Sample of FATAL

109 Pages·2004·5.47 MB·English

by  Byron Hall

1
Byron Hall
www.fatalgames.com
2
Fatal GamesTM, 3100 Minnesota Ave., Suite 204W, Kansas City, KS 66102
Cover Art: Andrew Dobell
Internal Artwork: Matthew Brackney, Adam Briggs, Andrew Dobell, Kimon, Lazar Stojkovic, Steven
MnMoorn, and Steve Willhite.
Typeface: Garamond and Tiepolo Book. Garamond was selected as the main font due to its historical
accuracy. Claude Garamond (1480-1561) was the first independent typefounder and first used
his typeface in 1530.
F.A.T.A.L. paper burns exceptionally well.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number:
Copyright © 2004
Published by Fatal GamesTM
3100 Minnesota Ave., Suite 204W
Kansas City, KS 66102
e-mail: [e-mail]
To Order: 1-913-233-0188 or www.fatalgames.com
F.A.T.A.L., the F.A.T.A.L. logo, Fatal Games logo, and Mean System logo are trademarks owned by Fatal
Games. All characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by
Fatal Games. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any
reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the
express written permission of Fatal Games. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or
events is purely coincidental. Copyright © 2000-2004 Fatal Games. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ISBN
3
Welcome to a fantasy medieval role-playing What is a Role-Playing Game?
game that focuses on realism and detail whenever A role-playing game is a game in which the
possible without sacrificing fun. Despite the focus players make decisions as though they were a cer-
on realism, several tenets of fantasy are assumed. tain character. The decisions a player may make are
In the world of this game, magic exists as well as diverse compared to other games. Tabletop role-
spellcasters such as mages, witches, and druids. Sec- playing games allow more decisions to a player than
ond, fantastic creatures roam the world, including any other type of game.
kobolds and dragons, among others. Finally, doz- For instance, assume you are an adventur-
ens of gods exist, and moreover these gods are con- ing knight who has just fought his way to the top of
cerned with their worshippers, the state of the world, a dark tower where you find a comely young maiden
and their own godly interests. Aside from these ba- chained to the wall. What would you do? Some
sic assumptions of fantasy, realism is sought in ev- players may choose to simply free the maiden out
ery other respect and applied to these fantastic te- of respect for humanity. Others may free her while
nets as well as the gaming world and role-playing hoping to win her heart. Instead of seeking affec-
system. tion, some may talk to her to see if they can collect
a reward for her safe return. Then again, others
Fantasy and Historical Accuracy may be more interested in negotiating freedom for
Since the fantastic tenets above contradict fellatio. Some may think she has no room to bar-
historical accuracy, the relationship will be clarified. gain and take their fleshly pleasures by force. Oth-
Since multiple gods exist in the game, Christianity ers would rather kill her, dismember her young ca-
has been extracted or minimized from historical ref- daver, and feast on her warm innards.
erences. Although the technology of the game rep- As you can see, the number of decisions one
resents 1335 A.D., many elements of pagan cultures could make with one simple situation can quickly
are included in this fantasy medieval game. become overwhelming. Typically, this is the attrac-
This game attempts to isolate Europe from tion of role-playing games. No other game allows
influences that originate outside it. Therefore, spices so much individual choice, and consequently, so
from the East are not included, all human charac- much fun.
ters are Caucasian, zombies are not presumed to Since the purpose of a tabletop role-play-
exist, and human corpses are burned -- Egyptians ing game should be to allow a player to play the role
invented embalming, and Egypt is outside Europe. of their character as desired, this game includes a
The fantasy of F.A.T.A.L. is a polytheistic, wide range of material, from moral to immoral. This
European-based world with medieval technology, in game does not support morality or immorality, but
which Christianity never existed. Although it is tech- allows each player to role-play as desired.
nically impossible to be historically accurate in a fan- Events in the game do not occur merely by
tasy game, historical accuracy that supports the fan- the will of the player, however. Instead, decisions
tasy of this game is referenced at the end of this and outcomes are mediated by odds and rolls of
book. Footnotes appear throughout this book to the dice. Hence, this book is full of rules and guide-
reference classical, historical, or scholarly sources. lines based on odds. Do not let the sheer volume
The application of historical accuracy to the of information be intimidating; as a player you will
fantasy of this game is an unending goal. Scholarly not need to memorize it, though familiarity helps.
sources are preferred above all others. For consid- The best definition is that a role-playing
eration, please suggest references to game is a game that allows players to utilize their full
[e-mail]. potential for imagination and enjoyment within a
controlled setting.
4
Necessary Gaming Materials When a die is to be rolled, the type of the
To play this game, some materials are nec- die (how many sides it has) usually appears after a
essary. It is convenient to have a separate copy of ‘d’, designating the die. For instance, ‘d10’ indicates
this book for each player; it will be used often. Next, that one 10-sided die is to be rolled. If a number
a set of gaming dice is necessary, which may be pur- appears before it, such as ‘3d10’, then three 10-sided
chased at most hobby stores and some bookstores. dice are to be rolled, and the numbers added to-
Sets of gaming dice usually include one 4-sided, one gether, which this example produces a range from
6-sided, one 8-sided, two 10-sided (or percentile 3-30. Finally, a number may follow as a modifier,
dice), one 12-sided, and one 20-sided die. Another such as ‘3d10 + 2’, which means that three 10-sided
book entitled Neveria will be very useful, and nec- dice are rolled and added together as before, but
essary if anyone plays a priest as a character. Fur- now 2 is added to the sum. This particular example
ther, numerous pencils, erasers, scratch paper, and produces a range from 5-32. Additionally, ‘d%’ or
graph paper are handy. Miniatures are available from ‘d100’ indicates that two 10-sided dice are to be
several companies for purchase and are useful for rolled, but the results are not added together. In-
combat situations, though they are not required for stead, 1 die (which is announced beforehand) is in-
play; any coin could be used instead to represent a terpreted as the ‘tens’ position and the other as
character. A gaming mat that is drawn in a 1-inch the ‘ones’ position. So, if two 10-sided dice were
grid may be purchased or easily made, and is used rolled, resulting in a 6 and a 9, and the die that re-
on which to place the miniatures. Calculators, while sulted with a 6 was announced as the ‘tens’ position,
not required, are recommended. Finally, a small then the results would be interpreted as 69. If the
group of gaming participants, typically 4-8 players, results are a 10 and a 10 (probably a 0 and a 0 on the
is best. Here is a review: dice), then this is interpreted as 100. Finally, a ‘d1000’
is possible, which simply requires three 10-sided dice,
(cid:141) Numerous copies of this book with the 3rd die being interpreted as the ‘hundreds’
(cid:127) Gaming dice (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, position.
d20)
(cid:127) Character Generator Program Math
(cid:127) Neveria Fantasy World Players will not need math that is more com-
(cid:127) Pencils, erasers, scratch paper, and plicated than basic algebra, and even that is rela-
graph paper tively rare. A rule that applies to all calculations is
(cid:127) 25mm Miniatures or small markers that whenever a decimal remainder exists, such as if
such as coins a character has 53.96 points of Intelligence, the num-
(cid:127) Gaming mat (1” grid) ber is truncated or the decimal is discarded. So, this
(cid:127) Calculator particular individual would have 53 points of Intel-
(cid:127) Players ligence. While this game attempts to simplify any
math that may be involved, percentages are used
Terminology frequently. Here are a few helpful reminders, which
Two types of terminology are discussed: will consistently use 88% as the modifier:
pronouns and dice. Given the content of this game,
both should be understood. (cid:127) 88% of any value (say, a character’s Strength
Since it is impossible to be correct gram- score of 150) is equivalent to multiplying the
matically and avoid a gender bias, Fatal Games sac- value (150) by 0.88. In this example, 88%
rifices grammar to avoid a bias. Throughout this of 150 is 132.
book, pronouns such as ‘they’, ‘their’, and ‘them’ (cid:127) If a value (say, an Intelligence score of 115)
replace ‘he’ or ‘she’, and ‘his’ or ‘hers’, unless more is reduced by 88%, then only 12% remains.
appropriate. In this example, 12% of 115 is 13.
5
(cid:127) If 88% is added to any value (say, 22 points The role of the Aedile is more complicated
of damage due to Strength), then the value than that of a player, since a good and entertain-
is multiplied by 1.88. In this example, an ing Aedile must be familiar with everything that
additional 88% of 22 results in a total of 41 players are familiar with, but also be familiar with
points of damage (1.88 x 22 = 41.36). their own role. For this reason, this book has been
arranged so that information for players is presented
Roles before information for Aediles. If you are new to
Two fundamentally different roles must be the game, the best suggestion is to read this book.
fulfilled for a game to occur, and hence this game
requires at least 2 people. 1 person must assume the Creating a Character
role of the Aedile (EE-dial). Historically, an Aedile A character is required to play the game.
was a Roman official in charge of the games and Each player must progress through this book, chap-
had control over the public. In the game, the Aedile ter by chapter, to create a character. Before begin-
controls everything except the players and dice. ning, each player will need character sheets, which
Aediles do not create and role-play a character like may be photocopied from Appendix 1: Character
the players of the game. Instead, the Aedile directs Sheets. These sheets are a handy means of record-
the game, often acting as a referee or storyteller. ing character information. As each player progresses
Objectivity should be the highest goal of through the chapters of the book, rolling dice and
every Aedile. Otherwise, the Aedile may become making decisions, the results must be recorded on
known as a Vile Aedile or Hostile Aedile. their character sheets. Record the information with
Essentially, before the game the Aedile de- a pencil and do not write heavy-handedly; a lot of
vises a plot or a purpose to the game. For example, the information is subject to change. During the
one plot may be for the characters to happen upon game, each player will refer continually to their char-
a dungeon in the wilderness, and to encourage them acter sheets.
to enter and combat its inhabitants. If this were the Not every chapter, nor each part of every
case, prior to the game the Aedile would draw a map chapter, will be used while creating a character.
of the dungeon on graph paper. Next, the Aedile Nonetheless, the safest method is to progress
would stock the dungeon with monsters, traps, and through the book page by page to avoid missing
treasure for the characters to encounter. During anything. The order in which the material is pre-
the game, the role of the Aedile is to explain to the sented is the order in which a character should be
players what their characters see and hear as they created, otherwise alterations may occur to the char-
enter and traverse the dungeon. Further, as the char- acter. When in doubt, information relevant to char-
acters encounter monsters, the Aedile role-plays the acter creation is listed in the beginning of each chap-
monsters, representing them against the characters. ter, though some chapters, such as Chapter 1: Race
The players, on the other hand, create 1 char- and Gender are vital, while others such as Chapter 15:
acter apiece, and role-play that character for the Conducting the Game are irrelevant to creating charac-
game. For example, a player named Ryan may cre- ters. In general, the more relevant the information
ate a character who is a ruffian by occupation. to creation, the sooner it appears in the book.
Throughout the game, Ryan role-plays the ruffian, The fastest way to create a character is to
making gaming decisions as though he actually were use a computer program called the Fatal Character
the ruffian. Typically, several players work together, Generator, which is available free on-line. Visit
creating a small group of unique characters, each www.fatalgames.com to obtain the free generator.
with their own talents and shortcomings. Together, Character creation is often as fun as the game
the small group of characters attempts to tackle a itself, due to the seemingly infinite variety of pos-
dilemma or plot devised by the Aedile. sible characters. For instance, when rolling a
character’s sub-abilities, there are (19920) combina-
tions possible, before modifiers!
6
Mean System ing on the type of weapon. Killing is a core ele-
The Mean System is the set of mechanics ment of most role-playing games. Fatal Games con-
behind F.A.T.A.L. -- the gaming engine, if you will. siders the act of killing to be a sensitive issue, and
A realistic game should have realistic game mechan- only includes it because of its prominence in the
ics. The Mean System was created for this purpose. past as a significant part of human history. Warfare
Although the Mean System is based on is the best example of violence, and has occurred
mathematics and statistics, the players do not need throughout European history.
to understand the mechanics to use them. The Mean Since the game includes both sex and vio-
System is realistic, but also simple to use. lence, the combination is also included: rape. Rape
The most common aspects of the Mean is not intended to be a core element of F.A.T.A.L.,
System are the normal curve, mean, and standard as killing is a core element of most role-playing
deviation, though parabolic curve-fitting and trigo- games. Fatal Games considers rape to be a sensitive
nometric functions have been incorporated as well. issue, and only includes it because of its prominence
A mean game needs a mean system. Enjoy in the past. For example, Europe was named after
the most simple and sophisticated mechanics in the Europa, who was raped by Zeus, according to Greek
industry. Enjoy F.A.T.A.L. mythology. In Jacques Rossiaud’s Medieval Prosti-
tution, he reviews statistics on rape from numerous
towns and cities in southeast France during eco-
nomic and social stability, not war. Jacques at-
tempts to represent all medieval prostitution with
this book. In it, he estimates that half the male
youth participate in at least one gang rape, and
Warning that sexual violence is an everyday dimension of
F.A.T.A.L. is for adults only. This role-play- community life.
ing game is not intended for children due to con- Role-playing situations that accurately rep-
tent that is obscene, lecherous, and violent. resent mythology are likely at some point to include
This game includes obscene language. Fatal rape, molestation, encounters in brothels, or possi-
Games considers obscenity to be a sensitive issue, bly situations that deviate more from social norms.
and only includes it because of its prominence in While the objective of the game is not intended to
the past as a significant part of human history. Most be any of these in their own right, sex and violence
of the rules of the game avoid obscenity. For ex- may reasonably occur depending on the circum-
ample, it is possible to determine a character’s man- stances, and have been detailed in gaming terms
hood, not cock, or vaginal depth, not cunt depth. herein. It is possible to play this game without a
However, the greatest concentration of obscenity character entering a single sexual or violent situa-
is in Appendix 3: Random Magical Effects, and is in- tion, though information and tables for sex and vio-
tended for humorous effect. lence are provided so that they may be used or dis-
This game includes sex and sexual situations. missed as deemed appropriate by each gaming group.
Fatal Games considers sex to be a sensitive issue, Fatal Games advises minors not to partici-
and only includes it because of its prominence in pate in this game, and suggests that the players and
the past as a significant part of human history. Op- Aedile discuss the appropriateness and degree of
tional material exists so that a player may determine sex and violence for their gaming group. The infor-
sexual features of their character, such as genitalia. mation in this game does not represent the world-
For example, it is possible to determine penis size, views of Fatal Games, nor is extreme violence or
cup size, or vaginal circumference, among others. extreme sex condoned by Fatal Games. Instead,
Violence may exceed that of other role-play- the information is included for comprehensiveness.
ing games. Graphic Gore presents descriptions of F.A.T.A.L. (From Another Time, Another Land) may
damage to body parts and internal organs depend- be adapted to any gaming group.
7
Contents
Chapter 1: Race and Gender ............................................ 9
Chapter 2: Body................................................................. 40
Chapter 3: Abilities........................................................... 71
Chapter 4: Disposition .................................................. 104
Chapter 5: Mind.............................................................. 127
Chapter 6: Sociality ........................................................ 149
Chapter 7: Occupation ..................................................204
Chapter 8: Skills...............................................................319
Chapter 9: Equipment.....................................................411
Chapter 10: Combat.......................................................486
Chapter 11: Magic............................................................514
Chapter 12: Spells ...........................................................526
Chapter 13: Magical Items ............................................ 721
Chapter 14: Treasure.......................................................780
Chapter 15: Conducting the Game.............................789
Chapter 16: Advancement ............................................. 801
Chapter 17: Natural Substances....................................805
Chapter 18: Warfare.........................................................819
Appendix 1: Character Sheets.......................................836
Appendix 2: Spell Lists..................................................848
Appendix 3: Random Magical Effects........................863
Appendix 4: Phobias ......................................................903
Appendix 5: Ingredients .................................................913
Appendix 6: Aedile Characters..................................... 954
Appendix 7: Names ........................................................963
Index..................................................................................980
References ......................................................................... 991
About Fatal Games .........................................................993
Author............................................................................... 994
Abettors............................................................................. 994
Credits...............................................................................995
8
Chapter 1: Race and Gender
r
e
d
n
e
G
To begin creating a character, this chapter If the Aedile declares that Race is determined
d
presents information on 2 of the 1st considerations: randomly, then roll 1d100 and consult the follow- n
a
Race1 and gender2. Race and gender may affect the ing table: e
c
rest of character creation, opening some doors of a
R
opportunity and closing others. The different races
:
1
and genders, while flexible to a certain extent, are Race: Random Determination
r
e
also more naturally suited for different things. For Roll Race t
p
instance, anakim males are likely to be more suc- 01 Anakim a
h
cessful as gladiators than kobold females. 02-16 Bugbear C
17-19 Dwarf, Black
20 Dwarf, Brown
Race 21 Dwarf, White
22 Elf, Dark
Most importantly, consult with the Aedile 23 Elf, Light
to see if Race is determined randomly or may be 24-53 Human
chosen by the player. Random determination is 54-73 Kobold
more realistic, since no one gets to choose their race 74-79 Ogre
in reality. However, the random determination of 80-81 Ogre, Cliff
race is problematic if a group of players are involved 82-84 Ogre, Gruagach
because the races may not get along with each other. 85 Ogre, Kinder-fresser
Therefore, the Aedile must choose whether Race is 86-87 Troll, Borbytingarna
determined randomly or chosen by the player. 88-90 Troll, Hill
91-100 Troll, Subterranean
1. The races for players have been selected strictly from European mythology and folklore. Other criteria include that they
must be bipedal, mortal, smaller than giants, and have no special abilities such as invisible gnomes. For more information, see
the References section at the end of this book.
2. Though sex usually refers to biological differences and gender usually refers to environmental differences, gender is chosen for
this chapter because sex may be confused with sexual acts.
9
Race may seem an inappropriate term be- Race Percent Overall Population
cause humans and trolls are not merely different Anakim 0.3%
races, but different species. However, various races Bugbear 15%
of trolls exist, and so it is the more specific term. Dwarf, Black 3%
Race is a correlative factor with many things, from Dwarf, Brown 0.4%
abilities to height and weight. For example, on av- Dwarf, White 2%
erage it is obvious that humans are physically stron- Elf, Dark 2%
ger, taller, and weigh more than kobolds. Players Elf, Light 2%
may select from the races in this chapter. Human 30%
Following is a brief description of each race. Kobold 20%
A character may deviate from the following racial Ogre 6%
notes with the Aedile’s permission, though this must Ogre, Cliff 2%
be done with caution; characters should comply with Ogre, Gruagach 3%
the following descriptions in the majority of cases Ogre, Kinder-fresser 0.3%
or observable instances. As a case in point, it is Troll, Borbytingarna 2%
noted that bugbears tend to have a melancholic tem- Troll, Hill 3%
perament (see Chap. 5: Mind). A character may, at Troll, Subterranean 9%
the Aedile’s discretion, role-play a bugbear who is
ers role-play human characters. Indeed, this is also
the opposite -- sanguine. However, the further the
the best combination for inexperienced players.
C character deviates from the general nature of the
However, even if the Aedile is experienced, caution
h
race, the more caution must be observed. If the
a should be heeded regarding the mixture of races
p Aedile concurs, then a player may choose a race from
t among the players’ characters. Racial diversity is likely
e
r Neveria; this is not recommended.
to cause gaming problems, such as threatening group
1
If the Aedile is inexperienced with
: cohesion if role-played properly. Therefore, the
R
F.A.T.A.L., then the game will be easiest if all play-
a Aedile has the right to limit the racial options of
c
e players as necessary. Under normal gaming circum-

a
n stances, at least half of the players in
d
the group should be role-play-
G
e ing characters of the
n
d same race.
e
r A variety of
races exist, each with
d i f f e r e n t
strengths and
weaknesses. It
is recom-
mended that a
player review
each race be-
fore selecting
the race for
their character.
Races are ex-
plained hereaf-
ter.
10