You are free to use, copy and distribute the following, under condition that in no way you make a commercial use of the whole file or any part of it etc. etc. well, you know what I mean - please don't (at least don't cut my name off).
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. PREFACE 2
2. CHARACTER GENERATION 3
2.1. The character as it is 3
2.2. Racial Differences 4
2.3. Origin 5
2.3.1. Barbarian 5
2.3.2. Craftsman 5
2.3.3. Fighter 6
2.3.4. Hunter 6
2.3.5. Merchant 6
2.3.6. Peasant 7
2.3.7. Priest 7
2.3.8. Seaman 7
2.3.9. Thief 8
2.3.10. Nobles and slaves 8
2.4. Skills 9
2.5. Distinguishing features 10
3. FIGHT 12
4. WEAPONS 13
4.1. Melee weapons 13
4.2. Distance weapons 14
4.3. Damage bonus: 14
5. ARMOUR & PROTECTION 14
6. TIREDNESS 15
7. USING MAGIC 15
7.1. General considerations 15
7.2. Technical requirements 15
7.3. Commonly used spells 16
1. PREFACE
". . . I can get no SATISFACTION . . ."
M. Jagger
The following rules are an essay of creating a perfect fantasy rpg rules system. The author spent long days playing by different rules and in different worlds, but no system was complete enough to reflect all necessary nuances of a real adventure. FOR EXAMPLE: Sometimes castle doors got broken after a fist blow of a strong character, sometimes a party ran 3 days without rest and after that was able to fight an army of bulldozer strong orcs - shortly, a lot of things-that-cannot-be happened.
Together with tactical dissatisfaction remained the strategical one. Moorcock's stuff is quite boring with all these parallel worlds, the world of Warhammer is much too civilised, Tolkien's Middlearth, potentially exciting, doesn't really motivate, because everyone knows how it will end etceteras, etceteras . . . And as a result of deep dissatisfaction our own world to play in and this system to play with were born.
The world is very cruel. The fights are fast and unmerciful. NO PARALLEL WORLDS, NO HIGH CIVILISATION, NO GODS ON EARTH and NO CHAOS vs. ORDER This is just a classic fantasy = swords and magic. A separate description of the world is to be composed in the nearest future.
Now the rules : the system of skills is very Stormbringer-like, the encumbrance system was basically taken from Warhammer, but a lot of things were added and a lot of things were changed. Our book (he-he!) of rules is written for people, who know what "3D6+2" stands for and who have already played at least a computer version of AD&D stuff. The current version of the rules is playable but not finished. The rules are being changed all the time, additions and comments (Including orthographic and stylistic errors you mention - our English is not perfect) are welcome.
Still to be implemented :
- herbs, drugs and poisons
- list of magic spells
- mental diseases
Have fun, ladies and gentlemen . . .
Alexandre Trofimov
29, av. de Vaudagne
1217 Meyrin
Switzerland
trofimov@cui.unige.ch
TROTIMOV@uni2a.unige.ch
ircnick 'Gun'
2. CHARACTER GENERATION
2.1. The character as it is
Character characteristics for the player races vary from 3 to 18, the median value situated between 9 and 12. The 14 values are determined as follows: a player rolls 3D6 17 times, then distributes his characteristics, disregarding the lowest 3. Don't forget racial corrections (º2.2.). Exceptionally some of the characteristics can reach 21 or even 24, when some racial, professional etc. bonuses are cumulated, but it happens extremely rarely. After a characteristic was established, it is almost never changed (exception is made for Magic Aptitude which actually does progress with practice. See detailed description in º 7. USING MAGIC). Only a fantastic effort or hardest work can make it progress a little. For example a year of pulling oars on a galley can increase strength or constitution by 1 (one). Of course, the characteristics of non-player races are not limited by 18 or 24, for example a strength of a dragon is about 50.
MOVEMENT (MOV): determines how fast a character moves, in general used to determine the speed of march.
STRENGTH (STR): no comments.
ENDURANCE (END): determines how fast a character gets tired. Also bigger endurance characters are harder to cut into little pieces.
CONSTITUTION (CON): determines how BIG a character is. Characters with bigger constitution can endure more wounds before they get killed.
FIGHT (FIG): all that is relative to hand-to-hand fight.
ACCURACY (ACC): all that is relative to throwing or shooting.
AGILITY (AGI): determines the speed of character's reactions.
HANDWORK (HAN): determines whether a character can build (forge, cut, knot, sew etc.) something.
COMMAND (COM): general authority while hiring other people's services or getting hired.
INTELLIGENCE (INT): no comments.
CALM (CLM): how bold the character is.
RESISTANCE TO MAGIC (RM): no comments.
MAGIC APTITUDE (MA): general ability of using magic; see º 7. for detailed description.
SOCIABILITY (SOC): how nice and pleasant a character is.
A player may choose the race of his character, refer to paragraph 2.2. for detailed description
The age of a character is either chosen with respect to the race limits or determined as follows:
The height of a character is either chosen with respect to the race limits or determined as follows:
Human, Cavemen : 160+3D10 cm
Dwarves : 140+3D10 cm
Forestmen, Lizardmen : 165+3D10 cm
The weight of a character is calculated as CON*6 + (Height -175)
Carry a weight: To every object in the game, a value called the object's encumbrance is associated. This is not really a weight and not really a size. It is the measure of how awkward an object is. The encumbrance of a person is calculated as CON*10+200. The maximum encumbrance a character can carry without penalty is STR x 30. Dwarves can carry up to STR x 40, due to the low position of mass centre and specific constitution. Every 50 ENC over the limit increase all tiredness penalties (except bow shooting) by 1 and reduce AGI and MOV scores by 1 also. Hardly loaded characters are almost unable to make complicated jumps, dodges, climbs etc.
Hitpoints are the measure of how many wounds a character can endure before the Death takes him. The value is calculated as CON + every point of END > 12 added, < 9 subtracted.
Mental Health points reflect the character's capacity of absorbing violent mental shocks and horrific visions before going crazy. The value is calculated as CLM*2. The points are getting lost little by little and are very difficult to recover. When MH is 0 the character goes nuts.
2.2. Racial Differences
Human Dwarf Caveman Forestman Lizardman
MOVEMENT -1D3 +1D3 +1D3
STRENGTH +1D3 -1D3
ENDURANCE +1D3 +1D4
CONSTITUTION +1D3 +1D4 -1D3
FIGHT +1D3 -1D3 +1D3
ACCURACY -1D3 +1D3 -1D3
AGILITY -1D3 -1D3 +1D3
HANDWORK +1D3 -1D3 -1D3 -1D3
COMMAND -1D3
INTELLIGENCE -1D3 +1D3 +1D3
CALM +1D3 +1D3
RES. TO MAGIC +1D3 -1D3 +1D3 -1D3
MAGIC APT. -1D3 -1D3 +1D3
SOCIABILITY -1D3 -1D3 +1D3 -1D3
Human : no comments. Humans are the only race, which widely uses horses for travelling and transporting goods : +10 % Horseback Riding skill. No obligatory skills.
Dwarf : closer to humans, than the dwarves in classic tales. Actually an inexperienced one can think a tall dwarf is a human - the easiest way of driving a dwarf angry. An ancient race of skilled craftsmen and fighters, living underground, dwarves are able to distinguish shapes of objects in very dark rooms (just as cats do), however the darkness may not be complete. First weapon for a dwarf is either an axe or a pickaxe. 50% of chance of having obligatory Underground Construction skill. Metalwork, Metallurgy or Jewellery skill is also obligatory, thought with a 10% bonus. Living all the life under the ground results in 50% probability of having a free Orientation (only under the ground) skill.
Caveman : Strong, stupid and fearless. An early branch of human civilisation, living in caves and in small cabanas, Cavemen live with hunt : +10 % Hunting skill. The #1 weapon is a mace. They are absolutely unable to understand magic and usually get puzzled when they see its manifestations. Cavemen make excellent hand-to-hand fighters.
Forestman : Handsome, noiseless and smart. The origin of the race is not very clear. Some say that these people with slightly green skin are a bit elves (degenerated ones ? human/elves ?). Some suppose a magic origin, but even the forestmen legends are silent about it. Forestmen live (guess where ?) in forests and their preferred weapon is a bow (obligatory #1 weapon). One more particular point - forestmen regenerate wounds twice as fast as the others do. Naturally, forestmen are the best mages of all races. Forestmen have 50% probability to obtain free Orientation (only in forest) skill as a result of living all their life in forests.
Lizardman : Lizardmen are the most ancient race of the known world. They were created by one of the ancient Gods of Twilight, whose name was never known to the humans. This God sometimes appeared to lizardmen in the World in his true form of a magnificient white and gold dragon, teaching and guiding lizardmen, so that they remained the world's unlimited rulers until the legendary war on Heaven. It is told that during the Great War on Heaven, the creator of lizardmen was captured, turned to a black shadow and imprisonned forever by the long gone Gods. The exact reasons of lizardmen civilisation fading remain obscure - the Seven Wars of lizardmen began, destroying little by little all ancient knowledge and all ancient wisdom. Then Elves appeared, created by the Gods of New Era, then Dwarves came in the world from under the ground, and the tribes of lizardmen became only a shadow of what they have been long ago. The ancient wisdom and knowledge are lost, but the memory of the old age remains . . .
Lizardmen's strong skin gives them a natural protection +1.
Swimming +30%, Smell +10%. 50% of having 6th sense.
2.3. Origin
when choosing the character's origin, the player can express his wishes to be of one particular class, then he rolls D100 three times. If one of the rolls is what the player wants - he gets it, otherwise he takes the first roll result.
1D100 :
Human Dwarf Cavemen Forestman Lizardman
Barbarian 1-10 1-50 1-30 1-20
Craftsman 11-20 1-40 31-35 21-30
Fighter 21-40 41-80 51-75 36-45 31-55
Hunter * ** 41-50 76-100 46-80 56-70
Merchant ** 51-60 81-85 81-90 71-80
Peasant * 61-65 76-90
Priest ** 66-75
Seaman 76-90 86-95 91-95 86-95
Thief * ** 90-100 96-100 96-100
*) cannot be noble
**) cannot be slave
SOCIAL RANK : 1D100 :
1-5 Noble
5-95 Common
96-100 Slave
Slaves roll 1D100 one more time: slave - born slave; common or noble - became slave
A slave has 5% of mischance (less than 5 with 1D100) to have a stamp on his front.
2.3.1. Barbarian
#1 weapon at 40%
50% of having Drive a chariot 80%
Fishing 20%
50% of having Horseback Riding 80% (MOV+1D3 instead for lizardmen)
Hunt 30%
Knot 10%
Knowledge of plants 15%
Orientation 30%
Pathfind 30%
Swim 20%
Tailor 10%
2.3.2. Craftsman
HAN+1D3;
#1 weapon at ╜D100
#2 weapon at 15%
All except miners have an adequate equipment box (ENC 80). Miners have a set of mining clothes, a small lamp (ENC 10) and a pickaxe (ENC 80, obligatory #1 weapon).
Craftsmen skills are at (50+3D10)%.
Read / Write native tongue and common tongue - 30%;
1D100:
Dwarves Lizardmen Others Skills
Blacksmith 1-30 1-20 1-20 Metallurgy or Metalsmith (choose).
*) A noble (except an enslaved one) cannot be an oarsman - reroll.
2.3.9. Thief
#1 weapon 35%
#2 weapon : Dagger 45%
Climb ╜D100%
Hear 70%
Hide 1D100%
Jump ╜D100%
Picklock 1D100%
Read / Write 25%
Search 1D100%
See ╜D100%
Stealth 50%
Thieves cannot choose a #1 weapon longer than 100 cm.
2.3.10. Nobles and slaves
NOBLE:
#1 weapon at 40% (if his profession does not give more)
#2 weapon at 20% (if his profession does not give more)
Any armour and any weapon.
A noble has a lot of money
Trading at least 40%
Read / Write.
History +20%.
Theology +20%.
Horseback Riding 50%.
SLAVE:
Hide +10%
Stealth +10%
Fall +10%
2.4. Skills
a character can choose 1D6+2 supplementary skills ╜D100% each. Do it after choosing the character's origin in order to avoid collisions.
All skills represent percentage probability to succeed in doing something in 'normal conditions'. If a player rolls less or equal than his skill value with 1D100 - it's a success, otherwise hmm, well. 01 is success even for skills with zero or negative percentage. The 'normal conditions' mean the standard conditions of the skill usage; for example Swordsplay skill of 43% means that a character has 43% probability to hit an enemy in 'normal conditions' of hand-to-hand fight. Also even if a character is very good in Hunting, the chance of catching smth in a desert is very small, so Hunting-50% would probably be a good value to be used in that case. A value of 100 on 1D100 rolled under a skill (also 99 for skills with less than 50%) is a critical failure and is always (!) to be penalised - for example, if a character was repairing his battleaxe (rolling under Metalsmith) and had 100 - he breaks his instruments (or his axe) and cuts his left hand, inflicting 1D3 damage.
A character's skill can progress (that goes also for weapon skills) through usage - a critical success (less than 1/10 of the skill value or 01 anyway) gives a chance of making the skill progress by 1D10 but only if the character rolls MORE than his skill value with 1D100; 00=100 always gives a chance to progress, so, actually a skill can progress farther than 100%. Thus better skills are harder to make progress.
All skills are subdivided into skill groups : Moving, Perception etc. Every skill group has its own basic chance of success, called bonus, i. e. the probability of doing something even if you've never did it before. Bonuses are marked in parenthesis just under the groups names. Usually all characteristics above 12 and below 9 (out of the standard limits) do influence bonuses. For example, for every point of MOV and AGI above 12, you add 1 to Moving bonus, and for every point below 9 - substract 1. Corresponding bonuses are added to the skills. Negative bonuses are also possible. The Dodge skill has a special bonus, nothing to do with general Acrobacy.
Example : a character with 15 HAN (Handicraft bonus (15-12)*2 = 6) has a 6% probability to pick a lock, even if he has never done it before.
Moving:
(AGI, MOV + >12, - < 9)
Ambush
Hide (10%)
Stealth (10%) - ability of noiseless movement and sudden apparition.
Perception:
(3 % basic chance)
Hear (10%)
Pathfind
Search
See (10%)
Smell
Taste
Acrobacy:
(STR, AGI + > 12, - < 9)
Climbing (10%)
Dodge (FIG, AGI + > 12, - < 9) : dodge a blow of enemy weapon (see º3. FIGHT).
Equilibrium (10%)
Fall
Horseback Riding
Jumping (10%)
Swim
Weapons:
(FIG/ACC + >12 * 2, - < 9 * 2
Attack: STR + > 12, - < 9
Parry: AGI + > 12, - < 9
or 2% basic chance)
Handicraft:
(HAN > 12 * 2, - < 9)
Carpenter
Gemcutter
Knot
Masonry - ability of building houses with stones and/or wood
Metallurgy - ability to produce metals from crude ore (having adequate equipment, of course), a value of more than 40% gives 10% in Metalsmith, if it was not known yet.
Metalsmith - ability to produce objects from metal pieces, a value of more than 40% gives 10% in Metallurgy, if it was not known yet.
Picklock
Stonework - a value of more than 40% gives 10% in Building, if it was not known yet.
Tailor
Trapmaking
Underground construction - includes Mining, a value of more than 40% gives 10% in Masonry, if it was not known yet.
Communication:
(SOC + > 12, - < 9)
Eloquence
Persuade (10%)
Trading
Knowledge:
(INT + > 12, - < 9)
Cartography - a knowledge of more than 60% results in 10% Orientation skill
Knowledge of plants - see tables, a knowledge of 30% or better gives 10% in Knowledge of poisons, if it wasn't learned before.
Knowledge of poisons - see tables, a knowledge of 30% or better gives 10% in Knowledge of plants, if it wasn't learned before.
Naval manoeuvres - A knowledge of 40% gives 10% in navigation, if not acquired yet.
Navigation - a knowledge of more than 40% requires at least 10% in Cartography.
History
Theology
Others:
(3% basic chance)
Cooking
Dance
Drive a chariot
First aid
Fishing
Hunt
Last aid
Music
Sing
Cannot be chosen:
(3% basic chance)
Imitation
Lips reading
Orientation
Seduction (+SOC if present)
Torture
Non-percent:
6th sense
Ambidexterity
2.5. Distinguishing features
1D100 result - a player can roll, if he wants, but cannot refuse if no good.
01 Imitation skill (D100/2)+10%
02 Lips Reading skill (D100/2)+10%
03 Orientation skill (D100/2)+10%
04 Seduction skill (D100/2)+10%
05 6th sense - the char is never surprised in combat. 50% of detecting an ambush.
06 Ambidexterity
07 Very sharp eyes : + 10% in See and in Pathfind
08 Very fine ears : +10% in Hear
09 Naturally immunised against 1D4 types of snake poison (select)
10 Naturally immunised against 1D4 diseases (select)
11 (except dwarves) Naturally friendly with all wild animals. (only reptiles for lizardmen).
12-15 Specific experience : choose a Skill and add 1D10
16 Extremely handsome, SOC +4
17 Extremely ugly, SOC -4
18 Increased resistance to alcohol resulting from long practice. Knows each and every tavern in the country.
19 Has an ancient map, showing a place where a wonderful treasure is hidden (the authenticity of the map is to be judged by the Game Master).
20 Participated in a big battle and was awarded for bravery.
21 Has a mysterious tattoo.
22 Has a big book, which he cannot read.
23 Has 1D4 magic potions of healing.
24 (male only) Experienced womaniser - leaves a heir and an enraged mother in every village he passes through. 20% Seduction Skill.
25 Looking for a twin brother (sister) gone long ago.
26 Thinks he's the son of a king and wants to fight back his rights.
27 Thinks that Armageddon is near.
28 (male only) Lives a perfect love with a daughter of his hometown local noble man, but before he can marry her the father wants him to prove his value in an adventure.
29 Has a "magic" flute, but doesn't know how to use it.
30 Has a family ring on his finger.
31 Is very difficult to wake up.
32 Knows a very good recipe of a potion against flees and mosquitoes.
33 Extremely proud, cannot support a non-respect.
34 Snores loudly in the night.
35 Has a bad smell from the mouth.
36 Has an influent friend (to be determined with the GM).
37 Once ate a rare fruit of an exceptionally fine taste. Wants to find and commercialise it.
38 Has a lot of hair on the body.
39 Cannot keep a dime in his pockets.
40 Seeking his family captured by slave-traders.
41 Cannot lie and cannot cheat. Does never attack from back and never ambushes his enemies.
42 Is adventuring to find a woman (man) of his dreams.
42 Wants to learn to fly.
43 Can do anything for a bet.
44 Wants at all cost to find a slayer of his best friend.
45 Hates dogs.
46 Has a strange (magic?) ring.
47 A case of deep amnesia. the char does not remember who is he, where he comes from, etc., thought all his skills remain the same.
48 Accused of murder, wants to prove his innocence.
49 Is afraid of mice.
50 Thinks that the whole world is an illusion ... even the death.
51 Every night has the same strange dream.
52 Hates his name.
53 Is a member of a strange religion sect. Wants to get out of it, in spite of death menace.
54 Can read and write very well - all read/write skills +20%. If speaks a language - also writes it.
Fear Test: CLM*5-30 (min 5%)
Disease END*5-30 (min 5%)
Resistance to magic RM*5 - 30 (min 5%)
Poison (END+CON)*3
3. FIGHT
The fight system is common to all rpg systems - in a round of fight (about 10 seconds) every character says what he does, the GM (stands for Game Master - remark for those who are not accustomed to the rpg slang) acts for the NPCs (Non-Player characters) and enemies.
The order of attacks is determined using AGI. The higher it is - the faster a character strikes.
The Attack score can be divided into multiple blows of at least 10% each, representing a separate percentage of success for one blow or used entirely.
One can dodge the blows coming at him, if he rolls less than his Dodge skill with 1D100. The probability of success of the next dodge in the round is 20% less, compared to the preceding. Every next dodge the character makes (or tries to make) in the round reduces his next attack capacity of 10%.
One can parry the blows coming at him, by rolling less than his Parry score with 1D100. A character can parry multiple blows per round, but every next parry has 20% less of success probability.
A master of weapon (91 or more Attack score) can strike one more time after a successful parry, but still with 20% cumulative penalty on his Attack score (first additional blow without penalty). This additional blow cannot be subdivided and is to be directed onto the enemy who did the parried blow.
A critical blow happens on a result of less than 1/10 (rounded down) of the blow's attack score.
01 is always critical. A critical blow effects in the following :
- a character rolls one more time under his attack score, just as he was striking again, and adds the damage value to the damage of the initial blow. If the second result is also critical - repeat the procedure again until not critical or missed.
- if one tries to parry a critical blow, his weapon breaks. If the parry is successful, no damage is done, but the weapon breaks however. Exception is made only for very high quality or magic weapons, that only have a special probability to break or to be blown away from the opponent's hand.
- if a critical blow does any damage, the armour of the blow's victim gets broken. Exception is made for very high quality armour, such as turtleshells, dwarven chains and steel plates, as well as magic armour, that only have a special probability to break.
A critical parry happens on a result of less than 1/10 (rounded down) of parry score (01 is always critical) and produces the following effect : the weapon of the opponent gets broken. Exception is made for a super-duper attack stuff (see above), which is either broken or blown away from the attacker's hand.
If a critical parry meets a critical blow, both weapons get broken.
If a character uses a weapon which he cannot normally use because of his scores is STR, ACC, AGI or FIG, he gets 2 points more tired each minute (see º5. TIREDNESS) and his AGI score is reduced by the number of insufficient points. When using a not allowed bow, each shot takes two tiredness points instead of one.
A critical failure happens when a character obtains 100 with 1D100. This is a general rule applying also to fighting skills. For example, if it is an attack mischance, a character slips and falls on the ground, breaks his weapon or hits an ally. If a skill is less than 50%, then the result of 99 is also a critical failure. 100 is a c. f. even for skills with 100% or more probablilty of success.
4. WEAPONS
4.1. Melee weapons
minimal requirements
Weapon STR AGI FIG Damage Encumb. Length
Short Sword 7 7 7 1D6+1 40 60-80
Long Sword 9 7 8 1D8+1 60 100
Scimitar 9 8 9 1D10 65 75-110
Bastard Sword * 10 10 11 2D6 90 110-150
2-handed Sword 11 13 12 2D8 130 150-180
Dagger - - - 1D4+2 10 20-45
(Hand) Axe 9 8 8 1D8+1 60 75
Doubleaxe 10 8 10 1D8+2 70 75
Boarding axe (2-h)11 9 12 2D6+2 100 180
Battle Pickaxe * ** 12 10 12 2D6+2 80 110-120
Battleaxe (2-h) 13 11 13 3D6 110 150-160
Halberd (2-h) 12 9 9 2D6+1 140 200
Spear * 9 7 8 1D6+2 40 120-150
Pike (2-h) 11 8 9 2D6+1 140 270-300
Glaive * 8 8 9 1D8+1 60 130-160
Fork/Trident (2-h)8 8 9 1D10 70 150-200
Cavalry pike 12 9 9 1D10+2 150 250-300
Club 7 7 7 1D6 40 60-120
Pole (2-h) 9 8 9 1D8 50 170-210
Mace 8 7 8 1D6+2 50 70
Heavy mace (2-h)13 8 8 1D6+4 100 120-160
Warhammer 11 8 10 2D6 70 70
2-h warhammer 13 8 10 2D6+2 130 90-120
Flail 11 10 11 1D10 60 70-90
2-handed flail 13 10 11 1D10+2 110 90-100
Morgenstern * 12 10 11 2D6+2 100 75
Ball-and-chain 12 10 11 2D6 80 -
Small shield - 10 10 1D4 20 40 diam.
Medium shield 8 7 8 1D6 50 70-80 diam
Large shield 8 8 9 1D6 80 90-100
Tower shield 12 6 7 1D6+2 100 150
Head - - - 1D4 - -
Fist - - - 1D3 - -
Fist + knuckles - - - 1D3+3 - + 10 -
Foot - - - 1D6 - -
*) can be held with both hands as well as with one hand, a so-called 1╜ hand weapon.
**) quite a rare weapon used only by miners and underground workers, mostly by dwarves. In the hands of any other person it is a two-handed weapon striking 1D8+1, the requirements for FOR, AGI and FIG remain the same.
4.2. Distance weapons
Weapon STR AGI Distance Damage Encumb. Length
Short bow 7 9 60 1D6+1 75 75
Long bow 9 9 90 1D8+1 80 110
Composite bow 13 11 130 1D10+2 90 160
Iron wood bow 11 13 130 2D6+1 100 150
Javelin 7 10 15 2D6 40 120-150
Throwing axe 9 12 15 1D8+2 30 50-60
Throwing knife 7 9 15 1D4+2 10 20-30
Sling - 11 60 1D6+1 10 -
Dart 7 9 25 1D8+1 20 60-90
Stone - 5 25 2D4 5 -
4.3. Damage bonus:
STR+CON Melee weapon bonus Distance weapon bonus
<20 0 0
20-25 1 1
26-27 2 1
28-31 3 2
32-37 4 3
38-42 5 4
>42 6 4
5. ARMOUR & PROTECTION
Natural Endurance effect (reducing damage) :
END protection
< 9 no
9 - 13 1
14 - 18 2
> 18 3
Armour: protection burden
Leather 2 0
Lizardskin armour 3 0
Turtleshell armour * 5 1
Bronze chain mail 3 1
Iron chain mail 4 1
Steel chain mail 5 1
Dwarven chain 6 1
Bronze plate ** 5 2
Iron plate ** 6 2
Steel plate ** 7 2
Mithril chain 10 0
Dragonskin ** 12 2
* floats on water
** requires a minimum STR of 12
The burden of armour is to be added to the following losses of fatigue points : LW, HW, M, FM & R (see º6. TIREDNESS). Some of the armours (except plates, turtleshells and dragonskins) can be 'plated', i. e. used with metal plates over the main armour. In that case the protection is augmented by 1, the burden value remaining unchanged. Helmets cannot be 'plated'. The burden value of head protection does not influence tiredness.
6. TIREDNESS
In a perfect physcal condition, a character has 100 fatigue points.
Losses and recuperation of fatigue points:
one hour of daylight activities : - 1
one hour of march : - M
one hour of forced march : - FM
one minute of run (full equipment) : - R
one minute of run (no equipment) : - 1
1 min. of fight using light (ENC <= 70) weapon : - LW
1 min. of fight using heavy (ENC > 70) weapon : - HW
bow shot : - 1
sleeping less then 7 hours per day -5 per 1h < 7
1 hour of sleep recovering + 5
1 hour of rest recovering + 1
FIG + STR + END LW HW END*2+CON M FM R
< 27 6 7 < 27 7 9 5
27 to 35 5 6 27 to 35 6 8 4
36 to 45 4 5 36 to 45 5 7 3
46 to 53 3 4 46 to 53 4 6 2
> 53 2 3 > 53 3 5 1
7. USING MAGIC
7.1. General considerations
It is a well-known fact that a self-respecting fantasy role-playing world cannot exist without magic. Every character who thinks and even some profoundly stupid creatures can, in theory, use magic. The character's ability of using magic correctly and not getting too much tired of it is called Magic Aptitude. The characters who have MA less than 10 can skip this paragraph. The guys who have less than 12 are hopelessly unable to produce a visible magic effect unassisted. Others, who have at least 14 can sometimes cast a 'heal' spell without mutilating too many innocent bystanders, but you definitely need to have more than 14, if you want to impress your girlfriends. Those who have 16 or more can produce more or less impressive magic events, depending on their luck and prudence. And, at last those who have MA more than 18 are the real big ones - those who become great sorcerers one nice day (say, on their 80th anniversary).
7.2. Technical requirements
A person who can use magic does either understand it or feel it. Those who understand are called common mages and they are few, those who feel are called free mages and they are even less.
As far as all characters have the MA number on their char sheet, they (even the fightiest fighter and the peasantiest peasant) are potentially able to cast spells. But if everybody could, everybody would (pigs had wings . . .). Fortunately or unfortunately, the magic is difficult enough to learn. A character has to:
1) find a kind and functioning mage
2) persuade the kind functioning mage that he (k. f. m.) desperately needs a disciple
3) listen the k. f. m.
4) understand the k. f. m.
And the last two points last for a couple o' years. Then, by the end of the education period, the proud (tired / bored to death) character passes a long and dangerous test and, in case he stays alive, he becomes a brand new magic user, a new member of the mages guild - good luck, young man. At this moment he receives his first spell totem (see explanation below). But sometimes, EXTREMELY RARELY, when a disciple listens to his master and begins to understand, the thought first comes to him that the whole thing is much easier. In that case, they say that the disciple is a free mage, i. e. he naturally feels the magic.
The most part of spellcasters have to use a special object called 'spell totem' to know how to guide their internal powers to produce the effect they want. When they do not have a totem to cast a spell, their thoughts do not, in general, follow the right way. Barely (mostly for basic spells) they manage to cast a spell correctly, but usually they don't and in that case the effect produced can be void or absolutely unpredictable as well. All magic activities, related to spell totems are to be performed in physical contact with totems. Only one mage at time can use a totem.
The free mages do not need a spell totem to cast their spells, they just feel how to do it right. However, free mages need to know how to use spell totems, because they need to understand once and not to forget afterwards the way a spell is casted. The learning of a spell for free mages can take from 2 to 50 hours of work with spell totems. Usually, no people with less than 25 in MA can create their own spells (= produce spell totems), so the beginners are constrained to use the wisdom of more experienced ones.
And now, the guys with less than 10 in MA, who still read this paragraph, open your eyes. There's still a possibility to use your doubtful magic skills for your profit. Roll a 1D100 to determine whether you are a free mage or not. If (ah, a miracle !) the result is less then your MA score - you are! If you ain't, the characters with at least 16 in MA can still keep the faith, the guys with 15 or (yes, well, maybe) 14 can still dream and the guys with less than 10 can definitely forget it!
To cast a spell with minimum efforts, a spellcaster has to prepare it to be cast, i. e. recall it. This process takes a relatively long time (from 5 minutes for basic spells to 2 hours for complicated ones), but the result is worth the time spent. The effort needed to cast a spell is much inferior, as compared to the non-prepared. Once a spell is ready, it can be cast without additional penalties. Beginners usually have to make 8 times the effort of a ready spell to cast a non-ready one. More experienced and more intelligent mages can cast non-ready spells with lesser extra effort.
MA defines also the maximum number of different ready spells and, of course, the effort needed to cast a spell. Skilled mages can cast complicated and powerful spells without getting too much tired.
The basic chance of spell success is (MA x 2)%. The success probability for a particular spell does grow, just as all other skills do, through using this particular spell.
MA score <10* 11-14* 15-18 19-22 23-26 27-31
max. ready spells 1 2 3 4 5 6
effort modificator +6 +3 0 -3 -6 -12
INT+MA <20 21-28 29-36 37-44 45-52 53-62
x effort, non-ready spell cannot x 16 x 8 x 4 x 2 easy
*) free mages only
7.3. Commonly used spells
The following may not be considered as a complete spells list, this is just to give an idea of what a spell could be.
