TEXT: COPYRIGHT 2019 CHRISTOFFER SEVALDSEN
  TM
  Quickstart
  WWW.BLACKVOIDGAMES.COM
  
  2
  Credits
  credits
  ConCept & SyStem development
  Christoffer S. Sevaldsen
  editing & proof-reading
  Claudia Marina Santos Lima & Andy Staples
  deSign & layout
  Christoffer S. Sevaldsen
  artwork
  Aske Schmidt Rose, Lucca Medeiros, Ekaterina Yastrubetskaya, Jimmy Ling, 
  Tan Nguyen, Vincent Van Hoof & Christoffer S. Sevaldsen
  the BlaCk void team
  Deborah Corton, Cameron Day, Filip Melvan, Pedja (Crafty) Filipovic, 
  Yadin Flammer, Luke Maton, Bryan J. McLean & Killian DeVriendt.
  puBliShed By
  Black Void Games
  Amaliegade 13B, 3.mf.
  1256 Copenhagen K
  Denmark
  www.blackVoidgames.com
  ISBN 978-87-93781-06-1
  Product code: BVG008D
  1st edition
  © 2019 Christoffer Schultz Sevaldsen - All rights reserved.  
  No part of this publication may be reproduced, photocopied, stored in a retrieval system or 
  transmitted in any form or by any means - for example, electronic, photocopy, audio recording - 
  without the prior written permission of the publisher. 
  “BLACK VOID” logo trademarked by Christoffer Schultz Sevaldsen
  All artwork and image rights are owned by Christoffer S. Sevaldsen, Black Void Games
  Additional graphic elements are used under the full extended license from www.designcuts.com
  This is a work of fiction. Any similarity with actual people and events, past or present, is purely 
  coincidental and unintentional except for people and elements described in a historical context.
  play-teSterS
  Jakob Juel Hansen, Kevin Rørgren, Jon Vangborg, Jonas Engelhardt, Tammilee Pike, Salma Fadel, 
  Matt Wilson, Norman Lowe, Russel Craig, Mohammed Al Khan, Anandraj Singh, Omar Ismail, Kevin 
  Schluter, Deborah Corton, Bashir Wagih, Zubair Barkaat, Omar LK Sharif, William Morris & Christian 
  Llenado.
  diSClaimer
  For potentially impressionable readers/players it should be noted that this game is not meant to reflect 
  or indeed be applied to reality. The themes, events and ideas expressed in the Black Void RPG are 
  fictional and do not reflect any belief, political conviction, opinion or existential viewpoints of 
  its author(s). It is merely a game, meant to entertain and excite… Nothing more, nothing less!
  What you are holding in your hand - or indeed reading on your screen - is an introduction and quick 
  start to the tabletop role-playing game Black Void.
  If you are new to role-playing, it is a pastime and hobby that allows you to become the protagonist of 
  a dramatic story that you and your fellow players create together; communal story-telling, if you will. 
  In role-playing games one participant is the Arbiter, weaving the plot for the other players to interact 
  with and in. You - as a player - get to choose who your character (gaming persona) is, what he or she 
  looks like, what he or she says and does while you and your friends explore lost worlds, battle terrible 
  adversaries and uncover the secrets of the Cosmos.
  
  3
  In the days when Babylon was the greatest city on Earth, mankind lived in placid ignorance of the grandeur, 
  vastness and horror of the Cosmos… yet such tranquillity is not meant to persist!
  The awakening of mankind was ruthless as the heavens of Earth were torn asunder with a deafening rumble 
  like massive thunderous waves crashing against the shore. Mankind stared in horrified awe as small specks of 
  black mist appeared rapidly across the heavens. Pulsating and roiling as if somehow alive the specks began to 
  extend and grow and it appeared as if an impossibly black fog was swallowing the heavens, a surging tidal wave 
  engulfing the skies.
  Akin to staring into the unbearable blackness of a midnight ocean - not knowing what abhorrent horrors could 
  be lurking in the depths, yet still drawn irresistibly and inescapably towards it - a most primal fear gripped 
  mankind: The paralyzing terror of the unknown and the dread of complete powerlessness.
  At the centre of each speck a whirling cyclone evolved and eerie gurgling noises could be heard as if the gashes 
  in the heavens were swallowing the very air. Slowly but incontestably the skies of Earth darkened and violent 
  winds gusted towards the expanding black fog. Smokey tendrils began emanating from the gashes, pulsing as 
  if they were alive. Engrossed in terror of the abysmal spectacle mankind watched as massive formless shadows 
  could be glimpsed moving like storm-tossed waves in the darkness beyond each gash.
  Then the gashes began to implode, violently sucking in and engulfing everything in their vicinity! In inconceivable 
  panic the helpless peoples of Earth could do nothing as they were swept away by the screeching and howling 
  gales of a maelstrom pulling everything into its maw. With pleading voices mankind cried to their Gods for 
  salvation, yet no deliverance was to be found as men, women and children were sucked into the blackness of 
  the Void, leaving their dying Earth behind. 
  The obliviousness of mankind was shattered; their eyes irrevocably opened to the truth about existence, their 
  minds enlightened. The comprehension and sudden exposure to the enormity of existence and the Void 
  beyond drove many to madness. Countless perished as mankind was heaved far and wide like debris swept away 
  by the deluge of a typhoon. 
  There are places in existence where the Veil between the Void and the Cosmos is fragile and thin, where the 
  two converge and where the Void emanates openly into the Cosmos. Llyhn the eternal is one such place, and 
  it was here that the first survivors of mankind began to emerge, like driftwood washed up on distant unfamiliar 
  shores. As time passed the lone stragglers and ragged survivors were scattered among the stars, Earth seemed 
  all but a distant memory and a new era of desperate struggle for survival dawned for mankind.
  
  4
  Welcome to the Black Void role-playing game, where you 
  play a descendant of the survivors from Earth. Mankind has 
  been thrust into an outlandish subsistence at the bottom of 
  the hierarchy in the esoteric cosmopolis Llyhn the Eternal 
  - under the apathetic reign of the Unseen Rulers. It is a 
  place of wonder, intrigue and decadence, swarming with 
  outlandish lifeforms, eccentric Daimons and fickle demigods. 
  You and your fellow players are among the human survivors 
  struggling for survival in filthy alleys and shanties among 
  beggars, slaves and the casteless. It is up to you whether 
  humanity will rise to greatness or be trampled underfoot: 
  The fate of mankind rests in your hands.
  Black Void is a dark and exotic fantasy setting, where 
  characters explore mysterious new worlds; encountering 
  outlandish and bizarre species and struggle to survive 
  under a decadent tyranny while navigating the intrigues 
  within their own enclaves.
  This is not a game of “good versus evil”. Rather, 
  this game takes a less rigid approach and probes 
  the grey areas where morals depend on point of 
  view and conventional conjecture is non-existent or 
  irrelevant.
  THE ROLES OF HUMANITY
  Characters typically serve a patron, a figure 
  of importance within a human enclave, 
  WHAT YOU NEED TO PLAY
  In order to play this game, you need two or more 
  participants, at least one twelve-sided die per participant 
  (preferably more), pen, paper, an eraser, character sheets 
  (printed from the appendix) and the basic rules found in 
  this quickstart or the complete rules found in the Black Void 
  core book.
  “Simplicity grants diversity” is the primary maxim behind 
  the rules of the Black Void RPG system. The entire character 
  creation and system is based on a few basic principles, 
  making the rules easy to grasp and implement, which in 
  the end gives more time for the fun bit, namely playing the 
  game.
  D12 BASED RULES SYSTEM: In the game, everything 
  involving chance is based on rolling twelve-sided dice 
  and adding or subtracting various modifiers and penalties 
  in accordance with circumstances and your character’s 
  strengths or weaknesses. High rolls are more likely to 
  succeed while low rolls often mean failure and sometimes 
  disaster.
  EASY AND FLEXIBLE CHARACTER CREATION: The 
  basic character creation rules allow you to “build” a character 
  in six simple steps where points are spent to determine the 
  features, strengths and weaknesses of the character. The 
  six steps comprise of deciding Traits, Talents, Background, 
  Attributes, Powers and Skills. 
  TACTICAL FAST-PACED COMBAT SYSTEM: Based on a 
  strategic application of combat manoeuvres while thinking 
  creatively; combat is designed to be simple yet dramatic, 
  exciting and unpredictable, compelling combatants to adapt 
  tactics and use manoeuvres to gain the upper hand.
  NONLINEAR 
  AND 
  VERSATILE 
  CHARACTER 
  PROGRESSION: As characters progress in the game they 
  advance and develop their abilities. Players can select skills 
  and abilities freely from a vast variety of options without 
  limitations from career or class choices.
  ENLIGHTENMENT & PRESTIGE: As characters discover 
  the true nature of existence they begin to tread the path 
  of enlightenment; an ascension that brings understanding, 
  power and potency as the secrets of reality and the Void are 
  disclosed and harnessed. 
  Characters obtain influence and prestige - known as 
  “Wastah” - as they grow their reputation and influence, 
  amassing clout and authority, which in turn can be exploited 
  to achieve further accomplishments.
  the Game
  Contents
  contents
  Welcome to the Void
  performing missions to aid the fledgling influence and power 
  of mankind (or perhaps the aspirations of the patron). They 
  may travel the Void currents seeking fortune and glory 
  across a wondrous and menacing Cosmos, or even try to 
  find the lost cradle of mankind, Earth. Other characters 
  may seek to expand their influence to take their rightful 
  place as leaders among men or seek enlightenment beyond 
  the Veil of reality, in a Void haunted by mindless ghostly 
  abominations.
  CHARACTER CREATION  
   
   
    5
  Traits 
   
   
   
   
   
    6
  Talents  
   
   
   
   
    7
  Background 
   
   
   
   
    8
  Attributes 
   
   
   
   
    9
  Powers  
   
   
   
   
  10
  Skills 
   
   
   
   
   
  12
  Enlightenment and Wastah  
   
   
  14
  Sanity, movement, health and wealth  
   
  15
  EQUIPMENT 
   
   
   
   
  16
  Assorted  
   
   
   
   
  17
  Beasts, services and property 
   
   
  18
  Weaponry 
   
   
   
   
  19
  Armour  
   
   
   
   
  20
  PLAYING THE GAME 
   
   
   
  22
  Basic rules and performing actions 
   
   
  23
  Action types and combat 
   
   
   
  24
  Damage and injury 
   
   
   
  26
  Sanity and madness  
   
   
   
  27
  Character advancement 
   
   
   
  28
  ARBITRATING  
   
   
   
  29
  How to run the game 
   
   
   
  30
  Applying the rules  
   
   
   
  31
  Tables: Exceptional hits and mishaps  
   
  32
  Tables: Crippling injuries, fear and madness 
   
  33
  Sample species 
   
   
   
   
  34
  Character sheet 
   
   
   
   
  37
  
  5
  TRAITS – 24 points
  Select Trait scores by distributing the 24 allotted 
  Trait points between the eight Traits
  Each Trait ranking costs one (1) character point
  No Trait may have a score of less than one (1) - at 
  least one point must be spent in each Trait
  No more than five (5) points can be allocated to 
  any Trait
  ABILITIES – 24 points
  The 24 points must be distributed between the 
  categories: Talents, Backgrounds, Attributes, 
  Powers and Skills
  Point costs for abilities differ and range from 1 to 
  6 - refer to the category for individual point costs
  Talents may only be acquired for Traits where the 
  character has a score of three (3) or higher
  Acquiring a Talent cost 3 points
  Only characters with the Halfblood background 
  may acquire Attributes
  Skills cost one (1) point to acquire and an 
  additional point per ranking 
  A maximum of skill-ranking of three (3) can be 
  purchased during character creation
  CHARACTER POINT ALLOCATION
  character creation
  character Points
  In the Black Void RPG, you “build” your character by 
  spending points to determine the abilities and features a 
  character has. A total of 48 character points are allotted 
  for making a new character, divided between 24 points for 
  Traits and the remaining 24 points for abilities including 
  Talents, Backgrounds, Attributes, Powers and Skills. The 
  latter points may be divided among these five categories 
  any way the player sees fit so long as it complies with the 
  requirements and limitations shown below:
  Your character is human, a descendant of the survivors 
  of Earth. Mankind is largely seen as inferior and one of 
  the lesser species among the other sentient beings of the 
  Cosmos. Although rarely gifted with extraordinary abilities, 
  humans have proven to be adaptable and resilient. 
  The emergence of mankind has led to interbreeding with 
  several different sentient species and Halfbloods with 
  inhuman attributes and abilities have begun to emerge 
  among the human population. Players have the option 
  of making their character a Halfblood when choosing 
  Background.
  The first step is deciding the character’s TRAIT SCORES. 
  Traits determine the key characteristics of a character 
  defining the innate physical qualities as well as the mental 
  and social characteristics. There are eight Traits: Agility, 
  Awareness, Stamina, Strength, Intellect, Persuasion, 
  Presence and Willpower.
  TALENTS are special capacities linked to a character’s 
  Trait scores. Players can choose Talents for Traits with 
  high scores. Talents serve to give characters more 
  individuality and influence mechanics and possibilities 
  throughout the game.
  This quickstart rules set includes selected and abridged 
  parts of the Black Void RPG rules and options. The 
  comprehensive system rules and options for character 
  creation can be found in the Black Void Core Book, 
  including all talents and flaws | backgrounds | complete 
  blood ritual and mysticism | complete skill list | 
  complete weapon and armour list with modification 
  possibilities | full combat manoeuvre selection | full 
  enlightenment, ascension and prestige rules | extended 
  sanity and madness rules | full Arbiter section | 
  extensive setting background and guides to the Eternal 
  City, the Cosmos, the Void and much more. 
  Visit www.blackvoidgames.com for further details.
  
  6
  TRAIT SCORE
  DICE ROLL MODIFIER
  MEANING
  EXAMPLE
  0
  -3
  Pathetic
  The Strength of a rat
  1
  -2
  Feeble
  The Intellect of a child
  2
  -1
  Poor
  Willpower of a labour slave
  3
  0
  Average
  Ordinary score of humans
  4
  +1
  Excellent
  Presence of a palace courtesan
  5
  +2
  Formidable
  The Persuasion of a chatter broker
  Players must distribute the 24 allotted character points 
  between the eight Traits to fit the type of character they 
  want to play. Trait scores are indicators of strengths and 
  weaknesses of the character and the distribution affects the 
  characters capabilities for the entire game as Traits and their 
  modifiers are the basis for all action rolls.
  A Trait score of one (1) indicates that the character is 
  feeble within this area, while a score of five (5) indicates 
  tremendous capability.
  AGILITY: The character’s Agility score determines her 
  general coordination, balance and motor skills. The 
  character’s Agility score affects actions such as sleight-of-
  hand, hitting a target and so on. 
  AWARENESS: This Trait represents the sensory systems 
  of the character - touch, taste, sight, hearing and smell - as 
  well as an intuitive understanding of the Cosmos and Void.
  STAMINA: A character’s Stamina score determines his 
  or her state of health and endurance, and resilience to 
  disease, poison and toxins. 
  STRENGTH: This Trait illustrates the raw muscle power 
  of a character. Strength is used for lifting, pushing and 
  breaking things.
  INTELLECT: The character’s Intellect ranking indicates 
  her aptitude for logic and reason, her understanding of 
  the world she lives in, her learnt abilities and memory. 
  PERSUASION: This Trait establishes a character’s ability to 
  convince or coerce others by argument, emotive cajoling, 
  deception or cunning influence.
  PRESENCE: The character’s Presence score indicates his 
  authority, appearance and charm; the aptitude for inspiring 
  admiration, awe and occasionally fear. 
  WILLPOWER: The character’s Willpower score indicates 
  her mental fortitude and resolve, as well as resistance to 
  influence from those who may attempt to manipulate her. 
  BACKGROUND defines a character’s personal history, 
  allies, resources and ancestry. Select from several different 
  background options to provide specific in-game advantages 
  and resources for the character as well as enriching the 
  character’s backstory. 
  ATTRIBUTES - extraordinary physical characteristics such 
  as wings or horns - are available to Halfblood characters.
  POWERS are supranatural abilities characters may possess. 
  This guide includes the basic version of Blood Rituals, which 
  allow characters to practice the imbuement of boons and 
  fortune through ceremonial bloodletting rituals.
  SKILLS are the learned abilities of characters. These compile 
  all ordinary abilities acquired through training allowing 
  characters to perform complex activities or tasks within a 
  specified field such as swordsmanship, survival, commerce 
  and so on.
  traits
  
  7
  Talents accentuate the strengths of a 
  character and add flavour. They serve 
  as more than just a bonus - they help 
  you bring life to the character. Any 
  Trait with a score of at least three (3) 
  may be allotted a Talent.
  AMBIDEXTERITY means that the 
  character is equally adept in the 
  use of both right and left hand. An 
  ambidextrous character can use either 
  hand without penalty to her action 
  rolls. Furthermore, if the character is 
  using both hands simultaneously the 
  normal -3/-6 penalty is reduced to 0/-
  3.
  BRAWNY: The character is rippling 
  with 
  muscles, 
  making 
  her 
  look 
  imposing and formidable. Add +1 
  to all intimidation attempts as well as 
  dealing +1 damage with all brawling 
  attacks.
  CHARMER: The character is born with 
  a silver tongue and can make even the 
  foulest insults sound like poetry. Always 
  ready with a witty and humorous 
  remark in any social situation, the 
  character gains an automatic +1 to 
  actions involving seduction, socializing, 
  enquiry and performance.
  COLLECTED: The character has a way 
  of keeping her wits, rarely being fazed 
  or overly affected by distractions. Any 
  penalties to action rolls due to external 
  influences or injuries are reduced by 
  one (1).
  COMPOSURE: 
  The 
  character 
  is 
  naturally composed, remaining calm 
  and in control even under tense 
  circumstances. She does not usually 
  panic and can keep a level head under 
  the most strenuous circumstances, 
  gaining +1 to all fear, awe, delirium 
  and intimidation rolls. 
  DIRECTION SENSE: Your character 
  intuitively knows the corners of the 
  world, has an instinct for finding her 
  way around any place, and rarely 
  gets lost even in unfamiliar locations. 
  The character gets a +1 bonus to all 
  action rolls involving determining her 
  location, finding her way when lost, 
  reading maps and the like.
  FAST 
  REFLEXES: 
  The 
  character 
  reacts rapidly and has almost instant 
  movement in response to stimulus. 
  Having fast reflexes grants +1 to all 
  surprise, initiative and dodge rolls.
  FOCUSED: 
  The 
  character 
  is 
  particularly talented at focusing mental 
  energy at a single task. You may 
  add a +1 modifier when engaged in 
  prolonged actions, such as research 
  or crafting. Furthermore, you may 
  reduce penalties caused by external 
  distractions by a factor of one (1) from 
  action rolls.
  HIGH 
  PAIN 
  THRESHOLD: 
  The 
  character has an extremely high 
  tolerance for pain. The character gains 
  +1 to resist the effects of pain such as 
  torture and anguish. If your character 
  is Hurt (see Health Conditions the 
  Combat Rules section) you suffer no 
  penalty to actions and if your character 
  is Injured you only suffer a -1 penalty.
  INSPIRING: 
  The 
  character 
  has 
  remarkable charisma and can easily 
  appeal to and excite others. Your 
  character is the natural centre in a 
  crowd and need use very little effort 
  to get people’s attention. People will 
  naturally be drawn to the character and 
  listen intently when spoken to. Add 
  +1 to all reaction rolls and attempts 
  to influence, impress or sway others.
  MIMIC: The character is able to 
  imitate the particular mannerisms 
  and 
  behaviour 
  of 
  individuals. 
  With 
  observation, 
  research 
  and 
  familiarization, 
  the 
  character 
  can 
  emulate the behaviour, voice and 
  conduct 
  of 
  studied 
  individuals. 
  Disguises and other aids may be 
  required to complete the ruse, but 
  people unfamiliar with the subject 
  are automatically convinced, while a 
  +3 modifier is applied to convince 
  acquainted addressees that the mimic 
  is indeed who she tries to imitate. 
  SPECIOUS: The character has a natural 
  ability to appeal to people without real 
  merit or argument, spinning pleasing 
  or plausible arguments fitting what 
  the listener wants to hear. You may 
  add +1 modifier to any attempt 
  to persuade others, such as when 
  negotiating. When using skills, which 
  are normally based on Presence you 
  may use your Persuasion modifier 
  instead.
  TOUGH: 
  The 
  character 
  is 
  extraordinarily robust and able to 
  withstand tremendous amounts of 
  injury and harm. When calculating 
  Health, you may do so as if the 
  character has one higher stamina score 
  than is the case.
  QUICK THINKER: The character is 
  exceptionally 
  quick-witted, 
  making 
  swift sensible decisions in difficult or 
  dangerous situations. Add +1 when 
  dealing with diplomacy, negotiation, 
  bargaining or similar encounters. The 
  character’s ability to quickly assess a 
  situation and react accordingly also 
  grants a +1 modifier to all surprise 
  rolls.
  VIGILANT: A constant state of 
  vigilance 
  governs 
  this 
  character. 
  Noticing a disguised stalker in a 
  vast crowd or stirring from sleep as 
  prowlers are closing in are not unlikely 
  feats for the vigilant character, who 
  is always allowed an awareness roll if 
  someone is approaching or hidden in 
  the vicinity. Apply a +1 modifier to 
  all surprise rolls and spotting rolls.
  VIGOROUS: 
  The 
  character 
  is 
  particularly forceful and has a knack 
  for carrying, pulling and heaving heavy 
  objects beyond what would normally 
  be possible. When exposed to 
  prolonged physical exertion and 
  lifting or hauling objects the 
  character counts as having one 
  higher strength score than she 
  actually does.
  talents
  AGILITY
  AWARENESS
  STAMINA
  STRENGTH
  INTELLECT
  PERSUASION
  PRESENCE
  WILLPOWER
  Ambidexterity
  Direction Sense
  High Pain 
  Threshold
  Brawny
  Focused
  Mimic
  Inspiring
  Collected
  Fast Reflexes
  Vigilant
  Tough
  Vigorous
  Quick 
  Thinker
  Specious
  Charmer
  Composure
  
  8
  People are influenced and shaped by their past and history. 
  To illustrate this, players can acquire backgrounds for their 
  characters. Each background grants an in-game benefit 
  as well as giving you the opportunity to create a good 
  backstory for your character. Backgrounds have varying 
  character point costs and some have different tiers for 
  greater benefits at a higher cost.
  BACKGROUND
  POINT COST
  Caste
  0 | 1 | 3
  Contacts
  2 | 4 
  Halfblood
  1
  Local
  2
  Residence
  3 | 6
  Resources
  3 | 6
  Below you can find the explanation of each background and 
  the assets or benefits it grants your character. It is up to 
  you to determine the specific circumstances regarding your 
  attainment of the particular background and to incorporate 
  it into the character story.
  CASTE: The social hierarchy of the Eternal City is segmented 
  into groups determined by species and birth. There are 
  seven stratifications divided between casteless, low-castes, 
  commoners and high castes. Characters always begin as 
  casteless but can achieve ranks within the low-caste segment 
  by spending character points. Different castes interact 
  following strict social conventions and codes of conduct. As 
  players spend points to acquire a higher caste the amount 
  of money, resources and social standing available to the 
  character increases.
  KALBI (0): Kalbi are casteless - having no place or 
  status in the social hierarchy. They do the work that no 
  one else wants and are considered filthy, worthless and 
  barred from certain districts and areas of the city.
  BALTU (1): Largely associated with unskilled labourers 
  and slaves of negligible importance - this caste enjoys 
  few privileges and are at the very bottom of society.
  SHAHRVAH (3): Skilled labourers, craftsmen, farmers, 
  peasants and fishermen make up this caste. Although a 
  low caste they do enjoy privileges such as being able to 
  move freely around the city.
  CONTACTS: The character has a well-established 
  network of contacts. These can be from any world, 
  species and walk of life, and supply the character with a 
  variety of information. Each contact has a specific area 
  of knowledge and field of expertise within which he 
  can gain access to information or further connections. 
  Which contacts are available to a character is 
  resolved by agreement between the player and the 
  Arbiter based on the character’s history.
  2 points - The character has a few contacts with a 
  limited amount of information.
  4 points - The character has several contacts with 
  a good amount of information available within 
  differing fields.
  HALFBLOOD: Halfbloods are children of a human 
  parent and another mortal species. Although the traits 
  of their human ancestry are typically predominant, the 
  characteristics of their other blood tend to be clearly 
  evident somehow. Halfbloods may acquire Attributes 
  during character creation.
  LOCAL: The character is indigenous to a given geographical 
  area or culture, knowing the regional setting, landscape, 
  culture and history in great detail. The chosen area can be 
  any clearly defined location or culture, such as a specific 
  district or distinct tribe. An indigenous character has 
  profound insight into the culture, is very familiar with the 
  area and is acquainted with a significant amount of people. 
  Characters gain +1 to all direction, lore, reputation and 
  response rolls when in or with regards to the chosen region 
  or culture.
  RESIDENCE: The character owns a property or dwelling 
  of some sort. The residence is a place where the character 
  feels secure, avoids prying eyes and keeps her valuables and 
  possessions safe. The location, layout, size and security or 
  secrecy of the residence must be determined in agreement 
  with the GM before the game commences. Residences can 
  take many shapes and forms, ranging from opulent villas 
  to grubby hovels or even dark, damp, underground rooms 
  located in the sewers.
  3 points: The dwelling is a small chamber or other space 
  with room for only a few occupants and limited possessions.
  6 points: The residence consists of one large room or two 
  smaller rooms allowing for several occupants and substantial 
  belongings.
  RESOURCES: The character has an additional source of 
  income or resources available regardless of which caste she 
  belongs to. The nature or origin of this resource can stem 
  from a variety of sources such as dealings in contraband, 
  commerce, inheritance or whichever interesting scheme the 
  player and GM can come up with.
  3 points: Well-off (additional starting funds D12x10 
  copper Dhin and assets worth 500 copper Dhin)
  6 points: Prosperous (additional starting funds D12x25 
  copper Dhin and assets worth 1000 copper Dhin)
  BackGround
  
  9
  Attributes are physical qualities and characteristics found 
  in non-human species. Due to their mixed parentage 
  Halfbloods have the possibility of acquiring physical or 
  sensory attributes that no ordinary human have. Attributes 
  vary in character points cost as shown in the table.
  ATTRIBUTES
  POINT COST
  Adaptive pigment
  1
  Alternative Sense
  1
  Claws
  1 | 2 | 2
  Horns
  1 | 2
  Large
  2
  Wings
  1 | 2 | 3
  ADAPTIVE PIGMENT: Your character’s skin changes hue 
  in accordance with their surroundings. The character has 
  an established skin colour and changes are usually subtle 
  and corresponding to changes in light and shadows. This 
  attribute confers an automatic +1 bonus to any attempt 
  to hide. Note that any clothing worn does not change its 
  colour.
  ALTERNATIVE SENSE: Your character has an additional 
  sense, which she can use for perception of her surroundings. 
  This sense can be anything the Arbiter considers reasonable, 
  such as echolocation, the ability to hear ultra-sonic sounds 
  and so on. This Attribute does not cancel the normal senses 
  available to a character (sight, hearing, etc.). Echolocation 
  as an alternative sense would grant the character the ability 
  to detect objects and possibly shapes in complete darkness, 
  while a vomeronasal organ would allow the character to 
  “taste” odours.
  CLAWS, SMALL (1): Where ordinary people have 
  fingernails, the character has small claws that can be used 
  both as tools and for inflicting damage. The claws add +1 
  to attempts to climb and holding on, but cause -1 to actions 
  involving fine manipulation. The claws cause D4 points of 
  damage when used as weapons.
  CLAWS, RETRACTABLE (2): Small claws can be made 
  retractable at the cost of one additional character point. 
  Retractable claws eliminate the claws’ regular penalty to 
  manipulation.
  CLAWS, MEDIUM (2): The character’s fingers extend 
  into sizeable claws that can be used both as tools and for 
  inflicting damage. The claws add +1 to attempts to climb, 
  grapple and similar actions. The claws cause D6 points of 
  damage when used as weapons, but prompt -2 to all actions 
  involving digital coordination.
  HORNS: SMALL (1): Small horns or antlers protrude from 
  the characters skull and in addition to looking impressive they 
  provide the capability of butting or ramming opponents. 
  Horns can be used for charge manoeuvres and a successful 
  hit with horns causes D4 points of damage.
  HORNS, LARGE (2): The character has massive horns; the 
  skull is likely partially covered with bone-plates. Large horns 
  cause D6+1 points of damage and function like a helmet; 
  granting +1 to rolls resisting stun and reducing damage 
  from blows to the head by one (1).
  LARGE: The character is significantly larger than a normal 
  member of that species. Add +1 to strength score and 
  roll an extra D12 when determining health score. Large 
  characters however are limited when buying equipment, with 
  increases in price or lack of availability a likely consequence. 
  Large characters are more liable to be affected by cramped 
  conditions restricting their movement. Large characters gain 
  bonuses for size to grappling, knockdown, intimidation and 
  so on. 
  WINGS: The character has wings protruding from their 
  back or membranes appended to their limbs. Depending on 
  their size, wings allow the character to fly, soar or glide, but 
  may restrict freedom of movement within confined spaces. 
  Possessing wings necessitates that clothes and armour are 
  fabricated to accommodate them.
  WINGS, SMALL (1 point): The character has small wings or 
  membranes that allow gliding and controlled descend from 
  an elevated position. In Earth-like gravity characters can 
  glide a maximum distance of three metres per metre they 
  descend. On worlds with lower gravity or with favourable 
  conditions this may be increased.
  WINGS, MEDIUM (2 points): The character has medium-
  sized wings and can sustain flight for a limited time. 
  Characters are able to remain airborne for 10 minutes per 
  Stamina score, while flight beyond this period requires a 
  successful Stamina roll [6] every ten minutes. Characters 
  with medium wings can glide at a ratio of six (6) to one (1).
  WINGS, LARGE (3 points): Large wings allow for sustained 
  flight, soaring and gliding. Characters with large wings can fly 
  for a number of hours equalling their Stamina score without 
  fatigue. Flight beyond this requires a successful Stamina roll 
  [6] per hour. Stationary soaring can be maintained for up 
  to three hours per Stamina score and gliding can be done at 
  a ratio of twelve (12) to one (1).
  attriButes
  
  10
  Many Beings in the Cosmos and Void have extraordinary Powers, such as 
  manifesting phenomena defying ordinary reality, releasing the hidden powers 
  of blood through rituals or Daimonic powers inherent in entities beyond mortal 
  kin. 
  Only Blood ritual powers are presented in the Quick Start material. Blood 
  rituals deal with divination and the extraction and imbuement of boons through 
  ritualistic sacrifice and consecration of blood. The blood of the sacrificial 
  creature is used to imbue boons and fortune - granting temporary benefits - to 
  those for whom the ritual is performed. Albeit slight, there are inherent risks 
  about the practice as rituals may botch and potentially cause injury rather than 
  boons to recipients. 
  POWER
  POINT COST
  Bloodletting
  3
  Sacrificial divination
  3
  Blood Rite
  1
  The rankings in blood rituals cost three (3) character points and grants 
  access to a specific set of capabilities. 
  The initial ranking of bloodletting gives 
  the character a limited capability for 
  extracting power during a bloodletting 
  ritual and imbuing him- or herself with it. 
  As he or she progress the power can be 
  conferred to others 
  and the character can drawing on greater and 
  more specific attributes 
  from the blood.
  The first ranking in sacrificial divination grants 
  the practitioner 
  fundamental knowledge of a few basic rituals 
  and the ability 
  to superficially read the signs in sacrificial 
  divination. As 
  the character gains further rankings, he or she can obtain increasingly 
  detailed information as well as more precise answers to a wider range of 
  inquiries.
  Blood Rite rankings provide the practitioner with a +1 modifier when 
  trying to carry out a Blood Ritual of any type.
  BLOODLETTING
  EFFECT
  Ranking 1
  The practitioner may perform 
  one bloodletting ritual per day 
  imbuing a boon on him- or 
  herself.
  Ranking 2
  The character can perform 
  one ritual per day infusing a 
  boon on him- or herself. The 
  character adds +1 to the 
  potency roll.
  Ranking 3
  The ritualist may perform 
  up to two ceremonies per 
  day and can confer extracted 
  boons to self or another. The 
  character may add +1 to the 
  potency dice and choose the 
  boon freely from the cluster of 
  results.
  DIVINATION
  EFFECT
  Ranking 1
  The character may perform one 
  divination per day. The player can 
  make a simple inquiry to know 
  whether an outcome to a course 
  of action or a prospect is possible 
  or not. 
  Ranking 2
  The practitioner can perform one 
  sacrificial divination per day. The 
  player may make a simple query 
  to know whether an outcome 
  to a course of action is likely or 
  unlikely.
  Ranking 3
  The character may perform two 
  divination rituals per day and is 
  able to pose a compound question 
  with several possible outcomes, 
  learning the probable likelihood of 
  each if possible.
  PoWers
  
  11
  The B lood Ritual
  the Blood ritual
  BOON AND FORTUNE IMBUEMENTS
  ROLL
  BOON OR FORTUNE
  1
  The character has Composure* for the next 12 hours 
  2
  The character has Alertness” for the next 12 hours
  3
  The character is Collected* for 12 hours 
  4
  The character is Focused* for the next 12 hours
  5
  Once within the next 12 hours increase one physical Trait by 1 for one hour (player’s choice)
  6
  Once within the next 12 hours increase any one Trait by 1 for one hour (player’s choice)
  7
  Good fortune: Ignore one Critical Failure within 12 hours (player’s choice)
  8
  Any one roll of 11-12 counts as an exceptional success within the next 12 hours (player’s choice)
  9
  Excellent Luck: Gain +1 to one action roll within the next 12 hours (player’s choice, must be 
  declared before the roll)
  10
  Re-roll one action dice roll within 12 hours (player’s choice, the second roll is binding)
  11
  One action within 12 hours will automatically succeed, no action roll required (player’s choice)
  12+
  All rolls of 11-12 count as an exceptional success within the next 12 hours
  A sacrificial creature must be acquired and prepared with 
  sacred icons or marks drawn upon it while incantations of 
  consecration are spoken for the ritual. The player makes 
  an action roll, adding modifiers for preparation, Blood 
  Rite ranking and any other relevant factors to the roll. The 
  difficulty of the roll is determined by the Blood Potency 
  of the sacrificial creature. Blood Potency is calculated 
  by totalling all the Trait scores and innate abilities of the 
  sacrificial creature, such as Talents, Attributes and so on.
  A roll equalling or exceeding the difficulty denotes a success 
  and the designated recipient receives a boon or fortune: A 
  temporary enhancement or bonus ability for the character.
  BLOOD LETTING
  BLOOD POTENCY
  DIFFICULTY
  BOON IMBUEMENT MODIFIER
  BACKLASH MODIFIER
  <9
  7
  0
  0
  10-18
  9
  +1
  +1
  19-27
  11
  +2
  +2
  28+
  13
  +3
  +3
  Once a ritual is performed successfully the practitioner 
  makes a roll on the boon and fortune imbuments table, 
  adding relevant modifiers to the roll. He or she may imbue 
  any one of the results up to and including the rolled number 
  onto the recipient. If the Blood ritualist succeeds and rolls 
  a 7 on the Boons Table she can choose any result from the 
  range 1-7. The chosen effect occurs immediately and lasts 
  for the noted amount of time. An exceptional success allows 
  the practitioner to add a +1 modifier to her imbuement 
  roll on the Boons and Fortunes table as well as doubling the 
  effect period.
  BOTCHED RITUALS
  On a critically failed roll the practitioner has botched 
  the rite - causing a sudden violent and uncontrollable 
  conveyance of raw power. The recipient is unable to retain 
  the released power and must make a successful Stamina roll 
  - the difficulty is the same as the Blood Ritual difficulty - 
  or suffer a backlash. If failed, make another roll and refer 
  to the Bloodletting backlash table for the outcome; effects 
  ranging from mildly bothersome to severely injurious.
  
  12
  S ki lls
  skills
  Skills are learnt abilities used when 
  characters attempt to perform actions 
  in the game. Characters are assumed 
  to know fundamental skills such as how 
  to light a fire, tie a basic knot, simple 
  cooking and so on, so these do not cost 
  any points to obtain nor should they be 
  listed on the character sheet. Obtaining 
  a skill costs one (1) character point and 
  a further point for each ranking during 
  character creation. Each ranking grants 
  a +1 modifier to skill rolls, increasing 
  the chance of success.
  RANKING
  COST
  MOD
  DESIGNATION
  DESCRIPTION
  -
  -
  -3
  Untrained
  The character is completely unfamiliar with the skill
  0
  1
  0
  Dabbler
  The character is vaguely familiar with the fundamentals
  1
  2
  +1
  Initiate
  Can accomplish a few basic feats without instruction
  2
  3
  +2
  Novice
  The character knows rudimentary techniques and theory
  3
  4
  +3
  Apprentice
  The character has mastered basic techniques and principles
  While some skills require a specific 
  subject to be chosen when acquiring it, 
  most skill definitions are quite broad 
  and encompass an entire field, topic 
  or practice. While skills are associated 
  with differing Traits depending on their 
  application, combat skills are always 
  associated with the Agility Trait.
  ACROBATICS: Acrobatics is the 
  art of various movement techniques 
  involving feats of balance and agility. 
  This skill can be used when doing 
  somersaults, back handsprings, scaling 
  steep surfaces as well as balancing acts, 
  acrobatic leaps and jumps. 
  ATHLETICS: The athletics skill covers 
  a wide range of physical capabilities 
  such 
  as 
  running, 
  jumping, 
  swimming, climbing and throwing. 
  This skill is applicable for extensive 
  or extraordinary physical exertion. 
  Which trait is applicable for 
  athletic actions depends entirely 
  on the feat being attempted: An 
  extensive sprint may use Stamina, 
  where leaping between rooftops 
  would 
  apply 
  the 
  Strength trait.
  C O M M E R C E : 
  Commerce is the 
  ability to appraise, 
  buy and sell goods, 
  bartering 
  prices 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  identifying 
  potential 
  buyers 
  and 
  trade 
  routes. 
  Bartering 
  is 
  used 
  when negotiating prices and trading 
  deals. Successful bartering confers 
  a 5% increase or decrease in price 
  per score value you overcame the 
  opposing trader, up to maximum 5% 
  per Commerce skill ranking of the 
  character.
  COMMON LORE: Common Lore 
  is basic knowledge about a chosen 
  subject, a culture, species or world – 
  and this skill gives insight into matters 
  such as habits, traditions, religious 
  practices 
  and 
  other 
  noteworthy 
  INTIMIDATION: 
  Intimidation 
  is 
  employed when a character wants to 
  coerce, discourage, impede or simply 
  frighten people. The purpose of 
  intimidation is to compel someone to 
  do what you want by using direct or 
  subtle threats.
  LARCENY: Theft and robbery is 
  commonplace and most residents in 
  slums and other poor neighbourhoods 
  are at least familiar with the larceny 
  skill. Larceny encompasses most skills 
  employed by thieving and pilfering 
  gits: The art of lock-picking, setting 
  and disarming traps, hiding stolen 
  information related to the chosen 
  subject. Common lore is usually 
  acquired through interaction with the 
  given subject, not through scholarly 
  studies.
  ENQUIRY: This skill revolves around 
  investigating by questioning, research, 
  finding key people with relevant 
  information and reviewing the found 
  information. Knowing whom to ask and 
  the right questions to ask is vital - the 
  enquiry skill allows prompt, thorough 
  and systematic investigations.
   
  HERBALISM: 
  Herbalism 
  is 
  the 
  knowledge of herbs, fungi and other 
  plants with nutritional, aphrodisiac, 
  hallucinogenic, 
  remedial 
  or 
  detrimental 
  properties. 
  Herbalism 
  allows a character to identify and 
  distinguish between numerous plants 
  and furthermore to curate and prepare 
  these to create various balms, teas, 
  ointments, poisons and the like. 
  goods, picking pockets, swindling and 
  so on. 
  NAVIGATION: The navigation skill 
  is employed when trying to charter a 
  course, traversing unknown territory, 
  reading maps, calculating routes and 
  for cartography.
  OBSERVATION: The character is 
  trained in the art of scrutiny and 
  examination. The observation skill can 
  be used for a variety of purposes such 
  as searching an area to find concealed 
  objects or traps, following tracks, 
  noticing out-of-place behaviour and 
  largely for detecting anything out of 
  the ordinary.
  SOCIALIZE: Social competence can 
  be as imperative to character survival 
  as the ability to swing a scimitar. 
  The socialize skill confers the ability 
  to effortlessly mingle and partake 
  in social situations while steering 
  conversations, 
  subtly 
  influencing 
  the mood or otherwise pushing an 
  agenda. The socialize skill provides 
  the habits necessary for acting and 
  participating within society by 
  applying moral norms, attitudes, 
  values, motives and social roles.
  STEALTH: The ability to move 
  undetected, hiding and otherwise 
  avoiding unwanted attention. 
  Stealth 
  is 
  used 
  when 
  a 
  character attempts to blend 
  
  13
  SKILL
  ASSOCIATED TRAIT(s)
  Acrobatics
  AG / STA / STR
  Athletics
  AG / STA / STR
  Commerce
  PERS / INT / PRE
  Common Lore
  INT
  Enquiry
  INT / AWA / PRE / PERS
  Herbalism
  INT / AWA
  Intimidation
  PRE / STR / PERS / INT
  Larceny
  AG / INT / PERS
  Navigation
  INT / AWA
  Observation
  AWA
  Socialize
  PRE / PERS
  Stealth
  AG
  Streetwise
  INT
  Subterfuge
  PERS / INT
  Survival
  AWA / INT
  into a crowd, shadow someone, hide 
  from prying eyes or cover her tracks 
  from a pursuer. Stealth actions are 
  usually contested with the opposing 
  individual using his Awareness as basis 
  for his skill-roll. 
  STREETWISE: Streetwise entails the 
  knowledge and shrewd resourcefulness 
  needed to survive in the rough 
  streets of an urban environment. The 
  streetwise skill can be used to identify 
  likely 
  cooperative 
  individuals 
  and 
  whom to avoid, which areas of a city 
  to steer clear of and where opportunity 
  may be found. Streetwise gives insight 
  and ability to handle gangs, thugs and 
  street-rats as well as the jargon and 
  behaviour necessary to avoid a slit 
  throat.
  SUBTERFUGE: Subterfuge is used 
  when your character intentionally 
  attempts to deceive someone or 
  misrepresent the true nature of an 
  activity or object. This skill is used if 
  a character wants to mislead people, 
  create forgeries or disguise her own 
  appearance.
  SURVIVAL: This skill covers the 
  various aptitudes needed to survive in 
  the wild. This includes being able to 
  create shelter, foraging, hunting and 
  so on. Additionally, survival allows a 
  character to find passable trails and 
  navigate when travelling in wilderness.
  
  14
  Combat  Ski lls
  comBat skills
  AXES: This skill grants your character the ability to fight 
  with all manners of axes and other bladed weapons mounted 
  on short to medium length shafts such as crowbills.
  BLADE WEAPONS: Swords range from single-edged sabres 
  and short swords used in one hand to massive great scimitars 
  requiring both hands to be wielded. The blades skill enables 
  characters to competently use any type of sword.
  BOWS: The bow skill covers the capability to efficiently 
  nock, aim and fire arrows from any type of bow.
  DODGE: This skill gives characters the ability to dodge 
  incoming close combat attacks or impacts. Dodge can also 
  be used in non-combat situations if a character is trying to 
  avoid collisions.
  POLEARMS: This skill covers long-shafted weapons of 
  different varieties such as glaives, halberds and spears.
  SMALL BLADE WEAPONS: Using a small blade as a 
  weapon rather than a utility tool requires skilfulness and 
  schooling. This skill allows characters to proficiently use any 
  knife, dagger or other small bladed weapon in close combat.
  UNARMED: The art of unarmed close combat uses the 
  body itself as a weapon. Characters trained in unarmed 
  combat increase their damage to D4 rather than the regular 
  D3.
  COMBAT SKILL
  ASSOCIATED TRAIT
  Axes
  AG
  Blade weapons
  AG
  Bows
  AG
  Dodge 
  AG
  Polearms
  AG
  Small blade weapons
  AG
  Unarmed
  AG
  enliGhtenment
  In the war for survival understanding is often more powerful 
  than a strong arm. The illuminated mind sees the greater 
  mysteries of the Cosmos revealed, while the ignorant 
  merely see earth, air and water. Enlightenment is not 
  knowledge as such, but an intuitive understanding 
  of matter and form, chaos and Cosmos, reality and 
  unreality. As characters explore and gain understanding 
  of Existence they become enlightened and obtain 
  abilities no ordinary human has.
  Most characters begin play with an Enlightenment 
  score of zero, signifying that they have no real 
  understanding of what is beyond the apparent 
  Cosmos.
  Enlightenment 
  cannot 
  be 
  purchased 
  during 
  character creation and advancement is separate 
  from ordinary character progression, occurring only 
  as the character discovers the secrets of existence 
  and as determined by the Arbiter. Each ranking 
  grant extraordinary abilities and powers 
  when achieved.
  Wastah
  In the Eternal City, everything is about whom you know. 
  Being well-connected goes beyond caste and social status, 
  and personal prowess is often insignificant compared to 
  the power of influence. In game terms, this influence is 
  called Wastah. Wastah - or clout if you prefer - is a factor 
  significantly impacting the possibilities of characters as it 
  confers sway, authority and dominance that can be used to 
  impact social situations, push agendas and influence people.
  Similarly to enlightenment, Wastah cannot be purchased and 
  most characters begin play without it. Wastah achievement 
  is likewise story-driven and separate from ordinary character 
  progression. Wastah ranks are obtained through interaction 
  with others and tied to specific individuals or factions with 
  whom a character has gained influence. A Wastah score 
  of zero indicates that the character has no social clout 
  whatsoever, whereas a higher score means the character 
  is influential with certain people or factions in accordance 
  with the character’s relations and past.
  APPLYING Wastah
  Each ranking in Wastah carries an intrinsic bonus to the 
  character, such as getting a +1 reponse modifier when 
  dealing with a certain species or faction and so on. However, 
  
  15
  sanity
  The Cosmos, and particularly the Void, is not a place for 
  the fainthearted, and the sanity of characters is constantly 
  under threat. A character’s Sanity score determines how 
  much fear and anxiety she can withstand before risking 
  mental deterioration and eventual madness. To establish a 
  character’s Sanity a player multiplies his or her Willpower 
  score by six (6) and ads D12. While characters have a 
  fixed base Sanity score, the actual number fluctuates during 
  sessions as characters are subjugated to horrific occurrences 
  and lose points as a consequence. As a character’s Sanity 
  points diminish the risk of mental volatility and insanity 
  increases.
  moVement
  The character’s Health score designates her physical 
  condition and how much damage and injury she can take. 
  To establish the amount of health the player must multiply 
  the character’s Stamina score by six (6) and add D12.
  While a character has a fixed base score of Health, the 
  actual score varies throughout the game because of injuries. 
  As characters lose Health points they suffer detrimental 
  effects until they have recovered. A character reaching zero 
  Health points is rendered incapacitated and will eventually 
  die unless cared for.
  health
  Movement indicates how fast a person is able to walk, run 
  or sprint in the game. This factor is used when calculating 
  the distances characters can travel in a given amount of 
  time and how fast they can move during combat. Normal 
  movement is calculated as kilometres per hour while 
  combat movement is measured in metres per combat round 
  (3 seconds).
  MOVEMENT
  POINT COST
  Walking (km/h)
  5 + STR mod
  Running (km/h)
   as walking x2
  Sprinting (km/h)
  as walking x4
  Combat (m/3 sec)
  as walking
  caste & Wealth
  All characters begin with a few basic necessities and 
  possessions such as clothing, a utilitarian small blade as well 
  as a sum of money based on their caste. These funds can be 
  used to buy additional equipment or saved for use later in 
  the game. Refer to the Equipment section for further details 
  on purchasing equipment.
  CASTE
  WEALTH
  EQUIPMENT & PROPERTY
  Kalbi
  10 + D12 
  copper Dhin
  Ragged clothing or a 
  waistcloth, a rusty dagger 
  (poor quality), threadbare 
  sandals and a few personal 
  items. 
  Baltu
  20 + D12 
  copper Dhin
  Worn clothing and sandals or 
  slippers, a dagger and a poor-
  quality weapon of choice, a 
  bag and a few basic supplies.
  Shahrvah
  40 + D12 
  copper Dhin
  Regular clothes and a cloak, 
  turban or other headgear, 
  slippers or boots, a dagger, 
  some supplies of choice and a 
  basic quality weapon.
  You have now completed the fundamentals of your 
  character and as the finishing touch you must name and 
  equip your creation. Human names tend to reflect the 
  character’s ancestral civilisations and cultures of Earth. 
  The list below contains some of the more common 
  names used by humans in the Eternal City.
  NAMES
  Abadan
  Aimai
  Ahra
  Amara
  Agarah
  Achala
  Cheherazad
  Gulandam
  Dara
  Chavy
  Channa
  Chamali
  Dehmeher
  Hirabai
  Heng
  Chenda
  Daham
  Dayani
  Ishvat
  Meher
  Narin
  Mealea
  Mahesh
  Jayana
  Raham
  Tanaz
  Sann
  Sathea
  Ranasha
  Namal
  players can also choose to utilise their influence to directly 
  affect a situation to the character’s advantage during game-
  sessions. This means that the character calls in a lot of 
  favours to achieve a goal, at the cost of depleting some of 
  the influence he or she has. The player must declare that 
  she uses her Wastah in this way and then remove a Wastah 
  point - and associated bonus - from her character sheet. 
  This use of Wastah can achieve one of the below effects, 
  disregarding caste and status:
  • Force one or several people of lower Wastah to 
  comply with a request or command
  • Persuade one or several people of higher Wastah to 
  bestow preferential treatment
  • Gain access to restricted or privileged facilities, 
  information or people
  • Obtain backing, funding or assistance to further an 
  agenda or achievement
  
  16
  Characters start the game with basic clothing and equipment 
  befitting their caste and may purchase further items using 
  the starting funds available to them.
  QUALITY: The quality of equipment influences how well 
  it works - having a direct impact on action rolls - as well as 
  its cost. The quickstart rules cover three equipment quality 
  categories.
  The included equipment lists are not comprehensive but 
  give an idea of the prices and commodities available in 
  Llyhn. All equipment, items and services listed are of basic 
  quality.
  eQuiPment
  QUALITY
  MODIFIER
  COST ADJUSTMENT
  Poor
  -1 penalty
  x 0,5
  Basic
  No modifiers
  No adjustment
  Superior
  +1 modifier
  x 5
  Superior (+1 to hit)
  Basic  (no modifier)
  Poor  (-1 to hit)
  
  17
  ASSORTED EQUIPMENT
  ITEM
  DESCRIPTION
  AVAILABILITY
  COST
  Bag
  Made from hemp, leather or fabric this is a simple container 
  for goods and items.
  Common
  3 Dhin
  Bandages
  Scraps of cloth used for binding wounds
  Common
  1 Dhin
  Bone needle (thread)
  Needle for everyday as well as surgical needs
  Common
  2 Dhin
  Bread
  A loaf of flatbread is the basic daily meal
  Common
  1 Dhin
  Cape/Cloak
  A long piece of cloth draped from the shoulders as 
  protection from weather.
  Common
  3 Dhin
  Clay tablet
  A tablet made from wet clay in which to imprint letters and 
  numbers using a stylus (reed pen). 
  Common
  1 Dhin
  Clothes, fine
  Rich clothes including gloves, shawls and other accessories 
  associated with the lifestyle and fashion of the wealthy.
  Uncommon
  50 Dhin
  Clothes, regular
  Ordinary clothing of basic quality.
  Common
  5 Dhin
  Cylinder seal
  A cylindrical signatory device used as a roller stamp.
  Common
  10 Dhin
  Herbal tea
  Tea is for anything from medicinal purposes to social and 
  religious ceremonies.
  Common
  2 Dhin
  Oil lamp, clay
  Clay lamp with oil for lighting 
  Common
  3 Dhin
  Oil lamp, copper
  Copper lamp with oil for lighting 
  Common
  30 Dhin
  Poppy juice
  Intoxicating liquid used to numb and sedate
  Uncommon
  20 Dhin
  Rope, hemp
  A twined piece of rope up to 20 metres long.
  Common
  3 Dhin
  Stylus (reed pen)
  A writing utensil typically made from reed.
  Common
  5 for 1 Dhin
  Water/Wineskin
  A soft bag made from skin to hold liquids
  Common
  3 Dhin
  BAG: The most ordinary form of 
  container. Bags take many shapes; 
  most are simple pouches with attached 
  straps for easy carrying made from 
  cloth, hemp or leather.
  BANDAGES: Scraps of cloth or a 
  similar material cut into strips fitting to 
  bind wounds and keep broken limbs in 
  place. 
  BONE NEEDLE: Needles made from 
  carved bones are as effective for sewing 
  cloth and leather for a clothier as for 
  skin and flesh on the physician’s table.
  BREAD: Bread is a base necessity for 
  survival and the price is therefore used 
  as an everyday gauge for wages.
  CAPE/CLOAK: Capes are commonly 
  worn over clothing to give added 
  protection 
  against 
  the 
  elements, 
  whether this is scorching sun or heavy 
  rainfall.
  CLAY TABLET: The most common 
  type of writing implement. Clay tablets 
  can be dried in the sun, which leaves 
  them fragile yet reusable as they can be 
  soaked in water and the writing erased, 
  or they can be fired in a kiln making 
  them set but durable.
  CLOTHES, FINE: The aristocracy and 
  high castes of the Eternal City follow 
  produce light for extended periods of 
  time using oil to fuel a burning wick. 
  Usually fitted with a handle to allow 
  easy transport, oil lamps are by far 
  the most common light source in the 
  Eternal City.
  POPPY JUICE: Poppy juice is dried 
  latex from the poppy plant used as an 
  intoxicant or stupefacient and sedative 
  by physicians. A mild concoction of 
  poppy juice negates penalties from 
  pain or injury for D3 hours. A medium 
  concoction also causes intoxication and 
  impaired judgement while a strong 
  concoction causes the drinker to 
  become unconscious.
  ROPE, HEMP: Made from spun 
  hemp fibre rope is used in all 
  aspects of daily life and can carry 
  heavy loads.
  STYLUS: Styluses are writing 
  utensil typically made from reed, 
  bone or wood. The stylus is 
  used by pressing the wedge-
  shaped point into soft clay, 
  forming letters.
  WINESKIN: A bag that is 
  made from the skin of an 
  animal and used for holding 
  wine, water or other 
  liquids.
  the whims of fashion, always seeking to 
  outshine each other with new cuts and 
  colours. This helps keeping the clothiers 
  busy and charging extravagant costs; 
  the more flamboyant and impractical 
  the better.
  CLOTHES, 
  REGULAR: 
  Utilitarian 
  work-clothes in a durable but simple 
  and preferably inexpensive material 
  fitted to the species and culture. 
  Regular clothes usually consist of a 
  tunic or similar top and a skirt or 
  breeches
  CYLINDER SEAL: A small round 
  cylinder engraved with writing or 
  images used for pressing into wet clay 
  leaving an impression. Primarily a 
  signature device, cylinder seals are also 
  used for notarization, as jewellery or 
  hallowed charms to be worn. Cylinder 
  seals are commonly carved from 
  stone or another durable material for 
  longevity.
  HERBAL TEA: An aromatic drink 
  prepared from herbs or cured leaves 
  boiled in water. Some brews are 
  purely for pleasure while others have 
  medicinal properties or hallucinogenic 
  effects.
  OIL LAMP: Mainly made from clay, 
  copper or bronze, oil lamps are able to 
  
  18
     BEASTS OF BURDEN & RIDING ANIMALS
  ANIMAL
  SIZE
  HEALTH
  MOVEMENT
  CARRYING CAPACITY
  RARITY
  COST
  Akopi
  Large
  20
  12
  120 kg
  Uncommon
  180
  Beetle, draught
  Large
  34
  5
  500 kg
  Common
  300
  Tipar
  Medium
  24
  8
  180 kg
  Common
  150
  BEETLES, DRAUGHT: Large and giant beetles have been 
  domesticated and used as draft animals in Llyhn and on many 
  different worlds. Their compliant demeanour combined 
  with considerable strength and stamina make them ideal 
  draft animals. All giant beetles share a basic anatomy of 
  having six legs and a hard exoskeleton, but vary immensely 
  in size, colouration and head structures. As male beetles 
  tend to be territorial they are rarely used as draft animals, 
  but frequently used in staged fights for entertainment or 
  wagering.
  RED-BACKED TIPAR: This stubby species of herbivore is 
  easily recognisable by its short trunk, sensory appendages 
  and coat of short stripped-and-spotted reddish brown fur. 
  Although reluctant to carry riders tipars are superb pack 
  animals due to their sturdy physique. Tipars fare equally 
  well at night or day as poor eyesight means they rely mainly 
  on their sensitive ears and a keen sense of smell to detect 
  surroundings and danger.
  AKOPI: The blue-tongued akopi are a species of quadruped 
  herbivore standing about as tall as a human at the shoulders. 
  The distinctive reddish-brown fur, soft back quills as well as 
  striped hindquarters and legs make them easily recognisable 
  while serving as camouflage in their natural forest habitat. 
  Akopi are caught in the dense jungle and foothills 
  surrounding Llyhn and over time can be domesticated to 
  serve as mounts. Akopi are easily trained, making them 
  prized mounts
  SERVICES & PROPERTY
  SERVICE
  DESCRIPTION
  QUALITY
  COST
  Attendant
  A hired servant
  Basic
  20/week
  Drink
  Watered wine, ale or similar
  Basic
  1
  Meal, basic
  Bland meal
  Basic
  2
  Physician
  Remedial attention
  Basic
  30
  Room, guesthouse
  Accommodation for one night including a meal
  Basic
  10/night
  Slave, educated
  Slave able to teach, administrate and govern households
  Basic
  1000+
  Slave, house
  Slave to serve and attend in the household
  Basic
  250+
  Slave, labour
  Slave for menial and manual labour
  Basic
  100+
  ATTENDANT: An attendant is 
  a hired servant who will attend 
  his 
  employer, 
  run 
  errands, 
  support endeavours and make 
  purchases.
  DRINK: A glass of watered 
  wine, ale or other drink from 
  an establishment or a drink 
  from water carriers roaming 
  the streets peddling cups of 
  water across the Eternal 
  City. 
  SLAVES: 
  Labour 
  slaves 
  are 
  the 
  cheapest and most common in Llyhn; 
  they work the fields and mines, carry 
  goods and perform menial tasks. House 
  slaves comprise a group of assorted 
  roles in households, mansions, temples 
  and palaces where they function as 
  servants, cooks, cleaners and so on. 
  Educated slaves are rare and often 
  serve as tutors for children, overseers 
  of entire households or as specialised 
  retainers for their owner.
  MEAL, BASIC: A bland meal consisting 
  of bread, vegetables and some type of 
  meat providing basic sustenance.
  PHYSICIAN: Physician is a term 
  widely used for anyone dealing with 
  disease, injury and curative practice, 
  such as surgeons, herbalists and so on. 
  Physicians charge for appointments and 
  further for remedial work performed.
  ROOM, 
  GUESTHOUSE: 
  Renting 
  a room with a bed at a moderate 
  establishment in the Eternal City.
  
  19
  WeaPonry
  Sentient beings have always used weapons to hunt or fight. 
  Weapons are categorised into groups (i.e. swords, spears, 
  etc.) and although variations may occur within each group, 
  the general properties and applications of all weapons within 
  a group remain virtually the same.
  For gaming purposes, each weapon group has been given a 
  set of designations with corresponding figures determining 
  the qualities, characteristics and potential effects of a 
  weapon. The designations are presented in the weaponry 
  list and are as follows: Name, Type, Size, Range, Damage 
  Potential and Properties.
  Type indicates whether a weapon is a melee, a missile or a 
  thrown weapon.
  The Size indicates the Strength score needed to efficiently 
  use the weapon. Should the combatant lack the required 
  strength score indicated by the weapon size, a -1 penalty 
  must be applied to initiative and attack rolls for each point 
  of difference between the two scores.
  Range determines how far a reach each weapon has. There 
  are three range categories for melee weapons: Close, 
  adjacent and near. Close range indicates that the weapon 
  can be used against opponents within touch-distance, 
  adjacent have a a one- or two-metre radius of the wielder. 
  Near range designates shafted and other handheld weapons 
  with extended reach of up to three or four metres, and can 
  be used within adjacent range as well. 
  Missile weapons have fixed ranges divided between: short, 
  medium and long range. For ranged attacks penalties are 
  applied to attack rolls illustrating the increased difficulty 
  of hitting faraway targets. Short range attacks incur no roll 
  modifier. Attacks aimed at targets in medium range incur a 
  -1 penalty to the attack roll, while long range attacks entail 
  a -2 penalty to the roll.
  Damage indicates the amount of injury the weapon inflicts. 
  Roll the designated dice, add Strength modifiers and reduce 
  the Health points of the target accordingly.
  Properties describe any attributes a weapon might possess, 
  such as being particularly useful for parrying, piercing 
  armour, requiring two hands to use and so forth.
  WEAPONRY
  NAME
  TYPE
  SIZE
  RANGE
  DAMAGE
  PROPERTIES
  AVAILABILITY
  COST
  Battle Axe
  Melee
  4
  Adjacent
  2D6
  -
  Rare
  60
  Bow
  Missile
  4
  50/75/100
  D6
  Piercing [2], Two-handed, Nocking
  Common
  60
  Dagger
  Melee
  1
  Close
  D4
  -
  Common
  10
  Glaive
  Melee
  3
  Near
  2D6
  Two-handed
  Uncommon
  35
  Halberd
  Melee
  4
  Near
  2D6
  Two-handed, Piercing [1] / +1 dmg
  Uncommon
  50
  Short Sword
  Melee
  2
  Adjacent
  D6
  Parry
  Common
  30
  Sword
  Melee
  3
  Adjacent
  D12
  Parry
  Uncommon
  50
  BATTLE-AXE: The battle-axe is a brutal weapon devised to 
  cause massive amounts of damage. It comes in numerous 
  shapes and sizes, with a wooden or metal shaft and a mounted 
  blade, ranging from the customary triangular blade, to long 
  or broad curved blades, inverted crescent-shaped blades 
  and even forked blades. Due to its cumbersome handling, 
  the battle-axe is traditionally utilised by proficient warriors 
  and very few others. 
  Size: 4
  Range: Adjacent (1)
  Damage: 2D6
  BOW: The bow is a common tool used for hunting and 
  warfare alike. It is a prized weapon that grants good range 
  and reliability and can cause a fair amount of damage. A 
  bow requires significant strength to be used effectively. 
  It can be made from a myriad of materials, ranging from 
  wood and bamboo to bone, horns and tusks.
  Size: 4(1)
  Range: Ranged (50/75/100)
  Damage: D6
  Properties: Piercing [2], Two-handed, Nocking
  DAGGER: Daggers and similar short blades are the most 
  commonly used tools and weapons on virtually any world. 
  Beggars, soldiers and viziers alike carry daggers, be they 
  ornate and priceless or simple utilitarian tools. Most daggers 
  in Llyhn have wide, curved blades and are approximately 
  two hands long, but almost any design can be procured 
  in the various bazaars. The dagger category comprises and 
  include any type of short blade, dirk, stiletto, knife and 
  punching dagger.
  Size: 1
  Range: Close (0)
  Damage: D4
  GLAIVE: The most common pole arm in Llyhn is the glaive. 
  The shaft of a glaive is customarily two metres long and has 
  a curved blade of approximately half a metre mounted atop. 
  Its effective range averages at about three metres. Glaives 
  are challenging to use in confined fighting conditions, but 
  their long range and commanding aspect make them ideal 
  for soldiers and guards.
  Size: 4
  Range: Near (4)
  Damage: 2D6
  Properties: Two-handed
  
  20
  HALBERD: The halberd combines the slashing capabilities 
  of a long-shafted axe with thrusting attack of a spear. 
  Attacking with a halberd can be either a swing using the axe-
  like blade, conferring a +1 damage bonus or thrust using 
  the spear-like tip bestowing the Piercing [1] property. While 
  the significant reach and diverse functionality of halberds 
  make them a formidable choice of weapon confined fighting 
  conditions are severely hampering.
  Size: 4
  Range: Near (4)
  Damage: 2D6 +1 damage or Piercing [1]
  Properties: Two-handed
  SHORT SWORD: The short sword tends to be half a metre 
  long and is primarily used for stabbing, as opposed to 
  traditional swords that are more frequently used for cutting 
  and slashing. Not as cumbersome or brutal as conventional 
  swords, the short sword is the weapon of choice for many 
  due to its convenience and efficiency especially in close-
  quarter combat.
  Size: 2
  Range: Adjacent (1)
  Damage: D6
  Properties: Parry
  SWORD: Swords are used by and reflect many different 
  cultures and species and can be found in virtually any 
  imaginable style, shape and size. Curved blades, double-
  curved or straight swords ranging from crude utilitarian 
  blades to elegant ceremonial swords and the list goes on. 
  Many species residing in Llyhn favour a single-edged, 
  curved and tapered blade, such as the saif, scimitar, talwar 
  and shamshir, which can be wielded in one hand.
  Size: 3
  Range: Adjacent (2)
  Damage: D12
  Properties: Parry
  W eapon  Properti es
  WeaPon ProPerties
  NOCKING: Once an arrow has been loosed, another must 
  be readied, nocked and drawn, which takes time. Using a 
  bow will subtract three (3) from initiative roll if arrows are 
  readily available (already held or stuck in the ground next 
  to the archer) or six (6) if the arrow must be pulled from 
  a quiver. 
  PARRY: The defender may utilise the Parry combat 
  manoeuvre without suffering any penalties (see the 
  combat section for rules).
  PIERCING: Upon a successful hit, armour-piercing 
  weapons diminish the effect of protective equipment, 
  by negating a certain amount from the Armour Value. 
  The specific armour value reduction is noted in the 
  weapon description and usually lies between 1 and 4. 
  If an opponent is not wearing any armour, a piercing 
  weapon has no added effect.
   
  TWO-HANDED: Certain weapons require the use 
  of two hands to be used efficiently. This is either 
  due to the weapon being too heavy to wield without 
  the added strength or it simply being inoperable 
  without the use of two hands - as is the case with 
  bows.
  armour
  While some species have natural protection in the form of 
  thick tough skin, scales or an exoskeleton, most sentient 
  species have had to develop armour to protect themselves 
  from attacks.
  In the game mechanics armour reduces the amount of 
  damage your character sustains when hit by an attack. Each 
  piece of armour has a predefined damage reduction value. 
  When damage from a successful blow has been calculated 
  you may decrease it by the armour damage reduction 
  accordingly. The subsequent total is the amount of Health 
  points the character loses from the hit.
  Armour is divided into categories depending on their 
  specific placements, and the various categories can be 
  combined to provide greater protection, i.e. cumulative 
  damage reduction, but only one category of armour can be 
  worn in any one placement at a time.
  The damage reduction value for a combatant is calculated 
  as a total amount regardless of where the armour pieces are 
  placed on the body. This means that damage will always 
  be decreased by the total amount of armour damage 
  reduction, unless a called attack to a specific body part has 
  been performed, in which case only the armour covering 
  this area is applicable.
  For gaming purposes, each particular piece of armour has a 
  set of designations and values corresponding to the qualities, 
  characteristics, usage and capabilities. The designations 
  presented in the armour list are as follows: Type, Material, 
  Category, Damage Reduction, Bulk and Properties. 
  There are seven Types of armour commonly found across 
  the Cosmos (three are included in the quick start rules): 
  fabric, scale, lamellar, mail, laminated, splint and plate. 
  Each type is distinct from the others in its fabrication and 
  basic properties.
  Material designates which primary material has been used 
  for this piece of armour.
  Category indicates which kind of armour it is as well as the 
  placement or application of it.
  Damage Reduction determines the amount of protection 
  the armour grants its wearer; in terms of the amount of 
  damage it negates.
  Bulk determines the Strength score necessary for using 
  the armour without suffering penalties when performing 
  physical actions. For every point a combatant does not 
  meet the required Strength score she receives a -1 penalty 
  to any physical actions requiring Agility, including attacking 
  and defending (potentially reducing Defence Value).
  Properties describe any additional assets or detriments of 
  the armour.
  
  21
  ARMOUR
  TYPE
  MATERIAL
  CATEGORY
  DMG Reduction
  BULK
  PROPERTIES
  COST
  FABRIC ARMOUR
  Layered Cloth
  Torso
  1
  1
  15
  Padded Leather
  Torso
  2
  2
  35
  Studded Leather
  Torso
  2
  2
  35
  Hardened Leather
  Torso
  3
  2
  50
  SCALE ARMOUR
  Leather
  Torso
  2
  2
  25
  Leather
  Full Body
  4
  3
  Rigid
  65
  Metal
  Torso
  4
  3
  80
  Metal
  Full Body
  8
  4
  Cumbersome
  520
  SPLINT ARMOUR
  Metal
  Torso
  4
  3
  90
  Metal
  Full Body
  7
  4
  Rigid
  360
  BRACERS
  Leather
  Arms
  1
  -
  10
  Metal
  Arms
  2
  +1*
  35
  * No Bulk if worn alone / +1 if combined with other armour pieces
  FABRIC ARMOUR
  Fabric armour is the oldest, simplest 
  and most widespread form of armour. 
  It cannot be tied to any one species 
  or place and it is found across many 
  worlds among both primitive and 
  civilised cultures. Armour consisting 
  of layered fabric, cloth or hide 
  protects the wearer from the 
  impact of strikes as well as cuts and 
  is a cheap and relatively effective 
  form of defence.
  BRACERS
  These 
  pieces 
  of 
  armour 
  cover 
  the lower arm providing limited 
  protection to a wearer. Bracers can 
  be fabricated in various armour 
  types and materials such as splint or 
  scale armour. 
  SCALE ARMOUR
  This type of armour comes in many 
  varieties and materials but essentially 
  consists of scales laced or otherwise 
  tied to each other in connected 
  rows on a fabric foundation. While 
  scale amour is usually found as 
  shirts covering only the torso 
  and with short sleeves, long scale 
  coats covering the entire body or 
  fashioned to accommodate the limbs 
  of the wearer do exist. Scale armour 
  provides substantial protection but 
  because the scales are sewn in close-
  set rows and cannot turn back on 
  each other it has an inherent lack of 
  flexibility.
  SPLINT ARMOUR
  This type of armour consists of straight 
  metal splints joined in convex sections, laced 
  together to protect the wearer. Usually backed 
  by leather or joined by straps at the ends this 
  not only secured the splints but also protects 
  the wearer from potentially sharp edges.
  Armour Properti es
  armour ProPerties
  Scale armour
  Studded leather armour
  CUMBERSOME: 
  Either 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  construction or sheer weight of materials 
  this armour is heavy and cumbersome, 
  making movement difficult. All Agility 
  actions involving full body movement 
  suffer a -1 penalty and the basic 
  movement rate of the wearer is reduced 
  by one (1).
  RIGID: The inflexibility of this 
  armour inhibits the movement of 
  the wearer. Wearing this armour 
  will give a -1 penalty to Agility 
  actions requiring the use of the 
  entire body, such as Acrobatics, 
  Dodge and Defence modifiers.
  
  22
  PlayinG 
  the Game
  
  23
  Basic rules
  As the newly created characters embark upon strange, 
  exciting and possibly horrifying adventures they must 
  perform incredible feats and face fearsome opponents. 
  The game system and mechanisms are designed to control 
  and handle all this. The following section details the rules 
  regarding actions, combat and other aspects needed to play 
  the game. 
  As in the actual world, things do not always work out the 
  way your character intend them to. To mimic the part of 
  fortune, dice rolls determine the success or failure when 
  actions are performed. Not everything is left to chance 
  of course, and the characters’ abilities factor into the rolls 
  adding bonuses or penalties depending on skill-rankings and 
  so on. Some actions are so simple or inconsequential that a 
  dice roll is not needed, but whenever an action is complex 
  or the outcome is important to the story a dice-roll is 
  generally required. The primary dice used in the Black Void 
  RPG are twelve-sided (D12 in game-terms). 
  P er forming  actions
  PerforminG actions
  capable characters more likely of succeeding. Oftentimes 
  the player does not - and should not - know the difficulty 
  he or she is trying to beat, while at other times the Arbiter 
  openly informs how difficult a task is.
  MODIFIERS: Actions always correspond with a specific 
  Trait and often also with a related Skill, Power or other 
  ability, which add modifiers to dice-rolls. The higher the 
  Trait and relevant skill-ranking a character has, the better 
  the modifier. Skills, Traits and abilities confer modifiers 
  as shown in the table. If an action requires a skill that a 
  character does not have, a penalty of -3 is applied to the 
  roll. External conditions - for example weather - may also 
  be relevant and add modifiers to action rolls as shown in the 
  table below.
  EXCEPTIONAL SUCCESS: An unmodified action-roll of 
  12 confers an enhanced consequence as the character has 
  managed to perform the action perfectly. If a natural roll of 
  12 is not enough for ordinary success - for instance when 
  rolling against difficulty 14 - an exceptional success does not 
  occur, but allows a second roll added to the first to see if 
  you can beat the difficulty and succeed the action.
  CRITICAL FAILURE: Whenever a natural 1 is made 
  on an action-roll, the attempt is always a failure and a 
  critical one at that. The Arbiter generally decide which 
  catastrophic consequence occur as a result, while in 
  some cases - such as combat - a table dictates the 
  specific consequences.
  ACTION ROLL MODIFIERS
  MODIFIER
  TRAIT SCORE
  SKILL RANKING
  ITEM QUALITY
  ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
  -3
  0
  Unskilled
  Dark/very bright/storm or partially blind
  -2
  1
  -
  Major Distraction
  -1
  2
  -
  Poor
  Rain/dusk/windy or Minor distraction
  0
  3
  0
  Basic
  None
  +1
  4
  1
  Superior
  +2
  5
  2
  In the game, players declare what their characters are 
  doing and which actions they are taking. To determine 
  the success or failure of these actions the game resorts to 
  rolling a twelve-sided dice: The higher the roll, the greater 
  the chance of success for an action; the lower the roll, the 
  bigger the risk of failure. Similarly, a high roll will cause a 
  substantial outcome while a low roll will bring about a lesser 
  effect. The point of simple rules is that they can be made 
  to fit anything an inventive Arbiter or player can come up 
  with, thus granting endless possibilities within the game.
  ROLLING THE DICE AND RESOLVING ACTIONS
  Each action has a difficulty. To resolve an action the player 
  rolls a D12 and adds relevant modifiers to the roll. If the 
  result equals or exceeds the difficulty of the action the 
  character is successful. If the total is less than the difficulty, 
  the character has failed. The average difficulty for an action 
  is seven (7). An average difficulty action would therefore 
  need a result of 7 or higher (roll + modifiers) to be 
  successful.
  ACTION DIFFICULTY
  The difficulty rating is determined either on the spot by the 
  Arbiter, with reference to a generic rating - noted in [] - or 
  by a set difficulty such as the opponent’s Defence Value in 
  combat. Action rolls are influenced by applying bonuses or 
  penalties based on the character’s abilities and skills; making 
  
  24
  Action Types
  action tyPes
  BASIC ACTION: This type of action revolves only around 
  the innate capacities of the character and therefore only 
  Trait modifiers apply. No Skill, Power or other ability is 
  ever applicable to a basic action, but the modifier or penalty 
  of the associated Trait is doubled.
  STANDARD ACTION: A standard action encompasses 
  the use of a skill, power or ability. All relevant modifiers 
  are added to the roll and if the total equals or exceeds the 
  difficulty the action is successful.
  SEQUENTIAL ACTION: This is a series or sequence of 
  actions where the overall success depends on cumulative 
  success of each individual roll. Each individual action must 
  be successful for the following action to commence.
  OPPOSED ACTION: Certain activities comprise two or 
  more people competing at a single task and trying to beat 
  each other. All participants make an action roll, add their 
  respective modifiers and the contender with the highest 
  total succeeds.
  RESISTED ACTION: When a character passively resists an 
  action, relevant opposing Trait and Skill modifiers are added 
  to the difficulty of the roll. Resisted actions do not affect 
  the action-roll, but rather the difficulty rating of the action.
   
  COOPERATIVE ACTION: When two or more characters 
  are helping each other perform an action, one is designated 
  as the primary doer. The primary character makes a roll 
  adding her relevant modifiers to the roll. In addition to this 
  she may add the relevant modifiers divided by two, rounded 
  up, from supporters participating in the cooperative action.
  Acti on  Consequences
  action conseQuences
  While most actions simply denote whether a character has 
  succeeded at something or not, some actions require an 
  additional roll to define the actual consequences of the 
  success; as in case of combat where the amount of damage 
  caused must be determined by a dice-roll. In some cases - 
  like crippling injuries or failed sanity rolls - tables have been 
  developed to provide a range of consequences.
   THE COMBAT ROUND
  Step 1: 
  Initiative roll 
  All combatants 
  roll D12 and add 
  Agility, fast reflexes, 
  swiftness and other 
  applicable modifiers.
  The character with 
  the highest total 
  acts first, while 
  the rest follow in 
  order. 
  Step 2: 
  Declare 
  and resolve 
  actions
  In order of initiative 
  all combatants state 
  which action they 
  intend to perform, 
  resolve the action 
  and establish 
  consequences.
  Combat actions 
  are divided into: 
  Movement, 
  Combat 
  Manoeuvres, 
  Miscellaneous and 
  Extended.
  WHO GOES FIRST? All involved combatants roll a D12 
  and add the applicable modifiers. The combatant with 
  the highest total score acts first and then the remaining 
  combatants act in descending order. If two or more 
  combatants have the same score they are considered to be 
  acting simultaneously. Once the order of initiative has been 
  determined it remains the same throughout the encounter.
  COMBAT ACTIONS: Declaring a combat action simply 
  means informing the Arbiter which action the character 
  intends to perform during the combat round. Players take 
  turn based on their initiative score, choosing various forms 
  of attack or defence and moving around the battlefield from 
  the list of actions and manoeuvres.
  REACTIONS: Some manoeuvres can be used even though 
  it is not the character’s turn to act; these are called reactions. 
  A reaction manoeuvre is typically a defensive manoeuvre 
  such as dodge. To use a reaction during combat, an action 
  must be directed towards the character and the character 
  reacting cannot have acted previously in this combat round. 
  A reaction must be declared immediately after an action has 
  been announced and before it is resolved. The initial action 
  then becomes an opposed action gainst the reaction.
  RESOLVING COMBAT ACTIONS
  A combat action is resolved in the same way as any other 
  action: By rolling D12 and adding applicable modifiers 
  against a difficulty - the Defence Value of the target. The 
  applicable attack modifiers are Agility, relevant combat skill 
  and abilities. The higher a characters Defence Value, the 
  harder he or she is to successfully hit and therefore injure. 
  A character’s basic Defence Value is always 7. Agility 
  modifiers, defence skill and other ability-based modifiers 
  adjust the Defence Value. If the attack roll including 
  modifiers is equal to or higher than the opponent’s Defence 
  Value, the attack is successful and the damage and/or effect 
  can be resolved.
  EXCEPTIONAL HITS: When a combatant manages to roll 
  an unmodified 12 for her combat action and the attack 
  hits its target exceptional and extensive injury is caused. To 
  illustrate this the attacker may make an additional roll on 
  the exceptional hits table for extraordinary injury effects. 
  CRITICAL MISHAP: In case a combatant rolls a natural 1 
  for a combat action, the attack not only misses its mark but 
  also cause a mishap to occur. The combatant must make 
  a roll and the Arbiter refers to the critical mishap table to 
  determine what follows.
  comBat rules
  As the game progress the characters are bound to 
  face encounters likely leading to violence. The combat 
  mechanics are designed to generate action, drama 
  and excitement as blades clash and battle ensues. To 
  make the process easy and fluent, combat is divided 
  into simple rounds considered to last roughly 
  three seconds in game time. During a round each 
  combatant can declare, perform and resolve one 
  or more actions. Once all combatants have acted 
  the combat round is over and - depending on the 
  outcome - the conflict is either resolved or another 
  combat round begins.
  
  25
  COMBAT ACTIONS
  All-out Attack
  +3 attack mod | -3 defence mod
  Backstab
  +3 attack mod | 11+ exceptional hit (surprise/weapon size <2 only)
  Called Attack
  -3 attack mod | hit specific area
  Defensive Stance
  Add combat skill to Defence | +1 to resist Knock-down
  Disengage
  Disengage opponent | Half Move
  Dodge
  Opposed roll to avoid attack (reaction/delayed)
  Draw or Grab Item
  Half Move | Equip weapon/item
  Engage
  Half Move | Engage opponent | Perform manoeuvre/action
  Flee
  Run or sprint | Free opponent attack opportunity
  Grapple
  No dmg | -3 attack mod | Opposed roll to pin opponent
  Knockdown
  No dmg | Opposed roll to knock opponent down
  Move
  Normal Move distance
  Parry
  Opposed roll to avoid attack (reaction)
  Run
  Double Move | Opponent Missile -1
  Standard Attack
  Normal attack | Normal dmg
  Various
  Use a power, attribute, skill or ability (possible sequential or extended)
  ALL-OUT 
  ATTACK: 
  With 
  this 
  manoeuvre, the attacker unleashes a 
  barrage of strikes; slashes and blows 
  with little concern for personal safety. 
  The combatant may make a single 
  attack with a +3 modifier, but suffer 
  a -3 to his own Defence Value and 
  may not perform any other actions this 
  combat round.
  BACKSTAB: A backstab manoeuvre 
  is an attack performed from a blind 
  angle as a surprise attack. A backstab 
  necessitates that the target is either 
  surprised or unaware of the attacker. 
  A backstab has a +3 modifier and 
  will cause an exceptional hit on a roll 
  of 11+. Due to the nature of the 
  manoeuvre this attack can only be 
  performed with weapons of size 2 or 
  smaller.
  CALLED ATTACK: A called attack 
  is used when a combatant attempt to 
  hit a specific part of an opponent’s 
  anatomy. The attacker determines 
  the intended hit location and makes 
  an attack roll applying a -3 penalty. 
  This attack form allows a combatant 
  to target an unprotected body part to 
  avoid armour or to induce a special 
  consequence such as tripping someone 
  up and so on.
  DEFENSIVE STANCE: When assuming 
  the defensive stance a combatant gives 
  full attention to avoiding getting hit 
  by giving up all attack opportunities. 
  The combatant may add her combat 
  skill modifier to her Defence Value 
  and gets a +1 bonus to resist getting 
  knocked down. 
  DISENGAGE: 
  A 
  character 
  may 
  disengage an opponent and move up 
  to half her movement rate without 
  granting the opponent a free attack 
  opportunity. The opponent is - of 
  course - allowed to follow the character 
  with his own action if he has any actions 
  left this combat round.
  DODGE 
  (Reaction): 
  The 
  dodge 
  manoeuvre allows combatants to avoid 
  being hit by dodging and evading 
  attacks aimed at them. A dodge 
  action is an opposed action versus an 
  incoming melee attack. A successful 
  dodge indicates that the combatant has 
  avoided the incoming strike; suffering 
  no damage or other effects. Note that 
  characters are only allowed to dodge 
  attacks from opponents whom they 
  can see - attacks from the rear or blind 
  spots cannot be dodged.
  DRAW 
  OR 
  GRAB 
  ITEM: 
  A 
  combatant may draw a weapon or grab 
  a nearby item and move up to half her 
  movement rate during a combat round. 
  If a character is engaged in combat 
  while performing this action she cannot 
  move as she is busy trying to avoid the 
  opponent’s blows simultaneously. 
  ENGAGE: A combatant who is moving 
  to engage an opponent may move half 
  her movement rate and perform a 
  manoeuvre or action.
  FLEE: A combatant may turn tail 
  and flee from an opponent moving 
  at running or sprinting speed. Fleeing 
  allows an adjacent adversary a free 
  attack action.
  GRAPPLE: A combatant can attempt 
  to pin an opponent by successfully 
  making a called attack followed by 
  an opposed Strength roll. If the 
  attack is successful, the victim is held 
  immobilized and cannot perform any 
  actions until she breaks free. Any 
  attempt to wrestle free after being 
  pinned requires an opposed roll with 
  a -1 penalty from the victim. This 
  attack causes no damage unless an 
  exceptional success is rolled.
  KNOCKDOWN: A combatant may 
  attempt to use a body-slam or heavy 
  weapon to knock an opponent off her 
  feet. A knockdown is a standard attack, 
  which - instead of damage - triggers an 
  opposed Strength roll to determine if 
  the target is rendered prone. Strength 
  and other relevant modifiers are 
  applicable. Creature size adds +3 
  modifier to the roll for each size 
  category difference to the larger of 
  the two. In case of an exceptional 
  success the knockdown also causes 
  damage.
  MOVE: A character that is not 
  engaged in close combat may 
  move her full combat movement 
  rate during a round. If she 
  moves through an opponent’s 
  reach during the move the 
  opponent can use his or her 
  action to attack the mover as 
  a reaction.
  PARRY (Reaction): Parrying 
  involves 
  a 
  combatant 
  using her weapon to 
  
  26
  deflect an incoming strike from an opponent. The defender 
  must declare her intend to parry an incoming attack before 
  the attack roll has been resolved. The parry action is an 
  opposed action with the defender using his or her combat 
  skill against the attack roll. If the defender’s roll equals 
  or surpasses the incoming attack roll it is parried and no 
  damage is caused. Any weapons without the parry property 
  will be affected by a -1 penalty to parrying attempts.
  RUN: A character may run at twice her movement rate 
  during a combat round. Missile attacks against the character 
  will suffer a -1 penalty during this round. The runner may 
  be attacked if he or she enters an opponent’s striking range. 
  A character breaking out of a run to perform another action 
  will suffer a -3 to initiative.
  STANDARD ATTACK: A standard attack is any regular 
  strike, slash, thrust, throw or shot intended to hit and injure 
  an opponent. When attacking the player rolls D12 and 
  add the Agility modifier, relevant combat skill and other 
  applicable modifiers. If the total exceeds or is equal to the 
  opponents Defence Value the attack is a success and the 
  player may roll for damage.
  VARIOUS: A character may utilize any power, ability, 
  attribute or skill at her disposal during combat. Usually an 
  initiative modifier is associated with this.
  damaGe & injuries
  CRIPPLING INJURIES: Suffering massive damage or being 
  the target of an exceptional hit occasionally causes a crippling 
  injury. When a crippling injury occurs roll D12 and refer to 
  the crippling injury table to determine the effect.
  HEALTH CONDITIONS: Sustaining damage and the 
  subsequent loss of Health Points is more than a simple 
  countdown to incapacitation - pain, fatigue, shock and 
  disability follow in the wake of injury. To illustrate the 
  body’s response to injury four conditions define the 
  detrimental effect. 
  BRUISED: Losing up to half of the total amount of 
  Health means that a person is wounded but suffering no 
  penalizing effects.
  HURT: While a character has less than half of his or her 
  original Health points (rounded up) all action rolls are 
  made with a -1 penalty.
  INJURED: Once a character has less than a quarter of 
  their original Health points (rounded up) all actions 
  have a -3 penalty.
  INCAPACITATED: Upon reaching zero Health points a 
  character is incapacitated and unable to act. A character 
  in this state will eventually die from bleeding or injuries 
  unless treated. Bleeding out takes a number of combat 
  rounds equal to half her total starting Health points 
  minus the amount of damage she is below zero. 
  DEAD: If a character is ever injured to the point of 
  being below minus half her total starting Health point 
  she is dead. 
  RECOVERY & HEALING INJURIES: With rest and care 
  injuries will heal in time. When wounds heal the character 
  regains Health points until she has reached her beginning 
  total amount. The amount of Health points regained per 
  day equals the character’s Stamina score, hence a character 
  with a Stamina score of three (3) will regain three Health 
  points per day if under proper care. If wounds are not 
  bandaged or rest is not received, injuries heal only at a rate 
  of 1 Health point per day.
  This section deals with the damage and injuries combatants 
  sustain when they are hit.
  DAMAGE: When a combatant is hit he suffers injury, which 
  in game mechanics is measured as a loss of Health points. 
  To determine the amount of damage incurred, the attacker 
  makes a roll using the dice stated in the weapon description 
  and adds applicable modifiers. Hand-wielded weaponry 
  typically allows the addition of the Strength modifier. The 
  total is the amount of Health points the target loses.
  ARMOUR: Having tough hide, wearing armour or other 
  protective gear negates some of the damage sustained from 
  attacks, reducing the loss of Health Points. Whenever your 
  character suffers an injury from an attack you may reduce 
  the amount of Health points lost by an amount equalling 
  the character’s Damage Reduction.
  MASSIVE 
  DAMAGE 
  & 
  INSTANT 
  INCAPACITATION: 
  Suffering 
  immense 
  damage in an instant causes severe trauma, 
  leaving the body broken and scarred, possibly 
  even resulting in paralysis, shock or outright 
  death. A character losing more than 
  half of her total starting amount of 
  Health points from a single blow 
  immediately suffers a crippling 
  injury.
  
  27
  sanity & madness
  The sanity and sensibilities of sentient beings are fragile 
  and the Cosmos is not a kind nor forgiving place. Brutal 
  empires and eldritch alien species wage endless wars across 
  the worlds; unleashing terrible horror and malice as they lay 
  waste to each other. Perfidy and cruelty is commonplace, 
  terrible things lurk in the shadows, and always the mindless 
  abominations of the Void encroach upon the Cosmos. 
  This section deals with threats concerning characters 
  mental health. The first section covers Fear, one of the 
  mental effects impacting characters instantaneously and 
  temporarily, while the second part focuses on the gradual 
  descent into degeneration and eventual madness.
  Fear
  fear
  SANITY CONDITIONS: Exposure to abhorrent incidents 
  and Cosmic horrors affects the sanity of any mortal and 
  in game terms this means a loss of Sanity Points; as the 
  character’s tenuous grasp on rationality is slowly weakened. 
  To illustrate this, four conditions define the detrimental 
  effects of sanity loss.
  LUCID: Losing up to half of the total amount of 
  Sanity means that the character might be upset by her 
  experiences, but suffers no harmful effects.
  ANXIOUS: If a character has less than half of her 
  original Sanity points (rounded up) madness rolls have 
  a +1 modifier.
  DISTURBED: When a character has less than a quarter 
  of original total Sanity points left (rounded up) madness 
  rolls are made with a +3 modifier.
  RAVING: Upon reaching zero Sanity points the 
  character is considered to have lost all sense and 
  sensibility, screaming at imagined horrors - or real ones 
  if the situation dictates. Although - at the Arbiter’s 
  discretion - it is possible to be nursed back to some sort 
  of sanity.
  REGAINING SANITY: Mental faculties are not regained 
  quite as easily as Health and require longer recovery time. 
  Consulting spiritual advisors or extended respites providing 
  quiet and calm, may soothe the mind allowing characters to 
  regain Sanity points. The Arbiter determines the recovery 
  rate and time depending on the circumstances and severity 
  of the sanity loss.
  Characters who explore the Cosmos seeking enlightenment 
  and riches often find themselves in sinister places, facing 
  atrocities and horrors. When a character is faced with a 
  fearsome encounter, a Fear roll is required to determine 
  whether she can remain composed or succumbs to primal 
  fear. How fearsome an encounter is, and the difficulty of 
  the mental effect roll is termed as a fear rating.
  Mildly shocking sights may have a Fear rating of [3] while a 
  scene of utter carnage would be [9]. Only events deriving 
  from supranatural causes can have a Fear rating higher than 
  9.
  When the Arbiter has declared that a fearsome encounter 
  or event occurs the players must make a Basic action roll 
  modified by Willpower against the Fear ranking to resist 
  the effects. If the roll is failed, the character succumbs to 
  the fear and must make a further roll referring to the Fear 
  Effect table.
  While most fear effects are temporary and fade as soon as 
  the character has departed the source of fear, high rolls 
  with particularly impactful results may cause a character to 
  lose a Sanity point, bringing her one step closer to the edge 
  of madness. When one or more sanity points are lost the 
  character suffers a temporary insanity and must make a roll 
  on the Madness table.
  
  28
  character adVancement
  As characters explore; discover and learn, they gain 
  experience, which translates into additional points that can 
  be spent to improve skills and abilities or to acquire new 
  ones. After each session or adventure the Arbiter awards 
  each character an amount of experience points based on 
  the session’s achievements, character efforts or good 
  roleplaying. 
  The areas of character progression covered in the quick 
  start are limited to skills and powers as these are learned 
  or developed abilities. Players are free to choose any skill 
  or ability they want for their character as long as the 
  requirements stipulated in the character creation chapter 
  are met. From a story-telling perspective however, players 
  should be encouraged to choose progression that makes 
  sense for the character in terms of what he or she has 
  focused on in the game. For instance, a character that has 
  spent an entire session employing diplomacy and subterfuge 
  to infiltrate the court of a sultan would hardly be disposed 
  to gain a ranking in swordsmanship.
  SKILL & ABILITY ADVANCEMENT
  While the method for character advancement and spending 
  experience points is fundamentally the same as in character 
  creation, costs are slightly different. As it is inherently more 
  difficult to achieve high mastery than it is to acquire basic 
  familiarity; it becomes progressively more expensive to 
  acquire higher rankings in Skills and Abilities during character 
  progression. Whilst one point equated one ranking during 
  character creation, the cost of subsequent advancment is 
  the same as the ranking the character wants to achieve. 
  Note that skills and powers with a beginning cost of 3 points 
  - such as the Bloodletting power - are progressively more 
  expensive as well. If a character wishes to develop more 
  than one rank at a time, each intervening rank must be 
  purchased as well; to move from rank 2 to rank 4 costs 7 
  points - 3 points to attain rank 3, then another 4 to attain 
  rank 4.
  ADVANCEMENT POINT COSTS
  RANKING
  MODIFIER
  COST
  0
  0
  1
  1
  +1
  1
  2
  +2
  2
  3
  +3
  3
  4
  +4
  4
  5
  +5
  5
  6
  +6
  6
  ENLIGHTENMENT ADVANCEMENT
  In the Black Void, sentient beings are often 
  driven by a desire for insight; understanding 
  and the power it brings. This is known as 
  enlightenment: An inexplicable awareness 
  and sentience about the Cosmos; Void and the 
  duality of existence. Enlightenment edifies 
  the mind, allows characters to traverse 
  the Void and potentially changes the essence and even 
  physical nature of a being. Enlightenment works differently 
  from ordinary character advancement mechanically as it is 
  achieved through epiphany rather than training. There are 
  tiers of enlightenment, each adding a further capability to 
  a character. 
  The Arbiter alone decides if and when a character reaches 
  and indeed advances in enlightenment. This should always 
  be caused by or interwoven with an encounter with an entity 
  or other Void influence. The first sign of enlightenment 
  is that an individual intuitively begins to comprehend the 
  fundamental relation between the Cosmos and the Void.
  This allows a character to sense areas where the Veil 
  between the Void and Cosmos are thin and can evolve 
  into the ability to navigate and traverse the Void. As a 
  character’s enlightenment increase she begins to change and 
  physical effects of the ascension begin to manifest, imbuing 
  the character with new abilities, attributes or talents.
  WASTAH ADVANCEMENT
  The struggle for survival and 
  ultimately a rise to power 
  requires influence and mandate. 
  Wastah means that the character 
  knows people in the right places 
  and has the clout to make them 
  exert their authority on his or 
  her behalf. Wastah grants overt 
  influence and social advantages 
  allowing 
  characters 
  to 
  rise 
  above their station and ascend 
  to the pinnacles of power.
  Each achieved tier of Wastah 
  signify the rising  authority, 
  mandate 
  and 
  societal 
  prominence of the character. 
  Gaining 
  Wastah 
  is 
  story-
  driven, prompted by the 
  characters’ 
  exploits 
  and 
  activities and awarded by the 
  Arbiter when a character has 
  beholden an individual or 
  group of power.
  
  29
  arBitratinG
  
  30
  hoW to run the Game
  Now you have the basic components and mechanisms used to 
  play the Black Void role-playing game. As mentioned above, 
  you need two or more 
  participants to play. One is 
  the Arbiter, while the 
  others are players. Each 
  player has his or her 
  character, which they 
  control throughout the 
  game while the Arbiter 
  is in control of all other 
  aspects of the game, 
  establishing the basic plot and 
  events for the players 
  to explore. His or her task is to 
  be the moderator, 
  determining the encounters, 
  locations, mood, 
  atmosphere and concept, 
  which 
  the 
  characters navigate and act 
  in as well as the actions and 
  reactions of the non-player 
  characters and adversaries. 
  Since 
  the 
  Arbiter 
  needs 
  to 
  manage everything going on in 
  the game, it is important that he 
  or she has a firm grasp of the rules 
  and mechanics, an imaginative mind, 
  a 
  knack for telling stories and building drama, 
  as well as a good sense of fair play and an eye 
  for detail. 
  You - as Arbiter - are responsible for outlining 
  the plot the players are to lead their characters 
  through. Some Arbiters like to invent their own 
  campaigns while others prefer using pre-made 
  adventure modules. There is no right or wrong 
  way of going about it; the primary objective is that 
  everyone has fun.
  When planning a session, it is a good idea to 
  incorporate the ideas and wishes of the players 
  to make sure that everyone is invested in the 
  game.
  It is important for Arbiters to note that the 
  rules and setting is very much a framework, rather 
  than highly rigid and detailed set of commandments. 
  Participants - and particularly you as Arbiter - are 
  not only invited to introduce your own ideas into 
  the game, you are implored to do so. The reasoning 
  is that this will not only enrich the environment and 
  story, it gives all involved a sense of belonging by 
  being active contributors.
  Setting
  settinG
  Concept & Themes
  concePt & themes
  as mankind and - as it turned out - many others. Where 
  some Cosmic worlds resemble Earth, others are alien and 
  esoteric; some supporting grand civilizations while others 
  are completely devoid of life. In contrast, the Void is 
  an entirely alien and bizarre domain; an ethereal ocean 
  constantly fluctuating, and its 
  depths inhabited by 
  unimaginable life forms. The 
  Void is chaos and 
  catalyst as opposed to the 
  order and constancy 
  of the Cosmos.
  A metaphysical entity 
  - known as the Veil 
  - divides and screens 
  these contrasting spheres 
  from each other. But 
  the Veil is unstable, allowing 
  the influence of 
  one to emanate into the 
  other. 
  There 
  are places where the Veil is 
  p e r f o r a t e d 
  to such an extent that the 
  boundary 
  between the Cosmos and 
  Void is 
  muddled. These areas are 
  known as border worlds.
  The central arena of the game 
  is Llyhn the eternal, a border 
  domain located at the heart of a 
  massive convergence of Void-currents. 
  Llyhn is a principal hub and waypoint 
  connecting major trade routes and a vibrant 
  melting pot of species from across the known 
  Cosmos, as well as more esoteric entities from 
  beyond the evident world. A main staging point for 
  exploration of the unknown reaches of the Cosmos, 
  Llyhn is a median port and cosmopolis. Independent 
  from external influence the city is considered neutral 
  ground and hosts numerous diplomatic missions 
  from across the Cosmos making it a natural place 
  for enlightened species to congregate; attracting 
  cultural tensions, social intricacies, religious polemic 
  and political rivalry while immense armies are 
  accommodated for transit under the watchful eyes 
  of the masked Hohr’loh’kin, the extended arm of the 
  Unseen Rulers of Llyhn.
  This is a game revolving around the fall and subsequent 
  resurgence of mankind - allowing players to focus on 
  the personal struggle and story of their own characters 
  or expand and put emphasis on the fate of humanity as 
  a species and the part they play in this.
  IN THE UNKNOWN
  How does humanity fit into a Cosmos it knows little about 
  and where the possibilities are endless? Encountering sentient 
  species whose mentalities are as alien as their appearance is 
  unnerving and bound to make humanity question what has 
  previously been taken for granted.
  BEYOND THE HORIZON
  Exploring the Cosmos and faced with adversity, political 
  intrigue and cultural tension on a scale unknown to 
  humanity, players must cope or risk becoming collateral 
  damage in the struggles of uncaring factions. 
  WHAT IS HUMANITY?
  Rootless and without ethos, humanity must define and 
  establish itself - leaving the players to decide what humanity 
  is and what its place will be in the Cosmos!
  The Black Void is a role-playing game about the fall, 
  exodus and subsequent resurgence of mankind. It 
  takes place in a distant past in a Cosmos which is 
  both familiar and outlandish in its dark and exotic 
  ambience. Adventures typically revolve around the 
  exploration of the deep dark unknown and the 
  pursuit of enlightenment; prestige and power to 
  ensure the survival and rise of Mankind - or indeed 
  the characters own interests.
  The Black Void RPG is set in a dual reality: A 
  vast Cosmos, and beyond this evident world an 
  intangible Void. The Cosmos is the universe 
  we know; home to mortal species such 
  
  31
  aPPlyinG the rules
  One of the key responsibilities for Arbiters is determining 
  action difficulties and defining the outcome once resolved. 
  The below table is a generic account of difficulties. While 
  the Arbiter is not obligated to tell players how difficult a task 
  is - and perhaps should not in order to maintain suspense - 
  he or she can comfortably do so for more mundane actions 
  and encounters the players come across.
  ACTION DIFFICULTY RATINGS
  DIFFICULTY RATING
  DESCRIPTION
  4+
  Easy
  7+
  Average
  10+
  Challenging
  13+
  Demanding
  Declaring and resolving actions is generally explained in the 
  rules section, but it is up to the Arbiter to determine the 
  outcome of an action. While the outcome of many actions 
  is a simple question of success or failure, some need a bit 
  of ingenuity on the part of the Arbiter to establish and 
  describe what occurs, while others are determined by a roll 
  on one of the various effect tables. Only the Arbiter should 
  have access to these tables, as shown below. 
  When resolving actions, the Arbiter should note that a 
  successful action-roll does not always equal the character 
  achieving his or her intended goal. For instance, a group 
  of characters decide to search for tracks in a given area. 
  The Arbiter knows that there are no tracks to be found 
  but cannot - and indeed should not - refuse their request. 
  The Arbiter now has two options; he can either choose 
  to let all action-rolls fail since there are no tracks, but not 
  divulging this info to the characters, or he can set a difficulty 
  rating which will - if achieved - let the characters discover 
  that there are no relevant tracks to find. The characters are 
  asked to make their search rolls, but without the Arbiter 
  revealing the difficulty rating. The Arbiter  has decided 
  that the search will have a difficulty rating of 10. Failed 
  rolls only reveal that the characters were unable to find any 
  tracks. A success would not reveal any tracks either, but 
  the Arbiter would inform the characters that there are no 
  tracks to be found in this area, giving them certainty that no 
  further efforts would reveal anything.
  EXCEPTIONAL SUCCESS
  When an exceptional success is achieved it is important to 
  make it interesting and an added benefit, perhaps later in 
  the game session. Avoid clichés and try to come up with 
  something that makes the player excited. A useful trick 
  is to vividly describe how the characters overwhelmingly 
  succeeds at the task.
  CRITICAL FAILURE
  It is important to handle critical failures with a bit of 
  care: They should create tension or provide an additional 
  challenge to enhance the peril; not ruin the game. Critical 
  failures do not necessarily have to afflict the perpetrator 
  directly or only! It works well if they cause a general 
  increase in danger or drama affecting all the characters or 
  those involved in an encounter equally. An example could 
  be that a character critically misses her footing, falls and 
  catches on a rope attached to a bell. While she suffers no 
  injury or direct harm the now clanging bell awakens the 
  slumbering palace guards and the chase is on! Again, try to 
  avoid clichés and make sure that the incident is disturbing 
  but ultimately adds to the enjoyment of the game.
  B lood Rituals Divination
  Blood ritual diVination
  BACKLASH EFFECT TABLE
  Roll
  Backlash
  <3
  Traumatized and weakened by the ritual the recipient is 
  reluctant to partake in another Bloodletting Ritual for D3 
  days.
  4-6
  Frightened by the occurrence of the backlash the recipient 
  develops a temporary phobia for blood and particularly 
  Blood Rituals, lasting D6 days.
  7
  The grisly ritual leaves the character nauseated and queasy, 
  suffering a -1 penalty to physical action rolls for 12 hours.
  8
  Rattled by the experience the character suffers minor tics; 
  shakes and shivering. All natural rolls of 1-2 count as critical 
  failures until the character has slept a full night.
  9
  Overwhelmed by the sheer force of the backlash, the 
  recipient will lose consciousness for D12 hours*.
  10+
  The practitioner is unable to cope with the physical strain 
  of the ritual, suffering a trauma causing a -1 penalty to 
  all action rolls and inducing the mild cramps Flaw for D3 
  days*.
  When performing a sacrificial divination, a query must 
  be formulated, which determines the difficulty of the 
  roll depending on its complexity. How complex a query 
  the ritualist can reasonably expect to divine the answer 
  to depends on his or her sacrificial divination ranking. A 
  novice ritualist may perform simple readings, obtaining 
  replies to enquiries answerable by a yes or no. As characters 
  gain further rankings in sacrificial divination the variety of 
  inquiries and possible aspects of answers expands, allowing 
  the character more profound information than simple 
  indications to yes-no questions. 
  DIVINATION
  Query
  Requirements
  Insight
  Difficulty
  Backlash
  Yes-no
  Ranking 1
  Simple possibility
  7
  0
  Prospect
  Ranking 2
  The likelihood of a 
  specified outcome
  10
  +1
  Guided 
  closed 
  query
  Ranking 3
  The probabilities of 
  multiple declared 
  options
  13
  +1
  BOTCHED BLOODLETTING RITUALS
  Occasionally a bloodletting ritual goes awry. The recipient 
  is unable to retain the released power and must make a 
  successful Stamina roll - against the same difficulty as the 
  Blood Ritual - or suffer a backlash. If failed, the player roll 
  a D12 and confers with the table below to determine the 
  effect of the backlash. 
  
  32
  When a combatant rolls an exceptional hit, refer to the below table for the effect. Note that while attackers may be allowed 
  to roll twice or even thrice for damage, the Strength and other damage modifiers are only added once.
  EXCEPTIONAL HITS TABLE
  SEVERITY ROLL
  DMG
  EFFECT
  <2
  x1
  A grazing blow to the head shakes the target, causing a -1 penalty to all physical actions and halving 
  Move for 1 round
  3
  x1
  The legs buckle and the target stumbles under the impact of the attack, leaving her immobile and 
  suffering -1 to all actions for 1 round while trying to regain her balance
  4
  x1
  The target takes a severe clobbering; roll for knockdown and place the target prone if successful
  5
  x1
  A deep ripping gash in the forehead splatters blood into the eyes of the target leaving her blinded for 1 
  round (-3 and no orientation or reactions)
  6
  x2
  A series of violent strike bashes the target to the ground; leaving her knocked down and prone
  7
  x2
  The brutal impact of a thrashing assault renders the target dazed and confused, suffering -3 penalty to 
  all actions for D3 rounds 
  8
  x2
  A battering attack numbs the target’s arm and shoulder causing any held item to be dropped and the 
  arm to be useless for D3 rounds
  9
  x2
  A forceful blow to the chest leaves the target in violent pain and gasping for breath. The target is 
  prone, writhing in agony and counts as stunned for D3 rounds 
  10
  x3
  A violent impact shatters the arm leaving the target whimpering in anguish. Held items are dropped, 
  the arm is useless until fully recovered. Any physical actions suffer -3 penalty due to the immense pain 
  until the arm is bound and pinned
  11
  x3
  With a nauseating crunch multiple bones shatter and with eyes bulging the target collapses to the 
  ground with sickening gurgling noises. The combatant is stunned for D6 rounds and unable to do 
  anything but crawl at half movement until patched up. Witnessing combatants must make a Stamina 
  roll [7] or succumb to vomiting nausea for D3 rounds
  12+
  x3
  An assault of pure carnage sends blood and guts spraying; drenching everyone in the vicinity. The 
  target flops to the ground a bloody mass of mangled limbs. Collapsed and in shock the victim is unable 
  to move for D12 rounds. Roll twice on the crippling Injury table. Adjacent combatants drenched by 
  the carnage make a Stamina roll [7] or be sick for D3 rounds at the macabre vista
  MISHAPS TABLE
  ROLL
  EFFECT
  1
  As the combatants circle each other they inadvertently shift positions moving D3 metres in a random direction, possibly 
  colliding with other combatants or finding themselves on precarious footing
  2
  Location disturbance: An element in the encounter location or conditions suddenly shifts introducing a new element to the 
  encounter
  3
  The combatant inadverdently causes a location hazard: The hazard causes immediate danger or disruption to all combatants
  4
  Overextending, the attacker loses her footing and stumbles. Roll Agility [7] if successful the attacker stumbles and recovers 
  in an unfavourable position suffering a -3 penalty on the next physical action. If failed she drops her weapon - or other held 
  item - in an effort to keep her balance
  5
  The combatant gets turned around and unintentionally moves away from her opponent, offering her opponent a free attack 
  opportunity with a -3 penalty. Afterwards both combatants count as disengaged
  6
  An overenthusiastic attack sends the combatant tumbling. Nearby combatants may attempt to dodge [7] the thrashing 
  combatant or risk being knocked down as well. Place the attacker prone and make knockdown rolls for any adjacent 
  combatants that failed to dodge
  7
  The attacker loses her balance and swings wildly striking a combatant within reach. Roll to hit as normal on a random 
  adjacent person
  8
  A hard block sends the attacker’s weapon flying. The weapon flies D3 metres in a random direction striking the first object in 
  its path; causing half normal damage
  9
  Distracted and confused by the turmoil of combat the attacker completely loses focus and suffers -3 penalty to her next 
  action
  10
  Pinching a nerve the combatant is unable to employ any combat manoeuvres in the following round. Moving actions are 
  allowed
  11
  In a complete blunder the combatant leaves herself unprotected and vulnerable to attack. An opponent gets a free attack 
  opportunity
  12
  In an exceptional display of ineptness the combatant strikes herself, causing damage as normal
  When a combatant induces a critical mishap, refer to the mishaps table below for the effect. To allow drama and 
  personalisation to the encounter Arbiters do not have to strictly abide by the noted effect as long as the outcome is similar 
  in severity.
  
  33
  CRIPPLING INJURIES TABLE
  SEVERITY 
  ROLL
  INJURY
  <2
  The bones in the arm are fractured and while the arm can be used, it is painful; causing a -3 penalty for D3 days
  3
  A numbing strike to the leg causes paralysis, making the leg unable to support any weight and useless for D6 days. Half 
  walking movement rate is possible with crutches and general mobility is severely hampered
  4
  Broken leg: The bone is broken leaving the character unable to lean on it until it is healed. Although half walking 
  movement rate is possible with crutches other mobility is severely limited until the bone is mended
  5
  Several fingers have been squashed or severed leaving the character with only half a hand. The character suffers from 
  applicable impairment and the mild flaw Weak Grip going forward
  6
  Numerous blows to the head have left the character scarred and debilitated. The player must roll to determine the 
  moderate flaw sustained: Amnesia, confused, hideous, bad hearing, hypersensitive eyes, night blindness or partial 
  blindness
  7
  The injuries have left a horrid scar across the character’s face. The character loses one (1) point of Presence permanently
  8
  Badly mended bones and strained muscles causes the character limited flexibility with ungainly and awkward movements. 
  Deduct one (1) point from the character’s Agility permanently
  9
  Sustained injuries have left the character crippled and broken. Roll randomly to determine a severe Flaw the character 
  has acquired: Clumsy, cramps, Easily exhausted or weak grip
  10
  The hand of the character has been mangled so badly that it is unusable. The arm remains but the character is incapable 
  of actions involving the use of two hands and will suffer penalties if only her secondary hand remains
  11
  With a wet tearing sound, the arm is severed at the shoulder or elbow, leaving only a mangled and bloody stump. 
  All actions requiring the use of two appendages are impossible to perform, two-handed weapons cannot be used and 
  penalties apply to actions if it is the secondary arm and hand that remains
  12
  Brutal damage has crushed the torso; leaving the character incapable of anything other than speaking
  When a crippling injury occurs, roll and add the applicable Strength modifier to determine the injury the character sustains.
  FEAR EFFECT TABLE
  ROLL
  EFFECT
  1-3
  Disconcerted, the character will not move close to the source of her fright. She may perform any other action as normal; 
  suffering no further penalties
  4-6
  The character is startled and immediately runs away from the source of fear for D3 rounds. The character performs 
  actions at -1 penalty while the source of her fright is within sight
  7-8
  Panicking, the character turn and flees directly away from the source of fear at sprinting speed for D3 rounds. If unable 
  to do so she is immobilised with fear and unable to act or move for an equivalent period. Subsequent actions are made at 
  -1 penalty while the source of fear is viewable
  9
  Panicked for D6 rounds, the character is frozen to the spot while screaming hysterically and attacking anyone adjacent to 
  her making random wild swings. After the panic she faints, falling unconscious for D3 rounds
  10
  Overcome with sheer terror the character falls to the ground trembling and babbling incoherently. The character is 
  placed prone and counts as stunned for D6 rounds. All actions suffer a -3 penalty for the following D6 rounds
  11
  Shaken by the horror unfolding before her the character flees as fast as possible. The character must sprint directly away 
  from the source of fear for D12 rounds and loses one (1) Sanity point
  12+
  Completely overcome with terror, the character collapses quivering to the ground for D12 rounds. The character is 
  traumatized and immediately loses one (1) Sanity point
  When a character succumbs to Fear refer to the below table to determine the outcome and effect.
  MADNESS EFFECT TABLE
  Roll
  EFFECT
  1-4
  For D3 days the character suffers from phobia towards the source of madness. If the cause of the phobia is within sight 
  a willpower roll [7] must be made or the character suffers a panic attack: The character runs away for D3 rounds and 
  performs subsequent actions at -1 penalty while the source is near
  5-8
  The character becomes obsessive compulsive for D3 days; constantly reciting litanies, making odd ritualistic gestures or 
  similar. The character acts distanced from reality and all actions involving Intellect, Presence, Awareness, Persuasion or 
  Willpower suffer a -3 penalty for the duration
  9-12
  An atrocious sight is burned into the mind of the character, continuously feeding the character with hallucinations of 
  unspeakable horrors for D6 days. Any encounter, friendly or hostile, causes a fear roll [7] for the character
  When a character loses a Sanity point he or she must make a madness roll to determine the effect of the temporary 
  insanity. Let the player make the roll and refer to the table below.
  
  34
  samPle sPecies
  DESCRIPTION: Ba’waïkh are slender, short bipeds with 
  pale blue greenish skin-tones. Their faces are prominently 
  flat, having no noticeable nose-structure and comparatively 
  large eyes that they tend to squint when away from 
  the dusky illumination of their homeworld Ogé. 
  Sensitive eyes grant them keen sight in low-light 
  conditions while impeding their vision in bright 
  light. Neither gender has any hair-growth, but 
  males have five distinctive feathery protrusions 
  in their face - over each eye, to either side 
  of 
  and below the mouth. Their elongated 
  skulls are typically covered with elaborate 
  headgear, scarfs or turbans. Ba’waïkh have 
  rather oddly shaped hands with each digit being 
  a different length and covered in ridges, enabling 
  them to manipulate objects very precisely.
  HABITAT/SOCIETY: The Ba’waïkh are indigenous 
  to Ogé a particularly large world divided into 
  numerous small continents. The world orbits a large 
  dying star keeping Ogé in more or less perpetual dusk 
  and a similar climate globally.
  BEHAVIOUR: A fervent belief in their own brand of 
  The perhaps most profound realisation humanity had when they washed up from the bleak obliviousness of the Void was 
  that they were not alone. Wherever survivors emerged they encountered otherworldly lifeforms or the remnants of these. 
  This chapter details a few of the more common mortal species encountered in the Eternal City.
  Ba’waï kh
  Ba’Waïkh
  karmic vocation make Ba’waïkh a driven and hard-working 
  species. Ba’waïkh tend to stick together in closely knit social 
  circles and while outwardly unassertive they have a severe 
  internal social regimen instituted by the karmic creed. This 
  certainty in kismet is confined to their own species, and 
  they consider outsiders who seek to meddle in their affairs 
  profane. This inclination comes to the fore if they feel 
  threatened or wronged by outsiders and they can 
  be surprisingly conniving and vindictive in such 
  circumstances.
  ENCOUNTERS: Serving at all echelons 
  of the Eternal City characters can run 
  into Ba’waïkh under a vast assortment of 
  circumstances and situations. Ba’waïkh tend 
  to stay unobtrusive and it is unlikely that 
  they should seek the attention of humans 
  unless they feel threatened or see a 
  benefit to their internal schemes 
  from doing so. Ba’waïkh in the 
  employ of others, however 
  are likely to accost characters 
  at the behest of their master 
  or mistress.
  COMBAT: Ba’waïkh can be 
  unpredictably 
  coordinated 
  and competent if challenged and seem 
  to have an instinct for 
  method in perilous 
  circumstances. 
  If 
  faced with dire odds 
  they frequently bide 
  their 
  time 
  using 
  defensive 
  strategies 
  until 
  reinforcements 
  can arrive or retreat if 
  this seems unlikely. In 
  favourable 
  conflicts 
  they 
  retain 
  caution 
  reducing 
  loses 
  and 
  injury while pressing their 
  advantage. 
  Favoured 
  combat 
  manoeuvres comprise defensive 
  stance, block, parry, dodge, 
  disarm and calculated strike.
  VISION: Ba’waïkh eyes are very 
  sensitive to light and they can see 
  well in low light conditions. No 
  penalties apply for performing 
  actions in the dark unless all light 
  sources are gone. Ba’waïkh suffer 
  a -1 penalty to rolls involving sight 
  in bright conditions.
  Ba’Waikh
  AGILITY
  3
  HEALTH
  19
  AWARENESS
  3
  SIZE
  Medium
  STAMINA
  2
  MOVE
  4
  STRENGTH
  2
  WEAPON
  Various
  INTELLECT
  3
  REACH
  As weapon
  PERSUASION
  2
  ATT MOD
  +1
  PRESENCE
  4
  ATT SPEED
  0
  WILLPOWER
  2
  DMG
  As weapon -1
  DV
  7
  PROTECTION
  DR 3
  TALENTS
  Night vision
  FLAWS
  Light sensitivity
  ATTRIBUTES
  Nimble fingers
  SPECIAL
  -
  OTHER
  -
  EQUIPMENT
  Standard clothing, hardened 
  leather armour, personal items 
  and wealth, preference for 
  short bows, short swords and 
  polearms.
  
  35
  Ka’Alum
  ka’alum
  DESCRIPTION: Somewhat resembling large flightless birds, 
  the Ka’Alum stand over four cubits tall with long sinewy 
  legs built for speed, a flexible neck and the small head has 
  a thin elongated and long curved beak. Males are partially 
  covered in short purplish downy fur while females are a 
  variety of earthy colours, ranging from sandy beige to 
  reddish clay. Both genders have bald legs, necks and heads 
  showing their dark leathery skin. Two front limbs with hook-
  like claws are used for grabbing and manipulating objects 
  and a long tail with tousled featherlike protrusions provides 
  balance. Certain members have two short appendages on 
  their back also with protrusions occasionally used in displays 
  of dominance. Ka’Alum are well-known for their cleverness 
  and robust physique, making them extremely capable 
  individuals.
  HABITAT/SOCIETY: 
  Ka’Alum 
  prefer 
  subtropical 
  environments comprising mainly savannahs and plains but 
  they can endure a variety of conditions due to their resilient 
  physique. Once the Ka’Alum became enlightened they 
  quickly expanded unto habitable but unpopulated worlds 
  setting up colonies that - once they reached a certain size - 
  became relatively self-governing. As a result, the Ka’Alum 
  have highly evolved societies spanning several worlds, all 
  supremely ruled by an elected conclave residing a limited 
  time on each of the worlds within the federation.
  BEHAVIOUR: The species is known as having a practical, 
  astute if occasionally callous nature. They habitually treat 
  others with nonchalant politeness and act in terms of what 
  they can gain from this person - not necessarily exploitative, 
  simply how can this person benefit them. The Ka’Alum 
  have a - perhaps undeserved - notorious reputation as 
  pitiless slavers. In truth it is probably only a rather small 
  proportion of the species that engage in slave-trade, but 
  the natural pragmatism of the species seems to make them 
  highly competent and prosperous within this trade.
  ENCOUNTERS: Ka’Alum can be encountered in more 
  or less any conceivable capacity; be it direct adversaries, 
  allies or as disinterested parties to have dealings with. They 
  frequently conduct their business as independent entities 
  with a gathering of foreign aides as support rather than 
  fellow members of their species, and they can only rarely 
  be found in the employ of another unless it benefits them 
  substantially to do so. Anyone with opposing interests 
  to a Ka’Alum may find themselves confronted by a very 
  capable individual prepared to make every effort to achieve 
  success. However, once this is accomplished the Ka’Alum 
  has no further interest in overcoming the former contender. 
  A Ka’Alum faced with determined opposition weighs its 
  options, changing tactics or possibly withdraws if success is 
  unlikely.
  COMBAT: Ka’Alum are analytical and decisive in 
  their approach to violent conflict, quickly gauging their 
  opportunities and odds to proceed with the greatest 
  prospect of conquest or otherwise resolving the conflict to 
  their advantage. In a fight the Ka’Alum adopt the tactic 
  that ensures the least risk of harm to itself or its followers 
  and utilise the means and conditions at their disposal to 
  the best of their ability and are not averse to get involved 
  if this grants the best chance of success. Ka’Alum tend to 
  be proficient in ranged weapons or polearms, increasing 
  their own reach and keeping adversaries away. Preferred 
  manoeuvres depend entirely on their opponent as they 
  adopt the tactic suited to that particular adversary.
  ka’alum
  AGILITY
  4
  HEALTH
  35
  AWARENESS
  5
  SIZE
  Large
  STAMINA
  4
  MOVE
  8
  STRENGTH
  3
  WEAPON
  Glaive / bow
  INTELLECT
  6
  REACH
  As weapon
  PERSUASION
  5
  ATT MOD
  +4
  PRESENCE
  3
  ATT SPEED
  +1
  WILLPOWER
  4
  DMG
  As weapon
  DV
  7
  PROTECTION
  DR 2
  TALENTS
  Quick thinker
  FLAWS
  Distinctive appearance
  ATTRIBUTES
  Long digitigrade legs, 
  peripheral vision, small claws 
  and tail
  EQUIPMENT
  Fine clothes, reinforced cloth 
  armour, daggers, glaive or 
  other polearm, composite 
  longbow and occasionally 
  whips.
  
  36
  Ta lath
  talath
  DESCRIPTION: There are two breeds of Talath, both of 
  them stocky and muscular with the most common breed 
  standing about four and a half cubits high and the other 
  up to seven cubits tall. The skin of the common breed is a 
  brownish red occasionally with sparse patches of fur. Their 
  faces have pronounced cheekbones and massive jaws with 
  wide-set pale eyes providing extensive peripheral vision. 
  Their large furrowed mouths are filled with short pointed 
  teeth giving them a menacing grin. Two small nostrils 
  sit almost centred in the face with little noticeable nose 
  protrusion. Thick locks of hair grow from high on the scalp 
  to the upper back resembling massive manes ranging from 
  black to whitish grey. As Talath age their skin thickens and 
  spots of scale-like membranes appear randomly across their 
  body.
  Their arms are brawny with exaggerated forearms ending 
  in stubby paddle-like hands with thick conical fingers. Their 
  digitigrade legs are thick with flat flexible feet and broad 
  wrinkled toes providing great stability as well as momentum.
  HABITAT/SOCIETY: Hailing from a vastly savage world 
  called Aqihabara, Talath are nomadic - gathering in packs, 
  ranging from just a few to several hundred individuals - 
  travelling across the vast steppes and plateaus of the globe. 
  The social customs among the Talath seem rather peculiar 
  and their hierarchical behavioural patterns are often hard 
  to understand by others, as positions seem to change 
  constantly within a given group.
  BEHAVIOR: Talath are perceived as brutish and bad-
  tempered by most other races and they tend to lack 
  the common social acumen found amongst most other 
  enlightened species. This possibly stems from a tendency 
  to act on impulse rather than contemplation, making 
  interaction with other races a rather delicate matter for any 
  outsider. Talath respect strength and their social customs 
  are very brusque and loutish.
  ENCOUNTERS: Quick to anger, Talath can often be found 
  brawling in wine dens or anywhere for that matter. They work 
  for high or low in the Eternal City, accepting employment 
  based on respect and whether someone is deemed a worthy 
  employer. In this capacity Talath can just as easily be 
  adversaries as allies and met almost everywhere except 
  the Penda’Rinn district where they are barred due to 
  their volatile nature and past incidents. 
  COMBAT: This species is born for warfare and violence. 
  Talath are determined and proficient warriors who - if 
  encountered in packs - are well-organised and utilising 
  surprisingly sound tactics considering their limited 
  intellect. A Talath pack always has a designated alpha 
  member directing the efforts and leading the charge 
  with other pack members having roles such as scouts, 
  defenders, flankers and so on enabling the pack 
  to take advantage of their individual capabilities. 
  Favoured combat manoeuvres include furious 
  charge, All-out attack, called attack, knockdown, 
  block and counter-attack. All Talath innately have 
  the formation-fighting specialisation.
  talath
  AGILITY
  3
  HEALTH
  43
  AWARENESS
  2
  SIZE
  Large
  STAMINA
  5
  MOVE
  7
  STRENGTH
  7
  WEAPON
  Great weapons
  INTELLECT
  2
  REACH
  Near (4)
  PERSUASION
  2
  ATT MOD
  +5
  PRESENCE
  3
  ATT SPEED
  +1
  WILLPOWER
  3
  DMG
  As weapon +5
  DV
  6
  PROTECTION
  DR 6
  TALENTS
  Explosive force
  FLAWS
  Primitive and bad temper 
  (both moderate)
  ATTRIBUTES
  Tough hide and digitigrade legs
  SPECIAL
  Innate formation fighting
  EQUIPMENT
  Any combination of armour, 
  a great weapon, multiple extra 
  weapons and looted goods.
  
  37
  yiaGh’Zii
  DESCRIPTION: Yiagh’Zii are a species of Void entities 
  known to dance on pernicious peaks in demented rapture 
  to please their indefinite masters from the deep oblivion. 
  These slithering abominations have a three-sectioned body 
  with the lower half being a tangle of three to five tendrils 
  ending in fleshy lumps functioning as anchors, affixing the 
  Yiagh’Zii to almost any surface. 
  Between these and four repulsively arm-like appendages a 
  flexible white membrane allows the entities to produce a 
  variety of horrid sounds as it expands and retracts in wavy 
  patterns. From a fissured cone-shaped head-parallel a short 
  trunk infolds an extendable tongue ending in a peculiar 
  mouthpiece with protruding lobes used as a sensory organ. 
  Numerous ogling eyes are interspersed chaotically across 
  the entire corpus of the entity.
  HABITAT/SOCIETY: At home in the depths of the Void, 
  the Yiagh’Zii surreptitiously venture into the Cosmos in 
  irregular cycles as if following some peculiar almanack. 
  Gathering in herds akin to raiding parties, they appear and 
  perform their abhorrent activities and then leave, seemingly 
  having satisfied some voracious obligation known and 
  understood only by themselves. 
  BEHAVIOUR: Yiagh’Zii irregularly appear on Cosmic 
  worlds capturing slaves to drag to remote locations, 
  sacrificing and paying homage through their demented 
  dance. 
  Captured slaves get tasted with licks of the foul Yiagh’Zii 
  tongues after which select individuals are dragged along, and 
  the remaining are discarded or torn apart. Once gathered, 
  the raiding party withdraws to sacrosanct locations, typically 
  on far-flung moons. Here the profane ceremony leaves the 
  sacrificed not quite dead but empty, devoid of cognisance, 
  sentiment or sentience - living shells, scarred and broken.
  ENCOUNTERS: Yiagh’Zii can be encountered almost 
  everywhere, excluding densely populated areas, which they 
  avoid. Happenstances are most likely to occur just before, 
  during or after a Yiagh’Zii raid, but before they have 
  departed for their remote destination. 
  Yiagh’Zii are intelligent but cannot be reasoned with, 
  and any attempt to read minds or gauge motivation will 
  be utterly incomprehensible. Yiagh’Zii do not necessarily 
  act hostilely towards others but will be inquisitive and 
  perhaps even “taste” someone and try to drag them off, if 
  found delectable due to high Mental scores. Defiance and 
  resistance will be met with immediate brutality.
  COMBAT: Aggravated Yiagh’Zii have a variety of 
  possibilities available to them when engaged in conflict. 
  Their multiple eyes and odd physiology mean that they 
  have no front or rear, ignoring direction completely. 
  When agitated their membranes reverberate incessantly 
  producing subsonic waves causing nausea and disorientation. 
  Non-Yiagh’Zii within D12 metres must make a Stamina roll 
  [7] or succumb to biliousness: The character falls to the 
  ground quivering and prone, counting as stunned for D6 
  rounds, after which all actions suffer a -3 penalty for D6 
  rounds. 
  Yiagh’Zii will use their tongue to drain the cerebral essence of 
  stunned adversaries. A draining attempt counts as a normal 
  action taking a full round (initiative -6) where the Yiagh’Zii 
  makes an opposed Awareness roll against a randomly 
  determined Mental Trait of the victim. A successful drain 
  reduces the victim’s designated Trait score by one point 
  permanently. If engaged in close combat Yiagh’Zii will 
  make up to four attacks per round using its arms, suffering 
  no penalties; each causing D6+2 [2] noxious damage: 
  Stamina roll [7] or suffer Delirium. 
  ABILITIES: Their horrid nebulous appearance cause Fear 
  [7] effect +4 and their insubstantial flesh suffer only half 
  damage from physical damage.
  yiaGh’Zii
  AGILITY
  6
  HEALTH
  29
  AWARENESS
  7
  SIZE
  Medium
  STAMINA
  4
  MOVE
  12 (Void)
  STRENGTH
  5
  6 (Cosmos)
  INTELLECT
  9
  WEAPON
  Claws
  PERSUASION
  0
  REACH
  Adjacent (1)
  PRESENCE
  7
  ATT MOD
  +4
  WILLPOWER
  9
  ATT SPEED
  +3
  DMG
  D6+2 [2]
  DV
  10
  PROTECTION
  Insubstantial
  ATTRIBUTES
  Four arms, claws, insubstantial 
  flesh, multiple eyes, natural 
  immunity, tentacles and Void 
  entity [3].
  POWERS
  Drain Mental Traits.
  SPECIAL
  Fear [7] and immunity to 
  mental assaults and ignore 
  injuries.
  
  Copyright 2019 Christoffer Schultz Sevaldsen / ‘BLACK VOID’ logo trademarked by Christoffer Schultz Sevaldsen
  name:   
   
   
   
   
  sPecies:  
   
  homeworld:
  Gender: 
   
  aGe: 
   
   
  skin: 
   
   
  eyes: 
   
   
  hair:
  Build:  
   
   
   
   
  aPPearance:
  Quirks and haBits:
  sayinGs:
  mannerism
  desire and motiVation:
  dislikes, secrets and reGrets
  PhilosoPhy & PrinciPles:
  Personality
  oriGin
  ancestry and relations:
  caste:
  Faction and alleGiance:
  occuPation: 
  Patron:
  skills  
         sPecialisation          rankinG 
  cost
  comBat skills  sPecialisation          rankinG 
  cost
  STAMINA
  STRENGTH
  AWARENESS
  AGILITY
  INTELLECT
  PERSUASION
  PRESENCE
  WILLPOWER
  wastah
  EXPERIENCE
  POINTS
   health
      total health
   hurt (-1 Penalty)
     injured (-3 Penalty)
   dead
              sanity
                  total sanity
               anxious (+1 to madness)
                 disturBed (+3 to madness)
  madness
  Player name:
  BackGround 
  BeneFit 
   
   
   
  cost
  attriButes  
  BeneFit 
   
   
   
  cost
  Powers 
   
   
   
         rankinG 
   cost
  enliGhtenment
  
  Copyright 2019 Christoffer Schultz Sevaldsen / ‘BLACK VOID’ logo trademarked by Christoffer Schultz Sevaldsen
  deFence Value
  deFence Value
  aGility modiFier:
  skill modiFier:
  shield modiFier:
  other modiFiers:
  moVement
  (km/hour)
  walkinG sPeed:
  runninG sPeed (x2):
  sPrintinG sPeed (x4):
  comBat sPeed:
     (metres/round)
  wealth
  Bulk, ProPerties & other:
  head
  torso
  arms
  leGs
  armour, tattoo’s & GraFtinGs
  damaGe reduction
  (accumulated total)
  eQuiPment
  ProPerty / assets
  weaPons
                                                    attack        
  tyPe            size            ranGe      modiFier         sPeed        damaGe                ProPerties                          sPecial
  character history:
  Friends & allies:
  known enemies:
  notaBle PeoPle:
  notaBle exPeriences:
  
  BVG008D
  WWW.MODIPHIUS.COM
  ISBN 978-87-93781-06-1
    surViVal is only the BeGinninG...!
  In the days when Babylon was the greatest city on Earth, mankind lived in placid ignorance of the 
  grandeur, vastness and horror of the Cosmos. Following cataclysmic events on Earth the fragile Veil 
  between reality and the Void was shattered and the truth of existence was revealed. As mankind cried 
  to their Gods for salvation, they were torn from Earth by Void torrents and the surviving peoples were 
  scattered among the stars. Countless where lost and mankind seemed all but perished. 
  Over the decades the lone survivors, stragglers and ragged remnants of mankind’s tribes struggled for 
  survival across countless uncaring worlds. However, a few managed to go beyond mere subsistence and 
  travelled the Void currents to find fabled Llyhn, epicentre of the Cosmos. The survivors congregated 
  and created enclaves within the Eternal City - small communities where mankind could survive and start 
  to rebuild all which was lost.
  You are descendants of the survivors from Earth, the lost cradle of humanity. Llyhn is your home now. 
  Swarming with outlandish life forms, eccentric Daimons and fickle demigods; it is a swelling cosmopolis 
  of intrigue, wonder, treachery, corruption, beauty, decadence and eldritch menace. 
  Behind you lie the smouldering ruins of a once great species trying to reclaim former glory, before you 
  the mysteries of Llyhn and a vast treacherous Cosmos…!
  WWW.BLACKVOIDGAMES.COM
  Print-friendly character sheet and other resources available for download
  TM
  The quickstart contains basic rules and content enabling you to play 
  the role-playing game BLACK VOID, including:
  • 
  The basic character-building system
  • 
  An introduction to the D12-based rules system
  • 
  Selected manoeuvres to run enticing combat encounters
  • 
  Basic Blood ritual power mechanics
  • 
  Equipment, weapons and armour sample lists
  • 
  Basic Arbiter’s guide including abridged Fear, Madness, Injury tables and more...
  • 
  Four species samples
  • 
  Character sheet
  IN THE UNKNOWN   |   BEYOND THE HORIZON   |   WHAT IS HUMANITY
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Black Void/Black Void - Quickstart.pdf