TEXT: Paul “Wiggy” Wade-Williams 
  Satan’s Playground
  20105
  
  by Paul “Wiggy” Wade-Williams
  Line Editor: Anthony Boyd 
  Graphic Design: Robin Elliott 
  Typesetting: Paul Wade-Williams 
  Cover: Manfred Rohrer 
  Illustrations: Johan Tieldow 
  Ubiquity Rules System Design: Jeff Combos
  This game uses the Ubiquity Roleplaying System, developed by Exile Game Studio (www.
  exilegames.com). Ubiquity Roleplaying System, Exile Game Studio, and all associated logos and 
  trademarks are copyright, Exile Game Studio, LLC. Used with permission.
  ©2018 Triple Ace Games. All for One: Régime Diabolique and all related marks and logos are 
  trademarks of Triple Ace Games. All Rights Reserved.
  All for One: Régime Diabolique 
  Satan’s Playground
  www.tripleacegames.com
  First Published 2018
  978-1-908237-71-2
  1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
  Printed in the USA
  
  
  Table of Contents
  IntroductIon................................................................................................	3
  chapter	one:	creatIng	SurvIvorS..............................................................	5
  chapter	two:	SurvIvIng...........................................................................	27
  			devaStatIon	ratIng...............................................................................	27
  			commerce...............................................................................................	27
  			ScavengIng	&	ScroungIng.....................................................................	27
  			BarterIng	and	hagglIng........................................................................	28
  			huntIng	&	ForagIng..............................................................................	29
  			peStIlence...............................................................................................	30
  chapter	three:	a	hIStory	oF	hatred......................................................	35
  			heavenly	orIgInS...................................................................................	35
  			the	Stage	IS	Set.....................................................................................	36
  			the	BohemIan	revolt	1618-1620..........................................................	36
  			the	palatInate	war	1621-1624............................................................	38
  			the	danISh	war	1625-1630...................................................................	42
  			the	SwedISh	war	1630-1634.................................................................	44
  			the	French	war	1635-preSent..............................................................	49
  chapter	Four:	a	ruIned	land..................................................................	51
  			clImate...................................................................................................	51
  			economy..................................................................................................	51
  			geography..............................................................................................	51
  			government............................................................................................	52
  			levelS	oF	deStructIon...........................................................................	55
  			mIlItary..................................................................................................	55
  			unItS	oF	meaSurement...........................................................................	55
  			gazetteer...............................................................................................	56
  chapter	FIve:	FrIendS	and	enemIeS...........................................................	67
  			lordS	oF	hell.........................................................................................	67
  			Secret	SocIetIeS......................................................................................	68
  			Supernatural	creatureS........................................................................	72
  			major	mortalS......................................................................................	86
  			leSSer	mortalS......................................................................................	87
  chapter	SIx:	gamemaSter	advIce.............................................................	91
  
  Entire, more than entire we have been 
  devastated! 
  The maddened clarion, the bold invaders’ 
  horde 
  The mortar thunder-voiced, the blood-an-
  nointed sword 
  Have all men’s sweat and work and store 
  annihilated. 
  The towers stand in flames, the church is 
  violated 
  The strong are massacred, a ruin our 
  council board 
  Our maidens are raped, and where my 
  eyes have scarce explored 
  Fire, pestilence and death my heart have 
  dominated.  
  —Andreas Gryphius, Tears of the Father-
  land, Anno Domini 1636
  A land ravaged by war. 
  Fields lie barren or crops rotting on the 
  ground, the peasants that normally tend them 
  fled or dead. Orchards are stripped bare of 
  fruit by marauding armies, gangs of brutal 
  bandits, or flocks of starving citizens. Ponds 
  and streams are polluted by armies ensuring 
  they provide no sustenance for their enemies, 
  or by the blood and gore of countless corpses 
  moldering in the sun. Smoke drifts from the 
  remains of manor houses, entire villages, and 
  barns deliberately set to the torch. Victims of 
  fervent witch hunters, deserters, and those 
  who dared try to defy pillagers hang like 
  overripe fruit from branches or lie as cracked 
  bones and scattered ashes on the remains of a 
  makeshift pyres. Lines of citizens, driven from 
  their homes, their stomachs bloated by famine 
  and flesh marred by disease, trudge through 
  the mud seeking shelter, their rags barely 
  capable of protecting them from the weather, 
  their eyes haunted by the things they have seen 
  and endured.
  A land forgotten by God.
  Men, proud and possessed by fires of faith 
  fanned by winds from the depths of Hell, 
  slaughter each other with wanton abandon 
  and forsake the Ten Commandments. Demons 
  given mortal substance stalk the darkness, as 
  do mortals who have turned from the light 
  of God into darkness most foul. Monsters of 
  legend, driven from civilization by the power 
  of faith, return to bring terror and sate fell ap-
  petites. Covens of witches and warlocks chant 
  praise and offer sacrifices to Satan and his de-
  monic princes. The angels lament, their tears 
  mere drops in an ocean of blood that saturates 
  the soil.
  Welcome to Satan’s Playground!
  The Thirty Years’ War
  The Thirty Years’ War spanned the period 
  from 1618 to 1648. Primarily a Western and 
  Central European conflict, with Germany suf-
  fering the hardest, it began as a religious con-
  flict before becoming a war between nations. 
  Of course, no-one living at the time knew 
  when the strife would eventually end (or if it 
  would end at all), and thus Thirty Years’ War is 
  a later term. Although the War is typically di-
  Introduction
  
  •
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  vided into four distinct eras, for the most part 
  we simply refer to it as “the War.”
  As will be repeated and described through-
  out the book, the War was a terrible event. 
  Some 8 million people died in the conflict, 
  with over 7.5 million being civilians, many 
  perishing from famine and disease.
  The Book’s Aim
  Satan’s Playground is not a history book. 
  Hundreds, maybe thousands, of history books 
  tell the full and brutal story of the Thirty Years’ 
  War. There is simply no room, nor need, to tell 
  the story in detail. Instead, we focus on the 
  major events and people of the time, especially 
  with regard to Germany. Our aim is to provide 
  the Gamemaster and players with the tools 
  they need to tell exciting stories, not bore 
  them with minutiae.
  Similarly, the existence of witches, demons, 
  and monsters is a fact in Satan’s Playground, 
  not the result of superstition and ignorance. 
  As a result, some historical events have been 
  rewritten to match our version of the conflict.
  Gamemasters and players hoping to find 
  a system for running mass battles are out of 
  luck. Satan’s Playground is about individual 
  actions, those of the characters. The War exists 
  as a backdrop to adventures and campaigns, 
  but it is not the focal point.
  It should be noted that Satan’s Playground 
  does not detail the entire War to its conclu-
  sion. The year is 1636. How the War plays out 
  in the future is for the Gamemaster to devise. 
  One might use history and add events into the 
  campaign, thus allowing history to remain as 
  written with the heroes engaged in matters 
  that the chroniclers failed to mention. Another 
  might throw history out of the window and go 
  with what feels best. 
  Satan’s Playground is now your play-
  ground—use it how you wish!
  Disclaimer
  Some of the material in this book is taken 
  for the Richelieu’s Guides series—we don’t 
  expect Gamemasters to purchase the entire 
  series in order to run Satan’s Playground. We 
  have selected only material that we consider 
  essential to this setting and repeated it here 
  for ease.
  A Select Bibliography
  Michael Moorcock. The War Hound and the 
  War’s Pain
  Osprey Publishing. Imperial Armies of the 
  Thirty Year’s War 1 (Infantry and Artillery) 
  and 2 (Cavalry)
  Osprey Publishing. Lutzen 1632
  Osprey Publishing. Matchlock Musketeer 1588-
  1688
  Osprey Publishing. The Army of Gustavus 
  Adolphus 1 (Infantry) and 2 (Cavalry)
  Richard Bonney. The Thirty Years’ War 1618-
  1648
  Stephen J. Lee. The Thirty Years’ War
  Steve Winter. A Mighty Fortress (TSR HR4)
  Thomas Arnold. The Renaissance at War
  How to Use this Book
  Satan’s Playground is divided into six 
  chapters. Only the first should be read by play-
  ers, with everything else reserved for the eyes 
  of the Gamemaster only.
  Chapter 1: Creating Survivors provides 
  new material for creating characters. Aside 
  from extra options and some minor tweaks, 
  creating characters is exactly the same as in All 
  for One: Régime Diabolique.
  Chapter 2: Surviving concerns pestilence 
  and foraging, both constant problems.
  Chapter 3: A History of Hatred explores 
  the War between its beginning in 1618 until 
  the end of 1636.
  Chapter 4: A Ruined Land is a gazetteer of 
  locations in and bordering Germany.
  Chapter 5: Friends and Enemies details 
  new secret organizations, vile fiends, and hu-
  man antagonists and protagonists.
  Chapter 6: Gamemaster Advice provides 
  information for the Gamemaster concerning 
  how to set the scene, types of scenarios, and 
  the style of game, and a smattering of adven-
  ture seeds to fuel their imagination.
  
  “It is forbidden to kill; therefore all mur-
  derers are punished unless they kill in large 
  numbers and to the sound of trumpets.” 
  —Voltaire
  This chapter concerns the creation of charac-
  ters for the Satan’s Playground setting. Rather 
  than being members of the Musketeers, players 
  are free to select any type of character, so long as 
  it fits the era, of course. One might elect to play 
  a hardened mercenary seeking to profit from the 
  war through his martial skills, a clergyman whose 
  faith has been shattered by mankind’s brutal-
  ity to its kin, an aristocrat desperate to protect 
  his ancestral lands from brigands and looting 
  armies, or an everyman whose only goal is to 
  survive another day in a god-cursed land.
  Players native to the heartland of the Holy 
  Roman Empire, the focus of this setting, have 
  lived in the shadow of war for over 15 years. 
  Characters with the Young Flaw have grown 
  up knowing nothing but hardship and hatred, 
  while even mature characters will have spent 
  much of their adult life under the dark shadow 
  of bitter strife and religious animosity.
  Aside from changes to starting zero-level 
  Skills and Resources, character generation fol-
  lows the same steps and rules as All for One. 
  There is a swathe of new options below from 
  which players can select.
  Musketeer Characters
  Cardinal Richelieu has brought France into 
  the War. Thus, players can elect to play Mus-
  keteers as normal. Note that, aside from being 
  allowed to select new Archetypes, Motivations, 
  Skills, Talents, and Flaws from this book, they 
  are created as per the core rules as normal.
  Religion
  In the modern age, religion is a personal 
  thing, and discussing it can be taboo. Although 
  the War is beginning to turn into a battle of 
  nations by 1636, religious differences ulti-
  mately lie at its black heart, and thus cannot be 
  ignored. Furthermore, religious intolerance is 
  the order of the day, rather than an exception. 
  Even to talk to a member of a rival faith could 
  leave one exposed to charges of heresy.
  The history of Christianity in Western Eu-
  rope need not be explored here, but suffice to 
  say that two main branches exist in 1636—Ca-
  tholicism and Protestantism. In the latter case, 
  it is Calvinism and Lutheranism and that relate 
  most to the War.
  In terms of religion, the various European 
  powers were very much divided by faith. Prot-
  estantism was the de facto faith of England, 
  Denmark, Holland, and Sweden, while France, 
  Italy, and Spain were Catholic. The Holy Ro-
  man Empire was divided between the two 
  main churches.
  This is not to say that all characters must 
  be Christians—Anabaptists (Christians who ac-
  cept baptism only by those capable of profess-
  ing their faith) and Jews live in Holy Roman 
  Empire as well, though they tiny minorities.
  Chapter One: 
  Creating Survivors
  
  •
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  Ultimately, how you handle religious intol-
  erance in your campaign is for the Gamemaster 
  and the players to decide. It is easiest to have 
  the characters all be members of the same faith 
  (assuming they can agree on which one) and 
  leave the vile hatred as part of the backdrop 
  to the War. Of course, NPCs of a different faith 
  to the heroes may see them as targets of op-
  portunity for violence at worst and people to 
  avoid like the plague at best.
  National Identity
  Satan’s Playground is set in Germany, 
  but that doesn’t mean every character has to 
  be German. Characters may come from im-
  migrant families or have crossed borders to 
  take advantage of the War. All characters pick a 
  home nation—the country in which they were 
  raised. This in turn determines their native 
  tongue, as shown below.
  Note that we have deliberately chosen to 
  simplify the languages of the age. The Holy Ro-
  man Empire, for instance, was primarily divided 
  between speakers of High and Low German, 
  and regional accents could make speakers of 
  even a “common” tongue difficult at times.
  For ease of play, we have assumed that every 
  character has a basic grasp of German—having 
  party members unable to communicate with 
  each other might be fun for a short while, but 
  it quickly becomes tiresome.
  Characters who have not mastered German 
  by taking it through the Linguistics Skill suffer a 
  –2 penalty to all Social rolls when dealing with 
  native German speakers due to their poor gram-
  mar, use of the wrong words, and inability to 
  express even moderately complex concepts.
  Homeland
  Native Tongue
  Austria
  German
  Bohemia
  Bohemian (aka Czech)
  Denmark
  Danish
  Dutch Republic
  Dutch
  England
  English
  France
  French
  Germany/HRE
  German
  Hungary
  German or Hungarian 
  (pick one)
  Italian States
  Italian
  Papal States
  Italian
  Poland
  Polish
  Scotland
  English or Scots Gaelic 
  (pick one)
  Spain
  Spanish
  Spanish 
  Netherlands
  Dutch or Spanish (pick 
  one)
  Sweden
  Swedish
  Switzerland
  German or Italian (pick 
  one)
  Transylvania
  Romanian
  Pick a Name
  Finally, you need to pick a name for your 
  character. Again, we’ve simplified naming for 
  ease.
  Moral Stance
  The Thirty Years’ War is a prolonged 
  series of brutal campaigns that utterly 
  ravage the Holy Roman Empire. War is 
  always brutal, but the ongoing conflict 
  takes a greater toll on the civilian pop-
  ulation than most wars that have come 
  before.
  It is an ugly fact that barbaric torture, 
  wanton destruction, massacres of inno-
  cents, murder, rape, and devil worship 
  are ever-present in Satan’s Playground. 
  This is not an excuse for characters to 
  revel in the dark side of the War. The 
  perpetrators of such acts exist as antago-
  nists, foul men and women to be defeat-
  ed by the heroes.
  Whereas All for One portrays Musketeers 
  on the side of good, the need to survive 
  in Satan’s Playground eventually wears 
  down the noblest soul. For sure, charac-
  ters are likely to be a dirty-white or even 
  gray with regard to their morals, and take 
  the Ten Commandments with a pinch of 
  salt when their survival is at stake, but 
  they should never become the bad guys.
  •         •
  
  Creating Survivors
  
  Dutch
  Male: Cornelis, Dirck, Frans, Hendrik, 
  Hugo, Jan, Klass, Piet, Simon, Willebrord
  Female: Amalia, Eva, Gerda, Hortensia, Inge, 
  Irma, Loesje, Lotte, Margriet, Paula
  Surname: de Lange, de Witte, Krijger, Molen-
  aer, Schaap, Swammerdam, van Kuik, van Nierop
  German
  Male: Albert, Charles, Christian, Conrad, 
  Ernst, Francis, Franz, Friedrich, Georg, Hans, 
  Heinrich, Herman, Johann, Leopold, Maximil-
  ian, Meinrad, Otto, Paul, Philip, Simon, Ulrich, 
  Wilhelm, Wolfgang
  Female: Agatha, Anna, Barbara, Catherine, 
  Charlotte, Dorothea, Eleonore, Elizabeth, Hed-
  wig, Johanna, Katarina, Louise, Magdalena, 
  Maria, Sophie
  Surname: Beck, Bergmann, Bothe, Brandt, 
  Fuchs, Hahn, Huber, Koch, Krause, Meier, Mül-
  ler, Schmidt, Schneider, Schröder, Vogt, Weber, 
  Wolff, Zeigler
  Hungarian
  Male: Béla, György, István, János, László, 
  Márk, Sándor, Zoltán, Zsigmond
  Female: Boglárka, Csilla, Erzsébet, Margit, 
  Melinda, Orsolya, Piroska, Réka, Zsuzsanna
  Surname: Alpár, Bánffy, Csóka, Ferenci, 
  Gindl, Jeszenszky, Kocsis, Megyeri, Rosztóczy
  Polish
  Male: Adamek, Bogusław, Franciszek, Igor, 
  Krzysztof, Piotr, Ryszard, Stanisław, Wojtas
  Female: Bronisława, Henryka, Jolanta, 
  Katarzyna, Magda, Renata, Teresa, Wiktoria
  Surname: Brodowski, Kowalczyk, Kuchar, 
  Lisiewicz, Mazur, Młynarz, Zaleski
  Spanish
  Male: Álvaro, Cristóbal, Enrique, Fernando, 
  Íñigo, Juan, Matías, Neymar, Pedro, Raúl, San-
  tiago, Tomás, Yago
  Female: Bianca, Elvira, Gabriela, Imelda, 
  Jacinta, Luisa, Maria, Paula, Sonia, Veronica
  Surname: Fernández, García, Gómez, 
  González, López, Martínez, Pérez, Ramirez, 
  Rodríguez, Sánchez, Suarez
  Swedish
  Male: Adolf, Axel, Bernhard, Clemens, Dag, 
  Edvard, Gjord, Ingvar, Jakob, Johan, Lukas, 
  Rikard, Sebastian, Sten, Viggo
  Female: Beatrice, Carin, Dagmar. Elizabet, 
  Greta, Jonna, Margaret, Petronella, Tora, Ylva
  Surname: Among the lower and middle-
  classes, surnames are the name of the char-
  acter’s father with either -sson (“son of”) or 
  -dotter (“daughter of”) added on the end.
  New Archetypes
  Charlatan
  Whether they seek simply to survive 
  through fraud or to take advantage of others’ 
  gullibility or desperation, the character is not 
  what they seem. An impostor, the hero falsely 
  claims to possess a special skill or knowledge. 
  A quacksalver (“hawker of salves”) sells 
  useless, potentially deadly, balms and salves to 
  those in need of physical succor. A “clergyman” 
  seller of indulgences and fake holy relics offers 
  spiritual succor to the needy. An “aristocrat” 
  uses their “title” to rally others to their banner 
  or to mooch from their supposed peers. 
  A charlatan may wear just one mask or 
  many, but none are their true face.
  Clergyman
  Clergymen are members of the Roman 
  Catholic Church or one of the Protestant de-
  nominations. They may be ordained clergy, a 
  monk, or nun. The decades of upheaval and 
  strife have brought out the best and worst in 
  humanity, even those of strong faith. 
  Fire-and-brimstone preachers proclaim the 
  End of the World while urging sinners to re-
  pent before being called to stand in judgment 
  before God. Itinerant clergy wander the land 
  seeking souls in need of spiritual healing, to 
  •        •
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  rally support for the fight against the enemy, 
  and/or to hunt down witches and other ser-
  vants of Satan.
  Everyman
  Everymen are the men and women that 
  make up the general populace. They are 
  regular people with jobs and families, whose 
  biggest concern is surviving the chaos. Within 
  their massed ranks one finds farmers, crafts-
  men, clerks, lawyers, servants, and prostitutes. 
  Their lives may not be exciting, but they are 
  the backbone of industry and work to ensure 
  the crops are tended. 
  Whether sensible and dependable, or 
  dreaming of a life of adventure, these working 
  class heroes never actually expect to save the 
  world—and yet they often seem to end up in 
  that position. When the chips are down and 
  the situation looks grim, they are capable of 
  saving the day in the most unlikely and unex-
  pected ways. 
  Guardian
  Guardians are devoted protectors of 
  persons, places, or objects. They might be 
  protective for reasons of greed, ideological 
  convictions, or unexamined subconscious 
  needs, but all Guardians share the will to sup-
  plant their immediate desires with constant 
  preparation and eternal vigilance. Whether 
  the threat is physical, political, or otherwise, 
  Guardians train their minds and bodies for the 
  moment of crisis and pass their free time con-
  templating every scenario which might present 
  a threat. Guardians who have lost their charge 
  sometimes feel that they owe their own lives as 
  penance, but most will seek redemption by at-
  taching themselves to something or someone 
  else in need of protection.
  Judiciary
  Members of the judiciary are responsible 
  for maintaining law and order, detecting and 
  preventing crimes, and apprehending crimi-
  nals—using force, even torture, if necessary. 
  Some have friends and acquaintances on both 
  sides of the law. While they usually stay within 
  the bounds of the law to accomplish their job, 
  some judiciaries will bend or even break the 
  rules to get what they’re after.
  Mercenary
  In Satan’s Playground, the Soldier Arche-
  type serves for those who fight in the employ 
  of their own nation. 
  Mercenaries fight for gold and silver. Some 
  mercenaries accept employment only from 
  the commanders of the same faith or nation 
  as their own, and honor the terms of their 
  contract. Many more rally to the banners of 
  whoever is prepared to pay the most, switch-
  ing allegiance at the first opportunity in order 
  to further line their pockets. Whatever their 
  beliefs or morals, the mercenary expects to be 
  well paid for their services.
  
  Creating Survivors
  
  Monster Slayer
  The dawn of the age of rational thought 
  and scientific methodology has not banished 
  superstition, nor have the monsters suddenly 
  gone away. Indeed, as the War continues, more 
  and more terrifying fiends are abroad. 
  The character is devoted to ending such 
  abominations. For some, the calling is one 
  of faith, a physical reminder of the eternal 
  struggle against God and the servants of Satan. 
  Others fight because such work pays well (few 
  have the stomach to face true evil in battles of 
  wits or arms), seek to redeem their souls by 
  fighting God’s foes on earth, or to avenge lost 
  friends and family.
  Outcast
  Outcasts 
  are 
  rejected, 
  scorned, 
  and 
  shunned by their people. Some chose this 
  path as a sacrifice for their ideals or their loved 
  ones, but most have the role of outcast thrust 
  upon them as the result of a crime, peculiar 
  beliefs or practises, or a lowly birth. 
  Many live on the outskirts of the society that 
  rejects them, but more have been ejected from 
  their homes and are doomed to wander—for-
  ever seeking a place to settle, but never fitting 
  in anywhere. 
  Although the stigma is often unpleasant, 
  many come to value their position and find it 
  liberating to be free of the societal expectations 
  that most cultures place upon their members.
  New Motivations
  Charity
  Some characters are better off than others 
  and see it as their moral duty to help alleviate 
  suffering. Others have little to give, but freely 
  give of what little they have. Charity need not be 
  money, and could be a shoulder to cry on, food 
  and shelter, or agreeing to perform a task, such 
  as rescuing someone for no reward. Regardless, 
  your character is always willing to help those 
  less fortunate than himself at the drop of a hat.
  You earn Style points when your character 
  performs a selfless act that benefits another 
  person’s life.
  Destruction
  Your character wants nothing more than to 
  see things obliterated. She could be a militant 
  nihilist, violent anarchist, or malevolent entity 
  that wants to destroy things and ruin people. 
  This does not necessarily mean sowing chaos, 
  however. Your character could use her skills 
  with surgical precision to cull the weak and 
  the old in order to improve the lot of her com-
  munity, or she could view the eradication of 
  governments and organizations as the only 
  way to free people from oppression. 
  Your character doesn’t really need an ex-
  cuse to demolish something. Annihilation is its 
  own reward.
  Glory
  War may not be glorious, but it can be a 
  path to glory. Your character seeks to become 
  the stuff of legend. Through daring and amaz-
  ing deeds, they hope to inspire songs and sto-
  ries that will be repeated for years—if not for 
  generations. Often, those who seek glory do 
  not look for immediate attention or recogni-
  tion, but rather hope to achieve immortality as 
  their names become increasingly heaped with 
  honor, praise, and admiration.
  You earn Style points when your character 
  enhances their reputation or encourages a friend 
  or adversary to enhance their reputation.
  Preservation
  Your character strives to preserve a threat-
  ened way of life or a fading body of knowledge. 
  They are unlikely to receive any reward or 
  recognition for their efforts, but failure means 
  the loss of something even more precious than 
  their own life. Perhaps the object of protection 
  is threatened by an outside force, or perhaps 
  the people have simply turned their back on it 
  due to apathy or disdain. Either way, your char-
  acter will need to embark on a lifelong quest to 
  protect their traditions and people.
  •         •
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  10
  You earn a Style point when your character 
  preserves something for posterity or encour-
  ages someone else to do so.
  Zero-Level Abilities
  Whatever they have become in adult life, 
  every character had a childhood and adoles-
  cence. Every character, except Musketeers, 
  who use the normal rules, begins play with 
  Athletics 0, Brawl 0, and Followers 0. 
  Characters must then select one of the 
  upbringing packages below, from which two 
  further 0-Level Skills and one 0-Level Resource 
  are to be chosen.
  The choice of upbringing in no way forces 
  a character to select a given Archetype. A Mer-
  cenary, for instance, may have been educated 
  before taking up the cause of war, while a 
  Natural Philosopher may have been raised in 
  the countryside before gaining a scholarship 
  later in life.
  Aristocratic
  Characters with this upbringing aren’t nec-
  essarily the offspring of nobility—their parents 
  may have been independent rich landowners, 
  powerful merchants, or senior figures in the 
  church (or, in the case of Catholics, related to 
  churchmen).  Whatever their exact origins, they 
  had the luxury of time to engage in pursuits 
  denied most peasants and learned something 
  of how to mingle with the rich and powerful.
  Skills: Academics (pick one), Bureaucracy, 
  Diplomacy, Fencing, Firearms, Gambling, In-
  timidation, Melee, Performance, Ride, Warfare
  Resources: Ally, Contacts, Patron, Rank, 
  Refuge, Status, Wealth
  Criminal
  Circumstances dictated that the young 
  character ended up on the wrong side of the 
  law. Their parents may have forced them into 
  a life of crime in order to make ends meet, or 
  perhaps they were a war-orphan forced into 
  crime in order just to survive.
  Skills: Acrobatics, Con, Empathy, Gam-
  bling, Intimidation, Larceny, Melee, Stealth, 
  Streetwise, Survival
  Resources: Ally, Contacts, Patron, Refuge
  Educated
  Educated characters have the benefit of 
  childhood schooling. Examples include the 
  scions of aristocratic families, university stu-
  dents, and children raised by the church.
  Skills: Academics (pick one), Art (pick 
  one), Bureaucracy, Diplomacy, Investigation, 
  Linguistics, Medicine, Natural Philosophy (pick 
  one), Warfare
  Resources: Ally, Contacts, Fame, Patron, 
  Rank, Refuge, Status
  Resource:  Status
  Aristocratic characters from the Holy Roman Empire, Spain, and Sweden use different names for 
  nobility to their French counterparts.
  Status
  England
  Germany/HRE
  Polish
  Spain
  Sweden
  0
  Esquire
  Uses “von”
  Szlachcic
  Escudero
  Uses “von”
  1
  Knight
  Ritter
  Rycerz
  Caballero
  Riddare
  2
  Baron
  Freiherr
  Baron
  Barón
  Friherre
  3
  Count
  Graf/Reichsgraf
  Hrabia
  Conde
  Greve
  4
  Marquis
  Markgraf
  Markiz
  Marqués
  Markgreve
  5
  Duke
  Herzog 
  Diuk
  Duque
  Hertig
  •          •
  
  Creating Survivors
  11
  Rural
  Rural characters were brought up in the 
  countryside. Their family may have been farm-
  ers or hunters, or perhaps the character is the 
  scion of a minor nobleman but spent his youth 
  hunting rather than in schooling. Or perhaps 
  they were forced to abandon their home in a 
  town or city when the character was young.
  Skills: Animal Handling, Archery, Craft 
  (pick one), Gambling, Intimidation, Melee, 
  Ride, Stealth, Survival
  Resources: Ally, Contacts, Refuge
  Urban
  Characters in an urban environment are 
  typically lower or middle-class raised in a town 
  or city. Their parents may have been simple 
  laborers, educated clerks or members of the 
  judiciary, merchants or shop owners, or even 
  professional entertainers. Their exact heritage 
  is determined by their choice of Skills. For 
  instance, the offspring of a clerk is more likely 
  to have Academics (Law), Bureaucracy, or Lin-
  guistics rather than Performance or Gambling.
  Skills: Academics (Law), Animal Handling, 
  Art (pick one), Bureaucracy, Craft (pick one), 
  Diplomacy, Gambling, Intimidation, Linguis-
  tics, Performance, Streetwise
  Resources: Ally, Contacts, Patron, Refuge, 
  Status
  New Skills
  Bomb Making
  Base Attribute: Intelligence
  Bombs are the anarchist’s weapon of choice. 
  The character is well versed in the manufacture 
  and placement of explosive devices.
  * Casing: The ability to manufacture a cas-
  ing designed to fragment.
  * Fuses: The ability to judge fuse burning 
  times and to cut them to the right length.
  * Gunpowder: The ability to grind gun-
  powder to the correct consistency to cause 
  explosions.
  * Placement: Knowledge of where best to 
  set an explosion to cause maximum damage 
  to buildings.
  * Trigger: The ability to use tripwires, 
  weighted bags, and even clockwork to deto-
  nate explosives.
  Spying
  Base Attribute: Intelligence
  Spying represents your character’s talents 
  at creating false identities, operating under-
  cover, and acting without arousing suspicion. 
  It does not include uncovering secrets—Diplo-
  macy, Intimidation, Linguistics, and Streetwise 
  are more appropriate.
  You may specialize in the following: 
  * Alias: The ability to create and maintain 
  one or more false identities.
  * Bribery: The ability to exchange money 
  for favors and influence, and accurately judge 
  a person’s price.
  * Forgery: The ability to create false docu-
  ments.
  * Speed Read: The ability to quickly read a 
  document and discern the salient facts.
  * Unobtrusive: The ability to hide in a crowd 
  by blending in and acting like you belong.
  New Talents
  Berserker Fury
  Prerequisites: Willpower 3
  Your character can enter a state of reckless 
  battle frenzy, increasing his power and aggres-
  sion at a cost to his own health.
  Benefit: As a free action, your character 
  can exert (take one point of nonlethal dam-
  age) to gain +2 bonus to all Strength-based 
  Skill and Attribute rolls until the end of the 
  combat turn.
  Normal: Your character cannot exert him-
  self in battle to gain an advantage.
  Advanced: You may purchase this Talent 
  up to three times. Your character gains a +4 
  bonus to all Strength-based Skill rolls at sec-
  ond level and a +8 bonus at third level.
  •      •
  •       •
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  1
  Disease Resistance
  Prerequisites: Body 3
  Your character has a strong immune system 
  and is able to fight off disease and illness much 
  more effectively and quickly than other people 
  can. The Talent has no effect versus poisons.
  Benefit: Your character gains a +2 bonus 
  to Body rolls related to disease and illness.
  Normal: Your Resistance roll is unmodi-
  fied.
  Advanced: You may purchase this Talent 
  up to three times. Your character gains a +4 
  bonus to disease-related Body rolls at second 
  level and a +8 bonus at third level.
  Famine Hardy
  Unique
  Prerequisites: None
  Life in the wilderness is full of hardships. 
  Famine is a common risk, especially for those 
  who end up lost. With this Talent, your charac-
  ter has the ability to function at a normal level 
  long after others have dropped from malnutri-
  tion.
  Benefit: Your character suffers one point 
  of lethal damage for every two days she goes 
  without water, and one point of lethal damage 
  for every ten days without food.
  Normal: You suffer one point of lethal 
  damage for each day you go without water 
  and one point of lethal damage for every seven 
  days without food.
  Fearsome Attack
  Prerequisites: Intimidation 4
  Your character is a terror on the battlefield, 
  capable of using fear as a weapon and forcing 
  his opponent into making deadly mistakes.
  Benefit: Your character can use their Intimi-
  dation rating when making an unarmed or me-
  lee attack. Make an Intimidation roll (including 
  weapon modifiers) against your opponent’s De-
  fense rating (plus any appropriate modifiers). If 
  you roll more successes than your opponent, 
  you inflict one point of damage per extra suc-
  cess. If you roll the same or fewer successes 
  than your opponent, your attack fails.
  Normal: Your character may not use their 
  fearsome presence to attack an opponent.
  Advanced: You may purchase this Talent 
  three times. Your character gains a +2 Intimi-
  dation bonus at second level and a +4 bonus 
  at third level.
  Feint
  Prerequisites: Brawl, Fencing, or Melee 4
  Your character is proficient at misleading 
  his opponents with a fake attack, and trick-
  ing them into dropping their guard. Feinting 
  causes them to focus their attention elsewhere, 
  leaving them open to a follow-up attack.
  Benefit: To perform a feint, make a Brawl 
  or Melee roll against your opponent. If you 
  roll more successes than their Willpower rat-
  ing, your character successfully tricks their 
  opponent and they lose their Active Defense 
  rating until the beginning of their next turn. 
  If you roll more successes than twice your 
  opponent’s Willpower rating, they are defense-
  less, and they lose both their Active and Passive 
  Defense ratings until the beginning of their 
  next turn.
  Altered Talents
  The following Talents have undergone a 
  slight modification since the core rules 
  was published. Only the changed text is 
  given below.
      Guardian
  Advanced: You may buy this Talent up 
  to three times, allowing your character 
  to provide a +4 Defense bonus at sec-
  ond level and a +8 Defense bonus at 
  third level.
      Inspire
  Advanced: You may buy this Talent up 
  to three times, allowing your character 
  to provide a +4 Defense bonus at sec-
  ond level and a +8 Defense bonus at 
  third level.
  
  Creating Survivors
  1
  Normal: Your character performs the Feint 
  maneuver normally (see p. 18).
  Advanced: You may buy this Talent up to 
  three times, gaining your character a +2 Feint 
  bonus at second level, and +4 bonus at third 
  level.
  Light Sleeper
  Prerequisites: None
  Your character needs less sleep than most 
  people and is known for “always sleeping with 
  one eye open.”
  Benefit: Your character only needs half as 
  much sleep as a normal person.
  Normal: Your character suffers one point 
  of nonlethal damage for each day he goes 
  without sleep.
  Advanced: You may purchase this Talent 
  up to three times. Your character gains a +2 
  Perception bonus at second level and a +4 
  bonus at third level.
  Natural Terrain
  Prerequisites: None
  Your character is highly experienced at 
  surviving in an environment where most fear 
  to tread. They have an instinctive knack for 
  finding food and water when in a specifically 
  chosen terrain.
  Benefit: Choose a certain type of terrain 
  (such as Forest, Mountain, Plains/Heath, etc.). 
  Whenever your character is in that terrain, they 
  are immune to Deprivation and Exposure. 
  Normal: Your character does not have any 
  Natural Terrain experience.
  Advanced: You may buy this Talent any 
  number of times, with each selection indicating 
  mastery of a different type of terrain. Alternately, 
  you may purchase this Talent up to three times 
  for the same terrain type, gaining a +2 bonus 
  to Survival rolls when in the specified terrain at 
  second level or a +4 bonus at third level.
  Rabble-rouser
  Unique
  Prerequisites: Charisma 3
  You character easily manipulates or in-
  spires the common people to follow them. 
  When necessary, they can stir up the masses to 
  join their cause—and one never knows when a 
  band of angry pitchfork-wielding, torch-carry-
  ing peasants might come in handy.
  Benefit: Your character may recruit tempo-
  rary Followers. The cost of the new Resource is 
  equivalent to boosting a Talent. Your character 
  gains two new Followers for each boosted 
  level. For example, a character who boosts the 
  Resource by three levels gains six followers. 
  The boosted Resource lasts for the remainder 
  of the scene, at which point the new compan-
  ions depart.
  Normal: Your character is unable to recruit 
  temporary Followers.
  Scrounger
  Prerequisites: Charisma 3
  Your character is adept at finding “unwant-
  ed” equipment and convincing others to give 
  them free gear.
  Benefit: Once per session, when your char-
  acter successfully scavenges or scrounges (see 
  p. 27), he earns two Barter Dice per success.
  Normal: Your character acquires one Bar-
  ter Die for each success when scavenging and 
  scrounging.
  Advanced: You may purchase this Talent 
  three times. You gain a +2 Streetwise bonus at 
  second level and a +4 bonus at third level.
  Sweep
  Prerequisites: Brawl, Fencing, or Melee 4
  Your character is adept at making wide, 
  swinging attacks that can hit multiple enemies 
  in one blow.
  Benefit: Your character can ignore up to 
  a –2 penalty for sweeping (see p. 18). If your 
  character sweeps over a greater distance, re-
  duce the sweep penalty by 2.
  Normal: When performing a sweep, your 
  character suffers a –2 attack penalty per target 
  or each five-foot distance between targets.
  Advanced: You may buy this Talent up to 
  three times. You may ignore to a –4 sweep 
  penalty at second level and a –8 penalty at 
  third level.
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  1
  Weather Sense
  Unique
  Prerequisites: None
  Your character has a knack for predicting 
  the weather. They might gain foresight through 
  careful study of the meteorological conditions, 
  a sixth sense, a certain pain in the joints, com-
  munion with the spirits of air, but she is rarely 
  unprepared for even the most turbulent of 
  climates.
  Benefit: Your character knows what kind 
  of weather to expect on any given day without 
  having to make a Survival roll. Your character 
  can predict rain, clear skies, snow, or even 
  hurricanes, but no measurements are precise. 
  For example, they don’t quite know when the 
  rain will start or how many inches will fall, but 
  could determine whether it will start “soon” or 
  “later” and if it will be “heavy” or “mild.”
  Normal: You must make a Survival roll 
  (Difficulty 2) to predict the weather that day.
  New Flaws
  Physical
  Lice-Infested: This is not an age where 
  personal hygiene is highly valued, and your 
  character is living testament to that. No mat-
  ter how hard they try, they cannot rid their 
  body of lice. As a result, they are constantly 
  distracted by the itchy, swollen bites, causing 
  them to suffer a –2 penalty on any roll related 
  to concentration, patience, or stealth. You earn 
  a Style point whenever your character’s infesta-
  tion distracts them or when they are shunned 
  because of it.
  Ravenous: Food can be scarce in Satan’s 
  Playground, something your character is not 
  accustomed to. Your character requires an im-
  mense amount of food for sustenance. Perhaps 
  this is because of a growth spurt, a digestive 
  disorder, or a parasite. If they do not consume 
  twice the quantity of food required for an aver-
  age adult, they suffer from starvation (see De-
  privation, All for One). You earn a Style point 
  whenever your character’s hunger forces them 
  or their friends to starve.
  Slow Healer: The character heals more 
  slowly than others. They might have a poor me-
  tabolism, refuse to heed doctor’s orders, pick at 
  scabs, or suffer frequent infections. They heal 
  one per of nonlethal damage every two days, 
  and one point of lethal damage each two weeks. 
  You earn a Style point whenever your character’s 
  inability to heal quickly causes problems.
  Mental
  Belligerent: Your character is aggressive by 
  nature—always spoiling for a fight or willing 
  to argue over even the most trivial of matters. 
  You earn a Style point when your character’s 
  aggressive attitude causes trouble for them or 
  their comrades.
  Code of Conduct: Your character lives by 
  a set of rigid, inflexible rules that limit actions. 
  •      •
  
  Creating Survivors
  1
  Perhaps they must always observe certain reli-
  gious precepts or follow certain customs on 
  the battlefield, but this code often runs counter 
  to pragmatic decisions. You earn a Style point 
  whenever your character convinces others to 
  follow their code of conduct, or when their code 
  forces them to make something much more dif-
  ficult than might otherwise be necessary.
  Disbeliever: Your character has absolutely 
  no belief in the supernatural. You look for any 
  rational explanation rather than admit there 
  are things beyond the ken of humanity lurk-
  ing in the shadows. You earn a Style point for 
  managing to find a plausible, mundane expla-
  nation for a supernatural event or convincing 
  someone else to disbelieve.
  Loyal: While many people hold a certain 
  loyalty to a cause, your character is devoted to 
  one particular cause. They might be loyal to 
  friends, organization, country, or faith. They 
  will do anything to protect the cause from 
  harm, and never leave anyone behind. You 
  earn a Style point any time your character’s 
  unswerving loyalty causes trouble for them or 
  their companions.
  Malaise: Your character constantly feels 
  discontent, worried, and lethargic. Usually, this 
  is accompanied by general feelings of sickness, 
  but no physical symptoms are ever present. 
  You earn a Style point any time your character’s 
  lethargy causes her to lose an opportunity or 
  give up an advantage.
  Malingerer: The character fabricates or exag-
  gerates illness for personal gain. He might do this 
  to earn money (compensation for an “injury”), to 
  avoid work or military service, to get a reduction 
  in a prison sentence, or just to gain sympathy. 
  You earn a Style point whenever your character 
  profits by successfully feigning illness.
  Vengeful: Your character never forgets and 
  he never forgives. Anyone who crosses him or 
  makes a fool of them has made an enemy; at 
  least until your character gets even. You earn 
  a Style point whenever your character’s desire 
  to get even causes problems for them or their 
  comrades.
  Social
  Alley Child: Your character is utterly un-
  schooled in and possibly even contemptuous 
  of social convention. You suffer a –2 penalty 
  to rolls whenever manners and etiquette are 
  involved. You earn a Style point whenever your 
  character’s brazen disregard for social niceties 
  causes them or their friends to be rejected or 
  excluded.
  Animal Antipathy: There is something 
  about your character that causes horses to buck 
  her, cats to scratch her, and dogs to bark at 
  her. Your character suffers a –2 penalty on any 
  roll relating to animals. You earn a Style point 
  whenever your character suffers a setback due 
  to an uncooperative or belligerent animal. A 
  character with the Animal Apathy Flaw cannot 
  take the Animal Affinity Talent.
  Braggart: Your character makes frequent 
  boasts. They aren’t an outright liar (though 
  stories may be embellished) or overconfident 
  Gambling Made Easy
  These quick rules simulate an entire ses-
  sion of gambling, be that a few hands or 
  an entire evening.
  Everyone must first agree on a stake. This 
  can be any amount of money or even 
  Barter Dice (p. 28). Nothing prevents a 
  character agreeing to a stake in excess 
  of his current finances, but if they loses 
  they’re in serious trouble. Next, all the 
  participants make a single Gambling roll, 
  spending Style points if they desire.
  The gambler with the lowest number of 
  successes must pay the gambler with the 
  highest number of success the difference 
  between their successes times the stake. 
  The second lowest pays the second 
  highest the difference multiplied by the 
  stake, and so on. Any left over gamblers 
  are deemed to have broken even.
  Example: Three heroes, Adelhard, Ber-
  ta, and Karl, are playing dice for a 10 
  livres stake. After the dice are rolled and 
  Style points spent, Adelhard has a mis-
  erable 3 successes, Berta an amazing 9 
  successes, and Karl a decent 6 success-
  es. Adelhard owes Berta 60 livres (9-3, 
  times the stake), while Karl ends the 
  night with no loss or gain.
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  1
  in actions—they just cannot help telling people 
  about the many things they have achieved or 
  will accomplish in the future. You earn a Style 
  point whenever your character’s boasting gets 
  them in over their head or causes difficulties 
  for them and their friends.
  Distrustful: Your character has a hard time 
  trusting others. Perhaps the nature of their 
  work makes them suspicious of those who of-
  fer the open hand of friendship, or maybe they 
  were betrayed by someone close in the past. 
  Whatever the reason, she finds it very hard to 
  open up to others about anything. You earn 
  a Style point whenever your character’s dis-
  trustful nature prevents them from achieving 
  a major goal or causes them or their friends 
  trouble.
  Dominant: Your character is driven to 
  be the “alpha wolf.” You constantly look for 
  ways to overthrow your superiors and to 
  force everyone else to obey your commands, 
  even if only to prove that you can make them 
  do something. You earn a Style point when-
  ever your character’s need to dominate others 
  brings unnecessary strife.
  Doomsayer: Your character is given to 
  prophesying death and destruction. Maybe 
  you do it because you are driven by powerful 
  dreams or simply for attention. Some might 
  hail you as a walking curse, while others con-
  sidered you an unabashed liar, but they rarely 
  give your predictions a warm reception. You 
  earn a Style point whenever your character 
  is persecuted for predictions or when one of 
  their dire predictions comes true.
  Exiled: Your character has been driven out 
  of their homeland and cannot return upon 
  pain of death. They may have been exiled 
  because of committing a crime, violating a 
  taboo, or being on the wrong side. They may 
  have also been marked in some way so they 
  must bear the stigma of his banishment abroad 
  as well. You earn a Style point whenever your 
  character is shunned or denied support be-
  cause of their past.
  Independent: Your character is self-reliant. 
  They dislike others interfering in their affairs 
  and rarely ask for help. When help is offered, 
  they are dismissive. They can work as part of 
  a team, but only so long as their companions 
  understand help isn’t needed. You earn a Style 
  point when your character’s insistence in do-
  ing things on their own or rejection of help 
  causes trouble for them or their friends.
  Masochism: Your character gets a kick out 
  of feeling pain. You aren’t truly self-destructive, 
  but sometimes you may take it too far, and you 
  might even seek out someone to cause you 
  pain. You earn a Style point whenever your 
  character hurts themself or needlessly invites 
  harm.
  Nemesis: Your character has an impla-
  cable rival. They may be a suitor for the same 
  lover, a proponent of a rival theory, a noble 
  you shamed in public, or a fellow student of 
  fencing. Whatever their nature, neither of you 
  is prepared to let bygones be bygones. The 
  nemesis may plot behind closed doors or act 
  openly against you. Your nemesis is at least as 
  powerful as your character, and has allies and 
  contacts to call upon. You earn a Style point 
  whenever your nemesis rears their ugly head 
  and makes life extremely difficult for you or 
  your comrades.
  Repulsive: Whether it is his chronic flatu-
  lence, foul body odor, fetid breath, or some 
  other disgusting habit or trait, your character 
  makes people negatively react to him. People 
  turn away in disgust, or outright flee from the 
  vicinity. You suffer a –2 penalty to Charisma 
  rolls to influence people (see Influence in All 
  for One). You earn a Style point whenever your 
  character’s repulsive habit or trait causes them 
  or the group to suffer in social situations.
  Righteous: Your character believes the 
  end justifies the means. No matter how mor-
  ally reprehensible the act, you are willing to 
  do it if it leads to the conclusion you seek, and 
  you are always prepared to defend your ques-
  tionable actions. You earn a Style point if your 
  character’s actions alienate them and their 
  friends, or cause others to publicly question 
  their motives and moral judgment.
  Sadism: Your character derives pleasure 
  from inflicting pain. They enjoy inflicting 
  physical and emotional discomfort and has a 
  hard time resisting toying with victims instead 
  of finishing them off. You earn a Style point 
  whenever your character is needlessly cruel to 
  friends or enemies.
  
  Creating Survivors
  1
  Stingy: Your character isn’t greedy, just 
  extremely reluctant to spend money. They 
  always hunt for bargains and haggle over every 
  purchase. You earn a Style point when your 
  character’s reluctance to spend money or in-
  sistence on haggling causes trouble for them 
  or their friends.
  New Fencing Schools
  This section details two new fencing 
  schools. Gamemasters wanting to expand the 
  number of fencing schools further will find 
  more in Richelieu’s Guide Compendium 2. 
  Rules for expanding existing fencing schools 
  with specific school-only Talents will find them 
  in Richelieu’s Guide Compendium 1.
  Deutsche Fechtschule
  Fencing Style: German
  Prerequisites: Strength 3
  Fencing Style Bonuses: Disarm: –1, Feint: 
  –1, Parry: +1, Thrust: 0, Slash: +1
  Special: The German style can only be used 
  when wielding a great sword. Because of this 
  heavy focus (and limitation), the school’s Tal-
  ents only cost 10 Experience points, instead of 
  15 Experience as normal for those using the Tal-
  ents from Richelieu’s Guide Compendium 2.
  The 
  Deutsche 
  Fechtschule 
  (“German 
  school of fencing”) was taught in the Holy 
  Roman Empire during the Medieval and 
  Renaissance periods. As Italian fencing devel-
  oped, so the German style fell out of practice. 
  Originally teaching several varied styles, such 
  as polearms, grappling, the quarterstaff, and 
  even mounted combat, its primary focus was 
  on the great sword, known as the Zweihänder 
  (two-hander). 
  Considered archaic and ungainly compared 
  to the modern, elegant styles developed by the 
  French, Italian, and Spanish, it is nevertheless 
  making something of a comeback.
  The School of Pike
  Fencing Style: Pike
  Prerequisites: Strength 3
  Fencing Style Bonuses: Disarm: –1, Feint: 
  +1, Parry: –1, Thrust: +1, Slash: –1
  Special: The style can only be used when 
  wielding a pike or halberd.
  Developed for use in massed ranks, the 
  pike, a lengthy and cumbersome weapon, can 
  be a moderately effective melee weapon in the 
  hands of a skilled fencer. The style focuses on 
  attacking opponents at range, for the pike’s 
  great weakness is its inability to be of much use 
  against attackers who get too close. Students 
  are advised to master other weapons to cope 
  with such circumstances.
  New Rules
  Many of the following rules were first add-
  ed to the game through the Richelieu’s Guides 
  series. Some, such as Feint, have changed 
  from their introduction and the entries below 
  replace the existing rules. They are considered 
  Optional Rule:  
  Fencing Bonuses
  Rather than use the Fencing Style Bonus 
  table, Gamemasters may wish to imple-
  ment this optional rule for characters 
  who have invested in the Fencing Skill.
  A character using Fencing has +1 to at-
  tack rolls and +1 to his Active Defense 
  when fighting opponents using Melee 
  or opponents who do not know the 
  character’s Fencing style (i.e., they lack 
  the appropriate Fencing specialization). 
  When two combatants would have the 
  bonus against each other, their effects 
  are cancelled.
  Example: Greta knows Fencing: Ger-
  man. She engages several brigands ac-
  cused of murdering innocent farmers 
  in a fight. Since the murderers are using 
  Melee, Greta gains the +1 to attack and 
  Defense. She later goes up against their 
  chief, who knows only the Spanish Style. 
  Neither character is skilled in the other’s 
  fencing style. Since each has +1 to at-
  tack and Defense against the other, the 
  modifiers cancel.
  •           •
  •      •
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  1
  core rules, and thus have been included in 
  Satan’s Playground for those who do not have 
  access the aforementioned supplements.
  Firearms
  Bracing a Musket
  Muskets are not only heavy, their long 
  barrels make them extremely difficult to aim 
  unassisted. As well as using musket stands to 
  reduce the Strength requirement by two, char-
  acters gain similar benefits if resting the barrel 
  on a wall, tree, or even a lackey’s shoulder.
  If the brace is inanimate and immobile 
  (Gamemaster’s call, but obviously things like 
  tree branches and walls fall under that descrip-
  tion), the range is also increased by 10 feet, as 
  per a musket brace. In general, lackeys are too 
  nervous to make the weapon stable.
  Muskets in Melee
  Due to their length and cumbersomeness, 
  muskets are easy to knock aside. When used 
  against an opponent at point blank range, the 
  opponent may chose to use Block or Parry in 
  place of Dodge.
  New Maneuvers
  Feint
  Instead of making a normal attack, your 
  character attempts to trick her opponent into 
  dropping his guard with a misleading Brawl or 
  Melee attack. To perform a feint, make a Brawl or 
  Melee touch attack against the opponent. If suc-
  cessful, your character does no damage. Instead, 
  compare the opponent’s Willpower rating with 
  the amount of damage your character would 
  have done. If the damage you roll is less than or 
  equal to the opponent’s Willpower rating, your 
  character fails to deceive her opponent.
  If you roll more damage than their Willpower 
  rating, your character tricked her opponent into 
  focusing their attention elsewhere and they lose 
  his Active Defense until the beginning of their 
  next turn. If you roll more damage than twice 
  the opponent’s Willpower rating, your charac-
  ter has duped her opponent into exposing a 
  vulnerable area and they lose their full Defense 
  rating until the beginning of their next turn.
  Sweep
  A sweep is a type of total attack in which 
  your character swings a long weapon in a 
  broad circle with the intent of hitting multiple 
  targets. Make a Brawl, Fencing, or Melee attack 
  at a -2 for each target and each empty five-foot 
  space between targets.
  All targets must be within the normal reach 
  of your weapon and must form an uninter-
  rupted line; therefore, if an ally is between two 
  enemies then you may not strike both enemies 
  unless you include your ally as a target.
  Longer reach is an advantage when per-
  forming this maneuver, so a character can 
  reduce his total penalty by an amount equal 
  to his Size. When making a sweep attack, your 
  character loses his Active Defense.
  Optional Rule:  
  Long Weapons
  As it stands, the rules allow a pike to be 
  wielded in melee as easily as a dagger. 
  Historically, pikes were intended to thwart 
  cavalry charges and attack at range. 
  At the Gamemaster’s discretion, attacks 
  made at targets closer than 6 feet or be-
  tween 11 and 15 feet (the pike’s maxi-
  mum effective reach) suffer a –2 pen-
  alty due to their unwieldy nature and 
  the pikeman’s inability to put his full 
  strength behind attacks. A pike’s long 
  haft also means it cannot be used to Par-
  ry an attack made by an opponent stand-
  ing closer than 6 feet.
  Halberds are shorter than pikes. They 
  cannot be used to attack targets over 10 
  feet away or Parry attacks made within 6 
  feet, and still suffer the –2 penalty when 
  used to attack opponents within 6 feet.
  
  Creating Survivors
  1
  Faithless Clergyman
  Archetype: Clergyman; Motivation: Duty; 
  Background: Educated; Style: 3
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 3, Intelligence 3, Will-
  power 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 6, Initiative 5, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 5
  Skills: Academics: Religion 6, Athletics 2, 
  Brawl 2, Bureaucracy 5 (Church 6), Diplomacy 
  5, Empathy 5, Linguistics 4, Medicine 6 (First 
  Aid 7), Melee 4
  Talents: Disease Resistant (+2 bonus to Body 
  rolls related to disease and illness), Guardian 
  (Can provide +2 Defense bonus to allies)
  Resources: Follower 0 (Orphan), Status 0 
  (Clergyman; +1 Social bonus)
  Flaws: Depressed (+1 Style point whenever 
  his dire predictions come true or something 
  happens to crush his spirits)
  Weapons: Punch 2N, Crude club 5N
  “I can tend to your physical wounds, 
  my child, but you must find someone 
  else to soothe your spiritual injuries.”
  Character Background
  I once thought my faith was as solid as the 
  foundations of the church. I had witnessed 
  loving couples join in holy wedlock, blessed 
  their newborn children and welcomed them 
  into the bosom of Christ, and gazed in won-
  der at the starry firmament wrought by the 
  Maker’s hand. I wonder now how I could be 
  so blinded.
  I am not naïve by nature. I knew that the 
  world was imbalanced and that sin lurked in 
  the hearts of every man, but I always believed 
  in the power of redemption. That we could fall 
  so far from grace as to be abandoned by God I 
  never thought possible.
  Aye, my words may strike you as blasphemy, 
  but had you my eyes you would not be so quick 
  to condemn me for such utterances.
  The war was a distant thing at first, a conflict 
  fought in far away lands by strangers, though 
  of course the cause was dear to my heart. At 
  first I spoke out in favor of it, for our faith must 
  be protected if we are to do God’s will on earth 
  and eventually enter the kingdom of Heaven. 
  Such fervent support was rapidly to diminish 
  when the war reached our homeland.
  The soldiers came under the banner of our 
  temporal and spiritual lords, modern crusaders 
  with a righteous cause. They were to be our 
  salvation, but ended up as our doom. Like the 
  Biblical plague of locusts they came, looting, pil-
  laging, murdering, and raping like animals. They 
  wore the flesh of men made in God’s image, but 
  had hearts shaped by the hand of Satan himself.
  I was absent when they came to my vil-
  lage, having been set a task by my bishop that 
  necessitated a lengthy journey. I returned to 
  witness what might only be described as hell 
  on earth. My flock had been torn apart as if by 
  wild beasts. Disemboweled and dismembered, 
  lacerated and punctured, they lay dead in the 
  roads and in their homes. I had known these 
  people for long years, but some I could not 
  recognize, such was the mutilation put upon 
  them. Even the church had not been spared, 
  for within lay several corpses and what wealth 
  we had was gone. Those few who had survived 
  the butchery would never recover their wits, 
  and in some ways I consider that a mercy.
  I cried to heaven in rage, driven to fury 
  that such a fate could befall anyone, let alone 
  people of the same faith. I asked, begged, for a 
  sign, but the heavens were silent.
  Since that day I have wandered this land 
  in turmoil, and little have I seen to make me 
  believe that God is watching over us. Barbaric 
  hosts kill, torture, and murder at will, sparing 
  neither child nor woman in their sadistic plea-
  sure. If any greater power now watches over 
  this stained nation it is Satan, for surely he is 
  now Rex Mundi.
  Roleplaying
  You have lost more than your faith in God. 
  Utterly despondent, you have lost your faith 
  in mankind and in yourself. You aid others as 
  best you can, but in your heart you know it is a 
  drop of succor in an ocean of suffering.
  •          •
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  0
  Inspiring Meistersinger
  Archetype: Luminary; Motivation: Hope; 
  Background: Educated; Style: 3
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 4, Intelligence 3, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 5, Initiative 5, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 4
  Skills: Academics: Religion 3, Art: Poetry 6 
  (Original composition 7), Athletics 2, Brawl 
  2, Diplomacy 5, Empathy 5, Gambling 5, Lin-
  guistics 3, Melee 4, Performance 6 (Singing 7), 
  Streetwise 5
  Talents: Captivate (Can temporarily entrance 
  targets), Inspire (Can use an attack action to 
  grant allies a +2 bonus)
  Resources: Fame 0 (Singer; +1 Social bonus), 
  Follower 0 (Scavenger)
  Flaws: Merciful (+1 Style point whenever they 
  show compassion to an enemy or refuses to 
  retaliate when wronged)
  Weapons: Punch 2N, Small sword 6L
  “We may be cold, wet, and hungry, but 
  we are alive, and for that small mercy 
  we should be grateful. Come, eat your 
  rat and I shall sing.”
  Character Background
  Words have power. Those who can wield 
  them with effect, with tongue or hand, can 
  change destinies. One only needs to look at 
  the written words of Luther and the spoken 
  orders of the warlords and nobles who com-
  mand great armies.
  Words are amoral. It is the speaker who 
  determines whether they become a force for 
  good or evil, for without guidance a word is 
  nothing but a sound and collection of symbols. 
  I have seen them wielded for great good in the 
  hands of clergymen providing spiritual guid-
  ance and succor to their flocks in these dark 
  times. I have witnessed a witch-hunter rouse 
  a mob to such heights of fervor that they tied 
  suspected witches to the stake and set them 
  afire without a trial. Aye, words can do won-
  drous and terrible things.
  No, I cannot command minds as one ma-
  nipulates a puppet—I am no magician and 
  make no such claims—but I have the power 
  to nudge emotions in other directions, inspire 
  and entertain, to lift spirits and blow away 
  shadows of the mind.
  I hold to an ancient but almost extinct tradi-
  tion—that of the Meistersinger. Born in a great 
  city, I joined the guild and rose steadily through 
  the ranks, becoming a Schüler (apprentice), 
  Schulfreunde (journeyman), and finally a Meis-
  ter (master) as I mastered my chosen trade. I 
  profess some skill at singing and composition, 
  and my natural modesty does not preclude me 
  from saying that I have earned a little fame.
  I consider myself a rare soul in this age of 
  barbarism, for I have no wish to wield a sword 
  or take vengeance on those who have wronged 
  me. That life is for others. 
  I cannot right wrongs with words alone, 
  nor can I rid those who have witnessed utmost 
  cruelty of their nightmares. I am a shoulder on 
  which they can lean for support, a soothing 
  voice when the terrors strike at their senses, 
  and a reminder that there is still good in the 
  world. Do I think my efforts will ultimately 
  make any difference? That it is not for me to 
  say. Posterity will either recall my name favor-
  ably or dispatch me to the halls of ignominy. 
  All I can say is that no matter the odds stacked 
  against me, I shall do my best to spread hope.
  Roleplaying
  Countless dead, destroyed property, broth-
  ers at each other’s throats, untold numbers 
  starving or ravaged by disease. The nation 
  seems a ruin, yet all is not lost. As in the tale 
  of Pandora’s box, hope remains. You may be a 
  single candle fighting against the encroaching 
  shadows, but so long as that faint glimmer radi-
  ates the world will not plunge into darkness. 
  Violence begets only more violence in your 
  opinion. While you expect justice, you are 
  prepared to turn the other cheek when others 
  wrong you. They may see the error of their ways 
  and repent of their own accord, but if not, it is 
  for the Lord to wield retribution, not you.
  •            •
  
  Creating Survivors
  1
  Redemptive Mercenary
  Archetype: Mercenary; Motivation: Redemp-
  tion; Background: Rural; Style: 3
  Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 3, 
  Strength 3, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 6, Per-
  ception 4, Initiative 5, Defense 6 (10)*, Stun 
  3, Health 5
  Skills: Animal Handling 2, Archery 3, Athletics 
  4, Brawl 5, Firearms 5, Intimidation 5, Melee 6, 
  Ride 4, Survival 5
  Talents: Frenzy (may make two attacks at the 
  same opponent at –2), Parry (Can Parry as a 
  reflexive action)
  Resources: Follower 0 (Groom), Status 0 (Vet-
  eran soldier; +1 Soldier bonus)
  Flaws: Short Temper (–2 penalty to Willpower 
  rolls to keep their cool; +1 Style point when-
  ever their short temper causes trouble)
  Weapons: Punch 5N, Flintlock pistol 8L, Long 
  sword 9L
  * Plate cuirass grants +4 Passive Defensive 
  when struck in the torso.
  “I have seen the errors of my ways. I 
  cannot change horrors I have committed 
  in my past, but I hope that in my future 
  I might find some mark of redemption 
  in the eyes of the Lord.”
  Character Background
  What hope did the future offer me, the only 
  child of a poor farmer? Marriage? Children? 
  Breaking my back toiling in the field? Ha! That 
  was not for me.
  I was but a child myself when I joined 
  a mercenary company. A servant at first, I 
  watched the soldiers training and copied their 
  moves when none were looking. A sapling at 
  first, barely able to carry my captain’s sword 
  yet alone wield it in anger in battle, carrying 
  heavy loads soon saw me to mature into a 
  more fitting frame. When the time was right, 
  I made it clear to my captain that I wanted to 
  join his company. He had no issues with such a 
  request, for he had already seen my promise.
  Morals were never an issue for me. Under 
  my master’s guidance I learned to kill men as 
  if they were sheep to be butchered. There was 
  no hesitation, no ambiguity. Battle is brutal, 
  and one must kill or be killed. My enemies 
  would have done the same to me. I learned 
  how to torture without passion, for it was 
  naught but an end to a means. I ransacked 
  farms and simple farmers of their wares in 
  order to feed my grumbling belly, my heart 
  hardened to their pitiful pleas for clemency. 
  What else I needed I looted from my enemies, 
  whether dead or clutching to life’s last thread. 
  Let it be known that war is hell and that I was 
  willing champions.
  I do not recall exactly when the dark veil 
  that clouded my eyes and my judgments lifted. 
  For sure I had committed many terrible acts be-
  fore the light returned, and my soul was surely 
  as black as night and promised to Satan. At 
  some point in my youth I had strayed from the 
  path of God and into that of Satan, but while 
  I had forsaken the Lord, He had not forsaken 
  me it seems. For that alone I am blessed.
  I no longer fight under the banners of no-
  bles and bishops, nor those of nations. Under 
  their charge there is nothing to be gained but 
  further misery and darkness. Nor do I fight in 
  the name of God, for while He has surely cast 
  His gaze upon me I am not yet worthy to stand 
  in His light.
  I am a mercenary still, but my cause is my 
  own and my destiny in my hands alone. I shall 
  never become a saint, nor perhaps even grant-
  ed entrance to Heaven at my due appointed 
  time, but I shall at least die knowing that I have 
  attempted to right my misdeeds.
  Roleplaying
  You were not only a witness to the atroci-
  ties being wrought by the war, you were a will-
  ing participant in some of the worst horrors. 
  The road to salvation will be long and arduous, 
  and there is no guarantee you will reach the 
  end, but for the sake of your immortal soul you 
  will strive your hardest to make right the many 
  wrongs you have committed.
  •           •
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  Young Survivor
  Archetype: Everyman; Motivation: Survivor; 
  Background: Urban; Style: 3
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 4, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 3, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size –1, Move 6, 
  Perception 5, Initiative 7, Defense 7, Stun 2, 
  Health 3
  Skills: Athletics 4, Brawl 4, Bureaucracy 3, Con 
  6, Diplomacy 2, Larceny 5 (Pick Pocketing 6), 
  Melee 4, Stealth 6, Streetwise 4 (Scrounging 
  5), Survival 6
  Talents: Lucky (+2 bonus to any one roll per 
  game session), Tricky Fighter (+2 bonus when 
  performing Tricks)
  Resources: Contacts 0 (Criminals; +1 bonus), 
  Follower 0 (Seller of Fake Relics)
  Flaws: Young (+1 Style point whenever their 
  size causes them difficulty or they are patron-
  ized because of their young age)
  Weapons: Punch 4N, Dagger 5L
  * +1 Size bonus to Stealth rolls.
  “I know it looks and smells bad, and 
  it has a strange color, but I’ve eaten 
  plenty of it before and I’m still alive. 
  Just close your eyes.”
  Character Background
  Born to a town clerk, I was fortunate 
  enough to have plenty to eat and new clothes, 
  and learned my letters quickly. Although my 
  father expected me to follow in his footsteps, 
  and there is nothing being wrong with a clerk, 
  I had not given the future much thought. I was, 
  and still am, only a child, and my days were 
  filled with daydreaming and play.
  I don’t know who murdered my parents 
  and burned down our house. Soldiers for sure, 
  but I do not recall under whose banner they 
  acted and such knowledge does nothing to 
  make things right.
  All I remember is my mother hurriedly 
  pushing me into the rafters and urging me to 
  total silence as the door broke down, and then 
  the screaming. Survival isn’t all about finding 
  food and warmth. I shut off those hideous 
  sounds, and later the sights, I witnessed that 
  day and swore never to let them loose.
  The town was a mess—bodies everywhere, 
  acrid smoke, screaming women and children, 
  men laughing as they robbed and drank and 
  had their way with women. I ran as fast as I 
  could out of the place I once called home but 
  could no longer recognize.
  The first rule of survival is to look to your 
  own needs. Charity was sparse, for those who 
  had not suffered from the War saw us as in-
  stigators of our own misfortune. People had 
  their own families to feed and clothe, and an 
  orphan child was just another burden.
  Desperation is a harsh and relentless mas-
  ter and I learned its lessons fast and well. I 
  convinced myself that God would not send me 
  to hell simply for stealing a few coins or a crust 
  of hard bread, despite His seventh Command-
  ments. I do not know if taking rags from a 
  cold, staring-eyed corpse in order to stay warm 
  counts as theft in the eyes of the law or the 
  Almighty, and to be frank, it is not something 
  on which I dwell.
  I have eaten chunks of flesh cut from the 
  carcasses of animals that surely did not die of 
  natural causes and whose smell would give 
  a starving dog pause, chewed on the tails of 
  flea-ridden rats to fool my hunger, boiled the 
  bark of trees, and risked stuffing my face with 
  various fungi, caring little at the time if they 
  were to be my salvation or doom, such were 
  the pains that gnawed at my guts.
  Would I kill to survive? I have defended my-
  self against trespassers, cutting and stabbing at 
  them, but I have never killed another person. 
  If the War has taught me anything, it is that one 
  will do anything to live another day.
  Roleplaying
  You have a few physical and mental scars 
  from your experiences in the War, but you have 
  managed to survive. It hasn’t been easy, and 
  likely things will get tougher still, but you’re 
  not above thieving, begging, and playing on 
  the sympathies of adults.
  •        •
  
  Creating Survivors
  
  Sample Lackeys
  Camp Follower
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 1, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 1
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 3, Percep-
  tion 3, Initiative 4, Defense 3, Stun 1, Health 2
  Skills: Larceny 4, Melee 3, Streetwise 4
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: Poor (+1 Style point whenever they 
  spend money unwisely or cannot afford to buy 
  a basic resource)
  Weapons: Punch 0N, Dagger 4L
  Charlatan Astrologer
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 1, 
  Strength 1, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 1
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 2, Percep-
  tion 3, Initiative 3, Defense 3, Stun 2, Health 3
  Skills: Con 4 (Bluff 5), Empathy 4 (Body Lan-
  guage 5)
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: Superstitious (+1 Style point whenever 
  one of eccentricities cause them troubles turns 
  out to be true)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Cook
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 1, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 1
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 3, Percep-
  tion 3, Initiative 4, Defense 3, Stun 1, Health 2
  Skills: Craft: Cooking 4 (Improvisation 5), 
  Survival 4 (Foraging 5)
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: Gluttonous (+1 Style point whenever 
  their appetite causes problems for them or 
  their comrades)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Crippled Beggar
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 1, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 1, Will-
  power 1
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 2, Percep-
  tion 3, Initiative 2, Defense 3, Stun 2, Health 4
  Skills: Con 4 (Fast Talk 5), Streetwise 4 (Hag-
  gling 5)
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: One Arm (+1 Style point whenever 
  they drop something or makes a critical blun-
  der because of their missing arm)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Demagogue
  Follower 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 1, Charisma 3, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 1
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 3, Percep-
  tion 4, Initiative 4, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 4
  Skills: Con 5 (Fast Talk 6), Diplomacy 5 (Per-
  suasion 6), Empathy 4 (Emotions 5), Intimida-
  tion 5 (Order 6)
  Talents: Rabble-rouser (Can boost Followers 
  as if a Talent. Their master may also boost this 
  Talent with their own Style points)
  Resources: None
  Flaws: Righteous (+1 Style point whenever 
  their actions alienate them or cause others to 
  question their motives and moral judgment)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Deserter
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 1, Intelligence 1, Will-
  power 1
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 2, Initiative 3, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 3
  Skills: Brawl 4, Firearms 5
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: Coward (+1 Style point whenever 
  they give up without a fight or abandons their 
  friends to save their own skin)
  Weapons: Punch 4N, Matchlock musket 8L
  •         •
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  Faithful Bodyguard
  Follower 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 3, Charisma 1, Intelligence 1, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 5, Percep-
  tion 3, Initiative 3, Defense 5, Stun 3, Health 5
  Skills: Athletics 4, Brawl 5 (Punching 6), In-
  timidation 4 (Staredown 5), Melee 6
  Talents: Guardian (May grant a +2 Defense 
  bonus to all allies within 10 feet of them)
  Resources: None
  Flaws: Vow: Protect master (+2 Style points 
  whenever they have to make a major sacrifice 
  to keep their vow)
  Weapons: Punch 6N, Long sword 9L
  Forester
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 1, Charisma 1, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 1
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 3, Percep-
  tion 3, Initiative 4, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 3
  Skills: Firearms 4, Stealth 3, Survival 4
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: Ravenous (+1 Style point when their 
  hunger forces them or their friends to starve)
  Weapons: Punch 0N, Matchlock musket 7L
  Groom
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 1, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 1
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 3, Percep-
  tion 3, Initiative 4, Defense 3, Stun 1, Health 2
  Skills: Animal Handling 4 (Horses 5), Medicine 
  4 (Veterinary 5)
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: Absent-Minded (+1 Style point when-
  ever they forget something important)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Hedge Mage
  Follower 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 1, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 3, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 3, Percep-
  tion 5, Initiative 4, Defense 3, Stun 2, Health 4
  Skills: Athletics 4, Craft: Medicines 5, Medi-
  cine 4, Natural Philosophy: Biology 5 (Plants 
  6), Survival 5 (Foraging 6)
  Talents: Herb Lore (Always has supplies)
  Resources: None
  Flaws: Pacifist (+1 Style point when they are 
  able to prevent violence or resolve a dispute 
  peaceably)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Itinerant Apothecary
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 1, Charisma 1, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 3, Percep-
  tion 4, Initiative 4, Defense 3, Stun 1, Health 3
  Skills: Craft: Medicines 5, Natural Philosophy: 
  Chymistry 4
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: Poor Vision (+1 Style point whenever 
  their poor vision causes them to make a critical 
  mistake)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Logistics Arranger
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 1, 
  Strength 1, Charisma 2, Intelligence 3, Will-
  power 1
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 2, Percep-
  tion 4, Initiative 4, Defense 2, Stun 1, Health 2
  Skills: Bureaucracy 4, Streetwise 4 (Haggling 
  5), Warfare 4 (Logistics 5)
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: Aloof (+1 Style point whenever their 
  businesslike attitude causes them trouble)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Marksman
  Follower 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 3, 
  
  Creating Survivors
  
  Strength 3, Charisma 1, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 1
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 6, Percep-
  tion 3, Initiative 5, Defense 5, Stun 2, Health 3
  Skills: Firearms 8 (Muskets 9), Stealth 7 (Cam-
  ouflage 8)
  Talents: Accuracy (May ignore up to a –2 pen-
  alty for targeting a specific location)
  Resources: None
  Flaws: Independent (+1 Style point whenever 
  their insistence in doing things on their own 
  or rejection of help causes trouble)
  Weapons: Punch 0N, Flintlock pistol 9L, Flint-
  lock musket 13L
  Mercenary Cavalryman
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 1, Intelligence 1, Will-
  power 1
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 2, Initiative 3, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 3
  Skills: Melee 4 (Swords 5), Ride 4 (Dismount/
  Mount 5)
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: Disfigured (–2 penalty on all rolls 
  where their appearance is a factor; +1 Style 
  point whenever they are rejected because of 
  their appearance)
  Weapons: Punch 0N, Lance 7L, Saber 7L
  Mercenary Pikeman
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 1, 
  Strength 3, Charisma 1, Intelligence 1, Will-
  power 1
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 2, Initiative 2, Defense 3, Stun 2, Health 3
  Skills: Athletics 4, Brawl 5, Melee 5
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: Impulsive (+1 Style point whenever 
  their impulsiveness gets them into trouble)
  Weapons: Punch 5N, Pike 9L
  Merchant
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 1, 
  Strength 1, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 2, Percep-
  tion 4, Initiative 3, Defense 2, Stun 1, Health 3
  Skills: Empathy 4 (Lies 5), Streetwise 4 (Hag-
  gling 5)
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: Stingy (+1 Style point whenever their 
  reluctance to spend money or insistence on 
  haggling causes trouble)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Orphan
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 1, Charisma 1, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 3, Percep-
  tion 4, Initiative 4, Defense 3, Stun 1, Health 3
  Skills: Larceny 4 (Pickpocketing 5), Survival 4 
  (Foraging 5)
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: Alley Child (–2 penalty to rolls when good 
  manners are involved; +1 Style whenever their 
  brazen disregard for social niceties causes them 
  or their friends to be rejected or excluded)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Pack Mule
  Follower 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 1, 
  Strength 4, Charisma 1, Intelligence 1, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 5, Percep-
  tion 3, Initiative 2, Defense 4, Stun 3, Health 5
  Skills: Athletics 8 (Lifting 9), Brawl 6 (Kicking 
  7), Survival 4
  Talents: Pack Mule (Treats their encumbrance 
  level as one less than the weight they carry 
  would normally impose)
  Resources: None
  Flaws: Ravenous (+1 Style point when their 
  hunger forces them or their friends to starve)
  Weapons: Punch 6N, Kick 7N
  Scavenger
  Follower 0
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 3, 
  Strength 1, Charisma 1, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 1
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 3, Initiative 5, Defense 4, Stun 1, Health 2
  Skills: Larceny 4 (Sleight of Hand 5), Stealth 4, 
  Streetwise 4 (Scrounging 5)
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: Callous (+1 Style point whenever they 
  do something particularly selfish or refuse to 
  help someone in dire need)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Scribe
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 1, 
  Strength 1, Charisma 2, Intelligence 3, Will-
  power 1
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 2, Percep-
  tion 4, Initiative 4, Defense 2, Stun 1, Health 2
  Skills: Academics: Literature 4, Bureaucracy 5, 
  Linguistics 5
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: Absent-Minded (+1 Style point when-
  ever they overlook a critical detail or forget 
  something important)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Seller of Fake Relics
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 1, 
  Strength 1, Charisma 3, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 1
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 2, Percep-
  tion 3, Initiative 3, Defense 2, Stun 1, Health 2
  Skills: Academics: Religion 4, Con 5, Street-
  wise 4
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: Unlucky (Once per game session, you 
  suffer a –2 penalty on any one dice roll; +1 
  Style point if if this causes their action to fail, 
  or if they roll a Critical Failure)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Trusty Messenger
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 1, Intelligence 1, Will-
  power 1
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 2, Initiative 3, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 3
  Skills: Athletics 4 (Running 5), Riding 4 (Gal-
  loping 5)
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: Code of Conduct (+1 Style point when-
  ever their code forces them to make something 
  much more difficult than might otherwise be 
  necessary)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Vicious Thug
  Follower 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 1, 
  Strength 3, Charisma 1, Intelligence 1, Will-
  power 1
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 2, Initiative 2, Defense 3, Stun 2, Health 3
  Skills: Brawl 4 (Punch 5), Intimidation 4 
  (Threats 5)
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaws: Belligerent (+1 Style point whenever 
  their aggressive attitude causes trouble for 
  them or their comrades)
  Weapons: Punch 5N
  Witchfinder
  Follower 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 1, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 3, Intelligence 3, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 3, Percep-
  tion 5, Initiative 4, Defense 2, Stun 1, Health 3
  Skills: Academics: Occult 4, Academics: Reli-
  gion 4, Con 5 (Tricks 6), Empathy 4 (Lies 5), 
  Intimidation 5 (Torture 6), Investigation 4 
  (Interview 5)
  Talents: Magickal Sensitivity (May make an 
  Empathy roll whenever they try to sense 
  magickal energy)
  Resources: None
  Flaws: Fanatical: Burn the Witch! (+1 Style 
  point whenever their devotion causes harm 
  or they convert someone else to their way of 
  thinking)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  
  “The soldiers were so famished that in the 
  Altmark some of them ate human flesh. As 
  they reached Beelitz and marched on around 
  the town they ate dogs, cats and rotting dead 
  horses. Everything that they found in the barns 
  outside they either consumed or destroyed, 
  but the town itself was preserved, thank God.” 
  —Geoff Mortimer, Eyewitness Accounts of the 
  Thirty Years War 1618-48
  Where the War has touched the land, hard-
  ship and suffering rapidly follow. Like plagues 
  of locusts, armies move across the land, de-
  vouring anything edible, tearing down fences 
  and buildings for firewood, and stripping the 
  furnishings from houses. That which they can-
  not take, they destroy, so as to deny it to their 
  foes. With farmers unable to till the soil, entire 
  populations abandoning the land, and com-
  merce ruined, famine stalks rural and urban 
  regions like the Angel of Death.
  Characters adventuring in war-stricken re-
  gions face a barrage of challenges beyond mur-
  derous brigands and ferocious monsters. The 
  difficulties caused by the War should not be down 
  played in the characters’ favor—heroes they may 
  be, but they are not immune to starvation, lack of 
  supplies, and the threat of pestilence.
  Devastation Rating
  Not every part of the country suffers equal 
  privation during the War. Some areas are left 
  almost barren, with only burnt-out buildings 
  and silent corpses left testament to previous 
  prosperity. Other parts escape with only minor 
  despoiling and destruction. The map on page 
  54shows the level of destruction as of 1636.
  The level of destruction sets the Difficulty 
  for rolls to hunt, forage, scrounge, and scav-
  enge, as shown below.
  Level of Destruction
  Difficulty
  Despoiled
  3
  Plundered
  4
  Ravaged
  5
  Devastated
  6
  Commerce
  Commerce is a victim of the war. The decrease 
  in population has destroyed entire industries, 
  army commanders demand their soldiers be sup-
  plied under threat of violence, merchants fear to 
  tread the roads lest their wagons be plundered, 
  and the sight of glinting coins is enough to cause 
  otherwise good people to become vile murder-
  ers. Shortages of even the most basic of goods 
  causes prices to sky-rocket.
  Scavenging & Scrounging
  As well as accepting hard coin, most citizens 
  are prepared to barter in lieu of part or full 
  payment. During their travels, the characters 
  may come across minor objects, such as a lost 
  button, some discarded clothes or rags, maybe 
  Chapter Two: 
  Surviving
  
  •
  •          •
  •      •
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  a drinking cup or plate, a bundle of sticks or 
  dried dung, and the like. By themselves, the 
  objects have negligible cash value. Collectively, 
  however, they can be used for bartering pur-
  poses. For ease, such items are referred to as 
  Barter Dice.
  When in a settlement, whether abandoned 
  or occupied, one character may make a Per-
  ception or Streetwise: Scrounging (player’s 
  choice). Passing through a former battlefield 
  forces the heroes to use Perception instead 
  as they search for spent musket balls, thrown 
  horseshoes, scabbards, and such like.
  This is deemed to take one hour. Team-
  work, Skill Synergy, and Time modifiers apply 
  as usual. The maximum frequency of rolls is 
  listed in the table below.
  A minor success means the hero has dis-
  covered one Barter Die worth of knick-knacks 
  and trinkets. Each additional success provides 
  one extra Barter Die. For Gamemasters enforc-
  ing the encumbrance rules, each Barter Die 
  weighs two pounds.
  Settlement Size Table
  The definition of locations is deliberately 
  left vague. A tiny settlement may have been 
  thriving village before soldiers passed through, 
  slaughtering and looting. Equally, an abbey or 
  noble’s manor house, even fully staffed, likely 
  has fewer than 100 souls. By the same guide-
  lines, a major military camp may be considered 
  a medium or large settlement. As a rule, vil-
  lages are small, towns are medium, and cities 
  are large. 
   Circumstances can drastically change the 
  population. Before 1631, for instance, Mag-
  deburg was a city with around 24,000 citizens 
  (large). After its brutal sacking by Imperial sol-
  diers, the population was reduced to around 
  4,000 (medium). By the end of the War it has 
  only 500 inhabitants (small).
  Size
  Population
  Rolls
  Tiny
  1-99
  1 per 2 weeks
  Small
  100-999
  1 per week
  Medium
  1,000-9,999
  1 per three days
  Large
  10,000+
  1 per day
  Bartering and Haggling
  With the decrease in population, the 
  amount of natural resources being delivered 
  to craftsmen has diminished. Fewer craftsmen 
  producing finished goods means shortages 
  in the markets and shops. Merchants have to 
  spend hard coin on ensuring their wagons are 
  protected. All of these factors have resulted in 
  price increases.
  Unless a character is prepared to take an 
  item by force, they need to pay for it in some 
  way. Payment need not always be in hard coin. 
  Characters with spare equipment or supplies 
  can use them to barter with. Likewise, a hero 
  with a useful skill might be able to barter his 
  services in return.
  Characters prepared to recompense the 
  seller must make a Diplomacy: Negotiation  or 
  
  Surviving
  
  Streetwise: Haggling roll with a Difficulty equal 
  to the seller’s Willpower rating (typically 2). 
  The buyer may also expend Barter Dice before 
  or after the roll is made—each dice grants a +1 
  bonus to the roll. Barter Dice used in a transac-
  tion are lost only if the purchase is made. Each 
  additional success on the Streetwise roll suc-
  cess lowers the price multiplier by one point, 
  to a minimum of x1.
  The buyer is never forced to accept the 
  final price—if he doesn’t like it, or can’t afford 
  it, then they can walk away. However, they can-
  not make a new roll for the same item until a 
  day has passed.
  Price Modifier Table
  Level of Destruction
  Price Multiplier
  Despoiled
  x2
  Plundered
  x4
  Ravaged
  x6
  Devastated
  x10
  Streetwise Modifier Table
  Strangers are rarely welcome into settle-
  ments, more so if they arrive armed and 
  armored, have a different faith or nationality, 
  follow the wrong flag, or if the settlement has 
  been attacked recently. The exact attitude of 
  the population toward the characters must be 
  determined on the various factors above.
  Attitude
  Modifier
  Loyal
  +4
  Helpful
  +2
  Friendly
  +1
  Neutral
  0
  Unfriendly
  –1
  Hostile
  –2
  Enemy
  –4
  Example: Gunther (Streetwise 6) has man-
  aged to locate someone prepared to sell him 
  a healer’s kit. Normally it would cost him 10 
  livres, but because the market is in a Ravaged 
  area, the price has increased to 60 livres!
  Gunther has a handful of Barter Dice 
  to hand and decides to spend three of them 
  now. He rolls a total of 9 dice—Streetwise 6 
  and Barter 3—against the seller’s Willpower 
  2. A smooth-talker by nature, Gunther scores 
  6 successes, four more than he needed. This 
  reduces the multiplier from x6 to x2, giving a 
  final price of 20 livres.
  Gunther accepts the final offer. He hands 
  over 20 livres and loses 3 Barter Dice.
  Hunting & Foraging
  Food is a necessity, and finding sufficient 
  quantities during famine is not a simply matter 
  of going to a shop or picking wild fruits, nuts, 
  and berries. Rather than creating complex 
  tables, hunting and foraging are abstracted to 
  a single roll.
  Coins of the Realms
  Gamemasters who want to add a little ex-
  tra flavor into their adventures, or who 
  are merely curious about historical cur-
  rencies, can use the following informa-
  tion. There is no need to actually convert 
  prices from livres to local currencies—
  the characters’ purchasing power is un-
  changed.
  Denmark: Krone, rigsdaler, mark, skill-
  ing, penning. 1 krone = 8 marks; 1 rigs-
  daler = 6 marks; 1 mark = 16 skillings; 1 
  skilling = 12 penninge
  Exchange rate: 1 livre = 2 marks
  Holy Roman Empire: The HRE uses 
  a variety of coins based on region. For 
  simplicity, we use gulden, kreutzer, and 
  pfennig. One gulden = 60 kreutzers; 1 
  kreutzer = 4 pfennigs. 
  Exchange rate: 1 livre = 30 kreutzer
  The Netherlands: guilder, stuiver, pen-
  nings. One guilder = 20 stuivers; 1 stuiv-
  er = 16 pennings
  Exchange rate: 1 livre = 16 stuivers
  Sweden: Mark, öre, örtugar, penningar. 
  One mark = 8 öres; 1 öre = 3 örtugars, 
  1 örtugar = 8 penningar
  Exchange rate: 1 livre = 2 öres
  •          •
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  0
  Once per day, one character may attempt to 
  locate free food and water—that is, food they 
  don’t have to buy or that is owned by someone 
  else already. In the countryside, they roll Sur-
  vival: Foraging or Survival: Hunting. In urban 
  areas, defined for this purpose as any inhab-
  ited population center, they roll Streetwise: 
  Scrounging or Survival: Hunting. The latter 
  nets rats and the occasional cat or dog, rather 
  than plump rabbits or deer. The player always 
  decides which roll to use.
  For convenience, hunting and foraging 
  takes one hour. This may be altered by using 
  Time modifiers. The time isn’t necessarily a 
  block of one hour. Rather, it is an indicator of 
  the amount of time the character spends on 
  the activity throughout the entire day—time 
  that cannot be used for other actions, such as 
  moving any distance.
  Teamwork and Skill Synergy modifiers ap-
  ply as normal. Players should be encouraged 
  to use their other Skills in novel ways. For in-
  stance, in an urban area, knowledge of Animal 
  Handling can be used to entice small animals 
  to come to the hero. Likewise, Streetwise is an 
  aid when looking for sources of food, while 
  Diplomacy may allow a character to befriend 
  someone willing to share a little food.
  A minor success results in the hero locating 
  enough food and water to provide one person 
  with sufficient sustenance for the coming day. 
  Each additional success provides sustenance for 
  one additional person. There are no options for 
  reduced rations and the like—a character either 
  has enough food to sustain them or they do not.
  Excess sustenance, that is, provisions left 
  over after everyone has sated their hunger and 
  thirst, should be recorded on the heroes’ char-
  acters sheets as “Days of Provisions.”
  Example: Manfred (Survival 6) and his 
  servant, Otto (Survival 4) haven’t eaten in 
  nearly a week. Manfred wants to find food.
  His base roll is 6 dice. Otto provides a +2 
  Teamwork bonus. A scholar before the War 
  forced him to abandon his studies, Manfred 
  has Natural Philosophy: Biology 4. Through 
  his knowledge of botany, which includes ed-
  ible roots and flowers, he gains a +2 Skill 
  Synergy bonus.  They are in a Plundered rural 
  area, which gives a Difficulty of 4.
  Manfred rolls a total of 8 dice against 
  Difficulty 4 and scores 6 successes, two more 
  than he needs! The base success means he 
  finds enough for himself and the first ad-
  ditional success to keep Otto fed. The second 
  additional success provides one man-day of 
  food for tomorrow. Manfred’s player writes 
  “Days of Provisions 1” on his character sheet.
  Pestilence
  The 17th century is far from a sanitary era 
  at the best of times, but add the War into the 
  mix and pestilence becomes rife.
  Pestilence is one of the two biggest killers 
  in the War, accounting for millions of deaths. 
  In some areas, disease killed as much as 50% 
  of the population. The populations of already 
  filthy towns and cities have been swelled by an 
  influx of refugees seeking sanctuary. Squalid 
  conditions, human filth, poverty, vermin, and 
  huddled masses are breeding grounds for dis-
  We have Loads  
  of Stuff!
  Through good fortune or judicious skill 
  use, the characters are likely to acquire 
  equipment and provisions. That’s great, 
  as it means they don’t have to worry 
  about eating or defending themselves for 
  a while, and may have excess goods for 
  bartering purposes.
  Unfortunately, the War has dramatically 
  swelled the number of “have-nots.” 
  More importantly, there are now grow-
  ing numbers of citizens prepared to take 
  what they want by force.
  Characters who flaunt their prosperity, be 
  that in the form of coin, provisions, or gen-
  eral goods, are going to attract unwanted 
  attention sooner rather than later. At best, 
  swarms of beggars requesting alms will 
  molest them. Maybe a pickpocket or cut-
  purse sees them as a ripe mark. At worst, 
  the unfortunates decide the only way to 
  get what they want is to draw weapons 
  and assault the characters.
  •     •
  
  Surviving
  1
  ease. Things are no better in military camps and 
  garrisons, and soldiers on campaign become 
  carriers of numerous plagues, spreading their 
  infestations far and wide. Festering corpses lie 
  where they fell, their decaying flesh and fetid 
  juices seeping into water supplies, while delib-
  erate sabotage makes drinking from wells and 
  streams a risky prospect.
  Common Modifiers
  Circumstance
  Modifier
  Character
  Already suffering from disease
  –1
  Elderly or Young Flaw
  –1
  Suffering from hunger
  –1
  Environment
  Crowded
  –1
  Filthy
  –1
  Temperature above 30C/85F
  –1
  Temperature below 5C/40F
  +1
  Camp Fever
  Camp fever, properly known as typhus, 
  is common during and after wars, when vast 
  numbers of men are congregated together in 
  close proximity. For similar reasons, it is also 
  known as jail fever and ship fever.
  The disease is spread through the drop-
  pings of infected lice, a common fixture in 
  unhygienic military camps and crowded towns 
  and cities. These bite the victims, who then 
  scratch at the area, carrying the droppings into 
  their bloodstream.
  Symptoms: Camp fever begins with a high 
  fever, but quickly develops into coughing, se-
  vere headache, severe muscle pain, sensitivity 
  to light, stupor, and delirium. A rash begins on 
  the torso and spreading to the extremities. In 
  the latter stages, the disease can cause gangre-
  nous lesions.
  Infection: 2 (3 if the camp is particularly 
  unhygienic, or the character infrequently laun-
  ders his clothes).
  An infected character usually feels fine for 
  the first week, displaying no symptoms. Dur-
  ing the second week he develops a rash, which 
  quickly spreads. Accompanying this is a high 
  fever. After the second week, the character 
  takes one lethal wound per day until he recov-
  ers or succumbs to the disease. Characters 
  infected with camp fever suffer a –1 penalty to 
  all actions due to lethargy.
  Recovery: 2 (10 successes are required 
  to recover from the disease). Each Body roll 
  represents one day of illness, starting from the 
  day camp fever is contracted.
  In an age before antibiotics, there is noth-
  ing a physician can do to aid recovery except 
  make the patient comfortable.
  Cholera
  Cholera is a small intestine infection caused 
  and spread by unsanitary conditions. The dis-
  ease is spread through contaminated water or 
  food. With no true sewers, an outbreak of chol-
  era spreads quickly, as victims’ infected bodily 
  waste enters the local water supply, leading to 
  further infection.
  Symptoms: The main symptoms are exces-
  sive diarrhea and the vomiting of clear fluid. 
  Other symptoms include a rapid pulse, sunken 
  eyes, and turgid skin (wrinkled hands).
  Infection: 3 (1 if merely in prolonged 
  contact with an infected person). At the 
  Gamemaster’s discretion, gluttony in an in-
  fected area may increase the Difficulty to 4, as 
  the character consumes more of the bacteria.
  One to five days after infection, the character’s 
  bowels begin violently emptying from both 
  ends. A patient can expel as much as 20 quarts 
  of liquid feces a day, leading to rapid and often 
  fatal dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.
  Recovery: 3 (10 successes are required 
  to recover from the disease). Each Body roll 
  represents one half-day of illness, starting from 
  the day cholera is contracted. 
  Without antibiotics, the best cure is fresh, 
  clean water (not easy to find in an infected 
  area), laced with a little salt and plenty of sugar. 
  Potassium, found in various nuts, parsley, and 
  potatoes, is required to balance electrolyte lev-
  els. Potassium isn’t discovered until 1807, but 
  certain types of food will be known through 
  folklore to serve this purpose.
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  Consumption
  The archaic name for pulmonary tubercu-
  losis, consumption is a disease of the lungs. 
  A form of nonlethal consumption can be rep-
  resented with the Illness Flaw, and a weaker 
  strain with the Sickly Flaw. In both these in-
  stances, the rules below are ignored in favor of 
  those of the Flaws.
  Symptoms: 
  Consumption 
  has 
  classic 
  symptoms recognized by even uneducated 
  peasants—chronic cough with blood-flecked 
  sputum, high fever, chest pain, night sweats, 
  and weight loss (the latter being the origin of 
  the disease’s name, as it was believed the body 
  was literally being consumed).
  Infection: 2 (3 if in close proximity to 
  an infected person). Consumption is spread 
  through saliva. Most often this is by means of 
  tiny droplets carried by coughs and sneezes. 
  The disease may remain dormant for years 
  before the first symptoms (coughing) develop. 
  After the first week of active infection, the char-
  acter takes a lethal wound each month until he 
  recovers or succumbs to the disease. Charac-
  ters infected with active consumption suffer a 
  –1 penalty to all actions due to lethargy.
  Recovery: 2 (10 successes are required to 
  recover from the disease). Each Body roll rep-
  resents one month of illness, starting from the 
  day the disease becomes active in the lungs.
  Other Diseases
  Common Cold: Sneezes and sniffles are 
  common in summer and winter, though rarely 
  ever more than an inconvenience. A character 
  should make a Body roll (Difficulty 2) whenev-
  er the Gamemaster thinks it is warranted. For 
  example after plunging into a freezing river. 
  The character suffers from the Sickly Flaw for 
  the next few days, after which he is cured.
  Hepatitis: An infection of the liver. Victims 
  are often jaundiced and beset with malady. 
  While it can heal naturally, in most cases the 
  victim is infected for life. For simplicity, it can 
  be treated as the Illness or Sickly Flaw, depend-
  ing on the severity.
  Malaria: Although we think of malaria 
  today as a tropical disease, it is not unknown 
  in Europe in this period. For simplicity, we 
  suggest a Body roll (Difficulty 2) is made each 
  day or week in a marshy area. The effects of 
  the disease, which can re-occur throughout a 
  victim’s life, should be treated as the Illness or 
  Sickly Flaw, depending on the severity.
  Scrofula: A tuberculosis affecting the 
  neck, scrofula takes the form of an unsightly 
  but painless growth covering the neck. Absent 
  modern-day antibiotics, 17th century remedies 
  tend to produce only short-term alleviation of 
  the symptoms. It is best represented by the 
  Disfigured Flaw.
  Plague, Bubonic
  Although bubonic plague is attributed to 
  rats and airborne particles, it is actually the 
  rats’ fleas that spread the disease. The name 
  derives from the Greek “bubo,” or “swollen 
  
  Surviving
  
  gland,” and relates to the primary physical ap-
  pearance of the disease, swollen lymph nodes. 
  It is also known as the Black Death, from the 
  black swellings.
  Symptoms: Victims of bubonic plague suf-
  fer chills, malaise, fever, seizures, painful bu-
  boes, bleeding from the ears, followed in the 
  later stages by vomiting blood, extreme pain, 
  and fits of coughing.
  Infection: 2 (3 if the character is in direct 
  contact with infected bodily fluids). After one 
  to six days, the victim begins suffering pain in 
  their crotch, armpits, and neck, as their lymph 
  nodes become infected and swollen.
  After the first week of active infection, the 
  character takes a lethal wound each day until they 
  recover or succumb to the disease. Characters 
  infected with bubonic plague suffer a –2 penalty 
  to all actions due to malaise, fever, and pain.
  Recovery: 3 (12 successes are required 
  to recover from the disease). Each Body roll 
  represents one day of illness, starting from 
  the day bubonic plague is contracted. With no 
  antibiotics available, physicians recommend a 
  good diet, rest, and clean air.
  Plague, Pneumonic
  Pneumonic plague is a deadly lung infec-
  tion, primarily spread through droplets, such as 
  by coughing or sneezing, though it can also be 
  contracted by handling infected tissue (such as 
  when transporting corpses or treating the sick). 
  It is an extremely virulent disease, but fortu-
  nately it is much rarer than its bubonic cousin.
  Symptoms: Pneumonic plague victims 
  suffer fever, weakness, headaches, and nausea, 
  leading to pneumonia, chest pain, coughing, 
  and bloody or watery sputum. 
  Infection: 3 (4 if the character is in close 
  proximity to an infected person, or infected 
  tissue). Pneumonic plague is aggressive and 
  virulent. Without antibiotics, it is almost 100% 
  fatal. The primary causes of death are blood 
  poisoning and asphyxiation. Victims develop 
  symptoms within a few hours and can die as 
  quickly as 36 hours later. A few hours after 
  infection, characters take a lethal wound every 
  four hours until they recover or succumb to the 
  disease. Characters infected with plague suffer 
  a –2 penalty to all actions due to weakness, 
  coughing, and raging fever.
  Recovery: 3 (14 successes are required to 
  recover from the disease). Each Body roll rep-
  resents four hours of illness, starting from the 
  moment plague is contracted. Medical attention 
  has almost no affect on pneumonic plague, be-
  side making the patient slightly more comfort-
  able in their last few hours on Earth.
  Pneumonia
  Pneumonia, an infection of the lungs, is a 
  common malady and a leading cause of death. 
  Pneumonia can be caused by bacteria, viruses, 
  fungal spores, and even parasites. For game 
  purposes, all forms of pneumonia are assumed 
  to be identical.
  Symptoms: Chest pains, chills, vomiting, 
  clammy skin, a hacking cough delivering up 
  thick sputum, shortness of breath, fatigue, rag-
  ing fever, and body aches are all symptomatic 
  of pneumonia.
  Infection: 2 (3 if in close proximity to a 
  patient). Direct, prolonged, face-to-face con-
  tact is typically required to catch pneumonia 
  through airborne particles.
  Pneumonia kills in a variety of ways. Blood 
  poisoning, asphyxiation through congested 
  lungs, and secondary infections like pleurisy 
  due to a weakened immune system are the 
  most common, though normally it is the young, 
  elderly, and already sick who succumb. After 
  the first week, characters take a lethal wound 
  per week until they recover or succumb to the 
  disease. Characters infected with pneumonia 
  suffer a –1 penalty to all actions due to lethargy 
  and fatigue.
  Recovery: 2 (6 successes are required to 
  recover from the disease). Each Body roll repre-
  sents one week of illness, starting from the day 
  pneumonia is contracted. Long-term rest also 
  aids in the recovery of pneumonia. A patient 
  who gets suitable bed rest gains a +2 bonus to 
  his Body roll for the purposes of recovery.
  Scurvy
  Scurvy is one of the most common illness-
  es. It’s a familiar condition to anyone who has 
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  been on a long sea voyage, but little is known 
  about its prevention. Scurvy is not caused 
  by starvation, but by deficient nutrition; spe-
  cifically, a deficiency of vitamin C. Lack of fresh 
  food, especially vegetables, will cause scurvy.
  Symptoms: The skin of the scurvy-victim 
  turns gray; they bloat, and the eyes assume a 
  heavy, lidded expression. They lose energy and 
  are wracked with aches and pains - especially 
  in the joints. Gums bleed, breath is fetid, and 
  teeth may fall out.
  Infection: Scurvy is not an infection, but 
  will develop in a number of months equal to 
  a character’s Body rating after the last intake 
  of fresh food. After that, the diseased character 
  will take one nonlethal wound per week until 
  they once again have access to a regular sup-
  ply of fresh food. In addition, the character is 
  unable to heal wounds while suffering from 
  scurvy and suffers a –1 penalty to all actions 
  due to low energy.
  Recovery: Long-term medical attention 
  will not cure scurvy, nor is it an illness that can 
  be fought off by a character’s immune system. 
  A character will recover normally once they 
  start eating fresh food again.
  Smallpox
  Smallpox is a very serious and sometimes 
  fatal disease that is only transmitted by humans. 
  The name is derived from the Latin word for 
  “spotted” and refers to the raised bumps that 
  appear on an infected person. Infection usually 
  occurs by inhaling the virus, which can remain 
  on clothing, bedding and other surfaces for up 
  to one week. As such, the disease usually starts 
  in the lungs, invades the bloodstream, and 
  eventually spreads to the rest of the body.
  Symptoms: At first, the infected character 
  suffers from a high fever, lack of energy, aches 
  and pains, and sometimes vomiting. Later, 
  sores form in the character’s mouth and a rash 
  spreads all over the body, eventually becoming 
  raised bumps. By this point, the character is 
  usually too sick to perform normal activities.
  Infection: 2 (3 if in direct contact with bodily 
  fluids). Direct, prolonged, face-to-face con-
  tact—or contact with infected bodily fluids—is 
  typically required to catch smallpox. An infected 
  character usually feels fine for the first week, and 
  displays no symptoms. They gradually begin to 
  suffer symptoms over the second week, at which 
  point the disease has taken hold. After the first 
  week, the character takes a lethal wound per day 
  until they recover or succumb to the disease. 
  Characters infected with smallpox suffer a –1 
  penalty to all actions due to lethargy.
  Recovery: 2 (10 successes are required 
  to recover from the disease). Each Body roll 
  represents one day of illness, starting from the 
  day smallpox is contracted. Long-term medical 
  attention has almost no affect on smallpox.
  Magick & Diseases
  Since antibiotics are centuries away and 
  most medical practices of the age, such 
  as bloodletting, only weaken the im-
  mune system further, the most potent 
  curing Arts are Alchemy and Benignus. 
  Most mortals would not dare to traffic in 
  the black arts, even ones which claim to 
  be benign. After all, what good is saving 
  the body if one damns the soul?
  The freeform nature of magick in All for 
  One means there is no “cure disease” spell. 
  More importantly, there is no one option 
  for creating a spell that helps cure diseas-
  es. The main options for creating such a 
  spell are explored below. Inventive players 
  may come up with other suggestions.
  Healing Touch: The magician creates 
  a spell that generates a value on the Op-
  posed column of the Effect Table. This 
  value replaces the victim’s Body rating. 
  This is a very subtle form of Benignus 
  magick—the patient may believe the ma-
  gician is praying, rather than summoning 
  angels and spirits to temporarily possess 
  them or use curative powers. An alchemi-
  cal potion is applied or ingested to help 
  fight the cause of the disease.
  Boost the Ailing Body: This spell boosts 
  the victim’s Body score, allowing a bet-
  ter chance to fight the infection. Again, a 
  Benignus spell can usually be disguised 
  as prayer rather than diabolical magick. 
  Theurgical Homomancy might also. With 
  Alchemy, it represents a simple mineral 
  tonic.
  
  “Never can true reconcilement grow where 
  wounds of deadly hate have pierced so deep...” 
  —John Milton, Paradise Lost
  This chapter details the history of the Thirty 
  Years’ War up to 1636, the current year. As 
  mentioned previously, it is not a detailed look 
  at every battle or political maneuver, or the 
  complexities of the decades’ old struggle. It is 
  an overview of the salient points at best, with a 
  strong focus on Germany, intended to help the 
  Gamemaster set the scene and understand how 
  what began as a minor revolt tore apart much of 
  Europe. Gamemasters who wish to learn more 
  about the War will find a plethora of information 
  on the internet and in various historical texts.
  As for the historians among you, we hope 
  you will forgive us for any errors or omissions. 
  Ultimately, this is a role-playing game setting 
  trying to explain a complex situation.
  Heavenly Origins
  The origin of the Thirty Years’ War lies not 
  in the vindictive and ignorant hearts of mortal 
  men, molded from clay by God, but in the 
  heavenly spirits.
  From the moment that Satan opened his 
  heart to rebellious thoughts and sought to 
  dethrone God, the forces of Heaven and Hell 
  have been engaged in war. No longer does Sa-
  tan strive to breach Heaven’s gates by martial 
  prowess, for he has been thrown down once 
  before by superior numbers and Saint Michael 
  is on eternal guard against another assault. In-
  stead, the war takes place in the realm of mor-
  tals, where the conflict is for eternal souls.
  In his wisdom, Satan sent demons to the 
  lands of mortals to tempt them into sin and 
  darkness. Of Belphegor the reader knows, for 
  he is Ambassador to France. To England, he 
  appointed Mammon; to Italy, Belial; to Russia, 
  Rimmon; Thamuz to Spain; Hutgin to Turkey; 
  and Martinet to Switzerland.
  Two fouls lords of the abyss petitioned to 
  corrupt Germany in Satan’s name. Long did 
  the Horned One ponder which infernal agent 
  to assign to Germany, the heartland of the Holy 
  Roman Empire where Charlemagne ruled as 
  the first emperor.
  Unable to decide which was worthier, the 
  Devil set them against each other in contest—
  whichever could bring him the most souls, 
  cause the most corruption and misery, bring 
  the Church most harm, would be awarded the 
  title of ambassador. So it was that Eurynome, 
  Prince of Death, and Moloch, Prince of the 
  Country of Tears, hatched their wicked plans.
  Like grand masters of chess, each played 
  the long game, maneuvering pawns into place 
  and watching for weakness in their opponent’s 
  defenses over millennia. Long was the contest, 
  for demons are nothing if not patient and the 
  lives of mortals are all too short.
  The end game began in the early 16th cen-
  tury. To say that Martin Luther was an agent 
  of infernal powers would be a gross stain on 
  his name and give the infernal hordes far more 
  credit than they are due. 
  Chapter Three: 
  A History of Hatred
  
  •
  •         •
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  Luther’s thoughts concerning the state of 
  the Church were his own, but his nailing of 
  his Ninety-Five Theses on the church door in 
  Wittenburg, in which Luther openly declared 
  that the Catholic Church was corrupt and 
  misguided, was a rebellious act whispered 
  into his soul by Moloch. Arguably, Luther 
  would have made the decision himself at some 
  point—Moloch simply hastened the act. In the 
  resulting furors, few noticed that Luther’s act 
  took place on October 31—one of the days 
  when the forces of evil are strongest.
  Like a cancer, Luther’s words began to 
  spread across Europe, igniting first the Ref-
  ormation and then the Counter-Reformation. 
  Entire nations cut ties with Rome and adopted 
  the new Protestant faith. With nations and 
  families torn apart, religious tensions rose and 
  boiled over into intolerance and hatred.
  The inhabitants of Hell did not ignite the 
  flames of hatred and war—humans are capable 
  of such wicked acts without direct demonic 
  interference. They did, however, sow the 
  seeds in the hearts of men and leave them to 
  find fertile soil. Ultimately taking sides in the 
  growing conflict, Moloch has opted to aid the 
  Protestants and Eurynome the Catholics.
  The Stage is Set
  Strife between Catholics and Protestants 
  living within the Holy Roman Empire began 
  almost as soon as Protestantism began to take 
  hold in Europe. In 1555, Holy Roman Emperor 
  Charles V signed the Peace of Augsburg.
  Under the terms of the peace, the heads of 
  the 224 German states would be free to follow 
  Lutheranism or Catholicism. Their subjects 
  were not so fortunate—those who refused to 
  accept the faith of their feudal superior were 
  forced to emigrate to a state that followed 
  their faith. Prince-bishops—bishops who also 
  wielded secular authority—who converted to 
  Lutheranism were ordered to hand over their 
  land to the Catholic Church.
  Rather than bring about lasting peace, 
  Charles’ decision left the already fragmented 
  Holy Roman Empire divided between two rival 
  faiths. The flames of war had been dampened, 
  but the coals remained hot. All that was needed 
  was a waft of wind to rekindle the simmering 
  resentment.
  The Bohemian Revolt 
  11-10
  Forces Directly Involved: Pro-Catholic: 
  The Emperor, Bavaria, Saxony, Spain; Pro-
  Protestant: Palatinate, Transylvania. Forces 
  Indirectly Involved: Pro-Catholic: France, 
  The Papacy, Poland; Pro-Protestant: Dutch 
  Republic, England, Savoy.
  That wind began to blow in 1618. Lacking 
  an heir, the ailing Holy Roman Emperor, Mat-
  thias (r. 1612-1619), was determined to that 
  his death would not trigger civil war as con-
  tenders fought for the vacant throne. Worse, a 
  Protestant might end up enthroned.
  To that end, he used his formidable au-
  thority to ensure that his nominated heir, 
  Ferdinand of Styria (1578-1637), was crowned 
  as King of Bohemia (June 1617) and King of 
  Hungary and Croatia (March 1618). A zealous 
  Catholic who saw the entirety of Europe as 
  rightly Catholic, Ferdinand would unwittingly 
  ignite the terrible conflict to come.
  11: The Revolt Begins
  Not 
  every 
  Bohemian 
  welcomed 
  the 
  thought of Ferdinand becoming king, let alone 
  emperor. Having been granted religious rights 
  in 1609, many Protestants were fearful that 
  Ferdinand would work to remove those rights. 
  Their fears were quickly founded.
  No sooner had he been given the title of 
  Crown-Prince of Bohemia, Ferdinand suspended 
  the construction of certain Protestant chapels on 
  royal land. Had Emperor Matthias been of sound-
  er body and spirit, he might have prevented this, 
  but by that time Matthias was little more than a 
  puppet to Ferdinand’s ambitions.
  After voicing their protestations openly, 
  the Protestant estate lords were aghast when 
  Ferdinand disbanded their political assembly, 
  •           •
  •         •
  
  A History of Hatred
  
  leaving them without a voice at court. A procla-
  mation threatening the lives and honor of the 
  Protestant lords caused apoplexy. On discover-
  ing that three Catholic Bohemian lords had a 
  hand in Ferdinand’s actions, the Protestants 
  took matters into their own hands.
  Declaring the Catholics to be enemies of 
  Bohemia seeking to rid the land of Protestants, 
  the mob threw the Catholic lords from a third-
  story window. They survived.
  Catholics later proclaimed that the lords 
  were saved by the hand of angels. Protestants 
  argued they had landed in a manure pile. Cer-
  tainly Eurynome and Moloch played no part in 
  this spat—dead or alive, the act of attempting to 
  murder the Catholics was enough to ignite the 
  spark of war. Within weeks, war erupted in the 
  southeastern block of the Holy Roman Empire.
  At first, the Bohemians lacked allies. Only 
  Duke Charles of Savoy was prepared to sup-
  port their cause. Charles sent 2,000 men under 
  the command of Ernst von Mansfeld (1580-
  1626), a Catholic. The first major battle of the 
  War took place in September. For two months, 
  Mansfeld’s artillery bombarded the fortified 
  city of Pilsen.
  11: A New King in Bohemia
  Emperor Matthias died on March 20, 1619. 
  Their cause faltering, their leaders consider-
  ing suing for peace, the Bohemians rallied at 
  the news—Ferdinand II, named Holy Roman 
  Emperor in the summer of 1619, had proven 
  a weak leader since ascending the throne. As 
  the turmoil spread into western Germany, 
  threatening to engulf the entire country, the 
  Emperor sent Philip III of Spain, his brother-
  in-law, a plea for assistance.
  With the balance of power now swinging 
  to the Protestants in Bohemia, they openly 
  denounced Ferdinand as their king. In secret, 
  various factions made offers of kingship to 
  Frederick V of the Palatinate, the Duke of Sa-
  voy, the Elector of Saxony, and the Prince of 
  Transylvania. Ultimately, Frederick was elected 
  as Frederick I, King of Bohemia in late August. 
  Two days later, his rival, Ferdinand is officially 
  elected Holy Roman Emperor.
  In June, Mansfeld’s attempts to aid the 
  forces besieging Budweis were thwarted when 
  his column was intercepted by a Catholic army. 
  Defeated at the Battle of Sablat, Mansfeld 
  switched allegiance to Ferdinand. Worse was to 
  come. The capture of Mansfeld’s baggage train 
  revealed Savoy’s support for the Bohemians. 
  Having invested a fortune in the war, and not 
  willing to face the armies of Ferdinand openly, 
  the dukedom dropped its support.
  Despite Catholic Austrian spies revealing 
  the Bohemian’s secret letters to the various 
  proposed kings and the loss of Savoy, the Prot-
  estants were not without additional allies. Up-
  per and Lower Austria joined the revolt against 
  the Emperor and the Hapsburg dynasty. Thou-
  sands of English flocked to the Protestant cause 
  in Europe, despite King James VI of England, 
  who was Frederick’s father-in-law, refusing to 
  support the Bohemians.
  War causes men to accept strange bedfel-
  lows. Although a vassal of the Ottoman Em-
  pire, Gabriel Bethlen, Prince of Transylvania, 
  was a Protestant. Wary of Ferdinand’s plans 
  to restore Catholicism as Europe’s de facto 
  faith, the prince entered the War by invading 
  Hungary. His army was aided by forces loyal to 
  Ottoman Emperor Osman II.
  As the year drew to a close, Protestant forces 
  began to besiege Vienna—capital of the Holy Ro-
  man Empire. Now desperate, Ferdinand sought 
  the aid of King Sigismund III of Poland in cut-
  ting the Transylvanian supply lines. Although 
  officially neutral, as was the Polish-Lithuanian 
  Commonwealth of which he was a part, Sigis-
  mund allowed the hiring of mercenaries allied 
  to the Hapsburgs in his domain.
  Polish forces engaged with the Transylvanians 
  in the Carpathian Mountains in late November. 
  Defeated, the Transylvanians were forced to lift 
  the siege of Vienna and reinforce their remain-
  ing territory in Hungary. Ferdinand’s gamble of 
  calling on foreign support had saved the capital 
  and, undoubtedly, his title.
  10: Bohemia Falls
  His army broken, Prince Gabriel sued 
  for peace with the Hungarians. In return for 
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  providing no further aid to the Bohemians, 
  the prince was awarded with extensive lands 
  in eastern Hungary. In August, Prince Gabriel 
  was hailed as “protector of Protestants” and 
  awarded the kingship of Hungary, though he 
  was never officially crowned and would lose 
  the title the following year. Peace was a fleeting 
  shadow—Gabriel rejoined the war against the 
  Hapsburgs in September.
  The trend that ended 1619 continued in 
  1620—the Bohemians were on the back foot. 
  Spain had finally met its obligations to Ferdi-
  nand and mustered an army from its holdings 
  in the Spanish Netherlands.
  Religious differences may have been bitter, 
  but good politics could overcome such mat-
  ters. In return for supporting the Emperor and 
  attacking Bohemia and its allies, Protestant 
  Saxony was offered the neighboring state of 
  Lusatia and two millions ducats with which 
  to expand its army and hire mercenaries. With 
  the Spanish army poised to attack in the west, 
  the Protestants could not prevent Saxony 
  from invading. Further politics saw the Duke 
  Maximilian of Bavaria join the Catholic cause 
  in return for land in the Palatinate and the title 
  of Count-Elector of the Palatinate, a title held 
  at that time by Frederick.
  With their new Ottoman allies, the Bohemi-
  ans drew up plans to invade Moldavia, a vas-
  sal state of the Kingdom of Poland. Although 
  initially victorious, the Ottoman army was not 
  able to meet its major objective—total of con-
  trol of both Moldavia and the Ukraine.
  Austria fell to the Catholic armies—Upper 
  Austria to the forces of the Catholic Leagues 
  and Lower Austria to the Imperial army under 
  Johan Tzerclaes, Count of Tilly (1559-1632). 
  Uniting, the two armies turned their attention 
  to Bohemia.
  On November 8, the Catholic and Protestant 
  armies met in battle at White Mountain (actu-
  ally a low plateau) outside Prague. Morale was 
  low on both sides, and neither was prepared 
  for a protracted campaign. Winter’s icy grip 
  had begun, mercenaries on both sides were 
  owed several months’ wages, and shortages 
  were taking their toll on the soldiers’ health. 
  Outnumbered almost two-to-one, fortune did 
  not favor the Bohemians.
  Ultimately, the battle that ended the Bohe-
  mian Revolt was little more than a skirmish, 
  the defenders’ resolve collapsing within the 
  hour. In the aftermath, some 4,000 out of the 
  initial 15,000 were left dead on the field, with 
  the Catholics losing less than 700 souls.
  The last major Bohemian army was in tat-
  ters, Tilly controlled Prague, and Frederick 
  V had abandoned his people and gone into 
  voluntary exile. After almost four years of war, 
  the Bohemian people accepted Catholicism 
  and Hapsburg rule. Ferdinand’s justice was 
  swift and harsh. Captured leaders of the Revolt 
  were publicly executed and the majority of the 
  nobility exiled, their estates seized. Rebellious 
  Bohemia had been brought to heel, but at a 
  terrible price.
  The Palatinate War 
  11-1
  Forces Directly Involved: Pro-Catho-
  lic: The Emperor, Bavaria; Pro-Protestant: 
  Palatinate, Transylvania. Forces Indirectly 
  Involved: Pro-Catholic: France, The Papacy, 
  Spain; Pro-Protestant: Dutch Republic.
  The Capitulation of Bohemia did not end the 
  War. The heartland of Calvinism, it had long been 
  a thorn in the side of the Catholic lords. Freder-
  ick aiding the Bohemians offered the Emperor 
  and the Catholic League the excuse the needed 
  to crush it forever and restore Catholicism.
  11: Bohemia Crushed
  The year began with two changes. First, 
  Pope Paul V died, to be replaced with Gregory 
  XV. Second, King Philip of Spain died in March, 
  to be replaced with his son, Philip IV.
  After 12 years of peace, the treaty signed 
  between the Dutch Republic and Spain came 
  to an end. Although not a part of the greater 
  conflict raging in Germany, both sides made 
  preparations to resume the war of indepen-
  dence that began in 1586 (what would become 
  the Eighty Years’ War).
  •          •
  
  A History of Hatred
  
  Elsewhere, the remnants of the Bohemian 
  army had taken refuge in Silesia. Determined 
  to restore Protestantism in recently crushed 
  Bohemia, Johann Georg Jägerndorf of Hohen-
  zollern stoked the fires of rebellion in Moravia 
  and Upper Hungary. An attempt to capture the 
  entirety of Moravia failed, despite victory at 
  the Battle of Neutitschein (July 25), in which 
  much of the city was razed to the ground and 
  the Catholic defenders were forced to flee.
  Having switched sides once, Mansfeld 
  did so again. Again a senior commander, the 
  mercenary was ordered to defend the Upper 
  Palatinate from Imperial forces.
  Prince Gabriel broke his treaty with Fer-
  dinand in September and rejoined the War. 
  Having reneged on his promise to transfer part 
  of the territories awarded him to his Protestant 
  vassals, Gabriel quickly found himself without 
  financial and military support.
  Even the prince’s Ottoman allies turned 
  their backs on him—the War in Europe was 
  doing the Ottoman’s work for them and the 
  sultan saw no need to deplete his treasury or 
  armies when the Christians were busily killing 
  each other and weakening their states.
  Gabriel sued for peace once more. This 
  time, he was forced to renounce his claims to 
  the throne of Hungary. In return, Ferdinand 
  agreed to allow Protestants in Transylvania to 
  worship openly, elevated Gabriel to Imperial 
  Prince (an honorific title) with new lands bor-
  dering Transylvania.
  With his eastern border now secured, 
  Ferdinand set his sights, and armies, on the 
  rebellious Palatinate.
  1: The Year of Maneuvering
  Linking up with Frederick in the Rhenish Pa-
  latinate, Mansfeld was instrumental in defeating 
  Tilly’s Imperial forces at Wiesloch, before order-
  ing his soldiers to plunder Alsace and Hesse. 
  During this time, Mansfeld gained a reputation 
  for savagery, turning his armies against even the 
  lands he was supposed to be defending.
  Whether Mansfeld was an agent of Moloch, 
  a mere pawn, or a victim of demonic posses-
  sion is open to debate. Certainly the mortal 
  had a taste for destruction and gave his men a 
  free hand to rape and pillage at will, but more 
  than one mortal has done worse without direct 
  interference from Hell.
  Waiting for Christian the Younger of Bruns-
  wick (1599-1626) to send reinforcements, Mans-
  feld learned that Tilly had combined forces with 
  a Spanish army. As a delaying action, Mansfeld 
  split his army, with the larger part remaining 
  under his authority and a lesser part (still over 
  14,000 strong) under Georg Friedrich, Margrave 
  of Baden-Durlach (1573-1638).
  Tilly did not rise to the bait, but instead 
  focused on the army of Baden-Durlach. Battle 
  was fought at Wimpfen. Forced into a defensive 
  position, the smaller Protestant army made 
  good use of artillery to keep the Catholics at 
  bay. Battles are not always won or lost by pure 
  might, but by the hand of fate. A single cannon 
  shot destroyed the Protestant ammunition de-
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  0
  pot, denying them the artillery they relied on. 
  Defeated, Baden-Durlach abandoned the field 
  and abdicated his title.
  With his army now free, Tilly maneuvered 
  his army to intercept Brunswick before his 
  soldiers could meet up with Mansfeld. With 
  numbers in his favor once more, Tilly routed 
  the Protestants at the Battle of Höchst. Such 
  was the panic to flee that more mercenaries 
  drowned attempting to cross the River Main 
  than in the engagement. Brunswick lost his en-
  tire baggage train and artillery to the victorious 
  Catholics, although the survivors were eventu-
  ally able to regroup with Mansfeld—which was 
  always the strategic aim.
  Mansfeld’s barbarous acts had not gone 
  unnoticed by Frederick. Disgusted at the mer-
  cenary’s cruelty to friend and foe alike, Freder-
  ick dismissed Mansfeld and his army from his 
  employ, along with his ally Brunswick’s forces. 
  Now freelancers, their services were rapidly 
  taken by the Dutch Republic.
  On the way to aid Dutch forces besieged in 
  Bergen-op-Zoom, the mercenary armies passed 
  through Lorraine, systematically laying waste 
  to the country as they went. Later chroniclers 
  would write that “a host of Hell had crossed 
  the land, led by the Devil incarnate.”
  With the mercenaries having abandoned 
  the Palatinate, Tilly besieged Heidelberg, 
  capital of the Palatinate. After 11 weeks, the 
  city eventually fell. It was the death knell for 
  Frederick and his aspirations.
  1: Protestantism in Peril
  With resistance in the Palatinate finally 
  broken, Maximilian, Duke of Bavaria (1573-
  1651) was duly rewarded for his support for 
  the Emperor with the title of Prince-Elector of 
  the Palatinate.
  Brunswick, having lost much of his army at 
  Bergen-op-Zoom, spent the winter of 1622-23 
  rebuilding his forces. As spring dawned, he, 
  Mansfeld, and Gabriel Bethlen (breaking his 
  peace with Ferdinand for the second time) 
  made plans to liberate Bohemia. In doing so, 
  they hoped to rally dispirited Protestants across 
  Europe. It was to be an ill-fated venture.
  Tilly, alerted to the troop movements, sent 
  his army to Lower Saxony in a blocking action. 
  Mansfeld, meanwhile, had failed to secure the 
  funds necessary to pay his mercenaries and 
  thus partake in the campaign. Isolated in the 
  north, Brunswick found himself opposed by 
  Tilly, whose seasoned army outclassed the raw 
  recruits recruited over the winter months.
  Brunswick took the prudent move and opt-
  ed to abandon the campaign and seek refuge 
  in the Dutch Republic. A mere ten miles from 
  the border, Tilly caught Brunswick. Greatly 
  outnumbered, Brunswick, renowned for his 
  courage, elected to fight his way through. Bat-
  tered by heavy artillery and swarmed by cav-
  alry, the Protestant army collapsed. Brunswick 
  escaped, but many of his high-ranking officers 
  and men were taken prisoner. Of the thousand 
  prisoners of war who took up arms in service 
  of Tilly rather than remain in captivity, most 
  deserted the general’s harsh discipline to be-
  come bandits and brigands.
  The death knell that had first sounded 
  in 1622 rang for the final time. With his op-
  tions now exhausted, Frederick agreed to an 
  armistice with Ferdinand. Having put brother 
  against brother and helped stir the twin flames 
  of intolerance and hatred, Moloch was not 
  about to cede victory to his rival.
  1: A Short Peace
  As previously stated, the Thirty Years’ War 
  was not a constant series of battles or cam-
  paigns. After six years of bitter bloodshed, ca-
  sual destruction, and religious hatred, Europe 
  heaved a sigh of relief as the war appeared to 
  be reaching a conclusion.
  With Ferdinand’s authority now seem-
  ingly secure, he could return his thoughts to 
  reestablish Catholicism as Europe’s sole faith 
  and ponder the on-going Ottoman threat on 
  the southeastern border. Furious that his plans 
  had been thwarted, Moloch dispatched agents 
  across northern Europe. In Hell, Moloch 
  stirred up his demonic legions in preparation 
  for their entrance into the conflict.
  The War had paused, but it was far from con-
  cluded. Indeed, the worst was yet to come.
  
  A History of Hatred
  1
  Palatinate War 
  11-
  Danish War 
  1-0
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  The Danish War 
  1-10
  Forces Directly Involved: Pro-Catholic: 
  The Emperor, Bavaria, Savoy, Spain; Pro-
  Protestant: Denmark, Dutch Republic, Eng-
  land, France, Palatinate. Forces Indirectly 
  Involved: Pro-Catholic: The Papacy, Poland; 
  Pro-Protestant: Russia, Sweden.
  With the “game” turning in favor of Eu-
  rynome, Moloch changed the rules—hardly 
  sporting, but he is a prince of Hell, after all. 
  Until then, the long contest had been fought 
  using only mortal pawns. Brokering a deal 
  with Abaddon, guardian of the gates of the 
  abyss, Moloch unleashed demons and hellish 
  creatures into the world.
  1: New Alliances
  On earth, Moloch’s mortal agents whis-
  pered lies and deceit into the ears of the north-
  ern kings, convincing them that the Catholics 
  were making plans to annex their lands and 
  cleanse Europe of Protestantism.
  Taking heed of the advice, Christian IV of 
  Denmark (1577-1648), a Lutheran, hastened 
  to cement a military alliance with neighboring 
  Lower Saxony. In December, England (who by 
  then had a new king, Charles I) and France 
  signed the Treaty of the Hague, adding their 
  might to Christian’s alliance.
  France was a Catholic nation. Historically, 
  Cardinal Richelieu opposed the ever-increasing 
  power of the Hapsburgs, whose dynasty con-
  trolled the Holy Roman Empire and Spain. In 
  truth, Belphegor, who had long despised Eury-
  nome as an upstart, now elected to openly favor 
  Moloch. Ironically, France had begun persecut-
  ing the Protestant Huguenots in its own borders. 
  Such are the games played by demon princes.
  Ferdinand was not sitting on his laurels, 
  either. When Pfalzgraf Albrecht Wenzel Euse-
  bius von Wallenstein (1583-1634), a convert to 
  Catholicism (1609) and veteran of the Bohe-
  mian campaign, offered the emperor 50,000 
  men funded from his own coffers, Ferdinand 
  appointed him commander of the Imperial 
  armies. Additionally, Wallenstein granted im-
  perial authority to plunder any lands captured 
  by the troops under his control.
  1: A Short War
  Denmark, aided only by Brunswick’s mea-
  ger forces, and Mansfeld’s rapacious mercenar-
  ies, was in a precarious position. France was 
  engaged in what amounted to a civil war, Eng-
  lish support was tardy due to their on-going 
  conflicts with France and Spain, Saxony was 
  reluctant to break the uneasy peace with the 
  emperor, and Sweden was fighting the Poles.
  With just 35,000 men at his disposal, only 
  15,000 of which were Danish, Mansfeld in-
  vaded Germany in February. Opposing them 
  were the Catholic League, under Tilly, and the 
  Imperial forces under Wallenstein.
  •         •
  
  A History of Hatred
  
  The first clash took place at the Battle of 
  Dessau Bridge, a strategic crossing on the Elbe. 
  Overconfident, unaware of the array of forces 
  against him, Mansfeld blundered into a trap. 
  The battle was a decisive Catholic victory. Man-
  sfeld withdrew to Silesia. 
  Tilly, meanwhile, drove his army into Lower 
  Saxony in an attempt to break support for the 
  Danes. Until now restrained, Tilly allowed his 
  soldiers to throw Protestant ministers into the 
  River Werra after capturing the town of Mün-
  den. An attempt was made to besiege Kassel, 
  which had long sheltered Huguenot refugees, 
  but Tilly was distracted by the advance of the 
  Danish army. That summer, Christian’s army 
  engaged Tilly at Lutter. It was another heavy 
  Protestant defeat.
  Having rebuilt his army, Mansfeld moved 
  toward Austria, sending word to Prince Gabriel 
  that he required military support for his cam-
  paign. Gabriel once had a change of heart and 
  instead proposed yet another truce with Em-
  peror Ferdinand. Hounded by Wallenstein and 
  with no hope of reinforcements after Gabriel’s 
  treachery and the defeat at Lutter, Mansfeld 
  disbanded his army.
  Mansfeld died on November 29. Physicians 
  recorded that he had died with blood leaking 
  from his nose and mouth. Moloch had a soft 
  spot from the mercenary, whose barbarity 
  served his purposes well, but had tired of his 
  continual failure to prosecute the War. Mans-
  feld was slain by a coven of witches.
  Witch Hunts
  Almost as an aside to the major conflict, 
  both demon princes had chosen to open a 
  new front in central Germany. Sacrificing a few 
  pawns—in this case witches—and unleashing 
  hellish entities for the first time, the popula-
  tion reacted with hysteria. 
  The result was the birth of a new and 
  violent wave of witch hunts. Already sundered 
  by religious differences, citizens turned on 
  neighbors and friends, denouncing them as 
  servants of Satan. Social status was no barrier 
  to accusations, with even the clergy and nobil-
  ity embroiled. Men of God, Christian in name 
  only, used their power to ensure their enemies 
  were burned at the stake for alleged crimes 
  against God.
  In Würzburg and Bamberg alone, five 
  years of witch trials resulted in the execution 
  of over 2,000 suspected witches. The scent of 
  seared flesh and wood smoke was a perfumed 
  fragrance to the demon princes and a mass of-
  fering to their infernal master.
  1: Catholic Gains
  With Denmark’s plans in tatters, the Catho-
  lics seized their opportunity. With Mansfeld 
  no longer an issue, Wallenstein spent much of 
  the early part of the year hunting down and 
  eradicating what remained of the mercenary’s 
  disbanded army. That done, he advanced north 
  toward the Baltic coast. Denmark would now 
  pay the price of its entering the War.
  Unable to rebuild his forces or mount any 
  sort of determined advance, King Christian 
  could do little as the combined armies of 
  Wallenstein and Tilly began to grind their way 
  across Mecklengurg, Pomerania, and Jutland, 
  pillaging as they went.
  In Bohemia, a new king had ascended the 
  throne. Ferdinand the Younger (1608-1657), 
  eldest son of the emperor and already King of 
  Hungary and Croatia, quickly issued a proc-
  lamation forbidding the estates from raising 
  troops. That authority now lay in the hands of 
  the king only, a move intended to ensure no 
  further revolts could trouble the realm.
  1: A Fight for the Sea
  Wallenstein’s ambitious goal was to capture 
  the entire southern Baltic coast for the emperor. 
  In doing so, the Empire would weaken Scandi-
  navian hegemony over the lucrative shipping 
  routes. Furthermore, the Empire lacked a fleet 
  of any sort—the Hanseatic sea ports refused to 
  construct a fleet on the Empire’s behalf, as did 
  Poland, which had its own ambitions on the 
  Baltic. Lacking ships, Wallenstein was unable 
  to move against Copenhagen and the court of 
  Christian IV.
  Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden 
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  (1594-1632), saw German expansion into the 
  Baltic has a potential threat, not only in mat-
  ters of trade but also to his ambitions in the 
  Baltic states. As yet unprepared to launch any 
  ground offensive in aid of Denmark—Sweden 
  had been engaged in a protracted war with 
  Poland for over 25 years for control of the re-
  gion—Gustavus offered ships if Denmark was 
  threatened further.
  Wallenstein set his sights on Stralsund. The 
  port had refused to sign the Capitulation of 
  Franzburg in 1627, which had left the port iso-
  lated. With its harbor in his hands, Wallenstein 
  would be able to construct the fleet necessary 
  to finally finish Denmark.
  Imperial forces invested a siege in May. 
  Defended only by a peasant levy and a small 
  number of soldiers, Stralsund begged for aid. 
  Although short of troops, Denmark sent rein-
  forcements, in whose number were Scottish 
  mercenaries. A Swedish expeditionary force 
  entered the port in June. This by itself did not 
  signal Swedish involvement in the war—that 
  occurred days later, when Stralsund and Swe-
  den agreed to a 20-year alliance.
  Despite constant bombardment, sporadic 
  assaults, and diplomacy, Stralsund refused to 
  accept surrender. With more Danish reinforce-
  ments arriving, and the weather turning bad, 
  Wallenstein lifted the siege in early August.
  Hearing news that Danish troops had 
  landed east of Stralsund and were attacking 
  what few naval facilities the Empire controlled, 
  Wallenstein sensed the opportunity to finish 
  Denmark once and for all. Wallenstein de-
  feated the Danes at Wolgast. As the surviving 
  Danes retreated to their ships, German soldiers 
  looted and then torched the town.
  1: Denmark Capitulates
  Believing his position now secure and 
  the Protestant threat to the Empire nullified, 
  Ferdinand launched his plans to restore Ca-
  tholicism. Issuing the Edict of Restitution, he 
  ordered the restitution of all Catholic property 
  and territory lost since the Peace of Augburg 
  (1555) be restored.
  Intended to restore Catholic supremacy 
  once and for all, the Edict enraged many neu-
  tral German lords, who saw this as a power-grab 
  not by the Church, but by the Hapsburgs.
  Eurynome saw the Edict as an opportunity 
  to finally end his fight with Moloch. Restoring 
  Catholicism wouldn’t help Satan’s cause, but 
  it would signal his victory over his enemy. Far 
  from spent, Moloch turned his attentions to 
  Northern Germany, which remained mainly 
  Protestant—not that stirring up resentment 
  needed the direct hand of a prince of hell.
  No longer able to prosecute the war and 
  fearful of losing his throne, King Christian of-
  fered the hand of peace to Emperor Ferdinand. 
  In return for restitution of all lands lost in the 
  war, the Danish king was forced to abandon 
  all existing alliances, financial or military, and 
  swear to remain neutral in future Imperial ac-
  tivities. Denmark had survived and Christian’s 
  honor had not been impugned by the demand-
  ing of war reparations, but Denmark’s power 
  had been greatly diminished. The power vacu-
  um this created in this Scandinavian sphere of 
  influence was soon to be filled by Sweden.
  The Swedish War 
  10-1
  Forces Directly Involved: Pro-Catholic: 
  The Emperor, Bavaria, Poland, Savoy; Pro-Prot-
  estant: Brandenburg, Hesse-Kassel, Palatinate, 
  Russia, Saxony, Sweden, Transylvania. Forces 
  Indirectly Involved: Pro-Catholic: The Pa-
  pacy; Pro-Protestant: Dutch Republic, France
  Swedish intervention into the War would 
  bring about a new level of atrocity to an 
  already wasted land. It would also mark the 
  demise of both Tilly and Wallenstein. After be-
  ing on the back foot for many years, Moloch 
  was resurgent.
  10: A New Hope
  Growing ever more confident, Ferdinand 
  summoned the Diet of Regensburg, at which 
  would be gathered all the Prince-Electors. The 
  •          •
  
  A History of Hatred
  
  Swedish War 
  10-
  French War 
  1-
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  Protestant princes stayed away, but they did 
  send ambassadors to speak on their behalf.
  Ferdinand has three aims. First, to ensure 
  that his son, Ferdinand the Younger, would 
  be elected to the position of Holy Roman 
  Emperor at the due time. Second, he hoped 
  to gain Imperial support to aid Spain in its on-
  going fight with the Dutch Republic. Third, he 
  wanted support to ensure that the vacant title 
  of Duke of Mantua (in Italy) would be filled 
  with a Hapsburg, a move opposed by France.
  Nothing went well for Ferdinand. Duke 
  Maximilian of Bavaria, President of the Catho-
  lic League, saw the vast army commanded by 
  Wallenstein (now around 150,000 strong) as 
  a future threat to the League’s independence. 
  Even with Sweden threatening to enter the 
  War, the Electors demanded that troop num-
  bers be reduced and Wallenstein sacked.
  Ferdinand had in mind removing Wallen-
  stein anyway, for his advisors (in the sway of 
  Moloch) had suggested the commander was 
  planning a coup against the emperor.
  With regard to Mantua, Ferdinand was 
  forced into entering a treaty with France. Worse 
  was to come when the Electors voted not to ac-
  cept Ferdinand the Younger as the heir to the 
  imperial throne. Further anguish was to befall 
  the emperor when the Electors demanded Fer-
  dinand revoke the Edict of Restitution. 
  Ferdinand left the Diet with his imperial 
  authority weakened and with news that Swed-
  ish forces had landed on German soil and were 
  making strong gains.
  The Swedes moved swiftly to make their 
  mark on the War. Within weeks, they had se-
  cured the town of Stettin and began setting 
  up a bridgehead. With superiors forces in the 
  area, the Duchy of Pomerania forged a pact 
  with Sweden—while the Pomeranians retained 
  secular and religious authority over their af-
  fairs, Sweden now governed their military with 
  total authority.
  Not every Protestant prince threw their 
  arms open in welcome to Gustavus. Suspicions 
  quickly arose (fostered this time by Eurynome’s 
  agents) that Sweden’s sole ambition was to 
  conquer only the northern territories, which 
  would in turn extend their power over the 
  Baltic trade routes.
  Wallenstein accepted his removal with good 
  grace. A rich man and endowed with noble 
  titles, he retired to his lands in Friedland. By 
  all accounts, his lifestyle was one of “mysteri-
  ous magnificence.” His critics accused him of 
  luxury acquired by the looting of his army.
  11: Blood and Tears
  With Moloch back in play, Belphegor con-
  tinued alliance to his peer by signing a treaty 
  that would see France financially support 
  Sweden’s army of occupation.
  With new funding in place, the Swedes 
  poured out of their bridgehead, capturing 
  several towns and advancing into Brandenburg. 
  Their primary target was Frankfurt an der Oder, a 
  fortified Imperial garrison city that commanded 
  a crossing over the River Oder. Expected to hold 
  out for weeks while the Emperor marshaled his 
  army to relieve the city, it fell in just two days. 
  The victorious Swedes looted the city, a prelude 
  to the butchery to come.
  The Savagery at Magdeburg
  The population of Magdeburg has over-
  thrown the Imperial authorities the previous 
  year. On hearing of the Swedish invasion, they 
  welcomed Colonel Dietrich von Falkenbery 
  (1580-1631) of the Swedish Army to take over 
  the city’s defenses. Falkenberg hastily con-
  scripted additional troops from the citizenry 
  and raised a levy to fortify the open suburbs. 
  When the Emperor sent a demand for Magde-
  burg to open its gates, and pay tribute to Ferdi-
  nand, the answer was an unequivocal “no.”
  Ferdinand’s reply was to send Tilly to invest 
  the rebellious city. For two months, the 2,400 
  valiant defenders withstood an army ten times 
  their strength. Tilly brought up reinforcements, 
  swelling his army to over 40,000. Against such 
  odds there was no hope.
  The result was carnage and depravity on a 
  scale never witnessed before in the War. Unpaid 
  for months, the soldiers took upon themselves 
  to relieve Magdeburg of its wealth. Soldiers ran 
  from house to house demanding valuables. 
  Any thoughts of safety were quickly dismissed 
  
  A History of Hatred
  
  when one after another, soldiers would come 
  and demand loot. When the citizens had ex-
  hausted their last possessions, soldiers began 
  to butcher them with sword and musket, hang-
  ing and impalement. In the course of a single 
  day, Madgeburg lost over 24,000 citizens.
  Wading through streets filled with corpses 
  and awash with blood and gore, the air thick 
  with smoke from the many fires set by Catholic 
  and Protestant soldiers alike, the victors cel-
  ebrated mass in the cathedral.
  Far from being condemned by other Catho-
  lics, the slaughter was applauded. Tilly’s im-
  mediate subordinate, Imperial Field Marshal 
  Gottfried Heinrich, Count of Pappenheim 
  (1594-1632) wrote “I believe that over twenty 
  thousand souls were lost. It is certain that no 
  more terrible work and divine punishment 
  has been seen since the Destruction of Jerusa-
  lem. All of our soldiers became rich. God with 
  us.” On hearing news of the sack in Rome, 
  Pope Urban VII (r. 1623-1644) declared that 
  Magdeburg was a “nest of heretics” and that 
  it’s destruction was welcomed by God.
  The name of Magdeburg rapidly became a 
  byword for unbridled savagery and a rallying 
  cry for Protestants. Captured Catholics would 
  now be given “Magdeburg mercy” or “quar-
  ter”—summary execution—in revenge for the 
  atrocity.
  While the angels wept in Heaven, the de-
  mons of Hell rejoiced, for humanity had sunk 
  to a new low not imagined in even Satan’s 
  most nightmarish dreams.
  War Without End
  The massacre at Magdeburg shocked the 
  Protestant nobility into swift action. No longer 
  would Sweden be without allies in Germany.
  The sound of cannon fire and muskets 
  echoed across Germany throughout the sum-
  mer of 1631. Sweden captured the city of 
  Würzburg, where the pyres of witches still 
  burned fiercely. 
  With his soldiers crying out for vengeance 
  for the fate of Magdeburg, Gustavus held the 
  reins tight and allowed them only to sack the 
  castle. Four days later, Gustavus met Tilly on 
  the field of battle. Although outnumbered, 
  Sweden had better trained and disciplined 
  troops, and won the day.
  His supplies depleted, his men hungry and 
  exhausted, Tilly retreated to Upper Saxony. 
  Previously neutral, John George I, Elector of 
  Saxony (1585-1656), reacted to the Imperial 
  “invasion” by declaring support for Sweden.
  On September 7, the combined forces of 
  Sweden and Saxony clashed with Tilly. Six 
  hours later, two-thirds of the Catholic army 
  were dead, wounded, captured, or missing. 
  Both Tilly and Pappenheim were wounded 
  in the engagement. The Catholic League and 
  Imperial armies were reduced to a combined 
  strength of just 7,000 men.
  The disastrous year, from a Catholic view, 
  would end with further losses—Prague had 
  fallen to the Saxons, while the Swedes captured 
  Mainz without a shot being fired in anger. For 
  the first time in the War, a Catholic victory was 
  no longer a certainty. 
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  1: The Empire Strikes Back
  Infuriated by Tilly’s loss, Ferdinand wrote 
  to Wallenstein and requested his return to 
  service with all haste.
  Having broken Imperial resistance, Gusta-
  vus invades Bavaria. A supporter of Ferdinand 
  and his Catholic cause since the outbreak of 
  War, the state has, until now, suffered minimal 
  privation during the War. All that lay between 
  the Swedes and Bavaria were 25,000 conscripts 
  under Tilly. 
  Tilly was mortally wounded and his sec-
  ond-in-command, 
  Johann 
  von 
  Aldringen 
  (1588-1634) knocked unconscious only min-
  utes later, leaving the Catholics leaderless and 
  confused. Holding their own against superior 
  forces until that point, the army withdrew from 
  battle, leaving the path to the heart of Bavaria 
  open. Gustavus captured Munich, the capital 
  of Bavaria, a few weeks later.
  Protestant victories had turned the tide of 
  the war, but the Empire was far from a spent 
  force. With a new army under his command, 
  Wallenstein returned to the fray. His presence 
  was felt first at the Battle of the Alte Veste near 
  Nuremberg. The terrain favored Wallenstein. 
  His troops held an old castle atop and wooded 
  hill, and the commander had no intention of 
  leaving it to fight on flat ground, despite the 
  taunts of his enemy. With supplies dwindling 
  and not willing to leave a major army to his 
  rear, Gustavus ordered the attack. Exhausted 
  by having to clear Imperial trench lines sur-
  rounding the summit, Gustavus’ infantry 
  were unable to hold back an Imperial cavalry 
  charge. Facing total disaster, the Swedish king 
  withdrew his forces under the protection of his 
  cavalry reserve. With Swedish reinforcements 
  barely a day away, Wallenstein broke camp and 
  led his army northward the next day.
  The Swedish army had not been broken, 
  but its advance was slowed. It was forced to 
  abandon further campaigning in Bavaria, 
  though, for Gustavus had received news that 
  his Saxon allies were facing strong Catholic 
  opposition and losing ground.
  With winter already hard, and believing 
  Gustavus would be unable to forage sufficient 
  supplies to make any moves against him, Wal-
  lenstein divided his forces, with his headquar-
  ters heading to Leipzig. Gustavus had his own 
  plans, however, and maneuvered his army to 
  engage with his rival.
  Both sides suffered serious losses in key 
  personnel. The Catholic Pappenheim was 
  struck by a cannonball while launching a 
  cavalry attack, as Gustavus, separated from his 
  companions by the fog of war, suffered several 
  bullet wounds. The final wound, administered 
  directly to the temple, appeared to be an ex-
  ecution. Although the musket ball that killed 
  Gustavus was made of glass, he was not a fext. 
  Suspecting (wrongly, as it happened) Moloch’s 
  hand in the death of Tilly, Eurynome sent a 
  clear message to his enemy.
  The Swedish emerged the victors and Wal-
  lenstein withdrew from Saxony to Bohemia to 
  rest for winter, but the death of their leader 
  was a sore blow for the Protestant cause. Gus-
  tavus’ vacant throne is given to his 6-year-old 
  daughter, Christina (1626-89) who rules with 
  the aid of a council of regents.
  1: A Pause in the War
  Embattled once more, Moloch once again 
  employed guile over brute force. With the 
  Death of a Fiend
  Tilly died of his wounds on April 30. No 
  one felt his loss more than Eurynome, 
  who had lost more than just a talented 
  general. 
  Having suffered fever during the Dan-
  ish campaign, Tilly lay on his death bed. 
  Only the direct intervention of Eurynome 
  saved Tilly’s life, though at the cost of his 
  immortal soul.
  As a fext (p. 77), Tilly had willfully en-
  couraged his soldiers to pillage Magde-
  burg knowing full well the terrible out-
  come. Someone in the Swedish army 
  had obviously discovered what Tilly had 
  become, for the musket ball that ended 
  his life was made of glass—a fext’s only 
  weakness.
  
  A History of Hatred
  
  Swedish demoralized and on the retreat, Wal-
  lenstein seemed poised to strike the final blow. 
  Instead, he paused his armies, to the alarm of 
  the Emperor and Spain, not to mention the 
  fury of Eurynome.
  Wallenstein began to openly question the 
  continuance of the War, arguing that the Em-
  peror should accept peace terms that would 
  restore the unity of Germany and demanding 
  the Edict of Restitution be revoked in accord-
  ing with the will of the Electors at the Diet 
  of Regensburg. In secret, he began making 
  contacts at the courts of Brandenburg, France, 
  Saxony, and Sweden with an offer of switching 
  allegiance. Under Moloch’s baleful influence, 
  the Protestants refused his advances, leaving 
  Wallenstein isolated by both sides.
  A secret court convened in Vienna, tried 
  Wallenstein for treachery in absentia and 
  found him guilty.
  1: The End of Wallenstein
  With the backing of the court, Ferdinand 
  drafted letters revoking Wallenstein’s position 
  in the army and proclaiming him a traitor. When 
  the army failed to declare support for him, Wal-
  lenstein and his bodyguard moved to join up 
  with the Swedish army and seek refuge. Taking 
  shelter at Eger, where he hoped to meet with 
  Swedish representatives, Wallenstein’s senior 
  officers were massacred during a feast and Wal-
  lenstein murdered by elements of his own army. 
  Having spent 1633 forging an alliance be-
  tween his nation and various Protestant states, 
  Lord High Chancellor  of Sweden Axel Oxen-
  stierna (1583-1654) was ready to continue the 
  War. The Protestant force marched toward Ba-
  varia, only to discover Ferdinand the Younger 
  was moving to sever their supply lines. Worse, 
  news reached Oxenstierna that a Spanish army 
  was advancing north through Italy.
  When Regensburg fell to the army of Fer-
  dinand the Younger, the Swedes set chase, 
  desperate to prevent the two Catholic armies 
  linking up. Ferdinand’s forces reached the 
  town of Nordlingen and invested a siege to 
  await reinforcements. The Protestant army ar-
  rived at Nordlingen in early September, only to 
  discover the Spanish had beaten them there by 
  just three days.
  With the two armies lined up to engage, 
  Eurynome and Moloch sat back to watch the 
  carnage while the demons of Hell wagered 
  souls on the outcome. Some 25,000 soldiers 
  under the flag started the battle, but only 
  around 4,000 staggered bloody and battered 
  from the field. The Swedish army had been 
  destroyed and with it Protestant hopes.
  The War, and its twin offspring famine and 
  pestilence, was not the only cause of mass 
  death that year. Whether it was an act of God 
  or the might of a demon prince, a storm surge 
  broke the dikes protecting parts of Denmark 
  and the German coast in October. Countless 
  houses, barns, mills, and churches were swept 
  away, along with over 10,000 victims.
  The French War 
  1-present
  Forces Directly Involved: Pro-Catholic: The 
  Emperor, Bavaria, Brandeburg, Saxony, Spain; 
  Pro-Protestant: France, Palatinate, Sweden. 
  Forces Indirectly Involved: Pro-Catholic: —; 
  Pro-Protestant: Dutch Republic, Hesse-Kassel.
  The Battle of Nordlingen heralded the end 
  for the Swedish army in Germany. Staring de-
  feat in the face, Moloch turned his hopes on 
  Belphegor, Hell’s Ambassador to France.
  1: A New Alliance
  Following the disaster at Nordlingen, the 
  German Protestants negotiated for peace. Un-
  der the terms of the Peace of Prague, the Edict 
  of Restitution was suspended, although the 
  Protestants could retain only bishoprics held 
  by them before 1627 (which meant the loss of 
  land in the south and west). All German armies 
  would now come under the direct authority of 
  the Emperor (effectively nationalizing them). 
  The German princes, until then independent 
  entities with rights to forge their own internal 
  and external alliances, were stripped of that 
  •         •
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  0
  privilege. Finally, nobles who had sided with 
  the Swedish army were granted amnesty.
  France, which admittedly wasn’t part 
  of the negotiations, saw the treaty as a dire 
  threat—not only would Spanish armies fight-
  ing in Germany now be free to move into the 
  Spanish Netherlands, but the Hapsburg throne 
  in the Holy Roman Empire seemed secure for 
  centuries to come.
  Under the terms of the Treaty of Bärwalde, 
  signed between France and Sweden in 1631, 
  France favored the Swedish throne with a mil-
  lion livres each year. Sweden was bound not 
  to keep its army in Germany. Moreover, the 
  Swedes could not seek peace with the Emperor 
  without the approval of France.
  Having already come to aid Moloch earlier 
  through financial means, Belphegor threw his 
  hat into the ring and declared against Eury-
  nome openly. In May, France officially declared 
  war on Spain. Elsewhere, Sweden concluded 
  its lengthy war against Poland, freeing up new 
  reserves of soldiers for war in Germany. So 
  began the Franco-Spanish War (1635-59).
  French forces commanded by Marshals Ur-
  bain de Maillé-Brézé (1597-1650) and Gaspard 
  III de Coligny (1584-1646), and reinforced 
  with Dutch soldiers, launched a pincer attack 
  into the Spanish Netherlands. Initially success-
  ful, the French were soon stymied by poor 
  planning and plague, which tore through their 
  ranks. Harassed by the Spanish, the survivors 
  withdrew back into France.
  Elsewhere, the French had launched attacks 
  against the Rheinland, Alsace, and Lorraine. All 
  proved to be failures. Instead of advancing in 
  glory, the French were forced to dig in and try 
  to strengthen their border.
  1: France’s Folly
  Having committed its forces against the 
  Spanish, France now declared war on the unit-
  ed Holy Roman Empire. What had begun as a 
  war of Catholic versus Protestant had turned 
  into a war of nations.
  Having tasted victory, albeit with the aid 
  of pestilence, the Hapsburgs sought to crush 
  France. The initial plan of a double front 
  hampered by Emperor Ferdinand’s worsening 
  financial situation and the threat of Sweden 
  not yet extinguished, it was decided to attack 
  with Imperial and Spanish forces along a single 
  front—Northeastern France. 
  Hapsburg soldiers rapidly overran Le Cate-
  let and La Capelle, fortresses which should have 
  weathered long sieges. Soon after, they reached 
  the banks of the River Somme. Arrayed against 
  them was a French army seeking to hold the 
  strategic crossing. Although it involved over 
  a total of 30,000 soldiers, the battle was little 
  more than a skirmish. When the French with-
  drew, just 360 men lay dead or wounded.
  As further towns and fortresses fell to the ad-
  vancing Hapsburgs, the French withdrew closer 
  and closer to Paris. As summer dawned, and with 
  the Imperial-Spanish army less than 100 miles 
  away, Parisians prepared for a bitter siege.
  Historically, the threat never surfaced—fear-
  ing what a major campaign might mean for the 
  small force, the Spanish chose to retreat from 
  French soil.
  Obligated to continue the War, a reinforced 
  and refreshed Swedish army attempted to 
  move out of Brandenburg in October, only 
  to find itself facing an Imperial force of equal 
  strength. Believing the Swedish were a spent 
  force after Nordlingen, the Imperial army be-
  gan the battle highly optimistic of a quick vic-
  tory. They left demoralized, leaving thousands 
  dead or captured under cover of dusk. The 
  War was far from over.
  1 Onward
  This concludes the history of the Thirty 
  Years’ War as it currently stands. Historically, 
  the conflict rages on for another 11 years, with 
  open warfare igniting again over much of Ger-
  many, until the Peace of Westphalia in 1648.
  What happens in the game is left to the 
  individual Gamemaster. Perhaps Paris is cap-
  tured by the Spanish and turned into another 
  Magdeburg. Moloch, desperate for victory after 
  so many setbacks and frustrations, might un-
  leash an army of the damned into the mortal 
  world. Or perhaps the English commit to full 
  participation in mainland Europe.
  
  “Farewell happy fields,
  Where joy forever dwells: Hail, horrors, 
  hail.” —John Milton, Paradise Lost
  In this chapter we take a brief look at 
  Germany before embarking on a quick tour 
  of its major regions and locations. Gamemas-
  ters looking for general details about vari-
  ous aspects of the 17th century will find the 
  Richelieu’s Guide Compendiums useful.
  Climate
  Germany has a temperate climate, though 
  there are regional differences. In the north and 
  northwest, winters tend to be wet and mild 
  and the summers cool. In the east, the weather 
  is influenced by the greater continent. Winters 
  can be bitterly cold and last for months, where-
  as summers are hot. The center and south are 
  battlegrounds between continental and Atlan-
  tic weather, with the dominant conditions in 
  any given year determining seasonal weather. 
  The southwest enjoys long, hot summers, but 
  only mild winters.
  Economy
  With its vast, well-watered plains and sweep-
  ing forests, the German economy is primarily 
  rural, with only limited urban industries and 
  trade centers. Reliance on agriculture proves 
  disastrous during the War, with lands repeat-
  edly plundered and scorched, and the peasants 
  forced to flee or be massacred by whichever 
  army was currently passing through.
  Germany’s shattered economy, not to men-
  tion the workforce greatly reduced by blood-
  shed and famine, has not diminished the desire 
  to continue the War. Indeed, it has made things 
  considerably worse for civilians—soldiers, un-
  paid for months on end and forever hungry, 
  are forced to “live off the land,” a euphemism 
  for taking what they want by force.
  Even when the War finally concludes, 
  several generations of Germans will grow up 
  knowing only continued want and suffering.
  Geography
  Germany is roughly divided into thirds by 
  geography. The North German Plain domi-
  nates the northern third, the land etched by 
  rivers flowing into the Baltic and North Seas. 
  The longest river in the region is the Elbe. Be-
  ginning in the mountains of Bohemia, it winds 
  roughly northwest to the North Sea. Major 
  cities such as Dresden, Hamburg, Magdeburg, 
  and Wittenberge lie on its banks.
  The middle third is the Central Uplands, a 
  region of hills and low mountains. The Rhine 
  runs from the Alps into the North Sea, and 
  forms part of the border between France and 
  Germany. The Ruhr, another major river, cuts 
  west across the land until it merges with the 
  Rhine near Duisburg.
  The final third is the high foothills and 
  Chapter Four: 
  A Ruined Land
  1
  •
  •    •
  •     •
  •      •
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  mountains of the Alps. Amid the craggy peaks 
  rise the headwaters of Europe’s second-longest 
  river, the mighty Danube, which flows eastward 
  into the Archduchy of Austria and beyond.
  Much of the central and southern landscape 
  is covered in vast swathes of forest. Although a 
  source of industry, Germany’s forests are also 
  a source of fear. Foresters and hunters speak in 
  hushed tones of the darkest depths, for herein 
  witches cavort and make pacts sealed in blood 
  with Satan, strange, nightmarish creatures with 
  a fondness for human flesh, and of more ter-
  rible things beyond the ken of mere mortals.
  Government
  Unlike his counterparts in England, France, 
  or Spain, the Holy Roman Emperor does not 
  rule over a united, centralized nation. While 
  Emperor Ferdinand II has taken steps to unite 
  the country under one banner, true unity will 
  not come until the War finally ends.
  Germany is still divided into hundreds 
  of states, each ruled over by a member of 
  the nobility or by a bishop. Collectively, and 
  regardless of any other titles, they are known 
  as princes. Used in this manner, it does not 
  denote a noble title by itself.
  Added to this hodge-podge are the Impe-
  rial states, those being states whose ultimate 
  feudal lord is the Emperor. Many of these are 
  administrated by a hereditary noble (an Impe-
  rial Prince), with others are governed by a cleric 
  (a Prince of the Church) and various free cities.
  Prince-Electors
  The status of emperor is not necessarily he-
  reditary. While the incumbent may nominate 
  an heir, it falls to the Prince-Electors (usually 
  shortened to just Elector) of the electoral col-
  lege to confer the title. 
  Being an elector comes with immense pres-
  tige. For instance, they are entitled to be ad-
  dressed as Durchlaucht (“Serene Highness”) 
  and citizens within their lands cannot appeal 
  cases to a higher court. In effect, they are the 
  ultimate rulers of their territories.
  The electoral college is made up of just 
  seven members—three ecclesiastical princes 
  (the Archbishops of Cologne, Mainz, and Trier) 
  and four secular princes (King of Bohemia, 
  Margrave of Brandenburg, Count Palatine of 
  the Rhine (currently under Bavarian control), 
  and Duke of Saxony).
  Imperial High Offices
  In addition to wielding the title Prince-Elec-
  tor, the princes also hold senior posts within 
  the bureaucracy of the Imperial court.
  Imperial Office
  Post Holder
  Arch-Chamberlain
  Brandenburg
  Arch-Chancellor of 
  Burgundy
  Archbishop of Trier
  Arch-Chancellor of 
  Germany
  Archbishop of Mainz
  Arch-Chancellor of 
  Italty
  Archbishop of Cologne
  Arch-Cupbearer
  Bohemia
  Arch-Marshal
  Saxony
  Arch Sensechal
  Bavaria
  Imperial Diet
  Being elected by the electoral college only 
  confers the title of Emperor of the Romans. In 
  order to become, Holy Roman Emperor, the 
  support of the Imperial Diet is required.
  The Diet is formed by the Imperial Es-
  tates—the lands governed by Imperial-Princes 
  or cities directly answerable to the Emperor—
  and divided into three colleges.
  The Electoral College has already been dis-
  cussed. The College of Imperial Princes is made 
  up of secular and ecclesiastical princes, who 
  in turn form two separate divisions within the 
  college, those being church and state. The third 
  entity is the College of Free Cities, which is split 
  into Rhenish (northwestern Germany) and Swa-
  bian (southeastern Germany). The Rhenish free 
  cities were Augsburg, Nuremburg, and Regens-
  burg, while the Swabian cities were Aachen, Co-
  logne, and Frankfurt. Each member has a single 
  vote, but bloc voting is not unusual.
  •       •
  
  A Ruined Land
  
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  
  A Ruined Land
  
  Levels of Destruction
  The Destruction Rating was introduced in 
  Chapter 2, but without any clear explanation 
  of what they truly meant or to which parts they 
  related. This section rectifies that.
  Historians among you will notice that the 
  map on page 54 actually relates to the final 
  levels of devastation as of the Peace of West-
  phalia, rather than in 1636. While it might be 
  possible to research the levels of destruction 
  in earlier periods of the War, the map provides 
  a good benchmark for Gamemasters and also 
  indicates where the War continues to rage in 
  the future (i.e., in areas with higher levels of 
  destruction).
  Various modern authors have given varying 
  statistics for the extent and severity of popula-
  tion losses during the War. We have selected a 
  single source for this supplement.
  Despoiled: These regions have suffered 
  minimal, if any, destruction and loss of popula-
  tion. Much of their current problems can be 
  laid at the door of the wider War affecting trade 
  and the increase in taxes necessary to continue 
  prosecuting it. Population depletion, again, if 
  any occurs at at all, are less than 10%
  Plundered: Plundered areas have been the 
  site of at least one pitched battle and its mur-
  derous aftermath. Troops moving across the 
  region have burning villages, ransacked fields, 
  and disease in their path, leading to popula-
  tion losses of 11-30%.
  Ravaged: Subjected to numerous battles 
  and invasions, these areas have suffered major 
  economic loss and deprivation. Around a third 
  of all castles lie in ruins, half of all villages have 
  been put to the torch or totally abandoned, 
  and many towns have endured attacks and 
  outbreaks of disease. The population in such 
  areas has been reduced by 31-50%
  Devastated: These regions suffer the worst 
  excesses of the War, with repeated battles, 
  invasions, and scavenging armies raping and 
  looting their way across the land. Anywhere 
  from 50% to 75% of the castles and villages 
  have been utterly destroyed, 50% of all towns 
  and cities sacked, and the population reduced 
  by 50% (up to 75% in some parts).
  Military
  As sovereign, the Holy Roman Emperor 
  has the right to recruit troops from any state 
  except those of the Prince-Electors. Troops 
  under his personal banner form the Imperial 
  Army (Kaiserliche Armee). This shouldn’t be 
  confused with the Army of the Holy Roman 
  Empire (Reichsarmee), which can be mustered 
  solely by a vote of the Imperial Diet. With the 
  Diet divided on religious lines, the Holy Ro-
  man Army does not muster during the War.
  Until 1635, the various nobles were per-
  mitted to raise their own armies from their 
  own lands and finances. As of 1636, only the 
  Prince-Electors retain that privilege. Thus, the 
  Catholic League, a union of Catholic German 
  States, was disbanded. Naturally, the rebellious 
  states still fighting against the Emperor were 
  not covered by his proclamation.
  Troop Strengths
  Listed below are the approximate number 
  of combatants involved in the War in 1636. 
  These numbers do not include the lesser states 
  still fighting, nor the many bandits (many of 
  whom are deserters) plaguing the region.
  Dutch Republic: 70,000; France: 120,000; 
  Imperial Army: 150,000 (divided into 65 
  regiments of foot, each comprising 3,000 men 
  (on paper, at least); Spain: Around 300,000; 
  Sweden: 140,000.
  Units of Measurement
  While units of measurement had the same 
  names, the actual measurement varied from 
  town to town. In order to avoid confusion, the 
  local standard was usually displayed outside 
  the town hall.
  Elle: The distance from the elbow to the 
  end of the fingers. Typically a distance of 2 feet 
  (0.61 m) in the north and 2’ 6” in the south 
  (0.76 m).
  Fuß: The German foot. Varies from 9.84” 
  (250 mm) to 17” (432 mm) but most variations 
  are in the region of 12” (305 mm).
  •          •
  •     •
  •           •
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  Klafter: Originally a distance of six feet, 
  but varied from 5’ 9” (1.75 m) to 9’ 10” (3 m).
  Lachter: Used in mining regions. Differs 
  from 6’ 3” (1.9 m) to 6’ 11” (2.1 m)
  Nösel: Unit of liquid equal to one half of a 
  Kanne. Varies between 0.83 pints (0.47 L) and 
  0.53 pints (0.6 L).
  Rod: A unit of land measurement. Varies 
  from 10–20 feet, with an average of 16 feet.
  Wegstunde: The distance an average per-
  son could walk in one hour. Typically 2.31 
  miles (3.71 km).
  Zoll: One inch. Typically 1/12 of a foot, but 
  could also be 1/11 or 1/10 of a foot.
  Gazetteer
  “No field was untouched by fire; the very 
  forests stank of decay. Soot lay deep upon the 
  road, borne by the black smoke which spread 
  and spread from innumerable bodies, from 
  sacked villages, from castles ruined by can-
  nonade and siege; and at night my passage 
  was often lit by fires from burning monaster-
  ies and abbeys.” 
  —Michael Moorcock, The War Hound and 
  the World’s Pain
  The gazetteer is divided by country and 
  then states. Specific areas of interest are de-
  noted by a “–” before their name. For instance, 
  the Germany is a country, Bavaria is a state, 
  and Munich a place of interest. Dates given for 
  rulers are the dates of their reign.
  Austria, Archduchy of 
  Ruler: Archdukes Ferdinand III (aka HRE 
  Ferdinand II) (1619-37), Ferdinand IV (aka 
  HRE Ferdinand III) (1637-57)
  Devastation Rating: Despoiled
  Allied to the Holy Roman Emperor by dint 
  of the emperor also being its ruler, Austria has 
  suffered minimal damage in the War. Its major 
  troubles have been caused by the famine in 
  Germany and an influx of refugees bringing 
  pestilence. What battles have taken place on 
  its soil have been minor skirmishes.
  Bohemia, Kingdom of
  Ruler: King Ferdinand the Younger (later 
  Holy Roman Emperor) (1627-57)
  Devastation Rating: Ravaged
  Bohemia, the spark that ignited the con-
  flagration consuming Germany, has suffered 
  greatly from the War. Ravaged during the early 
  years of the conflict, it was to enjoy only a brief 
  lull in hostilities during the Danish War.
  Previously dominated by the Czech culture, 
  the ascension of King Ferdinand has resulted 
  in the commencement of Germanization. Ger-
  many has already been accepted as the second 
  official language of the kingdom, and further 
  changes are to come as the years pass.
  -Houska Castle
  Constructed on the order of King Ottakar II 
  of Bohemia in the early 13th century, Houska 
  later became home to aristocratic families. Few 
  tarried more than a generation, and the castle 
  changed hands with great regularity.
  The castle was constructed over a deep 
  hole, the chapel lying directly above the center 
  of the pit. Locals referred to the void as “The 
  Gateway to Hell,” and with good reason—crea-
  tures that were both man and animal crawled 
  from its inky depths, while winged creatures 
  too large to be birds were frequently seen to 
  circle above it.
  Before construction work began, the king 
  offered amnesty to any prisoner under sen-
  tence of death prepared to be lowered into the 
  hole and report on what lay at the bottom. The 
  first volunteer to be lowered descended only 
  a few yards before he began screaming in ter-
  ror. Quickly hauled back to the surface, he was 
  found to have aged several decades. Incurably 
  insane, he never revealed what had caused his 
  terror. Despite rousing intense curiosity, the 
  incident ensured that no one else ventured 
  into the hole. One can only assume that the 
  other volunteers’ execution was carried out as 
  planned.
  Houska Castle hardly lives up to its name. It 
  lacks any fortifications (although the walls are 
  quite thick), holds no strategic position in the 
  landscape, has no kitchens or source of fresh 
  •     •
  
  A Ruined Land
  
  water, and was never occupied during the early 
  years of its existence. Its construction, it seems, 
  was simply to plug The Gateway to Hell.
  -Prague
  The ancient city of Prague straddles the 
  River Vltava, a tributary of the Elbe. Briefly held 
  by a Saxon army in 1631, Prague has, at yet, suf-
  fered little damage to its infrastructure, though 
  the population has been reduced by around a 
  quarter due to pestilence and starvation.
  Dominating the city is the castle, whose ori-
  gins date back to the 10th century. Damaged by 
  wars and fires over the years, the current edi-
  fice owes its reconstruction to the Hapsburgs. 
  It serves as the monarchs’ residence and thus 
  the center of the royal court.
  Prague has long welcomed astrologers and 
  magicians (such as Dr. John Dee), and scientists 
  (Johannes Kepler and Tycho Brahe) and artists 
  (the poet Elizabeth Jane Weston), resulting in 
  it becoming a center of learning and culture. 
  This fusion of magic, science, and aesthetics is 
  most clearly shown in the astronomical clock 
  that adorns the town hall’s tower. Unfortunate-
  ly, magicians are no longer welcomed here, at 
  least not publicly. Several powerful figures still 
  consult with visiting “scholars of the alterna-
  tive arts,” but do so behind doors.
  Special: Studying the clock face (from the 
  ground is enough) counts as using a Ceremo-
  nial Divination grimoire.
  Dutch Republic
  Ruler: Grand Pensionaries Adrian Pauw 
  (1631-1636), Jacob Cats (1636-51)
  Devastation Rating: Despoiled
  The seven provinces that form the Dutch 
  Republic (also known as the Republic of the 
  Seven United Provinces) broke from the 
  Hapsburg-ruled Seventeen Provinces in 1581. 
  Despite many attempts, the Dutch have de-
  fended their fledgling nation against the Span-
  ish armies. Much like the wider war in Europe, 
  the Eighty Years’ War (1568-1648) is a series 
  of major campaigns broken by periods of wary 
  peace.
  Voices from the War
  The following witness accounts of the 
  Thirty Years’ War are taken from Eyewit-
  ness Accounts of the Thirty Years’ War: 
  1618-48, by Geoff Mortimer.
  * “The poor people ate outlandish things, 
  which they were forced to do in order 
  to satisfy their hunger. They ground up 
  beechnuts, linseed residues, cabbage 
  stalks and especially nettles, anno 1636, 
  1637 and 1638. The people were starv-
  ing and many died because of these un-
  natural foods.”
  * “The soldiers were so famished that 
  in the Altmark some of them ate hu-
  man flesh. As they reached Beelitz and 
  marched on around the town they ate 
  dogs, cats and rotting dead horses.”
  * “Nor did they forget the Swedish 
  draught, which our army itself devised, 
  only attributing it to the Swedes to de-
  fame them. For this the robbers and mur-
  derers took a piece of wood and stuck it 
  down a poor soul’s throat, stirring and 
  pouring in water, to which they added 
  sand or even human excrement, thus 
  pitifully torturing the victims for their 
  money.”
  * “They caught a citizen by the name 
  of Kuegen Moeller (who perhaps was 
  ill), bound him hand and foot and put 
  him over the fire, where they roasted 
  him for a long time until he was forced 
  to disclose his remaining money. After 
  these robbers and muderers had taken 
  it and gone another raiding party from 
  the Third Army arrived, and hearing that 
  the first had boasted of grilling 100 taler 
  out of this Moeller they took the same 
  man and held him with his face to the 
  fire, hoping to extract more from him. 
  Instead they roasted him for so long that 
  his skin came off him like a butchered 
  goose, and he died.”
  * They have wound and tied about the 
  heads of such, strong matches or cords, 
  and twisted the same till the blood came 
  out of their eyes, eares, and noses, yea, 
  till their eyes started out of their heads. 
  They have put and tied burning match-
  es betwixt their fingers, to their noses, 
  tongues, jawes, cheeks, breasts, legs, and 
  secret parts. . . .”
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  Following the Battle of Nordlingen, after 
  which the Spanish armies were able to rein-
  force the Spanish Netherlands, the Republic 
  signed a treaty with France. As with Sweden, 
  France demanded that the Dutch not be 
  allowed to make peace without French ap-
  proval—Belphegor had dragged yet another 
  power into Moloch’s camp.
  The Republic is currently divided into two 
  camps—those who wish to continue the war 
  with Spain and those seeking peace. Military 
  spending, at an all-time high during the early 
  1630s, is soon about to be severely curtailed as 
  the “peace party” makes its influence felt.
  Germany
  Ruler: Emperor Ferdinand II (1619-37), 
  Ferdinand III (1637-57)
  Devastation Rating: Varies by region
  The seething cauldron at the heart of the 
  War has been fed with the bile of religious 
  hatred, the blood of innocents, the bones of 
  those who perished from hunger, and the mi-
  asma of pestilence, then stirred by the hands of 
  Eurynome and Moloch.
  Bamberg, Prince-Bishopric of
  Ruler: Prince-Bishop Franz von Hatzfeld 
  (1633-42), Melchior Otto von Voit von Salz-
  burg (1642-1653)
  Devastation Rating: Ravaged
  An Imperial state since 1245, Bamberg has 
  been repeatedly pillaged by marauding armies, 
  and its people struck by famine and plague. 
  Under the previous prince-bishop, Johann 
  Georg Fuchs von Dornheim (r. 1623-1633), 
  Bamberg was gripped by “witch fever” during 
  the early years of the War. Known as the Hexen-
  brenner (witch burner) and Hexenbischof (witch 
  bishop), ordered the construction of a Male-
  fizhaus (witch house). The walls of its torture 
  chamber, in which suffered innocents as well as 
  true servants of Satan, were plastered with pages 
  from the Bible—the theory being that the pages 
  would bolster the resolve of the questioners and 
  weaken Satan’s hold over the witches’ souls.
  Swedish and Saxon forces took control over 
  Bamberg in 1632. Rather than staying with his 
  people to provide spiritual succor, von Dorn-
  heim fled. The current bishop, previously in 
  exile in Cologne, returned to the city in 1634.
  Special: The witch trials ended in 1629. 
  Not only has the stain not yet faded from hu-
  man memory, the suffering has infused the 
  crematorium specially constructed to send the 
  witches to their deaths. Magicians gain a +2 
  bonus to enact Necromancy and Pyromancy 
  rituals when within 25 feet of the fire-black-
  ened building.
  Characters gain a +2 bonus to Intimida-
  tion: Torture rolls when using the Malefizhaus’ 
  impressive torture chamber, and a +4 bonus 
  when torturing magicians, witches, and other 
  servants of Hell.
  Bavaria, Electorate of
  Ruler: Maximilian I (Duke 1597-1623, 
  Prince-Elector 1623-51)
  Devastation Rating: Ravaged
  Bavaria has been an electorate state only 
  since 1623, then the Electorate of the Palati-
  nate was granted to it following the rebellious 
  actions of Frederick V of the Palatinate.
  A staunch ally of the emperor, Bavaria es-
  caped destruction until the War entered the 
  Swedish phase. Since then, its soil has been 
  saturated with blood and its lands destroyed.
  -Munich
  Capital of Bavaria, Munich was sacked by 
  the Swedish army in 1632 and its wealth plun-
  dered. Ravaged by plague in 1634 and again in 
  1635, the city has lost one-third of its popula-
  tion. Although the infestation appears to have 
  subsided, the locals know full well that it may 
  rise again to strike them down at any time.
  -Zvíkov Castle
  A castle has stood on the steep promon-
  tory at the junction of the Vltava and Otava 
  rivers since 1278. Continually expanded and 
  fortified, its walls resisted sieges and artillery 
  attacks until the Thirty Years’ War, when it was 
  looted, abandoned, and scorched by fire.
  
  A Ruined Land
  
  The castle is known among occultists for 
  a variety of reasons. One of the main sites of 
  interest is the Markomanka tower, named after 
  the Marcomanni culture that ruled Bohemia 
  2,000 years ago. Now part of the main fortifica-
  tion, the stones are engraved in strange sym-
  bols. Animals within the vicinity of the tower 
  behave in strange ways, torches extinguish by 
  themselves, and ghosts haunt the stairs and 
  chambers. Ancient folklore places the super-
  natural activity at the feet of an imp, who has 
  haunted the tower for unknown ages.
  The castle’s main tower is suppos-
  edly cursed—anyone who sleeps there is con-
  demned to die inside of a year. Black dogs with 
  burning eyes are supposed to roam the castle 
  grounds. According to legend, they guard a 
  hidden tunnel that runs beneath the ruined 
  fortress. What treasure warrants such fearsome 
  warders has never entered folklore.
  Brandenburg, Electorate of
  Ruler: 
  Prince-Elector 
  George 
  William 
  (1619-40), Frederick William (1640-88)
  Devastation Rating: Ravaged
  Initially neutral, Brandenburg (which also 
  owns lands in the west of Germany and the 
  Duchy of Prussia to the east) finally elected to 
  aid Sweden in 1631. Elector George had little 
  choice—not only was his sister the queen of 
  Sweden, but Swedish troops threatened to 
  blockade Brandenburg’s ports in Prussia. It 
  was to prove a costly decision.
  Swedish and Imperial forces fought for 
  control of the state, plundering and pillaging 
  as they moved across the land. Brandenburg 
  continued to honor its pact with Sweden un-
  til 1634, when Imperial forces destroyed the 
  Swedish army. 
  With no hope of standing alone, and able 
  to raise only 11,000 undisciplined troops to 
  defend Brandenburg from further looting by 
  expelling the Swedes, George signed the Peace 
  of Prague and withdrew from the War.
  -Berlin-Cölln
  Formerly a member of the Hanseatic 
  League, Berlin-Cölln has been the seat of the 
  Margraves and Electors of Brandenburg since 
  1451. At the start of the War, the population 
  of the small city was around 9,000. Repeated 
  attacks, combined with famine, have left it par-
  tially ruined and with over 2,000 dead.
  Brunswick-Lüneburg, Duchy of
  Ruler: Duke Augustus the Younger (1635-
  66)
  Devastation Rating: Despoiled
  Duke Christian the Younger (1599-1626) 
  was one of the very few supporters of Freder-
  ick V. Despite being on the opposite side of the 
  Holy Roman Empire, the young duke brought 
  his army into the War in 1622. However, his 
  forces suffered three losses. Frustrated at his 
  ignominious defeats, Christian set his troops 
  marauding along the French border and 
  throughout the Spanish-Netherlands.
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  0
  Forced out of the War when his forces were 
  smashed at the Battle of Stadtlohn (1623), 
  Brunswick was fortunate not to be subjected 
  to reprisals. It would suffer during the Danish 
  War, but fortunately the depravity that blighted 
  latter years had yet to emerge. Brunswick has 
  suffered, and its people endure hardship, but 
  they are thankful that things are not worse.
  -Pagan Temple
  At the time of the first Holy Roman Em-
  peror, Charlemagne, the Roman Church had 
  yet to dominate Europe. In addition to various 
  “heretical” sects, paganism was still a potent 
  faith. Desiring to rid his kingdom of godless 
  heathens, Charlemagne set to doing so by the 
  tried and tested method of violence.
  In the woods outside Osnabrück (founded 
  by Charlemagne in 780) stood a large pagan 
  temple formed from a dolmen and ancient 
  cemetery. Righteous in their cause, the Chris-
  tians massacred the pagan priests. The spirits 
  of the dead pagans are said to haunt the temple 
  site, and their screams of pain and rage can be 
  heard on the longest day and shortest day.
  Special: Rituals cast through the Natural 
  Magick Tradition have a +2 bonus here. On 
  the solstices, the bonus rises to +4.
  -Wolfenbüttel
  Situated along an important trade route, 
  the town of Wolfenbüttel has enjoyed the pro-
  tection of a fortress since 1118. It became the 
  seat of the Brunswick Princes of Wolfenbüttel 
  in 1432 and rapidly grew.
  Quickly taken by Danish invaders in 1626, 
  the town’s fortifications were hurriedly bol-
  stered in the event of a counter-attack. It was 
  a shrewd move, for Imperial soldiers besieged 
  the city following the Danish army’s loss at the 
  Battle of Lutter. The town fell in 1627 and has 
  remained in Imperial hands since.
  Wolfenbüttel would be an insignificant town 
  were not for its impressive library. Founded by 
  Duke Julius in 1572, the library has steadily add-
  ed to its collection. Such is its value, in terms of 
  knowledge as opposed to crude money, that the 
  library was not looted by the Danish army.
  Major Rulers  
  Between 1-
  All dates are reign dates. Note that sev-
  eral rulers die just before or in the final 
  year of the Thirty Years’ War. In Satan’s 
  Playground this is not a quirk of fate—
  with their contest coming to a finale, Eu-
  rynome and Moloch attack each other’s 
  major pawns.
  Bavaria: Duke Maximilian (1623-51)
  Denmark: King Christian IV (1588-
  1648)
  Dutch Republic: Grand Pensionaries 
  Adrian Pauw (1631-1636), Jacob Cats 
  (1636-51); Stadtholder Frederik Hendrik 
  of Orange (1625-57)
  England: King Charles (1625-49; ex-
  ecuted)
  France: Kings Louis XIII the Just (1610-
  43), Louis XIV (1643-1715)
  Holy Roman Empire: Emperors Ferdi-
  nand II (1619-37), Ferdinand III (previ-
  ously “the Younger”) (1637-1657)
  - Austria: Archdukes Ferdinand III (aka 
  HRE Ferdinand II) (1619-37), Ferdinand 
  IV (aka HRE Ferdinand III) (1637-57)
  - Bohemia: King Ferdinand the Young-
  er (1627-57)
  - Hungary & Croatia: King Ferdinand 
  the Younger (1625-57)
  Ottoman Empire: Sultans Murad IV 
  (1634-40), Ibrahim (1640-48)
  - Transylvania: Prince George Rákóczi 
  (1630-48)
  Papacy: Popes Urban VIII (1623-44), In-
  nocent X (1644-55)
  Poland: King Władysław IV (1632-48)
  Russia: Tsars Michael (1613-45), Alexis 
  Mikhailovich (1645-76)
  Savoy: Dukes Victor Amadeus (1630-37), 
  Francis Hyacinth (1637-38), Charles Em-
  manuel II (1638-75)
  Spain: King Philip IV (1621-65) 
  Burgundy: Duke Philip VII (aka King 
  Philip IV)
  Spanish 
  Netherlands: 
  Governors 
  Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Austria 
  (1633-41), Francisco de Melo (1641-
  44), Manuel de Moura (1644-47), Leo-
  pold of Austria (1647-56)
  Sweden: Queen Christina (1632-54; ab-
  dicated)
  
  A Ruined Land
  1
  Among its mundane books are volumes 
  dating from the Roman period, medieval 
  treatises on science and the arts, and prized 
  illuminated religious tracts. Nestled between 
  these are several occult grimoires.
  Cologne, Electorate of
  Ruler: Prince-Elector Archbishop Ferdi-
  nand of Bavaria (1612-50)
  Devastation Rating: Plundered
  The Electorate of Cologne stretches along 
  the right bank of the upper Rhine. Cologne Ca-
  thedral houses the Shrine of the Three Kings, 
  an exquisite reliquary said to house the mortal 
  remains of the Three Wise Men who attended 
  Jesus after his birth and whose remains were 
  brought here in 1164.
  Hesse-Darmstadt, Landgraviate of
  Ruler: Landgrave George II (1626-61)
  Devastation Rating: Plundered
  Formed in 1567, when the lands of Philip I, 
  Landgrave of Hesse, were divided between his 
  sons. Hesse-Darmstadt has taken the side of 
  the Holy Roman Emperor. This has put it into 
  opposition with Hesse-Kassel, which supports 
  the Protestants.
  Naturally, both Eurynome and Moloch see 
  this fraternal rivalry as a miniature version of 
  the greater War. United on this, they intend 
  to pit the two Hesses against each other in 
  brutal battle. What they have wagered on the 
  outcome is known only to them.
  -Castle Frankenstein
  Rising above the town of Darmstadt, Castle 
  Frankenstein has yet to become associated 
  with revivification, though it has long associa-
  tions with the powers of darkness. 
  Located on the grounds is a small foun-
  tain. Here, elderly witches gather on the first 
  full moon after Walpurgis Night (April 30) to 
  sip the cool waters. This done, the imbibers 
  become youthful maidens until Christmas Day, 
  when the power of God forces them to revert 
  to their natural, wizened appearance for the 
  rest of the year.
  Selected Minor  
  Rulers 1-
  All dates are reign dates.
  Ansbach: Margrave Albert II (1634-67)
  Arenburg: Counts Philip Charles (1616-
  40), Philip Francis (1640-45), Duke 
  Philippe François, 1st Duke of Arenberg 
  (1645-75)
  Baden: Margraves George Frederick 
  (1604-38), Frederick V (1638-59)
  Bar (also Lorraine): Duke Charles IV 
  (1634-75)
  Bayreuth: Margrave Christian (1603-55)
  Castell-Remlingen: 
  Count 
  Wolfgang 
  George (1631-68)
  Castell-Rüdenhausen: Count George 
  Frederick (1635-53)
  East Frisia: Count Ulrich II (1628-48)
  Fürstenberg-Donaueschingen: Count 
  Francis Charles (1627-98)
  Fürstenberg-Heiligenberg: Counts (and 
  co-rulers) Ernst Egon (1635-52), Ferdi-
  nand Frederick Egon (1635-62), Herman 
  Egon (1635-64)
  Fürstenberg-Möhringen: Counts Fran-
  cis II (1631-40), Francis Wratislaw (1640-
  41), Frederick Rudolph of Fürstenberg-
  Stühlingen (1641-55)
  Fürstenberg-Stühlingen: Count Freder-
  ick Rudolf (1614-55)
  Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen: Count Jo-
  hann (1623-38), Meinrad (1638-81)
  Lippe: Count Simon Philip (1636-50); 
  aged 4; Count Christian of Waldeck acts 
  as regent
  Münster: Prince-Bishop Ferdinand of 
  Bavaria (1612-50)
  Oettingen-Oettingen: Count Joachim 
  Ernest (1622-59)
  Palatine Zweibrücken: Count Friedrich 
  (1635-61)
  Salm: Altgraves Ernst Frederick (1629-
  39), Erik Adolf (1639-73)
  Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg: 
  Count 
  Ludwig Casimir (1631-43), Georg Wil-
  helm (1643-84)
  Schleswig-Holstein: Duke Frederick III 
  (1616-59)
  Schönborn: Lord Philip Erwin (1613–
  1668)
  Veldenz: Count Palatine Leopold Louis 
  (1634-94)
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  -Odenwald
  Spanning Bavaria, Hesse, and Württemberg, 
  the Odenwald is a range of hills blanketed with 
  dense forest. Named for the Norse god Odin, it 
  has long had a sinister reputation.
  Ancient tales speak of Satan having a fond-
  ness for the area. Stories tell of the Teufelspfad 
  (Pathway of the Devil), a pathway that appears 
  and disappears randomly, taking those cur-
  rently using it at the time straight to Hell. The 
  Opferstein (Altar Stone), a large, flat stone, is 
  supposedly where Satan accepts offerings from 
  witches and madmen.
  In olden times, lindwurms plagued the 
  region before being slaughtered by a brave 
  knight. Reports of recent sightings have yet to 
  be proven. The ruined castle of Rodenstein is 
  believed to be the feasting hall of the master of 
  the Wild Hunt (who has more than once been 
  compared to Odin). Locals swear that a long, 
  mournful horn was heard to echo through the 
  hills on the eve of the Bohemian Revolt.
  Magdeburg, Archbishopric of
  Ruler: Administrators Leopold William of 
  Austria (1631-38), Augustus, Duke of Saxe-
  Weissenfels (1638-80)
  Devastation Rating: Devastated
  Despite its title, no prince-archbishops have 
  ruled since 1566. Instead, the state is governed 
  by a secular administrator. Although the vacant 
  position of archbishop is still recognized by 
  the Papacy, Magdeburg is primarily Protestant.
  -Magdeburg, City of
  It has been six years since the Sack of Mag-
  deburg and still the city and its diminished 
  population (currently around 4,000 but fewer 
  than 400 at the conclusion of the War) suffer 
  terrible privations.
  The streets are still stained with blood, 
  now black with age, most all the buildings lie 
  in smoke-blackened ruins, and the stench of 
  pestilence and human misery hangs heavily in 
  the air. Survivors fear the dark of night, for it 
  continues to bring armed gangs searching for 
  women and food. Worse, it is said the souls 
  of those butchered in the violence howl out 
  their torment when the sun sets and that de-
  mons dance and cavort amid the ruins to the 
  unearthly choir.
  Special: Whether angels or other forms 
  of spirit, the forces of good have abandoned 
  Magdeburg to its fate. Benignus rituals suffer a 
  –4 penalty within the confines of Magdeburg. 
  Conversely, the powers of evil have made it a 
  cathedral to suffering. Necromancy rituals gain 
  a +4 bonus.
  Mecklenburg, Duchies of
  Ruler Mecklenburg-Güstrow: Dukes John 
  Albert II (1631-36), Gustav Adolph (1636-95)
  Ruler 
  Mecklenburg-Schwerin: 
  Adolf 
  Frederick (1631-58)
  Devastation Rating: Devastated
  The title “Duke of Mecklenberg” is wielded 
  
  A Ruined Land
  
  by two dukes, often causing confusion, after 
  the duchy was partitioned in 1621. Both rulers 
  were stripped of their titles for aiding the Danes 
  by Emperor Ferdinand in 1628, who granted 
  them to Wallenstein as his personal fiefs. Fol-
  lowing the general’s removal from command, 
  the territories reverted to their rightful owners 
  in 1631 when the Swedish army invaded.
  Both dukes are grateful for their return 
  to power, but far less happy that the Swedish 
  army continues to “live off the land” and whose 
  continued occupation gives Imperial forces a 
  perfectly good reason to invade.
  Nuremberg, Imperial City of
  Ruler: Emperor Ferdinand II (1619-37), 
  Ferdinand III (1637-57)
  Devastation Rating: Ravaged
  The borders of Nurmeburg do not cease at 
  its walls. A state within its own right, its lands 
  encompass some 460 square miles and include 
  towns and villages.
  Once a powerful trading center, the discov-
  ery of the New World and the War has seen its 
  position and wealth decline. Despite declaring 
  itself neutral, Nuremberg was forced to house 
  Catholic League, Imperial, and Swedish troops 
  at one time or another. Demands to contribute 
  financially to the War, tribute to victorious 
  commanders, and a cessation of trade have left 
  the city nearly bankrupt. Nuremberg began the 
  War with a population of 45,000, but that has 
  since diminished to around 30,000.
  Palatinate, Electorate of
  Ruler: Ruler: Maximilian I Prince-Elector 
  (1623-48)
  Devastation Rating: Devastated
  Formed from numerous, fragmented states 
  it was drawn into the War when the then-elector, 
  Frederick V, backed the Protestant rebellion in 
  Bohemia. Under the command of Tilly, Catholic 
  forces repeatedly brutalized the population, 
  despite resistance ending in 1622.
  Since 1623, the Palatinate has been divided. 
  Spain seized control of the western half, an act 
  that gave them a route from their dominions 
  in Italy to the Spanish Netherlands, while the 
  eastern half was ceded to Duke Maximilian of 
  Bavaria, who was elevated to the status of elec-
  tor as a result.
  -Heidelberg
  Heidelberg is struggling to recover from 
  repeated attacks and looting. Captured by 
  Tilly’s army in 1622, the city was retaken by 
  the Swedish in 1633. Imperial forces returned 
  in 1634, driving the defenders from the streets 
  and into the castle. Only the timely interven-
  tion prevented the destruction of the fortress 
  and the scattering of Imperial troops.
  The city is best known for its university, 
  which was founded in 1386. It once held the 
  Bibliotheca Palatina, a library of books and 
  manuscripts numbering in the many thou-
  sands. During Tilly’s occupation, unknown 
  numbers of books were ripped apart, burned 
  for fuel, or stolen. What remained of the col-
  lection was transported to the Vatican.
  It is rumored that several important books 
  (among them rare magickal grimoires) were 
  taken from the library just before the looting 
  began for safekeeping. Their whereabouts are 
  currently unknown.
  Pomerania, Duchy of
  Ruler: Duke Bogislaw XIV (1625-37)
  Devastation Rating: Devastated
  The specter of war came to Pomerania in 
  1627. Having crushed the Danish armies, and 
  seeking to break the Scandinavian’s hold over 
  the lucrative Baltic Sea trade routes, Catholic 
  armies pushed into the duchy in a bid to ac-
  quire the ports.
  Duke Bogislaw moved quickly to spare his 
  domain from plunder by signing the Capitula-
  tion of Franzburg (1627) and allowing Impe-
  rial troops to occupy the land. With Pomerania 
  bowed, the Imperial commanders demanded 
  their troops be housed and fed by their “hosts.” 
  Widespread looting followed.
  Unfortunately for the duke, the city of Stral-
  sund had refused to sign the peace accord, 
  and with Swedish support had broken the 
  long Imperial siege in 1629. With a beachhead 
  established, the Swedish army moved through 
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  Pomerania, battling Imperial forces along the 
  way and scouring the already depleted land.
  Seeking to safeguard Pomerania from 
  retribution, Bogislaw wrote to the emperor, 
  explaining that his pact with Sweden was 
  drawn up by threat of violence. Ferdinand has 
  yet to reply while his army continues to engage 
  Swedish armies on the border.
  Saxony, Electorate of
  Ruler: Prince-Elector John George (1611-56)
  Devastation Rating: Despoiled
  Politics shaped Saxony’s entry into the War. 
  The Elector had watched from afar as Branden-
  burg expanded its military and the Palatinate 
  rose to prestigious new heights. Contrary to 
  the Protestant faith, Elector John George opted 
  to favor the emperor and his Catholic allies.
  Having watched Protestantism being slowly 
  crushed out of existence in Bohemia, and 
  dismayed by the Edict of Restitution, he warily 
  maintained his alliance with Ferdinand.
  Deciding that Saxony would switch to the 
  Protestant cause sooner or later, Tilly pushed the 
  matter by invading. Naturally, the prince-elec-
  tor could not sit idly by as his supposed allies 
  desecrated Saxon soil. Despite a successful foray 
  into Bohemia and the capture of Prague, Saxony 
  had little stomach for continued war. Sensing 
  the tide would turn against him, John George 
  entered into alliance with the emperor in 1635.
  Declaring war against Sweden would prove 
  disastrous. Defeated at the Battle of Wittstock 
  (1636), Saxony found its undefended state 
  open to plunder not only by Swedish forces, 
  but retreating Imperial soldiers as well.
  -Kyffhäuser
  A range of hills forming part of the Central 
  Uplands, the Kyffhäuser is the sight of Ger-
  many’s version of the legend of King Arthur. 
  Somewhere beneath the hills sleeps Emperor 
  Frederick I Barbarossa. Resplendent in his 
  armor, the hero and his valorous knights are 
  seated around a great table laid for a feast.
  According to legend, Barbarossa will break 
  his torpor and rise again when Germany most 
  needs his aid. Given that the country is being 
  Voices from the War
  * “. . . for I think none other than that the 
  Evil One scattered the money abroad at 
  that time so that many people would get 
  caught up in this accursed witchcraft as 
  one later saw. . . . several hundred peo-
  ple were tried and burned, among them 
  many attractive and well-to-do young 
  men and women. . . . whether it was all 
  rightly done is known to God alone.”
  * “We were so afraid and panicky that 
  even a rustling leaf drove us out. . . . 
  There were times when for long periods 
  we didn’t dare to sleep in our homes a 
  night.”
  * “At this time the enemy did enormous 
  damage in the countryside, everywhere 
  butchering, stealing and burning. They 
  took away large numbers of people and 
  animals, repeatedly and distressingly 
  plundering the luckless inhabitants, vio-
  lating women and girls, doing great evil 
  in cloisters, churches, towns and mar-
  kets and bringing destruction and misery 
  to the whole country.”
  * “Here godless soldiers laid waste to 
  the whole land with stealing, burning 
  and rapine, despoiling it so abominably 
  that the like of it has never been heard 
  before.”
  * “hac septimana stupratae sunt foemi-
  nae dure a militibus’ (on the seventh of 
  the month the women were pitilessly 
  violated by the soldiers).”
  * “People had acorns ground and baked, 
  and also had to eat bran bread. It was a 
  grim period of great hunger which lasted 
  for five months, although the high prices 
  continued for much longer.”
  * “The . . . soldiers played havoc in Vach 
  on account of the scarcity of firewood. 
  They tore down all the fences, barns, 
  gates, and buildings, and such beds, 
  chests, tables and trunks as I had left 
  after 61 visitations had this time to be 
  chopped up and burned.”
  * “The shocking things that went on— 
  rape and the like—are indescribable. . . 
  They behaved barbarously in Beelitz, de-
  spoiling old women, not a few of them 
  60 years old, to say nothing of the young 
  ones.”
  
  A Ruined Land
  
  consumed by endless war, many who believe 
  the legend are eagerly awaiting his return.
  The sign that heralds his return concerns 
  ravens. Commonly seen in the sky above the 
  hills, it is said that Barbarossa will rise when 
  the ravens take flight and desert the region. To 
  ensure he is forewarned, Barbarossa dispatches 
  a young serving boy every few decades.
  Barbarossa has sent several scouts since 
  the commencement of the War, but all have 
  been intercepted by agents of Euryome or 
  Moloch—neither side can be sure which side 
  of the War the late emperor will take, and thus 
  it is better he remains slumbering.
  -The Silent Forest
  Part of the Thuringian Forest, a line of 
  steep-sided mountains rounded by immense 
  age and with few passes which permit transit, 
  the Silent Forest is an eerie idyl in a land de-
  stroyed by fighting.
  The forest is aptly named, for save for the 
  wind in the trees and occasional babbling 
  brook it is utterly silent. No swarms of buzz-
  ing mosquitoes hover over pools, no bird song 
  disturbs the air, no game animals disturb the 
  vegetation, and no hunters or trappers cry out 
  when successful in their endeavors. 
  Nothing within the forest is spoiled or 
  harmful—the water is pure, all the fungi and 
  berries are edible and nutritious—and yet it is 
  devoid of animal life. From predators to prey, 
  down to earthworms, those lowliest of crea-
  tures in God’s kingdom, nothing disturbs the 
  tranquility of the forest.
  It is rumored that within the depths is a hill 
  on which grow colorful, fragrant flowers, and 
  which is topped by a majestic castle of gentle 
  shades and elegant spires. No mortal lord calls 
  the fortress home, nor do deserters or refugees 
  seek shelter within its walls. Those few who 
  have seen the castle have never ventured close, 
  telling of strange feelings that gnaw at the soul 
  and prevent one from investigating further.
  Württemberg, Duchy of
  Ruler: Duke Eberhard III (1628-74); cur-
  rently in exile
  Notable Germans 
  1-
  The following people might be encoun-
  tered by the characters. The interaction 
  may be trivial, a brief conversation with 
  an artist to purchase one of his works, 
  for instance. The characters may become 
  patrons of the arts, giving an aspiring 
  young artist a much needed income and 
  start in his career. Perhaps they agree to 
  fund the education of a student, a young 
  man who grows up to found the Engel-
  Apotheke (which still exists as the Merck 
  pharmaceutical company) in 1666. Merck 
  may even gain his interest in the sciences 
  from an encounter with the heroes. All 
  dates are lifespans.
       Art: Composers
  * Elisabeth Sophie of Mecklenburg (1613-
  76)
  * Heinrich Albert (1604-51)
  * Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672)
  * Johann (“Hans”) Bach III (1604-73)
       Art: Painters
  * Daniel Schultz (1615-83)
  * Hans Ulrich Franck (1603-75)
  * Isaak Soreau (1604-44)
  * Joachim von Sandrart (1606-88)
  * Johann Heinrich Schönfeld (1609-84)
  * Johann Wilhelm Baur (1607-40)
  * Sebastian Stoskopff (1597-1657)
  * Tobias Pock (1609-83)
       Religion
  * Matthias Faber (1586-1653; Jesuit priest 
  and theologian)
  * Paul Gerhardt (1606-76; hymn writer)
       Science
  * Friedrich Merck (1621-78; apothecary)
  * Hennig Brand (1630-92; alchemist; dis-
  cover phosphorus in 1669)
  * Johannes Hevelius (1611-87; Astrono-
  mer)
  * Otto von Guericke (1602-82)
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  Devastation Rating: Ravaged
  The Protestant state of Württemberg 
  entered the War in 1621, though it quickly 
  reverted to neutrality following the Battle of 
  Wimpfen (1622). Tilly ignored Württemberg’s 
  change of heart and his troops ransacked the 
  northern territories.
  On coming of age in 1633, the young duke, 
  who had been heir-presumptive after his father’s 
  death in 1628, allied with France and Sweden. 
  Catholic forces enacted a brutal revenge after the 
  disaster at Nordlingen in 1634, savaging the entire 
  duchy. As of 1636, Imperial troops continue their 
  wanton destruction on the already ruined land, 
  and many settlements are suffering from the ef-
  fects of pestilence. Duke Eberhard went into exile 
  in Strasbourg in 1634 and has yet to return.
  Württemberg’s population has already 
  fallen from 350,000 to 220,000, and it will 
  drop to 120,000 before the War ends.
  -Freihausgarten
  A small and isolated village in the Black 
  Forest, Freihausgarten has been spared the 
  effects of the War despite it being relatively 
  prosperous. Rumors abound that the villagers 
  are beholden to some sinister entity, a creature 
  said to be older than time and more wicked 
  than Satan. Each month, when the moon is 
  fattest, the villagers climb to the summit of 
  nearby Dunkelhügel (Dark Hill) and appease 
  their deity with profane ceremonies.
  -Stuttgart
  Left undefended after the Battle of Nordlin-
  gen, Stuttgart quickly fell to Imperial troops, 
  who set to pillaging and looting. In 1636, Em-
  peror Ferdinand visits the city in an attempt 
  to bring about the conversion of the mainly 
  Protestant population. The next year, bubonic 
  plague strikes the already troubled city.
  Spanish Netherlands
  Ruler: Governors Cardinal-Infante Fer-
  dinand of Austria (1633-41), Francisco de 
  Melo (1641-44), Manuel de Moura (1644-47), 
  Leopold of Austria (1647-56)
  Devastation Rating: Despoiled
  With the Dutch having sided with France, 
  the Spanish Netherlands find themselves with 
  enemies in the north and south. With Spanish 
  shipping unable to break the blockades, it 
  relies on resources and reinforcements from 
  Italy along the so-called Spanish Road.
  Thus far, Thamuz, Hell’s Ambassador to 
  Spain has remained neutral in the War. How 
  long that remains so is yet to be seen.
  German Universities
  Germany’s centers of learning have suf-
  fered structural damage, repeated loot-
  ing (especially of libraries), and a reduc-
  tion in the number of students enrolling, 
  but their doors are still open for busi-
  ness. Often patronized by religious bod-
  ies, many of universities are restricted to 
  students of certain faiths.
  Typically, courses cover Skills such as Ac-
  ademics (Law, Philosophy, Religion), Art 
  (Music), Medicine, Natural Philosophy, 
  Performance (Oratory).
  The listed date is that of the university’s 
  foundation.
      Catholic
  * Cologne (1388) 
  * Erfurt (1379)
  * Freiburg (1457)
  * Ingolstadt (1472)
  * Mainz (1477)
  * Munich (1472)
  * Trier (1473)
  * Würzburg (1402)
      Protestant
  * Giessen (1607; Lutheran)
  * Griefswald (1456)
  * Halle-Wittenberg (1502; Lutheran)
  * Heidelberg (1386; Calvinist)
  * Jena (1558)
  * Leipzig (1409)
  * Marburg (1527)
  * Rostock (1419; Lutheran)
  * Tübingen (1477)
  
  “See with what heat these Dogs of Hell 
  advance
  To waste and havoc yonder World.” 
  —John Milton, Paradise Lost
  Lords of Hell
  The princes of Hell are paragons of the 
  Seven Deadly Sins. On setting two such lords 
  into direct competition, Satan knew full well 
  that pride and envy would prevent either from 
  bowing out, regardless of the odds stacked 
  against them. Sooner or later he will have to 
  declare a winner lest his minions grow restless 
  and look to other ventures, but for now, Satan 
  sits back on his throne and watches his chosen 
  champions tearing apart the Holy Roman Em-
  pire in his unholy name.
  Naturally, the other ambassadors of Hell 
  watch with varying interest, for the outcome 
  will inevitably shape the politics of Hell. Some 
  have shown their colors. Belphegor of France 
  has thrown his lot in with Moloch, as has Rim-
  mon of Russia, though he is a bit player in the 
  conflict with little to offer either Eurynome or 
  Moloch.
  Others have either declared neutrality 
  or have taken advantage of the chaos. Mam-
  mon of England, for instance, has dabbled in 
  the War but has since withdrawn. Thamuz of 
  Spain, having lost an ally in Belphegor, has yet 
  to enter the competition, as have the ambassa-
  dors of Italy and Switzerland. Hutgin of Turkey, 
  Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, initially 
  entered the War but has since withdrawn in the 
  hope that the other ambassadors will weaken 
  their lands, allowing his sphere of influence 
  to grow as the Ottomans continue to expand 
  their borders deeper into Europe.
  Eurynome
  “He is of a color between blue and black, 
  like that of meat flies; he is showing his teeth 
  and is seated, and under him is spread a 
  vulture’s skin.” —Pausanias
  Alternate Names: Euronymous, Euryno-
  mius, Eurynomos, and Eurynomus.
  Self-styled Prince of Death and Grand Cross 
  of the Order of the Fly, Eurynome has spent 
  much of his time in Hell chewing the flesh off 
  corpses until only the bones remain.
  Generally regarded as a pretentious upstart 
  by his peers, his challenge to Moloch was met 
  with howls of derision. So confident were the 
  greater infernal potentates that Eurynome would 
  be defeated in short order that huge numbers of 
  souls were wagered in favor of Moloch. With 
  Eurynome proving the stronger more than once, 
  many of those who bet against him are beginning 
  to regret their hasty decision.
  Eurynome may be the stronger, but he has 
  yet to master the intricacies of Hell’s politics. 
  While has opted to fight without aid, his rival 
  has set to forging pacts. In Eurynome’s mind 
  this gives him a better position, for win or lose, 
  he will not be indebted to others.
  Chapter Five: 
  Friends and Enemies
  
  •
  •       •
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  Moloch 
  “First MOLOCH, horrid King besmear’d 
  with blood
  Of human sacrifice, and parents tears,
  Though, for the noyse of Drums and Tim-
  brels loud,
  Their children’s cries unheard that passed 
  through fire
  To his grim Idol.” 
  —John Milton, Paradise Lost
  Alternate Names: Malcam, Milcom, Molech.
  While Eurynome wasted his time gnawing 
  on the dead, Moloch set about turning mortals 
  to his worship. More than willing to grant po-
  tent favors, Moloch demanded only one sort 
  of sacrifice in return—children. Such unfor-
  tunates were sent to their deaths on pyres or 
  in fiery braziers, or roasted alive inside colos-
  sal, hollow idols, furnaces given the form of 
  Moloch (that of a bull-headed human).
  The prince’s reign of terror ended in his de-
  feat at the hands of Jesus Christ and a lengthy 
  spell captive in Hell. His name has become syn-
  onymous with a sacrifice that demands a high 
  price—”Moloch’s deal” or “Moloch’s price.”
  Moloch has never forgotten the slight to his 
  honor or the power he has lost. Since the Holy 
  Roman Empire was first formed, Moloch has 
  set his sights on its corruption and, ultimately, 
  total destruction. It is through the Empire that 
  Moloch continues his war with God.
  Entitled Prince of the Country of Tears, and 
  awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of the 
  Fly for his efforts, Moloch was certain that his 
  position of Ambassador to the Holy Roman 
  Empire would be unchallenged. He has sworn 
  to destroy Eurynome at any cost, even if he has 
  to start a civil war in Hell. For now, though, he 
  is content to wage it on the mortal plane.
  With victory forever slipping from his grasp, 
  however, he has begun to muster his hellish 
  legions in secret in preparation for a strike 
  against the Prince of Death. The War may tear 
  apart Europe and Christianity, but it might yet 
  sunder Hell as well.
  Secret Societies
  Lower Order of the Fly 
  The true Order of the Fly is a “chivalric” or-
  der found in Hell. Founded by Beelzebub, its 
  existence serves two functions. First, it rewards 
  demons whose dedication to Satan’s cause 
  goes beyond the accepted standards. Second, 
  it gives demons something to which they can 
  aspire. Through these awards, the Order keeps 
  demons, rebellious by nature, from turning 
  their attention toward their masters.
  Where members of Le Dragon Rouge seek 
  power for their own benefit at the cost of 
  their immortal souls, the Lower Order exists 
  to promote Satan’s war against God. In return 
  for obedience, members seek to end up in Hell 
  not as as a tortured soul, but as a true demon.
  •        •
  
  Friends and Enemies
  
  The Lower Order exists only in Western 
  Europe, the heartland of the current iteration 
  of Christianity. Members do not consider them-
  selves as footsoldiers, for rarely do they seek the 
  death of clergymen or the burning of churches. 
  As shadowy as their origins, they are manipula-
  tors, seeking to lead mortals into sin and thus 
  condemn their souls to Satan’s grasp. Thus, 
  words, not steel, are their weapon of choice.
  Among mortals, the order is always known 
  as the Lower Order of the Fly—only demons 
  can become members of the true order and to 
  use the full title would be a blatant affront.
  History
  The origins of the Lower Order are 
  shrouded in hearsay and myth. One story tells 
  that the organization was founded by Cain of 
  Biblical infamy after he slew Abel. Given that 
  this particular story came from the mouth of 
  Beelzebub, among whose titles is Lord of Lies, 
  it should be taken with a grain of salt.
  It is entirely possible the Lower Order had 
  its hand in the formation of other diabolical or-
  ganizations, but again, this cannot be proven.
  The first written record to include its name 
  in any form is no ancient scroll, but a 15th cen-
  tury Latin grimoire entitled Forbidden Rites: 
  A Necromancer’s Manual of the Fifteenth 
  Century. The anonymous author writes, “Trust 
  not Ba‘al Zebûb [sic], nor those of the Lower 
  Order who work in his name, for they are like 
  the flies that consume excrement.”
  It is quite possible that the Lower Order 
  has existed since the time of Christ, when 
  many demon princes saw the birth of Jesus as 
  justification for bringing the battle to earth. To 
  accuse them of bringing about the various re-
  ligious schisms that plagued early Christianity 
  would be to give them too much credit, but 
  they were certainly instrumental in trying to 
  keep Christianity divided.
  There is no evidence that Martin Luther 
  was ever guided by the Lower Order in any 
  way, but the rise of Protestantism has certainly 
  played into their hands in recent decades. 
  From behind the scenes, they work tirelessly 
  to keep the Christian princes at each other’s 
  throats.
  Organization
  The Lower Order has a rigid structure, with 
  subordinates expected to obey their superiors 
  without question. Ruling the organization is the 
  Supreme Grand Cross, Beelzebub’s most senior 
  mortal agents (at least in their own eyes). Each 
  nation has a single Grand Cross who oversees 
  activities and who forms an advisory council. 
  Beneath them are the Commanders, who over-
  see counties, provinces, and states. The lower 
  membership—Officers and below—exist to 
  enforce the will of their superiors.
  Rank
  Title (...of the Order of the Fly)
  0
  Member (sometimes Esquire)
  1
  Knight
  2
  Officer
  3
  Commander
  4
  Grand Officer
  5
  Grand Cross
  Bishop Martin of Bruchvörde
  The trappings of power and wealth granted 
  him by his position in the Catholic Church 
  corrupted Bishop Martin long before agents 
  of the Lower Order whispered their lies and 
  perversities into his ears.
  A devoted member of the infernal flock, 
  Martin has used his position to fuel the pas-
  sions of his congregation and keep them set 
  against their Protestant neighbors. With his full 
  blessing, young conscripts and hardened vet-
  erans alike have gone to war in the belief that 
  the enemy must be destroyed at any cost and 
  that God will ultimately forgive their sins, for 
  those they slay, abuse, and rob are heretics and 
  must “pay the price from turning their hearts 
  and minds against God.”
  Patron 3
  Archetype: Clergyman; Motivation: Faith; 
  Style: 3
  Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 3, 
  Strength 3, Charisma 4, Intelligence 3, Will-
  power 5
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 6, Percep-
  tion 8, Initiative 6, Defense 8, Stun 3, Health 8
  Skills: Academics: History 4, Academics: 
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  0
  Law 5, Academics: Religion 7, Bureaucracy 6 
  (Church 7), Con 7, Diplomacy 7, Intimidation 
  6, Linguistics 5, Magick: Necromancy 8, Perfor-
  mance 5 (Oratory 6)
  Talents: Focused Defense (Uses Willpower for 
  Defense), Inspire (May provide a +2 bonus to 
  allies), Magickal Aptitude (Ceremonial), Rabble-
  rouser (May boost Followers as if a Talent)
  Resources: Rank 3 (Lower Order of the Fly; 
  +4 Social bonus), Refuge: Equipment (+2 bo-
  nus to Magick rolls)*, Refuge: Security 1 (+2 
  bonus)**, Status 3 (Bishop; +4 Social bonus)
  Flaws: Fanatical (+1 Style point whenever his 
  devotion causes harm or he converts someone 
  else to his way of thinking)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  * Bonus Resource from his Rank.
  ** Bonus Resource from his Status.
  Common Members
  Members of the Lower Order come in many 
  forms. From courtiers with barbed tongues that 
  drip poisonous words to natural philosophers 
  who argue that science must replace religion, 
  to magicians who twist minds through the 
  power of darkness, all seek to rise through the 
  order’s ranks.
  This example is a soldier, a junior officer 
  who encourages his men to loot and rape as 
  they please while he watches the dark stain on 
  their souls grow like a cancer. Alternately, he 
  can be used as a brigand leader.
  Ally 1
  Archetype: Soldier; Motivation: Faith; Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 4, Initiative 4, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 4
  Skills: Brawl 4, Con 4, Firearms 4, Intimida-
  tion 4, Melee 4
  Talents: —
  Resources: Rank 1 (Lower Order of the Fly; 
  +2 Social bonus), Rank 1 (Sergeant; +2 Social 
  bonus)
  Flaws: Sadism (+1 Style point whenever he is 
  is needlessly cruel to his friends or enemies)
  Weapons: Punch 4N, Flintlock pistol 7L, Small 
  sword 6L
  Order of the Grand Union 
  The antithesis of Rosicrucian thought, the 
  Order of the Grand Union seeks to unite the 
  entirety of Europe under a single monarch.
  The Order has never attempted to elevate 
  one of its members to this role—bloodlines 
  inevitably go extinct or become diffused. More 
  importantly, there are other factions who have 
  rival goals. Thus, they search for others to 
  wield the overt power and become the focus 
  for assassins’ blades, while they manipulate 
  things from the shadows.
  It should be noted that the Order as a whole 
  has no interest in religion. For now, they sup-
  port a Catholic monarch, but only because one 
  is most likely to succeed. Ultimately, the Grand 
  Union of Europe would answer to no-one save 
  its sole monarch.
  History
  The notion of a single ruler over a united 
  Europe began in the days when Rome was the 
  only European superpower. Forever plagued 
  by dynastic squabbles and the covert hand of 
  other secret societies with differing motives, 
  the Order could not prevent the unwieldy 
  empire collapsing in on itself.
  Their next attempt at unification came 
  when they engineered the rise of Charlemagne 
  and the foundation of the Holy Roman Empire. 
  Again, their plan collapsed as the foundling 
  empire fragmented after the death of Louis the 
  Pious (778-840).
  After several centuries in the wilderness, 
  they began a third attempt. Selecting a minor 
  Austrian noble family, they began to boost its 
  influence through arranged marriages and earn-
  ing them political influence. The great work has 
  been deliberately slow, a measured approach 
  rather than rushing toward a hasty conclusion. 
  Under the Order’s guidance, that family, the 
  House of Hapsburg, has become the master 
  of Austria, Bohemia, the Holy Roman Empire, 
  Hungary and Croatia, Portugal, and Spain.
  Their plans have not been without upsets. 
  France, for instance, is ruled by the House of 
  Bourbon (although Queen Anne is a Haps-
  burg). England has broken from the Catholic 
  
  Friends and Enemies
  1
  Church, as have Denmark, Norway, and Swe-
  den, thus diminishing the chances of a Haps-
  burg monarch ever setting on those thrones.
  Organization
  The Order is divided into two groups. First, 
  there are the puppet masters pulling the strings, 
  the arch manipulators of noble houses and des-
  tinies. They refer themselves to as the Elder Or-
  der. While they prefer to fight through politics, 
  the Order is quite prepared to remove threats to 
  their ambitions through violence. Such agents 
  are known as the Hands of Destiny.
  Despite their current focus on the Haps-
  burgs, they are quite prepared to cut them 
  loose if a better option presents itself in the 
  future. In centuries to come, for instance, they 
  switch their efforts to one Napoleon Bonaparte 
  as his armies rampage across Europe and later 
  the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
  The second group, the Younger Order, 
  are members of the Hapsburgs who know the 
  Order’s grand plan and who loyally play their 
  part. Members accept that the odds of one of 
  them becoming sole monarch are virtually nil. 
  Instead, they serve the needs of the Order in 
  raising one of their descendants to the throne 
  of a united Europe.
  Ulrika Schneider
  A Hand of Destiny, as were her forefathers 
  before her, Schneider knows that bloodshed is 
  not the sole option in her line of work—as she 
  says, “destroy the name, destroy the man.”
  A courtier at the court of the emperor (and 
  frequently those of his allies), and renowned 
  as an excellent dancer, Schneider always opts 
  to strike at a foe’s reputation before striking at 
  their body. An insinuating word here or a cut-
  ting barb there can often be enough to weaken 
  an enemy of the cause. Should that fail, she is 
  a competent swordswoman with no qualms 
  about taking human life.
  She prefers to engage in swordplay masked 
  and dressed in men’s clothing so as not to 
  sully her own reputation as a lady. Those who 
  uncover her true identity become a target for 
  swift and violent retribution.
  Patron 2
  Archetype: 
  Swordswoman; 
  Motivation: 
  Duty; Style: 2
  Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 4, 
  Strength 3, Charisma 3, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 7, Percep-
  tion 5, Initiative 6, Defense 7, Stun 3, Health 6
  Skills: Athletics 5, Brawl 5, Diplomacy 5 (Insults 
  6), Fencing: Danse 6, Linguistics 4, Performance 
  6 (Dancing 7), Spying 5, Streetwise 6
  Talents: Barbed Tongue (+2 bonus in Social 
  duels), Mobile Attack (Move and attack simulta-
  neously), Parry (Parry as a Reflexive Action)*
  Resources: Rank 1 (Order of the Grand Union; 
  +2 Social bonus), Status 1 (Imperial courtier; 
  +2 Social bonus)
  Flaws: Secret (+1 Style point whenever she is 
  confronted with the truth or goes out of her 
  way to protect the secret)
  Weapons: Punch 5N, Rapier 8L
  * Gamemasters with Richelieu’s Guide Com-
  pendium 1 should substitute this for The Great 
  Danse Talent.
  Common Members
  Common members are typically lesser 
  scions of the House of Hapsburgs, sons and 
  daughters prepared to accept arranged politi-
  cal marriages to further the grand plan at the 
  expense of any thoughts of love.
  Ally 1
  Archetype: Aristocrat; Motivation: Faith; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 4, Initiative 4, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 4
  Skills: Diplomacy 4, Fencing (pick a Style) 4, 
  Intimidation 4, Linguistics 4, Performance 4
  Talents: —
  Resources: Rank 1 (Order of the Grand Union; 
  +2 Social bonus), Status 1 (Lower noble; +2 
  Social bonus)
  Flaws: Loyal (+1 Style point whenever their 
  unswerving loyalty causes trouble for them-
  selves or their companions)
  Weapons: Punch 0N, Rapier 6L
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  Supernatural  
  Creatures
  “And to one side of them were demons, all 
  horns and warts, on demon-horses, and there 
  were women with filed teeth [...] and appari-
  tions whose flesh ran liquid on their bodies..” 
  —Michael Moorcock, The War Hound and the 
  World’s Pain.
  Demonic Steed
  A demonic steed is a black stallion with 
  eyes that glow like hot coals and whose nostril 
  exhalations reek of sulfur. Although incapable 
  of speech, the fell beast understands simple 
  commands in every human tongue. 
  Demonic horses are never found roaming or 
  wild. Rather, they are gifted to magicians as a 
  sign of favor from their master, Satan, a symbol 
  of their unholy pact with him. Many owners in-
  flict grievous injuries on their beasts, wrapping 
  barbed wire into their flanks or using the same 
  as reins, and hammering large nails through 
  their hooves, to condition the mount against in-
  jury and pain. Such beasts have been known to 
  function unimpaired despite seemingly mortal 
  wounds, giving them a fearsome reputation.
  Demonic Steed
  Follower 1
  Archetype: Demon; Motivation: Duty; Style: 2
  Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 4, 
  Strength 3, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 1, Move 7(14)*, 
  Perception 4, Initiative 5, Defense 6, Stun 3, 
  Health 7, Horror 2
  Skills: Brawl 8, Stealth 4**, Survival 4
  Talents: Alertness (+2 Perception rating), 
  High Pain Tolerance 2 (Ignore wound penal-
  ties), Ride by Attack (Can simultaneously move 
  and attack)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Can’t communicate or use tools)
  Weapons: Kick 7N
  * Creatures with four legs double their Move 
  rating when running.
  ** The steed has a –1 Size penalty on Stealth 
  rolls
  Drude
  Whereas incubi and succubi are true de-
  mons, a drude is a mortal woman of low moral 
  virtue and high sexual appetite possessed by a 
  demon. Some are unfortunate victims, others 
  welcome possession in return for enhanced 
  beauty. Rarely does the enhancement result 
  in unearthly beauty. Instead, it removes blem-
  ishes caused by disease and a hard life to leave 
  the skin smooth and far more sightly.
  Drudes mostly accompany armies as “camp 
  followers,” offering recreation for the soldiers. 
  Like their cousins, they suck life energy from their 
  victims, although only slowly. Still, a victim who 
  falls into their clutches can wither and die within a 
  few weeks, dying of seemingly natural causes.
  Drudes appear as normal women to the hu-
  man eye. At night, however, their presence can 
  be revealed by their footprints, which leave 
  behind a distinctive pentacle in soft surfaces.
  Drude
  Follower 1
  Archetype: Demon; Motivation: Duty; Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 3, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 4, Initiative 4, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 
  4, Horror —
  Skills: Con 8 (Seduction 9), Empathy 4 (Emo-
  tions 5), Performance 5
  Talents: Attractive (+1 Charisma rating when 
  dealing with people; already factored in to her 
  Skills)
  Resources: —
  Flaws: Lustful (+1 Style point whenever her 
  overactive libido gets her or her companions 
  into serious trouble)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Life Drain: A character who engages in sex 
  with a drude suffers terrible visions the follow-
  •       •
  
  Friends and Enemies
  
  ing night, resulting in broken sleep and 1N 
  damage. This cannot be healed until the drude 
  is exorcized or its mortal host is slain.
  Weakness: In the same way as vampires are 
  repelled by crosses, drudes fear objects known 
  as a Drudenstein—a stone with a hole bored 
  through the center by natural means. A drude 
  suffers a –2 penalty to all rolls to harm, influ-
  ence, or otherwise affect a person wearing one 
  around their neck.
  Elemental
  The existence of gods and spirits of air, 
  earth, fire, and water leave little doubt that 
  man has long sought to understand the basic 
  building blocks of his world.
  Elementals are the living embodiments of 
  the four elements. Different cultures in differ-
  ent times have referred to them by many titles, 
  but it was the 16th century occultist Paracelsus 
  who first used the names by which Western 
  magicians refer to these creatures.
  Elementals, unlike demons, are not spirit 
  beings that can adopt a physical form or possess 
  a human host—they have a physical form and 
  inhabit the world of men, though they exist in 
  a higher dimension. Thus, they are invisible to 
  normal methods of detection until summoned 
  through rituals to appear on the lower level of 
  existence populated by humans.
  As living beings, they eat and sleep in the 
  general manner of humans. Except for the 
  salamander, many also wear clothes.
  Gnome
  The word gnome stems from the Latin for 
  “earth-dweller,” an apt description for earth 
  elementals. Gnomes are diminutive creatures, 
  standing around 9” tall. They are solitary by 
  nature, and left to their own devices, have no 
  interest in trafficking with humans. This reluc-
  tance can make them hard to control.
  The Greek myths of Chalybes, Dactyls, and 
  Telchines, tribes said to possess a notable talent 
  for metalworking, are likely based on gnomes, 
  as are Germanic tales of dwarves. 
  Gnomes are said to guard buried treasures, 
  Optional Additions
       Horror Rating
  The creatures in this section have an ad-
  ditional 
  Secondary 
  Attribute—Horror 
  rating. Rules for using this rating can be 
  found in Richelieu’s Guide Compendium 
  2. Gamemasters wishing to use the rules 
  will find the Horror rating of monsters de-
  tailed in the core rules below. Gamemas-
  ters without that volume should ignore 
  the entry. 
  Monster
  Horror rating
  Animated Corpse
  2
  Demonic Hound
  3
  Evil Spirit
  2+
  Gargoyle
  4
  Glutton Demon
  4
  Imp
  3
  Incubus/Succubus
  n/a (human), 5 
  (demonic)
  Scarecrow, Possessed
  3
  Shade
  2
  Tempter Demon
  n/a
  Vampire
  4
  Werewolf
  4
  Witch
  n/a
       Extra Monsters
  Gamemasters wishing to add more var-
  ied terrors to their adventures will find 
  numerous examples in the Ubiquity-
  powered Leagues of Gothic Horror line 
  of products.
  Although using a different magic system 
  than All for One and set in the 19th cen-
  tury, the various creatures are usable with 
  minimal, and often no, changes. Game-
  masters wishing to add named “histori-
  cal” demons (in that they appear in occult 
  grimoires) to their campaign will find ex-
  amples in the Guide to Black Magic and 
  Leagues of Gothic Horror Expansion.
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  though persuading one to reveal the location 
  is difficult. They are also excellent at finding 
  mineral veins.
  Follower 1
  Archetype: Elemental; Motivation: Duty; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 1, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 4
  Secondary Attributes: Size –4, Move 3, 
  Perception 6, Initiative 4, Defense 7, Stun 1, 
  Health 3, Horror 2
  Skills: Athletics 4, Craft: Metalworking 8, 
  Stealth 7*
  Talents: Robust (+2 Health rating)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Inscrutable (+1 Style point whenever 
  it is misunderstood or its mysterious motives 
  cause trouble)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  * Gnomes have a +4 Size bonus on Stealth 
  rolls.
  Earth Walk: A gnome can move through 
  solid earth at its normal Move and through 
  solid rock at half its Move.
  Elemental Magick: Gnomes can cast Geo-
  mancy rituals with a Magick Skill of 8.
  Salamander
  Whereas other elementals are anthropo-
  morphic, salamanders resemble the earthly 
  creatures of the same name, though they 
  are larger. The key differences are elemental 
  salamanders are larger, being around two feet 
  long, and are either orange or red in color.
  Salamanders eat hot coals, though they 
  draw no nourishment from them. Standing 
  in fire regenerates their form, rendering them 
  hard to destroy so long as the heat source re-
  mains. Despite their fiery nature, salamanders 
  are not hot to the touch, nor do they have any 
  aversion to, or suffer any harmful effects from 
  immersion in water (beyond drowning, like 
  any physical creature).
  Salamanders are greatly feared for their 
  breath, which is highly toxic. Exposure causes 
  the victim’s body to swell to such size that their 
  skin rips apart. Fortunately, they breathe only 
  once a day at most.
  Follower 1
  Archetype: Elemental; Motivation: Duty; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 3, 
  Strength 1, Charisma 2, Intelligence 1, Will-
  power 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size –2, Move 4(8)*, 
  Perception 4, Initiative 4, Defense 7, Stun 2, 
  Health 3, Horror 3
  Skills: Athletics 5, Intimidation 6, Stealth 6**
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaw: Inscrutable (+1 Style point whenever 
  it is misunderstood or its mysterious motives 
  cause trouble)
  Weapons: Bite 0N
  * Creatures with four legs double their Move 
  rating when running.
  ** Salamanders have a +2 Size bonus on 
  Stealth rolls.
  Elemental Magick: Salamanders can cast 
  Pyromancy rituals with a Magick Skill of 8.
  Fire Immunity: Salamanders are impervi-
  ous to the effects of fire and heat, being ca-
  pable of swimming through lava.
  Fiery Regeneration: A salamander stand-
  ing in a fire automatically heals a number of 
  wounds equal to the caustic damage the fire 
  would cause (see All for One). For instance, 
  one standing in a campfire would regenerate 
  two Health levels. Nonlethal damage is always 
  healed before lethal.
  Toxic Breath: A salamander can breathe 
  on one victim within 5 feet. The breath has a 
  Toxin rating of 4 and inflicts 2L caustic dam-
  age per hour until it is removed from the 
  victim’s system. This requires 8 successes on 
  an extended Body roll, with each roll taking 
  one round.
  Sylph
  Sylphs are air elementals. Outside of occult 
  circles, they are often represented as gossamer-
  winged sprites, akin to faeries. In fact, they are 
  taller and stronger than humans, and of less 
  savory appearance. Not that detecting a sylph 
  is easy—they are naturally invisible, though 
  with the power to become visible at will.
  Sylphs do not fly, at least not in the conven-
  tional sense. Instead, they move through air as 
  
  Friends and Enemies
  
  easily as a human, but are not bound by grav-
  ity. Note that invisible does not mean intan-
  gible—sylphs have no ability to pass through 
  solid objects, or fit through tiny apertures.
  Although not especially powerful, an 
  individual sylph has some control over the 
  weather. They are most frequently summoned 
  by magicians who desire to produce a dramatic 
  weather phenomenon, being able to lend con-
  siderable magical energy to the sorcerer.
  Follower 1
  Archetype: Elemental; Motivation: Duty; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 3, Charisma 1, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size +1, Move 5 (Fly 
  5), Perception 5, Initiative 4, Defense 4, Stun 
  3, Health 7, Horror 2
  Skills: Athletics 5, Stealth 5*, Survival 6
  Talents: Weather Sense (Can tell what the 
  weather will be)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Inscrutable (+1 Style point whenever 
  it is misunderstood or its mysterious motives 
  cause trouble)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  * Sylphs have a –1 Size penalty on Stealth 
  rolls.
  Elemental Magick: Sylphs can cast Aero-
  mancy rituals with a Magick Skill of 8.
  Invisible: Sylphs are naturally invisible. 
  Attempts to detect suffer a –8 penalty. Even if 
  their current location is known, attackers still 
  suffer a –8 penalty.
  Undine
  Although elementals exist in both genders 
  and can reproduce, most undines are female. 
  Occultists see nothing odd in this, for water 
  is regarded as a feminine element. They are 
  the most human of the elementals, having the 
  form of young maidens.
  Aside from their beautiful singing voices, 
  undines see time as a flowing river. By cast-
  ing their gaze further upstream, they have a 
  limited ability to discern future events. Like a 
  river, time does not flow smoothly—there are 
  countless eddies and ripples, and one cannot 
  be sure the perceived future is what will come 
  to pass.
  Follower 1
  Archetype: Elemental; Motivation: Duty; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4 (Swim 
  4), Perception 4, Initiative 4, Defense 4, Stun 2, 
  Health 4, Horror 1
  Skills: Diplomacy 4, Empathy 4, Performance 
  6, Stealth 4
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaw: Inscrutable (+1 Style point whenever 
  it is misunderstood or its mysterious motives 
  cause trouble)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Elemental Magick: Undines can cast Hy-
  dromancy rituals with a Magick Skill of 8.
  Innate Ability: Undines have limited abil-
  ity to sense the future. They can cast Divination 
  rituals with a Magic Skill of 8.
  Water Immunity: Undines cannot drown 
  in water.
  Famine Ghost
  Death by starvation is slow and agonizing. 
  Little wonder then that some who perish from 
  gnawing hunger return as specters known as 
  famine ghosts. Unable to consume food yet 
  eternally driven by ravenous hunger, they ei-
  ther possess a mortal host in order to feed or 
  take vengeance on the living by spoiling crops 
  and stores. They appear as translucent, emaci-
  ated figures.
  Famine Ghost
  Follower 1
  Archetype: Demon; Motivation: Destruction; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 0, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 0, Charisma 0, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 4
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 2, Per-
  ception 6, Initiative 4, Defense 2, Stun N/A*, 
  Health 4, Horror 3
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  Skills: Empathy 7, Intimidation 7
  Talents: Fearsome (Can temporarily frighten 
  opponents within 10 feet)
  Resources: —
  Flaws: Ephemeral (Cannot talk or use tools)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  * Spirits are immune to nonlethal damage, 
  and cannot be stunned. In addition, only cold 
  iron or enchanted weapons (created through 
  Benignus or Enchantment) inflict lethal dam-
  age. In the latter instance, the weapon’s dam-
  age rating is equal only to the magickal bonus 
  granted the weapon.
  Possession: Evil spirits need make no physi-
  cal attack to possess a host—they simply need 
  to be adjacent to them. The demon then rolls its 
  Willpower opposed by that of its prey. With suc-
  cess, the victim is possessed. Possessed victims 
  gain both the Glutton and Ravenous Flaws.
  Rot: The spirit can turn bread stale and 
  cheese moldy, sour milk, taint water, cause 
  fruit to rot, wither flowers, and perform similar 
  minor acts of putrefaction. Once per day, the 
  spirit can spoil a cellar’s worth of stored food 
  or an acre of growing crops.
  Feldgeist
  The name feldgeister (“field spirits”) covers 
  a variety of minor demons. In better times, 
  villagers would leave a small portion of their 
  crops as a sacrifice to the feldgeist, but with 
  famine ravaging the land, the demons have 
  been denied their tribute. When they cannot 
  find sufficient stored food, they turn their 
  sights on the children of farmers.
  They take the form of mundane animals, 
  but are always superior members of the spe-
  cies. When creating one, increase the Follower 
  rating of a mundane animal by one point and 
  alter its Attributes accordingly.
  Most feldgeister concern themselves with 
  just one type of produce and are named accord-
  ing to their form and preferred food. Examples 
  include the erbsenbär (“pea bear”), getreide-
  hahn (“grain rooster”), heupudel (“hay poo-
  dle”), kornkatze (“corn cat”), and roggensau 
  (“rye sow”). One example is detailed below.
  Roggenwolf
  When times are good, the roggenwolf (“rye 
  wolf”) contents itself with feasting on the scat-
  tered grains after harvest. When times are bad, 
  its appetite becomes more savage, for it seeks 
  to sate its hunger on the flesh of children. The 
  size of a small horse, with monstrous teeth, 
  and a tail made of twisted rye stalk, it has little 
  compulsion about breaking into cottages and 
  dragging its prey from its cot.
  Follower 2
  Archetype: Demon; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 4, Dexterity 3, 
  Strength 4, Charisma 0, Intelligence 1, Will-
  power 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 7 (14)*, 
  Perception 4 (8), Initiative 4, Defense 7, Stun 
  4, Health 7, Horror 1
  
  Friends and Enemies
  
  Skills: Athletics 7, Brawl 7, Stealth 5, Survival 5
  Talents: Keen Sense (+4 smell-based Percep-
  tion rating), Skill Aptitude (+2 Survival rat-
  ing)
  Resources: —
  Flaws: Bestial (Cannot talk or use tools)
  Weapons: Bite 9L
  * Animals with four or more legs double their 
  Move rating when running.
  Fext
  Fexts are a new tool in Hell’s arsenal de-
  veloped especially for the current war. Both 
  demon lords make use of them, but never in 
  their mortal armies. Instead, they are used to 
  weaken the enemy—and bring as many cor-
  rupt souls to Hell’s embrace as possible.
  As officers die on the battlefield, the demon 
  lords whisper into their minds with offers of im-
  mortality in return for causing carnage. When 
  the offer is accepted, the mortal’s wounds are 
  healed and soul corrupted.
  Unlike many possessed souls, fexts lack the 
  physical ugliness that reveal their wickedness. 
  Rather, their charisma is increased. Since fexts 
  are still human, they can procreate. Thus, it is 
  possible to be born a fext. Such creatures are 
  born with wicked souls.
  Fexts revel in carnage, which makes them 
  powerful tools in the War. They lead men in 
  senseless charges or acts of wanton butchery. 
  Their task done, they move on to new battle-
  fields in search of fresh amusement before 
  their “incompetency” causes them to be dis-
  missed or hanged.
  The offer of immortality is a white lie—im-
  mortality means the corrupted soul can never 
  be taken to Hell, and that doesn’t serve Satan’s 
  cause. The fext can shrug off most injuries, 
  does not age, and is immune to disease and 
  poison, but it is not eternal—Fexts can be 
  killed by musket balls made of glass.
  Fext
  Ally 2
  Archetype: Demon; Motivation: Destruction; 
  Style: 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 4, Intelligence 3, Will-
  power 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 6, Initiative 5, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 
  5*, Horror —
  Skills: Brawl 4, Diplomacy 5 (Leadership 6), 
  Firearms 4, Intimidation 6 (Orders 7), Melee 4, 
  Ride 4, Warfare 6
  Talents: Charismatic (+1 Charisma rating)
  Resources: Rank: Officer (+2 Social bonus)
  Flaws: Callous (+1 Style point when it does 
  something particularly selfish or refuses to 
  help someone in dire need)
  Weapons: Punch 4N, Flintlock pistol 7L, Small 
  sword 6L
  * Ignores all damage except that caused by 
  glass bullets. Glass bullets are prone to shatter. 
  They have Damage 0L and reduce a firearm’s 
  Range to 5 feet. A fext suffers stun, knockback, 
  and knockdown as normal from other forms 
  of damage, but cannot be knocked out.
  The Four Horsemen
  It is written in the Bible that God holds the 
  reins of four horsemen and that they will be 
  unleashed into the world when the time of 
  judgment is nigh. Whether the entities plagu-
  ing Germany are those horsemen or Satan’s 
  demonic equivalent is left for theologians, 
  prophets, sinners, or madmen to debate. What 
  is clear is that they are here and they are ex-
  tremely powerful forces of destruction.
  Politics and religion mean nothing to these 
  terrible beings, and they have taken no sides 
  in the War, either the mortal or infernal con-
  flicts. They ride as generals ahead legions of 
  lunatics, the diseased, the self-mutilated, the 
  living damned, and the animated dead, moving 
  through the land at will to spread chaos and 
  leaving behind only destruction and dragging 
  with them new volunteers to their causes.
  Although corporeal entities, the Four 
  Horsemen are immortal. Their respective ava-
  tars can be slain by conventional means, but 
  they return again at some future point. That 
  said, death prevents them from returning to 
  the current war.
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  The horsemen’s mounts use the statistics 
  for demonic steeds (see above). None of the 
  Four Horsemen gain bonus Resources from 
  their high Fame, although the individual 
  Gamemaster may wish to provide them.
  Death
  “And I looked, and behold a pale horse: 
  and his name that sat on him was Death, and 
  Hell followed with him.”
  —Revelation 6,8
  Traditionally seen as the leader of the Four 
  Horsemen, the Pale Rider is the great equal-
  izer, for emperors and peasants all succumb to 
  it eventually. Death takes the form of a skel-
  eton beneath its black cowled robes, for this is 
  what all mortals become in due course. Death 
  has been known to carry a sword, sometimes a 
  scythe, but it rarely uses such tools.
  Patron 4
  Archetype: Demon; Motivation: Destruction; 
  Style: 4
  Primary Attributes: Body 5, Dexterity 3, 
  Strength 5, Charisma 3, Intelligence 3, Will-
  power 5
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 8, Percep-
  tion 8, Initiative 8, Defense 8, Stun 5, Health 
  12, Horror 5
  Skills: Athletics 10, Brawl 10, Intimidation 8, 
  Linguistics 9, Melee 10, Ride 8
  Talents: Block (Uses Block as a Reflexive Ac-
  tion), Quick Reflexes (+2 Initiative rating), 
  Robust (+2 Health rating), Skill Aptitude (+2 
  Brawl rating), Unarmed Parry (Can block Me-
  lee attacks with its bare hands at no penalty)
  Resources: Fame 5 (Horseman of Death; +8 
  Social bonus)
  Flaws: Callous (+1 Style point whenever it 
  does something particularly selfish or refuses 
  to help someone in dire need)
  Weapons: Punch 12 (see below)
  Aura of Death: Any corpses less than 24 
  hours old automatically rise as animated dead 
  when Death passes within 100 feet. The dead 
  serve him obediently, but fall lifeless after 24 
  hours service. Such creatures cannot be raised 
  from the dead again by any means.
  Touch of Death: This is a Touch attack and 
  ignores Passive Defense. Any living creature 
  struck by the hand of Death must make a Body 
  x 2 roll with a Difficulty equal to the number of 
  wounds inflicted or immediately drop dead.
  Famine
  “And when he had opened the third seal, I 
  heard the third beast say, Come and see. And 
  I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat 
  on him had a pair of balances in his hand.”
  —Revelation 6,5
  Mounted on a white horse, Famine disdains 
  weapons (although it is proficient with them) 
  in favor of its touch, which wastes flesh as if 
  riven from prolonged starvation.
  Patron 4
  Archetype: Demon; Motivation: Destruction; 
  Style: 4
  Primary Attributes: Body 5, Dexterity 4, 
  Strength 3, Charisma 3, Intelligence 4, Will-
  power 5
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 7, Percep-
  tion 9, Initiative 8, Defense 9, Stun 5, Health 
  10, Horror 4
  Skills: Athletics 8, Brawl 12, Intimidation 8, 
  Melee 8, Ride 9, Survival 9
  Talents: Knockout Blow 2 (+2 bonus to stun 
  opponents), Lethal Blow 3 (Brawl attacks do 
  lethal damage)
  Resources: Fame 5 (Horseman of Famine; +8 
  Social bonus)
  Flaws: Callous (+1 Style point whenever it 
  does something particularly selfish or refuses 
  to help someone in dire need)
  Weapons: Punch 12N
  Aura of Famine: When Famine rides, hun-
  ger is left in its wake. All foodstuffs within 100 
  feet of Famine instantly rot or spoil. Living crea-
  tures within the area must make a Willpower x 
  2 roll (Difficulty 5) or suffer from both the Glut-
  ton and Ravenous Flaws for the next week.
  Pestilence
  “And I saw, and behold a white horse: and 
  he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown 
  was given unto him” 
  —Revelation 6,2
  
  Friends and Enemies
  
  The first horseman to be unleashed into 
  the world, at least according to the Bible, 
  Pestilence sits astride a white horse and carries 
  a bow. In some sources, the bow is fashioned 
  from human bone and sinew.
  Pestilence is a terrible thing, its flesh covered 
  in pus-filled boils, discharging buboes, and weep-
  ing sores. A swarm of flies fed by Pestilence’s foul 
  fluids buzzes around its sickly frame.
  Patron 4
  Archetype: Demon; Motivation: Destruction; 
  Style: 4
  Primary Attributes: Body 5, Dexterity 5, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 4, Intelligence 3, Will-
  power 5
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 7, Percep-
  tion 8, Initiative 8, Defense 10 (12)*, Stun 5, 
  Health 10, Horror 5
  Skills: Archery 10, Brawl 7, Empathy 8, Intimi-
  dation 13, Melee 7, Ride 10
  Talents: Fearsome 3 (Can temporarily frighten 
  opponents), Lethal Blow (Brawl attacks do 
  lethal damage), Ride by Attack (Can attack 
  without stopping its mount’s movement)
  Resources: Fame 5 (Horseman of Pestilence; 
  +8 Social bonus)
  Flaws: Callous (+1 Style point whenever it 
  does something particularly selfish or refuses 
  to help someone in dire need)
  Weapons: Punch 7N, Bow 12L (see below)
  * The swarm of flies that encircle Pestilence 
  grant him a +2 Passive Defense bonus.
  Aura of Pestilence: Any living creature 
  within 25 feet must make a Body x 2 roll  (Diffi-
  culty 3) each combat turn to avoid contracting 
  bubonic plague.
  Bow of Pestilence: Any living creature 
  struck by one of Pestilence’s arrows must 
  make a Body x 2 roll with a Difficulty equal 
  to the number of wounds suffered or contract 
  bubonic plague.
  Pestilential Touch: Any living creature 
  touch by the hand of Pestilence automatically 
  become carriers of bubonic plague. On the plus 
  side, they are now immune to the contagion.
  Vermin Army: Pestilence can conjure forth 
  a maximum of four swarms of rats carrying 
  bubonic plague each day. The rats are under 
  Pestilence’s control, but remain for just one 
  combat or scene before scattering.
  War
  “And there went out another horse that 
  was red: and power was given to him that sat 
  thereon to take peace from the earth, and that 
  they should kill one another: and there was 
  given unto him a great sword.”
  —Revelation 6,4
  Sitting upon a steed of fiery red hue, War 
  takes the form an armored knight clutching 
  a greatsword. With no concept of mercy, War 
  encourages bloody massacres and the execu-
  tion of prisoners.
  Patron 4
  Archetype: Demon; Motivation: Destruction; 
  Style: 4
  Primary Attributes: Body 5, Dexterity 5, 
  Strength 5, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 5
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 10, Per-
  ception 7, Initiative 7, Defense 10 (14)*, Stun 
  5, Health 10, Horror 4
  Skills: Athletics 10, Brawl 10, Fencing: Ger-
  man 10, Intimidation 7, Ride 10, Warfare 7
  Talents: Fearsome (Can temporarily frighten 
  opponents), Flurry (Can attack the same op-
  ponent twice at –2 penalty), Mounted Charge 
  (May charge without losing Active Defense), 
  Parry (Can Parry as a Reflexive Action), Vigor-
  ous Defense (Can be attacked twice in the 
  same round with no penalty)
  Resources: Fame 5 (Horseman of War; +8 
  Social bonus)
  Flaws: Callous (+1 Style point whenever it 
  does something particularly selfish or refuses 
  to help someone in dire need)
  Weapons: Punch 10N, Greatsword 15L
  * The Horseman of War’s armor grants it a +4 
  Passive Defense bonus.
  Aura of War: The very presence of War 
  causes blood to boil and the red mist descend. 
  All mortals within 100 feet of War automatically 
  gain the Belligerent Flaw.
  Ghoul
  Like the vampire and the werewolf, ghouls 
  are humans possessed by demonic spirits. The 
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  0
  fell spirit is attracted to humans whose gluttony 
  has caused others to suffer, or who have eaten 
  of human flesh (willingly or otherwise). Given 
  the privations the War has caused, many have 
  partaken of forbidden flesh just to survive.
  A ghoul appears exactly as they did in 
  life—only their lust for human flesh gives away 
  their unholy nature. Even their abnormally 
  long and thick nails may go largely unnoticed. 
  While ghouls prefer living flesh, prudence 
  forces most to haunt graveyards and dine of 
  decaying flesh and bone marrow, for here their 
  unholy appetites go less noticed.
  With continued possession and ingestion of 
  greater quantities of human flesh, the ghoul’s 
  host becomes more and more bestial in both 
  appearance and mentality. Their flesh shrinks, 
  clinging to their tight bones like a burial shroud, 
  becoming waxy, though their muscles grow 
  stronger and their endurance increases. Their 
  features become sunken and their hair falls out, 
  leaving an eerily bald scalp. Most ghouls adopt 
  a nocturnal lifestyle to conceal their activities, 
  developing pale skin and large, dark eyes.
  Unlike werewolves and vampires, ghouls 
  possess no special immunities, nor any power 
  to transfer their essence to others. Their one 
  unusual power is that so long as they devour 
  at least one pound of flesh per day, they do not 
  age, although they do deteriorate.
  The statistics below represent a fairly 
  typical ghoul in its second decade of perverted 
  life. Its Skills represent its degeneration to a 
  more bestial existence. It exists by scavenging 
  corpses where it can and waylaying travelers 
  whenever possible for their fresh, succulent 
  flesh. It retains some vestiges of humanity, but 
  is a pitiful looking creature.
  Ghoul
  Follower 2
  Archetype: Demon; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 4, Charisma 1, Intelligence 1, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 6, Per-
  ception 3 (7), Initiative 3, Defense 5, Stun 3, 
  Health 5, Horror 3
  Skills: Athletics 6, Brawl 6 (Claws 7), Stealth 4 
  (Sneaking 5), Survival 4
  Talents: Keen Sense (+4 to smell-based Per-
  ception rolls), Strong (+1 Strength rating)
  Resources: None
  Flaws: Glutton (+1 Style point whenever their 
  appetite causes problems for them or their 
  comrades)
  Weapons: Claws 7L
  Kobold
  Kobolds are ugly, corporeal demons found 
  lurking in mines. At best, they are capricious 
  entities, leading miners to worthless ore 
  streams, stealing their tools, or causing them 
  to become lost. At worst, they are vicious and 
  destructive, responsible for causing cave-ins, 
  rock slides, and serious accidents. Although 
  rare, they have been known to bludgeon min-
  ers to death using their hammers or impale 
  them with pickaxes.
  Workers in kobold-infested mines have been 
  known to placate them with small offerings of 
  food or coin, but such offerings only work for a 
  limited time—after a time, the kobolds  demand 
  higher and higher tribute, resulting in aggres-
  sion when the miners can no longer afford to 
  sate the fiends’ constant demands.
  Some believe that kobolds are actually 
  humans. A small few were wicked in life and 
  stole from their employers, but most were re-
  sponsible for causing the deaths of colleagues 
  by negligence. Guilty yet unrepentant, their 
  bodies are easy prey for lesser demonic spirits. 
  Their bodies are quickly corrupted to match 
  their blackened souls, while they are made to 
  endlessly toil through rock and cause more 
  death. Others say kobolds are miners who 
  went to their deaths without being shriven and 
  who, as part of their punishment, vent their 
  anger and frustration on the living.
  Kobold
  Follower 1
  Archetype: Demon; Motivation: Destruction; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  
  Friends and Enemies
  1
  Strength 3, Charisma 1, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size –1, Move 5, 
  Perception 4, Initiative 4, Defense 5, Stun 2, 
  Health 5, Horror 2
  Skills: Athletics 5, Melee 5 (Hammers 6), 
  Stealth 5 (Shadowing 6)*, Survival 5
  Talents: Robust (+2 Health rating)
  Resources: —
  Flaws: Disfigured (+1 Style point whenever it 
  is rejected because of its appearance)
  Weapons: Punch 0N, Hammer 8N or Pickaxe 9L
  * +1 Size bonus to Stealth rolls.
  Geomancy: Kobolds have Magick: Geo-
  mancy 4 as an innate ability. Solitary kobolds 
  are extremely weak magicians, but they are 
  capable of magnificent and terrible feats when 
  gathered in numbers.
  Lindwurm
  Dragons have long featured in myths and 
  as heraldic emblems. Dragons have never ex-
  isted, save in the imaginations of storytellers 
  and madmen, but there is a creature behind 
  the legends—the lindwurm.
  Monstrous, 
  wingless, 
  scaled 
  serpents, 
  lindwurms, whose name stems from the Old 
  Norse word for “ensnaring snake,” haul their 
  vile forms across the earth using their two fore-
  limbs. Typically they devour livestock, but lind-
  wurms have been known to dig up cemeteries 
  and consume the dead. Attacks against living 
  humans are rare, though a lindwurm that feels 
  threatened will react violently.
  Lindwurm
  Follower 2
  Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 7, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 7, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Will-
  power 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size 2, Move 9, Percep-
  tion 3 (7), Initiative 2, Defense 7 (9)*, Stun 7, 
  Health 14, Horror 4
  Skills: Athletics 8, Brawl 8, Intimidation 5, 
  Stealth 4**, Survival 4
  Talents: Keen Sense (+4 bonus to scent-based 
  Perception rating), Robust (+2 Health rating)
  Resources: —
  Flaws: Bestial (Cannot talk or use tools)
  Weapons: Bite 9L
  * Scales provide a +2 Passive Defense bonus.
  ** Lindwurms have a –2 Size penalty to 
  Stealth rolls.
  Lindwurm Skin: Like snakes, lindwurms 
  shed their skins. Carrying a shed skin grants a 
  +4 bonus to Medicine and Natural Philosophy: 
  Biology rolls.
  Malebranche
  The Malebranche (“Evil Claws”) are a class 
  of demons. Their numbers are legion, but sor-
  cerers have discovered just a dozen names and 
  thus summoned only the same number. 
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  The known Malebranche are Alichino 
  (“Harlequin”), Barbariccia (“Curly Beard”), 
  Cagnazzo (“Nasty Dog”), Calcabrina (“Grace 
  Stomper”), Ciriatto (“Wild Hog”), Draghig-
  nazzo (“Bug Nasty Dragon”), Farfarello (“Gob-
  lin”), Graffiacane (“Dog Scratcher”), Libicocco 
  (“Libyan Hothead”), Malacoda (“Evil Tail”), Ru-
  bicante (“Red-faced Terror”), and Scarmiglione 
  (“Trouble Maker”).
  Their general appearance is the same. Their 
  bodies are covered in fur of a uniform color. Red 
  is the predominant, though green and blue de-
  mons have been conjured. Their faces are terri-
  ble to behold and their maws have rows of sharp 
  teeth. Each has a small pair of bat-like wings, a 
  long tail, and feet that end in cruel talons.
  Malebranche always have a unique physi-
  cal feature that helps the summoner tell them 
  apart. Sometimes this is based on their name. 
  Malacoda, for example, has a biting mouth at 
  the tip of its tail, while Ciriatto has a pig-like 
  face with sharp tusks.
  Malebranche are quarrelsome (few sum-
  moners conjure more than one at a time), 
  vulgar, and born liars. Anyone seeking to com-
  mand one must cow it with a show of force, for 
  they seek to take advantage of those who they 
  do not respect.
  Malebranche care nothing about why they 
  are summoned and turn their claws to any task 
  asked of them. They are more loyal, and less 
  likely to lie, to summoners who promise them 
  someone to torment.
  Malebranche
  Ally 1
  Archetype: Demon; Motivation: Duty; Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 3, 
  Strength 4, Charisma 1, Intelligence 1, Will-
  power 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 7, Percep-
  tion 4, Initiative 4, Defense 6, Stun 3, Health 
  6, Horror 4
  Skills: Athletics 6, Brawl 7, Intimidation 6
  Talents: Fearsome (Can temporarily frighten 
  foes)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Liar (+1 Style point whenever its dis-
  honesty causes trouble or its lies catch up with 
  it), Sadism (+1 Style point whenever it is need-
  lessly cruel to its friends or enemies)
  Weapons: Claws 8L
  Nachtkrapp
  The night raven is a hellish corvid most 
  commonly found in Austria and Southern Ger-
  many. Unnaturally large for a raven at almost 
  two feet tall, the nachtkrapp is also noteworthy 
  for its ragged wings, which supposedly spread 
  pestilence, and its lack of eyes. Despite the 
  latter impairment, the bird has a keen sense 
  of sight. A nocturnal hunter, its preferred prey 
  is babies and young children. A messy eater, it 
  tears off the limbs first before turning to the 
  heart and eyes.
  The wütender nachtkrapp (“angry night 
  raven”) is similar to the above, but it has no 
  appetite for children. Instead, its cawing ter-
  rorizes children into silence.
  Nachtkrapp
  Follower 1
  Archetype: Demon; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 3, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 0, Intelligence 1, Will-
  power 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size –2, Move 5 (Fly 
  10), Perception 4 (8), Initiative 4, Defense 8, 
  Stun 3, Health 4, Horror 2
  Skills: Brawl 7, Stealth 6*, Survival 5
  Talents: Keen Sense (+4 to sight-based Per-
  ception rolls)
  Resources: —
  Flaws: Bestial (Cannot talk or use tools)
  Weapons: Beak 8L
  * A nachtkrapp has a +2 size bonus to Stealth 
  rolls.
  Cawing: As an Attack action, the wütender 
  nachtkrapp can emit a terrifying caw. It makes 
  a Willpower x 2 roll against all children within 
  25 feet. If it rolls more successes than an 
  opponent’s Willpower rating, the victim gains 
  the Mute Flaw for the next 24 hours. If it rolls 
  more successes than twice an opponent’s Will-
  power, the victim is mute for an entire week.
  
  Friends and Enemies
  
  Pestilential Wings: A nachtkrapp can flap 
  its ragged wings as an Attack action. Any liv-
  ing creature within 25 feet must roll to avoid 
  contracting cholera.
  Sickening Aura: Any living creature within 
  5 feet of a nachtkrapp suffers a –2 penalty to all 
  rolls due to waves of nausea.
  Pied Piper
  The tale of the Pied Piper, and the fate that 
  befell the children of Hamelin when its citizens 
  refused to pay the piper for his services, has 
  spread as far as France. To most it is a parable, 
  a dire warning to honor one’s oaths and pay 
  one’s debts. Yet behind every tale, no matter 
  how fantastical, is some grain of truth.
  The Pied Piper is a demon, though whether 
  he is unique or just one of many is unknown. 
  To date, so far as it is known, only Hamelin has 
  suffered his malignant attention. But his plots 
  are as insidious as they are simple.
  First, the Piper rids his targeted town of 
  its native cat population. Normally this is 
  achieved by sending giant rats to kill or drive 
  away the felines, for his pipes have no pow-
  ers over cats. Next, he sends swarms of rats to 
  plague the unguarded town, for he has mas-
  tery of the vermin, being able to lead them as 
  a general does his soldiers. After a few weeks 
  of their suffering, he offers his services to the 
  townsfolk at an exorbitant price. If they accept, 
  but refuse to pay once the rats are removed, 
  the Piper returns and takes their children as 
  compensation.
  The Piper’s origins are open to much de-
  bate. One story claims he was a mortal musi-
  cian who challenged the Devil to a contest and 
  lost. As punishment, he is sent to the mortal 
  realm periodically to kidnap mortal children. 
  A related story claims the Piper begged for 
  clemency as Satan dragged him down to Hell. 
  The Devil promised the Piper his freedom 
  only after he delivering a number of children’s 
  souls to him. A less diabolical version has the 
  Piper as a heavenly agent, sent to punish the 
  wicked. In these tales he is not the cause of the 
  rat infestation.
  Regardless of his origins, the Piper has no 
  power over the children unless the townsfolk 
  renege on their offer. For this reason, in the 
  diabolical origin stories he always sets a ridicu-
  lously high price, thus tempting the citizens to 
  refuse payment. He is a shrewd negotiator.
  The Pied Piper is not a combatant. Should 
  he be attacked, he attempts to captivate his 
  foes, leaving them at the mercy of his rat 
  swarms and giant rats.
  Pied Piper
  Patron 3
  Archetype: Demon; Motivation: Duty; Style: 
  3
  Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 3, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 4 (5), Intelligence 2, 
  Willpower 4
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 5, Percep-
  tion 6, Initiative 5, Defense 6, Stun 3, Health 
  7, Horror —
  Skills: Animal Handling 7 (Rodents 8), Athlet-
  ics 4 (Running 5), Diplomacy 9 (Negotiation 
  10), Empathy 6, Performance 11 (Music 12), 
  Streetwise 4
  Talents: Animal Affinity (+1 Charisma rating 
  dealing with animals), Captivate 2 (May make 
  a single Performance roll against all opponents 
  within 10 feet to entrance them)*, Skill Apti-
  tude (+2 Diplomacy rating)
  Resources: —
  Flaws: Phobia: Cats (+1 Style point whenever 
  his fear gets the better of him)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  * Adults, deemed to be any person over the 
  age of 14 for game purposes, receive a +2 
  bonus to resist. Those aged 9 or under have 
  –2 to resist. If the parents have refused to pay, 
  the Piper’s hold over the children lasts for one 
  hour per total number of extra successes.
  Summon Rats: The Piper can summon a 
  single swarm of rats or a number of individual 
  giant rats equal to his Charisma rating once 
  per day.
  Rat, Giant
  Giant rats are not ordinary animals. Fed on 
  human blood and flesh and mutated through 
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  dark magic and demonic influences, these 
  obscene specimens are the same size as large 
  dogs and just as vicious. 
  They are typically found lurking in the dark-
  est reaches of cities, where they feed on the 
  most unfortunate members of society. Though 
  not a dire threat to adult humans when hunt-
  ing alone, their distinctive incisors can slice 
  through flesh and bone. When part of a pack, 
  giant rats can quickly overpower larger prey.
  Rat, Giant
  Follower 0
  Archetype: Animal; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 3, 
  Strength 1, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Will-
  power 4
  Secondary Attributes: Size –1, Move 4 (Run 
  8)*, Perception 4, Initiative 3, Defense 5, Stun 
  1, Health 4, Horror 2
  Skills: Brawl 3, Stealth 5**, Survival 2
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Cannot talk or use tools)
  Weapons: Bite 5L, Claws 5L
  * Animals with four or more legs double their 
  Move rating when running.
  ** A giant rat has a +1 Size bonus on Stealth 
  rolls.
  Rat, Swarm
  Rats are ubiquitous creatures, found wher-
  ever humans dwell. Vast numbers live in the 
  crowded, filthy cities, and with their normal 
  food in short supply they are growing bolder. 
  Children especially must be wary of the biting, 
  clawing hordes, but even adults have been at-
  tacked by the hungry host.
  Rat, Swarm
  Follower 0
  Archetype: Animal; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 0, Dexterity 5, 
  Strength 0, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Will-
  power 4
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 5 (Run 
  10)*, Perception 4, Initiative 5, Defense 1, Stun 
  0, Health 8**, Horror 2
  Skills: Brawl 2, Stealth 6, Survival 2
  Talents/Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Cannot talk or use tools)
  Weapons: Bite 6L, Claws 6L
  * Double their Move rating when running.
  ** Only attacks with an Area of Effect inflict 
  full damage on a swarm. All other weapons 
  inflict a maximum of one point of damage 
  per hit.
  Roggenmuhme
  The demonic roggenmuhme (“rye aunt”) is 
  a hag-like entity with pendulous breasts that 
  ooze sticky tar, fingers made of fire, and skin 
  the black-blue of corpses. 
  
  Friends and Enemies
  
  The terror of farming families, the demon 
  stalks through cereal fields in search of chil-
  dren. Depending on her mood she may chase 
  them until they drop exhausted, lash them 
  with her lightning-tipped whip, remove their 
  sight (which she achieves by blowing on their 
  eyes), or drag them to her lair, where she 
  pounds them to bloody, gritty paste in her but-
  ter churn before spreading them on slices of 
  hard, black bread.
  Roggenmuhme
  Ally 3
  Archetype: Demon; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 2
  Primary Attributes: Body 4, Dexterity 4, 
  Strength 4, Charisma 0, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 4
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 8, Percep-
  tion 5, Initiative 6, Defense 8, Stun 4, Health 
  8, Horror 4
  Skills: Athletics 8, Brawl 8, Intimidation 6, 
  Magickal Aptitude: Floramancy 10, Melee 6
  Talents: Magickal Aptitude (Natural Magick), 
  Run (Running speed is doubled), Skill Apti-
  tude (+2 Magick: Floramancy rating)
  Resources: None
  Flaw: Bestial (Cannot talk or use tools)
  Weapons: Fiery fingers 1L, Lightning whip 2L
  Blinding Breath: As an Attack action, the 
  roggenmuhme can breathe on one opponent 
  within 5 feet. This requires a Brawl Touch at-
  tack but causes no actual damage. Instead, the 
  victim must make a Willpower x 2 roll with a 
  Difficulty equal to the number of “wounds” or 
  gain the Blind Flaw. The Flaw remains until the 
  curse is lifted by the fiend or it is slain.
  Fiery Fingers: To burn an opponent, she 
  makes a Brawl touch attack. If her attack suc-
  ceeds, she inflicts one point of lethal damage. 
  If her opponent is wearing something com-
  bustible—such as loose clothing—or has been 
  doused with a flammable liquid, they are set 
  on fire and continue to take fire damage each 
  round until the fire is extinguished.
  Lightning Whip: To shock an opponent, 
  she makes a Melee touch attack. If her attack 
  succeeds, she inflicts two points of caustic 
  lethal damage. 
  The Wild Hunt
  When thunder rolls and the long cry of 
  hunting horns is heard above the riotous din, 
  folk of good sense seek shelter and pray that 
  what has been heralded does not find them, 
  for these sounds mark the arrival of the Wild 
  Hunt (Wilde Jagd, in German).
  The Hunt is led by Wodan (Odin), once lord 
  of the northern pagan deities, who was bound 
  to serve in the role until Judgment Day after be-
  ing banished by Christ. A giant of a man clad in 
  chain armor and wearing a winged helmet and 
  bearskin cloak, Wodan hunts down sinners on 
  behalf of his master and drags them screaming 
  to Hell to receive their punishment.
  Few mortals are truly innocent, and the 
  Huntsman cares not whether his quarry is 
  guilty of a minor transgression or a cardinal 
  sin—all are fuel for the fires of Hell. That said, 
  he is not a mindless lackey. On occasion, he 
  has conversed with sinful mortals in order that 
  he might find better prey for his abominable 
  hounds or ask for volunteers to aid his host in 
  order to combat some great evil.
  In return for service, the Huntsman re-
  wards recruits with a temporary reprieve from 
  his justice and silver, the latter usually in the 
  form of ancient coins.
  The Huntsman never travels alone. A 
  pack of 20 hounds (use the demonic hound 
  statistics from the core All for One: Régime 
  Diabolique rules) is always at his side. When 
  he cannot persuade mortals to aid his hunt, 
  the Huntsman makes use of the dead. Treat 
  these “volunteers” as animated dead but with 
  a variety of 2L rating weapons.
  The Huntsman
  Patron 4
  Archetype: Demon; Motivation: Justice; 
  Style: 4
  Primary Attributes: Body 6, Dexterity 3, 
  Strength 6, Charisma 4, Intelligence 3, Will-
  power 4
  Secondary Attributes: Size 1, Move 9, Percep-
  tion 7, Initiative 6, Defense 8 (10)*, Stun 6, 
  Health 11, Horror 3
  Skills: Athletics 9, Brawl 10, Diplomacy 6, Em-
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  pathy 7, Intimidation 8 (Staredown 9), Melee 
  10 (Spears 11), Ride 8, Survival 6
  Talents: Callous Rider (Can exert his mount 
  to gain +2 Ride bonus), Fearsome (Can tem-
  porarily frighten foes), Inspire (Can grant al-
  lies a +2 bonus as an Attack action), Magickal 
  Sensitivity (Can make an Empathy roll to sense 
  magickal energy), Mobile Attack (Move and at-
  tack simultaneously)
  Resources: Refuge: Size 2 (Modest castle)**, 
  Status 5 (Lord of the Wild Hunt; +8 Social 
  bonus)
  Flaws: One Eye (+1 Style point whenever he 
  critically misjudges distance or is blindsided by 
  someone)
  Weapons: Punch 10N, Boar spear 13L
  * Chain armor grants him a +2 bonus to Pas-
  sive Defense.
  ** Bonus Resource from his Status.
  Raise the Dead: The Huntsman can 
  animate corpses as a free action. The animated 
  dead do not return to their inanimate state after 
  one day, but the maximum number of zombies 
  that may be animated at any one time is equal 
  to the Huntsman’s Intimidation rating.
  Major Mortals
  Johann Albrecht Adelgrief 
  The son of a Protestant minister and edu-
  cated in the languages of the ancients, Adel-
  grief is a self-proclaimed prophet. Through his 
  personality and clever words, he has drawn a 
  growing number of lost, desperate, angry souls 
  to his banner and his “congregation” swells 
  with each passing day.
  Adelgrief asserts that he was blessed with 
  a visitation of seven angels, who charged him 
  with scourging the priests and bishops who 
  had forsaken the Lord and who had corrupted 
  His message. “Where is the charity of Christ?” 
  and “Did not the false religions start this war?” 
  utter from his lips as he beseeches the poor 
  and destitute to rise up and kill false prophets 
  (clergymen) and burn the wicked temples 
  (churches).
  Whether Adelgrief is a madman unwittingly 
  aiding Satan’s cause or a devotee of the dark 
  prince is left for the Gamemaster to decide.
  Note: Adelgrief was a real person, though 
  his beliefs were not as extreme as our fictional 
  version. Historically, Adelgrief is executed on 
  October 11, 1636 after being branded a heretic 
  and his writings are burned.
  Johann Albrecht Adelgrief
  Patron 2
  Archetype: Clergyman; Motivation: Power; 
  Style: 2
  Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 4, Intelligence 3, Will-
  power 4
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 7, Initiative 5, Defense 5, Stun 3, Health 7
  Skills: Academics: Religion 6, Con 8, Diploma-
  cy 7, Empathy 5, Intimidation 7, Linguistics 8
  Talents: Inspire (Grant allies a +2 Skill bonus 
  as an Attack action), Rabble-rouser (Can boost 
  Followers as if a Talent)
  Resources: Fame 1 (Prophet; +2 Social bonus)
  Flaws: Megalomaniac (+2 Style points when-
  ever he takes a major step toward realizing his 
  destiny or has his plans foiled because he was 
  gloating over his victims)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Matthias Gallas, Count
  An Austrian national, Gallas (1584-1647) is 
  a career soldier. At the time the War spread to 
  Germany, he was an infantry colonel. A man 
  of ambition, he was one of the conspirators 
  who plotted against Wallenstein, despite the 
  general being his commanding officer.
  With command of his predecessor’s army, 
  Gallas led the Catholics to a stunning victory. As 
  1636 dawns, Gallas is feted as a distinguished 
  and loyal general. Such praise will rapidly di-
  minish, though.
  Beginning in 1637, Gallas’ competency 
  deserts him. Instead of stunning victories, he 
  leads his men to annihilation over and over 
  again. At the same time, his previously good 
  name turns to infamy as his soldiers became 
  •        •
  
  Friends and Enemies
  
  the most destructive and murderous army to 
  plague Germany.
  Characters who learn of Gallas’ sudden 
  change of fortunes may assume he is a fext, as-
  suming they know of such creatures, of course. 
  While the Gamemaster may wish to add the 
  fext’s resistance to conventional weapons to 
  Gallas’ statistics, we have left him as a mortal, 
  nothing more than a general whose fortunes 
  have waned and whose lack of strong leader-
  ship has given his men the opportunity to rape 
  and pillage without fear of punishment.
  Matthias Gallas, Count
  Patron 2
  Archetype: Soldier; Motivation: Destruction; 
  Style: 2
  Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 3, 
  Strength 3, Charisma 3, Intelligence 3, Will-
  power 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 6, Percep-
  tion 6, Initiative 6, Defense 6, Stun 3, Health 8
  Skills: Athletics 6, Brawl 6, Firearms 5 (Pistols 
  6), Intimidation 5 (Orders 6), Melee 6 (Swords 
  7), Ride 5, Warfare 6 (Strategy 7)
  Talents: Combat Aptitude (May take up to a 
  –4 penalty on Defense rating to add an equal 
  amount of bonus dice to his attack rating, or 
  vice versa), Inspire (May grant a +2 Skill bonus 
  to all allies within 10 feet), Robust (+2 Health 
  rating)
  Resources: Rank 5 (General; +8 Social bo-
  nus), Status 3 (Count; +4 Social bonus)
  Flaws: Sadism (+1 Style point whenever he is 
  needlessly cruel to his friends or enemies)
  Weapons: Punch 6N, Flintlock pistol 9L, Small 
  sword 9L
  Lesser Mortals
  Black Marketeer
  War drives want and there are those with the 
  connections to fulfill demand. Black marketeers 
  are not people of charitable heart—their sole 
  motivation is to profit from the War. Rarely are 
  these unscrupulous merchants thieves—they 
  pay others to take all the risks. Black marke-
  teers always prepared to help people acquire 
  goods they otherwise cannot locate. Such aid 
  can take hours, days, or weeks depending on 
  the object, and the black marketeer expects 
  to be paid for their effort—increase the price 
  multiplier by two points (see Chapter Two).
  Black Marketeer
  Ally 1
  Archetype: Criminal; Motivation: Greed; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 4, Initiative 4, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 4
  Skills: Bureaucracy 4, Diplomacy 4 (Negotia-
  tion 5), Linguistics 4, Streetwise 4 (Black Mar-
  ket 5, Haggling 5, Scrounging 5)
  Talents: Scrounger (Earns two Barter Dice per 
  success when scrounging or scavenging)
  Resources: —
  Flaws: Callous (+1 Style point whenever they 
  do something particularly selfish or refuse to 
  help someone in dire need)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Demagogue
  Words have power, and the demagogue is 
  adept at manipulating them to achieve their 
  ends. They are no sly puppet master lurking 
  in the shadows, but an outspoken intolerant 
  agitator preaching hatred and bigotry in sup-
  port of some cause or ideology.
  Some demagogues speak openly against 
  the corruption of the Church and the nobil-
  ity, or cry out for those of different faiths or 
  nations to be burned at the stake for their 
  supposed crimes. Though a demagogue is 
  but one voice, with a few well-chosen words 
  hundreds or thousands can be enthralled and 
  ready to act on command, for the good or ill 
  of the realm.
  Demagogues may manipulate the truth, but 
  they rarely lie outright, for to be caught lying 
  •        •
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  would weaken their grip on the simple minds 
  they manipulate, not to mention risk the mob 
  turning on them.
  Demagogue
  Ally 1
  Archetype: Everyman; Motivation: Power; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 1, Charisma 3, Intelligence 3, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 3, Percep-
  tion 5, Initiative 4, Defense 3, Stun 1, Health 4
  Skills: Con 6, Diplomacy 6, Empathy 5 (Emo-
  tions 6), Performance 5 (Oratory 6)
  Talents: Rabble-rouser (Can boost Followers 
  as if it were a Talent)
  Resources: None
  Flaws: Intolerant (+1 Style point whenever their 
  intolerance causes trouble, or they convinces 
  someone else to detest the same thing they do)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Fallen Clergy
  When the shepherd strays from the path of 
  righteousness, what hope is there for the flock? 
  Some fallen clergy are merely weak-willed and 
  have succumbed to earthly lures, such as sex, al-
  cohol, or gambling. Others have had their minds 
  shattered by the brutality of the War or lost their 
  faith in the face of such massive destruction.
  The worst have been tempted into selling 
  their souls to the Devil or other dark powers, 
  forsaking the path of righteousness. In secret 
  they perform rituals to honor their unholy mas-
  ter, while maintaining a public air of innocence, 
  purity, and respectability. Through misquoting of 
  religious texts and sly insinuations, they seek to 
  corrupt their flocks and lead them to damnation, 
  where they will fuel the fires of Hell for eternity.
  Fallen Clergy
  Ally 1
  Archetype: Clergyman; Motivation: Greed or 
  Power; Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 4, Initiative 4, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 4
  Skills: Academics: Religion 4, Con 4, Empathy 
  4, Gambling 4, Streetwise 4
  Talents: —
  Resources: Rank 1 (priest; +2 Social bonus)
  Flaws: Pick one from: Addiction (+1 Style 
  point whenever his addiction hurts him), 
  Bad Reputation (+1 Style point when his bad 
  reputation causes problems), Lustful (+1 Style 
  point gets him into serious trouble), or Sadism 
  (+1 Style point whenever he is needlessly 
  cruel to his friends or enemies)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Lunatic
  Lunatics are men and women who have, 
  quite simply, lost their minds. They may have 
  been subjected to attack by supernatural enti-
  ties, or witnessed or suffered the horrors of war. 
  However they came to be in their sorry state, 
  their minds are well and truly shattered. If one 
  can decipher their insane ranting, though, one 
  might find a valuable clue to combating some 
  supernatural threat.
  Lunatics are normally harmless, content 
  to curl up and murmur to themselves, sit in 
  a corner and drool while staring vacantly, or 
  scribble or draw vague images of the terrible 
  things they have witnessed. Per the origin of 
  their name, their ravings are often exacerbated 
  by the full moon. Attempts to make them re-
  veal the horrors they have witnessed usually 
  drive them into an insane rage.
  Lunatic
  Ally 1
  Archetype: Everyman; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 3, Charisma 1, Intelligence 1, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 5, Percep-
  tion 3, Initiative 3, Defense 5, Stun 3, Health 5
  Skills: Athletics 5, Brawl 6, Intimidation 6
  
  Friends and Enemies
  
  Talents: Berserker Fury (Can exert to gain a 
  +2 bonus to all Strength-based Skill and At-
  tribute rolls)
  Resources: None
  Flaws: Inscrutable (+1 Style point whenever 
  they are misunderstood or their mysterious 
  motives cause trouble)
  Weapons: Punch 0N
  Quacksalver
  A Dutch word meaning “hawker of salve”, 
  a quack is a charlatan who pretends to have a 
  knowledge of medicine and uses it to fraudu-
  lently make money. In most cases their rem-
  edies are harmless but ultimately ineffective; 
  in others, their medicines may do considerable 
  harm. Quacks prey on the vulnerable, gullible, 
  and just plain stupid in society, and rarely give a 
  damn about the outcome of using their wares—
  they are usually long gone before then.
  Quacksalver
  Ally 1
  Archetype: Charlatan; Motivation: Greed; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 4, Initiative 4, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 
  Skills: Brawl 4, Con 8, Empathy 4, Streetwise 4
  Talents: Skill Aptitude (+2 Con rating)
  Resources: —
  Flaws: Liar (+1 Style point whenever their 
  dishonesty causes trouble or their lies catch 
  up with them)
  Weapons: Punch 4N
  Scavenger
  Countless millions are suffering severe 
  deprivation from the wider effects of the War. 
  Some, either through lack of skill or willpower, 
  succumb to starvation, being unable to find 
  enough food to prevent death. Others find a 
  way to survive, if only on a day by day basis.
  Scavengers are not bandits, though they 
  are not above robbing the dead for their rags 
  and, when circumstances favor them, commit-
  ting murder for what they need. When needs 
  must, the dead are also a vital source of much-
  needed nourishment.
  Most scavengers spend their days rummag-
  ing through the detritus in towns and cities in 
  search of crumbs or rats or begging for alms 
  from those who still have something to spare, 
  while those in the countryside laboriously pick 
  through fields in search of a handful of moldy 
  grain or seeds.
  Scavenger
  Ally 1
  Archetype: Everyman; Motivation: Survival; 
  Style: 0
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  0
  Strength 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 4, Initiative 4, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 4
  Skills: Brawl 4, Intimidation 4, Melee 4, Street-
  wise 4 (Scrounging 5), Survival 5 (Foraging 6)
  Talents: Skill Aptitude (+2 Survival rating)
  Resources: —
  Flaws: Envious (+1 Style point whenever their 
  envy causes trouble for them or their compan-
  ions)
  Weapons: Punch 4N, Dagger 5L
  Torturer
  When information cannot be gained by 
  spying or persuasion, it falls to the torturer 
  to perform his art. These masters of pain are 
  well-muscled from years operating the rack, 
  but their brains are invariably dull, responsible 
  only for breaking their captives’ will on their 
  master’s command rather than interrogating 
  their victims.
  Most possess a rudimentary knowledge of 
  when a captive is lying to save his skin, and a 
  smattering of first aid knowledge in order not 
  to offend their master by having his prize die 
  at their hands.
  Torturer
  Ally 1
  Archetype: Everyman; Motivation: Truth; 
  Style: 3
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
  power 2
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 4, Initiative 4, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 4
  Skills: Brawl 4, Empathy 4, Intimidation 7 
  (Torture 8), Melee 4
  Talents: Skill Aptitude (+2 Intimidation rating)
  Resources: None
  Flaws: Sadism (+1 Style point whenever they 
  are is needlessly cruel to their friends or en-
  emies)
  Weapons: Punch 4N, Hot iron 5N*
  * Fire damage: A hot iron may be used to club 
  or burn an opponent. To burn an opponent, 
  make a Melee touch attack. If the attack suc-
  ceeds, inflict one point of lethal damage.
  Witch-Hunter
  A witch-hunter is a servant of God, though 
  it is fair to say that not all are as righteous as 
  they claim. Some work freelance, travelling the 
  land in search of witches to persecute, often 
  charging for their services. Others work under 
  a warrant signed by a nobleman, clergyman, or 
  town council.
  As an ally, the witch-hunter is a holy person 
  who accepts that supernatural evil exists and 
  that witches walk among us. Through fiery 
  sermons or impassioned pleas they can stir the 
  hearts of frightened or disbelieving citizens to 
  join their righteous cause.
  The villainous witch-hunter is not on the 
  side of evil, at least not knowingly. A person of 
  devout heart prepared to do whatever it takes 
  to cleanse the world of evil, they represent the 
  darker side of faith. Blinded by their righteous 
  cause, they are quite prepared to burn an in-
  nocent or ten so long as they eventually find 
  the source of evil.
  Witch-hunter
  Ally 2
  Archetype: Clergyman; Motivation: Truth; 
  Style: 1
  Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, 
  Strength 2, Charisma 3, Intelligence 3, Will-
  power 3
  Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
  tion 6, Initiative 5, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 5
  Skills: Academics: Occult 5, Academics: Re-
  ligion 5, Con 6, Empathy 5, Intimidation 6, 
  Melee 5
  Talents: Rabble-Rouser (May temporarily re-
  cruit Followers)
  Resources: Contacts 0 (Church), Status 0 
  (Priest; +1 Social bonus)
  Flaw: Righteous (+1 Style point whenever 
  their actions alienate them and their friends, 
  or cause others to publicly question their mo-
  tives and moral judgment)
  Weapons: Punch 0N, Dagger 6L
  
  “The world was all before them, where to 
  choose
  Their place of rest, and Providence their 
  guide:
  They hand in hand, with wandering steps 
  and slow,
  Through Eden took their solitary way.”
  — John Milton, Paradise Lost
  Action & Supernatural 
  Threat Levels
  The Adventures chapter in All for One: Ré-
  gime Diabolique describes the various options 
  for action and supernatural threats and how 
  they affect play.
  The canonical levels for Satan’s Playground 
  are Low Adventure (each bonus die costs two 
  Style points) and Low Threat (the supernatu-
  ral is a low-level but constant menace). The 
  Gamemaster is, of course, master of his own 
  campaign, but any future Satan’s Playground 
  products will default to the above settings, and 
  thus may require modification by Gamemas-
  ters using higher or lower options.
  In the Beginning
  Forming a party in All for One: Régime 
  Diabolique is about as easy as it gets in a ro-
  leplaying game—everyone is a member of the 
  Musketeers and serves the French monarchs. 
  In Satan’s Playground, though, characters may 
  have different nationalities, religions, opinions 
  on the War, conflicting long-term goals, and so 
  on. This section looks at means of getting the 
  group together and, more importantly, keep-
  ing them together.
  Adventurers Assemble!
  The first step  in any campaign is getting 
  the group together. We’ve selected four sug-
  gestions for how the party might form.
  All Friends Together
  Rather than have the characters begin as to-
  tal strangers to one another, they form a circle 
  of friends and acquaintances. They need not all 
  know each other intimately, but every charac-
  ter must be linked to at least one other in some 
  meaningful way. For example, a mercenary 
  might have served under a nobleman, who in 
  turn was tutored by a natural philosopher. The 
  first pair might only be casual acquaintances, 
  but at least they know each other’s faces and 
  names.
  It is a contrived method for sure, and it works 
  best where all the characters come from the same 
  city or state. For example, having all the charac-
  ters bump into each other at the same time while 
  in a local church or market is more logical than 
  them suddenly meeting on a coach or in a distant 
  place—the odds may be low for the former, but 
  the latter stretches plausibility to its limit.
  Chapter Six: 
  Gamemaster Advice
  1
  •
  •         •
  •         •
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  Bound by Common Cause
  One obvious method that gives the group 
  a reason to be together is to use the same 
  approach as in All for One—everyone serves 
  a single cause. Noble houses make an ideal 
  choice, as the characters have plenty of options 
  for adventures—courtly intrigue, defending 
  their lord from assassination, running mes-
  sages through enemy territory, hunting down 
  criminals, and such like. Other options include 
  a bishop or other senior cleric, a merchant 
  prince, a witch-hunter, or a secret society.
  Having to obey orders is rarely much fun, 
  so whoever the characters serve, their employ-
  er should hold their leash loosely and give his 
  servants plentiful opportunity to follow their 
  own goals and motivations. 
  To sweeten the deal, the Gamemaster 
  may decide that they all receive the Patron 0 
  Resource for free to represent their master. In 
  this instance, the 0-level relates to the amount 
  of influence and respect their master has to-
  ward them—which is not much. As they earn 
  his favor, so they can take higher levels in the 
  Resource and so earn better support.
  Forced Together by Circumstance
  Circumstances have forced the characters 
  together. Travellers on a coach, they might be-
  come stranded at a remote inn when a wheel 
  breaks and they are forced to shelter for the 
  night. Perhaps they begin at a church service, 
  at a market, attending a social event, or all ar-
  rested and imprisoned on false charges. 
  Naturally, something exciting and threat-
  ening needs to happen during the enforced 
  proximity in order to turn strangers into allies, 
  and hopefully friends.
  One tried and tested method employed 
  in literature and cinema is to begin in media 
  res—that is, the adventure begins with a dra-
  matic chase or fight scene without any prelude. 
  Only after the immediate situation is resolved 
  does the scene’s background story become 
  told or the heroes have time to introduce each 
  other. Here’s a simple example.
  The characters begin the adventure fighting 
  a band of vicious thugs in a city street. Lying 
  beside the thugs is an elderly man with a dag-
  ger in his back. The thugs, having spotted the 
  characters, have attacked them in order to re-
  move them as witnesses. Only after the thugs 
  are dead or have fled does their initial victim 
  slip the characters a sealed envelope from 
  his bloody tunic and ask them, with his dying 
  breath, of course, to deliver it with all haste.
  Handy Words
  The Gamemaster should be frequently 
  describing the devastation left behind 
  during the War. Here are some useful 
  words.
       Inanimate Objects
  Annihilated, blasted, blighted, broken, 
  collapsed, contaminated, crushed, dam-
  aged, demolished, depredated, deso-
  lated, despoiled, destroyed, devastated, 
  dismantled, 
  eradicated, 
  extirpated, 
  felled, 
  gutted, 
  incinerated, 
  leveled, 
  looted, obliterated, pillaged, plundered, 
  perverted, profaned, ransacked, ravaged, 
  razed, ruined, sacked, smashed, spoiled, 
  trashed, trampled, wasted, wrecked.
       Injuries
  Abused, amputated, assaulted, battered, 
  befouled, broken, burned, butchered, 
  crippled, defiled, disemboweled, dis-
  figured, dismembered, distorted, evis-
  cerated, gnawed, gutted, incapacitated, 
  infected, injured, lacerated, maimed, 
  mangled, marred, molested, mutilated, 
  polluted, punctured, ravaged, scorched, 
  scratched, shattered, split, stabbed, torn, 
  violated, wounded.
       Diseases
  Blistering, discharge, emission, erupting, 
  exuding, festering, gangrenous, leaking, 
  miasmic, noisome, noxious, oozing, pes-
  tiferous, pestilential, putrescent, repug-
  nant, retching, rotting, seeping, shrivel-
  ling, suppurating, ulcerating, viscous, 
  weeping
  
  Gamemaster Advice
  
  The Magnificent Seven
  This is a version of in media res, but it lacks 
  the initial action scene. The campaign begins 
  with the characters already having accepted 
  some task—the players don’t get a choice in 
  the matter. Perhaps they have been hired to 
  defend a farming community or working mill 
  from brigands or marauding soldiers. Maybe 
  a lowly nobleman hires them as mercenaries 
  to rescue his daughter from bandits, a corrupt 
  clergyman, or a zealous witch-hunter.
  The heroes do not know each other initial-
  ly, but they all have the same short-term goal. 
  People tend to bond quickly when their lives 
  are at stake, so their appointed task should 
  involve combat.
  Staying Together
  Characters not bound by a patron or ex-
  isting bonds of friendship need a reason to 
  remain together. Given the current situation in 
  Germany, strength in numbers is definitely one 
  reason not to split up.
  The initial adventure may also provide a 
  reason to stay together, some sort of clue or 
  hint that greater forces are at work and that 
  what happened to the heroes was only the 
  start of something more sinister. Curiosity 
  alone may well help them work together.
  Ultimately, it is up to the players to accept 
  the fact that they are part of a gaming group 
  and are part of the same campaign. If a player 
  wants to play a loner and absolutely refuses to 
  remain with the group, ask them to make a new 
  character who does fit. Don’t be tempted to of-
  fer bonuses or reward for them to stay with the 
  party—that just reinforces bad behavior.
  When to Unleash 
  Hell on Them
  Hell takes two forms in Satan’s Playground. 
  First, there is the butchery and carnage caused 
  by the War. The second hell is that of the de-
  monic conflict plaguing Germany. 
  Mundane Hell
  Germany is not a typical fantasy land, with 
  verdant fields, knights in shining armor, happy 
  peasants who accept the presence of armed 
  strangers without a care, and shining castles 
  bedecked with fluttering pennants.
  Descriptions of ravaged settlements, black-
  ened ruins, the aftermath of wanton slaughter 
  and pitched battles, the effects of famine and 
  disease, the desperate plight of innocent 
  citizens seeking only to avoid being robbed, 
  murdered, or raped, as well as uglier events, 
  should be dripped into every scene, especially 
  when the characters are on the move.
  Not that we’re expecting you to engage 
  in long speeches about the effects of war or 
  give graphic descriptions—a mention of empty 
  villages stripped of everything of value or pur-
  pose, collections of rank corpses, or a hanged 
  body or two are enough to remind the players 
  where they are and what is taking place with-
  out turning their stomachs. Satan’s Playground 
  is literally hell on earth.
  Supernatural Hell
  Given the focus of this supplement is ac-
  tually the ongoing war between two demon 
  princes, the Gamemaster may naturally want 
  to unleash a host of supernatural fiends 
  against the characters as soon as possible. We 
  actually suggest that the supernatural be left 
  in the wings at the start of the campaign while 
  the Gamemaster firmly sets the mundane 
  scene—humans are quite capable of atrocities 
  without the aid of demons and other fiends.
  Adding a demon or monster to the mix cer-
  tainly adds excitement and an air of mystery 
  and drama, but consider having the fiend the 
  puppet of a human master (magician or other-
  wise) rather than just a “wandering monster” 
  or “monster of the week.”
  Discovering that a vampire has slaughtered 
  an entire village should send shivers down the 
  characters’ necks and have them ready to enact 
  righteous vengeance, but to learn the act was 
  ordered by a human purely for their own gain, 
  or worse, mere sport or as a test of his pet’s 
  abilities, should hopefully horrify them.
  •         •
  
  All for One: Satan’s Playground
  
  Rewards
  Players expect their characters to be re-
  warded for their deeds—the heroes need to 
  eat and replenish their supplies if nothing else. 
  Given the current plight of many citizens, pay-
  ment in hard coin is really only an option for 
  aristocrats, senior clergymen, and merchant 
  princes, and the fortunes of war may have 
  diminished even their wealth. (Soldiers often 
  looted because their employers—wealthy 
  nobles for the most part—could not afford to 
  pay them with any regularity.)
  For the average peasant, the only reward 
  they can offer is a meal, somewhere to sleep, 
  maybe some common goods (given as either 
  actual pieces of equipment or as Barter Dice), 
  a future favor, and/or their heartfelt thanks, 
  and they may be hard pressed to provide some 
  of those.
  This is not to say that the characters should 
  always be given little reward for their efforts, 
  only that hard currency is hard to come by.
  Refuge Resource
  None of the Resources are banned in 
  Satan’s Playground, so it might be that one 
  of the characters has invested in the Refuge 
  Resource. Given that Musketeers are based in 
  Paris, having a home makes perfect sense, but 
  what about in Satan’s Playground?
  Well, rather than seeing this as any sort of 
  hindrance, the Gamemaster should take this is 
  a golden opportunity for creating adventures.
  Rather than having the party follow the 
  typical route of becoming wandering swords 
  for hire (“murder hobos” in modern gaming 
  parlance), the Refuge becomes a focal point 
  for the campaign, allowing to focus on detail-
  ing a small region and its inhabitants.
  Assuming the Refuge is some sort of rural 
  manor house, there are peasants who need 
  protecting from brigands and monsters, cara-
  vans bringing precious vital supplies to protect, 
  nobles to entertain, and so on. If nothing else, 
  no character in their right mind is going to take 
  the news that a marauding army is approach-
  ing their home with a pinch of salt—defending 
  their home now becomes an adventure hook.
  Free Refuges!
  If the Gamemaster sets their campaign in a 
  fixed region, they can ensure the group has a 
  Refuge by giving them a collective Refuge: Size 
  0 or 1 Resource. Rather than giving it to the 
  group at the start of the campaign, let them 
  earn it as soon as possible.
  Perhaps the first adventure requires them 
  to aid a nobleman or cleric. In return, he be-
  queaths them a run-down but still structurally 
  sound manor house. Maybe the inhabitants of 
  a small farming village offer the characters a 
  disused farmhouse to use as they wish. The 
  latter works in the villagers’ interests as the 
  heroes now have a reason to provide further 
  defensive assistance if such is needed. 
  As a communal Resource, any character can 
  invest Experience points in improving it.
  Refuge & Equipment Bonuses
  While we’re discussing Refuges, let’s take 
  a moment to look at the Equipment bonus 
  option in general. First, let’s remember that in 
  order to gain a Refuge: Equipment bonus you 
  need to be inside the Refuge—you can’t claim 
  a Firearms bonus from your pistol collection 
  if you’re out adventuring—and the bonus can 
  be used by anyone inside with access to the 
  appropriate equipment.
  For convenience, Skills can be broken down 
  to three categories when it comes to gaining a 
  Refuge: Equipment bonus.
  Class 1
  Suggested: Academics, Art, Craft, Demoli-
  tions, Intimidation, Investigation, Linguistics, 
  Magick, Medicine, Natural Philosophy, Perfor-
  mance
  Class 1 Skills scream out to have an Equip-
  ment bonus. Academics and Natural Philoso-
  phy (a library), Art and Craft (a workshop), In-
  timidation (torture chamber), Magick (magical 
  symbols or ritual paraphernalia), and Medicine 
  •     •
  •         •
  
  Gamemaster Advice
  
  (salves, unguents, and surgical tools) are all 
  obvious candidates.
  Class 
  Suggested: Animal Handling, Con, Diplo-
  macy, Gambling, Spying, Survival
  Class 2 Skills require extra thought, but 
  nothing strenuous. Nothing in the rules says 
  that Skill bonuses have to come from individ-
  ual pieces of equipment—they can come from 
  furnishings and the ambience as well. 
  Diplomacy, even Con, might gain a boost 
  from a well-appointed room where a guest 
  feels at ease, while Performance benefits from a 
  room with great acoustics or something as sim-
  ple as a ballroom with ample space to dance. 
  Expanding into the wider grounds, which are 
  treated to individual buildings, Survival might 
  relate to a hunting estate stocked with plenti-
  ful prey (Hunting), or fields, orchards or even 
  a herb garden (Foraging).
  Class 
  Suggested: Acrobatics, Archery, Athletics, 
  Brawl. Bureaucracy, Empathy, Fencing, Fire-
  arms, Gunnery, Larceny, Melee, Ride, Stealth, 
  Streetwise, Warfare
  Class 3 Skills are the oddities. We’re not 
  claiming that boosting them would be impos-
  sible, simply that they are poor candidates. A 
  character might insist they want a Firearms bo-
  nuses inside their Refuge, but they must also 
  accept the fact that any unwanted intruders 
  also gain a similar bonus—the owner cannot 
  pick and choose who benefits. The same goes 
  for all the other combat Skills. 
  Larceny? Well, either your locks are easier 
  for anyone to pick, in which case you’re work-
  ing against any Refuge: Security bonus, or its 
  really only useful if you steal a strong box and 
  take it back to your house to crack open.
  Final Words
  Note that some Skills may only be provided 
  a bonus in some circumstances. For instance, 
  a general library is perfect for Investigation: 
  Research and maybe Investigation: Interview 
  (facts can be confirmed), but it makes little 
  logical sense that having a library is going to 
  boost Investigation: Search, especially since 
  one can only use it in one’s own house! 
  Spying, as another example, can logically 
  benefit from disguise and forgery kits, but it 
  would stretch the imagination that anyone who 
  enters the Refuge suddenly becomes more un-
  obtrusive or better at speed reading. Equally, 
  Linguistics can boost Codes, Deciphering, and 
  Translation, but aiding Gestures or Lip Read-
  ing is a step too far.
  Of course, the rules as written make no 
  exceptions, and we’re certainly not suggesting 
  they need fixing—we’re providing nothing 
  more than a little food for thought. Its ulti-
  mately up to the individual Gamemaster how 
  they interpret any rule and thus their decision 
  if the Equipment can be applied to a given 
  Skill.
  
  $22.99
  20105
  Satan’s Playground requires the All For One Régime Diabolique RPG.
  War is hell at the best of times, but it gets Worse 
  When the PoWers of hell are directly involved
  www.tripleacegames.com
  © 2018 Triple Ace Games. All for One: Régime Diabolique, Satan’s Playground and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. 
  Ubiquity Roleplaying System, Exile Games Studio, and all associated logos and trademarks are copyright, Exile Games Studio, LLC. Used with permission
  Satan’s Playground expands All for One 
  into the Thirty Years’ War, a brutal 
  conflict that is ripping Germany and 
  neighboring lands apart.
  As survivors of the ever-expanding 
  war, characters will face the ravages 
  of plague, marauding armies, cruel 
  mercenaries, Satanic cults, starving 
  peasants who will sink their teeth into 
  anything edible, and twisted fiends 
  from hell.
  All for One: Régime Diabolique is the award-winning musketeer  
  roleplaying game from Triple Ace Games.
  Contents include new character options, a history of the war as far 
  as 1636, a gazetteer detailing Germany and her neighbors, rules for 
  foraging and scavenging, diabolical mundane and supernatural threats, 
  and advice for running adventures in a war torn land.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Triple Ace Games/All For One/20105 - Satan's Playground [2018].pdf