only one increase-roll with spear and shield for each further year. The standard five years will thus give skill in the militia weapons: One-handed spear (STRx3%) and Shield (STRx4%). Another weapon can be added to militia armament. This is traditionally a sword, axe or mace. Just what type is left to the discretion of the referee, but it might depend on local usage (such as the Frankish preference for axes) or might be totally uncontrolled. Such secondary weapons are also called 'weapons of desperation', and are not intended for long use in combat. Hence they are not trained by the militia, but a character may choose proficiency in that (at STRx3).

APPRENTICESHIPS Not everyone will be accepted for apprenticeship. Foreign barbarians are out of the question, and no master could trust a nobleman who lowered himself to this work. Some crafts accept peasants, but the more specialized among them often do not. These attitudes are reflected in the criteria given below.

Townsmen wishing to join any guild may do so on a roll of 01-95 on D100. Peasants wishing to join have a more difficult time, and must make a roll depending on the type of guild they wish to join. They may try more than one. - Horsemaster’s guild: Ride ability (probably CONx1%). - Maritime, Foresters, or Minstrels guild: A straight 70% chance. - The Thieves: CHAx5, using charm to be contacted by a secretive master thief. - Armourers guilds: (STR + CON)/2 x5. - The Free Sages: INT x 5. - Alchemists: INT x 3, +5% per 100 L given (not that a peasant will have that). Barbarians may not join any town guilds but may join the Horsemasters guild, or the equivalent of their own tribe.

There usually are no physical requirements needed to be apprenticed. Slow or unfit workers simply advance less. Nor is it necessary to have equipment. Apprentices are expected to work for their master in return for teaching. They also receive food and board. Apprentices are required to join the militia and will get appropriate experience from that (as above), but cannot join the mercenaries.

EXPERIENCE GAINED In the course of five years an apprentice will gain ability at STAT x 3% or so in the skills of their Guild, as listed below. Note that underlined skills must be chosen, as must the required militia weapon skills. Sages are an exception. The Free Sages guild only insists that its apprentices study at least two of the available skills. Thus they can become specialists in a few skills. For each extra proficiency put into the same skill, the multiple increases by two, up to the training limit (for lores, 100%). Armourers are another exception, traditionally training an apprentice in one skill up to at least 75% before training them in the next. This leads to apprentices with one 75-100% skill, and up to that in another, by the time five years is over.

Alchemists Brotherhood: Any 3 Alchemy Skills (INTx3), Any Other Alchemy Skills (INTx3), Herb Lore (WISx3), Mineral Lore (WISx3).

The Free Sages: At least 2 must be chosen. Language (Base+INTx2), Languages (3-for-1 choice; e.g. Old Pavic, Draconic, Darktongue); Literacy (Base+INTx2), Various Lores (WISx3; e.g. Animal, Mineral, Plant, Human, World, Law, Engineering, etc), Taste Analysis (INTx3), Evaluate (WISx3), First Aid (WISx3), Map Making (INTx3), Oratory (CHAx3), General Knowledge* (INTx3).* General Knowledge is not trained but 'soaked up' during apprenticeship, via exposure to many fields of lore. It allows an 'idea' to be gained about any subject.

Thieves Association: Hide ((20-SIZ)x3), Sneak ((20-SIZ)x3), Sleight (DEXx3), Spot (INTx3), Listen (INTx3), Climb (CONx5), Lock-picking (DEXx3), a Small Weapon (STR/DEXx3), Fast-Talk/Oratory (CHAx3), Bargain (CHAx3), Insight (WISx3), Thieves Argot (a language).

100

Minstrels & Players: Sing (CHAx3) , Play < instrument > (DEXx3) , Acting (CHAx3), Dancing (DEXx3), Oratory/Fast-Talk (CHAx3), Sleight (DEXx3); Hide ((20-SIZ)x3), Sneak ((20-SIZ)x3), Listen (INTx3), Climb (DEXx5); Insight (WISx3), Disguise (CHAx3), Acrobatics/Jumping (DEXx3).

Mariners: Swim (CONx3) , Sailing (DEXx3) , Navigation (WISx3), Knot-tying (DEXx3), Climb (CONx5), Spot (INTx3), Meteorology (WISx3), Cartography (WISx3), Fishing (DEXx3), Dagger/Cutlass/Buckler/Club (STRx3), Brawl (STRx4).

The Foresters: Track (INTx3) , Herb Lore (WISx3), Spot (INTx3), Listen (INTx3), Hide ((20-SIZ)x3), Sneak ((20-SIZ)x3), Climb (CONx5), Camouflage (WISx3), Set Snares (WISx3), Survival (WISx3), Find/Disarm Traps (DEXx3), Bow (DEXx3), Spear/Dagger/Handaxe (STRx3).

Armourers Guild: Smithing/Armouring/Weaponcrafting (STRx3/choice) , Bowyery-Fletching (DEXx3/ch.), Leatherwork (STRx3/ch.), Hammer (STRx3), Other Weapons (STRx3).

Horsemasters: Ride (CONx5) , Horse Training (WISx3) , Smithing (STRx3) , Animal Husbandry (WISx3), Acrobatics (DEXx3), Driving (?DEXx3), Chirurgery (WISx3), Insight (WISx3), Whip (DEXx3), Sword/Spear/Lance (STRx3).

Mercantylers Guild: Evaluate (WISx3) , Bargaining (CHAx3) , Oratory (CHAx3), Insight (WISx3), Literacy (Base+INTx2), Languages (3/choice), Staff/Dagger/Simple weapons (STRx3).

EXAMPLE: DEVORA THE THIEF Devora (DEX 14, CON 12, SIZ 9) was fortunate enough to be contacted shortly after her sixteenth birthday and be asked to join a local band of burglars. After five years she has mis-spent her youth training thus:

SKILL BASE MULTIPLE %Pick Pockets (Sleight) 0% (DEX) DEXx3 42%Pick Locks 0% (DEX) DEXx3 42%Climbing CONx2 CONx5 60%Find/Disarm Trap 0% (DEX) DEXx3 42%Hide (20-SIZ) (20-SIZ)x3 33%Move Silently (20-SIZ) (20-SIZ)x3 33%

LEAVING APPRENTICESHIP Apprentices who leave their teachers may retain associate status in their guild without paying a fee for it. They will have to pay for more education with their own money, but may receive Guild Credit for further training. Most masters are also tight-fisted, but may help out favoured students. To find out how much money apprentices leave their craft with, the player multiplies the character's CHA times a roll of D100 to find the number of Lunars saved or given to him as a gift. Even thieves must do this, as they yield up their loot to their masters while apprenticed.

BARBARIANS Previous experience for barbarian tribes is different. Rather than assuming the character has wide exposure to many weapons, customs and cults, it presumes the barbarian has been raised in a strict and somewhat primitive culture. They will be trained for free up to the percentages cited below for their chosen tribal skills, rather than any set amount. All un-noted skills are at basic chance. Their initial armour may only be leather/cuirboilli. They start with only D100L cash.

BASIC TYPES In the Dragon Pass area, Mounted Barbarians are horse- or Prax animal-riding nomads and Foot Barbarians are mountain or forest-dwelling hunter/farmers.

FOOT BARBARIANS - WEAPONS Each tribe has its own specialized weapons. On the following lists roll twice for column A and once for column B. If the same weapon is rolled twice, or both shields are rolled, then roll one die again until a different result is obtained.

D6 A) Melee B) Missile1 one-handed mace sling2 large shield two-handed spear3 one-handed axe two-handed axe4 one-handed sword javelin5 one-handed spear thrown axe6 medium shield bow

Characters gaining previous experience from a foot barbarian tribe will know their three tribal weapons at STRx3% for melee/shield and DEXx3% missiles.

FOOT BARBARIANS - SPELLS These peoples have a full range of spells. Foot barbarian characters will have points of magic equal to 1/3rd their POW(WIS), rounded down. They may have any standard battle magic spells, but no more than 2 points of any one. The spells on the following list are recommended as typical choices: Bladesharp 2, Detect Traps (2), Countermagic 2, Dispel Magic 2, Detect Enemies(1), Disruption (1), Multimissile 2, Protection 2, Shimmer 2, Fanaticism 2, Detect Magic (1), Speeddart (1) and, perhaps most importantly, Healing 2. Older warriors who've stayed with the tribe would have a larger complement of spells, acquiring them at the rate of 1 point per 2 extra years spent at home.

FOOT BARBARIANS - OTHER SKILLS Beginning foot barbarian characters can have up to 5 of the skills listed here: Oratory (CHAx3), Jumping (CONx3), Climbing (CONx5), Hide ((20-SIZ)x3), Sneak ((20-SIZ)x3), Find/Disarm Traps (DEXx3), Spot (INTx3), Listen (INTx3), Tracking (INTx3), Camouflage (WISx3) & Weapon Expertise (STR/DEXx1) in up to 2 cultural weapons.

MOUNTED BARBARIANS - WEAPONS Mounted barbarians have little available variety of weapons because of the inefficiency of many weapons from animal-back. Roll D8 until three different weapons are chosen for the tribe. Choose only one shield.

D8 weapon D8 weapon1 one-handed sword 5 lance2 one-handed axe 6 javelin3 one-handed spear 7 small shield4 bow 8 medium shield

Characters gaining previous experience from a mounted barbarian tribe will know their three tribal weapons at STRx3% for melee/shield and DEXx3% for missiles, but can not have previous experience in any other weapons.

MOUNTED BARBARIANS - SPELLS As other barbarians, mounted barbarian characters will have points of magic equal to 1/3rd their POW(WIS), rounded down, and no more than 2 points of any one. Typical choices include: Mobility, Immobilize, Speeddart (1), Bladesharp, Countermagic, Detect Enemies (1), Detect Traps (2), Dispel Magic, Disruption (1), Multimissile, Protection, Shimmer, Healing (max 1pt) and Xenohealing (max 1pt). (Note that the male warriors of Waha are restricted in healing they may do). Older warriors can have 1 more point per 2 extra years spent with the tribe.

MOUNTED BARBARIANS - OTHER SKILLS Mounted barbarians with previous experience start with Riding (CONx5) ability and up to four other skills from the others listed here: Tracking (INTx3), Find/Disarm Traps (DEXx3), Camouflage (WISx3), Hide ((20-SIZ)x3), Spot (INTx3), Listen (INTx3), Oratory (CHAx3), Strategy (WISx3), Weapon Expertise (STR/DEXx1) in up to 2 tribal weapons.

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MERCENARIES The constant friction at the edges of the Lunar Empire fosters companies of mercenaries. The mercenaries hire out to various employers throughout Glorantha, and constantly recruit to replace losses from death or retirement. The mercenary bands resemble the condottieri of medieval/renaissance Italy, or the Greek hoplites under Xenophon employed by the Persian emperors. These mercenary companies often become incorporated into national forces, sometimes on a quite long-term basis, so they can also be understood to be the national army of a character's nation. The referee may determine details for the mercenary companies in the area of the campaign and what sort of company each is. These companies can provide prior experience, employment, or opponents for characters.

For a character to join the Mercenaries, the player must roll the total of their 6 main characteristics or less on D100. Thus Rurik, with STR 12, INT 16, WIS 12, DEX 6, CON 16, CHA 10 has a 72% chance of acceptance. Referees might apply modifiers to this for social status, nationality, etc.

TYPES OF COMPANIES A Mercenary Company will be either infantry or cavalry. Infantry will be Heavy, Medium or Light, with appropriate weaponry; Cavalry will either be Heavy or Light. Determine the locally-available regiment randomly:

D100 Type01-20 infantry, heavy21-50 infantry, medium51-75 infantry, light76-85 cavalry, heavy86-00 cavalry, light

MERCENARY - WEAPONS & ARMOUR Weapons & armour vary according to the type of company. The player character starting out as a graduate of one of these mercenary companies will have STR/DEXx3% skill in all specialist weapons of their company.

Heavy Infantry - these units specialize in heavier weapons and armour, sacrificing speed for staying power. The following weapon-combinations are typical of heavy infantry mercenaries: D6 weapon combination 1-2 one-handed spear, shortsword, large shield 3-4 two-handed spear, one-handed sword, small shield 5 javelin, one-handed axe, large shield 6 two-handed axe, one-handed swordArmour: Heavy/light scale hauberk, plate greaves & v'braces, closed helm.

Medium Infantry - medium infantry moves faster and lighter, and have a greater variety of weapons than do heavy infantry units: D6 weapon combination 1 one-handed spear, one-handed sword, medium shield 2 two-handed spear, one-handed axe 3 crossbow, one-handed sword, medium shield 4 javelin, one-handed axe, medium shield 5 two-handed axe, one-handed sword 6 javelin, two-handed spear, shortswordArmour: Ring mail hauberk, cuirboilli greaves and vambraces, open helm.

Light Infantry - these are skirmishers: missile users, scouts and foragers. D6 weapon combination 1 bow, one-handed sword, small shield 2 javelin, sling, small shield 3 javelin, short sword, small shield 4 sling, one-handed sword, small shield 5 javelin, one-handed spear, small shield 6 crossbow, one-handed swordArmour: Leather hauberk, pants, vambraces, and composite helm.

Heavy Cavalry - used for the charge, to break up infantry formations and ride them down. Roll for the particular company: D6 weapon combination 1 bow, lance, one-handed sword 2-5 lance, one-handed sword, medium shield 6 javelin, one-handed spear, one-handed axeArmour: Heavy/light scale hauberk, plate greaves and vambraces, closed helm; horses may have leather barding.

Light Cavalry - used much the same way as light infantry. Some are missile users, some are used to harry retreating foes and scout. Roll for weapons used: D6 weapon combination 1 bow, one-handed sword, small shield 2 bow, lance, one-handed sword 3 crossbow, one-handed sword, small shield 4 javelin, one-handed sword, medium shield 5 lance, one-handed axe, small shield 6 lance, one-handed sword, medium shieldArmour: Cuirboilli cuirass, greaves, vambraces, leather skirt, open helm.

MERCENARY - SPELLS A player character coming from a mercenary company will have gained spells from the following list as part of their experience, up to 4pts in any one spell. Infantry have 8 points; Cavalry 6 points plus Mobility 1 and Xenohealing 1. Bladesharp, Countermagic, Demoralize (1), Detect Enemies(1), Healing, Mobility, Protection, Repair (2), Speeddart (1), Xenohealing.

MERCENARY – OTHER SKILLS The following list shows what skills can be gained by serving as a mercenary. Up to four (or five if their regiment used just two weapons) of these skills, or common ones, may be chosen by player characters as their proficient skills: First Aid (WISx3), Strategy (WISx3), Command (CHAx3), Hide ((10-SIZ)x3), Spot (INTx3), Listen (INTx3), Tracking (INTx3), Languages (3/choice), Weapon Expertise (STR/DEXx1) in up to 2 regimental weapons. NOTE: Cavalry mercenaries must take proficiency in Ride (CONx5), as must Nobles, who are also obliged to take proficiency in Command (CHAx3).

MISCELLANEOUS (1) Mercenaries have many opportunities for looting, and as many chances for losing the loot again. Roll D100 and multiply the result by the INT of the charac-ter. The result gives how many Lunars the mercenary left his last service with. (2) Nobles who become mercenaries will probably become officers of the company. As such, their primary weapon will be whatever one-hand weapon the company specializes in, but their other skills will be that of a cavalry mercenary, even if their company is infantry. (3) Mounted barbarians will only join cavalry companies, and Foot barbarians only infantry companies. If none is available, they cannot join the Mercenaries.

A referee may wish to base a series of scenarios around the adventures of a mercenary band. There is no reason that a character must leave his mercenary company to become an adventurer.

EXAMPLE FIGHTING BANDS : The Sun Dome Templars, The Antelope Lancers, Pavis Royal Guard, The White Horse Company, Xenophon's Hoplites, The Condottieri of Francisco Sforza, Wolf Pirates of Harrek the Berserk.

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F. MARTIAL ARTS (LEGENDARY ABILITIES/FEATS)

Expertise with a weapon allows development of tricks and techniques, known as martial arts. These are not commonly available as Expertise with any weapon type is not trained but only available to through years-long specialized experience, normally gained via previous experience with the Mercenary Companies or Barbarian Tribes (see Appendix E). Weapon Expertise is described in Chapter IV, Combat, page 30. Each 10% Expertise in any weapon allows a character to choose one of these martial arts special abilities/feats (note that many have prerequisites):

Blind-Fight: (Rqd:-) Combat skill-rolls at x1/2 when fighting unseen opponents (in dark/invisibility etc). [Normal: x1/10th]Combat Parries: (Rqd: Int 13+) Forego 1/2 next attack chance to gain an extra parry. (Also allows multiple open hand/kata weapon parries to stack against one attack). Aka Combat Expertise. [Normal: Forego next attack entirely].Trip Feat: (Rqd: Combat Parries) No Free Attack provoked when trying to Trip. Aka Improved TripDisarm Feat: (Rqd: Combat Parries) No Free Attack provoked when trying to Disarm. Aka Improved Disarm.Feint Feat: (Rqd: Combat Parries) No Free Attack provoked when trying to Feint. Aka Improved Feint.Whirlwind Attack: (Rqd: Dex 13, Int 13, Combat Expertise, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Open Hand Expertise) As a full attack action, give up other attacks to gain one attack versus each opponent within reach.Combat Reflexes: (Rqd:-) Can make extra Free Attacks per round equal to Dex bonus [Normal: One Free Attack per round].Dodging Feat: (Rqd: Dex 13+) Dodge at least 1hp of damage from one designated opponent per round, whenever dodging is possible. Those fighting like Monks (i.e. only if unarmoured, unarmed/kata weapons, unslowed by equipment) also disadvantage that opponent (attack x1/2). Aka Dodge (3.x), Butterfly Effect.Mobility: (Rqd: Dodging Feat) Free Attacks against you when moving through threatened areas are at a disadvantage (x1/2).Spring Attack: (Rqd: Mobility, Open Hand Expertise) May perform melee attacks part-way through movement. Aka Flying Feet.Endurance: (Rqd:-) Gain extra save (CONx5) against Fatigue; and also avoid Fatigue from sleeping in Light/Medium armour (as 3.0). [Normal: Sleeping in armour causes Fatigue, automatically if Medium/Heavy, CONx5 allowed if Light.]Die-Hard: (Rqd: Endurance) Until below -9hp you can opt to remain conscious and do not bleed unless you perform a standard/strenuous action. (Hit locations, except head, will still be disabled).Lightning Reactions: (Rqd:-) Initiative bonus +4. Aka Imp. Initiative, Quickness.Shield Bash: (Rqd:-) Attack with shield at full skill. [Normal: x1/2]. Unarmed Strike: (Rqd:-) Unarmed (Fist/Brawl/Open Hand) attacks count as armed, i.e. provoke no Free Attack. Monks 'Open Hand' attacks also do more damage (d6) and can parry effectively (6AP). [Normal: d3, 0ap, and provoke Free Attack when attacking armed opponent]. Aka Improved Unarmed Strike, Flying Fists.Grapple Feat: (Rqd: Dex 13+, Unarmed Strike) Grapple attacks count as armed, i.e. provoke no Free Attack. [Normal: Provoke Free Attack when attacking armed opponent]. Aka Improved Grapple.Deflect Arrows: (Rqd: Dex 13+, Unarmed Strike) Can attempt to parry missile weapons with Fist/Open Hand (or Kata weapon). (Normal limits on parries per round still apply). [Normal: Thrown missiles can normally only be parried with a shield, and Projected missiles cannot be parried at all (but shields give some cover).]Snatch Arrows: (Rqd: Dex 15+, Deflect Arrows) As Deflect Arrows but missile is caught, and may be thrown back immediately.Stunning Fist: (Rqd: Dex 13+, Wis 13+, Unarmed Strike, Open Hand Expertise) Knockout attack effects ignore armour. Target must save (CONx5 @+/-1 per rolled damage above/below 10) or be stunned for 1 round (no actions except Defence). [Normal: Knockout depends on damage which gets through armour.]Leadership: (Rqd:-) Attracts a loyal cohort and/or followers. The cohort will be a henchman/companion, initially with Defence no more than half that + Cha of the leader character (and must be of lower Def in any event); they can be of any race/profession the character seeks, but special creatures/types may require special effort to obtain. Followers will normally be of 0-10% Defence (any rising higher than half the leader's Defence will leave his/her employ, unless CHAx5 made), and up to (Defence+Cha)/5 of their leader in number (or half that if of a different race). They can normally be attracted automatically, with no special effort or expense, and will arrive with their own equipment (minimal and mundane). A cohort will normally expect at least a half-share of any treasures gained, plus living expenses; followers will expect pay and upkeep of equipment, plus food & board.Mounted Combat: (Rqd: Ride 30%+) Use melee skills fully while mounted. [Normal: Limited to Ride skill%]. Aka Horsemanship. Mounted Archery: (Rqd: Mounted Combat) Use missile skills fully while mounted. [Normal: Limited to Ride skill%]. (aka Kuschile Horse Archery)Ride-by Attack: (Rqd: Mounted Combat) May perform melee attacks part-way through move when performing a mounted charge.Spirited Charge: (Rqd: Ride-by Attack) Double damage with any melee weapon when performing a mounted charge (or triple with lance). [Normal: Only lance damage is doubled when charging.]

Trample: Mounted overrun may not be optionally avoided by the target [Normal: Target can opt to move aside automatically.] (Rqd: Mounted Combat)Crack Shot: (Rqd:-) Shoot into melee without hitting friends. [Normal: Shots hit random target]. Aka Precise Shot.Point-Blank Shot: (Rqd:-) Damage +1 with ranged weapons within 30ft.Far Shot: (Rqd: Point-blank Shot) Projectile ranges +50%, Thrown +100%.Rapid Shot: (Rqd: Dex 13+, Point-blank Shot) Extra shot per round with any ranged weapon. Aka Quick Shot.Running Shot: (Rqd: Mobility, Point-blank Shot, Missile Expertise) May perform missile attacks part-way through movement. Aka Shot on the Run.Marksmanship: (Rqd: Dex 19+, Point Blank Shot, Crack Shot, Missile Expertise) Ignore less than total cover/concealment. Aka Improved Precise Shot.Multi-Shot: (Rqd: Dex 17+, Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Missile Expertise) Shoot 2+ arrows at once (other trick shots, at GM discretion). Aka Manyshot, Trick Shot.Power Attack: (Rqd: Str 13+) Melee attack at x1/2 for +1 damage per full 10% lost.Cleave: (Rqd: Power Attack) Extra attack if opponent felled, on another target within reach, up to once per round.Great Cleave: (Rqd: Cleave) Extra attack if opponent felled, on another target within reach, any number of times per round.Bull Rush Feat: (Rqd: Power Attack) No Free Attack provoked when trying to Knockback. [Normal: Provoke Free Attack]. Aka Imp. Bull Rush, Knockback, Overbear.Overrun Feat: (Rqd: Power Attack) No Free Attack provoked when trying to Overrun (charge past/through opponent). [Normal: Provokes Free Attack] Aka Improved Overrun.Sunder Feat: (Rqd: Power Attack) No Free Attack provoked when trying to Sunder (break opponents weapon). [Normal: Provokes Free Attack] Aka Improved Sunder.Quick Draw: (Rqd:-) Draw weapon as a Free action. [Normal: Draw as a Move action, but combinable with a normal Move if weapon skill 30%+]. Aka Fast Draw.Rapid Reload: (Rqd:-) Reload specified type of crossbow faster (Hand/Light/Medium: 1 standard action; Heavy: 1 round; Repeater: 1 standard action per bolt or 3 rounds fully). [Normal: Hand/Light/Med: 1 rnd; Heavy: 2 rnds; Repeater: 1 rnd per bolt or 5 rnds fully.]Running Feat: (Rqd:-) Can run at Move x5 (instead of the normal x4). Aka Run.Toughness: (Rqd:-) Gain +1 Hit Point. (This feat can be gained multiple times).Two-Weapon Fighting: (Rqd: Dex 15+) Gain an extra attack with a light or traditional secondary weapon at x1/2 skill (or full skill if open hand/fist or ambidextrous). [Normal: One attack per round only.] Aka 2W-Fighting.Two-Weapon Defence: (Rqd: Two-weapon Fighting) Gain an extra parry with a light or traditional secondary weapon, at full skill. [Normal: Only one parry per round is possible.]Improved 2-Weapon Fighting: (Rqd: Dex 17+ or Str 15+, Two-weapon Fighting, Melee Expertise) Can attack at full skill with light or traditional secondary weapon, or attack with a medium-sized secondary weapon at skill x1/2.Greater 2-Weapon Fighting: (Rqd: Str 17+, Improved Two-weapon Fighting) Can attack at full skill with even a medium-sized secondary weapon.Weapon Finesse: (Rqd:-) Can use Dex bonus instead of Str bonus as damage modifier with any light weapons in melee.Weapon Focus: (Rqd:-) Damage bonus +1 with specified weapon type (e.g. '2hAxe').Greater Weapon Focus: (Rqd: Weapon Focus) Damage bonus +2 with specified weapon type (e.g. 'Sword' or 'Axe(2h)'). (NB: Not added to Wpn Focus bonus, +2 damage is total).Berserk Rage: (Rqd: Melee Expertise, Int & Wis 12 or less) Can go berserk at any provocation: gain extra melee attack per round but cannot parry. Attack nearest enemy until rage ends (or any other target if no enemy). Rage ends when no enemy remain and Int or Wis x5 roll succeeds (check each round). Berserker becomes Fatigued when rage ends.Righteous Fury: (Rqd: Melee Expertise or Ranger/Dwarf) Damage bonus +1 versus a chosen enemy race (e.g. goblin, giant). (This may be selected multiple times, for other races or increased damage).True Grit: (Rqd:-) Injured hit locations not disabled until -4hp or less.Seize Initiative: (Rqd:-) When facing one opponent, delay your first strike until they attack, then make WISvWIS and your attack is Advantaged and theirs Disadvantaged. (Only once per combat, on an opponent initially in eye contact).Either-handed: (Rqd:-) Use either hand equally well. Change 'handedness' once/rnd.Ambidextrous: (Rqd: Dex 15+/Either-handed) Use both hands equally well and simultaneously. No disadvantage to off-hand.Fast Ride: (Rqd: Ride 30%+) Can gallop at Move x5 (instead of the normal x4).Dwarven Evasion: (Rqd: Melee Expertise, Dodge; or Dwarf/Gnome) Twice-taller attackers automatically suffer disadvantage (x1/2).Sense Ambush: (Rqd:-) Surprised for one less 'round' than usual. Aka Alertness.Counteraction: (Rqd:-) Can use Defence at full chance against surprise/backstab attacks automatically. [Normal: Defence halved, unless a Listen/Sense x1/2 roll succeeds].Heroic Leap: (Rqd: Running Feat) Can leap and strike for double weapon damage. Requires a Full action and provokes Free Attack.

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G. GEMS, JEWELS & VALUED GOODS

RANDOM GEM GENERATOR The GM may wish to give a better description of gems/jewels than that given by the Gems/Jewellery Table. Roll 3D6 of different colours (red, green and white, traditionally), letting a random one fall: White = One Gem; Red = Two+ Gems; Green = Item of Jewellery.

RED/WHITE: First die also indicates the size of the gem/s:1 = Tiny (BVx1)2 = Small (BVx10)3 = Average (BVx20)4 = Large (BVx50)5 = Very Large (BVx100)6 = Huge (BVx500)

The other two dice indicate the Base Value: (White/Red - 1) x 3 + Green / 2

The Base Value then gives the Type of Stone: 1 Quartz; 2 Enamel; 3 Topaz; 4 Garnet; 5 Turquoise; 6 Obsidian; 7 Ivory; 8 Carnelian; 9 Opal; 10 Fire-opal; 11 Aquamarine; 12 Jade; 13 Serpentine; 14 Pearl; 15 Ruby; 16 Sapphire; 17 Diamond; 18 Emerald.

OR - GREEN: The dice indicate jewellery item, material & gem values:Green: 1 necklace; 2 headgear; 3 bracelet; 4 ring; 5 clothing; 6 weapon*.Red: 1 leather; 2 copper; 3 bronze; 4 iron; 5 silver; 6 gold.White: 1 BV1-3; 2 BV4-6; 3 BV7-9; 4 BV10-12; 5 BV13-15; 6 BV16-18.(*Re-roll: 1 dagger; 2 sword; 3 polearm; 4 hafted; 5 spear; 6 missile).

VALUABLE GOODS It may be more realistic to find these items instead of large amounts of coins generated by the standard Treasure Table (1000C+, 500L+, 50Wh+).

Calculate total value in L, then the amount = Total Value / Item Value

Roll for Type of GoodsD6: 1 Metals; 2 Furs; 3 Cloth; 4 Beverages; 5 Foodstuffs; 6 Other.

#1: METALS – Select Small or Large Ingot (bar) size, as appropriate.D6 Metal Small Ingot Large Ingot/Bar (Val/lb,Oz/cu.in)1 Gold 19k L (2lbs) 180k L (29lbs) (6250L, 11oz)2 Silver 280 L (1lb) 4000L (16lbs) (250L, 6oz)3 Copper 10 L (1lb) 130 L (13lbs) (10L, 5oz)4 Bronze 4½ L (1lb) 130 L (13lbs) 1(10L, 5oz)5 Lead 2½ L (1lb) 40 L (16lbs) (2.5L, 6oz)6 Other 1 L (¾ lb) 13 L (10lbs) (1.25L, 4oz)- Iron 6 L (¾ lbs) 88 L (12lbs) (7.5L?, 4.5oz)- Platinum 28k L (2lbs) 390k L (31.5lbs) (12500L, 12oz)

(Small Ingot (SJW) = 3x2x½”, Large Ingot (Bar) = 7x3x2”) #2: FURS – D6: 1-3 = Pelts; 4 = Trimmed Garments; 5 = Cape; 6 = Coat.D8 Type Pelt (Wt) Trim* Cape Coat1 beaver 4L (2 lb) 40L 400L 800L2 ermine 8L (½ lb) 240L 7200L 14,400L3 fox 6L (4 lb) 180L 600L 1200L4 marten 8L (4 lb) 20L 800L 1600L5 mink 6L (½ lb) 60L 5400L 10,800L6 muskrat 2L (4 lb) 80L 200L 400L7 sable 10L (½ lb) 300L 9000L 18,000L8 seal 10L (16 lb) 50L 250L 500L*on collar, cuffs, and edges of typical garment (robes, dress, cloak).Trimmed garments weigh 3lbs, Capes 5lbs, Coats 10lbs.

#3: CLOTH – Cloth typically comes in Bolts 4ft/6ft wide, 20/50ft long.1 Tapestry/Brocade 40 L/sq.yd (12oz/sq.yd) Embroidered linen2 Silk 6 L/sq.yd (1oz/sq.yd)3 Carpet/Rug 3 L/sq.yd (1lb/sq.yd) Fine wool4 Sheepskin 1L (12lbs)5 Leather hide 15 L (25lbs, 50sq.ft (8oz per sq.ft))6 Wool ½ L/fleece (5lb) (300lb bales (60 fleeces))7 Flax ½ L (25lb bushel) Raw material for linen8-10 Linen 1 L /sq.yd (8oz/sq.yd)

#4: BEVERAGES – Roll D100 for type, and allow for containers (casks):01-05 Fine Brandy 500 L / standard cask (12.5 gallons (100pts))06-10 Brandy 250 L11-15 Vintage Wine 250 L16-20 Fine Wine 200 L21-30 Good Wine 100 L31-40 Avg. Wine 60 L41-50 Poor Wine 20 L51-60 Mead 100 L61-70 Ale 70 L (beer brewed without hops)71-80 Beer 50 L81-90 Small Beer 40 L91-95 Cider 30 L96-00 Vinegar 10 L (off wine)Casks:Standard (12.5 gal. Firkin*) 30 L (10lbs empty, 135lbs full) Large (25 gal. Barrel*) 50 L (25lbs empty, 275lbs full) V.large (50 gal. Hogshead*) 90 L (50lbs empty, 550lbs full) (Note: 1 gallon weighs about 10lbs, for ordinary liquids)(* Names of English casks of approximately similar sizes).

#5: FOODSTUFFS – Roll D24 for type:By the pound:

1 Spice, rare 700 L /lb (e.g. pepper, saffron)2 Spice, common 30 L /lb (e.g. mustard)3 Salted Meat 1 L /lb (10lb bags or 125lb casks)4 Dried Fish ½ L /lb5 Spiced Sausages 3 L /lb6 Salt 3½ L /lb (1lb bags or 10lb sacks)7 Honey 2½ L /lb (1lb jars or 125lb amphorae)8 Cheese 1 L /lb (small 5lb, large 20lb) 9 Cheese, Fancy 2½ L /lb10 Black Bread 1 L /lb (small loaves 1lb, large 3lb)11 Waybread 3 L /lb12 Trencher Bread ½ L /lb (stale – carve for use as platter)

By the bushel (25lb sack):13 Apples 15 L 14 Plums 7½ L15 Grapes 10 L16 Dried Grapes 15 L 17 Dried Beans 5 L (or peas)18 Vegetables 2½ L (onion/carrot/radish/turnip/beetroot)19 Wheat 5 L20 Oats 3½ L21 Barley 4 L22 Rye 2½ L23 Hay 2 L24 Straw 1 L

#6: OTHERS – Roll D20:1 Frankincense, fine 60L /stick (100 sticks/lb, burn 5 mins)2 Frankincense, avg. 25L /stick3 Incense, lesser 2 L /stick4 Unguent, rare 400 L /lb (usually in small pots)5 Perfume – Red Rose 1250L /lb6 Perfume – Lavender 350L /lb7 Perfume – Cherry Blossom 250L /lb8 Wood (oak etc) 40 L /plank (12' x 1' x 2”, 80lb, 2 cu.ft)9 Wood (pine etc) 12 L /plank (12' x 1' x 2”, 60lb)10 Pitch 250 L (12.5 gal cask, 135lbs)11 Amber 375 L /lb (lumps of any size)12 Ivory (lesser) 12 L /lb (hippo, walrus, boar, whale)13 Ivory, fine (elephant) 75 L /lb (max 10ft tusks, approx 8lbs/ft)14 Rhino Horn 300 L /lb (typical horn 2lbs)15+ Re-roll or select randomly from standard price lists.

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H. HERB LORE - “FIND HEALING PLANTS” Herb Lore skill allows finding useful herbs and similar substances.

FINDING HERBS: For each 4 hours spent searching, roll Herb Lore skill (modified by terrain).

SUCCESS = Some useful herb found (random)SPECIAL = Double amount foundCRITICAL = Triple amount foundFAILURE = No useful herb foundFUMBLE = Mis-identified herb found (GM determines secretly)

Different types of terrain modify the basic skill percentage by the amounts noted. Deserts or Populous areas reduce the chance by -50%.Another Herb Lore roll is required to preserve herbs beyond the month.

AMOUNT FOUND = d3 applications (Special x2, Critical x3)TYPE FOUND* = Roll on the Generic Herbs Table, below:

GENERAL HERBS TABLE:Useful Against (D10): 1 Wasting Disease 2 Brain Fever 3 Soul Waste 4 The Shakes 5 Creeping Chills 6 Systemic Poisons 7 Blade Venoms 8-10 Wounds Type (D6) & Potency by Season (Spring/Summer/Autumn/Winter/Storm): 1: Flower - D12 / D8 / D6 / - / D4 2: Leaf - D8 / D12 / - / D4 / D6 3: Stem - D6 / D8 / D12 / - / D4 4: Root - D6 / - / D4 / D12 / - 5: Seed - D6 / - / D8 / D4 / D12 6: Other - Roll again, but can refine Usage/Potency 1 step by spell/skill.

(The RuinQuest: Other Realms supplement has a more detailed system).

I. MINOR INFECTIONS

D100 Kind of minor infection01-20 Sniffles21-35 Sneezing36-50 Blotches51-60 Mania61-70 Joint Rot71-75 Creeping Crudd76-80 Thunder Lung81-85 Brittleskin86-90 Convulsions91-95 Slow Withers96-99 Bleeding Disease00 The Plague

Sniffles - infected targets will continually sniffle until the sickness is thrown off. This is a short-term illness. The first resistance roll is CON x l %, the second is CON x 2%, etc., up to CON x 5%. Make the roll once a day; no rest is needed. This disease occurs in the mild form only.

Sneezing - this disease has all ranges of severity, but instead of removing characteristics, the character sneezes instead, exposing those nearby to the disease. Chronic (mild) once/day; Acute once/hour; and if a character has 'Terminal' Sneezes, he sneezes loudly and uncontrollably every 5 minutes.

Blotches - victims show red blotches on their face and skin. The blotches reduce CHA by 1 point per each degree of severity. Normal CON x 5% disease resistance rolls are attempted until one is made, with the number of failed rolls equal to the number of CHA points lost for the duration of the sickness. Recovery is determined by a CON roll each season on Windsday of Fertility week. If made, one CHA point is regained. CHA not recovered after a year is lost permanently.

Mania - victims are subject to irrational acts and unpredictable moods. Initial severity is determined normally. Once contracted, victim behaviour is determined by the chart below. Severity gives the frequency of the roll. A mild (chronic) case will require rolls every week; acute every day; terminal victims roll every hour, so effects overlap. Attacks last 30 - CON turns. D10: 1-4 Sleep; 5-7 Befuddled; 8-9 Demoralized; 10 Fanatic.

Joint Rot – attacks the characters joints, slowing him down. Each attack gives the victim one more initiative penalty; a penalty over DEX means that the character may strike only every other round; Victims whose penalty exceeds twice their DEX have had their joints locked, and are helpless. Even if the disease is thrown off, the initiative penalty is permanent.

Creeping Crudd - only persons wearing armour will be infected by this disease, such as adventurers constantly encased in that hot, sweaty stuff. Having Crudd reduces attack/parry percentages by 5% for each attack of it. Frequency of attack is determined by the severity of the disease. Terminal Crudd, for example, will reduce all weapon skills by 5% every hour. When a character is reduced to zero, all ability is lost permanently. Undertaking curative measures before then can regain the skills lost. Those 5ft or closer to a victim of the Crudd will notice that the victim stinks. To get rid of the Creeping Crudd requires full exposure of the body to the sun and air. For each week spent not wearing any clothing at all, 5% lost skill will be regained.

Thunder Lung - these sneezing and coughing attacks are violent enough to cause damage to the victim. Find the severity of the disease by normal CON x 5% resistance rolls. A mild (chronic) form causes attacks with D6 severity; acute form causes 2D6 attacks; terminal form causes 3D6 attacks. The frequency of attacks also increases with the severity of the form of the disease (mild/chronic weekly, acute daily, terminal hourly, as usual). The STR of each attack is rolled randomly, and then the afflicted character must try to resist that number with their CON. If they fail, the strength of the attack is done as damage to the character's hit points. If their hit points are reduced to -10 as a result of Thunder Lung, the character dies and has burst - and all creatures within 10ft are exposed to the disease.

Brittleskin - a slow, creeping scaling of the skin. The degree of severity determines the rate of spread (mild/chronic weekly, acute daily, terminal hourly, as usual). The first contraction will affect one hit location. Successive attacks will affect another random location. Re-roll if the location already has been infected. When the victim is entirely encrusted, there will be no further spread. While encrusted, each affected hit location gains 2 points of additional protection. If the skin is broken and damage inflicted on the location, a Repair spell must first be used before any Healing spells will work. Only a Chalana Arroy temple's Cure Disease or a spirit of Healing can cure this disease. Mundane Healing has so far proven ineffective.

Convulsions - incapacitating nervous attacks. Each time the disease attacks, the victim will writhe on the ground unable to perform any other action for species maximum minus CON melee rounds. Severity indicates frequency of attacks (as normal - mild/chronic weekly, acute daily, terminal hourly). They are likely to occur at moments of stress.

Slow Withers - this disease atrophies portions of the body. Slow Withers attacks only one hit location. Each attack of the disease reduces the hit points of the victim by one, striking that affected location. Healing spells will not restore hit points lost from the Slow Withers. The disease severity determines the speed of hit point loss, but Slow Withers has only chronic (1/week) and acute (1/day) forms and never develops into a terminal (hourly loss) form. Hit locations reduced to zero or below through this illness become useless, and will suffer effects similar to serious/grievous injuries at -4 and -7 respectively. If a limb is grievously affected (-7hp), the disease has run its course but the limb is permanently disabled; if the chest, head or abdomen is infected, then hit points continue to reduce until the character is dead.

Bleeding Disease - this sickness has one degree of severity. The afflicted individuals require twice as many Healing points as normal. A character with Bleeding Disease must use Healing 2 to stop normal bleeding, Healing 4 to stop serious bleeding and Healing 12 to re-set/graft limbs. Only Cure Disease, Spirits of Healing, Divine Intervention, or Mallia Initiation will halt these effects.

Plague – Caused initially by a Mallia Rune spell (from which the caster dies). The Plague is highly contagious, with severity either acute or terminal; there is no mild form. Plague attacks the CON and STR. Resisting the disease requires the exposed individual to roll below his STR plus CON total on D100. Failure to do so means that the character loses D3 from both STR and CON per attack. Only Divine Intervention or Mallia Initiation halt the Plague.

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J. WEAPONS DEFINITIONS The question of just what is meant by “broadsword” or “flail” always comes up. The following definitions are meant purely for the purposes of RuinQuest. Other places and times may have other names for the same items, or apply the same names to different implements.

ARBALEST - a crossbow with a windlass device to cock it, for it is too hard for anyone to cock manually. It is slow to fire, but relatively easy to learn, and deadly when it hits. As all crossbows, it came as a Dwarf gift.AXE, GREAT - a large, two-handed axe which may be either single or double-bitted. AXE, LARGE - depending on its origin, this axe will be double- or single-bitted. It can be used one-handed by a strong fighter, but it is really intended for two-handed use. It is not meant for throwing.AXE, SMALL - similar to the Frankish francisca in that it can be thrown as well as used by hand, and it may be one-edged or two. Note that throwing training is entirely separate from in-hand training.AXE, THROWING - see AXE, SMALLBASTARD SWORD - see SWORD, LONGBLOWGUN - a hollow tube 3ft long, used to deliver small darts by blowing through the tube.BOW, COMPOSITE - an archery bow made of wood and horn to give it more rigidity but retain some flexibility. It requires more strength to use this than does a self-bow. It is popular in wood-shy regions.BOW, ELF - a bow which is grown by elves from special seeds. Only theelf who planted the seed can use the bow. To another member of the Aldryami cult who uses it, the bow will be a self-bow. A non-Aldryami who tries to use it will cause it to wither and die. These bows are some-times used by Priest and Lords of the cult to house their allied spirit.BOW, LONG - there are no bows in this part of Glorantha comparable to the Welsh yew longbow. References to such in various texts are actually to the composite bow.BOW, SELF - a basic bow, made of one or two pieces of wood, against which all other bows compare favourably.BROADSWORD - see SWORD, BROADCESTUS, HEAVY - metal boxing gloves similar to those used in ancient Greece and Rome. A weight nestles within the glove for more impact.CESTUS, LIGHT - metal boxing gloves which depend on the impact of metal, like brass knuckles, for their damage.CLAW - a metal device which allows the user to claw like an animal. They are most used by intelligent animals wishing to improve their natural weapons but also by humans wishing to imitate animals.CLUB - a natural weapon made from a piece of wood, often with minimal treatment. They may be Heavy or Light, and in either case are treated as Maces in this gameCROSSBOW, HEAVY - this crossbow must be cocked by a lever apparatus. It is easier to load than an arbalest, but has correspondingly less impact power.CROSSBOW, LIGHT - this would actually be a Medium crossbow historically, but a truly light crossbow which can be hand-cocked has no practical use except as a fowling piece. Our Light crossbow is cocked by hooking one end with a foot and using this as leverage in cocking.CROSSBOW, REPEATING - special Mostali weapons which will self-destruct in the hands of any non-Mostali cultist. These are treated as Light crossbows but they may fire once per melee round, up to their 5-round clip.DAGGER - a short-bladed weapon no more than 15 inches long. Daggers can be sharp on one or both edges, or be triangular in their cross-section if intended only for stabbing.DAGGER, PARRYING - a standard dagger whose hit points have been increased by the addition of an elaborate guard. Because of the guard it is usable only in the hand it was made for. Its specialization makes it cost twice normal dagger costs.DAGGER, THROWING - a throwing dagger is useless against most armour but it is still very useful to assassins. It is specially balanced and so costs twice normal dagger prices.DART - a short, weighted point suitable for throwing. These may be kept clipped on the inside of a Large shield for convenience.FLAIL, GRAIN - the agricultural implement which the War Flail is based upon. It is included for scenarios where grain threshers may be attackedFLAIL, MILITARY - this is a flail head mounted on the end of a shod chain on a haft about 6ft long.FLAIL, WAR - a handle with a couple of links of chain which attaches to the equivalent of a mace head.

GREATSWORD - see SWORD, GREATHALBERD - see POLEAXEHAMMER, WAR - see WARHAMMER.JAVELIN - a short spear suitable for use one- or two-handed, or for throwing.KNIFE - a tool or utensil suitable for eating, light work, desperate defences, or impromptu assassinations. It is similar to a dagger but takes much less damage before breaking.MACE, HEAVY - a haft with a heavy weight at one end; the weight may be spiked or flanged.MACE, LIGHT - a haft with a weight at one end suitable for bashing and crushing.MAUL - a mace-head on a long shaft, usually about 5ft long.MORNING STAR FLAIL - a medieval weapon we could not resist adding; in this case we speak of the weapon sometimes known as a “chain flail”. It is a handle, a length of chain, and a spiked ball at one end. Without the chain it is a simple mace.NIGHTSTICK - short, wooden stick similar to a truncheon or Okinawan tonfa.PEASANT WEAPONS - people attacked at work can snatch tools with which to resist. Some are mentioned here, like Grain Flail, Knife, Sickle, Hammer, and Pick. Others, such as hoes and rakes, should be Light Maces or Quarterstaffs, while shovels should be Heavy Maces, and cattle goads are useful as short spears.PICK, WAR - a weapon designed after a digging pick. Its pointed head or heads are capable of punching through armour Often it is blunt at one end and so treated as a Hammer.PIKE - a special weapon used by the Sun Dome Temple and some other sky cults. It is an over-long spear ranging from 12 to 16 feet in length, and was called a sarissa in ancient Greece.POLEAXE - an axe head on a long shaft, very useful against mounted foes who think they are out of reach; 6ft long or more. Includes most polearms.QUARTERSTAFF - a long wooden stick often used as a walking staff. They are not exactly like the other weapons with which they are listed, but the basic style is similar.RAPIER - this is not the over-long, elaborate weapon of our Renaissance but it instead a basic cut-and-thrust weapon. Lighter than broadswords.RHOMPHIA - a crescent-bladed Great Axe like a huge scimitar, used by the Lunar Empire in Glorantha and by the ancient Thracians in Greece.ROCK - probably the first weapon ever. Small rocks, capable of being hurled, do little damage to one in armour, but larger rocks dropped from a height do somewhat more.SPEAR - a length of wood between 5 and 10ft, with a point at one end. Long ones reduce strike rank but must be used two-handed, while the shorter ones may be used one-, two-handed, or be thrown.STAFF - see QUARTERSTAFF or SINGLESTICKSCIMITAR - a single-edged and slightly curved sword used by the LunarEmpire in lieu of the broadsword. Otherwise like the broadsword.SHORTSWORD - see SWORD, SHORTSICKLE - a curved Lunar dagger based on the agricultural implement. Itcan be used to impale but cannot be thrown.SLING - the weapon which David used to kill Goliath. It is a leather thong with a cup to hold a rock. A sling stone can get incredible velocity in the hands of an expert. There is a minimum range of 15ft.SLING, STAFF - a sling mounted on the end of a stick. The added leverage increased the range and impact of whatever is thrown. The minimum range is 30ft.SWORD-AND-A-HALF - see SWORD, LONGSWORD, LONG - also known as the Sword-and-a-half, Hand-and-a-half or Bastard Sword, this weapon is slightly longer than a broadsword and has sufficient space on the hand-grip to be used two-handed if desired. A strong warrior can use it one-handed.SWORD, BROAD - a generalized term for a sword with a blade about a yard long and double-edged. It has a point but cannot impale. SWORD, GREAT - the basic two-handed sword, two-edged, which cannot be used one-handed at all. The use of the two-hander is an art, and despite popular belief it is not necessary to have great amounts of room to do full damage. It is about 5ft long.SWORD, SHORT - this is based on the Roman gladius, and is a short sword about 2½ft long which can be used for slashing or stabbing.WARHAMMER - a weapon designed after a hammer which often has a spike at the impact point rather than a flat head at one end, and so is used as a pick instead. A very nasty weapon, ideal for punching through armour.

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K. REFEREE NOTESTHE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE REFEREE Referees may run elaborate campaigns or individual scenarios. Scenarios can be simple adventures or involved quests. They can take place above or below ground, or both, and they can include any type and degree of character interaction.

There are two evident campaign styles popular among RuinQuest players we know. Both depend upon the scenarios mentioned as the basic focus for action. The styles differ mainly in the off-stage activities of the characters.

EPISODIC CAMPAIGNS This refers to those games in which the regular characters adventure in pre-set locales, usually starting near the objective, and spend their 'between game time' in an unspecified world with spell and skill training costs equal to those given in the rules.

FULL CAMPAIGNS These require more commitment to characters and to the world in which they live. Characters must take care what city they sleep in, which cults they are friendly with, or whose family they can trust. The characters may have to spend game time on worldly duties, may find themselves embroiled in a cousin's feud, or have to hide for months without play because of a government enquiry or purge. Players can find themselves on long “talking adventures,” without a spell cast or a weapon bared. Most campaigns are a blend of both types. The key is to find the style which best suits the referee and the players. A new referee should begin simply. Plan to have a couple of beginning players, monsters, and few opportunities for error. Test a few rules at a time, and be prepared to check the book as necessary, and always discuss rules questions with the players - it's their game too! Working together, a few trial attempts will instil you with confidence (or convince you that you don't want to referee).

SCENARIOS FOR CAMPAIGNS OR INDIVIDUAL ADVENTURES The referee must devise the floor plans of any building, dungeon, or cave the adventurers enter. There are ready-made plans available in most game stores for those who don't like to draw. A detailed map of the surrounding countryside, so that the players know where they are, is also necessary. That's the easy part. These areas, above and below ground, must be stocked with monsters. The referee should think in terms of believability and consistency. A complex of caves stocked with a different monster in each cave, all of whom are mutually antagonistic, may prove exciting for the moment, but will quickly pall into boredom. An adventure area, whether it be section of forest, cave, old ruin, river, etc., should provide the player with the following opportunities: - experience in the the use of his skills - opportunity to obtain treasure and thereby purchase further training - the chance to die in pursuit of the above - enjoyment while doing all of the above. The principal idea in setting up scenarios is balance. Large give-away treasures which can be had with no effort, or the slaughtering of inadequate guardians, will become boring. Scenarios which slaughter 90% of the party for a reward which doesn't meet expenses will become frustrating. And, of course, scenarios where the monsters are too tough to beat, no matter what the skill of the attackers, will rapidly tum off players. This is not to say that beginning characters shouldn't run encounter defences too tough to crack. There is no point in a world where the monsters can always be beaten, no matter who opposes them. In such world the monsters would not survive, much less accumulate treasure. But hard nuts should not sit squarely across every path which beginning Adventurers take to progress in the world. The referee running an ongoing campaign must have a mix of hard and soft menaces for his players to meet, and some they can't take until they've made the final steps to Rune Lord and Rune Priest. Major menaces should be adequately marked, too, to warn the wary. If a party of beginners insists on taking on the famous Troll Bridge, where parties of experienced Adventurers have failed to return, one must let them go. You never know - they might surprise you. It cannot be too strongly stated that a referee should not become emotionally involved in the scenarios he builds. The twin banes of FRP games are angry players and angry referees.

POPULATING YOUR SCENARIO Referees designing cave complexes and other underground areas should concentrate on small, integrated complexes, rather than sprawling mazes full of random monsters. Even in sprawling mazes, the monsters will tend to organize themselves into spheres of influence. An underground hideaway should be the home of an organized group of opponents with ready plans of defence and attack. This does not mean that they are all of the same race, just that they cooperate. On the other hand, it makes an interesting scenario to have the area the scene of a struggle between two or more groups, with the Adventurers drawn into the middle. Which side will they favour?

TREASURE An Adventurer with a couple of successful scenarios under his belt should have accumulated sufficient Lunars to get himself out of debt to the guilds and cults. The Treasure Charts in Chapter IX are indications of what an individual monster could be expected to have. They can be easily adjusted to the whim of the referee. There is nothing to say that the treasure must be in plan sight. It may be tucked away around corners, hidden behind secret panels, buried in the bedding, or occupying the monster's stomach - a few of the possible hide-aways. If the monster is a guardian for someone else, the treasure also may be trapped. Give players a chance to use their abilities to Spot Hidden and Find/Remove Traps. Of course, if they don't succeed, no treasure.

STARTING NEW PLAYERS Experienced referees and players often forget how confusing and difficult a role-playing game is for beginners. Referees especially shouldmake an effort to teach their players the easy way to do things, enforce the proper sequences, and answer questions which disrupt the game. If you are a beginning referee, it can be very difficult. We advise that the referee prepare some simple scenarios using these guidelines. First, make them easy to follow for newcomers. Take them through familiar terrain, not the Riddle Maze of Elder Wisdom. Second, give the players plenty of opportunity to use many of their non-combat skills early in the game to illustrate the D100 resolution system. Make them track, climb, roll a rock aside (thus use the resistance table) and so on. Finally, make the combat simple and use beginning types of monsters. A couple of trollkin or shadow cats are real menaces to beginning parties, while a large band of rubble runners make them both fight and think. A band of skeletons is a good morale booster for a discouraged party. But not too many! - superior numbers always tell in RuinQuest combat.

GUIDE TO MULTIPLES FOR CHARACTERISTIC ROLLS

x10 Trivial – Nothing will go wrong unless they're clumsy, stupid, etc. x5 Normal – Something that may be managed or may not. x3 Tricky – Unlikely. For attempting things without the proper skill. x1 Difficult – An outside change they may do it. Don't hold your breath.

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L. LANGUAGES OF THE DRAGON PASS REGION

HUMAN LANGUAGES

SARTARITE The primary language for an of the natives of the kingdom of Sartar, it was imported from the region of the Hendrikei in the Holy Country when the Sartarites moved northwards, and they speak it there as well. It is the second language of the peoples of Alone and Alda-chur, which joined the the kingdom later than the other cities. Speakers are likely to know Tradetalk as a second language. Speakers can attempt talking Stormtongue as well, at 1/10th their Sartarite ability.

TRADETALK The cult language of the Issaries trader cult, Tradetalk has been taught by them all across the world. It is the closest thing to a common tongue which Glorantha has, and may be learned almost anywhere, including non-human areas. It is the widest-known second language.

PRAXIAN The Prax animal nomads use this language. It is spoken by all the tribes there, even including the non-human Morokanth, and has also been adopted by local non-herding peoples such as the 'men-and-a-half' Agimori, and the lion-men Basmoli Berserkers.

LUNAR (NEW PELORIAN) This has many similarities to Tarshite. It originated in Peloria with the Empire of the Red Moon and has altered that old tongue. It is spoken by all Lunar natives, who will ordinarily know Tarshite, Tradetalk, Grazelander, or another foreign tongue as their second language. Speakers understand Tarshite at ½ their Lunar ability.

TARSHITE (OLD PELORIAN) The native tongue for the regions of Tarsh and the Tarsh Exiles around Wintertop in the Far Place cities, the speech was imported when natives from Peloria (to the north) moved into Dragon Pass. A speaker of it can speak Lunar to ½ his Tarshite language ability.

OLD PAVIC Some 500 years before, this now nearly-dead language was spoken in the Empire of the Wyrms Friends. The Empire ruled Old Pavis in that age when the huge ruins were cut off from the outside world, and the native humans still speak it. Now that the city is reopened, it is again known to the outside world. It is also used in ancient religious ceremonies at Adari, but not spoken by the populace there. Speakers also know Draconic (Auld Wyrmish) at ¼ Old Pavic ability.

ESROLIAN A language used in the Holy Country land of Esrolia. It is related to the “earth speech” of the spirits worshipped in that country. Esrolians generally learn Tradetalk as a second language. Speakers also know Earthtongue at 1/10th their Esrolian.

GRAZELANDER This is the remnants of a language once known as “Pure Horse Tongue”. It is spoken only by the Grazelanders as a primary language, but is very similar to the language of the horse barbarians of northern Peloria. The natives use it only among themselves, preferring Tarshite, Esrolian, Sartarite, or Tradetalk with outsiders.

OASIS-TONGUE Unique language of the native farmer communities at the oases of Prax and some parts of the Zola Fel river valley, subservient to greater tribes.

PAVIC (SARTARITE) A version of Sartarite now spoken in the city of Pavis. Modern Pavic is the language that arrived from Sartar in 1550, and reinforced by more immigrants every year since. It differs from Sartarite hardly at all, having had only 70 years to diverge, so is still basically the same language with only a slight accent and some odd phrases.

SUNNISH (SARTARITE) The first people of Sun County arrived 350 years ago from Dragon Pass

as allies of the EWF. They spoke an ancestor language of modern Sartarite and with words from Auld Wyrmish, plus the men's Firespeech and women's Earthtongue. Since then, it has been influenced by Praxian and the river-folk's Boatspeech. The second influx arrived from Dragon Pass Sun Dome when New Pavis was founded a century ago, speaking pure Sartarite, and assumed rule. Speakers of standard Sunnish are salt-of-the-earth commoners, the 'old guard'. Very old families of Sun County still speak original Sunnish which, kept pure of Praxian etc influences, is like antique Sartarite, more similar to formal modern Sartarite than common Sunnish. The powerful newcomers speak new Pavic or Sartarite. Accent in Sun County is a matter of class.

CONCLUSION: Sartarites, Sun Domers, and Pavisites can all understand each other without much difficulty. But they laugh at each others' accents and slang.

How you represent this is up to your group's preferred stereotypes. For example:Sartarites – patchwork of many proudly different tribes. Any/all British accents.Pavis outlands – mixed settlers from all over Sartar. Yorkshire, Kentish or any.Pavis city – dodgy geezers, shifty spiv traders and criminal-types. East London.Sun County commoners – bucolic with plenty of slang. West Country/Wales. Sun County nobility – posh, old-fashioned and formal. Received Pronunciation.Sun County new lords – brash, arrogant, newly-rich incomers. American.Lunars (in local language) – arrogant, powerful/insidious conquerors. German.

NON-HUMAN LANGUAGES

ALDRYAMI The language of elves and their kin: since the separation of the elf nations across the world, the different forests have developed some local variations of Aldryami, but these are more like accents than different dialects. All Aldryami prefer to use Tradetalk to communicate with non-elves, even if the non-elves show off their knowledge of Aldryami.

BEASTSPEECH The language of animals and half-animals, such as beastmen and baboons, is very difficult for people to speak, but easier to learn it if they can find a teacher.

BOATSPEECH An ancient language, known by the clannish, wary fishermen of the coasts and rivers, including the Zola Fel, and to their friends the newtlings and fish-folk.

DARKTONGUE Creatures of darkness, such as trolls, giants, shades and their ilk, speak Dark- tongue. It is very ancient, and writings exist from before the Great Darkness.

DRACONIC (AULD WYRMISH) Dragons and their kin, especially the dragonewts, wyrms and such creatures, speak this. Dream Dragons almost always speak it, rarely knowing any other language due to their peculiar origin. It is difficult for non-draconic types to learn, though dragonewts seem to have little problem learning other tongues. Speakers of Draconic also know Old Pavic at ½ their Draconic ability.

EARTHTONGUE The speech of gnomes, earth cults, reptiles, and other earth-related creatures; the language has a few affinities with Aldryami.

FIRESPEECH Fire-worshipping or constructed creatures such as salamanders, and birds and more obscure races speak it.

MOSTALI The tongue of Mostali, dwarves and their minor created races is rare, though some use it as a “secret language” to confound their overseers or foreigners.

SEATONGUE The watery races, including all Triolini (merpeople, intelligent beasts such as dolphins, and undines) speak this.

SPIRITSPEECH This is a common tongue for spirits when they do not communicate by Mind Link. It is made of parts of all the divine languages, but especially Stormtongue.

STORMTONGUE Native talk of sylphs and other air spirits and cults. Related to Sartarite.

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M1. MAP 1 – DRAGON PASS & SARTAR

109

M2. MAP 2 – THE PLAINES OF PRAX

110

N. ENCOUNTER CHARTS

Adventurers will meet groups of other travellers as they wander.

What enemies are met and when they are met is a subject of much debate. One school of thought believes that pre-set scenarios with deliberate construction and residential populations presented in a logical and realistic order is the best way to play FRP. The other school says that a randomized encounter chart full of vagaries and whimsical chance must be followed to avoid referee involvement or favouritism A wise referee uses both methods, tailoring them to suit the players, the scenarios and the mood of the moment. The following encounter charts are offered as a general introduction to types available and as a suggested method of presentation. After terrain is discussed, the first chart is the Chance of Encounter chart, which includes the number of times per day to roll. If something is encountered, then the referee should roll on any of the appropriate Regional Encounter charts. If there is not an automatic result from said encounter (such as elves being met by dwarves), then the referee may use one of the Response tables to see what the encountered beings do.

TERRAIN TYPES The different types of terrain are self-descriptive; combined with this list and the maps which follow, they give a fair idea of the countryside. Towns - towns on the coast or on major roads will be larger than those on smaller roads or in isolated areas. Cultivated Areas - this means a farmed area with relatively dense popul- ations. Open Country - this includes fertile lands suitable for hunting, hiding, herding, and so on. Land will include some trees, occasional villages, and so forth. Prax - the wide chaparral area of the right -hand map in Chapter I. It is an open plain useful only to herdsmen and their beasts. Woods - forested areas where trees are the dominant vegetation, though such areas will include open areas of ground, as well. Elf Woods - the forests inhabited by the Aldryami. There is little doubt of being found in these places. Mountains - the bleaker and more rugged slopes and hills are intended here, not the foothills which are included in Open Country. Dwarf Mountains - an area-which is known (at least by the the referee) to be inhabited by Mostali. River - includes the banks, lakes, islands, and streams too small to be put on the maps. Be sure to integrate this chart with areas it flows through, thus using Forest/River charts, for example. Marsh - this includes large swamps, like the Upland areas, or smaller bogs tucked away and forgotten in many other terrain types. Ruins - Glorantha has many ruins. The Big Rubble is a huge one, while Prax is dotted with remnants of the Gods War civilization. Chaos Nests - these foul places are where things of chaos have been allo- wed to gather and grow; they are festering places worth destroying just for the sake of sanity and the universe. Troll Areas - shadowy lands wisely ignored by most of mankind.

CHANCE OF ENCOUNTER CHART To determine whether or not the party meets someone as they pass through a region, the die should be rolled an appropriate number of times. The number of rolls per day is determined by the relative density of the areas.

terrain type chance/freq. terrain type chance/freq.Town 85% / hr. dwarf mtns. 80% / 6 hrs.cultivated 75% / hr. river 30% / 6 hrs.open country 60% / 6 hrs. marsh 45% / 3 hrs.Prax 40% / 6 hrs. ruins 85% / 3 hrs.woods 30% / 12 hrs. chaos nest 85% / 6 hrs.elf woods 80% / 6 hrs. troll area 80% / 6 hrs.mountain 80% / day

RESPONSE CHARTS The following chart is presented for referees to use when they must determine outlook and attitudes of a group of randomly encountered beings during an adve- nture. They are divided into three types, and are based on the predispositions of one party towards the other.

NEUTRAL PARTIES Some parties have no predispositions. Two groups of adventurers are neutral, as might be a band of centaurs meeting a party of dwarfs.

HOSTILE PARTIES Some parties are prejudiced against each other, such as elves and trolls or trolls and dwarfs. Creatures which catch Adventurers lurking around their home territories also are likely to act hostile

FRIENDLY PARTIES There are parties whose characters are expected to be friendly by nature, such elves meeting satyrs, or a Lunar party meeting another Lunar party. As the table indicates, even friendly parties may hold ugly surprises and the nastiest trolls provide a friend in the wilderness.

Referees are urged to use these tables as guidelines and prevent themselves from using them as an excuse to dump another batch of monsters on an already exhausted party “because the tables said so”.

hostile neutral friendly response01-05 01-10 01-15 encountered creature is extremely friendly to party,

and very amenable to suggestions06-15 11-30 16-75 encountered creatures are a with to let the party go

its own way; they will go theirs16-25 31-70 76-85 encountered creatures are unsure and will stall for

time, or for something significant or telling tooccur

26-85 71-90 86-95 encountered creatures take an active dislike to theparty, just short of blind hatred

86-00 91-00 96-00 encountered creatures cannot conceal their contempt and/or hatred for the party

Successful use of Oratory/Fast Talk skill, a CHAx3 roll with flattery, or a CHAx5 roll with appropriate gifts can improve the response of those met, if circumstances permit. But just one wrong word or gesture can make it worse!

ENCOUNTER DISTANCE The distance at which encounters between groups occur (i.e. the first opportunity for them to be aware of each other) varies widely. However a set formula is required, in order to avoid inadvertently favouring or penalizing player characters unduly. (For example, encounters always occurring at close range due to limited playing area on the game table is unfair to spell-casters and missile-users). Roll D100 and apply the multiplier appropriate to the terrain:

Indoors/Jungle x1ft Town/Forest x3ft Open Terrain x10ft

Note that creatures which typically use stealth may not be noticed until at a much closer range if they are successful with their Hide/Sneak skills.

TACTICAL ENCOUNTER TERRAIN Encounters should not always occur in places which resemble the uniform flat plane of a gaming table-top. It is more realistic to have plenty of obstacles, suited to the terrain type, and a selection of such should be randomly arranged.

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TERRAIN EXAMPLES FROM SARTAR/PRAX MAPS

place on map terrain type place on map terrain typeBetter Place open country Orani's Mistake PraxCaravan Alley Prax Sacred Ground open countryDagori Inkarth troll area Sartar cultivatedEsrolia cultivated Shadows Dance mountainFar Point cultivated Snakepipe Hollow chaos nestGood Place open country Stinking Forest elf woodsGrazelands open country Sun Dome cultivatedHead Acres open country Troll Woods troll areaHendrekei cultivated Upland Marsh marshLong Dry Prax Vale of Flowers open countryLunar Tarsh cultivated Wintertop mountain

REGIONAL ENCOUNTER CHARTS The following charts are given as suggestions, divided into the land types already mentioned. Referees should take these as examples and feel free to alter them as they see fit. Referees are also urged to pay attention to the size of the party and to use this encounter chart as an indicator of the type of monster encountered, not the number. Monster party sizes should be adjusted to be a challenge to the players. One interesting, and often illuminating, method of determining appropriate monster parties is to figure out your players' treasure factor and match it against a comparable monster group's treasure factor.

TERRAIN TYPE

D20 Town Cultivated Open Country 1 residents at work residents at work baboons 2 residents at work residents at work centaurs 3 residents at work residents at work minotaurs 4 residents at work residents at work Adventurers 5 residents at work residents at work other thieves 6 residents at work residents, militia ogres 7 residents at work residents, militia morocanth 8 residents at work local soldiery crested dragonewt 9 local rowdies Adventurers beaked dragonewt 10 non-local rowdies snakes dragonewt priest & party 11 constabulary rubble runners residents 12 constabulary rubble runners residents 13 priest & company centaurs residents 14 priest & company ogre residents 15 NPC friend raiding elves werewolf 16 hold-up man raiding elves Sky Bull 17 assassin raiding trolls giant 18 pickpocket thieves manticore, griffin 19 tiger-sons highwayman wyrm, wyvern 20 vampire wyrm dragon

D20 Prax Woods Elf Woods 1 wild herd pixie pixies 2 baboons runner pixies 3 morocanth elf runners 4 morocanth cockatrice runners 5 newtling dryad runners 6 rhino riders trollkin elves 7 horse barbarians jack-o-bear elves 8 zebra people dark trolls elves 9 sable people Adventurers elves 10 sable people outlaws elves 11 impala people tusk riders dryads 12 impala people crested dragonewt dryads 13 high llama people beaked dragonewt elf warparty 14 high llama people priest dragonewt elf warparty 15 bison people shadow cat ghost 16 bison people tusk brothers raiding dwarfs 17 centaurs bear walker raiding trolls 18 griffin baboons raiding Adventurer 19 wyvern wolf brother bear walker 20 dragon, wyrm snakes centaur

D20 Mountains Dwarf Mountains Troll Area 1 dwarf dwarfs mistress race troll 2 dwarf dwarfs great troll 3 dwarf dwarfs great troll 4 ghost dwarfs dark troll 5 Adventurers dwarfs dark trolls 6 trollkin dwarfs dark trolls 7 trollkin dwarfs trollkin 8 dark trolls dwarfs trollkin 9 dark trolls dwarfs trollkin 10 great trolls dwarfs trollkin 11 rock lizards rock lizards cave troll 12 cliff toad cliff toad cave trolls 13 wyvern wyverns dark troll warparty 14 wind children wind children dark troll warparty 15 sky bull sky bulls cliff toad 16 griffin griffins jack-o-bear 17 gargoyle gargoyles wyrm 18 giants giants raiding Adventurers 19 giants raiding elves raiding dwarfs 20 broos raiding trolls raiding elves

D20 Marsh Ruins Chaos Nests 1 duck baboons skeleton 2 duck rock lizard ghoul 3 snake snakes zombie 4 snake rubble runners vampire 5 snake shadow cats ghost 6 skeleton cave trolls broos 7 zombie dark trolls broos 8 ghoul gargoyle scorpion man 9 vampire Adventurers scorpion men 10 dragon snail weretiger scorpion men 11 gorp scorpion men werebear 12 giant toads werewolf weretiger 13 lizards broos werepig 14 beaked dragonewt dragon snail werewolf 15 newtlings skeletons ogre 16 walktapi zombies basilisk 17 ghost ghouls basilisk 18 ghosts vampire/ghost dragon snail 19 wyrm wyrm/manticore dragon s party 20 dragon gorp walktapi

D20 River 1 fishermen 2 fishermen 3 fishermen 4 duck 5 duck 6 snakes 7 snakes 8 giant toad 9 small toad 10 cave trolls 11 dragon snails 12 Adventurers 13 dragonewts 14 dragonewts 15 dragonewts 16 newtlings 17 newts 18 newtlings 19 newtlings 20 wyrm

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P. PRICE LISTS The following is not an exhaustive list of items which can be bought, but hopefully includes those which adventurers will find most useful. Money-changing incurs a 10% fee, but one hundred coins weigh about one pound. 1 Lunar (£10) = 10 Clacks (£1ea.) 1 Wheel (£200) = 20 Lunars

GENERAL UPKEEP COSTS The figures represent the average weekly expenses for a person staying in regular, non-inn lodgings (e.g. a rooming-house), including some bought meals, small-scale spending on clothing repair and such:

Adventurer - 5 L weekly Noble - 10 L weeklyPlayers should note the in-game date their character last paid for upkeep. Referees may like to assess this occasionally and apply appropriate effects: Charisma penalties and minor diseases may apply if upkeep is insufficient.

Food and Drink – Average 1 L/day Lodging – Average 2 L/day(Quality: Poor x1/4, Common x1/2, Superior x2, Excellent x4, Noble x8+).

AT THE INN/TAVERNCheap meal – 2 C Good meal – 5 C Fine meal – 2 LPint of beer (small) – ½ C Pint of ale – 1 C Mug of mead – 5 CBottle of wine – 1L Good wine – 2L Fine wine - 5L+

Inn floor – 1-10C/night Room – 2L/night Hot water – 2C extraStabling – 1 C/night Stable and feed – 5C Special care – 1 L

EQUIPMENTAdventurer's Pack 25 L 25 lbs(Backpack with: waterskin, 2 days rations, 50ft rope, bedroll, bandages, knife, fish-hooks and line, flint and steel, one torch).

Trail rations (1 week) 5 L 7 lbAnimal feed (1 week) 2 L 70 lbWaterskin 1L 5 lb

10-foot pole 5L 10 lb30ft rope 10L 12 lbMallet 5C 0.5 lbWooden spikes (ten) 1L 2.5 lbFirestarter 1L 0.5 lbCooking Gear 2L 2.5 lbBackpack 5L 2 lbSack, Large 6C 2 lbSack, Small 3C 0.5 lbBedroll 1L 3 lbWinter bedroll 4L 5 lbTent, Small (1 man) 20L 8 lbTent, Medium (2 man) 30L 10 lbTent, Large (4 man) 60L 15 lbTinderbox 5L -Torch (1 hour) 5C 1 lbCandle (1 hour) 2C 0.2 lbLamp 5L 1 lbLantern 15L 6 lbLantern Oil (10 hours) 2L 1 lbPapyrus (1 sheet) 5C -Vellum (1 sheet) 1L -Writing Tools 15L 0.5 lbScroll case (leather) 2L 2.5 lbScroll case (bone) 10L 5 lbLockpicks 50L -

INSTRUMENTSBagpipes 30L 15 lb SartarBugle 20L 5 lb SartarDrums 10L 15 lbHarp 50L 12.5 lbLur Horn 40L 10 lbLute 100L 5 lbLyre 75L 10 lbReed Pipes 5L 1 lbWhistle 3L -

RANSOM AND WEREGELD Many an adventurer's life has been spared in exchange for ransom, and the wise will establish one. Guild members and cult initiates may use their credit. Weregeld, the life-price paid to a slain enemy's family/master, is typically 7x the victim's annual income; 1-4x annual income may be given for causing injury.

Status Weregeld Ransom (minimal)Apprentice 2000-4000L 300-600LOrdinary 8000L 1200LCraftsman 16,000L 2500LMaster 32,000L 5000LNoble 64,000+ L 10,000+ L

RATES OF PAY FOR LABOURUnskilled 1 L/day Bearer, Linkboy, LabourerTrained 2 L/day Guard, Groom, DroverSkilled 4 L/day Ordinary CraftsmanExpert 8 L/day Superior CraftsmanMaster 16 L/day Master Craftsman, SageDangerous, irregular or rare-skilled work doubles the above amounts.

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RIDING/HERD ANIMALSHorse 300L Cavalry Horse 1200L, Warhorse 4800LMule 250LSable 150L Cavalry Sable 600L, War-Sable 2400LZebra 300L Cavalry Zebra 1200L, War-Zebra 4800LImpala 40L Cavalry Impala 320LBison 150L Cavalry Bison 600L, War-Bison 2400LHigh Llama 225L Cavalry Llama 900L, War-Llama 3600LRhino 2400L Cavalry Rhino 4800L, War-Rhino 9600LHerd Man 75L The above prices are for an average animal of the species, well suited for use as a riding, pack or hunting animal, as appropriate. For untrained animals suited only as a meat or herd beast (or a nag), halve the above prices. For a superior quality animal (worthy of training to cavalry standard), double the above prices, but add 1 to each die rolled for all characteristics (up to normal maximum - the maximum roll on a D6 is still 6, but this will occur on a roll of 5 or 6). For a superb quality animal (worthy of training to war beast standard), quadruple the above prices, but add 2 to each die rolled for all characteristics (not to exceed the normal maximum, as above).For beasts already trained to cavalry or war-beast standard, respectively double and quadruple the prices again. Hence Cavalry (battle-trained) animals are x4 the base price and War-beasts (attack-trained) are x16 base price. (Note any Rhino is worthy of training, so their prices are not so high but the animals are not superior. Impala are trained only to Cavalry standard, and even that is hard, as their instinct to flee is so strong).

RIDING GEARSaddle 20 L 15 lbNomad saddle 200 L 30 lb Prax, Empire

Two-Wheeled Cart 50L Not in PraxFour-Wheeled Cart 100L Not in PraxWar Chariot 200L Sartar, EmpireBarding (Horse) 5x cost and ENC of equivalent human armour (????)

SLAVESAverage (adult) 1000L Lunar Empire, PraxChild 250L Lunar Empire, PraxYouth 500L Lunar Empire, PraxSkilled 2000L Lunar Empire, PraxEducated 4000L Lunar Empire

FARM/DOMESTIC ANIMALSFowl 5C Cat 2LCow 20L Dog 6LGoat 2L Hunting Dog 25LOx (or Bull) 30L (40L) Hawk (wild) 100LPig 6L Shadowcat 500LSheep 4L Songbird 5L

TOOLSAwl 1L 0.5 lbFish Hook 1C -Grain Flail 5L 5 lbHammer 1L 2.5 lbHatchet 10L 2.5 lbHoe 3L 10 lbScythe 30L 12.5 lbShovel 20L 7.5 lbSpade 20L 7.5 lbWood Axe 15L 2 lb

ARMS AND ARMOURSee lists in Chapter IV: Weapons p.23, Shields/Missiles p.25, Armour p.27. Higher-quality arms & armour may be available from better armourers. Fine weapons cost double but are resistant to breakage (APx1 ½), while excellent weapons cost eight times as much but are very resistant to breakage (APx2) and do +1 damage.

THE COST OF MAGIC

Casting Battle Magic – 1L for 1pt, 2L for 2pts, 4L for 3pts, etc (i.e. 2^Points).Casting Rune Magic – Re-usable 100L/point; One-use 2000L/point.Exorcising Spirits - 20L per POW of spirit (Priest/Shaman POW maximum).Cult Initiates/Tribe members half price; Not normally done for Non-members.

Learning Rune Magic - Takes 1 day/point, at 16 L/day for the Priest's expenses.Expending Permanent POW – 1000 to 2000 L per point.

MAGIC ITEMSBattle Magic or Sorcery Spell Matrix - 1500 L/point.Rune Magic Spell Matrix - 3000 L/point.

Dead Crystal (Storage) - 300 L/point.Living Crystal (Powered) - 2000 L to 4000 L/point.Woad and Thunderstones - 1000 L plus 500 L/point.Fixed Truestone - 3000 L/point.Unfixed Truestone - Priceless. Wars have been fought over them.

RUNE METALSPure Rune metal items are worth far more than their base metal equivalents:Gold x200, Silver x30, Iron x40, Aluminium/Quicksilver x75, Others x20.

E.g. Iron Dagger (normal 20L) = 800L; Gold Cuirass (normal 200L) = 40,000L.

ALCHEMICAL CONCOCTIONSAcid 50 L/point (normally 10 points maximum)Blade Venom 100 L/point (normally 10 points maximum)Systemic Poison* 40 L/point (normally 10 points maximum)Antidotes* 40 L/point (can be taken pre-emptively, lasting 2 hours)Magic Potions 200 L/point (allow drinker to cast spell within next 2 hours)Healing Potions 200 L/point (affect drinker immediately)Power Potions N/A (only usable by the maker)* Types available: Manticore venom, Poison gas, Wyvern venom, Spider venom, Herbal poison, Mineral poison.Partial Antidotes: Mineral – x½ v Spider venom/Poison Gas (and works fully v Cockatrice petrification poison); Wyvern – x½ v Poison Gas; Spider – x½ v Scorpion venom (and works fully v Ghoul-bites); Gas – x½ v Wyvern venom;

COINS OF OTHER LANDS - See the RuinQuest supplement Other Realms.

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Q. BIBLIOGRAPHY A complete bibliography of our favourite fantasy and historical books would be too extensive for this column. This list contains those which we felt exemplary or exceptional. Howard, Robert E. Conan (and others) - the archetypical noble and savage barbarian written with muscle and guts; his notes have been finished with less gusto by other writers as well. Leiber, Fritz. Swords in the Mist (and others) - a basic source of modern fantasy; the stories about Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser are classics. Malory, Thomas. Le Morte d'Arthur - more information on heroic action. Useful for inspiration on possible events for FRP. Moorcock, Michael. Elric (and others) – a staple of modern fantasy. Smith, Clark Ashton. Hyperborea (and others) - more standards of fantasy fiction, which everyone should at least taste. Tolkien, J. R. R. Lord of the Rings - a modern fantasy classic. Tolkien is rightfully accorded as the Master of fantasy, and if you have not yet read LotR, please do yourself a favour and make time for it – or at least, The Hobbit. Also The Silmarillion, a chronicle of earlier ages of Middle Earth.

OTHER FANTASY ROLE-PLAYING GAMES Chivalry & Sorcery; Bunnies & Burrows - Fantasy Games Unlimited. Dungeons & Dragons; Advanced D&D; Gamma World; Metamorphosis Alpha - TSR Hobbies, Inc.; also D&D (3rd edition) - Wizards of the Coast. Empire of the Petal Throne – Professor M.A.R. Barker, from TSR, etc. En Garde!; Traveller - Game Designers' Workshop. Hârn – N. Robin Crossby, Columbia Games Inc. Pendragon; Call of Cthulhu – Chaosium. RuneQuest (2e) – Chaosium; also RuneQuest (3e) – Avalon Hill. RuneQuest: Adventures in Glorantha (4e) – Oliver Jovanovic et al. The Arduin Grimoire – David A. Hargrave, Richmond, California. Tunnels & Trolls; Monsters! Monsters! - Flying Buffalo, Inc.

OTHER GLORANTHAN MATERIAL Glorantha is the discovery of Greg Stafford, who has accumulated that universe's myths, legends, history, and other lore since 1966. WHITE BEAR & RED MOON (a.k.a. DRAGON PASS) - This game started it all. A boardgame based on Dragon Pass and the wars fought between Prince Argrath of Sartar and the Lunar Empire. It has more than just rules and game components: there are brief histories of the many non-human races native there, and the colourful heroes/superheroes of the age. By Greg Stafford.NOMAD GODS - The second boardgame published. This one deals with the Animal Nomads of Prax and Pavis. Compatible with WB&RM, but it deals with a different type of magic system and has new victory conditions.MASTERS OF LUCK AND DEATH (yet to be published) - The third game in the Dragon Pass trilogy. Not a wargame per se, but a heroquest to become the ruling deity on the board, via various magical alliances and rites, dealing with various parts of the spirit plane. It covers the tide-wracked Holy Country. CULTS OF PRAX & CULTS OF TERROR - Extensive mythical, magical, and social notes on the religious systems of Prax, Pavis and elsewhere. A deep look at the lifestyles of some of Glorantha's more primitive residents. Classic.APPLE LANE - Scenario Pack with adventures for beginning characters and/or referees. Depicts a Sartarite hamlet, its residents, and includes local background.SNAKEPIPE HOLLOW - Scenario Pack, including tough and gross monsters and treasures of this dangerous region in Dragon Pass, and background lore.BALASTOR'S BARRACKS - An unexplored ruin in the Big Rubble of Old Pavis, searching for the long-lost axe of Balastor, last Champion of Pavis.KING OF SARTAR – Book of the history and future of the world of Glorantha.PAVIS & THE BIG RUBBLE CAMPAIGN - Maps, personalities, histories, local cults, and other material centring on the city of New Pavis and the extensive ruins of the Big Rubble, or Old Pavis. From the campaign of Steve Perrin.GRIFFIN MOUNTAIN – THE BALAZAR CAMPAIGN - Maps, personalities, histories, local cults, and other material about the storm Kingdom of Balazar. Includes tribal specifics, extensive Encounters section, etc.

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XI INDEXES Material within dashes (– –) is subsumed by the general heading immediately preceding the dash: the general heading has no acco- mpanying page reference.

THEMATIC INDEXA

Abilities, other than fighting, 43; Adventurer's pack, 115; Aimed blows, 26; Apprenticeship, 100; Armour, 26; Attacking advantages & disadvantages, 23.

BBackground, character, 11; Basic chances (weapons), 10; Bibliogr- aphy, 117.

CChaotic features, 89; Character sheet, 13; Characteristics – definitions, 8; increasing characteristics, 51; increasing Power, 31; racial maximums, 9 – Credit for training – fighting skills, 21; spells, 29; other skills, 43 – Critical hits, 19; Crushing, 19; Crystals (magic), 94; Cults, 66.

DDisease – 41; shamans curing disease, 39; preventing disease, 41 – Divine intervention – initiates, 54; Rune Lords, 55; Rune spell, 60 – Drowning, 17.

EElementals, 62; Elves, 72, 78; Encumbrance, 15; Equipment for starting characters, 11; Experience, learning by, 14.

FFalling, 17; Fatigue and Exhaustion, 15; Fighting in the dark; 23; Fighting skills, 22; Fire, 17; Full turn (movement turn), 15; Fumbles, 14, 20.

GGuild credit to characters, 21, 29, 43.

HHealing damage, 18; Helmets, 27; Hit locations – 18, damage effe- cts on hit location, 18; non-humanoid hit locations, 90 – Hit points – 9, 18; injuries to hit locations, 18 – Horses – descriptions and statistics, 80; fighting, 24; prices, 116; riding, 49.

IImpaling, 20; Initiative, 16; Iron – and magic, 92; durability of iron, 92; use of iron by Rune lords, 55.

KKnockbacks, 19, 24.

LLanguages – 12, 109; communications table, 47 – Lanterns, 17; Large missiles, 26; Lycanthropes, 73.

MMelee round ,15; Money – character's beginning funds, 11; money values, 5, 115, 116; money weight, 115 – Monsters – descriptions, 73; as characters, 72 – Movement – 15; movement/full turn, 15.

NNatural ability – characteristics effects on abilities, 9.

PPrevious experience, 100.

RResistance table, 32; Runes, 52; Rune identities, 65; Rune magic – 59; Rune magic for Initiates, 54; Rune spells, 59; Rune Lords, 54; Rune Priests, 57.

SShamans, 39; Shield attacks, 25; Shields, 25; Skills – alchemist, 44; armourer, 49; fighting, 50; forester, 49; horsemaster, 49; mariner, 49; minstrel/player, 48; sage, 46; thief, 47; others, 51; – Slashing, 19; Spells – battle magic, 30; Rune magic, 59 – Spirits – allied spirits, 55; spirit combat, 38 – Surprise, 16; Swimming, 49.

TTime, 15; Torches, 17; Training, 42; Treasure – 91; magical items, 92; treasure factors, 91 – Trolls, 73, 85; Two-weapon use, 24.

WWeapons – definitions, 107; damage, 23; range, 25; tables, 23, 25; types, 22 – Weight equivalent of armour for encumbrance, 26.

CHARTS AND TABLES INDEX

Armour statistics table, 27, Armour suit examples table, 28.Background table, character, 11; Basic character description table, 12; Battle magic spells table, 30; Bogeys table (talents/flaws), 98.Chaotic features for chaotic creatures table, 89; Characteristic bonus table, 9; Combat effects table, 19; Critical/special/fumble chances percentages table, 14; Crystal table, 95.Diseases table, 41; Distinctive features table, 99; Divine intervention table for rune lords, 55.Encounter charts, 113; Extra-special magic items table, 96.Falling damage table, 17; Fumble table, 20.Gems/jewellery table, 92.Helmet statistics table, 27; Hit location table – humanoid, 18; non-humanoid, 90; – Horse-master services costs table, 49.Injuries table, 18.Language communication table, 47; Lune attack table, 64.Military skills table, 50; Minor infections table, 106; Missile weapons statistics table, 25; Missile weapons training table, 50.Personality traits table, 12; Poisons table, 44; Potions table, 93; Power loss for attunement table, 95; Previous experience tables, 100-102.Resistance table, 32; Response chart for encounters, 112; Rune magic spells table, 59.Scroll contents table, 93; Scroll materials table, 93; Shade attack table, 64; Shaman fetch table, 39; Shield statistics table, 25; Size - height and weight table, 97; Skills tables, non-combat – craft guilds, 43; mercantylers and others, 51 – Special items in treasure table, 92; Spirit contact table, 40.Treasure table, 91.Weapon statistics table, 23; Weapons training costs table, 50.

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A. CHARACTER CREATIONCHARACTERISTICS AND ABILITIES

STR, INT, WIS, DEX, CON, CHA: 3d6 for each (re-roll one die of each if desired). SIZ: Males 2d6+6; Females 2d6+3.

Defence = 10 + DEX bonus – SIZ Bonus %Hit Points = SIZ / 2 (round up) + CON bonus

Damage Bonus = STR bonusInitiative Bonus = DEX bonus

Melee Weapons = STR %Simple Melee Weapons = STR x 2%Brawling = STR x 2%

Missile Weapons = DEX %Simple Missile Weapons = DEX x 2%Throw = DEX x 2%

MANIPULATION Heavy Crafts (e.g Smithing) = STR %

KNOWLEDGE/PERCEPTIONSpeak Languages = INT x 5%Literacy = (INT – 8) x 10%Spot = INT %Listen = INT %

WILL/INSIGHTFirst Aid = WIS %Evaluate = WIS %Insight = WIS %

AGILITYPlay (an instrument) = DEX %Light Crafts (e.g. Pottery) = DEX %

STEALTHHide = (20 – SIZ) %Sneak = (20 – SIZ) %

ATHLETICS/STAMINARide = CON %Swim = CON %Climb = CON x 2%

COMMUNICATIONOratory/Fast Talk = CHA %Bargaining = CHA %Singing = CHA x 2%

LANGUAGES: Homeland/racial & local common tongue + 1 per INT above 10

HEIGHT: 5ft +/– 2ins per SIZ over/under 8 (12 in = 1 ft)WEIGHT: SIZ stone (14 lbs = 1 st)(For exact values, subtract D4–1 half-inches height, and D20–1 lbs weight).

Experience Maximum = 100 – INTx2Maximum Encumbrance = STR x SIZ lbsMovement Rate Base = 12”

BASE STARTING AGE = 14 + D6 years

Birth place and tribe should be chosen in consultation with the GM.

Statistic Bonus = (STAT – 10) / 2 (round down)

Characteristic Bonus01 -502-03 -404-05 -306-07 -208-09 -110-11 012-13 +114-15 +216-17 +318 +4

Each +2 +1 more

SPECIAL BASE CHANCE WEAPONSSimple Melee Wpns (STRx2): Club/Mace, Dagger, Hammer, Staff, M/L ShieldSimple Missile Wpns (DEXx2): CrossbowsBrawling (STRx2): Skill includes Grapple, Fist, Kick, etc

BACKGROUND TABLED100 Background Money01-25 Peasant D100 L26-60 Townsman 2D100 L61-85 Barbarian D100 L*86-95 Poor Noble D100x5 L/game year**96-99 Rich Noble D100x10 L/game yr**00 Very Rich Noble D100x20 L/game yr**

* A barbarian can be expected to have a riding animal (20% chance he doesn't), leather armour and basic weapons.** A noble with an income must return to a specific spot each campaign year to obtain the money. Otherwise, it just piles up, collecting no interest. The specific spot may be determined by agreement between player and referee. The poor noble's money is usually cut off around his 21st year. The rich noble can usually keep drawing his stipend. This depends on Fate, as ruled by the referee.

BASIC DESCRIPTION – Roll D6 for each, or choose:D6 Skin Colour Skin Tone Eyes Hair Colour Hair Texture1 Black Very Dark Dark Brown Black Bald2 Brown Dark Light Brown Dark Brown Frizzy3 Yellow Dusky Hazel Light Brown Shaggy4 Ruddy Medium Grey Auburn Curly5 Olive Pale Green Red Wavy6 White Very Pale Blue Blond/e Straight

TRAITS - Choose 2 initially (max. CHA/4 can be gained in play).1. Brave/Cowardly 8. Just/Arbitrary2. Prudent/Reckless 9. Merciful/Cruel3. Chaste/Lustful 10. Modest/Proud4. Energetic/Lazy 11. Spiritual/Worldly5. Forgiving/Vengeful 12. Temperate/Indulgent6. Generous/Selfish 13. Trusting/Suspicious7. Honest/Deceitful 14. Love/Hate of something*

* Typical objects of such passions might be: a Certain Person, Your Family, Liege, Tribe or Nation; a Race/Monster type; a Deity; etc.

BOGEYS (TALENTS/FLAWS) – See Appendix BDISTINCTIVE FEATURES – See Appendix D

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE – See Appendix H.

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B. BASIC COMBATINITIATIVE D12 + DEX Bonus. Resolve actions of Highest first.(Factors may supersede: Weapon Length, Huge Creatures, Surprise.)

SURPRISE Hide/Sneak gives 1 or 2 rounds of actions before opponents react. Surprised individuals who make INTx5 can react after just 1 round. Even failed Hide/Sneak attempts by competent practitioners (25%+) can surprise for 1 round (or 0 if the targets make their INTx5). If on guard/alert, successful Spot or Listen rolls negate surprise.

MELEE ACTIONS Each combatant can usually do one Move and one Attack action per melee round and maybe Free actions too (parry, dodge, speak).

MOVE – Up to half Move Rate steps (5ft squares) and also attack.FULL MOVE – Up to entire Move Rate steps but cannot also attack.WITHDRAW – Safely leave melee (half rate) but do no other actions.ATTACK – Perform an attack with weapon or spell (or equivalent). FREE ATTACK – If adjacent opponent shoots, casts spell, or moves.FREE STEP – Move one 5ft-step, without provoking a free attack. PARRY – One attempt to parry per round is a free action.DODGE – Any number of attempts to use Defence are free actions.OTHER ACTIONS – Equate to Move or Attack actions.

COMBAT RESULTSATTACK Success - Normal weapon damage.

Special - Double Damage Dice.Critical - Ditto and Bypass Armour.Fumble - Roll on Combat Fumble Table.

PARRY Success - Blocks Armour Points damage.Special - Blocks double Armour Points.Critical - Blocks all damage.

DEFENCE Success - Dodge 10 points of damage.Special - Dodge 20 points of damage.Critical - Dodge all damage.

ARMOUR Armour Points reduce damage (except critical hits).

DAMAGE TO PARRYING WEAPONS & SHIELDS If a parry doesn't stop all of a blow's damage, the parrying weapon loses 2AP. A shield or weapon designed for parrying loses just 1AP.

DEFENCE - Requires stepping back or falling prone; Halved if unable.

HEAVY BLOWS - THE GOLFBALL EFFECT Hits of 10+ damage (after Defence) inflict knockback, and more:

Knockback: Roll Damage* v Target HP to knock-back 'Damage'* ft, minus 5ft per 10 SIZ, and roll DEXx5 or fall for d6 damage per 20ft. (* Charging attackers add their SIZ to these values). If parried with a weapon (or small shield, at the wielder's option), instead of knockback it is knocked away unless STRx5 is rolled.

Impale: Weapon sticks in. If target is hurt, they can't move (without taking ½ damage again) or heal the wound until weapon removed.

Crush: Armour at location struck is damaged 1AP; and a minimum of 1HP damage is done despite armour/parry, by concussive effect.

Slash: If target is hurt, unless they roll CONx5 the wound will bleed making them lose 1hp per round until healing or first aid is applied.

SKILL Critical Special Fumble SKILL Critical Special Fumble01+ 01 - 96+ 105+ 05 21 0005+ 01 01 96+ 110+ 05 22 0010+ 01 02 96+ 115+ 05 23 0015+ 01 03 96+ 120+ 06 24 0020+ 01 04 97+ 125+ 06 25 0025+ 01 05 97+ 130+ 06 26 0030+ 01 06 97+ 135+ 06 27 0035+ 01 07 97+ 140+ 07 28 0040+ 02 08 98+ 145+ 07 29 0045+ 02 09 98+ 150+ 07 30 0050+ 02 10 98+ 155+ 07 31 0055+ 02 11 98+ 160+ 08 32 0060+ 03 12 99+ 165+ 08 33 0065+ 03 13 99+ 170+ 08 34 0070+ 03 14 99+ 175+ 08 35 0075+ 03 15 99+ 180+ 09 36 0080+ 04 16 00 185+ 09 37 0085+ 04 17 00 190+ 09 38 0090+ 04 18 00 195+ 09 39 0095+ 04 19 00 200+ 10 40 00100+ 05 20 00 etc etc etc etc

(If roll x5 or x20 equals the skill or less, then it is a Special or Critical)

ATTACK ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGESAdvantages can make actions Easy (x2), or Very Easy (x10).Disadvantages can make actions Hard (x½), or Very Hard (x1/10th).

Target Prone, Held/Immobile, From Rear, or Unaware – Easy (x2)

Target Totally Helpless – Attack is Very Easy (x10).

Attacker Prone – Attack is Hard (x½) (Parry is normal)Damage bonus is also halved (except for natural weapons).

Unmounted versus Mounted Target – Attack is Hard (x½) Unless using a weapon with long reach, such as a spear.

In Semi-Darkness – Attack & Parry is Hard (x½)In Total Darkness – Attack & Parry is Very Hard (x1/10th)This also applies when fighting opponents who are Invisible.

CONSEQUENCES OF IMPALING- Damage cannot be healed; First Aid/Healing only stops bleeding.- Moving/turning causes ½ normal weapon damage (round down). REMOVING AN IMPALING WEAPONATTACKER – Roll weapon skill, in place of next attack. If this fails, the weapon stays stuck in the target and is jerked out of their hands, if the target is active. Further attempts may be made on subsequent, with a DEXx5 grab required first if the target is active. Retrieval of the weapon causes more damage (½ normal, as for moving).

TARGET – Roll CONx5 roll to stand the pain of drawing out the weapon; then, if successful, STRx5 for actual removal. In any event, they must also make DEXx5 to avoid more damage (½ normal). NOTE - A functionally incapacitated character cannot pull out the disabling weapon; someone else will have to do it for him. Hence, any healing he does will not restore hit points, just stop bleeding.

119

C. COMBAT, PART 2INJURIES & HIT LOCATIONSIf damaged to 0 HP or less, a character is significantly injured: roll D20 for the body area location bearing the brunt of the hit.

D20 Hit Location19, 20 HEAD13 - 18 (odd: L) ARM (even: R)10 - 12 CHEST7 - 9 ABDOMEN1 - 6 (odd: L) LEG (even: R)

0 HP or less – DISABLED : hit location incapacitated.-4 HP or less – SERIOUS INJURY : e.g. bones broken in location.-7 HP or less – GRIEVOUS INJURY: e.g. location maimed/severed.-10 HP or below – DEATH.

Roll on the Injuries Table for details of Serious/Grievous injuries.

Below 0 HPs, bleeding occurs and may lead to death: 1 more HP is lost each round until First Aid or magical healing is applied. Just 1 point is required to stop the bleeding of light wounds, but 2 points are needed for serious/grievous wounds. Some injuries are so critical they require 6 points to stop bleeding, as noted on the Table.

HEALING & RECOVERY Successful use of First Aid skill repairs d3 hit points (Special 2d3; Critical 3d3) but only works if used before other healing. Even if not a successful roll, First Aid stops bleeding and so does magical healing (except for any extra bleeding noted on the Injuries Table). Natural healing restores only d3 HP per week. Serious/Grievous injuries take a very long time to recover, if at all, without magic.

COMBAT FUMBLE TABLEd100 Combat Fumbles [M: Missile weapons; N: Natural weapons]01-05 Lose next parry [N: lose next dodge]06-10 Lose next attack11-15 Lose next attack and parry [N: lose next attack and dodge]16-20 Lose next attack, parry and dodge [N: lose next attack-sequence and dodge]21-25 Lose next d3 attacks26-30 Lose next d3 attacks and parries [N: lose next d3 attacks and dodges]31-35 Shield falls off [M: or bowstring breaks; N: Strain muscle - dodge halved]36-40 Shield falls off & lose next attack [M/N: as above, and lose next attack]41-45 Armour location falls off [N: Strain muscle - dodge halved for duration]46-50 Armour location falls off & lose next attack and parry [N: as above, and lose next attack-sequence]51-55 Fall: lose parry and dodge this round [N: lose all attacks/dodges this round]56-60 Twist ankle: movement halved (until end of combat) 61-63 Twist ankle and Fall (apply both of the above two results)64-67 Vision hindered: Attack x1/2 (unengaged & DEXx5 to fix) 68-70 Vision impaired: Attack and Parry x1/2 (unengaged & DEXx3 to fix)71-72 Vision blocked: Lose Attack and Parry (unengaged & DEXx3 to fix) 73-74 Distracted: Foes attack at x2 next round 75-78 Weapon dropped [N: Strain muscle - lose one attack/rnd until combat ends]79-82 Weapon knocked away (d6 yards, d8 for direction) [N: as above] 83-86 Weapon damaged (save v. crushing blow or lose 4AP) [N: as above]87-89 Weapon shattered (save v. crushing blow or destroyed) [N: as above]90-91 Hit Friend or self if no friend near (may dodge)92-93 Hit Friend for special damage (may dodge)94-95 Wide Open: Foe hits (may dodge) [M: Hit friend nearest target] 96-97 Foe scores special hit (may dodge) [M: Special hit on friend nearest target]

98 Foe scores critical hit (may dodge) [M: Critical hit on friend nearest target] 99 You've blown it - roll twice more00 You've blown it badly - roll thrice more

SERIOUS & GRIEVOUS INJURIES TABLESerious Injury, at -4HP or less; or a Grievous Injury at -7HP or less.

HEAD SERIOUS (S) & GRIEVOUS (G) INJURIES1. Chin S: Jaw broken [level 5]: lose/break d20 teeth, -1 CHA.

G: Spurt! Spurt! Spurt! Carotid artery slashed: bleed 1hp/sec (light).2. Nose S: Nose broken [level 2]: lose 1 CHA.

G: Nose broken and brain damaged: lose 3 lots of d6 INT/WIS/DEX.3. Skull S: Skull fractured [level 4]: concussion (amnesia, fainting, etc).

G: Skull broken [level 10]: coma until 'Rest' period complete.4. Ear (L/R) S: Ear sliced/ripped off: deafened on that side.

G: ...and skull broken (see above).5. Eye (L/R) S: Eye blinded.

G: Eye destroyed (50% for other eye, too) and skull fractured (above).6. Neck S: It's a bleeder! Jugular vein pierced: bleed 1hp/rnd (light).

G: Neck severed/broken: bleed/choke 1hp/sec until dead (critical!).CHEST 1. Liver S: Ribs broken (d6): see below. G: Liver failure [level 3]: bleed

1hp/hour (serious). Survivors lose d3 CON.2. Lungs S: Ribs broken (d6): see below. G: Lung punctured [level 3]: bleed

1hp/turn (light). Survivors lose 1 CON.3,4. Ribs S: Ribs broken (d6): movement painful (half walking speed, max.)

[level 2]. G: Ribcage smashed [level 8]: never mends.5. Shoulder S: Collarbone broken [level 2]. G: Arm severed at shoulder: bleed

1hp/rnd for 10mins (R serious/L critical).6. Heart S: Ribs broken (d6): see below. G: Heart punctured [level 4]: bleed

1hp/sec (critical). Survivors lose d6 CON.ABDOMEN1. Groin S: "Ouch!" Genitals damaged: bleed 1hp/min for 3 mins.

G: "What a rip off!" Genitals lost: bleed 1hp/min for 6 mins [level 4].2. Hip (L/R) S: Hip broken [level 9]: permanent limp, move reduced by 1".

G: Pelvis shattered [level 10]: crippled permanently.3,4. Guts S: Intestinal damage: bleed 1hp/min for 10 mins [level 4].

G: Eviscerated: bleed 1hp/turn [level 6]. Lose d3 STR & CON.5. Stomach S: Stomach punctured: bleed 1hp/hour [level 4].

G: Stomach ruptured: bleed 1hp/turn [level 6].6. Kidneys S: Kidney damage: bleed 1hp/min for 10 mins [level 4].

G: Kidney failure - bleed 1hp/turn (serious). Lose d3 CON.ARM1. Hand S: Fingers sliced/ripped off (d4).

G: Fingers lost and hand smashed [level 6] - permanently useless.2. Wrist S: Wrist broken [level 4].

G: Hand severed at wrist - bleed 1hp/min for 1 min* (light).3,4. Forearm S: Forearm broken [level 4].

G: Forearm severed - bleed 1hp/min for 3 min* (light).5. Elbow S: Elbow broken [level 5].

G: Arm severed at elbow - bleed 1hp/min for 3 mins* (light).6. Upper Arm S: "How humerus!" Upper arm broken [level 5].

G: Upper arm severed: bleed 1hp/min for 6 mins* (light).LEG1. Foot S: Toes (d6) torn off: permanent limp, move reduced by 1".

G: Foot shattered [level 5]: crippled permanently, move halved.2. Ankle S: Ankle broken [level 3].

G: Foot severed -bleed 1hp/min for 3 mins* (light), move halved.3,4. Shin S: Shinbone broken [level 6]. G: Lower leg severed: bleed 1hp/min

for 6 mins* (light), move halved.5. Knee S: Knee broken [level 7]. G: Leg severed at the knee: bleed 1hp/min

for 6 mins* (light), move halved.6. Thigh S: Thighbone broken [level 8]. G: Upper leg severed: bleed 1hp/min

for 10 mins* (light), move halved.Breaks: Rest for d3xLevel days (Move:CONx5 or 1hp) & Recover for Level weeks.* Crushed limbs bleed until amputated, or given the indicated level of healing.

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D. WEAPONSWEAPON STATISTICS TABLE

Type Name STR DEX Damage HP Cost ENC Length SF Basic Train to 25/50/75% Axe, 1H Battle Axe 13 9 d8 8 40 7lb 2½ft 7 STR 300/500/1000 Hatchet 7 7 d6 6 25 5lb 1–1½ft 4 " 300/500/1000 Axe, 2H Battle Axe 9 7 d8+1 8 40 7lb 2½ft 7 STR 300/600/1200 Great Axe 13 9 2d6 10 75 20lb 4ft 9 " 300/600/1200 Polearms 11 7 d10 10 50 15lb 5–6ft 10 STR 300/600/1200 Rhomphia 11 9 d10 10 50 11lb 4ft 10 STR 300/600/1200 Dagger Dagger - - d4 6 20 1lb 1ft 2 STRx2 100/300/600 Parrying Dagger - 9 d4 10 50 2lb 1ft 3 DEX 100/300/600 Flail, 1H Grain Flail 9 - d6 6 10 3lb 2ft 6 STR 300/600/1200 Morningstar Flail 9 13 d8 8 100 12lb 3ft 7 " 400/800/1600 War Flail 11 - d8 10 75 5lb 2½ft 6 " 300/600/1200 Flail, 2H Military Flail 9 - d10 10 75 15lb 7ft 7 STR 400/800/1600 Hammer, 1H Warhammer 11 9 d8 8 50 8lb 2½ft 4 STRx2 200/500/1000 War Pick 11 9 d6 8 50 6lb 2½ft 5 STR 200/500/1000 Hammer, 2H Great Hammer 9 9 d10 10 75 20lb 5ft 7 STRx2 300/600/1200 Mace, 1H Club - 7 d6 4 4 3lb 1½ft 4 " 200/400/800

Heavy Mace 13 7 d8 10 40 12lb 2½ft 7 STRx2 200/400/800 Light Mace 7 7 d6 6 15 6lb 2ft 6 " 200/400/800 Mace, 2H Great Club/Maul 11 7 d10 12 40 20lb 5ft 10 " 200/600/1500

Heavy Mace 9 7 d8+1 10 40 12lb 2½ft 7 STRx2 200/600/1500 Morningstar Mace 11 7 d8+1 8 80 15lb 3ft 7 " 200/600/1500 Pike Pike 11 7 d8 12 30 15lb 12ft+ 13 STR 400/800/1600 Sickle Sickle - - d6 6 30 3lb 2ft 6 STR 200/400/800 Spear, 1H Long Spear 11 9 d8 10 20 9lb 8ft 8 STR 200/500/1000 Short Spear 9 7 d8 10 15 5lb 6ft 6 " 200/500/1000 Lance 9 7 d8 10 30 10lb 10ft 8 " 200/500/1000 Spear, 2H Long Spear 9 7 d8+1 10 20 9lb 8ft 8 STR 200/400/800 Short Spear 7 7 d8+1 10 15 5lb 6ft 6 " 200/400/800 Staff Nightstick - 9 d6 5 10 3lb 1½ft 3 STR 200/400/800

Quarterstaff 9 9 d6 8 10 4lb 6ft 4 STRx2 200/600/1500 Sword, Duelling Rapier 7 13 d6 8 100 3lb 4ft 4 DEX 500/1000/2000 Sword, Short Shortsword - - d6 10 25 3lb 2ft 3 STR 200/400/800 Sword, 1H Broadsword 9 7 d8 10 50 4lb 3½ft 5 " 300/500/1000

Longsword 13 9 d8 12 75 6lb 4½ft 6 STR 300/500/1000Scimitar 9 9 d6 10 50 3lb 3ft 4 " 300/500/1000

Sword, 2H Greatsword 11 13 2d6 12 150 10lb 6½ft 10 " 500/1000/2000Longsword 9 9 d8+1 12 75 6lb 4½ft 6 STR 500/1000/2000

Hand-to_Hand Brawl* - - d3** body 0 - 0 1 STRx2 200/400/800Fighting Claw 7 9 d4 4 50 3lb 0 2 " 200/400/800Heavy Cestus 11 - d4 8 40 2lb 0 3 " 200/400/800Light Cestus 7 - d3 4 25 2lb 0 2 " 200/400/800* Brawl includes Fists, Kick, Head Butt, etc as well as Grappling. ** Normally only non-lethal subdual damage.

MISSILE STATISTICS Range SF(Rate) Bow Composite Bow 13 9 d8 7 150 3lb 300ft+ 3 DEX 300/800/1500 Elf Bow - - d8 8 0 2lb 360ft+ 3 " 300/800/1500 Self Bow 9 9 d6 5 50 2lb 240ft+ 3 " 300/800/1500 Crossbow Arbalest 13 7 3d6 10 150 18lb 450ft+ (1/5R) DEXx2 200/400/800

Heavy Crossbow 11 7 2d6 8 100 9lb 360ft+ (1/3R) " 200/400/800Light Crossbow 7 7 2d4 6 80 6lb 300ft+ (1/2R) " 200/400/800

Javelin Dart - 9 d4 4 25 1lb 60ft 2 DEX 300/600/1200Javelin 9 9 d6 8 35 3lb 60ft 6 DEX 300/600/1200

Sling Sling - 9 d4/+1 - 5 - 240ft+ 6 DEX 300/600/1200 Staff Sling Staff Sling 9 9 d8/+1 10 15 6lb 300ft+ 6 DEX 400/800/1600 Throw Rock, etc - - d3 - 0 ½lb 60ft 4 DEXx2 100/300/800 Throwing Axe 9 9 d6 6 35 4lb 60ft 6 DEX 300/600/1200 Throwing Dagger - 9 d4 4 50 ¼ 60ft 3 DEX 300/600/1200

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E. ARMOURARMOUR STATISTICS TABLE

Area Protected Type Material Absorbs ENC Cost Penalty Frac

Legs Greaves† Leather* 1 5lb 15 - 0.30Cuirboilli 3 10lb 40 - 0.90Plate 6 20lb 120 x1/2 1.80

Abdomen and Legs Pants/Trews Leather* 1 5lb 10 - 0.45Leather* 2 10lb 20 - 0.90Chainmail 5 15lb 120 x1/2 2.25

Abdomen Skirts Leather* 1 5lb 10 - 0.15Leather* 2 10lb 20 - 0.30Linen 3 10lb 20 - 0.45Light Scale 4 20lb 30 x1/2 0.60Heavy Scale 5 30lb 60 x1/10 0.75Chainmail 5 20lb 100 x1/10 0.75

Chest and Abdomen Hauberk Leather* 1 5lb 20 - 0.30Leather* 2 10lb 40 - 0.60Linen 3 20lb 30 - 0.90Ring Mail 4 20lb 80 x1/2 1.20Light Scale 4 20lb 40 x1/10 1.20Heavy Scale 5 30lb 60 x1/10 1.50Chainmail 5 20lb 200 x1/2 1.50

Chest Byrnie Leather* 1 5lb 10 - 0.15Leather* 2 10lb 20 - 0.30Ring Mail 4 10lb 50 x1/2 0.60Chainmail 5 10lb 120 x1/2 0.75

Cuirass Cuirboilli 3 10lb 40 x1/2 0.45Linen 3 10lb 25 - 0.45Heavy Scale 5 30lb 40 x1/10 0.75Brigandine 5 20lb 175 x1/2 0.75Plate 6 30lb 200 x1/2 0.90

Arms Sleeves Chainmail 5 20lb 75 x1/2 1.50Vambraces† Leather* 1 2lb 10 - 0.30

Cuirboilli 3 10lb 30 - 0.90Plate 6 20lb 100 x1/2 1.80

* Can be worn under other armour, for cumulative protection and encumbrance. Quilted or thick cloth has the same qualities as described. † For game conventions, these are considered to cover the entire limb, although the actual armour which goes by these names only covers the area between elbow and hand (vambraces) and knee and foot (greaves). Cost & ENC given are for a set of two, not just one.

[Conversion Note: Each RQ2 1 ENC equals 10lbs. More than the usual 1:5lb rule-of-thumb, to encourage more careful use of armour.]

HELMET STATISTICS TABLE

Type ENC Absorbs Cost Description Frac Hood 3lb 1 3 Leather hood. Can be worn as padding under a helmet. 0.10 Cap 5lb 2 5 Hard leather with metal plates riveted on to it. 0.20 Composite Helm 8lb 3 10 Cuirboilli with metal plates riveted on to it. 0.30 Open Helm 10lb 4 15 A metal helm with cheek and back plates. Similar to a Roman Legionnaire helm. 0.40 Closed Helm 12lb 5 30 A metal helm like the above but with eye and nose protection as well. 0.50 Full Helm 20lb 6 50 A solid metal helm with total coverage of head and neck except for eye-holes 0.60

SHIELD STATISTICS TABLE

Category Skill Type Size STR/DEX HP Cover Basic Training:25/50/75% Price Weight SF (#Parries) Shields Buckler Small 5 / 9 8 25% DEXx2 200/400/800 15 5lb 3 (x5)

Shield Medium 9 / - 12 50% STRx2 100/200/400 30 10lb 6 (x3) Large 12 / - 16 75% STRx2 50/100/200 50 15lb 9 (x2)

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F. SKILLS TRAINING COSTSCRAFT GUILD SKILLS TABLE

Skill Basic Training Cost/Week SAGE SKILLS First Aid WIS% 120 (max 75%) Taste Analysis 0% (INT) 60 (max 75%) Evaluate Treasure WIS% 270 (max 100%) Map Making INT% 70 (max 100%) Oratory CHA% 350 (max 75%) Various Lores WIS% 170 (max 100%) Speak Languages INTx5% 400 (max 100%) Learn A Language N/A New/Improve: 3000+ Literacy 0% (INT) 270 (max 100%)

THIEF SKILLS – Service required. Half price to Members. Hide (in Cover) (20–SIZ)% 170 (max 100%) Sneak (Move Quietly) (20–SIZ)% 200 (max 75%) Pick Pockets (Sleight) 0% (DEX) 270 (max 75%) Climbing CONx2% 130 (max 100%) Lock Picking 0% (DEX) 330 (max 100%) Find/Disarm Traps 0% (DEX) 270 (max 100%) Listen INT% 130 (max 75%) Spot Hidden INT% 200 (max 75%)

MINSTRELS AND PLAYERS Singing CHA% 60 (max 100%) Play Instrument DEX% 120 (max 100%) Acting CHA% 120 (max 75%) Dancing DEX% 60 (max 75%) Acrobatics (Jumping) DEX% 70 (max 100%) (+ Listen, Hide, Sneak, Sleight, Climbing, Oratory)

ARMOURER SKILLS – Apprenticeship/Membership required Armour Making 0% (STR) 330 (max 100%) Weapon Making 0% (STR) 330 (max 100%) Shield Making 0% (STR) 330 (max 100%)

MARINER SKILLS Swimming CON% 70 (max 100%) Sailing DEX% 120 (max 100%) Knot-Tying DEX% 60 (max 100%) Navigation WIS% 270 (max 75%)

FORESTER SKILLS Tracking 0% (INT) 170 (max 75%) Survival 0% (WIS) 130 (max 75%) Camouflage WIS% 170 (max 100%) Herb Lore 0% (WIS) 170 (max 100%) (+ Hide, Sneak, Climb, Find/Disarm Traps)

HORSEMASTER SKILLS Riding CON% 160 (max 75%) (Services: Warhorse Attacks, Cavalry Horse Training)

ALCHEMIST SKILLS – Apprenticeship/Membership required Acid Making 0% (INT) 80 (1 potency / 10%) Blade Venom 0% (INT) 170 (1 potency / 10%) Systemic Poison 0% (INT) 130 (1 potency / 5%) Antidotes 0% (INT) 130 (1 pot. / 5 or 10%) Magic Potions 0% (INT) 170 (1 point / 20%) Healing Potions 0% (INT) 170 (1 point / 20%) Power Potions 0% (INT) 670 (1 point / 5%)

WEAPON TRAINING COSTS TABLE Category Skill Basic Training Cost/Week 1H-Slash 1h Axe STR 170 (max 75%) 1h Sword STR 170 (max 75%) 2H-Slash 2h Axe STR 200 (max 75%)

2h Sword STR 330 (max 75%) 1H-Crush 1h Flail STR 200 (max 75%)

1h Hammer STRx2 170 (max 75%)1h Mace STRx2 130 (max 75%)

2H-Crush 2h Flail STR 270 (max 75%)2h Hammer STRx2 200 (max 75%)2h Mace STRx2 200 (max 75%)

1H-Impale 1h Spear STR 170 (max 75%) 2H-Impale 2h Spear STR 130 (max 75%)

Pike STR 270 (max 75%) Cut-Thrust Smallsword STR 330 (max 75%)

Shortsword STR 130 (max 75%) Staves Staff STRx2 200 (max 75%)

Singlestick STR 130 (max 75%) Unique* Sickle/Tools STR 130 (max 75%) Hand to Hand Brawl** STRx2 170 (max 75%)

Dagger STRx2 100 (max 75%) Shields Buckler DEXx2 130 (max 75%)

Shield STRx2 70 (max 75%)

MISSILE WEAPONS Bows Bow DEX 270 (max 75%)

Longbow DEX 330 (max 75%) Crossbows Crossbow DEXx2 130 (max 75%) Slings Sling DEX 200 (max 75%)

Staff Sling DEX 270 (max 75%) Throwing Throw Axe DEX 200 (max 75%)

Throw Dagger DEX 200 (max 75%)Throw Javelin DEX 200 (max 75%)Throw Rock etc DEXx2 100 (max 75%)

* Weapon half-effectiveness does not apply within this category. ** Brawl skill includes Fist, Kick, Head Butt etc, and Grappling.

MILITARY SKILLS TABLE First Aid WIS% 120 (max 75%) Command 0% (CHA) 350 (max 75%) Strategy 0% (WIS) 350 (max 75%)

OTHER GUILD/CULT SKILLS TABLE MERCANTYLERS SKILLS Evaluate WIS% 270 (max 100%) Bargaining 0% (CHA) 330 (max 75%) HEALERS SKILLS First Aid WIS% 60 (max 100%) Treat Disease 0% (WIS) 260 (max 100%) Treat Poison 0% (WIS) 130 (max 100%) Find Healing Plants 0% (WIS) 260 (max 75%) MASONS SKILLS Masonry STR% 330 (max 100%)

HORSEMASTER SERVICES COSTS Cavalry Horse Training N/A 1000 Flat fee (2½ wks) Warhorse Attacks Per Attack: 130 (max 75%)

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G. MISCELLANEOUS TABLESNON-HUMANOID HIT LOCATION TABLE

BASILISKS/COCKATRICES/ GRIFFINS/SKY BULLS Location D20 Right hind leg 01-02 Left hind leg 03-04 Hindquarters 05-07 Forequarters 08-10 Right wing 11-12 Left wing 13-14 Right fore leg 15-16 Left fore leg 17-18 Head 19-20

BOLO LIZARDS/ DEMI-BIRDS Location D20 Right leg 01-04 Left leg 05-08 Abdomen 09-10 Chest 11-13 Right wing/arm 14-15 Left wing/arm 16-17 Head 18-20

DRAGONSNAILS - One-Head Location D20 Shell 01-08 Forebody 09-14 Head 15-20

DRAGONSNAILS - Two-Head Location D20 Shell 01-08 Forebody 09-14 Head 1 15-17 Head 2 18-20

CENTAURS Location D20 Right hind leg 01-02 Left hind leg 03-04 Hindquarters 05-06 Forequarters 07-08 Right foreleg 09-10 Left fore leg 11-12 Chest 13-14 Right arm 15-16 Left arm 17-18 Head 19-20

DRAGONS/MANTICORES Location D20 Right hind leg 01-02 Left hind leg 03-04 Hindquarters 05-06 Tail 07-08 Forequarters 09-10 Right wing 11-12 Left wing 13-14 Right fore leg 15-16 Left fore leg 17-18 Head 19-20

GARGOYLES/ WIND CHILDRENLocation D20Right leg 01-03Left leg 04-06Abdomen 07-08Chest 09-10Right wing 11-12Left wing 13-14Right arm 15-16Left arm 17-18Head 19-20

SCORPION MEN Location D20 Right hind leg 01 Right centre leg 02 Right fore leg 03-04 Left hind leg 05 Left centre leg 06 Left fore leg 07-08 Tail 09-10 Thorax 11-12 Chest 13-14 Right arm 15-16 Left arm 17-18 Head 19-20

SNAKES Location D20 Tail 01-06 Body 07-14 Head 15-20

WALKTAPI Location D20 Right leg 01-02 Left leg 03-04 Abdomen 05 Chest 06 Right arm 07-08 Left arm 09-10 Tentacle 1 11 Tentacle 2 12 Tentacle 3 13 Tentacle 4 14 Tentacle 5 15 Tentacle 6 16 Tentacle 7 17 Tentacle 8 18 Head 19-20

CLIFF TOADS/ ROCK LIZARDS/ RUBBLE RUNNERS/ SHADOW CATS/ FOUR-LEGGED MOUNTS Location D20 Right hind leg 01-02 Left hind leg 03-04 Hindquarters 05-07 Forequarters 08-10 Right fore leg 11-13 Left fore leg 14-16 Head 17-20

GORPS Location D20 Body 01-20

WYRMS Location D20 Tail 01-04 Abdomen 05-08 Chest 09-12 Right wing 13-14 Left wing 15-16 Head 17-20

WYVERNS Location D20 Right leg 01-03 Left leg 04-06 Abdomen 07-08 Chest 09-11 Tail 12 Right wing 13-14 Left wing 15-16 Head 17-20

RESISTANCE TABLEAttacking Force

Defending Force

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 2101 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 - - - - - - - - - - -02 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 - - - - - - - - - -03 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 - - - - - - - - -04 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 - - - - - - - -05 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 - - - - - - -06 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 - - - - - -07 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 - - - - -08 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 - - - -09 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 - - -10 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 - -11 - 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 -12 - - 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 9513 - - - 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 9014 - - - - 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 8515 - - - - - 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 8016 - - - - - - 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 7517 - - - - - - - 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 7018 - - - - - - - - 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 6519 - - - - - - - - - 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 6020 - - - - - - - - - - 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 5521 - - - - - - - - - - - 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

The number indicated is the percentage needed for success

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H. SPELL LISTS & SPIRIT STATISTICSBATTLE MAGIC SPELL TABLE

SPELL LIST AND COSTS VARIABLE SPELLS 1. Befuddle 1500 L 17. Detect Undead 300 L 33. Invisibility 2500 L 1. Bladesharp 2. Bladesharp Var* 18. Detection Blank Var* 34. Ironhand Var* 2. Bludgeon 3. Bludgeon Var* 19. Dispel Magic Var* 35. Light 500 L 3. Countermagic 4. Co-ordination 1500 L 20. Disruption 500 L 36. Lightwall 2000 L 4. Detection Blank 5. Countermagic Var* 21. Dullblade Var* 37. Mind Speech Var* 5. Dispel Magic 6. Darkwall 1500 L 22. Extinguish 1000 L 38. Mobility Var* 6. Dullblade 7. Demoralize 1500 L 23. Fanaticism Var* 39. Multimissile Var* 7. Fanaticism 8. Detect Detection 300 L 24. Farsee 500 L 40. Protection Var* 8. Glue 9. Detect Enemies 300 L 25. Firearrow 2000 L 41. Repair 1500 L 9. Healing 10. Detect Gems 1000 L 26. Fireblade 2000 L 42. Shimmer Var* 10. Immobilize(Bind/Slow) 11. Detect Gold 300 L 27. Glamour 2000 L 43. Silence 500 L 11. Ironhand 12. Detect Life 300 L 28. Glue Var* 44. Speeddart 500 L 12. Mind Speech 13. Detect Magic 300 L 29. Harmonize 1500 L 45. Spirit Binding 1500 L 13. Mobility 14. Detect Silver 200 L 30. Healing Var* 46. Spirit Shield Var* 14. Multimissile 15. Detect Spirit 300 L 31. Ignite 500 L 47. Strength 1500 L 15. Protection 16. Detect Traps 300 L 32. Immobilize Var* 48. Vigour 2000 L 16. Shimmer

49. Xenohealing Var* 17. Spirit Shield18. Xenohealing

* Variable Spells: 1pt 500 L, 2pt 1000 L, 3pt 1500 L, 4pt 2000 L, 5pt 2500 L, 6pt 3000 L, Each +1pt +500 L.

ONE POINT SPELLS TWO POINT SPELLS SHAMAN FETCH TABLE SPIRIT CONTACT TABLE 1. Befuddle 1. Coordination D100 POW D100 POW INT 2. Demoralize 2. Darkwall 01-10 2D6 01-10 1D6 1D3 3. Detect Detection 3. Detect Gems 21-35 3D6 11-20 2D6 1D6 4. Detect Enemies 4. Detect Traps 36-85 3D6+6 21-35 3D6 2D6+3 5. Detect Gold 5. Extinguish 86-95 4D6+6 36-75 3D6+6 3D6 6. Detect Life 6. Firearrow 96-00 5D6+6 76-90 4D6+6 3D6+3 7. Detect Magic 7. Glamour (All types INT 3D6) 91-95 5D6+6 3D6+6 8. Detect Silver 8. Harmonize 96 6D6+6 3D6+6 9. Detect Spirit 9. Repair D100 Type 97 7D6+6 3D6+6 10. Detect Undead 10. Strength 01-50 Friendly 98 8D6+6 3D6+6 11. Disruption 51-90 Neutral 99 10D6+6 3D6+6 12. Farsee THREE POINT SPELLS 91-00 Malign 00 Deity Unlimited 13. Ignite 1. Invisibility 14. Light 15. Silence FOUR POINT SPELLS 16. Speeddart 1. Fireblade 17. Spirit Binding 2. Lightwall 3. Vigour

RUNE MAGIC SPELLS TABLESTANDARD (Common to Most Cults)1 Absorb POW 1+2 Discorporation POW 1+3 Dismiss Elemental POW 1+4 Divination POW 1+5 Divine Intervention POW 1+, One-Use6 Extension POW 1+7 Matrix Creation POW 1+, One-Use8 Mind Link POW 1+9 Multispell POW 1+10 Reflect POW 1+11 Shield POW 1+12 Spirit Block POW 1+13 Summon Elemental POW 1+14 Warding POW 1+

NON-STANDARD (Available to Specialist Cults)15 Berserk POW 216 Bless Crops POW 1 17 Concealment POW 218 Create Ghost POW 1, One-Use19 Regrow Limb POW 220 Restore Health POW 1+21 Resurrect POW 3, One-Use22 Sunbright POW 123 Thunderbolt POW 3+24 True Weapon POW 125 Vision POW 2

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