Savage Worlds: Hellfrost Player's Guide

132 Pages·2009·16.666 MB·English

by  Triple Ace Games

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AN ENDLESS WINTER IS COMING.
PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
The history of Rassilon is bloody. From the
frozen far north, beyond the civilized lands
with their rolling hills and forests, arose
a mighty army of frost giants, ice devils,
Hellfrost dragons, and fearsome orcs, servants
all of the ice godThrym. So began the terrible • P L AY E R ’ S G U I D E •
BlizzardWar and the downfall of the mighty
empires of man.
Five hundred years later the races of the
southern lands may have won the war, but
they suffer its legacy still. For five centuries
the winters have grown steadily longer and
colder. Huge swathes of the land of Rassilon
are permanently covered in ice and snow, and
even the temperate lands are not spared the
misery of failed harvests, deadly winters, and
the dreaded Hellfrost wind.
But winter is not the only danger. A mere 30
years ago, magic, once the civilized races’ most
potent weapon, suddenly began to fail.The
Siphoning, an effect of unknown origin, has
made magic an unpredictable ally.
Welcome to the world of Rassilon.
Welcome to the Hellfrost!
The Hellfrost Player’s Guide contains everything you need to begin adventuring in the frozen wastes:
• Six player character races.
• Dozens of new Edges, including Disciple Edges for religious heroes.
• Six alternate magical Arcane Backgrounds.
• Details on 24 deities and their followers.
• Rules for Glory, a new trait that measures the great deeds of your heroes.
• Complete setting rules for adventuring in Rassilon.
Hellfrost: Player’s Guide is an epic fantasy setting for the award-winning Savage Worlds RPG
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HELLFROST_PG_PPC.indd 1 17/12/2008 21:32:35
• P L AY E R ’ S G U I D E •
EPIC FANTASY ROLEPLAYING
HELLFROST_PG_ENDPAPERS.indd 1 26/10/2008 14:24:25
HELLFROST
PLAYER’S GUIDE
BY PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS & SNOWY
CONTRIBUTIONS: CLINT BLACK
EDITING & PROOFREADING: RON BLESSING & DAVE BLEWER
GRAPHIC DESIGN & TYPESETTING: ROBIN ELLIOTT
COVER & INTERIOR ART: CHRIS KUHLMANN
COVER DESIGN: ROBIN ELLIOTT
WWW.TRIPLEACEGAMES.COM
PERMISSION IS GRANTED TO PRINT THIS EBOOK FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY.
NO SITE LICENSE IS GIVEN. EACH PLAYER MUST OWN THEIR OWN COPY.
WIGGY’S DEDICATION: MAGGIE (FOR BEING THERE) & SNOWY (WHO CAN’T ACTUALLY TYPE)
ROBIN’S DEDICATION: THANKS TO MY FAMILY AND THEIR CONSTANT SUPPORT
©2009 Triple Ace Games. Hellfrost Player’s Guide and all related marks and logos are trademarks of
Triple Ace Games. All Rights Reserved.
THIS GAME REFERENCES THE SAVAGE WORLDS GAME SYSTEM, AVAILABLE FROM PINNACLE ENTERTAINMENT GROUP AT WWW.PEGINC.COM.
SAVAGE WORLDS AND ALL ASSOCIATED LOGOS AND TRADEMARKS ARE COPYRIGHTS OF PINNACLE ENTERTAINMENT GROUP. USED WITH PERMISSION.
PINNACLE MAKES NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY AS TO THE QUALITY, VIABILITY, OR SUITABILITY FOR PURPOSE OF THIS PRODUCT.
CONTENTS
HELLFROST ................................3 Trappings ..............................79
The Land .................................3 New & Altered Spells ............80
Where to Start .........................4
GLORY ......................................99
CHARACTERS .............................5 Gaining Glory ........................99
Glory Benefi ts .....................102
Making Characters ..................7
Losing Glory ........................104
Engro .....................................10
Frost Dwarf ............................10 LIFE IN RASSILON ..................105
Frostborn...............................11
Calendar ..............................105
Hearth Elf ..............................12
Daily Life .............................107
Human ..................................12 The Land .............................113
Taiga Elf .................................14
ORGANISATIONS ...................115
Edges & Hindrances..............15
Bludgeoners ........................115
New Edges .............................16
The Convocation .................115
GEAR ........................................31 The Gray Legion ..................116
Gear Notes ............................33 Hearth Knights ....................116
Vehicles .................................38 Iron Guild ...........................118
Fortifi cations .........................40 Knights Hrafn ......................118
Lorekeepers ........................118
HEDGE MAGIC ........................45
Reliquary .............................119
Herbalism ..............................45
Roadwardens .......................119
MAGIC ......................................49 Sisterhood of Mercy ............119
Thieves Guild ......................120
Changes to the Normal Rules ..49
The Thirteen Warriors .........120
Magic & the Moon .................50
Wood Wardens ....................120
The Siphoning .......................50
The Hellfrost Effect ...............51 GENERIC SETTING RULES ....121
The Elemental Realms...........51 Temperature ........................121
Magic Arcane Backgrounds ...52 Terrain & Movement ...........122
Activating Magic Items ..........58 Other Rules .........................124
Devine Aid ...........................125
RELIGION .................................59
Weregild ..............................125
Patron Deities ........................60
The Weather ........................126
The Gods of Rassilon ............61
Hellfrost Character Sheet ....127
SPELLS ......................................79 Index ...................................128
HELLFROST
Welcome to the Hellfrost Player’s Guide, your in- in perpetual winter. Hardy souls struggle to survive against
troduction to a new fantasy setting for Savage Worlds. the elements, frost giant raiders, orc tribes, and frostreav-
Within these pages, you will fi nd everything you need to ers, men driven mad by the H ellfrost wind, which howls
create a heroic character, whether that be a Hearth Knight across the plains and through the taiga forests.
fi ghting the terrors of the frozen north, an elementalist Surrounding the outer reaches of the H ellfrost is the
capable of controlling all four elements, a cunning tomb Icewall, a mile high barrier of solid ice. Many expedi-
raider venturing into musty crypts, a slayer of undead tions have been launched over the Icewall, but few have
braving the fog-shrouded tomb lands, a cleric of one of returned. Those who survived reported seeing only end-
the many gods holding true to his faith in the face of less tracts of snow and ice.
adversity, a mercenary fi ghting in one of the numerous Next are the High W interlands, a wild and dangerous
wars, or whatever else you can imagine. realm where the temperature rarely rises near freezing
point. As one travels south, so the snow and ice grow less,
LANGUAGE and one enters the Low W interlands. Here life is hard, but
bearable, though the temperature remains bitterly cold.
Some of the terms used in this book take the form of The southernmost region is called the H earthlands. The
Old English, Norse, and Germanic words, and are used as mountains, swamps, forests, and plains have succumbed to
the basis of the dominant human language in the region. the eternal cold, yet there is still hope. These are the most
In general, words are pronounced as written, though a settled lands, though food grows scarcer each year and con-
“g” is usually pronounced as a “y” and diphthongs use stant attacks by fell beasts drain valuable resources.
a drawn out fi rst vowel sound. Thus daeg (day) is pro-
nounced as “daay.” THE BLIZZARD WAR
THE LAND A little over fi ve hundred years ago, a vast army swept
down from the frozen reaches, which were then much
further north. Distant empires, their names now forgot-
ten, were obliterated by large numbers of frost giants,
The land in which the characters’ adventures take Hellfrost dragons, and other frigid abominations.
place is known as R assilon. Other lands were once known The northern central and eastern regions of Rassilon
to exist, but these have been unreachable for centuries. were cleansed of civilization, only the dwarves, t aiga
Rassilon is loosely divided into fi ve main geographic elves, and F innar humans surviving in any numbers—the
regions. Far to the north is the H ellfrost, a vast expanse of dwarves by sealing themselves away in their mountains,
ice and snow, wherein dwell towering frost giants whose the elves through ancient magic, and the latter lacking
skin radiates intense cold, H ellfrost dragons, whose any cities to attract the invaders.
breathe is coldfi re, a fi re that burns icy cold yet can melt In the east, the armies of Aspiria and Chalcis rallied to
metal, frost vampires, victims of the intense cold who feed hold the fl anks, while below the Icebarrier the A nari and
on the warmth of the living, and H ellfrost mammoths, Saxa were pushed back almost to the coast before rally-
whose breath can freeze a man’s blood in his veins. The ing and driving back the invaders. Long winters and con-
permanent ice and snow radiates, so legends say, from a stant attacks devastated the land, but after several years,
colossal spike of blue ice at the H ellfrost’s center. the attackers were forced back. As they retreated north, a
Surrounding this is the outer H ellfrost, a realm caught gigantic wall of ice rose, and the H ellfrost formed.
3
HELLFROST: PLAYER’S GUIDE
Since that day, known as I ce Rise, R assilon has been animals to their will. S kalds, also called song mages, chan-
gripped in a wintry fi st. Each year the snows begin ear- nel the threads into patterns through their voices.
lier and last longer, each year the ground takes longer to
thaw. R assilon is slowly succumbing to a permanent win- THE POWER OF FAITH
ter. Many folk suspect the end of days has fi nally come.
Many gods watch over R assilon, though an ancient
THE CIVILIZED RACES pact prohibits them from direct interference beyond
granting their followers miraculous powers. Clerics and
Rassilon has several sentient races. Humans are the paladins serve these deities, fi ghting their wars for them
most common. They live across the Hearthlands and on the mortal realm and promoting their causes.
outer H ellfrost in cities, towns, villages, and isolated From the motherly white-robed clerics of E ira, goddess
farmsteads. Of the many cultures which once dwelt in of healing, to the cadaverous dark-robed necromancer-
Rassilon, now there are just three—the city-dwelling priests of Hela, goddess of undeath; from the armor-clad
Anari, the rural S axa, and the nomadic F innar. warrior-priests of S caetha, slayer of darkness, to the studious
In the frozen north and on the highest peaks, frost dwarves scholar-priests of H oenir, god of knowledge, the servants of
carve their fortress cities into rock and glaciers, seeking pre- the gods cover the length and breadth of the land.
cious metals and black ice with which to craft weapons and
armor. Living among the great evergreen forests are the t aiga CULTS, CABALS, AND SOCIETIES
elves, a species of elves at home in the cold. To the south are
the hearth elves, cousins to the t aiga elves. The Convocation of Elementalists watches over
Engros (singular engro) are a diminutive race of no- students of the elemental arts, guiding, teaching, and
mads, traveling across the H earthlands and outer H ellfrost manipulating. H earth Knights, sworn to defend the
in brightly-colored caravans. They have a poor reputation, Hearthlands from H ellfrost beasts, prowl the snow and
being regarded as thieves and beggars by the other races. ice. Wood Wardens guard the ancient forests from the
They are renowned for their indomitable spirit. ravages of man and beasts. B ludgeoners watch over the
Finally there are the f rostborn, a recent race who engros, safeguarding them against the terrors that would
are more at home in the ice and snow than the warmer otherwise haunt their waking dreams. K nights Hrafn
climes. The Frostborn have evolved from the other races, lead armies of men against the forces of darkness, using
but they appear to be a new race unto themselves. their superior tactical and strategic knowledge to win the
day. But these heroic organizations are not the only ones
DARK FOES in existence. Evil lurks in the shadows, ready to strike at
the fi rst sign of weakness.
Of course, the civilized races, as they are frequently
called, do not dwell in isolation. Giants roam the tundra, WHERE TO START
mountains, forests, and hills. Foul orcs and goblins gather
their strength in secluded lands, waiting for the right time
to surge forth. Intelligent undead dwell in unhallowed
crypts and within the perpetually fog-shrouded land Players and GMs should, ideally, read the entire book
known as the Withered Lands, plotting the destruction of from cover to cover. The latter should understand all the
all life. Dragons circle high in the sky, arrogantly defying setting rules before play begins.
the lesser races to challenge them. Demons watch from Players should begin by reading the character genera-
ancient hiding places, corrupting those who would seek tion and gear chapters. Those who want to play mages
to enslave them. The list of horrors seems near endless. or priests need to read the chapters on magic and the
gods, as well. The chapters entitled Life in Rassilon
MAGIC and Organizations provide an overview of daily life and
some major organizations the heroes may belong to or
Rassilon is a world of magic. Tendrils of magical energy are likely to encounter at some point.
emanating from the moon touch every creature, granting
them the potential to weave, focus, and manipulate magic. REQUIRED BOOKS
Elementalists control the four elements, learning each
craft in turn until they have complete mastery. Hrimwisards In order to fully enjoy this setting, GM’s need the
draw their power from the ice and snow, gaining great pow- Hellfrost Bestiary and the Hellfrost Gazetteer. The former
er in colder realms and losing it as the temperature rises. contains a complete listing of the monsters and common
Heahwisards rule over a vast realm from their lofty towers, archetypes found in R assilon, covering everything from
their staves a symbol of their power and the tool by which giant ants to zombie lords, as well as rules for creating rel-
they work their art. Dwarven mages carve runes of power ics, the true magic items in R assilon. The latter details the
on stone tablets as their ancestors did countless centuries realms and major locales of R assilon and contains dozens
before. Druids, common among the elves and engros, tug of adventure seeds. Of course, you’ll also need the Savage
at the threads of natural magic, manipulating plants and Worlds rulebook.
4
CHARACTERS
Characters in H ellfrost are typical fantasy heroes. Heahwisard (High Mage): Heahwisards draw magi-
We’ve given you a list of common archetypes to help you cal energies through their staves, and are extremely weak,
get into the right frame of mind. Once you’ve decided on magically, without them. They are also the ruling nobility
the type of character you want to play, move straight on of the lands known as the M agocracy.
to Making Characters. Healer: As the ice advances, so starvation, disease,
Avenger: The inhabitants of the Hellfrost, bandits, and attacks by monsters become more frequent. Heal-
or orcs have taken away everything the hero ever loved. ers strive to stem the tide of misery with poultices and
Friends, family, home, all have been destroyed. The one salves. While there are many independent healers, the
thing that keeps the avenger going is the thought of en- Sisters of Mercy are the only non-religious organization
acting a fi tting revenge. sworn to this service.
Bandit: As food supplies dwindle, starvation becomes Hearth Knight: The H earth Knights are dedicated to
a constant danger. Some folk have taken to taking what the defense of the H earthlands against the predations of
they want by force of arms or threat of violence. the Hellfrost inhabitants. They operate only in the colder
Bladedancer: Elven warriors skilled in the use of two regions, guarding the roads to the few remaining towns
blades. Their movements, while spontaneous, look like beyond the Icebarrier and watching over mountain
well-rehearsed dance steps to non-elves. passes.
Bludgeoner: Engro warriors highly trained in the use Herald: Heralds serve nobles as diplomats and mes-
of the sling. They serve as a form of police, but only in sengers. An attack against a herald is an attack against
engro society. his lord. Thus, they receive fair, if not always truly hospi-
Citizen: Oak trees grow from small acorns, and some- table, treatment, even among enemies.
times heroes grow from average Joes. Whether a widow Hrimwisard (Hoar Frost Mage): These mages weave
seeking revenge for frostreaver atrocities or a farmer’s powerful spells by drawing the magical energies found
son looking for adventure, the citizen has become em- in the H ellfrost through their bodies. The colder it is, the
broiled in adventure. more powerful effects a hrimwisard can invoke.
Druid: Only the elves and engros understand the Ice Rigger: As the land becomes locked in a sea of ice
means to channel energy from the plants and animals. and snow, the races are turning more and more to ice ships,
Druids are strong in the wilds, but they suffer diffi culties which glide over the ice and snow on long skates and skis.
in urban environments. Ice riggers are sailors skilled at piloting these vessels.
Elementalist: These mages draw their power through Iron Guild Mercenary: Though there are many mer-
the elemental realms. As an elementalist grows in power, cenary companies, especially in Vestmark and Sutmark,
he can master more elements. An elementalist who has the I ron Guild stands apart because it only hires troops
mastered all four elements is known as an arkhwisard out to merchants requiring protection.
(archmage). Itinerant Worker: Few villages are completely self-
Explorer: The world has changed since the B lizzard suffi cient. Itinerant workers are wanderers, offering
War. Explorers travel through the lands, correcting old their services in farmsteads and villages across R assilon.
maps and detailing the new wonders of the near-frozen Sample itinerant workers include healers, smiths, and
world. priests. Itinerant soldiers are mercenaries.
Fighter: Fighters can be anything from hardened Knight Hrafn (Knight Raven): The Order of the
mercenaries to bodyguards to green farmhands looking Knights Hrafn is a force dedicated to the perfection of
to defend their homes. military leadership. They care little for politics, though
5
HELLFROST: PLAYER’S GUIDE
plorer, and part warrior, the messenger’s life is diffi cult,
HEROES AND VILLAINS
but it can be rewarding.
Noble: The nobility remain at the top of the social lad-
Hellfrost is a setting which encourages heroic acts
der. Many ancestral lands have been lost, forcing younger
and brave deeds similar to those in the old Norse
children to seek their fortune through adventuring.
sagas or medieval tales of Charlemagne and his pal-
Outlaw: In these dark days, one can always rely on
adins or Arthur and his knights. Of course, players
one’s kin, unless you’re an outlaw, that is. Whether be-
can elect to play villains if they so wish.
cause of criminal activities or because they have been
Players who work at running a heroic character, one
falsely accused by jealous rivals, outlaws are shunned by
who makes sacrifi ces to benefi t others and risks life
their kith and kin. Whereas bandits prey on the weak,
and limb so others do not have to, can earn Glory.
outlaws are simply outcasts, and can still be honorable
As a hero becomes more glorious, he gains special
heroes.
bonuses. Villains are never rewarded for commit-
Paladin: Whereas priests guard the souls of the
ting evil deeds.
faithful, paladins guard their fl esh. Some paladins are
In essence, a true hero loses some degree of choice
permanent residents at temples. Others travel the lands
in how he may act but improves because of it. Vil-
performing deeds in the name of their deity.
lains have complete freedom of choice but never
Priest: Many gods are worshiped across R assilon.
benefi t. Which type you choose to play is your call.
Priests form the spiritual arm of their faith.
Ranger: Rangers operate in the wilds as scouts, spies,
few openly side with overtly evil causes. The Order main- explorers, and soldiers. Unlike Hearth Knights, rangers often
tains no armies of its own, but instead hires out members patrol the Hearthlands to combat the evils that dwell there.
to serve nobles. Refugee: The hero may have lost his home to Hell-
Lorekeeper: Dedicated to fi nding and preserving frost beast attacks, been forced to fl ee because of crop
knowledge, lorekeepers strive to keep knowledge from failure, or had his home buried under the snow. Either
becoming forgotten. way, he has no home to call his own and must survive on
Messenger: Communication is limited to the speed his wits and the generosity of others.
of a horse and the bravery of the rider. Part rider, part ex- Reliqus: A member of the Reliquary, an organization
devoted to locating, study-
ing, and protecting magic
items. Some members have
the ability to identify relics
from their markings, while
others seek ancient magic
from snow-buried crypts
and temples.
Roadwarden: The roads
of Rassilon have not been
safe for many centuries. In
recent years, a group of men
and women calling them-
selves Roadwardens have
taken it upon themselves to
protect the roads and safe-
guard travelers.
Rune Mage: Found only
among dwarves, rune mages
focus the magical energies
of the world through carved
runes.
Scout: Scouts work for
merchants, watching out for
bandits or orcs, as freelancer
reconnaissance troops for
mercenary companies, and
as guides for adventuring
parties heading into the fro-
zen wastes.
Skald: Skalds are sorcer-
ers who work their magic
6
CHARACTERS
through the power of song. They also know music, stories,
LANGUAGES OF RASSILON
and poems, and they are welcomed at most settlements.
Thief: Even in this age of hardship, thieves still pray
Language Spoken by/in Alphabet
on those who have something of value. Some thieves
Anari Alantaris Isle, the M a- Anari
are Robin Hood types, robbing greedy merchants and
gocracy
nobles and distributing the wealth to the needy. Others
are out for self gain. Arboreal Tree men, as well as Elven
Trapper: Fur isn’t worn as a fashion accessory any- most woodland fey
more—it’s worn out of a need to survive freezing tem- Aspirian Aspiria A nari
peratures. Trappers make a living by hunting down bears Auld S axa S kalds, scholars, priests S axa runic
and wolves, and selling their furs. Trappers may not lead
Battletongue Warriors N/A
a glamorous life, but they’re hardened to adverse weath-
Beastspeech Beastmen, centaurs, Elven
er and often come across ruins while hunting prey.
harpies
Wood Warden: A mainly elven organization, dedicat-
ed to protecting the forests of Rassilon. They are expert Black Tongue Demons, sentient un- Black
shots and know how to talk with mundane beasts. dead tongue
Woodsman: We’re not talking about regular lumber- runic
jacks, but the hardy souls who travel to the Frozen Forest Chalcian Chalcis A nari
to collect valuable icewood, which the dwarves use in
Classical Scholars, A nari priests A nari
their coldfi re forges.
Anari
Draketongue Dragons Draconic
MAKING CHARACTERS
runic
Dwarven Frost dwarves Dwarven
runic
Creating heroes couldn’t be easier. The only thing you Earthtongue Gargoyles, trolls, trow Dwarven
need is a copy of the character sheet found at the back runic
of this book or on our website, www.tripleacegames. Engrosi Engro Elven
com. Once you have your sheet, follow these steps to
Fey Banniks, glimmerings, Elven
make your hero.
grindylows, skogsra,
wood wights, other fey
1) RACE
creatures
Fingerspeak Thieves (sign language) N/A
In the Hellfrost setting, you can play engro, frost
dwarves, frostborn, hearth elves, taiga elves, and hu- Finnari F innar N/A
mans. Elves and humans are not genetically compatible, Frosttongue Sentient denizens of the Frost runic
so there aren’t any half-elves in this setting. The same Hellfrost, including
applies to other half-breeds, such as half-orcs. Frostreavers, H ellfrost
Each race has its own advantages and disadvantages, dragons, frost giants
as seen starting on page 10. Read through the various ra-
Giant Giants Dwarven
cial descriptions, then pick a race to play. Once the game
runic
begins, you can’t change race, so choose wisely.
Hearth Elven Hearth elves Elven
2) TRAITS Orcish Orcs, ogres, goblins Dwarven
runic
Now it’s time to choose your hero’s attributes and Saxa S axa Saxa runic
skills. Unless a racial description says otherwise, your Selari Extinct language once Selari
character starts with a d4 in each of his fi ve attributes: spoken in the far north
Agility, Smarts, Spirit, Strength, and Vigor. You then have
Taiga Elven Taiga elves Elven
5 points to distribute among them as you choose. Rais-
Tuomi Tuomi Tuomi
ing an attribute a die type costs 1 point, and you may not
runic
raise an attribute above d12.
You also have 15 points to buy your skills. Raising a Trader Humans, merchants, Anari
skill by a die type costs 1 point as long as it’s no higher diplomats
than the attribute it’s linked to. It costs 2 points per die Vendahl Vendahl N/A
type to raise a skill over its linked attribute. Vindari Extinct language once Saxa runic
All the standard skills are available in Hellfrost except spoken in the Cairn
Driving and Piloting. Riding covers controlling animal- Lands
drawn conveyances. Characters with an Arcane Back-
7
HELLFROST: PLAYER’S GUIDE
ground also have access to special arcane skills. These
KNOWLEDGE SKILLS
are detailed in the Chapter Magic starting on page 49.
In H ellfrost, Knowledge skills are generally the Characters begin the game with a number of languag-
practical side of Common Knowledge. For instance, es equal to half their Smarts die, so, a hero with a d6
a character with a background as a siege engineer Smarts knows three languages. Languages aren’t rated
can use Common Knowledge to determine whether by dice, and it’s assumed a hero speaks the language fl u-
enemy catapults are in range, but he needs Knowl- ently enough to hold a conversation. Available languages
edge (Siege Artillery) if he wants to fi re his own are shown in the sidebar.
catapult with any accuracy. The fi rst language a hero learns must be their racial
The following major Knowledge skills are used in the tongue. Many heroes also speak Trader, a common
Hellfrost setting. Remember, if a hero buys a skill, the language invented after the great disaster to help in re-
GM should make sure he has chance to use it regularly. building the world. They must pick this with one of their
Alchemy: Covers the creation of magic potions, available language slots, however.
scrolls, and other temporary items, as well as mun- Once play begins, a character can learn a new language
dane herbal potions. by devoting an advancement to mastering the tongue—as-
Arcana: The study of arcane and occult matters, from sume he’s been practicing the language during his adven-
the various types of magic to mystic runic alphabets tures, so he doesn’t have to spend any “downtime” on
to knowledge of the elemental realms or the Abyss. this. Heroes learning languages this way can know more
Area: The study of a given region, its people, places, than their Smarts allows.
and customs. The larger the area covered by the skill, Raising a hero’s Smarts in play does not automatically
the higher penalty a GM should impose for specifi c grant him a new language.
information. For instance, a hero who has Knowl- Unless a character is Illiterate (which is commonplace
edge (H earthlands) should have at least a –4 pen- in Rassilon), he can also read and write any languages
alty to know the name of a good tavern in Ostmark, he speaks. An entry of N/A under alphabet means the
whereas a character with Knowledge (Ostmark) language has no written form.
should get no penalty. Knowledge of a character’s
home domain is covered by Common Knowledge.
DERIVED STATISTICS
Battle: The practical application of tactics and strat-
egy, as well as logistics and recruitment. Also covers Charisma is a measure of your hero’s likeability, and is
knowledge of famous battles, tactics, and generals. added to Persuasion and Streetwise rolls. Your Charisma
Craft: Every craft, such as carpentry, pottery, smith- modifi er is +0 unless changed by Edges or Hindrances.
ing, and weaving is a separate knowledge skill. A Pace is equal to 6”, unless changed by Edges or Hin-
crafter can use Common Knowledge to appraise
drances.
goods similar to his Craft specialty.
Parry is equal to 2 plus half your Fighting die type.
Folklore: Covers the legends, stories, and poems,
Edges, Hindrances, and some types of equipment can
in addition to well-known gossip. Knowledge of
modify your Parry score. If the Fighting die increases
folklore within a character’s home region is cov-
above a d12, round all fractions down.
ered by Common Knowledge.
Toughness is equal to 2 plus half your Vigor die type.
Heraldry: Knowledge of the coats of arms, ban-
Edges, Hindrances, and Armor can modify your Tough-
ners, and shield designs of the noble houses, clans,
ness. Vigor can, in some cases, go above a d12. In such
and religions of R assilon. Knowledge of nobles and
cases, all fractions are rounded down.
heraldic designs within a character’s home region is
covered by Common Knowledge.
3) EDGES & HINDRANCES
History: Study of major historical events since the
Blizzard War. Knowledge of events before the disas-
Great heroes are far more than a collection of skills
ter always incurs a penalty, ranging from –1 to –6, de-
and attributes. It’s their unique gifts, special powers, and
pending on the degree of information being sought.
tragic fl aws that truly make them interesting characters.
Law: An understanding of the major laws of every
You can take one Major Hindrance and two Minor
realm. Knowledge of the laws within a character’s
Hindrances. A Major Hindrance is worth 2 points, and a
home region is covered by Common Knowledge.
Minor Hindrance is worth 1 point.
Monsters: This is broken down into specifi c types of mon-
For 2 points you can:
ster, like demons, fey, giants, golems, orcs, or undead.
* Raise an attribute one die type (you may raise your
Religion: The study of the various deities and
attributes before purchasing skills).
their clergy. Clerics and paladins may use Common
* Choose an Edge.
Knowledge for matters regarding their own faith.
For 1 point you can:
Riddles: Riddle contests are a popular form of en-
* Gain another skill point.
tertainment among the civilized races.
Siege Artillery: Used for fi ring ballistae, catapults, * Gain additional money equal to your starting funds
and other siege weapons. (if you start with 500 gold, you gain an additional
500 gold).
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