Rules

1.0 - Core Concepts ~

This is the online reference and virtual tabletop environment for a tabletop roleplay system and setting that I've been working on pretty much forever. Everything here is written assuming the reader has some basic familiarities with tabletop roleplay and is familiar with the dice notation that goes with that.

The system uses three six sided dice with modifiers added for checks. It has its roots in D20, but I prefer the clustering of results around the middle values you get with 3d6, and 3d6 vs 3d6 opposed checks make even a single point of advantage mean something. Points in a skill are capped at 6 for this reason, and an enterprising player with some bonuses and good gear should have difficulty getting modifiers much higher than 9 for checks.

I've never really liked hit points, classes or levels. This iteration of the system is using levels because having gotten rid of them I ended up with the need to place a cap on skills, but characters don't have classes because I like players to have characters who "are also a..." without being too over or under powered. Playtesting has reminded me that too much choice can be paralysing so heritages and backgrounds exist to provide some basic but hopefully non-restrictive character templates for new or indecisive players. Hit points have always been tricky, currently, taking damage makes you less effective until eventually you take a big hit (or enough small hits) and fall over.

This system has been built somewhat around the style in which I run games, because it would be impossible and counter productive not to. I expect maybe a combat every one or two sessions, occasionally two back to back with a focus on interaction, investigation and player led planning filling the rest of the time. I started trying to write a gritty, brutal combat system and at low skill and gear levels that's very much the case. As characters get more skilled and geared the game becomes more cinematic than gritty, a character fully armoured with a 4-6 point check advantage can wade into a pack of enemies and take them out using mainly counter-attacks with little danger of getting more than slightly hurt.

These rules are strong guidelines more than rules. There need to be established precedents and boundaries for things but people brave enough to run a tabletop session need to be given some wiggle room. The reader will likely see turns of phrase such as "You can survive almost any fall without taking damage" throughout the rules. The "almost" is there to protect whoever is running the session from rules lawyers, and to remind players that there will be situations in game the rules simply haven't anticipated. The intent is to be able to avoid conversations like this:

Player: I jump off the bridge and land on the lava.
GM: ...
Player: The rules say I don't take damage when I land. Now, with my next action...

Fortunately, my players are both grown ups and adults. If your group isn't quite like that I'd advise doing some research on social contracts and making sure that everyone is on the same page before you get started.

1.1 - Metaphysics ~

Even in a world where magic, science and faith let people perform fantastic and amazing deeds, there are boundaries and limits. The rest of the system is based around a number of core assumptions as follows:

Anyone who dedicates themselves to a task is capable of achieving things that defy expectation but are really cool. A skilled thief might move unseen through a crowded room, or leap the full width of a street. High level characters should be able to do awesome things. Low level characters are still scrubs who can fail hilariously even the most basic tasks.

Magic is based on an extension of understanding. It allows a character to exert influence within their area of understanding. It cannot create but it can change. Energy to make these changes is drawn from the caster but may be supplemented by ritual preparation. To use magic to change something requires physical contact with a part of it. The study of high level magic and knowledge of advanced rituals was common but is now rare.

The gods are real and powerful but they can't act directly on the world, only grant that power to their followers and those they think will act in their interests. It is widely but not universally accepted that the faithful live on after death and the godless fade away. Those gifted power by the gods are more often out in the world being impressive than they are leaders of churches. It's also possible to draw power from the lingering souls of the faithless, however one of the few areas that all the churches agree is that no-one should ever do this.

Science is on a par with magic in terms of the impact it can have on the world, and widely believe to be safer. Alchemical transmuters can change the properties of materials, making wood as hard as steel or metal that bends like cloth. Augmenters brew potions that can bring joy or sorrow, quicken the mind or strengthen the body. Reactionists specialise in the creation of heat, light and smoke brought about by the mixing of materials. Binders produce adhesive pastes, frictionless greases and even preparations that attract and repel from a short distance. The study of medicine stretches beyond first aid and into setting bones and curing poisons and diseases.

1.2 - Players and Characters ~

Each character belongs to and is controlled by a player. A player makes decisions, the character enacts them. A character has skills but a player makes checks

1.3 - Skills ~

Skills are representations of activities or groups of similar activities that a character can do. Skills are grouped into either basic, combat, science or magic skills. There are no faith skills.

Skills are used in game either actively or reactively by rolling up to three six sided dice and adding them up with the aim of scoring at least a certain number. This number is either a pre defined target score representing the difficulty of the task or the result of a skill check made by another character.

Basic skills represent general competency areas and let the character perform a range of actions along a common theme.

Combat skills are used to attack and defend in combat with weapons, shields or hand to hand combat.

Science skills represent specific higher learning and are mainly used to create alchemical substances or to help sick or wounded people get better. They have a much narrower scope than basic skills.

Magic skills represent a character having such a detailed understanding of something that they can exert a specific influence over it using an appropriate tool.

A detailed write up of all the skills with examples of their use can be found in the "Skills" section.

1.4 - Edges ~

Edges are customisations for characters that grant specific, usually passive, benefits. Edges can modify how or when skills are used, apply passive benefits or grant bonuses in specific situations.

Edges come in the same category sets as skills and where an edge relates to a skill they will generally be in the same category.

All divine gifts are edges and usually have a passive ability with an additional effect that can be used daily.

A full list of edges is at the bottom of the page.

2.0 - Checks ~

When you want your character to do something, all you have to do is declare. In some cases, it'll just happen, for example if you want to open or shut an unlocked door. For actions that aren't a guaranteed success or are under pressure, you may have to make one or more checks to succeed. The decision as to when there's enough uncertainty to require a check rests with your game master.

All checks are made by rolling three six sided dice, adding a relevant skill if you have one and then adding to or subtracting from the result based on circumstance (see advantages and disadvantages below). Some checks have a fixed difficulty and have a target score (TS) that must be equalled or beaten to succeed. Other checks are opposed checks where you have to beat a check made by someone else. For opposed checks the attacker or instigator wins draws.

Opposed checks should only be used when you're using a skill against someone competent who's in a position to actively 'oppose' you. eg pretending to be a noble walking through a town doesn't mean you have to make an opposed check against everyone in the crowd, but you do need to make a check when trying to get past the palace guards.

2.1 - Target Scores ~

A target score is a measure of how difficult a task is to complete, the harder a task is, the higher the score needed to achieve it.

Simple tasks have a TS of 9 and include hitting an unarmoured target who doesn't know you're there, using magic to create light, jumping into a table, bribing a corrupt guard to ignore a minor crime. A random mook on the street making checks at +0 succeeds at this kind of task three times in four. A level 2 adventuring type checking at +3 almost never fails.

Average tasks have a TS of 12 and include climbing up onto something as tall as your character, traversing a narrow ledge safely, getting someone to take a slight risk to help you, haggling for a slight discount, cooking a nice meal. Random unskilled mook on the street fails an average task more than half the time. Level 2 adventurer checking at +3 succeeds three times in four.

Challenging tasks have a TS of 15. These tasks are only likely to be completed by trained or seasoned professionals with any regularity.

Impossible tasks have a TS of 18. They're not really impossible, but a character needs luck, aptitude and training to have a reasonable chance of success.

2.2 - Opposed Checks ~

Some checks don't require a specific, pre-defined score but are instead made against the result of a check made by another character. This should happen whenever you're making a check against someone who is actively willing and able to oppose you or suspicious of you, for example if you're trying to hit someone with your sword or persuade a suspicious watchman that you're covered in blood because of an unlikely accident involving a butcher's assistant rather than because you've just dismembered someone.

Whenever an opposed check happens, the instigating player wins ties - essentially whoever you're trying to stab / steal from / sneak past / sweet talk sets the TS you need to hit.

You shouldn't need to make an opposed check against anyone who's not actively opposing you, instead you should make a fixed difficulty check. For example moving through a crowd without drawing any undue attention to yourself would have a fixed TS of 12.

2.3 - Skill Checks ~

To use one of your character's skills to attempt a task you need to:
- (Optionally) Check that the skill is appropriate for the task
- Roll to 3d6
- Add the number of points you have in the skill
- If you have a situational advantage, add 1
- If you are situationally disadvantaged, subtract 1.
- If your character is wounded, apply any appropriate penalties.

You don't need to check it's appropriate to use a skill every time but you should if you're not sure if the way you want to use the skill is in scope.

2.4 - General Checks ~

Sometimes you'll need to make a check to try and do something you don't have an appropriate skill for. You can't make a check with a skill you don't have any points in so instead you have to make a general check, which is just a like a skill check only with no skill points added to it. You still apply any modifiers such as advantage or the bonus characters with the chosen heritage get to this check.

2.5 - Success and Failure ~

Succeeding at a check (by equalling or beating the TS) should result in a tangible positive effect.

For example, in combat if you win a check you get past your opponent's guard and inflict a tangible wound on them. Winning by a large margin (scoring at least 3 more than required) is a critical success and should grant an even larger benefit. For example not only does the owner of the house you're trying to talk your way into agree to shelter you but they also offer to feed you and put you in contact with someone sympathetic to your cause.

Similarly, failing a check means whatever your character was trying to so didn't work, with no enexpected consequences.

For example, an attack misses, a lock remains unpicked or the guy in the above house shuts the door in your face. If you fail by a wide margin (more than 3) then you critically fail and something worse happens. For example you open yourself up to a counter attack, snap your picks in the lock or the house owner starts shouting for the guards.

These are deliberately rough guidelines, all benefit and penalty assignments should be at the GM's discretion and based on the check and situation. Just because you got 18 picking the lock on your diary doesn't mean it's going to come with huge benefits.

2.6 - Set up & Combination ~

Both in and out of combat, characters can use some skills to 'set up' other skills, using one skill to gain a bonus on the next. For example a character might use Air magic to jump into combat, and set up a melee attack. If the first check scores at least 9, the second attack gets +1 and if the first check gets 15, the bonus increases to +2.

To use skills in combination requires two checks with separate skills to both be successful, but allows a character to achieve something that is out of scope for the skills individually. For example Fire and Water magic could be combined to blast someone with steam, or Medicine and Mechanisms could be combined to make a prosthetic limb.

2.7 - Fatigue ~

Fatigue limits a character's maximum potential effectiveness. For each point of fatigue a character has, the maximum they can score on a roll before any other modifiers are applied is reduced by one. For example if a character has 3 fatigue and rolled a 16, 17 or 18 before any modifiers on a check, it would count as a 15.

Fatigue is caused by failing some magic checks, lack of sleep, prolonged physical exertion and some kemics.

3.0 - Combat ~

Combat involves two or more groups of characters attempting to inflict physical harm on each other. Combat has a number of rules that apply only within it.

A round of combat represents about 10 seconds of in game fighting and is made up of each side taking a turn, with each turn being made up of 1 action and one or more reactions for each individual.

3.1 - Turns ~

Combat happens in turns, with every character getting one action and at least one opportunity to react before the first can act again. Most combats will have two clear sides, who act alternately. Where there are three or more groups they take their turns in order. A normal combat will go Players, Enemies, Players, Enemies... and so on. A three sided combat might go Players, Guards, Thieves, Players, Guards Thieves...

Combat begins with whichever group starts the combat taking their actions. After that, each group of participants acts, in an order of their choosing. Within the group's actions the order isn't fixed and can be changed turn by turn to take account of wounded party members or to gang up on an opponent effectively. If the players are unable to agree a combat order, either get new players or use awareness checks to determine order.

From a player perspective combat could look like: We start the fight and get an action each (in any order the players are happy with), enemy takes an action each (some or all of which we can react to), we get a full turn, enemy gets a full turn etc.

3.2 - Actions ~

On your turn your character can use an action to:

- Move up to 10m. You can’t move through an area that’s got an enemy in it and you have to finish a move in an empty space. You might need to include a skill check as part of movement of if your character is crossing difficult terrain, jumping or similar.
- Use an offensive skill to attack an opponent
- Use a skill to distract or disadvantage one or more opponents
- Use, consume, apply or activate an item

You can also do some things when it’s not your turn, such as use a weapon or skill to defend yourself against an attack. You can also do things like talking on your turn without using an action to do them (within limits, the turn represents about 10 seconds for the character).

3.3 - Reactions ~

Each character can react one (or more) times during your opponents turns. Typically a reaction is used to counter an opponent's action by defending or avoiding it.

You can use a reaction to:
- Defend yourself from an attack with an appropriate skill, potentially stopping it.
- Defend someone else from an attack aimed at them.
- Not defend yourself, but attack instead. In this case both attacks happen at the same time, and either or both may be successful.
- Attack an enemy who moves away from you.

If you didn't react to anything during the enemies turn, when your next turn starts you can make an immediate setup check before you take your action.

Once you have used all your character's reactions they can't use skills to defend against incoming attacks and will have to rely on their armour / minimum defence.

3.4 - Attacking ~

You can use a combat or appropriate magic skill that your character has to perform an attack in combat as your action for the turn. Your target makes a check to defend themselves if they are aware of you and have a reaction left, otherwise they are considered to have scored their minimum defence, which is 9 for a normal, unarmoured target. The result of your attack depends on how much you succeed or fail by:

If you win the check, your character inflicts is serious and has an additional effect. You roll 1d6 to determine where the serious wound is inflicted and it applies further penalties based on where it is. If you win by 3 or more points or if you strike an already seriously wounded location with another serious wound a critical wound is inflicted instead.

If you lose the check the attack misses. If the attack was made in melee and you fail by 3 or more points then you are put off balance and are disadvantaged until the beginning of your next turn.

The numbers above are the default values for attacks made with normal sharp or blunt one handed weapons. An attack made by a character can inherit a number of qualities from both weapon and edges that change or improve them. An attack can have zero or more of the following qualities: Sharp, Blunt, Deadly, Fast, Precise, Powerful, Thrown, Projectile, Reach, Melee.

- Sharp attacks can cut, slice or pierce. Wounds caused by sharp attacks bleed until treated, causing a fatigue every hour until treated (TS 12). Critical wounds cause by sharp attacks bleed profusely, causing a fatigue every minute until treated (TS 15). Strenuous activity can re-open these wounds.
- Blunt attacks crush, fracture and break. Wounds caused by blunt attacks are harder to treat (TS 15) but less immediately threatening. Similarly for critical wounds (TS 18).
- Deadly attacks are more likely to inflict a critical wound. A successful deadly attack counts as being one point higher than scored for the purposes of determining what kind of wound it inflicts.
- Fast weapons are easier to wield defensively. A successful defence check with a fast weapon counts as being one point higher.
- Precise attacks are more likely to hit a vital area and may roll twice for hit locations with the player choosing the result they prefer.
- Powerful attacks get a +1 bonus.
- A weapon with the thrown quality can be thrown as a ranged attack using either the skill normally associated with it or the ranged skill.
- Projectile weapons inflict wounds that leave something (such as an arrow) stuck in the target that must be removed first before the wound can be treated. Removing a projectile is automatic, but a TS 12 check is required to do so without causing a fatigue.
- Melee weapons can strike and defend against adjacent foes (up to 2m or 1 square away). Weapons which don't have this quality can be used to make defence checks but can't counter attack.
- Reach weapons reach can strike further away than regular melee weapon attacks, allowing an attack to be made against targets two squares (2m-4m) away.

3.5 - Defending ~

When your character is attacked by an opponent they can use their reaction to defend themselves using a skill appropriate to the situation (or a general check if they don't have an appropriate skill).

If your character is defending against a melee attack with a melee skill such as brawling then it's possible to counter attack your attacker with a high enough check result. It is not usually possible to counter attack when using a non-combat skill or defending against a ranged attack.

Characters also have an "armour" value, or minimum defence (MD) which any attack must beat in order to be successful, regardless of whether or not they are making an active defence check. MD is 9 by default for a normal unarmoured character so any attack checks lower than that would fail. MD is not affected by wounds or disadvantage.

If your character is wearing armour or has certain edges they may use it to set their minimum defence to a base value higher than 9 as described by the armour. A character can only set their minimum defence from one source, but can benefit from multiple bonuses or suffer from multiple penalties to it. For example if your character is wearing an item that sets their armour to 15, an item that adds 1 to their armour and has an edge that sets their armour to 13, the edge and the armour can't both apply, so the characters defence is 16.

3.6 - Advantage / Disadvantage ~

Temporary or situational factors can apply a benefit or a penalty to one side when opposed checks are being made. If a character has a clear advantage over their opponent they get +1 on opposed checks. Likewise, if a character is suffering from a disadvantageous situation this applies a -1 penalty.

Advantage / disadvantage might be gained from position, such as flanking or outnumbering opposition, uneven ground / poor footing, cover, or being afflicted by a magic effect.

3.7 - Taking Damage ~

Failed combat checks, bad luck and poor decision making can all lead to a character taking wounds, which are locational hits that impact a character's effectiveness.

It's up the the player whether their character struggles heroically on or falls over an hopes no-one thinks they're a threat anymore after taking a wound.

3.9 - Wounds ~

When a character takes a wound they have received a solid hit to some part of their body. The character suffers penalties to checks or actions involving the injured area.

1 - Left Leg - movement is halved, checks involving movement are disadvantaged.
2 - Right Leg - movement is halved, checks involving movement are disadvantaged.
3 - Left Arm - checks involving off hand are disadvantaged
4 - Right Arm - checks involving main hand are disadvantaged
5 - Torso - all physical checks are disadvantaged
6 - Head - all checks additional are disadvantaged

Serious wounds need to be treated to stabilise them so that natural healing can begin. Stabilising a serious wound has a TS of 12 for wounds from sharp attacks and 15 for blunt attacks. A serious wound that goes untreated for a day, or is subjected to a stabilisation check failed by 3 or more progresses on to become a critical wound. A second successful check is required for healing to begin. Natural healing of a serious wound is 1d6 weeks but this can be accelerated with alchemical treatments.

3.10 - Critical Wounds ~

Critical wounds are like wounds, but significantly worse. In addition to the penalties above, if you're critically struck in a limb you may not use it. If it's one of your legs your speed is reduced to one quarter and you can't run or jump. If it's one of your arms you drop anything you're holding and can't use any skills or items involving that arm. If you're critically wounded in the chest or head your character is dropped and will need to receive treatment within a few minutes or risk death.

3.11 - Movement ~

As part of an action you can move your character 10m. You may need to make a check if your character isn't moving across unobstructed, flat ground. You can move up to an enemy with no risk (unless they have some fairly specific edges or weapons), but if you move past them by travelling through (into, and then out of) a square in their striking range or away from them, the enemy may use their reaction to attack you with a melee or reach weapon.

3.12 - Healing ~

The healing times listed for serious and critical wounds are pretty slow and the potions to speed up the process are deliberately expensive. Healing times are an easy place to make alterations that shift your game to a more heroic, cinematic setting by shortening them and making potions cheaper or to an even more brutal setting by increasing them and making potions more expensive or rarer.

4.0 - Magic ~

Magic skills represent a character having such a detailed understanding of something that they can exert influence over it, using power drawn from within and an appropriate focus (a wand, staff, or other item). A focus is attuned to one or more tasks and will be covered in runes that glow when it's used.

Normal magical effects are either instantaneous or last for only a few minutes (usually one minute plus another minute for every point by which the check beats the TS), more complex or long lasting effects require the of a ritual. Any character with the mage edge can perform several basic rituals as long as they have a little time and some basic materials. There are also more complex rituals that can be learnt or discovered by characters that provide even grater power.

4.1 - Limitations ~

Magic skills let characters perform significantly more powerful actions than they can achieve with other skills. In order to achieve this, the character must be using an appropriate "tool" such as a wand or staff that's been engraved with one more more (very obvious - they glow when used) runes that related to the spell being used. In the pact cities around Jali the sale of such wands and staffs is monitored, and using an unsanctioned / unregistered magical focus is a serious offence.

In most cases, a character has to be touching part of whatever they want to magic, and can't magic anything that's bigger and heavier than they are. Bigger OR heavier is fine, both isn't, and a character can use a ritual to increase the size impacted.

4.2 - Quick Magic ~

Magic skills can be used quickly, both in and out of combat. In both cases the caster must be free to concentrate for a few moments to achieve the desired effect, as well as having an appropriate focus, such as a wand or staff, to hand. In combat, magic skills require an action to use offensively but might be used defensively as a reaction. Magic effects, descriptions and TS are written assuming they are used quickly.

Many magic skills can be used in combat to either harm or disadvantage one or more opponents. In general, disadvantaging an opponent for 1 round has a TS of 9, three opponents is TS 12 and more than three is 15. Serious successes cause the disadvantage to linger until the end of combat instead of for a round.

4.3 - Slow Magic ~

Out of combat, characters with the appropriate knowledge can use rituals to aid or enhance their magic skill checks. This allows casters to achieve much greater effects that they otherwise could. Each ritual takes a certain amount of time to perform, during which the caster needs to be free from significant interruptions such as combat, other spellcasting or anything that would require more than a few moments of attention to deal with. A character can apply multiple ritual effects to the same check. This takes as long as it would to perform each ritual in sequence. If a ritual is interrupted part way through it must be restarted from the beginning.

4.4 - Basic Rituals ~

Basic rituals let a caster boost the impact of a magic skill check out of combat. They each require about 5 minutes and usually the ability to make basic marks on a surface to complete. It is possible to apply multiple basic rituals to the same check.

Precision - +2 to check.
Expansion - Area or volume affected is doubled.
Extension - Duration increased from minutes to hours.

4.5 - Advanced Rituals ~

Advanced rituals let a caster boost the impact of a skill check out of combat. They each require a significant amount of time, materials and usually the ability to make basic marks on a surface to complete. It is possible to apply multiple advanced rituals to the same check. Advanced rituals draw some of their power from the caster but the majority of their power comes from the consumption of external materials, usually precious metals - This means that the majority of rituals can be powered with actual money.

Precision - +3 to check - 25pr.
Expansion - Area or volume affected is increased tenfold - 50pr.
Extension - Duration increased from minutes to days - 50pr.

4.6 - Spells ~

Each branch of magic has a number of tasks that it can be used to complete. These spells are split into two general categories: basic and advanced.

Basic spells are commonly available and if a character has, finds or purchases a wand or staff relating to a particular branch of magic it will have all the basic spells for that branch on it. In Jali and the surrounding pact cities these wands are available for sale but such sales are recorded and tracked.

Advanced spells are harder to get hold of and to use. A character needs the totemic edge to add or copy an advanced spell onto an item as well as to use it. Advanced spells are not as readily available as the basic ones and need to be either purchased for a significant sum of money or sourced through some other means.

A wand can store all the basic and two advanced spells for a single branch of magic, a staff can store any number of spells. Other items such as rings, amulets, gloves or weapons can be enchanted to store a single spell.

5.0 - Faith ~

Anyone can become a member of any faith, although most individuals tend to be a member of only one religious organisation. Those who are exemplars of a religions ideals may become gifted by their deity and receive special powers or abilities, represented in game by the borderline overpowered Faith edges. A character who has been gifted such powers and veers too far from their gods path may find that the deity removes said powers, temporarily or permanently.

5.1 - Boons ~

Gifted faithful get one or more boons per day. Each boon allows that character to reroll a single dice as part of a check. If a character has several boons they can use them all on the same check if they really want to, even re rolling the same dice several times.

6.0 - Science ~

-Knowing things and lore checks
-knowing things and science skills
-science vs magic and the general consensus.

6.1 - Kemics ~

Kemics is the modern branch of alchemy and has four distinct areas of study, each of which is represented by a separate skill in game.

Characters skilled in the Kemic Sciences will be able to produce their own potions / glues / binaries much cheaper than they could purchase them, as long as hey have access to some basic equipment and materials and know the recipe.

Recipes for Kemics with a TS of 9 are freely available and characters with the appropriate skill are assumed to know them. Recipes for Kemics with a TS of 12 can usually be purchased for ten times the price of whatever they produce. Anything with a higher TS is usally a fairly closely guarded secret and a character wishing to learn such recipes will need to find someone who knows the recipe already and persuade them to share (this isn't an easy task) or research the recipe themselves.

Every day spent researching a specific recipe costs half the market price of the Kemic being researched and lets the character make a check against a TS of three more than the normal creation TS for the item. On a success, the character learns the recipe.

7.0 - Character Creation ~

Each character has a heritage, one or more backgrounds, skills, edges and a level.

Player characters start at level 2 by default with 7 experience points in addition to the benefits from heritage and background(s). Each point of experience will buy one point in a skill or a single edge. You can't have more points in any skill than your character's level. Spend experience on skills and edges, pick a name and buy some equipment (normal starting money is 300pr) and you're done*.

Characters will earn further experience points as time passes, usually 1-3 at a time. Level increases are independent of experience point award and should be awarded at the discretion of whoever's running the game. For an evenly paced game I award 2 exp at the end of a completed plot arc, 1 exp at the end of a session that has seen good progress made and a level for every 7 exp awarded.

*Almost done. If you've bought any Kemic skills, you'll need to learn some recipes. For each point you have in Alchemy(Adhesion), Alchemy(Augmentation) and Alchemy(Reaction) you can start play with two recipes that skill can make that have a TS to make of 15 or less. Once you've picked recipes, for each experience point you've spend in an alchemy skill, you can have 2 alchemical substances you can make with that skill.

7.1 - Heritage ~

Most characters in the world are human, however individuals given kemic treatments at various points before adulthood, or their descendants, often stretch that definition. Most of these treatments were developed at the height of the age of knowledge for a specific purpose and while they have been refined and adjusted slightly over the years no new processes have been discovered for some time.

In game terms, each heritage grants some specific bonuses and will likely have some impact on the appearance of a character.

Humans represent the overwhelming majority of the population. Human characters get to pick two backgrounds instead of one, it's up to the player to justify or explain when those backgrounds might not make sense. Humans also have three extra points to spend at character generation.

Brutes are bred for war using the least subtle applications of the kemic arts of all heritages. They are big and tough, standing six to seven feet tall. They are valued for their size, strength and hardiness and often unfairly and without justification viewed as being less intelligent than average. They ignore the first wound inflicted on them each combat, have the Archetype: strong edge and get a +1 bonus on checks involving melee weapons or shields.

Guardians are kemically bred to act as elite troops, special forces and bodyguards. They share the range of normal human body types, although they tend to be fitter and healthier. Guardians are valued for their quick reaction times and dedication. Guardians get a +2 bonus on awareness checks, can take an extra action in the first round of combat and may react to defend an ally even if they've used all their reactions.

Seekers were first bred to act as spies and infiltrators at the height of development that led to the shattering. They are small and lithe, four or five feet tall and about three quarters the weight of a similarly sized human. While they view themselves as seekers, gatherers or liberators the rest of the world often refers to them by less flattering names such as child-men or skulkers. Seekers can alter their skin and hair colour and are all double jointed as such they get a +2 bonus on checks to conceal themselves or to squeeze through gaps or escape bonds.

Chosen are created through a series of expensive alchemical treatments starting at birth and lasting throughout childhood which corrects physical defects and sharpens mental skills. They get a +2 bonus to general checks and are immune to all disease, poison and ingested alchemical effects (including drugs and alcohol).

Infused are the only non-human heritage not of kemic origin, and are few in number. They look like normal humans apart from their eyes, which are always somehow strange. Born with deeper ties to the world than most they are natural mages and get a +1 bonus on all checks with magic skills.

7.2 - Backgrounds ~

A character is created with a background that provides a few basic abilities as a rough template to help get started with character generation. Some backgrounds include a unique bonus or ability that it wouldn't make sense for a character to be able to acquire in play.

A full list of backgrounds can be found below.

Skills

Basic Skills

Agility ~

Scope: Leaping, climbing, landing, tumbling, catching and dodging.

Agility lets you move quickly and accurately. You can use Agility as part of a move action to let you bypass an obstacle or move to higher ground, or as an action to climb a significant distance up a surface.

Use Examples

Trivial (TS 9)	Average (TS 12)	Challenging (TS 15)	Impossible (TS 18)	Opposed
Jump or hop up onto something knee high as part of a normal move, safely lad a fall of about 1m, catch something that's thrown to you, climb gracefully out of a medium sized window or quickly up a ladder, scramble up a steep slope.	Jump, hop or vault onto or over something that's waist high as part of a normal move, safely land a fall of about 1.5m, catch something that's been thrown quickly to you or to someone near you, use a rope to scale a wall, avoid getting hit by a runaway cart, climb up a craggy rock face or the outside of a building with lots of things to hold on to.	Mantle or climb onto something that's taller than you are as part of a normal move, safely land a fall of about 2m, catch something small thrown quickly to you or someone near you, catch someone who's fallen out of a first floor window, scale a rock face or building with minimal hand holds.	Get on top of something that's twice your height as part of a normal move, safely land a fall of more than 4m, climb up a surface with the barest of handholds such as an overhanging cliff or the outside of a building with no obvious hand holds.	Dodge an incoming attack, catch or grab something before someone else does

Athletics ~

Scope: Running, swimming, climbing, lifting, physical endurance.

Where agility is about speed and precision, athletics is about strength and endurance.

Use Examples

Trivial (TS 9)	Average (TS 12)	Challenging (TS 15)	Impossible (TS 18)	Opposed

Awareness ~

Scope: Noticing things, drawing conclusions from physical evidence, hearing things, smelling things.

This skill lets you notice things. It doesn't let you avoid them. It may be used as a setup for other skills by providing you with extra information.

Use Examples

Trivial (TS 9)	Average (TS 12)	Challenging (TS 15)	Impossible (TS 18)	Opposed
Notice a guard leaning against a wall, an open window or a pothole in the road. Identify what country comes from by their accent and appearance, hear someone in heavy armour approaching you, follow clear animal tracks across soft ground.	Work out what part of a country someone comes from from their accent and appearance, find a useful clue, hear people talking the other side of a door, find something small that's just been dropped on the floor, identify that an object has been magically transmuted or kemically treated.	Notice a tripwire or trap, spot a counterfeit coin, find a hidden door or safe, follow a person's trial across a mix of terrain types, see through a well applied disguise, identify whether someone's acting under duress, guess someone's profession just by looking at them.	Work out what parts of town someone's been to today by just looking at their clothes, spot a well concealed lookout in the dark, spot one pavestone that's slightly different than the rest.	Awareness often used in opposition to concealment and imitation.

Concealment ~

Scope: Hiding yourself, others or items. Moving without being noticed or heard.

Concealment is the art of going unnoticed. In the wilderness it's about making good use of cover, wearing the right clothes and moving carefully and quietly. If the city it's about looking like you belong and knowing where the deepest shadows are. Concealment can also be used to hide things that aren't you from tucking a small weapon away from casual notice to hiding a box of goodies away in a house somewhere no one will think to look for it. You can also hide other people like this if they're willing but you can't make them move quietly.

Concealment is an opposed check when you're trying to remain unnoticed by someone who's actively watching or looking like a guard or a sentry.

Use Examples

Trivial (TS 9)	Average (TS 12)	Challenging (TS 15)	Impossible (TS 18)	Opposed
Hide a knife or other small weapon or item about your person so it's not obviously visible. Follow someone who has no reason to suspect they're being followed through a busy marketplace without them realising.	Follow someone who has no reason to suspect they're being followed all day without them realising. Follow someone who thinks they might be being followed through a busy area or an area with a lot of cover without getting noticed. Construct a hunting blind from local materials.	Hide a medium sized object like a small sword or a compact springbow about your person so that it's not visible to a casual observer.	Follow someone across coverless terrain without them noticing.	Opposed checks are usually made against an awareness check from anyone who might be trying to detect or identify you such as sentries or guards.

Housebreaking ~

Scope: Breaking and entering, picking locks, breaking and exiting, infiltration.

Housebreaking is the art of getting into, or out of, secured areas and items ranging from outhouses to prisons and from locked diaries to vaults. Task difficulties below assume that the housebreaker has access to appropriate tools for the job such as lock picks or a pry bar. Without appropriate tools, many tasks will move up in difficulty one step.

It's worth noting that breaking into isn't the same as remaining undetected, so if there are potential witnesses then a concealment check might also be necessary.

Use Examples

Trivial (TS 9)	Average (TS 12)	Challenging (TS 15)	Impossible (TS 18)	Opposed
Break into or out of a cheap house or outhouse. Pick a very simple lock.	Get into or out of an average house or dwelling. Get into a chest secured with an average lock. Get into the grounds of a fortified house or walled settlement or within the boundaries of a sprawling castle.	Get into or out of an official building in a city, the home of a wealthy merchant or other senior member of society or the lab of an alchemist, get out of prison with some basic tools, open a strongbox.	Get out of a prison from the inside with no tools, get into the king's personal chambers or his vault.	There are very few situations in which housebreaking is an appropriate opposed check.

Imitation ~

Scope: Forgery, acting, impersonation, disguise.

Imitation is the art of copying someone or something. Imitation can be used to create forged documents or copy signatures or to look, sound or act like a specific person or type of person. In addition to the obvious criminal uses, imitation can be used to entertain or mock.

As with concealment, imitation is opposed by awareness when used against naturally suspicious individuals or those who are very familiar with who- or whatever you're imitating and vs normal target scores otherwise.

Use Examples

Trivial (TS 9)	Average (TS 12)	Challenging (TS 15)	Impossible (TS 18)	Opposed
Create an accurate copy of a generic document you have one of, put on an accent from a specific country, use a change of clothes and a wig to change your appearance, display fear or confidence you don't feel.	Create a copy of a generic document you've seen but don't have, copy distinctive speech or movement mannerisms of a specific person, use props to look like a general type of person such as a scribe or dock worker.	Create a copy of a specific document you've seen or a generic document you haven't, impersonate a specific person who's about your general size, shape and gender who you've studied, sound like you come from a specific region, city or district, impersonate a type of individual without any props.	Create a copy of a specific document that you've never seen, impersonate a specific individual who is a different size, shape or gender, or who you've never met.	You can use imitation or awareness to spot a forgery or imposter.

Performance ~

Scope: Singing, telling stories, telling jokes, playing instruments, captivating, motivating,

Performance covers a whole range of activities that can be used to provide entertainment to others. Skilled performers can distract, enthrall or rouse individuals or whole audiences. It has some crossover with persuasion and the two skills can be used as setup for each other.

Use Examples

Trivial (TS 9)	Average (TS 12)	Challenging (TS 15)	Impossible (TS 18)	Opposed
Play a simple tune, tell a simple joke, recount a short story without anyone nodding off.	Get a pub full of jolly drunks singing along to a well known bawdy song, tell a short and entertaining story, entertain people in an inn enough that you don't have to pay for food, drink or lodging for the evening, earn a few precs by performing on the street for an afternoon, generally cheer people up a bit.	Provide an evening's entertainment that's good enough to get you food and lodging for you and your companions, lift the mood of a sad, disaffected or otherwise harsh crowd, tell an epic tale well and accurately, calm a rowdy crowd with a sad song or story.	Get famous and rich.	Performance is rarely an opposed check.

Persuasion ~

Scope: Persuading people to help you or otherwise do or believe something you want them to.

Persuasion can take many forms, ranging from asking nicely to intimidation to bribery to telling outright lies. A character skilled in persuasion knows what buttons to press and how hard to press them to get what they want. Players should expect to give at least some basic information about how they intend to coerce a target, especially for important tasks. This skill is not for use on other players, or their characters.

This skill can also be used to gather general information about a particular topic over a longer period of time (usually a day or an evening) by visiting taverns or the local equivalent and making friends with the locals.

The examples below are more generic than usual as circumstance plays a large part in modifying the difficulty of a check. For example persuading a merchant to sell a rare and expensive item at a loss is usually a TS 18 impossible task, but if it's a black market item and the merchant knows he's about to be searched / arrested / have it confiscated the the difficulty drops to challenging or average, depending on how much trouble he's in if he gets caught with it.

Use Examples

Trivial (TS 9)	Average (TS 12)	Challenging (TS 15)	Impossible (TS 18)	Opposed
Get a merchant to show you his best wares instead of his average ones, haggle a slight discount, persuade an officious official to get you an appointment with his superior, persuade a suspicious old lady to let a scruffy looking adventurer type into her house, persuade a local gossip to give up some generally known information, bribe an already corrupt guard.	Plant a believable rumour, persuade a miserly bartender to break out his best booze, persuade a loyal but clearly outnumbered guard to either give up or stand aside, get a local to reveal information not widely shared with visitors / strangers, convert someone to your faith after a display of awesomeness / after saving their life, talk your way out of being arrested for a petty crime.	Get a confession or similarly incriminating bit of information out of someone, persuade a guard that it's actually fine for you to stay armed when you meet his boss, persuade someone that you knew them years ago, convert someone to your faith, talk your way out of being arrested for a serious crime.	Persuade a tribal leader to abandon a blood feud, convince a merchant to sell you an item at a loss, get a palace guard to let you in to see the king while he's holding closed court, persuade a religious leader to violate one of their core tenets, talk your way out of being arrested for a capital crime.	Win an argument, put forward a more compelling case than an opponent, win a crowd away from a speaker, win a court case against someone.

Petty Theft ~

Scope: Picking pockets, cutting purses, stealing small items, sleight of hand, giving things to people without them noticing, concealing small items, knowing what things are worth.

Petty Theft is the age old art of picking up small items from a wide variety of locations without anyone noticing. It can also be used to place small items about another person's person without them noticing.

In combat it can be used to give or take small items not currently being held by your opponent, counting as an attack that can't directly cause a wound or serious wound. Possible uses of this are to get a dagger or other weapon from your opponent's belt to arm yourself, to take their belt to disadvantage them or to "give" them an activated device.

Use Examples

Trivial (TS 9)	Average (TS 12)	Challenging (TS 15)	Impossible (TS 18)	Opposed
Grab a small, low value item from a busy or very quiet location without being noticed. Hide your coinpurse so it's not easily swiped.	Grab a small item from a market stall, cut the purse of a distracted merchant. Conceal a small weapon so it draws no attention from an observer, drop a note in someone's pocket without them noticing.	Pay a bartender with his own money, steal someone's meal or chair, determine the value of high end jewellery or high craftsmanship items, steal something noisy.	Steal an item someone is holding or wearing without them noticing.	Petty theft is almost always done vs awareness when taking or giving an item to someone out of combat. In combat it can be opposed by a weapon or defensive skill.

Combat Skills

Brawling ~

Scope: Fighting without weapons.

Brawling covers a wide range of unarmed fighting styles from formal martial arts to headbutting people. It can also be used to break items and objects.

Brawling can be used to make and to defend against melee attacks. An unarmed strike cannot inflict a serious or critical wound by default.

You can use brawling to make unarmed attacks or to defend even if one or two of your limbs are in use or disabled.

Use Examples

Trivial (TS 9)	Average (TS 12)	Challenging (TS 15)	Impossible (TS 18)	Opposed
				Brawling is used in opposed checks when attacking and defending.

Dual Wield ~

Scope: This skill is used to make attacks and to defend while you are wielding a weapon in each hand. You apply the qualities of both weapons to any checks you make with this skill.

Use Examples

Trivial (TS 9)	Average (TS 12)	Challenging (TS 15)	Impossible (TS 18)	Opposed

One Weapon ~

Scope: Fighting with a weapon in your favoured hand.

This skill is used to make attacks and to defend while you are wielding a weapon in your favoured hand. When using this skill your other hand is free, making it easy to grab items or people, cast spells, throw devices or fire small ranged weapons.

Use Examples

Trivial (TS 9)	Average (TS 12)	Challenging (TS 15)	Impossible (TS 18)	Opposed
Strike a target dummy

Ranged ~

Scope: This skill is used to make attacks with a ranged or thrown weapon.

Use Examples

Trivial (TS 9)	Average (TS 12)	Challenging (TS 15)	Impossible (TS 18)	Opposed

Shield ~

Scope: This skill is used to fight and defend with a weapon and shield. While using a shield you can use this skill to defend against ranged attacks.

Use Examples

Trivial (TS 9)	Average (TS 12)	Challenging (TS 15)	Impossible (TS 18)	Opposed

Two Handed ~

Scope: This skill is used to make attacks and to defend while you are wielding a two handed weapon in both hands. Two handed weapons usually have either the Powerful quality, granting +1 on all checks made with them or the Reach quality which means you can't be counter attacked on a bad offensive check.

Use Examples

Trivial (TS 9)	Average (TS 12)	Challenging (TS 15)	Impossible (TS 18)	Opposed

Trivial (TS 9)	Average (TS 12)	Challenging (TS 15)	Impossible (TS 18)	Opposed

Trivial (TS 9)	Average (TS 12)	Challenging (TS 15)	Impossible (TS 18)	Opposed
Freeze a glass of water. Shape a small amount of water into a knife, turn a glass of water into one square of fog.	Turn a litre of water into 9 squares of fog. Freeze a path across a small river. Propel a rowing boat across a calm surface.	Generate a significant amount of fog from several buckets of water. Capsize a raft. Make a spear out of ice. Throw scalding steam at an enemy.	Freeze a path across a fast flowing river. Scald several people.

Edges

A character with this edge is fairly average in most ways, making them hard to describe, remember or even notice. A character with this edge gets a +2 bonus to concealment checks when hiding in populated areas.

Woodsman ~

Your character can survive in the wilderness

Your character can combine kemic substances

Prerequesites: Kemic

If your character doesn't already have the ability to combine alchemical substances then they gain the ability to mix together two substances. Part of the mixing process will be to try and get a beneficial effect but not all combinations are viable. Mixing an Invigoration potion and Sticky Glue paste will result in a salve that can be applied to wounds. Mixing a healing potion and a light binary will result in a healing potion that glows, which won't be much better than a healing potion once drunk. Mixing the salve above with essence of fire will make a healing salve that ignites when it comes in contact with air, useful in only the rarest situations.

If your character already has the ability to mix substances, you can add an additional effect. Normally this kind of mixing takes 1d6 hours and requires a quiet place with suitable equipment.

Magic Edges

Commanding Voice 1 ~

Your character can give short, compelling instructions.

Prerequesites: Sound 2 points, Mind 2 points, Persuasion 2 points

A character with this edge can use mind magic at a range to give simple commands of a few words or less than can be completed in a few seconds (such as open that door, stand aside or drop your weapon) to a single target. A successful Mind check opposed by a relevant skill is required for success, and if the command is something like "drop your weapon" or "lower your guard" then the opposed check can be made with a combat skill to represent martial discipline.

Commanding Voice 2 ~

Your character is unnaturally good at telling people what to do.

Prerequesites: Commanding Voice 1, Mind 4 points, Sound 4 points

A character with this edge can give more complex commands (a whole sentence instead of a few words, but the task must me completable in 10 seconds or less) with their commanding voice to a single individual, or affect any number of targets who can hear them with a simple command.

Familiar ~

Your character has bound an animal to service

Prerequesites: Mind 2 points

A character with this edge can bind an animal as a familiar. The animal becomes loyal to the binder, who gets a +3 bonus on any checks to persuade the animal to do anything.

Familiar 2 ~

Your character's familiar is smarter

Prerequesites: Familiar

The familiar of a character with this edge becomes smarter than usual, able to understand more complex tasks and ideas.

Focused Mind ~

Your character can perform basic rituals faster and without making marks

Prerequesites: Mage

A character with this edge can perform any basic ritual in one fifth of the normal time and without inscribing any marks.

Gravity Magic 1 ~

Your character can use earth magic to change how much things weigh

Prerequesites: Earth 2 points

A character with this edge can use the Earth skill to change how much things weigh, briefly increasing or decreasing their weight by up a factor of two.

Mage ~

Your character knows basic rituals

Prerequesites: None

A character with this edge can use any basic ritual to enhance a magic skill check as long as they have the required time and resources.

Precise Mind ~

Your character gets a bonus to some rituals

Prerequesites: Mage

A character with this edge gets an additional +1 bonus to any ritual check. This stacks with the bonuses from the ritual of precision.

Ritualist ~

Your character can perform advanced rituals

Prerequesites: Mage

A character with this edge can perform advanced rituals to gain a bonus on a check or to drastically increase the duration or effect of a check.

Smell Magic 1 ~

Your character can create and mask a range of smells and scents using air magic

Prerequesites: Air 2 points

A character with this edge can use air magic to create and disperse a variety of scents anywhere they could effect with an air magic check. Characters with this edge can mask their own scent which may make them harder to track.

Totemic ~

Your character has a wand / staff / focus

Prerequesites: None

A character with this edge has a staff, wand or other focus that they use to do magic. A character with this edge is considered to be in contact with an item that they are touching with their focus, and they get +1 on all magic checks while holding / using the focus. However a character with this edge who doesn't have their focus suffers a -2 penalty on all magic checks and can't perform rituals.

If a character may choose to create multiple totems, with each one applying to a different skill or set of skills as long as every magic skill they know has a totem associated with it.

Creating or re-creating a totem takes several days.

Windwalker ~

Your character can run across air

Your character heals unnaturally fast

Prerequesites: Gifted

A character with this edge heals at a hugely accelerated rate, recovering from serious wounds in 1d6 hours instead of 1d6 weeks.

Items

Mask of Purification ~

2000pr

This cloth mask is made to be worn over nose and mouth and enchanted with transmutation magics. It filters harmful substances from the air when worn and allows the wearer to breath underwater.

Noisemaker ~

10pr - 200pr

Noisemakers are small devices that once wound and released make a single, pre-defined sound. Cost varies with the complexity and volume of the noise.

Pack Mule ~

15pr

A hardy pack animal capable of carrying a lot of stuff so you don't have to.

Alchemical Dispenser ~

+500pr

Most melee weapons can be modified so that they can deliver an alchemical payload on their first hit by a sufficiently skilled tinkerer, however it takes several rounds to insert a new payload.

Alchemical Dispenser ~

+500pr

A tinkering upgrade for a shield, this allows the bearer of the shield to release an alchemical substance so that it coats the shield once per combat. It takes several rounds to reload the payload.

Arrows x15 ~

3pr

A quiver of 15 arrows or bolts.

Battleaxe ~

40pr

For chopping people, not wood. Battle axes are Sharp, Blunt, Melee and One-handed.

Blessed Armour ~

5000pr

Blessed armour has been sanctified by a Gifted faithful with the consecrate edge. It's rare for these armours to be a available for trade so those that are available are expensive. The wearer of this armour ignores the first wound inflicted on then each combat.

Blessed Weapon ~

5000pr

A blessed weapon has been sanctified by a Gifted faithful with the consecrate edge. It's rare for these weapons to be a available for trade so those that are available are expensive. Once per combat, the wielder of a blessed weapon can re-roll a single d6 while making a check with this weapon.

Bow ~

20pr

A favourite of hunters and armies on a budget, you can use a bow to make ranged attacks as long as you have arrows. Bows make Sharp, Ranged and Projectile attacks.

Collapsible ~

+100pr

A collapsible weapon can be folded or otherwise compacted down to take up about a third of the space it normally would in it's longest direction. It takes an action to re-assemble the weapon so that it can be used in combat.

Dagger ~

10pr

A small, versatile weapon, daggers can be used in either hand or thrown as a ranged weapon. Their small size also makes them easier to conceal.

Daggers are One-handed, Sharp, Melee and Thrown.

Deadly Weapon ~

+1500pr

The weapon has been crafted, modified or improved to be significantly easier to hurt people with than normal. It gains the Deadly quality if it didn't have it already.

Enchantment: Nightweave ~

+500pr

Imbued with arcane magic, Nightweave armour seems to absorb light. The wearer ignores the usual penalties of the armour when using the sneak skill to hide.

Applying this enchantment requires the Enchant Item edge and a TS 15 light check.

Enchantment: Silent ~

+500pr

Imbued with arcane magic, silent armour makes almost no noise. The wearer ignores the usual penalties of the armour when using the sneak skill to move quietly.

Applying this enchantment requires the Enchant Item edge and a TS 15 sound check.

Featherweight Armour ~

+1000pr

Made from the best materials available and using specially chosen alloys or alchemical lightening preparations, any armour can be made significantly less cumbersome. Featherweight armour has it's penalties reduced by one point (to 0 for light, 1 for medium and 2 for heavy).

Flaming Weapon ~

+2000pr

This weapon has been enchanted with fire magic, and will ignite anyone it strikes, disadvantaging them until the end of their next turn.

Heavy Armour ~

1000pr

Excellent protection at the cost of mobility and stealth, heavy armour sets a character's minimum defence to 15 but applies a 3 point penalty to some checks and adds a point of faigue to the wearer for every hour it's worn after the first.

Heavy armour can be partially worn to provide the same protection as medium armour.

High Quality ~

+2000pr

Perfectly crafted using the best available materials and technologies, a high quality weapon gives you a +1 bonus on checks using it.

Large Shield ~

40pr

Large shields can be used wih the Shields skill to acively defend, they also increase the user's minimum defence by 1. They have the Melee and One-handed qualities.

Light Armour ~

50pr

Basic protection that doesn't interfere too much with movement, light armour lets a character set their minimum defence to 11 but applies a 1 point penalty to some checks.

Lightweight Weapon ~

+1000pr

This weapon has been crafted or modified to be lighter than usual, making it easier to counter attack with. It gains the Fast quality if it doesn't already have it.

Long Spear ~

30pr

Designed for keeping an enemy at bay, a long spear is a Two-handed, Sharp and Reach Weapon.

Mace ~

25pr

Essentially a metal club, a mace makes Blunt, One-handed melee attacks.

Medium Armour ~

200pr

Good protection that interferes somewhat with movement, medium armour sets a character's minimum defence to 13 but applies a 2 point penalty to some checks.

Popup Shield ~

100pr

Looking like an oversized plate glove, this item deploys into a small shield when activated but allows free use of the hand otherwise.

Rapier ~

100pr

A lightweight sword of the type favoured by the rich and the nimble. Rapiers are One-handed, Melee, Sharp, Fast and Precise.

Short Spear ~

10pr

Designed for stabbing and throwing in close quarters, a short spear makes One-handed, Sharp, Melee or Thrown attacks.

Small Shield ~

25pr

A small shield doesn't increase your minimum defence but does allow you to use the shield skill to negate incoming attacks from most sources. Small shields are Fast and Melee.

Springbow, Basic ~

50pr

Slow to load but packing a huge punch springbows are common throughout civilised areas. Cocking and reloading a springbow is a complex task that can't be done in combat, but even the most basic models such as this one can be fired twice before needing to be reloaded. Springbows look like fat, bowless crossbows with a variety of springs and mechanisms down each side used to store and release the energy used to fire them.

Springbow attacks are Two-handed Ranged, Deadly, Projectile and Powerful.

Springbow, Triple ~

100pr

A bulkier, heavier version of the crossbow which packs less punch. Despite these drawbacks the springbow is a favourite weapon for guards in central areas as it can be fired several times before it needs to be reloaded and re-cocked. Designs vary but the effect is the same: You can use this springbow to make ranged attacks three times before you have to cock and reload it, which takes some time.

Springbow attacks are Two-handed, Ranged, Deadly, Projectile and Powerful.

Sword ~

20pr

A simple, effective weapon usable in either main or off hand. Swords are Sharp, One-handed and Melee.

Tortured Steel Arm Re-enforcements ~

1500pr

Purchasable either as a standalone item or incorporated into armour, Tortured Steel arm re-enforcements help the wearer absorb or deflect incoming blows, granting a +1 bonus to defence checks made using a shield or melee weapon.

Tortured Steel Leg Re-enforcements ~

2000pr

Purchasable either as a standalone item or incorporated into armour, these leg re-enforcements significantly increase the wearer's ability to run and jump. Essentially leg and feet braces with advanced shock absorbers, a practiced wearer counts all falls as 5m less, gets a +3 bonus on checks to jump or land and can travel twice an extra 4m (2 squares) when using an action to move. This item also allows it's wearer to travel longer distances faster and with less effort, even a novice user can keep pace with mounted colleagues and be no more tired at the end of a days travel.

As with all equipment that uses tortured steel, these leg re-enforcements make a reasonable amount of noise when used.

Two Handed Sword ~

50pr

A large, dangerous sword that requires two hands to wield effectively. Two handed swords are, unsurprisingly, Two handed, Melee, Sharp, Deadly and Powerful.

Wristbow ~

150pr

40pr

Creates an iridescent paste that when applied to an area or object repels anything that comes into contact with it, causing it to reflect / rebound the object away with most of the force it arrived with. Applied to a shield it grants an Advntage when defending. Applied to boots or feet it gives a +3 bonus to checks to jump or land. The effect lasts 1d6 minutes.

This item has a TS to craft of 15.

Sharp ~

Distils a dose of Sharp, which when drunk heightens awareness and banishes fatigue for 1d6 hours. During this time the drinker gets +1 to awareness checks, can't fall asleep and ignores fatigue. However, drinking a dose of Sharp adds a level of fatigue to he drinker.

Sharp is not a substitute for sleep but can be used to postpone it for quite some time.

This item has a TS to craft of 12

Sleeping ~

250pr

Creates a potion that when drunk will put the drinker to sleep after 1d6 rounds. Once asleep, the drinker can be woken normally after 1d6 minutes have elapsed.

This item has a TS to craft of 18.

Smoke ~

20pr

Creates a binary that when combined reacts quickly to create a small cloud of smoke (about 3x3 squares) that lasts for 1d6 mins, but can be dispersed by medium to strong winds beforehand. The smoke obscures vision but doesn't affect breathing unless combined with something else.

This item has a TS to craft of 9.

Steelskin ~

100pr

Once consumed, this potion hardens the drinker's skin, setting their minimum defence to 13 for 1d6 minutes.

This item has a TS to craft of 15.

Swimming ~

50pr

Creates a potion that when drunk causes webbing to grow between the drinker's fingers and toes, granting a +6 bonus to any checks involving swimming for 1d6 hours. Additionally the drinker moves twice as fast in water as they would normally.

This item has a TS to craft of 12.

Undying ~

100pr

Creates a potion that once drunk empowers the drinker so that they can carry on fighting as if they hadn't taken up to three wounds for 1d6 minutes. Critical wounds still have their normal effects.

This item has a TS to craft of 15.

Veritas Extract ~

500pr

Once consumed, this potion causes the drinker to speak what they think, as they think it. An awareness check (TS 15) is required for the drinker to notice what they're doing, but does not counteract it. The effect lasts for 1d6 hours.

This item has a TS to craft of 18.

Warmth ~

10pr

Creates a binary that when combined reacts slowly, generating comfortable warmth for 1d6 hours while giving off very little light. Usually used in a container of some sort. Applications are everything from ladies' comfort to wilderness survival. If you somehow persuade someone to come in contact direct with the material, they feel uncomfortable warm.

This item has a TS to craft of 9.

Backgrounds

Artisan~

Your character gets two crafty edges, some tools and 100pr.

Canyon Walker~

Your character grew up in a tribe from Vivan which is a harsh, mountainous region where air magic is taught to many. They get 2 points in the Air skill and the Windwalker edge.

Demonologist~

Demonic Insight, Mage and Ritualist edges. Starts play with a "Book of secrets" that contains forbidden arcane knowledge.

Duellist~

Duellist and Precise Strikes edges, 2 points 1 handed.

Elementalist~

1 point in each of Air, Earth, Fire and Water magic skills...

Gifted Faithful~

An exemplar of a deity, your character gets the Divine Gift edge, any other Divine edge and Lore (Religion). You can also expect basic support from churches of your faith, although they are more likely to turn to you for help.

Harmony of Unity~

The Harmony of Unity is a community that believes in better living through use of magic and technology. The community is mainly self sufficient and doesn't use money internally. Your character gets the Mage edge, 2 points in the Earth skill and 1 point in the Mind skill.

Illusionist~

1 point Light, Sound, and Imitation skills. Mage edge

Kemist~

Your character is a trained and approved practitioner of the kemic arts and gets the Alchemist edge, a basic kemic kit and 1 point in each kemic skill.

Lowborn City Dweller~

Your characer grew up in a rough area and gets 2 points in the Brawling skill, 1 point in the Awareness skill and the Underworld Contacts edge.

Merchant~

Your character is an experienced trader and gets 1 point in Persuasion and 1 point in Awareness as well as an additional 200pr. Additionally you can always haggle for a discount of some kind when making a significant purchase.

Noble~

A child of a noble house or similarly privileged environment, your character gains the lore edge twice and starts play with a high quality item or equivalent.

Preacher~

Your character is an advocate for a deity, although not necessarily a Gifted one, and starts play with Lore (Religion), 2 points in Persuasion, access to resources and support from local churches of your faith and a single high quality item.

Scholar~

Your character has been thoroughly educated and starts play with a unique lore edge that applies to pretty much all lore checks as well as the scholar edge twice.

Tinkerer~

Your character likes messing with devices and gets 2 points in Mechanisms, 1 point in Ranged and starts play with an assortment of devices.

Veteran~

Your character has been a guard, a soldier or a mercenary in the past and gets 1 point in each of any two combat skills of your choice.